Super short chapter to transition to the next part of the story (which is essentially, a lot of sick!Dean). Enjoy!
Dean thinks that he hears a panicked voice above him but all he can think about is the fire and how hot it burns. His heart thuds away in his chest against his breastbone and he groans and twists on the floor in an attempt to get away but no matter how he moves, the heat seems determined to follow behind him. The voice above him talks hurriedly to someone before rustling closer and laying a hand on his forehead. The touch is grounding and Dean can finally make out what the voice is saying, "he's burning up! Please, hurry."
He knows he's burning, can feel his blood boiling with it.
They're going to lose this house like they lost the last one to fire and he's going to be trapped inside like Mary. Dean watched his mother be swallowed up by flames and now it's his turn.
He makes an attempt to open his eyes and his lids flutter in the light from the ceiling. His eyes scan the room tiredly in search of the waiting flames, only he sees nothing but a face with brown hair obscuring his immediate vision.
"S'mmy?" He mumbles.
"Dean? Dean, hey. Keep your eyes open for me man, okay? It's really important."
"'s so hot." Dean swallows. His throat is dry and his tongue feels too big for his mouth but he needs to get away before the fire takes them both like it took Mary and a little piece of them all. "The fire, S'mmy. It burns. Don' wanna burn like Mom. Please." Dean thinks that he might let out a series of pain whimpers at the pressure in his chest. His voice sounds breathless of his own ears and, while his vision isn't clear, he can see Sam inch closure and feel has his head is onto his lap while Sam brushes the lose strands of his hair away.
..
…
..
"There's no fire, Dean. I promise. You're gonna be okay." Sam repeats these string of words like a prayer, willing himself to believe them as truth and not just something to calm his brother so that he can breathe easier. He watches as Dean's eyes flutter closed and just when he goes to make another attempt at rousing him, there's pounding at the living room door. He lets Dean's head fall back to the carpeted floor of his bedroom gently before running on shaky legs to answer the door and let the paramedics in. He rambles to them about what's happened, Dean's medical history, how he collapsed and seems to be hallucinating – all of it. He goes to inhale a shaky and anxious breath and tastes salt. It's not until then that he realizes he's been crying this entire time.
The lights of Lawrence General Hospital are too bright and artificial and only seem to make his headache worse. Dean was rushed back behind the wide doors of the emergency room almost 30 minutes ago and it's only now that Sam feels calm enough to be able to make the necessary phone call to his father and everything. The last time this happened, the first person Sam had thought to call was Uncle Bobby and he's thankful that the two men are together right now out picking through junker car parts for whatever reason because he's not sure he wouldn't make the same decision again despite how things may have changed.
The line rings three times before someone answers. "Yeah, Sam?"
Sam exhales a shaky breath, his composure already starting to shatter. He's gripping his phone so hard that it shakes in his hand. "Dad. It's Dean."
There's a rustle of things in the background and he hears John shout out for Bobby to 'get his ass in gear' before he speaks into the phone again. "What happened, Sam? Are you boys alright?"
"I'm fine but Dean's in the hospital. He passed out a little while ago and we're at Lawrence General. No one's come to tell me anything and Dean's been gone over a half hour now! That must mean he's hanging on, right? Since no one's come to say anything bad? Shit, Dad. Where are you guys?"
"We're about an hour out but we're getting out shit together now. I'm driving so we'll be there in less than an hour. Do you think you can hold it together until then?"
Sam nods before he realizes that his father can't see or hear the shake of his heads and grunts in affirmative.
"Listen to me, Sam. Bobby's on the phone with Ellen. Her and Jo'll be there any minute, alright? I don't want you sitting up there by yourself." (The 'like last time' goes unsaid and Sam is grateful because this time is bad enough on its own without comparing it to the last time where they found out that Dean's heart wasn't in it for the long-haul.)
"Sure, sure. Dad, just hurry okay?"
"We're coming Sam. Just hold it together until we get there, got it?" In any other instance, Sam would've readily shrugged the order, balked at it even, but he knows this is more for Dean than to fulfill John's militaristic fantasies so he agrees. He's got to hold it together for Dean. At least, until help arrives. He can manage that much.