Learning Dean Winchester: Chapter Four

        Sam was sleeping a dreamless sleep when  he heard a voice speak softly, “Remember.”

        He turned and looked into a man’s face.  A woman called out a name and the man place a finger to his mouth and went ‘sshh.’  He felt something enter his mouth and he swallowed automatically.  

        It was dark except for one small light.  The man turned as someone entered the room.  Sam heard a woman scream and man’s voice in the distance.   He focused as another man leaned over and looked at him.

        The younger Winchester whispered, “Dad?” 

        Sam felt something wet hit his face and then heard his Dad scream “Mary!”

        Suddenly the room was bright with light, heat, and smoke.  John Winchester picked him up.  ‘How?’ he thought.

        He felt smaller arms hold him and heard his Dad tell someone to take Sam out and protect him.   “Run, Dean!”

        'Dean?'

        Images followed after the fire.  Dad holding him.  Dean in shock and not speaking.  Staying at someone’s house.  His Dad and a woman looking down at him.  “We will keep Sam, but not Dean.  Something is wrong with him.  He won’t speak and he keeps crawling into the bed with Sam.”

        The arguments over Dean’s actions flowed through his mind.  Sam began to toss in his sleep.  The voice that had told him to remember murmured, “He would not leave you.  He was told to protect you.”

        Sam sat up, coated with sweat.  He could see the fading light through the drapes in the room.  Getting out of bed, the younger brother dressed and walked down the hall and looked in on Dean.  The hunter was asleep, but there were furrows on his brow.  His brother was in pain.

        Walking over to the table beside the bed, he saw a note pad with times and what had been given to the older Winchester.  Looking at the clock, Sam realized it was time for the pain pill. 

        Pouring a small glass with water, taking a pill from the bottle, Sam sat on the side of the bed and gently touched his brother.  Dean jerked awake, and groaned in pain.

        “Hey, it’s okay, Dean.  It’s time for your pain pill.  You were grimacing,” Sam spoke softly as he carefully lifted his brother so the man could swallow the pill with the water.

        “There you go,” the younger man said softly.

        He sat on the bed and watched  the injured man slowly drift back to sleep.  Through his mind came the same thoughts. ‘He didn’t leave me.  He carried me out.  Damn it!  He had to have been about four years old.’

        Sam rose quickly when the thought came to him, ‘I’m his job!’  He headed to the kitchen with the thought on his mind.  His head was whirling.  All the stupid things Dean had done was to protect him. 

        “Damn it, Dean!  We grew up!  You didn’t have to keep doing that.”

        Sam made himself a salad and some soup.  He was confused about what he was thinking.  ‘Why did Dean think he had to keep on doing that?’

        The voice returned and Sam jumped.  ‘He was told to do so.  His father was always right.’