Pastor Jim and Dean both took turns for the next few hours, each taking a nap when it wasn't their turn at John's side. Sammy, when he awoke, was glued to Dean's side and just as anxious about John's condition as his older brother.
Jim was the one nearby when John finally opened his eyes. It was slow and painful and the first thing John did was look around the room for his two sons. Jim saw his anxious look and quickly moved to alleviate his fears.
"The boys are in the next room Johnny and they're both okay." Jim said patting John on the arm. "You on the other hand gave us quite a scare."
John started to lean up but was stopped by the pain in his side as well as Jim's hand .
"Damn it Jim what the hell happened?" John asked laying back down.
"You were shot." Jim answered simply but quietly. He knew that Sammy could come in at any moment and didn't want the young boy to hear what he had to explain to his father.
"I get that Jim, what I'm fuzzy about is what the hell happened after that. Not that I'm not glad to see you but it was that bad that Dean had to call you all the way from Minnesota." John asked grimacing as he moved around some more.
"Apparently you thought so Johnny. You were the one that told him to give me a call and thank god he did or we wouldn't be talking here." Jim admitted giving John a nod.
"That bad eh?" John asked looking up at his old friend.
"Even worse John. That boy had to sit by your side for hours waiting for me, knowing you could have died at any moment, desperate for help. But you, you ordered him not to take you to the hospital. What the hell were you thinking Johnny? What would that have done to Dean if you had died before I had gotten here?" Jim admonished John. "He did everything he had to, but what if I wasn't reachable? What if I had been off on a hunt on my own, and not up in Blue Earth tending my parish? That boy obeys you to the letter and your last order was to call me and not get the authorities involved. Damn it John if you had died, the authorities would have definitely been involved because both your boys would have ended up in State care."
"You would have never let that happen." John said with certainty looking up at his old friend.
"That is not the point and you know it. It would have taken days maybe weeks for me to prove familial rights even with the paper work we set up long ago. By then the boys could have been separated or worse. Damn it John it was an accident and easily proven, why would you take such a chance?" Jim was truly angry. He knew John's second greatest fear was that both the boys would be taken away. It rivaled his one true fear that he wouldn't be able to protect them from the darkness he'd spent his life hunting. Still, knowing how seriously hurt you are and not allowing your son to take you to the hospital was truly inexcusable on John's part and Jim wasn't ready to forgive him for that just yet.
"Bless me father for I have sinned." John said with a sly smile hoping to get Jim to calm down. Jim responded with a huff and was about to launch into another lecture when the door opened a crack and Dean poked his head inside.
"I heard voices, Dad thank god you're awake." Dean said with a smile looking inside the room. John motioned weakly letting Dean know he could come inside. Instead of coming up to the side of John's bed Dean stood at the foot and hung his head.
"Dad…" Dean started to explain but stopped not sure where to begin. Jim could clearly see Dean was about to take full responsibility for the entire event even though none of it was his fault. He made a quick move to stop the young man from shouldering the blame.
"Dean I think this can wait till later. Why don't we let you father get some rest and you both can talk later." Pastor Jim suggested. He noticed John had rested back on the pillow with his eyes closed. That alone told him that John wasn't up to hearing the details of his injury just yet. Dean grimly nodded and was about to turn and leave when Sam suddenly burst in the room and ran up to the bed.
"Dad! Dad! Oh thank god, I was so scared when the monster got you. But its okay cuz Dean took care of it for us, didn't you Dean?" Sammy launched into his version of the events before either Dean or Jim could stop him. Dean shot Jim a panicked look and glanced down at John who was giving the two of them a bewildered look.
"Dean was great Dad, you should have seen him. He got you in the passenger seat and drove the rest of the way here and then he carried you inside, and I don't know, there was so much blood, and Dean couldn't make it stop and then Pastor Jim showed up…….." Sammy continued at break neck speed.
John struggled to sit up and pushed Jim's had away when the Cleric tried to push him back down.
"Monster?" John asked weakly giving Dean a 'what the hell' look.
"Yeah Dad, it was big and black and it attacked the car but Dean was there right after it got you and didn't let it get near me. He protected me just like he always does, didn't you Dean?" Sammy went on not seeing the looks his father was giving his brother and Pastor Jim.
"Dean report!" John suddenly commanded. Dean shot Jim another panicked look. His pulse raced a mile a minute in sheer terror. He couldn't explain what had actually happened, not in front of his brother.
