The Longest Weekend – chpt 4 – Sunday Morning.
by: sifi.
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Something's wrong, he knew as his eyes popped open. "Sam?" he croaked scooting back and rolling the boy onto his back while his heart thundered inside, pounding at his throat and beating inside his ears, "Sammy?" he pressed his hand to the boys' forehead.
He's breathing... Thank God... hotter than hell... he's not sweating... that's not good... C'mon Sammy, talk t'me... he reached absently for the thermometer and shook it down again, "C'mon Sam... open up..." but his little brother was lethargic and slow to respond.
This is soooo not good! he sat up, suddenly furious with his body's ridiculous and untimely need to pee. He pried at the boys' jaw then slapped his cheek firmly, "Sammy!" He sighed relieved when the teen's eyes finally came open and wobbled through the room before finding him, "Open up," he directed sliding the glass rod under his tongue and holding it there as Sam's eyes slid closed again.
"C'mon Sammy... keep those eyes open kiddo alright... just long enough for me to take your temperature okay?" he tried to keep the fear from his voice and smiled shakily instead, "Then I'll make you some breakfast... we'll camp out... maybe watch the fire and pretend it's the Blob okay? C'mon you know the story as well as I do, probably better actually right?" he babbled nervously, one hand on the side of his little brother's head and the other ready to grab the thermometer the instant 3 minutes was up. He turned the rod toward the fire light and adjusted his position so he could watch the mercury rise. Every tenth of a degree over 103 set his heart racing just another beat per second faster. Oh God no please ... stop stop stop stop.. right there.. STOP! and though it slowed around 104 there was too much time left. Another thirty seconds? Come ON! That's not fair! Damn watch... maybe the battery's dying? 104.2, Stop... 104.3, Did you hear me? I said STOP! 104.4, please... 104.5 four seconds left... please please stop please I'll do anything... 104.6, done! Thank God... Done... 104.7, Oh God... is that possible? Please no... not my boy... Please... his hand hovered for several long seconds more until he was certain the mercury had stopped rising.
He slid the glass from Sam's mouth and turned it toward the firelight pressing his eyes dry with the heel of his hand and chewing his lips on the inside as his fear was confirmed.
"Oh God... what do I do? What do I do?... I gotta get this fever down... ice packs? No... too big a shock at this point... man... should I get the generator up and running? Yeah I definitely need to do that... but... when does brain damage start?" he babbled to himself and lurched at the blue booklet. His hands trembled and fingers fumbled through the pages as he sought information on high fevers and how to treat them.
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"...so you got something after you huh? And we're supposed to get all sympathetic and let you and your 'sister' just go?" John asked looking down to the woman tied up in the chair.
Glenda nodded and sniffed, "Please... you got my Martin... and you got Roy... we were just tryin' t'survive through the winter... they get harsh up here y'know?" she nodded. "And if we had a good enough store laid in then we'da just been able to hunker on in and make sure that old puppy couldn't sneak up on us... y'know?"
"Puppy?" John sniffed, his gaze quickly meeting and flicking away from Daniels' they both knew the term and they both knew it was one of the few creatures vamps knew they didn't stand a chance against. "There's a werewolf out there?"
"What's it want with you all?" Alex asked looking up from bandaging his fellow ranger's arm.
"It come up from Lincoln... Roy got off on a tear 'n chased its pup and mate down for sport... Martin told him not to," she shook her head, "But Roy... when he got on a tear he never listen t'nobody... even Martin sometimes can't...couldn't rein him in..." she explained.
"Well then if that things out there looking for you all, don't you think you're actually safer here with us then?" Daniel asked.
"Safer with hunters? You're gonna kill us anyway!" Maribel, the other female finally spoke up.
"Well you're not wrong, but would you rather it be fast..."
Then there was noise and shouts and the sound of things breaking. It happened far too quickly, and just before the sensation of flying and a sharp breaking pain that felt like it split open his skull before everything went dark with his last thought, 'My boys are out there with a werewolf!... God help them.'
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Get the water warming first... that'll take longest... he told himself, wheeling around in the kitchen area to grasp the pot off the stove and re-fill it from the double sink.
"Son of a bitch!" he yelled as the steel handles literally sizzled into the palms of his hands and the huge pot slid from his grip, spilling what was left of its boiling water through his t-shirt and down his legs. "Shit! shit shit..." he pulled the fabrics away from his skin, grateful for the added bulk of the pressure bandage over his wounds, even though they too quickly lit on fire. He puffed the jeans away from his legs until some of the heat dissipated, all the while the palms of his hands felt like the flesh had melted and was starting to cool back together again, like hot glue. "Fucking brilliant Dean... way to go..." ahhh shit... he winced turning quickly to watch the water race toward Sam before lunging and grabbing the beach towel off the couch.
