Chapter 19: The Wake-Up Call: An SPN Fic
Title: The Wake-Up Call, Chapter 19
Author: November'sGuest
Summary: How will the Winchester's pick up the pieces after "Devil's Trap".
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Dean/Sam/John/Missouri Mosley
Catagory: Gen/Angst/AU/hurt!Dean/hurt & comfort
Disclaimer: I don't own the boys or the show, just the story.
Spoilers: Season 1 is fair game.
Chapters 1-3/Chapters 4-5/Chapters 6-7/Chapters 8-9/Chapters 10-11/Chapter 12/Chapters 13-14/Chapter15/Chapter 16/Chapters 17-18
Chapter 19: Desperate Rituals
Meeting Sam’s intense stare, Jay said, “We’re leaving…tonight. Help me get him in the van. Sam, now!”
Sam jumped at the sharp order, but his senses had dulled with dread and time seemed to slow to a standstill, leaving him to wonder at the empty places in his memory later on. He would soon find out just how much more they could, indeed, take as the night folded into his worst nightmare once again...
His heart beating wildly against his ribs, Sam ran behind Jay as they rushed Dean to the van, his brother’s head lolling loosely against his chest. Once inside the vehicle, Sam scooted back against the cold, leather seats, pulling Dean along with him.
Dean was completely still, except for his shallow, rapid breaths and some involuntary trembling. Sam could feel the heat pouring off of his brother’s body and soaking into his own. Hearing the metallic clang of the van’s doors as Jay and then John piled into the vehicle, Sam braced himself against the jolt forward as they raced into the night.
Suddenly, Sam became aware of warmth streaming down his hand. Loosening his hold on Dean’s body, he brought his hand closer and inspected the wet stuff coating his fingers. Blood. Dean’s blood. Sam knew things were serious, he’d seen the look in Jay’s eyes, he’d seen the trickle of blood coming from Dean’s nose, but it wasn’t until that very moment he allowed himself to feel the seriousness of the situation. Dean was lying unresponsive in his arms, bleeding and shivering violently from his elevated temperature - this was so not good. He wondered if Dean would even be alive by the time they reached the reservation and was horrified by the turn of his thoughts.
“Shouldn’t we be taking him to the hospital?” Sam asked, pushing away the clawing panic roiling inside him as he grabbed a package of gauze from a nearby medical kit, ripping it open and pressing the contents against Dean’s nose.
“If this was an ordinary situation, then yes - absolutely. But, this isn’t and what is wrong with your brother can’t be fixed by modern conventions alone,” Jay answered.
“Are you sure? I mean, couldn’t they at least get him stabilized?” Sam asked.
“No. I’m sorry, Sam, but he doesn’t have that kind of time.”
Sam stiffened. “What does that mean?” Not getting an answer, Sam demanded with more force, “What are you saying?”
Gently, Jay said, “He’s dying Sam. I must have underestimated how quickly the taint had spread. Either that, or the episode in the living room accelerated it.”
Flexing his jaw muscles, Sam let the cold words painfully lodge in his heart. Hearing it was so much harder than suspecting. Tightening his grip on Dean, Sam rested his cheek against the top of his brother’s head and closed his eyes, barely holding the emotion at bay. He felt Dean’s warmth against his skin, felt the movements of life beneath his arms, breathed in the familiar, pungent scent that was uniquely Dean and refused to believe it was all slipping away.
Jostled by the jerky movements of the speeding van, Sam was forced to hold on tighter as he heard his father’s panicked voice clip, “Can’t this thing move any faster?”
“John, I don’t think it’ll go much faster without wings,” Jay answered.
Running a shaky hand through his hair, John asked, “What happened back there, Jay? What did I do to him?”
Thinking it through, Jay replied, “To be honest, John, I’m not entirely sure. I believe that it is possible that the sickness has grown so strong inside Dean that it must have reacted to some kind of residual left behind in you. While you weren’t attacked by the demon in the same way, it is possible that some kind of imprint was left behind on you as well that sparked the reaction in Dean.”
Hesitating, Sam asked, “You can save him, can’t you, Doc?”
“I’ll do my best and that’s all I can promise, Sam.” Jay fell silent then and no one said more, the tension coiling inside each man too tightly for talk at that moment. Instead, they just held on as they careened toward their destination, praying to God that they made it in time.
