Summary: The boys investigate a small Kansas town where locals are suffering from an unearthly illness. And all it takes is a split-second accident for Dean to suddenly find himself numbered among those infected.
Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural.
Infected
Chapter 1
"Holyrood, Kansas," Dean announced, eyes scanning the screen in front of him.
Sam glanced up from the newspaper he was reading, glad to have an excuse to direct his attention elsewhere. "Hm?" he asked, eyebrows raised.
"Holyrood, Kansas," Dean repeated, glancing at his brother across the room. "Our next stop."
"Yeah?" Sam asked, pushing himself off the bed. "What did you find there?" He made his way over to his brother and peered over his shoulder.
Dean turned the laptop a bit, offering his brother a good look at the site he was browsing.
Sam scanned it for brief moment before snorting. "Crop circles?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. He gave his brother a look that suggested he had to be joking. "You want us to go investigate crop circles?" He asked, emphasizing the last two words.
Dean glanced at his brother, not appreciating the laughter. "What, crop circles aren't featured your list of 'freaky unexplainable shit?'"
"No," Sam explained, "They're not exactly paranormal. People have admitted to creating them, Dean. I've seen like fifty programs about it on the Discovery Channel."
"Yeah," Dean said, looking back to the screen. "I've seen those, too, Einstein. But there's more to these ones." His brother gave him a skeptical look. He went on, "First of all, these aren't your typical fancy-schmancy designs. It's simple—four small circles surrounding a large central one. And no one's taken credit for creating them." He glanced at his brother. "And get this—they appear every year on the same day, in the exact same spot. Have for the last seven years." he paused, reading his brother's expression. "Now, how does that measure up on your list of 'freaky unexplainable shit?'"
Sam pursed his lips, scanning the screen more closely. Yeah, that sounded pretty weird, all right. But still...Was Dean suggesting there might be the possibility of...
"So, you actually think aliens might be behind this?" Sam asked, not being able to resist poking fun.
"Well, I dunno, Sammy," Dean said, not expecting the blunt question. It did sound kind of ridiculous once Sam put it to words... "But there is this local nut that swears it is. Says he's even met the bastards."
"So," Sam replied, "An insane farmer claims aliens have been paying frequent visits to his backyard?" he said, nodding slowly. "Well, that's valid enough for me," he added sarcastically.
Dean snorted in annoyance. "Well, it might not lead to much, but it's weird enough to look into, isn't it?"
"Ah, I don't know," Sam said, giving in. "All I know is that I'm bored as hell with this town," he said, giving a weak gesture towards the window.
Dean nodded. "Same." He leaned back and stretched. "So, we'll leave first thing in the morning, then."
Sam gave a slight nod, "Good old Kansas," he said, "...Home sweet home."
Both brothers paused at the mention of "home," each wondering if the other was going to ask if they should make a visit there. However, neither bothered because they both knew there was no way in hell the other would want to go back there without reason. So, they endured the awkward silence for a brief moment before Dean stood up and made his way to the bathroom.
Sam yawned and went back to his own bed. Home... He found it kind of ironic that he still considered Lawrence, Kansas his hometown even though he had only spent a very brief period of his life there and was far too young to remember it. Not that he minded not remembering, though. In fact, he considered it a blessing. The things he had heard about that night...The things Dean had told him...Dean remembered it all. He may have only been four, but Sam could tell he remembered it all. Sam wondered how much those memories really affected his brother. Were they enough to keep him doing this all his life? Hunting things, seeking vengeance, sacrificing a normal life, normal friends, and...a home? Sam had never thought about his brother like this before. What did Dean have in life? What were his dreams? What kept him doing this all these years? He couldn't help it, but suddenly he felt for his brother. Felt for him like he never had before. He couldn't explain why...Just something about Dean's selflessness hit him hard at that moment. He looked up as the bathroom door opened.
