A/N: Here's Chapter 12. It's not my best but I hope you like it none the less! Leave a review or message me if you like or if there's anything you want to see that I can try to incorporate into the story(:
Episode: Faith
Faith. It wasn't something I had time to really think about as I was growing up. I never truly believed in a higher power that was supposedly watching over the world and protecting it from evil because I saw that evil my entire life. Plus, my father never mentioned it either. I knew my mom had faith. She would mention something about angels watching over Dean sleep every time she put him to bed. I couldn't help but wonder if I would have believed in a god if my mom were still alive.
These thoughts racked through my brain as I sat in a hard, uncomfortable chair, staring at Dean as he lay coconscious in a hospital bed.
Another day, another hunt, and another week without hearing from Dad. I had honestly given up all hope on seeing him any time soon, and surprisingly I was okay with that. Dean, Sam, and I worked great together as a trio. Bringing Dad back into the mix would only create a stress-filled environment.
For the first time in a long time, we were using tasers as we tried to save a bunch of kids in a basement from god-knows-what. During the chaos of electricity protruding from every direction, Dean had been electrocuted from a puddle that had formed on the ground. His shaking body fell with a scary thump. His eyes clenched shut. And he hasn't woken up since.
I was so focused on Dean's unmoving body that I didn't hear Sam come in. He stood next to me, watching Dean sleep and didn't say a word. Our relationship hasn't been at its best since he came back from his journey to California, but we were civil.
"Mr. and Ms. Burkovitz?" The doctor walked in and acknowledged Sam and I with our fake insurance names as he rounded the other side of Dean's bed. He looked over his vitals presented on the monitor next to the hospital bed.
I stood up right away and walked closer to Dean as if the doctor's touch was going to magically wake him up.
"We've been waiting for hours." I said rather harshly, but I didn't think before I could stop my tone. I was on edge and left to wait with no answers. And I despised how casual the doctor acted around us—as if this couldn't affect our entire life. "What's wrong with him?"
The doctor barely glanced at me but remained is stoic appearance. "The electrocution triggered a heart attack. Pretty massive, I'm afraid. His heart...it's damaged."
"How damaged?" I said through clenched teeth. He was beating around the bush, refusing to tell me that my best friend was probably dying in front of my eyes.
The doctor sighed, not in the least surprised to be hit with my rude attitude. "We've done all we can. We can try and keep him comfortable at this point. But, I'd give him a couple weeks, at most, maybe a month."
My heart felt like it had fallen to the pit of my stomach. My blood turned into ice, piercing through my veins and numbing my body from the head down. A couple of weeks? Dean was stronger than a heart attack. He was freaking hunter for crying out loud. He was supposed die with more dignity than a malfunctioning taser!
Dean and I still had an entire life together. Without him, Sam and I would hardly last—especially at this point in our lives. Any possible relationship Sam and I had with our father would diminish quickly without Dean being the glue that kept this family together. Dean protected me, made me laugh at the worst of times, and made sure I knew what real music sounded like. Without him, I would feel empty and it would be impossible for anything to fill that void. Even Sam.
"No, no. There's, there's...gotta be something you can do, some kind of treatment." Sam said in a softer tone that I would never be able to muster at a time like this. I didn't even notice the hand on my shoulder until he gave it a comforting squeeze.
"We can't work miracles. I really am sorry."
The doctor nodded one last time before he walked out of the room. Sam and I stood there in complete silence—trying to let this all sink in. I shook my head in disbelief. This couldn't be the end of the road for him. It just couldn't.
I removed myself from Sam's grip and walked towards the door.
"Where are you going?" Sam asked quietly.
"I just need some fresh air," I said without turning around. If I turned around, I would look at Dean and not Sam, and then I would only be reminded of the fate I would be forced to meet.
"Okay," Sam nodded understandingly. My heart jolted in a painful pang at Sam's saddened features. I was being selfish by not offering any comforting words or actions. I wasn't the only one losing a brother. "Dean should be waking up soon, but come back whenever you're ready."
I forced myself to turn around and look at Sam. That was when I could physically see his sunken features and clouded eyes. Again, my heart sank and I felt the need to run out of the room. "Okay." I said.
I didn't know where I intended to go, but I found myself in the parking garage, standing in front of Dean's impala. My fingers delicately ran over it's smooth dark exterior, grinning at the thought of Dean running at me, threatening that if I left a smudge, I would have to clean the entire car. I rounded to the side and looked into side view mirror that was perfectly angled for Dean to see behind him. I moved to the trunk and opened it. My eyes scanned over all the weapons Sam and I hadn't bothered to hide after Dean got hurt. I paused on the tasers, never feeling such hatred for an inanimate object. I slammed the trunk shut as my mind began to wander with terrible thoughts of the future.
This was B.S if Sam and I were just going to stand here and let this happen.
I walked back into the hospital with determination to find something that could cure Dean. I refused to sit on my ass until Dean's heart failed.
I was surprised to see Dean sitting up in his bed, watching the TV that was softly playing in the background. Dean turned his head to look at his new visitor and managed to grin when he saw it was me.
Dean was paler than usual and had dark circles under his eyes. It wasn't till he was awake and moving that I saw how sick he really was. Nausea rushed through me as I thought of our limited time. My mind tried counting through all the possible treatments Sam and I could pull out of our ass for him. I couldn't think of any.
