Questions and Answers
Eventually, Dean was moved to a private bedroom so he could rest in comfort.
It was dark when pain from his neck down his right side woke Dean. Hearing a moan, he woke up, realizing it was his. He couldn't sit up. He was working on how to get out of the bed without hurting himself when he heard the knob on the door rattle. The hunter in him caused him to tense, which aggravated the pain.
Matt popped his head in. "Oh, you're awake. It's time for your medicines."
Dean hissed softly, trying to find a comfortable spot, but it hurt badly. “Y..ye..yeah...I think it is time.”
"Figured as much." He came in with a small cup of pills and a bottle of water. "Hungry at all?"
Dean sighed, “Maybe? Hell, I don't know.”
"I'll bring up a light snack, how's that sound?"
Dean's voice sounded tired. “Thanks, Matt. Seriously, thank you.”
"Be back in a few." The red head ducked out.
“K...”, the hoarse voice trailed off.
Matt came back in a short while later with sliced fruits and cheeses. "Light but filling."
Dean's eyes opened quickly. “Thanks, Matt. Would you mind helping me find a comfortable way to sit up. It hurts like hell.”
He stacked pillows behind him, then helped him to sit up and recline against them.
The majority of the pillows supported the injured side, and Dean exhaled softly, “Oh that feels better, thanks, Matt.”
"You're welcome."He sat in a chair. "How're you feeling?"
The Winchester smile quirked for a slight second. “Well, I'll never say a woman doesn't hurt when she has a baby. How's that?”
He laughed softly. "That works for me."
“To be honest, I don't like feeling like I can't do anything. I'm so damn tired all the time. All I wanna do is sleep. I'm not really hungry, but I eat. It's the pain, and even when it's not a shocking one, it has a dull ache. It's never really gone. I just want to be back to normal. I'm not a good patient. Sam and Bobby could tell you.”
"Keep eating normally, sleep when you feel you need it, and you'll find yourself back to normal. Most of us aren't good patients, truthfully, so we understand." Matt grinned at him.
“Well, just wait until the damn wounds start itching and I can't scratch,” Dean actually had a normal grin.
"We could always do the old fashioned way of keeping you from scratching," he laughed.
Dean's eyes had the laugh lines showing around them. “Oh? And what would you consider the old fashioned way of keeping me from scratching? Or...do I wanna know?”
"Tie mittens on."
“Shit! No way on earth you're disabling my hands, man!”
He laughed. "It's miserable. They did that to me when I got the chicken pox and thought I'd die from boredom."
Dean laughed, “That's cruel and unusual punishment! Sammy and I got them the same time. Pissed my Dad off big time. He was fixing to go out on a hunt, and me getting it from Sam meant I couldn't take care of him. He threw us in the back of the Impala and literally dumped us at Bobby's.”
"How did Bobby handle it?"
"He was angry at Dad for doing that to us, but he called a doctor to find out how to care for us. He took care of us. I know I got a lot of baths in Epsom salts. Might have been baking soda, though. Hell, I don't know. I had a fever through most of it."
"I like Bobby. He's pretty cool. It took him a bit to get to like L though," he snickered. "Watari had to smooth over a few spats."
“And I missed it? What caused them?”
"More along the lines of he wasn't used to having someone take charge, which L is used to doing."
“Two leaders and not enough troops, meaning Sam and I were incapacitated.” Dean started laughing hard, and grabbed his right side and shoulder, hissing. “Damn, remind me I can't laugh hard, will ya?”
He laughed. "Sorry about that. Didn't mean to hurt you."
“Sorry? Hell no, don't say that. You've made me feel almost human again.”
A grin crossed the teen's face. "Awesome."
“Yeah, and it's been a long time, so thank you for that.”
"You're welcome."
“I have questions and not sure who to ask.”
“I'll answer the ones I know. The rest will have to be from L or Watari.”
“Okay. Easy one for you. How's Near?”
"When Mello checked on him, he was sound asleep. Watari has all of us checking on him frequently."
“Okay. That's good. Now, Sam? Is he over the need for the blood, or is that gonna last forever? Is he eating, sleeping, and does he have free reign to move around this place? Can I see him yet?”
"OK, that's tougher. From what I understand, his body is over the detox part but the psychological craving is still there. He's eating some, though Watari has to threaten him with force feeding sometimes. Sleep is irregular, which isn't helping. And as far as free reign, he's still under monitoring because Watari doesn't trust him yet and won't until he makes more headway into his therapy. As far as seeing him, you'd have to ask L or Watari.”
