hoodie_time | Supernatural/Paprika Fusion: While I Lay Dreaming (4/?) (Reply)

Series: While I Lay Dreaming
Chapter Title: 'cause the dreams ain't broken down here/they're walkin' with a limp
Author:

felicia_angel
Characters: Dean, Doctor Chiba, Paprika, Tokita, Doc Shima, Chairman (mentioned), Hendriksen
Series Summary: AU from "Swan Song" and "Jus in Bello" - Dean checked into the Institute because of insomnia. Now his family must attempt to piece together a way to save him and the world from something dangerous.
Chapter Summary: Doctor Chiba attempts to figure out Dean. Dean's inner psyche proves dangerous, and more hints are given to his mysterious illness.

AO3 link

‘cause the dreams ain’t broken down here/they’re walkin’ with a limp

now that Small Change got rained on/with his own thirty-eight

-Small Change

July - August 2010

Dean doesn’t quite understand the science behind the DC Mini, though he gets some of the mechanics of it. Combined with the regular therapy of talking to (or not talking to, he’s allowed to not talk about emotional stuff with Doc Shima) and dealing with the nightmares, Dean’s attorney was sure that they’d be able to keep him in the Institute.

But then something occurred, and Dean withdrew into himself and stopped using the DC machines at all.

A week later, Doctor Shima was dead, Harris was missing, and the problems began.

mid-July

Doctor Chiba was silent, looking at the notes before she asked, “Is it safe enough for use?”

“It should be,” Tokita tells her, smiling as he sits at the couch, “It’s just a smaller version of the original one, and it doesn’t need a battery - I figured out how to use the human body-heat to let it go, so for the ones that sleep too long or get stuck in a coma...”

Chiba allowed Tokita to continue, listening and reading the notes about Dean’s first session before letting out a breath. He still had religious images, and while many were the type that made Hendriksen uneasy, and allowed Miss Moore to really consider the insanity plea, she also knew that this would be a problem. It was why she’d called in--

“Harris is acting weird.”

Chiba looked over at Tokita, frowning. “Why do you say that?”

“He’s muttering, and I think he’s unhappy about something.” Tokita looked down. “I think his parents found out again.”

“He doesn’t live with his family. He shouldn’t worry about them.”

“I told him. He called me an idiot.” This wasn’t odd behavior, for the most part. Harris could give Dean a run for his money on the ‘low self-esteem’ department. However, most of his problems rose from growing up with very simple-minded parents and colleagues. He’d given all of them up for this job, and despite working out and doing all he could, he’d not found someone. The lack of a sexual relationship, at least in Chiba’s mind, was causing Harris to be a bit less social and have a more annoying nature.

“He also put up a photo he found, of the Chairman when he was younger,” Tokita said before shrugging, “I guess he was good-looking, before the accident.”

Chiba didn’t comment on that, or on Harris’ behavior. “Shima will speak to him. If Harris’ attitude continues and influences the project, we could lose the machines.” She ignored Tokita’s worried look, “I don’t know why the Chairman dislikes it so much, only that he does. If we are able to help Dean, then this would help others.” She didn’t want to mention how broken Dean appeared to be, or how much she wanted to find his family and give them a piece of her mind. After a moment, she sighed. “We need to get back to work, Tokita. I’ll deal with the Chairman.”

He nodded and left, the room quiet for untold minutes before a voice spoke up from to one side of her. “Dean isn’t going to get better. You know that.”

“I didn’t need to hear that.”

“The truth is the truth. Denying it is your job, not mine. Besides, he knows as well. He’s resigned himself to it, after he first came in.” A sigh. “It’s like capturing a wild beast that so longs for it’s freedom, it starves itself.”

“You know those stories are false.”

“Possibly, but they’re more romantic than talking about the human slaves who did much the same.”

Chiba typed up her report and sat back. “I don’t want him to die. He needs a miracle.”

“He needs his family, which would be a miracle anyway. From what we do know, they’re all dead, or don’t know him. Hendriksen can’t find his extended family either.” Silence again. “How are your dreams, anyway?”

“A funny thing to ask.”

“I don’t dream...I only dream for others. You knew that already, At-chan.”

“Please don’t call me that, Paprika.” The auburn hair girl shrugged and slowly stood, stretching, her body transparent.

“Then I’ll see him tonight, and tell you about it tomorrow.”

early-August

“He won’t cooperate,” his lawyer said after the last talk with Dean. He had, a week ago, stopped using the DC mini and wouldn’t speak to anyone about his dreams, or what had occurred. Considering how he’d acted, and what happened when they found him, Chiba knew this was both a breakthrough and the simple cement to keeping Dean here for the rest of his short life.

