SALT OF THE EARTH--Chapter 12
Salt of the Earth Chapter 12
Sam found himself becoming more and more concerned with Dean's absence as the time passed, and he was damn near panic when the sun began to take its winter nap at 5pm. Dean wasn't answering his phone, and as he approached others on the farm for anyone who had seen him or Fred, more and more volunteers began to involve themselves in the search.
That's the way it is in a small community. Word travels fast. People rally and assume both active and supportive positions, offer to babysit, cook meals, grab their flashlights and traipse into the night not knowing what they will find. Neighbors call neighbors, and then two more, and then two more and form a well-oiled and organized machine that would rival any military base on the planet. By the time an hour passed, Sam, Anse and the girls has a veritable posse of 75 searchers ready, willing and able to find the lost men and bring them back to safety. They started with Fred's twin, Harry, first, who also joined the search, leaving his frightened mother with Marisa and a promise that he would bring his brother home.
It wasn't until morning that Anse received a call over his walkie that a group had found the Impala. They had found Fred, too. The poor lad was alive, but barely. And there was no sign of Dean. Anywhere.
Sam and Anse arrived at the site and the girls left with the ambulance. The nearest hospital was just on the other side of town, and they promised they would call with any news.
The men, along with others who arrived to join them, searched for clues as to Dean's whereabouts. They found no dust of unknown origin or sulfur, no hexbags or identifiable animal tracks. Dean had just-disappeared. There was no blood or remnants of his clothes. Sam's confusion as to why his brother would step off the property was answered when he picked up a wooden sign buried in the grass that said 'END OF PROPERTY DO NOT CROSS.' In a momentary loss of control and fit of anger, he heaved the heavy sign up over his head and repeatedly smashed it into the ground. Splinters of wood and bits of rusted nail burst into the air around him. On his final heave, Cas appeared and grabbed what was left of the post from behind, preventing him from swinging again.
He turned and faced Cas, his face red with anger and lungs filling and emptying with great amounts of air.
Every man stopped in his tracks, including Anse. No one moved.
"WHERE WERE YOU?!" He roared, demanding an answer from the angel.
Cas didn't answer and looked away from his friend. He was too filled with guilt over allowing possible harm to come to his Dean after being responsible for putting him in his current condition.
Sam, not calmed at all by the angel's response, grabbed Cas by the collar of his overcoat and almost lifted him into the air by his neck. Had he not been of the angelic persuasion, he might have suffered the same fate as the last item in Sam's hands.
Fatherly instincts kicking in, Anse decided to intervene at that point, and grabbed Sam by the shoulder firmly. "Calm down, son, no one's gonna get anywhere if we all lose it, and we all wanna."
Sam closed his mouth and looked around. The area was filled with men who had grown to know, respect and have affection for him and his brother. Bob was there, as well as David, all with worry etched in their faces. He saw hunters re-emerge from where cordial greetings and liquor-induced philosophical conversations originated less than 24 hours ago. All these men, filled with grim determination and instinct, were at the ready for the fight to bring Dean home. Oddly, he recalled the last movie he and Dean watched together-Battleship-and likened these men to the crew of the U.S.S. Missouri. He didn't doubt for a moment that they, combined, carried as much firepower.
Bob stepped forward and spoke first. "Don't worry, son, we're bringing him home. We all got alotta secrets and stories and experience to get him back, and we will."
Sam clenched his teeth in an attempt to force down the lump that was forming in his throat. He nodded in agreement, and looked at Cas. "What do we do now?"
"I'll search upstairs. I've not heard any information from the angels, but I'll try to get some."
"Would they tell you anyway? Didn't they want the babies dead?"
Anse's eyes opened wide as he lowered his eyebrows. "Babies? What-babies?"
Cas pursed his lips, again, then said, "Nephilum. Dean's carrying nephilim."
Anse stared at the men, unbelieving, while the additional men gathered around.
