CHAPTER 2

Consciousness returned to Dean with a force so ferocious he nearly begged to pass out again, nearly, but that wasn't the Winchester way.

As the agonizing pain from his injuries shifted into overdrive Dean's eyes flew open and all he could do was roll to his uninjured side before the meagre contents of his stomach made their way back to the outside world with brutal force.

When finally the heaving had subsided he murmured a low, guttural "Jesus" as he shifted onto his back. His slash wounds were burning and the strain caused from his sickness had sent the constant throbbing of his ribs to almost triple with intensity. The effects just caused the threat of nausea to return and Dean raised a hand to his mouth to keep the rise of bile at bay.

A chill shook itself through Dean's body, causing another groan as his injuries were again disturbed, it was getting cold, and the shadows that were now long and overcast told him it was already late afternoon. Shit. He knew he had to do something, he knew that he had to get up and get help but just the effort of trying to control his breathing, the effort to quell the penetrating pain was weakening him and he could feel the calling of sweet painless darkness beckoning him back into it's grasp all he had to do was give in.

NO!

He refused to sink back into the depths of the relieving darkness, not now, not yet. His family were waiting for him, relying on him, surrender was not an option, move your ass Dean.

Taking a moment to try to regain control over his now ragged breaths Dean once again tried to assess his injuries. His not so graceful fall hadn't exactly helped his cause and in lifting his right hand to his newly bandaged mid-section he felt the warm, sticky sensation of blood. His claw marks had bleed through. Awesome.

With an almighty effort and a few choice words Dean slowly struggled his way to an upright seated position against the trunk of the tree. Just this small effort caused agony to rip through his tortured body and he found himself needing to close his eyes and count to 10 willing the pain to ebb back down to a tolerable level.

When finally it seemed to have lessened Dean glanced around for his duffle bag and thanked that lady luck had at least landed it within reach.

Cautiously removing his jacket once more Dean then pulled the bag closer and took out what was left of his previously torn shirt before ripping it in half and leaving the larger wad of cloth to one side. He then set to work unwrapping the wet bandage from around him and removing the blood soaked material that he had been using before. With no water left to clean with Dean used the smaller of the two cloths to gingerly wipe away the blood. What he saw did not bring him any peace. While the bleeding had again toned down some all four wounds had become red and swollen, the onset of infection was setting in.

Biting back a cry of pain, Dean placed the remaining piece of shirt against the still leaking wounds and once again wrapped the soiled bandage tightly around his abdomen, before leaning back and resting his head against the tree.

Things were looking grim, sure he had been hurt worse before but this time, this time it just felt different. This time he didn't have Sam to back him up, he couldn't even call Sam for help. He was hurt and alone in the middle of a friggin' forest. Exhaustion was calling him luring him into the darkness and it would be so easy to just let it take him. To let it enclose him, to wrap it's relieving essence around his tortured soul and let peace consume him. Maybe I could rest for just a little while, then I could keep going, just for a few………

BEEP BEEP BEEP

A bleary eye opened

BEEP BEEP BEEP

Two bleary eyes

BEEP BEEP BEEP

What the hell?

BEEP BEEP BEEP

My phone, shit!

BEEP BEEP BEEP

Quickly but carefully Dean leaned toward his discarded jacket and pulled his cell from it's pocket.

BEEP BEEP BEEP

Silencing the alarm he read the message it was alerting him to:

You got two days Deanie!!

A small laughed escaped from his lips, he had forgotten that Katelyn had made him put that message in his phone two weeks ago just before he left for his current hunt. It was to remind him that he had a job to do, he had a responsibility to uphold, one even more important than the hunt.

Putting his cell back into his jacket and carefully maneovering it back onto himself he reached for his bag and slowly levered himself up the trunk of the tree closing his eyes tightly when once again the world before him started to spin.

Katelyn's message flashed before him again: You got two days Deanie!!

He had to get home, he had to get back to his family. They were waiting for him, expecting him. He had responsibilities, obligations to up hold and he refused to fail them. He wouldn't, he couldn't.

Cautiously Dean peered through slitted eyes making sure that the world had stopped spinning enough for him not to take another tumble. When all seemed ok he pushed off the tree and began his agonizing trek back to his Impala, fighting back the shooting agony that each step and misstep jolted through his injuries. He was determined now, motivated, there was a mission to complete.

Nightfall was fast approaching, shivers were now constantly shaking Dean's body both from the cold and blood loss. His breathing was laboured and pain, nausea and exhaustion were all threatening to overtake him, but Dean struggled on, he refused to admit defeat. Sarah and Katelyn's words continually washed over him, urging him forward, urging him home.

