Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Three weeks after Christmas,
As Dean prepared to leave work to go home, he received a call at the office. Mandy the secretary stopped him as he got in the Impala.
“Dean, phone it’s the hospital,” she said with a sympathetic look on her face.
“What?” he mouthed to her as she handed him the phone as she shrugged.
“Mr. Winchester, you need to come here as soon as possible we have your children, your wife is being looked over.”
“What? Why?” dean asked as he ran his fingers through his hair.
“There was an accident you need to come right away,” the unknown medical person insisted.
“Okay, I am on the way.”
Mandy looked at him questioningly.
“My family is at the hospital,” he said to her and himself as the tried to get his head around the situation.
----
Dean was in the waiting room at Saint Marks when Mrs. Robinson showed up about an hour later Marty sat playing in his lap while Dee Dee leaned on him looking upset.
“Nana, Nana,” Dee Dee said when her grandmother appeared around the corner before she ran into her arms.
Dean watched distractedly as Cassie’s Mom sat down in the chair on the other side of him.
“They are still trying to access the damage. She was thrown threw the windshield but they believed the seat belt was defective and pulled free plus her airbag did not open,” was all he said before the tears came.
He put Marty on his shoulder before he kissed his cheek, knowing the little boy had no idea what was happening, as he took a deep breath, before continuing, “There was a drunk driver who was being chased by the police he hit Cas then spun around and went back to crash into the police car chasing him. The officer was killed as well as the driver.”
Mrs. Robinson looked in Dee Dee’s eyes; the little girl seemed to be watching her so she tried to hold it together.
“Mama, hurt,” she said to her Nana as the tears rolled down her cheeks.
“Yes, Dee Dee they will take care of her here, Sweetie,” she said as she kissed the little girls curls as she held her against her chest.
That sat in silence for a few moments, before Dean looked at his mother law as she held his daughter.
“Mom, she has to be okay,” he said simply before got up to wander off with Marty.
She had never seen him look anything but in control this was a new Dean she saw, one that clearly loved her daughter without reservation.
----
Dean was on the phone with Sam when the nurse came to give them an update on Cassie’s condition. He ended the call with a promise to call back shortly then he stood up with Marty who was starting to get sleepy and cranky. He held him on his shoulder as the baby sucked on his rattle.
“She is stable but unconscious. Most of the damage was from the impact of landing in the bushes. She does have a broken arm and some bruised ribs besides several cuts from flying the glass. There doesn’t seem to be any brain damage and we are unsure why she is unconscious, but the speculation is that it’s psychological.”
“What?”
“Sometimes the brain responds to a stimulus that is not based on fact. I guess the easiest way to explain is to say she may be in a state of denial or fear. But with the trauma to her body it creates an actual physical condition.”
“So she will be okay, then?” Cassie’s Mom asked.
“She should be fine once she comes around, she was very lucky.”
“Blessed,” Dean said as he moved Marty to his other shoulder.
----
Mrs. Robinson prepared to take the kids home with her since Dean was staying at the hospital with Cassie.
“No, stay Daddy, stay,” Dee Dee said to Dean as he was hugging her at the car.
She stood in front of him with her arms crossed and a frown on her little face, looking for all the world like Cassie.
“You need to rest, Sweetie, you can stay at Grandma’s.”
That was when Dee Dee brought out the big guns, the crocodile tears, she kept her arms folded but her lips trembled, an actress in the making, then she began wiping them away with the back of her hand as she sniffed, dramatically.
“Mama, sick,” she said looking up at Dean with his hazel eyes.
Dean picked her up, he couldn’t let her leave if she felt that way about Cassie, maybe she needed to stay to keep him occupied.
“Okay, you can stay with me.”
Dee Dee put her head on his shoulder in thanks.
“You sure?” Cassie’s Mom asked.
“Yea we’re good. Thanks for bringing the back up stuff for the kids, I’ll let you know when she wakes up,” he said before kissing a sleepy Marty as he sat in the car seat in the car.
----
The nurses felt sorry for Dean and Dee Dee once visiting hours were over; they decided to let them stay in the room with Cassie since there wasn’t another patient, they even set up a portable bed for the little girl. Dee Dee had charmed them while they waited that day with her smiles and curiosity. Once Dee Dee was asleep Dean sat by Cassie’s bed holding her hand and allowing his tears to flow freely.
“God I know that I am an awful person but I love my wife and she loves you. Please help her to know we are waiting anxiously to see her beautiful brown eyes open up. I love her so much though I do not deserve for you to hear me, you who I am not sure even exists, but my wife believes and I ask that you do this for her.”
He watched Cassie sleep as he listened to the rhythmic sounds of Dee Dee’s breathing while she rested on his shoulder before he but her in the bed.
----
Mrs. Robinson came in early the next day to take Dean’s place at Cassie’s bedside so he could spend time with Marty. The baby had been fussy all night; it was as though he knew something was wrong. She wondered if Marty might have his uncle’s Sam’s gift though she was still getting used to believing in the Supernatural realm. She found Dean was sound asleep in the bed across from Cassie with his arms protectively around his daughter. The empty portable bed lay empty. She had expected that when he had called to let her know that the nurses had prepared a separate bed for Dee Dee; the little girl would not have wanted to be alone and Dean would have felt the need to be close to her. She stood there only a moment before Dee Dee opened her eyes then smiled at her grandma but did not speak a word. She knew if Daddy was sleep she should be quiet.
Dean woke up when he felt Dee Dee moving around then he smiled at her when she looked at him.
“Daddy up, Nana Nana.”
Dean leaned up to see Mrs. Robinson sat sadly beside Cassie’s bed as she held Marty.
