Summary…He just stopped running, pain etched on his face, pain he wouldn't wish on anybody. Oh go, something is wrong. He ran to his brother catching him as his knees gave out and he fell to the ground. His breaths were labored, pained. It hurt for him to listen to them. What the hell is wrong? Pleas god, don't do this to me…to him?

Disclaimer: I own nothing, it's all the CWs.

Breathe

They had just parked the Impala beside the forest entrance, orders where already given and they all knew their individual roles.

They'd been tracking a werewolf. It was crafty, smart, but they had no doubts, they could do this. They had been researching for weeks and they had a centralized location for the werewolf, a forty five mill. Gun, and freshly made pure silver bullets.

Dean had always wanted to hunt a werewolf, and when his John found this hunt he knew it would be the perfect present for Dean's twentifth birthday, and Sam's first serious hunt.

Sam and John had been looking at their watches since they arrived, waiting for the clock to strike 1:36 exactly. That was the exact moment Dean was born that January twenty years ago, and it was inching closer by the seconds. The looked at their watches again, as they stood inches from the threshold of the forest, five seconds…four…three…two…one…"Happy Birthday Dean!" John and Sam screamed. Dean almost wet his pants in shock, he was a trained hunter. He had seen, battled demons, ghosts, and wendigo, and he let his sixteen year old brother and his way-past young father scare the shit out of him.

"Calm down bro!" Sam said referring to Dean's utter shock.

"Yeah Dean, we were just having a little fun before the party starts." John teased with a grin spread across his face at the fact that his "Nothing can scare me attitude" son had almost wet himself.

"Yeah, you guys are just regular party animals. I'd rather party with the Teletubies and Elmo." Dean said sarcastically.

"I never trusted them, they're pure evil." Sam said with a laugh.

"Okay, okay boys, play nice….enough joking around. Let's start the party." John said as they walked into the forest, weapons at the ready.

They'd been in the forest for three hours now with no sign of the werewolf. "Hey boys, it's time to head in before the sun rises." John hated leaving a hunt undone especially since it was a birthday present, but the werewolf would be changing back any moment, and the horizon was almost visible.

For Dean the walk back to the Impala had been a walk of shame. He had failed to catch and kill a werewolf, he had failed to make his father and Sam proud, but it all changed when he heard a branch crack behind them. "Dad, did you hear that?"

"Yeah, I heard it too." John said as he pulled his gun out of his pocket ready to protect Sam and Dean. "You two stay here; I'll go check it out. If anything happens to me…"

"Protect Sam." Dean finished. He knew his father's golden rule by heart. It had been imbedded in his head since he was four and his mother was killed. John nodded his head in approval of his son's answer before he turned to where he heard the noise and disappeared into the forest.

Sam didn't understand why his father found him incapable of protecting himself. "Why is he like that?"

"Like what?" Dean said trying to play dumb, he really didn't want to be a part of the Sam vs. John battle that Sam and his father so frequently had.

"Don't play stupid Dean; you know exactly what I am talking about. Dad always treating me like I'm a piece of glass, and if anything touches me I'll shatter."

"Sam…" Dean was cut off by gunfire and then by his father screaming his name. "Dean, take Sammy and run, don't look back. I'm right behind you!" Dean and Sam needed no further details. When their father said run it was serious.

It didn't take long for John to catch up to his boys, he may have been old, but he was anything but out of shape. Sam on the other hand sounded like a seventy-nine year old many that had just ran a marathon. "Sammy?" Dean asked as he looked over at his younger brother who seemed to be slowing down by the second.

Dean could see the Impala in plain view now barely one hundred feet away. "Hey Sam just a bit further. You can make it grandpa." Dean joked as he turned and looked at Sam. His heart skipped a beat when Sam just stopped running, pain etched on his face. Oh god, something is wrong. He stopped and ran back to his brother as he called to his father for help. He got to him just in time to catch him as his knees gave in and he fell to the ground. His breaths were labored, pained. It hurt to listen. What the hell is wrong Sammy? Please god don't do this to him…to me.

"Dean, what the hell happened?" John yelled as he knelt beside his boys.

"I-I don't know Dad. He just passed out."

John grabbed his youngest son's wrist frantically checking for q pulse, but what he got scared him senseless. "Dean, get him into the Impala!"

Dean wasted no time asking questions. When it had to do with his Sammy, it wasn't worth the risk. He picked up Sammy, whose breathing seemed to calm, and carried him to the Impala and put him in the back seat before sliding in beside him. He pulled his brother close and stroked his hair like he did when Sam was younger.

"Dad, what the hell is wrong with him?" Dean asked panicky.

"I don't know Dean, but his pulse was racing." John said pressing harder on the gas as he weaved in and out of traffic. Dean could sense his dad's fear as his words tumbled out of his mouth. "How's he doing back there?"

Dean gently lifted his brother's arm and felt for his pulse. It was fast, too fast. "His pulse is still fast." Dean stated tears beginning to form in his green eyes.

"What about his breathing Dean?"

