They get to a town that John sent them on a case for. Miranda and Sam are leaning against the Impala.
Dean walks over, three coffees in hand.
"Well... the waitress thinks the local freemasons are up to something sneaky, but other than that, no one's heard about anything freaky going on." Dean says, giving Sam and Miranda their coffees.
"Dean, you got the time?" Sam asks.
"Ten after four. Why?" Dean asks.
"What's wrong with this picture?" Sam nods to the park where only one kid is playing.
"School's out, isn't it?" Dean asks.
"Yeah." Miranda nods.
"So, where is everybody? This place should be crawling with kids right now." Sam says.
+++
"Dude. Dude, I am not using this ID." Sam hisses as the three walk into the hospital.
"Why not?" Dean asks.
"Cause it says bikini inspector on it." Sam states. Miranda snorts.
"Don't worry, she won't look that close, all right? Hell, she won't even ask to see it. It's all about confidence, Sammy." Dean spins Sam to face the front desk, Dean and Miranda continuing to walk a bit away.
"Hi. I'm Doctor Jerry Caplin, Centers for Disease Control." Sam says.
"Can I see some ID?" The receptionist asks.
Sam glares at Dean.
"Yeah, of course." Sam awkwardly smiles. He quickly shows her the ID, his thumb covering the bikini inspector part. "Now, could you direct me to the pediatrics ward, please?"
"Okay, well, just go down that hall, turn left, and up the stairs." The receptionist informs. Sam nods in thanks, walking to his brother and girlfriend.
"See. I told you it would work." Dean says with a grin.
"I mean, hey, you would inspect my bikini any time we went swimming, so..." Miranda shrugs.
"I wasn't inspecting the bikini, I was inspecting what the bikini doesn't cover." Sam remarks. "Follow me. It's upstairs." He grumbles.
They get upstairs and walk down the corridor.
"Dean!" Sam calls when he realizes the older one stopped. Dean quickly catches up to them.
"Well, thanks for seeing us, Dr. Hydecker." Dean tells him.
"Well, I'm glad you guys are here. I was just about to call CDC myself. How'd you find out anyways?" Hydecker asks.
"Oh, some GP, I forget his name, he called Atlanta and, uh, he must've beat you to the punch." Dean says.
"So, you say you got six cases so far?" Sam asks.
"Yeah, five weeks. At first we thought it was garden variety bacterial pneumonia -- not that newsworthy. But now..."
"Now what?" Miranda asks.
"The kids aren't responding to antibiotics. Their white cell counts keep going down. Their immune systems just aren't doing their job. It's like their bodies are... wearing out." Hydecker says.
"Excuse me, Dr. Hydecker." A nurse gives him some forms.
"You ever see anything like this before?" Sam asks.
"Never this severe." Hydecker says.
"And the way it spreads... that's a new one for me." The nurse says.
"What do you mean?" Sam asks.
"It works its way through families. But only the children, one sibling after another." The nurse says.
"You mind if we interview a few of the kids?" Dean asks.
"They're not conscious." The nurse states.
"None of them?" Miranda asks.
"No." The nurse answers.
"Can we, uh, can we talk to the parents?" Dean asks.
"Well, if you think it'll help." Hydecker says.
"Yeah. Who was your most recent admission?" Dean asks.
~ ~ ~
They're in the waiting room with the father of the two most recent admissions who are his daughters. He's sitting down while the three hunters stand in front of him.
"I should get back to my girls." The man states.
"We understand that, and we really appreciate you talking to us." Sam says. "Now you say Mary is the oldest?"
"Thirteen." He says.
"Okay, and she came down with it first, right? And then..." Sam trails off.
"Bethany the next night." The man says.
"Within 24 hours?" Sam asks.
"I guess. Look, I, uh, I already went through all this with the doctor." The man says.
"Just a few more questions if you don't mind. How do you think they caught pneumonia? Were they out in the cold, anything like that?" Dean asks.
"No. We think it was just an open window." The man says.
"Both times?" Dean asks.
"The first time, I-I don't really remember, but the second time for sure. And I know I closed it before I put Bethany to bed." The man says.
"So you think she opened it?" Miranda asks.
"It's a second story window with a ledge. No one else could've." The man states.
~ ~ ~
"You know, this might not be anything supernatural. It might just be pneumonia." Sam says as the three walk down the corridor.
