A/N: Hello my dear readers. This is a short story from a prompt a reader gave me. Thank you Kaneswolf for the idea. I have changed it slightly and expanded the idea. I hope you like it. Thank you for coming alone on this journey with me. I do like to know your thoughts and reviews would be great. NC

Disclaimer: Do not own SPN and this is my own creation. All errors are my own.

Chapter 1

What had started out as a light rain was turning into a heavy downpour, puddling on the road and making it difficult to see in the darkness. The secondary road Dean was traveling on didn't have much traffic which was good since the conditions were getting hazardous. He was on his way back from a parts run, delivering and pickup, and had decided to push on through instead of stopping for the night like he told his brother. Dean swore under his breath as the car hydroplaned, but he got it back under control.

He was driving through an unpopulated area that had numerous curves and switchback but would cut his driving time down by a couple of hours. He unclenched the steering wheel when he saw he was almost out of the worse of it, when suddenly out of nowhere a deer bolted across the road in his path.

Dean slammed on the brakes and felt the car start to spin and tried to adjust by turning into the spin. He hit a part of the road with several inches of water standing on it and it was like the car had a mind of its own. Before he could stop it, the car skidded off the road and went down an embankment rolling over once. It finally came to a stop when it slammed sideways into a tree. Dean tried to brace himself but was knocked unconscious when his head collided with the side window. His body bounced around like a rag doll, hitting the steering wheel and side door again until it finally came to rest sideway against a tree. The passenger side tires continued to spin slowly as the engine coughed and sputtered before finally dying with one final rattle. The only working headlight shone at an odd angle into the forest as the rain continued to fall for several more hours.

It was completely silent surrounding the wrecked car, except for the pelting of the rain as it bounced off the surface of the car. The crash had silenced all the night creatures until they saw it was not a threat and one by one their voices filled the night again. The limp body of the driver lay against the broken side window as night finally gave way to light. He moved a finger and groaned in pain when he tried to adjust his awkward position. He couldn't force his eyelids to open as he rolled his head slightly but stopped when the pain became too much. He tried to pull in a breath but had to stop partway when his sides burned and stopped his intake of air.

Dean raised a shaky hand to his face and felt something dried on it before trying to wipe his eyes so he could open them. It took all his energy to force his eyes open enough to see he was lying sideways in the car that was tilted up on its side. He drew in several slow, partial, breaths before trying to push himself out from under the steering wheel of the car. He had to unlace his boot and take his foot out since it was pinned by crunched metal. His ankle throbbed but he didn't think it was broken.

It took everything he had to work his way to the passenger door and pull himself out of the shattered window and let his body drop to the ground beside the car. He cried out as his body hit, making all his injuries scream in agony that sent streaks of pain radiating up and down it. Dean could feel the wetness of the ground under him but couldn't move from where he lay. He could feel the warmth of the sun on his face as he laid still catching his breath.

It was nearly thirty minutes before he was finally able to roll to his stomach and make an effort to get to his feet. Everything was spinning and his vision was blurred, but he pushed from the car and took a few tottering steps toward the incline that the car had rolled down. Each step was sending waves of pain throughout his body and before he could take another step, he fell to his hands and knees and threw up. Once the dry heaves had stopped, he fell to the side panting hard, but knew he had to keep moving. Not trusting walking, Dean began to crawl upward, clutching vines and shrubs to help pull him forward. He dug his toes into the damp earth to push himself alone and combat crawled up the hill. It was a slow process since he had to pause every fifteen feet to catch his breath and rest.

Rocks and twigs dug into his body and clawed at his clothes, trying to hold him back. His fingers dug into the mud on the slope and he kept lifting his face to look upward to see how much farther he had to go. Sweat was beading on his forehead and running down his face and neck. He stopped to wipe the sweat from his burning eyes and rest for a moment before he could continue. He didn't know how long he inched his way up the slope until finally his fingers found the rim and he pulled himself up and over the edge to lay there panting hard before passing out again.

