Storm's Last Season

Chapter 17 ~ Where I Can't Follow

previously on BruisedBloodyBroken:

Just when Dean's hands clutched at the omega's upper arms from behind, the tall man slumped back against him, suddenly going limp.

"Dean.", Sam gasped out.

There was a searing pain radiating from his somewhere of his ribcage. It felt hot and as if something was trying to burn him from his inside. He felt a warm liquid soak through the fabric of his shirt, warming his icy skin. He felt the warmth of his alpha's body, he smelled his alpha's scent and felt his presence. Sam could feel warm puffs of air against his neck and strong arms wrap around him, stopping his fall into the cold white snow ...

NOW:

Dean caught the omega's weight and sunk down into the snow with him. He was robbed of all abilities except seeing, smelling and feeling. The alpha wasn't able to utter a single word, though he wanted to call Sam's name, wanted to tell him that everything would be okay again.

The very next moment, Sonny's hand appeared in his vision, pressing his hand onto a red stain on Sam's shirt.

The omega gasped, as he felt a sudden pressure on his ribcage. He blinked and saw the ex-con hovering over him, felt strong arms, that held him against a warm surface on his back.

Sonny was talking. He was talking to Dean, who held him tightly.

"There's no way to call an ambulance ...", Sonny panted, becoming more and more nervous the bigger the stain under his hand got. "We gotta get him there on our own."

That was about the moment, when Dean surfaced from his trance-like state, blinking down at Sam.

"Shit ...", he muttered, "Sammy ... Sam ..." He laid one of his hands on Sam's cheek, trying to anchor him, to make him focus. "You with me, baby?"

The omega nodded and swallowed thickly. "'m here."

"Fine ..." Dean smiled, but it wasn't an honest smile. "You stay with me, you hear me? - Sonny's gonna get the Pick Up and we'll get you into a hospital ... You ... You gotta hold on, 'kay?"

Sam nodded again.

Sam's face was starting to grow pale and his eyelids fluttered more often as Dean liked. It was a sign, that his omega was fighting against unconsciousness.

The young alpha shared a glance with Sonny. The both of them knew that time wasn't on their side ... They'd take about twenty minutes to the hospital – with the blizzard and the icy roads maybe even thirty. "Okay, Sam. - Listen: Sonny's goin' and gettin' the PickUp." He swallowed. "I'm stayin' here with you ..."

The omega blinked, his eyelids were gettin' heavier. It became harder to focus on the pair of glossy emerald-green eyes above him. He didn't feel the cold that bad anymore, not even the pain that was radiating from the left side of his ribcage.

There was just the pressure and Dean's voice. Everything else was fading ... he couldn't even recall where he was anymore. He just knew he was with HIS alpha.

Dean placed his hand over Sonny's and as soon as the older alpha pulled his hand away, Dean's was there and applying pressure.

"You're going to be okay, Sammy. - I promise." There were tears sparkling in the alpha's eyes. "You know ... you can't leave me. - You just can't ... not now." He swallowed a sob. "Not now where I just found you ... I ... I wasn't able to show you the awesome things yet ..."

Sam knew – he could sense it. His alpha was desperate and afraid. So was he. He didn't want to go now and he wouldn't. He'd fight. He knew how to fight.

"Won't ... leave." It wasn't easy, but Sam managed to raise his hand, covering the alpha's cheek in his giant palm.

Sam was cold. He was so cold ... so pale in the fading moon-light. Dean leaned into the touch and closed his eyes for a brief moment. Sam was trying to comfort him, while he was bleeding out, while he was dying. He was worried about his alpha more than about himself.

"I ... I love you." Sam's gasped and winced as he exhaled a shuddering breath. "Want you to ... show me ...", his voice trailed off. The omega's face screwed up in pain. "... the world, D'n."

The hunter smiled a bit, though the lines of his face showed deep sadness and concern. "I'll do ... you just gotta hold on, baby, 'kay? Promise me that. You're gonna hold on."

