Stitches and Ice Cream
by darkhavens
Pairing/Characters: Sam, Dean, John
Rating: G
Words: 509
Spoilers/Warnings: Gen! Kidfic!
Summary: Dean sees Sammy bleed for the first time.
Notes: Written for challenge #5, 'Blood', at kaz2y5.
The first time Dean really saw Sammy bleed, he was seven and Sammy was three.
Dad was busy arguing on the payphone in the motel lobby while they were tossing a ball around out front. Dean let it fly and Sam jumped too high too soon and missed. Nothing new there. But this time he went stumbling back into the grass at the edge of the lot. Flailing wildly, he caught his toes on the kerb and landed on one knee, a pudgy hand coming down squarely on a shard of shattered beer bottle.
He didn't scream. He didn't cry. Instead, he held his hand out to Dean, tiny droplets of blood kicking up the dust around his scuffed black sneakers.
"Dee? Hurts, Dee. Fix it?"
Dean's stomach rolled over and threatened to evict his lunch, but he was made of stronger stuff than that. He was older, and Dad trusted him to take care of Sammy and, oh yeah, Dad was going to kill him for this for sure.
He tried not to look at the blood on the ground, tried not to step in it. He tried not to let the fear in his heart paint shadows on his face. He failed.
Dean was across the parking lot and scooping his brother up in shaking arms almost before Sammy's bottom lip had time to tremble. He hugged the toddler close, swallowing a jerky sob as Sammy wrapped his uninjured hand around the back of Dean's neck and grabbed onto a handful of collar, his usual method of holding on for the ride.
After making sure that Sam was properly settled in his arms, Dean began the slow return journey over the crumbling asphalt, half-convinced the building was sliding backwards with every step he took.
A shaky breath signalled insipient tears from Sammy and Dean scrambled mentally for a distraction.
"Wanna know something cool?"
Huge wet eyes met Dean's as Sammy studied him, his steadily dripping hand held out away from both their bodies. He nodded.
"U-huh."
"I bet you're gonna need stitches to close that up."
Sam's eyes got even wider and his mouth formed a perfect 'O' of shock.
"But that's good, see? When I fell off Josh Petersen's skateboard in Omaha, I had to go to hospital so they could stitch my knee back on."
Sam's eyes bugged and he twisted in Dean's arms, trying to look down to check out Dean's knees. Dean wrestled him back into position and kept on walking.
"Well, okay, maybe it wasn't that bad." He winked. "But, see, after I got stitches, Dad and Mom let me have ice cream, with cherry sauce and chopped nuts and sprinkles and jelly beans!"
A love of all things sugar-filled and frozen dairy glinted in both pairs of hazel eyes, and they shared a grin. And then Dean was nudging open the sticky metal door and watching as their dad dropped the payphone into its cradle with a curse that Dean knew better than to repeat ever again… after the last time.
 |