Dean started the ignition letting the engine roar to life, before glancing across the bench seat at his younger brother.

"How you doing there, Sammy?" He asked, taking in his little brothers appearance; the kid looked miserable - his head was drooped with his bangs covering his eyes, his hands were tucked inside the front centre pocket of his hoodie, and his lower lip was slowly protruding into a pout.

"Come here, kiddo." He said, pulling his brother across the bench seat whilst slinging his arm around his shoulders, safely tucking the kid into his side with his head leaning against his shoulder. "That better?"

Sam nodded against Dean's shoulder, curling into his brothers side.

Dean gave one last glance at his brother before checking his review mirror and circling a large u-turn over the two laned road, and heading back in the direction they'd come.

The drive was silent but peaceful...

Only the soft breaths coming from his sleeping brother, and the grumbling from the Impala's engine as it ate up the black tarmac sounded in the cabin. Dean sighed - the kid needed rest after the trauma he'd just been though - he loosened his grip on the wheel, as he finally let himself relax and left his other arm protectively draped around his brother.

He pulled into the motels parking spot, and shut off the engine. Glancing down at the kid, he was still resting peacefully against him with the running effects of the anaesthesia still numbing his system - knowing it'd be a whole other story once that wore off - but he'd deal with that as it comes, for now the kid was fine.

Dean opened the drivers door and gently leaned his brother up, not wanting to wake the kid. As he exited the car he carefully shuffled Sam across with him till the kid was occupying the drivers seat and he was standing outside the car, then as having done on numerous times he hoisted the kid into his arms, and closed the door behind them.

Closing the motel door behind him, the room looked exactly as they'd left it. An unmade twin share bed centred the room with its headboard against an unplastered raw brick wall, a tattered maroon two seater sofa sat beside one of the two pine bedside tables, across from the sofa was a 21 inch CRT television. A small laminated kitchenette lined the wall just off to the left of the stand held TV, then through the door on the right of the bed was a small bathroom.

Dean carried Sam over to the bed, placing him carefully down on the red, navy and yellow checkered quilt cover. He watched as his brother instinctively curled up, before pulling the covers over him, then took a seat on the edge of the bed and carded his hand through the kids hair - he hoped his brother would get a decent amount of rest before the pain kicked in - cause sleep after that might be nonexistent.

He was pretty sure they still had some Panadeine Forte left in the first aid kit; they usually kept it well stocked - injuries weren't a rare thing in his family, and having a highly equipped medical kit was nessesary - it contained almost anything that was held, or rather was once held, in the hospital medical cabinets... that'd been silently pocketed on their rare off hospital visits.

He sighed, giving his brother another glance before standing; figuring he'd better check, otherwise he'd need to make a trip to get some. He knew his brother would be needing them after the anaesthetic wore off. He'd only taken one step from the bed when...

"D'n?"

He sighed again, "I'm here, Sammy." He said gently, before retaking his spot on the bed. "How you feeling, kiddo?"

Sam shrugged, "I don't know. Still numb, but it's starting to hurt a bit."

Dean looked across to the digital clock on the opposite bedside table, it was now 3:46, as he stared at the red digits he mentally thought back to the time he'd seen on the wall clock at the dentists office - he'd captured the time in his mind knowing he had about an hour or two before the numbing effects wore off - it'd been ten to three when the dentist finished, and Sam's appointment had been at quarter to two.

He sighed, as he pushed his brothers bangs back. "I know, kiddo. We'll get you some of the good stuff soon, okay?" He said, remembering he needed to check their supplies and he needed to change the kids gauze, it was well overdue.

Sam nodded, looking up at his brother.

Dean turned more side on so he was directly facing his brother. "I need to change the gauze, Sammy. Open up."

Sam wrinkled his nose, but opened his mouth - but finding he couldn't open it very far.

Dean placed his index finger and thumb inside his brothers mouth, and removed the old gauze. Standing up, he crossed to the kitchenette placing the soaked, blood red gauze in the flip bin, before taking his place on the bed again. He reached into his left breast pocket pulling out the newly sealed packet of gauze pads, pulling the packet open he removed one of the three, and folded it as the dentist had done.

"Open again, Sammy."

Using the same fingers, he slid the gauze in on the far left side till it was in place.

"Okay, bite down and keep the pressure on it."

Dean studied his little brother a moment; the kid looked wrecked and it didn't look like he'd be moving anytime soon. "Let's watch some TV." He decided, grabbing the remote from the bedside table, and hit the red button.

