Downpour [4/4] Complete!

[27jj]

Title: Downpour

Spoilers: None…I borrowed a thing or two from 5.19 but nothing that spoils the episode.

A/N: Many, many months later and I’m done! For iluvsneezes- it’s finally up! Thanks for the prompt, girl:) Hope you enjoy

***

PART 1

***

“Hey. There’s something up ahead.”

Dean’s voice breaks through silence, and Sam looks up from his laptop, rubbing at his eyes in mild surprise. They’re somewhere in east Indiana, on a detour route that has them in what looks like the middle of nowhere. It takes Sam a second to realize what Dean’s saying, and he has to clear his throat before he can manage any words.

“Huh?”

Dean squints through the windshield, trying to make out the neon sign through the pouring rain. He glances over at Sam, points in the direction he’s looking.

“What do you think?”

The building headache behind Sam’s eyes intensifies as he tries to make out what Dean’s pointing at. The fact that he’s been staring at the computer screen for the past couple of hours probably hasn’t helped. He clears his throat again and stifles a yawn.

“We should keep driving,” Sam shrugs, and his eyes go back to his laptop.

“What?”

Sam sighs, looking back up. He stretches one arm above his head and hits the ceiling of the Impala. They’ve been in the car all day, and he’d love nothing more than to stop for the night, stretch out his cramped muscles. But he also knows they shouldn’t stop now, not when they still have plenty of hours left in the day.

“Just keep going. We don’t need to stop yet.”

Dean lets up on the gas pedal, still trying to make out the sign.

“Well, we’re stopping. It’s a motel.”

“Then what the hell did you ask me for?” Sam mumbles. He stuffs his laptop into his bag as Dean pulls into the parking lot. Sure enough, the neon sign, barely visible in the downpour, indicates vacancies.

When Sam opens the door and steps out, the icy rain soaks him immediately. He pulls up his collar and ducks his head against the wind, waiting by the trunk until Dean comes around to unlock it.

“Hurry up, Dean!”He raises his voice to be heard over the storm.

When they have their bags, they jog toward the motel. It’s warm inside, but Sam’s already shivering hard. Dean makes a comment on how nice the place is, and Sam nods without really listening, water dripping from his hair. His shoes squeak on the floor and his nose runs from the cold. He sniffles a few times and finally has to give his nose a quick swipe with his sleeve, and the action only seems to make it run more.

While Dean unlocks the door, Sam sniffs hard and absently wipes his nose on his sleeve again. Their room isn’t crappy for once- Sam would even call it nice- and Dean throws his bag on the bed nearest to the door before unzipping it.

“I call first shower,” he says as he digs around for some clean clothes. “Damn, it’s freezing in here. Turn up the heat, will you?”

“Don’t use all the hot-” Sam’s cut off by an unexpected yawn. “Damn. Don’t use all the hot water.” He sits down, a sudden wave of fatigue washing over him. He closes his eyes and kicks off his shoes, then lies down and listens as Dean slams the door of the bathroom. His clothes are wet and he’s still shivering, but all he wants to do is sleep for a week. Apparently, his body agrees, because he finds himself jolting awake when a hand lands on his shoulder.

“Wha’?” He looks around wildly, finds Dean standing over him with a smirk on his face and a towel around his waist.

“Dude. I was just saying that the shower’s open.” Sam eyes the bathroom door and yawns, and Dean laughs. “At least change out of your wet clothes.”

Sam pushes himself from the bed and makes his way toward the bathroom, stripping off his clothes as he goes. The water is still hot, but by the time he’s finished showering he still isn’t warm and his nose doesn’t seem like it will stop running anytime soon. As he steps out of the shower and grabs a towel from the rack to dry off with, his nose tingles with the sudden need to sneeze. His breath hitches once, and then he’s bent at the waist, sneezing messily into the first thing he can think to grab- which happens to be his towel.

“HPTCHshuh!”

He stares at the towel, which now has an unpleasant covering of snot, and shivers when water drips from his hair and rolls down his back. Great. He’s freezing cold and dripping wet, and he has no towel to dry off with.

“Damnit,” he mumbles, then grabs the extra hand towel from the rack with an irritated sniffle.

***

Out in the room, Dean’s sitting on the edge of the bed, watching the news.

