Setting: This story is a Pre-series AU. Teen!chesters in effect. Dean is 18 and Sam is 14.

WARNING!:This story will contain graphic depictions of sexual abuse as it remembered and/or worked on to help heal. This chapter contains graphic descriptions of the effects and physical, mental and emotional consequences of sexual abuse and violence.

As mentioned at the beginning and before each chapter thereafter: if you do not wish to read a story that contains topics such as rape/non-consensual sex, sexual, physical and/or emotional abuse, please move along now! Flamers will not be tolerated!

Shifts in POV will occur to give a better perspective of all involved. Hopefully, if I do this right, you will be able to follow them with ease.

WARNING! Graphic details and descriptions about injuries caused by rape and abuse in this chapter! Reader be advised!

Lots of medical-type things in this chapter. I am not a doctor, I have simply written what my own research has yielded to me for medical information. If you feel there are errors, please let me know so I can fix them as I prefer to be as accurate as possible.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognizable characters, I merely borrowed them for the duration of this story.

I'll Take Care of You

Chapter 7:

Laid Bare

The doctors had been treating and cleaning and testing and assessing Dean for hours now. They had had no choice, after getting their first look at Dean, but to start with a sponge bath. Sam had commandeered that responsibility for himself, the look in his eyes practically daring anyone to refuse him. Silas and Sean had declared that they would be unable to begin the assessment of Dean until it Dean was somewhat cleaned up because all of the grime and dried blood was effectively masking his various injuries from their view. Once Dean had been cleaned, with the utmost care and patience of course, by Sam, the twins had set upon him. Silas had handled the more standard tests and injury care while Sean, the unfortunately all-too-experienced doctor from the big city, dealt with the more devastating injuries and assessments. Scopes, tubes, needles, bandages, medicines…the procedures and tests were seemingly endless. All through it, though, Sam was at Dean's side. Despite Sam's obvious weariness, he'd insisted on knowing everything that was being done to his brother. He insisted on being told how to care for each wound, how to replace feeding tubes, I.V.'s, etc…every single thing he would need to do for his brother to ensure he would heal properly. Sam filed it all away in that keen brain of his, not a scrap of information to be lost or forgotten when it came to taking care of his brother. For 14 years, Dean had taken care of him and now that Sam had the chance to repay him he was adamant that he would not fail his big brother with poor care.

By the time Silas and Sean were done, they'd run out of room on their assessment forms and had had to continue on other pieces of paper. Silas had gone to gather supplies that they would need for Dean's care. Despite the ridiculously large box of supplies he was filling, the Winchesters and Bobby would need more, sooner rather than later. Silas could only safely prescribe some of the items. He wrote scripts for medicines Dean would need, but Dean would need more than he could provide so Bobby set about calling his contacts, one of whom was a medical supplier out of Canada, to set up a steady order of supplies to be delivered to his house where Dean and the rest of the Winchesters would be staying while Dean recuperated. Bobby had already arranged for a double-wide mobile home he'd gotten for a steal from and old hunting buddy to be transferred to his property and be set up and secured near the main house. He would set up a ramp for wheel-chair access to both properties later. He would make sure the place was properly warded and protected once it was in place and acquire furniture and household supplies for it so it would be a viable living space for the Winchesters. In the meantime, he arranged for a lovely woman named Mona, the widow of a hunter he'd known and a long-time friend, to come in and spruce up the house so that it would be safe to bring Dean home to. He'd had Mona bring in extra food stuffs to accommodate his guests for their stay as well.

John had been paying attention to the calls Bobby made on their behalf, silently thanking whoever had seen fit to allow John to have such a good friend in his life. He sure as hell didn't deserve it, but he was damn grateful just the same. John had also been paying attention to the doctors as the treated Dean, filing away the information they gave, just like Sam, even though he doubted he'd get the chance to use it much if Sam had his way. Sam, he knew, was a lot more like him then either one of them cared to admit and John could see without a doubt that Sam was determined to take care of his brother. John backed off and let him, for now…but he was just as determined to be a part of Dean's recovery as well.

Once all the supplies had been gathered, the twins sat down with the family, who had waiting on pins and needles for the conclusion the doctors had come to for the young hunter. Starting with the basic ailments and working toward the more difficult and devastating ones, Silas and Sean laid it all out for them. Sean gave Silas a meaning-laden look, and a slight nod tipped in his direction from his brother gave him acknowledgement and permission to take the lead on this part in deference to Silas's past dealings with Bobby. When they both returned their attention to the ragged family before them, they delivered the prognosis of the condition of the young hunter they'd had to treat that day.

