Splatter

12. The Trespasser 3402

Dean knew he was dreaming. The tank was as small as ever, as suffocating and putrid as it always was in these dreams. His vision drifted around the scratched glass, marked by frantic helpless clawing, and his eyes found a tiny patch through which he could see clearly.

He saw himself, as a dark haired young man, standing on the other side of the tank. His face full of pity. A hand reached out and touched the glass across from his claw.

"Dean, wake up!"

* * *

Sam's was the first face he saw, he was shouting excitedly towards the door of the cabin. The room was swaying but Dean didn't think it was the after effects of the sedation. They were on a ship, much larger than the speed boat by the feel of it. Dean doesn't remember ever being on a ship before, his fear of drowning made cruises an unlikely holiday option.

"It's been three days," Sam was using his soothing voice. "Professor Shurley will be with us in a moment, he went to grab something to eat. How you feeling?"

"Like I've been unconscious for three days," Dean grunted. "Fantastic! I feel like the entire seawall had fallen on me."

"The professor said you would be sore."

"Oh please, do we have to call him that? I already put on enough of an X-Men freak show back there, now there's a professor?"

Just as Dean complained, the said expert in Mer biology wandered into the cabin, a plate of Rueben sandwich in his hand.

"You can call me Chuck, Dean. And you are right, you performed incredible feats on the island. Do you uh feel you could do them now?"

Dean reached out and made a grab for the sandwich. Chuck scowled at him and held the plate tighter, Dean sighed after a few seconds.

"Nope, can't even take a plate off a scientist."

"To be fair, I'm very fond of pastrami. Though I forget if it is my favourite type of deli meat. That reminds me, I must try some others when we get back to the city."

Dean shot Sam a look. "Is he always like this?"

Sam was trying to hide his chuckle behind his hand. Dean knew that Sam was fond of his mentor and respected him, eccentricities and all.

"I have long term memory loss," Chuck pointed at his head. "Although I prefer to think that's because I have devoted significant processing capacity to short term thinking."

"Yeah, that sounds wonderfully strategic," Dean couldn't help but like the guy, though he felt the need to always watch his hands, Chuck was quick with a syringe and his face had hardly any tells.

"We'll be back in the city tonight, if you're feeling up to going home?" Sam queried, darting his eyes to Chuck in deference.

"We better keep Dean here for tonight, for observations obviously, and he really does need to rest."

"Been on my back for three days, I've had enough," Dean said.

"What do you think awaits you on the mainland? You won the mating trials, it is customary for the intended to ..." Chuck paused as Sam kept waggling his eyebrows and tapping his pursed lips.

"I forgot what I was about to say," Chuck said very slowly, while brazenly winking at Sam.

Dean hoped they didn't expect him to spawn or whatever with Novak as soon as they got back. Novak had looked a complete wreck by the end of their island adventure.

"Tell me how Novak, uh, Cas is doing," Dean sighed.

"He has made a full recovery, Dean." Sam reassured.