Matching Socks
Dean is worried. Old news. He worries a lot of the time. But tonight he worries more because he saw the bloody bandage in the trash. He sits on Dad's bed in the light from the lone table lamp and waits impatiently. Sammy sleeps soundly in the other bed until the worry and loneliness become too much for Dean, and he selfishly prods Sammy awake.
While his mind has been occupied with worry, Dean's hands have been occupied with a permanent marker and one of Dad's cleaner socks. He dives down the other side of Dad's bed before Sammy is completely awake. Dean has a little puppet show ready for him, more of a distraction for Dean than for Sammy. Sammy has a short conversation with the hastily-named Mr Sock. He tells the sock something Dean doesn't quite catch as he wrestles off his two sneakers with one free hand.
"We're back!" Dean's scuffed sneakers declare breezily from the top of the bed, and the sock makes a happy, high-pitched noise to see his friends returned safely. The other bed is quiet. Dean peeks over the top of the mattress only to find that his little show hasn't been enough to keep Sammy awake for very long. Dean doesn't know whether to be offended that his show wasn't interesting enough, or glad that Sammy won't remember how lame his big brother is.
Dean selfishly considers waking him again, but then Dad comes back and he breathes a relived sigh.
The next day, Dad sends Dean out to buy new socks.
THE END