Dean presses the crap plastic cell tightly to his ear long after Sam's said his (fourth and last) goodbyes, grasping at the faint scratching, scuffing, and breathing sounds his brother makes hanging up as if they were lifelines that could translocate him to California if he only wills it hard enough.
He comforts himself, as he finally tucks the phone away under his pillow and rubs at his reddened, pressure-marked ear, that he can't be the only one for whom even these last faint noises from home are the last drops of clean water to parched and sun-blistered lips.
A/N: I've got a new story in the pipes, graciously beta'd by the wonderful Shri Quinn. It's pretty much set to be posted, if I would just get my lazy butt in gear and finish it off :P Hopefully in the next week or so I'll have it up. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this little dollop.