"Dad, ummm" Dean started and stumbled. He couldn't, he couldn't do it. His need to protect Sam overrode his fear of disobeying his father. John leaned up even further, grimacing as the pain intensified in his side. Jim, afraid he would burst his stitches, took matters into his own hand.
"John Winchester, just what the hell do you think you are doing? Lay the hell back down will you before I have to strap you down." He yelled at his old friend immediately taking the attention off Dean and on to himself. John fell back on to the bed immediately giving Jim a surprised yet pissed off look. Jim then looked over at Dean.
"Dean take you brother into the kitchen and make him something to eat, your father and I are going to have a little talk" Jim commanded the stunned middle Winchester. Sam jumped back and gave Dean a frightened look. For as long as they had known Pastor Jim he had never raised his voice to either Dean or Sam. Dean quickly nodded to Jim, grabbed Sammy by the arm, and led him out to the kitchen.
"Jim what the hell is going on?" John asked weakly as soon as the boys left the room.
"Johnny something terrible has happened." Jim started to explain in a quieter voice, and then moved to hush John when he started to interrupt. "You know you were shot, I know you do. What you don't know is that Sammy is convinced it was a monster that attacked you and the car. He has absolutely no memory of pulling the trigger and thinks that's how you got hurt. Now Dean is so afraid that it will scar Sammy for life if we tell him the truth that he's willing to go along with that story."
"And you're willing to go along with it as well?" John asked instantly concerned for both his sons.
"Of course not. I've always advocated the truth you know that, but I have to agree with Dean. What ever you decide to tell Sam, if you tell him the truth it will be very traumatic for him. If he realized you almost died because of him the ramifications could go on for years."
"So that's what's got Dean all freaked out? That boy..." John asked shaking his head. Then another question came to mind. "Is there a specific monster that attacked us or is it just some generic monster?"
"What difference does that make John?" Jim asked not sure where John was going with his question.
"If I decide to let the story stay the way it is now Jim, some day Sammy might ask about what kind of monster attacked me and I think that I should have some sort of an answer." John mulled the idea of not telling the truth to his youngest son. Sam was only 9 and for sure in those 9 years he had seen more than most adults but this was different, Sammy was special. John knew it, and Dean knew it, that's why they tried so hard to protect him. John's last piece of Mary. He and Dean both tried to keep Sam from the more horrible aspects of hunting and planned on doing that until he was a little older. Ironically it was John who taught Sam to fire a gun for the unforeseen times that, god forbid, he didn't have protection from his father or his brother. Who knew Sam would choose to use it on John himself, even if the kid believed a monster was attacking him.
"John you can't be serious?" Jim asked not believing John was going to go through with it. "That boy has to be told the truth. You, Dean and I, we can all get him through it."
"Not your decision to make Jim. Maybe someday, a few years from now, I'll sit him down and tell him what really happened but right now….I think Dean's right….Sammy's not ready to hear the truth."
"I don't agree but he's your son John. If we are going to continue with this charade might I suggest that we talk about it as little as possible?" Jim offered not hiding his anger at John's decision. "No sense in taking any chances that one of us slips up."
"Agreed. Now if you think it's alright, I'd like to see my sons now." John replied curtly though he regretted his rudeness immediately. He wasn't really angry with Jim. He knew his old friend was right but he also knew his youngest son. Dean had the right idea. Protect Sam, and deal with the consequences later.
John waited till Sam wasn't around and filled Dean on the plan. He could see the relief on Dean's face when he told him they would continue with the 'monster' story for as long as they could.
They spent the next week letting John rest and recuperate with Jim leaving for Minnesota after a few more days of being his doctor. At Jim's suggestion, John and the boys traveled to Blue Earth and spent the rest of summer staying with him. Hunts were temporarily called off, though John occasionally did research for Jim's, and the boys were left to run around and just be boys. For weeks John watched for signs that Sammy was remembering what really happened. He knew Dean and Jim did as well, but Sam went on as if the shooting never happened. Protected by his family, Sam for years never knew what lengths they went to make sure he stayed as innocent as they could keep him.
The days were warm, the nights starry clear and soon enough the incident in the mountains was forgotten.
Or was it.
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Authors note: I can't decide whether to end it here or give it one more chapter set a few years later where Sammy finds out the truth. What do you think, should I continue or let it stay the way it is? Thanks for reading and let me know what you think.