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!!

Author's Note: Okay I'm back on track, I have just completed my 3rd year double major in Bachelor of Arts, phew honours next year but for now I have a 4 months break, and can get back to something close to my heart, or should I say some-ones close to my heart. The boys!! Updating like mad. Please forgive me for taking so long and hope that this makes up for the wait.

Medical Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional by any stretch of the imagination, most of my research is from the Internet and basic knowledge. The drug is totally my creation as is the procedure spoken about in later in the chapter.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

'Sam what did you do?' Dean asked again knowing that his unconscious brother couldn't answer, perhaps that was for the best because Dean didn't know what he was going to say or do with his errant younger brother. 'What am I gonna do Sammy?'

'Daddad.' A little girl's voice sounded a second before she appeared along with her spirit guide Azuraus, 'Daddy.'

'Hey baby.' Dean whispered, 'you shouldn't be here Az.'

'I know you sent us away but … Mickie wouldn't settle without her daddy or uncle Sammy, she cried that much she made herself sick.'

'And where is Bobby?' Dean tried not to smile as his daughter promptly pulled his fingers into her mouth and started to chew on them, 'oww baby daddy is not a teething ring.'

'I am sorry Dean.' Az murmured as she started to fade away again, 'I – I'll…'

'Back here now Az.' Dean ordered sounding more tired than anything else, 'honey daddy needs you to stay with Az and Uncle Bobby for me.'

'No!' Mickie screwed her little face up and started to build her tantrum, 'no daddy.'

'Yes Michaela now settle down and listen to daddy.' Dean spoke firmly but kept his tone soft without any anger, 'daddy and uncle Sammy are gonna be here while uncle Sammy gets better and then we're gonna come and get you.'

'Wan' daddy, wan' uncee Sammee.' Mickie wailed refusing to listen to her daddy.

'Nope you don't little missy daddy means this you have to stay with Az so daddy can look after uncle Sammy.'

'Uncee Sammy sickies?' Mickie sniffed and squirmed in her father's arms until she could see her beloved uncle, 'uncee Sammee?'

'He's sick sweety so daddy needs to look after him.' Dean whispered against his daughter's downy soft hair, 'please let Az look after you.'

'Daddee sads.' Mickie turned and put a tiny hand on Dean's cheek, 'kisses.'

'Thanks baby makes daddy feel lots better.' Dean laughed gently as his toddler smothered his face with drool-filled kisses. 'Lots better and wet.'

'Dean?' Sam moaned and screwed his face up as pain shot through his already frail body, 'no Dean!'

'Hey Sammy, I'm right here.' Dean laid his free hand on Sam's shoulder, 'damn I wish he could hear me.'

'Uncee Sammee got big owies.' Mickie cried with big hiccupping sobs, 'hurts.'

'Mickie?' Dean stared at his daughter and then down at his brother before returning his gaze back to Mickie, 'honey what's wrong?'

'Uncee Sammee hurts.' Mickie's face lost all colour as she tried to grasp and understand what was happening to both her and her uncle. 'Daddy?' She cried out.

'Az get her out of here now.' Dean thrust his daughter at the terrified looking spirit, 'she's picking up on Sam's pain.'

'Do you think?'

'Yeah I do, sorry sweety but you have to do as daddy says now and go with Az okay? She'll make ya feel better.' He brushed a kiss on his daughter's forehead and nodded at Az, 'I'll be in touch.'

Az cradled the little girl to her chest tightly and blinked out of sight just as Sam's eyes flickered open and he stared around the room dazedly. 'Dean?'

'Hey Sammy.' Dean squeezed Sam's arm to let him know he was there.

'Dean? Feel strange De.'

'What's wrong Sammy?'

'Head … loud buzzing … can't … argh make it stop.'

'Hang on Sammy, I'll get the doc.' Dean placed his fingers under Sam's chin and made him look up, his worry meter spiked even higher when he saw the glazed, unfocused look in Sam's eyes. 'Sammy?' He yelled his brother's name as Sam's eyes rolled back and he lost consciousness once again.

'Dean I've got Sam's test results … Dean?' Lewis came to a stop just before he reached Sam's bedside when he saw the look of despair on Dean's face.

'Doc? Sam he ah woke up, said that he felt strange and he could hear loud buzzing … then he just … passed out again.'

Lewis gripped Dean's arms and led him to the chair, 'take a load off Dean while I check your brother out.' He said soothingly worried for the older brother's own health and state of mind and then once Dean was settled more or less he turned to his patient, quickly he checked Sam's heart rate, blood pressure, temperature and breathing. A small frown appeared on his face as he listened to the congestion building in Sam's lungs, worried about the unknown ingredients in the drug Cornase forced into the younger Winchester he was concerned about every little thing. 'Sam?' he tried to rouse the younger man by pressing his knuckle into Sam's sternum, 'damn.'

