Spoilers : None
Disclaimer : None of the rights are mine *Boo hoo*
A SICKLY FICLY
There's a nasty little bug going around
(I should know, I'm just recovering from my other half passing it onto me)
-oOo-
Dean awoke with a quiet grumble, wondering what had disturbed him. He instinctively turned his head, glancing across at his brother's bed. Seeing the bed empty, his eye's flicked towards the bathroom where a narrow strip of light could be seen along the bottom edge of the closed door. Satisfied, Dean rolled over and snuggled down further beneath his blankets, yawning. The sound of his brother coughing raised Dean back to near wakefulness again, other noises ensured he was suddenly wide awake. Sitting himself up in bed, Dean patiently waited for his brother to emerge out from the bathroom.
-o-
At last he heard the toilet flush and the sound of running tap water. Sam opened the bathroom door before flicking the light off, and Dean glimpsed his brother's sagging posture. Dean cast his mind back to what he and Sam had eaten whilst he waited for his brother to get back to his bed. Sam only made it half way when, with a moan, he turned and headed straight back into the bathroom without noticing Dean, quickly closing the door after himself. Various unpleasant sound effects began virtually immediately. Dean stared at the bathroom door, he really didn't fancy going in there after his brother. Instead, with a sigh, Dean threw off the bedclothes and padded into the kitchenette. Filling a glass with water, he grabbed a pen and scrawled a hurried note on the back of the motel In the Event of a Fire instruction sheet. Switching on Sam's bedside light, Dean set the glass of water on top of his note. Reaching under his own bed, he dragged out his boots, slipping them on to bare feet he headed for the door to their room, grabbing his jacket and car keys in passing. During all Dean's activity, his younger brother had remained shut away and busy in the bathroom. Dean shook his head, it looked like there wasn't going to be much more sleep for either of them for the rest of that night.
-o-
His forearms resting on either side of the wash basin, one hand held in the flow of blessedly chilly water from the cold tap, Sam raised his head and gazed at the picture of misery that stared back at him. His brows crinkled into a small frown. He couldn't decide whether it was his skin tone that was yellow, or whether it was just an effect of the bathroom's lighting. He hoped it was the latter. Cupping his hand under the tap, Sam poured the water onto his throat, gasping a little as it streamed down his chest, cooling the hot skin. He repeated the action, letting the water run over the back of his neck before cupping both hands under the tap, throwing the water onto his face, letting it drip down and off his chin. Straightening up, he shakily made his damp way out of the bathroom, hoping to at least make it as far as his bed this time.
-o-
Sam was letting himself fall back onto his bed before he realised that his bedside lamp had been switched on. He raised himself back up onto his elbows, slowly turning to glance across at Dean's bed, attempting to avoid kick starting the dizziness that the act of turning was currently bringing on. He blinked heavily a couple of times before his head was satisfied that no, his brother wasn't lying in the bed across from his sound asleep. It took a couple of seconds more before it occurred to Sam that maybe it was Dean who had switched his lamp on? Turning back to his bedside cabinet, Sam finally noticed the glass of water and the hand written note. Despite his throat being as dry as the Arizona desert in the height of summer, his stomach lurched at the idea of even swallowing water. Instead he wearily extracted the note and attempted to focus long enough to read it.
Gone to get drain cleaner for when you block everything up.
Drink the water. Back soon.
Dropping the note on the bed, Sam stared at the water again. Reaching over with one hand, he picked up the glass and gazed down at the floor. Doing everything with that one hand, Sam set the glass on the carpet, then flipped up a section of the bedside rug. Moving back to the glass, he poured what he hoped looked like a couple of swallow's worth onto the brown carpet, then tugged the rug flat again, covering up the wet patch. By the time he had got the partially empty glass back on the nightstand, Sam was exhausted. Letting himself flop back, he threw an arm across his eyes, blocking out the lamp's light. He didn't stay there for long.
-o-
Re-entering the motel room, Dean frowned when he saw Sam's bed still empty. A quick glance at the lowered level of water in the glass he had left for Sam reassured him that Sam hadn't been in the bathroom all the time he was out. Dropping his bag full of purchases, Dean kicked his boots off and hung his jacket over the back of a chair. A long moan directed his attention to the bathroom door and he strode across to it. Listening outside, Dean heard what he sincerely hoped was the sound of water running from a tap, followed by a short gasp.
"Sammy? You managing ok in there?"
"Don' c'min."
Dean hesitated before answering.
"You sure?"
"Mmmm."
Dean raised his eyes to the heavens and silently mouthed Thank you.
"Ok. Well, when you're finished, I've got some stuff that should help. ... You hear me Sammy?"
"Mmmm."
"Fine. Just...Take your time. I'm right here."
-o-
When the bathroom door finally opened, Dean openly stared at the figure who shuffled through it.
"Dude! I've seen healthier lookin' ghouls!"
Hurrying towards his brother, Dean halted when Sam raised a hand to stop Dean coming any closer.
"No. Don' touch...Too hot. M'too hot."
Dean smiled.
"Hate to break this to you, but you're really not, not right now anyway."
Sitting heavily down on the edge of his bed, Sam looked at Dean in confusion. Realising his attempt at being funny had fallen flat, Dean shook his head.
"Forget it. When did all this start?"
Sam shrugged.
"Dunno. Felt fine, went to sleep, then woke up feeling sick. Been back 'n forth ever since. Both ends on overdrive."
"Thanks for sharing! Right, first thing then, pink shit."
Dean began rummaging through his bag of supplies. Sam looked puzzled again.
"S'not pink."
Dean stopped in mid rummage, turning to stare back over his shoulder at Sam.