Dean took the kids with him down to the cafeteria to give Mrs. Robinson time alone with Cassie after he kissed his bride on the cheek.
“I’ll be back,” he said as he nodded at his mother in law.
----
It was an hour later when Dean came back to the waiting room to find Mrs. Robinson as she waited for him.
“They are checking her vital signs, I just came out,” she said to his questioning look.
“Okay,” he replied as he handed her a wrapped sandwich which she took with a nod.
“They say she is doing well, Dean, if she would just snap out of her comatose state I would feel a lot better.”
“I know the feeling, Mom,” he said as he shifted Marty from his lap to his shoulder while Dee Dee looked up at him.
“Daddy, Mama hurt,” she said as she pointed to Cassie’s room indicating she wanted to go back in.
“In a minute, okay we will go see her.”
She put her hands in her lap as she sat between Dean and his mother in law quietly while she waited for him to keep his promise.
----
The following afternoon, Dean sat playing with Marty who was in his lap but he couldn’t help but to think of Jason as he did. He hated the feeling of betrayal that came over him as though Marty was better than his other son. He didn’t think that was how it should be parents should love their children the same. On the other hand his kids with Cassie were born out of love where Jason was born out of desperation. He really hoped he never let Jason feel inferior it wouldn’t be right he realized as he watched Marty as he sucked on his hand. At almost three months old he was already filling out and had the chubby cherub cheeks to prove it. Dean kissed his son on the cheek before he put him against his shoulder, he looked up at Cassie and realized she was watching him.
“Cas?”
“Hi,” she said weakly.
“Oh Baby, I am so glad you’re awake,” he said as he leaned toward her with his elbows on the bed while he still held Marty.
“Why am I in the hospital?” she asked with a frown.
----
Dean explained all that had happened as she let the tears fall.
“So both the kids are fine? Where is little Dee Dee?”
“She will be back in a minute she went with your mother down to the cafeteria.”
She just stared at him and he at her. Its so good to see those brown eyes open again, he turned Marty so she could kiss his little cheeks. He perked up when he saw his mother. He seemed to smile at her as he drooled all over the covers; Cassie smiled back before trying to sit up.
“No Sweetie, you ribs are pretty banged up but not broken.”
“Thank God for that actually thank him for keeping our family alive,” she said as she looked into her husband hazel eyes again. Dean leaned down to kiss her just as his phone rang. He didn’t look at it until he was done with the kiss. Cassie watched him as he looked at the cell phone but didn’t answer it or check voicemail.
“Who was it?”
Dean hesitated a moment to long.
“Dean?”
“It was Courtney.”
----
“Has she been calling you,” she asked with an edge to her voice.
“No, she hasn’t”
“Then why are you ignoring her calls?”
“I want to focus on you I need you to be well,” he said as he searched her eyes hoping for understanding.
“Dean, what if Jason is sick? What if he needs you too?”
“Cas, damn it, will you be a little selfish for once? I almost lost my entire family….you just woke up after being unconscious for two days. Can you give me a break?” he said a bit emotional. Marty nuzzled his father’s neck as Dean sat down to hold him.
Cassie was quiet for a moment; I think I am asking too much but I cant’ stop myself. I just don’t want Jason to be the victim in this situation.
“I’m sorry,” she said quietly.
“Don’t be sorry I didn’t mean to be so aggressive, it’s not that I don’t love the kid. He is important, you know. But I want to focus on you today and how happy I am that you are looking at me with those big beautiful eyes,” he said as he squeezed her hand.
She had to smile at that.
----
Dee Dee ran into the room with her Nana close behind,
“Mama, Mama hurt,” she said as she tried to climb on the rail of the bed to get in with Cassie. Mrs. Robinson picked her up so she could kiss her mother’s cheek.
Dean excused himself and took Marty with him to go call Courtney back.
“Yes, its me did you call a few minutes ago?”
“I did Dean, I don’t mean to bother you but Jason was in the hospital over night because he has asthma really bad.”
“Oh, how is he?”
“He is doing better…Dean, we almost lost him.”
Dean shook his head while Marty watched him as though he knew his Dad was torn. Dean held the little boy closer as he looked at the phone.”
“But he is okay right?”
“Yes he will be on medication from now on. You sound stressed how are things?”
“I am at the hospital too, Cas and the kids where in an accident.”
----
“Oh my gosh are they okay?” Courtney exclaimed convincingly.
“Yeah the kids were good from the start Cassie just …uh woke up. Hey have to go, give Jason a hug for me.”
He went back in the room just as Cassie’s mother was about to leave.
“Do you want me to take the kids?” she asked.
Dean shook his head.
“No Mom, thanks,” he said as he kissed her cheek before she left the room.
Dee Dee sat quietly beside Cassie on the bed.
“What’s wrong with Dee Dee?” Cassie asked concerned that the little girl was so still and not hyper.
Dean put the now asleep Marty in his carrier, then sat down with Dee Dee in his lap.
“What’s wrong?” he asked her as she looked sadly at him.
“Mama hurt,” she answered simply.
“But Sweetie she is awake and talking; she will be fine, okay.”
Cassie moved the sheet back that was covering her.
“Put her in her with me for a while.”
Dee Dee nodded at Dean before he lay her beside Cassie and she snuggled up to her.
Cassie smiled as she did her best to put her arm around her daughter despite the tubes in her arm.
Dean kissed them both as he sat down to keep watch over his family, being a protector wasn’t a habit that just went away.
Would someone cut Cassie’s seatbelt or was it really frayed? It’s a good thing the kids where tucked safely in their car seats.
The image of Courtney outside their house came to his mind, she wouldn’t do that he tried to convince himself. She would gain nothing by hurting his wife because he would be bitter and inconsolable without Cassie.
TBC