A/N: Still no laptop part :( But managed this for you today! Enjoy!

Later that night, Dean awoke to another coughing fit. But the nurses had prepared the rolled up blankets for him to hang on to. Dean, however, was not impressed. He told Sam they hadn't helped at all, and that if he had to cough like that again, he might actually bring up a few of the ribs he was sure had snapped off already. To which Sam, of course, checked to make sure they weren't actually broken, until Dean pushed his hands away from him.

Which was why now, right as the sun was coming up outside the big window on the far wall, and a new nurse came into the room while Dean was still peacefully sleeping, Sam decided to corner her. She seemed intimidated by his height, more than anything.

"Look," he started in a hushed tone, trying to keep in mind that she really had no idea how the past several hours had been spent. "My brother is in a lot of pain during his coughing fits, and the other nurse says there aren't any braces. They gave him some rolled blankets, but they're not doing anything to help him, and the pain meds they're giving him aren't helping. I'm afraid he's actually gonna damage something inside with the coughing. Is there seriously nothing else that can be done?"

"Sir, I'll have to check with the doctor, if he has any better suggestions. But I do know that they were right about us not having the braces right now," she spoke kindly, yet apologetic instead of condescending.

"Can't we, like, wrap his chest or something?" he suggested.

"For pneumonia patients," she said as she shook her head, "That would be dangerous. If we wrapped him, he wouldn't be taking deep enough breaths, and that could lead to fluid build up, not just in his lungs, but around his heart as well."

"There's gotta be something..." he was cut off at the groan coming from the bed. His entire body sparked with fear with the next sound, which indicated that Dean was going to need to cough again. After a momentary wide-eyed glance at the nurse, Sam hurried to Dean's side to help him sit up. Dean looked at him with agonized eyes, and Sam realized that he was holding his breath. "Dean, you can't hold it in, man. Gotta get that stuff up." Dean shook his head, pleadingly as his body convulsed with the involuntary spasming of his diaphragm, insisting that he allow the coughing to happen. "Dean..." and suddenly an idea sparked in his head. What Dean needed was something firm that would support his ribcage through the spell, right?. He could do that. He could totally do that. "Dean, hold on to me, okay?" he met Dean's desperate eyes. "Trust me."

Dean gave in, as he was running out of the ability to hold his breath against it any longer. He watched as Sam climbed halfway into the bed so he was near right in front of Dean, then wrapped his arms around Dean's torso, pressing his chest against Dean's, and supporting his back with both arms. His head rested pressed up against the front of Dean's shoulder.

"Okay, Dean, just hold on to me. Okay? Just go, Dean! Let it go!" Sam urged, and suddenly felt Dean's arms around him, clinging to the back of his shirt as the coughing spell completely took him over. Sam held onto him, firmly. But not so hard that he couldn't breathe. Dean's painful groans weren't so horrid as they had been in the night.

Sam was glad that this was helping, and he was willing to do this until it wasn't needed anymore. But as Dean's coughing continued, though really not any longer than any of the other spells, feeling every movement and hearing every wheeze and struggle and strained muscle, and the shaking from the strain, it was more intense. It made Sam's heart sink in his chest at every shaky intake of breath. And by the time it was over, Sam was more hugging Dean, than Dean was holding on to him for support.

"Sam?" Dean rasped.

"You okay?" Sam asked.

"I'm good," he replied, and Sam loosened his hold and pulled away. "That helped. Thanks," Dean told him.

"Water?" Sam asked, not yet meeting Dean's eyes as he helped him to lay back down. Dean grunted a response that meant yes, but kept his eyes on his brother, watching as he poured a small cup of water and put a straw in it. He still didn't meet Dean's eyes as he brought the straw to his lips and let him take a few sips. But Dean saw the wetness in his brother's eyes anyway. And when the younger man put the cup back on the table and moved to look away, Dean grabbed onto his arm and forced him to look at him.

"What's wrong, Sammy?" he asked. Sam made a face. "I'm fine dude. I mean, I will be fine. And thanks to you...that last coughing spell...wasn't so bad."

