Road Less Travelled

Follow up to my story Two Hunters and a Baby, so if you haven't read that one it might pay to and then come back and revisit this one, coz it might get a little confusing.

Disclaimer: Sigh nope still nothing ... hmm what to do?? Okkies I promise I will send em home after I finish playing with my boys!!

CHAPTER NINE

Dean watched the doctor and Maggie fuss over Sam as they resituated him on a bed in Lewis' clinic, his head ached like ten little men were running around in his head with sledge hammers dancing some whacked out tune. He barely remembered the trip from the hospital to the clinic, all he could remember was feeling weird and then Mickie snuggling up on him, that was it until he woke propped up in yet another bed.

He moved his head slightly to the other side and looked out the window, all he could see were trees. Big trees, ringing the property like a natural fortification, concealed amongst the natural setting was a sparkling steel fence line. Lines of red and turquoise rimmed the sky in a spectacular sunset, he suddenly felt at peace and it scared the shit out of him.

'Dean?' Lewis touched the young man's shoulder and shook it gently trying to get a reaction from him, 'Dean you with me?'

Dean frowned and wanted to swat the annoyance away, he stared harder at the trees, he wanted to go outside and be free, and he felt like everything was starting to close in on him. 'Dean, you with me?' the voice persisted and he could feel an anger, tingle through him like an electrical current. A flash of light made him frown and he turned his head slowly to the direction the light come from, a snarl formed on his lips when the doctor's concerned face came into focus.

'Dean what is it?' Lewis said as he put his flashlight back into his pocket, 'what is it?'

'Mickie?' Was the only word Dean uttered, he felt so angry and tired and used all he wanted was his daughter.

'She's with Sam let me bring her over to you.' Maggie said as she handed Lewis a small cloth covered tray.

'What's that?' Dean growled watching the doctor suspiciously.

'Your pain meds and antibiotics ... Dean are you feeling okay?'

'Just want my daughter.'

'And here she is.' Maggie said as she passed the little girl to her father, placing her against Dean's good arm.

'Daddad.' Mickie cooed but then her lower lip started to tremble and she started to cry, 'no Daddad.'

'Mickie?' Dean blinked and stared down at the little girl crying softly she crawled up his chest so her face was directly in front of his.

'Daddee.' She touched his mouth and then his eyes, 'leepy Daddee.' She hiccuped, sighing heavily she watched him fall asleep and then she huffed with satisfaction, 'bad gone.'

Amazed the two adults watched as she curled up in the crook of Dean's arm and cuddled her daddy, her little thumb sliding in her mouth she sat there watching the others in the room.

Dean watched the trees bowing down to his daughter, animals came from through the brush and all lowered their heads to her and yet he felt terrified for the child. She turned her head and looked up at him a beauteous smile on cupid bow lips.

He felt icy fingers tighten around his chest and he bent down to pick his daughter up, and hugged her tightly wanting to protect her from the approaching darkness. The trees and animals stood in guard in front of them but the rolling clouds gathered above them, heavy black and grey clouds pregnant with rain, thunder and lightening.

Wind howled around them, trying to beat down the living shield protecting them; a painfilled scream made Dean spin around and he saw Sam fighting creatures behind them, blood ran down his brother's arms and body as he waded his way through the bodies, discarding each one as he ripped it to pieces.

'Sam.' Dean screamed, 'No!' He watched as the attackers over-ran his brother, with Sam collapsing under the weight of the hideous beings. Rain fell in large drops but it felt strange looking up when he realised that it was raining blood. Looking up he saw Sam suspended above them: disembowelled.

'Sam!' Clutching Mickie tightly he ran the trees and animals parting as he passed them and kept their shield around them, protecting the father and child.

'Don't leave me Dean!' Sam cried out, Dean skidded to a stop and turned to look up at his brother's body. But it was gone, instead Sam knelt with his arms outstretched, ropes wrapped around his wrists and held by two gigantic creatures, his muscles and tendons bunched and corded from the strain. 'Dean!' he screamed again, as Merci appeared to his side armed with a shining sword. Smiling maliciously she sliced Sam's stomach open with the sword and then ran her tongue along it lapping up Sam's blood.

'Mommy.' Mickie screamed in terror as she clung to her father, 'no mommy.'

'You're both mine Dean, you just don't know it yet.' Merci laughed, when Cornase appeared behind Sam and gripped his hair jerking his head back, 'and Sam is mine.'

Dean's eyes snapped open and he fought to catch his breath, his arm tightened around little Mickie, 'Sammy?'

'He's right over there.' Bobby said 'Dean what is it?'

