Disclaimer: refer to chapter 1

NOTE TO READERS: Okay, I've heard from some readers who are in shock that this is a Limp!Dean story since all of my others are Limp!Sam … well, rest easy! When have I ever let Sam off the hook easily, hmm? The note to readers in chapter one said "Dean angst and Sam angst" and I meant it. So, that means to expect rough roads for both boys. Now, I want to say thanks to everyone that took the time to read and review. I'm happy with the positive responses. Thanks again! Happy reading :::fingers crossed:::

This chapter is around 12 pages long.

Chapter Two:

Darkness Falls

By Dawn Nyberg

"…Once there was a darkness, deep and endless night, you gave me everything you had, oh you gave me light…" excerpt by Sarah McLachlan, I Will Remember You

Ten Minutes Later, ICU

"Mr. Winchester, I know you don't want to hear this but Dean really isn't stable enough for a transplant and this most recent cardiac arrest is a testament to that, but there is no way around the surgery…"

"You're saying Dean might die on the table aren't you?"

"It's a strong possibility," Dr. Sadikov replied.

"But, Sam … he goes through major surgery and loses part of his liver and what if Dean dies on the table…" John felt torn.

"Dean will die without the liver John," the doctor tried a different tactic. "Sam was briefed on his end regarding the procedure and he knows how critically ill his brother is. Sam's liver will regenerate itself. The lobe will grow back. If Dean can pull through the surgery John he has an excellent chance of a full recovery. Your youngest son's lab results that were faxed to me … he's a perfect match for Dean. It's the kind of perfect match you hope for…"

"I need to be with Dean," John replied in a distracted voice. "When will Sam be here?"

"The last ETA I was given is thirty minutes. When Sam arrives he'll undergo the additional blood tests I told you about. I've looked at his CT and MRI scans of his liver and everything looks good. Once Sam gets the final approval which I don't see not happening he'll be admitted and briefed in detail about the procedure and the possible risks…"

"But, these risks," John began. "You said most donors do okay, right? My boy isn't in any real danger is he?"

"There is risk with any surgery Mr. Winchester and Sam will be given every opportunity to back out. It's a big decision for a young man of twenty to make." John shook his head.

"It's not really a choice," he scoffed. "Sammy would do anything for Dean even if that means he's putting himself at risk. To save or not to save his only brother's life isn't really a choice or a fair decision."

"I know this is difficult, but it's Dean's only hope at this point. I've begun the rapid induction immunosuppressant therapy on Dean to help prepare his body to receive the new organ."

"You mean the steroids and other drugs you explained to me that Dean has to have in order to prevent rejection?"

"Yes."

Two Hours Later, ICU

John sat holding Dean's limp hand in his own. The mechanical rise and fall of Dean's chest made John feel helpless. The doctor had said Dean's blood was toxic and needed cleaned, so they had begun a procedure they called veno-venous hemodialysis and his body needed all the extra help they could give him going into surgery and Dr. Sadikov felt the hemodialysis would help Dean prior to surgery.

John hadn't seen Sam yet and he wanted to desperately, but there was still a level of apprehension. The last time they had been in the same room with one another had been when Sam left for school and John had told him never to come back. He knew his youngest son was in the hospital now, but was undergoing a couple tests and an additional MRI. John was staring at Dean lost in his own thoughts when a sudden intake of air behind him caused him to look over his shoulder and he met eyes with his wayward son.

"Sam," he stood up. Dr. Sadikov stood behind Sam.

"God, look at him," Sam stared with wide horrified eyes at his older brother's physical appearance. There was a mass of machines surrounding him and the room was filled with beeps and clicks and to Sam the noise almost seemed cacophonous. But, it was Dean's dark yellow skin tone that made the bile rise in Sam's throat. John knew his child and that look, he quickly grabbed a plastic basin near the bed and grabbed Sam as he folded over and threw up.

"It's okay Sammy, slow breaths, okay. Easy, kiddo," John soothed as he squeezed Sam's shoulder. The doctor rushed forward, but John held up a hand and met eyes with the doctor giving his head a small shake. "He's alright. Can we have a few minutes?" The doctor nodded.

"It's okay for him to drink some water," the doctor replied before leaving. The surgery isn't being scheduled until tomorrow morning. He won't be able to eat or drink after 7:00 tonight. I'll be in the unit when you're ready for us to discuss tomorrow." John nodded.

A few minutes later Sam had settled into a chair next to his big brother. "Sam?"

