The next couple of hours was a flurry of doctors and nurses and equipment coming in and out of the small room we were in. Dean and I stood in the corner watching the endless parade of people. Mr. Winchester stood by the bed holding Sam's hand when there wasn't a nurse or doctor at the bedside.

"We're going to move him into the pediatric ICU with the other patients." the doctor said. "I've got an IV started and we'll draw some more blood in the morning."

He looked at us. "I'm sorry, but due to the unknown nature of this illness, we're not allowing children to visit. Your son and daughter can visit for a moment to say goodbye, but that's it. Parents are allowed to stay." He handed us each a small paper mask to put over our nose and mouth. "Go over to the sink and wash your hands too, please, before you go into the room."

"That's not fair!" Dean said. He started crying. "I want to stay with my brother! You gotta let me stay with Sammy! I have to take care of him!" He turned at the sink and looked up at his dad.

Mr. Winchester grabbed Dean into a hug. "I know you want to, champ. But he's at the hospital and they're going to take care of him for now. Best thing you can do is go home and take care of Kate. You and she can take care of each other until Sammy gets better, huh?" He leaned down and looked into Dean's eyes.

Dean sniffled. "Okay, Dad." He looked at me and gave me a small smile. I took his hand and squeezed it.

They allowed us to go into the ward and see Sam. There were rows of beds with kids all hooked up to machines and tubes. Sam looked so small in the big hospital bed. He was still pale. He had a needle taped to his arm and wires taped to his chest attached to a machine that beeped at regular intervals. I walked around the bed and took Sam's hand.

"Sammy-" Dean said brokenly, "You gotta wake up. You gotta get better!" He started crying again. "Please, Sam! Wake up!" He took Sam's other hand and shook it.

A nurse came over to us. "You need to be quiet, please."

Mr. Winchester put his hand on Dean's shoulder. "Keep it together, Dean. Come on, buddy."

"Why'd he have to get sick, Daddy?" Dean asked. "Why won't he wake up?"

He turned back toward Sam. "Sammy, come on! Wake up! Please!" His voice got louder and he started crying harder.

The nurse came back over. "Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to take the boy out of here. He's disturbing the other patients."

"Come on, Dean, we have to go." Mr. Winchester took Dean's hand.

"No!" Dean cried out, jerking his hand out of Mr. Winchester's grasp. Dean grabbed at Sam's hand again. Mr. Winchester struggled with Dean for a moment, then picked him up.

"Kate, let's go." he said over his shoulder to me as he started walking. Dean kept crying. "Sam! Sammy!" He called over his dad's shoulder. "Don't make me leave him! Sam!" Tears poured down Dean's face as he was carried out of the hospital.

I started crying too. Dean was so upset. I didn't want to leave either but I had to go with them.

I sat in the back seat with Dean and put my arm around his shoulders and held him as he cried.

Mr. Winchester carried Dean inside and sat on the couch, holding him. I sat next to him, trying hard not to cry. Mr. Winchester shifted Dean onto one of his thighs and then beckoned me. "Come here, Kate." he said. I got up and went to him, and he pulled me to sit on his other leg and put his arm around me too. I leaned over and rested my head on his shoulder. I started crying then, and he held Dean and me until we were all cried out.

Dean started dozing on Mr. Winchester's lap. I got up and he laid Dean down on the end of the sofa.

"I need to go make some phone calls." he told me. I curled up on the other end of the sofa. Eventually I fell asleep too.

I felt someone shaking my arm and sat up. Mr. Winchester was standing next to the sofa.

"You should wake up and eat something." He said. "We missed breakfast and lunch."

"I called Bobby and he's going to come help me out." he said to Dean, who was sitting up and rubbing his eyes. "He's going to stay and watch you while I'm at work. He can protect you."

"Protect us?" I asked. "From what?"

"Let's go into the kitchen." he said. Dean and I followed him and sat down. He sat down between us and folded his hands.

"Kate, you know I'm a hunter." he said. He took a deep breath. "Well, I don't hunt animals. There are...supernatural creatures out there too, and I hunt them."