David took in a breath and looked around. "Well, that explains a lot. We better get moving."
Cas looked at Sam. "I'll be back."
Anse looked at both of them before Cas had a chance to exit. "We may not want anyone to know he's gone. I think I have a better idea." He reached into the pocket of his vest and pulled out a small piece of paper and began to pen ingredients on it. "Bob," he cued, handing the list over. "Do your thing. The rest of you, follow me. Oh, and Sam, you might want to call your friend, Kevin. We're gonna need him, too."
SPN SPN SPN SPN SPN SPN SPN SPN SPN SPN SPN SPN SPN SPN
When Dean awoke, he was strapped to an examination table. His arms were pulled far above his head and his legs were tied down, as well. He pulled against his restraints for a moment, testing their strength and trying to find a point where he could pull his arms free. He stopped when he felt the leather begin to cut the tender flesh of his wrists. Not that it ever stopped him before, but he didn’t know if Crowley would just let him bleed out and take the babies anyway. He wasn't going to get away that easy. He refocused his attention to his precious cargo, and they were predictably awakened into a flurry of activity in his belly brought about by their hosts' stress level. No pain ,he thought. The babies are still here. We'll be okay kids, Uncle Dean'll take care of this. Just gimme a minute.
Now that the interior check was done, Dean surveyed the room. There were no windows, only a couch, a chair, a table with another chair, and a refrigerator, and they were all bolted to the floor. The walls were tan-padded vinyl, like the kind you would see on the upholstery of a car. The floor was covered with industrial type carpet. Most notable, though, was the absence of a door. No door means no way to get out. Dean imagined on the outside wall somewhere it said, ABANDON HOPE ALL YE WHO ENTER HERE. This is bad, he thought. This is really bad.
"CROWLEY!" he screamed. "Come in here, you pussy son of a bitch!"
"Ah. You're awake," Crowley greeted, appearing by Dean's side. He smiled the same sinister smile Dean saw before he passed out. "You know, I always knew you were a mother, but this?" He laughed some. "This is just beautiful."
"Go fuck yourself."
Crowley ran his finger from right under Dean's chin, down his chest, and over his belly. The hunter felt the babies freeze within him, and he struggled under his restraints to move away. The demon reached to just below Dean's navel, and pulled his shirt up over his stomach to his chest, spreading his hand wide open to feel the nephilim within. He pushed some, trying to feel their bodies inside Dean. The latter tried desperately to hide his discomfort and fear at the demonic intrusion. Dean felt a cramp starting.
"You know Sam is coming after me, and if he's coming after me, he's coming after you."
"You can call Big Brother all you want. As a matter of fact, you can call your boyfriend, too. No one can hear you, Dean. Except me."
Dean swallowed.
"Yep. No one knows where you are. And you can't be found. You're on your own. And you're mine. And they will be, too. You know, as much as I didn't want to be a father to that little bastard Gavin, I'm actually looking forward to this. Maybe I'll go shopping and buy matching outfits. I always liked The Shining. I might actually be able to use them."
"They're half angel, you stupid fuck."
Crowley came menacingly close to Dean's face and whispered. "We all are. Who's the dumb fuck now?"
He snapped his fingers, and a medically-clad demon appeared on Dean's other side, equipped with some kind of machine that had a tv monitor attached to it. He pulled out a container of gel and squirted it on Dean's abdomen, making him jump from the cold, and turned on the machine. The nameless demon held the transducer over Dean's belly until the monitor lit up, and then it was showtime.
Dean had trouble deciphering the images on the screen until he saw a skull. And a little hand. And a tongue sucking the thumb of the little hand.
He heard typing on the machine, and BABY A appeared just above the image. Then he saw GIRL. The nurse-demon-thing took measurements of the child inside, and then moved the transducer over to the other side of Dean's belly. The other baby showed up. It was upside down, opposite the girl, and the right hand had a hold of the umbilical cord. He heard the tapping of the keyboard again, this time saying BABY B and BOY. The pressure of the tool was pressing against his insides and bladder, which was actually full and uncomfortable. Dean caught himself holding his breath and hissing periodically to deal with this process, and discovered it wasn't helping much.
