None Goes His Way Alone

By Coffeemaniac

Not Slash

A/N: Set in Season 1. After Shadow but before Devil's Trap.

A/N: This is the last chapter. Hope you enjoy. Thanks again to all those who sent reviews. I think I've responded to everyone. Thanks also to anyone who is "Following" or marked this story as a "Favorite".

"There is a destiny that makes us brothers: None goes his way alone: All that we send into the lives of others comes back into our own." (Edwin Markham)

The Escape

A few hours later, Dean sat beside Sam's bed. The room was a double and Sam's roommate was watching television on the other side of the curtain. It was after two in the morning and Dean wished the other man would shut it off and go to sleep.

About half an hour after Doctor Ansari gave Sam the anti-venom, his blood pressure began to even out and the twitching under his skin ceased. A while after that, his body slipped into a restful sleep and Dean could finally relax.

As the knot in his stomach loosened he remembered that he hadn't called his father. Dean pressed the speed dial and waited for voice mail. Dad never answered his phone. After the greeting ended, Dean started to talk, horrified when his voice cracked. He cleared his throat and blamed the damage done while he was dealing with the poison.

"Sorry, sorry, Dad. Sam's in the hospital. He got injected with the same crap that I did. It was pretty ugly for a while but he's okay now. We're both okay."

Dean disconnected and closed his eyes. Vaguely hungry but too tired to move, he settled back in the hard, plastic chair. The night-owl roommate flipped through channels but he turned down the volume.

Just as Dean started to drift off, he heard Sam murmuring. Dean stood up and found Sam staring back at him with dull, half-opened eyes.

"Hey, Sammy, how're you doing?"

"Okay. You?"

"Me? I'm awesome. They finally got the anti-venom in you. You're going to be fine."

"I'm sorry." Sam's eyes filled with tears and Dean rested a hand against his forehead.

"What for?"

Sam blinked a couple of times, swallowed and drifted off to sleep again. Dean pet his bangs back away from his face and returned to his chair. He didn't know what Sam was apologizing for but it was probably something stupid.

He's the one who should be sorry. He had known that both Battle and the demons might still be around. But, he hadn't liked the way Sam dealt with Moore so he left him alone.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Dean woke with a stiff back and numb feet. He stretched, yawned and scratched the stubble on his face. He took a look at Sam finding him still asleep so he stretched again and headed out of the room to find coffee and something to eat. He took the elevator down to the first level and followed the posted signs to the cafeteria.

It was early so prep cooks were still prepping but Dean scored a large coffee and a breakfast burrito with egg, cheese and chorizo. He pulled a chair out and sat down noting that only a few other people were up that early. There was one table occupied by medical staff, all dressed in scrubs, who looked like they'd been up all night. Another table held two more hospital workers, also dressed in scrubs, but they were lively and chatty and Dean guessed they were just coming to work. Towards the back of the room, two women sat drinking coffee. Both of them were pale with swollen eyes and blotchy cheeks.

Dean focused his attention on his burrito. It tasted better than he expected which might be because the hospital cafeteria hired excellent chefs or it might be because he was starving.

Dean heard the talkative couple wish each other a good day and watched the young woman walk by his table. She had a swish in her step and he watched her for a moment until the sound of a chair squeaking across the tiled floor drew his attention. He scowled when the man who had been sitting with the perky girl settled across from him. He was black with skin the color of coffee. He had green eyes and hair cut tightly short.

"Can I help you?" Dean asked, annoyed.

The man blinked slowly and when he opened his eyes coal black had swallowed the green. Dean shoved backward automatically searching for a gun that he didn't have because they weren't allowed in a hospital.

"Relax, relax," the demon said, blinking again and bringing back the man's eyes. "You don't want to get into something with all these innocent people around, do you?"

"What do you want?" Dean asked, eyeing the bottle of salt on the table.

"I came here to tell you that you need to take better care of your brother. Honestly, if we hadn't stepped in before, you'd both be dead. No one wants little Sammy dead, do they?"

"What? What do you care if…"

"Dean, the why doesn't matter. Just be glad we showed up and saved you. I mean, really, there was no way out, was there? If we hadn't helped, you two would be rotting away in that basement right now."

