Kate returned to school with a note for her teacher, from Dean. She didn't know what the note said but she hoped it wasn't too embarrassing. The teacher read it and seemed satisfied. School went more smoothly after that. She didn't have any run ins with other students and her teacher let her take a walk if she looked frustrated.
Ellie stopped Kate on the steps of the school. "I'm having a sleep over, do you want to come?"
Kate shrugged. "I have to ask first."
Bobby was supportive of the idea and Dean backed him up. "It would do you some good to do some girly stuff." He said.
Kate rolled her eyes but was excited. She hadn't spent the night with someone since Hannah. She got sad when she thought about Hannah. They still talked but she really missed her. Hannah was the only friend she had that knew the truth about her life, aside from Sam and Dean. Ellie didn't know about monsters and Kate was under strict orders to keep it that way.
Dean went with Kate to visit Ellie's house. He wanted to meet her parents first.
"Please don't embarrass me." She said as they got to the door.
He grinned. "Now, why would I do that?"
Ellie's house wasn't as big as Hannah's but she had tons of toys and her bed had a canopy. Kate thought that her room looked like somewhere a princess would sleep.
Dean stayed in the living room and chatted with Ellie's dad. He didn't get any odd vibes from the man and thought that he seemed nice and level headed. He gave Kate time to spend with Ellie and then called her back into the living room.
Kate said bye to Ellie and her dad. "What do you think?"
Dean smiled. "I think that they are nice and you will have fun this weekend."
Kate went to school the next day so excited she could barely contain it. She had brought her duffle with her and Ellie's mom would be picking her up. She was a little worried about having nightmares but pushed the thought aside. After school she turned her phone on and checked for messages. There was just one from Dean that said "Remember the rules." Kate scoffed and sent a message back. She shoved the phone into her pocket and followed Ellie to her mom's car.
Ellie chattered the entire way to her house and then pulled Kate inside. She showed her the tent that she had set up in her room and the string lights.
Kate was amazed by the twinkling lights. They were beautiful.
"My mom is going to let us dye some t shirts. It will be fun."
Kate frowned. She hadn't brought anything that she would be okay getting dirty. "Uh, I don't have extra clothes for that."
"It is okay silly, you can borrow some of mine. My mom got an extra shirt for you." Ellie said.
Kate shrugged and took the set of clothes Ellie handed her. She started to change and cringed. "Do you have anything that isn't shorts?"
Ellie looked at her. "We will be inside, you wont get cold."
Kate chewed on her fingers. She didn't want anyone to see the scars on her leg. She slipped the shirt on but kept her pants on.
Ellie sat down beside her. "Is it because of your leg?"
Kate nodded.
"I have a scar too." She held up her arm and showed Kate a two inch line. "I fell off my bike."
Kate smiled a little. "Mine are pretty bad."
Ellie nudged her. "That is okay."
Kate swallowed but turned her back so she could change. She pulled the edge of the shorts down and was thankful that they covered the top part of the scars. When she turned around her heart sank.
"What did that?!" Ellie shrieked.
Kate panicked.
Ellie's mom opened the door. "Is everything okay?"
Kate sat down and placed a pillow in her lap.
Ellie looked at Kate like she had three heads.
Kate dropped her head and let tears fall.
Ellie's mom sat down beside her. "Katie, honey, what is wrong?"
Kate sniffled. "I hurt my leg last year and the scars are gross. I didn't want her to see but she said it was okay and now she is scared."
Ellie's mom hugged Kate. "Ellie, you are being rude."
Ellie sat down. "I'm sorry. I just thought maybe you had a scar like mine."
Kate shook her head and moved the pillow. She ran her fingers down the scars on her leg and sighed. She would carry those for the rest of her life and she hated them. She wished they would magically go away.
Ellie's mom looked sad. "How did that happen?"
Kate stuck with the story they had told the hospital. "Bear."
Ellie's mom hugged her. "Oh you poor thing. That must have been scary. If you want to keep the shorts on, nobody will care but if you want to cover up, I can find you some old pants."
Kate pulled her knees to her chest. "Pants please."
Ellie apologized and felt bad for reacting the way she had. "Why do you make up stuff at school?"
Kate frowned. "The real story brings back memories and I just don't want everyone to know."
"I think you are really strong and shouldn't be ashamed of them."
Kate looked at her. "Please don't tell anyone."
Ellie sighed. "I wont. I promise."