"Oh, there you are Shortstack. I was just starting to think you had forgotten about me." Dean forced a grin but it looked more like a grimace. He slowly raised his arm to the side as if offering for me to slide in next to him. "Come here."
I grinned and walked around to the other side of the bed, nestling into his side. This felt weird since Dean and I hadn't cuddled like this in over five years but it comforted me all the same and I knew it comforted Dean too.
I glanced over at Sam and the lack of worried lines above his brow told me he had told Dean about his predicament and how the doctors weren't going to do shit.
"Have you ever actually watched daytime TV? It's terrible." Dean pulled me out of my thoughts. His voice was weak and scratchy.
"Never really have the time…" I stuffed my face into the crook of his shoulder and chest. He didn't smell the same since he was dressed in a hospital robe and not his usual clothing and his skin was colder than it should have been. It was like I could hear the silent ticking of the wall clock above the doorway.
"That fabric softener teddy bear. Oh, I'm gonna hunt that little bitch down."
I stifled my giggle, knowing it was no time for jokes but the thought of Dean hunting a teddy bear of all things created a goofy image in my mind. It loosened some of the tension but I knew he was avoiding the elephant in the room. By the looks of Sam's face, he had tried talking to Dean already, only for Dean to change the subject.
"Dean…" I said quietly, lifting my head to look at him. I rested my chin gently on his shoulder and blinked my eyes several time as if that would change the image of what Dean looked like at that moment.
Dean glanced down at me and his eyes softened as he stared into mine. I didn't say anything else, not wanting to push him into dealing with his situation until he was ready to talk, yet at the same time we were running out of time.
Dean sighed and clicked off the TV with the remote. "Yeah. All right." Sam sat straighter in his chair that I once preoccupied earlier in the day. Dean looked at him. "All right, well, looks like you're gonna leave town without me."
My eyebrows scrunched in confusion. Did Dean really think we were going to leave him behind?
"What are you talking about? We're not gonna leave you here." Sam said before I had the chance to open my mouth.
"Hey, you better take care of that car. Or, I swear, I'll haunt your ass." Dean playfully threatened Sam. I knew he meant it as a joke, but I didn't find it humorous at all.
"That's not funny," I frowned.
"Oh, come on," Dean looked down at me again. "It's a little funny."
My eyes stung with tears I knew were threatening to fall any second now. How Dean managed to have a good attitude about this was beyond me, but I wasn't ready for this new road ahead of us. I looked away before I started crying under Dean's soft stare.
"Look, Sammy, Allie, what can I say, guys, it's a dangerous gig. I drew the short straw. That's it, end of story."
"Don't talk like that alright? We still have options." Sam intervened. My head popped up to look at him. He too was fighting off his own tears but I felt a jolt of energy course through me when he and I had the same idea to keep looking for other treatments.
"What options? Yeah, burial or cremation. And I know it's not easy. But I'm gonna die. And you can't stop it."
Sam and I exchanged a look. I felt my lips curl up into a tiny smirk at the though of defying Dean one last time before the worst could possibly happen. Sam's face was contorted into a more determined expression, but either way, we had the same idea.
"Watch us," I smirked at Dean.
Dean glanced between Sam and I before rolling his eyes and laying his head back on the pillow. In his current condition, he was useless in stopping Sam and I. So he had to come for the ride no matter what we said.
The next time I was alone, I tried calling Dad. He didn't answer. Surprised? Yeah, me neither. I told his voicemail about Dean's condition and if he had any ounce of interest in being a normal father again, he should come see Dean or at least give him a call. My tone was harsh, I'll admit, but I don't think it was out of place. I was angry and frustrated about everything that was going wrong in my life and my stress level was at an all time-high.
Sam left the hospital during the night to do some research on his own about Dean's condition and what we could do about it. Maybe there was nothing medically we could do, but supernaturally… there was always a possibility.
Around 10 p.m I was smacked awake with a pillow. I snapped up from my position on Dean's hospital bed and glared in his direction. He was standing up, barely on his own and dressed in his own clothes. His breathing was uneven as if standing up was exerting too much energy that his body could handle. He was leaning against the wall, smirking down at me.
"What are you doing out of bed?" I asked him. I rolled out of bed and walked around it to stand in front of him with a scowl on my face.
"You're a bed hog," Dean said quickly.
I shook my head, "It's never stopped you from kicking me out of it before."
"Yeah well maybe this damaged heart is making me nicer. You might want to rethink your decision to save it."
"Shut up," I glared. I hated how much he wanted us to give up on him, like he was ready to call it quits. I hated how easy it was for him to say he's done.
"I'm not dying in a hospital room with bad food. I checked myself out so lets go meet Sam."
"Are you crazy?" I stared at him wide eyed.
"Yeah," He shrugged. "Plus, if you were in the same position, I know you would want the same thing." I didn't respond because I knew he was right. Dean pointed between me and himself. "You and me…were a lot alike. It scares the hell out of me."
I rolled my eyes playfully, "Alright lets go."
I called a cab since Sam had the impala. I saw Dean struggling to look like he wasn't in pain, but I knew he was, and it hurt me to see him like this.
We knocked on the motel door since neither of us had a key. Sam was shocked to see us standing in the doorway. I also noticed his glassy eyes as if he was close to tears before he opened the door. He casted me a disapproving glance, as if I had let the dog run away accidentally. I grimaced and shrugged my shoulders. He of all people should know that there is no arguing with Dean when his mind is set on something.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Sam asked.
"I checked myself out," Dean answered.
