Gen, please. Any season. AU but of course. Sam suffers from seizures as a result of a previous head trauma. Sam has a seizure response dog which can be trained, in the event of a seizure, to get help, immobilize him, carry med info (the thought of Sam & said dog having matching medic alert bracelet/dog tag is kinda cute), sense the onset of a seizure, move items, block victim from walking into dangerous things if it's a partial/walking seizure, etc. This is probably all very handy when one's misplaced one's brother during a hunt and more than protecting himself, really just wants to find him. Of course, the dog may be conflicted - lay on Sammy, keep him safe, or go get help. I dunno. Just the thought of Sam telling the dog to go find Dean is somehow awful and cute and sweet and I'm probably touched in the head. Dean whump is always an appreciated bonus.
Seizure response dogs are a special type of service dog, specifically trained to help someone who has epilepsy or a seizure disorder.
Due to the differing needs between each case, every potential seizure dog receives specialized training.[citation needed] Tasks for seizure dogs may include, but are not limited to:[1]
Summoning help, either by finding another person or activating a medical alert or pre-programmed phone
Pulling potentially dangerous objects away from the person's body
"Blocking" to keep individuals with absence seizures and complex partial seizures from walking into obstacles, streets, and other dangerous areas that can result in bodily injury or death
Attempting to arouse the unconscious handler during or after a seizure
Providing physical support (and the secondary benefit of emotional support, although this is not legally considered a task.)
Carrying information regarding the dog, the handler's medical condition, emergency medication and oxygen
Additionally, some dogs may develop the ability to sense an impending seizure.[2] This behavior is usually reported to have arisen spontaneously and developed over a period of time. There have been some studies where dogs were trained to alert impending seizures by using reward-based conditioning – with partial success.[2][3] Some untrained dogs may help their owners, although there are also reports of dogs that have reacted aggressively or even died as a result of witnessing or anticipating their owner's seizure.[4]
Dogs that are and may become seizure response dogs must be absolutely perfect for the job, and must be capable of maintaining control in every possible situation. Because of the rarity of these certain traits and the difficulty in training seizure response dogs, only a few organizations provide them, though the number is rising.
2,005 wordsBy the time Sam was ten, he'd already had enough head injuries to last a lifetime. Dean didn't know if it proved that he wasn't protecting Sam enough or that Sam was just too clumsy to be saved. A concussed Sam was nothing new. John had dropped the boys at a motel and high-tailed it out of town. Dean was in charge of keeping an eye on Sam. He knew the symptoms of a concussion and signs to watch for that could indicate a bigger problem.
"Need more ice?"
"How about a pain pill?" Sam countered.
"Not when you have a head injury. Aspirin?"
"Whatever."
Dean felt bad for Sam, he really did. He'd had his share of lumps, cuts and broken bones. As a big brother he'd do anything if he could take Sam's injuries on himself. Sam didn't even have to work the puppy dog eyes for Dean's self-sacrificing attitude to take over.
Ice. Water. Aspirin. One crabby Sammy finally asleep and unable to whine anymore. Dean set the alarm clock and tried to get a little rest before he'd have to wake his brother.
Dean's eyes shot open. For an instant, he didn't know what had awoken him. Then, he heard the rhythmic squeaks of the bed next to him. Was Sam . . .? Dean had tried to have the birds and the bees talk with him and Sam had turned beet red and shouted at him to shut up. He had doubted Sam was going to wonder what that particular part of him was for any time soon.
Assured that he wasn't going to see something that could scar him for life, he turned on the light. Turned out he was wrong. Sam deathly still but spasming was so much worse than Sam jerking off.
Once the doctors figured out that Sam was epileptic, they started him on anti-convulsants. He had difficulty getting used to the medications and handling the various side effects. He battled sleepiness and a decreasing appetite.
Even when his levels were in the therapeutic range, Sam had seizures where he would just space out and other ones where he'd drop to the floor. When Dean asked the doctor if there was any kind of alarm they could use to know that a seizure was impending, he was told to get a dog. Some dog can sense seizures in their owners.
Dean skipped telling John that piece of information. He didn't share it with Sam, either. He didn't want to get the poor kid's hopes up. He'd always wanted a dog and asked their dad for one quite a few times. A phone call to Bobby and Dean knew that they'd have a companion/seizure dog for Sam as soon as Bobby could train one.
More hunts, motels, inconvenient seizures and accusing stares. It's hard to keep a low profile when someone in your group drops like a bag of rocks in the middle of a store. Worse yet is when Sam had one during a hunt. Luckily, he was posted as lookout that night. Dean and John had wondered why they were getting attacked from behind without any warning yell from Sam. When they got to him, the supernatural threat was gone and Sam had knocked his head against a rock.
"Looks like he's bleeding pretty bad," John growled. "I'll get the weapons in the car and come back for you. See if you can wake him."
Dean gently tilted Sam back towards him. He could feel the fine tremors still coursing through Sam's body. He hummed Metallica because it was the most soothing sound he knew.
Sam's bruised and battered head was on its way to healing when Bobby invited them to his place. John didn't know what to do with Sam. He knew he couldn't bring him on hunts but other than that he was at a total loss.
A brown puppy raced off the porch when the Impala pulled in the scrap yard drive. She wagged her tail so hard that her whole bottom half moved. Her yipping made the boys smile. John scowled at the pup and continued on to where Bobby stood at the top of the stairs.
"You got a mutt?" John asked. "You lose your mind since we met last?"
"I ain't lost it," Bobby scoffed. "The dog isn't yours so you have no say about it."
"Why would I want a say concerning your pet?"
