Chapter Thirty-Three

John looked as though he was about to faint. Dean quickly stood, grabbed his father's shoulder and steered him to the chair for visitors. The father sank into it gratefully.

"Really?" John asked, "You're not joking?"

Sam shook his head, "Why would I joke about something like this?"

John shrugged, "I… don't know what to say."

The nurse had left the room five minutes ago and in that time Sam had told his father the incredible story of his restored vision.

"I don't know if its permanent or not," Sam said seriously, "So we shouldn't get too excited."

John shook his head, "I think… I think this is it, Sam."

His youngest son's eyebrows knitted together in confusion, "What do you mean, Dad?"

John took a deep breath, "I spoke to your donor, Sam. In person. He told me that he was a psychic."

Sam's expression of confusion didn't change, "You what? Dad! Why did you do that?"

"I wanted to make sure he was the real deal," John told him, "I wanted to make sure he wasn't trying to pull one over on us."

Sam opened his mouth but closed it again, "He's a psychic."

John nodded, "Yeah… he can't see the future or anything… but he said he could see these… auras around people and that sounds a lot like what you're seeing right now."

Sam gaped.

"How? How is that possible?"

John shrugged, "Maybe having his kidney gave you some of his abilities."

Sam shook his head, clearly unsure of what to say or how to feel.

John knew how he felt; even for him, this was unreal.

Dean broke the silence, "Where's Bobby?"

John looked up, only then noticing that his friend had not followed him to Sam's room.

The father stood up, on edge and peered out the door. He looked down either side of the hallway and saw the veteran hunter heading their way.

"Where were you?" John asked suspiciously.

Bobby raised an eyebrow and opened one clenched fist, revealing a plastic saltshaker.

"Getting supplies," he answered, "There's a whole whack of these things in the cafeteria."

"Salt?" Dean asked, seeing what Bobby held, "Why do we need salt?"

"We think a demon killed Sam's donor and we're not sure if it'll be after him next," Bobby explained, keeping his voice low.

"Is everything okay?" Sam asked nervously, staring right at Bobby.

"Uh… yeah," the hunter replied, "Don't worry, son."

Dean looked at John and then to Bobby.

"I'll tell him the good news," John's eldest said and stepped forward to talk quietly with the older hunter while he laid down lines of salt on the windowsill and doorframe.

John approached his youngest; his throat tight and sat down in the visitor's chair.

"I… can't believe it," he muttered.

Sam gave a wry smile, "Me either."

John sighed, not knowing what to say.

He looked up when he felt Sam's hand on his arm.

"Don't worry, Dad," his son said, "Everything's going to be okay now."

John, veteran of the Vietnam War and hardened hunter, nodded, his chin trembling.

Randall Gorman had thought he was simply giving Sam a kidney but what he was really giving the young man was so much more.

John could see it in his son's face- call it hope or happiness or whatever you like- but Sam's entire demeanor had changed in the blink of an eye. Even when Sam had begun to grow more and more at ease with using his cane and reading Braille he hadn't looked like this.

John didn't know how to explain it and was certain he never would, but whatever it was, it made all the difference in the world to Sam and in turn, all the difference to him.

SPN

Dean remained steadfastly at Sam's side while they waited; either for the youngest Winchester to have recovered enough to return to Sioux Falls or for the demon that had killed Randall Gorman to appear, it didn't matter. Dean refused to move from his seat even when Bobby drifted from the room in search of coffee.

The boys' father sat in the chair provided for visitors, dark eyes glued to the doorway.

Dean felt the need to be as close to his sibling as possible and was perched on the edge of the mattress beside Sam.

"How are you feeling?" Dean asked his brother quietly, "Does your side hurt?"

Sam shrugged, "A little. It's not bad."

Dean looked up and his shoulders tensed when a nurse walked into the room.

"Hello," she greeted as she stepped over the line of salt in the doorway with no reaction, "My name is Maggie, I'll be your nurse."

