The Heroes' Paradox

30. Born Under a Bad Sign

UNDERPASS

Dean was on his phone, leaning against his car. He was fidgeting and upset. Daisy stood next to Dean, a worried look on her face. Madelyn and Reagan were nearby.

"Ellen, it's me again. Any chance you or Noah have heard from him?" He paused. "I swear, it's like looking for my dad all over again. We're losing our minds here." He paused again. "No, the girls and I've called him a thousand times, there's nothing but voicemail. We don't know where he went, or why. Sam's just gone." He phone beeped. "Hang on."

Dean got a call from Sam and answered. "Sammy? Where the hell are you? Are you okay?" He paused. "Hey, hey, hey! Calm down. Where are you? All right, don't move, the girls and I are on our way."

Daisy glanced at Dean and he nodded. "Yeah, it's really him."

MOTEL

Sam hung up the phone slowly, looking numb. His knuckles were bloody.

Dean, Madelyn, Reagan and Daisy drove to reach Sam, the sisters in their car, passing a sign that read TWIN LAKES. They arrived at the hotel and parked and got out.

Dean, Daisy, Madelyn and Reagan walked frantically down a narrow hallway, checking door numbers until they reached room 109 and knocked.

"Sam, it's us. Sam!" Dean called.

Reagan tried the door to find it open. Sam was sitting numbly on the bed.

"Sam?" Dean and Daisy called. "Hey."

"Hey, Dean. Hey, Daisy," Sam replied. "Madelyn, Reagan."

Dean and Daisy knelt beside him. "Are you bleeding?"

"I tried to wash it off."

Dean and Daisy saw Sam's shirt covered in blood and groped at it, searching for a wound. "Oh my God."

"I don't think it's my blood."

"Whose is it?" Madelyn questioned.

"I don't know."

"Sam, what the hell happened?" Dean asked.

Sam finally looked up. "Dean. Daisy. Madelyn. Reagan. I don't remember anything."

Dean and Madelyn left the room, leaving Daisy and Reagan with Sam.

Reagan rifled through his bag, pulled out a shirt and handed it to him as Daisy began brewing a fresh pot of coffee. "Change. You'll feel better."

Sam silently took the shirt.

Sam went to freshen up as Daisy brewed coffee for Sam.

Once he was out of the shower, Daisy poured him a cup of coffee and made it the way he liked it.

Sam sat at the table and sipped the coffee. "Thanks."

"Mhmm," Daisy hummed. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah, a little."

"That's good, Sammy."

Dean and Madelyn returned to the room, the former carrying a grocery bag.

"What'd you find out?" Sam asked.

"You checked in two days ago under the name Richard Sambora," Dean told him. "Of course, I think the scariest part about this whole thing is the fact that you're a Bon Jovi fan-"

"Dean."

"Your room's been quiet, nobody's noticed anything unusual."

"You mean no one saw me walking around covered in blood?"