"I had no say over the matter," I piped in.
"What, are you crazy?" Sam ignored me and kept his attention on Dean.
"You know Allie asked me the same thing," Dean walked past Sam and into the room. I ducked under Sam's glare and followed after Dean. "I'm not gonna die in a hospital where the nurses aren't even hot."
Sam huffed out a laugh, "You know, this whole I-laugh-in-the-face-of-death thing? It's crap. I can see right through it."
Dean shrugged him off, "Yeah, whatever, dude. Have you even slept? You look worse than me."
Sam helped Dean to a chair where he could sit. Dean's face scrunches in pain, but tries masking it by looking down.
"I've been scouring the Internet for the last three days. Calling every contact in Dad's journal."
"For what?"
"For a way to help you. One of Dad's friends, Joshua, he called me back. Told me about a guy in Nebraska. A specialist."
"You not gonna let me die in peace, are you?" Dean glanced between the both of us.
I shook my head and smirked.
"I'm not going to let you die, period. We're going." Sam said.
The next morning we left this town in our rearview mirror and drove to a faith healer Sam had head of from another hunter. It was a dreary day—dark and rainy. Sam had pulled into a dirt parking lot that turned into mud from the rain. Set up in a field was a big white circus tent with a sign that read "The Church of Roy LeGrange. Faith Healer. Witness The Miracle." People were making there way towards the tent. I noticed that many of those people were in need of assistance by the ones next to them.
Sam jumped out of the car first and walked around to the passenger side to help Dean. Dean was trying his best to do things on his own, but he was struggling and he always refused the help Sam and I would constantly try to give.
"I got ya," Sam said. Dean had a grimace on his face as he tried to get out of the car on his own.
"I got it," Dean said angrily. I knew he wasn't mad at Sam and rather his condition but I felt bad for Sam. I knew he was slightly blaming himself for Dean's condition by telling himself he could have protected Dean from it. I knew that because that's how I felt too. Dean looked around at his surroundings and shook his head, "Man, you are a lying bastard. Thought you said we were going to see a Doctor."
"I believe I said a specialist." Sam slightly smirked. "Look, Dean, this guy's supposed to be the real deal."
"I can't believe you brought me here to see some guy who heals people out of a tent."
An elderly woman stopped in her tracks after hearing Dean. Her back was hunched and she was holding an umbrella. "Reverend LeGrange is a great man," She scolded my older brother.
"Yeah that's nice," Dean waved her off. She sent a mean glare Dean's way before continuing her slow walk into the tent.
"Jeez, Dean lower your voice." I whispered.
Dean rolled his eyes and looked to his right where a man was talking angrily with a police officer.
"I have a right to protest. This man is a fraud. And he's milking all these people out of their hard-earned money." The man verbally fought the police officer.
"Sir, this is a place of worship. Let's go. Move it." The officer waved him away.
"I take it he's not part of the flock," Dean pointed out.
"I wonder if he has more friends than foes or more foes than friends," I said.
"But when people see something they can't explain, there's controversy." Sam said. I glanced at him and saw hope in his eyes. He had high expectations for this Reverend LeGrange.
"I mean, come on, Sam, a faith healer?" Dean questioned him.
Although I was still skeptical about the faith healer myself, I needed to stick by Sam to prove to Dean that this was not negotiable. We need to convince Dean that he is worth looking into these crazy things.
"Maybe it's time to have a little faith, Dean," I smirked.
"You know what I've got faith in? Reality. Knowing what's really going on. Since when did you become so optimistic?"
"When I realized I didn't have any other choice but to be." I said.
Dean's face dropped a little into a sad expression.
"How can you be a skeptic?" Sam asked him. "With the things we see everyday?"
"Exactly. We see them, we know they're real." Dean said.
"But if you know evil's out there, how can you not believe good's out there, too?"
"Because I've seen what evil does to good people."
"Maybe God works in mysterious ways." A fourth voice said. The three of us turned our attention to a young woman about Dean's age. She had pale skin and light hair. She wore a nice conservative sweater and a skirt that fell close to her knees. She wore a knowing smile as if having real faith in God.
Dean smiled at her, his mood taking a 180 turn. "Maybe he does. I think you just turned me around on the subject."
I scoffed and was so close to saying something until Sam placed a hand on my shoulder. I turned around to look at him with wide eyes.
"What? So you and I are so easy to dismiss, but as soon as a pretty girl walks into the picture he's all ears?"
"At least he's more willing now," Sam said.
I sighed and didn't say anything. Sam was right. Although our words didn't mean shit to Dean since they came out of our mouths, at least he was being more open about the process to a stranger he thought he had a chance with.
"Yeah, I'm sure," The woman said playfully.
"I'm Dean," Dean held out his hand and shook hers. "This is Sam and Allie."
"Layla," She nodded. "So, if you're not a believer, then why are you here?"
"Well, apparently my brother here believes enough for the three of us." Dean said.
I looked down at the ground feeling ashamed of being caught by Dean. I should have known he would know that I too would find this absolutely crazy. My positive attitude was only to benefit both Dean and Sam, but deep down I knew this had to be a lost cause.
Another woman, older than Laya, walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Come on, Layla. It's about to start." The older woman smiled at us before walking away with Layla.
Dean watched them leave, "Well, I bet you she can work in some mysterious ways."
I rolled my eyes. "You're unbelievable."
"Hey, just because I'm a little injured doesn't mean I can't have a little more fun while I can."