'Bobby?' Dean blinked and tried to focus on his friend, 'where's Sammy?'

'Just there in his bed, dang boy what it is?'

'Nothing, nothing just a dream.' Dean dropped his head back on the pillow and took a deep breath, 'just a dream.'

'Talk to me Dean.' Bobby sat down next Dean's bed and tried to hide his awkwardness, he knows so keenly why Dean has such an aversion for 'chick-flick' moments, he felt the same way but something was bothering the younger man, something big.

'Gonna sound so freaking weird, I dunno Bobby maybe it was the dinner we had.'

'Dean you had a massive seizure before we left the hospital, you have been spaced out unbelievably now a nightmare? Dude this is normally Sam's territory not yours so spill.'

'Mickie and me were surrounded by trees and animals and they were bowing to her, then this storm came and I heard Sam scream, I turned around and he was battling these creatures. Fuck Bobby they killed him and then he was above us with his stomach sliced open, then I started running with Mickie when I heard him yelling for me, we turned around he was between these two creatures pulling him apart ... literally Merci stood in front of Sam and said that me and Mickie were hers, and then Cornase appeared behind Sam and said that Sam belonged to him.' Dean's voice broke as he finished recounting his dream.

'Shit Dean, it was only a nightmare, freaking scary one but a nightmare just the same.'

'Bobby ... I'm scared man, I dunno I feel so strange ... I really think I'm starting to lose it.'

'Dean, listen to me you and Sam have literally been to hell and back again. What that bitch did to you the two of you before and again now, most men would be dead by their own hands or locked up in a padded cell. You aint and neither is yer brother. We're gonna get em Dean and then you can have the honour of saltin' and burnin' that bitch's bones an' send her back to the fiery pits where she belongs. Her and Cornase both.'

'Will it ever be over Bobby?' Dean yawned and for a moment, Bobby saw a small six year old boy hiding behind his father's leg, all large green eyes and freckles spattered over a pale face.

'Yeah it will be Dean and God help us sooner than we think.' Bobby patted Dean's arm and sat back watching him fall asleep with little Mickie lying against his heart, her little fingers curled in his T-shirt and her thumb firmly fixed in her mouth. 'Sleep well princess an' look after yer daddy for me.' Bobby stood up, readjusted his cap and went over to check on Sam. 'Dang it Sam I thought you were asleep.'

'I heard Dean ... his dream.' Sam whispered his voice still sounded rough and faded quicker than he could talk sometimes but he was definitely improving. His ears felt like they had a massive wax build up going on and sometimes everything echoed but at least he could hear and speak again. 'Bobby can you ... can you help me up?'

'Sam, I don't think it's a good idea.'

'I've been trapped in a bed for so long, I just need to ...'

'To know if you can?'

'Yeah please, Dean's asleep, Az is well probably chasing mice in the fields and Lewis and Maggie are working it's just you and me.'

'Why do I get the feeling I'm so gonna regret this?' Bobby sighed scrubbing his face with his hands.

'Just for a minute no one will know.' Sam pleaded turning on the full-on kicked puppy look.

'I am so gonna regret this.' Bobby groused as he helped Sam sit upright to begin with waiting to see if he was gonna faint or anything, when he didn't he moved everything around to one side of the bed and then helped Sam swing his legs over the edge of the mattress. His braced knee still looked like a basketball and Bobby noticed the constant twitching in Sam's muscles. 'You sure?'

'Yeah please Bobby.' Sam implored him, 'how can I help Dean if I can't get out of bed?'

'Okay but you hang on to me.' Bobby sighed, he locked his own knees and holding Sam's forearms he guided the young man off the bed not letting go once. Sam felt his body slide off the bed pins and needles assaulted him shooting up his legs as soon as his feet hit the carpet.

'Argh.' Sam let slip with a wince which he couldn't hide from Bobby.

'Time for you to get back in bed Superboy.' Bobby grumbled when he saw Sam's pallor go from pale to ghostly white.

'Thanks Bobby.' Sam gave him a slight but warm smile as he sat back down and pulled himself up on the bed to sit rather than lie flat.

'You two kids are gonna be the death of me.' Bobby said, tempted to ruffle Sam's hair, 'proud of ya Sam.'

'Thanks Bobby.' Sam said shyly and then looked over to his brother's bed, 'how's he doin' ... really?'

'Dunno Sam, I would like to say that he's doing okay but ya know yer brother better'n anyone.'

'Yeah I know, wish our beds weren't so far apart, even at the hospital we were on opposite sides of the room.'

