Thank you to the lovely people who left replies and also to those interested enough to add an alert for more. I hope you continue to enjoy the story! Please note: I'm a teacher, not a doctor. I took a little creative license in the end of the chapter on medical treatments.
Sorry I didn't have this up yesterday… Life, ya know.
Chapter Two
Dean pulled at the tie choking him as they returned to the Impala. "How do people wear these things on a daily basis?"
Sam stopped and grinned at the obvious opening his brother had presented him. Dean looked up at him, stymied. "What?"
Sam grinned. "If your head wasn't so…"
He couldn't finish. Dean lashed out and punched him in the stomach. "Funny guy. Feel like laughing now?"
Sam growled briefly and straightened. "Aren't you the tough guy?" Before his brother could comment, he moved the conversation back to the case. "You can't take it off just yet. We'll need it for cover when we go to his office."
Dean's displeasure was obvious. "I thought you were supposed to be the smart one? The office is closed. What difference does it make?
Sam cocked his head boldly. "We just established our identities. If we get caught at the office, don't you think it would help?"
Dean hated losing to his younger brother, but he had to concede the point. "Fine! Let's get this over with." He ducked his head into the dark car beginning to mumble. "Just think… my geek brother wanted to be lawyer… he could wear these things all the time."
Bercht Law Office, Downtown Bonners Ferry
Gina was momentarily frozen as the flames jumped out at her, aiming for her head. Then, something deep inside of her spurred her into motion and she boldly shoved at the thing and ducked around it. She felt the heat penetrate her palms and fingers.
She screamed.
In the next instant, strong hands were pulling her out of the way. She was only vaguely aware of another set of hands pulling her backward, into the hallway. "What?" She managed to blurt. Suddenly, she was alone. Confused, but emboldened, she followed a blurry form in front of her back to the doorway and watched with horror as two young men in suits seemed to fight her attacker, whatever it was.
"Dean!" The taller of the two shouted. Gina recognized that he must have been the one who had pulled her into the hallway. After seeing her into the hallway, he'd rushed in to find 'Dean' surrounded by a circle of flames.
The one called Dean was bobbing and weaving in an attempt to escape the circle of flames that surrounded him. Each time he made a move, the flames seemed to soar exactly in his path. "Did you think a freakin' extinguisher might help?" He shouted as he made eye contact with the taller man for a fraction of a second.
The tall one nodded and ran back into the hallway seeking the desired object. He passed her, but didn't acknowledge her. She watched him stop before the glass door a few feet down. He grabbed at the handle, but it wouldn't budge. He pulled his sleeve down and pounded against the glass. It shattered, but not without slicing through the simple fabric surrounding his fist. He ignored the sharp jabs of pain from the glass shards. Using a higher part of his jacket sleeve, he pushed remaining glass out of the way and pulled the extinguisher from its hook.
Gina was mesmerized.
He ran back into the room and Gina followed, both seemed to note no change. 'Dean' was still encircled by a wall of flame. Her brain was firing at many different levels and at one point she noted that nothing was burning in the room. There was merely flame.
The tall one pulled the hose free and aimed it directly at the largest portion of flames. As the foamy material hit the flame, it shrank back. It didn't die. He stepped back, still firing the foam as Dean stepped over the simmering red blaze. "Let's get the hell out of here."
Dean pulled at the tall one's arm. "No." He resisted, pulling his arm away. "We need to figure this out as long as well can."
Gina couldn't believe he wanted to stay. She willed him to leave.
Dean rolled his eyes. "Sammy! That thing was trying to torch me. I say get the hell out and live to fight again." He pulled harder.
Gina nodded, agreeing with him.
"DEAN! The extinguisher doesn't work. We have NO IDEA what this is!" Gina noted the taller one's name was evidently Sammy, who followed Dean's gaze back to the flames, as did she.
"It's growing. Can we go now?" Dean and Sammy stood in disbelief for fractions of a second. Before them the ring of fire, morphed into a wall and then condensed into a humanoid form with tentacles of flame branching off its core.
