The Way Home
Chapter 3
By: Montez
Disclaimer: see chapter 1
God he didn't remember Jim's driveway being this damned long, but he wasn't usually stumbling down it with unknown injuries from a car wreck and the aftereffects of a vision on top of it. Caleb heard one of Jim's dogs barking, normally he could tell by the bark which one it was, but at this point his exhausted body and mind were only focusing on getting to the house. He could have swore he head the screen door open and close, but his focus was on the gravel under his feet, with each step it seemed the tiny rocks were trying their best to throw him off balance.
Only faintly noticing that he had cleared the shadows of the trees, with twilight settling over the farm, he made the tremendous effort to lift his head, looking up toward the farmhouse, toward home. Caleb could just barely make out two figures between him and the structure, but was unable to recognize either, however, the yelling of his name by a voice he would know anywhere sent a surge of hope through his soul, help was close, it was coming, help for him, but more importantly for John.
"CALEB!" Jim watched as Dean dropped the ax and took off running, taking only a fraction of a second for the word the boy had shouted to register. In the next instant the older man took off running behind the teen, watching as the younger boy reached Caleb, his heart dropping as he watched the twenty-two year old collapse into Dean's arms.
"Shit…" Dean mumbled as he reached his friend, who proceeded to drop to his knees, the teen just barely making it to him before he went face first into the gravel, "whoa man, I got ya!" feeling his best friend crumble into him nearly stopped Dean's heart as he tried to gently lay the older man down, "Caleb? Look at me Damien!" The teen had his hands on either side of his friends face, trying to get the older man to open his eyes.
Watching as his friend struggled to do the simple task, Dean felt Jim drop next to him, "Dean? Oh God, Caleb?" Jim reached a hand out, immediately checking the young man's pulse.
Looking pleadingly to Jim Dean spoke, "Get Mac!", it was in that moment Caleb's hand came up and latched onto Dean's jacket.
"Deu.." Caleb's slurred words were nearly a whisper.
"Right here, come on and open your damn eyes." The fear in Dean voice was clear, even in Caleb's injured state.
"Vision…" Caleb forced out, his eyes barely opening, looking unfocused toward his friend, "had…vision…driving…"
"Caleb?" Jim's voice caused the psychic to try and turn his head toward the Pastor.
Trying to take a deep-breath that hitched in his chest as the cracked ribs made themselves known again, squeezing his eyes shut against the pain, "Johnny…hurt…vision…" The pain in his chest and his head was making its full effects known as Caleb's breathing became quicker, his body arching slightly against the pull as he tried to bring in air.
Terrified eyes looked up and met Jim's as Dean kept his hands on his friends head and arm, "Jim?"
Taking in what the injured man's broken words could mean, Jim got to his feet, "Stay with him, try to keep him calm." With that the older man took off toward the house.
"Caleb, listen to me, you need to calm down." Dean's mind was racing, seeing his friend hurt, the mumbled words of a vision possibly involving his father, "Damien, listen to me, open your eyes and look at me."
Again unforced eyes meet his terrified green ones, "Johnny…" Caleb mumbled between ragged breaths.
"Jim's taken care of it, you need to relax, Mac's coming okay? Just breathe for me." Dean felt his panic increase when his friend's eyes slipped closed one more time, but this time the fisted gripe on the front of his jacket released as well, the older man's hand slipping to the ground, "Caleb!…Caleb!" Dean shook his friend, trying to wake him, "no, no, no…" With a shaking hand the teen reached for his friend's neck, only releasing a panicked breath when he felt the rapid pulse thumping against his fingers. Taking one last look at his best friend's, his brother's, lax face, Dean turned his head and yelled, "MAC!"
Mac had stepped to the back door, staying to the side, not sure what was going on, but wanting to see if his friend and his best friend's son ran into any trouble. Sammy had stayed near the entrance of the kitchen as he watched Mac move. They both heard a muffled shout from outside, but neither clear on the words, but at that moment the Scholar felt a fear and anxiety wash over him that nearly took his breath, "Mac?" Sammy whispered as he watched the older man pale slightly, raising his hand to his head.
"I'm okay Sam, stay put." Mac didn't understand what had just happened, but he soon saw Jim running back toward the house. Stepping out onto the stairs he noticed a form slumped on the ground near the end of the driveway, "Jim?"
"It's Caleb; I'm calling an ambulance…" Without stopping Jim raced up the stairs past Mac, into the house, the words not seeming to register until the Doctor heard Jim order Sammy, "Son, get Mackland's bag from the closet." it was then it clicked, Jim had said Caleb.
Dropping the shotgun that was still clutched in his hand, Mac took off running toward the end of the drive just as Dean's panicked voice shouted, "MAC!"
"Caleb!" Mac yelled as he ran closer, the panic he'd heard in the way Dean shouted his name, as well as the feelings that hit him while he was still inside the house, only increased his fear when he didn't hear his son respond to him. Dropping next to him, across from Dean, his hand too went to his son's neck, needing to know the young man was still alive. Looking quickly at Dean Mac asked, "How long's he been unconscious?"
"Just a minute or so, his words were slurred, he said something about a vision and driving." Dean's attention stayed on his friend, the only comfort was the continued rise and fall, though a little to fast, of Caleb's chest.
Dean faintly heard the back door slam again, the sound of running feet drawing closer, suddenly there was a light being sit down next to Caleb's head as Dean looked up and saw the scared face of his little brother, Mac's medical bag in his hand. "Caleb?" the small boy whispered.
"How long on the ambulance?" Mac asked the younger boy, taking his bag digging out what he needed. When the child didn't answer the Doctor glanced at him, "Sammy?"
Shaking his head slightly, his eyes never leaving the bloodied, pale face of the man on the ground before him, he answered, "About ten minutes."
"Where's Jim? We need a couple of blankets." At Mac's response, Dean quickly removed his jacket, laying it over his friend.
"He's on the phone, I'll get the blankets!" Sammy said turning to run back toward the house.
Dean watched as Mac listened to Caleb's chest, both trying to ignore the unnatural stillness of the young man between them. "Mac?"
Glancing up again, Mac met fearful, moss-green eyes, "I don't know…concussion at least, he's having some respiratory distress, possible cracked or broken ribs. You said he mentioned a vision and driving?"
Nodding Dean trying to calm himself as the distant sound of sirens could be heard, "Yeah, you think he wrecked the Jeep?"
"That would explain the head wound, but I don't understand, he can usually tell when one is coming, has time to react, what made this different?" Mac glanced up as he heard a vehicle quickly making its way down the driveway just as Sammy got back with the blankets.
"He mentioned Dad…" Dean didn't want to think of what it meant for his father, if Caleb had a vision about the older man.
Any further discussion stopped as the Paramedics reached them, Dean stood up, backing out of the EMTs way. Feeling Sammy step next to him, "He had a vision about Dad?" Sammy's small-sounding voice whispered as they watched the medics put a brace around Caleb's neck then effortlessly rolled him, placing a board under the unconscious man.
"I don't know Sammy, maybe." Dean put his hand on his little brother's shoulder, as they continued to watch the Paramedics strap Caleb to a stretcher, preparing to move him.
"I'm going with him." Mac responded as his son was pushed toward the ambulance. Looking back at John's son's before climbing in the rig, "Have Jim meet us there, everything will be okay." The Doctor wasn't sure if he was saying those words for the boys benefit or his own.
Mac's words didn't bring any comfort to Dean as he watched the back doors of the rig slam shut and the vehicle make its way back down the drive. "Let's get Jim." Dean said as he grabbed Mac's discarded bag, Sammy grabbing the lantern he'd brought, as both boys taking off toward the house.