"Dean, your heart can't even handle sex right now."
"My heart can always handle sex," Dean scoffed.
"Guys, can we not talk about sex in front of so many people with strong religious beliefs." Sam said. His cheeks were slightly blushed from embarrassment and that's when I noticed two older woman sending us death glares.
Dean and I chuckled and walked behind him into the tent, dropping the subject as requested.
The tent was filled with people trying to find seats. Many were accompanied by someone in a healthier state. In front of all the seats was a makeshift alter lit with a couple of white candles.
"Yeah, peace, love, and trust all over." Dean said.
I looked up to followed his gaze and found two security cameras in the upper corners of the tents.
"Come on." Sam said, noticing them too.
Dean was about to take a seat in the middle row, but Sam grabbed him by his arm and forced him to move up in a seat closer to the alter.
"Oh, come on, Sam." Dean growled.
"You alright?"
"This is ridiculous." Dean glared at the both of us.
Sam pointed to three empty seats in the second row. Ironically they were behind Layla and her mother.
"Perfect," Sam smiled to himself.
"Yeah, perfect." Dean said sarcastically.
"You take the aisle." Sam directed Dean.
Dean's face contorted in irritation. I smirked and took a seat next to him, poking him in the side playfully. He pushed my hand away and crossed his arms over his chest grumpily.
Someone approached the front stage. He was an older man, wearing the sunglasses that many legally blind people wear, which made me believe he was blind. He's helped to a lecturn by a woman I presume to be his wife. I heard someone mumble that his name was Roy.
He faced the front and opened his arms to address the crowd. "Each morning, my wife, Sue Ann, reads me the news. Never seems good, does it?" The crowd around us hummed in agreement. Dean and I looked behind us to see if people were actually interested in what this guy was talking about. They don't even know the half of it. Sam sat next to me nodding along with the rest of these idiots. Dean and I rolled our eyes simultaneously. "Seems like there's always someone committing some immoral, unspeakable act."
My eyes narrowed on a table to the side of the alter slightly hidden in the back. On top of it were random religious items. What caught my eye was the wooden cross that was topped by a smaller cross in a circle.
"But, I say to you, God is watching," Roy continued.
"Yes he is!" The crowd murmured.
"God rewards the good, and He punishes the corrupt."
The crowd nodded and murmured along. Some even cheered loudly. Were these people really into what this guy was saying? Did they really believe? I mean how could they? This all sounded ludicrous.
"It is the Lord who does the healing here friends. The Lord who guides me in choosing who to heal by helping me see into people's hearts."
"Yeah, and into their wallets." Dean leaned over and whispered to me.
Roy found interest in Dean's disbelief. He apparently heard Dean and smiled in our direction.
"You think so, young man?" His head was facing up, unsure of Dean's exact whereabouts but he was confident in what he heard.
The crowd around us immediately fell silent at the thought of someone in denial. As if that has never happened before. I felt like there was a spot light shining on me, all eyes on me, all ears trained on us.
Dean coughed awkwardly. "Sorry."
"No, no. Don't be. Just watch what you say around a blind man, we've got real sharp ears." The crowd laughed and I felt the urge to glare at every single one of them. "What's your name, son?"
Dean cleared his throat and hesitated. "Dean."
"Dean." He nodded to himself. "I want—I want you to come up here with me."
My eyebrows raised with surprise. That was lucky. First one called? Hell yeah!
The audience clapped and whistled, happy for Dean to be chosen. I wanted to believe in the same miracle that they all did, but I was hesitant. I knew better than to get my hopes up.
Dean shook his head and remained in his seat, "No, its okay."
"What are you doing?" Sam whispered.
"You've come here to be healed, haven't you?" Roy asked.
"Well, yeah, but ah…" Dean stumbled on words. The crowd's cheers grew louder and more obnoxious. Dean glanced around anxiously. "Maybe you should just pick someone else."
I saw Sam's expression. One that looked like Dean was insane.
"Oh, no. I didn't pick you Dean. The Lord did." The man said.
"Yeah!
"Come on!"
"That's right!"
The crowd was growing to get on my nerves so I elbowed Dean in the side and pushed him to go up there.
"It can't hurt, right?" I shrugged. It didn't matter if Dean believed or not. But it mattered for Sam's sake. He was pushing Dean as well, smiling encouragingly. I saw the excitement written on his face and only prayed that this worked for Sam's benefit.
Dean saw it too and reluctantly rose in his seat and walked gingerly to the stage. The wife moved next to him to help him up on the stage and stand him next to Roy.
"You ready?" Roy asked.
"Look, no disrespect, but ahh, I'm not exactly a believer." Dean admitted.
Roy smiled. "You will be son. You will be." Roy faced the crowd again and lifted his arms. "Pray with me friends."
The crowd lifted their arms and held hands with the people next to them. Sam tapped me on the shoulder to join in and clutch his hand. He gave me a reassuring squeeze and closed his eyes to pray with the others. Me? I couldn't keep my eyes off of Dean. He was looking around awkwardly and nervously. His eyes found mine and I felt some emotion come over me. Like I knew I was going to lose him if this didn't work.
Roy lifted his hands to the air and then placed them on Dean's shoulder then moved to the side of his head, mumbling to himself.
A couple of eerie seconds went by. I watched as Dean's eyes glazed over. A look I have never seen on Dean before. He knees weakened beneath him and he sank to the ground. Roy's hands never left his head.
