Saints or Sinners | {BOOK 3}

79| Ezekiel Possesses Sam

The monitor was beeping loudly in Sam's room, Ezekiel sitting next to bed with his hand to his side.

"What the hell's happening?" Dean demanded.

"This just started. And the warding. I'm afraid I'm weaker than I thought."

I immediately grabbed a marker and started crossing out the sigils Dean had drawn on the walls.

"I am sorry, Dean. Eleanor."

"No. No, no, no," I protest. "We had a deal. We fight, you save."

"And would that I could," Ezekiel sighed. "I'm just afraid it's too late."

"Are you kidding me?" Dean also got angry. "Are you saying there's no way to save my brother's life?"

"No good ways, I'm afraid."

"Well, what are the bad ones?" I asked. "We're out of options, so good or bad, what are they?"

It was my fault for not stopping Sam sooner, and I was going to do whatever it took to save him for Dean.

"I cannot promise, but there is a chance I could save your brother from the inside."

"From the inside?" Dean repeated. "So, what, you gonna open him up?"

Ezekiel shook his head and it clicked in my head.

"What, possession? You want to possess Sam?"

"I told you," the angel grimaced.

"No way," Dean shook his head.

"Understood. It's your call."

"No, it's Sam's call. There's no way in hell he'd say yes to being possessed by anything."

"What other choice do we have, Dean?" I turned to my husband.

"He would rather die," Ezekiel realized.

Dean nodded ruefully, but I shook my head.

"No. No, we have to try," I insisted. "We have to save him."

"He wouldn't want this, Ellie," Dean shook his head. "Not like this."

"I'll leave you three alone, then," Ezekiel said, silencing the machines with a wave of his hand.

As he moved toward the door, Dean and I had a silent argument with our eyes.

"Wait," Dean finally called out before the angel could leave. "If I consider this- and I mean just consider it- I need something, man. You got to prove to me how bad he is."

The angel put a hand on Sam's forehead, then turned to Dean.

"Close your eyes."

I watched, tense, as he also touched Dean, showing him whatever was going on in Sam's head at that moment. After a few minutes, Ezekiel pulled away.

"What the hell you doing, Sam?" Dean muttered.

"As you can see, there's not much time."

"I know. Damn it. I know."

"How would it work?" I asked.

"Mutual benefit, I suppose," Ezekiel replied, still clutching his side. "I heal Sam while healing myself."

"And when he's healed?" Dean looked at the angel.

"I leave. It's the best of a bad situation, Dean."

"Even if I said yes, it doesn't mean squat. Sam will never say yes- not to you."

"But he would say yes to one of you."

"Me," I immediately said. "This is my fault, he'd say yes to me."

"Ellie, no," Dean protested. "This isn't your fault."

"Yes, it is, Dean. I was with him the entire time. I saw how much pain he was in, and I just sat by and did nothing. This is on me."

We had another silent exchange, and then Dean nodded.

"Fine."

"This shouldn't take long," Ezekiel said.

Dean and I turned away as a bright light flashed. When we looked back, the vessel he'd been possessing was slumped in a chair and I could no longer see the pair of broken wings on his back.

⁘

Ezekiel, now in Sam's body, walked alongside Dean and I out of the hospital toward Baby.

"So?" Dean asked. "How's it look in there."

"Not good," the angel replied. "There is much work to be done."

It was weird hearing Sam speak in the tone Ezekiel had in the other vessel and his movements were a lot more stiff than Sam's, the angel drawing himself up to his full height instead of slouching slightly like Sam normally did. And of course he sported the broken black wings of the fallen angels.

"Yeah, but he's gonna wake up, right?" I asked hopefully.

"He will. So, when he does- what, is he gonna feel you inside, triaging his spleen?"

"He will not feel me, no," Ezekiel shook his head. "There is no reason for Sam to know I'm in here at all."

"You're joking," Dean protested. "No, this is- this is too big."

"And what will he do if we tell him he's possessed by an angel?" I asked.

"Well, he'll have to understand."

"And if he doesn't?" I stopped walking and Dean turned to face me. "Without his acceptance, Sam could eject Ezekiel at any time. And with both of them still so weak, Sam could die, Dean."

"She's right," Ezekiel nodded.

Dean looked between us, obviously torn.

"Then we keep it a secret for now," he gave in. "Or until Sam doesn't need an angelic pacemaker or we find a way to tell him. I-I... As for him being in the hospital... we'll have to figure something out."

"I can erase it all, if you'd like," Ezekiel suggested. "He will not remember any of this."

⁘

Sam was asleep in the passenger seat while Dean and I were in our respective spots in the Impala. Ezekiel had made Sam pass out after wiping his memory of the hospital.

"This is a bad idea," Dean muttered.

"And if it goes south, I'll take the blame," I replied from the back. "There's no reason why Sam should hate both of us for letting Ezekiel possess him."

Before Dean could respond to that, Sam began to stir in his spot.

"Where are we?" he asked.

"Whoa," Dean said, looking over at him. "Sam?"

"What?" Sam asked.

"Okay, take- take it easy. How you, uh- how you feeling?"

"Tired. Like I- like I slept for a week."

"Try a day," I corrected. "You've been out since the sky was spittin' angels."

"What the hell happened?"

"What do you remember?" Dean asked him.

"The church, feeling like crap, the angels falling, and that's it."

"But you're feeling good?"

"Yeah. I mean, I just, um... You guys have been driving around with me passed out in the passenger's seat for a day?"

"Oh, I mean, we stopped, you know, let a few Japanese tourists take some pictures," Dean quipped. "Nobody got too handsy. We knew you'd pull through. I meant what I said at the church. You're capable of anything, Sam, and hell if you didn't prove me right."

"Good," Sam nodded. "'Cause we got work to do."