"What do you mean? Like ghosts and werewolves?" I swallowed uneasily.

"Yes, exactly. I know it sounds really 'out there', but trust me when I say it's real."

"How do you hunt them? Does that mean you—you kill them?"

"Yes, I kill them, or in the case of ghosts, send their spirit to the afterlife. I have lots of different tools that I use."

That must have been what was in those duffle bags, I said to myself.

"When I get bigger I'm going to be a hunter like Dad." Dean said proudly.

"You are?" I asked.

'Yeah, cause he helps people out. He saves them."

"You save them?" I looked at Mr. Winchester.

"Sometimes people are being hurt by the creature, and I have to do whatever it takes to get rid of it."

I tried to wrap my mind around this.

"The reason I'm telling you this is that I believe that the reason that these kids are sick is that a supernatural being is causing it. I'm still not sure what it is yet. My friend Bobby is a hunter too and he's going to help me out."

"Wow, that's a lot to take in." I said. "Is that what that book is for?" I asked

"What book?" Mr. Winchester frowned a little.

"There was a book with a lot of hand written stuff in it, Latin and symbols- it was laying out on the table the day I dropped Sam off when Dean was sick."

"Yes, that's my journal where I write down all the information I can find about each case. All hunters have a journal. Dean has seen it, but Sam hasn't. He's too young yet to know about this."

"Okay." I said. "I won't say anything to him."

"I'm going to heat up some soup for you both." he said.

"Dad, I'm not hungry." Dean said.

"I still want you to eat some. At least drink some of the broth. You haven't eaten all day, you need to get something in your stomach." he stood up and got some cans out of the pantry. "What do you want?"

"I don't care." Dean said, and I said, "It doesn't matter to me."

Tears filled Dean's eyes. "Sammy likes chicken noodle." he whispered. "The kind with the long noodles. He likes to slurp them."

I took Dean's hand and squeezed it. "He'll be okay, Dean. He'll get better."

Dean pulled his hand away from me. "You don't know that!" he snapped. "Don't say things if you don't know if they're true!" and he started to cry again.

I sat back, hurt by his anger at me from out of nowhere. I started to cry too. Mr. Winchester came over to us and put his arms around Dean.

"Buddy, I know you're upset, but it's not fair to take it out on other people." Dean turned toward him and grabbed at his shirt. "Daddy I'm so scared!" he sobbed. "What if- what if he-"

"NO, Dean." Mr. Winchester said abruptly. "Don't say that, don't even think that. That's an order." he said sternly. "Do you hear me?" His face got red for a moment.

"Y-yes s-sir." Dean sobbed out. Mr. Winchester looked across the table at me and sae I was crying.

"Dean, you made Kate cry." he said.

Dean looked at me with tears still brimming. "S-s-sorry Kate." his chest hitched. I got up from my chair and walked around the table to them and we hugged again until we were calm.

"I'll heat up some beef barley." Mr. Winchester said.

"No, I want chicken noodle, 'cause it's Sammy's favorite." Dean said.

"Are you sure?" Mr. Winchester asked.

"Yeah." Dean said, wiping his face off with his shirt.

"Kate? That okay with you?" Mr. Winchester looked at me.

"That's fine." I said. I got out bowls and spoons for us and found some crackers in the pantry and set them on the table.

It seemed so quiet without Sam. He had so much energy and vitality, when he was in a room, you knew it. We ate quietly. After we ate, we went into the living room and I turned on the tv. Dean and I sat on the sofa, but we weren't really watching anything. Mr. Winchester's phone rang and he went into his bedroom and closed the door.

Dean was brushing his teeth in the bathrom and I was changing into my pajamas when I heard a knock on the door. Dean and I went out to the living room at the same time. Mr. Winchester was hugging another man who was wearing a baseball cap. They clapped each other on the back and then Mr. Winchester turned to us.

"Uncle Bobby!" Dean said, and ran to the man. He leaned down and hugged Dean tightly, then stood up and looked at me.

"Bobby, this is Kate." Mr. Winchester introduced.

Bobby nodded at me. "Heard a lot about ya from the boys." he said gruffly.

"Nice to meet you, sir." I said.

