Lest We Forget
Summary
The brothers lose more than just their way when investigating missing hikers - Who would have thought that something so small could cause so much trouble?
DisclaimerYou guys know the drill…nope I do not own anything to do with Supernatural – it's tragic really…seriously, I should complain or something…will do if they keep neglecting Sam…grrrr.
Author's NoteThanks to everyone who has reviewed so far- it's appreciated. Special thanks to Phx for allowing me to pinch "Morphine Sam". My version is no patch on hers, and if you haven't read any of her stories, you are seriously missing out...though please read my chapter first before going please….um…guys?… Hellooooo? Bugger, should've told them after the chapter…oh well…
Warnings - Um Naughty Dean is being a bit of a potty mouth I'm afraid...Oh and this chapter is quite long- hope you don't mind...
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Chapter 3 – Here's Johnny!
It was the logical decision, Dean thought to himself as he ran through the forest; he could clearly see the bridge behind him. The creature had not shown itself when he had crossed it. And if the creature had wanted to kill them, than it would have done it already – it wouldn't have trussed him and Sam like a couple of turkeys. Poor choice of words. How did it tie us up? He thought.
He would get help then go back for his companion – yes, it was logical, and the smartest move so why do I feel I've abandoned him?
The creature had been enraged when it realised that Dean had escaped. It had paced the cave snarling and clawing at the walls and floor and spun to face Sam. Shit – this is it…the creature growled viciously and approached the young man, and swung out with its paw, smacking Sam's head once more against the wall, and Sam's world descended into darkness once again.
Dean couldn't believe his eyes…it was the most beautiful sight in the world. There in the moonlight sat the black '67 Chevy Impala from the photo.
"Baby, who left you here all alone?" He rummaged in his pockets and a grin of delight bloomed across his face when he found a set of keys.
"Please…" he tried them in the car and the grin nearly split his face when the door opened. He quickly searched the car for anything he could use as a weapon but there was nothing except junk food wrappers and maps - he didn't want to leave the younger man alone a moment longer than necessary. He opened the boot but there was nothing of use visible…"Dammit!" He growled. He pulled out his phone- still no signal. He could wait for the creature to leave, but who was to say it would. He had hovered outside the cave for a good fifteen minutes or so hoping that the creature would give chase so he could double back to help Sam but the creature had refused to be lured away.
He quickly climbed in and put the keys in the ignition.
"Now you're talking" He almost purred when the engine roared to life. The car had been parked at the side of a forest road…he decided to follow and see if he could flag down any help or until the signal returned to the phone and he could call in some cavalry.
He had been driving for nearly an hour and he was debating on turning the hell around. He was feeling sick to the stomach and it just felt plain wrong to be driving away from Sam. It was then that he saw lights in the distance, and saw the shape of a truck heading towards him. Up ahead the truck sounded its horn, and flashed its lights at him, and suddenly slewed in front of the car- Dean had to slam on his brakes to avoid hitting the other vehicle.
He leapt out of the Impala – he was absolutely furious.
"What the fuck do you think you're playing at?" He yelled at the man behind the wheel of the black truck that had halted a hairs breadth away from the Impala. "You could have gotten us both killed!"
The unshaven man in the truck for a moment looked dumbfounded, though this was quickly being replaced with mounting anger.
"How dare you raise your voice at me?"
"Because old man you nearly ran into my car! What did you expect, a round of applause and a medal?"
"Listen to me son, I have driven all night to get here and I'm in no mood for attitude – now tell me what is going on and where's your brother?"
"Have you been drinking? A little too long on the Miller shift? Just who the hell are you and why did you try to run me off the road!"
The other man stopped in his tracks, taking in the younger man's appearance, concern starting to replace the anger. "Dean, this is no time to be fooling around…where the hell is Sam?"
Dean stood opened mouthed – "How do you know my name? Just who are you?"
"I'm your father Dean, you and Sam are my sons. Don't you remember?"
Dean looked closer at the other man…he did look a bit like the man in the photo he and Sam had looked at earlier. Sam…
"Sam is my brother?" A slow smile spread across Dean's face, then quickly faded, shit…
"Listen old man, I don't know if what you are saying is true, but at this point I don't really care - I need help. This creature has Sam tied up in a cave about an hour from here. It attacked us in the woods…"
"Wait, you left your brother in the hands of something supernatural?"
"Whoa – supernatural? What are you on about dude – I mean it was some fugly bear or something, though Sam tried to say it was a mutant sloth…but" then the rest of what the other man said seeped in…"I had to leave him, we had no weapons apart from a knife. Sam had shot it with his gun and it didn't even touch it. What the hell was I supposed to do?"