Kate happily took the pants and changed so that the scars were out of sight. The scars on her ankle weren't as bad but she kept her feet covered too. She ran her fingers along the front of her leg and forced herself to think about something else. She enjoyed spending time with Ellie but she had trouble sleeping that night. She was used to sharing a room with Sam and Dean. If something tried to break into Ellie's house, Sam and Dean wouldn't be there. Kate scooted down in her sleeping bag and decided to take a trip.
She entered her dream state and traveled to the ruins of Hellen's house. She stepped onto the porch and opened the front door. The fire had burned quickly but had left most of the front part of the house standing. Officers had taken a lot of Hellen's belongings but investigators were still looking into the mysteries of the house. She decided to see if anything was left in Hellen's study. The study must have been where she had done the spell because the fire originated there. Kate felt a little guilty for playing a part in her demise but she had saved future people by doing so. She turned to leave the house but something drew her to a picture frame. She took the picture down and felt something rattle inside. She turned it over and saw that it had a false back. She opened it and saw a small, leather bound book. She knew it had to be something important. She touched it with her fingers but blinding pain shot up her arm. She looked at what had grabbed her arm and froze in terror as a charred hand wrapped around her arm.
Kate woke up panting, still feeling the burning in her arm. She crawled out of the tent and made her way to the bathroom. She was horrified to see a burn on her upper arm, just above her elbow. She ran her arm under cold water and bit back the desire to cry out. She pulled her sleeve down and wiped her face. She closed her eyes and forced the pain to spread, hurting less in one spot. She went back to her sleeping back and made herself lay down. How was she going to explain a massive burn?
Ellie's mom was a good cook and had breakfast ready for when they woke up. She noticed that Kate didn't look like she felt well. "Are you okay, Katie?"
Kate gave her a wild look. "Yes ma'am. I just had a nightmare. I'm okay."
Alice, Ellie's mom didn't press any further.
Kate cursed herself. Her arm hurt and she couldn't do anything about it. Her mind drifted back to house and the book. She needed to see what was in that book. Luck would have it that Alice intended to take them to the park before dropping Kate back at Bobby's.
"Katie, come on!" Ellie called from the top of the play equipment.
Kate ran after her but her mind was not set on playing. Hellen's house was so close and it called to her. She played for an hour before telling Alice that she was going to the bathroom. She walked toward the restroom and veered left when Alice turned around. She sprinted to the front of Hellen's house. It was exactly as it had been in her vision. It was Sunday and there were no police cars around. She looked at the pendant with her dad's ashes and squeezed it once before darting up the steps. She went straight to the picture frame and removed the back. Her breath hitched when she saw the book. She felt her arm throb. She left the house and removed the book once she was outside. She threw the frame in a thick row of bushes and ran back to the playground.
They stayed at the park for quite a while and even had a picnic. It was mid afternoon before Alice drove Kate home.
Bobby met her outside. "How was your sleepover?"
Kate smiled. "Really fun." She told Bobby about the t shirts and some of the other activities they had done.
"Sam is upstairs." He said as she walked away.
Kate bit her lip. She needed a first aid kit. She went to the bathroom and locked the door. She hadn't looked at the burn since the night before. She pulled out the first aid kit and sat it on the counter. She dug around until she saw something that said it was for burns. She unwrapped the haphazard dressing she had put on the night before and about passed out when part of the fabric had to be pulled away. She quickly washed her arm and applied the cream. It still hurt. She wrapped gauze around it and forced her arm back into her shirt. She wanted to cry. She knew she needed to tell someone but that would raise too many questions.
Sam smiled at her when she walked into the room. They had turned the spare room into a study room and mostly just had their beds in the other. "What are you up to?" He asked.
Kate blinked a few times. "I uh just got home."
"I'm glad you're back. I can help with your homework if you need me to." He said from his desk.
Kate smiled. "Let me look at it and I'll come in here if I have questions."
He waved over his shoulder and went back to what he was doing.
Kate shut the bedroom door and pulled the book from her pocket. She flipped through the pages. It was full of symbols and looked similar to the book she had gotten for Sam. She had to figure out a way to show it to him without him knowing where she got it. She nearly shot through the ceiling when she heard footsteps on the stairs.
Dean walked in and sat a duffle full of stuff down on the bed. "You are back. How was the sleep over?"
Kate smiled uneasily. "It was fun."
He raised a brow at her.
"Ellie saw my scars." She said. It wasn't a lie that she was upset that had happened.
Dean frowned. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I told her a bear got me." Kate said dismissively.
Dean eyed her for a moment. "Let me know if you want to talk about it."
Kate laid down on her bed and rested her head. "Just let me know when food is done."