Sam leaned his brow against Dean’s hair again and whispered brokenly, “You’re gonna be just fine, Dean. I won’t let you go…I won’t...I can’t.”
Finally, after what seemed like forever, they arrived and the van came to a lurching stop. Jay turned to face Sam, saying, “Stay put just a minute, Sam - I’ll be right back. John, you’re with me.”
Sam only nodded as the other men rushed from the van, leaving him alone with a fading Dean in the back. Sam stilled himself, concentrating on his brother’s ever weakening life signs. He could feel Dean’s life-force leeching away like a softly deflating balloon. Willing his brother to hang on a little longer, he fought the urge to hijack the van and fly to the nearest ER. He’d have been long gone by now, but he knew Jay was right, knew that he’d have to trust the virtual stranger with Dean’s life, as terrifying as that thought was.
What seemed like forever later, the side door flew open and Jay was helping Sam move Dean’s lifeless body to a waiting stretcher being held by two more black haired, dark skinned men dressed in scrubs. As Sam exited on Jay’s heels, carefully grasping Dean under his arms, he got his first look at the new landscape. He noted with surprise that they were at what looked like an actual doctor’s clinic. Confused, he quirked an eyebrow at Jay.
“Welcome to our clinic slash hospital,” Jay said. “I’m going to get Dean set up with an IV before we take him down to the Inipi. My father and brothers will need some time to heat the rocks and get everything prepared. I’m not leaving anything to chance and I’ll use medical and non-medical interventions. Okay, Sam?”
Sam jerked his head in a quick nod and followed right beside Dean, not letting his brother out of his sight for a moment. Once inside the building, they entered the triage area and the men immediately settled Dean on a nearby cot, stripping him of all his clothing, save only his boxers, and prepping him for the IV.
Watching the men working quickly and deftly, Sam asked, “Where’s my dad?”
“I sent John down to help get things ready for the ceremony. He’s spent enough time with us to have a good idea how things work and I thought it’d help take his mind off of things at the same time.”
“Good thinking,” Sam admitted.
“Okay, Sam, when we get down there, you’re gonna have to strip down, too. I can get you something a little more traditional or you can wear your boxers, but it’s going to be too hot inside the lodge for a full set of clothes,” Jay instructed.
“Boxers’ll be fine.”
Nodding his acknowledgement, Jay excused himself, saying, “I’m gonna go get dressed, now. As soon as I get back, we should be ready to move Dean on down. We’ll drive part of the way and then walk the rest. Oh, and make sure you remove any jewelry or shiny metal objects from yourself and your brother.”
Then putting a comforting hand on Sam’s shoulder, he soothed, “I know this is hard, but try to take a breath and relax as much as you can. Dean needs you to be strong…and I know you will be, so have confidence in yourself young Winchester.”
Blinking back his emotion, Sam bit his lip and nodded again - grateful for the elder man’s words.
The next time Sam saw Jay, he was decked out in full ceremonial dress as was his tribe’s custom. Sam would have been impressed if he hadn’t been so preoccupied with watching Dean’s every breath, murmur and tremble. By the time they reached the hut-like structure, the rocks were red hot and the preparations were made. At the entrance of the dome, an altar stood with offerings placed there by Jay’s father, brothers and John. Mostly, the offerings were bundles of herbs, tobacco and things of that nature.
The two men carrying Dean stopped in front of an older man sitting next to John, obviously Jay’s father, with his time-worn, wizened face and silver streaks taking over the better part of his hair color. The man was chanting a traditional tribal prayer in his native language - his face illuminated by filtered moonlight and the radiant fires burning brightly around them.
Leaning in toward Sam, Jay explained, “Before we take Dean inside the dome, my father will smudge the three of us in preparation for entering the Inipi.”
Sitting the litter on the ground in front of the medicine man, the other two men left them. Sam followed Jay’s example and seated himself on the ground, across from Jay’s father and his own.
“Sam, this is my father, Joseph “White Owl” Penagashea. Father, this is Sam Winchester, son of John Winchester, and his brother, Dean.”
“Way-se-gi-se-gi, young Winchester,” Joseph replied. “Let us begin.”