"Maybe. Or maybe something opened that window. I don't know, man, look, dad sent us down here for a reason. I think we might be barking up the right tree." Dean says.
"I'll tell you one thing." Sam says.
"What?" Dean asks.
"That guy we just talked to? I'm betting it'll be a while before he goes home." Sam says.
+++
They're in Bethany's room and they're checking for EMF.
"You got anything over there?" Sam asks.
"Nah, nothing." Dean says.
"Yeah, me neither." Sam says. "Hey." He calls.
"Yeah?" Dean turns to him.
"You were right. It's not pneumonia." Sam says. Dean walks over to them and sees the handprint that's in the wood of the windowsill. "It's rotted. What the hell leaves a handprint like that?"
"I know why dad sent us here. He's faced this thing before. He wants us to finish the job." Dean says.
+++
"So what the hell is a shtriga?" Sam asks as Dean pulls up outside the motel office, the three getting out.
"It's... kinda like a witch, I think. I don't know much about 'em." Dean says.
"Well, I've never heard of it. And it's not in dad's journal." Sam says.
"Dad hunted one in Fort Douglas, Wisconsin, about 16, 17 years ago. You were there. You don't remember?" Dean asks.
"No." Sam shakes his head.
"And I guess he caught wind of the things in Fitzburg now and kicked us the coordinates." Dean says.
"So, wait, this..." Sam forgets the name.
"Shtriga." Dean says.
"Right. You think it's the same one dad hunted before?" Sam asks.
"Yeah, maybe." Dean says.
"But if dad went after it, why is it still breathing air?" Sam asks.
"Cause it got away." Dean says.
"Got away?" Sam asks.
"Yeah, Sammy, it happens." Dean says.
"Not very often." Sam says.
"Well, I don't know what to tell ya, maybe dad didn't have his wheaties that morning." Dean says.
"What else do you remember?" Sam asks.
"Nothing. I was a kid, all right?" Dean goes into the office.
"Touchy." Miranda mumbles.
+++
"Well, you were right. It wasn't very easy to find, but you were right. Shtriga is a kind of witch. They're Albanian, but legends about them trace back to Ancient Rome. They feed of spiritus vitae." Sam says.
"Spiri-what?" Dean asks.
"Vitae. It's Latin, translates to "breath of life." Kinda like your life force or essence." Sam says.
"Didn't the doctor say the kids' bodies were wearing out?" Dean asks.
"It's a thought. You know, she takes your vitality, maybe your immunity goes to hell, pneumonia takes hold. Anyway, shtrigas can feed off anyone but they prefer--"
"Children." Dean says.
"Yeah. Probably because they have stronger life force. And get this -- shtrigas are "invulnerable to all weapons devised by God and man."" Sam reads.
"No, that's not right. She's vulnerable when she feeds." Dean says.
"What?" Sam asks.
"If you catch her when she's eating, you can blast her with consecrated wrought iron. Uh... buckshots or rounds, I think." Dean says.
"How do you know that?" Sam asks.
"Dad told me. I remember." Dean shrugs.
"Oh. Huh. So, uh, anything else dad might have mentioned?" Sam asks.
"Nope, that's it." Dean says. "What?" He asks, noticing Sam staring at him.
"Nothing." Sam says. "Okay. So, assuming we can kill it when it eats, we still gotta find the thing first, which ain't gonna be a cakewalk. Shtrigas can take on a human disguise when they're not hunting."
"What kinda human disguise?" Dean asks.
"Historically, something innocuous. Could be anything, but it's usually a feeble old woman, which might be how the witches as old crones legend got started." Sam says.
"Have I ever told you how hot you actually look in purple?" Miranda questions her boyfriend.
The two stare at each other for a few moments.
"Dean, get out." They both order.
"You two sicken me." Dean says. "We have bigger issues here. Take a couple of cold showers and worry about dying kids, would you?"
"Later." Sam quietly promises, kissing Miranda's cheek.
"Hang on." Dean grabs a map. "Check this out. I marked down all the addresses of the victims." He says as the two walk over. "Now these are the houses that have been hit so far, and dead center?"
"The hospital." Sam says.
"The hospital." Dean nods. "Now, when we were there, I saw a patient -- an old woman."
"An old person, huh?" Sam asks.
"Yeah." Dean nods.