'Well that I can fix, hold on to yer hair.' Bobby grinned and unlocked the brakes on the bed and pushed it across the room, moving the IV pole and the bed until Sam and Dean were in arm's reach of each other.'

'Thanks Bobby.' Sam whispered and waited patiently for the man to finish fussing with the positioning of the bed and IV pole.

'Okay so I'm gonna go and get some coffee.'

'Oh yes please and I bet Dean'd love one.'

'No probs at all.' Bobby slipped out of the room and finally the boys were alone, just them and their little princess.

'Dean?' Sam whispered and reached out to touch his brother's arm, 'Dean?'

'Sammy?' Dean's eyes slit open and he smiled when he saw how close Sam was to him. 'What?'

'Got lonely over there all by myself.' Sam smirked, 'so I thought I could keep you company.'

'Gee thanks, dude ya know personal space an' all that.' Dean smiled, 'how you doin' Sammy?'

'Okay, aside from being as sore as all hell I'm fine, how about you Dean? I heard you tell Bobby about your dream.'

'What you talkin' bout Sammy?'

'The dream or nightmare whatever it was.'

'Don' remember ... actually I don't remember talkin' to Bobby.'

'Dean you okay? Truth ...'

'My head feels ... like I got a killer hangover the last thing I remember is getting an injection at the hospital.' Dean looked down at the pretty green eyes peering up at him, 'hey princess.'

'Daddee wakey?'

'Yeah Daddee wakey.' Dean smiled, 'Mickie wakey?'

'Silly Daddee.' Mickie giggled as she crawled up to kiss Dean, 'love you.'

'Ah love you too Sweety,' Dean kissed her back, gently he ran his fingers over her silky gold-blond hair, 'so pretty girl what you up to?'

'Hungy Daddee.'

'Mmm me too, what about Uncle Sammy?'

'Starving.' Sam grinned, 'hey princess.'

'Uncee Sammee.' The little girl crawled across her father's chest and leant against the bed rails, 'mooch.'

Sam lifted himself up and leaned over to kiss his niece before dropping back onto the pillows, 'nice mooch.'

'Well, well what do we have here?' Lewis asked coming into the room and found the beds moved and both of his patients awake and sitting up.

'Sorry doc I just got sick of being across the room from everyone.' Sam said jutting his chin in defiance, 'wanted to be closer that's all.'

'Fine by me Sam, so the pair of you look a lot better.'

'Feel better too thanks Lewis.' Dean said, 'so fine I reckon you can spring me from here anytime you like.'

'Uhhuh and when you get your medical degree I will consult your opinion.' Lewis said good-naturedly.

'Aw doc come on.'

'Nope, you had a massive seizure Dean we have to find out why.'

'I'm fine now.'

'Is that a catch phrase for the Winchester/Singer family? I'm fine.'

'Oh very funny Doc I'm laughing on the inside.'

Bobby burst in juggling a tray of coffees and a bag of donuts when he saw the doctor standing between the two beds, 'what's wrong?'

'Nothing at all Mister Singer, please come in, you might be able to talk some sense into this nephew of yours.'

'What's Dean done now?' Bobby sighed.

'Hey why does everyone immediately assume it's me who's done something wrong?' Dean asked trying to sound indignant.

A soft knock on the door interrupted the potential banter session, cautiously Bobby opened it and then stepped aside to let Rafe and Caleb in. 'What's wrong guys?'

'That young guard J.T. the police just found his body or rather what was left of his body.'

'Damn it.' Bobby looked down at the brothers, 'yer both safe here.'

'He was just a kid.' Sam said, 'he wasn't like the others.'

'Anything else?'

'Ah ... shit Bobby.'

'What is it Rafe?'

'When the police found J.T. ... they found these pictures.'

'Of what?'

Rafe nodded towards Sam's bed, 'I got a friend at the station, he managed to get them before ...' Rafe handed the package to Bobby and turned away, 'I'm so sorry.' He whispered before he walked out of the room.

'Bobby?' Dean called his voice strained with worry, 'what is it?'

Bobby opened the envelope and shook out the photos, they were all of Sam, at various times during his captivity. Even though he was the only one shown in the pictures it was evident that someone was continuously torturing him.

Minutes later a single gunshot rang out through the small clinic, 'Rafe.' Bobby uttered his friend's name and ran out the door with Lewis close behind. Dean picked up the photos and looked at them the little colour in his face drained away.

'Dean what?' Sam asked reaching over he plucked a picture from Dean's hand and stared at it, a strange detachment descended over him, he could see himself tied spread-eagled on a bed, his body littered with bruises, cuts, burns and welts of various sizes and ages. Someone stood just out of camera shot holding Sam's head in a vice like grip while another also out of frame used a thin rod to puncture Sam's ear drum.