As the old man chanted prayers, he was handed a clay bowl with a single, fiery lump of charcoal cradled within. Reaching into a pouch secured at his side, he rubbed bits of herbs between his palms, letting the pieces fall on top of the charcoal where it began to smolder. Offering the bowl to the Spirits, he then used a large feather to waft the smoke over his body, then John’s, Jay’s and Sam’s - saving Dean for last. When Dean’s turn came, the old man spoke in his native language to Jay as he fanned the strong smelling vapor across Dean’s entire body.
“Father says he can see shadows in Dean’s heart. His soul color is not good in the area surrounding his chest, so he will concentrate the smudging in that area to fill in the dark places and chase away the evil spirits.”
Sam watched as the medicine man offered more prayers to the Great Spirit and repeatedly smudged Dean’s upper body. Once satisfied that Dean was ready for the lodge, he set the bowl aside and directed everyone to the dome covered in animal skins. Sam stripped down to his boxers as John did the same. Once inside the dark, confined space, Jay removed the bulky blanket covering Dean and laid it aside, leaving only Dean with his boxers and a bag of IV fluids behind.
“Young Winchester, you and your father should sit across from me,” Joseph beckoned them forward.
Nervously, Sam turned toward the entrance as the fire keeper entered carrying one large, glowing stone with a forked instrument. Joseph accepted the stone with a pair of deer antlers and placed it in the center of a pit dug in the earth. Slipping his hand inside the small leather pouch again, Joseph began sprinkling a combination of herbs over the burning rock, little sparks of the burning bits floating through the air in the aftermath of its consumption.
After the seventh rock was placed in the pit, the fire keeper brought in a bucket of water and then closed the entrance on his way back out. The only light emanating through the darkness of the Inipi came from the illuminated rocks in the pit. Dipping a ladle full of water out of the bucket, Joseph slowly poured the water over the herbs and rocks, releasing a hiss of steam and fragrance in the air around them.
Immediately, Sam could feel the humid warmth enveloping his body as the scent of sage, sweet grass and various other herbs filled his nostrils. As Joseph began alternating between more chanting and singing, Sam concentrated his focus on his brother lying in front of him by laying a hand on Dean’s forearm - wanting to keep touch with him in the thick darkness. Abruptly, Jay was beside him explaining the significance of what was being done.
He finished up, whispering, “This is the first round of the ceremony, there will be a total of four - each one an offering to the sacred directions.”
The second round came to a close without any sign of improvement from Dean and Sam was beginning to wonder if he had made a mistake entrusting his brother into the hands of these people and their foreign ways. Sweat was now flooding from every pore of his body and the atmosphere was so stifling and hard to breathe that Sam wondered how much more he could endure.
Beside him, his father had been silent, not making a single move to say or do anything at all. John, too, glistened with perspiration, his eyes were closed and if Sam hadn’t known any better, he would have sworn that his father’s lips were moving in prayers of his own. The intensity of those prayers increased along with the blistering heat as each illuminated rock was carried in and placed in the pit.
The darkness settled in around them once again as the fire keeper closed the flap and the third round began. Long minutes afterward, when he thought he couldn’t stand the suffocating heat any longer; Sam was startled by a low, soft sound made deep in Dean’s throat. Looking at his brother through the blackness, he saw Dean’s eyes rolling around under the lids and his head twitch slightly to the left. With bated breath he waited for more signs of awakening, hopeful that this was actually working.
Leaning close to Dean’s face and resting a hand on his brother’s shoulder, Sam whispered, “Dean? Can you hear me?” No response. “Dean…please?”
Dean’s eyes continued to dart around under his eyelids and a whimper escaped his throat - but no other movement was detectable. There was no outward evidence of the raging struggle inside Dean. Instead of the comforting nothingness that had enveloped him only minutes ago, he was now aware of a pounding head, lancing pains in his chest and how difficult it was to draw in a breath through his thickened, sponge-like lungs. The heavy feeling of dread weighed down on his shoulders as he opened his eyes.
Unnervingly, he found himself pinned against the roughened wall of the cabin from his nightmares. In front of Dean stood demonJohn, piercing eyes holding his, evoking instant fear and hatred for the entity before him. He was really beginning to loathe this room, loathe this wall, and loathe these feelings of weakness. How many times was his subconscious going to keep replaying this tired, old scene?
As if reading his mind, demonJohn responded, “Until you wake up, Dean. Wake up and realize that you’re worthless to them, a danger to them…that they’re stronger without you around to get in the way, to be careless.”
