A/N:
And again I didn't get nearly to the point I had in mind for this chapter but I guess you prefer an earlier update to a lengthy chapter any day of the week. Especially considering I can't promise you to get another one out before or over the weekend. Sorry.

Anyway, enjoy the on-going angst-fest!

In the Dark

'
Muted sounds of the ICU at night filtered into Sam's sleep-drunken semi-awareness. Leisurely floating between here and there, he listened to the steady rhythm of his heart-beat, the whoosh/thunk of the ventilator and the gentle buzz of the dimmed lights.

Sam had no concept of how much time had passed since he had regained consciousness. Often enough he internally jerked from a peaceful nap without having noticed he had drifted off in the first place. The after-effects of the general anaesthesia still held him in its grip. The first few times he'd come around, he had attempted to move something – anything – yet his body was still numb from neck to toe. There was no way of knowing how the surgery had gone. No one had cared to share the news so far. The night nurse was the only person who had come to see him but she had hardly paid attention to the fact that he was awake, sort of. She had shuffled in and out of the room in a hurry, checking his vitals and leaving him be; pitilessly letting him stew in his own juices. And how cruel was that?!

If only Dean were here. He needed to find Dean! How he craved to hear his voice, mercilessly teasing his little brother for being so afraid; and yet providing an indestructible anchor for whatever lay ahead. The sentiment nearly brought fresh tears to his eyes. He kept them in check, however, not wanting to appear weaker than he already felt.

Before the sun eventually rose, allowing light to flood the room through the ivory-coloured blinders, expelling the dark night shadows into the farthest corner, the nurse returned for morning rounds carrying several new infusion bags. She fumbled with the IV pole for a couple of minutes, then scribbled down his vitals one final time before excusing herself, wishing him a good day.

Soon after the nurse left, Sam sensed something lukewarm trail up the side of his cheek. It was a pretty peculiar feeling. When whatever-it-was reached his nose, he noticed for the first time there was something stuck inside one of his nostrils. Irritably he scrunched his nose, making funny faces while trying to explore what it was. Suddenly realization hit him and he felt disgusted. Since he was on a respirator, they needed to feed him through a tube in his nose that was going right to his stomach. 'Liquid food, excellent!' At least he didn't have to taste it. Thank God for small mercies.

Within a few minutes the awkwardness of the situation ceased, so he let his eyes slide closed again, relaxing minutely. Unfortunately the relative peace didn't last long as a male nurse entered and went straight to the bathroom. He was huge and packed with muscles. If the guy ever encountered a grizzly while camping out in the woods, Sam's Vegas money was most definitely not on the bear.

Moments later the man emerged with a basin of water and a washcloth. Sam's head turned a dangerous shade of pink from pure embarrassment at what was about to happen. He wished he could disappear completely from the face of the earth. 'Super! His day was getting better and better!' For the first time Sam actually viewed his body's unresponsiveness as an advantage.

During the procedure, Sam zoned out as much as he could, retreating into the blissful forgetfulness of his mind. All of a sudden a new thought wormed its way into his little hideaway: Maybe he could sneak a peek at his leg while the bedspread was flung aside. He pondered the idea for a few minutes, indecisive whether staying in the dark, possibly avoiding a bitter truth wasn't preferable. Ultimately comprehending that no amount of willpower would delay the inevitable, Sam braved a glance towards the end of the bed; yet, try as he might, he couldn't even lift his head enough to take a look at his feet. It was useless. From his vantage point he could barely see the junction between the ceiling and the wall.

Probably sensing the uneasiness that radiated off his patient in waves, Hank – as the nurse had introduced himself – talked a mile a minute, mainly about irrelevant things. If he noticed Sam's exertions to repeatedly lift his head from the thin pillow, he never gave any indication that he did.

xXxXx

Dean woke with a start, turning his head away from the rays of sunshine that invaded his optic nerves even through closed lids. He groaned when his rash movements spiked a jolt through his shoulder and upper body. Sucking in a harsh breath to manage the pain and swearing extensively at his foolishness for having forgotten about his injuries, he slowly relaxed his tense muscles and melted back into the waiting mattress.

As soon as his aching body was on speaking terms with him again, he tenderly assessed how much he could change position without aggravating the dull throbbing. If he moved slowly enough, he realized with growing satisfaction, his body didn't give him too hard a time, so he pushed a little further.

Suddenly the door swung open, admitting the red-head from the previous day into his room. Dean scrunched his eyes closed and hissed at the sharp daggers that seemed to curse through him when he flopped back into his pillow too hastily.

"Good morning, Mr Plant. How are you today? Did you have a good night's sleep?" she asked cheerfully, not noticing or not paying attention to the pain that was displayed on his face.

"Yeah well, being put down like a rabid dog was a fascinating new experience for me but very relaxing in fact," Dean shot back acerbically.

The nurse stopped in her track as if struck by lightning, obviously hurt by her patient's outburst. She looked at her feet for several moments; and Dean feared she would turn around and flee the room to never come back, taking the breakfast tray with her – which would have been a shame considering he was starving, especially since it looked surprisingly appetizing for hospital food, at least from the distance.

Dean stared at his own feet, appropriately chagrined as he muttered a short, "Sorry."

The offended nurse seemed to ponder his apology for a moment but then gave him an honest smile. "Don't worry about it. I'm sorry too. That was kind of inconsiderate." She put the tray on the nightstand, rolling it over so the extended arm was over the bed within easy reach, then headed out of the room again.

"Hey," Dean called after her in the nick of time. When she stopped short of the door, he continued, "I'm Bobby. And you are?"

The dimples returned to her face. "Leony, Nurse Leony," she replied softly.

"I was wondering, Leony, if you could do me a little favour."

"Sure," the nurse answered innocently, "if I can."

Dean worked his best Winchester charm, knowing this might be his only chance to find an ally. "Do you know what happened to my partner? I really need to know; we're like brothers." He added a dramatic pause. "Please."

She mulled over his request, seeing how deeply he obviously cared for the other man. Giving in she sighed, "Okay, I'll see what I can find out. What was his name again?"

Dean almost slipped, 'Sammy' rolling too easily off his tongue. He bit his lip before supplying, "Jimmy, Jimmy Page."

"Okay, but no promises. And don't tell anyone."


to be continued…