Disclaimers and warnings see chapter 1

Chapter 6 I mean it Dean

When Dean had finished, okay made to drink by Sam, one cup of soup Sam gave Dean painkillers, a new box of tissues and gently unwrapped his head. The bandage stuck to Dean's skins slightly but he was able to get it off without too much trouble. Sam examined the wound then the rest of Dean's head. He found quite a bump on the back of his head as well as the one around the small cut on his hairline. Sam cleaned both sites with antibacterial ointment. The wound on his hairline had closed over neatly enough so Sam placed a small dressing over it and threw the bandage away. The wound on his forearm was seeping slowly so Sam put a bigger dressing on that.

Sam dabbed the ointment over the small cuts and grazes which seemed to be heaviest on his upper torso and face.
"Anywhere else need looking at Dean?"
Sam was greeted with silence and looked down to find Dean's eyes closed in sleep.
"Okay, guess you're just tired."
Sam didn't like the sound of Dean's breathing as he tucked him in tight. It sounded wheezy and tight. Sam unpacked everything he had bought for Dean's cold and finished his food. He put one of the toasted sandwiches in the small fridge should Dean be hungry later.

After having a shower and changing into sweats, Sam went to the laundry and collected Dean's clothes and put them away. Sam tidied up for the night then dragged one of the mismatched chairs from the small table next to Dean's bed. He flicked the TV on knowing it wouldn't disturb his brother tonight. Even as he slept he looked exhausted to his very core. Sam watched TV in the chair all night, keeping an eye on his brother. He rubbed Dean's back when he became restless and sweaty. Dean settled back to sleep quickly as soon as Sam kept up the rubbing. Sam dozed off toward four am but it was light and he didn't get much rest feeling tired when he snapped awake two hours later. Dean was still asleep but it was rough and interrupted by him coughing him self awake to the point of breathlessness a few times before slamming back to sleep.

Dean finally woke enough to stagger to the bathroom at seven am. Sam stood at the doorway concerned that Dean may fall and hurt himself but wanting to give him a little privacy. Dean took a fair while in the bathroom and Sam was getting anxious as there was a lot of coughing and water running in the sink. Dean finally came out surprised when Sam grabbed his arm and helped him back to the bed. Sam smelled Dean's breath as he lowered him to the bed
"Did you brush your teeth?"
"Yeah. I had the worst, cough cough, morning breath ever." Dean puffed.
Sam rolled his eyes. There he was concerned out of his mind and Dean was in there brushing his teeth! Sam handed Dean some tissues as he coughed so hard he was doubled up and laid a hand on Dean's back as he struggled for breath. As soon as Dean was under control Sam went to the first aid kit for the thermometer.
"I'm okay, Sammy."
"No, you are not. I can feel how hot you are across the room."
"Then you don't need that." Dean nodded at the thermometer hopefully.
"Open up."

Sam motioned with the device but had to wait while Dean coughed into more tissues.
"Eh. That looks horrid."
Dean had spat green-yellow phlegm into the soft paper.
"Don't look then."
Dean tossed them into the trash as Sam slipped the thermometer into Dean's mouth.
"Mmumoksam."
"Yeah, I know," Sam sighed, keeping his hand on the thermometer so Dean didn't spit it out. "Remember you said I could look after you when you are sick?"
The look on Dean's face said he didn't recall that particular conversation.
"Well you didn't say I couldn't." Sam admitted and Dean nodded with a look that said that's more like it.
The device beeped urgently and Sam slipped it out with a frown.
"104, Dean that's pretty high. I should take you to the hospital."
"No, cough, cough way. It's just a cold."

Dean tried to hide his cough as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"What about a clinic?"
"Just as bad as the hospital," Dean glared.
It lacked its normal deadly power making Sam chuckle.
"Ouch that hurts. Take these."Sam gave Dean some Tylenol cold tablets."And these."Sam measured out some cough syrup and handed the cup over.
Dean drank it down like it was vile and on fire. Sam unwrapped a tube of throat lozenges and gave Dean one.
"Enough with the coldy stuff, Sam." Dean wheezed.
"Flu Dean, at the very least."
"No way!"
"Yes way!" Dean looked unconvinced as he dragged the blankets round him tight.
Sam stood and tugged some of the blankets off Dean's pile. Dean tried to snatch them back.
"Dean, you have a fever. You will just drive the fever up if you stay under all these blankets."
"But I'm cold."
Sam put his hand on Dean's neck.
"Son of a bitch, your hands are cold!"Dean pulled away from Sam but Sam had enough time to feel Dean's shivers.
"You have a chill. I will let you have one blanket but throw it off when you get too hot."
"Yes cough, mom cough."
"I mean it, Dean. You're as sick as."

Dean looked disgruntled as he pulled his one blanket around him for warmth. He was kind of hot at the same time but he had the shivers so it didn't make sense. He was achy all over and didn't know whether it was from the time he spent in the water or flu aches and pains. He suspected a little of both. Damn body. He felt the sickest he had since he had that heart problem the year before. It sent a shiver up his spine to think how sick he was then. He was still chilly from his dip in the river- he hoped. He always seemed to have trouble heating up after being in cold water. The main thing was to keep Sam from worrying about him. The coughing and soreness was getting increasingly hard to hide and the sweating and chills all but impossible. Dean decided he would get try to get through to the next morning and if he still felt the same he would haul ass to the clinic while Sam was still sleeping. Sounded like a plan- he just had to last that long.

Dean spent the day tugging the covers tight around him one minute and throwing them off the next. Sam fussed giving him Tylenol, water and cough syrup that didn't do anything for him. Sam noticed Dean was clutching one side of his chest like he was in pain when he strained to cough. Of course Dean didn't own up that it was hurting him so much his eyes were watering but Sam knew. Dean had gone through most of the tissues and his temperature hovered at 104 despite the medication. Sam got some soup into him at lunch time but when Dean showed no interest in food what so ever at dinner time Sam's worry spiked as high as had been since Dean had been in hospital after the car accident that almost claimed his life. The last time Dean had refused food was when they were on the road to go and see the Reverend Roy Le Grange who had healed Dean after his Tazer triggered heart attack. Dean had been very sick then. He remembered being very worried at the time whether Dean would even make it to Nebraska.

Sam ate his own food without spirit keeping an eye on his older sibling as he continued to cough up ugly looking phlegm. Sam was lying on his bed watching TV when Dean got up for only the second time that day. As he had before he staggered to the bathroom on weak legs. Sam got off the bed slowly and sat at the end of Dean's bed which was closer to the smaller room. Sam heard the toilet flush followed by five minutes of painful sounding coughing. Sam had finally had enough and twisted the bathroom door knob to go see if Dean was okay when he heard Dean call him softly from the other side. When he entered the room Dean was sitting on the closed toilet with a towel clutched in his hands as they hung between his knees. Dean's head was hanging with exhaustion from his coughing fit.
"Sammy, I think we better go to the clinic after all."Dean's voice was soft and ragged.
Sam kneeled in front of his brother looking into his sweaty face. Sam saw redness on Dean's lips standing out starkly from his pale face but before he could ask the question Dean opened the white towel for Sam to see. On the corner Dean was holding was a large splatter of blood mixed in with the green and yellow.

TBC