"Hi," Sam replied quietly and Dean repeated him.

Maggie turned to John and the hunter introduced himself and his sons.

"You were transferred here from Sioux Falls," Maggie said as she read over Sam's chart that was clipped to the end of the bed, "Recovering from a kidney transplant."

The nurse looked up and smiled, "How are you feeling? Any discomfort or pain at the incision site?"

Sam shrugged vaguely, "It doesn't hurt that bad…"

Maggie approached him, "On a scale of one to ten for pain- ten being the highest and one being the lowest- how would you rate how you're feeling?"

Dean smirked as Sam sighed but answered.

"Two… or three… not bad at all," he replied.

The nurse nodded before speaking again, "Have you been to the washroom yet? Since you came out of surgery?"

Dean chuckled at the sight of his brother's face turning red with embarrassment.

"Uh… no?" Sam said uncertainly.

Maggie tsked, "You can't leave until you use the toilet. I know people don't think it's all that important but we need to make sure that you're bowels are working after having the anesthetic in your body for so long… and we also need to make sure that new kidney of yours is agreeing with you and doing what it should."

Dean snorted at the topic of conversation- and Sam's beet red face- but sobered when John gave him a disapproving look.

"As long as the pain is manageable I'll come back later," Maggie told Sam, "Just press the call button if you need anything."

Sam, muttering, said he would and the nurse left the room.

"You're a jerk, Dean," Sam grumbled and the twenty-two year old blinked, feigning innocence, "What did I do?"

"Boys," John said in a warning tone but it was clear he wasn't really concerned with his sons starting an argument.

Bobby appeared in the doorway, a tray of coffee in one hand.

"Thought y'all could use some," he commented.

Dean smiled at Sam's surprised look, "Not you, Sammy."

The older brother took the drink Bobby offered and took a sip, "On second thought, this stuff is great for making you go Number One and Two."

Dean held the paper cup out to his brother but Sam's face scrunched up and he pushed it away.

"No thanks," he muttered.

"Any sign of that demon?" John asked the older hunter and both Sam and Dean turned serious.

Bobby shook his head, "If it's here, it sure is taking its time coming after Sam."

Dean frowned, "Maybe it just wanted Gorman."

John looked to Bobby and the veteran hunter nodded, "Could be."

Still, the hunters remained vigilant for any sign of supernatural activity.

SPN

Sam shifted uncomfortably against the hospital bed's mattress, frowning.

"You okay, Sammy?" Dean asked concernedly.

"Yeah… I uh…" the younger man stammered, embarrassed.

"I can get a nurse," Dean insisted but Sam shook his head, "No… I have to… uh…"

"Sam," John said, "What's the matter?"

Sam closed his eyes and sighed.

"I… have to go to the bathroom," he muttered and looked up, glad that he couldn't see the expression on Dean's face.

"Why didn't you just say so?" John asked, "The nurse said you have to go to the washroom anyway so that they know everything is working as it should."

Sam glared at his brother as Dean nudged his shoulder, "Sammy doesn't want us to know about it."

"I am not!" the eighteen-year old snapped even though it was true. It was embarrassing to have his father and brother there when Maggie had explained that he needed to use the toilet to ensure he wasn't still sick.

"C'mon Sam," Dean commented, "I changed your diapers when you were a baby and toilet-trained you. What you do in the washroom is no mystery to me."

Sam stared at his brother's gold-rimmed form in horror.

"Okay, okay," Dean relented, "Do you need help getting up?"

Sam shook his head and climbed down from the bed, the tile floor chilly beneath his feet. Looking up, Sam could make out the doorway to the bathroom etched in black against the white background and made a beeline for it.

He reached out and touched the doorframe, extremely happy to be able to navigate the hospital room with no assistance, and cringed when Dean had to have the last word.

"Let me know if you need any help in there Sammy!"

"Dean!" John snapped and Sam smiled before closing the door.