Dean left the room and went back down to help Bobby. He hated that her scars caused her so may issues.
Kate rolled off the bed and looked for a place to stash her book. It was small but screamed spell book. She couldn't risk having it found before she had a chance to explain. She found a spot that she felt confident the book wouldn't be found and laid back down on the bed.
Dean came back up the stairs a little while later and rounded up the younger two. He was in good spirts because he had another date with Lacy.
The conversation around the dinner table was upbeat and full of teasing and laughter.
"Sammy, if you need some help, I'm sure Kate can find you a date." Dean teased.
Sam blushed. "I can handle that by myself, thank you."
Kate rested her elbows on the table. "Does this mean I can get a boyfriend?"
Both Sam and Dean yelled "No." at the same time.
Kate scrunched her face. "Geeze! Just asking."
Dean looked at her. "You can't date until you are 30."
Kate rolled her eyes. "You aren't even 30."
Dean squinted her eyes. "Guys are bad news."
Kate started to say that he was a guy but shrugged instead. "Boys are dumb anyway."
Dean nodded his head. "Exactly."
Bobby shook his head but agreed with the boys.
Dean looked at the time and stood up. "Alright, I have to head out."
Sam rocked back in his chair. "Don't forget protection!"
Bobby smacked his head. "Idjit."
Kate furrowed her brows. Dean always had a weapon on him. She shrugged and finished her food. Her entire arm hurt. She excused herself and went to bed early by saying that she hadn't slept well at Ellie's house.
Sam woke Kate up the next morning. "Hey, get up or you are going to be late."
Kate groaned and rolled out of bed and quickly got dressed. She refocused her pain but it was hard to ignore.
Sam had an appointment with his guidance counselor and was distracted the whole morning. He didn't want to get his hopes up and each meeting made him nervous.
The councilor called him into her office and sat down at her desk. "Good morning." She said with a smile.
Sam smiled back and said good morning. "Did you hear back?"
She winked. "Cut right to the chase. All of your scores are amazing. Your essay was impressive and I have full confidence that you will get into whichever school you are wanting."
Sam sat back and let out a breath of air. He had applied to a few prestigious schools but didn't have that much confidence in himself.
She handed him a stack of papers and sent him on his way. "You should be getting letters in the next few weeks."
Sam thanked her and regathered his wits before going to class. He had told Bobby about the college plans so that he wouldn't be surprised when letters showed up.
Bobby was supportive but also knew that shit was going to hit the fan.
Kate struggled to focus at school but made it through the day without raising alarm.
Ellie noticed that Kate wasn't as bubbly as usual but didn't say anything.
Sam was in a good mood when he picked Kate up and even played music on the way home.
Kate took her bag upstairs and tried to do her homework. She heard Bobby call for Sam and Sam run down the stairs.
"Do you think you could help me with something real quick?" Bobby asked.
Sam followed him outside to the shop.
Kate looked at them through the window. The pain in her arm had spread. She remembered that she had been given some pain medication when she was injured and wondered if any was leftover. She ran downstairs and used a chair to reach the medicine cabinet. She pulled out a box and looked for the bottle with her name on it. She sighed in relief. There were a few left. She put one in her pocket and went back upstairs. She wouldn't take it unless she absolutely needed to. She decided that a bath may help her feel better. She ran water and added some herbs that reduced swelling. She lowered herself into the water and had to bite her other arm to stop the scream. She jerked her arm out of the water and rested her head on her knees. She made a mental note that water did not help. She soaked her lower body for a while before getting out and trudging to her bedroom. She weighed her options and decided to take the pill.
When Sam went back upstairs he was surprised to see that she was already asleep. He wondered if she was getting sick.
Kate woke up the next morning and felt awful. She didn't know burns could hurt so badly. She took another one of the pills before school and managed to get ready and out the door without anyone questioning her. The medication helped the pain but her arm was stiff. She was sleepy during school and the whole day was a blur.
Dean left to help on a nearby hunt and was supposed to be back in a day or two.
Kate took that time to figure out how to deal with her arm. She hated that he could see right through her. She hissed when she took the bandage off. She used the mirror to look at her arm and she whimpered. Her arm was swollen and warm to the touch. She knew the signs but didn't know burns could get infected if you kept them clean. She bandaged her arm again and tried to ignore the pain. Her whole body started to ache and she thought that she was running a temperature. She checked it and sighed heavily when it beeped. When she had been attacked the doctor had given her the pain meds but also antibiotics. She snuck into the medicine cabinet and looked for the other bottle. She couldn't find it but found one with the same kind of medication. She took one of the pills and hoped that it would help. Her phone rang as she was putting the box back. "Hello."
