Supernatural does not belong to me, although I wish it did. I am simply playing in Kirpke's sandbox for a bit. All rights and ownership are the property of Kripke and the CW network. I am not making any money from this; it is for my own personal pleasure.

Synopsis: Set at the start of Season One, Dean had been in a wheelchair since his father disappeared more than a year ago and he finally has to tell Sam… There'd been an accident that night and Dean had paid a very high price….one he still doesn't understand. The story will have some hunts from season one and possibly into season two…the brothers will continue their search for their father…there will be alterations to the hunts to accommodate Dean's new situation. I have every intention of returning Dean to good health before this ends…but getting there is going to be bumpy.

WARNING: These chapters can contain a lot of angst and can get a little graphic with the pain and blood...consider yourself warned. Don't like...Don't Read...

Please keep in mind that I do not have a Beta, so all grammatical errors are my own. Not Slash. Brotherly love and Angst only…

Please Review: So I know there's still interest in this little story.

From the last chapter:

Sam was pulling the covers up over Dean after he'd carefully removed his brother's shirts. The bandage was still in place, mostly because the puss and blood from the wound had caked onto it making it pull at the skin when he'd tried to remove it. So he'd given up and waited for Ellen to return. "Ellen?" He called as she set the kit down and then turned to the young man lying in her guest bed and sighed when she saw the lines extending from beneath the bandage.

"Yeah?" She said quickly. Jo was hovering in the doorway, her hands at her sides as she tried to figure out how to help.

"I think we need hot water and some rags to soak this bandage. It's dried to the wound." Sam answered.

"I'll get those mom." Jo said and disappeared from the door.

"Sam, this isn't going to be pleasant. The infection is pretty far advanced, I'm not sure we shouldn't take him to a hospital…."

A ragged voice interrupted them. "No…no hospitals…" Dean gasped out.

"Dean, if you need…" Sam started. Dean cut him off immediately.

"No, Sam! It's a bullet wound…they have to report…those…no hospitals…" Dean said through the waves of nausea now rolling through his gut.

Sam's mouth dropped open and he stared at Dean in confusion. When had Dean gotten himself shot?

Chapter 33

The Harvelles

The confusion rolling around inside of Sam wasn't something that he was used to and it was making him feel slightly out of control. And he really hated that feeling. He watched as Ellen tried to keep Dean's temperature under control with ice and cold water. While he was trying to clean the wound, Sam was more than a little dismayed to see that it was worse than he thought it would be, the infection was fairly advanced and set deeply into the shoulder near the joint. Jo came back quickly with another bowl of warm water and watched with interest as Sam tried to loosen the crusted blood and release the gauze from the puffy red skin.

"Sam, I don't understand how you didn't know about this?" Ellen asked. Her voice was warm and didn't hold any animosity…just curiosity. She dipped the cloth back into the water and then wrung it out before placing it over Dean's forehead again. His eyelids scrunched as the cold penetrated his unawareness and he shifted without opening his eyes. A moan that came from deep in his chest echoed through the quiet room and the occupants looking at the brothers. Sam shook his head at her question and shrugged.

"My brother…is…not a very open individual." He said evenly. That is the understatement of the year, Sam. He thought silently. Jo thinned her lips and then raised an eyebrow as she walked over and sat down next to Sam. Ellen remained silent as she continued to try and work on the fever.

"Can I help?" Jo asked. She was leaning over slightly, looking at the wound that Sam had finally managed to expose. It was red and there were lines extending from the gooey looking hole outward toward Dean's elbow and around his bi-cep. Her eyes kept flickering up to the sweating face of his older brother and Sam wondered if this girl actually liked what she saw. No…that couldn't be it. Dean hadn't even been awake when they'd come through the doors of the bar. So the only thing that Jo or Ellen even knew about his brother was that he'd been shot and that he was in a wheelchair…oh…and that Dean hadn't trusted Sam enough to tell him about the injury…oh yeah, there was definitely that. He thought in irritation.

