Chapter 71

"I am not going to hurt Dean." Jack looked at the men in the room with him. How could he explain this to them? They looked at him now like he was betraying them. He walked around to the front of Dean after sending Bryan back to sit down by Tony. He was still holding the gun. He knew this looked bad, but he had to convince them but first things first, he thought.

"Turn around," he told the young hunter. Dean glared at him, but then looked at the gun and since he couldn't fight, did as he was told. Jack checked the clasps of the straight jacket to make sure they were tight. When he was satisfied that they were he nodded.

"Sit down," he said. Dean obeyed and sat in the chair in front of Jack.

"I'm sorry Dean," he said because he knew that Dean was angry at him and hurt at what he'd done.

"Yeah right," replied Dean. "I'm sure you are."

"Dean it's not what you think." He looked around at the others. "I have not gone crazy."

"Then why the hell do you have my son in a damn straight jacket!" asked John angrily.

"Yeah," said Sam just as angry, "And why do you have a gun out!" Jack winced at their words and the tones of their voice and turned to Tony and Bryan. "I didn't have a choice," he offered them. Tony didn't say anything which was a sure sign that he was trying his best to hold his temper. Bryan started to get up. Jack leveled the gun at him.

"Don't please," said Jack. Bryan looked at it and decided to sit back down. Jack tried again with Bryan. "I don't have a choice." He lowered the gun.

"Alright Jack," said Bryan. "Why don't you have a choice?"

"I need to remove that device from his chest. I don't know what it is. I know what it does, but I don't know how Nemesis has put it in there and with what. I have to get it out but first I have got to get the bullet out of Brad's leg or he's going to die." He looked at Sam and then at Tony and back to Bryan again.

"Both Sam and Tony need stitches, but I have to take care of Brad first."

"I understand that Jack, but that's not telling us why you forced me to put a straight jacket on Dean," said Bryan.

"Or why the hell you've got a gun pointed at us," added John.

"To protect Dean," said Jack, "And Sam and all of us."

"Excuse me," asked Sam.

"Sam do you realize how angry that immortal is right now? Dean was supposed to burn you, but he didn't. He set Nemesis on fire. That is not going to kill him. It's just going to make him mad. He's going to want revenge on your brother and he can still control Dean. He does not have to be here to do it. The straight jacket is to protect us from him and to keep him from hurting himself until I can get the damn device out of his chest."

"Why the gun," repeated John trying hard to understand Jack's reasoning.

"Because John, I don't need to get pounded by all of you. I know how you feel about Dean. I feel the same way. That's why I didn't tell you what I was about to do, because I would have found myself beat half to death."

"Jack I didn't hurt Sammy last time," said Dean. "I was able to resist."

"You want be able to next time," answered Jack. "Trust me."

"But,"

"Dean," said Jack cutting him off. "Nemesis is going to want revenge on you now. It's no longer about you obeying him and hurting your brother. It's a whole lot more than that now. He'll use you now to hurt us all because he knows that will eat you up inside. The stakes are raised and he may even focus more on getting revenge on you than hurting Sam so he can take his conscious. Now please just trust me okay? Brad is dying."

"I don't like it," said John.

Neither do I," said Sam.

"Well I don't either," said Jack. "If we were at my place, I could lock him in the cell, but I can't do that here. When Nemesis decides to put that device to work again, the pain is going to be excruciating. You will hurt Sam again. Believe me. You'll hurt him, us and yourself because that's what he wants. This is the only way I know to keep us all safe until I can help you." He looked at everybody and pleaded.

"Please just trust me. I have to put the gun down. I have to get to Brad. He's dying and I need you all to help me watch Dean. Please." When it looked like no one was going to listen to him, he focused his attention on Bryan, who he hoped would be the reasonable one.

"Bryan please. I need your help. I can't do this by myself. My brother is going to die if I don't do something quick. I can't be afraid that everyone is going to jump me when I put down this gun. I'm not crazy, and I'm not under Nemesis control. I just have to take care of Brad first this time. I care about Dean as much as the rest of you do and you all know it."

Bryan studied his friend and saw the utter abandon in his eyes a long with the sorrow and the hurt. He knew Jack was telling the truth. He turned to Tony who nodded. Bryan nodded back and got to his feet. Jack leveled the gun at him because he wasn't sure what he was going to do. Bryan stopped, eyed the gun and then slowly walked toward him again, hands up.

"Ok Jack. Put the gun down," he said. Jack shook his head.

"Come on man. Put it down. Go to Brad. We'll watch Dean. We won't let him out of the straight jacket." Jack looked at Bryan and nodded and blew out a breath. He put the gun back in his pocket.

"Thank you," he said and turned to go toward Brad. John and Sam had both gotten up and was behind him, so when he turned, he practically ran into them.

"Shit," said Jack and looked into the eyes of Dean's father and brother.

"I don't want to hurt Dean John. Sam I'm just trying to protect him and us until I can get to him. I swear I'm telling you the truth."

"We know," said John. "Go help your brother." John and Sam stepped aside. Jack nodded and ran to Brad's bed. Tony came in. "Need some help?" He asked.

"I wouldn't turn it down," said Jack but his hands were beginning to shake.

Tony saw it. "Jack," he said and walked over to him slowly. "Are you okay?" He didn't answer. He just stood there and looked down at his brother. Tony put a supportive hand on his shoulder.

John walked up beside him. Tony looked at John who gestured for him to give them a minute. Tony nodded and left. "What is it?" he asked.

"What if I can't do this John," said Jack. "What if I can't save him? What if I can't save Dean?"

"You can save them Jack. You're just tired."

"I am that," replied Jack.

"Come on. It's what you do. You'll do fine."

"He's sick. I don't have any anesthesia." Jack rubbed his head. He'd never froze up before but he was now.

"Jack, Brad is going to be okay. He's got the best doctor I know. You've removed bullets before; you've just never operated on your brother."

"I know."

"You have guts son. He'll be okay. Now do your thing." Jack nodded and began opening up packages of sponges, and scalpels, normal saline and alcohol, and other things that he would need that he had gotten from the hospital.

"What can I do to help?" asked John. Jack sighed. "Hold his shoulders and pray he don't wake up in the middle of this. If he does, you're going to have to hold him down." John nodded and went to Brad's head. He placed his hands on his shoulders prepared to hold him down if he had to. One hour later, the bullet was out, and Jack was sewing up his leg. Thankfully Brad had not woke up.

John grinned. "Is he going to be okay?" Jack looked down at his big brother and shook his head. "We'll just have to wait and see. He should but he's lost so much blood. I just don't know yet."

John nodded. Jack went to wash his hands then went in to check on the others. He could tell that Dean was still very angry but he thought the others at least understood.

"How are you Dean," asked Jack.

"Just wonderful and yourself," said Dean sarcastically.

"I'm sorry," said Jack. Dean didn't answer. He just tugged trying to get out of the straight jacket. He winced as he thought he felt something happening in his chest. Jack walked over to the door of the motel. "I'll be right back," he said and walked out. Dean groaned a little as he definitely knew he felt the pain began.