Dean refused treatment and seemed to be unable to really eat anything. As such, he was fading faster than expected. The damage done to his body and mind were one thing, and with enough care might be reversed...but somehow it wasn’t. They had learned quickly, even after the initial tests for Dean on the regular DC machines, that his fate was final.

Of course, the medical doctors were baffled by it as well. Hendriksen, when he’d found out, began to search for whatever medical records he could find, and had gotten Dean’s cooperation for odd medical ailments that were now showing up.

Paprika knew about them, and had not said anything about how to heal them. It was not something Chiba liked to dwell on. As it was, shortly before his withdrawal, she’d apparently appeared in one part of his dream and made him not only uneasy, but downright scared of her.

His nightmares were becoming more vivid, the longer he stayed asleep. The last one before he’d woken up and all but thrown Paprika out had ended in a room filled with artwork about Angels, with burned-out wings expanding over the wall and floor. Dean had woken in a panic and shouted at everyone.

Then...well, the Incident was not a pretty one. Hendriksen had been on edge enough when Dean broke out, but this meant Dean had to be put in isolation. He’d not protested, and seemed more willing to stay there (despite his health’s deterioration) then return.

Shima sighed as he heard the news. “Thank you for your help, Miss Moore.”

The pretty lawyer fidgeted, worried. Though she’d been assigned to Dean out of obligation, she - like most of the staff here - had grown to like him and wanted to genuinely help him. As he’d grown weaker, she’d been upset at who he’d signed medical consent over to, but Chiba knew that Hendriksen wouldn’t abuse the power, as he’d threatened to in his anger and dislike of Dean’s reappearance and weakness.

If we’d seen it then, if we’d try to treat him then...

Chiba sighed as she headed back to her office, ignoring Paprika when she appeared and sat nearby. “It might be best to let him die.”

“You’re cheery.”

“I was in the dream. I am partly responsible for the incident and what happened. Dean, I think, knows that and is angry.”

“Why?”

“One Angel of the multitude is a good angel, remember? What does that make the one who appears as that Angel and he instantly knows it’s wrong? I could appear anywhere else, and his mind would allow that. But try that, and his mind bucked and rebelled faster than an untamed horse.”

“You really must stop thinking of him as an untamed animal.”

“Then he’s a fighting dog.”

“What did I just say?”

Paprika shrugged, as if she didn’t really care what Chiba thought or said. “I only say that because, no matter what we do or say, he’ll still be unable to deal with certain things. He can’t really return to the normal world, can he? We would either keep him here forever, until he escapes, or kill him off.” She looked sad suddenly, as if saying the words out-loud had made things all the more real to her. “It wasn’t Dean who had that incident. There is something inside of him.”

“What?”

“Something dangerous. It’s enough of it for me to want to destroy him.”

Chiba looked at the auburn-haired woman with a glare. “I won’t allow it.”

“We might not have a choice. The thing is weak now, but so is Dean. If it gained enough power, it’ll overwhelm him, and then we’ll have a problem.”

late-July/early-August

Dean isn’t sure what happens, though it’s a dream. He knows he rebels against something...

He remembers and opens his eyes suddenly, finding himself in the Green Room. It’s ruined, the remains of Zachariah’s feathers and true form to one side, the furniture broken, and drops of blood from his brothers and himself on the ground. The painting of Michael and some of the more lighter paintings were torn and broken, as if something enraged when after them.

To one side, sitting before a more violent painting of a war, was himself. Only he was dressed in some other color, and it vaguely reminded him of Lucifer, from that timeline Zachariah had sent him to and made him suffer through. The image stiffened, and slowly turned to face him.

His eyes were different, his face was devoid of emotion, and even the small piece of power was enough for Dean to remember.

“Michael.”

“Dean,” the piece said, hardly any emotion in his voice, the distance of it reminding Dean of the first time he’d met with the biggest douche of them all, before they’d been sent back and his worry for Cas had reach near-critical levels. He’d never been so happy to see his friend back up and about. “It’s been too long.”

“Not long enough.”

Michael gave no look, instead tilting his head. Between the two twins, on a wall that was empty and cracked, Picasso’s Guernica appeared, the black-and-white cubist Hell turning a supposedly simple room into something far more dangerous.

“You didn’t think you could say ‘yes’ and not have me in you, did you Dean?”

“You weren’t that quick on the draw,” Dean said warily, “or you wouldn’t have used Adam.”

Behind Michael, the broken images were now replaced by images from the Apocalypse, some of them full of light, but most full of battle and terrifying. “If you’d taken my advice, I wouldn’t have been forced into it. Are you really going to continue to tell me that Free Will exists? That all of what happened, all that brought your family to that point, was chance?”

