Mind Over Body
.Early Morning ER.
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"You boys okay?" John had said immediately upon entering the study, seeing Dean sprawled out on his stomach, blood soaked into his shirt, with Sam practically sitting on top of him with bloody hands and a scattered med kit -thread and needle still gripped in his hand.
"Oh, dandy" came the muffled reply from Dean who had his face buried in the crook of his elbow, whisky bottle resting against his neck.
"You finished here Sam?" John asked as he walked forward, slouching over the boys, and resting his hand on the back of Dean's head. He ran his finger through his son's hair, checking on the stitched cut. "Looks good" he appeased as he grabbed the scissors and nipped the thread. "You didn't have to shave a patch in his head though" John said out with a grin as he winked at his youngest son, knowing the thought would drive Dean mental.
Right on cue, Dean lifted his face from his elbow, staring straight ahead with a bloody murder look on his face. "Sam" he said out in a low warning tone, brows furrowed in disdain.
"I'm kidding Ace" John said as he slapped Dean roughly on the shoulder, giving a tight squeeze before straightening up. "What's the damage Sam?" John said turning to his youngest. He'd seen the extent of Dean's injuries, now he wanted to make sure that Sam was okay.
"M'fine" Sam said shortly. He was in no hurry of telling his dad or Bobby that he'd almost died by drowning. Because drownings were serious to the Winchesters and often resulted in non stop hovering…and quite truthfully, Sam already had enough hovering as it was. Sure his chest felt tight, and there was a cough biting in his throat that he was holding back, but that was to be expected when you almost drowned, right?
"You sure?" Dean said as he turned his green eyes towards his younger brother -searching for truth.
"What happened?" John immediately asked both boys, knowing that something serious had obviously happened while they were gone judging by the gash in the back of Dean's head.
"Sam tried to get drunk -and not on booze" Dean said even though Sam was giving him the evil eye from hell, begging Dean to just leave it alone.
John's brows knit together in confusion as he looked down at Dean expecting some clarification.
"He tried to chug the tub alright? Probably not one of his smartest moves, but then again I never said he was smart"
Dean felt a swift kick to the back of his leg and he didn't have to look at Sam to know that he was glaring at him. John having enough of the secrets already dropped his voice into a bit of a harsher tone and said "Explain" Dean he expected an answer from. Knew he would get an answer from, because when John gave an order, Dean followed. Sam he didn't expect much, because lately Sam had wanted to do the opposite of anything and everything John said.
It didn't take long for Dean to relay the story to his dad and Bobby, and an eerie slice washed over the room when he got to the part about Sam actually being dead. But hey he was alive now so that had to count for something.
"Guess a trip to the hospital is due" John said briskly after hearing the end of the story, "Meanwhile, Bobby why don't you do some research on your new houseguest and find out who's bones we need to be burning. It ain't like you to allow guests to stick around long"
"Lord knows I let you stay here" Bobby mumbled to himself as he walked over to his desk and started to look for any suspicious murders in the paper. Whoever the ghost was who attacked Dean and Sam she had to have some reasoning behind it, and she had to come from somewhere. So Bobby got into work of looking at obituaries and news caps.
"I'm not going to the hospital!" Sam declared angrily. He knew this was going to happen, and he didn't want any of it.
"Sam" John said out in a warning tone "it's not gonna hurt to get you checked out"
"There's nothing wrong with me" he raised his voice, maybe for once yelling would get him his way.
"Great, then the doctor can give you a clean bill of health and that will be the end of the story"
"No. I'm not going" Sam said crossly, defiance covering his features, small arms crossing in front of his chest.
A moan emitted from Dean, "ugh guys, headache here" he said while wallowing in his own self pity and hoping it would be enough to get his dad and brother away from each others throats for awhile.
"Sorry Dean" John said out as he brought his attention to his oldest laying on the couch "Why don't you go shower up and call it a night huh? You and Bobby can hang out here. I'll be back with Sammy later"
"I'm fine" Sam shouted defiantly "Why won't you listen to me" but of course having the worst timing, the cough that he'd been holding back, broke free of his lungs and sent him into a fit that almost left him choking.
"Easy" John said as he'd quickly moved forward placing one hand against Sam's back and cupping Sam's chin with his other hand.
"Yeah, you're fine alright" Dean said once Sam's coughing had subsided.
"Just a cough" he said angrily as he tried in vain to push his father's hands away from him "had worse" he mumbled out.
John who still had his hands on his youngest let a concerned look cross his face as he rested his finger against Sam's neck.
"Your heart's racing Sam, and your fevers back up" John said concerned as he placed the palm of his hand against Sam's forehead.
"Look. I just need to get some sleep. I'll probably feel better in the morning" Sam said rather calmly, a gentle pleading to his father. He could see that his dad wasn't convinced though so he tried to throw in some extra ammo. He was a Winchester after all, he was well used to negotiating and 'sweetening the deal' so to say. "How about this? If I'm not feeling better tomorrow, I'll go. No fighting. No arguing. Nothing"
Dean raised his eyebrows in shock. He had a feeling Sam would eat those words in the morning on the off chance that he still wasn't 100 percent.
John stared down at Sam's hopeful face. He wanted to take Sam to the hospital straight away. But there was something about those blue/green eyes and button nose staring up at him that made him cave.
"Alright" John said firmly as he pointed a finger at the small boy "First thing tomorrow we're going if you're not feeling better. Understood?"
"Yes'ir" Sam said as he let out a breath of air he'd been holding.
