Another Life Chapter 6/9, Pg-13, Dean, Sam, John, Ruby, OC's
TITLE: Another Life
RATING: PG-13 (Just to be safe)
WORD COUNT: This part: 1304
CHARACTERS: Dean, Sam, John, Ruby, OC's
DISCLAIMER: Don't own them, only playing with them
SUMMARY: What if the boys lives had been switched? What if Dean was gievn a second chance?
A/N: Alt ending to season 3. Possible spoilers up to finale of season 3.
Time's Up
Dean was sitting in the Doctors lounge, his feet up on the coffee table, a notebook on his lap, and a pen in his hand. He seemed to be talking to himself as Jake walked in. “Dean?” Jake asked quietly.
Dean jumped at the sound of Jake's voice. He'd been so caught up in his pro/con lists for the two realities, that he'd kind of cut himself off from the rest of the world. He just couldn't see how he could possibly make a decision like this in 2 days. “How's Rachel?” He asked, discarding the list and standing up.
“You should sit down Dean.” Jake said as he sat on the coffee table. Dean followed suit, sitting on the edge of the couch.
“Tell me she's ok Jake. Please. Please tell me I don't have to say goodbye.” Dean said quietly.
“She made it through the surgery.” Jake said. “But, there were a few complications. She's lost a lot of blood, and her heart stopped twice on the table. She on a ventilator at the moment. Dean, you need to be prepared that she might not wake up.”
Dean sat, silently taking it all in. He knew that she would be in bad shape. He remembered what it felt like when the demon had tried to tear him apart. He knew she'd lost a lot of blood, he knew that he hadn't reacted fast enough, that he'd let his emotions get the better of him at the apartment. He'd fallen apart then, and Rachel may be the one who has to deal with it.
“Dean?” Jake prompted when Dean didn't say anything. “Are you ok?”
Dean took a deep breath. “Yeah. Can I see her?”
Jake nodded and looked at his watch. “She should be out of recovery by now. She's in the ICU.” Jake and Dean both stood up, and Dean followed Jake out the door, to where everyone was waiting for him.
********
Dean and Jake walked out of the doctors lounge about 20 minutes after Jake had gone to talk to Dean. Instead of saying anything to anyone, Dean and Jake walked past them, leaving John and Sam to wonder what had happened. They quickly got to their feet and followed Dean to the elevator. He punched in the number for the ICU. Sam wanted so badly to ask what Jake told him, but knew that if he pushed too hard, Dean would shut down, and he'd never know. So the elevator ride was silent, each man consumed by his own thoughts.
The elevator came to a stop and the doors opened. Dean led them down the hall, stopping at the door to Rachel's room. Sam and John had, by now, worked out that Rachel was alive, although obviously not in a good way.
Dean stopped, his hand on the door knob, and looked at Sam, then at his dad. “Can you guys just wait here?” he asked. “I just want to see her first.”
“Sure Dean. We'll be here when you need us.” John said as he led Sam away from the door.
Dean walked into the room. He wasn't prepared for what he saw. Even though he worked in the hospital, he realised that you are never prepared to see a loved one dying. Even with all the times that he, Sam or John had been hurt, he'd never gotten used to it. Rachel was lying in the bed, her face a white as the sheet covering her body. She was connected to 3 IV's and a bag of blood. There was a monitor for her heart, one for her blood pressure and the respirator.
Dean sank into the chair beside her, taking her hand in his, careful of the IV line. “I'm sorry Rachel, I should never have bought you into this.” He broke down, laying his head on the bed, tears falling silently down his face.
Sam and John watched from the doorway. Sam turned to Ruby. “Can't you do something? You have to help him.”
“I can't Sam. He has to make the decision, based on the information he's got. I can't interfere, and no-one can make the decision for him.”
Sam watched, through the window in the door, as his brother broke down. With no-one to see him, Dean let all the pain and the fear out, eventually crying himself to sleep.
John couldn't stand to see his strong, intelligent son so broken. In that moment he realised that behind Dean's façade of smart-ass remarks, and quick humour, behind all the shit-eating grins, and the cocky swagger, Dean was still the broken little 4 year old, that had never had time to heal. It broke John's heart to think that he had overlooked his son for so long, never noticing the cracks.
********
36 hours later, Dean, Sam and John had barely left the hospital. Den had worked one shift the day before, and then returned to Rachel's side.
