Authors Notes: Hey Guys!!! Yay i actually got another chapter written right away :D
Before we begin ... For all fans of Oh so talented GaelicSpirit's writing ... over the weekend i put together a music video for her fics, a sort of tribute to the Dean/Brenna relationship. The Song is "Nothing Else Matters" by Metallica and GS picked out an actress called Rachel McAdams to play the part of Brenna. Great choice :D If you wanna take a look the video is on my YouTube page which is on my profile or you can download it at (as you know i have to spell it out for this site lol)
http // www (dot) sendspace (dot) com / file / yl6ijw
GaelicSpirit is a wonderful person, a loyal reader (thanks mate lol), a wonderful friend and an AWESOME writer so if you havent read her work i definately reccomend it ... its great stuff :D
Okay well if u do check out the vid hope you like it and i also wanna thank all of the readers and reviewers that keep coming back to me .. you are all fantastic and i really love hearing (well actually reading lol) your comments. Thank you! Onto the next chapter ... :D
Chapter 26. Survivor
Mac looked over his patient. Dean was now nicely settled in the bed across from his father. He was confident that Dean would heal without any complications but head injuries were tricky and he knew that everyone would feel a lot better once the young man opened his eyes.
Mackland hated to see his friends in hospital let alone having to operate on one of them. He sighed as he looked over Dean's chart. This wasn't the first time that someone he cared about had ended up laid up in hospital and he doubted it would be the last.
Dean had pulled through surgery with flying colours just like with everything the kid did. Dean was a survivor. The boy had already survived so much. There was no doubt that Dean was incredibly strong.
Hopefully now that he had both John and Dean in the one room he might be able to get his own son to relax and rest. Caleb was very protective of the Winchesters, particularly Dean. He had been ever since they were children. Caleb had only been thirteen when he had come into Mackland's life and met the Winchesters and although he had fought it he had clicked with the boys but especially a five year old Dean. Jim had wanted the three boys to grow up together. He wanted them to have a strong bond. Jim's wish had come true, more so than any of them could of imagined.
Mac put the chart away and looked down at the recently turned eighteen year old. He reached out and ran a hand over the top of the kids head where the hair was sticking up above the white bandage. The doctor was grateful that he had been able to remove the breathing tube before moving him from recovery. He knew from experience that it was never pleasant waking up with a tube down your throat.
Head injuries could be complicated and tricky and were definitely not to be messed around with. Dean would have to be careful for a while and he would damn well make sure he was even if he had to make sure the boy continued the rest of the school year in New York with him or in Kentucky with Jim.
Dean was a very active young man and the hunt wasn't the only danger to the boys head. From what Sam had told him Dean had been knocked out at school while playing sport after being knocked out by the Rawhead. Mac would make sure to give the boy a stern lecture about taking care of himself when he was better.
He turned to look at his friend on the other side of the room in his own bed. The man was not going to be happy when he woke up. But hopefully being able to see Dean would held calm the storm that was bound to be in full force when he awoke.
Caleb and Sam's voices could be heard outside the room moments before the door opened and Caleb ushered Sam inside. The boy was looking down at what looked like pamphlets and was reading out loud to an annoyed looking Caleb. Mac smirked at his sons plight. Sam really got going sometimes and could talk someone's ear off.
"Deuce." Caleb's focus immediately switched from the young teen still reading in front of him to the new occupant in the room. Dean was now comfortably situated on the bed, a white bandage wrapped around his head and his eyes closed in a sleep that Caleb was determined to see him awaken from.
Sam looked up from his reading material at hearing his brothers name. Finally his family were all back together. Sam had to admit that he felt a lot better now that he could watch over his father and Dean at the same time and he was sure that Caleb felt the same way. The man had been getting very impatient with the whole waiting thing.
"Is he okay? Sam asked in a worried voice. His reading material had also alerted him to all the things that could go wrong with this type of injury even after surgery.
Mac held his arm out gesturing for Sam to come up to the bed. "He's doing fine Sam."
"When will he wake up?" Caleb walked around to stand on the other side of Dean's bed, the cloudy sky from the window behind him, his backdrop.
"That all depends on Dean son. His body is taking all the rest it needs right now. He'll wake up when he is ready."
