Sam 20

Dean 24

Adam 15

Sam is at Stanford. Dean is getting laid. John is never there. Adam is so very much extremely, sick. And tired. And sad.

It's been 2 and half years since Sam left. The night Sam left was a memory they all wish to forget. But thinking about it now, its kinda cute they really thought they would just cut Sam off their lives just because John said so. John said many things, John said he'd be home for Christmas, John said he'd be back in time for Sam's graduation, for Adam's birthday, for Dean's knee surgery. So John said so, so fucking what?

It was kind of an unspoken pact they had.

Obviously, he wasn't dumb, John knew. Dean and Adam just made sure to never talk about it in front of him.

It was kinda sad too, how come you have a kid, you raise him, you love him, and then at 18 he ends up getting into one of the most prestigious universities of the states, on a full ride scholarship none the less- and the man deletes him from his life, completely.

Dean really tries, and it's crazy to admit but he doesn't think that John mentioned Sam in the last 2 years. At all. He hopes John at least thinks about Sam from time to time, because it seems like someone had taken John's mind and just erased Sam and everything Sam-related. As if he never existed, never born.

2 months is all it took.

Dean was after a hunt with Caleb, he came out of the shower when he got the call.

Sam was drunk, and he called.

More than anything it was a funny call, Sam slurred words and he was giggly and a complete dork and just so much Sam.

Happy Sam. Through incoherent sentences they promised to keep in touch. The visits were the next to come, and the phone calls became something of a regular basis.

For both, Dean and Adam.

John ignored but he knew, they all knew he knew, like anyone would believe that it just so happens that, on Christmas they find a lead on a hunt in the northwest area of California. Yeah, not suspicious at all.

But he let them be, so they would respect him back by not mentioning Sam. And Dean would try not to think about just how fucked up this whole situation is.

But things were different.

First of all, Adam was starting to go to hunts here and there. Nothing serious, nothing too dangerous.

John had him start training the next week after Sam left. It was not the best period of time for the Winchesters. Dean fought to not let Adam into this world, and John said things that made Dean's blood boil with anger such as "Now we're in lost of a solider and we need to fill in the gap"

Like Sam and Adam were here just for John's hunting purposes, and had no human value what so ever.

As if the over exaggerated, overwhelming, over emotionally draining, over everything fight Sam and John had the night before was not enough drama for one week.

Adam was torn between losing Sam, to now being the source of his father and brother fighting.

But John knew how to end this, and what would make Dean give in, he knew what buttons to press.

"Nothing can promise you, you'll always be here to protect him. The kid needs to protect himself, and if you are the one willing to put him in danger then be my guest."

Even John knew it was a dick move, phrasing that in that way, making Dean feeling guilty, but he also knew it would work. And it did.

At 14 Adam had his growth spurt, it's like he went to sleep as a child and then woke up all of a sudden almost as tall as Dean, with a deep voice to match.

Obviously though, as a typical Winchester, even with all the new height and new hormones he had going on, his baby face game still going strong.

Stanford had been intense lately, so there's not a lot of Sam communication this days.

Dean had been dating this girl on/off for the last couple of months, "dating" is a big word for a relationship which is 70% based on hooking up, and 30% on shallow conversations.

He doesn't find her really interesting, but the sex is good, and when they do talk she makes him laugh, and she's half Italian and makes him this amazing lasagna so it's not like he's suffering much.

He tries to meet her on weekends, she lives in Reno, which is just fitting considering the fact Sam is only 4 hours away.

He ignores the hate glances he gets from Adam when leaving, they're staying in a small town in Wyoming for Adam to finish his freshman year. He feels pretty bad for him though. It's not had been the best time for Adam lately, John was being extra annoying with training, and Dean wouldn't blame him for hating the small town they were at, it was depressing in all forms, school was ok, and Adam always would find friends, but it's not like he got to hang out with them with John's strict schedule.

Now that Dean would get to do more and more solo hunts, John felt like Adam should step his game up, join the big boys league.

Frustration. That's the main thing he feels lately. From his dad, from Dean, even from Sam. From school, from the shitty place they'd been staying at, it seems like everything was irritating him, even the freezing February weather going on.

It's Thursday which means beginning of the weekend, Dean took off to visit- Emma? Emily? Ava? yeah he really wasn't sure. Nor he cared.

Adam was just, so excited for the weekend. Not.

Every once in a while John would decide to settle in, obviously not permanent, but for longer than usual.

