Dean pulled up to the first pharmacy he spotted- a little Mom n' Pop place by the look of it- and killed the engine.
"You want to come in?" he asked Sam. His brother shook his head, "I just want to wait here."
"Okay," Dean took the prescription from his brother's hands and opened the driver's side door, "I won't be long."
Stepping into the air-conditioned pharmacy was like stepping into Heaven. Dean sighed as a gust of polar air blew directly onto his face, cooling him.
A small bell above the door announced his entrance and a woman wearing a white lab coat appeared behind the counter at the back of the store, past aisles of allergy medications, feminine hygiene products and mouthwash.
"Can I help you?" she asked Dean as he stepped up to the counter and showed her the prescription.
Peering over the tops of her glasses, the pharmacist read the drugs listed before lifting her head to look at Dean.
"These are for you?"
Dean shook his head, "A friend."
"They are very expensive," she told him, taking the prescription from him as though it was dirty.
"Don't you worry about that, Sweetheart," he told her gregariously, not missing her grimace of disgust as she held the paper in her hand.
"We don't have these in stock," she told Dean shortly, "You'll have to come back tomorrow."
"Fine," he told her, "I will."
Deciding he should make his visit here worth it, he walked down the aisles, picking up a few things that would help Sam feel better in the meantime: cough syrup, Tylenol, Pepto Bismol, a sleep aid, and because he knew his brother liked the stuff, a large bag of cheddar cheese flavoured popcorn.
Dean approached the counter again as that seemed to house the only cash register in the place.
"Is that everything?" the woman asked and Dean nodded.
As she rang his purchases through, she held the very edge of every item, as though afraid to touch them. Dean gathered up the items and turned to go before pausing and looking back at her.
"You can't catch it that way," he told her, his anger rising.
"What?" she asked, rudely.
"What my brother has," Dean continued, "You can't catch it just by touching something he may have. I'd have thought that, as a pharmacist, you would know that."
He walked out of the pharmacy; not even smiling in a satisfactory way at the stunned look the woman was giving him.
Climbing into the driver's seat of the Impala, Dean dumped the items he'd purchased onto his brother's lap.
"Where are the medications?" Sam asked, searching through the pile on his legs.
"They don't have them," Dean started the engine, "We have to come back tomorrow."
"Okay," Sam muttered.
"Let's just get something to eat,' Dean said as he started driving.
"I don't want to go anywhere," Sam told him, "Can we just stay in and order some take-out?"
"Sure, Sammy," Dean muttered, "Whatever you want."
They drove to the motel in silence, Dean still angry about the pharmacist's attitude and Sam still simply shaken up by the news they had received.
As soon as they stepped into the motel room, the older Winchester turned on the television, not wanting to sit in silence.
"What do you feel like eating Sammy?" he asked as he flipped through the channels until he found a rerun of 'COPS'.
"You decide," Sam muttered, sitting on the edge of his bed and raking his hair back from his brow.
"How about Chinese?" Dean suggested, "I'll order enough for dinner too."
Sam shrugged, "Sure."
Dean found the number for a Chinese restaurant in the phonebook beside the television set.
"How about this? It's called the Jade Tiger," Dean suggested, "They have sushi."
Sam grimaced, "Just Chinese, Dean."
"Okay, no sushi," his brother nodded and fished his phone out of his pocket.
While he waited, Sam opened the bag of popcorn his brother had bought and crammed a handful into his mouth.
Chewing loudly, Sam listened idly as Dean ordered orange chicken, beef and broccoli, egg rolls, Peking duck, chow mien and red-fried pork.
"And don't forget the fortune cookies," Dean added before ending the call.
"We should have it in about a half-hour," he told Sam.
"Good," his brother replied, picking up another handful of popcorn.
Dean moved to his brother's side and sat down on the edge of the bed beside him.
"Sammy," he began, "Do you… Do you want to talk about this?"
Sam didn't speak but twitched the open bag of popcorn towards his brother, "Want some?"
Dean dug his hand into the bag and grabbed a fistful.
"I think… I think we should talk about this," Dean ventured, not eating his popcorn.
"What's there to talk about?" Sam asked, not looking at Dean.
"This… disease…" Dean began, pausing and staring down at the floor.
"Do you remember that day?" Dean started again, "When you begged Dad and I to come with us into the forest?"