He carefully moved himself to lie next to his brother, and shifted onto his back throwing an arm behind his head. Pointing the remote at the television he flicked through the channels - M TV, SKY, NBC, CTV, FOX, LIFETIME... before settling on HBO, it was about mid-way through a Sex and the City episode.

He turned from the TV screen as he felt Sam shuffle beside him, with the kid leaning his head up a little to rest against his chest. Dean smiled to himself as he placed the remote on the quilt cover beside him and wrapped his arm protectively around his brother, pulling the kid closer as Sam snuggled into his side. Within seconds the kid was asleep again.

"Dude, that's alright, she could do that for me any day of the week." Dean nodded approvingly at the TV screen as actress Kristine Davis dropped her black sateen robe as she stood beside a luxury king sized bed; the silky sateen slid sexually from her shoulders and pooled at her feet, revealing a sleek sateen slip that showed off all the right curves in all the right ways, before laying seductively in the white sateen sheets.

He wouldn't mind ANY good looking curvy chic to do that actually...

Dean glanced down at his kid brother glad he was out, not only cause his brother needed the rest but because this episode wasn't exactly kid friendly, with Kristine Davis laying fully naked now.

Oh yeah... he wouldn't mind ANY chic doing that...

Dean sighed, shifting slightly under his brother and brushed his fingers through the kids bangs, his little brother moaned softly and moved further into his side before settling again. Dean quirked a smirk; his little brother was always rather clingy when he wasn't feeling well or upset, and obviously this called for one of those times.

The episode ended another fifteen minutes later, with One Night Stand coming up next, he wasn't sure if he was in the mood for stand up comedy... but what the hell, he couldn't be bothered changing it either. The intro ran through with the first act walking on stage, but that was as far as he saw before all his focus turned onto Sam. His little brother was shifting restlessly beside him and... moaning?... he listened more intently trying to ignore the sound of the television in the background and shook his head, the kid was crying.

"Hey... hey, Sammy." He called gently, giving the kids back a soft rub. "What's wrong, kiddo?" He asked, even though he knew exactly what the problem was; the anaesthetic had completely worn off, and the kid was now feeling the pain.

Sam shifted against him again, giving a soft sob.

"Hey, it's ok, little brother. I'm here..." Dean soothed, as he continued to caress his younger brothers back. He knew it was time to get his little brother dosed up - but mentally kicked himself for not having checked the supplies yet... but he wasn't at all worried, if they didn't have Panadeine Forte they'd have something similar - then hopefully, by any miracle the kid might get some more sleep. "What do you say, Sammy. Time to get drugged up?"

Sam snuffled, letting out another quiet sob.

It hurt...

It hurt so much.

Dean helped his little brother sit up, then shuffled up into a sitting position himself whilst keeping a protective hold on Sam. His younger brother looked like death on two wheels, and by the time this is over, he'll be feeling like it for the next week or so, at least.

Sam softly sobbed again, and carefully palmed his left cheek with his hand. "...urts." He mumbled through the pain, his puppy eyes wet with tears.

"I know, kiddo... I know it does." He sympathised, before he started moving from the bed, but stopped when Sammy reached out for him. His little brother surprising him, as he threw himself in his arms.

"It urts, D'n. It, urts..." He mumbled, before breaking out in a full on sob. "It really, really urts." He sobbed, clutching the front of Dean's faded black Metallica t-shirt.

"I know it does, little brother. I know it does." He soothed, rubbing his brothers back. "But I need you to calm down, buddy. It's okay, Sammy..."

He held his younger brother and waited until he calmed down, but continued rubbing his back. Once the kid was just reduced to snuffling Dean bunched up the hem of his own shirt, drying his brothers tears and running nose - he didn't even give it a second thought... he'd done worse.

But he hated this...

It pulled at his heart seeing his little brother like this.

"Don't worry, Sammy. We'll kick this in the ass, like we always do." He said, getting a small watery smile from his brother. "Let's get those pills in you, then you can get some more beauty sleep."

He gently eased his brother from his arms and seated on the quilt cover. Dean moved away from the bed in the direction of the bathroom.

When they'd first arrived - not even four days ago - they brought their belongings in from the Impala, and dumped them... the kit hadn't moved from the long laminated bench since. Adjoining the bench was a peach porcelain sink - the whole damn bathroom was washed in the same peach tone apart from the light timber under sink cupboard - it looked like some kid came in here and had a tantrum, throwing a strawberry milkshake and covering the whole bathroom with it - a round mirror sat just directly above the basin and a shower occupied the far corner.

