A/N: Sorry for the long wait.
Chapter Ten – Puzzle Piece
She looked so peaceful. If it weren't for the different hospital wires and machines, Sam could almost picture Isabella like Snow White. Black hair and fair white skin. His stomach churned inside to stare at her through the glass window. Hospitals weren't exactly his favorite places to visit, especially when he had some connection to a patient. He crossed his arms over his chest and sighed helplessly. She was an innocent and twenty-four hours had already passed without Sam nor his brother finding any sort of clue to lead the cause of all this. Poor Isabella Jamison. A girl who just wanted to see her family. Someone who wanted to pursue a happy, normal life.
Her body barely moved. Isabella's body made centimeters-worth of movement. Tiny, ant-size breaths. Why was she so pale? He hated that. That churning, sick feeling in Sam's stomach grew stronger. He knew there was something evil involved. Grammy and Amy had both felt it. Why couldn't he? He had touched Isabella and felt warm, smooth skin. Guilt and anger grew within himself. Why couldn't he be stronger than this? He had various abilities – Grammy knew this too – and he had no control over any of it. Amy did. Grammy did. Why not him?
Feeling a small hand on his arm, Sam turned and looked down at the old woman. Grammy smiled, passing Sam a cup of hot coffee, and the two continued to stare through the glass at the comatose female.
"You handle a lot of stuff like this, kid?"
Sam nodded. He pursed his lips together, sighing, and took a sip of the hospital coffee.
"Well, you seem to succeed in all that you do…" Grammy smiled warmly. "There's no reason for why this should be different."
He didn't show much of a reaction. Sam replied: "I've never really thought about our past cases as a success. No matter what, people have died. Suffered. And Isabella…if we even can figure this out…" Sam turned away from the image of Isabella's unmoving body and looked at Grammy. "It's never a success. We just kill the damn things."
O.O.O.O.O.
Dean rubbed his tired cheek and slumped into the hospital seat. In the Waiting Room, Dean looked around and noted some of the people there. Kids coughing, older people staring at empty prescription bottles, and couples looking at their wife or girlfriend's bellies.
He looked up when he spotted his favorite brunette-red head. Amy, just as tired, sat beside him. She sat with perfect posture while Dean appeared to be experiencing a horrible, boring lecture back in high school.
She turned to him slowly and Amy leaned over to rest her head on his shoulder. Dean felt the need to sit up a bit, so he did, and allowed the woman to rest comfortably beside him. He even put his arm around her and massaged her arm gently. She was so tense. Even scared? She had been so stiff since the moment they entered the hospital. Why? After the little girl, Zoë Brooks, was killed, Dean knew Amy hated hospitals. But still. Why was she so afraid? She seemed to attach herself to Dean, even Sam, when she got nervous around the hallways.
Squeezing her arm in a playful way, Dean leaned his chin down and kissed the top of her head. This is what a real relationship is like, huh, he thought to himself.
Dean found she was closing her eyes, but smiling. She's just tired. He kept his arm around her still, running his hand up and down her arm, feeling her body to relax a bit more. But he could still sense her fear.
O.O.O.O.O.
I want to tell you so bad. I'm so glad you hold me the way you do. It's different when I'm with you. I feel more protected. Safer, in a way. But it doesn't change things. I see them. They see me.
Amy kept her eyes close. She had to keep them opened when she walked over, sat down, and placed her head on his shoulder. She could barely take it anymore. Talking to Sam, Grammy, Isabella, even Officer Evans had been difficult.
They keep trying to talk. They know I can see. Why? How? I hate this. I want to tell you so much.
But she knew she couldn't. Mary and Jessica were right. Even Sam, who had always been the headstrong one, had tried once or twice to take advantage of Amy's power to see. And Dean, who in a way is mentally weaker than Sam, would never stop trying to talk to his dead mother.
I know you're strong. But they told me not to tell you. It's bad enough that Sam knows. I want you to know so bad. I don't want to lie. Not anymore. But I have to keep my promise.
She felt him kiss the top of her head. Amy tried to relax more. It felt wonderful to be held by him.
You have no idea how much I need you. I know that I have you, and that you're here to take care of me whenever I need it. But with keeping this secret from you…with being dishonest…it makes me feel as if I can't give you all of me. I'm not even sure what that means. But I need you so much. I don't know what to do.
Hold me tighter.
O.O.O.O.O.
Grammy was in the room with Isabella's body. Her hand gripped softly around Isabella's wrist. Sam watched, through the glass, hoping and praying that more could be learned of this. He turned when Sam saw the reflection of Blake Evans rushing pass.
"Officer?" Sam called, turning to the frantic police officer.
Blake turned quickly, taking in deep breaths, and explained: "Sorry, I gotta go. There's been a murder-"
At this, Sam felt a numb, almost cold feeling, shoot through him. Suddenly, a vision came…
The man, dead, on the pink carpet…blood…
Sam opened his eyes and stared back at the confused officer. Blake tilted his head at the young man and asked, "You okay?"
Not sure of what to say, Sam nodded, and watched as the officer took off down the hallway.
O.O.O.O.O.
Sam and Grammy were both running down the hall when they found Amy and Dean in the Waiting Room. Dean looked up, and nudged Amy. The two shot up when they realized something big had happened. Sam was breathing deeply and when the four stood together, Grammy explained: "Sam had a vision."
"Of what, Isabella?" Amy asked softly.
He shook his head. Sam said, "I had two visions – both of them involving a dead guy. Your friend Blake was running by, said there had been a murder, and I had the second vision. It might be tied in with Isabella."
