anti-hero, supernatural [ 2 ], DISCONTINUED

019. hallucinations

Sam is asleep on the couch while Natalie is sitting at Bobby's desk and eating.

"Sammy, hey." Sam jumps awake, looking to find his brother in front of him. "Whoa. That's twelve hours straight, I'm calling that rested. Here." He gives Sam a water bottle and power bar. "Hydrate and, uh, protein-ate."

"Breakfast in bed." Sam mutters.

"Don't get used to it. Let me see that hand." Dean says, grabbing Sam's left hand. He removes the bandage and inspects the stitches.

Natalie shivers in disgust and discomfort, focusing on her food.

"Eh, you'll live. Here." Dean pours whiskey over the wound making Sam hiss. "All right, take it easy."

"So, ooze invasion. Any leads?" Sam asks.

"I got all my feelers out. Whatever they're up to, it ain't about going Mothra down Main Street. They'll turn up. You seem pretty eager to stretch your legs, you know." Bobby says, putting a new bandage on Sam's hand.

"Now onto our bigger problem. How you doin'? And do not say okay." Dean says.

"I'm not okay." Sam says.

"You think?" Dean retorts.

"Dean." Natalie warns.

"Hey. Go a little easy." Bobby says.

"There's nothing easy about it, Bobby, okay? We acted like he had everything under control." Dean says.

"I get it. I'm sorry. Look, I-I didn't exactly want to crack up, you know?" Sam says.

"What the hell happened back there?" Dean asks.

"Well, it's not just flashbacks anymore." Sam says.

"Well, then what?"

"It's more like... I'm seeing through the cracks."

"What does that mean?"

"It means I'm having a difficult time figuring out what's real."

"Hallucinations."

"For starters."

"Well, for starters, if you're tripping Hell's Bells, why would you hide that?" Dean asks.

"I wasn't hiding it, Dean, I--I was just not talking about it." Sam says.

"I mean it seemed like you guys had enough going on as it was. Look, I--I just figured, try to hold onto the safety bar and ride it out, you know? But it's getting more specific." Sam says.

"As in specifically what?" Dean asks.

~ ~ ~

"What the hell, Sam?" Dean asks. He gives a glass of whiskey to Bobby, having one for himself. Sam is now sitting on the chair at Bobby's desk and Natalie is leaning on the desk.

"I told you." Sam says.

"I mean, seriously, how do you-- how do you argue with that?" Dean asks.

"I know. It's a problem." Sam says.

"Well, now wait, I got it. Why would the devil holodeck you a whole new life when he could just kick your ass all over the cage?" Dean asks.

"Cause, as he puts it... you can't torture someone who has nothing left for you to take away." Sam says.

"Okay, fine. But this Malibu dream mansion that he-he-he makes for you to take away is this post-apocalyptic mess?" Dean asks. Sam doesn't say anything, looking over a few feet. "Wait. Are you seeing him right now?" Sam nods. "You know that he's not real. Right?"