四
(Four)
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Dean crossed the room to his occupied bed and let the phone fall from his fingers, watching Chiu-Wai bawl amidst Sam's desperate attempts to calm him. "You think he'll shut up once he tires himself out?" he asked, his voice strangely hollow.
Sam looked up at him. "Could you be any more insensitive?" he accused.
"Go get us some ice-cream," Dean said firmly, "and I'm talking gallons."
Sam stared at his brother for a long moment.
"Just go," Dean sighed wearily. "I'll calm him down."
The younger Winchester appeared to consider it. "You?" he prompted flatly. "You will?"
"I already got one wailing kid here, don't make me clock another one," Dean warned, but his eyes were glued to the small child.
Sam eyed him with real indecision. Eventually he let go of Chiu-Wai's hands and got to his feet. "Just… go easy, ok?" he muttered.
"Sure," Dean managed non-commitedly.
He waited until Sam had snatched up the car keys and his wallet and phone before sitting on the bed slowly. Sam disappeared out of the door quietly and Dean took a deep breath, watching the sobbing child cling to the blankets with his little fists.
He put a hand out and enveloped one of the boy's, guiding it down to his little knee. Chiu-Wai's sobbing stayed his priority, but looking at his strange adopted uncle was fast becoming the second point on his list.
"I hate this," Dean admitted grumpily. "I mean, this whole thing. When I was about your age, my mom died too. I was just as tiny as you- well, nearly as tiny as you are now." He paused as Chiu-Wai's sobbing stopped short. The boy was hiccuping in air, staring at Dean with large, bright, red-rimmed eyes. Dean let go of his hand and shifted up the bed slowly, sitting next to him. He put his hand to the boy's fringe and swept it across, dragging damp strands away from the little lad's eyes. "At least I had my dad. And Sammy - big Sam uncle," he added with an apologetic smile. "You still got your uncle Jerry, kid. You're gonna be ok for now. But you will never forget this night. Ever."
Chiu-Wai shuffled up the bed, putting his hands out on Dean's jeans. He pulled and before he knew it, Dean had a small boy sitting sideways on his lap, his head buried in Dean's chest. His little hand came up and twisted a fistful of t-shirt, as if to keep it close to his face. Dean's hand came up and rested on his shoulder.
"It's the worst thing in all the world, ain't it?" Dean grumped, "I don't know how you knew they'd gone, I'm just gonna put it down to you and your psychic stuff. I am… I am so sorry," he managed, and Chiu-Wai looked up at him slowly. "Jeez, kid, don't look at me with those eyes like that," he sighed, rubbing the boy's shoulder slightly. Chiu-Wai blinked and wiped his wet eyes, clutching at Dean's free left hand with his. He held it tightly in both hands, his breathing starting to return to normal. "I was sat on the hood of that Impala with my dad and my brother, watching my house - my life - burn down. And now here you are, sat on me, somehow knowing your life is going under too. And it's cos I didn't check the other room. I didn't check the other room. And now it's happening all over again." He closed his eyes, feeling the little fingers dig into his hand. "It's happening all over again. And it's not fair. It's never fair."
Chiu-Wai sniffled and controlled his breathing. He hiccupped in anguish before he leaned back, away from Dean's t-shirt, and instead yanked on it. "Dihn uncle, 你點解每次記得嗰晚上?"
"I'm sorry, buddy. I wish I spoke your language," he offered, opening his eyes and looking at the ceiling.
Chiu-Wai let go of his hand and shirt and rolled off his lap, fetching his sketchbook and dragging it back across the bed. He put a hand out and shoved, manhandling Dean until he took the hint and moved up to the headboard. The boy arranged him so he was leaning back against it, then he climbed back onto the adult's lap and pushed the book against his chest.
"You want me to look in it?" Dean asked, as the boy wiped his sleeve across his eyes. "Don't do that," he said irritably, putting his hand up and removing the rough material. "Here, show me," he added, tapping the book.
