Clean Slate ~ Chapter Seventeen
Title: Clean Slate - Chapter Sixteen
Rating: T
Word Count: 1,949
Characters/Pairing: Sam, Dean, Bobby.
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Angst
Summary: Death: 'Nasty, those memories. You don't want to know what they'll do to him.'
After an accident, Sam's memories of the last two years are wiped. What
starts out as a blessing soon turns into a curse as Sam's memories are
reawakened.
LIMP!HURT!SAM WORRIED!DEAN
Set S7 Episode 06 - Story picks up at the end of Slash Fiction and becomes AU.
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: I own nothing. No copyright infringement intended.
Spoilers: Up to Season Seven: Episode 6
Thanks go to SnarkyMuch2 for beta’ing this fic.
Chapter Seventeen
"That's great, John. You think you can go again?" John asked.
Sam smiled triumphantly. It was a genuine smile, and it felt good. He was working the parallel bars and for the first time he was doing it with his hands resting at his sides. He had made ten passes up and down the distance already, and he was itching to go again. Sweat was pouring down his back and his muscles ached, but it felt so good he didn't care. Turning slowly, he made the pass once again and paused to rest for a moment.
"Feeling good?" Peter asked.
"Damn good," Sam said. "You think I can walk back to my room?"
"Absolutely. You will end up crawling, but I'm sure you don't mind that."
Sam laughed. Peter's jibe didn't bother him in the slightest. Nothing could bother him in that moment. He was finally making progress.
"How about walking around in my room?" he asked.
"As long as you take it easy and use the walker, I don't see that would be a problem."
Sam raised his eyebrows. "A walker? I'm not eighty."
Peter grinned. "No walker, no walking."
Sam sighed. "How about a cane?"
He could handle walking with a cane, but there was no way he was strutting around the hospital with a walker.
"How about we make a couple of passes sans bars with a cane and we see how you do."
Sam felt his mood lighten even further. The idea of walking the room without the bars to pen him in was great. "Sounds good to me."
He sank into the wheelchair positioned at the end of the bars for a moment to rest while Peter went to fetch the cane.
Sam's mood had been improving for the last two weeks. The meds were finally kicking in, and the fact he was being more honest in his sessions with Doctor Hardy were all working to raise his spirits. It felt good to feel like himself again.
Peter came back with the cane and handed it to Sam. "Ready to go?"
"More than ready."
Sam scooted to the edge of the seat and eased himself to his feet. He leaned heavily on the cane, but he was able to keep his feet. Slowly, he put one foot in front of the other and made his way across toward the door. Part of him wanted to swing it open and keep walking until he made his way to the hospital exit, but he resisted the urge. He wasn't quite ready for that, but he would be soon.
When he reached the door, he turned on his heel and made his way back to the chair.
"Okay, that's enough for today," Peter said, noting the sweat beading on Sam's brow.
Sam sank into the wheelchair. "So am I good with the cane?"
"I think so. You'll need to take it easy. You're doing well, but if you push yourself too hard, you'll destroy all the progress you have made."
"I promise."
John chuckled at Sam's innocent look. It was strange to see such an innocent expression on such a behemoth of a man. "Yeah, I bet you do."
"So, when do you think I'll be able to bust out of here?" he asked.
Peter frowned. He didn't want to burst Sam's bubble, but he still had a long road of recovery ahead of him. He was walking, and walking well, but his muscles still needed a lot of work if he was to recover fully. Walking the length of the room was one thing, but getting back out into the world was going to take a lot more work.
Sam saw the frown and knew Peter was about to launch into a long talk about giving himself time to heal and working with his body and not against it. He had heard it before, and he had no desire to hear it again. He shook his head. "Forget I asked."
"John…"
"No, really, forget I asked," Sam said.
Not wanting to drag down his patient's spirits Peter nodded. "Fair enough."
"I don't know about this, Bobby," Dean said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't think he's ready to be alone.
Dean climbed out of the car and Bobby followed him, chasing the discussion he had started in the car.
