Sorry I haven't been writing or anything, I've been busy, y'know, dying, and stuff. Let's just say that hospitals are very boring, especially when you have to run away from strange ladies who kidnap you and make you do things. Oh, and the police are actually really nice, the policemen Sam and not-Sam, but his name wasn't Dean, my mum asked. ANYWAY, so I'm back now to write about some stuff to take my mind off things. Today I wrote down some notes to first write another chapter of this, and then a Sherlock story - which you will be seeing some of, because I've been watching the new series and wow let my just tell you about Johnlock ugh. Well no, I won't, because I need to get on with this story before Ice Age ends. It's not that long, but I tried, okay, so, enjoy and please review if you have the time~
So, this chapter is about their first outing with Hannah, the plot of which I wrote (during my Biology lesson today) as follows:
The Winchesters take a cautious trip to the store with Sam's new Service Dog Hannah. It goes thankfully smoothly, but at the end, Dean hears of a possible hunt from the cashier and Sam silently freaks out and is in danger of a seizure (Hannah alerting). Hannah 'tells' Dean and they sit in the cafe until he calms down (Dean calms him down with Hannah's help). Crisis averted, they head back and Bobby is relieved they get back okay
"So you're sure you want to take him out?" Bobby questioned Dean critically for the eleventh time as they stood in the kitchen, waiting for Sam to put Hannah's harness and vest on. He had insisted he could do it himself after a week of being shown.
It had been almost a month since he had been introduced to his Guide dog for Mobility Assistance, Seizure alert and Psychiatric Therapy. A couple of weeks later, he and Hannah had had their review, when Kaona came back to assess their partnership. She observed them working together, and declared with a smile that they were perfect for each other.
Since then, Dean had been eager but scared at the same time to take Sam out. He hadn't been out for almost 6 months now; not out of the junk yard of a garden, anyway, and that was only recently. But Dean knew that the sooner, the better. They just had to take it slow.
That was why he had decided on the idea of just going to their closest store for some stuff that they needed; with all the taking care of Sam, Dean hadn't got out much either. This way, they could both go out, get some air, and get food and things at the same time. Service Dogs were of course allowed in all stores, so obviously Hannah was coming.
Dean sighed at the elder man and moved towards the doorway, looking up the stairs. "Sam, you ready?" he called to his brother. Sam still didn't speak much, but he replied - as the Winchesters did - to his name, as Bobby put it; 'so he knew they weren't dead, injured or sick'.
A few minutes later, just when Dean was getting a little worried, because Sam being alone was never a good idea, Sam appeared with Hannah in her gear at the top of the stairs. He slowly descended them with her, and gave Dean a wry half-smile once he got to the bottom, which the older brother returned in relief.
As predicted, Sam's sight had all but gone now, though his hunter senses were still sharp, so sometimes they could even forget that he couldn't see. His hearing was almost better than Dean and Bobby's now he had to rely on it more.
Dean glanced back at Bobby, in the kitchen, and decided from the look on his face that they should get going before he locked them in. "Okay, okay, we're going," he muttered hastily, heading to the door with Hannah guiding Sam after him. "See ya later, Bobby!" Dean called, and grinning as he heard the hunter grumble something in response.
Sam held on tight to Hannah's guiding handle as she dutifully followed Dean to the Impala. He had, for obvious reasons, only slightly grudgingly removed the 'no dogs in the car' rule, due to Hannah now living with them. Of course, he would do anything for Sam.
They all got in the car; Sam in the passenger seat, Dean in the drivers', and Hannah in the back. She had already been introduced to the car, and loved it already. She yawned and stretched out on the seats, and Sam smiled to himself as he heard her whine in pleasure of the restful drive. Dean narrowed his eyes at her in the mirror and she cheekily stuck her tongue out and started panting. "You scratch my baby's seats, you're toast," Dean warned her good naturally, rewarded with a quiet chuckle from his brother. He rolled his eyes with a smile and started the engine.
They drove to the closest store, about 5 minutes away in car, with AC/DC playing at a quiet enough level for Sam to enjoy it without suffering sensory overload, which happened sometimes when there was too much to process. It could trigger his seizures, too, Dean had discovered, and so always ensured his brother was okay with any entertainment playing.