"No…I think I got it. Thanks." Sam said without looking up. He dabbed at the wound and then bit his lip as the putrid smell of infection intensified. Sam's stomach rolled in rising nausea and he was actually glad that he hadn't eaten that morning, because there was a good chance that it would have been coming back up and he certainly didn't want to add to the stench in the room.

"Okay…so he doesn't talk about himself…but Sam…this is a gunshot wound and it looks as though it's been there a few days. There's no way it would have gotten this infected otherwise." Ellen said as she looked at him in sympathy and her words sliced into his heart and left him a bleeding mess inside. He knew, deep down, that she meant it in a motherly way…but it still hurt. Sam already felt guilty enough about being absent while Dean had suffered a year in a wheelchair…in addition to the things their father had put Dean through. He sighed and pulled in a long slow breath…Ellen must have heard it, because she smiled warmly and shook her head. "Sam…look, forget I said anything. Let's just get him fixed up." She looked over at Jo. "Jo, I have antibiotics in the back and there should be a saline drip and the IV materials…can you grab them?" The blonde nodded and jumped up, glad to be of some use at last.

Sam continued cleaning the wound, finding that he was more and more worried the more he saw. He found that there were pustules inside the hole and held his breath as he thoroughly cleaned each and every one. Dean shifted a few times as pain lurched through system, but he never opened his eyes and that had Sam worried about the level of the fever. "Do you have a thermometer?" Ellen nodded and then looked pointedly over at Ash. He simply pulled his lanky frame up and walked off in the same direction that Jo had disappeared a few moments earlier.

"How close are you two?" She asked quietly, dabbing at the sweat that rolled down Dean's face. Sam furrowed his forehead and then set the tweezers down in favor of the rubbing alcohol.

"Not as close as we used to be." He looked up at her, the misery so evident in his expressive eyes that she felt her heart go out to this lost young man. "I didn't even know he was in a wheelchair…not for a whole year." He licked his lips and looked back down at his brother's unconscious form. "Dean never did like needing anyone…not even me. He was finally forced to call me after our father abandoned him and he ran out of leads while trying to find the man." He pulled in a slow trembling breath before continuing. Something about this woman made him want to trust her. "I went to college and Dean…" Sam looked away as guilt flooded his system. "He kept hunting…I was safe at school and he was saving people, hunting things…the family business…as my father called it." He let a humorless chuckle escape his lips and turned back to Dean's wound.

Ellen watched as the young man sitting across from her let the guilt of his choices form a dark cloud over his head as he tried desperately to save his brother. She finally set the cloth on Dean's head and stood up…Ellen walked around the small bed to stand behind Sam. He felt a hand lay gently in his shoulder before she spoke. "Sam…I've never met Dean…but I know what I've been told and he wouldn't want you beating yourself up for trying to make something of yourself. From what I've heard, whenever he did talk about you…he was really proud, Sam." She smiled as he looked over at her, the question evident in his eyes. "Bobby." She said by way of answering the unasked question.

Sam felt a smile work its way onto his lips and he nodded. "Yeah, that sounds like Bobby."

"Hey mom, I found the stuff." Jo said as she rushed back into the room, her arms full of supplies. "Where do you want it?" She asked as she stared at Sam and her mother and their close proximity. Her eyebrows went up, but she remained silent as she waited for an answer.

"Over there will work." Ellen said as she pointed at the empty chair near the edge of the small single bed that was currently acting as Dean's hospital cot. Jo nodded and gently placed the materials down.

"Do you know how to put in an IV?" She asked. Her soft brown eyes were flickering between Sam and her mother in interest. Sam nodded and she shrugged. "Need anything else?" Sam shook his head 'no' and moved back to his brother's side.

He grabbed the needle and expertly placed it in the vein on the back of Dean's hand, taping it in place to ensure that his brother wouldn't accidently remove the thing. The fact that Dean's lower half wouldn't move suddenly occurred to Sam and he cringed at his brother's loss. He hated that he had somehow been the cause of this loss. He wished that he could remember what exactly had happened, but so far he hadn't been able to put all the pieced together in an understandable sequences of events. He knew that he'd been missing for more than a week and that Dean had been frantic trying to find him. He knew that somehow he'd managed to get himself possessed by a demon…a very pissed demon. That had gone ahead and tortured the shit out of his older brother and then shot him…and then taken back his ability to walk. And all of this had happened because Sam hadn't been able to steer clear of the supernatural.