Sam quickly dresses in boxers and s t-shirt, but when he reaches for his sweatpants, Dean tosses him a pair of jeans.

“There’s a buffet here. Let’s go eat.”

Sam’s stomach rolls at the idea of food, but Dean’s watching him so he nods and pulls on his jeans. He digs around in his duffle for his hoodie, then puts his jacket on over that. Before they leave, he grabs his laptop bag. He may as well do some research while Dean stuffs his face.

***

Even though Sam has taken a hot shower and dried off, he still shivers through dinner. He pulls out his laptop while Dean piles his plate high with food, rolls his eyes when his brother drops into his seat and rubs his hands together enthusiastically.

“Aren’t you going to get a plate?” He asks Sam, even as he’s starting to shovel food into his mouth. Sam rubs his forehead against the headache that’s still lingering and barely pays attention to Dean, engrossed in an article on his computer.

“Eat something, Sam,” Dean says after a few minutes, his mouth full of food. Sam looks up with a frown, then tucks his face into his shoulder with an unexpected sneeze.

“Huh-HTSHCH!”

The pain in his skull intensifies with the action and his sinuses are left tingling uncomfortably. He looks up blearily to see Dean staring at him with an almost concerned expression.

“God bless you!” A lady offers from the table next to them. Sam nods at her, his face flushing at the attention as he hastily wipes his nose on his wrist. Dean continues eating, and Sam surreptitiously presses a paper napkin to his nose and tries to go back to reading the article. After a few minutes of silence, Dean clears his throat.

“Seriously, Sam, are you just going to do research and not eat? We have the night off.” When Sam ignores him, he shovels another forkful of food into his mouth and reaches over to close the computer. “Don’t you know it’s rude to use your laptop at the table?”

“And it’s rude to talk with food in your mouth,” Sam snaps, flipping the computer back open. Dean swallows and laughs.

“Dude. Bitchy much?”

Again, Sam ignores Dean’s comment, and turns his laptop around so that Dean can see the screen.

“We don’t have the night off. We’re on a hunt, remember?”

“Not here, though, and it’s not like we’re going to be able to leave anytime soon.” Dean gestures toward the direction of the parking lot. “In case you haven’t noticed, there’s a friggin’ hurricane out there.”

“Actually,” Sam leans forward and points to the article on his laptop, “there have been two…two mor-ehhh…” Sam pauses, rubbing his nose. “Two more deaths since the last one, and the weird thing is…”

Dean looks up when Sam trails off and finds his brother sitting with one hand in front of his face, eyelashes fluttering.

“Hetchsh-uh! ‘Scuse me.”

“Gesundheit.”

Sam nods and self-consciously rubs his nose, his face flushing again. He starts to finish his sentence, but is interrupted by another sneeze.

“Heh-KTCHsh!”

Sam sniffles and grunts in frustration, one hand cupped over his nose and mouth. Dean hands him a napkin.

“Sounds like you’re coming down with something, man.”

“What? No, I’m fine.” Dean raises his eyebrows. “I was fine this morning,” Sam mumbles.

“Yeah, but you weren’t exactly healthy to start with,” Dean says pointedly. “How many hours of sleep did you get this week? Three? Four?”

Sam presses his lips together, his nostrils flaring. He grabs his laptop and turns it back around, and Dean sits backs with a sigh.

“Fine. Tell me about the hunt.”

Before Sam can say anything, there’s a scream in the distance, followed by a crashing sound. Sam and Dean both jump up, instantly alert. Another scream, and Dean reaches into his pocket, his hand resting on his gun, ready.

“This is what I was trying to tell you,” Sam hisses as they rush down the hall, Sam’s health forgotten for the time being.

“The hunt is in this town?”

“I think the hunt is in this motel.”

***

[shygreeneyes]

Oh, this is just a delight to read. Well done!

[Silent Sophie]

He pulls out his laptop while Dean piles his plate high with food, rolls his eyes when his brother drops into his seat and rubs his hands together enthusiastically.

Ahah I adore Dean when he does this kind of things.

A new sick!Sammy story, oh joy! And the genre I prefer, with Sam sick during a hunt.

I really loved Sam sneezing into the towel! And Sam flushing and being all self-conscious and embarrassed and frustrated! He's adorable and you write him so well!

