I do not own any of the characters or affiliates and such they all belong to the people who own Supernatural. Also, I am Australian and relying solely on Google for any information about American towns and places and such, so if names or anything don't work or are wrong, sorry! Hope you all enjoy and possibly even review?

8.

Rolling around in the bed, sticky and uncomfortable, Dean just couldn't catch a break. Sweat was running down his forehead in large rivulets, dampening the bandages around his eyes. It had not even been thirty hours since he had been moved back to ICU from recovery after having his eyes removed and he already had a fever. The doctors had let him know there was chance of infection, that procedures like these didn't always go as planned due to the area.

Clenching his fists in annoyance, Dean Bit down on his lip against the heat radiating from his body, it was worse beneath the cast and bandages. Shivering violently he grunted in pain, feeling the broken bone in his leg move awkwardly with the shivers as more wracked over his body.

Lying there in his sweat, Dean tried to feel around for his buzzer but couldn't find it, calling out for a nurse didn't work either, his voice to parch to speak from fever. Giving up in resignation, it wasn't long before he felt himself pass out, glad not to have to deal with the aching and sweat anymore.

Come morning, when Dean managed to shake himself awake from the grogginess he groaned inwardly, feeling worse then the night before. He sensed people in the room and tried to call out his brother's name, stammering when a shiver wracked his body once more. 'Sam-my.' He managed.

'Hey you're awake, are you okay?' Sam's concerned voice came into contact with Dean's aching head, he wished he could sit up, his head swimming and heart feeling like it was beating a million beats and minute to escape his chest cavity. He felt a hand on his shoulder and his brother's intake of breath over the beeping of the heart monitor. 'You're shirt is soaked,' his hand travelled to his aching forehead next 'and you're burning up. Hasn't a nurse been in to check on you yet?' Dean shrugged with difficulty, still shaking.

Hearing his brother move away from the bed he threw his arm out, wincing before clasping whatever he had grabbed on his brothers body, pulling it tightly. He was scared to be left alone right now, he didn't feel well enough. 'I'm going to get you a nurse; this is really bad care for an ICU.' Sam slowly unclasped his fingers what felt like his shirt and placed them gently back by his side before pulling he doona back over him, almost to what felt like his neck.

'I will be back in a second.' Dean was left to his misery, not even bothering to count the steps this time; he didn't have the mental energy it needed.

'Look, I am telling you again. I checked on your brother half an hour ago. I reported the fever to his doctor, and he said it was just pre-op.'

'That was yesterday morning, and this doesn't look like that.'

Struggling to keep conscious, Dean focused on the angry conversation as it paused in his doorway. Hurried footsteps, too fast to even consider counting abused his headache, his brother shouted his name and someone was clasping his hand while someone else was feeling his forehead and taking up his other hand, cool fingers resting beneath his wrist, over his pulse.

'Double click the buzzer and hit the emergency button above it.' Dean felt the bed drop flat suddenly and was overcome with dizziness for the second time that morning. His heart beat erratically as he felt nausea overcome him, trying to lean over he managed to turn his head enough so he didn't throw up on himself. 'That rash wasn't there last time I came in to this room.' The nurse's voice was worried, Dean looked around uselessly, wishing his brother would speak, do something other then hold his hand.

More footsteps ran in to the room, he heard his doctor's name and a code called over the speakers. 'Sammy?' He groaned.

'Yeah I'm here Dean, I'm here.' Sam hushed him. 'What is it?'

'So-something doesn't f-fee-feel right Sammy.' The shivers intensified for a moment before his heart beat in to overdrive, feeling like it was about to stop, the last thing he heard was his brother shout his name before he lost track of what was happening around him.

Xxx

Pacing back and forth in front of Dean's room, Sam slammed a fist in to the wall before pulling his hands through his hair for the hundredth time it seemed. Bobby walked up to him and grabbed his hand roughly, dragging him to a seat and forcing him in to it, with a threatening look that told him not to move, before sitting down himself.

'It's been half an hour since they kicked me outta there Bobby, half an hour and all they have done is walk in and out of there with machines and bags and tubes of his blood. When are they going to tell us what is going on?' Sam whined, burying his face in his hands against the stress, growling like a wounded animal.

Just then the door opened and the doctor stepped out, Marc headed towards them with a grim look on his face. Standing and walking towards the man quickly, Sam stopped with an expectant face in front of him, desperate for news on his older brother. Anything.

'At the moment it isn't looking too good for your brother. We have administered oxygen and a saline drip to try and stabilise the blood pressure and slow down his heart beat, but the overall results wont be known until this time tomorrow at the latest's. We have taken bloods for some cultures and tests, but judging by the fever, shakes and rash we are looking at a blood infection caused by his eyes. There may have been something left behind in the wound from the blade, which we missed and has gotten in to the blood stream.'

