Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 4 Respite

Bobby called for Sam as he stumbled into the building with the folded stretcher under one arm and two blankets tossed over his other shoulder.
"Bobby!" Yelled Sam. "Down here, basement level". Sam stood up to shine the flashlight so Bobby could see him. Bobby walked toward the light and found Sam's pale face looking back at him.
"Thanks for getting here so quick, Bobby"
"That's okay, son. How's he doin?" Bobby said gently as he knelt down over Dean's still form. Bobby took Dean's pulse, out of reflex more than anything and then looked up at the hole above him.
"Holy crap." He breathed "That's one hell of a fall".
"I know,"said Sam. "Where's the kit Bobby?"
"In the truck. "
Sam started to say something but Bobby held up a hand.
"Before you start yellin at me, I thought it might be better to get Dean out of here and into one of the hunting cabins. There's one about a mile back down the road. I took the liberty of opening it up on the way here and I figure if we can get Dean there we can warm him up and get him stable before we start the trek to hospital."

Sam pulled in a large breath to argue the point and then thought for a second. It would be better to get Dean out of here and get his wounds stitched up before going to much further because as tight as the bandages were Dean was still losing blood. And like Bobby said they could get Dean stable enough to travel further it would be better in one of the cabins as opposed to trying to do it here, which was damp and cold. He was starting to get very cold himself in just a T shirt. It was also off season, so no game hunters around. Sam knew the abandoned land here had become something of an extension of the surrounding forest in the last few years, and game hunters were thick on the ground during open season. Sam had to admit Bobby was experienced it tending to hunters wounds and knew what he was talking about.
"Okay, good idea Bobby, thanks".

They spent the next few minutes getting Dean onto the stretcher as best they could supporting his back, neck and head and tying him down with the blankets. Sam put his jacket back on but left his shirt under Dean's head. They gently maneuvered the stretcher on to the back of Bobby's truck and then Bobby went back inside quickly to grab the bags. Sam had time to notice a black and white oxygen tank chained to on side of the flat bed. Good old Bobby, he could get just about anything, Sam was sure. Sam stayed in the back with Dean to try to keep him as still as possible as they moved slowly down the road to the vacant hunting cabin. Sam saw the head lights of the truck sweep the front of the cabin and as Bobby had said the front door stood open. Dean didn't move all the way there and Sam kept a constant vigil on his vital signs and held his right hand. Once Bobby backed the truck up to the door the hunters grabbed the stretcher again and moved into the cabin where an old oil lamp stood in the middle of the floor to light the way.

In the main room there was also a single bed with a ratty old mattress and an even more worn blanket thrown over it.
"Thanks for getting it ready, Bobby" said Sam. He was grateful for the older hunters cool under pressure.
They laid Dean on the bed, and Bobby went straight out to the truck for the medical supplies. Sam found a bucket in the corner and filled it with water from the small rusty sink. As he returned to Dean, Bobby came in with a duffle bag of supplies.
"I guess we should be glad the medical centre was there at all it was so small. All I could get for pain relief was Demerol and not much,"said Bobby holding up a small glass bottle Sam recognized as Pethidine. "They didn't even have morphine and I'm out at the moment so we will have to use it sparingly and we will have to sedate him for the trip to hospital".

Sam gave Dean a small dose of Pethidine by injection. Bobby pulled the oxygen tank from the truck and set to work cracking the cylinder by removing the plastic dust seal and placed the key wheel spanner on key wheel then turning anti clockwise. He then closed the cylinder and set up the apparatus checking the seals and gauges as he went. When he had the regulator, the flow rate controller, the tubing and face mask set up he turned on the oxygen adjusted the flow rate and placed the mask on Dean's face. Then Bobby helped Sam lay out the first aid supplies. Sam and Bobby spent the next hour cleaning and suturing Dean up and replacing bandages. It was slow work and Sam was constantly stopping to check Dean's vitals, not that Bobby could fault him. Bobby knew Dean was in a bad way.
"A pity they didn't have any blood at the clinic." Bobby muttered to Sam as they worked. "Kid sure looks like he could use some". Bobby was thinking about the blood that had been on the floor of the basement.
"We just have to get him out of here as soon as we can." Sam murmured back.

Once they were done they removed all the dirty bandages and cleaned up a bit. Bobby checked the regulator and Sam kept watch over his brother, the night's events catching up with him and making him feel quite tired. They didn't want to light even a small fire because of the oxygen so they got as many blankets as they could and covered Dean up. It was still much warmer the the basement of the building. Bobby left to walk back up to the abandoned children's centre to get the Impala, leaving Sam watching Dean.