"In a hospital? Phew. Better call the Coast Guard." Sam jokes causing Miranda to giggle.
"Well, listen, smartass, she had an inverted cross hanging on her wall." Dean states.
+++
The three sneak down the hallway, ducking back when they see Dr. Hydecker.
"Goodnight, Dr. Hydecker." A nurse bids.
"See you tomorrow, Betty." Hydecker responds.
"Try to get some sleep." She tells him.
The three wait until Hydecker passes and then continue down the hall and to the old woman's room. They open the door, quietly sneaking in. Sam and Miranda hang back with their guns drawn while Dean gets closer to the woman.
Dean leans closer and closer to the old woman, his face practically in hers.
"Who the hell are you?!" She yells, turning her head to face him. Dean leaps back. "Who's there? You trying to steal my stuff?" She asks. "They're always stealing around here." She grumbles.
Sam turns the lights on.
"No! Uh, ma'am, we're maintenance. We're sorry. We thought you were sleeping." Sam says.
"Ahh, nonsense. I was sleeping with my peepers open." The woman laughs before gesturing to the wall. "And fix that crucifix, would ya? I've asked four damn times already!"
Dean, who is still freaked out, nudges the crucifix and it swings so it's the correct way.
+++
It's the morning and Dean pulls up to the motel, the three getting out, as the couple laugh.
""I was sleeping with my peepers open?"" Sam quotes.
"I almost smoked that old girl, I swear. It's not funny!" Dean states.
"Oh, man, you should've seen your face." Sam sniggers, starting to unlock the door.
"Yeah, laugh it off. Now we're back to square one." Dean says. "Hang on." He walks over to outside the office where the older son of the motel owner is sitting, a glum look on his face. Sam and Miranda follow.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Dean asks.
"My brother's sick." The boy says.
"The little guy?" Dean asks and the boy nods.
"Pneumonia. He's in the hospital. It's my fault." He states.
"Ah, c'mon, how?" Dean asks.
"I should've made sure the window was latched. He wouldn't have got pneumonia if the window was latched." The boy says.
"Listen to me. I can promise you that this is not your fault, okay?" Dean tells him.
"It's my job to look after him." The boy says.
"Michael, I want you to turn on the no vacancy sign while I'm gone. I've got Denise covering room service so don't bother with any of the rooms." His mom walks out.
"I'm going with you." Michael says.
"Not now, Michael." She tells him.
"But I gotta see Asher!" He insists.
"Hey, Michael." Dean says. "Hey, I know how you feel -- I'm a big brother too -- but you gotta go easy on your mom right now, okay?"
"Damn it!" The woman exclaims as she drops her keys.
"I got it." Sam picks the keys up, giving them to her.
"Thank you." She tells him.
"Listen, you're in no condition to drive. Why don't you let me give you a lift to the hospital?" Dean offers.
"No, I couldn't possibly--" She starts to object.
"No, it's no trouble. I insist." Dean says, her letting him take the keys.
"Thanks." She tells him. "Be good." She tells Michael. Dean holds the door open for her and shuts the door.
"We're gonna kill this thing. I want it dead, you hear me?" Dean tells his brother and Miranda.
+++
Sam and Miranda are researching at the library. Sam's phone rings and he picks it up.
"Hey." Dean whispers.
"Hey. How's the kid?" Sam asks.
"He's not good. Where you guys at?" Dean asks.
"We're at the library. We've been trying to find out as much as we can about this shtriga." Sam says.
"Yeah, what have you got?" Dean asks.
"Well, bad news. I started with Fort Douglas around the time you said dad was there." Sam says.
"Yeah?"
"Same deal. Before that, there was, uh, Ogdenville, before that North Haverbrook and Brockway. Every 15 to 20 years it hits a new town. Dean, this thing is just getting started in Fitzburg. In all these other places, it goes on for months. Dozens of kids before the shtriga finally moves on. The kids just... languish in comas and then they die."
"How far back's this thing go?"
"Ah, I don't know. The earliest mention I could find is this place called Black River Falls back in the 1890s. Talk about a horror show... whoa."
"Sam?"
"Holy, shit." Miranda whispers.
"Hold on... we're looking at a photograph right now of a bunch of doctors standing around a kid's bed. One of the doctors is Hydecker." Sam informs.
"And?" Dean asks.
"And this picture was taken in 1893." Sam states.
"You sure?" Dean asks.
