[Fic] etoile_etiolee: The Scattered Pieces of Me
[ Gen ]
Title: The Scattered Pieces of Me
Writer:etoile_etiolee
Alternate links: AO3
Status of work: Complete
Characters and/or pairings: Sam, Dean
Rating: PG13, triggers
Warnings, kinks & contents:[Click to read]Graphic description of illness and long term consequences of brain damage.
Length: ~70k
Summary: SPN AU from episode 120: Salvation. What if Sam had killed Yellow Eye Demon that night in Rosie's room? As it turns out, it doesn't prevent John Winchester's death. As Dean struggles to come to term with the loss, he comes across a demon seeking revenge that will leave him struggling for his life. Sam will need to come to terms with maybe never getting his brother back the way he was. Dean is comatose and, when he finally wakes up, the brain damages are severe. Sam will have to step up and become the caretaker for once.
Reccer's notes: The most painful fic I've ever read. It's title accurately describes my feeling during and after reading this, 'heartbraking' just doesn't do it justice. This novel-length story takes its time, the slow pace fitting the atmosphere perfectly but still won't allow you to stop reading.
Stories about permanent injuries, especially brain damage, tends to end with a miraculous recovery or a magic solution of sorts. Without reveling too much, in this case it just doesn't matter. This isn't the story of how to solve the problem, but of one broken man that fights to heal and another man who tries his best not to break.
etoile_etiolee handles the subject sensitively and (almost too) realistically, and she's a wonderful writer. I can't recommend this enough.