They were roughly half way up when Dean began to squirm. At first, Sam's quiet reassurances spoken directly in his ear were enough to settle him down, but soon his squirms became aggressive and Sam was forced to stop climbing and hold him tight in an attempt to keep from being thrown off-balance.

He clasped Dean's legs between his own to prevent him from kicking but that put a lot of tension on his thighs and it was not even thirty seconds before he was gasping for breath. Dean, whose arms were trapped within the blanket was prevented from smacking at Sam's hands, but his head, well…he bobbed and flung and threw it sideways and backwards causing Sam to keep ducking to avoid getting cracked in the jaw.

"Dean…dude….come on….please…just be still. God, can you do that much for me? Huh?"

"SAM!" Benny appeared. "There a problem?"

"Jesus, he's heavy." Sam wiped his face on his shoulder. "Dean, stop it." he gave him a hard hug but immediately let up when Dean cried out. "Okay, ok, sorry, sorry."

"He conscious at all?" Benny was shouting so Sam could hear him. "With it enough for me to pull him up on his own?"

Sam thought about it. While he was reluctant to let go of his brother now that he finally had him, he saw the wisdom in letting Benny pull Dean up while Sam made the climb on his own. No matter what he thought of Benny, even vampires had their physical limitations. Dean, free from the bear hug once again began to flail about and Sam again had to subdue him before he either hurt himself or caused Sam to fall.

Sam's thighs were screaming, his shoulders ached and his arms were so heavy he could barely keep Dean contained. He briefly considered knocking his brother out but pushed the thought aside as too dangerous. Just because he hadn't detected any kind of head injury during his quick examination didn't mean Dean hadn't sustained one.

"NO!" he called up to Benny. No way, not with Dean still trying to bang his head against Sam's chin. Sam grimaced as he blinked away images of Dean dangling from a rope as he was bumped and knocked about while being hauled up the wall, able to bang his head at will against the unforgiving rock. Christ, he could break an arm or give himself a concussion.

Sighing with a wry grin, he tucked Dean's head under his chin and once again began to climb. Even if he admitted it to no one else, the fact was, he didn't want anyone taking Dean away from him. He'd rather push himself beyond his physical endurance then call 911 and have the rangers respond if that meant he got to keep Dean with him.

Selfish? Oh yeah. Stupid? Most definitely. Best for Dean? Probably not. Sam's way of dealing? Absolutely.

"Yeah...I ammmm." Dean dug an elbow back into Sam's gut. "Ow. Lemme go."

"Hey. You awake?" he frowned, as it dawned on him how hot Dean felt in his arms. "Shit."

"I'mma wake." he slurred but God, he didn't want to be. It was the warmth, he decided. The warmth and the comforting breath against his ear that told him he was no longer alone. "Water? You said..." he licked his lips; they were cracked and he tasted blood, making him cough. "You said...more."

"Soon as we get to the top." that Sam said he could have more water, he remembered. Figures.

"Lemme go."

"Can't 'less you can climb up the rope on your own."

"That you Sammy? 'bout time."

"Yeah, yeah, it's me...hey, hey...just stay still for me, okay? Please?" he waited. "Can you do that?"

"Guess." he twisted his lips. "Leg….urts…."

"Stop trying to kick me and I'll let you go, ok? Dean? Hey come on…...you still with me?"

"Cold…hurts…"

"I know, I know….I'll make you feel better soon, okay? Get you some water….get you warm….but I need you to stay still…ok? Dean?"

"'K."

Benny, sitting on his ass with his legs spread and braced out in front of him, heels dug in the dirt, was sure his arms had popped their sockets and separated from his shoulders but he continued to pull. His fingers, already torn bloody from ripping apart a rock and dirt grave with his bare hands, were giving him enough pain to remind him what it was to be human.

Still, he sat and pulled one hand over the other, hauling the rope higher until he heard Sam shout for him to stop. He laid down on his back, carefully rolled to his stomach and slowly turned himself around and began a slow move forward, all the while keeping the rope taut until he reached the edge of the hole.

