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It wasn’t the first time Bobby had to stay by the bedside of someone ill, but that didn’t make it any easier. He could do nothing about the state in which Sam and Dean were for a few hours now and that was driving him crazy. Seeing them suffer like this and thinking about them potentially dying due to a severe fever was harder for him than facing any creature in the world, even Lucifer himself.
“You idjits,” he barely mumbled. He didn’t even have the energy to talk anymore after spending half a day trying relentlessly to find a cure or even an explanation.
A part of him was angry at the boys for barging into a town that was suddenly plagued by a wave of various illnesses, including some who were thought to have been eradicated. As usual, they didn’t think about anything else but investigating quickly and saving as many people as possible. They acted like dumb heroes and that took them on a predictable path.
After forcing themselves to drive for hours back to Bobby’s place, they collapsed on the first beds they could find. Even as their symptoms got worse, the old hunter still didn’t catch the illness, confirming that it was something supernatural in nature and possibly targeted as well. Bobby had tried everything in his power to cure them with evil warding ingredients and symbols, but their breathing only got harder to notice as they stopped opening their eyes.
The hunter knew he needed more time to figure out what was going on and that was something that Sam and Dean didn’t have. There was no saying how much longer they could hold on. Bobby knew that doctors wouldn’t be able to cure a supernatural illness, but maybe they could stabilize the boys until he could get rid of the cause. Deciding it was time to call for an ambulance, he turned his wheelchair around and headed for the table.
While reaching for the phone that was there, he noticed something in the corner of his eye. He rushed to grab the nearest shotgun, which happened to be right next to one of the wheels, and pointed it at the intruder.
“You have 5 seconds before I blow your brains out,” Bobby said.
The other person looked back at him with some curiosity, but no fear at all. He looked like an older man and he was dressed in an elegant, black suit. His walking stick, slender body and sharp nose gave him an arrogant figure that he couldn’t stand. The intruder didn’t change his straight but also relaxed posture no matter for how long the shotgun was aimed at him.
“Robert Singer… You’re not defying my expectations” he said after a few long moments of silence.
“Who are you and what the hell are you doing in my house?” Seeing that the man still wasn’t hurrying to answer, he felt more angry than unnerved. “I don’t have time for this shit!” he added as a mumble.
“That much is true, but that’s no excuse for the hostility.” The man sat down on the nearest couch, with his hands on top of his walking stick. “I’m here to do my job.”
“And what would that be?” Bobby asked. The walking stick turned into a scythe in the blink of an eye, sending shivers down his spine. “A damn Reaper?” If his guess was right, his bullets wouldn’t hurt this thing.
“You’re almost there, but I’m more than that. I’m the Horseman you should show the most reverence towards.”
“Death.” The man nodded and Bobby felt too stunned to say anything else. He was definitely not prepared to face the worst Horseman of them all, but his courage was suddenly fueled by rage. The memory of having to shoot his wife again just because Death wanted to send him a message was fresh and unforgivable. He wasn’t going to let anyone mess with Karen like that. “You bastard!”
The hunter shot the Horseman once, then twice and thrice. Every time the bullet went through its body as if it didn’t even exist. Bobby started looking through his desk for something stronger, but the good stuff was stored in the next room - not that any of it would be fatal for Death of all things. Regardless, he grabbed a pistol with silver bullets and aimed for the intruder’s head, but the result was the same.
Death stared at him for a few seconds, then let out a sigh. “Are you done?” he asked calmly. “I’m aware that you don’t have any quality meals prepared for guests, but you could still do better as a host.”
Bobby reached for more types of bullets from his desk, but everything else was more or less the same. He glanced at the door to the bedroom. On the other side, Sam and Dean were sleeping helplessly, still clinging to life as far as he knew.
“If you’re done with your futile attempts to hurt me, let’s have a talk” Death continued.
“I’m not letting you take them,” the hunter said firmly.
“You can’t stop me,” the Horseman replied, seeming bored. “You’re just a human. Accepting what’s bound to happen will make things easier.”
“I don’t give a damn about your pretentious lessons! If you want to get to my boys, you’re gonna have to get through me!”
“Do you imagine that would be hard for me?”
“No, not at all. But I’d rather die trying to stop you than watch you kill them!”
“I was betting on that. Tell me, if you were to give your life to save one of them, would you do it?”
Bobby regretted revealing such a weakness, but the heated moment had already passed and there was no point in lying in that situation. “Of course.”
“Then you can do that,” Death replied immediately.
“What?” the hunter asked in disbelief.