"I'll let you get settled in, it's bedtime for the kids." Mr. Winchester said to Bobby.

Dean and I followed him into the bedroom. Tears started to run down Dean's face as he got into bed. "I miss Sammy." he said. "All those times I got mad at him for hoggin' the covers and kickin' me...I wish I hadn't done that!"

"I know. He'll be back soon enough, and then you boys will be bickering just like you normally do." Mr. Winchester leaned down and tucked him in, then hugged him until he had calmed down. He kissed the top of Dean's head and then stood up and came over to me.

He sat down on the bed and I sat up to hug him.

"Are you doing okay, Kate?" he asked quietly. "I know I gave you some pretty big information to take in."

"Yeah," I said. "Can I ask you about it sometime?"

"Sure, we can talk about it tomorrow if you want. Get some sleep, we've all had a rough day."

I laid down and he tucked me in and left the room. I fell asleep hearing him talking to Bobby in the living room.

I woke up in the middle of the night to Dean crying. Mr. Winchester came in and tried to comfort Dean, but he couldn't calm down.

"Daddy, I wanna sleep with you!" Dean sobbed.

"All right." Mr. Winchester picked him up. He turned to me. "Kate, you'll be okay in here by yourself?"

"Yeah." I said.

"Come get me if you get scared." he told me, and then carried Dean to his room.

I was the last one up the next morning. As I walked through the living room, I could hear Bobby talking.

"-you ain't in the habit of pickin' up strays, John, what gives?"

"She's not a stray, Bobby. She's been babysitting the boys for a while now, and her parents aren't around much. They left her alone to go on a cruise for a couple weeks and I just couldn't see her being home alone at night all that time." I heard Mr. Winchester say.

"They left her to go on a cruise? What happened to family vacations?" Bobby asked sarcastically.

Mr. Winchester sighed. "Yeah, they're just this side of neglectful. I'm hoping she gets a sense of family from being here with us, although I think I annoy her because I won't let her stay up all night reading."

Bobby chuckled. "One thing John Winchester don't have a problem with is makin' and enforcin' rules for his kids."

"I'm sure I'm going to have to enforce that rule more than once with her." Mr. Winchester said dryly. "She's a sweet girl, and good for the boys."

I walked into the room, nervous about what else they were going to say about me.

"Good morning, Kate," Mr. Winchester smiled at me. I said good morning to everyone and sat down next to Dean.

Breakfast was different without Sam. I felt a little intimidated by Bobby, he seemed very gruff. He and Mr. Winchester talked about weapons while we ate breakfast. Mr. Winchester stood up and filled his travel mug with coffee, then walked over to the table.

He leaned down to Dean and said, "Stay strong, buddy, okay? I know you can do it. You and Kate take care of each other today." He hugged Dean and kissed his head, then walked over to me.

"You okay?" he asked gently. I nodded, and he leaned down and hugged me too.

"I'll call you after I visit Sammy." He left to go to work.

I stood up and started clearing the breakfast dishes.

"What do y'all do for fun?" Bobby asked.

"We play board games. Or bake sometimes." I told him.

"Bake?" he asked with surprise.

"Yeah, I like to bake." I said, feeling a little embarrassed.

"Kate's really good at it." Dean said.

"Dean, you want to look through my cook books and we can find a new kind of cookie to bake today?"

He shook his head. "Nah, I don't want to."

"Have you been practicing your whittlin'? Bobby asked him.

"No sir." Dean shook his head again, staring forlornly at the table. "I'm gonna go watch cartoons." he mumbled, and walked into the living room.

I washed the dishes as Bobby sat there. "So how'd you come to start watching the boys?" he asked me.

I turned to him, drying my hands on a towel. "My father met Mr. Winchester and suggested that I watch the boys after school. He wants me to be civic-minded like him."

"Civic-minded?"

"He's a local politician and he is very concerned with doing good things for people. It looks good for his campaign, you see."

"And you ain't of the same mind?"

"Yeah, I am, sometimes. I used to watch a lot of his collegue's kids, and I would much rather watch Sam and Dean."

