Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed. Here's the next chapter.
***
She was halfway done with the repairs when Sam's blood pressure bottomed out and the OR echoed with the shrilling long beep of a flat line.
Dr. Thatcher stared wide-eyed at the monitor. "NO DON'T YOU DARE DIE ON ME NOW SAM!"
***
As John Winchester sat next to Dean's bedside, he had no idea that at that exact moment, 3:30 in the afternoon, Sam Winchester's heart stopped beating.
If John had known, the fractured man would have completely fallen to pieces.
John Winchester did not know that at 3:30 in the afternoon his son had technically 'died.' At 3:30 in the afternoon, John sat by Dean's bedside just hoping for the survival of his two sons
Little did John Winchester know that at 3:32 that same afternoon his hoping paid off as Sam's heart began beating on its own again.
***
At 5:00 that evening, John, Bobby, and Caleb's heads spun around as soon as they heard a person enter Dean's room.
A young nurse cleared her throat and said, "Excuse me Mr. Winchester, Dr. Thatcher would like to speak with you if you'll come with me."
John took a deep breath and turned to Bobby and Caleb with sorrow-filled eyes, "Will you guys stay with Dean for me?"
"Of course John," they responded in unison.
John ran his fingers through his eldest son's short hair before following the nurse out of the room.
John saw Dr. Thatcher come out of a room and he approached her.
She turned to look at the man. She gestured for him to follow her into a conference room. "Please John, have a seat."
John felt his heart breaking as he spied the somber expression on her face.
John cleared his throat. "How's my son?"
Dr. Thatcher took a deep breath. "John…he flat-lined on the table. He was down for over a minute."
John paled significantly as the words struck him in his very core.
She continued before John had the chance to jump to any catastrophic conclusions, "We got him back, and finished the surgery, but he is still in critical condition. I managed to repair the artery and we are currently giving him blood transfusions to replenish his depleted body, but I am not going to lie to you John. Sam is nowhere near out of the woods. The blood loss, mixed with the surgery, broken wrist, gash on his forehead, and the concussion, he is still in critical condition. The next twenty-four hours will be absolutely crucial in determining Sam's chances of…" Dr. Thatcher could not bear to finish.
"Of survival right," John's voice cracked.
Dr. Thatcher nodded her head yes. "I'm very sorry John, but it's all up to Sam now. Minus the surgery we need to perform later on his wrist, we have done everything we medically can for Sam. Survival is all up to Sam now."
John turned his tear-filled eyes to the doctor. "Good thing Sam's a fighter than," John whispered.
"He truly is a strong young boy John to have survived this long. All you can do now is encourage him to keep fighting. Sam is being settled in the ICU. I will send a nurse to get you from your other son's room when he is situated."
"Thank you doc," John whispered.
***
Twenty-minutes later, Bobby and Caleb were sitting in Dean's room thinking about everything that John had told them. The youngest Winchester was still in bad shape. John had gone to Sam's room five minutes ago. Both Bobby and Caleb prayed the youngest Winchester would survive. Seeing how broken John was over the situation illustrated for them that if Sam did not survive, then none of the Winchester men would survive. Sam, the hazel-eyed, shaggy-haired, curious, imaginative, innocent, young hunter many people absolutely adored held the small fractured family together. Without Sam, the Winchester family did not exist.
***
John was currently standing outside of Sam's room with a nurse explaining to him what to expect when he saw Sam.
No preparation could have prepared him though for the sight that met his eyes. His baby boy had a tube coming out of his throat, a large gauze pad taped to his forehead, an icepack taped to his disfigured wrist, various cuts marring various areas of his skin, an IV delivering antibiotics in one hand, and an IV delivering blood in the other hand. His face was deathly pale and he looked like a raccoon with the dark circles under his eyes, and sheen of sweat adorned his skin.
Being mindful of the IV in his son's hand, John held Sam's hand as he sat in the chair next to Sam's bed praying his baby would survive, but the disturbingly low blood pressure Sam possessed did nothing to calm his nerves.
John held Sam's hand to his cheek as he felt tears begin to spill down his cheeks.
"Please Sammy, you have to fight kiddo. Dean needs you Sammy…you are his world…you guys are a team."
