I won't give excuses this time lol. Here's the last chapter. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! It means a helluva lot. XD
R&R please!
Disclaimer: Not even if the world ended would I ever own them.
"Sam! Don't you dare die on me. Don't you dare leave me too." Dean pleaded as he continued compressions on his unresponsive brother. Bobby hovered near the bed, watching Sam with worry, but he let Dean take control of the situation.
"Breathe dammit! Breathe!" Dean pushed on his brother's still chest, trying to force Sam's frozen lungs to cooperate. Salty tears were starting to pool in his eyes as seconds went by with no response. In a moment of hopeless frustration, he hit Sam's chest with a force he would never have used if Sam were conscious. If he were breathing.
He jumped when Sam gasped in response, his chest moving again in small, shallow movements, but movements nonetheless. Dean would have cried with relief if Bobby weren't in the room. He hated showing weakness in front of anyone, even if that someone was his surrogate father.
"That's it, Sammy. You're doing good. Just breathe." Dean praised, running a shaking hand through Sam's hair to brush his bangs back. Tired blue-green orbs peered back at him, Sam's eyes drooping down with exhaustion.
"Wha happen?"
Bobby let out a relieved sigh, dropping down into the small chair as the relief took his legs out from under him. "Damn, boy. You gave us all a scare is what. You boys'll be the death of me. I swear."
"S'rry Bobby." Sam mumbled as his eyes fell closed, falling asleep again almost instantly.
Running a weary hand down his face, Dean sighed to himself. "We are so finding the son of a bitch who brought that thing here, Bobby. If it wasn't dead already, I'd have its head on a platter, but the person who brought it here is gonna have to be the next best thing. They're gonna wish to God they never met me." His voice was deadly and full of conviction.
"I know, Dean, and I agree. But we still don't know who brought the thing here in the first place." Bobby glanced at Sam again, letting out a relieved breath when he saw his chest was still rising, albeit unevenly.
Dean pursed his lips in thought for a few minutes; still staring at his brother's sleeping form before his eyes lit up as understanding dawned. "The Sherriff. Bobby, it's gotta be him."
"The Sherriff? That Dope man? What makes you think it's him? Wouldn't he want to be protecting the trail? You know, not killing tourists? That's less money for him."
"True. But think about it. It makes sense. I mean he was the one who could have shut down the trail, but he didn't, so maybe…Plus, it couldn't hurt to check. We need that antidote and fast or else Sam will…" The words refused to leave his lips, stuck somewhere in his throat. Just the thought of his brother's name in the same sentence as the "D" word had his heart pounding in his chest.
Bobby glanced at Sam again before finally nodding in agreement, and while Dean should have been glad, it only had more fear running through his veins. If Bobby thought they needed to go now then he knew that Sam must be in really bad shape. "Alright, Dean. Let's go. But we're gonna need to hurry. Your brother doesn't have that much time left if that spectacle he pulled a while ago was anything to go by. The fact he was bitten already just means that there's a double dose flowing through his veins. We need that antidote now."
Bobby was already grabbing a handgun from his bag and slipping it in the waistband of his pants, just in case things got rough. "You don't need to tell me twice, Bobby. I don't want to be gone too long in case anything happens. Let's just go check up on Dope, and if he isn't our guy then…" He trailed off again, for once not sure what they would do. Did Sam have that much time?
Tossing those thoughts to the back of his mind, he stood up from the bed with a reassuring pat to Sam's arm. "I'll be back soon, Sammy, and then we'll get you all fixed up. All right, little brother?"
There was no response, but Dean wasn't really expecting one. With one final pat to his brother's limp arm, he trudged after Bobby and out the door, looking over his shoulder one last time at Sam's sleeping form before shutting the door behind him. The resulting click of the lock was deafening in his ears.
()()()()SPN()()()()
The black Impala cruised up to the wooden cabin. The Sherriff's house looked more like a camping site than a home, nestled deep in the woods like it was, but Dean didn't really think kids would be camping out in an area where people were dying.
Suspicious how the Sherriff's house was located in the woods off a dirt path leading away from the road; the dirt path heading straight into the Mngwa's territory. The fact that it did had Bobby loading rounds into the gun at his waist and had Dean's eyes scanning the woods for anything out of the ordinary. Well, besides the big cabin in the middle of nowhere.
He shut off the car as he pulled to a stop in front of the house. Glancing at Bobby, he nodded once to indicate that he understood, and opened the car door. He slipped the Taurus into the back waistband of his pants, pulling his shirt down to cover the weapon. The squeaking of the door signaled Bobby's exit from the car, and together they approached the falsely welcoming house.
Stairs squealed in protest as they ascended the steps to the front entrance, immediately blowing their cover.