“No, that’s not true. You’re lying,” Dean snarled back, his eyebrows drawn together and lips twisting with emotion.
“Of course it’s true. That’s why you keep bringing us back here, deep down, you know the truth,” demonJohn said with a vile chuckle. “Don’t you, Dean.”
“No. I don’t want anything to do with you or this God-forsaken place.”
Grinning, demonJohn said, “Oh. Right. Now we get to the real truth of the matter. Truth is…you’re afraid…afraid of me. Afraid because you know I will win. You know I’ll win and then you’ll lose Sammy-boy forever.”
TBC
A/N: Thanks for the comments, I do adore all of you. Special thanks to Mady Bay for beta reading this for me and special thanks to Thru Terry’s Eyes for helping me with this…trust me, it wouldn’t have turned out well without her direction and input.
I apologize in advance for any mistakes, I put in some extra stuff after Mady betaed it and intended to go back over it myself, but after that super-awesome episode last night, I just can’t think about anything else. I’m still stunned by the greatness of that episode…there are no words…
…Ted Nugent rocked the opening, didn’t he!
Anyway, if you notice any big problems, feel free to bring it to my attention.
Please keep in mind that I am not an expert on Indian Heritage or Native American Nations. There is an actual Indian Reservation near Lawrence, Kansas, but I drew this information mostly from the Cherokee and Lakota tribes.
Note: Way-se-gi-se-gi means welcome or good day.
Great Spirit Prayer(origin unknown)
Oh, Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the wind,
Whose breath gives life to all the world.
Hear me; I need your strength and wisdom.
Let me walk in beauty, and make my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset.
Make my hands respect the things you have made and my ears sharp to hear your voice
Make me wise so that I may understand the things you have taught my people.
Help me to remain calm and strong in the face of all that comes towards me.
Let me learn the lessons you have hidden in every leaf and rock.
Help me seek pure thoughts and act with the intention of helping others.
Help me find compassion without empathy overwhelming me.
I seek strength, not to be greater than my brother, but to fight my greatest enemy - Myself.
Make me always ready to come to you with clean hands and straight eyes.
So when life fades, as the fading sunset, my spirit may come to you without shame.
TBC
Next....
Author: November'sGuest
Summary: How will the Winchester's pick up the pieces after "Devil's Trap".
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Dean/Sam/John/Missouri Mosley
Catagory: Gen/Angst/AU/hurt!Dean/hurt & comfort
Disclaimer: I don't own the boys or the show, just the story.
Spoilers: Season 1 is fair game.
Chapters 1-3/Chapters 4-5/Chapters 6-7/Chapters 8-9/Chapters 10-11/Chapter 12/Chapters 13-14/Chapter15/Chapter 16/Chapters 17-18
Chapter 19: Desperate Rituals
Meeting Sam’s intense stare, Jay said, “We’re leaving…tonight. Help me get him in the van. Sam, now!”
Sam jumped at the sharp order, but his senses had dulled with dread and time seemed to slow to a standstill, leaving him to wonder at the empty places in his memory later on. He would soon find out just how much more they could, indeed, take as the night folded into his worst nightmare once again...
His heart beating wildly against his ribs, Sam ran behind Jay as they rushed Dean to the van, his brother’s head lolling loosely against his chest. Once inside the vehicle, Sam scooted back against the cold, leather seats, pulling Dean along with him.
Dean was completely still, except for his shallow, rapid breaths and some involuntary trembling. Sam could feel the heat pouring off of his brother’s body and soaking into his own. Hearing the metallic clang of the van’s doors as Jay and then John piled into the vehicle, Sam braced himself against the jolt forward as they raced into the night.
Suddenly, Sam became aware of warmth streaming down his hand. Loosening his hold on Dean’s body, he brought his hand closer and inspected the wet stuff coating his fingers. Blood. Dean’s blood. Sam knew things were serious, he’d seen the look in Jay’s eyes, he’d seen the trickle of blood coming from Dean’s nose, but it wasn’t until that very moment he allowed himself to feel the seriousness of the situation. Dean was lying unresponsive in his arms, bleeding and shivering violently from his elevated temperature - this was so not good. He wondered if Dean would even be alive by the time they reached the reservation and was horrified by the turn of his thoughts.