'Lewis?'

'He's not reacting to painful stimuli.' Lewis muttered in response, as he carefully lifted one eyelid and then the other, flashing a tiny penlight into the pupils, 'pupils sluggish and dilated,' he continued his monologue cataloguing each of the new or old symptoms. 'skin clammy, temperature is elevated as is his blood pressure, damn it all Sam what's going on with you?'

'What is it Lewis?' Dean's gaze flickered impatiently between doctor and patient, 'what's wrong with my brother?'

'Honestly, I'm guessing here Dean,' Lewis sighed and looked over at the over-anxious brother, 'from what I can tell, the drug Cornase hit Sam with, has been modified since the last time.'

'How?' Dean's voice was barely audible he could feel the nerve twitch near his eye, 'what is it Lew?'

'Okay, from what I can ascertain instead of the drug … normally any kind of drug has a typical life span once it hits the blood stream, this one seems to do this exact opposite, the longer it is in the blood the stronger it becomes. It seems to … grow, like he is being given repeated dosages instead of just one.'

'So what does that mean exactly?'

'I'm not sure in the long run, unless we can find something to nullify the effects, the drug itself will not diminish, it will become stronger. Dean if this stuff hit the streets…'

'Junkies would only need one hit and they will hooked for life or what's left of their life.' Lewis visibly shuddered, 'mix that with Sam's already compromised health, and mental status … Cornase virtually signed Sam's death warrant.'

'Fuck … so what do we do?' Dean ran his hand over his face, he felt so tired he was numb. 'Is there any good news?'

'A small thing,' Lewis finally broke a small grin. 'Sam's hearing, I spoke to Stewart Peterson, he is the Otologist who tested Sam and went through all of his records, there is an operation … he can implant these little devices in Sam's ears, it's more technical than this but suffice it to say, what they will do is act similar to normal hearing aides but in a more micro sense. I know that I'm not explaining this very well, but basically these implants will act as internal hearing aides to boost his normal hearing levels.'

'So this means that Sam is deaf and he needs these implants to help him hear again?'

'Yeah basically that is it.'

'How the fuck can we afford this?' Dean spat out as he jumped to his feet and started to pace the small room, 'Sam can't hear again without this operation can he?'

'For all intents and purposes he is legally deaf.' Lewis sighed.

'How can I? Damn it all Lewis where am I supposed to get the money for this?'

'Dean calm down and listen to me for a moment.' Lewis held his hands up, palms outward to appear as non-threatening as possible; he has learnt just how volatile Dean's temper could be, the hard way. 'Stewart told me, that because the procedure is still in the testing stages, and Stew will use it as a test case for his studies and his students all of Sam's expenses will be covered.'

'What about side-effects?'

'As far as we know there are minimal effects, the worst being rejection by Sam's body but that is the worst case scenario.'

'And Sam would hear again?'

'That's the plan.'

'When can it be done?'

'This is the problem Dean, we can't operate on Sam while he is addicted to the drug, we need to find the antidote or someway to nullify the effects.'

'What about a blood transfusion?'

'We have no idea … we would have to virtually drain all of his blood from his body and then replace it with clean blood, no it wouldn't work, too dangerous for all involved and there is still no guarantee that the drug won't attach itself to his major organs.'

'Hang on Lewis did you say the drug attaches itself?'

'Yeah I did … why?'

Dean strode over to the other side of Sam's bed and absently ran his fingertips over his brother's forehead, a gesture left over from their secluded childhood, 'could it be like a parasite? That grows when it hits the bloodstream?'

'I – I suppose, I'm not sure we'll have to do some more tests.'

'If it is some sort of demonic parasite…' Dean thought out loud as he continued his soothing ministrations, 'can you look after Sam?'

'Yeah sure why?' Lewis stared at the older Winchester he could feel the pit growing in his stomach, 'what are you going to do?'

'No one, and I mean no one can know who he is Lewis, use the name Samuel Scott, only me and you know anything different. Sam Winchester is no longer a patient here, I know you'll have to fill in the surgeon but just say that Sam is a federal witness and he needs to be kept hidden.'

'Dean…'

'The only one you or any of the staff talks to about Sam is me, not Bobby or anyone. I can't afford for someone getting possessed and near him while he's so vulnerable.'

'Dean…'

'I'm going on an old-fashioned demon hunt.' Dean smiled but there was no warmth in it, his eyes held a cold, malicious tint to them, 'I'll bring ya back what ya need.'

'Dean…'

'Just keep him alive Lewis, that's all I ask.'

'Can I speak now?' Lewis asked loudly taking small delight in startling his friend, 'okay I'll do what you ask, I'll fill out Sam's discharge papers and as far as anyone is concerned he left with you. Samuel Scott will be admitted to another ward. The private wing, with a room specially protected.'

