Missing a Beat

To Sam's huge relief, Dean was absolutely awake when he got to the Observation Room. That was a good thing.

He spotted his brother through the huge window glass, reclined in one of those big hospital beds. Wires were poking out above his crossed arms, reaching to the monitor which registered his vital signs. His gaze was lost somewhere at the end of the bed, like if he were deep in thought- or more like if he were a bored, pouting kid. That was a good thing, also.

Sam entered the room and got near him, walking slowly, hands in his pockets in a nervous manner. Even if he faced the stuff of nightmares day after day, he couldn't get used to see his brother in an hospital bed. It wasn't something he had under his control, and that scared him.

And it also made him feel useless.

"Hey" he said.

Grumpy, Dean didn't even look at him.

"Doctor said panic attack."

"Yeah, she told me so." Sam straddled a near chair. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I do now. Smooth as hell." Arms still crossed, he finally looked at his brother. "But that Doctor is wrong. She said it was because of the shock, because that boy was about to die in my arms- blah-blah-blah" he snorted "The shock, she said! Obviously she doesn't know a thing 'bout our line of work."

"Why are you so sure?"

"I can recognize a friggin' panic attack, Sammy. That wasn't one".

"You've suffered them before, then, if you can recognize one" Sam concluded, mocking at his brother's cocky manners.

"With the things we see... the weird thing would be not suffering them" Dean snorted again. "We've already had quite a few close calls this year, like... Fourteen? Fifteen?"

Sam shrugged.

"Lost count months ago"

Dean sat up, thoughtful again.

"Hey, Sam, you know when they say- your heart misses a beat?" he started saying "Well, it was something like that, but- like-" he puffed and shook his head and arms, finding it difficult to explain. "-like a thousand times worse. It just became totally crazy, it wasn't pounding hard, like in a panic attack. It was more like- a fluttering. A shudder. It'd would look like an earthquake there, I'm sure" he pointed at the heart monitor, amused.

"Wait, wait- you mean, like a ventricular fibrilation?"

Dean scowled at him, puzzled.

"A what-?... Law student, you said, yeah..."

"We had a medical student in our group. A few beers and he would tell out loud a list of diseases and conditions, symptoms included."

"Now that's what I call to have fun studying."

"But... Dean, that's not really possible" Sam said, standing up from the chair. "You've always had a healthy heart, well, specially after that- miracle cure" he pointed, recalling that case about a faith-healer and a reaper "And after you woke up from that coma, all tests results were great. You are healthy. Even with all the junk food you eat everyday" Dean rose an eyebrow, proud of himself. Sam ignored it. "I mean, why now? Why hadn't you had symptoms before?"

"Well, maybe that's because it's not the vont- ventro- that thing you said. But it wasn't a panic attack, either, I'm damn sure it wasn't" he rushed to add, raising a finger.

"Well, we've been under a lot of shitty stuff lately-"

"Saaaam..."

"Okay, okay-" Sam concluded, amused "Not a panic attack. I trust you. What, then? Any clues?"

Dean shrugged.

"The foggiest. That's why I'm here, I suposse. Now be a good brother and bring me that pie, this' going to take long I'm sure" he added nonchalantly, making himself comfortable.

"Dean, I think you should take this as a call to eat healthy from now on" Sam adviced, "Also, I don't think they allow you to have pie until they know what's wrong."

Dean looked at him, gravely offended.

"Well, hide it, then! I'm starving!"

Sam raised his hands and shook his head, like a mother who had ran of patience. He left the room.

It was at the end of the corridor when Sam saw her, out of the corner of his eye, through a door he left behind. The mother of the kid Dean had saved. The youngest of the Winchesters took some steps back until he came near that room The woman was sitting at a chair, near the bed in which his son seemed to be asleep, taking his hand. She raised her head to the door, aware of Sam's presence. Her eyes were slightly red, but anguish had faded away.

"Hey!" she said in a quiet voice, moving her head in a friendly manner "You are the boy who helped me in the square, aren't you?"

Sam smiled and approached to shake her hand.

"Yes, it's me. My name is Sam. That's a happy coincidence... I'm glad your son is fine."

She nodded.

"Lucy Summers. Yes, he is fine, thanks to that young man. He left so quickly he forgot this" he added, pointing at something hanging at other chair. It was Dean's jacket. "I wish I could give it back to him."

"Well- I can do that. He's my brother" Sam said. "He's under observation, that's why I'm here."

Her initial surprise faded after Sam finished talking.

"Oh, God, I'm sorry, is he fine? It was due to-?" she looked at her son.

"Oh, no no, it's okay. I'm sure he is fine. He just fainted, but they want to be sure."

"Oh, I'm glad to hear that. Your brother was really brave, Sam. If it wasn't for him, my son-"

"The important thing is that your son is fine" Sam reassured. But an idea refused to leave his head. First, the boy suffered a heart attack. Then, his brother collapsed due to a possible serious arryhtmia. That was too much to be a coincidence. "Ms Summers... Your son, did he had a heart condition? Do the doctors know what happened?"

She moved her head, silently.