“Shouldn’t we be taking him to the hospital?” Sam asked, pushing away the clawing panic roiling inside him as he grabbed a package of gauze from a nearby medical kit, ripping it open and pressing the contents against Dean’s nose.
“If this was an ordinary situation, then yes - absolutely. But, this isn’t and what is wrong with your brother can’t be fixed by modern conventions alone,” Jay answered.
“Are you sure? I mean, couldn’t they at least get him stabilized?” Sam asked.
“No. I’m sorry, Sam, but he doesn’t have that kind of time.”
Sam stiffened. “What does that mean?” Not getting an answer, Sam demanded with more force, “What are you saying?”
Gently, Jay said, “He’s dying Sam. I must have underestimated how quickly the taint had spread. Either that, or the episode in the living room accelerated it.”
Flexing his jaw muscles, Sam let the cold words painfully lodge in his heart. Hearing it was so much harder than suspecting. Tightening his grip on Dean, Sam rested his cheek against the top of his brother’s head and closed his eyes, barely holding the emotion at bay. He felt Dean’s warmth against his skin, felt the movements of life beneath his arms, breathed in the familiar, pungent scent that was uniquely Dean and refused to believe it was all slipping away.
Jostled by the jerky movements of the speeding van, Sam was forced to hold on tighter as he heard his father’s panicked voice clip, “Can’t this thing move any faster?”
“John, I don’t think it’ll go much faster without wings,” Jay answered.
Running a shaky hand through his hair, John asked, “What happened back there, Jay? What did I do to him?”
Thinking it through, Jay replied, “To be honest, John, I’m not entirely sure. I believe that it is possible that the sickness has grown so strong inside Dean that it must have reacted to some kind of residual left behind in you. While you weren’t attacked by the demon in the same way, it is possible that some kind of imprint was left behind on you as well that sparked the reaction in Dean.”
Hesitating, Sam asked, “You can save him, can’t you, Doc?”
“I’ll do my best and that’s all I can promise, Sam.” Jay fell silent then and no one said more, the tension coiling inside each man too tightly for talk at that moment. Instead, they just held on as they careened toward their destination, praying to God that they made it in time.
Sam leaned his brow against Dean’s hair again and whispered brokenly, “You’re gonna be just fine, Dean. I won’t let you go…I won’t...I can’t.”
Finally, after what seemed like forever, they arrived and the van came to a lurching stop. Jay turned to face Sam, saying, “Stay put just a minute, Sam - I’ll be right back. John, you’re with me.”
Sam only nodded as the other men rushed from the van, leaving him alone with a fading Dean in the back. Sam stilled himself, concentrating on his brother’s ever weakening life signs. He could feel Dean’s life-force leeching away like a softly deflating balloon. Willing his brother to hang on a little longer, he fought the urge to hijack the van and fly to the nearest ER. He’d have been long gone by now, but he knew Jay was right, knew that he’d have to trust the virtual stranger with Dean’s life, as terrifying as that thought was.
What seemed like forever later, the side door flew open and Jay was helping Sam move Dean’s lifeless body to a waiting stretcher being held by two more black haired, dark skinned men dressed in scrubs. As Sam exited on Jay’s heels, carefully grasping Dean under his arms, he got his first look at the new landscape. He noted with surprise that they were at what looked like an actual doctor’s clinic. Confused, he quirked an eyebrow at Jay.
“Welcome to our clinic slash hospital,” Jay said. “I’m going to get Dean set up with an IV before we take him down to the Inipi. My father and brothers will need some time to heat the rocks and get everything prepared. I’m not leaving anything to chance and I’ll use medical and non-medical interventions. Okay, Sam?”
Sam jerked his head in a quick nod and followed right beside Dean, not letting his brother out of his sight for a moment. Once inside the building, they entered the triage area and the men immediately settled Dean on a nearby cot, stripping him of all his clothing, save only his boxers, and prepping him for the IV.
Watching the men working quickly and deftly, Sam asked, “Where’s my dad?”
“I sent John down to help get things ready for the ceremony. He’s spent enough time with us to have a good idea how things work and I thought it’d help take his mind off of things at the same time.”
“Good thinking,” Sam admitted.
“Okay, Sam, when we get down there, you’re gonna have to strip down, too. I can get you something a little more traditional or you can wear your boxers, but it’s going to be too hot inside the lodge for a full set of clothes,” Jay instructed.
