Dean had brushed his teeth, fixed hair, and just started to pull his gown off when the nurse Zeke entered.
"Hiya, Zeke." Dean smiled, his excitement at being released to go home palpable.
"I have all your completed paperwork for your discharge. I just need you to sign three things, and then I'll assist you with putting on your street clothes."
"Woohoo! I can't wait to get out of here!" Dean hooted. "I have to say, you were pretty much the best part of my stay here. Really." He looked directly at Ezekiel. "Thank you, man, for taking care of me the way you did. Pulling me out of one of my panic anxiety attacks the way you did....Then, the...the..."
Dean was trying to find the words, but could not. What he wanted to say was something like, 'thanks for saving my dignity when I peed all over myself and the floor,' but he couldn't get the words to pass his lips. He could feel the anxiety and accompanying shame rising as his cheeks flushed. He struggled to form the words again, because, dammit, a soldier, a man, should be able to speak a simple 'thank you.'
"Say nothing more. It's..." Zeke began when Dean interrupted him.
"No. I don't want to hear the usual it's all a part of your job. You went above and beyond for me, and I want...I need.... to...you" Dean ran his fingers through his hair and put his head down taking ragged breaths. "Damn. Dammit." He whispered to himself.
His breaths came faster and more ragged. He rocked back and forth slightly as he tried to control his breathing and halt the coming panic he knew was inevitable.
"I just need Miracle. I just need my dog." Dean rubbed his hands over his beard and face roughly, taking deep quick breaths.
Ezekiel put down the bag of clothes Adam had told him he put in the room's closet for Dean to wear home. He walked over to the bed and put his hand on Dean's.
"Breathe. That's it. Your brother told me you have a service dog."
Dean's breath came a bit faster and more desperate. "Yeah. I don't know why..." he tried to take another deep breath, but failed. It was shallow and quick. "I don't know why that doctor wouldn't let me have him in here. It's just...it's wrong!" He sat forward trying to catch a breath.
"I swear...that Dr. NoWay rubs me...the...wrong...the wrong...way every...time I...I s-see him..."
Ezekiel leaned forward and gently, but firmly placed his open left palm on Dean's chest.
"Ok, sir. Let's breathe. Shhhh. Shhh. It's OK." Ezekiel rubbed his right arm up and down making hushing sounds. while he pulsed his open palm slowly on Dean's naked chest, in time to what should be Dean's normal rate of breathing.
"Yes. Focus on the breaths. That's all you need to think about right now. Breathe. Yes. Feel your lungs fill with the air. " The nurse kept pulsing his palm on his patient's chest, encouraging his breath to deepen and slow.
As Ezekiel sensed Dean relax, he spoke softly, "I was going to say it is part of my job, but more than that, it is part of humanity to ensure dignity for everyone, whether it is part of my job or not. And I'd say, 'think nothing of it', but I'd rather all men, all people thought of it, and returned the favor to everyone they meet who may or may not be struggling. We never know what another's personal struggles are, and compassion, dignity, and humanity can be a rare and precious thing to one who is struggling."
Ezekiel slowly removed his hand from Dean's chest, smiling and nodding at the normal rise and fall as his breathing had returned to normal.
Dean looked up at this wonder-worker nurse and nodded.
"Thank you. I'll try to remember that. Really, I will. As you've seen, I'm not always the best at letting things go or expressing myself, but maybe thinking of that, reminding myself how you've helped me, will help me change that. So...t-thank you."
Ezekiel pulled out the t-shirt and stretchy, slightly baggy flannel casual pajama pants. They were a size or two bigger than his normal size, Dean observed. They must be a pair of Sam's. Well, at least they'd fit over the cast so he could get home in actual clothing instead of with his ass hanging out of a backless hospital gown since they'd had to cut his jeans off him when they brought him in.
Benny and Lee walked in just as Ezekiel finished his task.
"Hey Cher, are you ready to go back home?" Benny asked him as he patted Dean's leg just above the cast. He had a smile with a particular glint in his sparkling blue eyes. Dean noticed Lee did, too, as he walked to the far side of the bed, passing the nurse headed towards the door.