Hyperventilating Sam dropped the picture and fell back against the pillows his vision clouded as he fought to control his raging emotions, flashbacks of the torture replayed in a continuous loop, in full technicolour.

'Sammy!' Dean yelled, he cradled Mickie with his good arm and tried to reach his brother unsuccessfully, his brother may as well be on the other side of the room again. 'Sammy talk to me.'

'They, they did ... Rafe did that.' Sam rasped, his body shook so hard it made the bed rock. 'He, he hurt ... they did that ... I felt it all.'

'Oh God Sammy please.' Dean cried out, 'come back to me.'

'They laughed, they laughed at me.' Sam sobbed, 'one of them ... while they hit me with ... he used his hand to ... they made me oh God ... he jerked me off while they whipped me.'

Dean pressed the call button and kept trying to calm Sam down but his brother was lost in a barrage of memories. 'they put my hand on a block and – and – and smashed it with a – a s-s-sledge hammer.'

'Sam you have to calm down.' Dean tried to reach over to his brother but with Mickie to hold on to with his good arm he couldn't quite touch him properly.

'They – they hung m-me from a – a – a hook and t-t-tied my – my feet to – to a ... s-s-s-so cold ... Smashed my knee with that – that h-hammer, oh God, oh God, oh God no, no, no.'

'Sammy please dude come back to me.'

'The needle that – that was the – the worst, never knew ... it – it – it hurt s-s-s-so bad.'

'Dean what's wrong?' Maggie came running in her face flushed with exertion, 'what happened?'

'Sammy please he needs help.' Dean felt his defences disappear, 'he's caught in memories of what they – they did to him.'

'Chains ... I member chains hit me – hit me with 'em over an' over an over ... they put weights on my ankles and left m-me hang-hanging f-f-f-from the hook. Heard the b-b-b-bone snap.'

'Dean he needs to be sedated, his blood pressure and pulse are ...' Maggie tried to remain calm as she quickly took Sam's vitals, she tried to ignore his ramblings, screams and whimpers as he recounted his ordeal. The photos scattered on the floor and Dean's bed caught her eye, 'oh dear Lord.' Maggie gasped when she realised what they were of, 'oh Sam.'

'Please Maggie help him.' Dean whispered, 'it's gonna kill him.'

Maggie glanced at Dean 'I'll be right back.' She said and hurried from the room to get a sedative for her distraught patient.

'Maggie what ... what's wrong?' Lewis came back into the small clinic, his clothes and hands stained with blood. 'Rafe killed himself.'

'Sam ... he saw photos of his own torture... that poor boy,' Maggie shook her head and held out the dosage she wrote down on his chart for Lewis to check.

'That's fine, inject it directly into his muscle, don't worry bout going through the drip he needs it now.' Lewis said, 'I'm going to clean up and change and then I'll be in, I don't think he needs to see me covered in blood.'

'Lewis what kind of monster takes photos while they torture a boy?' Maggie asked as she finished drawing the injection, and placed it on a small kidney dish before she hurried back to the boys' room. Without preamble, she wiped his right bicep with an alcohol swab and then injected the drug directly into him.

Minutes later Sam calmed down and laid quietly on the bed, he muttered under his breath but the stark terror was gone, his blood pressure and pulse rates dropped slightly and was no longer in the danger zones. Maggie went and got a basin of warm soapy water and a face cloth, humming softly she washed Sam's face, gently wiping away the tears, then she washed his throat and arms. Her caring ministrations soothed him and slowly he started to relax, until only a small sob escaped followed by a hiccup.

'Sorry.' He whispered hoarsely, so sorry.'

'Honey you have nothing to be sorry for or feel shamed about.' Maggie said as she continued to stroke his forehead and temples, 'now why don't you rest for a while.'

'Dean?'

'Right here dude.'

'Sorry De.' Sam half-yawned, half-sobbed, 'I'm sorry.'

'Ah Sammy, hey look at me, don't you dare ... Sammy look at me.'

Sam lifted his gaze and stared at his brother with bruised eyes and crushed spirit, 'I tried so hard to fight back ... I couldn't ... they wanted Mickie but ... but ... wouldn't tell em.'

'You did good Sammy, so don't you dare say sorry or feel guilty.'

'They ... they still got you Dean.'

'Nah I'm pretty tough.'

'Jerk.'

'Bitch, now get some sleep.'

'Dean ...'

'Mean it Sammy you get some sleep, I'll be here.'

'Saved Mickie.'

'Yeah you did dude you saved Mickie.'

TBC