Dean pulled his shirt off and dropped it in the middle of the room as he made his way to his bed. He pulled the covers down and was just about to climb in when he noticed his brother looking at him—looking at him with something that looked close to...admiration? Dean didn't get it. He raised his eyebrows. "What?"
Sam gave a slight grin and looked away. "Nothing. Just thinking."
Dean let one eyebrow fall, keeping the other raised in a look of confusion. "Okay, Weirdo," he said, climbing in bed. He was used to the random tangents Sam always seemed to be off on.
Sam gave a slight snort. Typical Dean response. He folded his hands behind his head and stared up at the ceiling, returning again to his mental analysis of "home." Thinking more about it, he suddenly realized that Lawrence, Kansas wasn't his home. Not anymore than this half-a-star motel room was. But yet, he felt at home here. And he realized why. Because Dean was here. His brother. His family. That, he concluded, was what "home" truly was. He probably would never voice it—because he knew Dean wouldn't be able to handle it if he did—and really, it wasn't necessary to put into words—but he loved his brother. He really did. Why he was thinking about all this now, he had no idea. But everyone needed to take a minute every once in a while to appreciate their loved ones.
Because shit happens. Every day. And you never know when it just might happen to the one who matters most.
"What the hell are you doing?" an irate Dean snapped as his younger brother reached for the volume control.
"Sorry, but I can't listen to that crap any longer. It's giving me a headache." Sam leaned his head back against the seat and closed his eyes. They had been on the road for over three hours now and he still hadn't managed to catch any sleep.
Dean shook his head in annoyance. "Dude, don't be falling asleep right now. I'm about to turn the wheel over to you."
"Gimme a few minutes," Sam mumbled tiredly. He wasn't up for driving just yet.
Dean sighed and reverted his eyes back to the highway. This drive sucked. There was nothing to look at but endless miles of corn, nothing to listen to now except for the constant hum of the wheels on the road, and nothing exceptionally compelling to even occupy his thoughts with. And when there was nothing to think about Dean's mind tended to wander—off into the most random places, too.
He found himself thinking about his childhood for some odd reason. Maybe it was the fact that he was once again back in Kansas, his home state. Home state...Was that merely because he was born there? Or was there supposed to be some sort of significant attachment he felt towards the place? Because he sure as hell didn't feel one.
He sighed and glanced over at his brother whose breathing was now light and regular. Dean shook his head slightly. So much for turning the wheel over to him. And though Dean was tired himself, he wasn't about to wake his younger brother up. God knows he never got enough sleep.
Turning his attention once more to the road, Dean pressed down the gas a little more firmly. Holyrood was only a few more boring hours away...
"Sam."
A slight punch on the arm. "Hey, Sam."
Reluctantly, Sam opened his eyes. He glanced at his brother in the opposite seat, his eyes still sleep-filled and rapidly blinking.
"How long did I sleep for?" he asked yawning.
"Don't worry about it," Dean answered, "Look," he said, nodding towards something ahead on the road.
Sam turned his gaze. Flashing lights. Squad cars. "A road block?" he asked, brow furrowed. "What the hell's that about?"
"I dunno," Dean replied, wearing a similar look of confusion. He let off the gas as they got closer. "We'll find out."
"Where are we anyway?" Sam asked.
"A few miles outside of Holyrood," Dean replied.
"You drove the whole way?" Sam asked guiltily. "You could have woken me up."
Dean gave a weak wave of dismissal, bringing the Impala to a stop. He rolled the window down as an officer approached the driver's side.
"What's going on, Officer?" Dean asked, as the middle-aged man bent over to speak to them.
"Road's closed, boys," the officer said, looking between both brothers. "Sorry, but you'll have to turn around. You'll find a detour about thirty miles back."
Dean's brow furrowed. "Something happen?" he asked, scanning the area. He didn't see any sign of an accident or anything out of the ordinary.
The officer didn't reply right away. Instead he seemed to size up the brothers for a moment, taking in everything from the model of the car to the looks of their outfits. These boys didn't look a thing like farm boys, but still, the officer had to ask to make sure.
