Dreamscapes, Landscapes and Hellscapes.

Disclaimer: Honestly, I don't have them held prisoner in my spare bedroom, honestly truly I – I didn't do it!! Hehehe usual stuff not mine never has been and never will be.

Author's Note: As many of you know, I am not an American and in fact, I have never been outside Australia. I pulled the name of my focus town, Pearson out of the ether and popped it into Nevada, if there is such a town and you live in it, then please accept my most heartfelt apologies and I hope I do it justice.

Chapter Two

Long time no see, so whatcha been doing?

Saturday June 23rd 2007

Pearson Children's Hospital

Pearson Nevada USA

Sam gathered Joey into his arms and started to run back the way he came, blindly crashing through the trees that seemed to have appeared from nowhere replacing the maze.

Joey clutched tightly to Sam's shirt and watched over his shoulder, terrified eyes fixed on the monster lumbering behind them, gradually growing closer. 'It's getting closer Sam.' He yelled. Sam cursed under his breath and adjusted Joey's weight as he kept moving through the trees as the woods seemed to get thicker with each stride.

'Hang on Joey.' Sam cried as he felt himself stumble unable to correct his balance his foot caught on a raised root and he rolled his ankle as they fell. 'Joey you okay?' he asked panting heavily he struggled to sit up and check the little boy out.

'Yep I'm 'kay.' Joey managed to grin up at Sam, 'you got owie now too Sam?'

'Yeah little dude I hurt my foot.' Sam grimaced as he tested his weight on it.

'Our brothers should be here soon.' Joey said fretfully but trying to sound brave for Sam's sake.

A soft crying came from close by making Sam shiver uncontrollably, 'Joey you stay behind me okay?'

'Owkay, monster's gone Sam.'

Limping heavily Sam managed to reach the source of the weeping; a little girl about Joey's age was curled up in a tight ball at the base of a large tree.

'Hey, you alright?' Sam asked softly squatting down in front of the girl he placed a gentle hand on her arm, 'don't be scared.'

'I want my mommy.' The little girl cried out shrilly. 'I want my mommy.'

'Hey ah I'm Sam and this is Joey what's your name?' Sam persisted, wincing with the added pressure on his already swelling ankle.

'Penny.' She sniffed lifting her head she stared at Sam miserably, 'my mommy told me not to talk to strangers.'

'It's okay Penny, we know each other's names now don't we, and I can help you but you'll have to be a big girl and stand up on your own can you do that?'

Penny sniffed again and slowly uncurled herself, sitting up she ran her hands over her face and looked at Sam and Joey. 'I know you.' She said pointing at Joey, 'you go to my school.'

'Yeah I'm in Mrs Green's room.' Joey nodded moodily not wanting to share his friend Sam with anyone let alone a girl.

'Okay then, Penny do you want to come with us?' Sam extended his hand to her but she stared suspiciously at it and then stood up on her own. Tall and willowy thin, she had long straw-coloured hair pulled back into plaits and the palest blue eyes Sam had ever seen.

'Sam's got owie.' Joey said possessively, 'you gotta walk.'

'Owkay.' Penny said in awe as she watched Sam stretch to his true height, 'wow he's tall.'

'Yeah I know.' Joey giggled, 'wonder what he can see up there.'

'might rain so far up ya think?' the children chattered away about Sam as he led them along a twisting trail. His ankle started to feel numb as the swelling cut off the circulation around the joint.

'Okay we need to find somewhere to rest.' Sam mused glancing down at the children in his care, 'and then find out a way to get to Dean.'

'Aw now where would the fun be in that?'

Sam's head snapped up and he stared at a chillingly familiar face from his childhood. 'You?'

'Hey Sammy ... long time no see – so whatcha been doing?'

'Hunting and killing your kind.' Sam hissed as he launched himself at the creature only to be sent sprawling against an unforgivingly hard tree.

'Sam!' Joey and Penny cried out in unison as they saw their protector lying on the ground with blood running down the side of his face.

'It's okay kids, he's just a naughty man.'

'Hmm naughty man I like that, so Sammy how's the nightmares been? I haven't had access to tweak them now and then.'

'Ya know Morpheus I should have known that you were behind all of this.' Sam scoffed jumping back up, ignoring the pull and pain in his body. 'My dreams are fine thank you.'

'Oh yes so I hear, they've been enhanced since I got to play with you.'

'Let these kids go, they've got nothing to do with it.'

'Oh no, Sammy they are here for me, it is time for me to feed and grow strong again.'

'Do you really think that I am going to allow you to consume them?'

'I can't see how you're going stop me,' the creature stepped forward into the light, the children screamed and Sam stared in absolute horror at the one who haunted his childhood dreams with such ferocity.

Dean watched in horrified silence as Sam's body arched again before slamming violently against the mattress, blood spurted from his mouth and a bruise started to appear high on his cheekbone. 'Where the fuck is that nurse?' Dean grumbled pressing the buzzer again.

'What is it?' the night nurse asked glaring up at Dean, he didn't answer but looked pointedly at his brother who was being brutally beaten by unseen hands. 'Oh my ... I'll be right back.'

Minutes later she returned with doctor Shepherd in tow, 'Dean when did it start?'