“Boxers’ll be fine.”
Nodding his acknowledgement, Jay excused himself, saying, “I’m gonna go get dressed, now. As soon as I get back, we should be ready to move Dean on down. We’ll drive part of the way and then walk the rest. Oh, and make sure you remove any jewelry or shiny metal objects from yourself and your brother.”
Then putting a comforting hand on Sam’s shoulder, he soothed, “I know this is hard, but try to take a breath and relax as much as you can. Dean needs you to be strong…and I know you will be, so have confidence in yourself young Winchester.”
Blinking back his emotion, Sam bit his lip and nodded again - grateful for the elder man’s words.
The next time Sam saw Jay, he was decked out in full ceremonial dress as was his tribe’s custom. Sam would have been impressed if he hadn’t been so preoccupied with watching Dean’s every breath, murmur and tremble. By the time they reached the hut-like structure, the rocks were red hot and the preparations were made. At the entrance of the dome, an altar stood with offerings placed there by Jay’s father, brothers and John. Mostly, the offerings were bundles of herbs, tobacco and things of that nature.
The two men carrying Dean stopped in front of an older man sitting next to John, obviously Jay’s father, with his time-worn, wizened face and silver streaks taking over the better part of his hair color. The man was chanting a traditional tribal prayer in his native language - his face illuminated by filtered moonlight and the radiant fires burning brightly around them.
Leaning in toward Sam, Jay explained, “Before we take Dean inside the dome, my father will smudge the three of us in preparation for entering the Inipi.”
Sitting the litter on the ground in front of the medicine man, the other two men left them. Sam followed Jay’s example and seated himself on the ground, across from Jay’s father and his own.
“Sam, this is my father, Joseph “White Owl” Penagashea. Father, this is Sam Winchester, son of John Winchester, and his brother, Dean.”
“Way-se-gi-se-gi, young Winchester,” Joseph replied. “Let us begin.”
As the old man chanted prayers, he was handed a clay bowl with a single, fiery lump of charcoal cradled within. Reaching into a pouch secured at his side, he rubbed bits of herbs between his palms, letting the pieces fall on top of the charcoal where it began to smolder. Offering the bowl to the Spirits, he then used a large feather to waft the smoke over his body, then John’s, Jay’s and Sam’s - saving Dean for last. When Dean’s turn came, the old man spoke in his native language to Jay as he fanned the strong smelling vapor across Dean’s entire body.
“Father says he can see shadows in Dean’s heart. His soul color is not good in the area surrounding his chest, so he will concentrate the smudging in that area to fill in the dark places and chase away the evil spirits.”
Sam watched as the medicine man offered more prayers to the Great Spirit and repeatedly smudged Dean’s upper body. Once satisfied that Dean was ready for the lodge, he set the bowl aside and directed everyone to the dome covered in animal skins. Sam stripped down to his boxers as John did the same. Once inside the dark, confined space, Jay removed the bulky blanket covering Dean and laid it aside, leaving only Dean with his boxers and a bag of IV fluids behind.
“Young Winchester, you and your father should sit across from me,” Joseph beckoned them forward.
Nervously, Sam turned toward the entrance as the fire keeper entered carrying one large, glowing stone with a forked instrument. Joseph accepted the stone with a pair of deer antlers and placed it in the center of a pit dug in the earth. Slipping his hand inside the small leather pouch again, Joseph began sprinkling a combination of herbs over the burning rock, little sparks of the burning bits floating through the air in the aftermath of its consumption.
After the seventh rock was placed in the pit, the fire keeper brought in a bucket of water and then closed the entrance on his way back out. The only light emanating through the darkness of the Inipi came from the illuminated rocks in the pit. Dipping a ladle full of water out of the bucket, Joseph slowly poured the water over the herbs and rocks, releasing a hiss of steam and fragrance in the air around them.
Immediately, Sam could feel the humid warmth enveloping his body as the scent of sage, sweet grass and various other herbs filled his nostrils. As Joseph began alternating between more chanting and singing, Sam concentrated his focus on his brother lying in front of him by laying a hand on Dean’s forearm - wanting to keep touch with him in the thick darkness. Abruptly, Jay was beside him explaining the significance of what was being done.
He finished up, whispering, “This is the first round of the ceremony, there will be a total of four - each one an offering to the sacred directions.”
