Thin Line
Chapter 11
Summary: John is walking a thin line. His obsession with hunting will jeopardize one son physically and both sons emotionally. Limp Sam to come.
Warning: Touchy subject!
Note: Thank you for reading! I really appreciate all your reviews and PMs, you are awesome!! I think I replied to all of them, but if I missed someone, I'm sorry and thanks!
Enjoy...
Sam woke the next morning to find the bright sun creeping in through the curtains. He knew Dean had let him sleep in, he looked at the clock, and it was 10:00AM.
Get up! You need to exercise...you hardly did anything yesterday.
Sam got out of bed and was about to start doing some sit-ups when his bedroom door opened.
"Ever heard of knocking?" Sam snapped seeing Dean standing in the doorway.
"Sor-ry. I just came to check on you, I thought that you were still sleeping. Jeez, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning."
I bet he'd be pissed off too if he had to look in the mirror and see you staring back at him.
"Sorry." Sam muttered.
Dean nodded. "How do you feel?"
"Better, thanks."
"I still think you should take it easy today."
"I have stuff to do today." Sam protested.
"Oh yeah? Like what?"
""Like...well...I need to go for a run—Dad said I should."
"What! You are not going for a run today! You collapsed yesterday Sam."
"But..."
"No way." Dean said firmly closing the discussion. "Come get some food." Sam sighed, but followed Dean to the kitchen. "What do you want to eat? I know your stomach was bothering you yesterday."
"I'll just have some fruit." Sam replied.
"Ew, Sammy, fruit?"
"Yeah."
The boys sat at the table Dean devoured cold pizza and Sam nibbled on an apple. Dean noticed Sam holding his left arm close to his chest. "Is your arm okay?"
"It's fine." Sam replied absently. Now that he thought about it, his arm did kind of hurt, but there were more pressing issues to attend to—like how to get Dean to let him work out.
"For some reason I don't believe you." Dean looked unconvinced.
"Why not?"
"Just cuz, now let me look at it." Dean reached for Sam's arm, but Sam pulled away.
"No. It's fine."
"Fine, can you do this?" Dean was bending and extending his own arm at the elbow.
"Sure." Sam replied confidently. He could bend his arm fine, but when extending he didn't move it very far before he yelped and pulled it back towards chest.
"It's fine, huh?" Dean asked ignoring Sam glare. "Let me see." He looked at Sam's elbow, it was more swollen then it had been the day before and an ugly blackish bruise had formed.
Dean first felt around Sam's uninjured elbow then probed his injured elbow, trying to make a comparison. "It feels like something's out of place. I think we have to take a trip to the clinic."
"Aw, Dean can't you just do it?" Sam begged.
"You know I can't Sammy, what if you need a cast or something? And I don't know anything about elbows."
Sam let out a high-pitched whining noise. "I don't wanna go."
The young doctor examines the x-ray. "Partial dislocation." He announced. "It should be an easy fix, I'll reduce it and then Sam's arm will need to be immobilized in a sling for a week or so."
The doctor administered some painkillers and set about reducing the dislocation. Afterwards he wrapped Sam's elbow in an Ace bandage and settled Sam's arm in a sling.
"See Sammy, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Dean said as they got into the car to drive home.
"Guess not." Sam muttered softly.
"At least you didn't need a cast or anything." Dean said trying to cheer Sam up.
"Eh." Sam grunted moodily.
"You should thankful that I didn't ask the doctor to give you a full checkup." Dean growled. He was getting sick of Sam's attitude. "I didn't even mention that you passed out yesterday, but if I had we probably would have been there a lot longer. If you don't stop PMSing I swear I'll take you right back to the doctor."
"Sorry Dean, I guess I'm just tired. Thanks for not saying anything."
"You're welcome." Dean replied. Sam's apology seemed to restore his good humor. "I wonder what Dad'll say when he sees you."
"We don't have to tell him do we?" Sam asked.
He'll probably laugh when he hears that you passed out in front of your whole class.
"I think he'll notice the sling Kiddo."
"I'll just take it off, I was doing just fine without it."
"The doc said a week."
"Yeah, but—"
"No and don't think I forgot about what I said earlier, when we get home I want you to lie down again and have something to eat."
"Sam come on!" Dean called banging on Sam's bedroom door. "It's Saturday night, we're going out to eat."
"Why?" Sam asked opening his door.
"Cuz, I feel like we never hang out anymore...please Sammy don't make me spend Saturday night at home." Dean begged sticking out his bottom lip in a pout.
"Why don't you take Betty?"
"I was about to ask her when you had to go and faint in the middle of class—like a girl— so I never got the chance. Now I'm stuck with you...some date you are."
"Can't we just stay home? I'll help you train or something, Dad would like that."
"First of all, Dad said we should socialize so I am not spending a perfectly good Saturday night training and how do you expect to help me with one arm?" Dean asked sternly. Sam shrugged. "That's what I thought, so we are going out and you are going to have fun whether you like it or not."
