Johnny Angel Ch. 21
Disclaimer: See chapter one
Author's Note: This chapter is dedicated to a friend and colleague who passed away very unexpectedly. We're going to miss you girl!
Previously: "Anytime Ace," Bobby retorted softly as he watched the elder of the two Winchester siblings succumb to sleep. Dean would need all the rest he could to get Sammy through the coming days ahead so he was more than happy to take watch for a while.
Floating in state of awareness just before waking, Sam found himself enveloped in bliss, free from thought and the horrors that seemed to be ingrained into the deepest recesses of his mind during times of consciousness. In this dreamless world, there was no unhappiness, no worries to weigh him down and he wished he could stay there forever. But of course, it was not to be as the real world intruded into his feeling of bliss. Feeling the heaviness of an arm wrapped around him, he tensed for just a moment, but then acutely remembered the events of the previous night which caused him to audibly groan in embarrassment at having had a meltdown in front of both Dean and Bobby.
"Sammy, what is it, what's wrong? Do you need me to get the doc in here?" Dean asked, rousing instantly at the sound of his younger brother's distress.
"No, m'okay, I just….I feel like an idiot for losing it the way I did last night." Sam mumbled as he pushed himself up in the bed, thankful for the little strength he had built up in his trembling arms from the few therapy sessions he had already undergone. "I shouldn't have burdened…"
"You're wrong Sammy. You needed to talk whether you realize or not. Do you know that last night is the first night you've spent nightmare free since Bobby and I got here?" Dean voiced as more of a statement than a question. "And as for burdening us, ain't gonna happen kiddo."
Any response Sam might have made was cut off as a young, blonde haired candy striper with an hour glass figure entered the room with Sam's breakfast tray in hand. Smiling at the pretty young thing as she placed the tray on the portable table, Sam thanked her and then rolled his eyes when he noticed Dean watching her swaying backside as she sashayed from the room. "Forget it bro, the girl is jailbait," Sam smirked as he lifted the lid off the plate and then winced at the look of the runny eggs, burnt toast and clumpy oatmeal that was his breakfast offering for the morning before pushing it away.
"Yeah, but she sure is easy on the eyes Dude," Dean sighed knowing that the young hospital volunteer was one hot little dish that he was going to have to leave alone, well, at least until she became of age that is. Returning his attention to Sammy, he scowled as he watched his sibling push his breakfast tray away.
"You need to eat kiddo if you're going to regain your strength," Dean informed his brother as he pushed the tray back into place and handed Sam one of the eating utensils.
"And die from food poisoning in the process, I think not" Sam retorted as he glared at Dean and lay the fork back on the plastic tray.
"Tell ya what Sam, if you promise not to tell anybody, I'll order you a sausage croissant from the mom and pop diner across the street," Brian, Sam's Physical Therapist, stated as he entered the room to find Dean and Sam at an impasse concerning the hospital food…something that Brian refused to eat himself. "And in return, I want to see you in the therapy room for an extra long workout session after you've finished eating. Have we got a deal?"
"Only if you include a sausage croissant for me and Bobby also," Dean quickly answered, not giving his sibling a chance to speak. No way was he being left out of this deal.
"Okay, see you boys in about an hour then," Brian said as he patted Sam's leg before exiting the room. He needed to set up the equipment for Sam's therapy and check on the availability of the hydrotherapy tub, Sam was going to need it after the workout he had planned.
~~Supernatural~~
Arriving at the physical therapy room approximately ninety minutes later, dressed in a set of black sweats his brother had bought for him, Sam sighed despondently as he saw the equipment Brian had set out for him to use during the latest therapy session. He knew they were going to be moving on to more advanced core strengthening exercises, but he didn't think it would be this soon. The thought of looking weak in front of his big brother, let alone Bobby, was enough to make him physically queasy. It was hard enough just moving his arms now to do simple tasks without them quivering like Santa's belly when he laughed, so how in the hell did Brian think he was going to be able to manipulate those kettlebells that were now placed on the floor beside his exercise mat?
Sensing the approach of people nearing, Brian looked up to see his favorite rehab patient sitting in a wheelchair, dressed in black sweats, and looking just a tad bit anxious as his older brother pushed him along. He couldn't blame Sam though, he knew how much Dean's perspective of him meant to his young patient. He just wished Sam cared as much as about himself as what Dean thought of him. Plastering on a smile, he stood up as the three hunters arrived by his side, his hand out in greeting.