The corners of his omega's lips curled up a bit. "Promise." Sam's hand sank down beside him again, unable to support its weight anymore.

Dean felt the warm liquid against his palm and what little he could do to stop the crimson red from seeping out of the shot wound. It was finding its way through his fingers relentlessly, soaking the thin fabric of Sam's pyjama ...

The wind wasn't that sharp anymore and the flakes of snow were now, more or less, dancing to the ground around them.

The alpha bit down on his lip – hard, watching Sam closely. Seconds felt like minutes. Minutes like hours. And Sam was fading. He was fading so fast. Dean could hear the wet sounds when he breathed, the slowing beat of his heart in which his body was pumping more and more blood out of the wound ...

"You know what I want to show you as soon as you're back on your feet?" Dean spoke calmly, though there was a hint of panic in his voice.

Sam shook his head slightly, his hazel-circles becoming dazed and foggy. He tried to focus on Dean. His voice, his eyes ... but he was so tired and exhausted.

"The museum of natural history.", Dean said with a smirk. "... that'd be yours. A lot of bones and stuff ... things you can memorize just because you're you ... because you're smart, you know?"

Chuckling was definitely painful for Sam. "'m not."

"You are. - Of all those books you've read ... which one do you like best?" They needed to talk. Sam needed to talk – the omega had to stay with him.

"W'nd 'n Willows." Sam needed a while longer to answer as Dean liked. Though it was better than nothing.

"Sure you do. - 'cause you're smart." Dean sucked in his lower lip. "Because you like all that stuff."

"I like you.", Sam smiled dreamily – already gone further than seconds before.

"Sure you do. - That's why you're smart too." The hunter chuckled.

Moments later, the headlamps of a giant car were appearing and eventually slowing down, getting to a hold just a yard before them. Dean already tried to shift and get himself and Sam ready, when Sonny was there beside them.

The hunter hadn't even realized that his legs had fallen asleep, that they were numb. So were his haunches and parts of his thighs. Though he fought himself up and reached under Sam's armpits, while Sonny took the omega's immensely long legs. Together they transferred him as carefully as possible onto the bed, a thick blanket under him and a two more laying in a lump of fabric in the top left corner.

While Sonny crawled back behind the steering-wheel, Dean covered Sam in blankets and returned to put pressure on the wound.

forty-five minutes later ... Sioux Falls General Hospital

Dean sat in the waiting area. His head rested in a pair of bloody, trembling hands. His body wrecked by sobs and hiccups.
Sam hadn't been responsive ever since they had loaded him onto the bed of Sonny's truck. A couple of minutes before they pulled up in front of the hospital, Sam's heart had stopped and Dean had started with CPR, praying that Sam'd come back to him ...

Then he had gotten ripped away from his omega by a dozen of nurses and doctors. They had taken him through the doors, down the corridor fifteen minutes ago ... and Dean had no idea how to survive the time until someone'd come for him to tell him how Sam was doing ...

Sonny had went back to the salvage right after they had taken Sam inside, to go and check on Bobby – who was still locked up in the shed behind the house – nearly forgotten.

Dean had lost it as soon as Sonny was gone and he had sat down, the roar of adrenaline in his ears and skull ... A nurse had checked on him, had told him that she'd get him something to calm down and to sew up the gash on his forehead. But Dean had denied any supportive help so far.

He couldn't go away from where he sat. He had to wait for Sam, until he was coming back through those doors, coming back to him.

No matter how nauseous, how drained – how immensely dizzy he had become within those last fifteen minutes – he wouldn't go and get himself help.

"Please ...", he whispered to himself clasping his hands, "Please ... just once ... don't take the one good thing away from me. - Not him ..." He choked out a gasp, tears running freely over his face. "Not Sam. Everything but not Sam ..."