[MusicaDiabolos]

SUPER SUPER AWESOME Embarrassed Sam is great! And I love the scene from 5.19, perfect setting

[iluvsneezes]

Omg, this is SO awesome!! Thank you so much for agreeing to write this, I am completely flailing right now. You write sick!sneezy!Sammy so well and I can't wait for more.

[sneezychick93]

I've never even seen Supernatural, but after reading your Sam and Dean stories I want to! and Same has definately become my favorite!! Can't wait for more to come!!!

[Talon Winchester]

AMAZING! I mean crap, this took my mind off friggin blood, guts, guns, and Borderline Personality Disorder! I wish I could write as well as you! (Stupid BPD) I need more of your stuff to read while waiting for a psychotherapist person. They are so boring and your stories save me! They rock, you rock, my therapist does not rock. So in other words I love the hunt being at the motel! I eagerly await more! This beats getting a Twitter account!

[Unsweetened]

Have I mentioned how much I love your sick!sneezy!Sam? You write him so well. And I am very intrigued by the hunt in the motel. I can't wait for more!

[Aprilcot]

OHHHH!!!!!!!!!

DON'T HURT MY SAMMY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please continue though!! Lol,

[ID2006]

more...... neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed more

[Foxfire]

Oooooh, another story of my favourite fandom and with my favourite character sick - yummy!

I really like your wet and denial and embaressed Sam! And sneezing into the towel - that super hot (it seems my word of the day is 'hot', but there's no other word for me right now!)!!!

Keep it up! It's so worth waiting and I hope your trouble with getting online will be solved soon!

[LovelyLinda]

He pulls out his laptop while Dean piles his plate high with food, rolls his eyes when his brother drops into his seat and rubs his hands together enthusiastically.

Ahah I adore Dean when he does this kind of things.

Ohhh, me too

I really like this story!!

I love Sammy being all embarassed and sneezy

Agree, that scene with the towel was hot and awesome^^

[Lady Blessington]

I feel like this is like, the porn re-make of this episode. It makes me happy. Rrrrr.

[27jj]

Oh, this is just a delight to read. Well done!

Thank you so much!!

He pulls out his laptop while Dean piles his plate high with food, rolls his eyes when his brother drops into his seat and rubs his hands together enthusiastically.

Ahah I adore Dean when he does this kind of things.

A new sick!Sammy story, oh joy! And the genre I prefer, with Sam sick during a hunt.

I really loved Sam sneezing into the towel! And Sam flushing and being all self-conscious and embarrassed and frustrated! He's adorable and you write him so well!

Yay:) Thanks!! I'm so glad you like it!

SUPER SUPER AWESOME Embarrassed Sam is great! And I love the scene from 5.19, perfect setting

Aww, YOU are super awesome with your awesome comment:) THANK YOU!!

Omg, this is SO awesome!! Thank you so much for agreeing to write this, I am completely flailing right now. You write sick!sneezy!Sammy so well and I can't wait for more.

Thanks!! I'm really glad you're liking it so far!!

I've never even seen Supernatural, but after reading your Sam and Dean stories I want to! and Same has definately become my favorite!! Can't wait for more to come!!!

Wow, thank you so much for reading!! You should tooootally watch the show:)

AMAZING! I mean crap, this took my mind off friggin blood, guts, guns, and Borderline Personality Disorder! I wish I could write as well as you! (Stupid BPD) I need more of your stuff to read while waiting for a psychotherapist person. They are so boring and your stories save me! They rock, you rock, my therapist does not rock. So in other words I love the hunt being at the motel! I eagerly await more! This beats getting a Twitter account!

I'm happy you liked it!! Thanks for reading:)

P.S. My Twitter account has definitely paid off in the past few days...

Have I mentioned how much I love your sick!sneezy!Sam? You write him so well. And I am very intrigued by the hunt in the motel. I can't wait for more!

Awww, thank you!!

OHHHH!!!!!!!!!

DON'T HURT MY SAMMY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please continue though!! Lol,

Heeee:) Thanks for reading!

more...... neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed more

More is on it's way!! Thank you for reading:)

Oooooh, another story of my favourite fandom and with my favourite character sick - yummy!