“What would you rather have?” the deep voice doesn’t sound outside of his own memory, and behind Dean, an image of Castiel appears, breaking chains and reaching for a darkened soul, “Peace - or freedom?”

“You do,” Michael spat, sounding angry as the few light images disappeared, instead darkness rolling in a strange wave of paintings. “You really believe that you could change things. That your insignificant life can do anything. You were made only for me. You and your brother were always made for us. He understood that. Why didn’t you?”

Dean turns as the images behind him now show Sam and Adam, looking at him, but now, the way the painting was, the two looking over Dean’s shoulder at Michael. “Because I never believed in Angels.”

“Shhh, baby, it’s ok. Angels are watching over you.” Fire and the smell of smoke appeared behind Dean, at the foundation of the wall he stood before, flowing out and touching the paintings, going up like some odd, strange family tree. It burned away parts of the wallpaper behind him, and he saw the start of a barely-remembered poem, the lines resonating with him as they had before.

“Respite we ask not, nor release; freedom a man may have, he shall not peace.”

Michael took a step forward, anger in his eyes as Dean watched him. “You ungrateful worm. Were it not for us, you would all be destroyed, twisted malformed things instead of the ones chosen by Father. You wouldn’t have two thoughts in your head if we hadn’t saved you from Lucifer’s wrath. And you repay me, for all I’ve done for you, by denying me my right? By thinking you can keep me caged?”

Dean was silent, looking at his copy before saying, “You and your brothers are spoiled little children. The minute you hear ‘no’, you throw a tantrum. So I’m telling you...no. Never. I said it once, and you seem to take credit for that fact. But I’d never say it again.”

Michael looked...worse, in a way, then Cas when he’d first reminded Dean of his power. The shadow of wings appeared behind him, multiplied and with what looked like...more...that Dean couldn’t comprehend fully before he was coming at Dean, and--

Don’t hurt them. stop. don’t. stop it. stop it! STOP IT!!

Dean woke, beat the piece of Michael back, and barely managed to keep himself from breaking his nose as he fell forward, unable to really hold himself up. He was quickly surrounded by the remaining guards, his body not cooperating as his mind screamed and pushed and pulled to get everything back into order, fighting Michael’s influence all the way.

Doc Shima walked in after Dean was restrained and breathing a bit easier, looking at the ceiling and shivering.

“Dean--.”

“I’m getting off the program.”

Shima blinked, confused. “Dean, if you do that, you--.”

“I don’t care,” Dean said, “You’re not getting that thing near me again.”

early August

Chiba watched as Hendriksen read through the report before handing it back to her. “Is Isolation really necessary?”

“For the others, yes,” Chiba said, “and unluckily it was the Chairman’s idea. We couldn’t block it, after what happened.”

Henriksen’s frown grew deeper. “That’s no excuse. Considering how quickly his health is going, and the fact he’s not really eating, he should have some contact.”

“Dean isn’t protesting, and unluckily it’s gotten too far along for us to help him,” Chiba told him with a sigh, watching Hendriksen go from annoyed to a bit angry at the situation. “Whatever happened, it’s affecting his physical health.” She was silent a moment. “The nightmares are worse, as well.”

Hendriksen appeared angrier at the news. “The hell is going on?”

“Is his health really that important to you?” she questioned, confused. “Considering all that happened between you two--.”

“I would rather Dean had a fair trial, no matter how sick I think he is, then die alone,” Hendriksen growled out, “and not when he’s only leaving me with questions.”

Chiba was silent a long moment before Hendriksen went to speak to Moore, Paprika letting out a sigh next to her. “I’m sorry about that.”

“You didn’t know.”

“It raises far too many questions,” Paprika said, “not just what happened, but what it means for Dean.”

“I don’t follow.”

“Dean’s very soul is dying. Yet it’s not reaching out to the ones that could help it. He’s simply waiting to die.”

Chiba disliked this line of thought. “Most beings have a way of counteracting that.”

“Dean’s not most beings. He has a piece of an Archangel in him, and that piece, as you saw, is not the most humble of things.”

Chiba looked away, not wanting to think about what Dean, or Michael the Archangel, had done to the guards or those that got in his way. “I’m beginning to see why Dean has such a low opinion of Angels.”

“You’d be amazed. There are some Angels who have a low opinion of Angels.”

“I’m in a pinch,” Tokita said, attempting to turn in the elevator where he got stuck. Chiba sighed as she muttered, “I see that,” before reaching to pull him out.

“Ow, ow, no! It’s the DC Mini! It’s gone!”