He flung it behind him, literally sweeping the mess into the towel just before the steaming water hit the teen's outstretched feet.
"Ow Mother... mmm juggs and speed!" he bit back the curse as the burns on his hands screamed with the additional searing pain.
His thighs and belly prickled from the scalding as his gaze traveled the length of his little brother who hadn't moved a muscle through all the noise and cursing.
"Oh God... Sam?" his own pains forgotten he scooted to his boys' side, "Sammy? C'mon man... don't you do this... huh? Don't scare me okay? Please?" he choked whipping the sleeping bag off the teen and leaning down to listen for his breathing.
His heartbeat was fast and thready and losing strength and his breath seemed to bubble in his lungs while the air screamed like a horror movie turned low into and out of his throat, "Sammy please..." he blinked the wetness out of his eyes and quickly set about stripping the boy down to his underwear then picked up the soaked towel and fanned it through the air until it was cool and slid it under Sam's knees, at one of the pressure points the book had said to pay attention to.
Next he re-wet the smaller towels and returned them to both his forehead and neck and finally soaked the other one with alcohol, rubbing it under his armpits, over his chest and lightly just under the thigh bands of the kids tightie whities. Over and over he made the same circuit, turning his head to breathe when the fumes seemed overpowering until finally the boy moaned and tried to shove his hand away.
"Oh God Thank You! Thank You Sammy..." he leaned over and pressed his ear to the boys' chest just as it started to hitch and he started to gasp.
What now? PLEASE! "Sam?... C'mon Sam breathe... breathe you little son of a bitch!" he commanded as the boys' back arched upward and his body went rigid. Dean could've sworn his heart took off through his chest as his little brother went stiff as a board and simply stopped for far too many long seconds, Oh God I'm gonna lose him... he's gonna freakin' die on me! DON'T YOU take him from me! "SAM!" he barked grasping him by the head and neck, making sure there was support as a series of tight bucks bent the child backwards, "Breathe Sam breathe!" he commanded.
The world started to spin as Sam's back hit the floor and he lay unmoving. "Sam?" he whispered unable to stop himself from shaking as he leaned down once again, and this time heard his boys' breathing come a little deeper and his heartbeat, though still erratic and far too fast, did seem stronger.
"Oh sweet Jesus... please, please, please..." he prayed rocking back and forth on his heels, trying to collect himself, don't you touch my boy... nobody gets to touch him... he's mine, always has been, always gonna be mine... gotta get him safe... gotta keep him healthy, gotta get him better...
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"Alright there Johnny boy, open your eyes y'ornery cuss..." Dan sat back on his heels a tight frown creasing the leathery weather-patterns of his skin, "C'mon boy, yer not settin' much of an example fer those candy asses you call kids..."
"DAN!" Alex hissed.
"Y'want them sweet little boys up there t'end up puppy chow fer some de-ranged werewolf Johnny? Huh? Er we could go get 'em and bring 'em down here for the rump riders fest..." he continued, jerking his arm out of Alex's grip, then rising to his feet and backing the ranger across the motel room, "You listen to me if I gotta put a gun t' those boys heads myself t'get him t'wake up that's what I'm gonna do! I ain't gonna leave those kids without their daddy!"
"Look Dan, the temporal bone is the worst place to take a hit... we all heard the crack when that bitch threw him... If he wakes up in the next day or two he'll be lucky! But no matter what your reason is... you don't add emotional distress to an injury like that," Larry admonished.
"You boys don't know John Winchester... that man could be missing half his damned head and he'd move hell t'get to his sons! Besides... damned fool's skull's thicker than the foundation o'this building I'll wager," the vampire hunter returned to the bed, "And not a damned doctor out there among the boys?"
"No," the younger of the rangers shook his head.
"And Martin and his boys busted up the short wave..." Alex looked back at the window, "On a positive note... the snow seems to be slowing down a bit so once it does we can bundle him up and take him to the station on the Cat if we have to."
"Well if we're gonna do that route we'd better wait through today and see what comes with tomorrow morning... we want daylight on our side in case that werewolf..." he shook his head, "A freakin' werewolf! Damn stinking vampires being real wasn't enough!?" he half snarled running his hand through his hair.