"Right here Sam, I've gotcha." seeing daylight, Sam swung his hand for the grass, grateful to be to the top. His hand was grasped and squeezed hard then released. "Let him go Sam." Benny ordered. "I've got him."

Part of Sam resisted, bristled at the order but his common sense and instinct had him obey. He wound his leg around the rope, hung onto it with his left arm, and with his right hand, pushed his brother away from him and up into the waiting arms of Benny.

Benny accepted the burden of an uncooperative Dean, hauled him to the safety of the firm ground and ignored him, turning back for Sam. Now flat on his belly, both arms extended to Sam, Benny abandoned his hold on the rope and used brute strength to haul Sam up and out of the well where he collapsed on his back, on the ground next to Dean who hadn't moved.

The brothers safely out of the well, the spirit, and if there'd been two, he didn't care, no longer a threat and no signs of looming danger imminent, Benny did nothing more than roll over and like the brothers, submit to exhaustion.

"Sam…you good?" Benny finally sat up but instead of receiving a verbal answer to his question, it was answered by the sight of Sam kneeling beside his brother. He'd already removed the blanket, and was in the process of removing his coat from Dean who remained limp and unresponsive. "You, aah, thinking of undressing him out here?"

"He's wet and he's cold and he stinks." if words could bite, Benny would be bleeding. He gazed at his hands...okay, then….

"Need a hand?" he wiped his hands off on the ass of his pants. Dean's face was dirt streaked, lips split and scabbed, eye lids, even closed, puffy, lower lashes dry and red. "Damn Sam."

Sam, in his haste to get his brother undressed and clean and dry didn't fuss when Benny moved to relieve Dean of his boots. Had he been the one to remove Dean's right boot, he would have known the lack of a sock meant something was wrong. Dean didn't do barefoot. But Benny simply tossed the boot and picked up Dean's left foot. The laces were slimy and when Benny cradled the heel of Dean's left foot in his hand, Dean whimpered, causing Sam to reach out and lay a hand on Benny's wrist.

"Hey?" he frowned, eying his brother's naked foot. Dean didn't go without socks unless he was in bed or the shower. "You take….was he wearing a sock? Did you take it off?"

"No." Benny's eyes widened. Blood bubbled and dripped over the leather at Dean's ankle. Benny stared at his cupped palm, stunned at the amount that pooled in such a short time. "Bloody hell…..?" his fingers tugged at the laces over the tongue of the boot and by chance, his pinky encountered a hole. "Son-of-a-bitch….." he raised Dean's leg, bottom of his foot in Sam's face. "You see a hole?"

"Guh….aaahhhh…." Dean yelped with a wail that kicked Sam in the gut.

"What?" Sam took Dean's foot from Benny who relinquished it without a fight and used his bare hand to wipe off the mud and slime. "Damn."

"Something went through his boot."

"Something went through his foot." Sam corrected. "You didn't..." he paused, peering closely at Benny, looking for any evidence he was struggling to control his animalistic urges. He waved a hand over Dean. "You didn't smell his blood?"

"No." and Benny looked genuinely perplexed. "Still don't."

Sam didn't waste time pondering Benny's nose suddenly taking a vacation. "Jesus Christ...the dumb ass...why the hell would he pull it out?"

"You think he did? How?" Benny demanded. "Through his shoe? How?"

"Dunno. Shit, he knows better. Maybe he thought...hell I dunno. Can you….aah….?" Sam paused. "Dammit."

"You want me to remove his shoe or hold him?" Benny asked as Sam wavered, unable to make a decision. "I'm okay Sam." his tone was calm and steady, was supportive but his eyes remained on the blood that flowed steadily, not dripped, out of Dean's boot. "Sure….I'll…yeah.…..I'll hold him."

