The Real Reason

Chapter 8

"Survivor's guilt. Now this is an interesting one." Lucifer continued. He was reading the psychology book again, "Apparently you humans feel bad when you survive a trauma and other people don't. Verrrry interesting."

Sam ignored Lucifer. He was busy trying to come up with a way to pickpocket the nurse. It wouldn't be easy. Schemes like this were usually done with his brother Dean's help.

Why hadn't he asked Marin to assist him?

He should go find her. They could work together. Maybe Sam could distract the nurse while Marin reached into his pocket (she did have smaller hands) and took out his lighter.

If only Sam knew which pocket the nurse kept his cigarette lighter in...

"Oh. Look. Apparently you people suffer five stages of grief. Denial. Bargaining. Anger. Depression. Acceptance. Can be experienced in an order. Hmm." Lucifer remarked, "I think denial sounds a bit like you..."

Oh well. They would have to try each pocket and see which one held the cigarette lighter.

Provided the nurse kept the lighter on him...

Sam swallowed. They would work on that when the time came. If this plan didn't work they would just try another one. There were other ways to set fires.

At least the salt would be easy to find. Sam's meals always came with salt and pepper shakers. No worries there.

In the meantime, Sam needed to find Marin. He didn't know why he hadn't asked her to assist him in the first place.

Sam peered out of his room. No one in sight. He didn't think there was a penalty for visiting other patients, but he couldn't be sure. Marin seemed to do it a lot.

He crept down the hall. What room was she in? She couldn't be far, not if she chose to visit Sam so often.

Sam glanced at the rooms he passed. Most of them were empty. No Marin so far...

A chain wrapped itself around Sam's throat.

Sam choked and struggled against the icy metal. His vison spun. There was a loud ringing in his ears.

The chain jerked Sam up so he was dangling from the ceiling. The hall had grown dark. Everything was lit in a red glow.

Sam gagged and struggled in a blind panic. In the corner of his blurry vision, Sam could see a black shape dangling beside him, hanging from another chain...

"Sam? Sam?"

Sam gasped. The vison disappeared. He had fallen to the floor. The Doctor was shining a light into his eyes. Beside the Doctor, and black-haired female nursed looked on in worry.

"Sam?" the Doctor asked.

Sam stared the Doctor in his pale blue eyes. Eyes the color of Lucifer's...

"Sam, can you hear me?" the Doctor asked.

"Yeah." Sam nodded.

"You had a seizure." The nurse explained.

"Has anything like that ever happened to you before?" the Doctor asked.

Sam shook his head.

The Doctor clicked off his light and looked at the nurse, "I think we better keep a closer eye on him."

"Uh, no. Really. I'm fine," Sam said.

"Check his blood pressure," The Doctor instructed and the nurse nodded.