"Last night was the full, full moon... he'll probably turn for a couple more nights... and if he's on the hunt for those blood suckers..." Dan shook his head and looked down at John, "I just hope to hell you taught those boys something Winchester..."
"Why wouldn't he?" Larry asked, "I mean... if he's a hunter... like you... why wouldn't he teach his kids as much as possible?"
Dan's creased face twisted in a sneer as his voice mocked, "'Cause he, 'never wanted this life for them...' he just taught 'em how to track and find the patterns and shit for nuthin' trying to hide the huntin' world from 'em while forcin' the mission on em..." he sneered at the unconscious man, "damned stupid hypocrite leaving them kids just armed enough t'get 'em killed one day."
"Jeez Dan..." Alex frowned surprised by the depth of the old man's anger.
"Those boys oughtta be capable enough to hunt on their own by now! Especially the older one! He's what? Sixteen? Seventeen by now? Boy oughtta be able t'track and hunt vamps, werewolves... hell he oughtta be doin' full on exorcisms by now but this stupid old goat hasn't even told 'em demons EXIST yet! He's gonna get them kids of his KILLED!"
Dan rose and stalked through the room barely held rage rolling along beside him, "Last time we worked together... he almost got himself drained dry... what woulda happened to those kids of his without their dad huh? They'da been raised up by some part time pastor or some old junk yard dog... and in the end what he HASN'T taught 'em yet's gonna wind up getting THEM killed too!"
Alex looked down shame faced and stopped his old friend in his tracks with a hand on his shoulder, "Dan... you can't blame yourself for what you didn't know..."
"Yeah..." he sniffed, "Yeah I can... cause it was what I didn't know that got MY boy killed... I'll be damned if I'm gonna let this fool make MY mistake all over again with TWO to lose!" He looked between the two rangers, "I owe him my life that means I owe those BOYS his life too..."
"You think we oughtta take the Cat and go make sure they're okay?" Larry asked softly.
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Dean leaned forward in the kitchen chair, resting his head against his fingertips his eyes alternately sliding between the back door and the thirteen year old heart of his life breathing shallowly in his underwear on the couch.
How the hell did I let that happen? he wondered looking at the wet floe of ice that had the back door frozen solid. A glance out the kitchen window to the rear porch told him exactly what happened, when he'd shot at the werewolf yesterday and hit the water tank, it had basically emptied onto the porch, flooding it first, then freezing over. And in the meantime he had no way of knowing how much water remained in the tank, and not that he cared much but it took twice as much snow to make one pot of water on the stove as it did just pouring it directly into the bathtub.
Course I'd still have to warm it up... his eyes slid to Sam, don't worry runt... I won't shock your system... book says luke warm water... luke warm water's what you get... still gonna burn like hell though kiddo... he sat up as Sam's hands flailed and his head tossed to the side. His skin started to turn red and his cheeks blazed again, God no not another spike... the kid can't take it... but he made his way to the couch, the palms of his hands wrapped lightly in gauze to keep the tears clean. The blisters he'd gotten from the pot on his palms and fingers had torn open when he built up the fire in the stove.
Every move made his hands throb and shaking down the thermometer was no exception, he had to be careful to make sure he had a grip on it but not too much of one. Can't believe how bad I screwed this up... "Take care of your little brother boy... keep him hydrated, plenty of rest..." and me of course, "sure dad... no problem... s'just the flu, I got it..." stupid Dean... stupid!
"Open up runt..." he pried the boys' mouth open, "C'mon..."
"Mmm?"
Something seemed to sigh the faintest relief as the boy responded to his voice, "Open up Sammy," he nearly whispered, raising the boy up enough to slide under him, so his head was on his lap making it easier to brush the soaking mop off his little brother's face while he waited for the mercury to rise yet again. Please please pleasepleaseplease... let it be lower this time... please... let it be lower this time... please...
Three minutes later he was crestfallen.
Torn between panic and horrible certainty he sat with his brother's head in his lap fighting to contain sobs that made him feel all of four years old again. Four years old and instead of crying for joy over having a baby brother to show the world to, this time he cried for the world his baby would never get to see, if he screwed things up.
"C'mon Sam... s'not fair man... you're mine dude... you've always been mine y'know? I mean dad gave you to me for the first time when you came home from the hospital... but he gave you to me for real that night... you're the only thing I have left that's pure good Sammy... please..." he sniffed his tears back, rolling the far too slim thirteen year old up against his chest where he held him tight and rocked him with his face buried in the crook of his neck, "I'd rather have you be alive to hate me than have to live in a world without you man..."