Bobby laughed. "Those two little hell-raisers?"

"Trust me, they're a lot sweeter than the spoiled rich kids I had to watch before."

Bobby laughed again. "Sweet aint' a word I'd use to describe them either, but they're probably different with you."

I shrugged. "Probably."

We went into to the living room. Dean sat listlessly on the sofa, not really watching the tv. I asked him if he wanted me to read to him. He said no. I asked him if he wanted to play a game. He said no. He just sat there staring into space.

"Okay." I sighed. "I'm going to bake some cookies, but I'm going to need you to be my taste-tester when they're done. Will you help me with that?"

Dean glanced at me. "Sure." he said. His eyes looked dull.

I spent the day baking. It relaxes me and makes me happy when I do it, and it kept my mind focused. I made peanut butter cookies, oatmeal cookies, and was working on chocolate chocolate chip when Bobby came into the kitchen. There were rows of cookies cooling all over the counters and the table.

"Geez, kid, when you said you like to bake, you meant it."

"It relaxes me." I said.

"John called, he's with Sam. No change." he looked grave.

"What does that mean? Do they know what's wrong?"

"Not as far as I know. Blood work didn't show any infection or anything."

"I hope he's okay." I said, trying not to cry suddenly.

Bobby walked over to me and put his hand on my shoulder. "I know, kid. Now what's this you were sayin' about taste-testing the cookies?"

"Daddy, I want to sleep with you." Dean said that night at bedtime.

"All right, champ." Mr. Winchester looked at me. "Are you okay by yourself in there?"

"Yeah, it doesn't bother me." I said. Mr. Winchester let Dean stay up for a while until he started to fall asleep, and then carried him back to his bedroom. Bobby had gone out for a while. When Mr. Winchester came back into the living room, he said, "Bedtime at 10, Kate. No staying up reading."

"I know." I said, gritting my teeth on the inside. It was the summer time, why couldn't I stay up reading a little later if I wanted to?

Mr. Winchester came into the bedroom and walked over to the bed. "Kate, bedtime was at 10. It's now 11:17."

I felt frustrated. "I want to finish my book," I said. "I've only got a few pages left."

"No, Kate, it's time to go to sleep." He held out his hand. "Give me the book."

I looked up at him, confused. "Why?" I got angry- why did he want to take my book?

He looked at me in surprise, raising his eyebrows. "Excuse me ? Did you just hear me tell you to give me the book?"

"Why do I have to give it to you? I'll put it away!" I protested.

"Because I told you to."

I stared up at him, feeling stubborn.

He put his hands on his hips. "Kate, I'm about to put you over my knees." he said sternly.

"Uh-" I said apprehensively, sitting up. Did he mean-?

"I said give me the book. You'll get it back tomorrow."

I was tired of him always telling me to stop reading and go to bed. I looked down at the bed and said, "No !"

He reached for the book and I pulled away.

His jaw twitched.

"That is enough !" he said angrily, and he took my wrist and plucked the book out of my hand. He tossed the book onto the end of the bed and then sat down and pulled me forward over his lap.

"Hey!" I exclaimed. What was he doing? I tried to push my body up off the bed, but he put his hand on my back and pushed me down.

"No, Kate, you're staying right here." he said firmly. I turned my head to look up at him and ask what he was doing and I saw his hand raised, and then he brought it down on my bottom and spanked me. I let out a frightened squeak. He was going to give me another spanking!

"You do not tell me no." he swatted me. I flinched and tried to roll off of his lap, but he grabbed my waist and pulled me close to his side, putting his arm over my back.

"You shouldn't be arguing with me about staying up late reading." His hand came down again. I whimpered, because these swats were harder than the other time he had spanked me.

"I told you to go to bed and you disobeyed me." His hand fell again, lower on my bottom. "I told you to give me the book and you refused." Another, harder swat fell. "This ends now." He paused, and I relaxed, thinking that he was done. Then he tightened his grip on my waist and started spanking me, his hand falling continuously for several swats. I burst into tears and put my head down into my hands.

"I'm going to give you a set time limit for reading at bedtime from now on, is that clear?" he said.

