Need to Know
'
There was cotton in his mouth… a lot, and in his brain too because it had never taken him so much effort just to think. A kingdom for a clear thought. Maybe once the dull throbbing in his head eased up a bit but for now it was rather increasing in intensity. Happy day!
He sensed a presence in the room but still mulled over the question whether it might have been Sammy when the steps retreated. His mind succumbed to drowsiness before the echo was out of hearing distance.
Dean shot to awareness again when a small hand made contact with a particularly tender spot on his chest.
"Sorry," a female voice whispered, immediately withdrawing her fingers at his unexpected flinch.
He forced his lead-laden eyes open, momentarily confused by his whereabouts. Yet, once the dizziness that had briefly overwhelmed his senses, subsided, he remembered scattered pieces of being treated in the ER. Duh, hospital, go figure!
A soft moan escaped him when he tried to shift his aching body into a more comfortable position. Not that he seemed to be able to shift much, or find a more comfortable position for that matter. His whole body pounded so mercilessly, he wanted to crawl out of his skin.
Something touched his lips lightly, interrupting his feeble attempts to escape the dull but terribly persistent aches. He gingerly looked down to find a straw in a glass with clear fluid, water.
"Here, take a few sips." The young nurse guided the straw into his mouth, tipping the glass marginally back when Dean started drinking too greedily. "I take it your throat must be dry like the desert. Or do you prefer ice chips?"
"Oh, that was like heaven!" Dean proclaimed as soon as the cool liquid had run down his throat and quenched the most acute thirst. "Thank you," he sighed, his head sagging back into the pillow, relief smoothing out the creases in his forehead.
He had already begun drifting back to sleep, thinking the sweet nurse with the curly red hair had left as quietly as she had moved around the room before. "I think I'll be getting your doctor," she announced. Dean cracked an eye open and saw her gesturing hesitantly but still lingering on. "Okay?"
'Man, she really was cute!' The older Winchester flashed her a smile that would have melted the polar caps faster than any climatic warming could have. She blushed slightly and looked to the floor, then left the room in a hurry. 'Gotcha! No woman in her right mind could resist that patented Dean-Winchester smile.' He sighed contentedly before cautiously beginning to take stock of his injuries by concentrating on what body parts throbbed most fiercely.
Hardly getting beyond realizing his left arm was bandaged to his torso to keep him from moving his shoulder, a haggard-looking doctor entered the room, effectively stopping his inventory.
"Mr Plant, I'm hearing you are awake and lucid. I'm Dr Herger." A thin-lipped smile spread across the doctor's face. "You've had us a little concerned for the past few days. You had a bit of a reaction to the anaesthesia when we operated on you the first time. The one we used afterwards you seemed to tolerate far better."
Dean smirked uneasily. "I'll keep that in mind."
"You really should," Dr Herger answered soberly. "Did you ever have a reaction to an anaesthetic before?" Dean shook his head. The doctor nodded. "Okay, now let's see what is wrong with you." He looked at the file in his hand. "Well, you had a ruptured spleen which we had to take out, three fractured ribs, a punctured lung, a torn ligament in your left shoulder and a dislocated collar bone, also on your left side."
"Sounds painful," Dean quipped.
"It sure is but with rest," he looked pointedly at the young man, "and proper PT, it should heal up nicely without any impairment to the shoulder."
"Thanks doc. Now where is my brother?" For the elder Winchester it was high time to find out about Sam.
The doctor looked puzzled. "Your brother? I'm sorry, Mr Plant, but to my knowledge there wasn't any contact information–"
"No," Dean recovered quickly from his slip, "I mean my partner, Jimmy Page. You could say we're brothers in arms. As far as I know he was injured too." Yes, he was velvety smooth.
"I'm sorry, Mr Plant, really I am, but I can't help you. Only immediate family–"
"Come on!" Patience wearing thin, "The two of us, we've been working together for almost an eternity now." The guy must be kidding him!
"I'm sorry." Dr Herger, however, held his own in the ensuing staring match, not giving an inch.
"Tell me, or I'll go in search of him myself." Dean accentuated his resolve by swinging back the thin blanket.
"Are you crazy?! You're in no condition to leave the bed!"
"Try me," Dean challenged, getting up as carefully and swiftly as he dared, yet two pairs of hands stopped him mid-motion, pushing him down resolutely. From the periphery of his vision he saw the doctor empty the contents of a syringe into his IV while he was gently restrained by the nurse who had stood beside the doctor up until a moment ago.
"No, get off me," he weakly protested as the fast-acting sedative began taking effect. His pathetic attempt at breaking away failed miserably when the fight left his body and he sank deeper into the mattress. The discarded blanket was spread over him and smoothed straight once again as his thoughts scurried away and his mind gave in to the forced slumber.
to be continued…