"Who's there?" The unmistakable sound of Dope's voice echoed through the house. "I could hear that car of yours coming from a mile away. What do you want?" Was it just Dean, or did he sound a little nervous? From the look Bobby shot his way, he wasn't the only one who thought so.
"Sherriff Dope. It's ranger Plant. I have a few questions for you if you don't mind. About the animal attacks."
There was a pause before, "Oh. Ranger Plant, yes, I remember. Look, I'm sorry, but now isn't really a good time. You mind coming back later?" Dope called from somewhere inside his house, his voice muffled through the door.
"Sorry, but we really need to talk to you now. It's not something that can wait." Dean put a hand on the grip of the Taurus.
"We? You and the tall guy?"
"No, I'm with another Ranger today. My partner called in sick." Dean responded, slightly confused by the question.
"Hm. That's a shame, really." The voice was closer now, and soon the green door was opening, the pudgy face of Sherriff Dope peeking out at them. His face was covered in sweat and his eyes were darting between Dean and Bobby so fast that Dean was surprised they could even focus at all.
"Yeah. It is. You mind if we come in?" Bobby spoke up, his tone uncaring and unkind.
Dope's eyes latched onto Bobby. "Uh. Um. W-well. Now's not-uh-excuse me?" He exclaimed in surprise as Bobby forcefully pushed the door open and barged in. Dean followed the older hunter, throwing a warning glance down at the Sherriff to silence him.
Dope sputtered in shock and threw the door closed behind Dean before racing around to block Bobby's advance. "What do you think you're doing? You can't do this. This is trespassing. You need a warrant for this kind of thing, and that's only for the police! You two are damn park rangers! You have no right! I'll call the-"
Dean slammed a fist into the wall by Dope's round face, effectively silencing the short man's rambling. "You can try, Dope, but don't think that we're just going to let you. And what would you tell the police when they got here and saw that?" Dean gestured towards an alter that was set up in the living room, lit candles burning brightly and illuminating the crimson stains that adorned the wooden table. "You gonna tell them we brought that too? I don't think so. You're not calling anybody. What you are going to do, is give us the antidote."
Dope looked first at Dean, then at Bobby, sweat pouring off his face. "What…I-I don't know what you're talking about. Th-that's just…it's just…it's none of your business!" He finally shouted as he retreated back towards the alter, putting himself between it and the two advancing hunters.
"Son, we don't want to have to hurt you, but our friend is dying and we need that antidote now. Frankly, I don't care what twisted reason you had for summoning that Mngwa and makin it kill people, because now it's dead and you can't work that hoodoo anymore." Bobby stalked forward like a hunter in every sense of the word, matching every step back that Dope took.
A look of surprise crossed the Sherriff's face before morphing into one of anger. "You? You were the ones who killed it? Damn it! I should have known letting foreigners into the woods would lead to nothing but trouble!" His hand reached out and grabbed a metal knife from the counter as he backpedaled towards the alter. Thrusting the weapon out in front of him, he snarled, "You want the antidote? Maybe I would have given it to you before, but not now. Not after you ruined everything!"
Dean's Taurus was already pointed at the potential threat but the safety was still on. He was itching to pull the trigger and drop the person responsible for his brother's current condition, but he knew just how Sam would take the news. It was the only think keeping him from putting a couple rounds through Dope's large figure. The Sherriff froze at the sight of the gun trained on him.
"Look here Dope. I don't really care if you were going to give it to us or not. The choice isn't yours, and it never was. You see, that monster you summoned bit my partner. My brother. And now he's dying in a dirty motel room, and that's on you. Sure, I don't expect you to care, seeing as you told the damn thing to kill all those other innocent people. The girl was just a kid, Dope."
Dope stumbled back another step, his back hitting the alter now as he came to a stop. He chewed on his bloated lip as he glanced between Bobby and Dean, guilt shining in his eyes. "I-I didn't want anyone to die. You have to believe me. It's just…they couldn't know. They couldn't find out. It's only you foreigners, all of you think that it's some grand adventure to go hiking up dangerous trails. No one from the town ever does, so I don't have to worry. But you outsiders, you go up there all the time, and I can't risk being found out."
Dean exchanged a glance with Bobby, raising his eyebrow in silent communication. Bobby nodded back at him and pulled his own gun, moving back to flank Dean as the younger hunter approached the Sherriff.
"So…what? You hiding something up there that you can't risk anyone finding? What is it, weed? Does Sherriff Dope smoke weed?" He said sarcastically, gesturing with the Taurus as he spoke.
The Sherriff apparently didn't find it that funny though, because he looked around nervously before his eyes fell on Dean's gun again, but he didn't say anything.
"No…you're serious? That's gotta be poetic or something. I mean, I know that some people plant em in national parks and all, but you? Come on. Are you really that stupid? You did this all for some drugs? You killed people for drugs?"
