Ch. 2: Miracles Are Not Always Joyous
Characters: Dean Winchester x Echo, Sam Winchester
Warnings: Angst, Angry Dean
Ch. 2: Miracles Are Not Always Joyous
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Dean pulled her close, completely lost in grief. Another love come and gone.
âWaitâŠ. Dean⊠Sheâs breathing,â Sam said, reaching for a pulse at her neck. âShe still has a pulse!â
Dean went straight into instinct mode. He scooped her up and ran to the car, sliding into the back with Echo. Sam sped out of the gas station heading for the nearest hospital. What seemed like an eternity, they finally arrived at the Emergency Department and Dean ran Echo inside.
âI need some help over here,â Dean boomed.
A few nurses, a doctor, and a gurney arrived quickly and wheeled Echo off behind a set of double doors. Dean was well aware that could be the last time he saw Echo alive.
Sitting in silence, Sam couldnât help but worry for Echo and his brother both. Dean had already lost more than one loved one. He wasnât sure his brother could lose another. It took him a long time to get over Lisa, but at least she was still alive. Poor Joe. He had lost Joe completely. Sam couldnât help but think they couldnât lose another hunter. Not only does Dean have a chance at getting his heart shattered again, but Sam also did this time. He couldnât lose someone he had grown so close to either. Echo meant so much to the both of them. After an hourâs time had passed the boys were going stir crazy with the unknown of whether she was dead or alive.
âI canât take it anymore!â Dean exploded out of his waiting room chair and stormed off to the nearest person at the admissions desk. âI need an update on Echo Bradshaw,â he growled in an even tone.
With a lazy look up from her computer screen, the desk clerk started her broken record response, âSir, I cannot release any informat-â
âTHE HELL YOU CANâT!â
Sam rushed to his brotherâs side and stepped between him and the desk to give the clerk some extra protection the desk couldnât provide, âMaâam we have been sitting here a very long time and have had no update. You see Ms. Bradshaw is actually my brotherâs fiancĂ©e, my future sister-in-law, and they are to be married in less than three days so as you may can tell my brother needs to know how his fiancĂ©e is doing,â he added his best puppy dog look in hopes of tugging on the clerks heart strings.
The clerk gave both Sam and Dean a once over, sighed and began scrolling through her computer screen. âIt looks like Ms. Bradshaw is still in surgery, once they have any solid updates they will come through those double doors and let you know,â she said pointing a lazy finger in the direction of the doors.
Dean was now vibrating with rage of not knowing anything, and Sam sensing it, grabbed his brother and started pulling him away from the desk, âThank you miss,â he offered with a nervous chuckle.
âI canât take this, Sammy,â Dean pleaded.
Once again seated in his torture chair of eternal waiting, Dean became lost in his thoughts. It was a scary world out there. Most didnât know how scary. Able to live in the comfort of their ignorance to the supernatural. Or, so Dean used to think. He had to admit, now being a victim of it, not all monsters were of the supernatural variety. Not only did he have to protect those he cared for in one world, but in both worlds. Fear began to grasp at his heart. He tried to shake the feeling the best he could, but his bouncing knee wasnât flinging it from his body fast enough.
Three more hours passed and more than a nurse with the smallest of an update finally came out from behind those double doors. The boys stood in anticipated unison.
âMy name is Dr. Richards; I have been in the operating room with Ms. Bradshaw.â There was a long pause, âYou boys can let go of that breath you have been holding. Ms. Bradshaw is going to make it. It is a miracle to say the least. I have never seen anything like it. We were able to safely remove the bullet, but until she wakes up, we wonât know much more. Give us a few minutes to get her settled in the ICU and someone will come down to escort you to her room.â
Sam caught Dean as his knees buckled from having to remain strong for too long and helped him to the nearest chair, âThank you, Doctor,â Sam managed for his brother.
Twenty minutes later, a nurse came down and escorted the boys to Echoâs room where they joined her on either side of the bed. Dean took one of her hands and Sam bent down to kiss the girl who had become something like a sister to him on the forehead.
âAside from Dean, youâre the only family I got. Donât leave us now girl.â He gave Dean a sympathetic glance, âIâll give you two some time.â
Once the door was shut, Dean couldnât think of a word to say. That was a lie, he couldnât get the words out. He had been holding on for so long to find out if she was going to make it or not that he hadnât really allowed his emotions to surface. He haphazardly hugged Echo and just let the tears fall.
âI thought I lost you,â he sobbed.
A week had gone by and Echo hadnât woken up yet. Dean had stayed by her side every minute the hospital would allow him. He was ragged and worn out. Sam had left to find some food and coffee to help perk the two of them up if that was even possible.
Dean shot out of the chair and quickly made his way to Echoâs side. Taking one of her hands, âItâs ok sweetheart, Iâm right here. Youâre going to be okay.â With tears forming in his eyes, he kissed the top of her hand.
âWho.... are you?â she asked, taking her hand back. âWhere am I?â
It was like a knife to Deanâs heart. Gulping back some tears and the lump in his throat, âWhatâs the last thing you remember?â
She contorted her face in confusion, âIâm not sure. I know itâs been a few months since my parents funeral.â
Dean reached up and brushed some hair out of her face, âItâs been three years sence then.â
Bewilderment and confusion crossed Echoâs beautiful, freckled face. âHow do I know you, again?â
Dean let out a breath he had been holding, âWe went on a few dates, nothing serious.â
Echo laid there, trying to absorb a shred of sense of the past events.
âWell, I should let you rest. Iâm sure you have things to think about and get arranged,â Dean offered with a smile.
Echo just gave the tiniest of a smile and a slight nod in reply, unable to think of what to say to this stranger.
As Dean shut the door of Echoâs room, his smile dropped to the hardest scowl and he started to make his way to the parking lot. Sam bumped into his brother in the hall on his way back to Echoâs room.
âHey! So, the only thing I could find around here that resembled edible or drinkable was some coffee,â he said, offering his brother a cup. After seeing his brotherâs face and body language, concern crossed his face, âDean, whatâs wrong?â
Without even slowing down Dean passed his brother not willing to stop for anything, because he knew if he stopped his feet would take on their own will and turn him around and head straight back to Echoâs room, âWeâre leaving.â
âWhat?â Sam discarded the coffee on the nearest counter top and chased after his brother. âDean, whatâs going on?â
His brother didnât respond, so the best he could think to do was to try to keep up with him. Dean led them out of the hospital straight to his car. The whole way to Baby he hadnât muttered a single word. Slamming the driver door shut and pausing just long enough for his brother to jump in the passenger seat, Dean threw the car in drive and sped out of the parking lot.
It had been an hour of pent up silence before Dean finally pulled Baby onto the shoulder at a screeching halt. He jumped out of the car and started assaulting the driver side tire with fierce kicks. His anger resolved into heart reaching sobs. He slid himself down to the asphalt to feel some stability left in the world beneath him.
Sam rushed out of the passenger side and ran over to his obviously grief-stricken brother. Not knowing how to approach the situation he joined his brother on the asphalt, both leaning against the beaten tire.
They sat there in momentary silence until Dean could get the words out, âShe doesnât remember us, Sammy. She doesnât remember and I have to let her go. She has a chance to get out of the life. If I didnât leave right away, I donât think I could have ever left.â
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Ch. 3: Echoâs Journey | If You Could Master List | KC Master List