Consciousness came back slowly and when he was awake, Dean carefully pushed up from the ground to stand on wobbly, unsteady legs. He focused on putting one foot in front of the other as he limped down the road. He shuffled down the blacktop not even feeling the sharp rocks that he stepped on with his socked foot. He was slightly bent over and could barely keep his balance, but all he knew was he needed to keep moving to find help.

He didn't know how long he had been walking but the sun was almost gone, and the night was claiming the land. He staggered back and forth until he couldn't do it anymore and dropped to his knees before crumbling to the side of the road unconscious. The blackness was a blessing and he let it carry him away to Neverland.

spn

"I swear Jasper you and your short cuts," Bessie complained as her husband drove their car down the country road toward the city.

"Don't worry dear, we'll be there in no time and this is so much prettier than the interstate," Jasper told her. He rounded a curve and slowed when he saw something on the side of the road just ahead. "What's that honey?"

"My goodness Jasp, that's someone hurt," she said leaning forward in her seat.

"I'll pull over."

Jasper slowed and pulled over below the body to stop. They got out and went back to check if the person was alive. Jasper knelt by the body and slowly turned the young man to his back. He saw the blood coating his face and the dirt, bloody and torn clothing. He pressed two fingers to his neck and felt for a pulse. It was weak and erratic and his breathing was labored.

"We need to get him to the hospital," Jasper told Bessie.

"The poor child," she cried out. "I'll move the car back here and help you get him in the backseat." Bessie went back to their car and got in to back the car beside the body. She got out and helped Jasper lift the young man onto the backseat moving him over until the door could be closed. Bessie got in the back and pulled the young man's upper body into her lap.

"What do you think happened to him?" she asked.

"I don't know, maybe an accident. Good thing we were going to the hospital anyway," Jasper said. He got in the driver's seat and started the car again to head for the hospital.

Jasper needed knee surgery and they were going to a VA medical center three hundred miles from their farmstead to have the procedure done. Jasper was retired from the Air Force and worked a farm selling fresh produce and honey to local businesses nearby. He had met Bessie in high school, and they dated through college and were married when they graduated. He went into the Air Force as an officer and served twenty years, half overseas and the remaining in the states. When he was discharged, they found a nice working farm for sell and bought it. They had been working the farm for nearly twenty-five years. He had been married to Bessie for forty-five years this year and their marriage was still going strong. It was love at first sight when they had first met, and they knew they were soul mates.

It was over an hour later that Jasper pulled into the emergency entrance at the hospital and stopped. Jasper got out and went inside to get help for the young man. He didn't know if he was military or not, but they couldn't turn him away.

Nurses and orderlies ran out with a gurney and got the young man from the backseat and rushed him inside. Bessie moved the car to the visitor's parking lot and met Jasper to sign in for admittance. He left his name at the emergency room to contact him about the young man. They felt a connection to him and wanted to keep check on him.

Jasper was admitted and was scheduled for knee surgery that afternoon. Bessie was staying the first night with him and if he did okay, she planned on getting a motel room to stay during the night until he was released. Jasper talked to several doctors and wrangled it where he would share a room with the young man, they had brought in. He was still unconscious and had no ID on him, so he was labeled a John Doe for their records.

Jasper's surgery went well, and he was brought to a semi-private room where his wife was waiting on him. The second bed had the young stranger in it resting peacefully. He still had not come to, but they had been told he had no serious injuries, but couldn't be told any more since they were not related.

Since John didn't have anyone, Bessie took him under her wing and made sure he was comfortable and had what he needed. She could easily look after Jasper and John with no problem. He also reminded her of their son whom they lost when he was serving as a Marine overseas. He was around this young man's age when they were notified of his death.