“He knew there was a case and it might be a bad one. Has he asked about it or about me at all? Does he know about anything that has happened?”
"That I don't know. They've kept Near, Mello, and me away from him for the most part."
Dean lowered his head, then nodded. He looked up with steely eyes, “Where's Ruby?”
Matt shivered. "Locked up..and trust me, I do mean locked up. L didn't want to run the risk of her jumping bodies. He had Bobby work with him to seal up a room and it's not been pretty ever since."
“If Bobby created another room like he's got in his basement, hell would have been easier for her.”
"Pretty much what he said. They were working nonstop to get it ready."
Dean contemplated the situation for a few minutes, and murmured a very low, “Wow.”
He looked at Matt. I am a need to know kind of guy. Is someone planning to put me back into the loop, by any chance? Sam? Ruby? What exactly L has planned about us? I'm guessing he's not through from what he said about getting us well physically and emotionally. I need to know, Matt.”
"I don't know. That part, you'd have to ask L."
“That's my problem, Matt. L is so damn enigmatic. I'm a straight answer guy and he knows that. Don't know if he realizes that I have no patience.”
"Knowing him, he probably does."
“Well, would you tell him, I'm awake, alert, and demanding answers you can't answer?”
He smiled and nodded. "No problem."
The pain had eased, but with it, the questions came to the forefront, and Dean was not a Winchester for nothing. He needed answers.
"L will come and see you in a bit, I'm sure, so you can get your answers then."
“I'm not gonna get real rest til I know what is happening. I'm in limbo right now, and I don't do limbo...not without a fight.”
"I'll pop out and see if I can't find L. How's that?"
Dean's tension lessened. “Thank you, Matt. It would help.”
"No problem. Finish your food and I'll go get him."
Dean finished eating the cheese and fruit, hopeful that answers were forthcoming, and very grateful there was no nausea.
Matt had disappeared to look for the detective.
Dean lay back against the pillows that were supporting him, his eyes closed, looking very much asleep, but behind the eyes was a very awake hunter.
L came in a short while later, perching on the seat Matt had left empty.
Dean's eyes opened, but he didn't move. Instead, he lay there collecting his thoughts, watching the detective. He finally got his thoughts in some semblance of order and spoke.
“L, I'm grateful for all you've done for Sammy and me. I have a lot of questions and I need open, detailed answers. Not knowing is something I'm not good at.”
"Then ask the questions. I will endeavor to give the answers."
“What's going to happen to Sam and me? What do you actually have in mind? Physical healing I understand, it was the other I'm not sure about.”
"For you, I have no intentions of sending you off on your journey without a few things handled. You, Dean, are on a self destructive cycle that I hope to interrupt. The alcohol was a means of coping with your issues but that has to stop. You need better life skills to handle this journey you are on. In the meantime, I intend to discover the reasons behind what the angels and demons are doing and put a stop to it if possible." He stopped for a moment. "Sam is a more difficult case but we are making headway. I had no idea one human being could be so stubborn."
“Sam is causing problems? He's still not admitting to addiction? Does he ask or talk about Ruby?”
"He hasn't asked, which doesn't surprise me as he's trying not to admit that he has a problem." He frowned slightly.
Seeing the frown, Dean asked, “And?”
He looked up. "Hmmm? Oh, Matt pulled me away from a complex case so my thoughts are divided between your questions and that. My apologies. We have been confronting him with signs of the addiction and are making slow progress."
“Has he asked about the hunt at all? Does he know what happened? Any of it?”
"I've kept him up to date to a point. I have not told him you were injured. I will once he reaches a point in his therapy. He has to admit that he is the one with the weakness."
There was relief in Dean's voice when he asked, “Then he doesn't know anything about Ruby and the queen?”
He shook his head. "No and I do not intend to until he..how would Mello put it? Oh yes..pulls his head out of his ass."
“Not sure I want him to know about that....especially Ruby. Don't think he'd ever understand that.”
"A wise choice. For the moment, she is under guard and sealed to prevent her from changing bodies. She will remain for two purposes. Once those purposes are fulfilled, her disposal will be up to you. From what I can see, she has been beyond justice for too long."
“These past few days have proven to me that my instincts are still intact. Sam trusted her and wanted me to do so. I tried but something didn't sit right with me. Sam wasn't the same, you know. He said and did things that didn't make sense. Then he got the idea that he was all powerful and didn't need my help...I was a hindrance that held him back. That's not Sam...not the Sam I know. He might not want to hang with me and that's his right, but he never doubted me before. Couldn't trust her. Demon's a demon.”