I really like your wet and denial and embaressed Sam! And sneezing into the towel - that super hot (it seems my word of the day is 'hot', but there's no other word for me right now!)!!!

Keep it up! It's so worth waiting and I hope your trouble with getting online will be solved soon!

Hot is a good word:) Thank you!!

He pulls out his laptop while Dean piles his plate high with food, rolls his eyes when his brother drops into his seat and rubs his hands together enthusiastically.

Ahah I adore Dean when he does this kind of things.

Ohhh, me too

I really like this story!!

I love Sammy being all embarassed and sneezy

Agree, that scene with the towel was hot and awesome^^

Thanks!! Glad you liked it:)

I feel like this is like, the porn re-make of this episode. It makes me happy. Rrrrr.

Heeee YOU make ME happy. Thanks!

[27jj]

A/N: Sorry for the long wait! I was going to post this a couple of days ago but then recent…events….and Twitter statuses distracted me and used up all my internet time:)

Also, I broke up the remainder of the story so that there’s four parts instead of three.

Enjoy!!

***

PART 2

***

Dean jogs down the long hall toward the sound, Sam close behind him. A shout nearby leads them down another hallway, this one completely deserted.

Sam slows a little when he stifles a sudden sneeze against his sleeve as they make their way toward the sound.

“Hetshchngh!”

He shakes his head, flushing red, and wills himself not to sneeze again as Dean shoots him a questioning look.

A loud thump causes them to speed up, and they fly past identical doors. Halfway down the hall Dean spots the door to one of the rooms partially open. With a quick glance at Sam to make sure they’re on the same page, he inches forward and pushes the door open, gun ready. Sam rushes in behind him and stops short when he catches sight of the state of the room.

Empty.

Other than the furniture- a desk, nightstands, two queen beds neatly made- the room is completely empty.

Dean turns to face Sam, eyes wide.

“What the hell?”

***

“Well, something is obviously going on here. You couldn’t have said anything earlier, Sam?”

Dean paces the floor of their room. Sam’s sitting at the table, head in his hands, but he snorts and looks up at this with narrowed eyes.

“You’re kidding, ri-” Sam breaks off as a cough wells its way up in his throat, sudden and harsh, leaving him breathless. Dean disappears into the bathroom and returns with a glass of water from the sink. He sets it in front of Sam and then points his index finger at him.

“You are staying here. Get some sleep.”

Sam opens his mouth to protest, glass of water halfway to his mouth, but he sneezes instead.

“Huh-ETCHshuh!”

“Gesundheit. I’ll be right back.”

“Where are you going?” Sam asks, sniffling. He presses his knuckles under his nose in an attempt to subdue the persistent tickle there. His head feels heavy, fuzzy, and his throat is beginning to hurt.

“I’m going to go grab a few things. Just stay here.”

“The hell I’m staying here,” Sam protests, but then he coughs again, tucking his face into his elbow. When he looks up Dean is closing the door behind him, and he doesn’t have the energy to follow. He massages his temples and starts to stand, but his nose tingles and his head snaps forward.

“HptchSHUH!”

He sniffles, and a shiver runs down his spine. Ever since being out in the rain he hasn’t been able to get warm, despite the fact that he’s wearing his old, worn sweatshirt he’s had since Stanford under his jacket. As much as he hates to admit it, Dean’s probably right- he’s definitely coming down with something, has been for the past couple of days.

Not that he’s going to let that stop him. They have a hunt, and he’s not going to let a cold keep him from doing his job. He pulls out his laptop and turns it on, resting his head on his arms while he waits for it to start.

***

Sam’s asleep when Dean comes back into the room, arms folded on the table, laptop open in front of him. Dean notices that he’s wearing more layers that usual, so he turns up the heat. It’s still raining hard, and he’s drenched again from making the short distance between the motel and the Impala, so he quickly changes before going through the bags he brought in with him from the Impala.

Their first aid kit is sadly low on medicine, but Dean finds a bottle of cough syrup and plenty of Tylenol. He sets both on the nightstand, then grabs the small box of Kleenex from the bathroom.

He’s going through their various weapons and supplies when Sam wakes up with a start. His back is to Dean, and he sits still for a second, his shoulders tensing before he inhales sharply and lets out a sneeze.

“Huh-KTCHSH!”

