habits, supernatural [ 1 ]

083. dean rode a farty donkey

Sam is sitting at the map table with research when Dean and Larissa walk in. Dean is carrying a tray of food and Larissa is carrying Athena.

"All right, here we go. John Winchester's famous cure all kitchen sink stew. There you go. Enough cayenne pepper in there to burn your lips off, just like dad used to make." Dean puts the tray in front of Sam and he pushes it away.

"Yeah, want me to do the whole airplane thing with the spoon?" Dean asks. "When was the last time you ate?"

"I-I don't..." Sam says, his voice soft and quiet.

"Days, Sam. It's been three days." Dean says, pulling a thermometer out.

"When'd you get that?" Sam asks.

"When you started throwing off heat waves." Dean says. "Here." He holds it out to Sam who stands up, stumbling.

"Enough, Dean. Please." Sam says.

"The bloody handkerchiefs, the fever, the shaky legs... this is not good." Dean says.

"Well, I'm not good. And I'm not going to be good until we can start moving again. Until I can start the third trial." Sam says.

"Trial? I wouldn't let you start a moped. Lissy doesn't even let you hold Athena while you're standing up. We're on the rails with this thing, okay, and the only way out of it is through it, believe me, I know. And you know how bad I wanna slam the door on all those sons of bitches. But you gotta let us take care of you, man. You gotta let us help you get your strength."

"This isn't a cold. Or a fever, or whatever it is you're supposed to feed. This is part of it all. Those first two trials... they're not just things I did. They're doing something to me. They're changing me, Dean."

Dean's phone buzzes and he takes it out.

"It's Kevin." He says.

"Finally." Sam sighs. Dean opens Kevin's message on the laptop and Larissa walks over to watch it. Athena makes a noise, holding her hand out to the screen when she recognizes Kevin's face.

"Sam, Dean, Larissa, I've set up this message with some software on a remote server so it'd send itself to you if I didn't reset it with a command once a week. Which means I didn't reset it this week. And there's only one reason I wouldn't. Which means if you're watching this, then I... then I-- I'm dead."

"I'm dead, you bastards! So screw you you, screw God, and everybody in between! Crowley must have gotten to me. And the one thing I know is that I won't break this time. Not sure how I know, but-- but I do. I've been uploading all my notes, the translations, I'm sending you the links so you can get all of it. You guys are gonna have to try to figure out the rest. I'm sorry. I know it was my job, but I-- I couldn't... I'm sorry."

Dean angrily shoves a stack of books off the table.

"Damn it!"

Athena flinches and starts crying at the loud noise and her uncle's shouting.

"It's okay, baby. Hey, hey, it's okay." Larissa starts to comfort her, leaving the room.

~ ~ ~

Sam is sitting at the table in the library and printing Kevin's translations. Larissa walks in, holding Athena who has calmed down and is sucking on her thumb.

Sam notices them and sits up a little. He awkwardly clears his throat making Larissa look at him.

"Can I, uh... can I hold her?" Sam asks. Larissa hesitates to answer. Part of her hates herself for hesitating, but last time Sam tried to walk with Athena, he almost dropped her and Larissa is just scared of them both getting hurt.