This was all his fault. HIS ALONE. Because he hadn't been careful enough. Because he hadn't thought that someone was going out there into the storm. He hadn't thought about the sick guy, to whom it didn't matter what weather was outside. He hadn't thought about the possibility, that Ledger would try to get to them through the blizzard.

Dean had been so damn wrong. He should've known better ...

Two hours passed ...

Sonny showed up then, after dumping the grizzled – now utterly grumpy – mechanic in the ER. On his way to the hospital, he had stopped at the sheriff's house and told her to send her men at the salvage as soon as the blizzard would be over. He told her that they'd also need hearses and that Alistair was dead ...

The ex-con coaxed Dean into letting himself being checked over. He told him that he'd be of no help for Sam like that. That – if he'd collapse – he surely would miss Sam coming back through these doors ...

And Dean let them stitch him up. He even let himself being given a strong sedative. The first time ever in his life that he'd taken something to calm his nerves down ... Though ... in this case he felt like it was necessary.

He didn't want to be there beside Sam when he'd wake up and look like a complete wreck. Dean knew HIS omega would sense it instantly, would probably freak out ...

God knew in which state Sam'd be in when he would wake up – IF he'd wake up.

What Dean didn't know was, that Sonny had talked to the doctor before they even started to treat Dean Winchester. He had explained their situation and everything. - Because usually they would've sent Dean home with him.

Though in this case, they let the young alpha drift off to sleep in the ER behind blue curtains ...

Soon, Bobby joined Sonny by Dean's bed and they decided to split up. Neither of THEIR boys should be on their own just now – no matter how this would end.

While Bobby stayed with Dean, Sonny went into the waiting area in front of the operating room. Usually he wouldn't have been allowed to stay there, but with doc Harding's support, the nurses let him. They even brought him coffee ...

Sam was still in the recovery room, when Dean found back to himself and woke of a drug-inducted sleep.

First everything seemed fuzzy and blurry and surreal ... he didn't know where he was, nor how he got there – Until the memories came crushing down on him.

It was then when he bolted upright with a start, making Bobby Singer jump in his uncomfortable plastic chair beside him.

The alpha's look darted through the small place, seeing nothing but Bobby, two chairs and blue curtains around him. His mind instantly took off into overdrive and he slid his legs from the bed.

"Slow down, son." Bobby laid his hand on the hunter's knee to stop him from getting up. "Sam's not in his room yet."

Dean rubbed over his face, still feeling the comfortable calmness of the sedatives in his system. "Sam's out of surgery?" He didn't recall his voice sounding so wrecked ever before ...

The grizzled mechanic nodded. "Half an hour ago. - Sonny's upstairs, waiting for him."

The hunter shook his head as if to clear his mind from the fine webs of confusion that were still left. "I need -"

"You need to stay horizontal for at least another hour." Bobby nudged the young alpha's feet back on the bed and pushed him down with his hand on Dean's shoulder. "Got a pretty bad concussion there." He nodded towards the alpha's head, his gaze lingering a bit too long on the sewed up gash on his temple and another one on his scalp. "The bastard got you pretty bad."

"I'm fine." Dean closed his eyes, trying to stand the dizziness.

"As soon as they bring Sam in his room we're going there, okay? - But until then you gotta stay here, get some rest ..." Bobby's voice trailed off. "... Sam's gonna need you ..." There was a bitter undertone in his voice that told Dean that Sam wasn't out of the woods just yet.

"What is it? - What's wrong?" He wouldn't have been a Winchester if he wouldn't have known that the old man didn't tell him everything.

"Dean ..."

"No. - I need to know ... what is it?" He needed to know.

Bobby cleared his throat as he stood over him and sat back into his chair. "Sam's wound was pretty bad ... they had issues with finding the bullet, obviously moved around a bit ... It's touch and go, son. - Doc Harding is here, checking on him regularly ..." Bobby sighed heavily. "They're going to settle him in a room on the ICU for a couple of days ..."

Dean frowned. "For a couple of days?"