Sam debated over whether to remove the boot gently and carefully or pull it off. He settled on faster was better; Dean, apparently didn't agree. Maybe in was the light of day, maybe it was the warm sunshine or the soft grass, maybe it was the clean smelling air….or maybe it was the fact Sam wasn't at all gentle when he yanked Dean's boot off his foot...whatever...he howled, arms swinging, right leg kicking, left foot twisting in Sam's hold. Benny kept him pinned flat on his back but was unable to calm him down or soothe him in any way. Sam ignored him and concentrated on un-wrapping the flannel bandages that held the blood saturated socks around his foot.

"Sam…he needs a doctor." Benny advised hoarsely, eying the grotesquely swollen foot with purple, misshapen toes. Red streaks of infection were revealed when Sam used the t-shirt he'd taken off Dean to wipe away the mud and dirt. "Even I can feel he's burning up. Sam…..give in. Call 911." he held his cell and when Sam finally nodded, Benny made the call. "Twenty minutes, coming by chopper."

Dean flailed about beneath Benny's hold, trying and failing to free his foot from Sam's hand. Holy Shit, his toes were being plucked from his fucking foot one at a time. Hands held him down, held his foot, his leg was pinned to the ground...he couldn't get free...couldn't move...couldn't stop the pain that was ripping him apart, so he did what he could do...scream.

"Hey...hey...sssh, shush, Dean, I'm right here...I'll stop ok? I'm sorry, God I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you." Sam removed his knee from pinning Dean's right leg to the ground and knelt on his knees so Dean's bleeding foot rested on his lap. "That better? Huh...hey, calm down, you're ok."

Dean tried to roll to his side and when he began to choke, Sam motioned to Benny to let him go. Dean dry-heaved in the dirt until Sam could no longer stomach to watch him. He gently wrapped Dean's foot in a shirt Benny removed and handed him then laid it on the ground rather than back in his lap.

"Come here." he picked an unresisting Dean up from the grass and held him against chest. "Breathe through it…come on…breathe….." he accepted a bottle of water from Benny and tried to put it to Dean's mouth but Dean bobbed and twisted his head. Sam raised his free hand to hold to the back of Dean's neck and shrugged his shoulder until he was finally able to juggle Dean's head into a position against his shoulder. "Hey, hey….water…you want a drink? Come on….that's it…..tastes good, huh?"

"Any idea what stabbed through his foot?" Benny asked.

"Does it matter?" but he knew it did, doctors at the hospital would want to know and he knew whatever it was laid at the bottom of the well. He looked down at Dean who had finally settled down, head now resting on Sam's chest, cheek on his bicep and swallowed hard. Dean's willingness to be held and accept comfort, Sam's ability to calm him and Dean's rare display of vulnerability, caused Sam's eyes to tear and he wasn't ready to give any of it up. "It's…um at the bottom...of the well." he winced, that was what Dean had been singing.

"No." Benny shook his head. "Stay with him, he's finally calmed down...I'll get it."

"Hello Sam."

Benny jumped with a shout of alarm. Sam did nothing more than gaze blearily up at Cas. Dean still limp and quiet in Sam's arms.

"Sam? Why are you out here?" Cas stared at Benny. "With him."

"Cas." Benny tipped his head in acknowledgement. "Aah, hum, so...good to see you, again. I guess."

"Because you didn't come when I called." Sam said, more hurt than angry but he wasn't about to dissect his emotions at that moment. "I called you for hours."

"You prayed, I came….What's the matter with Dean?" he made a face that Sam supposed was a frown. "Sam?"

"He fell into a well and drove….something through his foot." Benny supplied when it was obvious Sam didn't intend to answer Cas.

"I can no longer heal the dead Sam, you know that." Cas appeared upset. "Why did you not pray for me sooner?"

"He's not dead." Sam spat. "And I did, I started last night. Can you heal him?" Sam asked wearily.

Cas frowned, forehead wrinkling in consternation, eyes focusing on the wrapped foot. He bent over and pushed aside the folds of the t-shirt. "Is that a hole in his foot? There's a hole in his foot Sam. Why is there a hole in his foot?"

