Fragments of Tomorrow (Supernatural Fanfiction Book 5)

Shattered Glass

Dean's POV:

I'm done. Every time those therapists walk in, I feel the heat crawl up my back, making the whole damn room suffocating. It's like they're pushing me toward something I'll never reach again. I'm not walking out of here. I know it, they know it, so what's the point?

Today's no different. They come in, smiling like they haven't heard the word "no" a thousand times, and I refuse again. Why bother? I can't even feel my damn legs.

The taller one finally snaps. "Fine, we'll leave you alone about it, then."

She doesn't get it. None of them do. They don't know what it's like to lose everything that makes you who you are. I hear the door close behind them, and for the first time in a while, I don't care. Maybe giving up is easier.

But then I see Birch, sitting there with his head down, guilt hanging on him like a dead weight. It's not his fault, but damn if he doesn't believe it is. The silence in the room is thick, and I hate it. This tension, this feeling that we're all falling apart... I can't take it anymore.

Sam's POV:

I watch the therapists leave, and I feel this pit in my stomach grow deeper. Dean's giving up, and I didn't stop it. I should've stopped him and Birch from going to that damn picnic. My gut told me something was off, but I ignored it.

If I had just said something, this wouldn't have happened. Dean wouldn't be in that bed, wouldn't be... like this. He'd still be himself. Strong, unbreakable Dean.

Now, all I see is someone who's broken, and it's my fault. Birch blames himself, but it's me. I could've stopped it. I could've...

I look at Raven, who's trying to keep everyone together. She sees everything, knows how much we're all crumbling, but even she can't hold us forever. I want to say something, but my throat feels tight. How can I when I don't even know what to do anymore?

Bobby's POV:

The minute I walk in, I can feel it. The air's thick with tension, and it doesn't take a genius to know things are bad. Real bad.

Dean's looking like he's lost his fight, Birch is a wreck, and Sam's off in his own head, probably drowning in guilt like the rest of 'em. It's a damn mess.

"Dean," I start, trying to break the silence. "You can't give up now. You've fought through worse than this."

But he's not listening. Not really. He's too far gone into whatever dark hole he's crawled into. I glance at Birch, seeing the weight of the world on that kid's shoulders. This whole thing's tearing him up, and I can see it in the way he won't even look up.

Cas is quiet beside me, but I know he's working something—probably trying to calm the storm brewing in all of us. We need a break. Dean needs a break. And more than anything, we need to find the bastard who did this and make 'em pay.

Birch's POV:

I did this. All of it. Dean's in that bed because I wasn't careful enough. I should've seen the signs, should've known something was wrong with the car. But I didn't. Now, he's paying the price.

I can't even look at him without feeling like I've failed. The love of my life is stuck in that bed, and it's all because I couldn't keep him safe. I promised him I would, and I didn't. The pain in his eyes kills me every time I see it.

The therapists left, frustrated, but I'm the one who should be frustrated with myself. They don't know the half of what's going on in Dean's head, but I do. He thinks he's done. He's giving up, and I don't know how to stop it. I don't know how to make him see that none of this is his fault... or mine.

But I can't get past it. The guilt, the fear that I'll lose him for good... it's eating me alive.

Castiel's POV:

I sense the pain, the guilt, the despair. It's overwhelming, filling the room like an invisible fog. Dean has given up, but it's not just physical. His spirit is broken. He believes he's lost everything, and that belief is spreading to those who care for him.

I reach out, letting my grace gently touch each of them. It's subtle, but I hope to ease the tension just a little. Dean needs hope, and so do the others. But this is not something I can fix with my powers alone. Their pain is too deep, too personal.

Bobby is right—Dean has been through worse. But even the strongest warriors can fall when they believe they have nothing left to fight for. I see Sam's guilt, Birch's despair, and Raven's quiet strength. They all want to help, but none of them know how to reach him.

I wish I could take away their burdens, but I can only guide them toward the path of healing. They will need each other more than ever now.

Raven's POV:

I can feel the weight of everyone's emotions pressing down on me, but I won't let it break me. Sam's been silent, and I know he's blaming himself. Birch won't leave Dean's side, and the guilt is tearing him apart. And Dean... Dean's shutting down.

It's so hard to watch them all falling apart like this. I try to hold everyone together, but even I'm starting to feel the cracks. I keep my hand on Sam's arm, grounding him as best as I can, but there's only so much I can do.

When the therapists left, I wanted to scream. How could they give up on him so easily? But it's not just them. Dean's given up on himself, and I don't know how to pull him back.

Bobby and Castiel are here now, but I can still feel the tension. It's like a storm that's been brewing for too long, and I'm scared of what will happen if it finally breaks. We need to figure this out. We need to get Dean back.

But how do you save someone who doesn't want to be saved?