He'd carried ideas around in his head his whole adult life about what it would be like to have kids someday. Not that he'd ever thought it would happen…he actually took at least some precautions to prevent it…he came the closest with Lisa, and now the pictures in his head were returning like a series of snapshots of what he thought it might be…hugging his girl over a positive pregnancy test, decorating a nursery, this thingy now (what's this called? A sono-something), holding her hand as she pushed, and bringing his newborn son out to meet his Uncle Sam. His eyes betrayed him and filled with tears of fear for the babies on the screen. That was the way it was supposed to be. Not like this. Not like this. But they look so small. And so helpless. Is that an ear? Is that thingy attached to me? To my body? I'm feeding them?! They need me. They need Sam. He’s gonna have a girl and a boy. God, they're beautiful. They're innocent. God Almighty, help me…
Crowley ignored the hunter's emotionality and addressed the demon technician. "When will they be viable?"
The technician responded in medical terms. "They seem to be around 24 to 26 weeks, that's what the measurements are saying. Most human babies are viable by 35, maybe 38 weeks. Without medical assistance, that is. And twins usually come a little early." The technician's eyes then narrowed and he appeared confused.
"What is it, you twit?"
"There's no exit. They can't be born. Not the traditional way, anyway. There's the placenta, and the amniotic sac, the umbilical cords, but no cervix or birth canal."
The two demons looked at each other and giggled, and then Crowley spoke. "Not only do I get to kill you, I get to flay you open in front of your niece and nephew. Welcome to the nursery, Dean! Make yourself comfortable. You have another 13 weeks."
With that, demons disappeared, as did Dean's restraints. He sat up and rubbed his belly, trying to soothe the frightened children inside. "Oh, God, Sam. Please, please, please come get me. This is bad."
Next
Sam found himself becoming more and more concerned with Dean's absence as the time passed, and he was damn near panic when the sun began to take its winter nap at 5pm. Dean wasn't answering his phone, and as he approached others on the farm for anyone who had seen him or Fred, more and more volunteers began to involve themselves in the search.
That's the way it is in a small community. Word travels fast. People rally and assume both active and supportive positions, offer to babysit, cook meals, grab their flashlights and traipse into the night not knowing what they will find. Neighbors call neighbors, and then two more, and then two more and form a well-oiled and organized machine that would rival any military base on the planet. By the time an hour passed, Sam, Anse and the girls has a veritable posse of 75 searchers ready, willing and able to find the lost men and bring them back to safety. They started with Fred's twin, Harry, first, who also joined the search, leaving his frightened mother with Marisa and a promise that he would bring his brother home.
It wasn't until morning that Anse received a call over his walkie that a group had found the Impala. They had found Fred, too. The poor lad was alive, but barely. And there was no sign of Dean. Anywhere.
Sam and Anse arrived at the site and the girls left with the ambulance. The nearest hospital was just on the other side of town, and they promised they would call with any news.
The men, along with others who arrived to join them, searched for clues as to Dean's whereabouts. They found no dust of unknown origin or sulfur, no hexbags or identifiable animal tracks. Dean had just-disappeared. There was no blood or remnants of his clothes. Sam's confusion as to why his brother would step off the property was answered when he picked up a wooden sign buried in the grass that said 'END OF PROPERTY DO NOT CROSS.' In a momentary loss of control and fit of anger, he heaved the heavy sign up over his head and repeatedly smashed it into the ground. Splinters of wood and bits of rusted nail burst into the air around him. On his final heave, Cas appeared and grabbed what was left of the post from behind, preventing him from swinging again.
He turned and faced Cas, his face red with anger and lungs filling and emptying with great amounts of air.