"No," Sam replied, "I don't remember anything."
"Dad wasn't going to let you come," Dean continued, "But then you started crying and I think he remembered that you were still just a little kid, six years old, and didn't want to be left on your own."
Sam just kept eating his popcorn.
"You could barely keep up with us," Dean said quietly, "But you were determined."
"We were going up a steel incline," Dean told him, "With a cliff on one side where a bunch of trees were. It was rocky; the ground unsteady. Dad… he told me to keep an eye on you but… but I wanted to help him instead and you…"
Sam stopped chewing, turning his hazel eyes on his brother.
"I don't know if you slipped or tripped or were just too exhausted to keep going," Dean whispered, "You fell, right off the damn cliff."
"Dad was right there though, nearly broke his neck going after you," Dean told him, "I was so scared… I thought you'd be dead. I mean, you were so little and the drop was so high."
"You had some bruises and scratches but…" Dean stopped his voice hitching, "but the worst part was that tree branch. It went right through you, right here."
Dean straightened up and touched a hand to his own abdomen, on the lower left side.
"Dad had to get you out," Dean continued, "He didn't have a choice. He pulled the branch out and bundled you in his coat but… there was so much blood… you were so pale… I think we both thought you were dead already."
"We got you to the hospital and you went into surgery," Dean told him, "They had to remove part of your spleen but other than that you were okay."
"In three weeks you were back to your usually self," Dean smiled slightly, "Wanting to go on the next adventure with Dad and me."
"If I'd just listened to Dad-" Sam began but Dean put a hand on his brother's, "Don't, Sammy, don't do that. You didn't know; you couldn't have known. You were a little kid."
Sam looked up at his brother, tears in his eyes.
"Why is this happening to me?"
Dean had to look away from his sibling, his own eyes stinging.
"I don't know, Sammy," he murmured, his voice suddenly thick, his throat tight, "I just don't know."
Turning, he grabbed his brother tightly and hugged him, hugged him as hard as he could because he knew that in a year from now he would not be able to.
As painful as the revelation of Sam's HIV diagnosis was, another thought loomed in the back of Dean's mind, a cruel, mocking thought: He had sold his soul, brought Sam back from the dead, only to find out his brother was closer to death's door anyway.
A sharp knocking at the door drew the brothers apart from one another. Sam wiped his face with his sleeve and Dean chuckled a little, as though embarrassed.
Making his way to the door, Dean sniffed a couple of times before opening it and smiling widely at the teenage girl from the Jade Tiger holding several bulging paper bags of take-out.
"You're beautiful," Dean said, and fished his wallet out of his pocket.
"Thirty-three seventy-two," the girl blushed and proffered the bags.
Money traded hands and Dean brought the food inside, his stomach rumbling in anticipation. He tore open the paper bags and pulled out the white Styrofoam containers, the scent of greasy Chinese food of questionable quality filled the room.
"What do you feel like, Sammy?" Dean asked, "There's a lot to choose from."
"I'm not really hungry, Dean," Sam muttered and lay down on his bed.
"Aw c'mon Sammy," Dean reached out and put a hand on his brother's arm, "You can't get better if you don't eat."
"I ate some popcorn," Sam muttered, closing his eyes.
"That's not enough and you know it," Dean argued.
"Please Dean, just let me sleep for a little while," Sam muttered without opening his eyes, "I'm tired."
Dean lifted his hand from his brother's arm.
"Okay Sammy, sure," Dean told him, "I'll save you some."
Now Dean didn't feel like eating himself. Opening a container of orange chicken, he grabbed one of the plastic forks the employees of the Jade Tiger had so generously supplied and began shoveling the food into his mouth as fast as he could.
W
Burping loudly, Dean watched 'COPS' with the volume down so he wouldn't wake his brother. Sam slept restlessly- as he had been for the past two weeks- tossing and turning ceaselessly.
Dean's attention waned and his thoughts turned to his brother's future. In a little under a year he would be dead and Sam would be on his own. He had sold his soul to a demon for nothing. He didn't know how long Sam had; it could be months or years, but he was still going to die. Had the demon known about the HIV? Had it known and had laughed at Dean behind his back as he begged to make a deal?
Sam lifted his head, blinking groggily.
"You okay?" Dean asked.
Sam nodded and laid his head back down, sighing.