"You have no memory of me at all? What do you remember?"
"Nothing, I cannot remember a single thing about my life, I only know my name is Dean Hagle because of my driver's licence."
"Hagle? Your name is Winchester."
"What?"
"Look Dean, we don't have time for this now, I'll explain it all later...You'll just have to take me on faith…now show me where this cave is."
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A short time later, the two elder Winchester men carefully approached the cave entrance. John had given Dean a machete and he himself carried a wicked looking scimitar blade.
"Consecrated steel." He had mentioned in passing to Dean. Yeah like that explains a lot. They now both carried backpacks that had been made pre-made up in the back of John's truck.
"What were you a boy scout or something?" Dean muttered quietly.
"Marine." John replied briefly.
"Oh, that makes sense of a lot of things."
The well-stocked packs had contained comprehensive first aid kits, ammunition, rations, space blankets, lighter fluid, matches and, unsurprisingly, salt.
"Come to think of it, is there a sodium deficiency or something in this family you think you should mention?"
John had given Dean a potted history of the Winchester family. Dean was sceptical. Demons? Hunting? It all sounded a bit far-fetched however he needed the help, however deluded. But he had to admit there was a familiarity both with the older man, and with the feel of the weapon in his hands. He and John laid the packs at the base of a bush in the cave opening– they would only get in the way in a fight. He stealthily crept into the mouth of the cave and he couldn't help but grin at the buzz he was experiencing, the heightened sense of awareness, alert to signs of danger or movement. He had never felt so alive – and again it felt comfortable. As if he had been doing this all of his life.
John watched his eldest son approach the cave with some trepidation. It wasn't that he didn't trust his eldest son, but without his memory of hunting he would be at a disadvantage. Then again, watching his son, John came to the conclusion that Dean's talent was natural, a product of instinct rather than training – training had simply honed the existing ability. He was almost predatorily, moving with cat-like grace and silence. Balanced on the balls of his feet, he was alert and watchful.
John signalled for Dean to enter the cave ahead of him, while John backed him up, providing cover.
Dean looked at John, he still didn't really trust him one hundred percent and mouthed, "No way – you go first."
"I gave you an order". John mouthed back
"And?"
His father crept to where he stood. "You know the terrain!" John hissed
"Dude - You're the marine!" Dean muttered.
"Look son, you know where Sam is, I would have to waste valuable seconds looking for him which would leave us open to attack. Go in, find Sammy and I'll cover you."
Dean's paused in the entrance, allowing his eyes time to get accustomed to the deep darkness of the cave. He strained his senses, searching the cave for any sign of movement, listening for any sound, however small that would indicate that the creature was within…or that Sam was still alive.
There was nothing.
For a kid he had no memory of, he certainly had him worried.
Taking a calculated risk, Dean turned on the beam of the flashlight and flashed it around. His heart plummeted.
There was no sign of the young man he had left behind- Dean felt as though he had been kicked in the stomach as bile rose. I shouldn't have left him…
"He's gone" He softly spoke to John – his eyes distressed.
"What? He's not…" John's face went white as he glanced frantically around the room. There was no sign of his youngest. Thank god…a part of him whispered, when Dean had said he had left him alone with a monster he had been preparing himself for the worst, as well as wondering how the hell he would cope with a Dean who had left his brother behind once he remembered.
Dean walked to where Sam had been tied, his fingers gently brushing the wall- there was a smear of blood that would have been at head height- it was still tacky. There was also a small pool of liquid on the floor of the cave. He bent down and touched it; again it was the slick, viscosity of blood. He looked at his hands, which now literally had Sam's blood on them and began to tremble. A memory suddenly assailed him, Sam's face, and blood flowing from his eyes and nose, Dean's thumb gently brushing away the blood. "It's Sam", his brothers voice whispered. His brother…he couldn't remember anything else, and at the moment nothing else mattered…Sam was his brother, he was hurt, he was alone and he needed him. And that was all he needed to know.
He showed his fingers to John- "He's hurt". John bent down to examine the area and held up a discarded length of rope, which looked as though it had been cut through.
Both Winchesters sighed a breath of relief. Sam had escaped. "Atta boy Sam." Now they only had to find him…before the creature did.
"Dean - describe this creature. What did it look like, how did it attack, everything." Dean filled him in and as he did John turned slowly and surveyed the cave, taking note of the copper rings in the wall, the pile of human remains carefully stacked in one corner, the lack of excrement that would have indicated if it was a just a deformed animal.