“Gesundheit.”

Sam turns around, embarrassed. He sniffles and rubs the bridge of his nose.

“Where’d you go?” Sam’s voice cracks out the last word and the tickle in the back of his throat makes him cough. Dean waits until he catches his breath, then tosses him the bottle of cough syrup. Sam catches it easily with one hand, but he sets it on the table with an annoyed look.

“Dean- HPTSHchoo!” Another sneeze catches him off guard, and he hastily scrubs at his nose afterward. Dean raises an eyebrow and sighs, holding his hands up in surrender.

“Fine. Are you up to checking out that room?”

***

It’s not hard to find the room again; the motel is fairly small and Sam’s kind of a nerd when it comes to remembering details like room numbers.

The door is no longer open, so Dean stands guard, keeping watch while Sam picks the lock. He carefully scans the hallway as he listens to Sam’s increasingly frequent sniffling mixed with soft clicks and frustrated mumbling, and looks over when Sam sneezes loudly.

“Heh-HTCHCH!”

Sam drops his lock pick, and Dean nudges him aside as he sniffles against his sleeve.

“Losing your touch, Sammy ,” Dean teases as he quickly works the lock and pushes the door open. He pulls his EMF meter from his jacket pocket and goes into the room, then looks over his shoulder at Sam.

“Maybe you should keep watch. Sneeze if anyone’s coming.”

“Funny.” Sam pushes past Dean into the room. He turns on his flashlight and shines it around, lighting up the same furniture and lack of suspicious activity they found earlier.

“No EMF,” Dean comments after a few minutes. “This is starting to bug me.”

“Yeah, be too,” Sam replies, a hint of congestion settling in his voice. He rubs the bridge of his nose and sniffles wetly, and Dean decides it’s probably time they go back to their room.

“Let’s hit the hay. We’ll see what we can figure out first thing tomorrow.”

[MusicaDiabolos]

Yay, an update! So adorable as always. And also a mysterious plot...hmmm...

[Talon Winchester]

Me(Hex): I love it! Sammy is so cute! I wonder if he likes half-Irkens...*giggles madly*

ZIM: Why exactly do I reveiw? Oh yeah, Hex captured my base. Well I guess Earthling I must admit that this fic was awesome in the name of Irk!

GIR: I like to ride piggies! Your fic is awesome! I must go watch the Scary Monkey show! I'll reread your fic too!

ZIM: NOOO!!! I HATE THE SCARY MONKEY SHOW!!!!!! I'm going to my base to reread this fic in privacy! I admit it now. Zim is a fan of 27jaredjensen.

Me: I have strange imaginary friends

[Unsweetened]

I am loving this! My favorite part:

The door is no longer open, so Dean stands guard, keeping watch while Sam picks the lock. He carefully scans the hallway as he listens to Sam’s increasingly frequent sniffling mixed with soft clicks and frustrated mumbling, and looks over when Sam sneezes loudly.

“Heh-HTCHCH!”

Sam drops his lock pick, and Dean nudges him aside as he sniffles against his sleeve.

“Losing your touch, Sammy ,” Dean teases as he quickly works the lock and pushes the door open. He pulls his EMF meter from his jacket pocket and goes into the room, then looks over his shoulder at Sam.

“Maybe you should keep watch. Sneeze if anyone’s coming.”

I really like that line. Oh, Sam. Tsk, tsk, dropping the lockpick in the middle of the job isn't very helpful.

[Foxfire]

“Maybe you should keep watch. Sneeze if anyone’s coming.”

OMG! This is so funny! I can so imagine Dean saying that! Makes me wish to get back to the easy days without angels (though I would miss Cas) and deals and stuff.

This is written so nice - I love Sam falling asleep in front of his laptop. Dean being the bossy but caring big brother. I can't wait for more!!!!

[Aprilcot]

So cute!

MORE!!!!!!!! Hehe xxx

[iluvsneezes]

Awesome part 2!! I loved the part when Sam sneezed and didn't realize Dean was in the room and got embarrassed, AWWW.

[swann_ee_song]

Whee! A new full-fledged fic! Cannot wait for more... but I also don't want it to end...

Ever thought about making a fic with 200+ parts? =B

[Raining Strawberry]

A sick Sammy fic! Yay!! I love it so far!