Usually Adam would be happy, but it just seems like everything was going bad for him. The neighborhood was actually nice, so that was ok. It was decent. Which he couldn't say on most of the places they'd been in throughout the years so that was an improvement. But that's where it ended. School was demanding, and his Dad was demanding, and he even was able to get himself in the middle of an high school drama somehow.

He wakes up it's Friday morning, and oddly enough there's actually daylight outside and it's not 5 AM and he's not awaken by his Dad's militarily-esque calls for a morning training. .

"Had to leave early morning. Be back by Monday. Fridge is full, and I left you extra money inside the envelope. Dad."

Well, that explains a lot.

If not for the cough that evidently got worst over night Adam would've been pleased.

He might as well refer to the situation cynically.

At last, he gets a bit of a break, much needed rest- but then, clearly, something must go wrong. He gets sick.

It's that time of the year everyone's sick, it's not horrible though, it's just a cold, but he'd rather do with out it.

He spends Friday taking naps and drinking tea and watching old re runs of various tv shows. By evening Dean calls, tells him he would not go if he'd known Dad is planing on leaving, Adam rolls his eyes. He's not a kid anymore, he can take care of himself thank you very much.

Hot. It's the very thing he notice. It's really hot. And wet. It takes him awhile to even realize where he is.

Pain. Is the next thing he feels, everywhere. Mainly concentrating in his chest and head, and then radiating to the rest of his body.

When suddenly a shiver of cold attacks his body and he curls in on himself it's when things start making sense, fever.

It goes down the road very quickly from there. By Saturday after noon he's miserable. The cough increased, just as his chest pain. He couldn't make himself eat because everything made him nauseous. There were some pain killers and fever reducing meds in their first aid kit so he used that, but he really didn't feel a difference. Adam's not sure if it's because of the fever, but he believes temperatures dropped to a cold that should not be legal. He was asleep when Dean called and woke up to 17 frantic text messages, demanding his response.

He doubts wether he should tell Dean he's sick, or not.

Between coughs he manages to send Dean that he's ok and was just asleep.

That's when he notice one of the messages was from Sam.

-hey kid

He stares at the phone for a bit, not sure what he should replay back

-heyyy

The text back comes almost immediately

-what's up

He wants to tell him it's all been too much. To tell him he can't sleep, and it's not only because he literally doesn't have time between training to homework. It's also because the nightmares are back.

They come and go every once in a while, making his life miserable.

He dreams about his mother.

As a kid he used to wake up screaming, waking Dean/Sam/John with him. Now though he just wakes up breathless, and no one wakes up with him.

It doesn't mean he hates it less or he gets less scared.

But John Winchester's words are drilled in his mind reminding him that a true Winchester won't complain. So he settles for

-fine

-care to elaborate? dean told me dad is being hard on you lately

-I guess

-whats going on with all of the 1 word answers?

-sorry. call tomorrow. im just tired

-ok

That's not a lie though, he is tired.

It's like his body is attacking him with coughs. He stares at himself in the mirror.

He looks awful. Pale, ghostly pale, a thin layer of sweat on his face, and red fever spots on his cheeks. All he was doing since yesterday was sleeping and somehow he's got the biggest under eye dark circles. His eyes watery and unfocused. He almost lose his balance and holds in to the sink. That's when he notice just how dizzy he is. He swallows down his nausea, but the act only makes his chest pain impossibly worse. He's now sitting on the bathroom floor and his heartbeat is way too fast to be normal.

After what seems like forever he regained some sort of strength back, only enough to make his way back to bed.

He's breathless and tired, and everything seems like a in a haze.

It's the most horrible "sleep" he had, it was not sleep it was wracking body coughs, and strangled desperate breaths and short bouts of hazy fevery sleep.

He doesn't want to ruin Dean's weekend get away, but he's not sure he can handle this, whatever this is by himself.

Sam calls Dean in the morning. He just wants to make sure everything is ok.

So when Dean tells him he's not even home and so is dad he can't help but feel a tinge of worry.

"Sam I don't understand. You texted him and he said he's fine and now you're freaking out because...?"

"I'm not freaking out Dean. It was just, I don't know, it's just a feeling. And now you tell me he's home alone a no one is even around to see if he's ok"

"Sam! Why he wouldn't be ok?"

"Have you talked to him?"