SPN

After bringing some much-needed coffee to the two eldest Winchesters, Bobby left the room and roamed the hallways. If the demon did show its face in the hospital the grizzled hunter didn't want the small family to be caught off guard.

Besides keeping an eye out for anyone who seemed suspicious, Bobby also wanted time to think.

Sam getting his sight back- of a sort- was amazing and seemingly unreal. The damage to the young man's eyes had been so severe that he was certain to be blind for the rest of his life.

Although the Winchesters were happy- as they should be- about the new development it made the grizzled hunter somewhat uneasy.

Of course it could just be Sam taking on Randall Gorman's psychic power along with the man's kidney. Bobby had heard of cases where people who had received transplanted organs suddenly started liking certain foods or not liking them, having strange dreams that didn't seem at all like something their subconscious would dredge up or even experience personality changes but this… this seemed a little far-fetched.

Oh, Bobby wasn't denying that Sam could see again. He just wasn't completely sure why.

And why was his donor now dead by demon hand?

Had some unseen force guided Gorman to Sam? John had told Bobby Randall's story about trailing Sam for the ex-director of Dunhill and at the time it seemed to make sense but had that been it? Was there someone else who had an interest in the youngest Winchester?

Bobby sighed and scratched his ruddy beard, turning towards the elevators to head to the cafeteria for something to eat.

He may be a hunter- and a damn good one if he could say so himself- but Bobby didn't fancy himself an expert on the politics of Hell. He didn't know why Gorman had been killed other than for the fact that he had served his purpose and was no longer needed. He didn't know why any demon would give a shit about the Winchesters, especially young Sam.

Of course, it could be all coincidence and Bobby could be looking into Sam's miraculous gift of sight far too deeply for no reason.

Shaking his head, Bobby stepped into the elevator and smiled at a young nurse whose nametag read 'Maggie'.

The woman stepped out of the elevator, slipping between the two doors as they closed without looking back as Bobby reached out to press the button for the lower floor.

The grizzled hunter failed to see the nurse's eyes flash sickly yellow as she left the elevator.

SPN

Sam closed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest, reclining against the mattress.

"Really? You're tired?" Dean's voice asked from beside him, "You've were asleep for three and a half hours earlier today."

"Leave me alone," Sam muttered irritably.

"Dean, let him sleep," John's voice ordered and Sam felt the mattress move as Dean left his side.

"I'm going to get a magazine or something," Sam heard his brother say, "You want anything, Dad?"

John apparently had shaken his head because Dean left the room seconds later, leaving Sam alone with their father. Sam, who may have been uneasy about that fact only a week earlier, now felt completely content in John's presence.

Sighing, Sam settled in to a bit of a nap, believing the room to be secure from attack.

SPN

John looked up and saw Maggie standing in the doorway of the room. She smiled and took a step over the line of salt, chuckling as she entered the room.

"Sam's asleep," the father explained, "But I think he's doing alright."

The nurse grinned widely, "That's good. I was worried about him."

John smiled, "He's a strong kid."

Maggie nodded, "I know. I was counting on it."

The father's eyebrows knitted together and he frowned, "What?"

"What I mean is," Maggie answered, turning her head to look at John, "He's always been my favourite and I was upset to hear about his unfortunate run-in with the Black Market ring operating in that psychiatric hospital."

John stood, suddenly scared and opened his mouth to speak again when the nurse raised her hand and he was slammed into the wall.

"Shhh," Maggie said, finger against her lips, "Sammy's sleeping. We don't want to wake him up, do we?"

"How…did…you…get…in?" John ground out, his chest heaving in panic.

Maggie gave him an incredulous look, "Really, you think some meager line of salt is going to stop me?"

John struggled in vain against the invisible bonds holding him against the wall, terrified for his youngest.

"Don't…hurt…him," he begged.

The demon approached the bed where Sam lay and reached out, fingers hovering just inches from the sleeping boy's face.