"Alright now." Roy said.
Dean wobbled slightly before collapsing on the stage, his eyes rolling to the back of his head.
"Dean!" I cried and removed myself from the rest of the crowd, followed by Sam, to the stage.
Sam got to him first and pulled him up by his hoodie. Dean's eyes popped open and looked around frantically as if trying to find someone or something. I hovered over my older brother and wiped away some of the sweat that had started to gather on his forehead.
The cheers went off again. They were excited and loud, and I could only hope that meant that it worked.
"Say something!" Sam said to Dean.
Dean looked around the room, his eyes darting back and forth. I bit my lip and glanced at Sam awkwardly. He was looking at me too. Something wasn't right.
Sam and I took Dean to the hospital to get his heart reevaluated. He didn't tell us what was wrong, and Sam nor I pushed him into telling us. We figured he was still mad at us for putting him on the spot in front of dozens of people and making him do something he didn't want to do.
"So, you really feel okay?" Sam asked him for the hundredth time.
We were sitting in a small check-up room, waiting for the doctor to come back with Dean's result. I was sitting on a chair to the side, bouncing my leg up and down anxiously. If Dean wasn't better, we were screwed.
"I feel fine, Sam." Dean grunted. He was tired of the being asked.
The doctor walked in and I sprung to my feet. He had paperwork in his hand, casually reading over it.
"So?" I asked anxiously and impatiently. The doctor hardly glanced at me and looked at Dean.
"Well, according to all your tests there's nothing wrong with your heart. No sign there ever was. Not that a man your age should be having heart trouble, but, still it's strange it does happen."
"What do you mean, strange?" Dean asked.
"Well, just yesterday, a young guy like you, twenty-seven, athletic. Out of nowhere, heart attack."
The three of us stayed silent. I mean, that had to be a coincidence right?
"Thanks, Doc."
"No problem," The doctor left.
I smiled wide and ran up to Dean and wrapped my arms around his shoulders. "It worked!"
Dean placed his hand on my back but didn't hug back. Something was still on his mind and I would bet every penny that it was the guy who went into heart failure yesterday.
"That's odd." He said.
"Maybe it's a coincidence. People's hearts give out all the time, man." Sam assured him.
"No, they don't."
"Look, Dean, do we really have to look this one in the mouth? Why can't we just be thankful that the guy saved your life and move on?"
"Because I can't shake this feeling, that's why!"
"What feeling?" I asked.
Dean sighed and chose his words carefully. "When I was healed, I just...I felt wrong. I felt cold. And for a second...I saw someone. This, uh, this old man. And I'm telling you, guys, it was a spirit."
"But if there was something there, Dean, I think I would've seen it, too. I mean, I've been seeing an awful lot of things lately." Sam said with a shake of his head.
Dean scoffed. "Well, excuse me, psychic wonder. But you're just gonna need a little faith on this one. Sam, I've been hunting long enough to trust a feeling like this."
"Fine." I said stepping in between them. I felt the tension rising between the two of them and I didn't want it to escalate. "What do you wanna do, Dean?"
"I want you two to go check out the heart attack guy. I'm gonna visit the reverend."
I sighed and exchanged a look with Sam. If we made Dean go through this process, the least we could do was look into it.
Sam and I followed the investigation into the 27 year old heart attack victim and it led us to a swimming locker room. We were talking to one of the employees that worked at the swimming pool.
"I'm telling you, he seemed healthy. Swam every day, didn't smoke. So, a heart attack just kind of seemed, well, bizarre."
"And you said he was running, right before he collapsed?" I asked.
"Yeah, yeah, he was freaking out. He said that something was, uh, was after him." The man explained uncomfortably.
"Did he say what?"
"Well, this air is what. I mean, it wasn't anything." He shook his head at us crazy people.
I licked my lips and decided not to fight it. I didn't feel like being called insane today.
"Alright, thanks." Sam nodded. We turned around to leave when Sam noticed something on the wall and pointed to it. "Hey, buddy? Your, uh, your clock's busted."
"Oh yeah." The man shrugged. "We uh can't get it working. Just froze at 4:17."
I looked at him confused. The time seemed oddly familiar. "Is that the same time Marshall died?" I asked.
The man looked at surprised. "How'd you know?"
Shit, I thought, Dean was right.
Sam and I stayed in the motel room silently. I think Sam was feeling the same way I was. Guilty. Guilty for being part of taking another man's life to save Dean's and guilty for not feeling so ashamed of it. We got our brother back and to me, that was all that mattered.
Dean trudged through the motel room and tossed his keys to the side. He didn't look happy either.
"What'd you find out?" Dean asked us.
Dean looked at me expecting an answer, but I didn't have the guts to tell him we killed another man to save him. Okay, that's exaggerating a little bit, but that's how I felt.
Sam spoke quietly. "I'm sorry."
Dean threw his jacket on the bed and approached Sam who was sitting with his laptop open. "Sorry about what?"
"Marshall died at 4:17."
Dean's eyebrows popped up. "The exact time I was healed."
Dean looked at me again, but I still couldn't make eye contact.
"Yeah. So, I put together a list of everyone Roy's healed, six people over the past year, and I cross-checked them with the local obits. Every time someone was healed, someone else died. And each time, the victim died of the same symptom LeGrange was healing at the time."
"Wait, wait, wait. So, Marshall Hall died to save me?" Dean pointed to himself.
