The water was a murky brown from a concoction of dirt and diluted blood. The pellucid liquid had turned the moment Sam allowed his large body to slip under the water like a giant bath bomb. It slipped around his long fingers as he pulled his hands through the liquid. Grime from under his short nails was being absorbed into the water and the brown was darkening.
The smell of blood was on him and probably wouldn't budge until he massaged the clumps of dried blood from the strands of his hair but for now he couldn't bring himself to move. The stitches in his side were too tight and throbbing like it contained its own pulse and the hot water was doing nothing to sooth the bruises that were blossoming across his paling skin.
Sam's head pounded so he closed his eyes and slid further into the water until it was lapping at his chin. He sighed; the breath caused ripples across the surface of the water.
He could hear Dean's footsteps in the other room as the man cleared up the mess they'd made while cleaning Sam up. The older man was mumbling to himself about Sam's self-sacrificing attitude.
It was a few moments later that Dean entered the bathroom and gently encouraged Sam to sit up without a single word. He grabbed the plastic cup off the side and began to rinse water through Sam's hair and he worked at that until it had all run off his shoulder and into the murky bathtub.
The younger man stood shakily but eventually managed it. Dean rinsed off the young man's body and wrapped him in a towel before leading him out to change into his pjs.
He pulled open the blanket and allowed the injured man to climb into the warm embrace. Sam sunk into it with a gentle sigh. Moments later Dean was climbing in behind the giant and wrapping his arms around the man whilst being extra careful not to apply pressure to the purpling bruises.
"Goodnight, Sammy." He placed a kiss on the crown of his head and settled down to fall asleep.