Shocked, Sam didn't even know where to begin with the questions in his head. But the doctor went on.

'We will begin treating him with a broad spectrum antibiotic intravenously for now, hopefully that will help take care of as much of the infection as we can. Your brother is unconscious right now, so we are thinking it might be the best time to check his eyes for any sign of cysts or masses that may have formed and caused the infection. If there are any we will drain them, the main cause now is that the infection gets in to the broken bone in his leg. So we will do scans every hour at the moment, just to make sure.'

'Ca-can this k-kill him?' Sam managed to stutter out as Bobby came forward quickly and squeezed his shoulder, not removing his hand.

'A man in your brother's condition stands an 80% death rate in comparison to a healthy person. But we are doing everything we can for him right now, he is receiving the best care he can, it's been caught early so let's hope that's a promising outcome.' Doctor Marc patted Sam's arm, nodded at Bobby then turned away and walked back in to Dean's room, grabbing a paper gown and some gloves before closing the door on them both, standing shocked in the middle of the hallway, mouths slightly open, Sam shaking beneath Bobby's touch.

'The doctor is right Sam, your brother is in the best care he can get right now, and it seems like they caught it mighty early. There's every chance in the world your brother will make it through this, even out of sheer will power alone he will. No way is he going to leave you alone right now.' Bobby assured the youngest Winchester.

Nodding as he stepped back towards the wall, Sam sank back against it and slid down to the ground, legs spread out in front of him as he stared blankly in shock. The Winchesters certainly seemed to pull the shit stick out of the barrel in lucks war that raged against them, copping every piece of bad that flew their way lately. First it was dad's death, and almost losing Dean himself; and now this.

'It's going to be alright son.' Was all Bobby could offer as he sat next to the young man with a groan, his aged body grovelling under the strain of sitting such a way. Pulling Sam towards him, he glared at anyone who gave them an irritated look, as Sam's long legs stuck out half way across hall, blocking the way. He would have him move if someone with a wheelchair or bed needed to come through though.

But for now; he was contenting holding the boy against him, trying to offer him as much comfort as he could until they finally got called back in to his surrogate son's room. Supporting Sam as they walked towards the door, he felt him tense in his grip. The sight that greeted them wasn't over all pleasant as they walked in.

Tubes were running from Dean's nose, supplying him with the oxygen he needed, and there were two IV's running in to the one arm. Bobby realised the cast was temporarily missing from Dean's leg, revealing the nasty discoloured bruise and bump where the twisted break was obvious, and the rash that crawled up both legs from ankle to calf.

'Oh Dean...' Sam whispered beside him, slowly stalking forward. The nurse moved out of his way so the young brother could pull his chair as close to the bed as he could manage and grip his bandaged arm, Bobby saw him clench and unclench his grip and look hopefully to Dean for a response, but none came.

'Your brother is still unconscious. He should wake a little bit after we administer the antibiotics. We found three cysts in his eye sockets.' Sam didn't look up as the doctor spoke, but Bobby met his gaze, letting him know the information was being received.

'We drained them, which should stem the infection getting any worse. But at the moment your son is going to require around the clock supervision. I can offer you both a trundle in the room, if you were to prefer staying by his side as this will be very touch and go.'

'If that can be arranged then I think that would be best. My sons have a very close bond, I think it would be better for both their health if the other were around.' Bobby accepted the offer quicker then spit fire, Sam looked over and smiled thankfully at him, at least that way Sam would get some sleep for once. He knew when they were at the motel room he tossed and turned restlessly.

'Well I will speak with the nurse while she finishes up and have her arrange something for you both. In an hour an orderly will come take Dean for an x-ray on his leg, make sure the infection isn't in muscle or bone.' Nodding again, Bobby walked over to Sam's side and resumed the comforting squeeze on his shoulder, knowing there was nothing he could say to make him feel better right now, all he could do was be there for them both as much as he could.

Bobby would be damned if he would lose another Winchester from his life, especially cooped up in a hospital bed like this, from an infection. Dean would be fuming mad if he went out like that. He knew it had been drilled in to him from a certain age, that the only death was a heroic one in the heat of the hunt. Not some infection.

Squeezing Sam's shoulder, Bobby assured him everything was going to be okay even though he wasn't quiet sure it was going to be. But right now Sam needed someone to be strong, because the one person he could rely on to be there when he needed them, was lying unconscious with more tubes then a machine stuck in his arms.

Dragging the chair to besides Sam's and sitting down heavily, Bobby rested back knowingly. It was going to be a very long night.