To Lose a Brother

Chapter seven

"Nothing happened Sam." Dean looked at his brother and could tell he wasn't convinced. "Look Sam, I'm just tired, alright?"

"You'd tell me if something was wrong wouldn't you?"

"Yeah I'd tell ya." Dean took a sip of his coffee. "Sam there's nothing wrong…now drink your coffee and let's get out of here."

Later

After drinking a few cups of coffee they left the diner and continued on to the car rental office where Sam returned the car he had been driving. They paid the fee and were soon on their way.

Sam looked over at Dean who stared straight ahead as he turned onto the expressway.

"Hey, don't you think we better find a motel and stop for the night?" When Dean didn't answer him he continued. "Dean?...Dean?...Dean!" He finally ended up shouting trying to get his brother's attention.

"What?" Dean glanced over at him.

"I said I think we should find a motel and stop for the night. I'm beat, and I can tell you are too."

"We'll stop once we get out of the state."

"Out of the state? Why? I thought we had a hunt already lined up not too far from here."

Dean was quiet for a few seconds then looked over at Sam.

"Sam, we don't have to hunt every minute of our lives."

"What?" Sam couldn't believe what he had heard. "Who are you and what did you do with my brother?" He knew Dean lived for the hunt, he thrived on it. Why would Dean all of a sudden decide to forgo a hunt?

"What do you mean?"

"Dean this isn't you, you're the one who never lets a case fall by the wayside. What the hell's going on with you?"

"Well for one thing I'm sick of this state. I just want to get out of it." Dean looked over at Sam. "Don't worry we'll find another hunt, and if we don't….that's fine too."

"Dean I'm not worried about finding another hunt…I'm worried about you. I can tell something's going on in that head of yours and I'm going to find out what."

"Sam I'm fine. I just think we need to take some time off and relax. There's no law that says we have to hunt every second of our lives."

"Okay….if that's what you want then we'll take a little time off. But I want to know why, why all of a sudden do you want to take time off? Why now? What the hell happened between the last hunt and now? And don't tell me nothing, I'm not blind Dean, I can tell something's bothering you."

"Nothing's bothering me Sam. I just think we need to take some time off and chill, you know just enjoy life a little, maybe take a vacation."

"Okay if that's what you want that's fine with me. Where do you want to meet up?"

"What?" Dean looked over at Sam.

"After we take a vacation, where do you want to meet at?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Well you said you want to take a vacation, I figured you wanted some time to yourself. Hey…I understand, we've been together for the last couple of months and…"

"Sam, I didn't mean that…I meant you and me….we can just go off somewhere and relax, maybe go fishing or something, you know have a little fun, forget what we do for awhile."

Sam smiled, relieved that Dean didn't want to dump him.

"Sure, it sounds good." Sam knew something was bothering Dean, his brother never wanted to take a vacation, he was always looking for the next hunt. But Sam decided to let it ride for now, sooner or later he'd find out what was up with Dean.

Motel

Dean finally pulled over at a motel just outside that state line, paid for the night, then walked back to the car just as Sam reached in the back seat to pull out his bag then winced in pain as his back protested.

"What's wrong with you?" Dean had seen the pain on Sam's face.

"I must have pulled something in my back on our last hunt."

"Why didn't you tell me you were hurt?"

"I didn't even realize it till now. I must have pulled a muscle when I jumped out of the way of that spirit when it tried to knock me down those steps." Sam gave Dean a little smile when he saw the worry of his face. "I'll be fine in a day or two."

"Why don't you go soak in a hot tub of water, I'll bring in our gear."

"I'm fine Dean." Sam once more reached for the bag, but stopped when Dean put his hand on his shoulder.

"Sam go soak your back, I'll get the stuff."

Sam was about to protest but decided against getting into an argument with his brother.

"Thanks." He said as he took the key from Dean. He walked into the motel room and filled the bathtub with hot water while Dean brought in their bags. He then undressed and climbed into the tub figuring he'd let the hot water relax the strained muscles in his back. He leaned back in the tub and didn't try to fight the fatigue that screamed for him to shut his eyes and relax, soon he was asleep. As he slept he dreamt of driving across a bridge and being forced off the road, he braced himself as his car flew off the bridge and into the frigid water below. He started to panic as he frantically tried to release his seatbelt as the car began to fill with water. Soon the car was completely filled with water and he only had a small air pocket in which to breathe.

"No!...No!...Dean!..." He screamed for his brother just before his head went under the water and his lungs started to fill with water.

TBC