There's a special place in my fetishy heart for sickies taking hot showers but still being cold afterward. After being caught in a downpour?? Heaven. Oh, I knew I could expect good things when I saw the title of this! I also loved poor Sam sneezing into his towel, and dropping the pick while trying to unlock the door.

And I think this may be my other favorite sneeze--

Sam looks up with a frown, then tucks his face into his shoulder with an unexpected sneeze.

“Huh-HTSHCH!”

The pain in his skull intensifies with the action and his sinuses are left tingling uncomfortably.

OUCH. But still, HOT.

Looking forward to part 3!

[27jj]

Yay, an update! So adorable as always. And also a mysterious plot...hmmm...

Aww, thank you so much!!

Me(Hex): I love it! Sammy is so cute! I wonder if he likes half-Irkens...*giggles madly*

ZIM: Why exactly do I reveiw? Oh yeah, Hex captured my base. Well I guess Earthling I must admit that this fic was awesome in the name of Irk!

GIR: I like to ride piggies! Your fic is awesome! I must go watch the Scary Monkey show! I'll reread your fic too!

ZIM: NOOO!!! I HATE THE SCARY MONKEY SHOW!!!!!! I'm going to my base to reread this fic in privacy! I admit it now. Zim is a fan of 27jaredjensen.

Me: I have strange imaginary friends

Thank you for reading, as always

I am loving this! My favorite part:

The door is no longer open, so Dean stands guard, keeping watch while Sam picks the lock. He carefully scans the hallway as he listens to Sam’s increasingly frequent sniffling mixed with soft clicks and frustrated mumbling, and looks over when Sam sneezes loudly.

“Heh-HTCHCH!”

Sam drops his lock pick, and Dean nudges him aside as he sniffles against his sleeve.

“Losing your touch, Sammy ,” Dean teases as he quickly works the lock and pushes the door open. He pulls his EMF meter from his jacket pocket and goes into the room, then looks over his shoulder at Sam.

“Maybe you should keep watch. Sneeze if anyone’s coming.”

I really like that line. Oh, Sam. Tsk, tsk, dropping the lockpick in the middle of the job isn't very helpful.

Nope, its rather counter-productive;) THANK YOU!!

“Maybe you should keep watch. Sneeze if anyone’s coming.”

:laugh: OMG! This is so funny! I can so imagine Dean saying that! Makes me wish to get back to the easy days without angels (though I would miss Cas) and deals and stuff.

This is written so nice - I love Sam falling asleep in front of his laptop. Dean being the bossy but caring big brother. I can't wait for more!!!!

Hee, thanks! I miss those days sometimes too.

So cute!

MORE!!!!!!!! Hehe xxx

Thank you!!

Awesome part 2!! I loved the part when Sam sneezed and didn't realize Dean was in the room and got embarrassed, AWWW.

Thank you thank you:) Glad you're liking it!

Whee! A new full-fledged fic! Cannot wait for more... but I also don't want it to end...

Ever thought about making a fic with 200+ parts? =B

Eeep! 200+ parts?! Youuuu are crazy! I'd be able to work that out if each part was...um, 25ish words?

Ahhh. Thank you for making my life.

A sick Sammy fic! Yay!! I love it so far!

There's a special place in my fetishy heart for sickies taking hot showers but still being cold afterward. After being caught in a downpour?? Heaven. Oh, I knew I could expect good things when I saw the title of this! I also loved poor Sam sneezing into his towel, and dropping the pick while trying to unlock the door.

And I think this may be my other favorite sneeze--

Sam looks up with a frown, then tucks his face into his shoulder with an unexpected sneeze.

“Huh-HTSHCH!”

The pain in his skull intensifies with the action and his sinuses are left tingling uncomfortably.

OUCH. But still, HOT.

Looking forward to part 3!

Awww, thank you SO MUCH:)

[27jj]

PART 3

***

Sam is glued to his laptop as soon as they’re back in the room.

Dean strips down to his boxers and climbs into his bed, but he knows that Sam will sit there all night if he has the opportunity. Sam’s not a little kid anymore, but he’s still Dean’s little brother and when he muffles a cough into his sleeve, Dean remembers all the times when they were little and he made Sam go to bed even though he was sick and stubborn.

