Johnny Angel Ch. 19

Disclaimer: See chapter one

Previously: "Damn it," Bobby swore as he threw the magazine down on the floor and stood up to walk to Sam's bed to see him starting to thrash about. The kid was having another nightmare.

"Sam, it's okay son, just try to relax," Bobby voiced as he reached out to card his fingers through Sam's chestnut colored hair in much the same way he had always seen Dean doing it. He knew the motion usually had a calming affect on the kid and hoped that it would work now for him.

"No, please, just leave him alone," Sam begged with all his heart, tossing fretfully about in his sleep. Firmly locked in a nightmare, he believed himself to still be shackled on the rack, the skin having been nearly filleted from his own bones as he was forced to watch demons approaching his brother. He could see the morbid fear on Dean's face as the three men surrounded him, their evil eyes shining a deep, coal black. Struggling in vain to free himself as he watched the demons literally rip the clothing from his brother's tall frame, Sam screamed out in abject horror as he watched the man who had basically raised him from a toddler being thrown onto a table as the demon's began to ravage him, mind, body and soul. "NOOOOO, DEAN!"

"Sonuvabitch," Bobby swore as he heard Sam scream out in gut wrenching terror before his back arched up off the hospital bed to the point where it looked like Sam's spine would snap. Wrapping his calloused hands around the younger man's shoulders, Bobby pulled Sam towards him and cradled the boy to his chest. "Damn it boy, you gotta wake up," Bobby pleaded, silent tears trailing down his face as he tried to soothe the young man who was so much like a son to him now.

"Dean," Sam whispered brokenly as he witnessed his big brother shutting down and giving up, the life fading from his green eyes. "No, I can't get through this without you," he sobbed, his body starting to violently shake as shock began to take hold.

"Bobby, what the hell happened?" Dean asked anxiously, running into the room to hear the heart monitor blaring after having heard his brother screaming from all the way down the hall. He could tell something major had happened by the way Sam was sobbing, even in his sleep.

"He's caught in another frigging nightmare," Bobby answered as he wrapped his arms around Sam and held him tight. "I can't get the idjit to wake up."

"Here, this should help to calm him some," Dr. Alison Thomas stated as she quickly entered the room carrying a syringe in her hand that was filled with a yellowish looking substance. She had heard the commotion while assessing a patient in another room from across the hall and witnessed the effects the night terror was having on her patient. Grasping the tubing of Sam's IV, she quickly injected the contents of the syringe into the IV catheter and waited for the medication to take effect as she began to assess her patient.

It only took moments for everyone in the room to witness the tension leaving the young hunter's body as Sam fully relaxed into a peaceful sleep once again with the help of the medication. Helping Bobby to gently lay his brother back so as not to wake him, Dean pulled a chair beside the bed and sat down before grasping his brother's hand and giving it a light squeeze.

"He gonna be okay?" Dean asked a few minutes later as he glanced up at the doctor with moisture filled eyes.

"I believe so. His vitals are returning to normal and he seems to be resting comfortably now," Alison replied with a smile as she witnessed the tension also fleeing Dean's body upon hearing her words. Knowing that there wouldn't be a better time to bring up the idea of Sam talking to somebody about his nightmares, decided to ask, "Have you gentleman thought about what I mentioned to Bobby earlier about Sam talking to a psychiatrist? His dreams seem to be getting worse and I really think…"

"No disrespect meant Doc, but my brother doesn't need to talk to some quack who doesn't know anything about him or what he's been through," Dean retorted, cutting the doctor off mid-spiel.

"Dean, you don't understand, Sam can't keep going through …"

"No Doc, it's you who doesn't understand. I've always taken care of my brother ever since he was a baby and that's not about to change now. Sammy will talk to me when he's ready." Dean retorted immediately.

"Dean, I just don't think it's a good idea to wait. I mean these nightmares are getting worse for Sam and he really does need to talk to a professional about it. I'd like to set up an appointment for him to see Dr. Michaels, who is our resident psychiatrist, right away, with your permission of course." Alison stated in hopes of getting Dean to understand her concern for the young man laying in the hospital bed.

"I know my brother Doc. If you try to force him into doing something he doesn't want to do, he'll shut himself off completely. So the answer is still no," Dean informed the doctor in no uncertain terms.

"Well, if you change your mind, you know where to find me," Alison voiced somberly hoping that Dean's decision wouldn't cost him the brother he treasured so much as she prepared to leave the room.

