Silent Suffering 1/1
Written for a prompt over on mad_server's sneezytime meme. selene_13 wanted: a not talking/mute!Dean (maybe after the events of In My Time of Dying, or Hell or On The Head of a Pin, ie. preferably due to psychological block), who comes down sick. Sam has to deduce this from how ragged Dean looks and sounds, and steps in.
They had stood side by side watching their father's body burn. "Did Dad say anything to you?" Sam had asked.
"No," Dean had said.
And then he hadn't said anything else.
At all.
To anyone.
After three days, Sam called Bobby. And found out this wasn't the first time Dean had gone mute after a trauma. Sam had vaguely known about the time when he was 4. Sam had vaguely remembered Dean being unnaturally quiet after the shtriga attack.
Sam had had no idea that Dean hadn't spoken at all for nearly the entire time Sam had been at Stanford.
And now -- with their father's death -- Dean had retreated into silence again.
Oh, they still talked. Both had known sign since Sam could remember.
Only now, Sam realised it had been taught him by their fearful father just in case Dean had stopped talking again.
And now he had.
Because their primary communication now was signing, Sam was more aware of Dean's movements. So when Dean began rubbing his eyes and forehead more, Sam realised something was up.
When the forehead rub moved to rubbing the bridge of his nose the next day, Sam knew what it was.
You're getting sick, he signed. Bad cold, from how it's settling in.
Dean was in the middle of signing a rebuttal when he let an enormous sneeze that seemed to take both of them by surprise. On second thought...
Sam got Dean "medded and bedded", cold medicine down him and putting his exhausted self to bed early so he could sleep the worst of it off.
Bobby called a couple of hours later, to check on them. Sam was startled at how rough and gravel-filled his own voice sounded as he talked to Bobby. He told Bobby about Dean being sick and the steps he was taking to ensure it didn't get worse.
Bobby would drive out to check on them in the morning -- they were only a couple of hours away. In the meanwhile, Sam would get some rest himself. "You sound awful yourself, boy."
"I'm fine. Seriously, I am. I don't know why I sound like this, but I swear I'm well."
It was only until they said their goodbyes and Sam was sliding into his own bed that it hit him, and his eyes snapped to his ill brother as he realised what had happened.
Sam's voice sounded so bad because he hadn't used it in four days.
He had -- quite unintentionally -- muted himself. Because his big brother was.
And it had felt like the most natural thing in the world.
They had stood side by side watching their father's body burn. "Did Dad say anything to you?" Sam had asked.
"No," Dean had said.
And then he hadn't said anything else.
At all.
To anyone.
After three days, Sam called Bobby. And found out this wasn't the first time Dean had gone mute after a trauma. Sam had vaguely known about the time when he was 4. Sam had vaguely remembered Dean being unnaturally quiet after the shtriga attack.
Sam had had no idea that Dean hadn't spoken at all for nearly the entire time Sam had been at Stanford.
And now -- with their father's death -- Dean had retreated into silence again.
Oh, they still talked. Both had known sign since Sam could remember.
Only now, Sam realised it had been taught him by their fearful father just in case Dean had stopped talking again.
And now he had.
Because their primary communication now was signing, Sam was more aware of Dean's movements. So when Dean began rubbing his eyes and forehead more, Sam realised something was up.
When the forehead rub moved to rubbing the bridge of his nose the next day, Sam knew what it was.
You're getting sick, he signed. Bad cold, from how it's settling in.
Dean was in the middle of signing a rebuttal when he let an enormous sneeze that seemed to take both of them by surprise. On second thought...
Sam got Dean "medded and bedded", cold medicine down him and putting his exhausted self to bed early so he could sleep the worst of it off.
Bobby called a couple of hours later, to check on them. Sam was startled at how rough and gravel-filled his own voice sounded as he talked to Bobby. He told Bobby about Dean being sick and the steps he was taking to ensure it didn't get worse.
Bobby would drive out to check on them in the morning -- they were only a couple of hours away. In the meanwhile, Sam would get some rest himself. "You sound awful yourself, boy."
"I'm fine. Seriously, I am. I don't know why I sound like this, but I swear I'm well."
It was only until they said their goodbyes and Sam was sliding into his own bed that it hit him, and his eyes snapped to his ill brother as he realised what had happened.
Sam's voice sounded so bad because he hadn't used it in four days.
He had -- quite unintentionally -- muted himself. Because his big brother was.
And it had felt like the most natural thing in the world.