The second round came to a close without any sign of improvement from Dean and Sam was beginning to wonder if he had made a mistake entrusting his brother into the hands of these people and their foreign ways. Sweat was now flooding from every pore of his body and the atmosphere was so stifling and hard to breathe that Sam wondered how much more he could endure.
Beside him, his father had been silent, not making a single move to say or do anything at all. John, too, glistened with perspiration, his eyes were closed and if Sam hadn’t known any better, he would have sworn that his father’s lips were moving in prayers of his own. The intensity of those prayers increased along with the blistering heat as each illuminated rock was carried in and placed in the pit.
The darkness settled in around them once again as the fire keeper closed the flap and the third round began. Long minutes afterward, when he thought he couldn’t stand the suffocating heat any longer; Sam was startled by a low, soft sound made deep in Dean’s throat. Looking at his brother through the blackness, he saw Dean’s eyes rolling around under the lids and his head twitch slightly to the left. With bated breath he waited for more signs of awakening, hopeful that this was actually working.
Leaning close to Dean’s face and resting a hand on his brother’s shoulder, Sam whispered, “Dean? Can you hear me?” No response. “Dean…please?”
Dean’s eyes continued to dart around under his eyelids and a whimper escaped his throat - but no other movement was detectable. There was no outward evidence of the raging struggle inside Dean. Instead of the comforting nothingness that had enveloped him only minutes ago, he was now aware of a pounding head, lancing pains in his chest and how difficult it was to draw in a breath through his thickened, sponge-like lungs. The heavy feeling of dread weighed down on his shoulders as he opened his eyes.
Unnervingly, he found himself pinned against the roughened wall of the cabin from his nightmares. In front of Dean stood demonJohn, piercing eyes holding his, evoking instant fear and hatred for the entity before him. He was really beginning to loathe this room, loathe this wall, and loathe these feelings of weakness. How many times was his subconscious going to keep replaying this tired, old scene?
As if reading his mind, demonJohn responded, “Until you wake up, Dean. Wake up and realize that you’re worthless to them, a danger to them…that they’re stronger without you around to get in the way, to be careless.”
“No, that’s not true. You’re lying,” Dean snarled back, his eyebrows drawn together and lips twisting with emotion.
“Of course it’s true. That’s why you keep bringing us back here, deep down, you know the truth,” demonJohn said with a vile chuckle. “Don’t you, Dean.”
“No. I don’t want anything to do with you or this God-forsaken place.”
Grinning, demonJohn said, “Oh. Right. Now we get to the real truth of the matter. Truth is…you’re afraid…afraid of me. Afraid because you know I will win. You know I’ll win and then you’ll lose Sammy-boy forever.”
TBC
A/N: Thanks for the comments, I do adore all of you. Special thanks to Mady Bay for beta reading this for me and special thanks to Thru Terry’s Eyes for helping me with this…trust me, it wouldn’t have turned out well without her direction and input.
I apologize in advance for any mistakes, I put in some extra stuff after Mady betaed it and intended to go back over it myself, but after that super-awesome episode last night, I just can’t think about anything else. I’m still stunned by the greatness of that episode…there are no words…
…Ted Nugent rocked the opening, didn’t he!
Anyway, if you notice any big problems, feel free to bring it to my attention.
Please keep in mind that I am not an expert on Indian Heritage or Native American Nations. There is an actual Indian Reservation near Lawrence, Kansas, but I drew this information mostly from the Cherokee and Lakota tribes.
Note: Way-se-gi-se-gi means welcome or good day.
Great Spirit Prayer(origin unknown)
Oh, Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the wind,
Whose breath gives life to all the world.
Hear me; I need your strength and wisdom.
Let me walk in beauty, and make my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset.
Make my hands respect the things you have made and my ears sharp to hear your voice
Make me wise so that I may understand the things you have taught my people.
Help me to remain calm and strong in the face of all that comes towards me.
Let me learn the lessons you have hidden in every leaf and rock.
Help me seek pure thoughts and act with the intention of helping others.
Help me find compassion without empathy overwhelming me.
I seek strength, not to be greater than my brother, but to fight my greatest enemy - Myself.
Make me always ready to come to you with clean hands and straight eyes.
So when life fades, as the fading sunset, my spirit may come to you without shame.
TBC
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