Authors note: The first chapter barely got any response at all from you guys. Hardly any hits and only two reviews. I can only assume it's because everyone thinks it's not a good story. Even if you think it's not a good story, I would still rather hear a critical response than the crickets I heard chirping the other day. If you are taking the time to read this next chapter you have my profound gratitude.

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Summary: Some scars are external while others are carried forever inside. It's 1992 and something is about to happen to the Winchesters that will change their world forever, even if it's not apparent for many years to come. Hurt John with Dean and Sammy angst.

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John hadn't really given it another thought as he and Dean ran through the woods towards the car. The rain pouring down on them, John cursing, they both ran up to the car and tried to get in.

Suddenly there was a flash and John heard glass shatter in front of him. Something hit him in the left side and sent him flying to the muddied ground. Stunned, John tried to get up but was forced back down by a blinding sharp pain between his ribs. He gingerly touched his side and was shocked when his hand came back bloody.

"Son of a bitch." He yelled out as he touched his left side again. From inside the car he could hear Sammy screaming and John tried to get up again to see what was wrong with his youngest son.

"Dad! Dad!" Dean yelled as he ran from around the other side. The rain continued to pour down on them as Dean dropped down at John's side and looked in horror at the blood on his fathers hand and side.

"Oh my god Dad, what the hell?" Dean quickly pulled off his jacket and ripped off his over shirt. John fell back on the ground and lay stunned while Dean balled up his shirt and pressed it to his father's side.

"Sammy…" John said weakly as he pointed to the car. Suddenly Dean realized the screaming he was hearing was coming from his little brother inside the Impala. Jumping up he turned towards the car and was stunned to see Sammy facing him with a gun in his hand.

"Sammy, Sammy it's me! Sammy you have to put down the gun!" Dean tried to reason with the now hysterical Sammy in the back seat. "Sammy c'mon it's me, it's Dean. Put down the gun. Let me in."

Sammy's eyes were glazed with fear and shock as he held the gun menacing ahead of him.

"No…. no… Dad said not to let anyone in." Sammy said still not recognizing his brother.

"I'm not just anyone you idiot, Sammy I'm your brother, let me in" Dean commanded hoping his tone would somehow get through to his brother. Sammy continued to stare but then realization slowly came to him. He looked through the window at the worried face of his brother and then at the gun in his hand.

"Dean…..." Sammy yelled out, instantly dropping the gun in his hand. Dean quickly reached through the broken window and unlocked the door. Throwing it open, the first thing he did was picked up the dropped weapon and put the safety back on. Tucking it his waistband Dean looked at Sammy who had fallen back against the passenger side door, and crawled to the seat next to him.

"Dean… there's something out there. It tried to get in." Sammy said with a shaky voice, his eyes wide with fear.

"I know kiddo, I took care of it for you." Dean said trying to calm his brother down. Right away it was apparent to Dean that his brother had no idea who or what he had just shot at let alone that he had hit it. Dean took a quick look over his shoulder and saw John attempting to get up again. This time John was successful, though it took a lot of effort.

"Dad you okay out there?" Dean called out to his father who was now leaning against the back quarter panel of the Impala.

"Yeah, how's your brother." John said with a pain laced voice. He pressed Dean's shirt to his side harder. His legs felt weak and he knew shock was starting to set in. Dean knew that too. Sammy was still whimpering softly when Dean turned around and climbed out to check on his father.

"Dad we've got to get you to a hospital." Dean said as he checked on John. One look told him his father wasn't doing so well. Blood continued to pour out of John's wound and the older Winchester was getting paler by the minute.

"Get me to the front seat." John said weakly. Dean immediately moved to his father side and was about to turn him around when John stopped him and motioned to the drivers side.

"No way Dad, you're in no condition to drive." Dean said not believing his father was seriously going to attempt to drive.

"Got to." John said through gritted teeth. "No way in hell I'm letting you drive down the mountain in this weather."

"I can do it Dad, I know I can." Dean said convinced he could do anything at this point to save his father.

"It's too dangerous….mountains roads are a lot different than back roads and city streets. I know you think you can do it, but not this time tiger. Now help me in the car and don't say a word to you brother. If he sees you getting behind the wheel he'll know somethin's up." John said straightening up a bit and moving along the side of the car. Dean watched amazed as John gingerly lowered himself in the driver's seat.

Dean closed the back door and ran around to the front to jump in next to his father. Real fear was starting to set in for the teenager. Sammy was still out of it in the back seat and there was a real chance his father would pass out in the front. With great effort John started the car and put it in gear.