"He's not my pet. He's a seizure dog and a gift for Sam. Sadie will be able to sense when a seizure is coming on and help Sam prepare for them. She can even go for help."
"You didn't ask me if he could have a dog!"
"You're right, I didn't. Dean had asked the doctor and then did some research on his own. He called me and I looked into the idea. Not many places sell the specialty dogs but I was able to get one with a good temperament and train her with what she'd need to know."
"There is no leaving here without the damn dog, is there?"
"Nope. Not unless you want a bullet in your ass. She's going to be with Sam all the time. Get used to it." That said, Bobby descended the steps and yelled to the boys, "What do you think of Sadie? Isn't she a sweetheart?"
Sam's face lit up and Sadie happily gave his face a bath.
"That's a little gross, Sam," Dean grimaced.
"Watching you with girls is worse."
Dean begged to differ but didn't need John overhearing about his exploits with the female population. "I guess she is kind of cute."
"You bet your ass she is," Bobby's voice boomed above them. "She's trained to help move objects out of the way if you fall. She can carry meds in that container on her collar. She knows her job damn good. Taught her myself."
"You did?" Sam's eyes were huge.
"Sure did. Couldn't trust your health to just anyone, Sam." That's the closest Bobby ever came to breaking into tears because of his love for the boy.
Grumbling, John cleared out a corner of the Impala's trunk to make room for the dog supplies. He still didn't see the point in having the mangy mutt around, but if Sam seized and the dog helped, he'd get that dog a silver plated water bowl.
They were trying to make good time to North Carolina. John was gritting his teeth because Dean had given him a wrong direction and it had taken hours to get back on track. Sadie started whining from her place in the back seat.
"I thought you said you let her out," he shouted at Dean.
"We did! Sam gave her food and water, too."
The howling was so loud that John couldn't drive any longer. He whipped open the door to the backseat. Sadie didn't even notice him. She was busy sounding her alarm and nosing around Sam's body to make sure she'd removed as many dangers as possible.
He didn't even have time to scold the dog before Sam started his tell-tale shaking. Right then, John knew, no matter the expense, Sam had himself another shadow.
They were settled in a small town that probably didn't even have a dot on the map. They'd arrived shortly after the school year had started. Once he made sure the boys had what they needed, John was gone on a hunt.
John had been gone about a week when strange things started happening. It was all over town that a widow had died when she'd gone to visit her late husband's grave. She was old, so something like a heart attack or stroke would have been expected. But, it looked like she'd been mauled by a wild animal. The cemetery was near the center of town, but wildlife was a small possibility. Sam and Dean had other thoughts.
"Why are we here again?"
"You know why," Dean grabbed items from the trunk and stuffed them into a duffle. "Hellhounds, Sam, hellhounds."
Sam shoved his hands in his pockets. He wanted a normal life. They'd blended in with this town and Sam didn't want hunting to make them outcasts again.
"It's a one night job. Quit complaining." Slamming the trunk, Dean turned to face the gate. "Let's go." He walked off without even looking behind him.
The moon wasn't full but it still gave off light. The crunch of the dead leaves made it difficult to be quiet. He heard Sam and Sadie following him.
A low growl from the side was all the warning Dean received before he was eye to eye with the beast. Instantly, he switched into a hunting machine. His focus narrowed to the creature that was trying to kill him.
Sam stayed a few steps back from Dean. Sadie began running around him, blocking him from going in certain directions. One second he felt a little light-headed. The next, the world went black.
Sadie kicked into action. She'd been able to edge Sam to the middle of the rows of headstones so he had plenty of room to fall safely either way. When he landed, he'd crumpled in on himself. She got busy pushing his arms off his chest and rolling him onto his back. His legs were harder to move because they were longer. Still, she untangled him until he was lying supine on the ground.
She went to his head and licked his face, trying to wake him up. She used her muzzle to nudge his head to the side in case he vomited. She kept snuffling him and whining, just waiting for him to wake up.
It was taking too long. Sam's body was twitching and all she could do was watch. She wanted to curl up by his side like she did at night but the seizure was too violent. Deciding that more help was needed, she howled.
Dean heard an animal cry out just after he'd terminated the hell hound. The sound could have been going on for awhile. The damn hound made so much noise when it attacked. He shook the dirt off and scowled at the blood the hellhound had left on his jacket. He was looking for a place to burn the carcass when Sadie came running toward him.
He didn't let her reach him. He took off in her direction. She turned and led the way back to Sam.
"Sammy!" Dean yelled as he ran. "Sammy!"
The dog heeled just out of reach of Sam's flinging limbs.
"Oh, shit!" Dean stumbled to a stop. The seconds felt like hours until Sam's shaking ceased. Immediately, Dean slid to his knees. He rolled Sam to his left side and ran his hands over Sam's body, searching for any injures.
Sam gave a little moan before he vomited. Dean was ready and helped Sam stay on his side as he brushed his long hair out of his face.
"That's it, Sammy. Come on back to me." When the gagging ceased, Dean removed his coat and laid it across his brother. "I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."
Sadie, like the smart girl she was, laid alongside Sam, sharing her body warmth. She'd needed Dean's help when the seizure lasted too long, but this part she knew. She'd never get used to seeing her owner helpless or Dean so worried. Still, she could provide what little comfort she could. She scooted closer to Sam, lifted her head, and stretched to lay it across Dean's thigh. Dean reached down to pet her and she licked his hand.
"Good girl, Sadie," his deep voice rumbled the praise she loved. "Sam'll be fine. We just need to wait. You going to keep me company?"
Sadie sighed and closed her eyes.
They made a strange trio. A dog taking a catnap, a brother with his mind a million miles away and another man slowly making his way out of unconsciousness.