When they got there, Dean glanced at Sam, and sensing his brother's gaze, Sam looked back at him with a small smile. "It'll be fine, Dean; I've got Hannah," he said quietly. Dean nodded with a sigh, and even though he could barely see, he knew that Sam knew his gesture. He smiled again and turned to get out the car, then feel for the back door handle to let Hannah out.
Dean got out too, and headed around the car to watch Sam carefully take Hannah's lead from her mouth, because she picked it up for him, as she was trained to do, to stop him having to grope for it or loose his balance. Then he felt for her guiding harness and picked up the handle tightly, turning to Dean somehow, even though he really couldn't have known where his brother was standing.
Dean smiled a little for once. They still had their inseparable bond, knowing things about the other without having to see or be told. It was what made them so close, and they still were, of course. As long as Sam wasn't giving up, Dean wasn't either.
"Come on then, you two," Dean called fondly, turning around and heading towards the store. Now the task was in front of him, he felt a little daunted by it. How would Sam cope with the whole trip? He glanced behind him as he walked, and Hannah's steady eyes grazed his, and he nodded. Of course Sam would be fine, with Hannah by his side.
They arrived at the store's automatic doors, and Dean waited for Hannah to guide Sam through them before following them and taking the lead again. Hannah was very intelligent, but she didn't know what they needed!
He grabbed a basket and looked around. Behind him, while stationary and waiting for Dean, Sam took hold of Hannah's mobility harness handle instead, to keep him upright. Her leash remained in his other hand, held tightly to remind him that he was okay.
Well, he was trying to be. But he could hear loads of people around, talking and things, while all he could see was blurred shapes moving too fast to focus on. Apart from one; Dean, in front of him, wondering which aisle to go down. Sam smiled slightly. His brother wasn't the best at shopping.
"Hey, Dean," he started, and the hunter turned around immediately, replying "what?" so Sam knew he was listening, as he couldn't see.
Sam quirked a smile and pointed straight ahead, at what he guessed was the first aisle. "Why don't we just start at the start?" he suggested logically. Dean glanced at the first aisle and wrinkled his nose. The hanging sign informed him that the shelves of it contained 'pasta and tins' which was, admittedly, a good place to start. He sighed.
"Alright then. Come on, I don't like this place any more than you do," he said, glancing back to see Sam smile slightly again in recognition of his words. He automatically dropped his hand from Hannah's mobility harness, and felt along her back for the guide harness handle. Locating it, he held it tight and told her, "forward; follow."
Hannah obeyed perfectly, as she was trained to, moving smoothly forward and following Dean in front of her. He stopped to look at some pasta on the shelf, and she stopped simultaneously, Sam following her example.
"What kind of pasta do we need?" Dean asked Sam offhandedly. Sam smirked and shrugged.
"I don't think it matters, Dean," he replied, pretending to be exasperated, as per his little brother job. Dean glanced at him and couldn't help smiling though; his little brother thoughtfully stroked the top of Hannah's head, and she licked his hand as he dropped it, managing to look at Dean expectantly even though he couldn't really know where he was standing.
Dean rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay, I'm going," he muttered, hiding his smile as he picked a bag of pasta and moved off, Hannah waiting until Sam had taken hold of either her guide or mobility harness handle before promptly following the elder Winchester.
The rest of the shopping trip passed in mostly the same fashion; Dean let Hannah choose a toy for herself, which Sam let her proudly carry around the rest of the store, until they arrived, relatively unscathed, at the checkouts.
Sam asked Hannah to lie down as they waited in line, which she obeyed for a moment, before eyeing her handler and promptly standing up, putting her mobility harness handle underneath his hand. Sam looked slightly surprised, but relieved, as he had been losing his balance slightly. Dean observed this and noted intelligently to his brother, "intelligent disobedience."
Sam gave him a disbelieving look until Dean relented and revealed that he only knew that because Kaona had told him. Sam smirked and Hannah licked his hand as he stroked her.
They got to the checkout finally, and the woman began scanning their items, cheerily chatting as Dean rolled his eyes and Sam chuckled quietly as he stroked Hannah and used her for balance.
"Shame about that, though. Poor boy. I knew 'im; used to go to my college," the woman sighed dramatically, slowing in her scanning. Dean frowned.