Dope's expression turned to anger once again. "It's all I have left! You wouldn't understand! My wife died just last month, my daughter the month before that. I can't cope without it! I can't take…I can't take the pain. It hurts so much when you have nothing left to live for. The drugs, they're the only things that help anymore. I won't let anyone take that away from me! So yes, I searched and searched for a way, and then I found it. Who knew that things like this existed? But it was perfect, because everyone who went up there never came down, so I didn't have to worry anymore. But then you came and I just knew. I just knew that you'd ruin it! You outsiders always do!"
Dope flipped the knife in his hand and threw it at Dean.
"Shit!" Dean ducked under the blade, narrowly missing a slice to the head as the knife embedded in the wall, quivering from the force of the throw. A blast from Bobby's pistol was the only warning he had before Dope was barreling into him and knocking him to the floor.
The air exploded from his lungs and stars appeared in his vision as his head hit the floor. When it cleared, he saw Dope straddling him with a meaty fist raised to pound in his face. Before he could land the blow though, another blast from Bobby's gun sounded before red blossomed like a flower on Dope's chest. Shock registered in his eyes before they slowly dimmed, and he slumped forward on top of Dean, effectively trapping him under the weight.
"Little help here?" He managed to wheeze out before the weight vanished and he was able to sit up. Looking down at the Sherriff, his lips still moving in a silent mantra of no, Dean shook his head in disgust. "Shit."
"I know Dean, believe me, if there was any other way…" Bobby extended a hand out to Dean.
"Yeah. I know. But it still sucks. I mean the guy was a dick, yes, but he lost everyone he ever loved. If I ever lost you, or Dad, or…" The words still refused to come, but he took the offered hand and levered himself up. He cleared his throat. "So we need to find the antidote. He had to of kept it somewhere in here. Split up and search."
Bobby nodded at him in understanding, and Dean doubted it was about finding the antidote. As much as John was a good father, Bobby still seemed to be able to understand Dean more as a person instead of just a Hunter.
Without another word, Bobby slipped his gun into his waistband and took off further into the house, squeaking wood following his progress throughout the house. Dean looked down at Dope almost sadly, the man now dead as he lay on the floor with blood pooling around his chest, his eyes vacant and staring at nothing. He shook his head again before setting off in the opposite direction, heading towards what was hopefully the bathroom.
A short hallway extended out in front of him and he could see a door at the end, slightly open and what looked like a shower curtain peeking out at him. "Yahtzee. Just hang on, Sammy."
His boots thundered across the rotting floor as he sprinted to the door and pushed it open. A dirty toilet sat against the wall, rusted and stained with God-knows-what. Dean didn't want to think about it. Instead, he went to the sink and started pulling open drawers. Pills of almost every kind of anti-depressant filled the space, but so far nothing that looked like an antidote.
He was getting frustrated when he pulled open the last drawer and spotted a syringe of green liquid. The odd object stood out amongst the other bottles and Dean pulled it out to examine the tube. There was a hand-made label hastily scribbled onto it that read: antidote in plane black letters.
"I found it!" He shouted, and answering footsteps rang through the house as Bobby ran back to him. Not a minute later Bobby was in the bathroom and looking over Dean's shoulder.
"That's gotta be it. Good work, son." He patted Dean on the shoulder. "You find any more in there? Sam might need an extra dose and it's best to be safe just in case."
Dean immediately shuffled through the drawer again, but there was no other green syringe lying around. "I don't think so, Bobby. This is it. Let's just hope it's enough because it's all we've got. It's all Sam's got."
Bobby grunted in agreement. "Let's git out of here then. We're wastin time." The older hunter turned to leave with Dean following behind obediently.
As they slid into the leather seats of the Impala, Bobby pulled out his phone and reported the death of Sherriff Dope as Dean pulled out of the woods and onto the road, gunning the engine as he sped back towards the motel and his brother. He was pretty sure that he broke every speed limit in the whole state of Minnesota but he couldn't bring himself to care, not with his brother dying alone in motel room. Nothing was going to stop him from getting there, not even the cops. So what if he broke a couple laws? He'd do a lot more if it was for Sam.
()()()()SPN()()()()
He was bursting through the motel room before the Impala was even shut off, fear for his brother lending him speed. As soon as he was inside his green eyes were already riveted to the bed where the form of his brother lay prone on top of the sheets.
His breath left him in a gust of relieved air when he saw the (shallow) rise and fall of Sam's chest. Throwing his gun onto the other bed, he raced over to Sam's side and pulled the syringe from his pocket.
"Hey, Sammy. Hey, pal. I'm here now. You're gonna be okay, alright? You did a good job, Sammy. Always knew you were a fighter." He praised as he gently pulled Sam's arm out, laying it flat and exposing the vein. Bobby came into the room then and moved over to the bed, standing behind where Dean crouched.
