Getting To The Bottom of This.
Summary: Tall Tales wasn't all it was cracked up to be. The majority of Sam's irritability came from the fact he was sick, and not only of his brother. The boy's stay at Ellen's to recuperate, but she ships them to an old family friend after she gets fed up with their bickering. As both brothers recall old memories of their so-called 'Aunt Mandy' more questions surface than answers; why does she move so much? Why did she disappear for such long periods of time throughout their childhoods? How does she know Bobby, Ellen and John? And what is with her fascination of water and local aquariums? As Sam gets better, neither brother can help but wonder what her secret is and why she hid it for so long.
Disclaimer: I don't claim to own anything belonging to the "Supernatural" realm. I will put my stamp of approval on all original characters, and hope they meet the fandom's high standards. All characters pictures can be found on my homepage. Special thanks goes out to all my reviewers, especially Lisa, who asked ever so nicely for an update.
Chapter 4
"Dude, what are we doing here?" Sam questioned with one eyebrow arched as Dean held the office door open for him. Bright lights, absurdly small tables and chairs, coloring books and toys caught his attention along with the large picture of a clown painted onto the wall. Sam's breath caught.
"Hard to miss, eh Sammy?" Dean muttered with a chuckle as he pushed past his brother to the reception desk. Realizing that Sam was not on his heel as usual, he looked over his shoulder to see Sam still standing in the doorway, one hand on his stomach and his eyes darting about nervously.
"Dean-"
"Come on Sam, it's just a picture." Sam quickly caught up with him and pulled him aside.
"It's not that and you know it." He lowered his voice. "Why couldn't we just handle this the way we normally do?"
"Did you just use the word normally in a sentence involving us?"
"You know what I mean!"
"Okay, listen Sammy." Dean gave a small sigh. "We can't go to the E.R because were being watched, ever since Baltimore where they caught up with all our fake names and crap, it's been hard alright? When you broke your wrist in Lawrence I had to sweet talk the nurse into putting a cast on you."
"Really?" Sam looked almost ashamed.
"Yeah, happy now? It's not like were rolling in the money or anything to begin with. We just need to watch our ex… ex…" Dean paused, thinking of the word he wanted to use.
"Expenditures?"
"That's the word!" Dean gave him a goofy smile and patted his shoulder.
"Dean, come on now." Dean dropped his hand to his side. "Why waste the money on a doctor now when we've just gotta let nature run its course?"
"Because a, that's a load of bull and you know it. We've tried that; it hasn't worked. And b," he said the second part with a wicked grin on his face. "We're not."
Dean pulled the flabbergasted Sam over to the receptionist who, besides tapping a pencil against the desk, looked utterly bored and weary. Upon seeing the large shadows of Sam and Dean slink across her computer screen, she quickly looked up and gave them both a once over.
"Little old to be in a pediatrician's office huh?"
"Actually you'll find Sam Winston to be eighteen and his file right under the new patients files." A young woman with long blond hair and brown eyes spoke from the left side of the other woman.
"But-"
"It's an overactive thyroid Paula, very common."
"Yes, just as it says on your file." Paula cleared her throat as she quickly typed a few things into the computer. "But his paperwork-"
"Special instructions from the doctor to have that taken care of later. It's sort of an emergency visit." She gave them both a comforting smile. "Come on in."
Dean quickly turned the doorknob to a white door attached to the wall next to the desk and was greeted with the glorious sight of the nurse. Very voluptuous and wearing nurses scrubs that seemed to hug her every curve, Dean did all he could not to drool at the sight of her.
"Dude," he elbowed Sam. "I'd give my left-"
"I'm sorry about the confusion Mr. Winston. We've just re-located and everything's still kind of up in the air, so to say."
"It's okay, I guess."
"I'm Nurse Audrey, Dr. A's assistant." Audrey held out her hand to gently shake Sam's.
"Nice to meet you."
"Likewise, Nurse Audrey." Dean said seductively, prying her hand away from his brothers in order to grasp it with both hands. "I'm Dean, Sammy's older brother."
"Oh I know, I've been fully informed by the doctor on what to expect from you two." Dean glanced over at Dam, mouthing the words fully informed? with a frown and let go of her hand. Picking up Sam's file, Audrey opened to the first page, tisking.
"What?"
"Lots of blanks, that's all. Looks like we'll need to give you a proper physical before you get to see the doctor."
"Physical?"
