Reading Between The Lines (Sabriel)

Chapter 13

As soon as the Winchesters hear that call about the incident that the officer "can't even describe," they know they found their guy. No one can describe the Trickster. That's his whole M.O. Within seconds, they're in the car and on their way to the scene of the crime.

But they don't find a crime scene.

"There was a murder here," Dean says as he steps out of the car, his brother doing the same. "And there's no police cars. There's nobody." He glances around before popping open the trunk. "How does that look to you?"

"Crappy," Sam deadpans. Apparently they weren't the only ones who decided they should meet up with the Trickster. One wouldn't expect that to worry Sam so much, given that they're dating on the down-low and the guy wouldn't let anything happen to him, but that doesn't mean he wants to put up with whatever he has planned.

Dean pulls out a wooden stake and a flashlight to hand to Sam, then grabs the same for himself. Once the trunk is shut, they head towards the door of the abandoned warehouse, quickly hopping inside before anyone can catch them.

And, suddenly, they're not in an abandoned warehouse.

Sam looks around cautiously. This doesn't look too bad. Weird, sure, but there are worse places to be than a hospital. But then he looks down at himself, wearing a lab coat over a set of medical scrubs, and that's when it starts to really freak him out. Looking over at Dean, it's clear he's not alone.

"Doctor."

"Doctor."

Sam looks over to see two women -- nurses, apparently -- walk by, though not before seemingly flirting with him -- or his brother, maybe. Sam's caught glimpses of his porn tabs more than enough times to know that he's got a thing for Asian chicks.

"'Doctor'?" Sam repeats, confused. He looks back to his brother, hoping at least one of them is making some sense of this, but they're not.

Dean turns around and opens the door they walked through to get here. It's not the outside world anymore, though. It's a closet with two people who are very passionately making out, and Dean can't close the door quickly enough.

They both just stand there for a moment, trying to wrap their heads around it. None of this is making sense. What type of statement is the Trickster trying to make by sticking them in a doctor costume and peacing out?

They draw a little too much attention when they start moving because another nurse comes over to them with another greeting of "Doctor," this time to Sam specifically.

Sam just nods once, because what else can you do in this type of situation? He's not a doctor. He has no idea who this chick is.

And then she slaps him in the face.

"Ow!" Sam exclaims. It hurts a hell of a lot more than any slap he's ever gotten from a girl -- especially one as small as she is.

"Seriously?" she says, exasperated.

"What?" Sam says warily.

"Seriously?" she says again. "You're brilliant, you know that?" She shakes her head. "And a coward. You're a brilliant coward."

"Uh... what are you talking about?" Sam asks.

She just slaps him again, harder this time. "As if you don't know!"

Sam just rolls his eyes. What is happening right now? Who is this psycho? And then she storms off, so clearly, she's not going to answer any of his questions.

"I don't believe this," Dean says.

Sam glances over at him. "What?"

"That was Dr, Piccolo," Dean says, breath taken. His eyes stay glued to her the entire time.

"Who?"

"Dr. Ellen Piccolo!" Dean says again, as if that will make this any clearer. He starts walking towards her, slowly, like he can't quite grasp that she was even here. "The sexy, yet earnest doctor at..." He finally tears his gaze away from her, only for a moment as he glances to the side, but then he has to do a double-take. He turns back to Sam and gestures towards the wall. "Seattle Mercy Hospital!"

"Uh, Dean?" Sam follows him, putting a hand on his shoulder to pull him back to reality, because his head is clearly in the clouds. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"The doctor getups," Dean says, his voice full of enthusiasm. "The sexy interns! The..." He lowers his voice on the next word in a mocking tone. "'Seriously's. It all makes sense!"

"What makes sense?" Sam asks quickly, desperate for any type of explanation. "What's going on?"

"We're in Doctor Sexy, M.D."

Sam stares at him for a moment while he lets that sink in. He takes a moment to glance around the place -- definitely a hospital; definitely full of sexy people -- before looking back at his brother. There's no way. They can't be in Doctor Sexy. It's a TV show. It's a fucking soap opera.

But, at the same time, this is the Trickster they're dealing with. Sam can't really put anything past him.