Pieces Of Me {Sam Winchester}

CPR

The surface of Lake Manitoc rippled as small raindrops battered it. Thunder rumbled somewhere far in the distance, and a gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the trees in the surrounding forest. Otherwise, it was calm.

Then there was the shout.

"Help! Help me!"

Then there was the pounding of sprinting footsteps.

Two figures emerged from the woods, just in time to see Bill Carlton flying through the air as the small motorboat he'd gone out on the lake in was flipped dramatically.

Josie reacted faster than Sam did. He paused at the edge of the forest, but she kept on running, stripping off her sweatshirt and stepping on her shoelaces so they'd come untied and she could kick off her shoes.

She bolted to the docks, and when she reached the edge, she hurled herself into the lake.

The water hit her like a shockwave. The cold was electrifying, numbing her mind and body for less than a split second.

She forced her way back to the surface, then scanned for the place that Bill Carlton had gone under. There were still ripples there indicating an intense disturbance. Josie took a gulp of air, then plunged under the water.

She propelled herself through the lake water, focusing on keeping her muscles awake.

She opened her eyes, and at first saw nothing but murky water. Then she spotted something--it was faint, but present. There was a frantically waving hand, and a shock of white hair. Josie kicked rapidly in that direction, keeping her eyes open. The closer she got to Bill, the more defined he became, and she was able to grab his hand and yank him free of whatever force was pulling him down.

Josie pulled Bill to the surface, and they emerged, gasping for breath and coughing up water.

"Get back to shore!" Josie yelled. Bill began paddling towards Sam, who was standing on the edge of the dock. Josie followed--then she felt something wrap around her ankle.

She barely had time to take a breath before she was wrenched back under. But she did manage to give a cry for help--

"Sam!"

•••

"Sam!"

Sam's head shot up just in time to see Josie's head disappear in the lake.

"No!" he shouted. He dove into the water, keeping his eyes trained on where Josie had gone under.

He spurred his limbs through the water, gaining speed with every stroke. When he was close enough to where Josie had been, he took a deep breath and went under.

He searched frantically, but realized quickly that she must've been deeper down. He resurfaced, took another breath, then went back under.

Sam travelled down this time, in a straight line to the bottom of the lake. He felt his ears pop and his lungs strain.

Just a little farther.

A little farther...

Then he saw it--a hand, pale against the murky darkness of the lake.

Sam kicked desperately to her. He could feel his breath running out, and prayed Josie could hold her breath longer than he could hold his.

He'd paused to search again, when he felt something brush his ankle. He looked down and saw Josie's hand again. He grabbed her forearm and wrenched her free, pulling her into his arms. Then he kicked to the surface, not stopping to look back or check on Josie until he broke the surface and fresh gulps of air flooded his lungs.

Then he started swimming back to the shore. He knew that whatever that had been--and he had a pretty good guess what it was--wouldn't give up that easily. He made sure to keep Josie above the water, holding her tight to his body and her face close to his.

When he felt rocks under his feet, he stood up and sprinted the rest of the way. Finally, when they were far enough from the edge of the water, he laid Josie down on the rocky beach and took in her condition.

Her lips were blue. Her skin was deathly pale. Her eyes were closed. She wasn't breathing.

"No no no no no," Sam murmured. He placed his hands on her chest and pushed several times. Then he tilted her head back and placed his lips against hers, trying to fill her lungs with air and wake her up.

Push push push.

Air air air.

"Please, Josie," Sam begged.

He drove all the force he could muster into one final push.

Josie's eyes shot open and she bolted upward, coughing. Sam patted her back as she leaned over and heaved up lake water. She coughed, then heaved again. Then she fainted. But she was breathing.

Sam lifted her into his arms and carried her to the dock. He picked up her abandoned hoodie and wrapped it around her shoulders, hoping that, combined with his own body heat, would be enough to warm her up.

He turned around, when suddenly Josie's arms wrapped around his shoulders. She shivered, then Sam felt her sob gently. Her shoulders shook and her teeth chattered as she cried into his chest.

Sam didn't want to walk back to the car. He settled on the ground, keeping Josie in his arms.

"You okay?" he asked after a few minutes.

Josie hesitated, then nodded.

Sam hugged her tighter, resting his chin on the top of her head.

"I got you," he promised. "You're safe."

Josie nodded, then sniffed and leaned back. She wiped her eyes, then she smiled gratefully at Sam. He smiled back at her, thanking god almighty she was alive.

Then he hugged her again, and she hugged him back, and he only took his focus off of her for a fraction of a second, when he noticed a set of eyes watching them from the lake in his peripheral vision. When he turned, whoever it had been disappeared.

Sam shuddered. He pulled Josie a little closer.

"C'mon," he said. "Let's get back to the car."