"Just the normal height-weight junk that's all. No biggie." Sam sighed, looking over to Dean who shrugged. "It'll only take a few minutes, now come on. Let's hop onto the scale to get your height and weight. Shoes off."
Dean tried not to snicker.
"I have special instructions from the doctor not to complete the lower abdominal part of the physical due to the fact that you've been complaining of lower abdominal pain. But you've got no fever or anything else, which is a good thing," Audrey said as she finished peering into his ears, scribbling a few notes down on his file. She looked up at him.
"Though you do seem to have some abdominal distention from glancing at your stomach, but nothing else seems to be bothering you, which again is good. The doctor should be in shortly to see you and I'll be back to accompany her alright? Just relax and everything will be fine Sam." Sam nodded, trying in vain to adjust the flimsy blue gown he had on. Sitting on the examination table, his sock-clad feet almost touched the floor and as he shifted his weight the white paper crinkled ominously beneath him. Audrey briefly placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"You are acting more nervous than the five-year-olds who have to get immunization shots. Are you sure you're okay?"
"I really don't like hospitals, or doctors," Sam muttered.
"We'll Dr. A is the best, no questions there. You'll be fine, trust me."
"Oh we do," Dean said smugly, causing Audrey to give him a half-hearted smile and exit the room.
"Will you shut up already?" Sam said irritably, turning to Dean. "This is uncomfortable enough already without you hitting on the nurse."
"I'm only having some fun Sammy, relax!"
"You try relaxing Dean while admitting to a complete stranger and that jailbait-"
"No way Audrey is jailbait, probably not old enough to drink but still…"
"- that your older brother is hitting on that you're…" Sam's voice trailed off as the paper crinkled yet again.
"That your train hasn't left the station?"
"Dean!"
"You keep giving me these golden opportunities to pick on you Sammy boy!" Dean said with a laugh.
"Dean, please." There was a quick knock on the door and it briskly opened, revealing a tall brunette with a white lab coat, clutching Sam's file in her hands.
"Well hey there Sammy!" She greeted him as she walked over to the sink to wash her hands. "Long time no see, eh? Now I hear you're having some tummy issues eh?"
"Manda- I mean Mandy? Miranda?" Sam sputtered as Dean burst out laughing.
"In the flesh," she said as she pulled a towel from the canister and dried her hands. "Let me guess, no one told you that I was in the area, huh babes?" Noticing that Audrey had not followed behind her, Sam quickly stood up and pulled the women into a hug, taking in her slightly salty smell and allowing it to wash over him.
"Aunt Mandy, I can't believe it's you."
"You've gotten taller," Mandy said as she held him at arm's length, looking him in the eyes. "But first things first, let's take a look here and see what were dealing with. Shrug yourself out of that thing will ya?" Red blazed across Sam's cheeks as he removed the thin blue gown and sat back down only in boxers and socks.
"Lay down," she whispered, gently fingering his bangs. "I'm going to apply some- oh babes, you're really bloated now huh?"
Yet again Dean snickered, just as there was another knock on the door.
"Come in." Audrey reemerged, giving a smile to Sam as she caught him stretched out on the table.
"Wow, you can really see that abdominal distention from this angle," she muttered as she picked up his file. "I've already made a note of that on his chart though Dr. A," she said as she opened it up, pen ready to scribble any notes.
"Excellent observation Audrey. Now Sam, I'm going to apply a light pressure on your lower abdomen to feel the organs and see if anything seems out of place. If you feel any pain at all just let me know, okay?" Sam nodded as Mandy started in the upper right corner, massaging gently across and down to the left side. When she hit the lower left corner, Sam hissed in pain, causing Dean to shift nervously and Audrey to start scribbling.
"Lower left quadrant?"
"Yep, defiantly not McBurney's point. Now Sam, on a scale of one to ten, ten being the worst pain ever, how do you feel now?"
"Five, four maybe. It's dying down, but when you pushed down that was a seven."
"Okay, and how else are you feeling?" Mandy sat down on a stool and crossed her legs.
"Tired."
"Cranky, bitchy." Dean suggested, causing Sam to try and sit up, but instead he took a quick intake of breath and lay back down.
"Irritable?" Audrey offered.
"I liked bitchy better…" Dean muttered, making Sam roll his eyes at his brother.
"Do you feel lethargic? Kind of a sick-all-over feeling?"
"Yeah, I suppose."
"An almost too full feeling or heaviness?" Audrey asked, still writing away.
"I guess…" Both doctor and nurse looked at each other.
"Sam," Audrey started.