"Yeah, you know, cause like I said, something went through it." Benny offered tartly.

"There's a hole in his foot Sam." Cas frowned, forehead wrinkling in consternation. "I don't...a hole Sam, I don't understand."

"Just Help Him!" Sam ordered. Cas knelt beside Dean and put his palm against Dean's forehead. Cas tipped his head first one way, then the other. His eyes narrowed, then closed and he stood up. "Cas? He's not better! He's still bleeding and the holes are still there..." Sam began, voice edged in panic.

"I cannot heal him completely." Cas announced. "I tried but failed. I can and did, heal any permanent damage to his foot but that's all I can do."

"Say again?" Sam said stupidly, staring at Cas like the angel was speaking angel language and not English. "You can't or you won't?"

"I can't."

"But you tried?"

"Yes, of course I did, but..."

"Meaning what?" Sam shook his head. "I don't understand Cas, you're not making sense. Why don't you just make everything better?"

"Because I can't!" Cas growled. "And I don't know why….I don't know why I can't heal like I did before…I have no one to ask these questions of. All I can tell you and I don't know how I know it, is that it's heavens way of teaching you both a lesson. A lesson for you and Dean not to be so careless and reckless, so stupid. For you to rely on one another and be there for when the other needs you."

"Dammit Cas! He's lost blood and his foot is infected! He's been without food and sufficient water since Wednesday." Sam argued. "Okay...great, due to divine intervention, he miraculously escaped any tendon or muscle damage or shattered bones to his foot...thank you, but tell me Cas, how do I help him with the pain and infection and blood loss and dehydration? He's weak and..."

"I don't know Sam!" Cas barked frustrated. "I will go and see if there's anything else I can do for him."

"Go where? See who? Cas!"

"We're wasting time Cas….if you can't do anything for else for him..." Benny paused, hearing something no one else could. "Chopper's coming...we called 911. Let us get him to the hospital."

"There is nothing that can be done for him there." Cas announced. Sam opened his mouth to argue, quite convinced the hospital was the best place for his brother but with a whisk of air, Cas was gone. Back within seconds, length of rebar in his hand.

"He was impaled with this." Cas announced. Sam swallowed bile, trying not to choke. Great, dirty, corroded rusty rebar, - steel - well, least they were both anal about keeping current on tetanus shots.

"Can you get us out of here?" Benny gestured down at a half-naked, mud covered, bleeding, shivering Dean. "He's too heavy to carry back to the cars and Sam's about to lose it. Don't make me have to deal with that, I don't know how."

Cas nodded. He laid one hand on Benny's shoulder, one on Sam's, told them to each hold onto Dean and…..they were at the cars.

"Uh." Benny frowned. "I was thinking more, like their motel room."

"I tried." Cas explained. "I will return." and he was gone.

"Sam? We….done here or…..?" Benny hesitated. "Need a hand getting him in the car?"

Sam didn't answer. He knew Benny wanted to help, wanted to see for himself how Dean was, yet was willing to keep a respectful distance. He blew his breath out, not surprised when it caught in his throat. Okay, time to go, couldn't stay here. It was getting late, the sun would be starting to set soon, and he wanted to be back at the motel before dark.

The backpacks had made the trip with them and Sam watched Benny toss his and Dean's into the trunk of the Impala and remove a larger first aid kit and another blanket.

"Here? Or in the car?" Benny asked. "Can you get up with him?"

"Yeah…get his feet…" he stood, keeping Dean in his arms while Benny maneuvered his legs. Dean didn't take kindly to having his left foot touched, crying out as he grabbed hold of Sam.

"Sorry, sorry…just another minute." Benny swung Dean's weight from Sam so he could get a decent hold. "Jesus, I'm not touching his foot, got him by the calf."

"Dean, stop." Sam shushed, opening the back door of the Impala, bumping it with his hip to keep it open. "You can follow us back…but you get your own room if you're staying."

"So, the motel? No hospital? You're gonna trust Cas?"