"So we have nothing to worry about then?" the younger psychic questioned his father.
"All his test results are fine, his vitals are fine. He will be fine. Can you please get some rest now?"
"I'm fine at the moment."
"Son …"
"I promise I will rest."
"Why don't I believe you?"
Caleb quirked his eyebrows. "Because your naturally cynical?"
"More likely because he knows you." Sam piped up, glancing up from his inspection of his brother.
"I don't believe anyone asked you Runt." Caleb sniped childishly at the younger boy.
"I trust I can leave you boys for a bit?" Mackland asked interrupting the staring match before his son's bloodshot eyes popped out his head.
"Your leaving?" Caleb asked slightly shocked. What if something went wrong with Dean?
"I'm just going to make a few phone calls. I would like to update Jim and make sure the business I was attending before flying out here is being handled. I shouldn't be gone long."
"Don't worry Mac, I'll make sure Caleb is a good boy." Sam smirked at the hunter in question before looking up at Mac.
Mackland smiled down at Sam and put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure you will Samuel." he looked back up at his son. "I'll be back soon."
With that the older man was off leaving Sam and Caleb standing on either side of Dean's bed. The psychic rubbed at his tired eyes and then pulled the chair he spotted in the corner of the room over next to Dean's bed. "You know Sammy, I'm a wake up to my old man."
Sam cocked his head to the side, not unlike Jim's Golden Retriever Atticus Finch. "What do you mean?"
"He didn't leave to check on things."
"What did he leave for then?"
"He just doesn't want to be around when Johnny wakes up … chicken." Caleb had an amused smile on his face and Sam couldn't help but smile as well.
Sam put on a look of mock contemplation. "Of course you realise what your revelation means don't you?"
"What?"
"That you'll have to deal with him when he wakes up." Sam laughed.
"Oh no way kid. He's your father, you deal with him."
"I'm just glad he's going to wake up." Sam said becoming serious. Caleb sighed he should have known the light heartedness wasn't going to last. Sam was always more caring and sharing than the rest of them and he guessed that adolescence hadn't changed that.
"Me too kiddo." The psychic ran a hand over his dark hair.
Sam moved closer to the head of Dean's bed and looked down at his brothers unconscious face. He could almost look like he was just sleeping if it wasn't for white bandage and the hair missing that had been shaved away for surgery.
"They shaved a bit more of Dean's hair at the back here."
Caleb smirked at Sam's announcement. "Damn, he aint gonna be happy about that."
"Probably be wearing a beanie for a while." Sam chuckled getting an inquisitive look from the man across from him.
"You seem amused by this Sammy-Boy."
"Well it's kinda like payback for the Nair prank."
"Oh yeah … good times."
"I'm glad u found my horror amusing jerk."
"Your brother definitely keeps everyone on their toes."
"Yeah, well your lucky he didn't get you with that."
Caleb snorted. "Dude, not even that stubborn idiot of a big brother of yours would be game enough to mess with this." he said gesturing to his hair.
Sam laughed. "I can just imagine. " he laid the pamphlets on the foot of Dean's bed and picked up one. "Wanna know what we're in for?"
Caleb moved forward leaning his elbows on the edge of Dean's bed. "Sure Sammy, read away."
xXx
"… It says here that he could suffer from Prosopagnosia …"
Caleb rolled his eyes. Sam was just as bad as Mac with the medical terminology but Caleb thought that Sam just liked to show off with big words. "English Runt." he sighed.
It had been a couple of hours since Mac had left him alone with the Winchester's and Sam had been reading him all he could find on Dean's condition. As far as Caleb was concerned he now knew entirely too much about head trauma and the medical procedures that went with it. He knew that Sam was just trying to get by in his own way as he waited for his family members to wake up but if his overtaxed body wasn't going to take him out he was sure Sam's constant medical chatter was going to put him unconscious alongside Dean. He was praying for Mac to come back and save him or for John or hell even Dean to wake up. It was the least they could do.
"Prosopagnosia is difficulty in recognising faces." Sam explained, concentrating on the information in front of him. Then there is also Wernicke's Aphasia … that's difficulty in understanding words." A concerned look came over Sam's face and looked over at the psychic. "You don't think these things are permanent do you?"