"Now, why would I do that, John?" the demon asked, "I said Sam was my favourite and I didn't lie. I have plans for Sammy, yes, I do. Big ones."

John growled threateningly when Maggie laid a hand instead on Sam's head, smoothing down his short hair. The teen whimpered a little and turned his face to the side but didn't wake.

"Don't…touch…him!" John snarled but the demon ignored him.

"It just wouldn't be fair for Sam to be completely blind," Maggie continued as though John hadn't spoken, "I'm not that cruel. So, I hired Randall Gorman to find Sam for me. Yes, I possessed that self-serving prick Findlay and called the psychic."

"Let…me…go!" John demanded but the demon wasn't looking at him, it was focused on Sam.

"I knew Randall would feel compelled to help your son," Maggie told him, "He liked to think he was a hard-ass but he really had a heart of gold."

The demon now turned to look at John, "And it turned out I was right. I didn't even have to do anything! Randall just decided to donate a kidney all on his own!"

"How… How… did…you…know-" the father began but the demon interrupted, finishing the sentence, "That Randall's kidney would transfer some of his powers to your son?"

John inclined his head- it was about as much as he could move it to nod- and waited for the demon.

"Call it an educated guess," Maggie replied, "I may be good but even I'm not that good. At any rate, if it didn't work and Sammy here still remained blind, at least he wouldn't have to have his blood cleaned by a machine four times a week. I want all my children to be in top form and having Sam so sick just wasn't going to work."

"What…are…you…talking…about?" John asked, his mouth going dry with fear.

"Can't tell you. It's a surprise," Maggie told him, "You like surprises, right Johnny?"

John opened his mouth in shock when the nurse's eyes flashed yellow before she glanced at her watch.

"You! You…bastard!" John stammered, feeling sick to his stomach.

"Looks like I'm almost out of time," the demon said, "I'd love to stay and chat but I've got places to be and people to possess."

John stared as the demon stepped away from Sam and left the room. The monster's power remained focused on keeping the father pinned against the wall for a long minute before it released him and John fell onto his hands and knees.

"Sam!" he shouted and stood up, staggering across the room to his youngest.

"Sam! Sam! Wake up!"

John felt relief wash over him as his eighteen-year old's eyes opened slowly.

"Dad?" he muttered, his tone confused.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" John asked, reaching out to cup Sam's face between his hands.

The teen's expression turned confused and scared, "What? No, I feel fine. Dad, what's wrong?"

The father took a deep breath. Sam wasn't hurt, he wasn't hurt and the demon was gone. Not wanting to frighten his son anymore then he already was, John shook his head, "Nothing Sam. Sorry."

Stepping back, John shook his head and took his seat again, shaken.

Taking a deep breath, the father rubbed his hands over his face, telling himself that Bobby and Dean did not need to know about the demon. That would only anger the grizzled hunter and terrify his son. No, for better or worse John was going to keep that a secret.

SPN

"Are you sure?" Bobby asked for the tenth time, "You could always stay here for a little while longer."

Sam smiled at the grizzled hunter and gave him a tight hug, "I know, Bobby. But I'm okay. Really."

The grizzled hunter nodded, sighing.

A month had passed since Sam had been released from the hospital in Mitchell.

There had been no sign of the demon that had killed Randall Gorman and once the Winchesters had returned to Sioux Falls Dr. Greene expected to see Sam regularly for his check-ups. The young man took his medications loyally and there were no complications with infection or rejection- it seemed that Lady Luck was indeed smiling upon the Winchesters- and Dr. Greene happily gave Sam a clean bill of health.

Rayann Muir, astonished by Sam's rapid recovery from surgery and his continued progress with Braille and the cane, had announced just the week before that her work was done, the parting bittersweet for everyone.

Even though Sam could see inanimate objects in black-and-white and people with coloured auras surrounding them, the written word was still lost to him. Peering down at a book, Sam only saw individual pages and not the words printed in them. The screen on the television, too, was simply a blank white square with no pictures.