"When was the last time ya used the toilet dear?" The look of sheer terror and a gob smacked vulnerability crossed Sam's face as he finally sat up and Dean sniggered.
"What?"
"When was the last time you moved your bowels Sam?" Audrey stated clearly this time; causing Sam turned crimson and began to stutter.
"Well, I… um… I think…"
"It's been a while," Dean muttered with a gesture towards his brother.
"Dean!"
"Hey, I spend twenty-four-seven with you- I'd like to think I know you well enough to notice when you're not hoggin' the bathroom like you usually do."
"Dean I-"
"How many day's has it been Sam?" He sighed at Mandy's question, still clearly upset at Dean.
"Sam's usually a once-a-day type of guy," Dean said nonchalantly to Mandy as the outraged Sam sat dumbfounded on the examination table. "Recently, not so much-"
"Hey! Dean's not even every other day," Sam said accusingly. "If anything it's once every three days!" Smugly, Sam crossed his arms in satisfaction.
"Sam can't eat Mexican without getting toxic-" Dean blurted out. "He's the reason Dad bought a gas mask."
"Dean hasn't picked up something healthy since he asked for extra onions on his bacon cheeseburgers!" Sam retorted back.
"Sammy's delicate digestive system-"
"Enough you two!" Mandy yelled, slamming her fist down on the counter, causing Dean and Sam to both promptly shut their mouths. Audrey stifled a laugh as Mandy took a deep breath before calmly speaking again. "Just answer the question Sam, how long has it been?"
"Um… like four or five days? I really don't keep track," Sam whispered.
"Alright," Mandy started, but she was interrupted by Dean.
"Dr. Anderson?" Dean questioned, gesturing with his eyes over to Audrey, who was still taking notes. She nodded.
"Audrey dear, would you mind getting the Addar twins situated? I've got this under control, just a little garden variety constipation."
"Oh, of course." Audrey gave a smile to Sam and Dean, placing Sam's file down on the table and leaving.
"I thought she'd never leave," Sam said as the door clicked closed. "I want to crawl in a hole a die Mandy." He muttered.
"Oh Sammy, this is nothing to be embarrassed about. We'll get this taken care of in a jiff. Come here though Dean, you've been waitin' for a hug since the moment I walked in that door, I can tell."
Dean immediately rose to give the woman a hug, lingering as she gently rubbed his back. When she pulled away he gave a disappointed sigh and sat back down.
"It's been too long boys, and I hate to have to see ya like this," Mandy said as she glanced over Sam's chart. "What have you done, if anything, to treat this love?"
"Sam didn't say anything until the day before yesterday," Dean started, noticing how Sam was hesitant to say anything before. "He just complained of a stomachache earlier, but Ellen dug up some Metamucil yesterday."
"And it hasn't helped yet?"
"No," Sam said as he fidgeted with the edge of the white paper lining the examination table. "What would you suggest?"
"Well, I would suggest, besides the dietary and lifestyle changes," Dean groaned at this. "You need to rest, relax and probably go with a stool softener."
"Fabulous," Dean said as he stood up, throwing Sam's clothes at him. "You wanna write us a prescription for that and we'll get outta your hair?"
"Dean, I'm not going to be able to relax at The Roadhouse if you're constantly pounding on the bathroom door for me to hurry up!"
"Alright, I'll take one for the team and bath in the other bathroom okay? Happy?"
"Not really," Sam muttered as he leapt off the table and pulled his jeans on. "You need to get off my back; stop harassing me about everything I do! It's not funny!"
"Boys?" Mandy interrupted, only to be ignored.
"You're just irritable because you have a tummy ache," Dean reasoned.
"No, I'm fed up. I put up with a lot from you, and I just want you to lay off for a while. I know you're going to get bored from being cooped up in one place for a few days because we are not going out on a hunt, but please." Sam pulled his shirt over his head. "Just chill for a few days, okay?"
"Fine, I'll lay off the teasing until you get back to normal." He snickered. "Last joke, I swear."
"Boys, why don't you spend that time over at my place? That way I can monitor things instead of Ellen, since I'm sure y'all are already drivin' her up the walls with your bickering."
"We're not bickering," Sam said as he tied his shoes.
"Whatever ya wanna call it. Besides, if it's been this long a stool softener might not do the trick, and it'd be better to have me there than Ellen or Bobby. They might send yer ass to the hospital." Both boys exchanged a glance.
"It'll be fine-" Dean started.
"Ya each can have your own room."
"What time's dinner?" Dean said with a smile.