The next day, Dean was back in Sam's hospital room bright and early.

"Any change?" he asked the nurse.

"No, sorry. Most of the other children have woken up, though."

"That's good," Dean said. He would have been more gladdened by that news if Sam was also waking up. The nurse left them alone.

"Sam, please wake up. I'm begging you. I can't do this on my own."

Again there was no response. Again, Dean sat there all day until a nurse kicked him out.

SSSSSSSS

The next day, Dean was back again first thing.

"Good news," the nurse greeted him, "Dr. Kaplan is showing signs of improvement. He should be waking up tomorrow."

Dean sighed a breath of relief, and walked into Sam's room.

"Hey, Sammy, I hear you're waking up tomorrow. You'd better not make that nice nurse a liar."

He sat in silence for a while and then said, "Sammy, I'm sorry. This is all my fault."

He decided to leave and come back tomorrow. He couldn't take the silent treatment anymore.

SSSSSSSS

"Is he awake," Dean asked immediately as he entered the hospital.

"Yes," the nurse greeted him with a big smile. Dean returned it enthusiastically and walked into Sam's room.

"Hey," Sam said, weakly.

"Hey," Dean said, sitting down.

"It's the doctor," Sam whispered.

"What?" Dean asked.

"Dr. Hydecker, he's the one making people sick," Sam whispered, looking around him.

"You're kidding me," Dean said, truly shocked. He had never considered that. He didn't know that shtrigas took on human form. He thought they always looked like that terrible thing he killed the other night.

"Do you know what he is, how to kill him?" Sam whispered.

Dean realized Sam didn't know it was over. "It's OK Sammy, it's all taken care of," Dean reassured him.

"Then how did you not know it was him?" Sam asked, suspiciously.

"Because he didn't look like that when I killed him. He looked all gray and..," Dean paused trying to come up with a good descriptive word.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Sam said, "that's what he looked like when he fed off of me."

Dean shivered to hear of something "feeding" off of Sam.

"I'm confused about something, though," Sam said.

"What's that?" Dean asked.

"He said that we'd met before, that I was the only meal he had never finished. What did he mean by that?" Sam asked.

"You don't remember?" Dean asked.

"Remember what?"

"When you were about six years old, he attacked you and tried to feed off of you. Dad came in and scared him off, but wasn't able to kill him," Dean said. "That's why dad sent us here. So, I could make up for my mistake."

"What are you talking about?" Sam asked.

"When you were attacked all those years ago it was my fault. I was supposed to stay in the hotel room with you, but I left to play video games. I'm sorry."

"Dean, you were just a kid," Sam pointed out.

"No, dad gave me an order and I didn't listen and I almost got you killed. And then you were almost killed again," Dean lamented.

"This time definitely wasn't your fault," Sam said.

"No? I left you alone again," Dean argued.

"Dean, be reasonable. I'm an adult, not a little kid."

"Doesn't matter. It's my job to keep you safe."

"You can't protect me forever," Sam said.

"Wanna bet?" Dean countered.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Jerk."

"Bitch."

The End.