Broken

Chapter Five

Sorry this chapter took so long everyone! Wanted to do it right. Enjoy! Oh! All the story alerts are incredible! You keep me inspired!

Disclaimer: The boys aren't mine…so sad

Recap: Sam has been hurt and is in the hospital. Dean and Bobby are searching for the Big Bad.

After dropping Bobby off at the house, Dean headed for the hospital, the scene with the girl still seriously creeping him out. After parking at the hospital, Dean walked to the ICU with a bag of salt stashed in his jacket. He wasn't taking any chances that the what-ever-it-was wouldn't try a second shot at Sam.

The nurse at the station smiled at Dean and informed him that his brother had woken up about five minutes ago and was asking for him. She informed him that Dr. Fitzpatrick had said that if Sam continued to improve during the night, he would be moved to a regular room in the morning.

Dean entered to find Sam slightly elevated in bed, the oxygen tubing was gone from his face and he actually had some color.

"Well, Sleeping Beauty has awoken!" Dean smiled as he walked over to the bed, pulled up a chair and plopped down in it. Inside he was so relieved that Sam did look better, some of the fear slowly began to slide back into the spot reserved for "Scary Sam Moments" in Dean's soul.

"Dean! God! It's about time you got here! We've got to help Adrian!"

"So, you remember what happened? Do you know what it is? Bobby's back at the house researching. Hey, sit back dude! You break those stitches open and your hottie of a doctor will lay some hurt on me!" Dean stood and hovered. "Do you need pain meds? Want the nurse?"

Sam lay back squinting in pain, "No, I'm good, just moved too fast." Breathing deeply through his nose he continued, "No, I don't know what it is, but it knew that I knew. When I left the house, I didn't realize it followed me."

"You let a ten year old girl get the jump on you? Wow…." Dean's eye brows arched.

"Bite me! You know as well as I do, it's not just a little girl. It jumped me near an alley, knocked me in the back of the head. It freaking drug me two blocks! It talked to me the whole time. Only caught parts of it, but I'm pretty sure it's pissed about something other than us showing up. Said something about humans being so weak minded and only concerned with their own needs. It's not a demon though, I…"

"Yeah I know, Christo didn't work for Bobby and me either. Creepy little thing laughed at us." Dean rubbed his stubbly face and sighed, "Anything at all that might give us a hint at what we're up against? Oh, hey! Were Mr. and Mrs. Starnes all Twilight Zone on you? I think whatever it is has some kind of power over them, too."

Sam looked at the ceiling, thinking, "Before Adrian came into the room, this morning, Mr. Starnes was telling me that he had just gotten back from Israel, he's some sort of archaeologist or something. He was going to show me a statue he had acquired that had something to do with war, love and fertility. He hinted that he and Mrs. Starnes were trying to have another baby, and were hoping the poltergeist problem would be resolved. Then, Adrian came in and he clammed up and was all smiles."

"A statue? Maybe some deity or god? I'll give Bobby a call; maybe he can find something out from Mr. Starnes in the morning. Wonder if that thing has a hold of them when they are out of the house? So, Okay, I get that this thing kicked your ass and all, but what's with…" Dean pointed to Sam's stomach.

"Ah, all I remember is starting to fight back when it raised the door to that room. It was chanting something, pulled out a knife, I was still on the floor and grabbed for something to fight with. The only thing I could reach was metal tubing. I think it was aiming for my heart with that knife. I hit it in the head with the coil tubing . It still got me..," he looked down at the white bandage, "Hey! When I hit it, it sizzled! Like the metal burned it! Copper! It was copper tubing, like air conditioner coil! Tell Bobby to look for something that copper can destroy or at least hurt! Anyway, after that, it backed off and shut me in."

The night nurse came in to do vitals, looking pointedly at Dean.

"Kay, I'm gonna go out and call Bobby," Dean looked back at the nurse, "I'll be back in a few."

"Sir, I don't think…," the nurse began.

"Sammy doesn't sleep to well without his Teddy Bear. Since he doesn't have it, I'm coming back in and I'll be here for the night."

Sam's brow creased into a scowl, but a small smile let Dean now that Sam would take the heckling, for know, even if there would be payback later.

Coming back twenty minutes later, no one stopped him as he passed the desk area; he walked in to see Sam sleeping. After a quick look out into the hall, he quickly poured salt over the top of the doorjamb. The room had no windows, so the door was the only entrance. Finishing this, he settled down for a restless night in a very uncomfortable chair. He didn't care; watching over his little brother was what he did best.