"Glad to see you guys finally arrived for the session. I was beginning to think you might have skipped out on me," Brian joked, giving Dean's hand a firm shake.
"Yeah, we thought about making a break for it, but then we didn't want the princess here to get in any trouble," Dean replied with a laugh, ruffling his sibling's hair before bending down to lock the brakes on the wheelchair Sam was sitting it.
"I'm not a princess, Jerk," Sam huffed indignantly.
"Yeah you are, Bitch," Dean retorted with a gleam in his expressive green eyes.
"Bet these two here give you a run for your money, don't they?" Brian asked Bobby as he glanced at Bobby to see the grizzled hunter rolling his eyes at Dean's comment.
"You have no idea," Bobby remarked with obvious affection in his voice as he placed his right hand on Sam's shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. "These idjits will be the death of me one day."
"Let's hope not," Brian stated with a grin before returning his attention to the youngest Winchester. "Sam, as you can probably tell by the equipment here," he said as he motioned to the things at his feet, "I've decided to get you started on some exercises that are aimed at strengthening your trunk and torso. The reason we need to focus on this area is because the muscles of the trunk and torso stabilize the spine from the pelvis to the neck and shoulder area. These muscles also allow for the transfer of powerful movements of the arms and legs. Most people naturally assume that the movement of their arms and legs come from the limb alone, but they couldn't be more wrong. All powerful movements actually originate from the center of the body out, and never from the limbs alone. Before any muscle contractions can occur in the limbs, the spine must be solid and stable and the more stable the core, the more powerful the extremities…or arms and legs… can contract. This will be our main objective for the next few therapy sessions."
"So basically what your saying is that by starting Sam on these new exercises, you're actually helping him to develop functional fitness. Am I correct?" Bobby asked, as he scratched the five o'clock shadow of a beard that was adorning his jaw.
"Exactly, and of course that fitness is essential to Sam's daily living and any regular activities he will attempt to perform once he's released from the hospital, hence the need to get them started" Brian answered. "Now, if you gentlemen will help me transfer Sam to the mat, we'll start him on the abdominal exercises.
Following the Physical Therapist's instructions, Bobby and Dean soon had Sam positioned on his back on the floor mat, with his feet placed against the wall, his knees and hips bent at a ninety degree angle.
"Okay Sam, the first thing we're going to work on is strengthening our abdominal muscles. What I want you to try to do is to raise your head and shoulders off the floor. And to avoid straining your neck, I want you to cross your arms on your chest rather than locking them behind your head. Once you've attained the position, you need to try and hold it for three deep breaths," Brian informed his patient as he kneeled down on the mat beside Sam to help if needed.
Doing as instructed, Sam grunted, breaking out in a light sweat as he tried to raise his head and shoulders. He could immediately feel the pull in his abdomen and winced from the strain the position was putting on his abdominal muscles.
"That's it Tiger, you're doing great," Dean voiced as he watched his younger brother struggling with the exercise. He wanted nothing more to get down there and help Sam, but of course he knew that wouldn't help his brother in the long run.
Smiling at his brother's praise, Sam continued to do the exercise for another nine repetitions, finally stopping before his abdominal muscles became too overstrained. Panting for breath, he breathed a sigh of relief when Brian finally helped him up into a sitting position and spun him around where his back could rest along the wall.
"You're brother's right, you did great Sam. I'm going to give you just a few minutes to rest, and then we're going to go to work on strengthening your arm muscles using the kettlebells," Brian said as he grasped Sam's wrist to take his pulse.
"Brian, I don't know…."
"I know they look daunting Sam, but they only weigh twenty pounds and will definitely help strengthen your arm and shoulder muscles as well as the lower back and chest. We don't want to overtax your muscles on the first try. Once you finish those, we're going to move on to using the reactor ankle weights to start strengthening your leg muscles so we can finally get you mobile once again," Brian stated in a calming manner.
"Now that sounds awesome," Dean said, a huge smile lighting his face at the thought of his Sammy actually being able to get up and walk around instead of having to lay in that damn hospital bed.
"Okay, then let's do this," Sam murmured a little hesitantly, praying that he would be able to live up to his brothers expectations.
TBC. I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New year.