Bobby nodded. "He's going to get through it, boy." He didn't even dare to meet the hunter's glare. "It's just gonna take time ..."

"When you say ... for a couple of days ... he's not out of the woods, I understand ... but ..." He couldn't bring himself to think about it, to even waste a single thought at the possibility that ... no. No way. Sam was going ot make it, to pull through it.

"Dean. - It's ... touch and go. They don't know if he's going to survive ..." Bobby swallowed ... there was wetness glistening in his eyes as he cast them down and his voice broke. "He's ... he's ..."

Dean swallowed around the lump in his throat. "No ...", he breathed ..., "Bobby ... no. - Tell me. What aren't you telling be?"

Now he felt tears in his eyes coming up too.

"He won't breathe on his own ... he ... they think there could be severe brain-damage, Dean." Bobby stole a glance at the young alpha with a sorrowful frown. "There's just less brain activity ..." He swallowed again, his voice growing wet. "Sam's in a coma, Dean. And they don't know if he's going to wake up ..."

Dean choked out a breath. It felt like his heart was stopping, his ribcage tightening. He sucked in a strangled breath. "But ... no ... no, Sam's gettin through this. He's going to wake up ..." He searched the grizzled mechanic's face and sat up again. "He's gotta come back to me ... I ... What am I without him?"

As soon as Doc Harding announced that Sam was in a room on the ICU, there was no holding back for Dean anymore. He didn't even wait for the okay of the nurses, when he dashed through the corridor and burst into Sam's room, just to stop in his tracks as soon as he saw the tubes and wires ... his omega's skin, as pale as the white sheets on which he lay.

The way his ribcage rose and fell in the rhythm of a machine instead in his own ... his eyes closed ...

"Mister Winchester!", a nurse called after him but stilled, as she saw that Dean didn't move further into the room. "He's doing okay." ... for the circumstances ... she left unsaid.

The alpha swallowed, fresh tears were gathering in his already red-rimmed eyes once more.

He had seen people like this several times in his life. Hell, he had seen people die ... but this? THIS was Sam. HIS Sam. Sam shouldn't be laying all ashen and in a coma on the ICU, not sure if he'd even survive the night. Sam shouldn't be going through any more pain as he had already endured.

Dean shared a look with the nurse, who gave him a short nod and mouthed five minutes.

Though, as the Winchester he was, he wasn't going to leave anytime soon. Not until Sam had woken up. Not until he was conscious and talking ...

He narrowed slowly, and when he reached the bed, he grasped Sam's hand carefully, feeling his cold fingers ... He still couldn't wrap his mind around what had happened just a couple of hours before. Dean couldn't believe that Sam was in danger of his life ...

He sniffed and bowed over him – so close, he could smell the antiseptics of the surgery on Sam. The alpha then brushed a bang from his face and placed a tender kiss on his forehead. "You're goin' to make it, Sammy, you hear me?" It was a plea, a heartbreaking plea spoken by a heartbroken man. "You've to come back to me ... we've so much things to do ... so many things I've to show you ...", he whispered. Dean swallowed down a gasped sob. "Please ... please don't leave me ... don't leave me, Sammy." He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against his omega's. "I need you – so bad, baby. I wanna see your eyes again, your smile ... you gotta fight this and get back to me." He swallowed again. "No matter what you're going to need, I'll be there – all the way until you're back to 100 percent." Dean placed another gentle kiss on Sam's forehead. "I swear, baby."

Three days later nothing had changed. Sam's life still hung by a threat. He was still in a coma. His vitals were still too weak and he was STILL not breathing on his own.

Usually, Harding wouldn't have this kind of talk with Dean in the patient's room, but the alpha insisted on it. - He literally was with Sam, except for getting food and visiting the toilet and taking a shower, 24/7. He didn't leave his mate when it wasn't absolutely necessary, since he wanted to be there for him.

The nurses had organized a cot for him, so he was able to sleep (not in Sam's room, but in the nurse's station).