"Dean, the guy probably would have died anyway." Sam said, looking upset. "And someone else would've been healed."
"You never should've brought me here."
"Dean we were trying to save your life." I said weakly.
"Yeah, and now some guy is dead because of me."
"We didn't know." I defended. I knew Dean wasn't actually mad at us, but at the fact that someone else made this happen.
"The thing I don't understand is how is Roy doing it?" Sam asked. "How's he trading a life for a life?"
"Oh, he's not doing it." Dean said. "Something else is doing it for him."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"The old man I saw on the stage." Dean explained. "I didn't wanna believe it, but deep down I knew."
"You knew what? Dean, what are you talking about?" I asked.
"There's only one thing that can give and take life like that." Sam and I were looking at him as if waiting for a plot twist in a movie. Like the suspense was killing us! "We're dealing with a reaper."
Sam and Dean moved to the table with Sam's open laptop. Dean tried explaining how he felt and what he saw to make us understand what it was that he was talking about.
"You really think it's the Grim Reaper? Like, angel of death, collect your soul, the whole deal?" I asked unconvinced.
"No no no, not the reaper, A reaper. There's reaper law in pretty much every culture on earth, it goes by 100 different names, it's possible that there's more than one of them."
"But you said you saw a dude in a suit." I said.
"What, you think he shoulda been working the whole black robe thing? You said it yourself that the clock stopped right? Reapers stop time. And you can only see 'em when they're coming at you which is why I could see it and you couldn't."
"Maybe." Sam shrugged.
"There's nothing else it could be Sam. The question is how is Roy controlling the damn thing?"
There was a pause as everyone tried thinking of a logical explanation. I closed my eyes and thought back to the moment inside the tent. I remembered Dean on his knees, Roy's hands placed on Dean's head. I didn't see any old man other than Roy on stage but I did see the alter in the corner. And then it hit me.
"That cross." I pointed.
"What?" Dean tilted his head towards me.
"There was this cross, I noticed in the church." I explained.
"Wait." Sam snapped his fingers. "Yes. I saw it too. And I knew I had seen it before. Wait a second." Sam moved to sort through some papers and pulled out a card and handed it to Dean. "Here."
I moved to stand behind Dean and examined the card. On the front was the same wooden cross I saw on the alter. But strangely, it was on a tarot card.
"A Tarot?" Dean asked skeptically.
"It makes sense. A tarot dates back to the early christian era right, when some priests were still using magic? And a few of them veered into the dark stuff? Necromancy and how to push death away, how to cause it?"
"So Roy's using black magic to bind the reaper?" I asked.
"If he is he's riding the whirlwind. It's like a putting a dog leash on a great white." Sam said.
Dean rose from his seat and filled a cup with water. "Ok then we stop Roy."
"How?"
"You know how." Dean said.
I sighed when I felt another argument coming.
"Wait, what the hell are you talking about Dean, we can't kill Roy." Sam argued.
"Sam the guys playing God, he's deciding who lives and who dies. That's a monster in my book."
Called it.
"No. We're not going to kill a human being Dean. We do that we're no better than he is."
Dean looked at me to back him up, but unfortunately I had to take Sam's side on this one. Killing a human being wasn't in our job description and it wasn't something I would be able to handle.
Dean sighed at my reaction. "Ok, we can't kill Roy, we can't kill death. Any bright ideas college boy?"
"Ok. Uh...If Roy's using some kind of black spell on the reaper, we gotta...figure out what it is. And how to break it."
"Does that mean we get to break into their house?" I asked, slightly smirking.
My brothers looked at me like I had two heads for getting excited about breaking into someone's home. But I couldn't help it. It was like an adrenaline rush.
We went back to the tent the next day. Dean was behind the impala wheel again. We bumped along the gravel road that was filled with potholes. The parking lot was packed again indicating another service.
"If Roy's using a spell, there might be a spell book." Sam said as we stepped out of the car.
"See if you can find it." Dean glanced at his watch. "Hurry up too, the service starts in fifteen minutes. I'll try to stall Roy."
The same man preaching about how Roy's a fake was standing outside handing out flyers. He handed one to Dean. "Roy LeGrange is a fraud. He's no healer."
Dean accepted the flyer. "Amen brother."
"Keep up the good work," I patted the guy's shoulder and walked off with Sam.
"Thank you," The man smiled as if it was the first time that he was thanked.
Sam and I rounded the side of the house to window that didn't have a screen cover on it. Sam pushed it open and helped me climb through it. He followed in after. We searched through the bookshelf in his study.
"Allie, look at this." Sam said after a couple of minutes of pulling books off the dusty shelves.
I walked over and looked over his shoulder. He was holding a smaller book open to a picture of a skeleton reaper then flipped to another page of the wooden cross I saw in the tent yesterday.
I pulled out a couple of newspaper clippings between the pages. Each one was about people who died. On one of the pages was a picture of the man who died of a heart attack yesterday. According to the article, he was an openly gay teacher. Another woman who had recently died was an abortion advocate. I'm guessing she was another victim of Roy's. Then there was a third clipping. A picture of the man in the parking lot handing out flyers, a man named Wright.
"Sam," I handed them to him. "He's next."
I reached for my phone in my back pocket and dialed Dean. "What have you got?" He answered.
"Roy's choosing victims he sees as immoral. And I think I know who's next on his list. Remember that protestor?"
"What, the guy in the parking lot?" Dean asked.
"Yeah. Yeah, we'll find him. But you can't let Roy heal anyone, alright?"
