Chicken Soup
Author's Note:
This prompt comes from Maxandkiz: Sheriff Jody Mills takes care of a sick Sam.
I've set this story between Season 7, Episode 23 'Survival of the Fittest' and Season 8, Episode 1 'We Need to Talk About Kevin'. Instead of hooking up with Amelia while Dean is in Purgatory, Sam returns to Sioux Falls and stays with the Sheriff.
Jody looked sadly at the youngest Winchester and sighed. She didn't know what to do for him.
She knew what her mother's instincts were telling her but Sam didn't need a parent right now. He needed Dean.
But Dean wasn't here.
Dean was gone.
At least that's what Sam had said when he'd shown up on the Sheriff's front porch in the middle of the night during a thunderstorm.
Dean was gone.
And so was Sam.
The young man was lost. That spark, that drive Jody had seen before in the few times they had met had vanished from him, leaving a sad, lonely shell of a man.
He barely ate anything even though Jody made enough food to feed twenty people instead of just two. He rarely slept even though she said the guest bedroom was his for as long as he chose to stay. He refused to speak more than in monosyllables when Jody managed to get him to talk.
Jody pulled her hat on and grabbed her jacket.
"I have to go to the station, Sam," she told him, "There's cereal in the cupboard for breakfast and cold cuts and bread to make sandwiches for lunch."
Jody felt as though she had to remind Sam that there was food even though she knew that he wouldn't eat.
He's bound to make himself sick, she thought.
"I should be back in time for dinner," Jody finished and stepped outside, closing and locking the front door behind herself.
Walking towards her car, Jody shook her head, "Where are you Dean?"
SPN
Sam stared blankly ahead.
He felt numb, hollow, filling only with wave after wave of sadness, grief.
Sam sucked in a watery breath and felt tears well up in his eyes.
He had never felt so alone.
Not even when Dean had sold his soul and been taken to Hell. At least Sam had had Bobby.
Now Sam had no one.
Wrapping his arms around his middle as though to keep from falling apart, Sam started to cry.
He couldn't help it.
He couldn't stop the tears.
He just wanted his brother back.
SPN
"Sam? I'm home," Jody called as she unlocked the front door and stepped inside, slipping her boots off.
There was no response and she didn't expect one. Shrugging out of her coat and hanging it in the closet, Jody stepped into the living room.
Sam was were he had been that morning but now instead of sitting on the couch, he was lying on his side, his feet pressed up against one of its arm and his head resting against the other.
He looked pale, more pale than usual and the dark circles under his eyes were very pronounced. He also had a sheen of sweat coating his face, his bangs sticking to his brow.
"Sam? Are you feeling alright?" Jody asked and walked over to the couch.
Sam looked up at her with glassy eyes.
"M'not feelin' good," he muttered.
The Sheriff placed her palm against Sam's forehead and drew back, "You're burning up!"
Sam groaned miserably and closed his eyes.
Jody's lips pursed into a thin line. She may not be Sam's mother but she knew how to take care of a sick boy, even if that boy was in fact a twenty-nine year old, 6' 4" man.
The Sheriff left Sam's side so that she could gather everything she needed. Upstairs she grabbed a washcloth and a bottle of Tylenol. In the kitchen she found a can of Ginger Ale wedged into a corner at the back of the refrigerator and put a pot of water on the stove to boil.
Pausing at the sink, Jody ran cold water over the cloth before squeezing it out as much as she could and returned to the living room.
Sam opened his eyes slowly and stared at the Sheriff as she set the soda and bottle of painkillers down on the coffee table.
"Can you sit up?" she asked and when Sam blinked up at her, helped him into a sitting position on the couch.
Sam shivered visibly and wrapped his arms around his middle.
Jody opened the can of Ginger Ale and shook two Tylenols onto her palm.
Sam took the pills without a fight, washing them down with a generous mouthful of soda.
"Lie back down," Jody murmured and Sam gratefully flopped back onto the couch cushions.
The Sheriff couldn't help but smile just a little at the sight of the hunter acting just like a kid. She placed the cool washcloth on Sam's brow and left to go make him some soup.
W
Jody woke with a start, on high-alert and peered anxiously around her bedroom.
All was quiet. Nothing moved.
Glancing at her alarm, she saw that it was three a.m. and began settling down to sleep again when she heard a cry.
Sam! She thought and was out of bed instantly.
Grabbing her housecoat, Jody hurried down the hallways and down the stairs.
"D'n!"
The Sheriff turned on the living room light and saw Sam was sitting up, swaying precariously an agitated.
"Sam!" Jody said and sat beside the young man, taking hold on one of his arms while placing her hand on his brow.
Sam stared at the Sheriff with a bewildered expression on his face. He was clearly expecting someone else.
Keeping a hold of Sam's arm to prevent him from falling, Jody leaned forward and grabbed the bottle of Tylenol.
Releasing the young man, Jody opened the bottle and shook two pills out onto her hand. She grabbed the now-flat can of Ginger Ale and offered them both to Sam.
"Take these," she said.
"W-Where's D-Dean?" Sam asked sadly, eyes pleading.
"Sam, take the pills," Jody instructed, ignoring the young man's question.
His fever didn't seem to be going down.
"I want Dean," Sam said, "Where is he?"
Although she hated the idea of lying to Sam, Jody didn't think she had much of a choice. Hopefully Sam wouldn't remember this when the fever broke.
"He just ran out to get more Ginger Ale, Sam," she assured him, "He'll be back any minute now."
The hunter actually looked relieved by this news and he took the pills from Jody.
The Sheriff stood and crossed her arms as Sam lay down on the couch again.
"Why don't I make you some soup?" Jody asked; Sam nodded tiredly.
The Sheriff decided that since she was awake now she might as well stay up and make sure Sam's fever didn't worsen.
Walking into the kitchen, Jody opened the fridge and took out the container of unfinished soup.
She poured the yellow liquid into a pot and set it on the stove to warm up.
Owen had loved chicken noodle soup whenever he was sick. He always asked for it, even if he just had a cold.
Tears sprung unexpectedly into Jody's eyes and she quickly wiped them away.
W
Once the soup was steaming, Jody returned to the living room and saw that Sam was fast asleep.
Sighing, Jody sat down on one of the armchairs in the room and stirred the soup lazily around the bowl.
Watching the young man resting on her couch, Jody knew that she had to do something to help him. He might not like it but she was certain he had gotten sick because he wasn't taking care of himself. Well, the Sheriff of Sioux Falls was going to put a stop to that.
She knew from personal experience how hard it was to lose a loved one but remaining overshadowed by grief and guilt did nothing to honour their memory or help those still alive move forward.
As soon as Sam was better, things were going to change. Jody was sure Dean wouldn't want to see his brother like this and she had to remind Sam of that.
Jody looked up when the young man shifted on the couch and opened his eyes.
"Would you like some soup?" Jody asked kindly.
Sam nodded and sat up tiredly. The Sheriff came and sat beside him, handing him the bowl and spoon.
Sam smiled at Jody.
"You make the best chicken noodle soup, Sheriff Mills," he said.
Jody smiled back at the young man.
"Don't tell Dean I told you."
The Sheriff's grin faltered a bit, "I won't Sam."
Jody leaned back against the couch cushions as Sam began to eat.
Reaching out, the Sheriff took Sam's free hand and squeezed it.
It'll be okay, Sam; she thought, we'll get through this. We'll get through this together.
Author's Note:
Thanks to Sam .J. Eller, SPN Mum, reannablue, BranchSuper, Shannanigans, mb64, Jeanny, Samgirl19, and SamDeanLover28 for reviewing.
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