Every man stopped in his tracks, including Anse. No one moved.
"WHERE WERE YOU?!" He roared, demanding an answer from the angel.
Cas didn't answer and looked away from his friend. He was too filled with guilt over allowing possible harm to come to his Dean after being responsible for putting him in his current condition.
Sam, not calmed at all by the angel's response, grabbed Cas by the collar of his overcoat and almost lifted him into the air by his neck. Had he not been of the angelic persuasion, he might have suffered the same fate as the last item in Sam's hands.
Fatherly instincts kicking in, Anse decided to intervene at that point, and grabbed Sam by the shoulder firmly. "Calm down, son, no one's gonna get anywhere if we all lose it, and we all wanna."
Sam closed his mouth and looked around. The area was filled with men who had grown to know, respect and have affection for him and his brother. Bob was there, as well as David, all with worry etched in their faces. He saw hunters re-emerge from where cordial greetings and liquor-induced philosophical conversations originated less than 24 hours ago. All these men, filled with grim determination and instinct, were at the ready for the fight to bring Dean home. Oddly, he recalled the last movie he and Dean watched together-Battleship-and likened these men to the crew of the U.S.S. Missouri. He didn't doubt for a moment that they, combined, carried as much firepower.
Bob stepped forward and spoke first. "Don't worry, son, we're bringing him home. We all got alotta secrets and stories and experience to get him back, and we will."
Sam clenched his teeth in an attempt to force down the lump that was forming in his throat. He nodded in agreement, and looked at Cas. "What do we do now?"
"I'll search upstairs. I've not heard any information from the angels, but I'll try to get some."
"Would they tell you anyway? Didn't they want the babies dead?"
Anse's eyes opened wide as he lowered his eyebrows. "Babies? What-babies?"
Cas pursed his lips, again, then said, "Nephilum. Dean's carrying nephilim."
Anse stared at the men, unbelieving, while the additional men gathered around.
David took in a breath and looked around. "Well, that explains a lot. We better get moving."
Cas looked at Sam. "I'll be back."
Anse looked at both of them before Cas had a chance to exit. "We may not want anyone to know he's gone. I think I have a better idea." He reached into the pocket of his vest and pulled out a small piece of paper and began to pen ingredients on it. "Bob," he cued, handing the list over. "Do your thing. The rest of you, follow me. Oh, and Sam, you might want to call your friend, Kevin. We're gonna need him, too."
SPN SPN SPN SPN SPN SPN SPN SPN SPN SPN SPN SPN SPN SPN
When Dean awoke, he was strapped to an examination table. His arms were pulled far above his head and his legs were tied down, as well. He pulled against his restraints for a moment, testing their strength and trying to find a point where he could pull his arms free. He stopped when he felt the leather begin to cut the tender flesh of his wrists. Not that it ever stopped him before, but he didn’t know if Crowley would just let him bleed out and take the babies anyway. He wasn't going to get away that easy. He refocused his attention to his precious cargo, and they were predictably awakened into a flurry of activity in his belly brought about by their hosts' stress level. No pain ,he thought. The babies are still here. We'll be okay kids, Uncle Dean'll take care of this. Just gimme a minute.
Now that the interior check was done, Dean surveyed the room. There were no windows, only a couch, a chair, a table with another chair, and a refrigerator, and they were all bolted to the floor. The walls were tan-padded vinyl, like the kind you would see on the upholstery of a car. The floor was covered with industrial type carpet. Most notable, though, was the absence of a door. No door means no way to get out. Dean imagined on the outside wall somewhere it said, ABANDON HOPE ALL YE WHO ENTER HERE. This is bad, he thought. This is really bad.
"CROWLEY!" he screamed. "Come in here, you pussy son of a bitch!"
"Ah. You're awake," Crowley greeted, appearing by Dean's side. He smiled the same sinister smile Dean saw before he passed out. "You know, I always knew you were a mother, but this?" He laughed some. "This is just beautiful."