"Okay," Dean hung up.
Sam and I ran out of the house and back to the parking lot. We walked around dozens of cars, but the man was gone.
"Help!" Someone distantly screamed. Sam and I whipped around to look for whoever cried for help.
Sam and I ran side by side until we finally found Wright. He had his back pressed against one of the cars, looking around wildly like someone was coming at him and he was afraid for his life. Bur I didn't see anyone and neither did Sam.
"Where is he?" Sam yelled.
Wright grabbed Sam's shoulder and pointed ahead of him. "Right there!"
Sam and I followed his finger, but it was only thin air. There was no one there. "Fine, come on." Sam said and pushed Wright away. "Allie, call Dean!"
I ran with Sam and Wright with my phone to my ear. "Dean!"
"David, I think it's ok." Sam said after slowing down.
David Wright nodded and turned around. Then he let out an ear piercing cry, "No!"
"Allie, what's going on?" Dean asked.
"It didn't work." I said. "The reaper's still coming!"
"What!"
"I'm telling you," I yelled over David's screaming, "I'm telling you it didn't work. Roy must not be the one controlling this thing."
"Then who the hell is it?"
"I have no idea!" I yelled frustrated and annoyed with David's constant yelling despite the valid reason to.
"Sue Ann."
"What?"
"It's Sue Ann." Dean said and hung up.
David stopped screaming and fell to the ground, looking like Dean did when he was healed, except this was for the opposite affect. Sam and I looked at each other helplessly. There was nothing we could do to a monster we couldn't see.
A couple seconds later he gasped for breath and reached for Sam's arm to help him up.
"I got you. I got you." Sam pulled him back up.
"Thank god," He said.
Sam and I met Dean back at the motel. We were both exhausted and Dean was extremely pissed because during the time he was stopping Sue Ann, he also stopped Roy from healing Layla, the girl we met earlier.
Turns out that Sue Ann was the one behind the black magic and Roy truly thought he was healing people. The poor guy.
"So Roy really believes," Sam said.
"I don't think he has any idea what his wife's doing," Dean said.
"Well I found this," Sam handed him the book we found in the house. "Hidden in their library. It's ancient. Written by a priest who went dark side. There's a binding spell in here for trapping a reaper."
"Must be a hell of a spell."
"Yeah. You gotta build a black alter with seriously dark stuff. Bones, human blood. To cross a line like that, a preachers wife. Black magic. Murder. Evil."
"Desperate. Her husband was dying, she didn't have anything to save him. She was using the binding spell to keep the reaper away from Roy."
"Cheating death, literally." I said while stuffing my face with cold pizza.
"Yeah but Roy's alive, so why is she still using the spell?" Dean asked.
"Right. To force the reaper to kill people she thinks are immoral." Sam said.
I rolled my eyes, "May God save us from half the people who think they're doing God's work."
"We gotta break that binding spell Dean," Sam said.
Dean stared at the picture of the wooden cross, "You know Sue Ann had a coptic cross like this. When she dropped it the reaper backed off."
"So you think we gotta find the cross or destroy the alter?" I asked.
"Maybe both," Dean shrugged. "Whatever we do we better do it soon, or he's healing Layla tonight."
Dean drove us back to the service with his headlights off so that we could go unnoticed. It was dark outside so it was hard to see the other cars in the lot, but Sam was able to point out Layla's.
"That's Layla's car. She's already here." He said.
"Yeah," Dean nodded sadly.
"Dean…" I said quietly. I couldn't imagine how hard this choice had to be for Dean. He was doing the right thing by stopping Sue Ann from continuing this horrible binding bullshit spell, but at the same time, he was taking a second chance away from Layla.
"You know if Roy woulda picked Layla instead of me she'd be here right now. And if she's not healed tonight she's gunna die in a coupla months." He said frustratingly.
I glanced at Sam to say something. He was better with these kinds of situations than I was. "What's happening to her is horrible. But what are you gunna do? Let somebody else die to save her? You said it yourself Dean, you can't play God."
Dean didn't say anything and stared out the window for a moment and silently walked out of the car.
Sam and I followed. We peaked inside the tent and saw a small gathering of people sitting in front of Roy, including Layla and her mother.
"Gather round, please everyone, gather round. Come in closer, come on up." Roy said.
"Where's Sue Ann?" Dean asked.
"House," Sam said.
We left the tent unnoticed and move to the house.
"Go find Sue Ann." Dean said to both Sam and I.
"What are you gunna…"
Sam was cut off when Dean sprinted over to where two cops were. "Hey!" The cops looked over at him. "You gunna put that fear of God in me?"
The cops dropped their coffee and sprinted after Dean. Both of them looked pissed to see him.
"What the…" Sam trailed off watching them go.
"Who knows," I rolled my eyes. "Come on."
Sam and I sprinted towards Sue Anne's house and slipped through the window of the basement. I stayed behind Sam and tip toed towards a candlelit alter with awful things sitting on top of it. Things like parts of dead animals, blood, and horns. I had to cover my nose with my hand because even the smell was atrocious.
"Allie, look." Sam pointed to the alter.
I narrowed my eyes and looked more closely. Then I see what I missed, and shit did it make my blood boil. In the middle of the alter was a standing photo of Dean from when he was healed the other day in the tent. The photo was black and white but drawn on his face was a big fat red X.
"I'm gonna kill her." I said.
"I gave your brother life and I can take it away," Someone said behind us.