"She was very skilled at the brainwashing she did. She's tried it a few times with me or Watari and seemed to be frustrated when it had no effect." This was accompanied with a smirk. "Which reminds me..are you alert enough should I take this conversation into a different direction?"
“I'm fine, L. Little sore, but the meds are keeping it at a level I can handle. I'm not sleepy. Go ahead.”
He nodded. "Keep in mind, I have discussed this with Watari in depth. Your skills and knowledge interest me a great deal. I would like to put you on my payroll."
“Payroll? For doing what exactly? Only thing I know is hunting, L, and I can't see you needing anyone who does that very often."
"I receive requests for my assistance on cases daily. Last count was over one hundred in half a day that was sent to me. A lot I have had to turn away to minor detectives because I have not enough hours in the day for what I deem to be small cases. Looking back on it, I can't help but wonder how many of them tied in to your field of expertise. I wish to retain your services..both for information you could feed me in regards to rumors and what not as well as bringing you in on cases I feel need your expertise."
“Well, unless he decides to go his own way and bail on me, Sam and I are a team. Does this include him, cause I'm not sure I can just bail whenever I'm needed and leave him in the lurch. It's not in me to do that. Any time there's been walking away, it's been Sam....not me.”
"He can come along but won't have as much access to information as you will." Dark eyes peered into his. "What comes next must be held close to your heart and in deepest secrecy because many lives, not just mine, depend on it. Watari feels you can be trusted with this. I agree but your brother is not ready."
Dean met the dark eyes, studying L closely, hazel eyes narrowed, his good arm twitched and his left hand clenched the blanket. He was in deep thought. He'd kept secrets from Sam before. He lowered his head as he thought out the situation. This might be a way to go after the supernatural and have backing to get it done right and on a bigger scale. He looked up at L.
“Okay.”
"You will be part of an organization that is older and more detailed than you can imagine. You are now a Whammy's kid, meaning that you are under Watari and myself from this point forward. This network you are part of is vast, supplying information that will move things forward. From this point forward, you are my eyes and ears in the supernatural world. In reverse, should a case cross my path that would be of your expertise, I will send you the details. Like myself, you will operate in shadow. However, if it becomes necessary, you can tell them you are a part of my team, which will open most if not all doors to you."
Dean nodded. “Operating in the shadows has been pretty much what I've done since Dad taught me how to hunt. Very seldom do people actually know me as Dean Winchester...well, the Feds figured it out, but they have resources that most people don't. I've messed around as a Federal Martial, Homeland Security, FBI, and even the Park Service. I know the game of shadows.”
Dean stared off into space for a moment. “I can look at a case, check it out, and let you know whether it's human or paranormal. Part of it is instinct, but part of it is in my head. I know things. What to look for.”
"That is what i need," L answered. "Occasionally, you may be called in on cases that aren't supernatural but more for backbone for us. You handle yourself well in a fight and the boys trust you."
“I can do that. I am also pretty well armed.”
He nodded. "Before you leave, you will be given equipment to aid you."
“Okay, one more Sammy question then something about me, I need to know.”
Dean was quiet for a moment, he looked up at L. “Sammy saying anything about me at all? You talked about filling him in on parts of the case. It's not like him to not want to know what I've been up to. I just need to know where his head is about me.”
L was quiet for a moment. "He is angry and confused. The cycle of people dying for others is a bad one. Part of his issue is survivor's guilt and that he couldn't help you. He mentioned that Ruby led him in circles in regards to finding a way to get you out of that contract." He drew in another breath.
“She didn't want me out of that contract. Sam said the demons told him they wanted me there. I had no idea at first until I had my run in with Alistair. He told me I broke the first seal by shedding blood in hell.” Dean closed his eyes and a pained expression crossed his face. “Go on.”
"Which makes no sense. Apparently, Castiel's information showed that they started laying siege to hell after the first seal was broken. It seems that the angels are wanting this as much as the demons are. I'm trying to gain more information from Ruby now." He sighed then began. "His anger stems from a lot of issues. Most at your father, some at you because you are the authority figure in his life. If your father were alive now, the rage would be directed solely at him."
Dean smiled for a second, a sad smile. “Rebelling then? He's been doing that most of his life, actually. He never really got to be or do what he wanted. I can understand that. I dragged him back into it. I didn't want to be alone and Dad had pretty much told me I needed to be on my own. It's really funny. I never rebelled. I did what I was told. I'd love to be angry, really angry at someone, but who the hell can I be angry at? Go ahead. I am guessing there's more.”
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