Born of Chaos and Grace

Chapter Four: Tension - Part II

She is shaking.

More specifically, someone is shaking her and very persistently, might she add. Laine attempts to roll over and go back to sleep, but the person disturbing her doesn't seem to get the memo. With an annoyed groan at being woken in such a rude manner, she flops onto her back and opens her eyes slowly, gaze flicking around until it settles on a familiar face.

"What d'ya w'nt?" she grumbles, words slurred with sleep.

Laine throws an arm over face to shield her eyes from the harsh light emitting from the lamp on the nightstand, wanting nothing more than to roll over. The mattress dips down close to her hip as Dean takes a seat, his hand set on the other side of her body.

"Sorry for waking you. Just wondering if you want to go back to your room and have something to eat," Dean says in a low voice, and he spares a glance over to the bed next to them where Zach is most likely fast asleep.

Laine groans much louder this time and sits up, wiping the sleep out of her eyes. How long had she been asleep? It sure doesn't feel like it had been long.

"Yeah, sure." She tries to stand up, but her attempt only results in her falling back onto the bed. Dean is right there at her rescue, offering her a hand to help her up.

"You can walk, right?" he asks after she is standing steadily on her own two feet with minimal wobbling. Dean steps away once she nods and heads over to the small kitchen, grabbing a plastic bag off the counter and a glass bottle of something dark. "C'mon."

Obeying his words, Laine shuffles over and out the door Dean is holding open for her as fast as she can. He shuts the door behind him and locks it before placing a hand on the small of her back, urging her to begin walking towards the room they rented for her.

They walk barely ten paces before they stop outside of a peeling red door with a rusted number seven bolted to the surface; the only thing new about the door is the handle, but even that isn't much to brag about. Dean removes his hand and reaches into his pocket, pulling out the second room key and shoves it in the small opening in the handle. The door unlocks after a turn of the key and Dean twists the handle, pushing the door open.

Laine trudges in first, Dean following after her, and feels along the wall to the right for the light switch. Her fingers come into contact with the small protruding nubs and she flicks them upwards, flooding the room with a dull glow of artificial light. She surveys the room, taking in the small room as she makes her way in farther, barely paying any attention to Dean who closes the door behind them. She heads over to the bed not housing her duffel bag, and lowers herself down until she is sitting as comfortably as she can manage with her aching leg.

"Do you want food?" Dean questions, his voice snapping her out of her half-asleep state.

Instead of replying, Laine nods and lays back on the bed, softly humming along with the song playing on the radio to keep herself from falling back to sleep. A few minutes later, a beeping noise fills the room, followed by the clang of glass and Dean swearing about something being too hot.

The smell of greasy fast food fills her nose and her body rises up in hunger, all thoughts of sleep quickly forgotten. She watches Dean with a predatory gaze as he walks towards her, eyeing the white container and cardboard cup in his hands.

"Cheeseburger and fries, pop too," Dean states, handing her the container first, then the pop. She sets the container down next to her and brings the straw to her lips, sucking up the liquid inside the cup. After the liquid has slid down her throat, a burning is left in its wake and her tongue feels heavy. Looking up at Dean, she raises an eyebrow in question. "Added a bit of booze. Thought you could use something a bit stronger than Coke."