The next morning saw Sam moved into a regular hospital room. He was trying to talk Doctor Fitzpatrick into releasing him, but was quickly seeing a strong stubborn streak in the pretty woman.

"Mr. Winston! I spent a good part of yesterday afternoon patching you up! I see no good reason to undo all that hard work! I think, by tomorrow, If you follow doctor's orders, you can be released. This means, one; walking up and down the hall, with assistance, several times today, two; doing your breathing exercises to help get the anesthesia out of your system, and three; not giving the nurses a hard time, OR letting your brother flirt with my nurses! Think you can manage this?"

Sam's eyes rolled up, "Three out of four?" Smiling, he noticed Dean in the doorway. "He never listens to me anyway, maybe you should tell him?"

Dean, coffee in hand, smirked, "They flock to me! What should I do? Crush their spirits?"

Doctor Fitzpatrick frowned at both boys, mumbled something under her breath and left the room.

"Morning Sunshine! I would've gotcha a coffee, but the coffee shop downstairs doesn't do foo-foo coffee. I did bring your baby though…" Bringing Sam's computer bag from behind his back, Dean set it down on the table in front of Sam. "Thought you might do some searching yourself. Bobby found out that ol man Starnes was in a part of Israel that was known as Ash-a-something or another." Seeing Sam's frown and eye roll, Dean fumbled for a scrap of paper from his pocket. "Calm down Geek Boy, I wrote it down. Here…."

"Ashtaroth. OK, Starnes said something to do with war, love and fertility. I'll do a search." Looking at Dean with concern, "You're back doing ok? That chair doesn't look very comfortable. I'm….I'm glad you stayed."

"Hey, we aren't having a chick flick moment are we? My back is fine, might ask the little blonde nurse on duty if she'll walk on my back, maybe do some stretches with her…" smirking, Dean sipped his coffee.

The computer finished booting up at Sam shook his head at his brother. Soon, the siblings were doing what they did best. Sam was doing heavy research, Dean, heavy channel surfing.

A couple hours later, Sam was taking a tour of the third floor, Dean had hit on all the nurses on said floor when Bobby showed up to compare notes.

"All right, Thomas said the statue is of the goddess Astaroth, Granddaughter of Beelzebub on top of that. I have a feeling she has taken offence to having her likeness stolen from her followers." Bobby was talking to Dean when Sam came back from his walk with one of the nurses.

After getting Sam situated, and after said nurse flirted with Dean, left the room. Sam searched for the goddess online.

"Okay, Astaroth. Also known as Anat, Ishton and Ashtant. I think we can do an exorcism of sorts. Bobby, we're gonna need a copper bowl, a green or brown candle, black salt and blood from a live human birth. I think I have the spell too, I can write down the words for you . It's a releasing spell in ancient Egyptian."

"Cripes Sam! Blood from a human birth? Really?" Dean was making a face.

"Dude, shouldn't be that hard to get, we are in a hospital after all." Sam gave an ironic laugh. "By the time you have the supplies ready, I'll be out of here and we can go take care of this."

"Whoa there Sammy Boy, you ain't going anywhere! Bobby and I can take care of this, and you can sit back in your comfy bed and let pretty nurses wait on you." Dean had his "Big Brother" attitude written all over his face. He wasn't taking any chances that Sam would get hurt by that bitch again!

An hour later, after several arguments, Sam was left stewing in his bed and Dean and Bobby were driving from the hospital. Bobby had acquired the blood, although he wouldn't say how he had gotten it. After stopping at Bobby's place for the rest of the supplies, they headed for the Starnes house.

Trying to subtly enter the house under the ruse of a visit with the Starnes family; failed as soon as Adrian came down the stairs.

Her tiny white, perfect child teeth showing in a malevolent smile. "I smell blood and copper on you. I know what you have planned. It's to late though, you can't stop me. I will eat these two weak souls," nodding to her placidly staring parents, "and then I'll have you. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten little Sammy either. I think I'll play with him for a bit though. He and I have to chat about our earlier encounter." With that, she nodded to her parents and in an instant they were coming at Dean and Bobby with a one minded goal, to kill!

The fight was short lived; both hunters looked at each other, shrugged and slugged the parents. Both dropped like stones. Adrian shrieked and darted out of the room.

