Once there the Doctors start working on him immediately. John and Sam stand outside the room watching as the doctors and nurses work on Dean. Machines are brought around to take x-rays and other scans. They pump fluids and blood as they quickly work. John and Sam watch them work, praying he is in good hands. Finally a doctor approaches the two standing by the door way.

"I'm Dr. Webster. I'm sure you have questions about your son's condition." He says to John.

"John Winchester. Is he gonna be ok Dr.?" John asks shaking the doctor's hand.

"You son has suffered a ruptured spleen that is causing some internal bleeding. There's also evidence that he has a couple broken ribs, one of which has lacerated his left kidney. With your permission, we'd like to get him up to surgery as soon as possible." John looks over the doctor's shoulder at Dean as he speaks.

"Sure Doc anything, just as long as you get him fixed up."

"I'll have the nurse get some forms for you to fill out." The doctor finishes. John thanks the Doctor as Sam walks over to Dean's side.

"Hey kiddo" Dean says weakly when he sees Sam.

"Hey yourself, Dude. You really did it this time Dean." Sam's looks around at all the equipment.

"The doctor says you're gonna have to go up to surgery cause you're bleeding inside." His voice can not hide his emotions.

"Piece of cake little brother." Dean tries to sound brave for Sam. Soon orderlies arrive to take him upstairs. As they are wheeling him by they stop in front of John and Sam.

"We'll be waiting for you when you wake up after surgery, ok Son. You hang in there. The doctors are gonna take real good care of you." John looks down at Dean. Dean smiles at him.

"Bye Dean" Sam says trying to put on a brave face.

"Bye Sammy. Ok Dad, see ya later" Dean tells them.

John presses something in Dean's hand. As they enter the elevator Dean lifts up his hand only to find his car keys in them. Comforted he holds them tight in his hand until they are ready to start the operation.

Hours later Sam has fallen asleep on the waiting room sofa. John nervously attempts to read the magazines that litter the waiting rooms tables. The clock on the wall mocks him. 1hour. 2hours. 3hours.

"How much long are we gonna have to wait?" he thinks to himself. He tries to stay calm. Finally the doctor starts to come down the hallway. John gets up and meets him halfway. The look on the Doctors face is grim. "Doctor how is he?" He looks at the doctor's face for clues.

"I'm sorry to have to tell you but your son didn't make it." The doctor looks at John with sorrowful eyes.

"What, I don't understand." He struggles to get a grip on this horrible information.

"Your sons internal injuries were more sever than we initially thought. Every time we thought we had stopped a bleeder we had another one to deal with. He bled out faster than we could pump it in him. I'm sorry Mr. Winchester. We tried everything we could to resuscitate him but the blood loss was just too great. " John hears the doctor but still doesn't believe him.

"I want to see my son!" he demands as he starts down the hall. "Where is he?"

"I'll take you to him." The doctor leads the way to the operating room. Inside the nurses have already started to clean up.

"I have to warn you Mr. Winchester we had to open his chest up. If you want, we can clean him up first before you see him."

"I want to see my son." Johns voice can not contain it's sorrow.

"I understand." The doctor shows John into the operating room. He waves the nurses off to give John some privacy. John is stunned at the scene. Blood and bandages litter the floor under the operating table. Dean's body splayed out connected with tubes and wires. His chest opened in a final attempt to save his life. Machines now silenced. All the evidence of the struggle and failure of the staff. John moves over to the table and looks at his son, tears streaming down his face.

"I'm sorry son." He says as he stroke Dean's head for the last time. He can not look at his chest knowing that the heart inside will never beat again. Hearing a strangled cry behind him he turns around to see Sam staring at his brother in the doorway.

"No Sammy no." he rushes to his youngest son. "I don't want you to see him like this." He pushes Sam back out the door to the hallway.

"Dad he can't be… he…." Sam starts to sob before he can finish the sentence. John holds him tightly and they cry together in the empty hallway.

"Looks like something quick and easy. In and out." Those words would come back to haunt John.

Months later the house just wasn't the same without Dean. For weeks John and Sam blamed each other and themselves for the tragedy. Now the house is filled with a regrettable silence. They try to avoid each other unable to hide the pain in their eyes. Returning to school Sam fills his days with activities and friends. He tries to look to the future without his brother. Prom, graduation, college, life.

"Because that's what Dean would do." Sam thinks to himself. Some days it's so very hard.

John's life however has stopped. All the weapons, tools and books that were his companions now lay locked in the basement. The vengeance he felt for years gone now replaced by almost an unbearable guilt. He can not bear to hunt again, not even to search for the thing creature that killed his son. His need for revenge consumed him once and now he vows it will never happen again. At first Sam doesn't understand why he won't go after it. They have horrible fights before Sam finally understands why John won't risk it. The cost of losing another son is too great. Sam places his weapons next to John's and never picks them up again.

The keys to Dean's beloved car sit on Sam's nightstand. The car parked and covered in the garage. Sitting inside is Dean's collection of "mullet rock" gathering dust on the front seat. Sometimes when Sam is home alone, and desperate to talk to his brother, he goes out, starts the car and puts in a tape or two. Pretending to talk to his brother sometimes is the only way he can deal with things in his life, especially with his father.

John worked sometimes. An occasional day job or construction gig. They never seemed too last long. Usually he would spend his days sitting in the recliner in the living room aimlessly watching TV. It frightened Sam to see his father slipping away. He tried to get John help but his father wouldn't hear of it. Sometimes, just sometimes, he seemed to come back to life. The night of Sam's Prom John snapped pictures just like any regular father would do and even gave Sam "the talk" before sending him off. He beamed with pride the day Sam stood on stage to collect his high school diploma. He even seemed happy when Sam told him he had been accepted to Stanford on a full scholarship.

Sam tries to remember those days. He will never have them again. Coming home late one night from his summer job he notices the lights are not on inside the house. Concerned but not really worried he walks inside and looks around for his Dad. The living room and kitchen are empty. John's bedroom upstairs is empty as well. He looks out to the garage and sees a light on inside. Walking out to the garage, he breathes a sigh of relief when he sees his father sitting inside the Impala.

"Dad you ok?" he asks moving up to the driver's side door. No answer. Sam looks inside fearful of what he might see. He knows before he actually checks, that his father is dead. The coroner will say he died of a heart attack but Sam knows he really died of a broken heart.

The day of the memorial service the funeral home is filled with friends and people John helped over the years. They come from miles around. Some Sam knew about, some he didn't. It helps to hear the stories about his Dad. Finally when it was over, the funeral director takes him aside, and gives him the mahogany box that contains his father's ashes. He sets it on the seat next to him on the long drive home. His footsteps echo on the floor when he walks across the living room to place it on the mantel near his brother's. Sam made sure the boxes would match. Between them sits a picture of the three of them during happier times. Sam smiles at it, turns around and walks away. Leaving for Stanford in a week he has to pack everything up before he can go. It will be hard to leave the house but not the memories. The boxes will follow him where ever he goes for the rest of his life.

THE END