John had just gone for coffee when Dean felt like a weight had settled on his chest. He felt the same way he had when the witches had hexed him back in Massachusetts. “Oh, god no,” was all he could say before he started coughing. He realised, with sudden clarity, that his 2 days were almost up, and he couldn't breathe. He was suffocating in a hospital full of doctors, and not one of them could help me.
Sam looked up as he heard Dean start to wheeze. “Dean? Dean are you ok?” he asked, his book forgotten. Dean's lips were starting to turn blue. “Dean, Dean talk to me.” Sam was yelling. He never noticed John run back into the room.
Dean was on all fours on the floor, trying to force air into lungs that no longer seemed to work.
“Time's up Dean, you have to choose.” Came Ruby's voice behind them. John was on his feet instantly.
Grabbing Ruby by the throat he pinned her up against the wall. “Help him. Help him or I swear I'll send your ass back to Hell.” John growled, no-one but Ruby noticing the slim, dark headed woman that had entered the room.
“Well, well, well. This just makes things so much interesting now, doesn't it.” The woman said. “I've come to collect what's rightfully mine.” Her eyes flashed red.
John let Ruby down, his .45 drawn, and levelled at the demon. “You need to choose Dean,” Ruby said, kneeling on the other side of Dean from Sam.
Sam had his hand gripping the back of Dean's neck, coaxing him to breathe. “Come on Dean, you need to choose.”
“I......... can't” Dean panted. “I don't...... know...... what...... I want.” But he did. Flashes of demon Dean he had encountered in the nightmare assaulted his mind, the taunting about not having a single original thought, the truth's about only being there to be a soldier, to protect Sam. In this life he had so much more to live for. He had friends, he had a career. He had a life. Then the image of Sam, when Dean told him that he didn't want to go to hell. The thank god look that Sam had in his eyes.
“Come on Dean.” Sam's voice in his ear. “Just choose. Take something for yourself for once. Don't think about me, or about dad, or about anyone else. What do you want?” Sam continued, over and over again, asking Dean what he wanted.
“I want to stay.” Dean mumbled.
“What?” Ruby asked. His voice was so faint, she hadn't heard him properly.
“I want to stay.” he said more strongly, before he succumbed to the darkness waiting for him.
Chapter 7 here: http://bubbles759.livejournal.com/27712.html
RATING: PG-13 (Just to be safe)
WORD COUNT: This part: 1304
CHARACTERS: Dean, Sam, John, Ruby, OC's
DISCLAIMER: Don't own them, only playing with them
SUMMARY: What if the boys lives had been switched? What if Dean was gievn a second chance?
A/N: Alt ending to season 3. Possible spoilers up to finale of season 3.
Time's Up
Dean was sitting in the Doctors lounge, his feet up on the coffee table, a notebook on his lap, and a pen in his hand. He seemed to be talking to himself as Jake walked in. “Dean?” Jake asked quietly.
Dean jumped at the sound of Jake's voice. He'd been so caught up in his pro/con lists for the two realities, that he'd kind of cut himself off from the rest of the world. He just couldn't see how he could possibly make a decision like this in 2 days. “How's Rachel?” He asked, discarding the list and standing up.
“You should sit down Dean.” Jake said as he sat on the coffee table. Dean followed suit, sitting on the edge of the couch.
“Tell me she's ok Jake. Please. Please tell me I don't have to say goodbye.” Dean said quietly.
“She made it through the surgery.” Jake said. “But, there were a few complications. She's lost a lot of blood, and her heart stopped twice on the table. She on a ventilator at the moment. Dean, you need to be prepared that she might not wake up.”
Dean sat, silently taking it all in. He knew that she would be in bad shape. He remembered what it felt like when the demon had tried to tear him apart. He knew she'd lost a lot of blood, he knew that he hadn't reacted fast enough, that he'd let his emotions get the better of him at the apartment. He'd fallen apart then, and Rachel may be the one who has to deal with it.
“Dean?” Jake prompted when Dean didn't say anything. “Are you ok?”
Dean took a deep breath. “Yeah. Can I see her?”
Jake nodded and looked at his watch. “She should be out of recovery by now. She's in the ICU.” Jake and Dean both stood up, and Dean followed Jake out the door, to where everyone was waiting for him.
