The Power of Positive Thinking (SPN, Jack)

[lillian]

Set during 14x6 “Optimism” 

I was intrigued by Dean's threatening to get Jack a "whole case of cough drops" (and all the other delicious comments he makes about Jack's cough) and thought... hmm.. this is only the second time he's coughed (to this point) this episode... was he coughing during the hunt off-camera? And I made him sneeze, too, because, obvs.

No major spoilers. Let me know what you think! disclaimer- Jack is 18

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“What happened with Michael… no one blames you.” Jack looks up at Dean, his face open and honest. 

“Cool.” Dean looks into his coffee. “Well I blame me. So…”

Jack ducks his head and coughs, the sound wheezy. He chokes it off, stifling the spasms and clearing his throat. He takes a deep breath, unable to hide his wince.

“Still with that cough, huh?” 

Jack pauses, then ducks his head again with a throaty “hh’RSCHew!”

“And now sneezing, apparently.”

“Maybe I’m allergic to sitting around doing nothing.” He looks up at Dean, the picture of stir-crazy teenage irritability. 

Dean checks his watch. Sits down across from him. “Alright, what do you wanna do?”

Jack leans forward. “Hunt!”

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Dean pulls up in front of Duck’s Red Rooster Diner and cuts the engine. He leans back in his seat and looks over at Jack, who’s peering eagerly out the window. Jack was right, he’d been out with Cas a few times, but that was different. Cas was an insurance policy on those hunts.

He watches as Jack brings a fist to his mouth and stifles a few short coughs. Clears his throat. Sniffles. Glances at Dean. 

“I’m–”

“Fine. I know,” Dean says, opening the car door. 

Dean hears a croaky “hegg’shh!” as Jack follows him into the diner. He holds the door for him, grimacing when Jack jerks into the crook of his arm with a second, equally croaky “ekk’sheww!” 

“Gesundheit." He claps him on the shoulder, following him in. Sam’s going to kill him. Then Cas will bring him back and kill him again.

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Dean creeps through the aisles of books, headed towards the distinctive sound of wheezy breathing. He knows the kid’s trying to keep quiet, and he’s grateful that zombies aren’t known for their super-hearing. Jack, for all his love of zombies, doesn’t know that, and sounds like he’s trying to smother himself, muffling cough after wheezy cough into his suit jacket. 

Dean surprises him, and clamps a hand over his mouth to keep him from shouting out. Jack coughs into his hand, and sucks in a stuffy breath through his nose, mumbling something that sounds like sorry.

Dean grimaces and removes his hand, wiping it on his jacket. 

“Okay,” he whispers. “Not a lot works on these things,” he says, and begins to coach Jack on how to kill his first zombie. 

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Jack’s doing great. He’s talking to the girl, luring the zombie closer…

“She’s MINE!” Vance yells, throwing himself across the room pushing Jack into a bookshelf. Jack hits the floor and Dean hears the air leave his lungs. He’s trying to get to his feet, but as the dust swirls around him he’s reduced to choking and wheezing on the floor. Vance turns and heads for Dean.

“HEY!” Dean yells, and shoots him in the chest. Vance keeps coming. Dean’s talking, wisecracking, distracting him. He waits for Jack to get up, looking over his shoulder to check on him. Vance walks him behind a shelf and he can’t see Jack anymore, he can only hear him panting, thick and wet-sounding. 

Then, there he is, wrapping the handcuff around Vance’s wrist and securing him to a library cart, while Dean chains his other wrist to a pole. The girl screams. Jack turns away and sneezes.

“HAP’schh! AKK’shew!” Dust swirls and Jack straightens. He grins and gives Dean a thumbs-up, and Dean can't help but smile back.

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Zombie in its grave, Dean and Jack head back to the bunker. A b-side Metallica song plays softly on the radio. Dean hums along. 

Jack’s leaning against the window, and Dean thinks he’s asleep until he coughs. 

It starts like soft throat clearing, then jumpy strangled noises as Jack tries to cough with his mouth closed, then finally, he brings a fist to his mouth and hacks, long and hard. Dean suddenly remembers Sam doing the exact same thing after he finished the first trial. 

But there are no trials, this is just a hunt, and Jack’s letting out a full, easy breath and resting his head against the window again. “igkk!” He sneezes once into his sleeve, takes a strained breath, and sneezes again, missing his sleeve and misting the dash. “igkshhh!ISHH!IGKSHH'eww!”

“Dude! Not on the upholstery! …napkins are in the glove compartment.” Jesus, was that three sneezes at once? "Gesundheit," he says, belatedly. 

“Sorry…” Jack fishes one out and softly blows his nose.

“Dust get to ya back there?” Dean says, needlessly gruff to hide the hope in his voice.

Jack nods, then coughs again, a little looser and wetter this time, like he’s not afraid Dean will call him out for real. 
 

“But otherwise you’re okay?” The tiniest bit of hope filters through Dean’s voice. Jack hears it, and Dean feels something dangerously close to guilt when he nods. Kid’s picked up a lot from Team Free Will  

“Good, 'cause Sam and Cas would kill me if I brought you back sick.”

Jack smiles, and wipes his nose again. He grimaces when he swallows, and Dean pretends not to see it. 
 

 

Edited October 25, 2023 by lillian

[secret19]

Lillian I have missed you so FREAKING much!!!!!!! 

[lillian]

@secret19 I’ve missed writing!! My job takes a lot out of me mentally so keeping up with a consistent writing schedule is hard. I’ve got a running list of ideas to flesh out tho! Your support means everything ❤️