"My dad…"

"Was following us."

Dean swallowed, nauseous at knowing the demon was right.

"We can't have Sam dying." The demon shrugged. "You either but that's another story. Not yet, anyway. So, take better care of him or we'll have to take him away from you."

Dean leaped up, his chair falling backward behind him. The demon upended the table sending it and Dean tumbling backward. Around him, Dean heard a couple of startled screams and general sounds of commotion. One woman's voice said, "Wasn't that Ed?" and then one of the cashiers lifted the table off Dean as he was scrambling to untangle himself and get back up.

"You all right?" the cashier asked as he moved the table aside.

"Yeah, thanks." The cashier held out a hand and Dean took it. The man pulled him to his feet.

"What was that?" He asked.

"Misunderstanding," Dean said. "Uh, he thought I was ogling the girl he was with."

"Tracy? Everybody ogles Tracy. I'm surprised Ed took offense."

Dean just shook his head and shrugged.

"You sure you're all right?"

"I'm good, thanks."

"All right, well, here's hospital security. They're gonna want to talk to you."

Dean didn't want to talk to a rent-a-cop. He wanted to get back up to Sam and get the hell out of there. But, he cooperated instead as the slim, brunette security guard asked him questions. She was cute and professional but he grew tired of her quickly so he answered as best he could, lying like crazy and hoping that if the demon dumped Ed then Ed would still have a job to come back to.

When she finally obtained enough information for her report, she advised Dean to stay out of trouble.

"No problem," he told her and headed for the elevator.

The ride up included half a dozen others who exited and entered. It seemed like the lift stopped at every floor. When he finally reached the one holding Sam, Dean rudely pushed to the front, not caring about the glare he received from a woman holding the hand of a young child. He kept himself in check, deliberately not running down the hall to Sam's room. He didn't want to distress the staff who were milling around.

He reached Sam's room to find his brother sitting up, drinking orange juice and looking over a plate of waffles. Sam waved at him at first then must have read the look on Dean's face.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Finish your breakfast. We gotta get out of here," Dean said. "I just had a friendly chat with a demon downstairs."

"What? What happened?" Alarm sounded through every word as Sam dropped his fork on the tray.

"Well, apparently I'm not protecting you well enough. If the demons decide you're not safe with me then they're going to take over the job."

Sam scoffed. "That doesn't even make sense. Why would demons care about me?"

"Well, we don't really know, now, do we, Sam? But, I can tell you this, he was serious. Let's just get out of here. You feel well enough to break out?"

"Yeah, of course," Sam agreed and pushed the tray away. He hesitated a moment and finished the orange juice before getting up.

Dean fished his clothes out of the closet and tossed them to him.

"Hurry up. I'll be in the hall."

Dean paced back and forth in front of the room. He smiled and nodded at passing nurses hoping he didn't look as manic as he felt. He couldn't escape the numbing fear that demons wanted his brother for something and they wanted to make sure he lived to achieve it. He guessed that it must be connected to the visions but how, and why, and what would it mean for Sam?

Sam emerged looking pale, rumpled and shaky.

"I'm ready to go," he said, quietly.

"Okay, if anybody asks we're just heading for the cafeteria so you can get some breakfast and air."

Sam nodded. They only managed to make it as far as the nurses' station when Dr. Ansari came around the corner. She had traded her black skirt for a red one but other than that she looked the same as the night before. Her eyes widened noticeably at seeing the two of them.

"Doctor," Dean greeted with his best, dazzle 'em smile.

"Mr. Bachman, where are you taking my patient?" She asked the question as if it was a joke but her expression said she was serious.

"I just want to get some air," Sam explained with a nod and a shrug. "It's kind of claustrophobic in my room. Plus my roommate is kind of loud."

"Your roommate? Mr. Stevens? He's down in x-ray at the moment, is he not?"

Sam nodded furiously. "Yes, yes, he's not in the room right now but, you know, he'll be back and um, mostly I just want to go have breakfast outside."

"Yeah, right," Dean agreed. "Just taking my brother downstairs. I had a burrito earlier and it was to die for. He just has to try it."

"Hmm. Well, if you're feeling up to it. But, I would imagine you're still a bit weak."

