The Heroes' Paradox

43. Dream a Little Dream of Me

MOTEL ROOM

Bobby was asleep on the bed. The door unlocked from the outside and a maid entered. After a few steps, she saw Bobby on the bed, who hadn't reacted to the noses she'd made.

"Oh! I'm sorry," the maid apologized.

She began walking out again, but as she retrieved the keys from the door, and Bobby still hadn't moved. She looked a little worried.

"Sir?"

Since he still wasn't moving, she left her keys in the door and walked over between the bed and the desk.

The maid touched Bobby on the shoulder. "Wake up."

Bobby didn't react. In the kitchen, a woman was screaming and Bobby was trying to survive the attack. She slammed his head against the floor.

The maid grabbed Bobby's shoulders, trying to wake him up.

"Wake up, you hear me? Wake up. Sir, wake up!" the maid called.

She turned to the door, panicked. "Help! I need some help in here!"

BAR

The bartender turned, a bottle in hand, to a man and woman. He grabbed a glass and walked down the bar. "Cheers!"

The bartender poured a drink. Sam was nursing a drink of his own. He tilted his glass back and forth slowly, almost spilling out the contents as a sad expression covered his face. The door opened behind him and Dean, Daisy, Madelyn and Reagan walked in. When they saw Sam, they walked over with furrowed brows.

"There you are," Dean said. "What are you doing?"

Sam turned to them. "Having a drink."

Daisy frowned. "It's two in the afternoon. Drinking whiskey?"

"I drink whiskey all the time."

"No, you don't."

"What's the big deal? Dean, you get sloppy in bars, you hit on chicks all the time. Why can't I?"

Dean looked around and saw a woman around 40. "It does have slim pickings in here." He took Madelyn's hand. "Not that I care." He turned back to Sam. "What's going on with you?"

Sam shook his head and didn't say anything for a few moments, looking completely lost. "I tried, Dean."

Dean and Daisy looked confused. "To do what?"

Sam glanced at Dean. "To save you."

Dean sat next to him and Madelyn sat on the other side, while Reagan and Daisy sat, as Dean said, "Could I get a whiskey, double, neat."

"I'm serious, Dean."

"No, you're drunk."

"I mean, where you're going... what you're gonna become." He looked close to tears and scoffed. "I can't stop it." He paused a beat. "I'm starting to think maybe even Ruby can't stop it. But really, the thing is, no one can save you."

"What I've been telling you and the girls."

"No, that's not what I mean. I mean, no one can save you because you don't wanna be saved, how can you care so little about yourself."

Daisy glanced at her eldest brother. "Dean, is that true?"

Dean took it all in, scoffed, and smiled a little.

"What's wrong with you?" Sam asked.

Dean looked over to meet Sam's eyes and Madelyn took Dean's hand, but before they got a chance to say anything else, Dean's cell rang.