Disclaimer: Supernatural and its characters were created by Eric Kripke and the show is owned by the CW Network no profit is being made.

Special Note: This story was written in response to the SFTCOL(AR)S first monthly contest in July and is available at their site, but I thought I would post it here, too. We had a word count to work within and were given the theme mentioned directly below. If you love reading hurt, angst and general Sam in peril stories then the Limp!Sam website is for you and you can find the link to their site on my profile page. Also, whenever a contest period is over and the judging complete I will make an effort to post my entry here, as well. Enjoy, I hope.

Theme: Sacrifice and Strength

You Go, I Go

By Dawn Nyberg

July 2007, Outside Fort Thompson, South Dakota

The exorcism had been difficult from the beginning. Sam and Dean were both a bit battered. They had no idea that Kyle Donavan, a sixteen year old boy they were helping to exorcise was possessed by a high level demon. The Devil's Trap chalked out on the wood floor was only providing minimal containment and they had had to use small iron poles to encircle the salt lines they had also put down. But, they still had been tossed a couple times as the exorcism had started. Kyle's parents and local priest stood transfixed and completely out of their element as the ritual took place. The priest offered up the occasional Hail Mary or Our Father and randomly tossed holy water at the demon mostly out of abject fear not a sense of duty.

The demon had been expelled but it had tormented the young boy's mind so much and twisted his reality that he'd fled the moment his restraints were removed. "Salvation comes in baptism," he yelled frantically as he ran out of the house. "I'm evil … I must wash my sin away … the voice told me … God told me."

"It's wasn't God talkin' to you," Sam yelled after the boy as he and Dean ran after the kid. The family lived near the Big Bend Dam and they weren't stupid that kid wasn't planning on the kind of afternoon dip in the local pond you walk away from … he meant to throw himself off the dam.

"Kyle, honey, please," his mother begged as her husband and the priest followed behind Sam and Dean trying to keep up with the fast pace.

Sam felt his heart pounding against his sternum. He had to save this kid. There was no try in this scenario. He wouldn't lose one more innocent person to evil if he could stop it. His mind screamed at him, if you can't save this boy, how will you be able to save Dean? He's going to die when that deal comes due … fail at this and you'll lose everything, you'll lose Dean … you'll fail Dean. Sam pushed his body harder. His muscles burning as his legs pounded the ground advancing him. His biceps were flexed as he pumped his arms to amp up his pace.

"Damn kid is gonna jump Sammy," Dean huffed next to his brother as they both ran as if they were in the home stretch of an Olympic race.

"No," Sam barked. "We'll get him. We have to." Dean hazarded a side glance at his little brother and saw the raw emotion in his brother's profile and he could see the determination to reach the boy. He looked back up and could see how far the kid was ahead of them and he could already see and hear the rushing water of the dam.

"Sammy, we might not …"

"No! We'll make it," Sam yelled as he pushed his body harder to reach the boy. "He's going left," Sam shouted. Dean nodded and huffed.

The boys parents and priest had fallen behind and were probably trying to decide which fork in the path their son had probably taken, after all, both led to the dam just different parts. "We'll try the right," Robert Donavan huffed. "I can't tell which way they went. Dammit, they're completely gone." They all ran down the right side of the forked path.

Moments Later…

It had happened so quickly that it was a blur … the kid standing on a retaining wall his pronouncement to be clean and he fell forward … Dean lunged and grabbed one of the kids arms but their momentum took them over the edge … Sam reacted.

"I got you," Sam grunted as he strained bending over the wall. He had managed to jam the tips if his hiking boots under a very small concrete lip on the wall. It kept him from going over but he was feeling the weight of Dean and Kyle slowly pulling him loose. Kyle seemed to come out of his post exorcism mania.

"I don't want to die," he begged with tears in his eyes. Sam looked into the kid's scared face. He was holding his brother's arm and a bit of forearm as he watched the kid dangle from Dean's other hand.

"Nobody's dying," Sam grunted. Dean managed to pendulum the kid slightly, so that he could even out the weight Sam was trying to keep hold of, Sam released one hand in order to grab one of Kyle's hands, so Dean could release him. They needed to redistribute the weight. Now, Sam held Kyle in one arm and Dean in the other. He could feel his muscles burning and his shoulder was beginning to pull and he knew it was in danger of dislocating. Kyle was frantic and kicked back and forth, his feet connecting with the wall, but there was nothing to grab onto … if Dean or Kyle were getting back up to solid ground they were going to have to be pulled.

"Stop moving kid … you're gonna kill us," Dean barked. "Sammy?" Dean could see the strained face of his brother, the sweat beading on his forehead.

"I'm good. It's gonna be okay. I got ya," he assured. "I got you both." Kyle screamed again and this time he kicked violently in some vain attempt to reach safety causing weight to shift suddenly on Dean's side. Sam yelped as his shoulder made a popping noise and pain ripped through him, but he didn't let go as he was pulled forward. He'd lost grip with one foot under the concrete lip, now only one foot was firmly jammed under the small anchor of concrete.

"Sammy!" Dean's voice was urgent as they all dipped further down.

"I got you. I'm not letting go."

"Jesus, Sammy, your shoulder … is it out?"

"Yeah," Sam panted. His eyes shifted to Kyle. "Kyle, listen to me, you have to stop moving." Kyle seemed to hear the words but his quiet sobs still could be heard as he stilled, both his hands still holding to one of Sam's.

"Sammy, listen to me," Dean's voice took on this dead calm and he met his little brother's pained eyes. "You gotta let me go Sammy; we're all three going to go over."

"No!" Sam hissed. "I'm not letting go. I can get you both up."

"Let me go Sammy," Dean's voice was still soft, eerily calm as if he were trying to comfort and absolve Sam all at once for what needed to be done. "Listen to me, it's okay."

"No, I let go you'll die. I'm not letting go. I can do this."

"Sammy, please… let me go." Sam looked at his brother intensely and the pain disappeared as he pushed through it.

"You go, I go," he grunted in determination as his arrant foot found purchase once again under the concrete lip he'd been pulled from. Dean heard the truth in the statement and he nodded tightly. Sam was just about to pull upward when he felt strong arms surrounding him from behind. It was Kyle's father and the priest. They anchored Sam and helped to get Kyle and Dean up as Sam held on steadfast until he was certain both his brother and Kyle were safe and when they were he slid down the wall pressed against his back and hit the ground with a solid thump. He cradled his right arm against his chest. The pain was white hot and lancing.

"Sammy?" Dean's voice was soft at his side. He felt his brother's tentative hands ghosting along his injured arm. "Sammy this is bad … I can't get this back in on my own." Sam could only nod. He was physically and emotionally drained. "He needs a hospital." He knew Dean wasn't talking to him. He closed his eyes for a moment trying to reconcile in his mind … he hadn't failed … he wouldn't fail.

Five Hours Later, Fort Thompson Community Hospital

"So, he's really, okay?" Dean glanced at his brother who was sitting with his long legs dangling over the edge of an exam table and back to the doctor. Sam's arm was in a special sling that kept his arm secured in place.

"Well, he's damn lucky he didn't separate the shoulder or tear anything," the doctor commented. "It was a nasty dislocation but we were able to reduce it without complication." Dean nodded.

Two Hours Later, on the Road

"I say we stop for the night," Dean suggested.

"Sounds good."

"You okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Sammy?"

"Yeah?"

"You try that 'you go, I go' crap again, and I'm gonna so kick your ass, you got it?" Sam smirked.

"I got it," Sam smiled at his brother. Dean's mouth twitched a small smile.

"Good." He paused a moment. "Bitch."

"Jerk."

The End