"A little, I guess, but you know, a good breakfast, get some calories in here and I think I'll feel a lot better."

"All right then, Mr. Bachman and, uh, Mr. Bachman, have some food but, be sure to rest for the next couple of days. Drink lots of fluids. If you're having pain then acetaminophen should be able to control it. And if it's worse than that then…contact me, all right?"

All three of them knew that the doctor was giving them post-hospital advice and Dean felt kind of bad for lying to her. But, she didn't say much else and went on her way and he put her out of his mind. The most important thing was getting Sam out of town.

The Epilogue

Sam wanted to close his eyes as soon as they hit open road. He leaned against the vibrating window and tried to ignore the headache pounding away through his temples. He felt warm and figured he was running a low grade fever.

Rallying because he needed to, Sam said, "Dean? Dude, I'm sorry."

Dean looked away from the road for a moment, "For what?"

"What they did to you. I know now. I kind of knew but I just…"

"Sam…"

"You were alone. You had to go through all that alone and ride it out to the end. I mean you saved me back there and I just…I wish I could've saved you."

"Sam, knock it off, okay? I'm all right. None of it was your fault. I'm glad you didn't have to go through what I went through."

"I am too, believe me, but, what little I did experience…it gave me some perspective. I'm so sorry that they targeted you; that I didn't see what Jacob was planning. I should have seen it. He was acting all wrong, there was no staff around, I should have figured it out before things ever got as far as they did."

Even as Sam spoke the words he started to think about what he was saying. It didn't feel true. He had been invited to a home that harbored good memories. He had every reason to believe that he'd be safe there, that Jacob Moore was immersed in grief, not vengeance. Like an epiphany, it occurred to him that he couldn't foresee everything bad that might happen.

"You're not clairvoyant," Dean said, echoing Sam's thoughts. "Well, I guess you are, kind of, but not like this. You chalked his behavior up to grief which anybody would have. Point is, you're not at fault here. That sad, old man and that psychopath he hired are the ones to blame."

Sam nodded. "Okay."

Dean looked at him again. "Really?"

"Yeah, really. I'm still sorry about what happened to you but, you're right, I'm not a mind-reader."

"That was a quick turnaround."

"I guess. But, I'm sitting here turning myself into knots trying to find a way to make this my fault. But, really, what part? I know I should've done more to protect Jess. But, this, what her father did? How was I supposed to see that coming?"

"You're right. About her father, I mean."

"Thing is, I have to start somewhere. I have to forgive myself for Jess and maybe, maybe this is where I start."

"All right then."

Sam leaned back, exhaustion pulling at him. He didn't know if he felt better but he felt different. Maybe it was guilt loosening its hold or anger directed at someone besides himself.

'Now, all we have to figure out is why demons want you alive," Dean said.

Sam shook his head. "I don't know. In Chicago, Meg was after Dad but demons worrying about me? Doesn't make sense."

"I'm not sure we want to know the answer."

"It's got to have something to do with Mom and Jess, don't you think?"

Sam hadn't told Dean about the vision he experienced in the basement prison. With everything that happened after it didn't seem all that important. But, his visions always had something to do with the demon that killed their mother and Jessica.

"I don't know what else it could be," Dean answered.

Silence settled between them. What could demons want with him that was so important that one came to save his life? There had been no chance for escape from that cellar. If the demon hadn't come, they would have died.

He looked at Dean, practically feeling the worry pouring off him. The visions, Meg, and now this, what did it all mean?

"You know what?" Dean said, breaking into Sam's thoughts. "It doesn't matter right now. We're safe, we're on the road, let's just do our job. We don't have to solve everything today, right? All we have to do is hunt monsters and that's something we can do."

"Dean…"

"No, Sammy, I mean it. Just let it go for now."

Dean pushed in a Metallica CD and cranked the volume. Sam looked out the passenger side window and tried not to think about what might happen next.

A/N: I could not find anything that named Jessica's parents. She is "Beloved Daughter" on her tombstone which is what started me thinking about who they were and how they would react to losing her.

A/N: If you watch the show then you know why the demons are concerned with Sam's well-being. If you don't watch the show then I don't want to give it away.