Chiu-Wai turned sideways again and Dean helped him open the book across his little knees. The little lad found the page containing the drawing he had shown him earlier and put a hand on it. His lower lip began to wobble as he looked up at Dean with streaming eyes.
"你媽媽都死咗呀?" he asked.
Dean looked down at the picture, putting his hand out and tracing the yellow and orange swirls of the housefire that had consumed Mary Winchester.
"That was my mom," he said quietly. "Ma ma," he added, tapping the picture.
Chiu-Wai looked down at it, his tears sliding silently down his face. He sniffed and hiccuped, before moving his hand to the swirls of baby and brother. Dean put his hand on his shoulder.
"Dean," he breathed, pointing at the small black figure, "and Sammy," he added, his finger rubbing over the slight relief of the colours on the page. "Although I still don't know why we're on fire like that," he said, a wry smile threatening to break the anguish on his face. He blinked suddenly, looking more closely. "Wait… that's not… fire, is it? What is it, light? Like… special light?"
Chiu-Wai spread his hand over the two figures, beginning to sob again. Dean pulled the book out from underneath his touch and let it slide to the bed. He turned the boy's shoulder toward him wretchedly and Chiu-Wai flung his arms round him, pressing his dripping face into his t-shirt.
Dean let his head back. He looked up at the ceiling. He put his arm round the boy warmly and held on.
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Sam opened the motel door to find it silent. He carried the brown paper bags from the mini mart in with him, surveying the room.
What he found was his brother, fast asleep in his t-shirt and jeans, flat on his back in the middle of his bed, his bootless feet crossed at the ankles. Chiu-Wai was snuggled comfortably under his right arm, one hand holding Dean's left one resting on his stomach, his head against the relatively huge mountain of his chest and shoulder.
Sam let himself stare for a long moment. Chiu-Wai appeared pale, apart from his slightly red eyes.
Kind of what I expected, Sam realised. His eyes swept over his brother but stopped short in surprise. Dean's eyes were perhaps the tiniest bit red, too. It made his brother stare.
Sam collected himself and closed the door, being careful not to make any noise. He deposited the car keys on the wooden table before taking the three tubs of ice-cream and putting them in the tiny fridge-freezer at the back of the room. He pulled his jacket off, watching the two of them sleep off whatever evening they appeared to have shared.
He thought about it, then went to his laptop and opened it up, getting comfortable at the table under the window.
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Sam looked up from the laptop as he heard movement behind him. A familiar waking-grunt came from his brother and he turned slowly. Dean was rubbing his eyes and nose, looking down to find Chiu-Wai still clinging to him.
He noticed Sam was watching with a small, fond smile and grimaced. "Is it morning yet?" he grumped.
"Yeah." Sam looked at the small boy. "You got him calmed down then."
"Yeah." He hiked himself up on his elbow carefully, putting his hand up slowly. He gently freed the little hand from his t-shirt before sitting up. "You been busy?"
"Slept for a while. Then I found a few stories on this poltergeist - all non-threatening, non-pissy. There's still no reason it would start chopping hands off like that - it hasn't done anything like this in over twenty years," Sam shrugged.
"Right. Maybe someone pissed it off," Dean offered, before yawning. He pushed himself off the bed and went into the bathroom.
Chiu-Wai muttered something and squirmed around on the bed. His eyes opened and he looked around. "Dihn uncle?" he havered, his voice plaintive.
Sam blinked, surprised. "Morning," he said with a kind smile. "Dean's in the washroom. He'll be back."
But Chiu-Wai's face turned fearful. "Dihn uncle?" he wibbled. "Dihn uncle!"
They heard the toilet flush and water run behind the door, and Sam pointed at it.
"Dean's in there," he said simply. "Wait a second."
Chiu-Wai commando-rolled off the bed, running at the door and pounding on it. "Dihn uncle! Dihn uncle! 唔好離開啊! 我需要你啊!"
Sam got up quickly, pulling the boy away from the door gently before it whisked open.