"Not now Dad," Sam replied abruptly. "It's not the time or place."

"Fair enough," John relented. "You look good, though," he commented with a wry smile. "I haven't seen you for a while."

"That was your choice," Sam's voice was quiet, but the bitter tone couldn't be mistaken. Sam turned to fully look at his father. "Why'd you listen to him?" Sam inclined his head to his comatose sibling. "You should have called sooner," he hissed in anger. "You wait until he's days away from dying and on life support to call." Sam was quietly smoldering and John knew that.

"I wanted to, but when he was conscious he'd get so agitated that I just couldn't stress him out. He was only worried about you Sammy. It's major surgery you have to go through and…"

"Screw that Dad, screw you both," Sam hissed quietly. "I can be pissed at him because he's an overprotective, stubborn ass of a big brother, but you … you're the parent, and you should have taken some responsibility and called me. He could die and …"

"Don't you think I don't know how bad I screwed up letting Dean have the say?" John complained with a slightly heated tone. "I was with him when his heart stopped … not once but twice. He's my child," John continued. "I know if he dies it's my fault, okay? If I had forced his hand and just called you when he was in serious condition then this could have all been avoided. I know, okay," John spat quietly.

"I just want him to be okay," Sam replied quietly as his eyes shifted back to Dean's face.

John's hard look softened. "Me too," he whispered. "Me too."

Two Hours Later, ICU Conference Room

"Sam," Dr. Sadikov started. "It's important that you know the risks."

"Look Doc, I heard all of this at the hospital in Palo Alto. Anyway, they said serious complications are rare, although I get that they can happen," Sam assured. "I'm okay with them … this is my brother's life. He has days left maybe less to live, right?" The doctor nodded. "And, I'm his best chance, right?"

"Yes," the doctor agreed.

"Sammy," John hedged.

"Stop," Sam ground out. "Dean's just being a stubborn bastard. I'm not six anymore and I don't need him making decisions for me like he used to, okay? I've read the paperwork and I've been told about the surgery and what'll happen. If something goes wrong," Sam paused a moment. "Then it goes wrong … as long as it saves Dean … I'll take whatever comes." John felt such pride for his youngest son. "And, if and I mean if something goes wrong I want you to make sure Dean knows I went into this with my eyes open and I had no regrets."

"Sammy don't talk like that," John suddenly felt worried.

"Just promise me, okay?" John wanted to say more, but he knew the set line to Sam's jaw and knew that anything else would only explode matters between them.

"I promise to tell him, but it won't come to that," John encouraged.

"Sam we should get you settled in your room in the observation unit and let you get some sleep before surgery in the morning. I'll allow ice chips at your bedside, but you aren't allowed to drink or eat at this point. You met Dr. Broden and Dr. Jessup earlier and they will be the two transplant surgeons in the OR tomorrow. You'll have Dr. Broden and Dr. Jessup will be operating on Dean."

"It's at 6 AM isn't it?" John asked.

"Yes, we like to do transplant surgeries nice and early. As I said Sam's procedure should take around 5 to 8 hours and if we're lucky we won't have to borrow a portion of one of your leg vessels to connect the donated lobe to Dean. We looked at your venous structures leaving the liver and we think we might have a big enough vessels, but you never can tell until you're in there. As we explained earlier today, if we take a vessel you won't miss it."

"Yeah, do whatever you have to," Sam answered. "And, Dean's surgery?"

"His could take slightly longer maybe 9 hours," the doctor suggested. "They have to remove the diseased liver and prepare the abdominal cavity for the donation. I anticipate you being in recovery for at least 2 to 4 hours and your brother 4 to 6. Also, you'll be moved to ICU after recovery and you'll be next door to your brother's room. I've already made the arrangements. You'll be in the ICU for at least 4 days and then we'll downgrade you to regular room provided there aren't any complications. You'll probably be discharged 7 to 10 days after the surgery."

"Thank you, Dr. Sadikov," John offered a mild smile. "Well, Sammy, I'll walk you to your room with the doc and get you settled."

"No, Dad, I'm good. Stay with Dean he shouldn't be alone. I want to see him one last time before I go to my room, okay?" John and the doctor both nodded.

"I'll prescribe him a mild sedative for his IV tonight John," the doctor assured as they watched Sam walk to his brother's room. "He'll get a good night's sleep and it'll take the edge of his nerves. I don't care how calm he's acting, I know he's stressed."

"Yeah, thanks," John answered.

