Fevered Delirium
Disclaimer: I do not own anything recognizable in this story nor an I making a profit. I am only playing with the characters and will return them when finished.
A.N.: This story came about as a request from Mel Storm to turn the Fevered drabble into a oneshot. I hope you enjoy it.
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Cruising down the open highway, Dean knew he would have to find a place to stop soon. Sam had had a bad cold with flu like symptoms for a few days now, but it was more than obvious things were becoming much worse. He had started complaining of muscle aches a few hours ago and now he had a bright pink tinge to his cheeks, indicating a fever was present to go along with the sniffles and sneezes that had been plaguing him for the past day or so. Knowing that Sam had to be totally miserable, Dean pulled off the interstate at the next exit advertising a decent motel for them to stay in. No way was he going to chance one of those shoddy ones when Sam was already sick.
Pulling up to the registration office of the Days Inn motel, Dean leaned over and placed a hand on Sam's shoulder to wake his little brother up, becoming immediately concerned by the amount of heat radiating off of him. "Sammy, I need to go get us a room. You stay here and rest and I'll be right back, okay dude."
"Kay" Sam mumbled with exhaustion not even bothering to open his eyes as his head rested against the passenger side window of the car. He was so damned tired he just wanted to sleep, even if it was in the car.
Hurrying inside the building, Dean quickly got a room as he kept watch on the Impala just outside the door, his need to get back to Sammy overwhelming. Paying for the room in cash this time to rush the process along, he took the offered key card and rushed back outside to the Impala. Placing a hand on Sam just to make sure he was still breathing okay, Dean started the car and drove it down to room number 125 where he parked as close as he could to the door..
Turning off the engine, Dean shook Sammy awake once again before walking over and placing the key card in the slot to open the door. Propping it open, he returned to the car just as Sam was climbing out of the Impala. "Let me help you kiddo." Dean stated as he wrapped an arm around Sam's waist in support. He needed to get Sam inside as quickly as possible and out of the evening air.
Leading Sam inside, he pulled back the comforter on the bed that was furthest from the door and helped Sammy to lie down. Untying his brother's shoes, he pulled them off and then pulled the blanket up over his shivering baby brother and gently tucked him in before returning to the car to get their things as quickly as he could, he didn't want to leave Sam alone for any longer than was necessary.
Walking back into the room, he expediently opened the first aid box and rifled through it until he found the small bottle containing the Tylenol Flu EZ tabs and the thermometer. Striding over to the small sink in the room, he took the plastic covering off the cup and filed it with water from the faucet before returning to sit on the side of Sammy's bed. Placing the tympanic ear thermometer in Sam's ear, he waited a few seconds for the beep and winced when he saw a readout of 102.3 on the dial. Knowing that he needed to get some meds into his little brother pretty damn quick, he said, "Sam, I need you to take these for me." As he cupped the back of Sam's neck with his hand and helped him to sit up a little.
Too tired to argue, Sam obediently opened his mouth and allowed Dean to place the two small tablets into his mouth. He waited for Dean to tip the cup of water and he swallowed a small amount to wash the medicine down with, grimacing as he did so from the pain it caused in his throat.
Helping his brother to lay back once again after having taken the medicine, Dean brushed the sweaty bangs from his forehead. "Get some sleep kiddo." He whispered as he tucked the blankets up over Sam's shoulders. His brother was shivering so badly now that his teeth were actually chattering. Placing a hand on Sam' s cheek trying to offer what comfort he could, Dean wished he could take the sickness from him. He would gladly suffer through the fever, chills, and nausea if it meant Sammy didn't have to anymore. Once he was sure Sam had succumbed to sleep, Dean walked into the bathroom and wet a washcloth with cool water. Wringing out the excess, he placed it on Sam's forehead hoping it would help to reduce the fever some.
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A few hours later found Dean sitting at the table doing research on Sam's laptop as he waited and wished for his little brother to wake up. Sam had started moving about restlessly in his sleep an hour ago and now he was mumbling incoherently. It pained Dean to see his brother in such an ill and helpless state. When the mumbling became worse, and Sam became even more distressed, Dean rushed over to Sam's beside. "Sammy?" he questioned as he placed a hand on Sam's cheek to feel the intense heat radiating from his skin.
"Son of a bitch, you're burning up." He stated with fear evident in his voice as he grasped the thermometer from the top of the dresser and placed it in Sam's ear once again.
"N-no" Sam whined as he tried to move his head away from the offending object but found himself unable to do so as Dean held his head in place.
Dean waited for the small beep and then immediately paled at the reading of 104.2 wondering how in the hell Sam's fever had spiked so quickly. Racing to the small bathroom, he placed the stopper in the tub and set the water to a lukewarm position allowing it to start to fill as he returned to the room to get his baby brother. It was the quickest way he could think of to bring Sam's temperature down. His fears rose as he reentered the room to see Sammy struggling to kick off the blankets as he literally gasped for air.