'Thanks man.'

'Dean one thing, until you find Cornase, I think it will be prudent to place Sam in a drug induced coma.'

'Lewis…'

'No listen to me Dean, we need to slow down the progress of the parasitic drug and keep him alive long enough to do the surgery.'

'Dean?' Sam whispered his brother's name, 'Dean?'

Dean took Sam's hand in his and squeezed, 'hey dude was wondering when you were gonna grace us with your presence.' He quipped making sure that he spoke clearly and Sam could see his lips. 'How you doing?'

'What's wrong?' Sam looked from his brother to his doctor and then back again, 'what?'

Lewis sat down, quickly wrote out their plan in short dot points, and then passed it over to his patient to read, he glanced at Dean and the two men both waited while Sam read and digested the information.

'So this doctor thinks he can fix my hearing?' Sam stared up at the doctor and tried to focus on his face, so far he could see two doctors and two Deans. 'And this drug?'

'Something Cornase cooked up, it's more like a parasite than a drug.' Lewis wrote down making it easier for Sam to follow the conversation.

'How?' Sam looked at Lewis, he couldn't look at his brother, his own guilt and self-recriminations bubbled too close to the surface for him to face the look that he knew would be on Dean's face.

'Sam … instead of … the drug intensifies itself instead of wearing off.' Lewis started to explain when Sam's back arched and he screamed, as the pain thundered through his system. 'Sam?' Lewis tried to hold his patient down.

'Dean!' Sam screamed as he dropped down onto the bed and then he went rigid, his eyes fixed seemingly on a point on the ceiling.

'Sam?' Dean gasped breaking out of his shocked stupor he looked over at Lewis, 'what's going on?'

'He's seizing, Dean I think we need to …'

'Do it.' Dean said hoarsely. 'Sorry Sammy.' He whispered as he brushed Sam's hair out of his eyes and held his shoulder while he lay in the recovery position.

'I'll be right back.' Lewis said as he hurried from the room.

'Damn it Sammy I am so sorry.' Dean kept repeating as he watched his brother slowly come back from the seizure, 'I am so sorry.'

'De?' Sam panted as he tried to focus on his brother, 'De?'

'Right here Sammy, I'm right here.'

'Doc … he … coma?' Sam tried and failed to get the words out, he felt like his body was no longer under his control and in the back of his mind he heard the insipid laughter of Cornase. 'K-Kill … me … please…De.' He breathed no longer wanting to hear the mocking laugh, 'I … hear … him … can't … hear …you.'

'Ah Sammy.'

'Hurts me.'

'I know buddy, but it won't be much longer.' Dean kept hold of Sam's hand as he tried to sooth his brother.

Lewis came back in followed by a nurse dragging a small trolley with her, a sterile cloth draped over the contents. 'Dean?'

'He's … ready.'

'Okay, Amanda this is Dean Scott and over in the bed is his brother Samuel, you are the only nurse assigned to this patient. If anyone comes in who is not myself, Dean or Doctor Peterson then you are to get me straight away is that understood?' Lewis spoke to the efficient looking thirty-something nurse.

'Yes doctor.' She said softly but with a confident air about her.

'Nice to meet you Amanda.' Dean nodded at her but then gave Sam his full attention again leaving Lewis to explain what was happening to the nurse.

'Samuel is a Federal witness, no one and I repeat no one is allowed in here or near him without express authorisation, I chose you Amanda because I know that you can be trusted to be discreet and keep the confidentiality of the patient. You and Maggie are the only two nurses I do trust here. Please don't let me down.'

'You've got my word Doctor,' Amanda smiled softly, 'I'll look after Samuel for you.'

'Fine, it is going to be a long haul, we're going to place him in an induced coma, I will let you read over his records on your own time, your job will be to watch over him, when you're not on duty then I will look after him.'

'Yes doctor.'

'Doc he's seizing again.' Dean interrupted as Sam started to go rigid and tiny tremors ran through him.

'Okay Dean there's no more time we have to do this.'

'Do it doc.' Dean said as he nodded encouragingly to Sam, who had tears running down his face. 'Do it now.'

Sam flinched as the new drugs hit his system, he kept gazes locked with Dean, as he felt the pull into the blackness. He wanted to fight the heaviness, the black void but he couldn't move, couldn't call out nothing except watch his brother's face as it started to fade into nothingness.

He fought to keep his eyes open but the drugs were powerful and he felt his senses, his thoughts, his mind start to close down. As Dean's face blurred into non-existence he saw another replace it.

'Now you are mine.' A more than familiar voice echoed in Sam's mind as the drugs did their job and he slid into a medically induced comatose state.

TBC