Dean searched through the kit, sighing with relief when he came across a packet of Panadeine Forte, he opened the packet pulling out the silver foils - noting they were short on supply - and punched out one of the tablets. He filled the bathroom cup with water before returning back to the bed.

"Here, Sammy." He said, holding the tablet out in his hand.

Sam eyed the tablet wearily; he hadn't said anything to Dean yet - but it hurt to swallow, even trying to swallow his own saliva felt like knives going down his throat.

He shook his head, "I can't, Dean." He mumbled around the fresh gauze Dean had only put in not even twenty minutes ago. It wasn't bleeding so much now, after he'd changed the second gauze it wasn't as red as the first. It was more just weeping and mixing with his saliva.

"You can, Sam." He said firmly, still holding the tablet out to his brother.

Sam swallowed, cringing at the pain. "I can't..."

"Why, not? Sammy, once you take it, it'll start helping with the pain."

Tears began to form in Sam's eyes again, "I can't, Dean. It hurts to swallow." He mumbled miserably.

"Why didn't you say something, kiddo?" He asked, but there was no accusation in his tone, only concern. He received a shrug in return. "Can you chew it?" He suggested instead.

Sam shook his head - he couldn't chew either.

"Alright, kiddo. We'll work out a way." Dean said, heading in the direction of the kitchenette. He sorted out the different options in his head, and went for his best bet - spoon feed the kid - he knew Sam wouldn't like it, but they'd both just have to deal with it and they didn't have much other choice.

He opened the top right cupboard pulling out a white ceramic bowl, then grabbed a teaspoon from the drawer below the bench. He broke up the tablet with the back of the spoon before pouring in a little of the water from the cup, then combined the two before heading back over to the bed.

"Come here, Sammy." Dean said, as he took a seat on the bed again. His little brother shuffled closer to him, with Dean pulling him around and leaning the kids back in against his chest. "That's it, kiddo."

"Let's take this gauze out, it shouldn't be bleeding now." He needed it out anyway before he could give the kid the medicine, otherwise the watery pill would just seep into the gauze. "Open, Sammy."

Sam opened his mouth with Dean removing the padding, it was wet again with saliva but this time it was only a bit tinged pink. Dean removed a used tissue from his jeans pocket, wrapping the gauze in it and tossed it on the bedside to bin later on.

Sam eyed the bowl curiously unsure of Dean's plan. But kind of got the gist of it when Dean scooped some of the watery tablet on to the spoon, moving it towards his mouth.

"Dean," He whined, feeling a little old to be spoon fed by his older brother.

"Just go with it, Sammy. We need to get this into you somehow." Dean said; there was no hint in his tone that he'd make fun of, or tease his kid brother about it afterwards. It was only that of a concered older brother for his younger brother.

And Sam knew Dean was only trying to do what was best for him.

He gently opened his mouth, careful of not letting the movement pull at his jaw and felt the spoon enter just past his lips, he sipped the bitter mix from the spoon, letting it sit in his mouth for a second before grimacing a swallow, and moaning at the pain.

"Just push through the pain, Sammy." Dean advised gently, scooping up the next spoonful.

It was a slow process, but after five more painful, but welcomed spoonfuls the bowl was empty.

Dean placed the bowl down beside the shaded lamp on the beside table, then moved his legs onto the bed before laying next to his brother again. He felt Sam shift into the same position as he'd been before - taking his spot at Dean's side with his head rested just above Dean's heart.

Sam sighed feeling content - the pills were starting to work now and take over the pain. He shifted his head to look up at his brother, "Thanks, Dean."

Dean smirked, giving an innocent look. "For what? For being awesome."

Sam thought about it for a minute, he couldn't decide on 'what for', Dean had done so much for him. "Just... for everything." He finished, before resting his head back down.

Dean knew what he meant, and heard the unspoken words.

"Anytime, kiddo." He said, brushing his little brothers bangs back, "Anytime..." he whispered; with his own unspoken words 'I love you too, kiddo'.

He continued to stoke his brothers hair as Sam's breathing evened out, within minutes his little brother was asleep.

THE END

...

Bella Lilac

A/N - This story was based on my experience I painfully endured last Tuesday, but unlike Sam's straight forward procedure, mine wasn't so simple - with the root breaking and having to go back two days later... oh, the things we go through. But like Sam, I managed through the pain.

So until next time, God bless.

Bella Xx