Unable to handle seeing hi little brother in such distress, Dean walked over and sat down on the bed beside him. "Sammy, you gotta calm down dude." Dean said as he placed a comforting hand on his brother's cheek waiting for the tub to fill. He knew that Sammy needed to slow down his breathing soon or his little brother would hyperventilate and pass out making things harder.
"De' help…I can't…the fire…burning me…De!" Sam begged, exhaustion overtaking him as the tears began to leak from the sides of his eyes.
"Sammy, shh, calm down, I've gotcha." Dean encouraged as he pulled away the tangled blankets from his brothers legs and pulled Sammy up into a sitting position. He glanced quickly into the bathroom to see that the tub had filled to near halfway. He immediately started stripping his brother down to his boxers and prepared to lift him in his arms knowing that Sammy would be too weak to make it to the bathroom under his own steam.
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Sam was totally worn out, the fever having sapped the strength from his too hot body. He felt like he was suffocating as he struggled to breath, each breath seemingly a chore to get in and out.
"De" he pleaded as he reached out blindly with his hand seeking comfort from his big brother. "Too h-hot! Please De. Don't let the…the fire get m-me."
Dean swallowed nervously as he grasped Sam's hand and felt the heat burning him from the inside out. Sammy was becoming delirious and it was scaring the hell out of him. He knew Sam was deathly afraid of fire and wondered what it was doing to his brother's psyche to think the flames were going to consume him.
"De, ple-ease."
"Shhh, you're going to be alright tiger." Dean soothed as he picked his baby brother up gently and carried him to the bathroom and eased him into the lukewarm tub, Sammy to weak to fight it.
Sam gasped as his body hit what felt like ice cold water to his overheated skin. He whimpered as his body immediately started to tingle with the feeling of being poked by thousands upon thousands of tiny little needles. He wanted to climb out, but his body refused to move even the slightest little bit.
"Shhh, S'okay, I've got you kiddo." Dean soothed as he supported Sam with one hand while his other sluiced water over Sam's chest and shoulders using a washcloth. He continued the motion for the next fifteen minutes until he felt that the heat had receded enough that he could get Sammy out of the tub. Knowing that Sam was too weak to climb out on his own, Dean hoisted his wet brother up and helped him to sit on the commode lid. He quickly dried Sammy off as best he could and then wrapped the towel around his brother's waist. Pulling him to his feet, he reached under the towel and removed Sam's wet boxers before guiding his little brother back into the room and onto his bed.
Snaking Sam's duffle bag over with his foot, he reached into it and pulled out a clean pair of boxers and t-shirt and dressed his no coherent brother before guiding him to lay down once again on the bed furthest from the door. Pulling the top sheet and comforter up over his brother, Dean carded his fingers lightly through Sam's hair and whispered, "Good night kiddo." even though his brother had already succumbed to sleep.
Placing the small thermometer in Sam's ear once again, Dean breathed a sigh of relief when he read 101.2 on the dial once it had beeped. Turning on the television and muting the sound, he made himself comfortable knowing there would be no sleep for him tonight. He would keep a close on Sammy to make sure that his temperature didn't spike again. If it did, he was determined to take Sammy to the nearest emergency room whether his baby brother liked it or not.
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Early the next morning, a weak and groggy Sam opened his eyes to half mast to find Dean sitting beside his bed watching him intently. "Take a picture, it will last longer." He whispered as he blinked his eyes a few times to clear the haze in front of them.
Smiling at the attempted joke, Dean asked, "How you feeling little brother?"
"Like I've been run over by a truck and dragged behind it." Sam answered honestly as he tried to push himself into a sitting position, but found himself to weak to do so.
"I don't doubt that since you spiked a fever of over 104 last night. Dude you scared the hell out of me." Dean said as he propped Sam up against the headboard of the bed. Knowing that Sam needed to take more meds, he walked into the bathroom and filled the plastic cup with more water and took out more of the flu pills. Striding back to his brother, he said, "Here, take these." As he held out two of the EZ tabs.
"Dean, those things make me sleepy." Sam whined as he eyed the flu medicine with disgust.
"And sleep is just what you need to rebuild your strength so take them." Dean retorted not willing to be swayed. He waited for Sam to swallow them down and hand back the now empty cup of water. "Get a few more hours of sleep tiger, and when you wake up, we'll see if we can't get some food into you."
"Kay" Sam mumbled as he slid back down on the bed, he really was sleepy anyway. He felt Dean place the thermometer into his ear and flinched a little when he heard the beep. "99.4 S'good" He heard his brother say just before fading off to sleep once again.
Finis!!