Killing Me Slowly

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I coughed as I felt smoke going into my lungs. I looked around and saw a fire had started. I cursed at myself and my oh so ingenious plans. I grunted as I grabbed a hold of Brit, unhooking her from the machines and I started to drag her out of the back. I needed to find whatever strength I had left in me to just get her out of here.

“Melissa!” I heard a voice as I was trying to drag her across the pavement. I turned and saw Bobby running toward us. “Bobby!” I yelled in relief.

“What the hell…”

“Hurry, take her. I need to get the people that are still in there” I said, shoving Brit into his arms

“But, Melissa…” he started but I already headed back in there.

I grabbed a hold of both of the paramedics and managed to lift one over my shoulder…it was a good thing she was just a petite girl…and I began to drag the other. I saw Bobby was at the back doors, ready to grab one from me and I saw Brit was a safe distance away so I handed him the guy and jumped out to rush the girl away from the flaming ambulance. But, then I turned to run back in to get the man who was behind the wheel and the ambulance blew up. I froze in my spot, staring wide-eyed at the flames. I realized I still tried to go save the man but Bobby had grabbed a hold of my wrist to stop me.

“He’s gone, Mel…you did all you could” I couldn’t even respond though. “Come on, we need to get Brit out of here” he murmured.

That made me snap out of it. “Yea, lets go” I agreed. So, he went and lifted her up and we went to make a plan.

~~

I got in my doctor get up and I went looking for Dean’s room. I managed to steal his chart and I got to the room just in time to see a bunch of other doctors rushing in there. I rushed over to his bed, acting like I knew what I was doing. But, in fact, I caught on and realized they were about to pop his leg back into place.

“I got it, I got it. Hold him down. We set on three…” I instructed as I grabbed a hold of his leg. No one was going to fix him but me. I noticed he started to wake up so I wanted to do it before he had full consciousness. “One, two, three, set!” I yelled and I popped his leg back into place as I had some help from nurses.

He shot up in his spot, yelling out in pain as other nurses were trying to restrain him. He laid back and groaned. “Just relax” I tried, hoping he would recognize my voice.

“Where am I?” he looked around.

He was too far into panic mode to recognize anything right now. “You're at the hospital” a nurse told him.

“Which one?”

"Sioux Falls General” she said and I noticed her give him a shot.

“Where's my brother? We got to go”

“He bashed his head quite seriously. He's gone up for an MRI” the nurse said.

“Okay. I got to go”

“You're not going anywhere on this leg, sweetheart” I said as I moved up to his eyes. I pulled my mask down so he could see my face and I could tell he realized it was me because he held his eyes with mine. “Relax…it’s going to be okay” I promised him.

I think he nodded slightly before he blacked out but I could be mistaken. “Okay, if something goes wrong in this room, go on the loudspeaker and call Dr. Rosenboom. That’s me. I’m new but I’m the best. This is now my patient” I ordered and they all nodded obediently.

I walked out of the room and started to run down the hallway. Impersonating a doctor, trying not to get caught by a man-eating purgatory monster all the while trying to rescue her boyfriend who now had a broken leg and his brother who has gone off the ledge and who is pretty much her best friend…yea all in a days work for me.

~~

I found Bobby hiding out with Brit in one of the rooms of the basement of the hospital. He made a cast for her arm and bandaged up her ankle. As soon as I saw her though I hugged her so tight, I thought I would break her all over again. He told me that she checked out. So, now, that she was awake we had to get out of here. I told them that Sam was heading up to get a head scan so the new plan was that Brit would wait out back in the ambulance we were going to steal while Bobby would go get Sam and I would go get Dean.

I kept a low profile as I snuck through the hallways discreetly…still in my doctors uniform and then I finally made it to his room. But, when I walked in, I saw he had ripped out the drip from his arm and he was now on the floor looking up at me.

“What are you doing? Why are you on the floor?” I asked as I quickly got him up and set him on the bed. Then, I spun to shut the blinds.

“They gave me morphine. A lot” he said, running a hand over his face.

“I know. I was in the room when they gave it to you” I said, spinning back around. I put his face in my hands to inspect him.

“Yea, you were…”

“Well, I wasn’t going to let them be all over you” I smiled.

“Come on, we need to get out of here. Bobby went to go get Sam and Brit is waiting at the ambulance dock…” I started as I spun to grab his crutches, but he grabbed my wrist.

“Wait…Bobby’s alive?” he asked.

I faced him again and smiled. “Alive and healthy…now lets go you gimp” I said, handing him his clothes.

I helped him change and then I handed him his crutches as I rolled a wheeling chair over to him. I helped him into the chair and then rolled him out of the room as we looked both ways and then I started to roll him down the hallway. I got him down to the basement, luckily without any questions being asked…what kind of hospital was this really?

I heard footsteps and some whispers. Then, I turned my head and saw a doctor and a nurse following us. “Shit, shit, shit” I muttered and started to run as fast as I could…which was pretty fast.