"Yes. Well. No... I called and he didn't answer and he texted back he was ok"

"You see? I'm calling him now"

"Don't call him, Sam. It's Sunday and it's 7 am let him sleep"

Dean is left with mixed emotions after the call with Sam. He looks at Emily sleeping, her ass bare and the morning glow shining on her making her look so divine, and the bed looks just so damn inviting.

Why Sam had to call and fill his mind with unwanted thoughts?

Part of being a Winchester is not being able to trust, always suspicious.

Another part of being a Winchester though is being idiot and reckless.

So Dean doesn't call before he quickly packs up his belongings, kiss Emily goodbye and starts his 14 hour drive back. No, he'll make it 12.

He groans, or some sort of gasping wheezing sound that his mind might consider as groan but obviously his body interpreted as something else.

Theres no other way of explaining it, he just feels like he was drained out of energy completely, to a point he's just a shell of human being but nothing else.

His heartbeat and wheezing breath are competing on who's louder and then the coughs appear and win the competition - and isn't that just great when his head and chest are competing on who can produce more pain?

His head definitely reached a migraine-level pain.

The pressure in his chest is becoming too much too handle, because he can cope with pain, but when being able to breath is becoming more and more challenging he's wishing someone would be around.

He's shaky and dizzy and how this sickness could worsen so much, so quickly?.

On the way to the bathroom he falls.

When he starts crying is the final sign he should call Dean or dad.

Phone in his hand and he's about to call when he receives a text from Sam.

-adam

He's too tired and too breathless and he just wants but actually just needs help.

Sam is too far to be helpful. Dean is too far too, but at least closer.

He dials Dean number, and when at 3rd ring he doesn't answer Adam is thinking about hanging up, but then he finally, picks up.

Dean is 8 hours in driving when he makes a quick stop for food and bathroom.

There's a buzz coming from his pocket.

"Hey. Adam" he smiles. Stupid Sam making crazy assumptions.

It just that then there's silence, and wheezy breathing.

"Adam" more urgent, more filled in with worry.

"Dean" it's more of plea.

Dean is now running back to the Impala.

"Hey come on, talk to me. What's going on" can Adam react already, he's starting the engine and already back in full force on the road.

"I..." Gasp "It's..." Swallow "Can't..." Gasp

"Breath" cough, cough, cough, cough "please come" Adam is surprised on how pathetic he sounds. He planned on sounding somewhat less dramatic, but hearing his brothers voice and talking, which is an act he seemingly, absolutely is not capable of doing, it's too overwhelming.

And Dean feels like he's about to have a heart attack, because his brother was supposed to be just fine and what actual fuck is all of this cant breath shit?

lucky enough he's being controlled by adrenaline.

"What. What's going on? Adam" He needs answers, he needs to understand. Now.

Adam closes his eyes. This is too much. He tried do handle this. He did. But now he can't breath well, and all of this lack of oxygen is probably affecting his mind ability to comprehend and the only thing he can hold on to is the chest-head pain, and the horriblehorriblehorrible painful sensation that is forcing himself so hard on continue breathing.

It's like he knows what he should say but his body really won't let him all this amount of words and pronunciations, so what ends up leaving his mouth is

"Sick... Chest. Hurts"

It's impossible and way way way past the legal limit but somehow Dean manages to raise up the speed limit even more.

"Fuck. Ok. I'm coming, on my way. Uh do you need hospital?"

He hears whimpering and crying and gasping chocking sounds combined all at once he prays to not hear from anybody ever again, obviously let alone- his brother.

"Sorry" Fucking idiot. Yeah he should feel sorry, for not telling Dean earlier. But Dean is not thinking this now, Dean's mind is fixed on how to get there the fastest.

After some silence and regaining his breathing just a bit he's able to say some words without dying in the effort

"No hospital..." coughing. "When are you..." Cough, Dean wince. Just hearing it makes him in pain. "Coming?"

"3 and half hours. I'll be there in 3 and half hours." He's literally pedal flooring. At this point there's not much he can do.

He's literally half an hour away.

The last 3 hours he spends overtaking cars, running red lights, and keeping phone company to Adam.

It was more of a one end conversation while Adam's busy coughing and wheezing and replying in half sentence but he couldn't bring himself to hang up on him.

"Dean" it's a scared call, the fear behind the word makes Dean frightened. He sound so young.

"Yeah?"

"Battery... About... Run out"

Dean tries to keep his composure.

"Ok. Then put it in the charger"

And then the line goes dead.

33 minutes later he's there.