"This is the only way John. Without this surgery Dean has no chance," the doctor felt compelled to try to calm the worried father, but the magnitude of what was happening in a few hours couldn't be ignored. John simply offered a tight nod.

Late that Same Night, 3 AM, Observation Unit

John had settled quietly into a chair beside Sam's bedside. His baby boy was sedated and sleeping soundly. He watched the quiet rise and fall of Sam's breathing. He wanted to spend some time with Sam and just be with him before the surgery. They were doing some procedures on Dean in his room and needed him out for a little while. Dean was miraculously holding his own, although Dr. Sadikov told John earlier that Dean's MELD score was 40 which John knew meant his son was classified as gravely ill. His doctor hadn't removed him from the UNOS list in the event the liver donation didn't take or rejection started despite the meds. John was hopeful that Dean's body would accept Sammy's lobe donation. John checked his watch and stood up. It was time to go be with Dean. He silently wished he could have mended some of the distance he and Sam still obviously had since their last fight. I'll make it up to you Sammy. We'll work things out while you're recovering, John thought privately. He placed a hand on Sam's head gently and allowed the worried father in him to come out as he looked down at his sleeping son. He leaned down and gently left a butterfly kiss on Sam's head. John smiled briefly as Sam's unruly mop of chestnut hair tickled his nose. "Love you kiddo," John whispered.

OR - 1A, 6:15 AM

"Okay, Sam," Kirk Benedict, M.D., his anesthesiologist leaned over. Sam was groggy from the anti-anxiety injection they gave him during pre-op. "I'm going to administer the medication now. Think of some place nice and the surgery will be over before you know it. Just count backward from 10, please," he encouraged.

"Okay," Sam replied groggily. "10, 9, 8 …"

"He's out," the anesthesiologist replied. "I'll have him tubed and ready to go in a couple minutes." He looked at Sam's transplant surgeon Dr. Broden.

"Okay, good," Dr. Marcus Broden replied. "I know Dr. Jessup will be biting at the bit the moment he removes the diseased liver. Lori," he looked over at one of the surgical nurses.

"Yes?"

"Have they started on Dean yet?" She looked next door through the glass wall.

"Looks like they are prepping him and do some other things … Dr. Jessup hasn't cut yet, and he's not draped yet either."

"He's intubated and ready, Dr. Broden," Kyle Benedict replied as he looked at Sam's saturation levels.

"Okay, let's start the clock people and Lori give the thumbs up that we're starting here." She nodded. "I be ready to cut in a couple minutes."

Meanwhile, OR 1-B, 6:15 AM

"They're starting Dr. Jessup," a nurse in Dean's OR called out.

"Okay, folks let get started. He's already on the respirator and anesthesia is already in. Let's get this show on the road. Watch his vitals and let me know if he starts having any cardiac arrhythmias, okay? This kid crashed last night and was a lengthy code, so we're dancing on eggshells with this one." Everyone nodded. "Start the clock."

The Family OR Waiting Room, 6:20 AM

A phone rang quietly and the room attendant answered. "Yes, I'll tell him, thank you." The room had a handful of families waiting on other loved ones. "Mr. Winchester?"

"Yes?" John stood up.

"I just wanted to let you know that they've begun the procedure and they will try to provide updates when possible and when the surgery is over each surgeon will come to talk to you regarding which son they operated on."

"Thank you." John sighed and sat back down. He wanted it to be all over and for Dean to be on the mend and for Sammy to come through without any problems. He wanted both his boys to be okay and safe and right now he hated feeling out of control.

Meanwhile, OR 1 – A, Sam, 1 Hour into Procedure

"Retractor," Dr. Broden requested. "Dammit, I need some suction here. This kid's a bit of a bleeder." The area was suctioned. "Good, the field is clear. I'm going to start dissecting the left lobe. How's he tolerating the anesthesia?"

"His SAT's are good and vitals are stable," the anesthesiologist replied. Dr. Broden nodded and began with the dissection of Sam's left lobe to be donated to his brother.

Meanwhile, OR 1 – B, Dean, 1 Hour into the Procedure

"How are his vitals?"

"He's had some PVC's, but responded to the lidocaine bolus. Blood pressure is 90/60 and holding."

"Push an amp of antropine," Dr. Jessup replied. "I'd like to see his systolic above 110. Let me know when the lobe is removed and I'll proceed with the organ removal and cavity preparation."

His transplant nurse coordinator in the room nodded and proceeded to check with the adjacent OR.