“You heard me. They are going to die very soon, you know that well. It’s not what I want, but it is not my duty to save them.”
“Is this some balance of the universe bullshit? If I take their place, can they wake up?”
“You said it. So, which one will it be?” Bobby remained silent, making the Horseman’s expression become crooked. “Do not waste my time! Which one of them do you want to save?”
“Both, obviously!” the hunter replied firmly.
“That is not an option. I will ask you one more time. Which one will you save?”
“I don’t… Screw you!” Death didn’t react at all and the silence pushed Bobby to think about the question even if he didn’t want to.
How could he choose? Dean was someone who never got to live his life because of the responsibilities John entrusted to him ever since he was barely out of diapers, so Bobby was putting in extra effort to be there for him. However, Dean was also someone who would rather sacrifice himself, so would he forgive Bobby for choosing to die in his place? On top of it, the boy had already proven that he couldn’t handle seeing Sam dead, so only keeping Dean alive would unintentionally create a living hell for him.
Sam wasn’t any better. His life had always been manipulated by Azazel and he ended up becoming convinced that he was destined to be evil, which had probably gotten worse since he accidentally freed Lucifer. Bobby wished he could have seen how much good he was doing as well. He wasn’t really worried about Sam making any more mistakes like that even if he’d be left alone in this crappy world, but the boy could easily lose himself in other ways - like isolating himself and trying to do something really stupid again, for example selling his soul. The two brothers were more alike than they thought.
The idea of leaving one of them to die was making him sick to his core. No choice was better than the other and there was no way he was going to accept it just like that.
“No, I won’t choose,” he said.
“Does that mean you changed your mind about dying in their place?” Death asked.
“I didn’t, but there must be a way to save both of them. I’m willing to do anything to make that happen.”
“Anything? What could a simple human do in this case?” Death asked unimpressed.
“You figure that out! Think about it and name your price! I’ll respect my word so long as Sam and Dean will be alright. These two need each other way more than they need me. This world needs both of them as well.”
A subtle smirk appeared on Death’s face. “You’re partially wrong. They need you just as much as each other, at least at the moment. You are their anchor, Mr. Singer, and I don’t intend to remove it.”
“What? But you said that you’ll save them if you take me!”
“And now I’m saying that I won’t take you. I want you to remain alive and keep doing whatever it is you do best for these boys.”
Bobby was terrified, but also angry as hell that Death was backing out from his promise and pretending that he now cares about the life of a weak, old man like him. “Cut the crap! Do you think I forgot that you revived a bunch of people into flesh eating monsters just to send me the message to stand out of your way? If you make a man an offer to die for someone else, you have to follow through!”
The Horseman remained as unphased as before. “The first situation was caused by an order from Lucifer and I was not happy with it,” he explained. “Reviving people, especially in a rotten state, is not respecting the beautiful balance of nature. Thankfully, that crybaby angel is busy right now with some other business that I have some freedom. It’s still a pitiful amount of freedom, but this is where you come into the picture. My proposal to you was only a little test and I’m pleased with the result.”
Bobby was still very confused. He couldn’t care much about any of that while his boys were in such danger despite his best attempts to help them. “I don’t care about your games, unless they are about saving them.” His answer sounded sadder out loud than in his mind, but that just meant it echoed his mood better.
“All three of you will walk away perfectly fine after tonight, you have my word” Death answered with a hand wave.
“Are you serious? No, that doesn’t make sense… What do you want?”
“Just a simple, friendly chat. You can entertain me that way at least considering I decided to save you, can’t you?”
Even though Bobby didn’t really understand that line of thinking, he was sure he shouldn’t make an enemy out of Death if he could avoid it… or have a truce while he was alone and helpless against him. He was still very confused and worried about the fates of Sam and Dean, but he pushed his wheelchair closer to where the horseman was sitting.
“Fine. What do you wanna yapper about?” he asked.
“I find it hard to say if that’s better or not,” Death replied. “Your lack of manners aside, I want to know something. How does your little group intend to put Lucifer back in his place?”
Bobby tensed up. It was a very suspicious question coming from someone who had just admitted being bound to Lucifer himself. For once, he felt relieved that they didn’t really have one yet, just in case the Horseman could somehow force answers out of him.
“Well?” Death insisted despite seeming as patient as ever.
“Still working on that. Not that you’d be the first one we’d tell about it…”
“Then I’ll have to find out by myself once the time comes, but don’t take too long... I don’t like working for a whiny, arrogant angel any more than you like bearing the consequences of that.”
“I’d rather hear some fresh ideas on how to stop him than what your feelings are.”