"Yeah. Yeah, absolutely." Sam says and Dean hangs up.
+++
The three are back at the motel.
"We should have thought of this before. A doctor's a perfect disguise. You're trusted, you can control the whole thing." Sam says.
"That son of a bitch." Dean growls as he paces.
"I'm surprised you didn't draw on him right there." Sam says.
"Yeah, well, first of all, I'm not going to open fire in a freakin' pediatrics ward." Dean says.
"Good call." Sam says.
"Second, wouldn't have done any good because the bastard's bulletproof unless he's chowing down on something. And third, I wasn't packing, which is probably a really good thing cause I probably would have just burned a clip in him on principle alone."
"You're getting wise in your old age, Dean." Sam comments.
"Damn right. Cause now I know how we're going to get it." Dean states.
"What do you mean?" Sam asks.
"Shtriga, it works through siblings, right?" Dean asks.
"Right." Sam nods.
"Well, last night..."
"It went after Asher." Sam says.
"So I'm thinking tonight it's probably going after Michael." Dean says.
"Well, we gotta get him outta here." Sam says.
"No. No, that would blow the whole deal." Dean says.
"What?" Sam asks.
"Yeah." Dean nods.
"You wanna use the kid as bait?"
"Wow. Just when I thought you couldn't be more unbearable, you become an even bigger dick." Miranda remarks.
"Are you nuts? No! Forget it. That's out of the question." Sam protests.
"It's not out of the question, Sam, it's the only way. If this thing disappears, it could be years before we get another chance." Dean says.
"Michael's a kid. And I'm not going to dangle him in front of that thing like a worm on a hook." Sam says.
"None of us." Miranda states.
"Dad did not send me here to walk away." Dean states.
"Send you here? He didn't send you here -- he sent us here." Sam states.
"This isn't about you, Sam. I'm the one who screwed up, all right. It's my fault. There's not telling how many kids have gotten hurt because of me." Dean says.
"What are you saying, Dean? How is it your fault?" Sam asks. Dean doesn't say anything. "Dean. You've been hiding something from the get-go. Since when does dad bail on a hunt? Since when does he let something get away? Now talk to me, man. Tell me what's going on."
"Fort Douglas, Wisconsin. It was our third night in this crap room and I was climbing the walls. Man, I needed to get some air." Dean says.
~ ~ ~
"Dad just... grabbed us and booked. Dropped us off at Pastor Jim's about three hours away, but by the time he got back to Fort Douglas, the shtriga had disappeared... it was just gone." Dean states. "It never surfaced until now. You know, dad never spoke about it again, I didn't ask. But he... uh... he looked at me different, you know? Which was worse. Not that I blame him. He gave me an order and I didn't listen, I almost got yo killed."
"You were just a kid." Sam softly says.
"Don't. Don't." Dean says. "Dad knew this thing was unfinished business for me. He sent me here to finish it."
"But using Michael? I don't know, Dean. I mean, how 'bout one of us hides under the covers, you know, we'll be the bait." Sam says.
"No, it won't work. It's gotta get close enough to feed -- it'll see us. Believe me, I don't like it, but it's gotta be the kid." Dean says.
~ ~ ~
"You're crazy! Just go away or I'm calling the cops." Michael threatens, picking the phone up.
"Hang on a second. Just listen to me, you have to believe me, okay? This thing came through the window and it attacked your brother. I've seen it. I know what it looks like. Cause it attacked my siblings once, too." Dean says.
Michael slowly hangs up the phone.
"This thing... is it... like... it has this long... black robe?" Michael asks.
"You saw it last night, didn't you?" Dean asks.
"I thought I was having a nightmare." Michael says.
"I'd give anything not to tell you this, but sometimes nightmares are real." Dean says.
"So, why are you telling me?" Michael asks.
"Because we need your help." Dean says.
"My help?" Michael asks.
"We can kill it. Me and them, that's what we do. But we can't do it without you." Dean says.
"What? No!" Michael objects.
"Michael, listen to me. This thing hurt Asher. And it's gonna keep hurting kids unless we stop it, understand me?"
~ ~ ~
"Well, that went shitty. Now what?" Dean asks as the three return to their motel room.
"It was your idea." Miranda scoffs.
"What did you expect? You can't ask an adult to do something like that, much less a kid." Sam says.
