Disclaimer: Not mine.

I am so sorry about the lateness of this! I'll try to get the last few updates up sooner.

Many thanks to emebalia, hotshow, BranchSuper, shookenuppepsi, SPN Mum, Olive-Pizza, 88, criminally charmed, twinklingeyes07, Holliday1081, sammynanci and JaniceC678 for the reviews.

Interlude: Lady of Mercy Hospital, Baltimore

After Dean had managed to calm his brother down, Rob was far more willing to let him stay in the room, at least until they got Sam's statement. Fuller could have left – he wasn't officially on duty, after all, and it wasn't even Dora's case anymore now that Rob was the attending – but he stayed too. He knew that in the absence of supervision Rob might have to withdraw his permission for Dean to sit in Sam's room, and he couldn't bring himself to let that happen.

That was why Fuller was there when Sam Smith finally woke up.

The first warning sign was when Dean, who had dozed off, jerked and opened his eyes. At Fuller's questioning glance, he shook his head.

"Everything's fine. He's going to wake up."

Fuller raised an eyebrow. "You know that telepathically?"

"You have no idea how loud the kid's thinking can get." Dean got out of his chair and sat on the edge of the bed. "Hey. Time to wake up, Sammy. Not polite to make everyone wait like this. Didn't I teach you better?"

Sam blinked, and then drowsy hazel eyes were looking up at Dean. Fuller was alert for any sign of nervousness or discomfort – all said and done, Sam might be a victim of abuse, and he was going to do his job – but Sam just sighed and smiled trustfully up at his big brother.

"Hospital?" he mumbled, voice raspy from disuse.

"Yeah. You got a bit banged up." Dean patted Sam's chest. "You gave me a scare, kiddo."

"Sorry."

"You should be." But Dean's smile was taking any sting out of his words. He reached over Sam for the call button. "Going to let the nurses know you're awake, OK? They'll probably want to check your blood pressure or O2 sats or whatever it is they're checking these days."

A nurse bustled in, and Rob was just a step behind her.

"You're awake," he said, unsmiling. "I have to speak to you, Sam." He glanced at Dean. "Alone."

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