A/N: Thank you for your reviews, follows and everything. They really, really mean a lot to me.
During the drive, Dean darted glances at his little brother every now and then. He tried to be as discreet as possible to scrutinize him. Something felt off. Dean just could not figure out what yet.
Sam had said nothing about the Impala being at the motel. Although he had begged Dean to leave the car behind because of his drunkenness and Dean had given in into that. Sam did fight with him there. Not even some bantering. Nothing. That was so not like his baby brother.
And then there was the locked bathroom door. Sam had tried to hide the fact that he was freaked out but Dean had picked up on it anyway. Was that really just some headaches?
Dean decided it was time to watch Sam even more closely than he already did. He knew Sam would shut him out even more if he pushed him into talking. He would just get some bitchy comments if at all.
Sam felt his older brother's eyes on him. He was terrified that Dean would be able to see straight through him like he always had. Dean had always been able to read Sam like an open book. From their childhood years, through their teenage and high school times. And even now, after being separated for some time as Sam had left to go to Stanford and they only recently had found their brotherly relationship again, Dean seemed to be able to read Sam's mind. It was something the brothers had in common.
Actually - and under normal circumstances - Sam was happy about this trait in his brother. It had helped them both more than once that they understood each other without talking, without looking - just like that.
But right now, it were not normal circumstances and Sam hated it. He did not need Dean's concern. He did not want Dean's concern. He had too much too handle himself right now that he could not take that as well. He wanted it all to be over, as if nothing ever happened. Everything was just fine as long as he told himself so, Sam hoped.
"Uh...", Sam started. He hated the silence in the car. It just gave his thoughts and mind the possibility to roam about. Something he wanted and needed to avoid. His mind pulled blank searching for a topic.
Dean turned his head towards his brother. "What?" He asked curiously.
"What's this about then?" Sam could not think of anything else to ask.
"What?" Dean who had looked at the street again now stared open-mouthed at his brother who looked like a little boy caught with his hands in the cookie jar. "Didn't you listen?"
Sam's face fell. "Huh?"
"Dude, I already told you 'bout it."
"Really?"
"Yeah, like 20 miles back. You got holes in your head or something?"
Sam tried to hide his panting. His mind reeled. "This can't be happening! Nonono! No way! God, help me outta this! Now Dean really knows something's up! Help!" His thoughts tumbled.
"Sam? Sammy?" Dean looked back and forth between the road and his brother whose breathing became harsher and harsher. Sam did not react to Dean's calling his name.
"Oh oh."
Immediately, the older brother pulled the car over into the gravel and killed the engine while at the same time he laid a hand on Sam's shoulder. His sibling's body trembled underneath and his eyes darted crazily around.
"Sammy? Holy crap! What's going on? Focus on me! Come on!" Dean snapped his fingers in front of Sam. When he got no reaction, Dean palmed Sam's face and forced his little brother's head into his direction to look at him. "Hey! Snap out of it!"
Sam did not respond. Dean sighed in desperation.
A sharp sting to his cheek pulled Sam from his inward terrors and he stared into the worried eyes of his older brother. Ever so slowly the young Winchester brought a shaking hand up to his face to tenderly rub against the pain. Questioningly and utterly lost he looked for his brother's support and comfort.
"Sorry Sammy. I didn't know how else to get you back to reality." With an apologizing look Dean held up his right hand he had slapped Sam's cheek with to let it drop back to the seat.
"Ouch", said Sam and then whispered, "Thanks."
"Soooo?" Dean stretched to make his brother talk.
"So what?"
"What was that?" Dean looked irritated at his sibling.
"Maybe some vision or so?" Sam suggested helplessly. "Dunno."
"A lot of vision-thingies lately, huh?"
Sam shrugged his shoulders. How could he tell his brother what really was going on?
"But they never really come, do they? Just those symptoms, right?"
"Uh, no. No. Nothing. Just these feelings and headaches and-"
"Loss of reality", interrupted Dean grinning.
"Funny."
Even though Sam and he himself played it all down, Dean's worry did not lessen one bit. To the contrary. But for Sam's sake he would keep it to himself. For now.
After a quick look Dean was certain that Sam was as good as could be expected after this. Sam sat slouched down in the passenger seat. His head leaned against the window and the back of the seat, he had his eyes screwed shut, his right hand lay across his face.
Dean bit down hard. He knew how tough these symptoms and visions were on his brother.
Soon the brothers were on the road again.
"Hey, pull over", Sam said suddenly.
"Why?"
"We ran outta painkillers and there's a drugstore."
"When did we run outta painkillers?" Dean asked confused but stopped the car.
"'cause we used 'em up!?" Sam said irritated.
"No need to get moody, Florence Nightingale." Dean watched his brother get out of the car and walk over to the store. Sighing he shook his head and turned up the volume of the radio to pass the time.
A few minutes later Sam slid back into the passenger seat with a small paper bag. He fished in it and took out some pills to shove them into his mouth.
"Whoa!" Dean stared at him. "Whatcha need 'em for?"
"Uh, for my pain-in-the-ass-brother who's getting on my nerves", answered Sam and dry-swallowed the medication.
"Sam, what's wrong with you?"
"Nothing, man. I'm just damn tired. I'm having constant headaches and a pesky brother!"
"Yeah right. Who are you trying to fool, dude?"
"'m not trying to fool anyone." Sam leaned back in the seat as comfortable as he could get and closed his eyes.
"Damn it, Sam-"
"Can we just go and get to our next hunt?" interrupted Sam almost losing his temper.
Dean nodded even though Sam had his eyes still closed and muttered, "This isn't over yet."
"Was it afraid it wasn't", replied Sam under his breath while Dean turned the key in the ignition and pulled the black car back into the traffic.
Sam and Dean got to Richmond and checked out the ghost-janitor Bobby had told them about. It was as easy as they had hoped and how it seldom was.
They had entered out the old school building only to witness an accident at first sight. The teacher who had been the poor victim just got a sore behind as the ghost had pulled her chair away from underneath her when she was about to sit down. Dean had chuckled which had earned him a nudge with the elbow from Sam who could barely suppress a chuckle himself.
As promised, Bobby had sent the boys the information needed on the grave side so that they soon had been able to dig out his bones and salt and burn them.
A quick and smooth hunt the Winchester brothers had not had in what felt like ages.
Now they were back at the motel room they had rented for the night. Dean lay on his bed, stuffed M & M's into his mouth and watched TV. Sam sat at his laptop.
"Wasn't that a nice one?" questioned Dean crunching his candy.
"Yup."
"Wouldn't it be nice if it always was that easy?"
"Probably."
"Man, that would be awesome. No more banging up, throwing around, bruises, broken bones or stuff like that."
Sam looked up from his display. "Really?"
"Yeah. You think I like tending to your injuries?"
"My inju-?" Sam stopped short when he saw the broad grin on his brother's face, "Dude, you got more scars than a damn pro wrestler."
"But I'm not in scripted fights!" Dean smirked and flashed his teeth. Then he turned his attention back on the show.
Sam was very happy that this hunt had been so damn easy. Piece of cake. Pie if it was for Dean.
The younger man was not sure if he could have handled it if either of them would have been injured. And he did not know if he really had been a 100 % into it or if he could have backed up Dean if something had happened. But luckily for them both nothing bad had happened.
Sam was extremely happy for the distraction the ghost-hunting had provided and the time this hunt had taken his mind of the incident.
A/N: Thanks for reading. More to come soon.
