Broken {Supernatural Fanfic}

4. Medical Analysis

"Some old wounds never truly heal, and bleed again at the slightest word"- George R. R. Martin

The Winchester boys were sitting at the kitchen counter when she walked in. They both looked up and Rebecca sighed. "I'm not sure I want to know what all happened to her," she said with a sigh, sinking into a chair. "But honestly I'm surprised she even spoke to me at all." She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to push down her emotions to make an accurate diagnosis. It wasn't easy. The image of Autumn stammering and flinching was seared in her brain. She forced herself to shove her emotions away and speak calmly.

"There's a cut on her side, not infected but fairly fresh. I'd say from the last twenty-four hours. There's bruising around that, possibly a couple bruised ribs but nothing broken." She paused and sucked in a deep breath. "And this is what kills me. There's other minor bruising and some scars but everything is recent. I'd say there's nothing older than a month ago."

"She'll recover?" Sam questioned patiently.

"Physically, definitely," Rebecca said. "Mentally? I'm not sure. She's only seven. Yeah little kids are resilient but there's only so much they can take before they break."

~

The nightmares would start the instant she closed her eyes. Autumn knew that. Still she couldn't erase the urge to sleep, push it away. Her eyes drifted closed and moments later the night terrors began.

Rosanna had been dead for two days. Caitlyn had been dead for a day. Natalie was the only one left to protect her. The two girls heard the noise from the basement and knew it was a trap. They also knew that no one would believe them. The woman went downstairs. Josiah sauntered in through the front door.

Natalie settled herself firmly in front of Autumn, her eyes furious. "Get out of my house," she snarled, conveniently forgetting that the house didn't belong to them any more. Josiah just laughed. "Run," Natalie told Autumn softly.

Autumn had listened for all the good it had done her. Nat's screams had crippled her. Moments later Josiah had found her and dragged her past Natalie's still and bloody body.

Autumn woke up gasping for breath and crying quietly. Her stomach heaved at the thought of Natalie's dead body. She stumbled to her feet, and then slumped abruptly to the floor, strength leaving her as a crippling thought reached her. She was all alone. Her sisters were gone. Rosanna, Caitlyn, Natalie-they were all dead. She huddled on the ground, shivering and crying, unable to do any more.

~

Sam Winchester couldn't sleep. Jess was haunting him every time he closed his eyes. He wondered what kind of diagnosis Becky would give him if she knew. He could hear Jess then, as clear as if she stood right next to him. "Some wounds don't ever heal. They just hide until someone says something wrong and they get remembered." At that time he thought she was just being philosophical, she had been working on a poetry analysis for an english class, but now he wondered if she hadn't been serious.

If so what kind of wounds had Jessica been hiding? And what wounds was he hiding? Neither thought was particularly conductive to bring up an optimistic response so he shook them off. He need to put himself back together for tomorrow. If he couldn't he was no good to anyone. Searching for something else to think of besides Jess, his mind turned to Autumn.

What were they going to do about her? They couldn't leave her here with Becky. She and Zack couldn't take care of a seven year old and go to college. He and Dean couldn't exactly take care of her either. They were hunting things that would like nothing better than to rip apart a little girl and he knew from experience that it was hard to heal when you were constantly hunting and running for your life. They couldn't just abandon her either. She didn't have anyone else.

"Why us?" he mumbled, staring at the ceiling. "Why do these things always happen to Dean and I?"

"I wish I had an answer for you," a voice said and Becky sank down on the couch next to him. "But I don't." There was silence for a moment and then Becky said, "She can't stay here. You know that, right?"

"Yeah," Sam said tiredly. "She's going to have to come with us." Admitting it unsettled him and if it bothered him it would probably terrify Dean. His older brother had no idea how to handle the little girl. Sam had known that from the moment Dean had handed him the newspaper.

"I'm sorry," Becky said suddenly but Sam wasn't sure exactly what she was apologizing for. The death of Jess? Sending a traumatized seven year old with them? Or not having answers for him? He guessed he would never find out.