REBOUND

Caleb walked in first; he was taking point since he was the oldest though Dean was the more experienced hunter by far. The boys were quiet, serious and focused on the task they had in front of them: finding and ridding the world of one more witch. It was a contrast to the ride over to this particular hunt when they were loudly and adamantly discussing girls, hunting, and smack talking one another. This was the first hunt that the three boys had undertaken alone. John was off on another hunt and had left the boys with Pastor Jim. Pastor Jim was away for the evening and that left three cocky, over confident hunters believing they could easily clear up the little witch problem a nearby town was having.

The hunt looked simple – a lone witch in the woods angered by consistent building on her land had determined to pursue her own form of justice. The boys had been researching her for a week and decided that they could finish the hunt by themselves. It had taken a bit of convincing for the 17 year old Dean to allow his 13 year old brother to go but with a bit of convincing from the 21 year old Caleb, Dean had agreed. The boys were all good hunters, Dean especially.

The boys entered the house silently, alert to any noise or movement that may have been a clue to the witch's' whereabouts. Caleb signaled to his friends to go right while he went left. Dean nodded ensuring that Sam was following close behind him. With the first floor cleared the boys headed toward the two staircases in the house. Dean signaled to Caleb to head up while he and Sam headed down.

Sam and Dean both had their guns drawn and pointed at the floor in front of their feet as they crept down the basement stairs. They reached the bottom and while careful to stay close together surveyed the room around them. "Maybe she isn't home…?" Sam paused as he heard a creak behind him. Suddenly he was pushed into the wall by an unforeseen form. Dean responded instantly, drawing his gun, aiming, and firing twice. The witch closed her eyes and then opened them suddenly. Dean felt a hot pain in his chest and stomach driving him to the ground. He gasped in pain unsure what was causing the problem. His knees held his weight as he slowly drew his hand away from the pained area shocked to find it red and sticky with blood.

"What?" Dean gasped, as he fell the rest of the way to the ground his eyes clouding over with pain. Sam strained against the wall his view blocked by the witch as she stepped toward his brother. She dug her foot into the wound on his stomach inciting a quick inhaled wheeze from the 17 year old hunter. "You know that childhood rhyme? I am rubber you are glue?" The witch smirked removing her foot from the gunshot wound and leaning down closer. "It's a shame you're such a good shot."

"Hey" Caleb yelled from the stairs gaining the witches attention as the two bullets he shot ripped into her chest. She had no time to respond or to spout the previous incantation. The bullets pushed her backwards landing dead next to the wounded hunter.

Caleb rushed to Dean's side followed closely by Sam. Dean's eyes tracked Sammy's movement ensuring that he hadn't suffered any injury from his push against the wall. "What the heck happened? Did she have a gun?" Damien questioned not comprehending how Dean was the one with the bullet holes.

Dean turned his eyes to Damien's, "Apparently she used some kind of rebound spell." Sam replied distraught his eyes wide with concern for his brother.

Caleb noted as Dean's attention refocused on his brother alerting him to the fear, concern, and tears within the youngest Winchester's eyes. "Sam we need the first aid kit. We left it in the Impala. Go grab it, will you." Sam jumped into action his eyes finally leaving the horrific scene of his brother covered in blood. When he was about halfway up the stairs Damien yelled, "Grab blankets too, Sam…lots of them." Sam nodded, once again sprinting up the stairs.

With Sam out of the room Caleb began exploring the wound. "Okay, let's look at what we have here." Caleb stated to himself more than Dean, reaching for the holes ripped in the t-shirt he tore them further until Dean's whole abdomen was exposed. "Oh Dean…" Dean's abdomen was awash in blood and the dark holes that supplied it appeared dark and never ending. "Too low to have hit your heart but it could have punctured a lung." Caleb mused learning down to listen for Dean's breathing. "You sound okay though. The stomach shot is too high to have hit a kidney." Caleb continued monologue-ing, categorizing the injuries. "If the situation were different I would be teasing that your deadly aim was slipping."

"She was shorter than me." Dean managed to gasp.

"Glad you're feeling well enough to defend yourself." Caleb smirked than his face turned serious again. "I have to stop the bleeding. Sam will be back soon than we'll figure out how to get you home." Dean listened to the other hunter, struggling to find his voice amidst the deep pain that seemed to wash over him wave after wave. Finally Caleb moved forward with the plan understanding that Dean couldn't reply. He removed his own shirt and undershirt wadding them up before lining them up over the wounds. Caleb hesitated before pushing the shirts firmly against the destroyed chest. Dean cried out, hating the shifting he felt within his chest, the bullet definitely busted a rib on the way in. "Hang in there Slugger, we'll get you fixed up in no time."

When Sam returned Dean's eyes were closed, his skin ashen, and his body was beginning to shake. Caleb quickly directed Sam to cover Dean up with the blankets and open the first aid kit hoping to find something that could apply pressure to the still bleeding wounds without his hands being involved. "Help me sit him up Sam. We're going to wrap the ace bandage around to provide pressure when we can't. Sam nodded scared as he sat behind his brother's head. "Dean." Caleb paused waiting for his friends' eyes to open and focus on him. "This is going to hurt like hell." Caleb nodded to Sam as they pulled Dean to a sitting position. Dean cried out in agony, his body burned and it was all he could do to keep the food down that they had eaten before coming on this trip. "One second, Dean. I'll be done in one second." Once Caleb finished wrapping the wounds he slowly eased his friend back to the ground disappointed to have only found one exit wound in Dean's back.