"Go fuck yourself."
Crowley ran his finger from right under Dean's chin, down his chest, and over his belly. The hunter felt the babies freeze within him, and he struggled under his restraints to move away. The demon reached to just below Dean's navel, and pulled his shirt up over his stomach to his chest, spreading his hand wide open to feel the nephilim within. He pushed some, trying to feel their bodies inside Dean. The latter tried desperately to hide his discomfort and fear at the demonic intrusion. Dean felt a cramp starting.
"You know Sam is coming after me, and if he's coming after me, he's coming after you."
"You can call Big Brother all you want. As a matter of fact, you can call your boyfriend, too. No one can hear you, Dean. Except me."
Dean swallowed.
"Yep. No one knows where you are. And you can't be found. You're on your own. And you're mine. And they will be, too. You know, as much as I didn't want to be a father to that little bastard Gavin, I'm actually looking forward to this. Maybe I'll go shopping and buy matching outfits. I always liked The Shining. I might actually be able to use them."
"They're half angel, you stupid fuck."
Crowley came menacingly close to Dean's face and whispered. "We all are. Who's the dumb fuck now?"
He snapped his fingers, and a medically-clad demon appeared on Dean's other side, equipped with some kind of machine that had a tv monitor attached to it. He pulled out a container of gel and squirted it on Dean's abdomen, making him jump from the cold, and turned on the machine. The nameless demon held the transducer over Dean's belly until the monitor lit up, and then it was showtime.
Dean had trouble deciphering the images on the screen until he saw a skull. And a little hand. And a tongue sucking the thumb of the little hand.
He heard typing on the machine, and BABY A appeared just above the image. Then he saw GIRL. The nurse-demon-thing took measurements of the child inside, and then moved the transducer over to the other side of Dean's belly. The other baby showed up. It was upside down, opposite the girl, and the right hand had a hold of the umbilical cord. He heard the tapping of the keyboard again, this time saying BABY B and BOY. The pressure of the tool was pressing against his insides and bladder, which was actually full and uncomfortable. Dean caught himself holding his breath and hissing periodically to deal with this process, and discovered it wasn't helping much.
He'd carried ideas around in his head his whole adult life about what it would be like to have kids someday. Not that he'd ever thought it would happen…he actually took at least some precautions to prevent it…he came the closest with Lisa, and now the pictures in his head were returning like a series of snapshots of what he thought it might be…hugging his girl over a positive pregnancy test, decorating a nursery, this thingy now (what's this called? A sono-something), holding her hand as she pushed, and bringing his newborn son out to meet his Uncle Sam. His eyes betrayed him and filled with tears of fear for the babies on the screen. That was the way it was supposed to be. Not like this. Not like this. But they look so small. And so helpless. Is that an ear? Is that thingy attached to me? To my body? I'm feeding them?! They need me. They need Sam. He’s gonna have a girl and a boy. God, they're beautiful. They're innocent. God Almighty, help me…
Crowley ignored the hunter's emotionality and addressed the demon technician. "When will they be viable?"
The technician responded in medical terms. "They seem to be around 24 to 26 weeks, that's what the measurements are saying. Most human babies are viable by 35, maybe 38 weeks. Without medical assistance, that is. And twins usually come a little early." The technician's eyes then narrowed and he appeared confused.
"What is it, you twit?"
"There's no exit. They can't be born. Not the traditional way, anyway. There's the placenta, and the amniotic sac, the umbilical cords, but no cervix or birth canal."
The two demons looked at each other and giggled, and then Crowley spoke. "Not only do I get to kill you, I get to flay you open in front of your niece and nephew. Welcome to the nursery, Dean! Make yourself comfortable. You have another 13 weeks."
With that, demons disappeared, as did Dean's restraints. He sat up and rubbed his belly, trying to soothe the frightened children inside. "Oh, God, Sam. Please, please, please come get me. This is bad."
Next