Sam made his way out of his room with a long white cane directly in front ot him to check for obstacles. Gabriel had got him a cane a few days ago and had been working with him on using it. It was hard for Sam at first, and not just because it was difficult to learn how to use it, though it was then and still was. It was hard because it really hit home that this was his reality. It wasn't like he was in denial about it before. He knew he was blind and that that wasn't ever going to stop being the case. But the cane made it clear on a whole new level. It was like a permanent, physical reminder.

Sam walked towards where the stairs would be. He'd been here long enough that he'd started memorizing the turns and number of steps to certain places, like the bathroom and the stairs.

Apparently Sam hadn't perfected this though because with the next step he took, he tumbled down the flight of stairs, dropping his cane and hitting his head hard against the wooden floor.

Sam groaned as he picked his head up and brought his hand to the back of it, rubbing it gingerly. Then he heard footsteps, indicating that Gabriel had arrived.

"Damn it, Sam, what are you doing? You aren't ready to start walking on your own yet, especially when stairs are involved," Gabriel scolded before removing Sam's hand from the back of his head and putting his own hand there, quickly healing the hunter.

"Thanks," Sam said.

"I ought to have just let you deal with it for being so stupid," Gabriel grumbled before walking a few feet to the side to pick up Sam's cane.

Sam simply grunted in response.

"Hold out your hand, I've got your cane," Gabriel said as he walked back over with the mentioned object.

Sam did as he was told and soon felt the mentioned object being pressed into his hand. Once he had it, he pressed it to the ground and started making his way towards the kitchen.

"Look, kid, I know you're anxious to get out of here, but you're going to have to be more patient and take your time," Gabriel said.

"It's not that. I just don't like feeling so vulnerable. Besides, you shouldn't have to waste your time taking care of me," Sam said quietly as he kept walked through the kitchen and dining room and to the living room. He felt around with his cane until he hit something solid. He leant down and felt the area, his hand coming in contact with something cushiony, telling him it was one of the two couches he knew were in the living room. He immediately sat down and placed his cane on the floor.

Gabriel sat next to him. "Sam, don't worry about me wasting my time. I've been alive since Time was even a thing, and baring my flesh connecting with an archangel blade, I will be alive when it stops being a thing. I've got more time than you can dream of. Helping you out is not a problem."

Sam nodded and looked away from the direction of Gabriel's voice.

"Tell me, Sam, is this why you don't want to go back to your brother? You don't want him to have to take care of you?" Gabriel asked. He hadn't pushed much the entire time Sam was there, but he wanted to know now. What had driven Sam to the point where he didn't want to see his brother.

Sam flinched slightly at the question.

"I gotta say, kid, I was shocked when you said you'd rather stay here than go home to your brother. What, are you trying to spare him?" Gabriel asked.

Sam nodded after a minute. "He'd feel obligated to take care of me and I can't let him. He'll hate me for it."

"I find that hard to believe. I know how close you were. Sam, you should at least let him know you're alright? Let him stop worrying," Gabriel said.

"He's not worrying," Sam said.

"Sure he is. You were kidnapped. He's probably going out of his mind thinking Luci or one of my other asshat siblings did it," he said.

"No, he's not. He doesn't know I was kidnapped. I wasn't with him. I was by myself working in a bar in Oklahoma," Sam said.

"Well, where was he?" Gabriel asked.

"I don't know. We decided to go separate ways," Sam said.

Gabriel's features darkened as he began to get a good picture of what happened. The little asshole abandoned Sam because he made a mistake. He left him alone to be abducted and tortured. "He ditched you."

"No, it was my idea. I couldn't trust myself to hunt. I thought I should stop for a while, so I told Dean I wanted to go my separate ways. It was my choice. But I thought he'd…" Sam trailed off, unable to make himself finish.

"You thought he'd stop you," Gabriel finished for him.

Sam nodded. "But he said I was right. He basically said that he was better off without me. He said he spent too much time worrying about me when we were on a job. He's also made it clear he doesn't trust me."

Gabriel was very glad Dean Winchester wasn't in front of him right now because if was very likely that he would smite him if he was. What right did that muttonhead have to act so holier than thou. He wasn't perfect. He made dumbass mistakes, but no one abandoned him because of it. And true, it seemed Dean didn't exactly abandon Sam, but he might as well have. He might as well have told him to go.

"I don't blame him. He's right not to trust me," Sam said before rubbing his eyes, willing the tears not to fall.

"You were manipulated. Yeah, you screwed up, but who the hell is he to judge that? Like he's never done anything stupid? You don't give up on your brother just because he makes a mistake!" Gabriel growled.

"I trusted a demon over him. That's not exactly an everyday mistake, Gabriel. Look, he doesn't want me around and I can't blame him. I won't force myself on him and I won't tell him what happened. If he knew, he'd take care of me because it's what he's supposed to do, but I don't want that," Sam said.

"Sam…"

"Just drop it! I don't wanna talk about it anymore," Sam said firmly.

Gabriel sighed. "Alright. What do you say we get some breakfast?"

"Okay," Sam said before grabbing his cane and standing up.

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