"I'll return momentarily with your wheelchair," he said as he pulled the door closed.
"You do not know how ready I am." Dean said.
Dean noticed Lee and Benny traded a few glances between each other.
"Alright, let me make sure we have all your things together," Lee turned to start looking through the closet and drawers.
"Wow, they should did a number on your jeans," he said holding up the cut up pants. "Why'd they even save these?"
"I don't know, but check my pockets, then you can toss them in the garbage."
Lee dug through the pockets and came out with Dean's wallet, $1.73 in loose change, a pack of gum with three pieces left, two receipts from the hardware store and one from the sandwich shop, Dean's pocket knife, and an extra box of brads for the nail gun. He laid it all out on the bed next to Dean.
Dean looked at it all, tossed the receipts, popped a piece of gum in his mouth and offered the others to his friends. He checked the flannel pants for pockets, shoved everything in the two spacious front pockets and tossed Benny the nails, shrugging.
Ezekiel came back in, pushing a wheelchair, Adam following behind holding crutches.
"These came in for you from the medical equipment rental store this afternoon," Adam grimaced waiting for his brother's inevitable angry rant.
"Ugghh." Dean rolled his eyes. "Really?"
"Well, first of all, yes, hospital policy that all patients be wheeled out to meet a waiting vehicle upon discharge. Second, I'd love a picture of you getting yourself up your front stairs and inside by yourself, on crutches, in a long cast where you can't bend your knee." Adam grinned, but the smile did not reach his eyes. "I think you might be back here tonight getting another cast, either on your other leg or on an arm or hip. Then you'd be in here a lot longer than you have been already."
Dean looked daggers at his brother. Then, over Adam's shoulders, he saw Dr. NoWay engrossed in some files, walking past in the hall outside.
"Alright, then," he smiled, sliding toward the edge of the bed, "let's get this show on the road! I can't wait to get home and see all my babies!"
Astonished at Dean's sudden change of heart, Benny raised his eyebrows, then nodded and winked at Lee and Adam. Dean noticed the wink, but said nothing. His friends and his brother were planning something, but he didn't know what.
Adam and Ezekiel moved forward, refreshing his memory of the technique he had just learned in physical therapy for the best way to move from the bed to the wheelchair. Once he was settled in and the room checked for belongings, they headed to the exit. Lee ran ahead to grab the pickup truck. It was a crew cab that had four full doors and a full front and back seat. He had pulled the front seat all the way forward to allow plenty of legroom in the back for Dean.
"Alright, we're going to help you stand, then you'll turn to back yourself towards the cab, then back into the seat," Ezekiel explained.
"C'mon, let's get you into the truck." Benny said and rolled the wheelchair close.
Adam and Ezekiel assisted Dean out of the chair as Benny quickly pulled it out of the way. Before Dean could finish turning around to back himself into the truck, Benny and Lee got on either side, picked Dean up, and lifted him gently into the truck.
"Well, that'll work, too," Ezekiel laughed.
Adam nodded and helped Lee fold the chair up and place it in the bed of the truck, and then Lee hopped in the front passenger seat as Benny made sure Dean was fully on the seat, strapped in and comfortable.
"Alright, alright, Mother Hen." Dean smiled fondly at Benny, his green eyes sparkling with tenderness for the way Benny treated him like precious cargo.
Then Dean noticed Dr. NoWay just inside the door, watching very intently, head tilted to the side, like he was trying to solve a difficult math problem. Dean unintentionally mirrored Castiel's head tilt, and just returned his gaze, curious. Finally, Dean raised his hand to his temple in salute, as a way of saying 'goodbye and thanks.'
The Doctor waved back. Benny got into the driver's seat of the truck and Adam went up to the window.
"Take care of yourself, Dean. I'll check on you soon." He said, then stepped back, waving goodbye as they drove off. Dean waved back to his youngest brother.
Benny drove as carefully as he could to avoid the bumps and potholes on the road as they made their way to the farm.
