The social worker looked at Dean curiously, chewing on her bottom lip as she thought about what to say. 

"You're Dean, right?" she asked the boy who had stood up Sam's foster dad.

Dean turned to look at her and nodded, looking exhausted and about to fall asleep standing up. 

"Yeah, I'm Dean Winchester. Is Sam okay?" he asked anxiously. He searched her face, looking for any clues as to what she was thinking when he asked. 

"Nice to meet you, Dean. I'm Mrs. Laney. Yes, Sam is doing well, considering. If you'd like to see him, I can take you to him." Mrs. Laney said kindly. 

Dean nodded quickly, desperately wanting to check on the kid. He frowned, wondering once again why he cared so much for Sam. He couldn't shake the feeling that the boy was really important to him and his dad, he needed to talk to his adopted dad, Bobby Singer, as soon as possible. 

Mrs. Laney smiled, leading the way quietly. She wondered if Dean knew that Sam's original last name was Winchester too. She was almost tempted to say something, given the nature of how protective Dean was towards the boy. 

"How long have you boys known each other?" Mrs. Laney asked politely, as they walked down multiple hallways. 

"Um... just today." Dean admitted softly, getting the sneaking suspicion that his comment may not be the truth. He wanted to say something, but he had a feeling Mrs. Laney would just think he was crazy.

"Really? I thought you were closer..." Mrs' Laney said, not really finishing her comment or having any intention to.

"Where is he going to end up?" Dean asked in concern. He had only just met the boy that day, but he still wanted to make sure that Sam would be okay. 

Mrs. Laney stopped in front of a door, marked in the Pediatric ICU room 215. She pulled out her folder, reading through it briefly, before turning to face Dean again. 

"Due to the nature of his injuries and who inflicted them, he will probably be sent to a group home or another foster home." Mrs. Laney said simply, wishing she had better news to offer. 

Dean nodded slowly, understanding the foster care system since he had been in it for a few months before Bobby had been able to legal adopt him. 

"What does it take to get certified as a foster parent?" Dean asked, knowing Bobby was already certified. The gruff old man owned a salvage yard, and sometimes fostered brats to work them into better shape for the state of South Dakota. 

Mrs. Laney looked at Dean in slight surprise, wondering what he was thinking. Had Sam made that big of an impression on Dean? So fast to bond, hopefully it would help the poor kid. 

"Well, you need to be eighteen and self sufficient to start." Mrs. Laney pointed out, almost hoping that Dean would say he was both of those. 

"Not for me, my adopted dad already fosters kids sometimes when no one else will take them." Dean informed her, already formulating a plan to help Sam. "Could we foster him?" he asked in a hopeful tone.

"Well... Maybe, i have to check your adopted dad's credentials. Sam is not exactly an easy case, which i will explain if everything checks out okay." Mrs. Laney said, pulling out her phone to look up the adopted dad. 

"Robert, Bobby, Singer." Dean said quickly, shoving his hands in his pockets when he realized they were trembling. 

Mrs. Laney typed Bobby's name in, reading over all the information. She thought long and hard for a moment, seeing that Bobby was in fact fully certified to take on Sam's conditions. She could have all the paperwork processed and ready to sign within the hour. 

"Why don't you call Bobby... and see if he would like to foster Sam." She suggested finally, seeing that Dean was practically bouncing up and down with nervous energy. 

Dean broke out into a huge smile and nodded quickly, pulling out his cell phone. He dialed the old man's number with shaking hands, and brought it to his ear as he listened to the rings. 

"Hello? Dean, where are you? Are you alright?" Bobby asked roughly over the phone, concern evident in his tone. 

"Hey Bobby, i am fine. I need your help though... I have a friend, who is in the foster system... and he was being beaten badly... and he needs a new place to go.... and I sorta offered us to take him in for a little bit... and his name is Sammy... and Bobby, he is really special... Please.... The social worker says you're qualified..." Dean stammered out, barely taking a breath. 

"Well now, that's a lot to process kiddo. But I don't see why not. What do you need me to do?" Bobby asked the excited teen, with a chuckle. He hardly ever saw Dean so excited, that he couldn't think or talk straight. 

"You need to come meet him... Please Bobby, we need to save him..." Dean pleaded, knowing Bobby would do anything the teen asked if it made sense. 

"Well, alright then. I will head over to the hospital soon. Is Sam alright now?" Bobby asked in concern, knowing that if they were at the hospital something bad had happened in someway. 

Dean sighed softly, feeling bad for omitting that bit of information from Bobby. "To be honest, Sam was beaten so heavily, he had internally bleeding... And he needed surgery. He got the surgery and is resting, i haven't gone to see him yet. I was more worried about where he is going to live." he admitted hesitantly. 

Bobby bit back a sigh, as he had figured there would be a gotcha. Dean was asking him to take on another teen, who had had just gone through hell and surgery... That was concerning, but he had a feeling that taking on this new teen would be a good investment. 

"Let me get my verification information, and i will be on my way to meet this new kiddo." Bobby said, determined to make this new adventure work. He hung up, walking through the his house picking up the papers he needed to complete the paperwork right away. 

Dean hung up the phone, looking relieved and slightly anxious. He looked at Mrs. Laney about to say something, when a loud voice projected across the pa system. 

"Code Blue, Pediatrics ICU, Room 215." the pa system said clearly. 

Dean's eyes widened as all the color drained from his face. "S...sa...sam?" he asked weakly.

"Come on, let's get out of the way." Mrs. Laney said gently, guiding the teen over to chair nearby to sit down. 

Dean let himself be guided to the chair, his mind swirling in concern. He sat down heavily, feeling like he was going to cry. "He... He... He can't d...di...die." he stammered fearfully. 

A couple minutes later, a doctor walked up to Mrs. Laney and Dean. "Are you with Sam Winchester?" he asked with a faint smile. 

"Yes, we are. How is he doing, Dr. Markson?" Mrs. Laney asked, placing herself between Dean and the doctor. 

Dean's eyes widened even further. Winchester? Did he just say Winchester? As in John Winchester, his dad? Why did Sam have the same last name... Were they related somehow? His head hurt from all the questions. 

"His heart gave out, but we were easily able to help it get going again. He is also no longer needing help to breathe, so he is getting much stronger." Dr. Markson explained with a smile. 

"Oh thank god!" Dean exclaimed in relief. Mrs. Laney turned and nodded to Dean equally relieved. 

"That was a bit scary... and stressful." Mrs. Laney admitted, referring to Dean's reaction. Dean blushed deep red and looked at the ground. 

"He is ready for visitors." Dr. Markson offered with a wink in Dean's direction. 

Dean jumped up, sprinting to Sam's door. He quickly knocked and walked in, relieved to see that Sam looked better than he had at school. "Hey kid, how you feeling?" He asked gently, with a smile that showed just how much he had been worried. 

"I am tired... But I can't stay. I need to get home." Sam said urgently, his face paling slightly. 

"No, you don't. You get to stay here as long as you need to. And when the doctor says its okay, you get to come home with me." Dean said happily, knowing just how terrified Sam was truly feeling.

"Really?" Sam asked in surprise.