"Seriously? That's sooo not what I meant! I meant I've got some stuff for you to take, it's pink."
"Oh. Sorry."
"Ah, here we go. Guy at the pharmacy says this stuff can ease vomiting and reduce diarrhoea. They've been selling quite a bit of it recently. Apparently there's a nasty virus doing the rounds. People in the area have been dropping like flies. Good news is that while it hits fast and hard, the actual puking and crapping seems to stop fairly quickly too. You gonna drink this out the measuring pot, or straight from the bottle?"
"Pot."
-o-
Dean handed his brother a measuring pot full of the thick, gloopy liquid and hovered in front of him.
"Go on then. All of it."
Sam sniffed at the liquid suspiciously, wrinkling his nose at the smell.
"It's not aftershave. It don't matter what it smells like. Drink."
Dean stared, fascinated, at the facial convulsions carried out by Sam as he fought to swallow the medicine.
"Gharrgh...Yeesh...Ackack...Gross! No more...Ever!"
Wordlessly, Dean took the pot that Sam had thrust out to him. Filling it again, he offered it back to Sam.
"No. Can't."
"Sorry bro'. Only option here is takin' it yourself, or I force you to take it. Up to you."
Sam instantly tried for the patented puppy dog eyes.
"Dee...Pleeaase?"
"You ain't got what it takes right now little brother. Voluntary or forced?"
Sam's eyes narrowed.
"I hate you."
"Sure you do. Here."
Waiting for Sam work his way down the gloop, Dean gazed at the floor thoughtfully. Taking the empty pot back, he looked at his younger brother suspiciously.
"Sammy? Please tell me you didn't take a pee on the floor?"
-o-
Eventually, the time between Sam's frequent trips to the bathroom grew longer and, finally, after some persuasion by Dean, he agreed to take some small sips of Indian Tonic Water. Dean sat on the edge of Sam's bed and held the glass of clear fizzy liquid out to his brother.
"There's a tiny amount of Quinine in it, it'll hopefully help stop you feelin' so sick."
"Gotta taste better than pink shit."
Sam closed his eyes at the welcome sensation of the pleasant tasting drink in his dust dry mouth and throat.
"Whoa...Not too much at first."
Sam reluctantly allowed Dean to remove the glass from him after a few swallows. As Dean reached to put the glass down on the bedside cabinet, Sam suddenly curled up from his waist, bending forward and clutching at his stomach. He began to groan through gritted teeth.
-o-
"Sam? Sammy?
"Jeeze, it hurts Dee. Ah Hell!"
Standing, Dean quickly manoeuvred Sam until his younger brother was lying on his side on the bed, where Sam immediately pulled himself into a foetal position, arms still wrapped tightly around his stomach as he panted through his pain. There was little else Dean could do except rub his hand up and down Sam's back, all the while making reassuring noises. After a couple of minutes, he felt Sam begin to relax and his body uncurled slightly.
"It easing off?"
Sam nodded.
"That didn't look like fun."
"Wasn't. Thirsty."
"Ok. You sure you want to try drinking some more?"
In answer, Sam struggled to sit himself back up using one hand, keeping his other arm loosely draped around his middle.
"Here, let me help."
Wrapping an arm around Sam and pulling his brother into his side, Dean handed the glass over.
"Not so much and take it steady this time."
Sam nodded. Taking a small sip, he paused before taking another, after the third, Dean gently took the glass away. Once again, within a few seconds, Sam's stomach went into spasm, although the pain dispersed quicker this time. Dean stayed where he was, rubbing his brother's back until he felt the rhythm of Sam's breathing change. Moving slowly, Dean shifted until he could see Sam's face, smiling to himself when he saw Sam had fallen asleep. Standing up from the bed he covered Sam up with the blankets and turned out the bedside light. Yawning and stretching, he wandered back to his own bed and settled down beneath the bedclothes, falling asleep to the sound of his younger brother's breathing.
-o-
"Mnffwhat?"
"C...Cold. Re...Really co...Cold."
Sam was already sat on the edge of Dean's bed, his arms wrapped around himself and his shivering causing the whole bed to vibrate. Rubbing his eyes, Dean sat up.
"You need some extra blankets?"
Bowing his head, Sam shook it no. There was a moments confusion, then realisation dawned. Shuffling further over in his bed, Dean lifted the blankets.
"Come on."
The thought crossed Dean's mind that it was a bit like giving permission to a puppy to jump up on to the bed as Sam wasted no time in sliding under the blankets and into the warm patch vacated by his brother.
"Turn onto your other side."
Happy to comply, Sam rolled over so that he had his back towards Dean. Dean moved up to Sam, curling himself around his brother in a classic spooning position. One arm snaked over Sam's waist, pulling him in even closer. Dean shuffled his head around until he no longer had Sam's hair tickling his nose.
"Comfy?"
"Uh huh."
"Ok, close your eyes and go to sleep, you'll soon warm up."
Dean's hand automatically began to stroke soft circles over his brother's stomach, keeping the movement going, feeling Sam's shivering start to settle and, finally, stop altogether. Dean continued with the soothing action as he heard a contented sigh from Sam, only ceasing once he was sure that Sam had fallen asleep. Keeping his arm draped over Sam, it didn't take much longer for Dean to drift into a relaxed sleep.
-o-
The sun was almost fully up when Dean suddenly awoke. For a while he remained still, wondering what it was that had woken him? His answer came soon enough. The bouncing of the bed pulled Sam awake, opening his eyes he saw a glimpse of Dean as his brother disappeared into the bathroom at high speed, slamming the door behind him. Hurriedly sitting up, Sam cast around, his eyes finally coming to rest on a bottle of pink shit. Sam smiled.
FIN
-oOo-