This may be a one shot or maybe a two shot, I'm not sure at the moment. Let me know what you think. :) Dean is 12 and Sam is 8 in this story.
Sam sat at the salt-lined window, watching and waiting for his Dad and brother to arrive. He knew he wasn't supposed to be sitting conspicuously at the window, Dean had warned him several times about drawing attention to the fact that he was staying at the motel by himself but he was bored. There was nothing to watch on the 20 some channels that the motel offered, he had already completed his, way too easy, second grade homework and had already finished the library book that he had gotten with Dean while waiting for him to finish the research for the hunt. Sam jumped away from the window as soon as he saw the Impala's bright headlights swing into the motels parking lot, not wanting to be seen doing what Dean had asked him not to do. Sam also quickly made his way to the bed that he and Dean shared flipping the TV to the Western station and pulling the covers up to his chin in order to look like he had been trying to go to sleep. Sam was pulled from his pretending when he heard a thump on the door, a string of cursing from his father, and a key being scraped against the door knob. Sam listened for just a few more seconds before jumping up and running to open the door, not understanding why his father was taking so long to open it. As soon as Sam opened the door an inch his father roughly kicked it open, luckily Sam had already stepped back or he would have been hit by it. Sam backed away even more as his Dad quickly walked past him not saying a word to the young boy waiting by the door. The youngest Winchester looked up at his father as he strode past but didn't even make it to his face before discovering the reason for his Dad's hurried actions. Dean, his 6th grade brother was curled against his father's chest his face buried against the fabric of his shirt.
"Dean?" a quiet whimper rose from the small boy still standing in the corner trying to understand the circumstances that surrounded his families rather haphazard entry into their current 'home'.
"Shut the door." John said shortly his voice gruff and hard, Sam closed it quickly knowing without his father telling him to put salt in front and lock it, safety first. By the time Sam turned around John was lowering Dean onto the bed. Dean's face was scrunched tightly though tears still escaped through his closed lids. His teeth were clenched clearly holding back cries that so desperately wanted to escape. As soon as Dean was placed onto the bed his body pulled even further into himself.
"Dean?" Sam attempted once again hoping that his brother would stand up and ask why he wasn't in bed already but Dean didn't move and the only sound that escaped was a light moan.
John moved away from Dean quickly searching the room for what Sam could only assume was the first aid kit. "We left it in the car." a small voice stated interrupting the oldest Winchesters search; he nodded and quickly headed toward the Impala briefly touching his youngest head on the way out.
After John left the room Sam ventured closer to the bed that Dean had been deposited on, "Dean…Dean?" He walked closer looking at his older, supposed to be invincible big brother and then he saw the offending injury. Dean's side was burned, his shirt was torn away from the area and blisters had already formed and popped over a good portion of the wound. Dean's eyes slowly opened feeling the presence of his brother, "Hey-a Sammy." Sam was just about to respond to his brother when John walked into the room from the bathroom quickly pulling Dean's attention away from his small and terrified brother, "We need to get you in the tub. It'll hurt but it has to happen." John stated directly, all business with little compassion to be found. "Yes sir." Dean gritted out trying to be the soldier he was trained to be despite the fear that cried out in his head. John nodded once before carefully reaching down to pick up his oldest son. Dean whimpered unable to contain the pain that seemed to sweep over his body. Sam followed behind the pair but was quickly turned away at the door when it was swept closed on his face. At first Sam stood by the door listening to the silence coming from behind the door only broken by his father's quiet murmurings however the quiet quickly changed when Dean let out a harsh yell. Sam banged on the door trying to get to his anguished brother but his Dad had locked it. After a couple more minutes Sam sunk down in front of the door tears pouring down his face as he listened to the continued moaning and harsh breaths that continued on the other side of the door. The only other noise was the sound of the Western still on the screen in the main portion of the motel room. Twenty minutes later John emerged from the bathroom carrying a half clothed, fully wake Dean, his eyes appeared red rimmed and puffy. John once again laid his twelve year old son on the motel bed careful not to allow his injured side to brush against the mattress. John quickly strode back toward the bathroom leaving Dean and Sam allow for a minute. The older Winchester quietly extended a hand to his trembling sibling too tired to say or do anything but offer a small gift of physical comfort. Sammy moved toward his big brother carefully taking his hand, trying to ignore the angry red of his bare side and the large white blisters that covered it.
John came out then with the large first aid kit in one hand and a bottle of whiskey in the other, "Just a sip Dean. It'll help ease some of the pain. I'll pick up some pain meds in the morning." Dean nodded gently drinking from the bottle that was offered him coughing as the burning liquid slid down his throat. "I have to bandage it Dean, it could get infected." Once again Dean nodded stealing himself against the new wave of pain that was sure to hit as soon as his Dad placed anything on top of the burn.
Dean focused on breathing through the pain only hissing in pain twice as his Dad smeared antibiotic cream across his burns and taped a large piece of gauze over the wound. John then presented his young son with the bottle again encouraging him to take another small sip in order to promote the sleep that would do the most to heal the offending injury in his boys' side. After taking the bottle back John ran his hand through his sons hair until his breathing leveled out and his eyes drifted shut exhausted by the pain and the helped by the liquor that by this point had eased the pain and calmed Dean's nerves. John sighed before turning knowing that the littlest in his charge was the next on his long list of worries. He found the small boy once again huddled in the corner of the room, the tears caused by his brothers' pain still having noticeable tracks down his cheeks.
"Hey Sammy. You okay?" Sam looked up as his Dad walked toward him easing down in front of him as he reached him. "It's okay. D's going to be okay"
Sam's eyes looked deeply into his Dad's eyes another set of tears whelming up at the thought of his brother not coming back, "You promise?"
"Yes, I promise." John stated back reaching toward his youngest. Sammy launched himself into his father's waiting arms quickly nestling into his neck. Tears escaped unchecked down the eight year olds face dampening John's shirt. John clung to his youngest son rubbing his back until he too fell into an exhausted sleep, curled into his father's body.
Well I hope you enjoyed. Sorry I didn't proofread but let me know if you would want to see another chapter. :)