"Sammy put on your seatbelt." Dean screamed to his brother in the back before putting on his own. John drove slowly at first. Dean kept constant watch between the road and his father. Several times he was sure his father was about to pass out and was amazed when he didn't. It took them about an hour before they were once again at the bottom of the mountainside. By this time John was starting to weave a little and several times Dean almost had to grab the steering wheel to keep them from crashing off the road. John was beginning to lose his struggle to stay conscious. Looking down the road he saw the road had a scenic lookout up ahead and headed in that direction.

"Dean….stop the car…." he said weakly as his hands left the wheel and he fell back against the seat. Dean grabbed the steering wheel and pushed John's foot aside so he could stomp on the brakes. The car skidded to a halt just off the roadside entrance to the lookout and Dean quickly put the car in park.

"Daddddddd!" Dean cried out as he turned and saw his father now unconscious against the door.

"Dean what's wrong with Dad?" Sammy suddenly yelled from the back of the car.

"He's not feeling well Sammy, I think he's sick." Dean lied as he once again checked his fathers wound. The bleeding had not subsided in the least. In fact it looked like it might have gotten worse. Sammy bobbed up and leaned over the seat to see what was wrong with John.

"Damn it Sammy, just stay back there." Dean snapped at him pushing him back over the seat.

"Dean what's wrong with Dad?" Sammy asked again this time more frightened. Dean shot a look back at his little brother and tried to rein in his own fear before he spoke.

"I think Dad ate something bad Sammy. He's feeling so crappy he asked me to take over and drive us back to the motel." Dean said feigning innocence about what was really wrong with their father. "Just sit tight back there, Sammy. I'm gonna come around and move Dad over to my side of the car."

Dean climbed out, ran around to the driver's side, and gently moved his father over to the passenger side. Leaning him against the door, he checked his fathers pulse and was relieved to find it still steadily beating. Getting behind the wheel, Dean was dismayed to discover John had the seat all the way back to accommodate his tall frame. Dean was forced to reach underneath and pull the seat as far forward as he could. Confident that he could now reach the gas and brake pedals, he slipped the car in gear and slowly drove down the road.

Dean drove back to the motel with a precision of someone who'd been driving for years. Several cars passed, including a park ranger, but no one seemed to notice the young teen driving the black Impala. Pulling into the parking lot, Dean looked around to make sure no one was around to be watching them.

"Sammy here's the key Go unlock the door for me, would ya?" Dean said throwing the motel key in the back seat to his little brother. Still not sure what was going on, Sammy caught the key and jumped out of the car. He had the door wide open by the time Dean got their father out and was half dragging him into the room. Dean made sure he kept his fathers damaged side against his own so Sammy wouldn't see all the blood but the minute Dean laid John down it became immediately apparent what actually had happened.

"Dad!" Sammy yelled as he saw the bloodied shirt Dean was trying to hide from his brother. Dean didn't have time to stop and comfort his brother, he jumped into triage mode.

"Go get the first aid kit Sammy." Dean yelled as he started to pull away John's jacket and shirt. Sammy stood there shocked at all the blood that was now pooling on the bed.

"Damn it Sammy get the first aid kit, now!" Dean yelled again, pushing Sammy towards the bathroom where they kept the kit. Dean's words finally sinking in, Sammy ran off and quickly returned with the kit and all the towels they had in the bathroom. Dean's hands gently probed John's wound but even his moderate touch caused John to let out a low moan. The wound appeared to go have entered near the side of John's ribcage and exited out through the other side. Dean leaned down to check if he could hear wheezing coming from his father's lung, meaning the bullet had grazed it, and gratefully he didn't hear any.

Taking the kit from Sammy's hand he pulled out all the gauze bandages they had and pressed them against both sides of the wound. Immediately the bandages soaked through and Dean repeated the process again and again until he was forced to use the towels. Sammy sat on a chair near the bedside and watched as Dean worked in vain to stop the bleeding. Finally his face pale and his hand shaking, Dean stopped and turned to his little brother.

"Call 911." He said reluctantly, knowing John would not want him to have to explain to any authority figures what exactly happened up at the park.

"Nooooo…." John said weakly from the bed. "Nooooo…hossspitalll. Call Jim Murphy."

"But Dad, Pastor Jim is hours away and you don't have hours, you need help now!" Dean said frighten more that their father wouldn't last till Pastor Jim got there, than he was about the police.

"Nooooo hospital…thatttss annn ordderrr…" John leaned up and gave Dean a stern look. Still worried, but not wanting to disobey his father, Dean jumped up and ran to his father's journal where he was able to find Pastor Jim's number. The phone seemed to ring endlessly until Dean heard the one voice he hoped would be able to save his father.

"I'm leaving right now, Dean." Pastor Jim reassured before hanging up. Dean clutched those words like a lifeline. The next few hours seemed interminable until they heard the Pastor's car pull up and the older hunter entered their motel room.

"I'm here now boys, I'm here now." Pastor Jim said as he headed straight for the bed.

Tbc