He looked at the thermometer again, 105.3... it's too high... I don't have any choice.
Careful to use the towel this time he carried the pot of steaming water into the bathroom and dumped it into the half full tub. It's enough... he's skinny. He rolled up his shirtsleeve and dipped his elbow and forearm into the water, not quite up to the gauze. It was warmer than the air temperature but not by much. He's gonna scream bloody murder.
He returned the pot to the kitchen sink and knelt at the sofa scooping the boy into his arms.
He rolled him close, pressing his face to the teen's neck and allowed himself a couple hitching sobs before he pressed his mouth to the kid's shoulder, stifling his fears and rose up with the greatest gift he'd ever gotten in his arms.
"Mmm...ean... mmhot..." the boy seemed to sigh.
"Sure are kiddo... hottest kid in the freshman class..." Dean whispered, trying to keep the rhythm of his speech even, "Gonna have the girls trippin' over themselves t'get to ya... once you start fillin' out that is... now that you've shot up..." he babbled.
As he lowered himself to his knees at the side of the tub, every hurt and sting he'd incurred over the last twenty four hours seemed to flare to life, maybe in protest to the pain he knew he was going to cause HIS Sam... maybe because he thought he deserved to feel something similar... he didn't know and couldn't have said.
"S'goin' on'ean?" Sam slurred.
"I'm sorry Sammy..." the older boy sniffed.
"Mmm? S'goin' on?" And then he screamed.
"Gaaaaaah... stop... help! Please! Get me out of here... fuck its freezing... you're killing me... please..." every syllable punctuated by chattering teeth as the boy fought, and bowed and bucked against his big brothers hands that held him down; and despite their own burning splashed gentle waves of water over the bright red skin.
Dean closed his eyes against the steam that rose off his brother, but as much as he wanted to close his ears to the screams and pleas for mercy, for the cries to let him be... and even to the venom filled, 'I hate you's' that came, he forced himself to hear it all. He forced himself to listen to his baby cry and beg. Calling out not for John, not for Dad but so far gone into his fever that he cried out for his big brother, the one who'd never failed in his life to rescue him from the pain.
In the fiery pool of his own hell, Dean continued to gently bathe his boy until the screaming stopped and the sobbing started.
Sam's bony fingers clutched at his face, "Please don'hurt me'ney more... please... I'll be good... p'romise..." he breathed shakily while tears flowed from his eyes, "Don't care... be good I'll be good... I'll be g'boy...please..." he begged.
"Shhh s'okay... s'okay runt I gotcha..." Dean raised the boy's head and torso from the tub, holding him tightly, crying into his hair, "I gotcha...you're gonna be okay... I swear..." he promised noticing that the boys' temp had already come down considerably.
"Dean?" Sam sniffed wrapping his arms around his big brother's neck, "help me...please... I don't wanna die..."
"Guh...God no baby boy... you're not gonna die... not on my watch I swear..."
"Hurts Dean... save me?"
Slowly the older teen nodded, "I will... I swear I will... just hold onto me..." and he felt the bony arms clasp around his neck even while his hands worked, gently splashing still more waves over him until he felt the scrawny kid start to shiver and heard his teeth begin to chatter.
"Ccccoooollld Ddddean..."
"Okay, okay... I gotcha..."
"Said you'd help me...please... don't leave me Dean... don't leave me alone and so cooold..."
"Never gonna leave ya runt... never I promise..." he washed the tepid water over the boy's face and directed his gaze until their eyes met, "Look at me Sam... look at me... you see me?"
"Mmm hmmm," the boy nodded.
Holding him gently he reached to the sink and yet again shook that damnable glass rod that seemed hell bent on ruining his life.
The positive sign was that Sam saw the thing and opened his mouth. "Don't bite... I'll be right back... gonna get a blanket..." the older brother dashed back out into the main room, then returned to the bathroom on his knees beside the tub, the blanket spread over his legs, ready to receive his little brother if his temp had gone down enough.
Sam looked up from the tub, freezing, wondering at how bad it must've been as his brother took the thermometer from him and after a moment's glance, almost literally burst into tears.
"Sammy..." the eldest boy sobbed, sliding his arms under the kid and hoisting him out of the tub and into his lap where he wrapped him snugly in the blanket and sat holding him tight, rocking back and forth until long after the youngest boy had fallen comfortably to sleep.
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tbc.
please R&R
Thanks.
sifi.