Jasper was brought up from recovery and Bessie stepped out so they could get him settled in the room. She went back in once the nurse said she could and took a seat between the beds. Jasper was resting and wasn't in any pain so far and she kept an eye on John, covering him with another light blanket. She studied his bruised and swollen face thinking he would be handsome once his injuries healed. They were monitoring him since he had not woken up yet. He had a neck brace on, and his head was wrapped with gauze because of the gash and he had random bandages on his body.

Nurses came in hourly during the night to check both patients while Bessie kept her vigil by their beds. She had a light on and was crocheting an afghan. She gave Jasper ice chips and sips of water when he came around and wiped John's face with a damp cloth and talked to him when seemed restless. He seemed to calm down at the sound of her soft voice.

When morning came, Jasper roused himself and ate the soft diet breakfast he was brought. Bessie left to get a motel room and get some rest planning on coming back that afternoon to sit with them.

Jasper had the television on and was watching a talk show when he heard movement in the bed across from him. He heard John moan and cry out softly.

"Hey, hey, it's okay son," Jasper called to him. He hit the nurse's button to get someone in there to help him.

A nurse hurried in and over to John's bed to calm him. "Hello young man," she cooed to him, stopping John from thrashing his arms. "It's good to see you awake, can you tell me your name?" she asked him.

The young man stilled with the nurse's touch and gentle words. He opened his blurry eyes and tried to focus on her but couldn't concentrate with the pounding in his head. He tried to turn his head but found his neck restrained and started to fight it.

"John, you have a neck brace on. Don't fight it. The doctor will be here shortly to check on you. Hopefully we can change it to a soft brace if he agrees. Do you understand?"

"Hello young man, it's good to see you're awake," a portly man in scrubs said when he walked in. "You had us worried there for a while. I am Dr. Houston, I admitted you when you were brought in." He moved to the bedside and took a stethoscope from around his neck to check his heart and breathing. He used a light to check his pupil reaction finding it good. "Do you know where you are?"

"Hosp'il," he said in a raspy, hoarse voice.

"Are you dizzy, lightheaded, feel sick?"

"Li'le."

"Here, let's get you some water, nurse if you would please," Dr. Houston said.

The nurse got a cup from the stand beside the bed and held the straw to the young man's lips so he could sip the water. She let him take a few sips before taking it away not wanting him to drink too much and get sick.

"Can you tell me your name?" Dr. Houston asked as he flipped through the chart.

The young man looked to the doctor with a frown and look of confusion that changed to fear. He wet his lips with his tongue and let them part for a moment like he was going to say something but didn't. It was like he had been sucker punched and he could barely breath.

"Sir, do you know your name?" the doctor asked again trying to be encouraging and gentle. "Do you know what happened to you? How you ended up on the side of a road in the middle of nowhere?"

"No, I don't," the young man whispered as his hands clenched into fists. He was fighting to breath as panic locked his mind down and crippled him.

"That's okay young man, you had a nasty head injury and a concussion, so it is not unusual to have memory loss. Just take it easy and breath slowly. I don't need you having a panic attack on me. It'll be fine. You will probably have a headache on and off for a week or so, but we didn't find any serious injuries from the tests we ran when you came in. We didn't find and brain injury, so I say you are very lucky. You've got whiplash, bruising, scrapes, bruised ribs, sprained ankle and gash on the side of his head that was stitched. We are thinking you were in a car accident but are not sure. Your roommate, Mr. Hopper, and his wife found you on the side of the road and brought you to the emergency room. You had no ID on you, so you have been given the name John Doe for now. If you need anything for the headache, I'll leave orders for nurses to administer medication. Just tell them you need something."

"Yes, I think I need something for pain," he told the doctor. He reached for the water and sipped some more letting it sooth his sore throat and quench his thirst. "How long before I start remembering?"

