Snapshot #10: That Which Lingers in a Broken Mind
Pairing: Gabriel/Sam
Table: #1-Elemental
Prompt #10: Shadows
Word Count: 970
Spoilers: None.
Warnings: Mental Hospital!AU.
Rating: PG-15
Summary: Sam is a terrified trauma victim and Gabriel talks to shadows.
Notes: Yeah, yeah, so I’m skipping ahead a bit, sue me. This idea grabbed hold of my brain and refused to be pushed away so I wrote it. May someday expand on it but for now my muse has kindly decided to shut the hell up.
Link to whole Table
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When Sam first met his roommate (cellmate), Gabriel was turned toward the darkened corner and talking animatedly, hands moving in quick, birdlike jerks.
The orderly gently prods Sam forward into the room, it was barely a touch but he flinches as if stricken and quickly stumbles forward, his tall frame unwieldy. The woman smiles reassuringly and motions toward the bed on the opposite side of the room from his new friend. Obedient, Sam slowly sat down, spine stiff as a board and eyes riveted on the man in the other bed.
His voice is pitched too low for Sam to make out any of the words but that was okay because at least it still wasn’t quiet. The nurse shuffles around for a bit, doing things Sam can’t put the effort into noticing as he gathers up all the blankets of his bed and cocoons into them. Eventually the woman leaves, tasks complete, and the door snicks shut behind her before the oddly loud sound of the lock clicks and Sam trembles.
His eyes are locked on the door, waiting with fear for something he can’t remember anymore, and Gabriel’s low voice is oddly soothing in the background. Back to the wall and body pointed toward the only entrance and exit, just like he was taught, Sam fell asleep.
When he awoke the room was silent and Sam’s heart sped up a few beats as he quickly jerked and snapped his eyes to the door, which had remained closed. He’s shivering violently, and his eyes are wide but when nothing happens after several long, quiet minutes Sam slowly relaxes. Finally his gaze drifts away and is instantly trapped by a pair of amber colored eyes that are directed right at him. Gabriel is no longer facing the corner and his mouth is shut as he watches Sam. For a long time they merely stare at each other.
Then Gabriel blinks and his mouth opens. “You’re really big.”
Sam has nothing to say to that. It’s true, at least from what he remembers but then his memory has been odd lately and he’s not sure how reliable it is. For all Sam knows he could be normal sized and Gabriel could just be super small.
The other man’s lips twitch, as if guessing what he was thinking. “They call me Gabriel.”
“Sam.”
“Hi, Sam.”
Sam only nods, wonders for a moment what they’re doing but then it doesn’t matter because the dark corner has stolen Gabriel’s attention again and Sam goes back to sleep while watching the door.
~~~~~~~~~
The next morning the two of them are led into a large cafeteria that is over half full but still of a tolerable noise level and are let free to gather their own breakfast. Gabriel makes a hand motion at Sam to follow and leads him to the kitchen serving area. Sam only picks up a large red apple but Gabriel grabs a Styrofoam plate and heaps five pancakes onto it and slathers more syrup then can be healthy. The shorter man raises an eyebrow at Sam’s meager choice but shrugs and then leads them to an empty round table.
They eat in silence, since Gabriel is focused entirely on his food and Sam is too busy trying to keep an eye on everyone in the place, old habits dying hard even when he can’t remember what that habit was in the first place.
Eventually though, Gabriel leans back with a loud, satisfied sigh and Sam jumps, throwing him a bewildered look before going back to his crowd gazing. He can feel Gabriel’s stare against his skin and Sam reluctantly turns back to meet it.
Gabriel makes a motion toward his hands and Sam jerks away before realizing that he was pointing at Sam’s apple core and quirking an offering eyebrow. Tension eases from his shoulders and Sam willingly places the apple remains onto Gabriel’s plate.
By then an orderly has noticed that they’re both finished and they are led back to the shared room with a parting notice that in a few hours they will be collected again to be involved in a few exercises. Sam doesn’t pay this much attention, just huddles back onto his bed as Gabriel does the same but spread eagled and loose limbed where Sam is tense as a bowstring.
“Hey Sam.” Gabriel says after a bit.
Sam doesn’t answer but Gabriel doesn’t seem to need one.
“Who’s Dean?”
Everything in Sam ices over for brief moment before he hears the howling of those beasts and Sam hiccups a gasp, cowering down under his blankets and heart beating faster then ever. They’re back. Those monsters are back and he doesn’t know what to do, there isn’t anything to do and oh God, the blood, the blood is everywhere and he can’t escape it, he can’t run away this time, it’s too much.
Dean. Dean. Dean. Dean. Dean. DEAN.
The only thing in his world that ever meant anything and it’s gone. Gone with the echoes of his own screaming and the Hell beast’s snarls.
“Sam. Hey, man. Sam. I’m sorry. Sam. Sammy!”
He comes back to himself with a strangled scream only to find Gabriel crouched over him, amber eyes intense and calming. He’s shaking like a leaf in a hurricane but Gabriel’s weight over him is grounding and gradually Sam remembers how to breathe. Images of blood and fangs and green eyes wide with pain and terror slowly fade and are forgotten.
Gabriel doesn’t ask if he’s okay but does climb off him and shuffles back over to his own bed. Sam watches him go, body limp and calm, and sleep tugs at his exhausted mind. The last thing he sees this time is Gabriel’s relaxed back as he talks to the shadows in the corner.