You ARE our family, you HAVE responsibilities to us, obligations to us.

You got two days Deanie!!

Walking past the lounge room door Sam could hear Dean speaking in a hushed toned, intrigued he paused at the door eyes firmly on Dean's back listening intently.

"I can be there in two days'

……………………………

"Nah, shouldn't be any trouble."

……………………………

"Yea."

……………………………

Sigh, "Yea, I know"

……………………………

"Alright, no worries, I got it, I'll call you when I'm done."

………………………

"Yea, Bye."

"Who was that?" Sam asked as he walked into the room smiling at the fact that he had been able to sneak up on his unexpecting brother.

Startled and slightly embarrassed that he had not noted Sam's presence Dean quickly hung up the phone and turned to Sam flashing him one of his trademark grins. "No-one important."

Sam knew Dean was lying and it was too late in the day to pussy-foot around, "Dean. Who. Was. It?"

Dean's smile faltered, Sam was going to get the truth out of him eventually, might as well be now.

"Ellen."

"Ellen?" Sam repeated frowning with surprise, "What did she want? Is Ash and Jo ok?"

The slight panic in his brother's tone caused Dean to shake his head in amusement "Yea, yea they're all fine don't get your panties in a twist Francis."

Sam rewarded him with a dirty look, "Well what did she want.?"

"She ah, she heard about some hikers going missing up in Shawnee Start Park and thought I might wanna check it out."

"Like Ohio?" Sam questioned raising his brows, "Well Ellen must have some reason to think that you would be interested?"

A somewhat guilty look washed over Dean and he scratched the back of his head as he answered "Ah yea will she thinks it might be a Wendigo."


A huff of denial broke from Sam, "What no way, I mean a Wendigo that far West……"

"I know Sam," Dean broke in, "that's what I said to her but there was that one in Colorado and you know Ellen, she has done her homework. 23 years ago six hikers went into the mountains, never to be seen again of course the authorities were completely puzzled and at a loss of how to explain the disappearances, seven people disappeared 23 yrs before that I'm telling you Sam it all fits, Ellen is right ."

A feeling of dread passed over Sam and he shook his head, "Dean I don't like this, not one bit."

"Sam." The older man begun only to have his warning be completely ignored.

"Maybe for this one I should go with you, I mean Wendigo's are fast, you could need help. I could…"

"No Sam!" Dean bellowed silencing his brother mid rant before continuing in a softer tone, "Look, I'll be fine. I know what I'm gonna be up against, I know what I'm looking for, It'll be a walk in the park," he paused to chuckle at his own joke shrugging slightly, "so to speak."

Sam just gave Dean an exasperated look, "that's not funny Dean."

"Oh, come on Sammy, lighten up, it's a little funny."

"Fine, but you had better be careful Dean" he stated pointing a finger at his brother, "I'm not gonna come to your rescue you hear me?"

"Yea I hear you little brother," Dean replied grabbing Sam around the shoulders and turning him toward the door, "now come help me tell the rest of the family cause I don't wanna face Katie alone."

A laugh erupted from the tallest Winchester before he turned and eyed Dean questioning him with mock horror, "You're afraid of a little girl?"

"Hell yea!"

Leaning against a tree for support Dean fought for control over his harsh breathing. The percussion band in his head and the burn in his body were fighting full force with the lack of oxygen from his ragged breaths. He had been walking for just on three hours now and the sun had long gone leaving him with only the moon peeking through the tree tops and the unsteady torch in his hand for light.

"You can't go Deanie, what about Jayden's birthday? He is gonna be two"

"I'll be home for that, I won't forget."

"What if you do?"

"I won't…"

"But…."

"Katelyn." It was a firm but gentle warning.

A scowl crossed the face of the little girl before him as a soft sigh of defeat expressed itself from her. Katie hated it when Dean would leave on his little 'jobs' . There just wasn't something right about it, something she couldn't explain, but every time he left it felt like a piece of her was torn away and until he came home she felt like a part of her was missing, that she was incomplete. And now, now Dean was going to leave again and it was just over two weeks till her little brother's birthday he couldn't miss it. There had to be a way.

Dean watched the saddened expression of his little Katie. It broke his heart to see her like this and although he would admit it to no-one the thought of leaving his family got harder and harder every time. He loved the hunt, no doubt about it, but that didn't make it any easier maybe he was getting to old for this shit, maybe he needed some time away from the hunt. Dean was broken from his pondering thoughts when a wicked grin broke through Katie's upset face.