"Don't have much choice." Sam grunted. "Give him a chance." Dean was beginning to stir, muttering incoherently and squirming to free himself of the blanket Sam was trying to swaddle him in. "Stop it." Sam smacked at Dean's hands. "I'll give him the time it takes me to get his foot cleaned up. See how high his fever is...Cas don't come through, I'll find a hospital."

***000***

"Sam?" Benny knocked on the motel room door, realized it was ajar and pushed it open. "Sam?"

"What?"

Benny entered the room and firmly shut the door behind him. "He come around?"

"Kinda."

It'd been a bit over an hour since Sam and Benny had carried Dean into the motel, given him a bath and put him to bed where they'd tended his foot to the best of Sam's ability.

"How's he doing?"

Sam shrugged; wiping his hands on a towel he balled up and tossed across the room. "Stopped singing." he sat on the bed next to Dean who was laying on his right side, facing Sam, bottom of Sam's shirt bunched in one hand. "He's quiet."

"Cas?" Benny asked.

Sam shook his head.

"You give any more thought to taking him to a hospital?" he saw Sam stiffen. "Still against the idea, then?"

"What can they do for him?"

"It's called medication…pain meds…antibiotics…"

"We can get those."

"Okay….." Benny ceded rather than argue. "How about attention and care? You…"

"He's got me. I'm right here."

"Stitches?"

"Soon as Cas returns. I only have ibuprofen and it's not going to be strong enough."

"Cas did what he could, he can't…."

"He can damn well pop his ass to a pharmacy and get me the pain meds and antibiotics I want. Let him tell me no and I'll ward him off so he can't get within a mile of us."

"You need a hot shower, something to eat and sleep." Benny suggested. "You're about to fall flat on your face…..speaking of which….." he handed Sam an ice pack. "Take some of that ibuprofen, use this and lay down."

"Can't."

"I'll babysit."

Sam shook his head. He hadn't been able to let Dean out of his sight since they'd returned to the motel room, there was no way and no one who was going to convince him to leave Dean alone with Benny. Nuh-nah, not a chance.

"What? You think for the year he was with me, he didn't get hurt? Every day was a fight, Sam. Yeah, I know enough to take care of him. "

Sam winced, turning away. Benny didn't push, seeming to realize he was trotting in unwelcome territory.

"Could…you…..go get him something to eat?" Sam decided to meet the vampire half way. "Guess…..soup? See if you can get him some soup."

"Chicken with rice, not noodles." Benny said. "And you like cream of chicken?" Benny hesitated, not sure whether to leave well enough alone or push his luck. "Sam, I would never do anything to you... I could never hurt Dean like that. If it ever comes down to it...if it's ever you or me...I'd...it's just, I'd...I'd never do that to him."

Sam gave a slight nod, jaw tight. Benny said nothing more and when the door closed behind him, Sam lowered a hand to massage the back of Dean's neck. Cas's words were beginning to sink in and he was trying to understand them. He continued to sit, needing the contact with Dean who snuffled into the pillow, more a whimper then a sigh. Sam bit his lip. Dean needed antibiotics and pain meds and liquids and here he sat, wallowing while his brother, though now warm and dry and clean and dressed, still suffered.

He'd decided to get up and go get the shower he couldn't stop thinking about since Benny had put the suggestion in his head when the air shifted and Cas was before him.

"Hello Sam." Cas greeted. "How'd you get that bruise?"

"Which one?" Sam dropped his hand holding the gel ice pack Benny had obtained earlier for him from his face and met Cas's eyes. "This one?" he pointed to his jaw. "Tripped." he pointed to his left temple. "Dean." he pointed to his cheek. "Harold." he pointed to his other cheek. "Wall." he pointed to his forehead. "Rock or maybe it was a tree limb." he gently massaged his right eye socket which had swollen into a black eye. "Fell."

"Who is Harold?"

"He's no more. Was a ghost."

