As promised, another chapter! Year 3:
Year 3: "Please, for me?"
Sam was three, and it had started simply when John had gone to wake him up from a nap for dinner.
Sam was sweating, beads running down his forehead. He rubbed his eyes lethargically.
"Sammy! PB and J!" A cheerful Dean called. He bounded over from the small kitchenette happily. His smile knowingly turned into a frown before he even got close.
"What's wrong." He stated sullenly.
"I think Sam has a fever." John ran his hand through Sam's hair as the big eyed toddler looked up at him in a daze. "I'll find a thermometer."
He rubbed little Sam's shoulder as he stood up. Dean heard the front door slam.
He crawled onto the bed and sat next to his brother. Sam turned and snuggled against him, his head resting in the bend of Dean's arm. His eyes closed and his breathing evened out as he fell asleep.
"Found it!" John shouted from across the small space. He slammed the door shut and walked in before realizing his oldest son was giving him a very ticked off shush, tiny finger held to his lips with a frown and a gesture towards his brother.
"Found it," The hunter repeated in a whisper, holding up an ear thermometer. He stuck it slowly and gently into Sam's ear until he heard the beep.
John whistled softly. "103.1, that's not good, Sammy."
He rummaged through his first aid and found some toddler Tylenol. "Wake him up, Dean." John ordered as he measured out the thick pink liquid.
"But he just fell asleep!"
"He needs something to bring down the fever."
"But-"
"Wake him up, Dean."
Dean nodded and nudged Sam, rubbing his back and helping his brother into a sitting position. John held up the cup.
Sam made a disgusted face. "Yucky!"
"Sam, you have to take it!"
Sam crossed his arms and shook his head. "Yucky!"
"Sam, it's for your own good!"
Dean bravely held up a hand to his father. "Let me," He said softly.
"Sammy?"
"Yeah, De'?"
"Please drink the yucky medicine. For me?" Dean asked simply. The 'for me' was all it took for Sam to comply. He downed the medicine in one gulp.
"Thanks," Dean said, sweeping Sam's sweaty hair out of his face. At seven he was already mature and caring. John turned the light off to try to help Sam get to sleep, but he tossed and turned when Dean reluctantly left to eat dinner.
Dean shoveled the food into his mouth as quickly as his father let him and tucked himself under the covers, his body instantly molding into Sam's.
John felt like warning Dean that it was contagious but he knew it would do no good, and when Dean caught it less than a week later, faced with the same awful plastic cup of "bubble gum flavored" medicine, what did Sam say?
He held Dean's larger hand in his and looked up into his green eyes with one of his earliest puppy dog faces.
"Please drink the yucky stuff. For me?" The older boy melted at his brother's request. Needless to say, Dean drank the meds in record breaking speed.
Okay, that's all folks! For today, at least. I'll probably add another (Happier, finally!) chapter tomorrow. As you can see, I've had some serious time on my hands :) For those reading my other story, Of Brothers and Bloody Messes, I'll attempt to update tomorrow (April 1st) but it's looking like it might be next weekend after all :( Thanks for reading!