There were a few brightly colored balloons attached to the mailbox on the fencepost at the opening of the driveway leading up to Dean's farmhouse. Dean was bewildered at first, but that seemed like something Charlie would do. As soon as Benny pulled up to the house, Lee jumped out and reached into the bed of the truck to grab the wheelchair, while Benny opened Dean's door and helped him ease towards the edge of the seat. Lee rolled the still-closed chair around to the top of the porch. Benny carried Dean out of the truck, bridal-style, and Dean wondered why they broke up. He'd always felt safe in his arms. Benny carefully lowered him into the now-open chair Lee had set up on the porch. The lights in the house were off. Benny opened the door and the two of them helped him inside. Lee turned on the light and suddenly he was startled by a loud and excited,
"WELCOME HOME DEAN!"
Dean smiled. So that was what his brother and friends were planning. A Welcome home party. All of his friends and family were there. Well, most of them anyway. Charlie, Kevin, Jo, Pamela, Ash, Ellen, Bobby. They each had brought a home-cooked dish for Dean and the children that would probably take care of their evening meals for at least a week or so. There were also various snacks and drinks that were laid out for those present while they had been waiting on Dean's release from the hospital.
"Wow! You guys didn't have to do this," Dean looked around at everyone and raised his arm to pat Pamela's arm as she gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
"How long are you gonna have that peg leg?" Ash asked.
"Dr. NoWay says six weeks, at least," Dean, punched the top edge of his cast, irritated.
"Dr. NoWay?" Ellen raised a skeptical brow.
"That's the nick name he gave the new doc at the clinic." Lee laughed.
"Yeah, he's annoying, has a strange bedside manner, and it's like every time he came to see me, some other bad thing would happen." Dean sulked. "I mean, the day he came into town, my bad luck seemed to start."
"What's that old saying...'me thinks he doth protest too much' is all I'm hearing," Benny scoffed."Personally, I like the man. I like him a lot. I just might see if the Doc is attached to anyone or otherwise engaged." Benny's blue eyes sparkled mischievously.
"Oh, that's the way it is now?" Dean almost pouted. "Really, Man? I don't need you being involved with my doctor, neither for casual sex nor a serious relationship."
"Brotha, you know I'll always love you, but there's not enough single people in this town for me to take anyone off the table just because they work in a profession where you MIGHT be their customer or patient."
"Hell, there ain't enough people in the four nearest towns to take anyone off the table," Lee proclaimed.
Everyone laughed.
"I might have to go check this doctor out myself," Pamela remarked with a feral look in her eyes. "Nice to have some more fresh blood in town."
"All of y'all sound like a bunch sex-starved, malcontents," Bobby grumbled.
"Yeah, the way you all are talking, I'm waiting for the lot of you, including you, Dean, to jump up and high-tail across town to see who gets him first. Should I set my timer?" Ellen laughed looking at her watch.
"Well, I'm in!" Ash sniffed, "I'm sure once the new Doc meets The Doctor," he said pointing his thumbs towards his chest, "there'll be no competition."
"Count me out...unless he has a daughter my age," Kevin added hopefully.
"I don't know. I really had no interest in him, except to get out of there. Though he did have some of the bluest eyes I've ever seen on a human." Dean added remembering looking into them while the doctor attempted to clean that ungodly red sauce off his...
"Not interested? Right. What's that far away look in your eye now about, brotha? That don't look like disinterest to me." Benny gave Dean the side eye.
"Alright, being that I'm wholly uninterested in this Dr. Sexy character, and Dean is probably tired of all of us by now and needs his rest, I'm heading out." Jo leaned over, kissed Dean on the side of his mouth and said her goodbyes to the rest of the group.
"Thanks, Jo. The kids'll be sorry they missed you. They haven't really seen you much since school started"
"When they're feeling better, I'll make plans to take them to the city with me soon. I know Emma wanted to go to the First Friday Art Walk and do some shopping. And Ben had asked about going to the vintage record store and asked if I could take him back to the Motorsports Park to watch some more drag racing and maybe see my friend who works as a mechanic for one of the teams." Jo always enjoyed spending 'aunt' time with Emma and Ben. "It'll work out great since the track has the Finally Friday Night races now."