"Are you sure you want to come with us?" Dean now asked his brother, his expression concerned, "Bobby's right. If you don't feel ready you can stay here."

Sam shook his head and picked up his duffel bag that he had sat down at his feet.

"I want to go with you and Dad," he insisted.

Bobby had to give the boy points for his tenacity. Ever since John had decided that it was time to get back on the road and Sam had announced he was coming with his brother and father, the two elder Winchesters had been trying their damnedest to convince the eighteen-year old to stay.

"I'll keep myself busy," Sam told them over and over again, "Don't worry about it."

Finally, beaten down, John and Dean had tentatively agreed that Sam could come with them- even though the teen was going to do so anyway and their formal invitation was only a formality- and began packing their belongings into the trunk of the Impala.

John now peered into the house through the screen door, "You boys almost ready?"

Both brothers nodded and Bobby couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness at the thought of the boys leaving.

"Come by next time you're in South Dakota?" He couldn't help but asked and Dean nodded, smiling.

"Of course we will, Bobby," he promised, "It'll probably be to drop Sammy off 'cause he'll get bored to death with us!"

Sam hugged Bobby again and then Dean embraced the grizzled hunter.

"Thanks, Bobby," he whispered, "For everything."

Tears pricked the corners of Bobby's grey eyes and he shook his head, "That's what family's for. Now, you two better get goin' before yer Daddy decides to leave you both here."

SPN

Dean felt bad that they were leaving Bobby, even though he knew the old hunter could take care of himself.

He and Sam walked to the Impala and placed their bags into its trunk, their father closing the lid once the luggage was stowed away.

The twenty-two year old sat in his usual spot- shotgun- while Sam took the backseat.

"You sure you have everything?" John asked, angling the rearview so that he could get a better view of his youngest without having to turn his neck, "Pills, books, cane?"

Dean began fiddling with the radio as Sam replied, clearly trying to hide the exasperation in his voice.

"Yeah Dad," he commented, "Everything's in my bag."

John nodded and Dean smiled, turning up the volume on the radio as The Who's 'I Can See For Miles' began playing.

"Where are we headed?" Dean asked, looking up at his father.

"Seattle," John answered, "But there's a stop we have to make on the way."

SPN

Sam stared out the Impala's window nervously. He didn't know quite what to expect.

John had assured him that it would be all right and that he had made a promise he had to keep.

The classic Chevy came to a halt in front of a ramshackle building, even Sam could see shingles peeling from the roof and John got out of the car.

Dean opened the door for Sam and the eighteen-year old stepped out.

"Relax, Sammy," Dean said, "No one here's gonna bite."

Sam smiled self-consciously and gripped the handle of his cane tighter.

Dean walked beside him as they approached the building and Sam startled when the front door opened and a woman- Sam was sure it was a woman- surrounded by a fiery red aura.

"John Winchester!" the woman called, "I thought I heard that old piece of crap you drive!"

"Nice to see you too," Sam heard his father grumble and smirked.

"Well, I'll be damned," the woman said, no longer shouting, "You brought the whole clan with you."

"Hi," Dean greeted and Sam felt his brother nudge his shoulder.

"Hello," he replied quietly, suddenly shy.

"Sam Winchester!" the woman all but shrieked and came barreling down the stairs. Sam froze when the woman grabbed his upper arms, "Let's get a look at you."

Sam raised his head and caught sight of his brother.

'Help me,' he mouthed desperately.

Instead of helping, Sam heard Dean chuckle.

"You're looking so much better," the woman told him, "Much healthier."

"Uh…" Sam replied.

"Come on in," the woman released his arms but grabbed his free hand and began pulling him forward, "The others are going to want to see you too."

"Others?" Sam asked and sought out his brother, "What others?"

As soon as Sam stepped inside the building- the Roadhouse, John had called it- he found himself at the center of a group of people all talking to him at once, all reaching out to touch his shoulders or arm- and began feeling very claustrophobic.