Sammy said nothing, he merely nodded. He seemed to finally know it was way beyond anything he wanted to wrangle with at the moment.
Sammy backed up despite his fear, unwilling to stop studying the entity. Dean turned to lead them out, knowing full well where the other's concentration lay. Dean shoved Sammy through the door and was about to follow him when the air pressure around him increased and heated up. "Sam?"
Sam and Gina looked over and watched in horror as a tentacle of flame closed around his brother's neck. Dean attempted to duck, but felt the flames licking at his face. He couldn't hold back the scream of pain as he felt his skin and eyes searing.
Sam grabbed at Dean's flailing arm and pulled with all his might. Dean fell forward and the two collapsed onto the floor. Sam instinctively pulled Dean closer, but watched at the same time as the flame withdrew and shrank back into the wastebasket it had presumably come from.
"What the hell was that?" Gina fell to the floor next to Sam.
Sam ignored her. "Dean? Dean, let me see?" He pulled Dean back. Gina could hear his heart pounding in his chest at the lack of response. He flipped Dean over and found him unconscious. "Dean?" He called to him, but to no avail. He fumbled in his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. They needed help and 911 was universal.
Gina reached out and placed her hand over it. "It's routed from the next town over. I'll go call directly."
Sam couldn't speak. He merely nodded and pulled Dean against his chest. He considered going for some water to begin bathing Dean's face. He did his best to ignore the heat radiating from Dean. He refused to think about how burns get worse because the heat continues to penetrate layers of skin, even when the source is removed.
Gina returned with a bottle of water. "I grabbed this from the lounge across the way. We can use it until help gets here. It won't be long." She unscrewed the lid and poured a small amount over Dean's forehead, allowing it to roll down over his reddened lids.
"I'm sure he'll be ok." She offered. Sam swallowed and looked to her. He couldn't quite speak yet, but he nodded. "It could have been worse." She continued to mumble expressions that might have offered comfort.
Although it seemed like hours, sirens were soon heard and Gina left to show the medics where to come. Soon Dean was loaded onto a gurney and hauled off to the hospital. Sam stayed at his side the whole time, speaking quietly. "Come on, Dean. Wake up." He whispered the command over and over again.
As he sat next to Dean, the medic looked over. "I think it's better to be out right now. That's gotta hurt. Unconsciousness is often a protecting instinct on the body's part." He paused to see if his words were helping. "He's lucky. The burns don't look too bad."
Sam finally met the man's gaze. "It shouldn't have happened in the first place."
Gina lingered behind, answering the questions put to her.
Boundary Community Hospital
Sam paced the small waiting room, wondering when someone might come and bring him to Dean. It had been too long and with each passing minute, he was getting closer and closer to tearing the place apart, ala Dean.
When they arrived, a nurse had swept Sam into an exam room and cleaned up his fist. There were no serious cuts requiring stitches, but it was now bandaged.
"No word yet?"
Sam spun around to find the woman from the office. He hadn't taken the time to get her name. "No."
She forced a smile. "I'm Gina. Gina Holger. You're Sammy, right?
"I'm Sam." He grumbled and then felt shame at his tone. Sam offered his hand. "Only he can call me Sammy." He forced a small smile.
"I gave the Sheriff my report. I convinced him to hold off on yours."
Sam drew in a deep breath. Duty was driving him to take advantage of the situation and continue the job for which they had come. "What did you tell him?"
She smiled. "I was leaving the office. I went back in to get my wallet and discovered the fire. I told them how it seemed to reach out to me and how you and your brother saved me."
Sam scowled. "How did you know he's my brother?"
She laughed softly. "My cousin works the desk at the hotel. She called me earlier today and said there were a couple of good looking guys in town." She blushed. "We don't get a lot of strangers around here. You naturally attracted attention."
He swallowed. "What did the Sheriff say about the fire? Was there a lot of damage?"
She shook her head. "If he hadn't watched me grow up here, he'd probably be hauling us all in for drug testing. There was no evidence of a fire. If…"
Sam was already following her thoughts. "If there hadn't been the other mysterious deaths by fire?"
