Disclaimer: The characters of "Supernatural" were created by Eric Kripke and are owned by the CW Network. No profit is being made.

Note to Readers: Thanks again to all reviews and PM's. They are appreciated. Also, thanks again to those readers that review but don't sign in, so I can't personally reply back to you. I spared you a cliffhanger for this chapter but had to hurry and get it posted otherwise it wasn't happening today. Happy Reading, I hope.

Our Solemn Hour

By Dawn Nyberg

Chapter 14: Altar of Words, Part 2

"… I do not want to be afraid, I do not want to die inside … I'm tired of feeling so numb …" lyrics excerpt by Plumb, Cut

"Sam's in the hospital," Dean paused a moment. "They say he just turned a corner…"

"Hospital? What happened?"

"Hunt went bad," Dean answered matter of fact.

"Hunt? Were you hurt?" Lisa's voice held a hint of fear.

"I wasn't with Sammy when it happened. I got to his place and he wasn't there … it's a long story Lisa."

"I've got the time," her voice soft and Dean closed his eyes against the sting in them.

The conversation lasted a little over a half hour and Dean told her about what had happened and that Sam was on the mend and out of the coma. He looked at his watch and it was time to go be with his brother.

"Ben will be sorry he didn't get to talk to you," Lisa replied. "I can tell him you won't be at the soccer championship," she offered.

"What? No, I promised him I'd be there and it's still a month away. I'll be there."

"It sounds like Sam will need some help for a while."

"Lisa, I promised the kid I'd be there and I'm not breaking that promise. I'll figure it out, okay? It's a month away."

Dean walked into the ICU and to his brother's room. Sam's head was turned toward the door in the dim lighting. The room was quiet except for the occasional beep of IV pumps and the heart monitor, although its volume was low. He sat down in the chair and leaned back getting comfortable for the long night ahead.

"Dean?" Sam's voice was barely a whisper and Dean was on his feet in a second.

"Sammy? Hey, kiddo, I'm here," he comforted. He dropped a hand gently on the top of his little brother's head.

"What're you doin' here man? I saw Bobby knew you had to be around," Sam's voice was weak but he was coherent.

"We can talk later Sam, I'm here now and that's all that matters. Well … that and you getting better. You scared the crap out of me Sammy."

"Sorry," his strength was wilting and Dean could see his eyes blinking slower.

"Just rest Sammy," he assured. "I'm here." A small smile crept up at the corners of Sam's mouth and his eyes slid closed. He was too tired and weak to resist and he was soon fast asleep under his big brother's watchful and protective eyes.

ooooooo

Sam had spent an additional two days in the ICU before being moved to a new unit. "Dean?"

"Yeah?" Dean turned from the window overlooking an employee parking lot three stories down.

"You've been stuck here with me almost a week man … Lisa and Ben are gonna be worried." Dean had been evasive on the whys and how's of his appearance on Sam's hunt gone wrong. He wanted to make sure Sam wouldn't have a setback if he were to get pissed and Dean was pretty sure his little brother was going to spin off into new realms of pissed off when he tells him that he has left Lisa and intends to stay in Tonganoxie. He took a breath and sat down.

"Yeah, here's the thing," he started.

"I'm not gonna like this am I?" Sam's face was serious.

"Doubt it," Dean offered a rueful look and ran a hand back through his hair.

Dean explained to Sam that he was here because he had left Lisa with the intent to stay in Tonganoxie with him.

"Dean, it's stupid, okay? Look I didn't come to you in that damn cemetery for you to throw it all away, you're life …" he grunted in pain as he tried to sit up in the slightly elevated bad. Dean was at his side instantly.

"Easy, easy," he stood over Sam with gentle restraining hands. "Watch your broken ribs Sammy, just quit moving."

"Look Dean," Sam relaxed under his brother's hands. "Call Lisa, she'll take you back man, she will," he encouraged.

"Sammy, do you even get that if I hadn't come when I did and called Jack that you would have died in that house? You're going to take a while to heal completely Sam, you can't manage alone and you shouldn't have to. I'm here and I'm staying." Dean looked angry and stricken all at once and Sam bit the inside of cheek at the sight. "What? No, opinion from the peanut gallery?" Sam's mouth thinned out at his big brother's gentle verbal prodding.

"Did I miss something?" Bobby asked from the doorway. He was staying until Sam was released from the hospital but he was trying to give Sam and Dean some time alone.

"No, just Sam being a stubborn hard-headed dumb ass," Dean stepped back and paced toward the window and turned to look at his little brother and then Bobby. The older hunter chuckled.

"Uh, I think both you boys have that market cornered and it ain't all Sam. After all he's Sundance to your Butch."

Both brothers looked at each other and couldn't help but let a small smile creep up at the corner of their mouths. Sam eyed the plastic glass of water on the rolling table nearby just an arm stretch away. He had barely moved when Dean stepped forward as if knowing what his sibling wanted. "I got it Sammy, don't strain those ribs." Dean rolled the table near his brother and passed him the glass with a straw in it.

ooooooo

Sam was still moving like an old arthritic man around the house but he was able to get up and down the stairs now after sleeping in the downstairs bedroom on the pull-out that Dean had been using for a week and a half. They had fought about Dean leaving Lisa and Ben but Dean had won and Sam wished that privately he hadn't been a little happy when Dean said he was where he needed to be and wanted to be. Sam was stupid he knew his big brother ached for the family he'd come to know for all those months but he could feel that Dean was really present in this life, too and fighting for it. Sam looked on the calendar in the kitchen and saw that Dean had made some chicken scratch mark on a Friday at the end of the month, a couple weeks away.

"What's so interesting about the calendar, Sammy," Dean asked casually as he came in through the backdoor. He wiped his greasy hands on a paper towel. He had been changing the oil on the Impala and stopped to eye his brother.

"You scrawled something on here … can't make it out."

"It's a reminder for Ben's soccer championship, I promised him I'd be there."

"Oh," Sam replied quietly. "I mean sure man, when you leavin' to go back," Sam shifted his tone to sound light and he forced a smile.

"On the Thursday before but it's just for a couple of days Sam and I'll be back on that Sunday. Anyway, since you're still creeping around this place like an old man and the doc hasn't cleared you to go back to work … look I got Bobby coming to hang with you for a couple of days or so … until I get back on that Sunday. I'd take ya but I'm thinkin' those ribs aren't gonna make the trip."

Sam stared at his brother a long moment and fought the creeping hot sting in his eyes. Dean was leaving but coming back, too. "You okay Sammy?" Dean edged forward; he didn't like that Sam was still pale and the bruises although fading still stood out on his face. "You need me to get your pain meds?"

"Nah," he cleared his throat. "I'm okay." Dean gave his kid brother an incredulous look. "Well, okay in the loose sense," Sam smiled. Dean returned the smile. "You know I can handle myself here Dean, we don't have to trouble Bobby."

"Yeah, no," Dean was blunt. "He's coming, end of conversation kiddo." Sam recognized the tone, the big brother one that frequently rubbed his feathers the wrong way but right now, he just felt cared for, loved.

To Be Continued