One week later, Dean knew all the nurses, of the new unit Sam was settled, by their names. Even knew something about their families and private life.

Sam was out of the woods by then and his brain activity let on that he was getting around. In spite of the nasal feeding-tube, Sam was loosing weight.

After this one week it was already visible ... it felt for Dean, like everything they had reached together was falling into pieces again. As if they would have to rebuild Sam's body from the very start, when he'd wake up.

The doctor had told him that, depending on how long it would take Sam to wake up (IF he would wake up), that he'd need physical therapy to build up muscle mass again. Dean hoped intently that it wouldn't get that far ... that Sam would wake up BEFORE there'd be a long way of recovery.

Sonny and Bobby were taking turns in spending the days with the boys. THEIR boys.

So that Dean wouldn't be alone.

It was one of those days ... Dean had just woken up and taken a shower in the staff's locker room, when he returned with a paper-cup of coffee on the station. He greeted Francine and Joe on his way into Sam's room, a tired smile on his face.

He knew it would be like any other day so far ... Sam's vitals were stable, the breathing-tube had gotten out the day before ... even his brain activity had gotten better a little bit, after it had gotten worse two days before. It was a relentless up and down.

Today though, Sam seemed to have a good one. So Dean was happy. Happier than when Sam wasn't doing so well.

He put his cup on the small table beside the bed and bowed down over Sam, placing a tender kiss over dry lips.

"Good mornin', baby.", he whispered against the omega's lips. "Missin' you.", he added, his face searching the younger man's ones.

There was no reaction, like always.

With a heavy sigh, Dean sank into the chair beside the bed and gripped Sam's hand, squeezing it gently.

It was like thick mass. Coming forward or even moving a single of his digits wasn't an option. Sam could hear his alpha, but he wasn't able to respond in any way.

The first thing he had felt was a tender touch against his lips. A bit wet and silken like Dean's lips. He then heard him whisper, felt the warm breath against his lips, smelled HIS alpha's scent.

There was a tender squeeze of his fingers and he felt his hand being held. Whatever Sam tried to move, it didn't work. It felt like heavy weights were pinning him down. Not even his eyelids would obey.

Dean always woke him up like that, ever since he was back among the living, fading in and out of reality and back into a nightmarish sleep – a never-ending chase.

Hell, he wasn't even able to cry ...

Dean sighed deeply and leaned back in the chair, reaching for his coffee. When he looked back up and his look brushed over Sam's face in the process, he saw a tear slipping down the omega's cheek.

Dean's eyes narrowed and suspicion grew in his mind.

His coffee forgotten, he got to his feet and leaned forward, his hands to the left and right of Sam's shoulders.

"Sammy?", he whispered, "C'mon, baby. Give me a sign. - Let me know that you're still in there, that you're fighting this ... just once ..." His voice broke.

Sam had been crying over the past couple of days each time Dean made contact with him. Though that had been everything. Tears. A couple of tears rolled down Sam's face and that was all ...

The doctor had told him, that MAYBE Sam was coherent about what was going on int the room, or that it was just a physical reaction to something ...

... The alpha wasn't sure what was better ... being locked down in his body, or not waking up from a dream ...

"I'll be here, Sammy ... just ... just take your time ..." How much it hurt to say those words ... no one could possibly imagine. Dean wanted his Sam back like yesterday. "I'll be waitin' for you, baby. - I'll be here ..." Dean bowed down and brushed with his nose over Sam's. "I'll always be here."

Another tear slipped down Sam's cheek.

"Don't you worry. - Take it slow ..." Dean wiped the tears away from his omega's face and sat back down, returning to his task of holding Sam's hand and drinking his coffee.

It happened one of those morning during the second week ...

When none of the doctors seemed to have hope anymore and about a dozen talks with them later.

When Dean went into Sam's room, whispered a Good Morning, baby and Missin' you in between good-morning-kisses. It was then, when he felt the omega's lip quiver against his, when he felt a slight movement beneath the hand that was covering Sam's.