Bobby mused over the fact that Dean and Sam had found the Harpy's nest up here when Bobby didn't even get close to tracking it. But then Dean always was a great tracker, taught by his dad and surpassed him at the tender age of 15. That's what you get from learning to be a hunter so early he guessed. Hunting had done so much damage to the Winchester family and here they were going through it all over again. Life was so damn hard on some people. But if the hunting life had one advantage at this point for Dean it would be how tough he is now. Bobby knew that if a 'civyy' had fallen that far it would be all over but if one thing Bobby had learned about the Winchesters it was how stubborn they were. And Dean would do anything for his brother and wouldn't want to leave him alone in this world particularly since their father died not 6 months ago.

Sam was stroking Dean's arm softly when he heard the Impala coming toward the cabin. He stretched and moved to check Deans vitals then started when he realised Dean had no pause and was not breathing. Sam quickly pulled the blankets off and rolled Dean over and started CPR again with two breaths then moved to start compressions. After Sam's second round of breathing he resumed compressions as Bobby came in the door.
"What the hell?" Bobby yelled. He raced over to Dean's head to check his vitals.
"Anything?" Said Sam, between compressions.
"No, keep going".

Sam kept going and was about to move over to give Dean more breaths when Dean coughed shallowly and sharply, shooting a small amount of blood out of his mouth onto his face. Both Sam and Bobby released breaths they didn't know they had been holding. Sam looked at Dean's face, his eyes fluttered for a couple of seconds and he groaned low and painful.
"Dean, I'm here buddy. Keep fighting okay? Bobby's here and we are going to get you to hospital now." Sam called to Dean holding his right hand in his. There was a much lighter (if possible) squeeze from Dean and his eyes roamed slowly, barely open searching for his brother. Sam pushed his nose onto Deans looking into his green eyes.
"I'm here, I'm not leaving you."
Sam was overjoyed to get a soft "mmy" from Dean be it slurred and full of pain. Sam was just happy Dean knew he was there for him.
"Yeah, Dean you're doing great, keep fighting buddy."
Dean uttered a soft weak groan and his eyes fluttered shut and his breathing evened out. Bobby adjusted the oxygen flow on the mask and placed it gently back over Deans face.

Sam and Bobby monitored Dean's vitals closely for the next 5 minutes. Dean's vitals seemed the same, albeit low, and they knew they had to get Dean to hospital as soon as they could. Sam went through Dean's belongings to find his latest and best ID and insurance that would cover Dean for as long as possible whilst he was in hospital. Sam and Bobby discussed they story they had for Deans condition because normal people just didn't sew each other up. They came up with a story of the boys doing some camping in the forest and Dean falling down an old mine shaft and not being able to get Dean out by himself. Sam had to stitch Dean up himself least he bleed to death. Bobby came to join them at the campsite only to find Sam yelling for help. Sam and Bobby prepped the truck for the trip to hospital. Sam knew that they had waited as long as they dared Dean was so pale Sam was worried about the blood loss, even though they had both been in situations where the had lost fair amounts of blood Sam knew this must be some kind of record as far as blood loss went . Sam was glad at this point his brother grew up tough and was such a fighter, most people would have given up a long time ago.

It was just another thing Sam loved about his brother. As annoying and obnoxious as Dean could be he still had so many 'Dean' quality's that made Sam happy to be around him. Their dad's death had taken a toll on them both but they still had each other, through thick and thin. They loaded Dean with all the medical supplies they thought they would need and the oxygen bottle with the mask on Dean's face for the journey but the cylinder covered up with a tarpaulin. Sam used the last of the Demerol on Dean and tried to make him as comfortable as possible.

It was a long trip for Sam, even though Dean was out for most of the trip, Sam felt every pothole and bump in the road for his brother. Toward the end of the trip Dean woke groaning in pain but not opening his eyes. Sam patted his brother's face and talked to him softly assuring him they would have help very soon. When they reached the hospital Bobby ran inside and came out quickly with two nurses and a hospital gurney. Sam had the mask and blankets off his brother and ready to move him when they appeared. Sam and Bobby helped the nurses carefully lift Dean onto the bed talking to him all the while even though he was out again.

The nurses rushed the stretcher toward the hospital door but before they got there, two doctors in white coats came rushing over and started checking Dean over yelling questions to Sam and Bobby. Sam tried to remember the story they had put together all the while worrying about his brother, who the doctors and nurses were now swarming over. Sam rushed after his brother as they pushed him into the hospital. Suddenly one of doctors placed a mask over Dean's face and the other doctor began compressions on Dean's sternum. Dean had flat lined again. The gurney was pushed through a set of swinging doors with STAFF ONLY written on them. Sam made to follow his brother through but was restrained by two male nurses.
"That's my brother,"ยด yelled Sam trying to push his way through to Dean ", you have to let me be with my brother ".