John's shoulders began to shake as the tears bordered actual sobs. "Sammy, I need you. I love you baby and you have to pull through this. I believe in you Sammy. I need you to survive," John whispered to Sam in hopes that the words would help encourage Sam to never stop fighting for his life.
"I need my baby. I already lost your mom I can't lose you too. I love you Sammy."
John then laid his head on Sam's bed and allowed the sobs to rack his grief-torn body.
***
An hour later, Sam's nurse woke John from his slumber.
"Excuse me Mr. Winchester," the nurse said as she gently shook John's shoulder.
John instantly sat up and looked at the nurse.
"Mr. Winchester, you're oldest son is starting to show signs of waking up soon. Your brothers thought you would want to be there when he wakes up. One of them is here now to sit with Sam if you would like to go be with you're other son for awhile."
John thanked the nurse before turning to Sam. He brushed Sam's hair out of his face when he saw Bobby enter the room. "Remember what I said to you Sammy," John whispered.
He turned to face Bobby and began walking over to him.
Bobby felt his heart break. He could practically feel the grief rolling off his friend in violent waves.
John nodded to Bobby.
"Bobby be sure to let me know of any changes with Sam."
"I promise I will Johnny."
John's voice cracked as he said one last thing to Bobby. "Please Bobby…watch over my baby."
At those words, Bobby wanted to curl up in a fetal position and just sob like a baby. Instead, he remained strong for his friend. "I promise Johnny…I promise."
***
John sat by Dean's bedside coaxing his eldest to open his eyes. Dean had been moaning and moving his fingers for the last few minutes but had yet to actually open his eyes.
"C'mon Dean. Please son…I need you to wake up for me…That's an order."
Finally, with the last comment, Dean's eyes slowly blinked open.
John and Caleb both smiled at Dean.
"Dad?…Wha' happened?" Dean slurred.
John leaned into Dean's face.
"Don't you remember, there was an earthquake son…you messed your leg up pretty bad."
Dean licked his lips as he tried to rack his mind for memories.
"How do you feel son…and I want the honest answer."
Dean looked at his dad with tears in his eyes. "My leg hurts," Dean answered.
Caleb immediately ran out in the hall to grab a nurse.
Dean then turned to his father as he realized someone was missing from the room. Suddenly the memories of the aftermath of the earthquake came rushing back to him. His eyes frantically widened and his breathing quickened.
"Dad where's Sammy? Is my brother okay?" Dean questioned.
"Dean you have to calm down or I'm not telling you anything."
For Sam, Dean tried his hardest to calm his breathing despite the deep pit in his stomach. Dean could tell that Sam was in bad shape. They always did have an unnaturally strong connection to each other.
Once John was satisfied with Dean's breathing, he opened his mouth to explain Sam's condition, when a nurse came in with a syringe full of morphine if John had to guess.
Dean saw the nurse and immediately yelled out, "No please don't give me that just yet. It'll knock me out and I need to know how my brother is."
"Ok Dean, but in two minutes I will be back to give you the pain medication. You need rest."
John and Caleb then sat down next to Dean. "Dean," John began, "Sammy is not doing too well. He has a concussion and needed stitches for his head, he needs surgery for his broken wrist, and…" John could not finish as fresh tears began to fill his eyes.
Dean could feel tears fill his eyes. It must be bad if his dad was crying.
"Caleb," Dean choked out, "He lost too much blood didn't he?"
Caleb swallowed the lump forming in his throat. "Yeah Dean…he did…they repaired the damage…but Dean…his body is just so weak…they are giving him blood transfusions but they just don't know…"
"What do you mean?" Dean asked quietly.
"Dean, Sam's heart stopped during the surgery…they just don't know…if there was too much damage," Caleb whispered.
Dean turned his head to the side and allowed the tears to roll down his cheek.
John went to get the nurse. He wanted Dean to rest after the tragic news he just received.
"He has to be okay Caleb…he just has too…I need him," Dean whispered.
Caleb rubbed Dean's arm until the nurse came in and gave Dean the shot of morphine. As the tears continued to fall, Dean slowly slipped into a pain-free slumber.
***
Several minutes later, a nurse ran into the room attracting both John and Caleb's attention.
"Mr. Winchester, you need to come quick. It's Sam!"
***
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