It was then, when the first tear ran down Sam's face, that his eye-lids moved slightly upwards and a small slit of hazel was visible.

Breath caught in Dean Winchester's throat at the same second as he felt the twitch of the giant hand beneath his. There was a lump of joy building up in his throat, around which he wasn't quite able to swallow right then.

"Sammy?" His voice gave out. "You comin' back to me?"

Dena didn't know if he should laugh or rather cry. He didn't know if he was supposed to call for a nurse, or devouring the moment on his own ...

There was the first irregular exhale, that warmed Dean's jaw – and his heart. He backed off a bit to have a better look at Sam's face.

He saw a thin line of hazel between eye-lids, saw Sam's lower lip tremble, as if he wanted to say something ...

"It's fine, baby. - It's all okay. - You just take your time, Sammy. Just take your time ..." There were tears of joy running down the hunter's face now, as he gathered Sam in his arms and pressed him tightly against his chest, holding the omega's head with one hand. "Oh god ... Sammy. Sam. Baby.", he babbled into the omega's ear. "I knew you'd come ... I knew you wouldn't give up ..."

The corners of Sam's lips twitched and another tear was running down the man's cheek, mingling with Dean's.

As soon as the moment had begun, it was over again. When the alpha eased Sam back into the mattress, the younger man's eyes were shut again and his breaths had evened out. Dean cradled HIS omega's face in his hands and held him, staring at him in awe, relief and happiness.

It took a couple of hours until Sam's eyes fluttered open again, and his fingers twitched under Dean's. This time, there was a nurse in the room with them, and there was Sonny, sitting in a corner and skipping through the channels on Sam's TV.

"You with us, Sammy?" Dean was the first one to notice, since he hadn't taken off his eyes from him longer than a couple of seconds. - Not even while he had been eating.

Sam blinked, the corners of his lips twitched.

The nurse looked at the half-conscious man on the bed and rose both eyebrows. "I'm going and get the doctor.", she said calmly.

Sonny laid the remote aside and rose from his chair, appearing seconds later on the other side of Sam's bed.

Sam blinked again. He couldn't bring his eyes to adjust to the brightness in the room and his forehead furrowed. He also didn't know where he was ... the only thing he knew was, that Dean was with him, holding his hand and that he couldn't utter a single word.

His tongue was too thick, the muscles in his jaw too tired.

Harding came through the door minutes later and Dean pulled away. There was a visible change of Sam's features at the loss of the familiar warmth and the appearance of another scent.

He knew he should remember this scent, but couldn't. His mind was too slow and tired to even bother.

Suddenly someone was touching his jaw and tilting his head back and then there was a bright light shining into his left eye and then into his right one.

Then there was a cool round piece of metal pressed against his chest and close to the area that hurt like a bitch.

"Doc?" Dean straightened up.

Harding turned around to face the hunter. He smiled a genuine smile. "Don't you worry. - It's completely okay that he's exhausted and tired." He cleared his throat, stealing a glance at Sam. "As soon as he's more coherent we'll order a neurologist and a therapist to check him through."

Dean stared at the doctor pleadingly. "So ... you can't say if ... if there's any damage?"

Harding shook his head. "Five minutes, Dean. He was clinically dead for five minutes. As bad as i want to tell you that he's going to be fine. That he'll get up and around as soon as he's coherent enough ... I can't." He pursed his lips. "We just have to wait."

The alpha nodded pensively. "But other than that ... he's going to be okay, isn't he? I mean ... mentally?"

The doctor sighed heavily. "I can't promise anything. - But ... as I see ... he's reacting to you, so he might snot suffer from amnesia. - To assess his mental condition i've to ask him questions he just can answer when he's coherent enough."

The doctor went aside and let Dean back at the omega's side. "Don't push him, Dean. - Let him have his time to come around."