"I saw you've got Kansas plates. You boys have any connection to Holyrood?"
Sam and Dean glanced at each other, reading each other's thoughts. That was an odd question.
"Um, actually," Dean replied slowly, turning his gaze back to the officer. "We live there, sir."
"You been home in the last couple days?"
"Uh, yes sir," Dean replied, finding this investigation to be very curious. "We just went to visit a cousin yesterday, in, uh, a neighboring town," Dean said, not sure of the actual names of any of the "neighboring towns." He hoped the officer would buy it.
The officer nodded slowly. "So, you've had contact with the town within the last two days?" he asked once more.
Again, Dean glanced at his brother. Something really weird was going on.
"Yes, sir," Dean reaffirmed. "What's going on? Did something happen in town?" he asked, adding a note of concern to his voice. "Is our family okay?"
The officer stepped back. "I don't know the details, boys. You drive on ahead now, though," he said, ending the conversation. He motioned them forward.
Dean knew he wasn't going to get any more information from the officer and rolled the window up. He pressed the gas and turned to look at his brother. They shared a glance that clearly said What the hell was that about?
"You sure that was the smartest thing to do, Dean?" Sam asked after a moment.
"What do you mean?"
"Well...they're not letting people in to the town, so it's safe to assume they're letting anyone out either. And I'm not sure we want to get stuck in a situation we don't know anything about..."
"Yeah, well, maybe it would be a good idea to get some details then, wouldn't it?"
A moment passed then Sam reluctantly asked, "Do you think this has anything to do with...you know, the crop circles?"
Dean gave a slight shrug. "I'd be anything but surprised," he answered honestly.
Sam had to agree with that. There wasn't much that could throw a curve at Dean these days. He turned his eyes back to the road and finally spotted an end to the seemingly endless corn in the distance.
They passed several farms before finally coming to the "heart" of the town. And it really wasn't much. One bar. One gas station. One tiny, run-down looking motel. And several other small, poorly maintained buildings made up main street.
"Well," Dean announced upon sizing up the town, "Welcome to Podunk, USA, Sammy."
Sam took in the surroundings, and had to agree. Everything about this town could be summed up with one word. And Dean had already so eloquently provided it: Podunk. Sam also couldn't help but notice how...depressed the town seemed. Like there was an air of gloom weighing heavily on everything. There was hardly any movement going on. No sign of children anywhere. No couples holding hands, or people walking dogs, or bullet bikes speeding around recklessly.
"Sure does seem exciting, doesn't it?" Sam asked, offering sarcasm though he wasn't really in a joking mood.
"What should we hit first?" Dean asked. "Motel or bar?"
"Bar," Sam replied. "We've got to find out what the hell is going on here."
Dean concurred and pulled over.
More gloom met them inside. As well as what Dean suspected was probably the entire town's male population. Everyone glanced at them as they entered, and while they received a few looks of curiosity, there were no greetings offered. Everyone went back to their silent drinking after the door closed behind them.
A little wary of the un-bar-like silence, the brothers approached the counter, inconspicuously scanning the room for a good candidate for an interrogation. Sam spotted a seemingly good natured-looking fellow sitting by himself a few tables away. He looked as good as any to talk to. He nudged his brother and nodded to the man after Dean picked up a couple of beers. They walked over to him.
"Mind if we join you?" Dean asked upon reaching him.
The man glanced up at them while at the same time weakly gesturing to the empty chairs. He was obviously indifferent to having any company at the moment, but he seemed like a friendly enough guy. In his early forties, cleanly shaven, intelligent eyes.
Sam and Dean sat down.
"I'm Dean, this is my brother Sam," Dean said. The usual introduction.
The man nodded to them. "Jeffrey Davis," he said. "You boys aren't from around here. What are you doing here?"
"Actually," Dean explained, trying to think of what to say. "We're trying to figure that out ourselves."