"To be blunt, gentlemen…Dean is a mess. He's malnourished and dehydrated. His muscles have begun to atrophy and his body has started to breakdown the muscle tissue to consume it to stave off complete starvation. Lack of natural movement as well as being bound for extended periods of time has added to this. Dean's wounds suggest an extensive amount of time being bound and this has also weakened his joints and bones in those areas rather significantly. His immunity is shot. He's having little success fighting off a pretty decent infection, which is also causing a moderate fever. His skin is irritated from lack of hygienic conditions and there are sores present from lack of movement and living in non-hygienic conditions as well. He has an abundance of burns, cuts, abrasions and punctures. There is evidence of previous similar injuries which are already in various stages of healing and/or scarring. Dean's left shoulder was dislocated, however we were able return it to its socket, but there is significant inflammation and there is a very good chance there with be permanent scar tissue there. His left wrist is broken, we've got a cast on it to let it heal properly. We've gotten him started on IV's of antibiotics, fluids, and nutrient supplements as well as medicines for pain and muscles relaxants. We've cleaned and dressed the deeper wounds, some of which required stitches and we applied topical treatments for the abrasions and the skin irritation. All of these things are relatively minor and are easily addressed. The other injuries…while they're not critical or life-threatening, they will require much more significant treatment and unfortunately, we can only do so much for them." Silas said, breaking off for a moment to let his words sink in and to prepare himself to relay the worst of the diagnosis. He looked to his brother again briefly, drawing strength from his steady presence.

Silas had never wanted to have to deal with these sort of cases. It was one of the reasons he had chosen to have his practice in a small town as opposed to working for a hospital or clinic in a big city. Silas took a deep breath, steadying himself and focusing his gaze back to the small, shattered family before him once again.

"Dean has many injuries you'd mostly likely expect to see in abuse cases, however, because the perpetrator of said injuries apparently felt no need to hide his crimes, the damage is more extensive. Dean has scarring in the opening to his throat and esophagus. There's damage to the soft tissue of the throat and larynx as well as bruising and scarring around the outside of his throat, indicating repeated, sustained strangulation. When I sent the scope down his throat, his gag reflex was barely in evidence. He has abrasions and scarring around his mouth suggesting the flesh was strained to the point of tearing multiple times. Wounds of this nature can indicate oral sexual abuse. Dean also has extensive ano-rectal scarring as well. I'm glad to note that there was no prolapse of tissue of the anal passage, despite the abuse Dean's endured. However, the extent of abuse and the damage in evidence suggests that in addition to penile penetration and possibly oral or digital penetration, there was most likely forcible penetration with foreign objects as well. Unfortunately, it may have caused permanent damage to the musculature of the sphincter which may result in leakage or even incontinence. The muscles there are very delicate and susceptible to damage. It may never heal properly and surgery may or may not be able to fix it. That is something you'll have to discuss with a specialist, I'm afraid. Dean also has bruising and burns around his penis and the scrotal area, indicating possible clamping or pinching mechanisms and electric shock being administered to the area. It also appears that some sort of branding implement and/or cigarettes may have been used to make wounds in that region as well. There is deep bruising on the genital region as well, suggesting some sort of binding or constriction being used repeatedly there." Silas paused in the telling of the prognosis for a moment to take a much-needed, calming breath.

The family looked even more wrecked then before, dangerously so in some cases. Tears were present on all the faces before him as they absorbed the massive chunk of devastating news about their loved one. They all looked fairly nauseous and Silas made sure to keep careful watch of them to be ready in case any of them actually became ill. Sam broke his heart, though, at that moment. He looked as ill as the rest of them, but he had a terrible air of resignation about him as well because, Silas guessed, if he really was psychically gifted and he really had seen what had been happening to his brother, then none of the injuries held any shock to him because he had seen them happening and knew just how much pain and humiliation and fear had gone into making each of those wounds. Silas shook his head sadly with a deep sigh. He couldn't imagine having that knowledge inside, twisting you and up and eating away at you because you were too scared to tell anyone what was happening. 'God, this whole family is gonna need a lotta therapy…' he thought. Taking a few more moments for himself, finally he took a deep breath and continued.

"While the physical wounds will, mostly, heal over a relatively short period of time, the long-term affects of a situation like this can be highly varied and far-reaching. We won't know all the aspects of the situation unless or until Dean returns to a reactive, conscious state…if he ever does…"

"He will!" all three men snapped simultaneously.

Silas sagged slightly, knowing he was going to have to be a little harsh with these men. They needed to know and accept the truth of the situation and not just the outcome they hoped for.

