Wrapped in Honey 42/49
Chapter 42
Sam was there. Dean only woke up long enough to confirm that the voice he was hearing indeed belonged to Sam before he let himself drift back to sleep. His head hurt but not too badly but when he opened his eyes everything was blurred and it seemed to be too much of an effort to figure this one out so he just held on to Sam's hand and let the drugs in his system do their job.
The next time he woke up, he felt clearer, more there, even when is head pounded with every beat of his heart. His first glance was in Sam's direction who slept in the chair next to him. Dean's neck ached from looking at Sam alone but he didn't want to alert the other man. Instead he tried to have a look at Bobby. Last thing he remembered was a doctor telling him that they had to wait and see and that surgery went well and that Bobby was a fighter. As far as he could tell nothing had changed over there so Dean's attention went back to Sam.
He wasn't sure if he really had called him or if that had been a dream but Sam was here so it probably had been real.
"Hey." Sam blinked his eyes open and smiled at him.
"Hey." Dean answered. It was dark outside and the room was only illuminated by a small light, it felt like the wee hours of the morning but Sam was still here at his side.
"How do you feel?" Sam reached for the cup of water before Dean could even ask for it.
"Better." He wiped his mouth with his good hand. "How's Bobby?" He had the feeling that he'd asked that question before but couldn't remember the answer.
"Still the same." Sam half turned in his chair to have a quick glance at the man in the other bed. The beeping of the monitor was steady as was the whoosh of the vent.
"Dean, what happened?" Sam put the cup aside and then rested his elbows on his knees. "Nobody is talking to me. It's a miracle they let me stay. I think that's the sheriff's doing, she was glad that you finally have a visitor."
"Sheriff Mills." Dean remembered seeing her at Bobby's house. After ... images and memories blurred together to a hazy mess. John. That he remembered clearly. "Did they catch John?"
"Not yet." Sam shook his head. "At least as far as I know."
"I met him in town." Dean remembered that. The hardware store. John. "He said he wanted to see me. Told him I didn't want to see him. Then I turned around and just left." A smile ghosted over his lips at that. The last time he'd seen his dad he wouldn't have dared to just turn his back to him and leave.
"What did he do then?" Sam asked.
"Later that evening he came to the salvage yard." Dean frowned, he was a little fuzzy about the details here. "I can't really remember." He closed his eyes with a sigh. Why did the light in here had to be so bright?
"It's okay, you have a concussion." Sam reassured him. "The doc said it wouldn't be unexpected if you don't remember what happened." Sam gave him a smile. "Only frustrating."
"He came for an apology." Bits and pieces came back to him.
"He wanted to apologize?"
Now Dean barked out a laugh that tried to split his head open.
"No." Dean wanted to shake his head to that but thought better of it. "He wanted me to apologize."
"For what?"
"For putting him in jail, for starters." Dean answered and closed his eyes. "For making him look bad, for being gay, for existing."
John's voice echoed through his mind, adding more pain to his already head-splitting headache.
"And he was mad at Bobby for taking me away." He added and now the memories rushed back in. How John had come to the house, the yelling and screaming. The insults. Until Bobby had enough of it and brought out the shotgun. Turned out John had a gun, too. And he was faster.
Everything after that was lost to Dean. He thought that he'd called 911 but he wasn't sure on that. He thought that he remembered that he woke up and doctors spoke to him and that he'd called Sam. And now Sam was here and Bobby lay in the other bed.
"That bastard." Was the only thing Sam said when Dean had finished his story. There were still quite a few blanks Dean still wasn't able to fill but he remembered enough, he could do without the rest.
"I think I want to sleep now." Exhausted from telling his story, more emotional than physical, Dean closed his eyes and reached for Sam's hand. When he felt strong fingers closing around his, he let out a sigh and drifted back to sleep.
He must have missed the part where they'd taken out Bobby's vent. When he woke up, Bobby was breathing on his own and there were less things attached to him and that was a good thing, right?
"Mr. Winchester." A doctor came in. The face was vaguely familiar but Dean couldn't place a name to it. "Good morning. How do you feel?"
It had to be at least very late morning but Dean didn't care about technicalities here.
"How's Bobby?" He asked instead of an answer. The doctor had a look at Sam, who was already half-way out of his chair but Dean stopped him by holding on to his wrist.
"He can stay."
The doctor considered it for a second but then nodded. "As you wish."
Half of the things the doctor said in the next few minutes went right over Dean's head, the headache was manageable today but he still felt a little disconnected with himself, but he understood that he needed a few more days of rest for the concussion to clear up but that he didn't have to stay in hospital for that and that his arm would heal but needed a few weeks.