"Where's the fire, Mini Dude?" Dean asked, looking down at him. Chiu-Wai simply put his arms up and flexed his fingers needfully. Dean blinked at him, then looked at Sam.
"Looks like you're his new security blanket," Sam said with a forced smile that smacked of awkwardness.
"Aw come on," Dean moaned in protest. Chiu-Wai grabbed at Dean's jeans before reaching for his t-shirt. "Alright! Slow down!" he warned, lifting the boy to sit on his arm. Chiu-Wai's arms went round his neck and Sam stood back, grinning madly as he folded his arms.
Sam opened his mouth but Dean glowered at him. "Don't you say a word," he warned, walking the boy back to the bed. He tried to disentangle the young lad but Chiu-Wai hung on grimly.
"你同我一樣, 我好驚你走開," he moaned fearfully.
Dean just blinked at him, hefting him to sit straighter on his arm. "Great," he wheezed, scrubbing at his own hair with his other hand. "Well it's morning, and we need to get this little guy to the hospital so he can see that Jerry's still alive. And I need a shower."
"Are you taking Wai Jai with you?" Sam needled with a wide, unctuous smile.
"Nope," Dean said equally maliciously, "because you're going to show him the wonders of your laptop to distract him."
Sam's face fell. Dean grinned, his eyebrows raising in triumph.
Chiu-Wai looked from one to the other, then back at Dean. He bit his little lip in worry.
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The drive to the hospital was fraught with worried manhandling by Chiu-Wai and desperate toddler-balancing by Dean. Sam squeezed his hands on the steering wheel, enjoying the chance to drive and silently thanking their little burden for making it impossible for Dean to sit by himself in the driver's seat.
"Don't touch that," Dean said irritably, reaching out and pulling Chiu-Wai's hand from the radio knob. "No," he added quickly, capturing his wee hand and pulling it back away from all the dials and switches within reach. "Friends don't play with friend's radios," he said sternly. He caught a slight nod of the head and spied his younger brother smirking from the driver's seat. "Oh you think this is funny?" he demanded.
Chiu-Wai bounced down to sit on Dean's lap, not caring what he crushed in the process. He banged his head back against Dean's chest repeatedly, singing to himself.
"Actually? I think it's hilarious," Sam chuckled, before losing control and laughing out loud.
"Well laugh it up, fuzzball, cos when we get to the hospital and Jerry's being discharged, this little rugrat is so going back with him." He tutted and put his hand to the back of the boy's head. "Don't do that! I ain't Silly Putty!"
Chiu-Wai giggled, chatting away in Cantonese in a small, confident voice to himself. Dean shook his head before looking out of the window.
"So we do this clearance for Jerry, and leave them to it?" Sam asked, much more seriously.
"I don't see another option, Sammy," he sighed.
"我哋去跟邊度, Sammy?" Chiu-Wai asked.
"Sam," the driver corrected absently.
"Sammy," Chiu-Wai giggled.
Dean patted his shoulder. "Sweet, Mini Dude," he said with a sly grin. "High-five." He waved his free hand round the front of the boy, who looked at it. Dean lifted the wee wrist and their hands clashed. "High-five!"
Chiu-Wai laughed out loud, slapping Dean's palm again. "Hi fi!" he giggled, slapping once more.
Dean tousled his hair with a grin before he realised Sam was watching him. He cleared his throat and straightened his face to a more sombre expression.
Sam pulled the Impala up to the entrance of the hospital car park. He waited for a car to leave before he pulled in slowly.
"Right, so you bring Wai Jai and I'll bring my notebook," he said, killing the engine and climbing out of the car. "We need to get Jerry's story from him and find out what we do next. There's gotta be something we missed here."
"Right," Dean nodded.
"Ry!" Chiu-Wai echoed.
Dean winked at him and opened the door, hefting him out. The boy grabbed onto his checked shirt as the three of them went into the large hospital building.
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Sorry this update is a little later than usual. Thanks for reading! :)