Cas reached out and though Sam at first pulled away, he submitted and let Cas touch his forehead. "There's no brain injury. No swelling, no bleeding, no skull fracture…you're ok."

"Yeah…..Look, I need you to go get me some meds, specific meds, Vicodin and Dilaudid, Cas, hey, you listening?" Sam waited until Cas nodded. "And some antibiotics…..Mupirocin and…"

"I will get whatever you ask for, but you will not need them. His foot will heal good as new."

"His foot? Jesus Cas! You think all I care about is his foot? What about him?!"

Cas gave a shrug that was either apologetic or indifference, perhaps both. "I'm limited in my abilities, you know that Sam. He will walk again without a limp, he won't need surgery or rehab or therapy….."

"Fuck his damn foot!" Sam yelled. "Do you think I care whether he walks with a fucking limp? I want him alive Cas, I want him!" he sooo wanted to throw his head back and stomp his feet and howl like a two-year old throwing a tantrum being denied something he wanted. "If I have to take him with months of physical therapy and he still ends up with a limp, at least he'll be alive!"

Cas frowned, facial expression scrunching into a childish pout. "You're upset."

"YOU THINK?!"

Cas narrowed his eyes and disappeared. Sam threw his hands up and turned away, fingers clawing through his hair and dragging across his face. When he turned back, Cas was standing right where he had been.

"Here." he held out a brown bottle with no label, the neck stoppered with a cork, making it impossible to determine what the contents might be.

Sam stared.

"For Dean." Cas continued. "Take it."

Sam stared.

"It's medicine."

Sam stared.

"Give. It. To. Dean." Cas said impatiently.

Sam stared.

"Just follow the instructions."

Sam stared

"Right here on the bottle." Cas rolled his eyes, summoning patience to deal with the recalcitrant two-year old trying his patience. He thrust the bottle forward, forcing Sam to accept it.

Sam exploded.

"There's no…THIS ? You mean THIS. THESE bumps? BUMPS in the glass ARE NOT instructions Cas!"

"Most certainly they are. See, right here it says, mix two twixts of…."

"Twigs? TWIGS? What the HELL is a TWIG?!"

"Twixts, not twigs." Cas corrected, though to Sam it sounded like both words were pronounced the same.

"JESUS CHRIST CAS….!"

"You're yelling."

Sam stared.

Cas sighed. "This will help him with the pain and discomfort. Mix with hot milk and have him drink it."

Sam stared.

"What is your problem Sam? I don't understand. You begged me to come...I'm here. You wanted my help...I gave it. That wasn't enough. I did what I could for your brother, you weren't happy. I went looking for more answers, brought you medicine, you want more."

Sam cried.

"Cas? Why are you yelling at Sam?" Dean asked sleepily. "Sammy? You okay?"

Sam wiped his eyes with his knuckles. "Great Cas, great. Hey, thanks for waking him up."

"How did I….?"

"Dean, why are you awake?" Sam sighed.

"Don't you want me to be?"

"No, I want you to go to sleep."

"Then stop yelling."

"Right, sorry." he turned back to Cas. "Dean?" Sam pointed to his drowsy brother. "Drink milk?" he snorted. "Yeah, okay….sure."

"Yes." Cas said simply, not understanding Sam's sarcasm.

"Mix how much? How often? For how long?"

"Must I explain everything?" Cas set the bottle on the table. "You're a smart man Sam, read the bottle. I must go. If he takes a turn for the worse, call for me and I will come as soon as I can."

"WHAT?"

"This medicine….it has…what you would call….side effects." he set a smaller bottle of blue glass on the dresser. "Keep his fever under 103. If it rises above 103, give him this. This is all the medication you will need. If his fever doesn't come down within an hour…..pray for me. I will come right away for that will mean he's in immediate danger of becoming deceased."

"Cas…..CAS? What does that mean? What is that? How do I give it to him? What does it do? CASTIEL?! WHAT THE HELL IS A FUCKING TWIG?!" he howled, thumping his fist against the dresser. "CAS!" but Cas was gone.