Ellen and Jo had finally headed to bed for the night and Ash had…well, Sam had no clue where the mullet man had gotten off to. Sam sat next to his brother, the water in the bowl still cool as he dipped the cloth inside again and then placed it gently on Dean's forehead.

"Sammy?" His brother's deep raspy voice caught him off guard and Sam's eyes flashed to meet the glassy gaze of Dean's green irises.

"Dean…hey, how you feeling?" Sam asked. He watched as his brother's eyelids blinked owlishly and then he seemed to ponder the question.

"Been better…" He finally answered in a rough voice. His eyes were tracking Sam as he stood up and walked to grab a bottle of water and a straw.

"I know this isn't very manly, but you could use the liquids." Sam said as he held the straw near Dean's lips. To his surprise his brother actually drank some of the water, allowing Sam to hold the bottle. He finally nodded and Sam set the half full bottle on the small table near the bed.

"Where are…" Dean started to ask. Sam smiled and then looked around the dimly lit room.

"Harvelles Roadhouse…you remember getting here?" Sam wondered as he saw the confused look on his brother's face intensify. Dean's eyes flitted around the room as he looked carefully at the sparsely decorated backroom.

"This is a bar?" He asked in disbelief.

Sam chuckled. "No, Dean…this is the back room. The bar's out front." He leaned over and placed the thermometer in Dean's mouth and watched as his brother shifted his look from curious to annoyed. He started to say something but Sam held up his hand to stop him. "You can't talk while it's taking your temperature, Dean."

His brother's eyes narrowed in irritation, but he remained silent until the thing beeped and Sam pulled it out, his eyes reading the digital display. He sighed and then set it down on the table. "Still at 103…that's not good Dean."

"It's not that bad either…Sammy." Dean answered as he felt his shoulder twinge with fiery pain as he shifted his upper body. He was suddenly reminded of the fact that he could no longer move his legs and he pulled in a deep breath and closed his eyes. "I just need some rest…I'll be fine." He watched as his little brother pressed his lips together at his brother's typical response. "So is she hot?" He asked. Dean didn't want Sam asking anymore question about his condition.

Sam's eyes widened in confusion. "What?"

"Are the Harvelles hot? Dad never said much, I know this place is owned by a woman and her daughter." Dean blinked and tried to force his eyes to focus as his brother's face screwed up in a bitch-face and he stared in disbelief.

"Jack ass! I was more worried about you than checking out the women that saved your ass." Sam said in an even voice. He was struggling to control his volatile emotions…he hadn't slept in almost two days and he wasn't thinking all that clearly at this point. The bruises on his brother's face hadn't even started to fade and Sam was already feeling like adding to the collection. He pushed the anger down and stood up as he thrust his hands through his hair.

Dean's hand shot out from beneath the blanket and he grabbed onto Sam's left hand before his brother could put much distance between them. "Sammy…don't leave…I'm sorry." He whispered.

Sam's mouth dropped open and he stared at Dean, his mouth working without sound as he reasoned out just how broken his brother truly was. "What? Dean, I'm not leaving." His face shifted to one of concern and he sank back down onto the chair near the bed. He suddenly found that he wasn't nearly as tired as he'd been only a few moments earlier.

Dean nodded and allowed himself to settle back into the semi-comfortable mattress as the energy surge disappeared when he realized that his little brother wasn't leaving him.

"Dean…I'm so sorry." Sam said quietly as Dean's eyelids drifted shut and his head tilted to the side as he slipped into sleep again. There was no response from his brother and Sam pulled his eyebrows together in worry about whether or not this was going to be an ongoing theme in their lives. One of them constantly patching up the other until they were injured again…either by the supernatural or each other.