I saw the exit and threw my hand up so the doors flew open and I jumped on the small pegs that were on the back as we went rolling out so fast I felt tears in my eyes. I got Dean in the passenger seat. “Bobby, go, go, go!” I yelled

“What? No!” Dean yelled.

“Now!” I yelled back and Bobby obeyed as he started up the ambulance.

As they drove off, I spun and saw the doctor was about to jump on the ambulance to stop them but I flew into him and we went rolling to the side. He threw me away and then I saw his face transform.

“Oh that is so gross” I made a face.

Then, the nurse came at me but I did a backhand spring and then spun and kicked her in the face. But, I saw the other one coming right at me so I quickly dodged his attack. I looked over and saw Bobby was a safe distance away.

“Well, I would love to stay and chat but…” I started and then took off. I started to focus as hard as I could as I shut my eyes and just…..

I heard skidding. I opened my eyes and saw Bobby was slamming down on the brakes as hard as he could so he wouldn’t hit me since I just appeared right in the middle of the road, right in front of them. I froze as the ambulance came to a full stop and him, Dean and Brit were all just staring at me in full shock. Then, I just rushed around the back and got in where Sam was on the gurney and I walked to the front where they all were as they were still staring at me.

“Drive!” I ordered, startling Bobby but he still obeyed and continued driving.

“How did you…” Brit started.

“Something I learned from Jesse” I murmured as I just knelt down and leaned forward on the drivers seat to just try and take a breather for a second.

“What the hell was that, Melissa” Dean demanded.

I snapped my eyes up to glare at him. “What do you mean? I was trying to buy you some more time to get away, if I didn’t do what I did, we’d probably all be dead by now!” I raised my voice a little.

“And you just had to sacrifice yourself up to them right?”

“Oh do not pull the Melissa is suicidal card, who else would’ve done it, Dean? You? With your broken leg? Sam? In his comatose state? Or Brit with her sprained ankle and broken arm? Or maybe Bobby who had to friggin drive the getaway car!”

Was he just trying to fight with me right now?

He was about to respond. “Dean!” Bobby snapped so he shut his mouth. “Melissa is right…she just saved all of our lives…especially yours and Sam’s, she deserves a thank you"

He thought about it. “I know…I’m sorry…it’s just all a lot to take in…” he said to me, sincerely.

“I know…” I reached forward to grab his hand. “I told you…it was all going to be okay” I smiled.