"He won't be alone; he'll have a bunch of nurses and doctors looking after him."
"It's not the same thing and you know it."
"I know he would want us to go."
Bobby had gotten word of a hunt in Washington. Someone or something wreaking havoc at a campsite in the North Cascades national park. The hunter that had been on the case had been pulled into the leviathan problem and was unable to finish the hunt, so he had called on Bobby.
Bobby was keen to go on the hunt, but Dean was wary of leaving his brother alone for the time it would take to leave the state and deal with the problem. Every time Sam was alone, something bad happened to him.
"People are dying, Dean," Bobby said softly. "You think Sam would want us to ignore that to stay with him."
"No." Dean knew his brother would be furious if he knew he was passing up hunts to stay with him, but it didn't make it any easier to admit.
He pressed the button to summon an elevator, and when it arrived, they stepped in.
"So you'll come?" Bobby asked.
"I'll think on it awhile. Let me see how Sam's doing today first."
When they got to Sam's room, all thoughts of hunts were driven from Dean's mind, as Sam was nowhere in sight.
Bobby quirked a brow as he looked around the empty room. "Where'd you think he's gone?"
Dean shook his head. "I don't know, but I doubt it's anywhere good."
Bobby felt a little nervous. He was sure that someone would have called them if something bad happened to Sam, but the fact he wasn't in his room was a little worrying.
"Maybe he's gone to Doctor Hardy's office for his session today."
"And maybe he's in the OR again," Dean said bitterly. "It's Sam we're talking about. If something can go wrong, it will go wrong."
"Maybe-"
Bobby's words were cut off as a voice called out from behind them. "Maybe he's in the bathroom." Sam swung open the door and grinned as he saw their incredulous faces. "Can go wrong, will go wrong? Geez Dean, dramatic much?"
Dean mouth gaped open as he saw his brother standing in the doorway of the bathroom. "Sammy, what are you doing?"
Sam grinned. "Taking a walk. And this time, there's no face planting involved. Progress, right?"
Dean shook his head and looked around the room for the wheelchair. It was across the room, folded closed. He made towards it, but Sam spoke up.
"I'm not using that, Dean."
"You damn well are! You think I'm going to let you hurt yourself again. Bobby, grab a hold of him."
Bobby paused. "You okay, Sam?"
Sam chuckled. "I'm fine."
Bobby nodded and hid his smirk behind his hand. "He looks like he's doing okay to me."
Dean snapped the wheelchair open and wheeled it towards his brother. Sam scowled at him. "I'm telling you I'm fine, Dean."
He leaned heavily on his cane and began the slow walk back to his chair. He wasn't getting into that wheelchair again for anything. It didn't matter how many piss fits his brother threw.
He made it back to the chair beside his bed and sank down into it. "See, I told you, I'm fine."
Dean raked a shaking hand over his face and pushed the wheelchair back against the wall. "What was that?" he asked.
"That was me walking," Sam said simply.
"It was great," Bobby said, smiling widely. "How long have you been doing this?"
"Today was the first time I tried away from the parallel bars. Peter said I was good to get about the room on my own as long as I don't push it. Can't tell you how good it feels."
"I remember it well," Bobby said. "I spent the night walking up and down the stairs once I got back on my feet."
Sam chuckled. "I think I'll wait a while before trying that."
Dean was silent. He was staring at his brother, not quite able to believe what he had just seen. He had been hoping to see this kind of progress for weeks, but now that it was happening, he was in shock. He had never truly believed he would see his brother like this again.
"You okay, Dean?" Sam asked.
He nodded shakily. He felt wetness at his eyes, and fought to keep the tears at bay. "I'm good."
Sam knew his brother was lying, but he didn't push. If Dean wanted to talk, he would. Instead, he sat back in his chair and allowed himself a smile. "Cards anyone?" he asked, picking the pack up from the table.
"Deal me in." Bobby picked up a chair and dragged it over to sit opposite Sam. "You joining us Dean?"
