To The Beat Of The Devil's Drums [Supernatural]

Prologue

The green light of the fire escape glows like a beacon in the distance. Fighting back against the darkness creeping over his vision, Dean tries to focus on it as both brothers stumble towards what they hope is safety. Sam is heavy against Dean's side, barely able to stay upright by himself, although Dean isn't much better. It's a miracle how they make it the last few meters, both supporting each other until Dean's hands finally reach out to grasp the bar across the doorway and push it open. There's a rush of cool air from the other side, and then they both stumble over the threshold, not looking back as they press desperately on.

Sam's eyes are fluttering shut. Dean can feel him growing heavier as he sags against the arm Dean has under his shoulders, and Dean knows that if Sam passes out, he physically doesn't have the strength to drag him further. "Come on, Sammy, it's not that far...we just...we gotta keep going, okay?" Dean's voice is hoarse, his chest and throat burning with the effort of speaking at all. The stench of smoke and burning gasoline hangs thick in the air and it's a struggle to even breathe. An alarm or siren of some sort is screeching all around them, making Dean's head ring, and he knows there isn't much time before the fire spreads and the whole place comes down. They have to get out of here.

There's a staircase just beyond the fire door, black painted metal that clangs horribly with each slight movement, and Dean feels it shudder as he and Sam drag themselves onto the platform at the top. Sam's trying to stay awake, laboriously forcing one foot in front of the other, but he's deathly pale and Dean knows he's lost too much blood. There's a trail of crimson smearing across the floor behind them from both their injuries, and Dean doesn't even want to imagine how it would look if he glanced back. The only way they can focus on is forward.

Somehow, they keep going, clutching at the handrail to stay upright and conscious as they descend the staircase. They're just a few feet from the bottom when Sam's legs give out, and he falls, dragging Dean with him as they tumble into the dirt. Dean's shins collide with the edges of the final few steps, his ankle catches between them, twists, and a fresh shock of pain shoots through his legs. It barely registers. His body's been nothing but one giant bundle of agony for hours, the waves of pain fluctuating in time with the frantic beating of his heart. It hurts less than the panic that crashes over him as he realizes that Sam's finally lost his battle with consciousness.

"No, Sammy, come on, you gotta stay with me..." Dean pleads, ignoring the burning in his legs as he gets to his knees and tries to pull Sam upright again, although he barely has the strength to lift him from where he collapsed to the floor. He's praying for Sam's eyes to open, silently begging that Sam will wake up and somehow have the energy to keep going, but his brother's body is just dead weight in his arms. Dread settles heavy in the pit of Dean's stomach as he crushes his fingertips to Sam's throat in search of a pulse. He can't tell if there's one there or not. His hands are shaking too violently, his head pounding in time with his own heartbeat, and the dull haze over his eyes is pulling him closer to join Sam in unconsciousness. All he knows is, if he can't get Sam out of here, then he's staying too.

"Sammy, please..." He doesn't know if his vision's blurring from tears or if his body's just finally giving up, but he chokes out the words in desperation. "Cas, we need help..."

Maybe he just imagines it, the blurred shape that looks like a man in a trenchcoat materializing somewhere in the corners of his vision, because it can't be Cas. He knows the prayer is futile when every prayer of the past two days has gone unanswered, but there's still a faint spark of hope that ignites inside him as the figure begins to approach. Whether it's real or not, it's the final thing Dean sees before his battered body finally defeats his stubborn attempts to stay conscious, and he slips away to join Sam in oblivion.