"Who?" He inquired innocently as he packed the shopping.
She glanced at him, apparently interested that he was actually listening. "Ryan troublemaker," she replied, as though that explained everything. At Dean's blank look, she explained more; "that's not 'is real name, of course, just what everyone calls him. And damn, he was a troublemaker an' all. He got lost up in the forest close to this town last week. Police 'ave been looking for him but he hasn't been found yet, poor kid." She shook her head in sympathy and finished her job, pressing buttons on the computer.
Dean finished packing thoughtfully, not really focusing as he used his fake card to pay for the items. Suddenly, he felt something wet nudge his hand, and he looked down to see Hannah frantically alerting him, Sam, and pretty much anyone around. Dean sharply took in Sam's posture; he was shaking, trembling all over, and looked terrified as well as slightly blank.
Quickly realising what it was, Dean hurriedly thanked the cashier, grabbed the shopping bags, and took hold of Sam's arm and walked them immediately over the few steps to the store's cafe. He pushed Sam down in one of the chairs and sat in the other, close, dumping the bags underneath the table. Hannah whined as she pawed Sam's arm and nudged it with her cool, wet, nose.
"Sam. Sammy! Hey, talk to me, buddy," Dean tried desperately; sometimes, if he could get Sam to respond, he could distract him from whatever was making him distressed and perhaps a trigger for a seizure.
For a moment, Sam didn't respond, still shaking like he was freezing, and playing with his hands like he needed something to do. Then, he clumsily reached out a hand and Hannah nudged it, and he rested it on top of her head as she sat by his side, as close to his chair as possible.
"Sam?" Dean asked again anxiously. Sam took a deep breath and nodded. Whether that meant he was okay, or he was feeling a bit better, it was an improvement, and Dean would take it. He let out a breath in relief and straightened Hannah's vest for something to.
Suddenly, Sam grabbed his wrist. Startled, Dean looked up at him; "what?" he asked urgently.
"Okay. I really am, okay, okay Dean? I just... needed a moment." He paused as Dean sat stunned, then released his wrist. "Thanks," Sam added slightly awkwardly, other hand still methodically stroking Hannah, who was relaxed now her master was, eyes half closed.
They just sat like that for half an hour, just calming down, and Dean wouldn't have had it any other way for the world.
However, the result was that when they finally arrived back to Bobby's, over two or three hours later, the elder hunter was more worried than he would ever admit to anyone, which of course he channeled into anger and frustration.
"And how long do you call this for just a shopping trip?" he demanded as two Winchesters and a Hannah came into the front door. Dean shrugged as he pulled off his jacket and continued walking through the hallway, tossing the leather on the sofa and sitting down, mimicked by Sam, who also removed Hannah's vest and harness so she could yawn and stretch out at his feet, pleased with her handler and their work.
Seething in worry and anger, Bobby glared at the boys until Dean put his hands up in surrender. "Sorry, sorry," he apologised with a hidden eyeroll. "We were kinda busy tryna get everything, he added, nodding to the bags he had put down at his feet.
Bobby sighed deeply and picked a bag up, heading to the kitchen with it to unpack, and muttered about goddamn Winchesters that make him worry like hell. As he wearily unpacked the shopping - luckily the two had managed to get pretty much what they needed - he paused to listen to Sam and Dean talking quietly in the other room.
"She was hot," Dean insisted. Bobby rolled his eyes. Hell knows what girl the kid was after now.
Sam smirked. "No she was not," he sighed in reply, being, as always, the little brother, as he stroked Hannah's fur absent mindedly for comfort.
Dean noticed though, and smiled to himself. Of course this was the right thing to do. He told Sam to "hold that thought, little brother," and winked at him. Sam chuckled and shook his head, sitting there stroking his Service Dog thoughtfully, but happily. Hopefully.
Dean walked into the kitchen, to find Bobby leaning against the table watching him expectantly. "Well?" he asked quietly.
The elder Winchester smiled. "This?" He glanced at the other room, where his little brother was finally alert, talking, and just acting alive. Dean looked back at Bobby with a rare, full, smile. "This is priceless," he replied, and Bobby simply nodded, knowing exactly, for once, what he meant.