She nodded.
"Why were you at Brecht's law office?" Sam pressed. In the back of his mind he knew it was better than waiting.
"I was cleaning up the place for his wife." She watched as Sam's eyes called for more information. "I was his assistant."
Sam nodded. "I'm sorry for your loss." He meant it as a pleasantry, but he noted the twinge of pain which crossed her face. "Were you close to Mr. Brecht?"
She swallowed and glanced away. "He was a good boss." Sam remained silent, and it worked. She got nervous. "What are you thinking?"
He sighed. "Was there more to it?"
She shivered and her voice dropped to a whisper. "This is a small town."
He nodded, understanding a bit better.
"Mr. Weaton?" A nurse stepped into the room. "Sorry to interrupt, Gina." She looked back at Sam. "I can bring you to your brother now."
Sam nodded and turned to Gina. "I gotta go."
She smiled. "I'll stop again to thank him, if that's ok?"
Sam nodded and then turned to follow the nurse down the small corridor. "Is he ok?"
She smiled. "The doctor will talk to you both."
Sam's face lit with his first relief. "He's awake?" They rounded a corner into an exam room. He nearly overran the nurse.
"Of course, I am."
"Dean!" Sam's smile grew until his eyes fell on his brother's bandaged face. He swallowed further comment.
"So they tell me. I can't look in a mirror to be sure. I feel like me, so I guess it will have to do."
Sam paled. "It sounds like you." He knew his brother was using humor to dispel his fear. He wasn't about to do otherwise.
A cough broke the conversation. "I'm Doctor Ripert. Dean's face and neck suffered some second degree burns, but none too terrible. He should make a full recovery."
Sam smiled. "That's great. Thanks." He held out his hand and shook the doctor's.
Dean wasn't satisfied. "But what about scars?"
"There shouldn't be any. I'll be sending you home with detailed care instructions. Assuming you follow them and take care of yourself. You'll be fine."
"Sorry Dean. I know how you think scars attract the ladies." Sam teased, his whole body filled with relief. He figured he could pin his brother down long enough to heal, especially with his eyes covered.
"Ha ha." Dean replied sullenly. "What about my eyes? It feels like they're covered." He reached up and touched his face.
Sam didn't realize there was an issue with Dean's eyes; he turned to the doctor for his answer.
"There was some burning of your corneas. They should heal fine. If you're lucky, your vision won't be impaired." Ripert supplied the news with no emotion. "They can be painful; we'll get you a script for some pain killers."
"If I'm lucky?" Dean said abruptly.
Ripert nodded to Sam. "We've treated them. It's very important the covering stay over his eyes for three days. If they're removed before then, it could cause permanent damage."
Sam swallowed. "We can handle that."
An hour later, after taking copious notes, Sam led Dean back into their hotel room.
"I don't know if you remember the layout, but the beds are on the left and the bathroom is in the back." Sam pulled Dean's arm and tried to lead him to the second bed. "I'll get you set up in the bed by the bathroom. It'll be easier for you."
Dean wrenched his arm from Sam's. "No way! I always sleep by the door." He tried to make his way around, but tripped over a bag on the floor. He didn't fall, but he did fumble and only righted himself with a strong arm from Sam. "I'm FINE! Leave me alone."
Sam swallowed. He sensed this would happen. "Dean, just this once. Take the bed closer. It'll be easier."
"How?" His angry retort died. He lapsed into silence.
Sam took his arm and led him to the edge of the bed. "How about something to eat? I could order a pizza?"
Dean shook his head. "I'm tired. I just want to sleep." He pulled himself back across the bedspread and felt for the edge. "Maybe when I wake up, this whole nightmare will be over and I'll wake up next to the fire at the ski lodge." He yanked back the covers and stuffed himself inside not bothering to change clothes or even remove his shoes.
Sam closed his eyes and drew in several calming breaths. This wasn't going to be easy. It was going to be a long three days.