He sighed. "It wasn't a bear Dean"
"Then what was it?"
"It's a troll".
Dean grinned nervously "You're kidding right? Man, your even more deluded than I gave you credit for."
John ignored that – after all in Dean's position he would be just as sceptical – hell he had thought that Missouri was a bit of a fruitcake the first time she had mentioned Demons.
"Look around son, this isn't an animals lair – how did it tie you up, why did the bullet not affect it, hell it even lives under a bridge."
"But c'mon, trolls are monsters you scare kids with. They're just fairytales."
"And who's to say that fairytales aren't real? Fairy tales, urban myths, and legends – they're all the same Dean – they are a way of remembering that they are things out there that cannot always be explained or reasoned with. That there are still monsters and demons in the world – that there are reasons why we are afraid of the dark."
"Bed time stories must have been interesting in our house."
"What kind of father would I be if I didn't prepare my children for what is out there- if I didn't try to protect them any way I could?"
Dean had no answer and John sighed. "Let's go find Sam."
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It was harder than they thought. Even injured, Sam had covered his tracks well. They had made their way back to the clearing where Sam had first woken, Dean rationalising that Sam would not chance the bridge in his condition and that he would hole up somewhere until it was light. And didn't all the survival books say to find water?
They were just about to step out into the clearing when a movement on Dean's left caused him to turn. There was a glint of moonlight on steel and suddenly John was standing very still, a knife to his throat.
"Sammy?" John whispered looking at the dirty, dishevelled and bloody young man in front of him. Sam's eyes were glazed with pain and he looked almost feral.
Sam's eyes widened. "H-how do you know my name?"
"Dude, less of the Rambo action …" Dean spoke softly so as not to startle his brother.
"Dean?" Sam relaxed perceptibly. "What's going on – who is this?"
"It's a long story, so lower the knife – man can't tell his story too well if he's bleeding …besides do you know how long you'd get for patricide?"
John had spent some time talking to Sam, whilst Dean had scouted and gathered some wood for a fire. They decided to try to wait for first light, trailing through the forest in the dark with a troll on the loose was not the brightest idea – John had told them that despite their bulk they were quick, fierce, and immensely territorial and had excellent night-vision. They were basically nocturnal creatures, though they would venture out in the daylight if food were scarce…unfortunately with trolls, humans were not top of the food chain and considered fair game. One bit of good news was that they were wary of fire.
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Dean had gathered some wood to start a fire in the centre of the glade so that they would have a clear view all round- leaving nowhere in easy reach for the troll to hide. He had just returned and was laying them the wood and kindling in a defensible circle, that way that could be surrounded on all sides by fire and if he stocked up on the wood, they could easily keep it fuelled till morning.
John approached him, his face serious.
"Dean? I don't like the look of that wound in Sam's shoulder, it's infected and he already has a fever. I'm going to reconnoitre the bridge- see if there is any sign of the troll. If not we may need to move out and get Sam somewhere sheltered. The last thing we need is for him to either go into shock or develop pneumonia."
Sam was sitting with his back against a tree on the far side of the clearing. He moaned as he moved, the infected puncture wounds sending waves of fire down his shoulder arm and side- everything was getting a little fuzzy and he was developing a list. He slowly began to slide to one side when a firm hand pulled him back up. He looked into the concerned face of his brother Dean. Brother…it was as if a cold spot within his soul had warmed with the knowledge.
He gasped as the movement caused the pain to flare.
"Son, there are painkillers and antibiotics in the first aid kit." He heard john's voice as if from afar – there was a roaring in his ears. Clean Sam's wound, give him a shot and then get some more logs to keep the fire going in case we need to be here all night. I won't be long."
Dean fell into the familiar pattern of obedience before he realised what was happening. John disappeared into the darkness of the forest and Dean turned to Sam. "Let's get you sorted".
He quickly cleaned Sam's shoulder with antiseptic wipes and bandaged it. He found a selection of medical supplies in the first aid kit. One syringe he identified as the antibiotic, which he administered with worrying proficiency – again almost as if it was second nature. He spotted some morphine, Jesus where does that man get all this. He decided to give Sam a shot of morphine too, poor kid looked to be in immense pain, it would take a short while to kick in which would give Dean time to get some logs and get back. Then if they needed to move out, at least his brother should be able to move relatively painlessly. Or at least he won't care if it hurts…
Once he had finished, he led Sam to the middle of the large circle of firewood he had already collected and set it ablaze using the lighter fluid. The flames quickly took hold, surrounding the brothers and their packs in a fiery circle of protection. He had left a gap in the fire for him to get though, but would still hopefully act as a deterrent.
