World So Cold

32. Born Under a Bad Sign

UNDERPASS

Dean was on his phone, leaning against his car. He was fidgeting and upset. Laurey stood next to Dean, a seemingly calm look on her face.

"Ellen, it's me again. Any chance you've 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, Laurey 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, Laurey and I are on our way."

Laurey glanced at Dean. "I told you we'd find him."

Dean gave her a relieved smile and nodded, noticing her frown. "What is it?"

Laurey shook her head. "I don't know. Something doesn't feel right."

MOTEL

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

Dean, Jonathan and Laurey drove to reach Sam, passing a sign that read TWIN LAKES. They arrived at the hotel and parked and got out.

Dean and Laurey, holding Jonathan, walked frantically down a narrow hallway, checking door numbers until they reached room 109 and knocked.

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

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

"Sam?" Dean called. "Hey."

"Hey, Dean. Hey, Laurey. Hey, Jonathan," Sam replied.

Dean knelt beside him. "Are you bleeding?"

"I tried to wash it off."

Dean 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?" Laurey questioned, setting Jonathan down.

"I don't know."

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

Sam finally looked up. "Dean. Laurey. I don't remember anything."

Dean left the room, leaving Laurey and Jonathan with Sam.

She rifled through his bag, pulled out a shirt and handed it to him. "Change. You'll feel cleaner."

Sam silently took the shirt before asking, "Coffee?"

"Sure."

Sam went to freshen up and Laurey brewed coffee for Sam.

"Mama?" Jonathan called, pointing to the coffee pot.

Laurey smiled. "Well done, little one. But no, this is not a kid drink. How about some juice?"

Jonathan's eyes widened at the word juice and Laurey smiled. "Juice it is, little one."

Once he was out of the shower, Laurey poured him a cup of coffee and made it the way he liked it, then got Jonathan a juice box and liked the straw in the hole as she said, "Two hands, baby."

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

She nodded. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah, a little."

"That's good."

"Did I hear Jonathan speak?"

"Yeah, he said Mama. He's growing so quickly."