Supernatural One Shots

Cough (Sam s/f)

It started out as a small cough. Sam didn't think much of it. He felt fine. He kept going to school. Senior year; can't afford to miss anything. Dean, of course, noticed. Sam assured him everything was fine. Despite this, Dean felt a little more than uneasy when he and their dad left for a hunt a few days later. He promised to call at least once a day if he could then he exited the motel, shooting Sam a look of brotherly concern before closing the door behind him.

• • •

Dean hasn't called for a week and Sam is only getting worse. He coughs more frequently and it sounds and feels different. Now it hurts too. There's a pain in his chest and Sam keeps rubbing his hand against his sternum to try and relieve the pain, but it doesn't really help. Not to mention it's getting hard to breathe and he's so cold.

When it was obvious how sick Sam really was, his homeroom teacher told him to go home and rest. Now he's been in bed for days - he's lost count, not really caring. He's been sleeping, or trying to considering his constant coughing, most of the time. He honestly can't remember the last time he ate. There's no food in the crappy motel room, but he's not hungry anyways. He hasn't taken any medicine. They'd been out of aspirin for awhile and it's not like he's really able to go out and get anything. The only times he moves is to take a leak, change the TV channel, and call Dean.

It's not the first time he hasn't heard from his brother while he was on a hunt. Nevertheless, it always scares him.

As Sam sits up, a wave of dizziness hits him and black spots pop up in his vision. He waits until it passes then stands up. Another wave of dizziness hits him, but it doesn't pass this time.

• • •

Sam wakes up on the floor, unaware of how much time has passed. Maybe it's time to call Bobby, he concedes. He'd thought about it before but kept telling himself that it was pointless. Dean would call soon and he and their dad would be back in no time. Apparently, that's not the case.

He grips the comforter on the bed, pulling himself up until he's sitting down on the side of the bed. He reaches over to pick up the phone on the bedside table. It feels heavy in his hand.

Bobby picks up on the second ring. "Singer," his gruff voice answers.

Sam inhales slowly, trying to get as much air into his lungs as possible. He winces at the wheezing sound his breathe makes. "Bobby." He takes another, more shallow breathe. "It's Sam."

"Sam? What's wrong? You sound like Hell warmed over."

"I kind of passed out," he says, embarrassed. "I think I have pneumonia."

"You pigheaded Winchesters," Bobby mutters. "I'm guessing John and Dean ain't there."

Sam shakes his head but then realizes Bobby can't see him. "No." He takes a shallow, wheezing breath. "They're on a hunt." Sam stands briefly so he can move under the covers. He's shivering. He has to stop talking when he's seized by a sudden coughing fit. He holds the phone away from his ear and reaches to the side to get a pathetic excuse for a tissue out of the box beside him. He covers his mouth with it and when he's finally done coughing, he drops it in the trashcan next to the bed, not wanting to look at it. He puts the phone back to his ear.

"You with me, kid?"

"Yeah." God, his voice is shot to hell.

"Think you can drive yourself to a clinic or the hospital?"

"Dean and Dad have the car." He was about to add more when there was a beeping on the line. "Hold on, I think that's them." Sam switches to the other line. "Dean?" he asks, hopefully.