Learn Me Right

04. Phantom Traveler

As the door opened, Dean awoke and slipped a hand under his pillow for a weapon. Phoebe was asleep on the other bed.

He turned to see Sam entering, carrying coffee, juice and pastries.

"Morning, sunshine," Sam greeted.

"What time is it?" Dean asked groggily.

"Uh, it's about 4:45."

"In the morning?"

"Yep."

"You get any sleep?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah, I grabbed a couple hours."

"Liar. 'Cause I was up at three, consoling Phoebe, and you were watching a George Foreman informercial."

"Hey, what can I say? It's riveting TV."

"When was the last time you got a good night's sleep?"

Sam shrugged. "I don't know, a little while, I guess. It's not a big deal."

"Yeah, it is."

"Look, I appreciate your concern-"

"Oh, I'm not concerned about you. It's your job to keep my ass and my daughter's alive, so we need you sharp."

"Are you still having nightmares about Jess?"

Sam crossed the room, sat on the other bed, near his niece, and handed a coffee to Dean. "Yeah. But it's not just her. It's everything. I just forgot, you know? This job. Man, it gets to you."

"You can't let it. You can't bring it home like that."

"So, what? All this it... never keeps you up at night?"

"Never? You're never afraid?"

"No, not really."

Sam reached under Dean's pillow to pull out a large hunting knife and held it up as evidence.

Dean took the knife back. "That's not fear. That is precaution."

"All right, whatever. I'm too tired to argue."

Dean's phone rang and he answered. "Hello?"

"Dean, it's uh, it's Jerry Panowski. You and your dad helped me out a couple years back."

"Oh, right, yeah. Up in Kittanning, Pennsylvania, the poltergeist thing. It's not back, is it?"

"No. No. Thank God, no. But it's something else, and... uh, I think it could be a lot worse."

"What is it?"

"Can we talk in person?"

Dean eyed Sam and he eyed him back. He gently shook his daughter.

Phoebe groaned and hugged her stuffed cat she'd insisted on getting tighter. "Daddy?"

"Sorry to wake you, kiddo, but we need to go. Let's get you dressed, huh?"

"I don't wanna. Jammies day."

"Phoebs-"

"Jammies!"

He sighed. "Okay. Because I woke you, just this once we can do a jammies day."

Phoebe yawned and smiled at her cat. "It's a jammies day, Miss Meowie!"

---

The Impala drove down the road and eventually, they reached the hangar.

Jerry greeted the brothers and Phoebe. "Thanks for making the trip so quick. I ought to be doing you guys a favor, not the other way around. Dean and your dad really helped me out."