"Put it in your phone."

"What?" Dean was confused about the sudden turn around by his niece.

"You can put it in your phone so you can't forget, like Daddy does for important stuff." she explained as she pulled her Uncle's cell from his back pocket handing it toward him.

Realisation suddenly dawned on him and he smiled taking the phone marvelling at Katie's brilliant plan "You know what that's a good idea kiddo. I'll put 'Jayden's B'day today' How's that?"

"No."

"No?" was that not what she was referring too?

"You have to be home for it, you can't be late." It was a statement or more like an order.

Dean shook his head with his stupidity of course he had to be home it was the rules "What if I put in 'I gotta be home in two days?'" he offered.

Two little eyes lit up at his suggestion, " Yea, 'You got two days Deanie' that sounds good ."

Dean raised his eyebrow at his niece's serious tone and a chuckle escaped him but he set to work after receiving a dirty glance and a mirrored reflection of his own previous look.

"Done," he claimed as he closed his cell and put it back in his pocket, "it will go off two days before I need to be back here, now I'll have no excuse."

Katelyn smiled up at her Uncle, "Good" she said as quickly embraced him and turned to leave the room. Mission Complete.

He was tired, so damn tired and everything hurt. From the hair on the top of his head to the tips of the nails on his toes. It was all one big agonizing ache that took the already weakened breath from his lungs starving them further of much needed oxygen. And just to really piss him off the world seemed to be just one big swirling place that did nothing to help the small lightened path that the torch in his trembling hand lit up.

Stumbling over an uprooted tree root Dean was suddenly hit by a wave of nasuea that ferociously swept over causing him to lose grip on his torch and desperately cling to the tree to support him. His vision swam in and out of focus and his family faces flashed in front of him urging him on beckoning him home. Looking at the torch at his feet Dean knew that bending down was no longer an option and attempting to take in a calming breath he pushed away from the tree and back along the darkened track.

"MOVE DEAN MOVE!"

Standing outside in the fresh, crisp morning the family stood beside the black Chevy to bid Dean farewell.

"You be careful Dean," Sarah playfully warned him as she tightly embraced him and then whispered in his ear, "you come home in one piece alright?"

Dean leant back and looked into her face a cocky grin on his own, "Or what?"

"Or I'll hunt you down myself Mr. Winchester." she replied poking his chest lightly as warning.

"Same goes for me Dean," his brother added, "and I want to be kept updated."

"Yea, yea Mum." Dean exaggerated breaking his hold on Sarah and turning to Sam who was holding a restless, struggling Jayden in his arms.

"And you J-man," he said as he tickled the baby's tummy enticing a giggle from him, "behave for your Mum and Dad," but paused then changed his mind, "on second thoughts just for your mum, give daddy hell."

"Hey!" was Sam's indignant reply as he swiped at his brother's head which Dean was easily able to dodge laughter erupted from them both.

A tug on his shirt brought Dean's attention to the last member of the family. Picking Katie up she gave him a tight cuddle before giving him her warning, "Don't forget to call Deanie."

"I won't."

"And when the alarm goes off……"

"……I have two days, I got it kiddo." He finished for her as he gave her a final squeeze and placed her back on the ground before getting into his car.

Starting the engine he gave his family a final glance and quick wave before backing out of the drive-way and heading off for his new gig.

A small stumble over a fallen branch brought Dean back from his thoughts, bringing the agonizing pain back the front burner. The cold was now settling itself into his bones and it was only his pure determination that was seeing him still standing. Just as he tripped over another piece of uneven ground, facing the distinct possibilities of nose planting into the ground a glint of gleam caught his attention.

There no more than 100 ft away was his pride and joy, his baby. Hope was back in the air.

Dragging himself to his car and opening the door, he sighed with relief, weariness and hurt as he gently lowered himself into the ever so welcoming seat.

He had made it, he was finally there. He was all that much closer to his family now he just had to get to help.

The sudden noise and vibration of his ringing cell, pulled him from his thoughts and he pulled it from his pocket eyeing the name of the caller.

SAMMY

Wearily he flipped it open and waited for the onslaught to begin.

"Dean, Dean you there? Where in the hell have you been? You were meant to call days ago? Dean? Dean?" The voice on the other end was panicked, pitchy just showing how worried Sam was.

Dean wanted to tell his frantic brother that he was ok, that he was sorry for not calling when he had promised but shifting in his seat caused another wave of excruciating pain to assault him and all he could manage was one practically whispered word.

"Sam…my"

TBC

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