Dean nodded and pulled his own chair over to sit by his brother. He watched as Sam dealt out the cards, and he wondered at the change in his brother's expression. At first he couldn't define it, and then he recognized it for what it was. Sam was happy. Dean didn't realize just how bad things had been for his brother until he saw the darkness lifting.
They were through their third round of cards when Bobby spoke up. "So, Sam, there's something we've been meaning to talk to you about."
Dean turned furious eyes on Bobby. "Not now!" he said through gritted teeth.
"What's wrong?" Sam asked, worry creasing his brow.
"Nothing's wrong, Sam." Dean hastened to reassure his brother. "Bobby's just flapping his gums."
Bobby scowled at the insult. "It's a hunt," he said boldly.
"You're going on a hunt?" Rather than sounding upset as Dean expected him to be, Sam sounded pleased. "That's great."
"It is?" Dean was confused.
"Sure it is. You've been kicking your heels here too long. It's about time you got back to it."
Sam had felt guilty for weeks about Dean and Bobby not hunting. People were being hurt and dying because they didn't have someone to protect them. As far as he was concerned, Dean and Bobby going on a hunt was great news.
"We're not going." Not that he would admit it to anyone, but Dean's feelings were hurt by the fact his brother was so willing to see the back of him. He was feeling closer to Sam than ever before following the accident, but apparently his brother didn't feel the same sentiment.
Marveling on the fact he had turned into a teenage girl, he spoke again. "I'm not leaving you here alone."
"I won't be alone; I'll have a bunch of nurses and doctors looking after me."
Bobby chuckled as Sam echoed his previous words, and Dean scowled at him.
"I'm not leaving you alone in hospital, and that's final."
Sam opened his mouth to speak, but Dean quelled him with a look. Sam knew enough to not push his brother when he was wearing that expression. Bobby opened his mouth to argue the case further, but Sam shook his head. He dealt the cards and they started a new game of poker.
All the while, Sam was thinking. If him being in the hospital was stopping his brother hunting, there was an easy solution. He was getting out of there.
Rating: T
Word Count: 1,949
Characters/Pairing: Sam, Dean, Bobby.
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Angst
Summary: Death: 'Nasty, those memories. You don't want to know what they'll do to him.'
After an accident, Sam's memories of the last two years are wiped. What
starts out as a blessing soon turns into a curse as Sam's memories are
reawakened.
LIMP!HURT!SAM WORRIED!DEAN
Set S7 Episode 06 - Story picks up at the end of Slash Fiction and becomes AU.
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: I own nothing. No copyright infringement intended.
Spoilers: Up to Season Seven: Episode 6
Thanks go to SnarkyMuch2 for beta’ing this fic.
Chapter Seventeen
"That's great, John. You think you can go again?" John asked.
Sam smiled triumphantly. It was a genuine smile, and it felt good. He was working the parallel bars and for the first time he was doing it with his hands resting at his sides. He had made ten passes up and down the distance already, and he was itching to go again. Sweat was pouring down his back and his muscles ached, but it felt so good he didn't care. Turning slowly, he made the pass once again and paused to rest for a moment.
"Feeling good?" Peter asked.
"Damn good," Sam said. "You think I can walk back to my room?"
"Absolutely. You will end up crawling, but I'm sure you don't mind that."
Sam laughed. Peter's jibe didn't bother him in the slightest. Nothing could bother him in that moment. He was finally making progress.
"How about walking around in my room?" he asked.
"As long as you take it easy and use the walker, I don't see that would be a problem."
Sam raised his eyebrows. "A walker? I'm not eighty."
Peter grinned. "No walker, no walking."
Sam sighed. "How about a cane?"
He could handle walking with a cane, but there was no way he was strutting around the hospital with a walker.
"How about we make a couple of passes sans bars with a cane and we see how you do."
Sam felt his mood lighten even further. The idea of walking the room without the bars to pen him in was great. "Sounds good to me."
