Edge

Chapter Thirty-Six

If Wishes Were Coffee Sam Would Drive

The fire popped, sending a spark drifting through the cave. Sam looked up from Dean's leg to watch the bright point of light The wolverine was growling at the mouth of the cave, its seeking paw still probing beyond the large rock Sam used to block the entrance. Over the sound of the fire and the mutterings of the animal, he could hear his brother's ragged breathing. Each breath Dean took must have been agony. Sam could hear a hitch of pain with every inhale. Sam sighed and started bandaging Dean's leg. Not bothering to cut the jeans away, anything he could use to help the leg clot was good, and he suspected pulling the fabric away would just hasten the end. Dean's end. No, god, Dean no.

“It's okay, Sammy,” Dean said, drawing Sam's attention back.

“Okay?” Sam asked, repressing the urge to scream at his brother.

“Yeah.”

“How is this in any way okay?”

“Is there any other choice at this point?”

“Dean...” Sam growled, desperation and his own pain coming out as anger.

“Arf ur ruff ruff,” the wolverine added from the door.

“We are not including you in this,” Dean said, glancing at the cave entrance.

“Arf urrrr.”

“Yeah, well I don't care.”

“Urr, arf uff ruff.”

“That's your story.”

Sam looked from his brother to the cave entrance. The wolverine has its nose stuck through the small space, its teeth clearly visible in the light of the fire. “Dean?”

“Give me a minute, Sammy,” Dean said, then glanced back to the door. “No, I mean it.”

“Arf ur, ruff ruff, urrr,” the wolverine said with a low murmur in its throat.

“No, can't have Sammy, I thought we discussed that.”

“Dean?” Sam said softly, suddenly aware of how unfocused Dean's eyes were. “Hey.”

“Arf ur ruff ruff.”

“Yeah, well that just won't work,” Dean continued as if Sam hadn't spoken.

“Hey, man.” Sam laid his hand on Dean's forehead. His brother was burning up. He had no idea where the fever was coming from, it hadn't been long enough for the wounds to become infected. Sam wondered if it had something to do with the wolverine bite, he was becoming more convinced that the animal was a supernatural creature of some kind. A thought flitted through his head, a tiny wisp of an answer, but it was enough to chill him to the bone. What if it's a werecreature? Or a shapeshifter? Oh my god, what if it infected Dean with whatever it is? “Dean!” he shouted, fear making his voice louder than he intended.

“Don't yell,” Dean said, sounding annoyed. “What?”

“You were talking to the wolverine again.”

“Arf, and no I wasn't.”

“Fine, Arf, and yes you were.”

“Was not.”

“You were.”

“Not, not, not.” Dean stuck his fingers in his ears and started humming. In spite of everything, Sam chuckled. “Ha,” Dean said, pulling his hands away.

“You were,” Sam said. “Dean...” Do you think Arf is...?

“I'm pretty sure Arf is more than just a wolverine, Sam.”

“Stop that.”

“Stop what?” Dean grinned at him.

“Nothing. I was thinking the same thing.”

“If it's some kind of werecreature you are going to have to...”

“Shut up,” Sam snapped, suddenly knowing where this was going.

“Rather you do it than Bobby or someone else, Sammy.”

“Dean...”

“If it was a werewolverine, Dean, the bullets would have slowed it down a little, even though I didn't get a clean shot, I know I hit it.”

“Yeah?” Dean looked thoughtful. “Okay, so then what is it?”

“I don't know. Some kind of spirit creature?”

“Spirit creature? Maybe. Skinwalker?”

“They don't usually appear as wolverines.”

“Or Cyclops or Rogue?” Dean asked with a smirk. “Sammy, how bad is the leg, really?”

Sam met his eyes. “It's a mess, Dean.” Oh god, Dean, what do I do? This is...

“Yeah. Maybe you should think about..”

“You just made me admit it, didn't you? You know how bad it is, don't you?” Sam said, anger and fear getting equal purchase in his chest.

“Uh...”

“Well, while we're doing that, you want to take a look at my chest, Dean? My shoulder? Tell me how awesome they look and how I can just walk out of here?”

“Sam?” Dean frowned at him, blinking to focus. Sam immediately regretted his angry words, but if there was one thing that would keep Dean going, he knew it was... “Let me look, help me up.”

“That went well last time.”

“I just needed to rest my eyes.”

“While you were sitting up?” Sam gently eased Dean into a sitting position, watching his face as he moved. Dean's eyes started to roll up, his muscles relaxing when Sam shook him. “Dean!”

“Yeah, right, sitting up.” Dean shook his head, then grimaced. “Don't let me do that again. Okay, let me look.”

“Dean...”

“You brought it up, Sam, let me look.”

“Fine.” Sam pulled his shirt away from the wounds.

“Fine,” Dean replied absently. “Oh god, Sammy,” he whispered.

“It's not that bad, Dean.”

“That's my line.”

“Yeah, well, I said it first.”

“I'm older, I always get it first.”

“No, you don't.” Sam sucked in his breath as Dean probed the wound. “Shit.”

“Sorry.” Dean smiled. “I guess we're back to the haunting Bobby option?”

“Yeah,” Sam said softly.

“Sammy...”

“It's okay, Dean.”

“How is this in any way okay?”

“I said that first too.” Sam stuck his tongue out.

“No you didn't.”

“Then it was Arf.”

“Yeah, she said it first. You should sleep for awhile, Sam, I'll keep watch,” Dean said. Sam heard the unsaid statement. “If I go to sleep, I'm afraid I won't wake up.”