The man seemed nonplussed as his brow furrowed.
"We want to know if there's anything we can do to help," Sam put in. "But first we have to know what exactly's going on here."
"What do you mean 'what exactly's going on here?'" Jeffrey replied. "The town's being quarantined." he said, as if the boys must be stupid or something.
Sam and Dean's eyebrows raised in unison.
"Quarantined?" Dean repeated.
The man nodded, obviously surprised that this was news to the boys. "The road block's been up since yesterday. I'm surprised you two didn't hear anything. Did you get stuck here passing through or something?"
"We actually just arrived in town today," Dean said, eager to change roles from the interviewee to the interviewer. "Why is the town being quarantined?" he asked hastily.
The man looked between the brothers for a moment, realizing that they indeed were out of the loop, and needed some questions answered. "A virus," he said. "Apparently one that's never before been diagnosed. Officials are keeping everything under wraps while they conduct a full investigation into what's going on here—What's causing it," he paused, swallowing, "and who has it..." he seemed to reflect on that for a moment. "No one's allowed to enter or leave the town," he continued, "So how did you boys get here? And why on earth would you want to come here?"
Dean and Sam shared a glance, each reading the other's thoughts. This was a big deal. Maybe it really wasn't the smartest idea getting involved with this.
Dean let the man's first question of how they got past the roadblock slide by. "We came here because we want to help." he explained.
The man raised his eyebrows. "Yeah? You boys scientists or something?" he asked sarcastically, taking in their clothes as well as glancing at Sam's shaggy hair. Clearly he knew there was no chance these were scientists he was talking to.
"We just want to know if there's anything we can do," Sam explained.
"Why don't you get them to give my daughter back to me? That's what you can do," Jeffrey replied, a touch of vehemence to his voice. He wasn't angry at the boys, but he clearly had some pent up frustration he needed to vent.
"'Them?'" Dean asked.
"The investigators. Or scientists. Or whoever the hell they are. They're running tests on her," he paused, his voice taking on some emotion. "They won't let me see her."
A look of sympathy stole over Sam's face. "I'm sorry," was all he could offer. "She has it then?"
The man gave a slight nod, looking down at his hands.
"How many other people?" Dean asked.
Jeffrey thought for a moment. "Four, that I know of."
"And no one knows for sure what it is? Or how they caught it?"
Jeffrey shook his head.
"That's very odd." Dean stated.
"Odd indeed," Sam said, hoping his brother would pick up on where the conversation needed to head next.
"Speaking of odd," Dean went on. Yep, he picked up on it, Sam thought. Not a bad transition, either. "Anything else strange or out of the ordinary happen lately?"
Jeffrey looked up at him, "You mean besides an unknown virus hitting the town out of nowhere, and us being quarantined by the damn feds?" he asked.
Dean gave a slightly apologetic look. "It's just that I read about these," he paused for a moment, "crop circles that appeared here in one of the local corn fields recently. You wouldn't happen to have heard anything about those, would you?"
Jeffrey snorted humorlessly. "You heard about Old Bill's crop circles, huh?"
"Yeah," Dean replied, eager to hear the story behind them.
"There's nothing out of the ordinary about those," Jeffrey explained. "The old coot makes 'em every year."
"Bill?" Sam asked. "Bill makes them?"
"Of course he claims he doesn't. Claims it's aliens. In fact he's got some whole cock-and-bull alien story to go with it. He just makes the circles to add some 'validity' to his claims, you know?" he paused for a moment. "You boys should understand though, that pretty much every small farming town has a Bill McPhee to deal with. The lonely farmer that's got a few screws loose, you know?"
Dean nodded slowly. "What exactly does he claim about these aliens of his?" he asked.
The man gave him an unsure look. Like he thought it was pretty ridiculous that Dean even wanted to know.
"Just out of curiosity," Dean explained.
