Disclaimer: I still don't own Supernatural or its characters and am not making any money on this…I'm still just having fun!

Dean's Song

Chapter 24– Dinner

A few hours later, Dean felt a hand on his shoulder, gently shaking him. His eyes opened immediately and he felt for his trusty knife, only to touch Sam's leg. "Come on Sugar…you've been sleeping like that for a while now…you need to help me give Sam another dose of the antidote and then get some food into your stomach."

"Oh man Missouri" Dean groaned as he felt the bruises on his body complain from the position he had fallen asleep in. He glanced at Sam, glad to see that the lines of pain were no longer on his brother's face. He was still concerned about the fever that still seemed to be raging in his brother's body.

"Come on Sammy, wake up…it's time to take your medicine." Dean gently tapped Sam on the cheek. He smiled as he saw his brother's eyes crack open. "Hey there…how are you feeling bro'?"

"M'kay…tired." Sam said as he started to fall back to sleep, opening his eyes was too much work.

"No way Sammy…you can't go back to sleep yet…we need to get some of this medicine into you first."

Missouri handed the vial to Dean along with a cup of some type of herbal tea. Dean looked at Missouri. "Don't worry Dean…the tea will help with the fever and the pain. Try to get him to drink as much of it as you can. I'll expect to see you in the kitchen in about 15 minutes…and don't even think of not coming…your brother will be asleep again before you know it." Missouri stood and left the room.

"Ok Sammy…you heard Missouri…we need to get some of this into you…that's it, slow and easy little brother." Dean helped Sam drink the liquid from the vial first. Dean placed the cup to Sam's lips and laughed at the face that Sam made when he smelled the liquid.

"I know Sam…but Missouri will kill me if you don't drink this down…now be a good boy and open up!" Dean held the cup once more to Sam's lips and smiled as his brother began to drink. Sam managed to get most of the liquid down, but finally turned his head, refusing to take any more. Dean was concerned that his normally talkative brother had not said anything so far.

"So Sammy…I understand that Missouri has dinner ready for us…do you want me to go grab some for you?" Sam just shook his head and closed his eyes again…too tired to move, much less eat.

"Alright, just go ahead and get some sleep…I'll check back with you later." Dean sighed as he headed for the kitchen. He absently rubbed his shoulder where the bullet wound was beginning to hurt. He would need to look at it later to make sure it wasn't getting infected.

Sam heard his brother leave the room. He was glad that Dean hadn't pressed him for more answers, because to be honest, Sam didn't know what he felt right now except an overwhelming tiredness. His body hurt and the fever was obviously contributing, but he felt so empty, almost like something important was missing. He was tired of trying to figure his life out…tired of always being out of control…tired of being the weak one in the family…his brother's burden.

Sam shivered as the temperature in the room seemed to be dropping. He opened his eyes and peered around the room, looking for the source…he could sense something was there, watching him. As the air got cooler, Sam tried to sit up in the bed, but found that his body would not respond…his last fight with the Siren had taken all that he had and then some. "Dean!" Sam cried, but his voice was a mere whisper.

Sam watched as a mist gathered in the corner of the room, ebbing and flowingit finally began to take shape. "Ah Shit…not again!" Sam thought as he watched the spirit take on the form of a man, obviously from an earlier period in history. The spirit approached Sam and paused, a look of sorrow on its face. "Help me…release me…please!"

"How…how can I release you?" Sam asked quietly, realizing that this spirit was not there to threaten him. "Tell me what to do."

"You must release me…I have been held here so long now…I thought I was free, but you called me back…please I beg of you…release me." Sam watched as the sorrow on the spirit's face was replaced with anger.

"I don't know what you want from me…please just leave me alone…I can't…argh!" Sam's body arched with pain as he felt the Spirit merge with him. "NO…not again!" Sam's eyes filled with tears as he felt the presence in his mind of the spirit.

Meanwhile, Dean finally made it to the kitchen and sat down at the table. "Smells good Missouri…look, I didn't get a chance to earlier, but I wanted to thank both of you for helping with Sam…I don't know what I would have done." Dean looked down at the table, never comfortable with this kind of chick flick moment. Matthew just nodded and took a seat opposite Dean. "No problem son, glad to help."

"Well it's about time…I was just getting ready to come drag you out here…how is your brother doing?" Missouri placed a plate of food in front of Dean as he sat at the table.

"I'm not sure…I mean, he's there…but he's not…I don't know if I can help him this time…I just…I don't know what to do." Dean hated to admit it, but he really had no idea how to help his brother this time…how could he fix something he didn't understand.

"Dean honey, Sam will be fine…it will just take time and patience. Right now he is battling too many things at once…he doesn't feel good, that Siren took a lot out of him. Once his body's feeling better, he'll come around." Missouri walked over and placed a cup of herbal tea in front of Dean.

"How do you know that Missouri…I've never seem him like this…he won't even talk to me…I mean Sam not talking can only mean trouble…he's working himself up again I can feel it." Dean pushed the food around on his plate, his appetite deserting him.

"Dean Winchester…don't you go giving up...you said it yourself, your brother is strong. Just like you…but neither one of you is indestructible." Missouri held up her hand as Dean started to protest. "Both of you need some time to recover...you two are so busy trying to take care of each other, you neglect yourselves. That is going to stop right now boy. You will eat everything on that plate and drink the herbal tea…every drop. You can't take care of Sam if you are falling on your face."

Missouri watched as Dean winced. "Matthew, can you bring the first aid kit over here…after Dean is finished eating, we need to check his shoulder and re-tape his ribs…and don't tell me you're fine boy or I'll slap you upside the head!"

Matthew laid a sympathetic hand on Dean's shoulder as he rose to follow the black woman's request. He knew that once Missouri got up a head of steam…it was best to get out of her way. "Better do what she says son…you'll only make her mad and I for one don't want to be around for that!"

A short time later, Matthew had finished re-taping Dean's ribs while Missouri had cleaned and bandaged Dean's shoulder. Suddenly, both Matthew and Missouri stopped and looked towards Sam's room. "What is it?" Dean asked. Once again Dean was feeling like he was being left out of some club…damn he wished people around him would stop with the staring into space thing…it was creepy.

Matthew looked at Missouri; he quickly grabbed his bag and headed towards Sam's room. "Come on Dean…we need to check on Sam now!" The old hunter said as he handed Dean a gun from his bag. "Just in case." Matthew said at Dean's concerned look.

Missouri followed closely behind as the two men entered Sam's room. All of them felt the cold air in the room and could smell the strong odor of ozone which normally indicated that a spirit had been present. Everyone's eyes looked towards Sam who lay moaning on the bed, oblivious to what was happening around him.

Missouri cautiously walked up to Sam and placed her hand on his head. She jerked back with a start as if she had been burned. "Dean…Matthew, we need to get Sam out of here now…we need to get him someplace safe before it's too late!"

TBC

Raven524: Sorry about the lag, but life intruded. Next chapter should be up later tonight…let me know what you think!