"Nurse if you'll get him pain meds," Dr. Houston told her. "I can't say; a day, few days, a week, but they should start coming back as you heal. The brain is a complex organ and will fix itself in its own time. You might not get them all back, but I would say most will come in time." Dr. Houston assured him. "Here we are, this should help with your pain." The doctor stepped aside so the nurse could give him a shot for pain. "I have oral medication for you from now on and from the results of the test we can get rid of this neck brace and get you into something a little more comfortable. Since you're awake I'll have the catheter and IV removed so you can start moving around some. Just be sure you're not dizzy or lightheaded when you do. If you keep improving, you should be out of here in a few days. I will be back in the morning when I do rounds to check on you. Have a good day John."

The young man nodded his thanks as he puzzled over why the name John seemed familiar, but he didn't think it was his name. He looked across the room to see an older man reclining in the bed with his knee bandaged and resting on a pillow.

"Hello young man," Jasper said in a friendly voice. "You look much better than when we found you."

"Guess I need to thank you for saving me?" John asked. "Most people would have probably passed me by."

"It was the right thing to do. My Bessie and I were coming to the hospital when we found you on the side of the road unconscious. I would not have been able to sleep at night if I didn't stop to help."

They looked toward the door when it opened and an older woman with white hair and a kind, gentle face walked in carrying a bag. She looked to the bed to see the young man sitting up and looking at her.

"Well, hello young man. It's good to see you awake. How are you feeling?" she asked moving between the beds. She leaned over to kiss her husband and then turned back to John. "You had us worried there."

"John, this is my lovely wife Bessie," Jasper introduced them.

"Nice to meet you ma'am," John replied already liking this older woman.

"Goodness sakes call me Bessie. We're not formal around here. How's the knee doing today honey?"

"Better. They got me up for a short walk around the room earlier and said I can start getting up to walk around as long as I have someone with me."

"That's good to hear, maybe we'll take a stroll in a bit."

"Okay John let's get this IV and catheter out and I'll see if I can get you something to eat," a nurse said. She closed the curtain around the bed so she could have some privacy. "I have a soft collar for you to so we can take this hard plastic one off." She undid the Velcro on the neck brace and removed it gently rubbing his neck making John sigh with relief. She replaced it with a soft neck collar. "This should help with neck pain and your headache. The doctor wants you to wear it for a few days and after that whenever you feel the need."

"That's much better," John told her as he let his head relax into the soft collar. It did seem to stabilize his head and relieve some of the pressure on his neck making the pain not so bad.

"He's lost his memory," Jasper whispered to Bessie as he listened to them talk behind the curtain. He didn't mean to ease drop but he had an interest in the young man they called John. "Can't even remember his own name. He's a John Doe for now."

"Oh, how awful for him. Is there anything we can do?" she said in a soft, caring voice. "I feel sorry for the boy being here with no one to call. I wonder if there's someone out there looking for him?"

"Maybe, let me talk to him and feel him out," Jasper replied. "I might have a plan that will benefit both of us."

"I brought you some yogurt and biscuits and jam. I know they won't be as good as mine, but you can make do."

"Why don't you see if John might like the yogurt when the nurse is done? He's not ate in I don't know when."

"Good idea, or I can go get him something from the cafeteria."

"If you need anything let me know," the nurse told John as she pulled the curtain back out of the way and stepped from the room.

Bessie waited for the nurse to leave and moved to John's bed with a spoon and yogurt. "Here John, why don't you eat this, and I'll be happy to go down to the cafeteria to get you something if you like."

"Thank you but I can't take your husband's food," John said.

"Nonsense son, you're welcome to it. And Bessie brought biscuits and jam if you feel like eating more," Jasper insisted. "Would you like me to find something else to watch on the television?"

"No that is fine," John told him. He accepted the yogurt and opened it, spooning some into his mouth. He leaned his head back as his mind swirled and seemed fractured. He couldn't concentrate or his head pounded harder and just tried to relax. He kept asking the question over and over in his head. 'What is my name?' but it was one he could not answer. No name seemed right to him, but John at least didn't seem foreign. He listened to Jasper and Bessie talking quietly so not to disturb him and smiled at the love he could see between them. They seemed like a happy couple. He wondered if there was someone out there waiting for him to come home that loved him like that.