He just stared at me for a moment and actually considered my words, thoughtfully and then he kissed my hand. Then, I just leaned on Brit’s shoulder (on her good side) for some support and she wrapped her arm around me as she leaned her head on mine. I was just so relieved we were all okay…for now.

~~~

Three weeks later:

We’ve been hiding out in an abandoned cabin that used to belong to Rufus in Whitefish, Montana just trying to recover and recuperate. Dean’s pretty useless with one leg and Brit’s ankle healed up for the most part but her arm is still in a cast…at least she can walk though.

Dean was laying across the couch, keeping his leg elevated and I was sitting on my knees as he had his head laying on my lap and Brit and Sam were sitting at the table, reading…talking…while Dean and I were watching some Spanish soap opera. I looked down at him and I saw he was almost crying so I smiled, amused. Then, Bobby walked in.

“Dude...Ricardo” Dean said to him.

“What happened?”

“Suicidio”

“Adiós, ese”

“You guys are ridiculous” both Brit and I commented, laughing a little.

“Hey, this is better than what you used to make me watch with you” he said to me.

“And what did I make you watch with me, exactly?”

“That Tree Hill show” he shuddered.

“Hey, that’s a good show! And at least that ones in English!” I laughed.

“Yea, whatever…I still cant believe it about Ricardo”

"Well, this ought to cheer you up” Bobby said, tossing him his keys to the Impala.

“My baby! Now I just got to get this stupid thing off and I can drive again” he said, gesturing to the cast.

“So how is it out there?” Sam asked.

“Weird with a side order of bloody. Talked to a few hunters. They're running into the same kind of thing that set up shop at that hospital”

“Yeah, and don't forget tried to kill us at your place“ Dean said.

“Well, consensus is they're like shape shifters only a lot more into eating folk. And nothing can kill 'em”

“Good times. Anything else?” I asked.

“Yep. They bleed black goo”

“Like that stuff that came out of Cas, those things from Purgatory” Brit said.

“Leviathan” Sam said for her.

“Yep” Bobby replied.

“What about those chompers that you and the sheriff saw at the hospital? They still making spleen burgers?” Dean asked.

“Yeah, made some calls. That doctor never showed back up to work. Ditto a nurse and some administrator”

“So they could be at any hospital in America” I said.

“Yeah”

“What do you guys think?” Dean asked Sam and Brit.

I looked over at them but saw they were just staring blankly into space. “Sammy? Brit?” he voiced again. “Hey, ground control! Guys!” I yelled and they seemed to snap out of it and look back at all of us.

“Yeah. What? We’re right here” Sam said and Brit just stared blankly at me. “You okay?” Dean asked. They looked at each other first. “Yeah…we’re fine” Brit answered.

“Good. Every last bit of info I ever had burned down, so…” Bobby started as he stood to his feet. “What about this place? Rufus leave anything? Did you check the basement?” Dean asked.

“C-rations and dust. I don't think he'd been here in years. So, I got to go round up my old library”

“I thought you said most of those books were one-of-a-kind” Sam said.

“Yeah. That's why I stashed copies all over the place”

“Good…hey two-legs. We're fresh out of grub. Want to make a run?” Dean asked Sam. “Sure. Yeah” he said, standing up.

Dean tossed the keys to him. “Be careful with her, would you?”

Sam nodded and then looked at Brit as they shared a silent conversation and I think he was asking if she wanted to go with him. She smiled and nodded, standing up. He took her good hand as they headed for the door.

“Oh and Brit…make sure he gets the pie”

“Obviously” she smiled and they walked out.

“So?” Dean said to Bobby.

“So what?”

“Before you bail again…pulling a ‘Girl, Interrupted’ over there. Any thoughts?” he said, gesturing to what happened to Brit and Sam seconds before.

“Looks to me like they’re doing better”

“Better? What do you mean, better? You just saw them!”

“Dean, calm down…” I tried. He ignored me though.

“I saw them check out once. That's progress” Bobby continued.

“You're kidding!”

“Look, seems to me that Sam and Brit’s heads ain't no different than your leg. People heal on a curve”

“Not diff…” he started but stopped in frustration. “Bobby, I get this thing off in five days, I'm golden. Sam and Brittney are not a curve. They’re a frickin' time bomb”

“It ain't like they’re keeping secrets. What you see is what you get. What's so nuts about calling an upswing?"

“Because that's not how it works, Bobby, ever! All right? Especially not with them. The other shoe is gonna drop. It's just a matter of when”

“Okay. How 'bout we worry about today's problems? And today, we need intel. I'm going. You sit there and stew. I'll check in. Look...you sitting here wringing your hands ain't gonna do nothing. Maybe they'll surprise you” he said and walked out.

“Can you believe him?” he asked me. I shook out some of my hair and hung my arm over the couch.

“Well…” I started. He stared at me in disbelief. “They are improving, Dean. You have to lighten up when it comes to them”

He ran a hand over his face as he sat up and moved his leg so it was resting on the coffee table in front of us. “I don’t want to argue with you” he said and I nodded as I started to play with his fingers.

“Ya know…I never realized how much you really take care of me…how much you’re really looking out for me…for all of us…I’m supposed to be the one looking out for you and telling you everything will be okay” he said, staring right into my eyes.

“Hon, this is a two way street” I smiled.

“I know, but…”

“No buts…I don’t know what I would’ve done if I would’ve lost you…again” I laughed light heartedly.

He just smiled lightly at me. “Bobby told me about the ambulance that you and Brit were in catching fire and how you went back in to save the people but you couldn’t save one of them…”

My smile dropped slowly. “His name was Alex Cantagro…he had a wife and three kids…two teenage girls and a seven year old son…and I killed him…it was my fault…I crashed the ambulance. I’m the reason it caught fire and exploded…I just knew it was a bad idea to be admitted to the hospital so I was just trying to protect Brittney” I started to tear up and tried to hold back from becoming hysterical.

“Hey, hey…” he started as he forced himself to move closer to me but I saw it was difficult for him. He wrapped an arm around my back. “You tried everything you could…you were just looking out for your family…”

I didn’t respond though. I just wrapped my arms around his body and hugged him. He soothed me as I had silent tears go down my cheeks. He started to slowly lay back on the couch and move his leg over so it was laying across the cushions now and I laid beside him, hugging him close as he did the same to me.

“Remember last year when Jesse got appendicitis and then right after that he got the flu and was out of it for about a month?” he asked me.

“Dean, how is this supposed to help…?”

“You wouldn’t leave that kids side for a second, making sure he had whatever he needed…whatever he wanted…making sure he was comfortable…and then Diane got sick the very next month and you went right over to her house to help her get better, making sure she was okay, you even stayed overnight there for a few nights…”

“What are you getting at?”

“You care, Melissa. We all know you do. It's who you are. You care too much sometimes. Diane was a terrible friend…she was a good friend but a terrible friend…and you still took care of her. Don’t let one death make you think you cant save anyone else” he said to me and I just stared up at him for a long moment.

"Remember when we went on our first ever normal ‘first date’?” he asked me, changing the subject completely and used air quotes with one hand.

Well, so much for that moment…. I had to shake myself out of it a little. “You wanted to take me out somewhere nice with the money that you earned yourself from your job” I laughed a little.

“Yea” he chuckled.

“And when we got there you spilt your drink all over me before we could even order” I added and that made him laugh which made me laugh too at the memory.

I think he brought it up to just change the subject and get my mind on something else…it was working though so I didn’t mind.