"Sammy." he sighed. "These are all maybes and what ifs. It's quite possible he'll wake up with no problems whatever."
"You haven't heard the rest of them yet."
Caleb reached up with both hands and ran them both through his hair, leaving it sticking up messily like he had just woken up, which of course he hadn't even gone to sleep let alone woken up. "Please continue tiny Einstein."
Sam rolled his eyes at the name calling and looked back down from the paper he was reading. He had tried to convince Caleb to lie down on the couch and get some sleep but the man had stubbornly refused, stating that he wasn't tired. Yeah right. Anyone who could see knew that Caleb was beyond exhausted but Sam wasn't going to waste his breathe arguing.
"Disturbance with selective attention to what we see or hear."
"Deuce already has that problem." Caleb quipped only to be ignored by the teen.
"Difficulty with identification of, an verbalisation about objects." Sam continued on. "Short term memory loss, interference with long term memory. You don't think he'll have amnesia do you?"
"Sammy why do you persist in asking me this questions. I'm not the doctor in this dysfunctional family unit."
Sam once again ignored the other hunter despite asking him a question. "Oh, you should find this one interesting."
"What?"
"Increased and decreased interest in sexual behaviour." Sam looked up and across at Caleb. "Maybe we should keep your new girlfriend away from him." he joked.
Caleb frowned. "Dude, for one she aint my girlfriend and secondly that is one subject where the student does not surpass the teacher." he replied indignantly.
"Dude, I'm sure Dean would have something to say about a couple of your points."
"Your brother lives in a delusional world Sammy."
Sam smirked. "Yeah I guess the student doesn't always surpass the teacher does he."
"I'm going to pretend I just didn't hear you insult me because I know you are under a lot of stress at the moment."
Sam chuckled. "Whatever moron … anyway where was I?" he asked himself as he looked back down at the page in his hand. "Inability to categorize objects, right lobe damage can cause persistent talking …"
Caleb groaned into his hands that were covering his face. "That's all we need, two chatty Winchesters."
"… Increased aggressive behaviour."
"I'm surprised the boy is still asleep with all this talking and bitching I can hear."
Caleb shot up in his seat and both boys turned to the bed across the room from them where John was sitting with his eyes open.
"How long have you been awake?" Caleb asked suspiciously.
"Long enough … how's Dean?" the older hunter asked shifting in his bed trying to get into a more comfortable position.
"As I have told your youngest son … more than once … I am not a doctor." Caleb replied.
"Well where is a doctor?" John asked trying to get the oxygen mask over his head one handed. "I know I didn't imagine your father … sneaky bastard." he groused as he finally got free of the mask.
"He went to make some calls but he should be back anytime now but when he was here he said that Dean was doing good." Sam supplied as he stood up and walked over to his fathers left side. "How are you feeling Dad?"
"I'm okay son." he reached out and gave his son's shoulder a squeeze. The fact that both boys were with him now was enough to be happy about. He looked at Caleb. "Does someone want to tell me what happened to Dean without knocking me out this time?"
Caleb stood up and stretched his over tired muscles and made his way over to John. He stopped short halfway as he swayed, feeling a little light headed. Maybe Mac was right and he did need sleep he thought sarcastically.
"Are you alright?" John asked clearly a concerned look on his face.
Caleb waved him off and made the rest of the way to John's bed on shaky legs. "I'm fine."
"So … long story short, he had one too many concussions in a row and damage to his … his …" what was it?
"His temporal lobe …"
Caleb gave Sam a half annoyed half thankful look. "Right, his temporal lobe which caused him to have some psychic mojo with you."
"What do you mean?" John frowned.
"His spidey sense was going nuts and he kept on telling us that something was going to go wrong with your hunt. I had a vision of you dying so we headed out here." Caleb explained. "Dean … he started having these massive headaches …"
"Sort of like when Caleb has a vision … it was bad …" Sam added shifting from foot to foot as Caleb retold the story.
"Right, anyway they kept getting worse until we finally found you and then he got caught by Carlson's doppelganger on the way out. He collapsed and when he was brought to the hospital Mac said he had a …"
"Subdural Hemtoma …"
Caleb glanced at Sam before looking back at John. "Sammy's been educating himself on head injuries."