"Okay, okay!" Dean's voice rang out after one very long minute, "Break it up!"

The group of people retreated but Sam was given no reprieve, instead Dean introduced him to everyone individually. There was Joshua and Caleb and Ellen and Jo and Ash and Deke and Pastor Jim. Some of the people Sam knew but hadn't seen in many years and others were completely new to him. Sam found himself closing his eyes to prevent himself from getting sick as their auras all began to mix in his head.

"Here, Sammy," he heard Dean say and felt a cold glass pressed into his hand.

"Thanks," he muttered and brought the glass to his lips, tasting Coca-Cola.

Dean took hold of Sam's hand holding the cane and led him forwards, "Sit."

Dean took the glass from Sam and the young man heard it hit something wooden- a counter- and Sam reached out, his fingers brushing against a bar stool.

Sam pulled himself onto the stool and carefully opened his eyes again, sighing at the familiar black and white 'sketches' met his gaze, devoid of colour.

"How're you feeling?" Dean asked.

Sam shrugged, "That was a bit much."

He heard Dean chuckle, "Yeah, but I guess Dad wanted everyone who was involved with your rescue to see you in one go."

Sam nodded and picked up his glass of Coke.

"You okay?" Dean asked, his tone concerned and Sam glanced at him from the corner of his eye.

Dean's aura, like John's was gold, and very bright. Sam quickly looked away.

"I'm just thinking," he muttered.

"It's never good when you start thinking," Dean replied.

Sam smiled sadly.

"Whatever it is," Dean continued, "Forget about it. All that shit that happened before; it's in the past. You don't have to think about it ever again if you don't want to. You're alive, you're healthy… what those bastards did to you, it wasn't permanent. You didn't let them win. Just being here proves that."

Sam lowered his head. Dean was right.

Looking up, the eighteen-year old nodded.

"What I'd be thinking about, if I were you," Dean told him in a conspiratorial tone, "Is whether you can convince Jo to give you a kiss."

"Dean!" Sam exclaimed, laughing despite himself.

"She's been staring at you since you stepped in here," Dean told him.

Sam shook his head, "She's probably creeped out by my eyes."

"Nah," Dean replied, "No way. Here, I'll prove it to you. Hey! Jo! Come over here for a minute!"

SPN

John smiled as he watched his sons and Ellen's daughter talking at the other end of the bar.

Ellen herself sighed and turned to look at John.

"He's looking a hell of a lot better," she said and the father nodded.

"You wouldn't believe the change in him, Ellen," John told her, "He's a completely different person."

The woman nodded and took a sip of her beer.

"I just hate that he had to go through all that shit to get to this point," the father lamented sadly.

Ellen frowned and put her beer down.

"We all go through hell," she said, "Sometimes it's of our own making and sometimes… well… you know…"

John nodded, "He's strong. Stronger than me."

Ellen glanced over at John's youngest, "Because you raised him to be."

John looked at her, "I guess I just didn't realize how strong that boy was."

The woman smiled at him, "Kids will surprise you."

John returned the gesture, "I just hope that he's strong enough to face whatever comes his way. I have a bad feeling its only going to get harder for him from hereon in."

Ellen reached out and tentatively touched the father's arm, "With you, and Dean, I know Sam will be able to face anything."

Author's Note:

Thanks to Guest, AlonzoLovesPie, TheMajesticLauren, k2pony, Jenjoremy, KatyMVT, BranchSuper, Wholocked221, Ghostwriter, babyreaper, Miuda22, SPN Mum, ncsupnatfan, Kasey, reannablue, MysteryMadchen, ds96, L.A.H.H, SamDeanLover28, and TheCartwrightKid for reviewing.

Thanks to everyone who alerted, followed and favouirted.

Well folks, this is the end. I hope you enjoyed reading this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you for all your continued support and encouragement.

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