"Hi, Katie. How is it going?" Dean asked.
Kate shivered. "Good I guess. When are you coming back?"
"Miss me already?" He teased. "Tomorrow."
Kate sighed. "Promise?"
Dean laughed. "I will do my best."
They chatted for a while before Dean had to get back to work.
Kate didn't have much of an appetite and picked at dinner. Her skin was itchy and she just wanted to sleep.
"Are you coming down with something?" Bobby asked, feeling of her head.
"I don't know." Kate said. "My head hurts." That wasn't a lie.
He pulled the medicine box out and gave her something to help with the headache.
Kate had procured more of the antibiotics and hid them so she could take more the next day. She also took one of the pills to help with the pain because the over the counter stuff Bobby gave her really didn't do much.
Sam checked on her again before he went to bed. He was growing concerned because she was getting worse.
Kate had a hard time waking up the next morning and didn't want to go to school. She forced herself to get dressed and Sam took her to school. She couldn't stay awake and kept head butting her desk. She hoped that her teacher didn't send home another note.
During lunch Ellie asked what was wrong.
Kate told her nothing.
"But why do you have all the red places?" Ellie asked.
Kate looked at her. "What red places?"
Ellie led her to the bathroom and pointed in the mirror.
Kate gasped. She had red blotches all over her face and neck. "I don't know where they come from."
"You need to tell Mrs. Smith." Ellie said.
Kate shook her head. "No!"
"Why? If you are sick you can go home."
Kate didn't want to draw attention to herself but she was all of two steps into the classroom before Mrs. Smith noticed the rash.
"Kate, you are bright red. I think you need to see the nurse."
Kate cursed silently. "Oh, it is nothing. It will go away."
Mrs. Smith bent down and spoke gently. "You need to be seen. If this is an allergic reaction it can be very dangerous."
Kate reluctantly walked down to the nurses office. She did consider walking out the front door of the school but thought that would backfire.
The nurse looked at the blotches and cringed. "Are you allergic to anything?"
Kate shrugged. "I don't think so."
"Here, drink this water and lay down."
Kate didn't argue. Laying down is exactly what she wanted to do. She drank the bottle of water and fell asleep on the cot that the nurse had.
Dean was already on his way back when he got a phone call from the school. He sighed. A call from the school was never good. "Hello?"
The school nurse introduced herself. "Katelyn doesn't feel well. She is in my office sleeping right now but she has hives. I would like for her to be seen by a doctor. Allergic reactions can be very serious."
"I'm on my way." Dean said and made a beeline for the school.
Kate woke up shivering.
The nurse looked over when she heard a small sound. "Are you okay?"
"I'm cold."
The nurse looked concerned. She felt of Kate's head and then checked her temp. "Sweetie you have a fever."
Kate groaned. "Can I go back to sleep?"
The nurse nodded her head and gave her a blanket.
The next time Kate woke up she heard a familiar voice. She cringed. Why did the nurse call Dean?
Dean walked into the room and gently stroked Kate's face. "Hey short stop. I heard you didn't feel well."
Kate groaned again. "Probably just a cold."
Dean scooped her up and carried her to the car. "What is bugging you?"
Kate didn't respond right away. "I'm just sleepy and want to go to bed."
Dean looked her over. "After we go to the doctor. Those hives look painful."
Kate shrieked. "No!"
Dean swerved slightly. "Whoa there."
Kate burst into tears. "No doctors."
Dean put a hand on her leg. "There is nothing to be scared of."
Kate panicked and tried to open the door.
Dean stopped beside the road and pulled her to him. "Kate. Breathe. You are safe. What is all this about?"
Kate cried into his shirt. "If I go to the doctor too many times they will ask questions."
Dean furrowed his brows. "Kids get sick all the time. They wont think twice about it."
Kate thought she was going to faint. "Bobby's house. Please!"
"If you are having a reaction to something you ate, we need to get you seen as soon as possible."
Kate looked down and her arms and started crying again. "Bobby's house first."
Dean sighed and turned her toward him. "What are you not telling me?"
Kate couldn't catch her breath. The fever was making her mind fuzzy.
Dean barely prevented her from smacking her head on the window as she passed out. He floored it to the hospital and carried her in.
Kate woke up in the ER and quickly tried to roll off the bed and leave.
Dean caught her and sat her back on the bed. "Where are you going?"
Kate was still hysterical. "We have to leave."
