This apple has a worm in it

"Sam!" John Winchester's booming voice rang out into the night as he inched closer to the edge of the darkness that had swallowed up his youngest.

"Hold yer horses, Winchester!" Bobby shouted as he tried to restrain the father from doing something brash, "I've got a spotlight on my truck…Dean…" but before Bobby could finish his sentence Dean was already on the move. Dean pulled Bobby's truck up to the edge and then ran to the Impala to grab all the rope that they had racing back to his father and Bobby.

John spied Sam about 20 feet from the top, he was lying on his side on an out cropping of rock, and his position was precarious at best. If Sam was to regain consciousness suddenly and move he would fall at least another 20 to 30 feet down—John wanted to avoid that at all costs.

He knew this was down to him; a good hunter always knows his terrain and John hadn't scoped out the vicinity and Sam had paid the price for it. Taking the rope and securing it, John threw himself over the edge locking worried and guilty eyes with his oldest, "I'll get him, Dean."

Dean nodded at John the fear and panic clearly showing on his oldest son's face. Bobby pulled his hat off and worried with it in a nervous habit while there was no love lost between him and daddy Winchester, Bobby had come to love those boys like they were his own and now one of them was in dire straits.

It was slow going reaching Sam but John soon made it and the closer he got to his son the more worried he became. It was clear that this was not something that they could patch up in a motel room—no, this required a trip to a hospital. John Winchester hated hospitals…with a passion! Too many questions, too many bleeding hearts, too much security—yeah, he hated them alright! Grimacing as he finally reached Sam and got his first look at the boy up close, John felt his chest tighten at what he saw. Sam's head was a bloody mess and his right wrist appeared swollen—got to be broken and his right leg was at an odd angle with bone sticking out. John was sure there'd be internal injuries as well and now he was faced with the dilemma of how to get Sam out of here.

He shouted up to Bobby, "Call 911…it's the only way we're getting Sammy out of here." "Get rid of that dead Kitsune up there—hide the body…we'll burn it later; the one that went over with Sam is at the bottom…I don't think they'll see it, move Dean, NOW!" ordered John. There was a flurry of motion above him as John sat himself beside his youngest brushing Sam's bangs from his face, "Sammy…can you hear me, son? Open your eyes" in a rare show of emotion from the oldest Winchester.

"They're on their way" Bobby shouted down to John, all the while Sam remained blissfully unaware of his current predicament. "Dad, how is he…is he conscious?" Dean shouted down which was code for…has he asked for me? John well knew. John watched his oldest son's face and even from this distance, in this light he saw the pain that was there when John shook his head no for an answer.

John sat for a minute, his mind swirling with feelings that he rarely let come out when he was drawn from his musings by an anguished sound that he hadn't heard since Vietnam. Sam was waking up! Acting quickly, John reached out and stilled his son, "Sammy, lay still now…help's on the way, son. I know it hurts…trust me, I know. Just stay still for me and I promise I will make this all better" encouraged John only to be ripped open by his son's weak words, "S…Sorry dad…messed…up—s…D'n k?" John Winchester hung his head in shame. He was about to correct his son when he noticed that Sam had slipped into unconsciousness again. John could berate himself later, Sammy needed him now.

Dean was the first to hear the sirens and he ran waving his arms and yelling, "Over here! They're over here…help my brother, please help my brother!" Bobby let slip a few tears at Dean's heartbroken shouts for help—wondering what would happen to the older brother if the younger one didn't walk away from this. Bobby sent up a prayer to a god that he wasn't sure existed that 17 year old boy had a chance at a future…cut him some slack, dammit.

Bobby was spurred into action, "Hey! Just lower the damn thing over the side…the father is an ex-marine! Don't need all ya Idjits going down there…they ain't enough room!" John smiled when he faintly caught Bobby's voice drifting down to him and Sam. As the rescue equipment reached John, he started to roll Sam over as gently as he could after securing a neck brace around his son's neck. He didn't know if Sam had any spinal injuries but it was a chance they were gonna have to take—Sammy couldn't stay where he was. Just as he got Sam rolled over, a father's worst nightmare happened, Sam started convulsing as his breathing was compromised. John secured Sam to the gurney and literally screamed out orders to the men up top.

"Dean, take the rope and pull me up with Sam, NOW! He's having trouble breathing and I can't do anything down here!" his father's words hit Dean like ice water and he rushes to do just what his dad asked as the others start to pull Sam up too. John's shouts to Sammy of…hang on son and fight, don't you give up becoming clearer the closer they got to the top. With one more heave on Dean's part, John scrambles over the top and reaches for the gurney to lift his son out of the blackness.

Sam thinks this is the perfect time to stop breathing all together and the paramedics rush forward to do their job, as the fire and rescue personnel keep three worried hunters back. "Let them do their job, guys. They're trained for this; he's in good hands" one of them says and Dean bristles…taking care of Sammy is my job. Come on, little brother, don't leave me…please, don't leave me.

"We had to bag him…his airway must be compromised we need to move him—NOW!" one medic says, "Who's riding with him?" John squeezes Dean's shoulder for strength as he says, "Go with your brother, Dean. We'll be right behind you." Dean hesitates for only a second before he's moving into the back of the ambulance and the doors shut. Dean's eyes fill with tears that he doesn't try to hide as he gets his first look at Sam. His earlier worries that Sam was hiding something from him are forgotten…

Tbc

A/N: Sorry that it has taken so long to update this story. Hopefully, I can update it now once a week. My deepest thanks to those of you who offered your condolences on the death of my husband's grandfather; I dedicate this story to him. He was ex-army and a P.O.W in WWII and he was the pastor of our church—his name was James Robbins. That's right girls; I had my own Pastor Jim. I miss him…he was quite a character. Reviews are welcome.