Chapter Text
Sam was screaming, which was bad because a. it meant he was in trouble but b. he was already sick and wrecking his throat was not going to help, so when Dean entered Sam’s room with gun drawn, he was ready to shoot anything because fuck them for making his little brother’s flu worse than it had to be.
Except Dean couldn’t shoot them, because the problem wasn’t an intruder. Sam’s room was empty of anyone but Sam, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t a threat.
“Please, please, don’t—” Sam’s screams had quieted to whimpers. His eyes were focusing on something above him, pleading with a figure invisible to Dean.
Dean put down his gun, not wanting to scare Sam, as he fought to get away from the phantom holding him down on the bed. “Sam.”
Sam’s head lolled towards him, his eyes struggling to focus. “Dean?” His face fell. “Please don’t do this, not with him.”
“He’s not here, Sammy. You’re sick.”
Sam’s face screwed up.
Shit. “I didn’t mean it like that. You have a fever, remember? Or at least you did, can I check?”
Sam narrowed his eyes at Dean. “How?”
Dean picked up the thermometer. “With this, in your mouth.”
Sam hesitantly nodded, and Dean placed it on his tongue. “Just for a moment, Sammy, I promise.”
As Sam’s temperature ticked up to a 100.3 degree fever, Sam’s eyes roamed Dean before finally settling on his amulet and poking it with weak fingers. Dean let him. He should’ve known letting Sam sleep through his Advil's time frame was a bad idea— he had known — but Sam had looked so peaceful — and peaceful sleep wasn’t something his brother got often — Dean couldn’t bring himself to do it. Now, Sam was feverish and delirious and none of that was helping him ward of the devil in his head. “Alright, Sam, medicine time. It’ll help, I promise.”
Sam looked up at him and slowly nodded, not taking his eyes off of Dean’s amulet. Dean gave Sam a pill and helped him force down a glass of water. “Get some sleep, Sammy.”
“Will you stay? I don’t want to be alone with him.”
Dean didn’t plan on leaving Sam alone with Lucifer. “Of course, Sammy.”