Two Brothers 12/?
Chapter 12
I offered Dean a ride to my place but I wasn't surprised when he refused and followed me in his car instead.
What surprised me, though, was his car. The same black beast he'd driven all those years ago. It had survived a tree falling on it so why should a few more years take it down? And it looked like Dean took good care of it, too. Maybe I didn't peg Dean for a man who would hold on to something like a car for so long. I knew a bit about his life, at least what was available online with the reports of his crimes and his assumed deaths, and he must have gone great lengths to keep something like that car around.
Dean parked next to me.
"Nice place, doc." He whistled softly. "You live here alone?"
"Told you I've way to much space for just myself." I opened the door and made an inviting gesture.
I showed Dean his room, nothing fancy and I should have dusted it but Dean didn't seem to notice, and then we settled in the living room with a drink. It was too early for bed, even though Dean could use a few extra hours of sleep.
"Damn, I should have become a doctor." Dean joked after he had a look around.
"It has its perks." I raised my glass and in the following moment of silence I tried to figure out what to do with the evening and the man sitting in the chair across from me. I doubted we shared any interests.
Dean stared thoughtfully into the amber liquid in his glass.
"So … ehm." He made an unsure gesture. "Thanks, Luis. You know, for all you did … do for Sammy."
It was clear that he wasn't big at saying thanks so I just raised my glass another time and said: "You're welcome."
Another moment of silence before he gave me a glance. "No questions?"
Oh, I had a lot of questions. Over the last few days I had collected a pile of questions but with Sam fighting for his life there had been no time to actually talk to Dean. And I think he liked it that way.
"Way too many." I answered honestly and leaned back in my chair.
"I bet." He finished his drink and for a moment I expected him to ask for a refill but he put the glass on the table and rested his elbows on his knees.
He seemed willing to talk and I searched for something harmless to start with. What had attacked Sam was the most obvious question but I wasn't sure if I wanted to go there just yet.
"I found the weird markings on Sam's ribs" I started.
"So they are still there?" That seemed to surprise him.
"Faded. If you hadn't been concerned about what I might find on the x-rays I would have never found them."
"That's why they don't work anymore." He nodded to himself as if that should have been obvious to him.
"What are they supposed to do?" I asked. "And how did they get on Sam's ribs in the first place?"
"They kept us hidden." Was his not helpful answer. But the us implied that the markings weren't only on Sam's ribs.
"From the police?" I was willing to accept this as something like a warding. If you believed in that kind of thing.
"There are way more dangerous things out there than the police." Now Dean shook his head in amusement. "You are a nice guy, Luis, but trust me, you don't want to know."
After I had poked around and had found Becky and her shapeshifter story years ago, I had decided to drop it, so I just nodded and let it be. But there was one other question.
"It wasn't a bear that attacked Sam, wasn't it?"
"No."
"Is it still out there?" Because that was a thought I really didn't like. I had seen some of the research the Winchesters, or most likely Sam, had done and let's just say, I wasn't planning a hiking trip any time soon.
"I don't know." Dean shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "Sam winged it but it took off. And then I had to get Sammy back to the car and to the hospital. Maybe it died later, Sammy got it good. We'll have to make sure at some point." He paused, lost in memories. I had seen Sam's injuries and I didn't want to think about two men alone in the woods with one of them bleeding out and a wounded monster somewhere around.
"Sam is going to be fine." I reassured him. "I've no idea how you managed it but you good him to the hospital just in time."
Dean scrubbed his face and stood up. "If you don't mind, I'd like to turn in. It's been a long day."
It was a retreat from my questions, I got that, and I didn't mind. He had enough on his mind without a stranger asking him stupid questions and bringing up bad memories.
It was strange to have another person in the house. I stayed up a little while longer and I had my ears strained for any noises coming from the guest room and I didn't dare to turn on the TV too loud. Dean needed some sleep.
Due to that I turned in early too and was up again before dawn.
Usually I'm happy with a cup of coffee in the morning but I figured Dean could use a good breakfast so I set the table and brought out the heavy artillery. I even defrosted some waffles.
By the time everything was ready there was still no sign of Dean. He didn't react to me knocking at his door so I opened it and stepped into the room.
It had been a warm night and Dean had shrugged off the blanket. He lay on his belly and sleeping only in his underwear I had a good view on his backside. I had seen the scars on Sam but Dean had his fair share as well. One of the newer scars was a nasty one on his side that looked like it had needed stitches but had been left to heal on its own. Why he had let that happen without a doctor or his brother taking care of it was beyond me.
However, my eyes traveled down to his thigh, searching for one specific scar. The one I'd seen Sam stitching up, the one that had made me switch from physics to medicine all those years ago. But where it should have been I only found smooth skin.
continue to chapter 13
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