"Well, let's see," Jeffrey began, sorting his thoughts. "I've heard the story at least fifty times, I'm sure. Bill claims the first time the aliens visited was seven years ago. And he claims one of their numbers died or something on the long journey here to earth," the man snorted. Such a ridiculous story. "So they left the poor dead bastard behind and come back to visit his 'grave' every year." He smirked again. "Bill says he has solid proof. Absolute solid proof that we'd all give up our life's savings to see. But he's yet to offer any. And I sure as hell wouldn't pay that crazy bastard a penny to see anything he claims as 'proof.'" He finished the story and took a swig of beer.
Dean looked over at his younger brother. Well, that was something, wasn't it? But he didn't see how this could be connected to a mysterious sickness that had broken out in the town. Other than the timing, of course, which couldn't be discounted.
"Listen, Jeffrey," Sam said, picking up the conversation where it left off. "There's some weird stuff going down here all right, and me and my brother intend to get to the bottom of it." he explained.
The man gave them a half amused, half appreciative look.
Sam went on. "We deal with unexplainable stuff like this all the time, and believe it or not, there's usually a way to solve it. We want to help you and your daughter and your town."
The amusement disappeared from the man's face.
"Is there anything we can do for you? Anything at all?"
Jeffrey realized they were serious. And they were offering to help him. He would be an idiot to pass up this offer. "You're serious?" he asked. "You'd be willing to help Sarah?"
Sam nodded, realizing Sarah was obviously his daughter.
Jeffrey suddenly leaned in closer to the brothers, and his voice dropped, taking on a more serious tone. "Listen, I really could use your guys' help," he said. "If you could do a huge favor for me I would appreciate it more than you know."
Both brothers had leaned in to listen to him, and they nodded in unison.
"Look, I happen to know a thing or two about viruses, genetics, biology, and the like," he explained. "I used to work as a biochemical engineer in Virginia before moving out here and resorting to my farming roots."
The brothers were caught a bit by surprise.
"I teach a few lab classes at the high school now," Jeffrey went on, trying to get to the point. "And I would do this myself, only the school's been closed and locked up, and they're not allowing anyone out of their houses past seven."
The brother's nodded again, wondering where he was going with this.
"Anyways," Jeffrey went on, "What I would really like is to get a hold of a blood sample," he said. "Of anything that's infected." he noticed the brothers' confused expressions at this and explained, "Animals have been affected by the virus, too," he paused, "What I'm wondering is if you guys would be willing to, sort of 'break in' to the school and maybe use some of the equipment in the lab to do this for me?" he paused again, "I just have to learn whatever I can about this virus. I don't trust leaving this up to the Whitecoats to solve. Not when my daughter's life could be on the line," his voice seemed to catch in his throat for a brief moment again.
Dean nodded his understanding. That sounded like an easy enough task. Not exactly in their line of duty, but since they didn't have any other leads to work at the moment, there wouldn't be any harm in helping the guy out.
"Yeah, we could do that," Sam said.
The relief and appreciation was clear in the man's eyes. "I appreciate it more than you guys know," he said, repeating his earlier words. "I'm pretty sure my cat's been infected. You can use her." He began to stand.
"Hey, Jeff," Dean said, rising also. "Do they have any idea how it's spreading?"
Jeffrey suddenly realized this hadn't occurred to him. These young men could very well be putting their lives at risk by even being here. "Oh..." he said slowly. "I forgot you boys are at just as much risk as the rest of us..."
Dean gave a short laugh,"Hell, Sam here has an immune system that's better at screening viruses than a firewall. And I haven't been sick since I was about five, so we should be okay."
Sam knew that was a load of crap. They both got sick just as often as the next person, but he understood why Dean said it. He didn't want Jeffrey to start feeling guilty. Sam also had to admit though, that he wasn't too worried about that fact that there was a virus running loose in the town either. Those types of things only happen to people you don't know. They never actually affect you personally. That's just the way the world works.
If only he realized how naive that attitude was...
Chapter 2 coming soon.