Sam sighed dramatically. "Fine."
Dean's stern look immediately turned to a grin. "Come on hurry up!"
You're not going out in that, are you?
"Uh, hold in, I have to change real quick."
"What's wrong with what you're already wearing?"
"I look gross."
"You are such a girl."
"Shut up!" Sam said he shut his door again and started digging through his closet.
That's too small. If you wear that Dean won't be able to keep his food down.
After rejecting nearly every piece off clothing that he had, he found a large black long-sleeved shirt that he had no recollection of ever owning and set about putting it on. It was quite a challenge, as his injured elbow had stiffened up considerably and now he could barely move it.
Dean knocked on the door, this time more softly. "Do you need help getting dressed Kiddo?" He asked seriously, without even a hint of teasing in his voice.
Oh God no! You cannot let him see you with your shirt off!
Dean had stated to open the door, but Sam grabbed the doorknob and pulled it closed.
"NO!" Sam answered quickly. "I mean no thanks, I think I got it."
"Whatever you say. Just call if you need me."
"I will thanks." Sam sighed in relief.
Sam gingerly slipped his arm out of the navy blue sling, wincing as he did so, and pulled his shirt off. Sam struggled a bit to get his injured arm in the sleeve, he knew a button up shirt would have been easier, but all the ones he owned were fitted.
The last thing you need is a fitted anything! Those are your skinny clothes, when you get thin, you can wear them.
Dean knocked again. "Sam?"
"Hold your horses. I'm almost done." Sam finally got the shirt on and was now trying to get the sling back on.
"Are you sure you don't need any help?" Dean opened the door this time and Sam didn't try to stop him.
"Positive." Sam said with a frustrated air as he attempted to untangle his sling with one hand.
"Let me help you get your sling back on."
"I can do it."
Dean grabbed the sling from Sam's hand, ignoring Sam's glare. Sam begrudgingly let Dean help him put the sling back on.
"Thanks." He huffed.
"Let me get you a jacket."
Sam realized that he had already returned the sweatshirt that he'd barrowed from Dean the pervious day.
"Can I just use one of yours again? I still haven't had time to do laundry so all mine are still dirty."
Dean shrugged and ran back to his room. He grabbed the first sweatshirt he came across and brought it back to Sam. He waited for Sam to throw the oversized navy blue sweatshirt before he went to the car, calling for Sam to hurry up.
Sam looked at himself in the mirror before he went to follow Dean.
Good, it's best to cover it up.
Dean was flipping through the menu, debating on what to get.
"What are you getting?" He asked Sam who hadn't even opened his menu.
"Salad."
"Aw come on Sam it's not like Dad's here, live a little."
"He'll know when he gets back on Monday and weighs me."
"Fine, whatever." Dean said looking back at his menu.
Sam was trying to be invisible, it felt like everyone was staring at him and laughing at him. He sank as far down in the booth as he could.
They won't do that when you're skinny.
"Um, Dean can you order for me, just a plane salad, no dressing."
"Yeah, sure. Are you okay? You look really...freaked out. You don't think you're gonna pass out again, do you?"
How can he not notice all the people staring at you?—They're making fun of you and laughing at you...maybe he's gotten used to it after all those years of being on the road with you. How could it have taken you so long to notice?
"Yeah I'm fine. I'll be right back."
Sam hurried to the restroom, which was thankfully empty. He splashed some water in his face and then glanced at his reflection in the mirror.
Pull yourself together! Just get back out there and have dinner with your brother. If Dean can ignore everyone, so can you.
When Sam returned to the table, the menus were gone so he knew the waitress had gotten their order. Dean had a suspicious looking smirk on his face.
"Dude what'd you do? Did you have a quickie while I was gone?" Sam asked.
"What? No, of course not!" Dean cried. "Why would you think that?"
"Then why do you have that look on your face?"
"Oh, no reason."
"Yeah right, Dude. What did you do? Pay someone to spit in my food or something?"
"I'm offended Sammy, what makes you think I'm capable of such a heinous act?"
"Because you've done it before...twice."
"I haven't a clue what your talking about." Dean said batting his eyelashes innocently. "You better be nice to me or I'll take back the surprise I got you..."
"Surprise?" Sam asked skeptically, Dean's surprises were never good. "What kind of surprise?"
"A good surprise." Dean said.
"You and I have very different ideas of what 'good' is."
"It's good." Dean said firmly.
"I don't believe you."
"What? Why not?"
"Experience."
"Dude I'm telling you, it's a good surprise this time...you'll see!"
Hey friends,
Thank you so much for reading! I really appreciate your reviews and you anonymous reviewers are awesome too!
I am so sorry for the wait. There were some budget cuts at work and two people 'retired' so we're all trying to get used to it still and spring is always the busy season. I think I've got it down now though, so they next update shouldn't take too long.
Thanks again and have an awesome day,
callit