Two Brothers 20/?
Chapter 20
"Sammy, answer me!" Dean yelled and there was a stomping sound and out of the corner of my eye a saw the corpse of the creature shaking in that rhythm. However, it didn't move an inch.
"He's unconscious." I answered instead while I checked Sam over.
"Luis?" Dean stopped his fruitless attempt to push the thing out of his way. "What are you doing here?"
"Hell if I know." I muttered and pressed my fingers on Sam's carotid in search for a pulse. I didn't have to search at all, it was strong and steady right under my fingers and I breathed in relief.
"Is he alright?" Dean's voice shook and he sounded breathless.
"D'n?" Sam's eyelids fluttered while he fought his way back to consciousness.
"He's okay." I said loud enough for both of them to hear. "Sam's waking up."
"Dean?" Sam's eyes flew open and he had a bewildered look around, searching for his brother no doubt, before his gaze settled on me.
"He's okay." I repeated and hoped that it was the truth. "We just need to get that dead monster out of the way." That was the weirdest thing I'd ever said in my life and with a doubtful look at the corpse I wondered how we should manage that. Maybe if he pushed and I pulled …
Which meant I had to touch the dead monster thing.
Sam struggled to get to his feet but with a hiss he dropped back on his rear end.
"Sit tight." I ordered and for once he didn't fight me on that.
"We have to get him out of there."
"No shit, Sherlock." Came Dean's answer and the Manticore shook again from what I assumed were kicks at its chest.
Sam wiped the sweat from his face with his sleeve, leaving a smear on his cheek. I didn't want to think about the origin of that too closely and shone my flashlight at the monster instead.
Focusing on the corpse kept my mind from thinking about the other corpses all around us and I had to admit it was kind of beautiful. C'mon, this was a beast out of legends. I was one of very few people who ever saw something like this. I had no desire to see one of those up close while it was still alive but I had to admire the flawless combination of three different animal parts. I couldn't see the humanoid head but I was working on that.
Wary I stepped closer and laid a hand on the leathery wing. Smooth and dry, almost pleasant to the touch and not at all like I'd expected it.
"I'm not getting younger in here." Dean reminded me and if he sounded breathless and slurred the words a little bit, I pretended not to notice. I squeezed myself between the wall and the wing.
"Okay, on three." I counted and then I pushed the wing with everything I had. Through the massive body I felt Dean pushing as well but the thing was stuck.
"It's not working." Catching my breath I rested my back at the wall and closed my eyes for a moment, at this point I was beyond caring if the rusty-red covering the walls was dried blood or not. I was looking forward to a at least three-hour shower after this but first we had to get this oversized critter out of the way.
"Let's try this again." Sam suddenly said from the other side of the creature, mirroring my position. The last thing he should do in his current condition was something as strenuous as shoving dead monsters around. I opened my mouth to tell him exactly what that would do to the stitches in his side and what fun his head would have with the increased blood pressure but he was already counting and on three he pushed and Dean pushed and the only thing I could do was to push as well.
For a long second it looked like the thing was stuck for good and we probably had to cut it into pieces to get Dean out but then with a plop it got free.
"Finally." Dean exclaimed a little bit breathless while Sam and I wiggled the creature far enough out of the hole for Dean to crawl out.
However, I had my first look at what Sam had called a humanoid head. Whoever came up with that idea must have been drunk and squinting until his eyes were pointing backwards. I can't say what it looked like but humanoid wasn't the first word coming to mind.
"Dean, you alright?" Sam asked when Dean didn't crawl out of the hole. Sam lay sprawled over the wing, still catching his breath, and he only moved his head far enough to throw a worried look in the general direction of his brother.
"Sprained my ankle." Now there was some movement and Dean made his way slowly out of his little prison. The beam of my flashlight revealed his dirty face. He didn't look good, even worse than Sam, if I was honest.
"You found my backpack?" He asked while he fought his way up to standing on one leg. "I might need …" Running out of air he paused while he had to brace himself with one hand at the wall and with the other on the shoulder of the dead monster.
"I have the antidote here." I reassured him. "Why don't you have it on you?" He had been stuck in there for God knew how long, he could have died from that poison.
"Wasn't planning on getting stuck with Prince Charming here." He patted the not humanoid cheek.
At least the poison didn't seem to be a drop-dead-on-the-spot one so normally he would have more than enough time to get out of the filthy cave before he took care of it.
However, it was in his system for a while now and judging by the way he trembled and his eyes refused to stay focused he needed the antidote now. There was no time to get out first and do this under more or less sterile circumstances. Not with his leg busted and Sam still hanging over the wing like a wet sheet hung out to dry.
"Hold this." I shoved my flashlight in Dean's hand and opened my emergency kit. In the shaking light I poured half a bottle of alcohol over his arm before I gave him the shot.
"Thanks, doc." Dean said with a weak smile. "Sam? You ready to get outa here?"
continue to chapter 21
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