"Sam?"
"Hmmm?"
"Dude you must be one hell of a cheap date – the morphine kicking in already?"
"Feels good."
"I bet. Now I am going to collect some more wood to keep the fire going – I'll leave the shotgun with you. Now it's no good against that thing but if anything comes near, you fire it in the air and I'll be right back."
"Kay Dean…you be careful. Just found you…"
"I won't be long."
Dean hurriedly collected more wood for the fire; he had had to go further from Sam than he liked to get more deadfall when he started as he saw a shape moving towards him.
"Dean."
"Jesus - You scared the crap out of me."
"There's no sign of the troll anywhere near the bridge- its tracks lead off in the opposite direction of the road. Might've gone looking for easier prey."
"So we gonna head for the truck."
"Yes, bring a couple of those longer thick branches; we'll make up some torches. It might put it off getting too close if it changes its mind."
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They had seen no sign of the creature on there way back to where they had left Sam. Ahead of them they could see the glow of the protective circle of flame Dean had left Sam in. Sam had been in a great deal of pain earlier so the last thing either Winchester expected was to hear the sound of Sam's singing drifting through the night air. The fire looked a lot brighter than when they had left it too.
"Love is a burning thing, and it makes a fiery ring"John and Dean walked into the clearing where they had left Sam earlier. John turned to Dean. "Oh God Dean, tell me you didn't give Sam morphine…"
"Bound by a wild desire, I fell into a ring of fire…""Yes- why? He was in agony from that bite wound."
"Because Sam does not react well with Morphine Dean – don't you remember?"
Sam was getting well into the song now, belting it out, he swayed on his feet, arms outstretched.He has a surprisingly good voice…Dean thought absently. The reason for the height of the flames was soon explained when Dean saw the now near-empty bottle of lighter fluid lying rather forlornly at the edge of the glade.
"I fell into a burning ring of fire"A faint memory stirred, 'Morphine Sam', the giggling and the way too demonstrative displays of affection.
"I went down, down, down and the flames went higher"He remembered the cringe-worthy questions, not to mention the singing…shit!
"And it burns, burns, burns, the ring of fire, the ring of fire."
"Johnny Cash eh Sam? – Well at least your taste in music's improving…" Last time he distinctly remembered Sammy singing cartoon theme tunes…problem was he was 18 at the time in a busy Chicago hospital. The nurse had been hot too and Dean had been less than impressed when Sam had started. Suddenly he and John had to throw themselves on the ground as a shot rang out.
"The taste of love is sweet, when hearts like ours meet"Sam was now adding his own percussion to the song with the shotgun…
"I fell for you like a child, oh but the fire went wild…""Stop shooting you idiot – you could have killed us!" Dean called out- Jesus Sam looked completely out of it…
"I fell into a burning ring of fire."This time the shot took out an unoffending tree to Dean's right.
"Shit - Sam!"
"I went down, down, down and the flames went higher."He saw John silently creeping around to Sam's right. Sam's arm quickly raised and shot with the handgun that he had held half hidden in his other hand. He fired with incredibly good aim for someone who is blatantly stoned out of his tiny little mind, Dean thought, and shot directly into the ground at John's feet – at least Dean hoped it was good aim and that he hadn't been aiming any higher.
"And it burns, burns, burns"
Sam started to snicker…
"The ring of fire, the ring of fire."
"Look De, I'm in a ring of fire…" Sam called out delightedly, a huge grin plastering his face. He continued to sing.
"Oh God, kill me now…" Dean sighed as he hid his face behind his hand as Sam collapsed on the ground in a fit of giggles.
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So guys, what do you think?…Sorry about the length but its been a bit long between updates so thought I should make it up to you!
Please read and review…not 100 sure of this chapter – has a serious bit in the middle but again thought we needed it for the plot…And sorry - that song and scene…well that particular plot bunny has been stalking me for some time…I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did picturing it…If not, I'll just have to do better….
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"Holy Facepalm Batman"
"He does not look a happy bunny does he Robin?"
"He was being shot at."
"The singing was quite good though…quite like the fire too."
"Batman? What are you doing?"
"Making my own ring of fire."
"And here I thought you needed curry for that…"
"What was that Robin?"
"Nothing Batman…WHAT ARE YOU DOING!"
"I needed something to start the fire…"
"Those were my favourite tights!"
"Are you sure there is nothing you want to tell me Robin?"
"Batman?"
"What?"
"The car Batman."
"What about the car."
"It has petrol in it."
"That's generally how cars go Robin."
"Yes but you just set fire to the tyres…"
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