He sank into the wheelchair positioned at the end of the bars for a moment to rest while Peter went to fetch the cane.
Sam's mood had been improving for the last two weeks. The meds were finally kicking in, and the fact he was being more honest in his sessions with Doctor Hardy were all working to raise his spirits. It felt good to feel like himself again.
Peter came back with the cane and handed it to Sam. "Ready to go?"
"More than ready."
Sam scooted to the edge of the seat and eased himself to his feet. He leaned heavily on the cane, but he was able to keep his feet. Slowly, he put one foot in front of the other and made his way across toward the door. Part of him wanted to swing it open and keep walking until he made his way to the hospital exit, but he resisted the urge. He wasn't quite ready for that, but he would be soon.
When he reached the door, he turned on his heel and made his way back to the chair.
"Okay, that's enough for today," Peter said, noting the sweat beading on Sam's brow.
Sam sank into the wheelchair. "So am I good with the cane?"
"I think so. You'll need to take it easy. You're doing well, but if you push yourself too hard, you'll destroy all the progress you have made."
"I promise."
John chuckled at Sam's innocent look. It was strange to see such an innocent expression on such a behemoth of a man. "Yeah, I bet you do."
"So, when do you think I'll be able to bust out of here?" he asked.
Peter frowned. He didn't want to burst Sam's bubble, but he still had a long road of recovery ahead of him. He was walking, and walking well, but his muscles still needed a lot of work if he was to recover fully. Walking the length of the room was one thing, but getting back out into the world was going to take a lot more work.
Sam saw the frown and knew Peter was about to launch into a long talk about giving himself time to heal and working with his body and not against it. He had heard it before, and he had no desire to hear it again. He shook his head. "Forget I asked."
"John…"
"No, really, forget I asked," Sam said.
Not wanting to drag down his patient's spirits Peter nodded. "Fair enough."
"I don't know about this, Bobby," Dean said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't think he's ready to be alone.
Dean climbed out of the car and Bobby followed him, chasing the discussion he had started in the car.
"He won't be alone; he'll have a bunch of nurses and doctors looking after him."
"It's not the same thing and you know it."
"I know he would want us to go."
Bobby had gotten word of a hunt in Washington. Someone or something wreaking havoc at a campsite in the North Cascades national park. The hunter that had been on the case had been pulled into the leviathan problem and was unable to finish the hunt, so he had called on Bobby.
Bobby was keen to go on the hunt, but Dean was wary of leaving his brother alone for the time it would take to leave the state and deal with the problem. Every time Sam was alone, something bad happened to him.
"People are dying, Dean," Bobby said softly. "You think Sam would want us to ignore that to stay with him."
"No." Dean knew his brother would be furious if he knew he was passing up hunts to stay with him, but it didn't make it any easier to admit.
He pressed the button to summon an elevator, and when it arrived, they stepped in.
"So you'll come?" Bobby asked.
"I'll think on it awhile. Let me see how Sam's doing today first."
When they got to Sam's room, all thoughts of hunts were driven from Dean's mind, as Sam was nowhere in sight.
Bobby quirked a brow as he looked around the empty room. "Where'd you think he's gone?"
Dean shook his head. "I don't know, but I doubt it's anywhere good."
Bobby felt a little nervous. He was sure that someone would have called them if something bad happened to Sam, but the fact he wasn't in his room was a little worrying.
"Maybe he's gone to Doctor Hardy's office for his session today."
"And maybe he's in the OR again," Dean said bitterly. "It's Sam we're talking about. If something can go wrong, it will go wrong."
"Maybe-"
Bobby's words were cut off as a voice called out from behind them. "Maybe he's in the bathroom." Sam swung open the door and grinned as he saw their incredulous faces. "Can go wrong, will go wrong? Geez Dean, dramatic much?"
Dean mouth gaped open as he saw his brother standing in the doorway of the bathroom. "Sammy, what are you doing?"
Sam grinned. "Taking a walk. And this time, there's no face planting involved. Progress, right?"