“It would be good for you if you would. I might not have the chance or patience to let you off the hook again after tonight. Understood?”
Bobby knew it was unwise to answer with anything other than “yes”, so he stopped himself from telling him to not worry his pretty little head with such things.
“Though, naturally, I won’t help you either if your plan will have an infinitesimal chance of working” Death continued.
The hunter couldn’t help but chuckle softly. “Then you might as well say that you won’t help us, end of the story. Almost all our plans are dumb, that’s for sure. But… they also somehow work. God knows how that happens, but I wouldn’t still be here today if it wasn’t true.”
“Are you assuming that’s how you’re going to stop Lucifer as well?”
Bobby wasn’t sure at all that they could do it, even with insane luck. On the other hand, the boys needed an anchor, someone to believe in their chances, so he needed to practice more putting on the mask of confidence. “It takes a lot of crazy to go against Satan and we got plenty in this house. If anyone can do it, it’s a Winchester.”
“So I’ve heard.”
In the increasing seconds of silence that followed his answer, Bobby scrambled his brains for something to say. Now that Death seemed to be in a less sour mood, the hunter knew he had a chance to ask him some questions he cared about.
“How did Lucifer get you on a leash anyway?” he said, then got annoyed at himself. It was something he was curious about, but not the most useful question in their situation.
Death answered before he could take it back. “The way it always happens - through tricks and nepotism.”
“But you’re not some nobody! And I thought Death can’t be cheated.“
The Horseman didn’t smile, but his facial expression changed enough to show some pleasantness. “No, not in the long run. But many are foolish enough to delay the inevitable and regret it once I reap them anyway.”
“Goddamn I’d like to see that with Lucifer. I guess your job can be satisfying sometimes.”
“I don’t feel that way about it. Dying is natural and so is my part in keeping the balance of the universe.”
“Right…” Bobby had no interest in philosophical debates, even if he found it hard to believe that the Horseman had no feelings whatsoever about his work. Either way, dying was a big deal for humans, especially for those who remained behind. He hesitated to ask what was on his mind, but fortunately he gathered just enough courage to say it. “Listen… I know you probably won’t answer this, but I’ll shoot my shot. Did you… meet my wife? Is she well?”
“Depends how you consider being dead to be.”
“I have no clue.” Not too long ago, he would consider being alive a privilege, but having to end Karen’s second life before she’d turn into a monster was making him doubt that idea. He became unsure if he really wanted an answer after all, but he wasn’t going to take back his question.
“It’s not my job to reveal such details to mortals” the Horseman continued eventually. “Neither is to handle every soul who crosses the threshold. Do you really think I come in person for common people?”
“Well, you’re here, aren’t you?”
“You’re slightly less common than most people, even if that’s not all of it.”
“Don’t make me blush, Prince Charming,” the hunter said with irony.
“Your wife however, she was just like everyone else” Death continued, unphased. “One of the Reapers must have made sure she stepped into the light.”
Bobby’s heart still felt like a knot. “Does that mean she’s in Heaven now?”
“I don’t pay attention to every human who dies, but the answer is probably positive. Reapers rarely deal with anything else but souls who need to be delivered to Heaven.”
The knot in Bobby’s heart finally untied. He could rest a little bit easier and focus on other things. “So this time you came yourself instead of letting a Reaper do the dirty job.”
“I reiterate there’s nothing dirty about the function I serve.”
“It’s just an… expression. Anyway, I know that you’re only helping the boys so they will free you from Lucifer, but thanks anyway.” Bobby didn’t consider himself to be an ungrateful man, especially when it came to help for Sam and Dean and not even when the helper was a goddamn Horseman. He was also not fully sure that Death will respect his promise, so sweetening it a bit couldn’t hurt.
Death scoffed, but that annoyed Bobby less than another arrogant answer. “Gratitude from humans usually means that I’ve extended my stay for too long, but I suppose that was expected in this case. As frustrating as it is to have to wait until some humans do what I have in mind, it was fairly interesting to thoroughly check the horses I’m betting on.”
“Well, what made you bet on us?” the hunter asked, beginning to think that Death was even crazier than they were.
“I needed to see you are dedicated enough to go against Lucifer until the end. Weirdly enough, the Winchesters have the best chance out of every mortal being to stop him, so they must win.”
“We can agree on that.”
“Good. Mr. Singer, you will have to put yourself in the frontline to assure that happens. More importantly, you will also have to keep this explosive duo on the right path towards our common goal. After talking to you, I feel confident that you will do so and that speck of impact in the grand scheme might be just enough.”