Dean put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her back down. "You are burning up, covered in hives and talking out of your head."
A nurse came into the room and checked Kate's vitals. She asked Kate questions about what her symptoms were. She also gave her something to combat the allergic reaction.
Dean noticed Kate not moving her arm. "What is up with your arm?"
Kate tried to slide off the bed. "Nothing."
The nurse gave Kate an odd look. "Is it the hives?"
Kate nodded. "Yeah, it is just hives."
Dean stepped around the bed to where Kate was sitting. "Show me your arm."
Kate shook her head.
Dean knew he was going to need a stiff drink by the end of the night. He took Kate's hand and looked in her eyes. "I want to see your arm."
Kate tried to pull her hand away. "Uh I can show the nurse. You know... privacy and everything."
Dean pinched the bridge of his nose. He turned his back and let the nurse help Kate.
Kate whimpered when the nurse pulled her arm from the sleeve.
Dean fought the urge to turn around.
"Who bandaged this?" The nurse asked.
Kate didn't answer.
Dean turned around and saw the dressing on Kate's arm.
Kate shook her head. "Turn around."
Dean sat down on the bed. "Kate, you are 10. If it bothers you that much I can grab one of my t shirts from the car."
Kate nodded. "Okay."
He ran to the car and brought back one of his band t's.
The nurse helped Kate swap shirts and started to unwrap the dressing.
Dean saw Kate shaking and took her other hand. "What did you do?"
Kate kept her eyes closed.
The nurse finished removing the dressing and made a sound in the back of her throat.
Dean shifted so he could see Kate's arm and felt his stomach drop.
"Kate, how long as your arm been like this?" The nurse asked.
Kate couldn't think straight. She was shaking from the fever as well as the realization of how mad Dean was going to be.
Dean stood up and got a clear view of how big the burn was and how far the infection had spread. "When did this happen?"
Kate shook her head.
Dean cleared his throat. "Katelyn."
"It happened during the sleep over." Kate said without looking at his face.
Dean bit his tongue.
The nurse left and came back with a doctor.
The doctor quickly decided to start IV antibiotics to prevent the infection from going to her bloodstream.
"I'm already on antibiotics." Kate blurted out.
Dean looked at her, bewildered.
The doctor furrowed his brows. "You knew nothing about this?"
Dean shook his head. "No sir. I got a call from her school saying she was sick and had the hives."
The doctor looked at the hives and circled a few of them. "What did you take?"
Kate stumbled over her words. "Amo.. amox.."
"Amoxycillin?" The doctor asked.
Kate nodded. "That."
"You may have an allergy to that. Where did you get them?"
Kate could feel Dean's eyes burning into her skull. She couldn't find her words.
"Did you... did you take them from the medicine cabinet?" Dean asked.
Kate covered her face. "I took them before and didn't have a reaction."
Dean scrubbed his face. "Katelyn, you took all of the ones that were prescribed to you when you needed them."
Kate whined. "It was the same kind."
Dean pulled her chin toward his face so she would look at him. "If you grabbed the ones from the cabinet, you took an adult dose."
The doctor said something to the nurse and had Kate moved to a room. "We are going to give you some fluids and then we will do the IV antibiotics. We will use a different type. We will also do a full blood panel to see how far this infection has spread."
Kate sobbed into her hands. She hadn't meant for things to get so out of hand.
The doctor patted her leg. "Did you take anything else?"
"Wh-why?" Kate stammered.
"Some medications can make you sick if you mix them. We have to know everything you took, even if it was a vitamin." The doctor said.
Kate looked at Dean and her breath hitched.
Dean sighed. "You took the left over pain meds didn't you?"
Kate nodded and hung her head.
The doctor made a few notes and said that he would return.
Kate wanted to shrink.
Dean walked over to the bed and put his hands on the mattress. "Really?"
"This is why I wanted to go to Bobby's." Kate said.
Dean just looked at her. "Is there anything else you want to tell me?"
Kate chewed her fingers.
"Like maybe how you got the burn?"
Kate shook her head.
"Katelyn... I advise you to start talking." Dean said.
Kate shifted on the bed. "Can I wait until we go home?"
Dean raised a brow.
Kate offered him a sheepish grin. "You'll get arrested for child abuse if you kill me while we are here."
Dean blew air out his nose. "Telling me while we are here gives me a chance to calm down."
Kate panicked and grabbed his hand. "I'll tell you later."
Dean sat back and shrugged. "Just tell me when we get out of here."
Kate felt blood drain from her body. She was so incredibly dead and she knew it.