Thank you for the reviews so far, guys, it's fun actually extending an episode instead of going totally original! Hope you enjoy :) More to come!
Sam hated seeing Dean wheeled into the hospital, the image of him unmoving and silent as they slipped him out of the Impala and strapped him to the gurney replaying in his mind as he waited. He'd gone unconscious halfway to the hospital, his body slumping against the door and remaining that way even when Sam grabbed his shoulder and shook him. This was all too familiar; the hospital, the gurney, the fear. First Dean all those years back after his heart attack, then all of them after the accident with their father, and then Bobby when he'd stabbed himself… and then Bobby again.
"Excuse me, Sam Simmons?"
Sam stood from low seat in the waiting room and shook the Doctor's outstretched hand. "Yes, sir." The older man smiled politely. "Do you know what's wrong with my brother?" Sam glanced at the man's name tag on his white coat and back up to his eyes, the thick rimmed glasses adding the man's concerned appearance.
Dr. Thomas tucked the chart he held to his chest and sighed. "Honestly? Not a clue. His body is fighting very hard but we don't know what it's fighting against. It's like he's in a silent panic, like he's rushing against an invisible clock and he doesn't have the energy to waste on waking up. We're doing more tests now but I wanted to keep you updated."
Sam swallowed hard, trying to take in all that the Doctor said. He gave a quick thank you and sat back down. He stared blankly at the tiled wall, his mind working to come to a reasonable conclusion for Dean's condition. It wasn't food poisoning, he guessed, with the Doctor's having done several preliminary tests that would have concluded something so simple.
The vibration in his pants surprised him and he jumped. The nurse at the desk nearby sat up, watching him. He flashed a smile and waved, holding up his phone so she understood why he reacted, then held it to his ear. "Hello?"
"Hey, Sam, what's up?" Garth's voice was in direct opposition to the cold, weary environment of the hospital. "How you doin' man? Long time no see! Ha, I'm just kidding. Hey, you got a minute?"
Sam couldn't help but smile at the boyish attitude the hunter had. He decided not to tell Garth about their current situation because he knew Garth's next stop would be Victoria Falls Hospital and he didn't really have the energy for his company. "Yeah, yeah, what's up?"
Garth muttered something under his breath then yelled loudly. Sam pulled the phone away from his ear and winced. "Sorry, man, some idjit just cut me off." Sam smiled again. "So what are you up to?"
"What?"
"What?"
"Garth, you called me."
The silence that stretched between them made Sam close his eyes to keep from rolling them too noticeably "Oh… yeah, you're right." Garth giggled incredulously. "Maybe that beer really wasn't such a good idea. Anyhoo, listen, I have some news about that case we worked last."
"Okay?"
"I just got a call from one of the officers that I'd given my card too when Deputy Doug went crazy. He said that Chester, the pancake's son, had a heart attack this afternoon."
Sam ignored Garth's insensitive remark about the victim that had been driven over and sat up. "What? Why?"
"The officer said that Chester asked to go the hospital for abdominal pain and then he passed out in the waiting room. The Doctors said that he - oh crap, wait a second, Sam." Sam waited impatiently, listening while tires squealed in the background and Garth mumbled something about roadkill. "Alright, you still there?"
"Yeah, I'm still here. What did the Doctors say, Garth?"
"They said that his heart gave out from all the stress he was under. His body couldn't take it. But I'll bet that was only part of it and whatever happened to that guy's mind when he was possessed is really what made him go crazy. So I just wanted to pass that along because, you know, of Dean. Just keep an eye on him, a'ight?"
Sam's eyes drifted closed as Garth spoke, his heart pounding. "Yeah, thanks for the heads up. You be careful."
"You got it. Catch ya on the flip side, Sammy!"
Lowering his phone, Sam let out a slow breath.
"Excuse me, Mr. Simmons?" He looked up quickly, eyes locking with the smiling nurse. "They've finished testing for now, the Doctor said you can visit your brother if you'd like."
"Is he awake?"
"No. You don't have to -"
"No, yeah, I want to. What's the room number?" He figured if there was one time he could really talk to Dean without interruption, this would be it.