John closed his eyes for a moment letting their words settle in his mind. He opened them again a minute later. "How the hell did he end up with multiple concussions?" John's voice took on an irritated tone.
"He hit his head in sport at school. He lost consciousness." Sam looked sheepishly at his father. "I guess we forgot to mention that before you left for the hunt."
"I cant be sure John but its quite possible he was knocked out while I was getting you and Sammy out of the house … I'm sorry man."
John sighed and leaned back further into the pillow. He realised it was no use getting angry with the boys. Not when he had screwed up so badly himself. "It's not your fault kid." he directed his gaze to Caleb.
All eyes went to the door when it opened interrupting their conversation.
"Sorry I took so long …" Mac began and then stopped upon realising that John was once again awake. "Morning Jonathan."
"Mackland."
"Did you get in touch with Pastor Jim?" Sam asked trying to distract the two men.
Mackland smiled down at Sam, grateful for the distraction. "Yes, he's been extremely worried about you all and sends his well wishes. He says your welcome back the farm when your finished at Missouri's. I suggest you head that way, you could all use the time to rest."
"As long as that rest doesn't come in the form of sedatives without my permission." John quipped.
Mackland ran a hand through his hair. "In all fairness I wasn't the one who sedated you, not that I was totally against it."
"If you had of just told me about my son I wouldn't have needed to be sedated."
"I'm afraid other doctors don't know you as well as I do my friend. I'll make sure there are no more unnecessary sedations. I cant promise my own son the same thing if he persists in not listening to me." All eyes landed on the younger psychic.
"I …"
Movement from the other bed had Caleb's defence silenced. "Deuce?" he called and immediately rushed over to his friends side. Mackland followed suit standing on the other side of Dean, not before pointing at John warning him without words to stay where he was. John wasn't going to comment that he probably couldn't get out of bed right now if he wanted to and he badly wanted to.
Sam came to stand next to Caleb and waited with baited breath for the outcome. Everything he had read had made him overly nervous that there was going to be irreversible damage to his brother.
Caleb grabbed Dean's hand and gave it a squeeze as he leaned over. "Deuce, can you hear me?"
Dean frowned and turned towards his friends voice but didn't wake up. "Come on man, I know there's plenty of nurses at this hospital that would like to see those green eyes of yours."
The eighteen year old mumbled something unintelligible but still seemed to have trouble with making the transference between unconsciousness and consciousness.
"Son, stand back a bit." Mackland gently ordered.
Caleb looked at him like he thought his father had finally lost the plot but did as he was told.
Mackland grasped Dean's hand tightly and placed his palm against Dean's cheek and turned his head towards him. "Dean, I need you to wake up now. You can do it." he encouraged.
"What's wrong with him Mac?" Sam asked fearfully when his brother failed to wake up.
Mac glanced quickly at the youngest Winchester who was planted beside his brothers bed his hands clenched in the blankets. Caleb had a hand on his shoulder. "He's just having a little trouble Sam."
He looked back down at Dean. He could see his eyes moving underneath the closed lids and he knew the kid was fighting to come back to them. The kid moaned and Mackland could feel John's impatience from across the room without his psychic abilities. "Dean, come on open you eyes."
"Sammy's waiting on ya Deuce." Caleb called from his place beside Sam.
"S-S-Sa …"
Mac nodded and lightly patted Dean's cheek as he squeezed his hand tighter. "That's right son … time to wake up." Dean continued to frown. Mackland became concerned as Dean's heart began beating a little faster as he fought his way to consciousness. It wasn't alarming but Mac was prepared for anything.
They were finally rewarded with a slither of green. It lasted all of a couple of seconds and Dean's eyes closed again. Caleb released his hold of Sam and moved forward again and placed his hand on Dean's chest. "No, no. no Deuce, keep those eyes open for us buddy."
Dean clenched his eyes closed. "Dema…ghhh." He was obviously still struggling with getting words across but they could work with one thing at a time. A wide smile graced Caleb's face when a few seconds later Dean managed to open his eyes again. They looked glazed.