5 Hours Later, the OR Family Waiting Room

"Sam's dissection is almost complete and they are checking the vessels to see if they need to take a vessel from his leg. Dean is holding his own and they are preparing him to receive the donation." Paula, the OR patient family liaison spoke to John.

"Thank you," John looked haggard as he sat back down in the chair he'd been occupying most of the morning when he wasn't pacing.

OR 1 – B, Dean, Thirty Minutes Later

"Okay, the liver is out. Damn, look at this thing. I'm surprised the kid lasted as long as he did," the doctor commented. "Send a tissue sample to pathology; I want to make sure there weren't any malignancy in the tissue."

"I thought the liver biopsy came back negative for liver cancer a few weeks ago." Dr. Hall, the surgery intern inquired.

"I did, but I just want to make sure there weren't any late developments that could compromise his recovery … just exercising good medicine. The lobe ready?"

"They're flushing the lobe now with saline and preparing the vessel. They've told me the vessels are adequate for transplant and they aren't requiring a donor leg vessel." The transplant nurse conveyed.

"Excellent."

OR 1 – A, Sam

"Take the lobe over … it's ready. It looks great, very healthy." Dr. Broden said to his intern as he started the closing procedures for Sam.

OR 1 – B, Dean, Twenty Minutes Later

"Perfect … this lobe is perfection," the doctor commented. "Let's get the transplant started." There was a sudden commotion next door and the doctor looked up. "Amy, see what's happening over there and let us know." The nurse nodded and the doctor and his intern went to work on Dean.

OR 1 – A, Sam

"Sonofabitch, what the hell happened? The kid was stable…" Dr. Broden hissed. "Push a bolus of epi and lidocaine. Kevin start compressions."

"You think he threw a clot?" Kevin Hart, the young intern grunted as he continued CPR on Sam.

"Maybe, stop compressions." He glanced at the monitor. "He's in VF get the paddles. Charge to 360." The doctor took the paddles, "Clear!"

"No response."

"Come on kid…." Dr. Broden commanded.

Three Hours Later, the OR Family Waiting Room

"Mr. Winchester, Dean's surgery is complete and they are taking him to recovery. His doctor has asked to speak with you in our family post surgery briefing room."

"He made it through?" John's voice was hopeful.

"Yes," she confirmed.

"What about Sam? My other son…" She looked at John with a passive face before speaking.

"Sam's doctor will be talking to you separately from Dr. Jessup, Dean's surgeon. They only provided me the news that Dean's transplant surgery was complete and he was on his way to recovery." John nodded.

"Then Sam is probably there too. Where is this meeting room?"

"I'll show you."

Ten Minutes Later

"Like I said Mr. Winchester, Dean's vital are coming up and the liver lobe he received was beautiful. It pinked up quickly and was even producing some bile before we closed him up. It's amazing we didn't lose him on the table. He's got a will to live and that's what matters now."

"What about the coma? The life support?"

"I think as this new liver does its magic Dean will come out of the coma and as soon as he begins triggering the vent and is strong enough we will start to wean him off of the ventilator. Things are looking very positive for your son right now. He's not out of the woods yet and he's still critical, but things are looking up."

"What about my son Sam? I haven't seen Dr. Broden yet."

"He's on his way. I wasn't your son's surgeon, so I can't comment on him, only on Dean's aspect of the procedure." There was a knock at the door and Dr. Broden stuck his head inside. "Well, that's my cue to go. Mr. Winchester should you have any questions, please don't hesitate to have me paged. I'll be looking in on Dean later once he's settled back in his ICU room."

"Thank you for saving my son's life, Dr. Jessup."

"No thanks needed. Your son is a fighter, he gets most of the credit and of course, your other son for donating to his brother. If you need anything…"

"Thanks." John turned his eyes toward Dr. Broden as he sat down across from him at the table and Dr. Jessup showed himself out and closed the door. "So, is Sammy in recovery, too? Is he awake yet?" John pushed forward with the questions.

"John," the doctor began and suddenly John knew something was wrong.

"What's wrong?" John's eyes were panicked as they scanned the doctor's face.

"There were some complications…"

"Complications? Tell me how my son is," John demanded.