Dean felt his heart stop when he realized his brother's ragged breaths were no longer present. "Dean?" Dean snapped out of his daze and looked at his brother. Bile rose in his throat at what he saw. "Oh my god…" Dean cried

"Dean, what is it? What's wrong?"

"Dad, he's turning blue. I don't think he can breathe!" John floored the accelerator.

"It's just around the corner Dean." John said trying to keep his cool. "Go ahead and call 911. Tell them we need someone waiting for our arrival at the hospital."

John didn't have to ask Dean twice. Dean dialed the numbers, those dreadful numbers, 9-1-1.

911 what's your emergency?

"My brother can't breathe. He's turning blue." Dean could feel his body shutting down, "Oh god he's not breathing."

Where are you sir?

"In a car on the way to the hospital." Dean answered

Okay, I've sent a message. A medical team will be awaiting your arrival…What is your brother's name?

"Sam Winchester" Dean answered

What happened to him Mr.…Dean hung up the phone as his father pulled up to the emergency room dock. As promised doctors were waiting patiently with a gurney. Dean practically jumped out of the car as he waved the doctors over to the door of the Impala.

Dean and John could only watch and listen in horror as the doctors started pumping air into the youngest Winchester's lungs. "He is in respiratory arrest, tachycardia." One doctor said as he straddled Sam as they rushed through the emergency room doors. "We need to hurry!" Another yelled as they rushed passed the oldest Winchesters.

Dean and John had been waiting for news on Sam for four hours, and every hour tugged at Dean's heart. He had had a panic attack after they took Sam away and had just got back to his father's side. The fact that his little brother stopped breathing bought his greatest fear to the surface, the fear of being alone; he didn't want to lose Sam like his mother so long ago. The only thing that keep Dean somewhat sane was that in the emergency room, no news was most likely good news…but that changed soon as he heard the double doors swing open and the voice of an exhausted doctor, "Family of Sam Winchester?"

Dean's whole body went numb. His mind and his mouth seemed in constant disagreement. "Right here." Dean was never so thankful to have his father by his side.

"Hello Mr. Winchester, I'm Doctor Matoka." She paused to assess her patient's family. They were both very handsome, but also disheveled. "We did several tests on Sam after intubation when he was stabilized…"

"Intubation!?! What…I mean…you couldn't help him? He still can't breathe?" Dean help but interrupt after this revelation. He was ready to continue with his tantrum, but his father interrupted and told her to carry on.

"Um…yes, after we ran test we concluded that Sam suffered a very severe asthma attack. And from what we witnessed upon his arrival it could have been fatal. He was already in respiratory arrest and mere seconds from cardiac arrest…currently we are observing him in ICU. We want him to stay in there until the swelling in his throat goes down. We also need to ask if he has had an asthma attack before."

"No, Dean use to, but not since he was ten." John answered quickly.

"I think this was an isolated incident caused by the cold, dry air and allergens, but we will prescribe him something to be safe." Dr. Matoka looked at the two men who seem agitated and impatient. "I can see you really want to see Sam, but I must warn you that he is hooked up to a lot of machinery. He is sedated right now but if he does wake up anytime soon he will be extremely weak so keep him calm so he doesn't hurt himself." She said as she led the two men to Sam's room in ICU.

Dean's heart almost stopped for the umpteenth that night when he saw his brother, he couldn't help but think h failed his brother when he saw his pale complexion and tube in his mouth.

"It's not your fault Dean, his heart and lungs just couldn't handle the stress of the hunt in that kind of environment." John said in a fatherly voice.

Dean took his father's words to heart as he thought back on the night's events. "Hey Dad?"

"Yeah, Dean?"

"What were we running from in the forest when Sammy…" Dean's voice drifted off not wanting to say those words.

"There was a pack of werewolves Dean…at least ten of them. There was no way we could have killed all of them." John answered.

"But what if they keep killing Dad? We can't just leave a hunt unfinished."

"Don't worry Dean, I got it covered. I called in a favor, some other hunters can handle it." John answered, "But don't worry I promise you'll get your werewolf hunt as soon as I find another one."

Four Days Later

Sam's tube had been removed the day before, and all the doctors agreed with Doctor Matoka that it was an isolated incident. No one was more relieved than Dean. The day only got better when John got a call confirming the werewolves had been killed.

Dean couldn't help but be happy, even though his birthday was a complete disaster.

"Thanks Sam" Dean said as his brother sat up in bed and looked at Dean like he was crazy.

"For what?"

"Because of you I finally had a birthday where dad wasn't absent…for the werewolf hunt…for finding a way to make me want to kick your ass." Dean joked

"Oh…in that case your welcome. I'll try to stop breathing more often."

"If you do…" Dean started

"You'll kick my ass! I know" Sam said as he flashed his brother a smile.

"And Sam," Sam looked at his brother again giving him his complete attention, "try to be conscious on my next birthday. You know dad doesn't socialize."

So what do you think? A little bit of Dean, A little bit of Sam. I tried to make the story about Dean, I really did, but it was the perfect opportunity to wail on Sammy. Please review.