Dean flinched away when Mac's penlight flashed in one eye and then the other. "Aggh." he kept his eyes closed and Caleb palmed his face and turned his face towards him. "Stay awake Deuce."
"His eyes are dilated but that's not uncommon." Mac explained to the occupants in the room and then took charge of Dean again. Caleb automatically released his hold on his friend so his father could get to work.
"Okay Dean I know you're probably confused and tired but I need to ask you a few questions okay."
Dean nodded and then winced as his headache flared up. Confused and tired was an understatement. His vision was blurred but not to the point that he didn't recognise who was with him. He had a headache like he'd never had before and he couldn't seem to articulate what he wanted to say. He was so tired he just wanted to go back to sleep. Why wouldn't they just let him sleep? "T-tireshd."
Mackland nodded in sympathy. "You can go back to sleep in a minute son." he assured. "Can you tell me your name?"
Dean frowned. Of course he knew who he was. That wasn't the problem. The problem was getting the name from his brain to his mouth. "Dean Winches…" He congratulated himself for almost getting the whole name out.
"That's good Dean. Can you tell me what year it is?" Mac asked as he held Dean's glassy green gaze. "Ahh … '97'?"
"That's good Dean." Mac looked up, concentrating on Dean's blood pressure and heart rate.
"Mac?" Dean slurred, getting the doctors attention again. "The ot…ther's 'kay?"
"They're fine Dean, you don't have to worry." Mac assured him.
Dean frowned as his headache pounded relentlessly in his head but the news of Sam, Caleb and his Dad brought a small lazy smile to his face. His eyes slipped closed and he opened them again. Someone, he thought maybe it was Caleb had told him he had to stay awake so it must be important.
Mac could see that Dean was losing the battle to stay awake and decided to let the poor kid off the hook. He brushed a hand over the top of Dean's hair. "It's okay Dean, you can sleep now."
"Sssgood." he mumbled as he felt a smaller hand clasp his in a firm grip.
"We'll be here when you wake up Dean. You're gonna be fine." Dean turned his head slowly towards his brothers voice and saw the blurry form of Sam looking down on him. It was a comforting sight before his eyes closed of their own will and he slipped into a blissful sleep.
Caleb stood back not wanting to intrude on Sam's moment with his big brother. He reached out with his mind instead and lightly touched Dean's. the kid was a lot more calmer than when he had first woken. He was still scattered but everything seemed still intact and if the look on Mac's face was anything to go by he was sure that Dean was going to okay.
Relief washed over Caleb like a tidal wave. He knew he was crashing but there wasn't anything he was going to be able to do about it. Now that he had confirmation that everyone was going to be fine his body was finally giving in to the exhaustion that had settled over him since settling down in this room.
He felt nauseous all of a sudden and light headed and grasped behind him for the couch before he ended up on his ass on the cold tile hospital floor. He mentally cursed as his ass missed the edge of the couch and hit the floor. He could see black at the edge of his vision and one thought flitted across his mind before he succumbed to his bodies needs I cant believe I'm passing out!.
"Mackland, we have a problem over here." Mac looked up at John's voice and then looked to where his friend was pointing. His son was on the floor in front of the couch out cold.
Happy with Dean's status Mackland quickly rushed around the bed and crouched in front of his stubborn mule-headed son. "Damn it Caleb!" he cursed as he checked the boys pulse. Finding a strong one Mac tapped his son's cheek. "Caleb!" Dean was not the only hunter in for a lecture after all this was over. Next time Mac told the boy to get some sleep he was damn well going to listen to him. The boy was too much like his mentor for his own good sometimes.
"What's wrong with him Mac?" Sam asked from behind him, still clasping his brothers hand.
"It's okay Sam, he'll be fine. He just fainted." Mac sighed.
Hahaha poor Caleb lol That was my mothers input by the way lol she wouldnt leave me alone until i put the fainting part in coz she knows he is gonna get hell for it later on lol Dean made a comeback to the land of the conscious :D He is back for good now people because i sure as hell missed him too :D Hope you all like that one, let me know what you think coz you know i love reviews :D. I will try to post again as fast as i can ... thanks for reading guys and i'll hopefully see you soon
Tara x0x