Dean shook his head and looked around the room for the wheelchair. It was across the room, folded closed. He made towards it, but Sam spoke up.
"I'm not using that, Dean."
"You damn well are! You think I'm going to let you hurt yourself again. Bobby, grab a hold of him."
Bobby paused. "You okay, Sam?"
Sam chuckled. "I'm fine."
Bobby nodded and hid his smirk behind his hand. "He looks like he's doing okay to me."
Dean snapped the wheelchair open and wheeled it towards his brother. Sam scowled at him. "I'm telling you I'm fine, Dean."
He leaned heavily on his cane and began the slow walk back to his chair. He wasn't getting into that wheelchair again for anything. It didn't matter how many piss fits his brother threw.
He made it back to the chair beside his bed and sank down into it. "See, I told you, I'm fine."
Dean raked a shaking hand over his face and pushed the wheelchair back against the wall. "What was that?" he asked.
"That was me walking," Sam said simply.
"It was great," Bobby said, smiling widely. "How long have you been doing this?"
"Today was the first time I tried away from the parallel bars. Peter said I was good to get about the room on my own as long as I don't push it. Can't tell you how good it feels."
"I remember it well," Bobby said. "I spent the night walking up and down the stairs once I got back on my feet."
Sam chuckled. "I think I'll wait a while before trying that."
Dean was silent. He was staring at his brother, not quite able to believe what he had just seen. He had been hoping to see this kind of progress for weeks, but now that it was happening, he was in shock. He had never truly believed he would see his brother like this again.
"You okay, Dean?" Sam asked.
He nodded shakily. He felt wetness at his eyes, and fought to keep the tears at bay. "I'm good."
Sam knew his brother was lying, but he didn't push. If Dean wanted to talk, he would. Instead, he sat back in his chair and allowed himself a smile. "Cards anyone?" he asked, picking the pack up from the table.
"Deal me in." Bobby picked up a chair and dragged it over to sit opposite Sam. "You joining us Dean?"
Dean nodded and pulled his own chair over to sit by his brother. He watched as Sam dealt out the cards, and he wondered at the change in his brother's expression. At first he couldn't define it, and then he recognized it for what it was. Sam was happy. Dean didn't realize just how bad things had been for his brother until he saw the darkness lifting.
They were through their third round of cards when Bobby spoke up. "So, Sam, there's something we've been meaning to talk to you about."
Dean turned furious eyes on Bobby. "Not now!" he said through gritted teeth.
"What's wrong?" Sam asked, worry creasing his brow.
"Nothing's wrong, Sam." Dean hastened to reassure his brother. "Bobby's just flapping his gums."
Bobby scowled at the insult. "It's a hunt," he said boldly.
"You're going on a hunt?" Rather than sounding upset as Dean expected him to be, Sam sounded pleased. "That's great."
"It is?" Dean was confused.
"Sure it is. You've been kicking your heels here too long. It's about time you got back to it."
Sam had felt guilty for weeks about Dean and Bobby not hunting. People were being hurt and dying because they didn't have someone to protect them. As far as he was concerned, Dean and Bobby going on a hunt was great news.
"We're not going." Not that he would admit it to anyone, but Dean's feelings were hurt by the fact his brother was so willing to see the back of him. He was feeling closer to Sam than ever before following the accident, but apparently his brother didn't feel the same sentiment.
Marveling on the fact he had turned into a teenage girl, he spoke again. "I'm not leaving you here alone."
"I won't be alone; I'll have a bunch of nurses and doctors looking after me."
Bobby chuckled as Sam echoed his previous words, and Dean scowled at him.
"I'm not leaving you alone in hospital, and that's final."
Sam opened his mouth to speak, but Dean quelled him with a look. Sam knew enough to not push his brother when he was wearing that expression. Bobby opened his mouth to argue the case further, but Sam shook his head. He dealt the cards and they started a new game of poker.
All the while, Sam was thinking. If him being in the hospital was stopping his brother hunting, there was an easy solution. He was getting out of there.