Kate is 15
"Dad?" Kate mumbles from the backseat, wrapping her blanket around her shoulders to try and stop the shivering. He doesn't respond, lost in thought so Sam gives him a light elbow. "Dad?" Kate repeats louder. "Sorry. What'd you say, Sweetheart?" Dean questions turning off the radio and snapping back to reality. "I'm getting kind of nauseous." She admits in a quiet voice. "Nauseous?" Dean repeats eying his daughter up in the rearview mirror. She nods a little, eyes glued to the floor. "Do you think you are just getting carsick or are you feeling sick?" Dean questions glancing at the clock. They only had another hour or two until they reached town. He was hoping she was just getting a little car sick. "Sick." She whispers so quietly the brothers can't hear her over baby's engine. "We can't hear you, Honey." Sam sighs turning around to look at his niece. She was sweaty and pale. He reached a hand forward pressing it to her clammy forehead. "She's sick Dean. Burning up." Sam states feeling guilty for not noticing her discomfort sooner. "Hey, Kate. Look at me." Dean says noticing her hesitation to meet his eyes. "Hm?" She questions slowly looking up at the rearview mirror. "How long have you been feeling sick?" He questions knowing she couldn't lie to him when looking him in the eyes. "Last night." She whispers. "Speak up Kid." He says eyes going back to the road. "Last night." She says loud enough for them to hear this time. "You telling me now because you're done hiding shit from me or because you're about to puke in my car?" Dean says rolling his eyes. The two have been having some communication issues on her part. "Dean. She isn't feeling well" Sam scolds watching the tears well up in her eyes before she immediately blinked them away. "Alright... You've got a fever. Stomach bug? Bad food? Flu? What's going on?" Dean sighed trying to push off his annoyance that yet again his daughter was lying and hiding things. He was just thankful this time she was hiding a belly ache and not that she was smoking pot. "Stomach bug I think. It was going around at my last school. I'm sorry... Can you please slow down?" Kate questions the blurring scenery adding to her nausea. Dean sighed and took his foot off the gas dropping his speed to 45 from 90. The car ride was silent for almost ten minutes. Dean was carefully studying her every movement the entire time. "You alright Sweetheart?" Dean questioned as her shoulder hunched forward and she swallowed harshly. "I'm sorry can you stop for a minute?" She mutters embarrassed. He nods and pulls off on the side of the road. Kate was quick to get out of the car and pull her hair back as she dry-heaved onto the grass. Dean meets her out there and rubs her back waiting it out. After five minutes nothing had come up. "I don't think anything is going to come up." She groans wiping the saliva off her chin disgusted with herself. "Alright. Hey, It's ok Sweetheart." Dean tries to comfort sensing her frustration as Kate stomps back to the car annoyed. He didn't even scold her when she slammed the door shut with enough force to rock the car. "Let me know if you need to stop again Sweetheart." Dean says starting the car up again. It was only ten minutes later when Kate started getting hot flashes followed by nausea. "Dad I'm going to be sick." She says swallowing quickly. Dean pulled over once again and followed his daughter as she scrambled out of the car and dry-heaved once again. This time it wasn't for five minutes it was for almost twenty. She had gone weak in her knees and was leaning on her father for support. "Breathe Katie." Dean soothes rubbing her back. "Nothing's coming up." She cried into his chest. "I know Sweetheart." Dean sighs wishing he could help in some way. "I'm done. It went away again." She says wiping her tears. "Alright. I'm gonna hang out in the back with you. Uncle Sammy is going to drive us to the closest motel we can find." Dean says guiding his daughter who was stumbling over her own feet. "Hey Sammy, you want to grab the bucket from the back?" Sam nods and heads to the trunk while Dean climbs in the back with Kate as she lays her head on his chest her eyes immediately fluttering closed. "I don't think Baby would like it if I threw up in the car." She mumbles exhaustion taking over her. "That's what the buckets for Sweetheart. Uncle Sammy is going to take it nice and slow for us." Dean comforts rubbing her back. "I'm sorry Daddy." She whispers nuzzling her head into his chest. "You don't ever have to apologize to me, Kate. Ever. Especially not for being sick." Dean says gently. "Thanks, Daddy." She was finally lured to sleep. She woke up just a few later her nausea returning. "Dad." She rushed out. "Sam pull over." Dean snapped holding the bucket out to her. She coughed and heaved but nothing came up. As soon as the car was in park Dean escorted her out of the car and almost in the clear she threw up all over both the pavement and on Dean's jeans. "I'm sorry." She choked out after catching her breath realizing she just threw up on him. "Sweetheart this is far from the first time and probably won't be the last time you throw up on me." Dean chuckles gently ruffling her hair. He had to hold her steady as she was swaying dangerously. "You feel better now that got everything up?" She nodded a little feeling slightly better now that she wasn't incredibly nauseous. "Alright, I'm going to change. Do you need anything?" Dean questions Kate who shakes her head quickly. He guides her into the car and gets her settled with a bucket in her lap. As Dean goes to the trunk to grab spare clothes Sam presses a hand against Kate's forehead in hopes her fever would break. "We are almost there. Just an hour or so and then you'll be in bed. Your fever is gone." Sam says giving her an encouraging smile. "Thanks, Uncle Sammy." Kate smiles. She felt guilty, he looked exhausted and she had him driving 30 in a 55 and stopping every ten minutes. Yet here he was smiling and trying to help. "Hey, what's wrong?" He says seeing the tears start to form. "Is someone going to die because I'm sick?" She questions. "What?" Dean says hearing the tail end of their conversation. "I'm sick. I am making you go 30 in a 55 and we stopped like 4 times. We should have been there by now. What if the vampire kills someone tonight? It'll be all my fault." She cries. "Absolutely not. Look at me, Sweetheart. Who that monster kills is not on you. If you are sick then you are sick. You are my priority here, you come before monster hunting. Clear?" She nods a little. "Get some sleep." He says snuggling next to her. "I love you." She whispers. "I love you too Sweetheart."