He only hesitates for a second before making a decision. He walks over to the table, shuts Sam’s laptop, and goes back to his bed. He grins to himself when Sam gives a halfhearted protest before standing with another cough and a glare. Sam changes into a pair of sweats and a long sleeved shirt before turning out the light and climbing into his own bed.

“Get some sleep, Sam,” Dean orders. “Don’t just stare at the wall all night.” He’s answered with a muffled half-cough, half-snort, and even though it’s dark Dean imagines Sam rolling his eyes.

“Yes, mom.”

***

Dean’s just falling asleep when Sam starts to cough loudly. He waits a second, listens, rolls over.

“Sam?”

He’s answered with more coughing, and then there’s movement from the other bed.

“Sorry,” comes a hoarse whisper, and a few seconds later the bathroom light blinds him before Sam closes the door behind him. Dean hears more muffled coughing, and then a loud sneeze.

“Huh-HPSHCHSH!”

Dean sighs and drags a hand down his face, and when Sam emerges a few minutes later, neither of them say anything.

After what seems like several more hours of Sam’s coughing and sneezing, Dean drags himself from the bed and flips on the bathroom light. He yawns as he fills a glass with water, and he grabs the cough syrup from the table before going to Sam’s side.

“Sam? Sit up for a second.”

Sam, thankfully, sleepily complies, and Dean presses the glass of water into his hand. After Sam drinks, he hands him the bottle of cough syrup, and though Sam is more hesitant about accepting the medicine, he eventually twists off the lid and drinks some of that as well.

Dean’s trying to judge whether or not Sam would punch him if he felt his forehead for fever when Sam inhales sharply and ducks his head to sneeze.

“Hehh…Huh-ktshch! HRTCHSHchoo!” He sniffles, rubs underneath his nose with his knuckles. “Sorry,” he says for the second time that night.

“Don’t apologize,” Dean replies around a yawn. He quickly presses the back of his hand to Sam’s forehead and feels a little warmth, nothing too serious. Sam is already falling back asleep, so Dean pulls the covers higher over his brother and returns to his own bed. He falls asleep to Sam’s congested snores mixed with the unrelenting rain beating against the window.

***

Sam sleeps like a rock through the rest of the night, and doesn’t even wake up when Dean comes in the next morning, slamming the door behind him.

“Sa-” Dean pauses when he sees that his brother is still asleep, buried under the covers. He’s willing to bet Sam’s temperature is up, and judging from the muffled snores coming from the bed, he’s going to feel pretty crappy when he wakes up.

“Sammy,” he says softly as he shakes Sam’s shoulder through the blanket. Sam stirs and emerges a few seconds later, face flushed pink, hair sticking out in all directions. He blinks up at Dean, then inhales shakily.

“Hehh…ehhh-HUHTCHSH! HeptchSHOO! Ehh-ktchsh!”

“Gesundheit.”

Dean grabs the box of Kleenex and hand one to his sniffling brother. Sam folds the tissue around his nose and sneezes yet again, then gives a gurgling blow into a fresh Kleenex.

“Damn,” Dean comments, snf Sam groans and lies back down and closes his eyes. “You sound great,” he adds sarcastically.

“Fuddy,” Sam replies congestedly. Dean is already walking away, and he digs through his duffle until he comes up with John’s journal.

“What’s up?” Sam asks hoarsely without opening his eyes.

“Something really friggin weird is going on here, that’s what’s up.” Dean rifles through the journal, pausing every page or two to read an entry. Sam sits up again and rubs his eyes.

“What’s goigg od?” Sam sniffs hard.

“Well, someone was murdered here last night. I’m pretty sure we’re dealing with something supernatural too. The police are here and-”

“Wait, what? Where?”

Dean looks over at Sam, eyebrows raised.

“The dining room,” Dean answers. He waits for it to sink in, and even sick Sam gets it pretty fast.

“After we left? So…do you thingk whatever did it was creatigg a distraction?”

“Definitely,” Dean murmurs, reading again. Sam runs a hand through his hair and sniffles.

“We should check out the-”

“Already went over the scene with the EMF meter. Nothing.”

