WALL OF DEATH (Supernatural Fanfiction)

Chapter Thirteen

When Dean got his shit back together he found himself in the middle of a cat fight. Two chicks were going at it with all guns blazing and he figured it best to keep his eyes closed and play dead. That's until he heard his own name mentioned repeatedly and realised they were fighting over him.

It was hardly the first time but his satisfaction in the achievement dwindled as his brain kicked into a higher gear. He remembered the second round in the pit, hustling those fuckers good and getting shot by Nathan... Again. Dean knew he should feel angry about being set up to fail, taking another bullet as reward for winning, but nothing seemed very important right now.

With the thrill of the fight over, the adrenalin rush spent, the booze and pills he'd downed earlier were doing a fine job of keeping reality at arm's length. Dean felt relaxed, woolly and the gunshot wound was hurting less than he knew it should. There was little more than a dull throb and numbness round his upper thigh until he tried to move, then he felt harsh, stabbing pain and remembered the bullet was still in there. Even the pills couldn't mask the knot of dread which formed in his stomach.

Dean knew he was in the ops room; the dry heat and stink of camping gas told him that although he didn't recall getting here. His last clear memory was sitting on the floor of the pit, feeling cold, shaky and faint before the lights went out. He lay still for a while, waiting for the pills to pull him onto the magic carpet ride where everything was floaty and unreal; but Suzie and Kate were still going hard. Their shrill, incessant yapping was making his teeth ache so he opened his eyes and discovered the two women standing right over him, virtually nose to nose. Kate was hollering about immorality; Suzie was shaking her head, insisting at the top end of her register how it made perfect sense. Dean waited for a lull in the argument, which was a long time coming, then made his move.

"Would you keep it down? I'm trying to get a little shuteye here."

"Shut up, Dean." They snapped at him in unison, dismissing him like a piece of meat that happened to be on the table between them. When they realised he'd re-joined the land of the living it stopped the argument dead.

"How are you feeling?" Kate's voice was calm and composed, as though she hadn't been screaming like a banshee a few seconds ago.

"Like I just finished the Bunion Derby." Dean pushed himself onto his elbows and winced as pain shot through his leg. Sam was sitting in a chair beside him, the outsize medical kit on his lap and he looked red-eyed and pale. Dean glanced across to where Tim, Brody and Ed were crowded together on the couch, sharing a bottle of whisky. They reminded him of three dumb monkeys and he noted the bandage on Ed's shoulder with satisfaction.

"How are you feeling, Ed?"

"Shut up you son of a bitch." Nathan's low growl drew Dean's attention to the other side of the room. He and Toby were by the door, barricading it and both of them had shotguns now. Dean smirked.

"Bonnie and Clyde, huh? I've gotta tell you, Nathan, you're one ugly piece of tail."

Nathan was on the move when Suzie's voice rang out; hard and commanding. "Stay away from him if you know what's good." She put a hand on Dean's chest, pushing him back onto the table. "We were debating whether to tie you down, stud. My sister doesn't like the idea but who cares if it's wrong when it feels so damned right."

Dean sniffed dismissively. "You want to tie me down for kicks, sweetheart, I ain't complaining."

Sam stood up fast. "Nobody touches him, unless you're looking for more of what you got in the pit..."

There was a tangible shift of atmosphere in the room; Dean sensed unease, mistrust and all eyes were on his brother. Suzie fielded the threat with a casual wave of her hand. "If you had any mojo you'd be using it; not handing out wolf tickets."