"But—but I—OW!" I exclaimed as he swatted me again.

"Is. That. Clear." he repeated, punctuating each word with a hard spank.

"Yes! Yes sir!" I sobbed. My bottom was throbbing.

"All right." he said, and helped me sit up. He hugged me, and I said, "No one ever cared if I stayed up late reading. No one cared if I went to bed on time. No one tucked me in. Why do you?" I sobbed harder.

"Because I care about you." he said. "Not that I think your parents don't, but I think they're too busy with your father's career to raise you right now. It's unfortunate, but that's the way it is. I feel bad that your parents aren't there for you, and I'm glad that the boys and I have been able to step in and become your family."

That made me cry harder, and I put my arms around him. "Me too." He tightened his arms around me.

After a couple of minutes, I said, "I'm sorry I've been giving you such a hard time about reading at bedtime."

He pulled back and looked at me. "I know you're not used to rules, but I have rules, and while you're here I expect you to follow them. Understand?"

I sniffled. "Yes sir, I will."

"Lay down now, time for sleep." he told me, and I laid down. He pulled the covers up and tucked me in, and then picked up the book from the foot of the bed.

"Good night, Kate."

"Good night-" I almost said Dad, but I caught myself. I wondered what he would think if I called him that. At this point he seemed more like a father to me than my own.

In the morning, Bobby ans Mr. Winchester were looking at a map that was laid out on the kitchen table. There were little red Xs all over it.

"I think it's gonna be here or here." Bobby said, pointing to two different spots.

"What's that for?" I asked.

"The Xs show all the houses that have had kids who got sick." Mr. Winchester said. "We're trying to figure out where the creature is going to strike next."

"Do you know what it is?" I asked.

I saw them look at each other. Dean walked in, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Yes, we do. We'll talk about it later." Mr. Winchester said. "How are you feeling, Dean? Sleep okay?"

"Yeah," Dean mumbled. "Are you gonna make bacon today?"

"I've got to go to work." Mr. Winchester said. "And I think we're out of bacon."

"I can make some pancakes, Dean." I told him.

"Okay." he said, smiling at me.

Mr. Winchester left for work and Bobby put the map away. After I made pancakes, Dean and I watched cartoons for a while.

In the afternoon, Bobby made us lunch and then convinced Dean to play cards. He taught us how to play a game called Poker. We were still playing when Mr. Winchester came home, carrying a couple of pizza boxes.

"I stopped at the hospital." He said. "Sam's- well, he's not any better."

Dean looked at him. "What do you mean? Is he- is he-" and he burst into tears.

Mr. Winchester put the boxes on the counter and came over to Dean. He hugged him and said, "We're going to find this creature, Dean. Bobby thinks he knows where it's going to be and we're going to get it soon. I promise."

"But when will Sammy get better?" Dean sobbed.

"I don't know." he said. "Hopefully when it's dead."

He served us the pizza and we ate quietly. Dean sniffled throughout the meal. I missed Sam so much it was like an ache in my chest. I wished he could come home.

At bedtime, Dean said he would sleep in his bed. I went to bed at the same time as him, so he wouldn't be alone. I thought I would have trouble falling asleep, but I didn't. I guess the stress of all the worrying was getting to me.

I woke up feeling a breeze, which was unusual, because all the windows had been shut and locked for days now. I rolled over and saw the curtains flutter.

Then I noticed a dark shape. A large figure stood at the side of the bed where Dean slept, leaning forward. It was wearing long dark robes and a hood over its head. Dean was fast asleep. As I watched, the figure bent forward until its head was all the way down in front of Dean's face. The hood flopped forward and I couldn't see what was happening.

I got out of bed, fear surging in my stomach, and ran over to the figure.

"Get off of him!" I said, and grabbed at the robes.

It straightened up and turned to me, snarling. The hood was still over its head and most of the face was in darkness, but I saw pale skin and deep wrinkles and long, sharp teeth. The creature hissed at me, and then grabbed my arms and shoved me backwards with inhuman strength. I flew into the air, across the room, my head and back knocking into the wall, and landed on the bed.

