Title: Nine Times Dean Needed Sam - Part 3: Cottage
Author: Liafrombrazil
Beta'd by the awesome Enkidu07. Thank you so much!
Disclaimer: They're not mine. It's probably for the best.
Posted: 8th Mar 2010
Fellow Players: Enkidu07, Onyx Moonbeam, Supernoodle, PA Davis, Sidjack, Liafrombrazil,
Soncnica, Hanson's Angel, and IheartSam7.
A/N: This was written for a special birthday surprise for Mad Server. I couldn't help myself and wrote hypothermic!Dean, but it's all for you. And he sneezes at the very end. :) Have a wonderful birthday!
Dean hadn't checked in for four hours, closer to five. They'd made a huge mistake. They knew the rules. No matter what, never split up, especially on a snowy day in winter woods. Ten call attempts later and Dean finally picked up the phone.
"Sam?" The word was spoken in a whispered voice and Sam's stomach clenched tighter.
"Dean," he said, trying to hide the thread of panic in his voice.
They'd been following the trail of a vengeful spirit that was haunting an old cottage and had the idea of going in different directions. If that wasn't the dumbest idea ever, Sam didn't know what was.
"Sam? Is t-that you?" Dean's voice came a little weaker this time.
"Yes, Dean, I'm here. Are you hurt? Where're you?"
"Sam...don't know. T-the lady, the s-spirit…knocked m-my head…a-ankle h-hurts too."
There was no question that Dean needed him, needed to be found.
"I'm coming. Just stay on the phone." Thank God Sam had insisted that Dean spring for the GPS tracking service for their cell phones.
He was at Dean's side in less than ten minutes. His brother was slumped against a tree and seemed asleep, except his lips were trembling and his face was very pale.
"Dean…Dean, you with me?"
Dean opened his eyes, looked up to his brother and erupted into horrible wet coughs as his body shivered with the cold. So, irritation of the airways and low body temperature. Shivering was good, though. It meant that hypothermia hadn't set in yet. More people die of extreme hypothermia than survive it. First-aid lessons crossed Sam's mind. Shivering and chattering of teeth mean the body is increasing metabolism to raise the core temperature. That means mild level. Sam tried to still his trembling hands and placed one over Dean's chest.
"Sam?"
"I'm here, Dean…I'm here." To treat mild hypothermia you should have the victim engage in activity. "Come on, bro. It's time to get moving."
"C-can't walk…wanna s-sleep…"
"Not this time, bro. We're going to find the cottage. Now." And pray we find a kindly person living there.
The two brothers moved slowly but steadily along the path. The snow was already deep on the ground when it began to fall again. There was no sound other than Dean's labored breathing and Sam's hand brushing the snow from his brother's shoulder.
"Almost there, Dean. We're gonna be okay."
"W-we should s-stop a s-s-sec…"
"No. We can't stop."
"J-just for a-a…"
"I said no. We keep going."
"Y-you're bossy w-when I'm hurt…"
"Yeah, I know. Just hold on, okay? You'll see. We'll be there soon."
Dean was walking very slowly, not really lifting his feet, his steps faltering as his entire body shivered with the cold. His arms folded across his chest in an attempt to sustain body heat. Sam's arms were holding him close, trying to share his warmth.
"S-Sam, think I n-need to sit down."
"No. No, you're okay. Keep moving."
"T-Think I'm gonna t-throw up…"
"No. You need to keep the warmth inside."
"O-okay."
Night had fallen when they got to their destination. Breathing a sigh of relief, Sam saw the old cottage window with light creeping out from behind the curtain. Dean was breathless, violently shivering and his cough had become dry.
"S-Sam…" He managed weakly, his eyes firmly shut.
"Hey, calm down. It's okay. We're here."
Before Sam could knock, a young woman opened the door. She looked determined as she helped him to drag Dean onto the couch.
"Thank you. Do you have a blan…? Oh, thanks." Sam eased his brother's jacket and jeans off and wrapped him in the thick blanket.
Dean started to say something but the air caught in his chest and he jerked, coughing and hacking miserably. He squeezed his eyes shut and Sam held him until the fit had passed.
"Easy man, easy." Sam didn't mean to yell but Dean didn't seem able to listen to anything right now.
"Stay still, Dean. That's it, you're okay. Hey, could you…?" Sam turned his head to face the girl, but she had disappeared. Damn. The ghost. He shouldn't be shocked or surprised by now. Seriously, what human girl would open her home to two complete strangers in the middle of the night? Besides something hot to drink, they needed some salt and iron stuff.
"Dean, I'll be right back. Just gonna grab something in the kitchen, okay?"
"I'm f-fine." Dean gasped, winced and closed his eyes again.
Sam went toward the kitchen door, almost ramming into the girl and her steaming cup of tea.
"Hey! Watch out!" She exclaimed as she handed him a first-aid kit.
"You...I...I mean, I thought you were gone..."
"Gone? Don't be silly. I just figured you two could use some hot tea, a thermometer and aspirin. How's your friend doing?"
"He's my brother. And he's gonna be fine. Thank you." Sam really took a look at the young lady for the first time. "I mean it. Not every girl would help two strangers in the middle of the night." While speaking, Sam went back to Dean's side and started to assess his temperature.
"You're welcome. I think if you were serial killers you'd find a better way to get your victims than soaking your clothes and getting hypothermia. By the way, you should take a shower and get into some dry clothes too."
"Later." Sam said holding the cup to Dean's lips.
"S-she's smart, S-Sammy. M-marry this one." Dean gasped, his tired eyes on the girl standing at the side of the couch.
"There he is." Sam made a face but couldn't help himself and smiled. "You're gonna be just fine."
Hours later, his brother was sleeping safely on the couch and Sam looked at their savior and grinned. They were drinking herbal tea and eating homemade cookies.
"Sad story, isn't it? A young lady running away with the love of her life, who ended up drowning her. I'm not surprised she's so pissed off."
"My family's had this cottage for years. We've heard strange noises and she decided to appear once on occasion, but never had hurt people before."
"Well, I'll make sure she's not going to hurt anyone else."
Dean sneezed twice in his sleep without waking up.
"You can go and take care of your business. I'll keep my eyes on him."
Sam smiled and felt then a pleasant and long forgotten feeling of trust in an unrelated person. That was a pretty good feeling.