Behave Yourself

Rocks

Chapter 32

Sunday, 8:53 am

In the bunker

Dean's POV

I'm in the library, reading a lore book. Sam and Katie are still asleep, in Sam's room. Katie's slept for maybe 90% of yesterday. She's sick, and tired, and she's been clinging to Sam because she doesn't feel good. She gets clingy when she's sick. Mainly to Sam. I don't know if Sam's still asleep, or if he's watching Katie. But Katie's definitely still asleep. That's ok. She's sick and she needs rest. She can sleep for as long as she needs to. We just want her to feel better. It's Sunday, so it's not like she's missing school or anything else that might be important. So she can cling to her Dad, and get as much sleep as she needs. It's not like Sam minds. He likes holding Katie. And she likes being held. It's a win on both of their ends. It's just weird to not hear Katie running around or arguing with somebody. She wouldn't be up this early on a Sunday, but still. Anyways, this book is boring, and I need coffee. I put the book down and get up from my chair, then go to the kitchen to make coffee. Once to the kitchen, I find Sam, already making coffee.

Dean: Mornin.

Sam: Mornin.

Dean: How's Katie?

Sam: She's alright. Her fever went down.

Dean: That's good. She still asleep?

Sam: Yeah. She's hogging my bed, and my blanket. I figured I'd make coffee while she's asleep. I'm gonna go check on her in a little while.

Dean: How are you? I know you both had a rough night.

Katie was up coughing for most of the night, and Sam was fighting with her to take more medicine. She didn't want to, but she eventually did and went back to sleep.

Sam: I'm alright. I just forgot what it's like when she gets sick. She's clingy, and grumpy, and tired, and she's hungry but refuses to eat. It's not her fault. I know that. She doesn't feel good and she wants me to make her feel better. But I get frustrated, and then she gets frustrated, and I raise my voice because she's not listening, and then she thinks I'm mad at her, and then I feel bad for raising my voice at her.

He still has trouble realizing that it's ok to get frustrated with your child. Everybody gets frustrated. It's ok. But when he gets frustrated, he feels like he's done something wrong. When really, he's just being human.

Dean: You know it's ok to get frustrated, right?

Sam: Yeah. But not when I'm taking it out on Katie. She didn't do anything wrong. She's just upset because she's sick and doesn't feel good.

Dean: You didn't take anything out on her, Sammy. You just raised your voice a little. You were both frustrated, and one of you raised your voice at the other one. It's ok. You didn't yell at her, or hit her, or leave because you were frustrated. You just raised your voice. And I know you explained to Katie why you did that. And by the end, she wasn't mad at you. She's never mad at you. In her mind, you can do no wrong. Because you're her Dad, and she loves you. Would you rather that, or her always think you're mad at her, and that she's done something wrong?