We snapped around and saw Sue Ann at the top of the basement steps. She didn't seem surprised to see us there, but she didn't look happy about it either.
Sam and I both furiously sprinted to the alter, tipping it over. Everything fell to the ground with a clatter and the candles immediately went out. The room went dark and I thought that we had stopped it, but Sue Anne slammed the door and locked it. That's when I realized we were a lot more screwed than I thought.
Sam ran to the door, messing with the door knob and slamming his shoulder into the wooden door, but even Sasquatch couldn't break it down.
"Sam, can't you see? The Lord chose me to reward the just and punish the wicked. And your brother is wicked and he deserves to die just as Layla deserves to live. It is God's will." Sue Ann said with a strained voice.
"Sue Anne, the second I get out of here, I'm going to kill you!" I shouted.
"Good bye, Sam and Allie." She responded.
Sam grabbed my wrist and pulled me towards the window we snuck through. He grabbed a piece of wooden slab from the broken alter next to us and smashed the window with it.
"Sam, we're not going to make it." I huffed when we were outside.
"Don't say that. Come on, we have to get to the church."
I couldn't even feel the heat running through my muscles and the wind being squeezed out of my lungs. All I could think about was Dean dying because some hoodoo bitch decided so.
We stopped in our tracks when we saw Sue Ann outside the tent doors with her eyes closed, holding a cross to her chest.
But if she was out here, and Roy and Layla were inside the tent…where was Dean?
"Sam, you go stop Sue Ann, I'll find Dean!"
I didn't wait to hear what Sam was going to say, not that he would object, but either way I didn't stick around to listen. I ran around the tent, skimming over the parking lot for my dying brother. I rounded the corner of the tent and finally found Dean on his hands and knees catching his breath.
"Dean!" I ran towards him and knelt to his level. His hand was on his heart and he was gasping for breath. "Dean! Where is he?"
"He's…he's gone."
"What?"
"The reaper…he's gone."
"Sam did it," I breathed and looked up to the sky. "Thank god," I said to myself. "Come on," I helped Dean to his feet. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and we walked slowly to the impala where Sam would meet us later.
This whole ordeal sucked. Roy thought he was saving lives, and had he been without taking another's would have been great, but it sucked that people had this great hope for him and themselves and we had to take it away. I knew Dean was thinking about Layla, and I was too. But I would selfishly choose my brother's life over a stranger's any day.
Sam approached the impala around the same time. He jogged towards Dean and slapped his hand on his shoulder. "You Ok?"
Dean shook his head, "Hell of a week."
"Yeah…" Sam said, glancing over at me because he knew we were all thinking it. "All right, come on. We should get going."
I slept in that next morning. I felt emotionally exhausted with everything that had happened. I had never come so close to losing someone in my family…other than my mom. The experience was scary as hell and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. It was heartbreaking and cruel. Just thinking about it made my heart hurt.
I woke up in a groggy state and looked around the motel room for any sight of my brothers. Sam was sitting by the small kitchen table, reading over the news paper and drinking a coffee. Dean was sitting on the couch, staring at the wall and not even the TV.
"What's the matter with you?" My voice was scratchy from just waking up and my head was still a little foggy, but I knew when my brother was in deep in thought.
Dean glanced over his shoulder at me not realizing I was awake. "Nothing."
I rolled my eyes, knowing he was going to say that and slipped out of bed. I trudged over to the couch, yawning in the process, and fell into the seat next to him. "What is it?"
Dean sighed, realizing he couldn't get away from me. "We did the right thing here, didn't we?"
"Of course we did."
Dean hung his head feeling guilty. "It doesn't feel like it."
"Dean –"
Someone knocked on our motel room door, cutting me off. I furrow my eyebrows and looked at Sam confused.
"I got it," He said.
He opened the door, and to all of our shock, it was Layla. Dean quickly rose to his to feet and approached her.
"How did you know we were here?" He asked.
"Sam…called." She said hesitantly. I looked at Sam with a raised eyebrow, and he just shrugged. "He said you…wanted to say goodbye."
Now Dean was looking at Sam who now looked sheepish under Dean's gaze.
"I'm gunna…grab a soda," Sam said awkwardly. "Allie?"
"Yeah, me too." I stood up and walked towards Sam.
"Uh…" Sam grabbed his jacket and shoved it into my arms. I looked down at my outfit which was only short shorts and a tank with socks that came halfway up my calves.
"Thanks," I wrapped the jacket around my shoulders and stepped with him outside.
The air was cold and the clouds were dark, indicating it was going to rain soon. While we were outside, Sam told me what ended up happening to Sue Ann. As Roy tried healing Layla, Sam destroyed the cross she was holding and because of that, the reaper came after Sue Ann. Once Sue Ann dropped dead the reaper disappeared for good. Ironic.
"You think he's going to be okay?" Sam asked.
I glanced back at our motel room door. Dean was going to be okay and someday he's going to forget that this ever happened. Just another crazy day in our line of work. But this one was going to stick with him for a little while.
"Eventually. Dean likes to think he can save everyone, so when he can't it gets to him." Sam nodded agreeing with me. "He's going to be okay though."
I thought about Dean, then about Sam and I, how we each have our own problems were dealing with. Sam and his fortune telling dreams. Dean with his near death experience. Then theres me. Owning something that demons want. But the three of us, we have each other's back. And together, we'll be fine.
"We're all going to be okay." I said.