Bobby was doing fine as well. He was resting now and the doctor was sure that he would make it. They had to dig a bullet out of his guts and it had looked bad for a while but now it looked better. Of course there was no guarantee. With that he doctor left.
"Of course." Dean muttered to himself. Freaking doctors with their vague answers just to keep their own head out of the noose.
"You can leave in the afternoon." Sam had picked up on that. There were still some tests the doctor wanted to do but after that Dean was free to go. He was just not sure if he wanted to leave. Bobby was still here and he was still critical. The doctor hadn't said it like that but Dean knew. It may look fine now but it still could go sideways at any time.
Around noon Sheriff Mills came in to check on him.
"Look who's awake." She smiled at him and had a nod for Sam who hadn't left his place in the chair. Dean wasn't even sure if he had bathroom breaks.
"Hey, Jody." He returned her smile but then sobered up. "Tell me you got him."
"Not yet." She shook her head. "That's why I'm here. The doc said you're ready to go home."
"Yeah, he said something about that." Only then he realized that he was still holding hands with Sam. Blushing he drew his hand back but wondered what Sam had told her. Had he introduced himself as a friend or as more?
"I just need to know if you stay here or go home." She sat down in the chair on the other side of the bed. "So I can guarantee your safety."
"I don't know." He admitted, glancing over to the way too still Bobby.
"Go home, idjit." Came it suddenly from the other bed. "Maybe then I can sleep in peace."
Dean almost fell out of bed in the attempt to get over to the other bed. In the end Sam and Jody had to grab him under the armpits on both sides to keep him upright but he made it over to Bobby.
"You look like crap." Was Bobby's reaction when he caught sight of his battered face. Dean grinned like an idiot.
"Have you looked in a mirror lately?" Dean shot back. He could tell that Bobby was already fading but he had woken up and everything would be fine now. Before Bobby went back to sleep, though, he blinked his eyes open one more time and this time they weren't fixed on Dean. His eyes wandered around, taking in Jody and Sam at his sides. He smiled at Jody but frowned when he came to Sam.
"You haven't met Sam yet." Dean introduced him and silently prayed that Bobby wouldn't react badly to him. There were still some issues to clear up. But after what had happened that seemed like no big deal anymore.
Bobby didn't say anything but he locked eyes with Dean, silently telling him to be careful. Then his eyelids dropped and he didn't open them again.
Sam and Jody helped him back to his bed, where he dropped like a sack of potatoes.
"So it's settled?" Jody draped the blanket over him. "You're going home today?"
"Looks like." After Bobby had basically kicked him out, what choice did he have? For sure he could rest better at Bobby's place. And he could get Sam something more comfortable to sit in than this thing they called a chair around here.
"Good. I'll send a car over there." She said. "I want my deputies to have a look at the place beforehand and there will be a car at all times. You two stay there together?" She guessed, looking from Dean to Sam.
"I'm going to play nurse." Sam announced with a smile.
"I think the doctor had said nothing to strenuous for at least a week." She reminded them and Dean just wanted to draw the blanket over his head.
"Yes, ma'am." Sam answered way too cheerfully.
She left to arrange everything so they would be ready when Dean left the hospital.
"Dude, what did you tell her?" Dean hissed as soon as the door closed behind her.
"That I'm your boyfriend." Sam shrugged but then narrowed his eyes on Dean. "If that's still what you want."
"Of course that's what I want, idiot." Dean wanted to kiss him to make his point but for one he would have to lift his head for that and two he didn't want to dose himself up with Sam's saliva. No strenuous activities and all that. So he just raised Sam's hand and kissed his knuckles.
A nurse came in to take him to his tests while Sam started to pack the few things Dean had with him. If he came back clear they could leave immediately and if he was honest he was looking forward to showing Sam the place where he more or less grew up. And his own bed and eatable food, those were things to look forward too.
They found nothing with the tests and when Dean was back in his room the doctor came in for a last check and then he was free to go. Or to get wheeled out of the building. It sucked but he had to admit that he wasn't really steady on his legs just yet.
Bobby had woken up just long enough to tell him to be careful and since Sam was currently outside talking to a nurse, he spoke more openly this time.
"You sure you want him here?" Bobby asked in a low tone. "One word to Jody and you don't have to see him ever again."
"Bobby." Dean sighed, this was probably the worst moment to discuss this. "I know what you think but it's not like that. Sam is a good guy. I trust him."
Dean promised to be back tomorrow and then Sam was there to wheel him out. If Sam noticed the glare he got from Bobby, Dean couldn't tell but he breathed easier when they'd left the room.
"Let's get you home." Sam said and Dean couldn't agree more.
Chapter 43
Masterpost