XXXX

Sam found himself walking confidently along a planked boardwalk. His eyes were wandering the edge of the buildings as he searched for something. Something that he 'really' wanted to find…and destroy. He heard a sound off to the left and he ducked behind tall pillar as the object of his search slipped between the double doors. The figure walked along the pier glancing in several directions before coming to a stop near the edge of the fifteen foot high ledge. Sam stepped out and raised his gun. The figure spun around and Sam was stunned to recognize the face of his brother. Dean's eyes widened as Sam stared at him with no remorse and pulled the trigger.

The bullet slammed into his brother and Sam screamed the inside of his own head as Dean's body fell over the edge and disappeared beneath the black water's surface. Sam rushed to the edge and peered over, looking for Dean to rise to the surface, he held his gun ready to fire again if needed. Inside his head, Sam slammed his head against the barrier in rage and then sank back into a corner, pulling his knees to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. 'I just killed my brother…' He closed his eyes and leaned his head back.

The next time he opened his eyes Sam was surprised to see his brother lying on his side, his legs twisted up in an uncomfortable looking position. His face was bleeding and starting to swell as the color shifted to a purple rather than the normal tan that Dean's skin generally was. His freckles were standing out against the shifting colors and Sam stared in confusion…"What did I miss?" He asked as pain shot through his right arm. Sam's fingers wrapped around his burned flesh and then he felt the dull thump of pain in his cheek…'when had he gotten hit?'

XXXX

Sam slipped in his chair. The falling sensation causing him to come into full awareness as he tried to right himself before he hit the floor, his eyes flashed open and he grabbed onto the side of his brother's bed. The memory of the dream had him hauling himself to his feet, he glanced over at his brother's sleeping form. Dean appeared to be resting quietly, so Sam decided to take a break. He walked out into the bar… "You okay?" Jo was seated behind the bar, a book propped up and mug of coffee in her hands.

Sam snorted. "Not really…no."

She raised her eyebrows at his honest answer and then nodded to the empty seat near her. She leaned over the bar and grabbed another mug, setting it down for him. "Coffee's behind the bar."

"Thanks." Sam said as he made his way over to get himself a cup of the black brew. "Any sugar or cream?" He asked after pouring himself a cup.

She glanced up and barked a laugh. "Really? You drink girly coffee?" She shook her head and pointed at a small fridge behind the cash register.

"You know…you and my brother are going to get along just fine." He mumbled as he pulled the creamer out of the fridge and looked around for the sugar. She pointed to his left and he smiled his thanks as he poured the white crystals into the liquid.

"You want a little coffee with that sugar?" She asked through a laugh.

"Shut-up." Sam shot back without even thinking. He made his way back around the bar and settled on the empty chair next to Jo. She continued staring at her book…a physics book. Sam narrowed his eyes and smiled.

"So which college?" He asked.

She looked over at him. "What do you know about college?" She was genuinely interested and Sam found that he kinda liked her. She was sweet and seemed interested in what was going with him and Dean.

"I went to Stanford…"

She looked surprised and held her hands up in a plaintive gesture. "Ivy league…wow…I had no idea." He shrugged then saw the newspaper clippings settled between her book and the edge of the bar.

"What are those?" He wondered aloud.

"Uh…well, here take a look." She handed Sam the clippings and watched as he read through them.

"This looks like a hunt." Sam said as he shifted and stared at the girl with renewed interest. She obviously understood how to research for the supernatural and that was unusual.

"It is…these women go missing in this apartment building or the surrounding area…cops seem to miss it because of the time in between the disappearances." She continued to explain what she'd found and the animation with which she approached the hunt actually reminded Sam a little of the way that Dean used to approach hunts. It made him wonder if his brother still as interested in hunting as he'd once been…a part of him really hoped not. Sam didn't want to bury Dean…and for some reason he seemed to be the one always survived.

TBC…

Authors Note: They will be heading out on a hunt in the next chapter, continue to search for the demon and of course there will be interactions between Dean and Jo in the next chapter. Plus he'll also have to deal with the insights of Ellen and Bobby…Thank you to those of you that took the time to review the last chapter, Tricia...and any others that didn't leave a name or that I can't PM.

Please Review: Please help keep me motivated…