"You get everything ready; I'll go find the little Munster." Dean said to Bobby and went searching.

Bobby laid all the supplies out. After melting the candle and sticking it in the bottom of the copper bowl, he poured the blood into the bowl; chanting the appropriate words, he then poured the black salt out in a circle on the floor, broken on one side.

Sam was watching TV, trying not to think about Dean and Bobby and the ritual; when he began to feel a warm, itchiness in his chest…

Dean had searched all of the downstairs rooms and was moving upstairs when he heard glass breaking and high pitched laughter. He ran up the stairs, searching the rooms at the top. Reaching the third door, he tried the knob and found it locked…

Sam rubbed his chest, wondering if he was having an allergic reaction to one of his meds, when suddenly pain tore threw his chest…

Stepping back, Dean kicked in the door. The goddess was standing in front of a full length mirror; a small handheld mirror lay broken on the floor next to her. Blood ran down her arms where she had sliced the wrists. She held her arms up towards the ceiling, but was looking in the mirror. She was speaking in a language Dean couldn't even begin to guess. The chant was reaching a fevered pitch, she has an almost feral snarl on her face, as she chanted faster and faster…..

Screams from Sam's room brought the entire third floor staff running. Sam was arched on the bed, body completely up off the bed with only head and feet still touching the mattress. Tears poured out of Sam's eyes as something squeezed and ripped his entire body…

Dean approached the girl but stopped in shock as he saw Sam in the mirror! It was as if he was looking through a window right into Sam's hospital room. He saw, but couldn't hear Sam's screams! Saw the pain that was being inflicted on his brother, and he saw red. Running to the girl, he grabbed her and threw her over his shoulder, turned and raced down the stairs to the room Bobby was in.

"She's killing Sam, Bobby! Do it fast!" He threw her into the circle of black salt and closed the circle. The little girl fell to the floor. As she fell, a towering figure rose from her. Having no distinct shape, but reeking in evil it screamed. Every window in the room burst outward with the scream…

"He's coding! Get the cart, Stat!" A doctor screamed at the nurses. Sam had been writhing in pain, screaming one long agonizing cry when suddenly he just dropped to the bed and ceased to move…

Bobby was saying the ritual as quickly as his tongue could utter the foreign language. The Goddess continued to shriek in an ungodly din. Suddenly the flame on the candle flared, catching the entire bowl afire. The ring of salt burst into flames and the screaming goddess was gone. All that was left was a little girl.

Bobby and Dean looked at each other, eyes wide, mouths open. Dean dug in his pocket and called the hospital. When the operator picked up he asked for Sam's room. Waiting, waiting. "Damn it Sam, pick up!...Hello! Sam? What? Where is he now? I'll be right there!" Dean looked at Bobby.

Bobby waited, then, "Well, what? Is he alright for God's sake?"

Dean, Bobby and Doctor Fitzpatrick all stood beside Sam's bed. Dean had his hand on Sam's shoulder, unwilling to let him go. He could still see him in that damn mirror. His hand clenched.

"I'm Okay Dean, really."

Dean looked down, realized he was hurting Sam and relaxed his hold.

"I don't understand it. One moment he was technically, well, gone. He coded out. But before we could get the shock cart in and use it, he was breathing again, vitals were normal. It was as if nothing had ever happened!" Doctor Fitzpatrick stood, completely perplexed. "I want to run some tests…"

"Ah, Doc, if it's all the same to you, I think getting out of here sounds like a pretty good idea. I promise to take it easy out at Bobby's place. I can rest there just was well as here, right?" Sam gave her his best puppy eyes.

"Well, I don't see the harm. Like I said, it's as if the incident never occurred. I'd like to see you in a week though."

One week later

Dean and Sam were walking down the porch steps at the Starnes' house, after saying their goodbyes.

The entire family remained oblivious to the evil that had control over all of them. Bobby had told them that he and Dean had done a cleansing spell on the house and the "poltergeist" wouldn't be showing its face any time soon. Unfortunately, the statue had been destroyed during the cleansing. The Starnes' were so happy to have their "ghost" gone that the broken piece was of little importance.

The boys were just getting into the Impala when Sam heard Adrian ask, "Mom? What's a sasquatch?"

He looked over the top of the car, eyebrow raised, "Jerk."

Dean, looking back, smirked, "Bitch."

Well? I loved writing this, hope you all love reading it!