"Gentlemen…I need to be brutally honest with you. Dean is in an apparent catatonic state. Such states are, often, a coping mechanism for traumas the body and mind are unable or unwilling to deal with. While in this state, Dean will either require the use of adult disposable undergarments or the installation of a catheter and a colostomy bag. He will require daily sponge baths as well as more thorough cleanings frequently. He may require nutritional supplement IV's as well as hand-feeding of a soft foods diet. His eyes will need to be moistened with drops several times a day and the lids will need to be taped shut a minimum of 6-8 hours a day to stave off overall dryness of the eyes. He will require extensive physical therapy to rebuild musculature and joint strength. If, and I do mean if, because the amount of trauma Dean has sustained is extensive and pervasive, if Dean comes out of the catatonia, he will most likely have intestinal problems, perpetual weakness of his joints and muscles, and a weak immune system." Silas said, pausing again to just breathe for a moment before continuing.

"If Dean comes out of the catatonia, we may have to contend with certain possibilities, things such as partial or full blindness due to the eye strain from strangulation and the irritation of staying open during his catatonic state. There may also be damage to his brain due to the repeated lack of blood flow that occurred during the strangulation acts as well. He may have an speech impairment from the damage to the esophagus and larynx. He may suffer more frequent breaks in his bones because being bound for long periods of time can lead to calcification of the joints and bones making them more brittle and weak. If, by some miracle, none of these potential issues arise, Dean will still require extensive therapy and rape/abuse counseling to help him deal with all that's happened to him. Severe depression, suicidal ideations/attempts, substance abuse/ addiction as a coping mechanism, nightmares/night terrors, insomnia, agoraphobia, panic attacks, anxiety issues, PTSD…all of these things are going to be very real possibilities. Dean may eventually learn to manage and cope with what's happened, but he will never be the person he used to be. Someday, he may be able to regain some semblance of a normal life, but it will be far in the future from where he is right now. If you are going to help Dean heal and recover, you'll need to accept that this is going to be a very long and hard road from here on out." Silas finished at last, taking in the utterly devastated faces of the men before him. Tears were abundant among the three hunters and Silas felt sick knowing he'd had to impart to them such painful truths but it had been necessary for them to understand all of it if Dean stood any chance of recovering.

"I am truly sorry, gentlemen. No one should ever have to face this level of human evil, even such men as yourselves that are well-acquainted with the myriad of evils out there in the world. I'll do what I can to help Dean and you all as well but it's all going to come down to Dean himself. He must make his way back and choose to live. Beyond that, we can do nothing more than be there to support him." Silas said, finished with the diagnosis and prognosis for the young hunter.

Sean nodded toward the door and Silas nodded in agreement then followed his brother out silently, understanding that the family needed time to process the soul-crushing weight he'd just heaped on them. The men stopped outside the now closed door, looking on at the devastating scene for a long moment.

"You think Dean or any of them are gonna be able to come back from this?" Sean asked quietly.

"Honestly? I don't know. For everyone's sake, I hope so. That young man is obviously the glue that holds the family together. God help them all if he doesn't make it…God help all of us, too…" Silas answered in an equally hushed tone. Sean gave his brother's shoulder a firm squeeze, showing his understanding and offering his support.

Sean knew that his brother was a very empathetic person and that even though he didn't know the family well, the family's situation was affecting his brother deeply, more so then he was letting on. It had been for that reason , his empathy, that Silas has chosen a life of helping others, just as he had. Difference was that his brother had chosen a small town, a place more sheltered from the evils humanity was capable of committing against one another. Silas turned slightly toward his brother, giving him a small, sad smile and a nod of thanks. Sean's hand eased away and he and his brother turned and strolled silently away down the dark corridor; away from the tattered and torn family that lay beyond the closed doors, giving them much-needed time alone.

A/N: So, I was hoping to get this chapter posted up last night but, I couldn't quite manage it. Still, 3 chapter in less then a week is still awesome, right? I am really trying to make sure I get this as caught up as I can, so nearly all of what I had written in my handy-dandy notebook has been typed and offered to you, my loyal and loving fans. I have a bit of the next chapter written and an Interlude with Dean himself, but I'll still need to sit down and write some more of the story out so it might be a little while before I get it up for you. I am going to be working to get typed what I have written for another story done as well. After that, I'll pop back over to this one and keep it going for you. Anyhoo...

As always, please, please, PLEASE Read & Review!

Also, the links to my Supernatural line of jewelry, which I sell on eBay, link to images for the pieces to give you an idea of what I have. To get the link to the current wares for sale on eBay, ask me or look for MidniteX13 on eBay and it should bring me up for you. My line includes replicas of the Mary Winchester Hunter's Protection bracelet (as seen in the episode 'In the Beginning') and the Dean Winchester Skull bracelet (worn from season 2 to present), and other Superntaural-themed bracelets! The links are handily located on my Profile!

I can also get ahold of replicas of the Dean Winchester Protection Amulet, if anybody is interested.