"You want something to eat now?" Dean asked, turning the volume up on the TV.
"Fine," Sam muttered and sat up, "If you'll stop bugging me about it."
Dean gave his brother a shit-eating grin.
"Can we turn the air conditioning up?" Sam asked as he moved across to the rickety table where Dean had left the take-out containers.
"It's up as high as it'll go," Dean told him.
"Of course it is," Sam muttered, "I'll be so glad when we leave this state. Can we go to Alaska next?"
"What's wrong with you?" his brother asked, "Your biggest dream as a kid was going to Disney World."
Sam shrugged, "Well, I'm not a kid anymore."
Picking up the container of chow mien, Sam sat down on his bed and began eating.
"You know what we should do?" Dean asked, turning around on his bed so he faced his brother.
"What?" Sam asked, slurping up a bean sprout as he spoke.
"Go to Disney World," Dean couldn't help but smile.
Sam stared at him, "What?"
"Yeah, we're close enough," Dean continued, "It's just, what, an hour from here? Let's go once we've got your medications."
"I don't know, Dean," Sam argued.
"Why not? You've always wanted to go," Dean countered, "Better late than never. What's stopping you?"
Sam looked at him pointedly.
"Once you're feeling better, we'll go," Dean told him, "What do you say?"
"Dean…" Sam began but his brother interrupted.
"Don't tell me you've never dreamed about going on Space Mountain or the Tower of Terror or watching that stupid parade they have at night."
Sam looked down for a moment, chewing, thinking.
"Okay Dean," he said, lifting his head, "Let's go to Disney World."
Dean grinned at him.
SPN
Sam ran into the bathroom and slammed the door shut, barely making it to the toilet before he couldn't hold it in anymore. He groaned in pain as he sat hunch, arms wrapped around his middle.
"Sam?" Dean's voice came from the other side of the door, "You all right in there?"
"I… might have overdone it with the… Chinese," Sam ground out, feeling as though his insides were on fire.
"You need the pink stuff?" Dean called.
"I think it's too late for that," Sam told him, laughing even though it wasn't funny.
"We'll get those medications first thing in the morning," Dean assured him, "As soon as the pharmacy opens."
"Okay," Sam muttered and thankfully didn't hear a reply; Dean must have left him to suffer on his own.
W
Crawling into his bed ten minutes later, Sam collapsed against the blankets, exhausted and feeling oddly empty.
"How're you feeling?" Dean asked from his own bed.
"Like I just flushed everything I've ever eaten down the toilet," Sam murmured.
"Gross," Dean replied.
Sam smiled slightly and closed his eyes, grateful when sleep closed in around him.
W
It was still dark, early, when Sam woke up again but he couldn't sleep any longer. Searching for some clean clothes in his duffel and choosing a pair of jeans and a grey t-shirt, which would be much cooler than a button-up flannel, Sam went into the bathroom and turned on the light.
Brushing his bangs back from his forehead, Sam started at the face staring back at him in the mirror.
It hadn't changed much since the day previous, except for the three red sores marring his skin; one on his brow, close to his hairline, another on his chin just below his lower lip and another on his cheek.
"Dean!" Sam called and threw open the bathroom door.
His brother was awake instantly, looking around frantically for the threat.
Loping across the room, Sam turned on the lamp on the table between the beds; he crouched down so that he was face-to-face with his sibling.
"It's getting worse," was all he said.
W
Sam refused to take his jacket off even as they sat in the restaurant. The collar raised to try and keep as much of his face hidden as possible.
"Sam," Dean attempted for the third time to get him to take off the coat, "No one cares. No one knows."
Sam shook his head, face bent over his steaming mug of coffee.
"Can I get you boys anything?" a waitress appeared, notepad at the ready.
"Can I get bacon and fried eggs?" Dean asked, "With hot sauce on the side?"
"Sure thing," the waitress took down his order before turning to Sam, "And you, Sweetheart?"
"I'm fine with coffee, thanks," Sam muttered, keeping his head down.
Dean smiled apologetically at the waitress.
'Rough night,' he mouthed to her. She nodded and left to put his order in.
"Sammy," Dean leaned forward, trying to pull down the collar of his jacket, "You've got to eat something."
"Not hungry, Dean," Sam muttered.
"Sam, no one is going to know its," Dean paused, "You-Know-What."