"Let's go," Dean said in a hurry, "we need to catch up with Blake."
"I'll stay here," Grammy offered, "stay with Isabella."
Sam nodded and he, with Amy and Dean, took off down the hallway together. Grammy placed a hand over her mouth slowly, closing her eyes, and praying God be with them.
O.O.O.O.O.
There were four cop cars and an ambulance parked outside of Daryl Greene's house. Officer Blake Evans spoke with two other officers and was surprised to see another car pull up beside the sidewalk. It was difficult enough to get bystanders back into their homes, but now Blake noticed three figures emerge from the dark gray-black vehicle and approach the house. This was the part for him to approach the people and tell them to be on their way when he noticed Amy and her friends.
"Excuse me," Blake said to his colleagues and quickly made his way across the grass.
Dean, Sam, and Amy came toward Blake with the officer asking, "What the hell are you doing here?"
Dean and Sam, in unison, opened their jackets to reveal two (fake) police badges.
"We picked up something on a murder. We feel it may be related to Isabella Jamison's accident," Dean explained strictly.
Blake narrowed his eyes and asked, "How did you pick this up – and how, may I ask – do you figure this is tied in with the Jamison accident?"
"Blake, please," Amy asked, feeling herself grow nervous. "Let us check the place out. You can trust me. Let us go inside."
Looking carefully at Dean and Sam, Blake nodded slowly and escorted the three up the driveway and toward the house. Dean and Sam, confused at how Blake would let Amy through, followed silently until they came to the front door.
O.O.O.O.O.
The man was lying on his back. Chest and hands were bloody. Untidy face now cold and dead. Amy hadn't expected this. She put a hand to her mouth and tried to not focus on the dead body so much.
Sam and Dean walked around the body. It was being inspected by two paramedics, but feeling their work being interrupted, got up slowly and walked out.
Blake scratched the back of his head and said, "Just one shot through the chest. According to the burn, on the chest, we've determined the gun had a silencer attached to it. A neighbor thought it was strange how a figure came out through the back of the house and ran out. The person couldn't be identified. The neighbor couldn't even tell if it was a man or a woman. But they called the cops anyway to see if something was wrong. My guys found him here."
"Who is he?" Sam asked, staring at the strange tattoos on the man's body and also looking around the house. It looked as if a gypsy lived there. Different viles and plants everywhere. Latin symbols and phrases were all over the walls. The kitchen floor had the same thing.
"Daryl Greene," Blake explained. "Some sort of psychic witch doctor. You can find him in the yellow pages."
Dean knelt down beside the body, looking at the tattoos more than the gunshot. He looked up, meeting eyes with his brother, and both brothers were thinking the same thing: What connection did he have to Isabella?
Amy, who had stopped looking at Daryl, walked around the house in a wide circle, glancing at every object. Crystal balls, different glasses with odd mixtures inside, and several jars with spiders and snakes inside.
"According to the neighbors, he was a good man," Blake continued. "There's no reason why someone would want to shoot him."
"Any family?" Sam asked.
Blake sighed: "Just one. A daughter. But she's in Texas for school. Other than what I've told you, we know nothin' about this guy."
Amy noted the bathroom, living room, and a door in the hallway that led to Daryl's bedroom: a small twin bed with a brown comforter and a old black dresser.
She emerged from the hallway and spotted another door. Opening it slowly, Amy found not a closet but a set of stairs leading downward.
"Hey," Amy called, waiting for Sam, Dean, and Blake to beckon to her call. They followed her voice and found her standing in the entrance of the doorway. "I found a basement," she said.
Blake narrowed his eyes. "We haven't looked down here yet." He turned to the others and said, "Let me grab Officer Harkin and we'll go down there together. Don't move." And with that Blake left down the hallway and went back outside.
By that time, Amy, Dean, and Sam were already down the basement steps.
O.O.O.O.O.
It was dark and there was no switch for a light. Dean found a small lamp on a desk in the corner of the place and turned it on. The light was quite dim, not enough to see the place clearly, but it was enough.
There was a horrible smell in the room. They found more shelves with different viles and glasses and books written in different languages.
But the large table against the wall is what everyone was staring at…
Dull candles and incense. Yellow and white rose petals. Dried blood.
And a portrait of Isabella contained in a vintage gold frame. A heart circled Isabella's face. The heart had been drawn there with blood.
"Oh God…" Amy gasped, putting both hands on her mouth.
Dean and Sam were both staring at the picture and the table intently. Both brothers examined the table before realizing there was someone else in the basement.
Isabella. She stood in the far back, eyes wide, and walked slowly toward the table. She looked like she could cry, but she couldn't cry.
"Oh…" Isabella muttered slowly. She looked at the dead and fresh flower petals. Then her eyes were fixed on the picture of her. "Oh god…"
"Izzy…" Amy whispered comfortingly.
The sound of heavy steps erupted through the room and Blake, with the other officer, came trotting down the steps quickly.
Officer Harkin, a tall man with orange hair, stared at the table with Isabella's photo and mumbled: "Damn."
Blake, wide-eyed as well, looked at the table, and then back at Amy, Dean, and Sam.
Isabella was still fixated on the picture as Officer Evans used his walky-talky to contact back-up.
Dean sighed and turned to Sam. It had been verified. Dean shook his head and sighed: "It's a voodoo ritual."
O.O.O.O.O.
A/N: Short chapter, I know, but it gets a move-on on the story. Sorry again for the 2-month-slow update. Reviews/feedback much much much appreciated!