“Thanks” Bobby said with some relief, but also irony.
“Oh, and seeing how your loyalty to the Winchesters is deeply rooted since before this meeting, there’s no need for you to remember our conversation.”
“What? You ain’t messing with my brain, you bastard!”
“That’s not up for you to decide,” Death replied, unimpressed. “It’s time to wake up, Mr. Singer.”
The hunter was even more confused after hearing that. He was sure he was sober and that he hadn’t slept in a while. Waking up was the last thing he needed, but before he could protest more, the command repeated, but in a voice that wasn’t Death’s anymore. “Wake… up…” As the words became clearer in his ears, so did the desperation in that voice. “Please, just wake up…”
Bobby felt as if he was just hit by a truck. He inhaled loudly, desperate for air despite the fact that it hurt, but shortly enough he started feeling alright. He realized he was laying down on a bed in his house and that he wasn’t alone.
“Bobby?” Dean asked, unable to hide his worry from neither his voice nor his eyes. He was staring at him while staying on a little chair next to the bed. “You okay, big man?” Bobby tried to get up, but his muscles felt weak and sore. “Take it easy, just talk to me!”
“It’s good to see you awake, boy,” Bobby said, aware of the dumb smile on his face.
Dean frowned. “Why wouldn’t I be awake?”
The other hunter wasn’t sure what to answer, but he was fairly sure it had something to do with the dream he was forgetting at a rapid pace. The only thing he still remembered clearly was his worry of the boys being in grave danger.
“Do you think I’d be taking a nap while you’re dying?” Dean continued.
“Dying? What the hell are you talking about?”
“You don’t remember? There was an Air…Aik… Ugh… Sam! Get in here!” The shouting made Bobby’s ears ring a little.
The younger brother rushed into the room with a phone in his hand and relief instantly lit up his tired face. Bobby noticed that both of them looked equally terrible, with dark circles under their eyes and clothes that could use some cleaning.
Sam let go of the phone and, since the other chair in the room was taken by a bowl of water and a rag, he towered over the other two hunters. “It’s so good to have you back, Bobby.”
“Back? I didn’t go anywhere.”
Just as his brother did, Sam frowned. “No, you were… You had no pulse and weren’t breathing for minutes. I was just calling for an ambulance, but we had no hope that you’d still be with us.”
“What? No, it wasn’t me who…” Bobby stopped, struggling to remember what he was trying to say, but all he could recall was starting to feel very sick after an unsuccessful hunt. The more he thought about it, the clearer the memory of the previous day was becoming.
“You must be confused from the fever,” Dean said.
“Yeah, you were hit pretty bad by the Aerico’s curse” Sam added.
“So that’s what we were hunting?” Bobby asked.
Sam nodded, but his brother scoffed.
“Doesn't matter anymore” Dean continued. “We killed that thing that was spreading illnesses in that town and everyone who hadn’t died already woke up without the bug in their system… though, it wasn’t everyone at once and you sure took your sweet time.”
No one wanted to add anything to it until Sam coughed. “Anyway, apparently it’s weird to see one of those around here.”
“It is,” Bobby added, with his mind feeling clearer now. “I guess nothing stops Greek monsters from immigrating here like people do.”
“Yeah, but… You should still get a check up. We can’t be sure that…”
“If the monster is dead and I’m talking with you right now, that means I’m fine! Stop worrying about me, you idjits!” Both Sam and Dean seemed more at ease already. “Get me a drink and I’ll be back on my feet… Well, ready to get into action.”
“Sure thing, Bobby” Sam replied and left the room.
With his brother out of the room, Dean’s facade cracked. “You scared the hell out of us,” he said with a slumped posture. “Damn it, Bobby, I… Don’t do that again! We need you. I need you.”
“I ain’t going anywhere, boy” the other hunter replied without hiding the warmth in his voice. He hated worrying people he cared about, especially those who needed all the sources of strength they could get. “I’ll be here for as long as you need me to kick your ass when you two are acting dumb.”
“Then you’ll live for a long time” Dean replied with a smile and seeming like his usual self again.
Sam returned with beers for everyone and he helped Bobby get up. The old hunter took a sip and looked at the others doing the same. As shitty as life could be, especially since he had lost his legs, he was glad to still be alive while looking at the two Winchesters in his house. He could see a glimpse of happiness in both of them. Bobby nodded to himself. Yes, he meant what he said. He was going to be by their side no matter what. Together they could overcome even the worst odds again and again. He still had work to do until he’d eventually meet death.