"Doctors haven't found anything. They are doing more tests later, but- any of this makes sense to them. Aidan has never had heart problems. I suposse that's a good thing, if they haven't find anything, probably it won't happen again" she smiled, though nervously.

When Sam was back in Dean's room some minutes later, the doctor was with his brother. He was telling her what he had described to Sam earlier, and it seemed that she was finally convinced it wasn't a "frigging panic attack". Sam supossed the doctor was thinking the same he did: two heart alerts in less than half an hour, that was something usual at a hospital, but the fact they had dissapeared as quickly as they came, it wasn't that usual.

"We can't find anything abnormal, your heart seems to be perfectly healthy, but we would need more tests to try to detect the problem. I want you to spend this night under observation, and early tomorrow we will perform more tests. That sensation you described, it could be a serious arrhytmia, and I want to be sure. We will find it. Now try to have some rest."

She smiled at them while she left. Dean didn't change his fake smile until she left and he was sure she couldn't hear him:

"Where's the pie?"

"I found the boy you saved" Sam said, ignoring him; luckily enough, what he had to say could make his brother forget about food for a while. "This is yours"

He throw his jacket to him. Dean remained silent for a while, concerned.

"How's the boy?"

"Perfectly healthy" his brother said, back to straddle the chair "He's only sleeping. Doctors said it's like he hadn't suffered a heart attack. More or less the same they've said to you now."

"He isn't sick, then? Not a reason why his heart stopped?"

Nothing. They have to do more tests, but right now all diseases which could trigger a heart attack, negative."

"How do you came to know so much, did you introduced her as a doctor?"

Sam smiled.

"Nop, she remembered me from the square. I just told her I'm your brother. That woman is really grateful to you, Dean."

The older brother smiled, proud of himself.

"I'm a hero."

Next day, Dean extended his arms triumphatly, leaving the Cardiology Ward and walking to meet his brother.

"No arrhytmia, no anything" he said, taking his jacket from Sam "It seems they may appear, and dissapear again. Isolated incident, they said. But the fainting, it worries them. They say if it happens again they could put a thing on me- something portable, for a whole day, just to be sure"

"You mean a Holter?"

"Yeah, exactly, Dr. House... That would be really annoying, after a whole morning of- weird devices, and wires, here and there..." he stopped for an instant, looking at him dramatically affected "They made me run in a treadmill, Sam!"

Sam laughed while they headed to the elevator.

"I still feel there is something weird going on here" Dean added when they were inside the elevator "I bet this is related to what happened to that boy."

"Like if he were contagious?"

"Mm- Don't think so, not an attack in my case, my heart didn't stop. But the coincidence is there, it happened shortly after I saved that boy. Too much of a frigging coincidence, I would say. And look at us- we're perfect, the boy and I, nothing to be found."

"Do you think it may had happened also to other people in that square?"

"Like- a heart attacks outbreak?" Dean snorted "Weird" The elevator opened and the brothers stepped out "We'll have to investigate. I would start asking that boy before we leave. Maybe he saw, heard or- smelled something, before he collapsed".

Aidan was asleep when the Winchesters arrived. He couldn't remember Dean, but his mother told him who he was, and what he had done. The woman lavished in compliments to the older brother.

"You're making me blush" he joked.

"How are you feeling?" Ms Summers asked "Your brother told me you fainted"

"Yeah, but I'm fine" he said nonchalantly "Fit as a fiddle. Thanks for keeping safe my jacket, by the way."

She smiled, amused at his composure. Things are going smooth Sam thought. It won't be difficult to get some clues from her.

"Hey, Aidan- I'm just curious- do you remember what happened?" Dean asked at once, sitting in the bed with him "Anything".

Sam scowled at his brother. Both hoped the woman won't notice they were very interested; people usually felt awkward at unexpected questions like that. Fortunately, Ms Summers didn't seem bothered and Sam found it easy to soften his brother's lack of tact.

"Listen, Aidan, it's important you remember every details" Sam asked "That way, the doctors may find a lot easier to help you."

The boy remained silent, thoughtful. Then he didn't hesitate.

"There was a bunch of boys playing at the swings" he told them "Four boys and a girl- though the girl wasn't paying attention to them. They were playing something about war and ignored her, too"

"Woah, that's sexist" Dean remarked.

"I was so bored at the bakery that I rushed to join their game, but once I was there, only the girl smiled at me" Aidan went on "Then, I- I can't remember anymore. I just felt something pinching in my chest. It didn't hurt. I heard the boys screaming- and that's all."

His mother took his hand, holding tears back.

Dean and Sam gazed at each other. They realized that maybe there wasn't anything for them there. Just a sick kid. Anything supernatural.

Maybe, for once, it was just a coincidence.

My bollocks, Dean thought.

"Just one more thing, Aidan- before you fainted, did you feel a- a weird sensation in your chest? Like if your heart skipped a beat?"Dean asked, hand on his chest.

The boy moved his head.

"No, just pinching."

Dean sighed.

"Okay- Thanks, Aidan."

Suspicion finally faded from Dean Winchester's eyes, the only brother who, when they were already in the car, still had doubts about everything being a coincidence.