A Change of Priorities

He left. Sam left that day and the truth was, he never looked back. Not once, because even though things were different this time, Sam had made the same decision. He had chosen to leave his family behind, both Dean and his father, because he had come so close to losing them. So close, and when he thought he had, the pain had been unbearable.

Only a small amount of happiness came with the news in the hospital that both of them would live. He had sat in Dean's room, his older brother unconscious, for hours after. His mind whirling with choices, both past and present, Sam had finally come to the conclusion that he was tired. Tired of hunting and worrying and fighting for his life everyday, but mostly tired of the pain he felt every time he looked at his family and wondered what he'd do if they were no more. The fact was, Sam knew he would lose them one day. It wouldn't be then, but it would be, and that was all he needed to know before he left. He just couldn't bear losing them, so he left them instead…

And having Sam leave was all John needed to make the same decision. He left too. He departed only a few days later and he never said goodbye. Not once did he enter the dark hospital room of his oldest son and mutter that single word. He simply left, and he never looked back either. His heart heavy with the rejection of his youngest son and revenge his obsession, he merely disappeared.

So Dean awoke to find no one by his side. He opened his eyes to be met with darkness and the terrible feeling that something was horribly wrong. He searched the room frantically for his brother and father, and when he couldn't find them his heart began to beat faster. Dean was dimly aware of the doctor entering the room and speaking softly to him, trying to calm him down. Memories of the night they had finally faced the demon that had destroyed their family replayed in his mind and he suddenly remembered the car accident. His main concern initially went towards the physical condition of his brother and father and he looked to the doctor to fill the sudden necessity of knowledge he needed to obtain.

The doctor, a man in his late forties, seemed to guess what Dean was desperately hinting with his eyes, unable to speak because of he mask over his mouth, and hesitated. Pity shone in the old man's eyes as he looked down at the weakened, anxious, and distressed man lying in the hospital bed and answered the unasked question. "Your brother and father… They survived but… I'm afraid they're gone. Your brother left a week ago, and your father just two days."

Dean's heart slowed slightly when he heard that his family had survived the car crash but it reduced to nearly a crawl as the other words left the doctor's mouth. His mind played over multiple reasons why Sam and his dad would leave him alone in a hospital, almost all including the demon, and he was unaware of the doctor leaving as his mind was now swirling with painful doubts and sudden fears.

The nagging question of why they had left on separate days began to dominate his thoughts and Dean finally let cold reality sink in. Something wasn't right. He could feel it. The heavy weight in his chest grew and a hard, painful lump formed in his throat as he suddenly understood. They had left… him. No tears came to his eyes as he simply laid there, the monitor to his left echoing within his head, for he had foreseen this almost all his life.

Somehow he had managed to push the thoughts to the back of his mind but now he let them slowly seep through the barrier he had enclosed them in so long ago.

You're a freak.

He didn't believe the small voice in his mind at first but as it grew louder he began to listen.

You're going to end up alone.

Because now his fear was becoming a reality and for once he was completely alone.

They're all going to leave you…

And now there was nothing left to hold the darkness back.