"John, Sam suffered a sudden onset cardiac arrest on the table…" John's heart felt as if a vice grip were squeezing it. "The arrest was brought on by a clot that must have developed from the liver or a surrounding vessel during the procedure. The clot was confirmed with a scan in the OR. We were able to get his heart started again, but he was down a long time. We had to call in cardiology that put Sam on cardiopulmonary bypass while they performed a cath for his heart to clear the clot. We were able to reestablish a spontaneous pulse with cardiac drugs and cardioversion."

"He's alive," John whispered as he still tried to process the gravity of the situation. "My son was healthy when he went into that OR and you're telling me his heart stopped … for how long?"

"I know this is a lot to take in, but there were always risk Mr. Winchester," Dr. Broden replied. "Sam was in full arrest for ten minutes before he was put on bypass and after he was taken off bypass it took another ten minutes to get his heart beating again."

"How long was he on bypass?"

"One Hour."

"So, you're telling my son had no pulse for over an hour …" John wanted to pummel the man in front of him. Sammy was supposed to be okay. The possible risks were supposed to be rare … he was supposed to bounce back. "He'll be okay now, right? You cleared the clot. Did it damage his heart?"

"No, his heart muscle looks in good shape. There were no signs of heart attack. Mr. Winchester," the doctor began tentatively. "We had neurology perform a MRI with contrast to confirm another worry…"

"Another worry? Neurology? Why's my son seeing brain specialists?"

"We were concerned that when we examined Sam's pupils to ascertain their responsiveness that his gaze is mildly deviated to the left."

"What's that mean deviated?"

"When we open his eyelids to examine his pupils … Sam's gaze is not straight forward but is deviated to the left which is indicative of a cerebral event, like a clot. We believe the clot that went to your son's heart fragmented and a small piece made it's way to his brain."

"You're talking a stroke!" John barked loudly. His eyes were on fire. "You people gave my twenty year old, healthy son a fucking stroke!" John's nerves shattered and with it his decorum.

"Please, Mr. Winchester, I understand…"

"You understand?" John hissed. "So, you have a son that was perfectly healthy one day and a few hours later his heart had stopped been restarted and had a stroke?"

"No, but…"

"No, but … I want to know what you're doing for my son!" John roared.

"It isn't the classic stroke you're thinking of," the doctor started. "The MRI showed a blood clot near Sam's brain stem in the back portion of his brain in a major vessel." The doctor placed his hand on his own head to show John the general location of the clot. "We are trying drug intervention first as we aren't confident that Sam would tolerate a nuero cath procedure to remove the clot. However, neurology isn't prepared to wait much longer for the med's to work. They are trying to preserve as much brain function as possible and there is the possibility that the clot could shift and if that happens …" the doctor paused. "If it shifts … it's likely that Sam will die within seconds."

John was numb he had two son's in critical condition. Two son's fighting for their lives.

Four Hours Later, ICU

He stood staring at Dean. His skin tone looked better. He was still a little jaundice, but it was clear that he was doing much better. He was a bit worried about Dean's puffy features. "It's normal," his afternoon nurse spoke gently over John's shoulder. "They gave him a lot of fluids during surgery and the high dose steroids will cause him to swell and appear puffy, but it'll abate over the next few days or so." John nodded. "I'll leave you alone with him for a little bit. I'll be in and out of here a lot to check his vitals and IV's, but you're welcome to stay. He's doing as well as can be expected at this point." She tried to assure the worried father who clearly looked on the razor's edge.

"Thank you. Ugh?"

"Yes," she stopped in the doorway.

"My other son … when will he be brought into the ICU?"

"I'm not sure. I know they took him to the cath lab and the Chief of Neurology is doing the procedure himself. I'm sure Dr. Sadikov will come with news when he has some." Joh could only nod as he sat down and picked up Dean's cool, limp hand.

"Hey kiddo," his voice soft. "You fight Dean," he urged. "I need you and …" his voice grabbed in his throat. "Sammy needs you now more than ever." Silent tears cascaded down his face. His mind plagued with thoughts of losing both his boys … losing one was a nightmare he couldn't get his mind around, but to lose both, he was certain the loss would crush him to dust. He clung to Dean's hand and silently cried for both his children.

To Be Continued

I know I had a few readers worried that they wouldn't get any limp Sam, and you know me … Sam major surgery … How could I not pass up a prime opportunity for complications? So, with luck this should be able to appeal to both hurt Dean and Sam readers. I haven't started chapter 3 yet, but I will soon. Now, since I posted this chapter much earlier than intended … I will try to have chapter 3 ready by this coming weekend, I'll try.

I hope you enjoyed chapter 2. Thanks for reading!!!