"Make sure there ain't any air bubbles in the syringe before you-" Dean shot Bobby a withering look over his shoulder before turning back to his brother. Bobby coughed loudly in the tense silence that followed, but chose to remain silent.
Bringing the syringe up to his face, he flicked the tube several times to eliminate any air bubbles, purposely moving it into Bobby's line of sight before setting it at his brother's vein. He took a deep breath and pushed it forward, the syringe sliding easily into Sam's flesh. Once he was sure it was properly in place, he shot Bobby another look over his shoulder, this one hopeful, before turning back and plunging the stopper down, draining the antidote into Sam's veins.
Both hunters held bated breath as they waited for any sign that it had worked. A pregnant pause filled the air as all inhabitants of the room were silent before a soft cough from Sam had them all breathing again.
Dean patted Sam's arm. "Alright. Good job, Sam. You're gonna be okay now." Sam's only response was to turn his head in Dean's direction, able to hear his words even in sleep. The sight warmed him and a smile broke out on his face.
"Okay, boy. Now that that idjit brother of yours is taken care of, I think it's your turn now."
The smile dropped slightly. "What? What do you mean, Bobby? I'm fine." He turned to face the older hunter who still stood over him.
"Yeah and I'm the tooth fairy. I saw the hit you took when the Sherriff took you down. That couldn't have been easy on your stitches. Let me look at them."
Slight fear slid into his eyes, but he quickly masked it with irritation. "I'm fine, Bobby. Really. It wasn't that bad a hit. You don't need to look at it."
Bobby's expression hardened. "It wasn't a suggestion you idjit. Come here. Sam's fine now. He's gonna be okay, Dean. So now you get your ass over here." He ordered, and Dean rolled his eyes in annoyance but complied with the order.
When he was seated on the adjacent bed, Bobby came over to him and pulled his shirt up, examining the stitches and the damage. He prodded several areas with his fingers and Dean had to bite his lip to keep from crying out. His wounds were still painful and fresh, and no matter how strong he was, they still hurt like a bitch.
Finally Bobby finished his inspection and leaned back in satisfaction. "Well you're stitches are good. No breaks or anything, but that doesn't mean that you two aren't coming back to my place to rest up for a couple of weeks."
Bobby was using his no-arguments tone, and Dean wisely chose to say nothing. Besides, a couple weeks off didn't sound too bad right about now and with Sam in his weak condition, Dean decided that it wasn't a bad idea at all.
An awkward silence was just beginning to settle when Sam moaned from the bed, capturing both hunters' attentions. Dean was instantly at his side and laying a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder. "It's okay, Sammy. You're okay now, remember? Your awesome big brother went and saved your ass again, princess."
The taunt had the desired effect as Sam's eyes opened slowly, confused blue-green staring at him imploringly from under heavy eyelids.
"M'not a princess, De."
Dean laughed lightly at Sam's offended expression. "Yeah well you sure act like one, what with all the damsel-in-distress stunts you pull. Enough of those, okay? Just because you know that this prince will always save you doesn't mean you get to keep doing it, kay?" He reached a hand out and placed it on Sam's forehead, pleased to find his temperature in the normal ranges again.
His brother closed his eyes again and leaned into Dean's touch. "Kay, De. Promise. Not so fun for me either."
"Yeah, bud, I know. But you're good now, alright? And after this we're gonna hang at Bobby's for a while. You know, relax and take it easy for a bit. You need it."
Sam blinked his eyes open again to stare at Dean. "You too."
Dean smiled at Sam, pulling his arm back to lay it on Sam's arm. "Yeah. Me too."
Sam blinked in agreement before his eyes fell closed and his breathing evened out in sleep. Guess near-death experiences really took it out of a guy. Dean tucked Sam's arm to his side and stood from his crouched position.
"You should get some rest too, Dean. It's been a long couple of days." Bobby spoke up from the bed as he stood, walking over to the small chair and dropping into it. "Both you boys need it."
Dean was about to protest when a big yawn interrupted him and he reluctantly flopped onto the other bed, turning his body to face his brother so that he could watch over him.
Barely five minutes passed when Dean was already snoring softly, the fact that his brother was safe and that Bobby was watching out for them served to drain all the remaining tension from his body. Still, the fact remained that they would both probably end up in similar situations again, maybe even worse ones, but what didn't change was the fact that he would always be there to pull them out of it. No matter what it took, he would, because that's what brothers did for each other. And Dean was a damn good brother.
Yay! So, the end. It was a lot of fun, and thanks again for all those who read and commented! You guys are awesome! Seriously though, you're awesome. Alright so then, let me know what you think. ~Thorn