"I don't care," Sam argued, "I'm not going to take my jacket off."
Dean sighed and leaned back, picking up his coffee cup and taking a deep drink.
"What happened about going to Disney World, huh?" he asked Sam, "Are you going to forget about that?"
His brother said nothing, lifted his cup of coffee and took a sip.
Their waitress returned with Dean's meal than turned to Sam.
"Sure I can't get you anything?" she asked Sam.
"Pancakes, I guess," he relented.
"Good choice," the waitress left to get his order filled.
"C'mon Sammy, take the collar down," Dean egged, "You don't have to take the coat off but at least lower your collar."
Sam, glancing around the diner and seeing no one was looking at him- everyone were too focused on their breakfasts to pay him any attention- and fixed his collar.
"There," Dean smiled, "See, there's no pitchforks or burning torches."
"Very funny," Sam muttered but returned his brother's smile, if slightly. He didn't feel so claustrophobic now at least.
"When we're done here we'll go the pharmacy and then head to Orlando," Dean told him.
"Already?" Sam asked, "I thought you said we'd go once I felt better."
Dean looked a bit sheepish, "I know I did Sammy but… well we both know I don't have much time and I want to cross it off my bucket list."
"That's not funny, Dean," Sam told him.
"I'm not laughing," his brother looked serious.
Sam took a deep breath, "Okay. Why not?"
Dean grinned and shoved a whole strip of bacon into his mouth.
The waitress returned with Sam's pancakes and refilled both of their coffee cups.
Sam poured a very generous amount of syrup onto the cakes and began to slice them up.
"Hey, hey, look," a voice from across the room tittered, "He's gonna eat them."
Sam turned to look towards the counter and saw a teenage boy wearing an apron and paper hat elbow the teenage girl behind the cash register.
"What are you looking at?" Dean asked.
Sam tore his gaze away from the teens and stared at his pancakes. Carefully, afraid something might jump out at him, he used his fork to flip over the one on top to reveal a greenish glob of snot glistening against the dark brown cake. A wave of nausea coursed through Sam and he shuddered.
"What the fuck is that?" Dean asked even though his tone told Sam he knew exactly what it was.
Sam closed his eyes and pushed the plate away, trying hard not to throw up.
"Hey!" Dean shouted at their waitress.
"Is something wrong?" she asked, sounding concerned.
"Yeah, some shithead hawked a loogie into my brother's breakfast," Dean snarled.
Sam opened his eyes; even the waitress looked disgusted.
"I'm so sorry," she apologized, "Can I get you a fresh order."
"No," Dean answered before his brother could speak, "You can give the scummy little creep who did it a kick in the ass."
Dean stood, "Let's get out of here."
The waitress watched, speechless as Dean stalked away from her, Sam following him silently.
Slamming the door to the Impala, Dean sat for a long minute, fuming.
"They couldn't have known, could they, Dean?" Sam asked.
Dean shook his head, "No, Sammy, they were just pricks."
Sam didn't reply.
"Let's just get your medicine," Dean growled and turned the key in the ignition so quickly the engine nearly stalled.
W
Again Sam opted to wait in the car while Dean went inside the pharmacy. The experience at the diner had left him shaken. Those kids couldn't have known he was sick. They were just being cruel.
Still, Sam pulled down the sun visor and peered at his reflection in the small makeup mirror embedded inside.
He jumped when the driver's side door opened and Dean pushed a white paper bag at him.
"Better start now," Dean told him.
Sam nodded and opened the bag, taking out the two medication bottles labeled 'Sustiva' and 'Viramune'.
"Got you this too," Dean handed him a bottled fruit smoothie drink, "Since you didn't get much breakfast."
"Thanks Dean," Sam muttered and took the pills, washing them down with a large gulp of Melon-Berry Medley.
"What do you say we go to the happiest place on earth?" Dean asked and Sam nodded, both Winchesters needed some cheer after the morning.
Dean pulled out of the parking space and put the town in his rearview mirror.
Author's Note:
Thanks to Mama's Stories, Disappearing Rose, Kas3y, uNICOrnDIANGELO, McGeekLover, TXKimsonFan, reannablue, Butterscotch2347, Lisa Boon, EverybodyLovesUri and Guest for reviewing.
Please leave a review if you are enjoying the story.