'About five ... ten fuck I dunno he started to shift in the bed and then ...' Dean's voice tailed off, Tobias turned to look at the older brother frowning at what he saw.

'Maggie can you make up that bed for Dean please?' he asked the nurse before he turned back to the bed.

'What? No I'm fine.' Dean retaliated refusing to leave Sam's side.

'Dean, you're in shock and if you don't calm down I am going to sedate you and make you rest.' Tobias said taking Dean's pulse rate, he noticed the too-wide eyes, the sallowness of his skin and the sweat sheen that was enough for him to take action before he had both boys as bedridden patients. Without Dean even realising what he was doing, Tobias wrapped the blood pressure cuff around his upper arm and took a blood pressure reading. 'Dean I insist you sit down now,' Tobias said his tone of voice brooking no argument. 'Your blood pressure is not just high; if you don't calm down and rest you will end up in intensive care with a stroke. Your brother needs you to stay healthy Dean.'

Dean blinked at the doctor his last statement hitting home, 'Stroke?'

'Stroke Dean, I can't believe that you're still standing.' Tobias pushed a heavy leather chair behind Dean and made him sit down. 'You can stay here until we settle Sam and then I want you in that bed.'

'Doctor...'

'No argument Dean that or I sedate you and put you in separate rooms.'

'Since when did you get so bossy?' Dean mumbled.

'Since I started working with petulant children.' The doctor shot back, 'Maggie I'm writing up Dean some notes and am ordering him some coversyl to start immediately we have to get the BP down.'

'Yes doctor,' the nurse glanced over at the angry young man and then at the doctor a small smirk on her face. She had seen the signs earlier but was not game to attempt to get that boy to do anything; Tobias on the other hand seemed to have the magic touch.

'Now let's see to young Sam here.' The doctor tried to make his tone of voice neutral but inside he felt far from it. Sam's body lay limp on the bed, his head twisted to one side, a long leg dangled over the edge his arms splayed across his chest trying to hold onto something only he could see.

'Doctor Shepherd?' Dean looked up at the doctor confused at why he was standing there doing nothing. 'Hey doc this aint bringing my blood pressure down.'

'Huh? Oh sorry Dean I was just noticing the way Sam's arms are positioned ... it looks like he's carrying a small child doesn't it.'

Dean glared up at the man and then stared down at Sam realising what the doctor was saying and it didn't make sense. Gently the doctor lifted Sam's leg back onto the bed and gasped in shock when he saw the bare ankle. 'Damn it what is going on?'

'Doc ... his ankle?'

'This is ... none of the children have exhibited anything so violently physical as Sam has, but Dean if I didn't know any better it would be seem that Sam's placing himself in danger to protect children.'

'Doc does this mean?' Dean cleared his throat and tried again, 'does this mean that their dreams ... they are all together in the same dream?'

'I don't understand, but ... I'm going to get an x-ray done of Sam's ankle and I would also like to do an MRI to make sure that he has no internal injuries?'

'Do whatever you have to doc just wake him up before this kills him.' Dean said wiping a fingertip over the bruise on Sam's cheek.

'Dean?' Sam whispered his brother's name; it came out in a sobbing intake of breath, 'where are you Dean?'

'Sammy?'

'I need you man, he's killing me.' Sam spoke unable to hear Dean's reply.

'Sammy can you hear me?' Dean leant closer and kept his contact with Sam's face.

'I'm tired Dean, Joey and Penny need me and I'm just so tired.' Sam kept the one-sided conversation going oblivious to the shocked faces of his brother and his doctor. 'He's back shit man he's back and I don't know what to do. You were the one who stopped him in my dreams last time where are you Dean?' Sam paused and he slowly turned his face and looked down a warm smile on his face as he listened to someone, 'it's okay Joey I miss my brother too.'

'Sammy?' Dean whispered as his brother stopped moving becoming too still, 'Doctor what's happening?'

'okay Dean I want you in that bed now, I'm taking Sam down myself for the MRI and x-ray.' Shepherd said without hesitation, 'and I mean it if I find you still out of that bed I am personally restraining you and filling so full of sedatives that you will sleep for a month.'

'Since when did you start channelling my Dad?' Dean grumbled sitting on the other bed he watched the doctor prepping Sam for the tests and scans ahead of him, 'how long?'

'As long as it takes sorry Dean I can't give you a definite it depends on what we find.'

'Doc.'

'Dean I promise I will look after him.' Shepherd said as Maggie came back in breaking the tense silent standoff.

'I have his meds.' Maggie said nodding to Dean, 'doctor?'

'I'm taking Sam down to imaging can you get Dean settled please Maggie?'

'No, no I'm going with you.' Dean declared getting off the bed he moved to Sam's side and gave the doctor a glare to dare him to make him do otherwise.

'At least take the coversyl for me.' the doctor sighed.

'Fine.' Dean took the small green tablet and swallowed it dry all of the time keeping his gaze fixed on the doctor. 'Sorry doc I'm sure that you're doing what you think is right but I am not letting Sammy out of my sight.'

Shepherd opened his mouth to argue but thought better of it and held his hands up in surrender, 'fine on the condition that when we get back here, you get in that bed and your feet do not touch the floor until I see you tomorrow.'

'Fine.'

'Fine.'

'Glad we understand each other.'

'Same here.'

TBC