"Dean, shower up and hit the hay. Sam lets get that blood of your hands and get you to bed, huh?" John said as he reached down to pick Sam up. John took Sam to the kitchen, setting him to sit on the counter beside the sink as he grabbed a washcloth and soap. He made quick work of cleaning Dean's blood off of the toddlers hands before walking him over to the kitchen table and laying him down on it. He slipped Sam's clothes off and pulled a fresh diaper and pyjama's out of the bag next to the table. The first time John went to undo the tabs on Sam's diaper his hands were swatted away and he noticed the frown on the kids face. A stern 'enough' was all it took for the small boy to let his dad change his diaper without any further fighting. After John had Sammy changed and in his pj's he brought Sam back in to the study where Bobby was sitting going through papers. Dean had long since headed up stairs, and was probably already passed out. Whether from a concussion, or alcohol he couldn't be sure. But John would make sure to check in on him in the night.
Laying Sam into the playpen, he watched as a yawn escaped him, before he covered him in a blanket and went to help Bobby find out who their mystery ghost was.
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It was the early morning hours. The house was quiet. Bobby and Dean were both upstairs sleeping -and thankfully when John had checked in on Dean in the night, he'd appeared perfectly normal. John opted to sleep on the couch in the study to stay near Sam. Sometime around 2am he had noticed a wheeze starting in the small boys chest, and since then hadn't got more then 15 minutes sleep at a time as he continuously woke up checking on the toddler. It was 3am when he lifted the sleeping child out of the playpen and across his chest on the couch. John pulled Sam's thumb out of his mouth and quickly replaced it with his soother when he saw the small boys brow burrow in displeasure. He wrapped the blanket around the both of them before he shut his eyes and tried to get some more sleep.
At 4am he awoke to Sam coughing in his sleep. John could feel the vibrations of Sam's cough against his own chest and was displeased to hear the sound of a wet cough.
By 4:30am he'd made up his mind to take him to emergency. So scratching out a quick note for Dean and Bobby, John grabbed an extra blanket and headed out to the Impala. He slipped the sleeping Sam into his car seat without him even waking up, popping his soother back in his mouth when it fell out. Once he had him all buckled in, he laid the blanket over him, which probably wasn't necessary considering that the kid still felt like he had a fever.
It only took John 12 minutes to get to emergency, and it wasn't until John was lifting Sam out of the back seat that two little eyes opened and stared at him in confusion. John pulled the soother from the tired boy's mouth, shoving it in his pocket. If anything he might need it later, on the off chance of Sammy talking too much for a 2 year old.
"Uhh, nooo" Sam moaned out upon realization of where he was. "You said-"
"I said I'd take you to the hospital in the morning if you still weren't better. It's almost 5. It's close enough" John said out kind of sternly. He didn't have time to have this argument with Sam again. He just wanted him checked out. "Listen Sam, you're not going to be able to talk to much. You're 2 remember"
"I know"
"Even if they want to give you needles or something-"
"I know" Sam said back irritated. Whatever, he got it. He just had to sit back and deal with the crap that they were going to dish out.
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Sam sat in his dad's lap in the small examination room. They'd already waited in the waiting room and had finally been moved to see the doctor. Patience wasn't always John's strongest attribute, and he was terribly close to opening the door and yelling for someone to get in there and check over his son. Thankfully he was spared, by the door opening and an older doctor entering with a warm smile.
"Mr. Winchester. I'm Doctor Lewis" the man greeted as he set down the metal clipboard and shook John's hand in a firm shake. "What can we do for you today?"
"My son doesn't seem to be feeling the greatest. He's had a fever for the past couple days and developed a nasty cough last night" John figured he'd leave out the part about Sam drowning in a tub. That was clearly a case for child services and so long as Sam was going to get medical attention, it was a detail that would stay blank for awhile. Sure John Winchester thought drowning to be a cause for concern and medical attention but he didn't see the harm in beating around the bush and leaving out the real reason behind Sam's 'wet' cough.
"Why don't we sit him on the examination table then" the doctor said as he pulled on some gloves.
John sat Sam onto the crinkly paper that was covering the padded table and stepped back out of the doctors way. Doctor Lewis reached forward taking Sam's shirt and pants off before pulling the stethoscope from his around his neck into place and setting the cold metal against Sam's chest. Sam gasped at the sting of the cold metal against his chest and back.
"Hmm" the doctor hummed out to himself. "Lungs don't sound very clear. Best get an accurate temperature too" he continued as he turned around and grabbed the rectal thermometer from a drawer.
Sam's eyes widened in horror. This was so not happening to him.
"If you'll just lay him down Mr. Winchester. Kids tend to be pretty squirmy"
'yeah no shit sherlock' Sam angrily thought 'shove something up your ass and see how you feel'
As John walked closer to Sam he noticed the big puppy eyes staring up at him as his youngest shook his head no. "Sorry bud" he whispered to Sam as he gently laid him down. Sam's hands were held firmly in one of his dads as the doctor moved forward and pulled the tabs open on the diaper. His face burned red in humiliation and he squeezed his eyes shut wishing to be anywhere else when he felt the doctor insert the thermometer.
Not very long after words he was back diapered and covered in a blanket in his dad's arms as they were walking the halls and making their way to get Sam X-rays of his chest. Doctor Lewis declared that by the sounds of it, Sam had a pretty nasty chest infection, but needed to confirm with some x-rays. Hopefully the wait wouldn't be too long, because John could see that Sam was already running out of patience.