Life On Mute 1/1
SUMMARY: "What's it like?"... "You're trying to understand what being deaf is like?"
Many thanks to nwspaprtaxis -- who took the time to help make this story so much better than it was! Written for hc_bingo square "Wild Card: Deafness"
Sam looked up and smiled when he saw Dean sitting across from him. His smile fled when he saw Dean's expression. Reaching out, he curled his fingers over Dean's wrist. "Hey," he asked. "What's wrong?"
Dean looked down at the fingers around his wrist. Sam had become a whole lot more tactile lately, and he still wasn't sure what to make of it. He licked his lips, careful to keep his face turned toward his brother. "What's it like?"
"What..." Sam's eyes widened. "You're trying to understand what being deaf is like?"
Dean nodded.
Sam's fingers tightened on his wrist as he stood. "Wait here." He released Dean and walked out of the kitchen.
Watching him go, Dean sighed. The demonic car crash that had ultimately taken their father had also robbed Sam of his hearing.
Dean honestly couldn't imagine a life without sound -- even temporarily, as the doctors repeatedly assured them Sam's deafness would be. Music was such an integral part of Dean, that to be without it -- for what could prove to be weeks or months....
Dean couldn't imagine it. Which was why he'd asked Sam to help him understand.
But where had Sam gone?
Just when Dean had made up his mind to go find him, Sam reappeared. "Sorry," he smiled, waving a jewel case. "Took me a minute to find it."
Dean watched him put the DVD into the computer and turn it on. He watched Sam smile and turn the laptop around so Dean could see it, too.
Dean frowned. He'd seen the movie several times. Bobby used to put silent movies on when the boys couldn't sleep, trying to bore them. Never really worked -- Sammy had always been fascinated by the grainy black and white and the funny clothes. Dean had been stunned by the music's horridness, but he'd thoroughly enjoyed watching Sammy watch the movies.
The movie spilling onto the screen was one of Sam's childhood favourites, an old Charlie Chaplin one: City Lights. But there was something different about the familiar film.
Suddenly, it hit Dean what was wrong. The familiar piano music was missing.
Sam had put the film on mute.
Without the music, the people moved in absolute silence. They interacted and spoke and Dean could sometimes catch a word or two on their mouths.
It became almost a relief when the cards with the dialogue would pop up.
Dean sat back, realising this was what it was like. The amount of concentration it took to understand what was going on and being said with no auditory clues took Dean by surprise.
Silence. Concentration. Observation. Guesswork. All at the same time.
That was what it was like to be deaf.
That was what Sammy's world was like now.
Dean looked up into Sam's eyes and just... nodded.
Sam smiled in return and reached to unmute the movie.
Dean's fingers closed over his wrist and he shook his head. He settled in and together they watched the muted film.
Side by side in silence.
END
Many thanks to nwspaprtaxis -- who took the time to help make this story so much better than it was! Written for hc_bingo square "Wild Card: Deafness"
Sam looked up and smiled when he saw Dean sitting across from him. His smile fled when he saw Dean's expression. Reaching out, he curled his fingers over Dean's wrist. "Hey," he asked. "What's wrong?"
Dean looked down at the fingers around his wrist. Sam had become a whole lot more tactile lately, and he still wasn't sure what to make of it. He licked his lips, careful to keep his face turned toward his brother. "What's it like?"
"What..." Sam's eyes widened. "You're trying to understand what being deaf is like?"
Dean nodded.
Sam's fingers tightened on his wrist as he stood. "Wait here." He released Dean and walked out of the kitchen.
Watching him go, Dean sighed. The demonic car crash that had ultimately taken their father had also robbed Sam of his hearing.
Dean honestly couldn't imagine a life without sound -- even temporarily, as the doctors repeatedly assured them Sam's deafness would be. Music was such an integral part of Dean, that to be without it -- for what could prove to be weeks or months....
Dean couldn't imagine it. Which was why he'd asked Sam to help him understand.
But where had Sam gone?
Just when Dean had made up his mind to go find him, Sam reappeared. "Sorry," he smiled, waving a jewel case. "Took me a minute to find it."
Dean watched him put the DVD into the computer and turn it on. He watched Sam smile and turn the laptop around so Dean could see it, too.
Dean frowned. He'd seen the movie several times. Bobby used to put silent movies on when the boys couldn't sleep, trying to bore them. Never really worked -- Sammy had always been fascinated by the grainy black and white and the funny clothes. Dean had been stunned by the music's horridness, but he'd thoroughly enjoyed watching Sammy watch the movies.
The movie spilling onto the screen was one of Sam's childhood favourites, an old Charlie Chaplin one: City Lights. But there was something different about the familiar film.
Suddenly, it hit Dean what was wrong. The familiar piano music was missing.
Sam had put the film on mute.
Without the music, the people moved in absolute silence. They interacted and spoke and Dean could sometimes catch a word or two on their mouths.
It became almost a relief when the cards with the dialogue would pop up.
Dean sat back, realising this was what it was like. The amount of concentration it took to understand what was going on and being said with no auditory clues took Dean by surprise.
Silence. Concentration. Observation. Guesswork. All at the same time.
That was what it was like to be deaf.
That was what Sammy's world was like now.
Dean looked up into Sam's eyes and just... nodded.
Sam smiled in return and reached to unmute the movie.
Dean's fingers closed over his wrist and he shook his head. He settled in and together they watched the muted film.
Side by side in silence.
END