Death by Life / Book Eight / The Life Series / Supernatural

Sharp Teeth

There was a John Doe at Grantsburg Memorial Hospital that matched Garth's profile.

Garth was unconscious in his hospital room.

I sat at his bedside, sighing.

Dean walked in with a syringe.

"What is that?" I asked. "Adrenaline?"

"Yes, Ness," Dean answered.

"You trying to jump-start him or kill him?" I asked.

"I want some answers," Dean told me. "He walked out on Kevin. He walked out on us. And I know that he's a buddy of yours, but..."

"Dean," I told him. Dean sighed, putting the syringe away. The door opened. I stood. Dean turned to face the door. Sam walked in, posing as FBI. He stopped when he saw us, not knowing how to react. Dean didn't either. There was a long moment of silence. Sam and Dean watched unconscious Garth, exchanging wary looks. I broke the silence. "So, Sam, I see that you saw Garth's John Doe on the police wire."

"Yeah," Sam answered. "Same as you two?"

"Yeah," Dean answered. "Where you coming from?"

"New Mexico," Sam answered.

"Well, that's a haul," Dean told him. "Especially considering that we got this, uh... pretty much covered, so if you want to..."

Dean clicked his tongue, gesturing to the door.

"You spoken to him yet?" Sam asked.

"No," I answered. "Knocked out with painkillers. He's been out since we got here."

Sam noticed that Garth was handcuffed to the bed. "What's he being charged with?"

"Killing a cow," Dean answered.

"Why?" Sam asked.

"Well, let's find out," I told them. "Lock the door."

Sam locked the door. "What are you gonna--"

I slapped Garth hard in the face to make him wake up.

Sam and Dean were surprised.

Garth sat up, completely confused, screaming, taking a moment to calm down, looking around us. "Ness? Sam? Dean? What is this? A hospital? Wait. Am I in Heaven?"

"All right, take it easy, Garth," I told him. "You're in Wisconsin. You were hit by a car. Do you remember anything?"

Garth groaned in pain. "I, uh... vaguely." He pulled his hand up to hold his head, but it was stopped by the handcuffs. "What's with the hardware?"

Sam picked the lock to the handcuffs, removing them.

"You tell us," Dean told him. "And while you're at it, why don't you give us the lowdown on why you went AWOL for the past six months? Only way we tracked you down is that you offed a cow."

"Offed a... what?" Garth asked. "I--I--I was on a hunt."

"Hunt for what?" Sam asked.

"I--" Garth started. "Oh, no." He turned green, looking as if he was going to get sick. "Oh, get back. Oh. Oh, God."

Garth pulled off all the monitors and IVs off, getting out of bed, running into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. We could hear him getting sick.

Dean looked at me. "Good thing you told me not to give him the adrenaline."

I nodded barely.