CROSSROADS ☁︎ Supernatural

PART 5 - RILEY

It's been almost a day since Riley spoke to John's son - Dean - on the phone. He didn't sound very hospitable. She dreaded the moment he'd walk into the room. He might even accuse her this was all her doing. And there was nothing she could say to defend herself because she still couldn't embrace what happened. John was there under the streetlight in one second and gone in the next, lying on the ground shredded to pieces.

She brought John to the hospital last night, they were both covered in blood. The hospital staff wouldn't even let her tell them it's not her blood all over her. They parted them, taking John to the surgery and her to the examination room.

The doctor finally let her explain she's not hurt. They even got her some clothes to change. She had to spend the night, the thing was out there soon that night. She wouldn't leave anyway.

She kept asking about John, but there was nobody competent to tell her. So she wandered around the halls in the spare nurse's uniform unable to settle down until she finally crushed in the waiting room putting her head down to her hands. She didn't move for quite some time.

"Riley?! There you are!" A female voice yanked her from lethargy. "What happened to you?"

"Sheriff Mills? What are you doing here so late?" Riley wondered.

Sheriff Jody Mills was not exactly the sheriff of Slayton but of the neighboring town Sioux Falls. However since Slayton's sheriff Bloom died only recently, Sheriff Mills was the one chosen to stand in for the time being. Riley would know, Sheriff Bloom was her dad.

"I asked you first. Are you hurt, Riley?" Sheriff Mills sat down to Riley, careful not to touch her.

"No, I'm okay. It's ... it' not me. There was this man in the library today... He got attacked, I brought him here. His blood was everywhere, they took me in to check me. I don't even know if he's ..." The last word got stuck in her throat. John couldn't be another person who died on her watch.

"Did you let them see you, Riley?" Doctor asked with ray of hope in her voice.

"Of course not. I told them I was fine. I just drove John here."

"What can I do for you?" Sheriff Mills was sincerely concerned. She knew Riley's father and took it rather personally to secure Riley's well being.

"Ask about John, please ... I don't know his last name. But I need to know his state and ... I should let his family know ... He's got two sons. I would like to stay until somebody comes to him." She watched her words because somebody needed to come to him, not for him, for his lifeless body. She needed John to make it so bad.

"Okay, Riley, stay put. I'll see what I can do." Sheriff Mills stood up to get Riley information she needed when Riley asked one more question.

"Sheriff... Did you hear about my call and broke your own order to stay in just to check on me?"

"I told you, it's Jody and I'm here for you that is all that matters." She reassured Riley.

"Thank you. For my dad and everything..." Riley's voice broke. She couldn't speak about it but tried anyway. Jody took care of everything after her dad...

"Don't mention it." Jody's eyes watered.

"His sons deserve to know." Riley insisted.

"Let's see what we can do about that." Jody left the waiting room.

Riley waited for something like 15 minutes when Jody re-entered the room. Riley launched from her seat waiting for her to speak.

"He's still in the surgery, so there's not much to tell now. But I called in some favors and got his phone. Do you think you can fish some contact info from there?"

"Sam and Dean! His sons."

"Okay, here you go. Do your thing." Jody handed John's phone to Riley and she actually found a Dean in the contacts. She dialed the number and had one of the worst phone conversations ever.

The guy clearly mistrusted her even though she promised not to leave his dad alone until no more needed.

"Would you mind if I copied the number? Just in case?" Riley asked after she finished the call.

"Go ahead. It's very nice of you to care about their dad."

"I know what it's like to lose somebody so close. I hope to never use that number again."

Jody then offered Riley to take nap in one of the rooms, she thought about everything and asked nurses for a favor, but Riley wanted to stay  where she was so she wouldn't miss a thing about John.

"They let you to him afterwards, Riley. I vouched for you." She winked and left the room with John's mobile phone.

Jody had to leave with the first light after another stormy night but she was still there when the doctors and nurses started to pour out of the door they took John in when they divided them what-felt-like-eternity ago.

Riley was on her feet in an instant unable to move further but Jody was already halfway to the doctors anyway.

Riley couldn't hear another apologetic statement about the deceased. She could not call that Dean guy again with such horrible message.

Her feet moved right then, taking her to get the verdict. She moved to Jody and the surgeon cautiously, eaves dropping the whole way. And then she heard it.

"... all we could...stabilized...sleeping... the rest is up to him..."

Riley started breathing again but her legs gave way. Jody and the doctor helped her up and offered her something to help her rest but she wouldn't have it. All she was talking about was when she could see John. The doctor seeing the best he could do for Riley was let her to John promised her to let her in after they set him up in a room. And he kept his word.

The doctors let Riley to John soon in the morning right after they transferred him from after surgery care. He was stabilized. She sat by his bed from then on. They kept him sleeping and heavily medicated, though.

In the afternoon they let her talk to him, even though he was still asleep.

When the night fell again she prayed nobody else would be brought to the hospital that night. But that was the exact night the Winchester brothers barged right in.