And Dean did. He gave Sam all the time he needed. First Sam had been sleeping most of the time and when he was awake he tried to talk, but was still too weak.

All in all it lasted a whole week, before Sam was coherent enough for tests and scans and to answer questions. He had also been able to stay awake for some hours and with Dean's help he also was able to start on non-solid foods and visit the bathroom.

For Dean it got a habit to settle down behind Sam in the bed and hold him during the nights, even though when it probably would've been more comfortable on the cot that was now standing int he room.

That night it happened. Something neither of them had seen coming ...

Dean had just settled down behind Sam and had gathered him in his arms, exquisitely careful not to put any weight on the bandaged wound on the omega's ribcage. The alpha's hand rested on Sam's belly, drawing gently circles around his navel. He buried his nose into the mop of soft hair and closed his eyes.

"I couldn't be without you, baby.", Dean whispered and placed a tender kiss over the spot behind Sam's ear. He tugged Sam a bit closer, loving the way the taller man snuggled back into him.

Sam tangled his fingers in his alpha's and squeezed them gently. "Couldn't be without you either.", he mumbled – already half asleep. "I'd like to go home, Dean ..."

The hunter moaned disapproving. Sam was begging him practically since the first time he had gotten out of bed with the alpha's help. Hell, the man was pushing himself more than Dean had ever dared to. Not that the alpha wasn't happy about Sam's development. He actually had even threatened to tie Sam to the bed if he wouldn't slow down a bit, afraid that he'd suffer from a relapse. "Another week and they'll let you go home, if everything's fine."

Sam groaned. "I hate this bed ... there's always someone comin' inside ... we aren't alone here. I don't want people coming in all the time, Dean."

Dean chuckled. "We aren't alone at home either, Sammy. There're Bobby and Sonny."

Sam shifted a bit and turned on his back to face his alpha. "But I like Bobby and Sonny. - I don't like those doctors who love to poke into me. And the nurse from yesterday was checking me out all the damn time, Dean."

The hunter chuckled again. "You're a damn tall, handsome omega, baby." His voice was soft and tender. "Everyone would like to have an omega as mate. - And I'm one happy bastard to be this one." ... he'd rip Katelyn's throat out the next time he'd see her ...

Sam smiled, taking in his alpha's face. They looked at each other for a long time, before either of them got into motion.

"I love you, baby.", Dean whispered, his voice was hoarse.

Sam cupped the hunter's cheek in his hand and tilted his head down a bit to catch his pouty tender lips in between his. The alpha moaned into the kiss and slid his tongue in between Sam's, devouring the taste of chicken brew with stars and jell-o and something that was uniquely his mate.

Sam gasped into the kiss and pulled away slighty.

Something wasn't right.

Sam sucked in another breath – this time it was a wheezing one. "D'n?", he choked out and gripped his mate's bicep tightly. "D'n ..."

Dean was high alert the very moment he heard Sam's plea.

"Sammy?" he pulled back completely and saw a pair of huge panicked hazel-eyes, a mouth that was open wide and a face that was slowly turning ashen ... "Sammy ... holy shit ..."

The alpha was on his knees in an instant, reaching over for the call-button on the bed-remote.

The omega's eyes were tearing up, his lips already becoming blue when a bunch of nurses came running.

"What happened?", one of them asked.

"I ... we were laying here ... and ... suddenly ... he can't breathe.", Dean managed to say, as he backed off the bed and took a few steps back to let the arriving doctor and nurses do their work.

There was a hype of activity all of a sudden. The doctor yelled orders, was shouting something about a collapsing lung and to get a defibrillator ...

Dean staggered back until he found the windowsill in his back. He covered his mouth with one hand and held onto the sill with his other. He sucked in a shallow breath after another.

Then there was a nurse beside him, talking to him. But he didn't hear a single word ... all he could hear was Sam's voice in his head, his panicked eyes and the picture of his bluish lips ...

... to be continued

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