Sam took in a breath, then nodded to him, acknowledging the thank you and trying desperately to ward off the stinging in his eyes so that he could shove his fear and guilt back where it belonged for the time being...

*~.~*

"Okay, Dean," Dr. Carter said with a smile, "Looks like your vitals have all returned to normal levels. Oxygenation and blood pressure included." It had been four days since Dean had been brought into the ER. "Looks like your ready to be discharged."

"That's great news, Doc," Dean grinned.

"You're sure?" Sam asked the doctor, seeming worried that Dean might not be well enough to leave. Dean still had a cough. Though it wasn't quite as awful as it had been, it was still there, and it still hurt.

"I'm sure, Sam," Carter replied. "It's best he gets out of the hospital while he's getting better. There's always a risk of infection, being here. And that's the last thing Dean needs."

"He's sure, Sam," Dean said with a hint of aggravation. "I'm ready to blow this popsicle stand. No offense, Doc. As far as hospitals go, the service wasn't so horrifying."

"I'll...take that as a compliment," Carter shook his head with a smile. "Let me have the nurse get your discharge papers, and I'll send you home with some prescriptions we'll have filled here in our pharmacy for you. Same stuff we've been giving you here since yesterday morning. So this is your second course of antibiotics, Dean. It's important that you finish them."

"Why two different courses?" Dean asked.

"First one was some strong stuff we gave through your IV. It was a three-day course. But the pneumonia isn't gone yet, and we wanna keep helping your body to fight it, or you could get just as sick as you came in here like, and it'll be all the harder to help you get well."

"Which is why he should stay," Sam insisted.

"I'm not a child, Sam," Dean argued. "I can remember to take my meds." He turned to the doctor with a smirk, "Kid worries."

"If he stays, Sam," Dr. Carter explained, "He could pick up something that would definitely hurt him worse. Even with the meds in his system. His chances are better at home, with you looking after him. You've done a great job so far." Sam clenched his jaw, knowing the doctor was right, but still worried about Dean's health. Also, we just got a shipment of chest braces in, and we'll be sending one home with you," Carter told Dean.

"Excellent timing," Dean raised his brows, then looked over to Sam. "Just like the local PD, eh, Sammy?" Sam just shook his head.

*~.~*

"God, I feel like an old man," Dean grunted as Sam helped into their 'home', which happened to be a slightly more pricey hotel than they'd normally get. "And I know what that feels like, remember."

"Yeah, yeah," Sam helped him to the bed. "You want some pain killers?"

"Nah, not right now. Kinda hungry though. Can we get burgers?"

"I dunno if that's such a good idea."

"Why not? I've been stuck eating hospital food for days, Sam."

"Exactly. Like...practically baby food hospital food, too. I don't think your system can handle doing all that work right now. How about some soup? I can make a grocery run." As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them. He didn't want to leave Dean in the room again. Not while he was sick. Last time he'd done that...well, things hadn't turned out very well at all.

"Fine," Dean gave up rather quickly, to Sam's dismay. "Just hurry back, okay? I can probably get to the bathroom just fine. But I dunno if I'll be able to get back out here once I do."

"Chest still hurts pretty bad, huh?"

"Never stopped."

"Sure you don't want some pain killers?"

"Saving them for when it's real bad. And right now, it's tolerable."

"Okay, well...I'm leaving them on the night stand with some water," Sam told him. "And you phone is charging right next to them. Call me if you need me to hurry back."

"I already told you to hurry, dude."

"I mean like for an emer- never mind. I'll hurry. Don't do anything stupid."

"What the heck am I gonna do?" Dean gave him an incredulous look.

"Invite a girl over."

"Where the heck am I gonna find a girl, right now?"

"You don't really ever seem to have a problem with that."

Dean gave him a lopsided grin at that. "Aw, Sam..."

"Shut up," he replied as he opened the door to head out.

"Bitch."

"Jerk," Sam shook his head, but smiled as he closed the door behind him.

TBC...