Sam pushes the covers off and starts to get up, but he starts coughing. Dean goes over and hands him the bottle of cough syrup without looking up from Dad’s journal. Sam suppresses the coughs long enough to take a swig, and afterwards he heaves a crackling, congested sigh.

“This sugcks.”

“Ghouls,” Dean replies, and it takes Sam a second to comprehend what he’s saying.

“What?”

“I think we’re looking at ghouls here.”

Dean looks up and meets Sam’s bleary gaze, notes the flush that’s definitely a result of fever high on his cheeks. He walks over to the bed and slaps his palm over Sam’s forehead, and Sam allows him to, his mind in a completely different place as he remembers the last time they hunted ghouls.

“Ghouls?” Sam repeats at the same time Dean announces, “Still have a fever.”

Sam coughs into the crook of his elbow, then looks dubiously up at Dean.

“You’re not the only one who can do research, geek boy,” Dean says as an answer to Sam’s unasked question, and Sam sighs.

“I’b goigg to take a shower,” he sniffles before making his way unsteadily into the bathroom, waving a hand at Dean when he yells at him to take some Tylenol.

***

The motel is deserted as they make their way through the halls, which has them both suspicious but not exactly surprised.

Sam looks miserable, shivering even though he’s huddled once again in several layers, his congested breathing the only sound as they make their search of the motel. As far as Dean is concerned, the faster they can track down whatever the hell it is that’s in this motel- ghouls, if they’re lucky- the better.

They’re nearing the lobby of the motel when they hear voices. Dean signals for Sam to be quiet before poking his head around the corner. By the front desk, he can see three people. The first is a man, the second a woman, and they’re both standing over another woman tied to a chair. Dean recognizes her as the receptionist. She’s gagged and crying, her left arm beginning to bleed as the man leans down to bite her shoulder.

Dean tenses when he hears a sharp inhale behind him, and he turns around to see Sam rubbing an index finger under his nose, his eyelashes fluttering, nostrils flaring.

“Hehh…” Sam’s eyes widen, and he clamps a hand hard over his mouth and nose.

“Worst timing ever, Sam,” Dean hisses as his brother tries not to sneeze. He hears a muffled scream and pulls his gun from his waistband. He slides the clip out and Sam grunts beside him, then sneezes into his sleeve.

“Heh-ETSHCHshuh!”

Dean shoots him an exasperated glance and then replaces the clip before he steps out around the corner, gun aimed. The ghouls start toward him slowly, blood staining their hands and mouths. Behind them, the receptionist sits in wide-eyed fear, completely still.

“Don’t move,” Dean growls, sighing inwardly with relief when Sam appears next to him, his own gun raised. The ghouls, who look like a couple of humans, stop moving when Sam and Dean move forward. They throw up their arms as if in surrender, but Dean knows they’d do no such thing.

“Hunters,” the woman snarls, eyes flicking back and forth between them.

“Let the girl go, and we’ll talk this out. No need to get a civilian involved,” Dean tries, opting for a distraction. Sam moves to their left, closer yet to the receptionist, trying to put himself between her and the ghouls.

“Talk it out? You mean kill us,” the man says, scowling. “These people took our home from us. The least they could do is feed our family.”

“There are more of you?”

“Not anymore,” the woman snaps. Both the ghouls’ attentions are on Dean. Sam rushes the last few feet toward the receptionist, and the ghouls turn sharply, moving in on him.

“Don’t move!” Dean yells, and they pause again, eyeing the guns. “Sam?”

Sam nods and unties the receptionist. He helps her stand, all the while keeping his gun aimed at the female ghouls head. Dean points his own gun at the male, and Sam leads the receptionist toward the door.

“Do you have a car?” He asks her, voice hoarse, and she nods, silent tears streaming down her face. “Good. Get out of here, fast.” She doesn’t have to be told twice, and she runs for the door without looking back. As soon as the door closes behind her, the ghouls look at each other and smile.

Just as Dean is about to fire a shot, the woman turns on Sam and pushes him hard, and he crashes into the wall. Dean can’t shoot without risking hitting Sam, and it’s just long enough of a distraction for the ghouls to take off. They split up, the woman running out the door as the man heads in the opposite direction.

Sam groans and gets to his feet with a small cough.

“Go!” Dean yells, pointing toward the door before following the man. Sam runs after the woman, through the doors and out into the rain.

***