“We can both keep watch, Dean.” Because if I sleep, I'm afraid you won't be here when I wake up.

“Right.” Dean shifted so he was leaning against the wall beside Sam, their shoulders touching. “I'd give anything for a cup of coffee. Hot, cold—wouldn't matter.”

“Anything?” Sam asked with a chuckle.

“Anything, Sammy. I'd give my car up for a cup of coffee right now.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“You promise?”

“I just said I would, Sam.” Dean frowned at him.

“Remember you said it.” Sam leaned forward and picked up the first aid kit. He fished around and found what he was looking for, a one serving packet of coffee. He poured it into a half filled bottle of water and handed it to Dean with a grin.

“You have coffee in the first aid kit?”

“I know what medicines to pack,” Sam said with a roll of his eyes.

“Not fair.”

“When did you say it had to be fair?”

“Arf ur ruff ruff,” the wolverine said.

“My coffee, leave me alone,” Dean said to it and took a cautious sip. “Not bad, Sammy.”

“Thanks.”

“I'm going to die tonight.”

No, Dean, please. “Me, too.”

“No, Sam.”

“Oh sure, you get to die, but I don't?”

“I'm older...”

“We are not having that argument...” Sam broke off, over the crackle of the fire and the muttering of the wolverine he thought he could hear something else.

“No argument, Sam. You aren't dying.”

“Yeah,” he said, distracted. The sound suddenly formed meaning in his head. “Dean! Do you hear that?”

“What?” Dean asked.

“That thumping!” Sam edged closed to the mouth of the cave so he could hear better. He could definitely hear it now.

“Nope, you're imagining it.”

“No, I'm not! I have to get out of here!” Sam dug through the bag. “Where is that stuff you made last month?” Oh god, do I dare?

“Don't be insane, Sam.”

“You got a better idea?”

“Yeah, how about anything other than setting off a bomb in a cave.”

“I have to get out there, Dean, before they leave.” His heart was pounding as he contemplated Dean's homemade explosive. The small charge was designed to deal with a particular kind of spirit they'd run across earlier in the year. It was mostly a flash bomb, but it was enough to do a little damage. After nearly dying trying to kill the thing, Dean had declared he would never be without the explosives again.

“There's nothing there.”

“Yes, I can hear it.” The thump of the helicopter was getting closer and closer. “Okay,” he said more to himself than Dean. Sam grabbed Dean under the arms and dragged him as far away from the entrance to the cave as he could.

“Sam, no.”

“Yeah, shut up. I'm going to throw it out the door, so it will go off out there. Hopefully...” It will chase the wolverine away, and the guys in the helicopter will hear it.

“Hopefully you won't kill us?”

“I said shut up. Plug your ears,” Sam said, fiddling with the fuse. With a deep breath he lit it and tossed it through the small opening. As soon as it left his hand, he turned, throwing himself over Dean, blocking him from an explosion for the second time that day. How much fun is all this? The thought sounded remarkably like his brother's voice. The fuse was shorter than he thought, he heard a curious grunt from the wolverine, then the world exploded.

Darkness receded. Sam blinked, and pushed himself up, for a moment unsure of where he was, then memory rushed back. “Dean!” he said. His brother had his eyes closed. Sam put a hand against his neck, felt a sluggish beat and let out the breath he'd been holding. A moment later Dean's eyes opened, looking dazed. “I'm going to go out and flag them down,” he said, turning to the cave entrance. The rock had been rolled away. Sam blinked. He couldn't hear the thump of the choppers blades anymore.

Dean's hand stopped him, he looked at his brother. Dean's mouth was moving, but nothing was coming out.

“What?” Sam yelled over the ringing in his ear. Then he realized, other than the ringing, he couldn't hear the fire, couldn't hear Dean, couldn't hear anything. No time to worry. “I'll be right back!” When Dean didn't react, Sam shook his arm. “Dean?” His brother's eyes focused on him. “I'm going to get help, okay?” Finally, Dean nodded.

Sam dove through the entrance and crawled out onto the slope. The blast had charred the hillside. He looked around, the wolverine was nowhere to be seen. Sam stood up and glanced at the sky, his heart falling when he couldn't see anything other than smoke and stars. No, I was sure...

The wave of despair that hit him was enough to make him stagger. He must have been hallucinating the sound, wanting so desperately to save Dean, he'd conjured up that sound out of nothing. With a shaky breath he turned back to the cave, wondering idly how long it would take for Bobby to come looking for them, and if the older hunter would burn their bodies out there in the woods. Assuming there is anything left after this forest fire and Arf get through with us. He stood there for a moment, paralyzed, the beating pulse in his ears the only sound. What do I do?

Something touched his shoulder. He jumped away, felt it pull in the wound in his shoulder, felt the sudden blossoming of agony in his chest. He raised his hands, prepared to fight off the wolverine, knowing it was hopeless.

The man stepped back, hands up, Sam blinked, expecting the apparition to disappear, but he stayed there. The man said something, Sam shook his head and pointed to his ear. The man nodded and reached out a hand towards Sam.

“My brother,” Sam said, feeling his knees starting to give way. The adrenaline that had kept him going was fast running out. “He's up there.” He pointed towards the small cave. “He's hurt,” Sam managed to get out before his body finally gave up. He tried to take a shaky step and it proved to be too much. He lifted his foot and stepped off into darkness.

To Be Continued