There's a knock on the door and Dean opens it to see Michael.
"If you kill it, will Asher get better?" Michael asks.
"Honestly? We don't know." Dean says.
"You said you were a big brother." Michael says.
"Yeah." Dean nods.
"You'd take care of your little brother? You'd do anything for him?" Michael asks.
"Yeah, I would." Dean says.
"Me too. I'll help." Michael agrees.
+++
They get the security camera set up in the right position and Dean talks to Michael before joining the other two in a different room. The three are watching the security footage, waiting for the shtriga.
"What time is it?" Dean asks.
"3:00. You sure these iron rounds are gonna work?" Sam asks.
"Consecrated iron rounds." Dean corrects. "And, yeah, it's what dad used last time."
"Hey, Dean, I'm sorry." Sam says.
"For what?" Dean asks.
"You know, I've really given you a lot of crap... for always following dad's orders. But I know why you do it." Sam says.
"Oh, God, kill me now." Dean mutters making Sam laugh. "Wait, look." The three look at the footage, seeing the window slide open. They pick their guns up.
"Now?" Sam asks.
"Not yet." Dean whispers. The shtriga moves closer to the bed that Michael is in and leans over it. The shtriga leans closer and opens his mouth, starting to take Michael's energy.
"Hey!" Sam yells, the three bursting in.
"Michael, down!" Dean shouts.
Michael rolls off the bed and underneath it, covering his ears. The hunters open fire on the shtriga and it falls to the ground.
"Mike, you all right?" Dean asks.
"Yeah." Michael answers.
"Just sit tight." Dean tells him. He walks to the shtriga, gun ready. Dean relaxes when the shtriga doesn't move and glances back at Sam. Suddenly, the shtriga rises up, grabbing Dean by the throat and throwing him against the wall.
"Dean!" Sam yells.
The shtriga moves and throws Sam and Miranda across the room, both falling to the floor. The shtriga goes to Sam and forces his mouth open. Sam struggles to reach for his gun as the shtriga begins to draw his energy.
"Hey!" Dean yells. The shtriga looks up at him and Dean shoots it between the eyes. He falls back, Sam gasping for air. "You okay, little brother?"
Sam nods and holds up two thumbs up.
Miranda gets up and rushes over to Sam.
"You good?" She asks, helping him to his feet.
"Yeah. Yeah, no, fine." Sam pants.
They watch energy that the shtriga stole leave it. Dean shoots the shtriga a few more times for good measure. More energy escapes, the shtriga disintegrating.
"It's okay, Michael, you can come on out." Dean assures. Michael gets out from under the bed and stands by them.
+++
The three are packing the Impala up when Michael's mom returns and gets out of the car.
"Hey, Joanna." Dean greets. "How's Asher doing?"
"Have you seen Michael?" Joanna asks.
"Mom! Mom!" Michael runs up to her.
"Hey!" She greets, the two hugging.
"How's Ash?" Michael asks.
"Got some good news. Your brother's gonna be fine." Joanna says.
"Really?" Michael grins.
"Yeah, really." Joanna nods. "No one can explain it -- it's a miracle. They're going to keep him in overnight for observation and then he's coming home."
"That's great." Dean says.
"How are all the other kids doing?" Sam asks.
"Good. Real good. A bunch of them should be checking out in a few days. Dr. Travis says the ward's going to be a like a ghost town." Joanna says.
"Dr. Travis?" Sam asks.
"What about Dr. Hydecker?" Miranda questions.
"Oh, he wasn't in today. Must have been sick or something." Joanna says with a shrug.
"Yeah. Yeah, must have." Dean says.
"So, did anything happen while I was gone?" Joanna asks.
"Nah, same old stuff." Michael answers, glancing at Dean.
"Okay. You can go see Ash." Joanna says.
"Now?" Michael excitedly asks.
"Only if you want to." Joanna says and Michael runs to the car making her softly laugh. "I, uh, I'd better get going before he hotwires the car and drives himself." She says, getting in the car.
"It's too bad." Sam says.
"Oh, they'll be fine." Dean says.
"That's not what I meant. I meant Michael. He'll always know there are things out there in the dark -- he'll never be the same, you know?" Sam says. "Sometimes I wish that..."
"What?" Dean asks.
"I wish I could have that kinda innocence." Sam says.
"If it means anything, sometimes I wish you could too." Dean says.