It turned back toward the bed and bent down to Dean again.

"Help!" I said weakly. My head hurt from where it hit the wall. I started to sit up. "Help!" I called louder, then I took a deep breath and screamed as loud as I could.

The bedroom door banged open and I saw Mr. Winchester run into the room, holding a gun. He began firing it at the creature, and I screamed again and covered my ears. It was so loud! The creature turned and hissed again, and raised its arm threateningly.

"You're not taking another one!" Mr. Winchester shouted, and he took a couple of quick steps forward, put the gun right up to the creature's head, and fired straight into its forehead.

The creature collaped onto the floor in a heap. As we watched, what looked like tendrils of white smoke began to rise from the creature's mouth. They rose up into the air and dissipated. Then the creature essentially dissolved, leaving nothing but dry bones and powder in among the ragged folds of the robe it had been wearing.

Mr. Winchester set his gun down and sat on the bed, grabbing Dean.

"Dean! Dean, are you okay? Dean, wake up!" Mr. Winchester lifted him into a sitting position and touched his face.

"Uhh, what, Dad?" Dean mumbled. "Is it time for school?"

Mr. Winchester let out a dry sob and whispered, "Oh, thank God." He hugged Dean.

"How do you feel?" he asked, looking at him.

"Fine." Dean said, and he sat up and looked around. His eyes got big when he saw the pile of rags on the floor.

"Dad, was that-"

"Yes." Mr. Winchester said. "I killed it."

Dean looked across the room at me. "Kate!"

I just stared at him. I could feel myself shaking. Mr. Winchester let go of Dean and came over to me, sitting down on the bed. He helped me sit up. "You saw it all." he said. "Are you okay?'

I shook my head. "What was it doing?" I asked.

"It was sucking the life force out of kids." Mr. Winchester told me. "But it won't any more."

"It almost got Dean!" I said, and I burst into tears. He put his arms around me and held me.

"It's all right." he said soothingly. "It's over. You're safe, and Dean's safe."

"Is that what you do when you hunt things?" I asked.

"Yes" he said simply.

"I went up to it and tried to get it to leave him alone." I said.

He looked down at me. "You what ?"

"I woke up and it was leaning over Dean and I got up and went over and pulled on its robe, and then it pushed me away. It was so strong I flew across the room." I said.

Mr. Winchester hugged me again. "Kate, that was incredibly brave! Most people just cower in fear when they come across something like that."

"I don't feel brave right now!" I said. "I almost peed my pants."

He laughed. "Let's go into the living room and get away from this." He gestured at the rags on the floor.

Dean got off his bed and we went to the living room.

"Sit down and I'll make you some hot chocolate." Mr. Winchester said.

I sat next to Dean and he moved close to me and snuggled into me.

"You saved my life." he said.

"You would have done the same for me." I told him. I put my arm around him and we sat together until Mr. Winchester brought two mugs in.

He set them down on the coffeetable.

"Bobby's out hunting it." he told us. "I'm going to call him and tell him I got it."

Several minutes later, Bobby came into the house.

"Turns out the creature was a lot closer that we thought, huh?" he said, clapping Mr. Winchester on the back. "Glad you got it, John."

"Well, this one walked up to it and tried to grab it!" Mr. Winchester pointed at me.

Bobby turned to look at me, raising his eyebrows. "Maybe she's got the makings of a hunter!" he said. "Most people ain't that gutsy."

"I know."Mr. Winchester said. "Listen, we're going to go clean up Dean's room. Do you two want to sleep in my bed, or lay down out here?"

"I'm too keyed up to sleep." I told him. "I don't think I'd be able to."

"Me neither." Dean agreed.

"We'll stay out here for now." I said.

"All right. It shouldn't take us that long."

I guess Dean and I did fall asleep, because I woke up when Mr. Winchester was carrying me into the bedroom. He laid me in bed and pulled the covers up, and I looked over and saw Bobby putting Dean into the other bed. I rolled over and fell asleep.

The next thing I knew, the bedroom door banged open, and Mr. Winchester came into the room. The room was filled with sunlight.

"The hospital called, Sammy's awake!" He said happily.