********
Dean and Jake walked out of the doctors lounge about 20 minutes after Jake had gone to talk to Dean. Instead of saying anything to anyone, Dean and Jake walked past them, leaving John and Sam to wonder what had happened. They quickly got to their feet and followed Dean to the elevator. He punched in the number for the ICU. Sam wanted so badly to ask what Jake told him, but knew that if he pushed too hard, Dean would shut down, and he'd never know. So the elevator ride was silent, each man consumed by his own thoughts.
The elevator came to a stop and the doors opened. Dean led them down the hall, stopping at the door to Rachel's room. Sam and John had, by now, worked out that Rachel was alive, although obviously not in a good way.
Dean stopped, his hand on the door knob, and looked at Sam, then at his dad. “Can you guys just wait here?” he asked. “I just want to see her first.”
“Sure Dean. We'll be here when you need us.” John said as he led Sam away from the door.
Dean walked into the room. He wasn't prepared for what he saw. Even though he worked in the hospital, he realised that you are never prepared to see a loved one dying. Even with all the times that he, Sam or John had been hurt, he'd never gotten used to it. Rachel was lying in the bed, her face a white as the sheet covering her body. She was connected to 3 IV's and a bag of blood. There was a monitor for her heart, one for her blood pressure and the respirator.
Dean sank into the chair beside her, taking her hand in his, careful of the IV line. “I'm sorry Rachel, I should never have bought you into this.” He broke down, laying his head on the bed, tears falling silently down his face.
Sam and John watched from the doorway. Sam turned to Ruby. “Can't you do something? You have to help him.”
“I can't Sam. He has to make the decision, based on the information he's got. I can't interfere, and no-one can make the decision for him.”
Sam watched, through the window in the door, as his brother broke down. With no-one to see him, Dean let all the pain and the fear out, eventually crying himself to sleep.
John couldn't stand to see his strong, intelligent son so broken. In that moment he realised that behind Dean's façade of smart-ass remarks, and quick humour, behind all the shit-eating grins, and the cocky swagger, Dean was still the broken little 4 year old, that had never had time to heal. It broke John's heart to think that he had overlooked his son for so long, never noticing the cracks.
********
36 hours later, Dean, Sam and John had barely left the hospital. Den had worked one shift the day before, and then returned to Rachel's side.
John had just gone for coffee when Dean felt like a weight had settled on his chest. He felt the same way he had when the witches had hexed him back in Massachusetts. “Oh, god no,” was all he could say before he started coughing. He realised, with sudden clarity, that his 2 days were almost up, and he couldn't breathe. He was suffocating in a hospital full of doctors, and not one of them could help me.
Sam looked up as he heard Dean start to wheeze. “Dean? Dean are you ok?” he asked, his book forgotten. Dean's lips were starting to turn blue. “Dean, Dean talk to me.” Sam was yelling. He never noticed John run back into the room.
Dean was on all fours on the floor, trying to force air into lungs that no longer seemed to work.
“Time's up Dean, you have to choose.” Came Ruby's voice behind them. John was on his feet instantly.
Grabbing Ruby by the throat he pinned her up against the wall. “Help him. Help him or I swear I'll send your ass back to Hell.” John growled, no-one but Ruby noticing the slim, dark headed woman that had entered the room.
“Well, well, well. This just makes things so much interesting now, doesn't it.” The woman said. “I've come to collect what's rightfully mine.” Her eyes flashed red.
John let Ruby down, his .45 drawn, and levelled at the demon. “You need to choose Dean,” Ruby said, kneeling on the other side of Dean from Sam.
Sam had his hand gripping the back of Dean's neck, coaxing him to breathe. “Come on Dean, you need to choose.”
“I......... can't” Dean panted. “I don't...... know...... what...... I want.” But he did. Flashes of demon Dean he had encountered in the nightmare assaulted his mind, the taunting about not having a single original thought, the truth's about only being there to be a soldier, to protect Sam. In this life he had so much more to live for. He had friends, he had a career. He had a life. Then the image of Sam, when Dean told him that he didn't want to go to hell. The thank god look that Sam had in his eyes.
“Come on Dean.” Sam's voice in his ear. “Just choose. Take something for yourself for once. Don't think about me, or about dad, or about anyone else. What do you want?” Sam continued, over and over again, asking Dean what he wanted.
“I want to stay.” Dean mumbled.
“What?” Ruby asked. His voice was so faint, she hadn't heard him properly.
“I want to stay.” he said more strongly, before he succumbed to the darkness waiting for him.
Chapter 7 here: http://bubbles759.livejournal.com/27712.html