"Not gonna happen Doc, but thanks anyway," Dean stated as he watched the woman leave the room. He knew that the doctor was trying to do what she thought was best for his baby brother and he appreciated the fact that she cared about Sammy so much.

Turning his attention back to his brother, he couldn't help but wonder what Sammy had dreamt about to cause him to have such a bad nightmare. Sure, he knew Sam had always suffered with them since he were a little kid, but his brother was usually awakened easily by a gentle touch or shake of his shoulder so it worried him that Sam actually had to be medicated this time to let the nightmare go. Maybe he needed to prod Sammy along in getting him to talk.

"Hey Bobby, did Sam say anything while he was dreaming? I mean, did he give any indication of what was scaring him so badly?" Dean asked the elder hunter without taking his gaze off of his baby brother.

"Not really. He called out your name a time or two in sheer terror and then said something someone leaving you alone, but that was all," Bobby answered gruffly as he raised his left hand and kneaded the tense muscles in the back of his neck. He hated feeling so damn useless.

"Well, at least that will give me a starting place to focus on when he wakes up," Dean said as he brushed the chocolate colored bangs away from his brother's eyes. "You hear me Sammy? We're gonna talk about what's been haunting your dreams kiddo if it takes the rest of the night and a dozen chick flick moments to get you to open up ."

~~Supernatural~~

Overcoming the effects of the sedative a few hours later, Sam slowly opened his bleary eyes to see his brother sitting at his bedside with Dean's head lowered towards his chest in sleep. Smiling at the sight of his brother drooling from the side of his mouth, he let the comfort of his big brother being there wash over him with total and profound relief. His earlier nightmare had scared him more than he was willing to admit and he didn't know if he could go through another torturous session like that without losing his sanity. It was becoming harder and harder to deal with the dreams, but he couldn't burden Dean with them knowing it wasn't fair since he had already managed to ruin Dean's life enough by taking him away from Lisa, from the life his big brother deserved to have.

"What's going on in that head of yours, Tiger?" Dean asked his sibling as he sat up in the hard chair, having been awakened by the sudden awareness of someone watching him.

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing. I'm fine," Sam answered, blushing slightly at having been caught unaware by his older sibling.

"You really think I'm going to let you get away with the standard Winchester answer this time Sammy?" Dean queried with a raise of his eyebrow as he stared down his younger brother.

"Wh-what are you talking about Dean?" Sam stuttered as he began to chew on his bottom lip with angst.

"You know what I'm talking about kiddo," Dean retorted as he bent forward and rested his arms on Sam's hospital bed. "The nightmares are getting worse and I want to know why. Just what the hell happened to you while you were down there in the cage?"

"I…I already told you I don't remember Dean. Why can't you just leave it alone? Sam asked, lowering his head and picking at the light blue cotton blanket that covered the lower half of his lanky body.

"I'm not buying what you're trying to sell Dude. We both know that's not the truth and so does Sleeping Ugly over there," Dean informed his baby brother referring to Bobby who was supposedly asleep, but listening to every word being said between the brothers. "So spill."

Taking a deep breath, Sam looked up at his brother with dewy eyes which were laden with tears. "Dean, please, I don't…just please?" Sam softly stated, his voice trailing off as a huge lump settled deep in his throat. He really didn't want to talk about the hellish scenes that were haunting his dreams time and time again.

"Sorry Sam, but those puppy dog eyes of yours aren't going to work this time," Dean told his brother as he reached out to thumb away the lone tear that was trailing down Sam's cheek.

"These nightmares are tearing you apart and I'm not willing to lose you again because you're too afraid or unwilling to talk about them. Believe me Sammy, I, off all people, know just how bad things could get down there in the cage. And I also know that you need to talk about what happened if you're ever going to get past it," Dean stated as he wrapped a hand around his brother's left forearm in a show of brotherly support. He could remember how much his memories of Hell ate at him until he had finally admitted what had happened to Sam that day on the road so long ago and he wasn't about to let Sam go through the memories alone any longer.

"You won't lose me Dean," Sam whispered as he continued to fiddle with his blanket by pulling at a loose string.

"You're damn right I won't because you're going to talk to me whether you like it or not. I swear Sam, if you don't start talking now I am going to initiate the mother of all chick flick moments and it won't be pretty," Dean smirked to hid the intense worry he was feeling. "Come on little brother, talk to me."

TBC So what will Sammy do? Will he finally open up to his big brother?