Ellen, Charlie and Jo had picked up the snacks and cleaned the kitchen, putting the leftovers in several small single serving sized containers in case Dean wanted to snack later.
Benny, Ash, Lee and Bobby had helped arrange the downstairs combination office/library into a temporary bedroom for Dean. They'd brought down and set up one of the twin beds that was in one of the upstairs guest rooms. They moved Dean's desk and chairs against one wall, brought down a small chest of drawers from the attic and filled it with t-shirts, loose drawstring sleeping pants, flannel shirts, some Henleys, underwear, and some socks. On top of the chest, they'd placed his brush, combs, cologne, deodorant, razors and other toiletries. It was a short distance to the downstairs bathroom, where they made sure everything he may need was well stocked, including extra towels, soaps, shamp, toilet paper and other bathing necessities. They moved a small side table next to the bed and placed a lamp, the office's tv remote, a box of tissues, his phone charger and a few bottles of water. They made sure his crutches were nearby, he had a clear path to the bathroom and that there were extra blankets on the foot of the bed.
By the time Benny and Lee were satisfied that they had completed the set up to their satisfaction and thought Dean had everything he needed, they were the last guests left. Everyone had slowly trickled out after having said their goodbyes and giving Dean their well-wishes and hugs.
Benny and Lee made Dean show them that he was good on the crutches to get to the bathroom and get himself to the bed. Before they left, Dean asked them if one of them could give him the picture of him with his kids and his dog. Benny told him he'd already taken it off the nightstand from the master bedroom and placed it on the table next to the twin bed.
"Thanks Benny."
"No problem, brotha. My offer to stay still stands." Benny said.
"I know, but I think I'm good for tonight. I am still completely worried about where Miracle could be, but I'm hoping it's something like when I first got her and let her have time off while I was putting that new roof on the addition, and she chased that prairie dog back to that prairie dog town and he was occupied digging through their colonies for three days. I am worried, but hopeful." Dean ran his hands through his hair. " I mean, I think I'm going to be ok for the night without him. Kids aren't here for me to worry about. Sam said they're doing ok, but still have the runs, so since he's dealing with that, I'll put that in my 'win' column." Dean laughed.
"We left the doggy door unlocked, have a bowl of water for him, the security camera feed is fine and you can see it from the bed. I think you're all set." Lee said as he leaned over to double check the camera feed.
"If you need anything, and I mean anything , you give me a call and I'll be right over." Benny instructed with stern concern. He leaned down and kissed him on the forehead and he lingered a little too long. Lee broke the moment.
"Come on Benny. My turn to say bye."
Benny rolled his eyes. "Alright... go ahead."
Lee gave him a kiss on the forehead too and patted Dean's cheek. "Call us if you need us Dean, okay?" He said and squeezed Dean's hand, their fingers grasped around each other and then he let go.
"Night Benny, night Lee."
"Night Dean." They said at the same time and then they left. Someone had checked Dean's mail for him. Among the junk mail and bills was a letter from the bank. He wouldn't see it until the morning. He wouldn't know the bank was going to try to take the farm until the next day.
Dean woke up late the next morning. He felt around next to him for Miracle, before remembering that she was still missing. He thought about the ride home when Benny and Lee had told him about Miracle being missing.
It was distressing to him more so at first. However, after talking about it with Lee and Benny, he realized it was just a series of circumstances that were similar to something they'd dealt with once before. Just like last time, he'd let Miracle be off-duty, to let her just have real dog time and run around and play. Unfortunately, this time, instead of running off chasing prairie dogs, it was Dean who accidentally left Miracle when he fell.
The fall and broken leg, which created a bit of panic amongst his friends who just wanted to get him to the doctor, were both done and over with. Well, to the extent that he knew he was mostly ok. They were nothing he could change. Three was no reason to blame the guys for leaving Miracle behind when he didn't come when called. They saw Miracle's tracks had gone off towards the fence line and into the hedgerows that formerly separated the two farms. They saw the paw prints exit the other side and zigzag back and forth like Miracle was chasing something. She was OK, just off being a dog. He didn't have to panic. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"I need some coffee!"