Maddison Winchester: Journal 6 {Supernatural}

8 Family Matters: Part 1

We brought an unconscious Sam back to our motel and immediately called Cass after tying him to a chair.

"You're right. He looks terrible," Cass said and then looked at Dean. "You did this?"

Sam groaned and slowly opened his eyes. "Cass?" Then he realized he was tied down and started tugging.

Cass grabbed Sam's face and pulled his eyelid back.

"What's—" Sam grunted. "Let me go."

"Has he been feverish?" Cass asked us.

"Have you?" Dean asked Sam.

Sam shook his head, confused. "No. Why?"

Cass looked at us. "Is he speaking in tongues?" Then he looked back at Sam. "Are you speaking in tongues?"

Sam shook his head. "No. What are you...?" He hesitated for a second. "Are you diagnosing me?"

Dean nodded. "You better hope he can."

Sam furrowed his brow. "You really think that this is—"

Dean took a few steps toward Sam. "What, you think that there's a clinic out there for people who just pop out of Hell wrong?" he asked. "He asks, you answer! Then you shut your hole. You got it?"

Sam sighed as Cass pressed his fingers to Sam's throat to check for a pulse.

"How much do you sleep?" Cass asked.

Sam paused. "I don't."

"Never?" I asked, surprised.

Sam shook his head. "Not since I got back."

Dean, Cass, and I exchanged a look.

"And it never occurred to you that there might be something off about that?!" Dean shouted.

"Of course, it did, Dean." Sam shrugged. "I— I just never told you."

Cass looked at Dean with concern in his eyes.

Dean furrowed his brow. "What?"

"Sam... what are you feeling now?" Cass asked.

Sam scoffed. "I feel like my nose is broken."

Cass shook his head. "No, that's a physical sensation. How do you feel?"

Sam shrugged. "Well, I think—"

"Feel," Cass interrupted.

Sam hesitated. "I... don't know."

Cass looked at us, slid off his belt, and turned to Sam.

"What?" Sam looked at the belt, confused. "Uh..."

"This will be unpleasant," Cass said.

Sam furrowed his brow. "What—"

Cass put his belt in Sam's mouth. "Bite down on this. If there's someplace that you find soothing, you should go there. In your mind." Then he shoved his hand into Sam's chest.

Sam groaned and writhed in pain. His body started to glow from his chest out. Finally, Cass removed his hand, and Sam dropped the belt, taking a deep breath.

"Did you find anything?" Dean asked.

"No," Cass said, looking almost devastated.

"So that's good news?" Dean asked.

Cass shook his head. "I'm afraid not." He looked back at Sam. "Physically, he's perfectly healthy."

Dean shrugged. "Then what?"