The Good Stuff
The Good Stuff
Author: enigmaticblue
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don’t own these characters; too bad, so sad.
Pairings/Characters: Sam, Dean/Castiel
Spoilers: Set in my Sun ‘verse, set sometime after We Can Take the Long Way Home
Word Count: ~4400
Summary: Sam knows better than anyone how far a person will go for a sick kid.
A/N: Written for the hc_bingo prompt “medication”. For thomasina75 .
Sam grinned as he rode the bike back to Dean’s. He’d been staying with Julia for the last couple of days, and he felt as though he was on top of the world. He and Julia were talking about living together, although they hadn’t settled on where yet.
They weren’t in any hurry. There was plenty of time.
Sam slowed as he approached the house, seeing an unfamiliar car parked out front. He didn’t bother putting the bike in the barn, he just headed straight inside, thinking of the Bowie knife he had in a sheath on his hip.
Entering as quietly as he could, Sam heard the low murmur of voices coming from the kitchen, and he approached, his hand hovering near his knife.
“Sam,” Dean said as soon as he poked his head into the kitchen cautiously. “Hey.”
Dean was seated at the table, his leg propped up and an icepack draped over one knee. He looked exhausted. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his face was drawn.
Cas leaned against the kitchen counter, his eyes seeming even bluer against his pallor and the thick stubble on his face. The stranger was seated next to Dean, facing away from Sam. When she twisted in her seat, Sam could see that she was elderly, probably at least in her 70’s, if the silver hair and wrinkles were any indication.
“Hey,” Sam said uncertainly.
“Sam, this is Dr. Jameson from the next county over. Doc, this is my brother, Sam,” Dean said wearily. “Maybe you could repeat what you just told us.”
Sam remained where he was in the doorway, sudden fear thoroughly dousing his earlier joy.
“Very well,” Dr. Jameson said briskly. “Henry has tetanus. Assuming you can get him the proper medications, he’ll make a full recovery, but he needs a particular kind of antibiotics, as well as tetanus immune globulin and muscle relaxers. I’ve got the muscle relaxers, but I don’t have the antibiotics or the other close at hand, and they’re expensive.”
Sam could see Dean’s hands clench into fists. “We’ll find a way to pay,” he said. “Where can we get them?”
“You might find them in Rapid City,” she replied. “Or possibly in Sioux Falls. Otherwise, your best bet is Denver.”
Cas appeared curiously fragile as he asked, “Does he have that long?”
“Tetanus isn’t a death sentence,” she replied. “But he’ll have much better odds of recovery with the medication. I can treat him with the muscle relaxers and general antibiotics, and I will, but we’ve been seeing a resurgence in tetanus over the last ten years. Folks just aren’t getting the vaccines the way they used to.”
“I can go,” Sam offered.
Dean shook his head. “It’s a two man job, Sammy. You’re going to need someone to watch your back on this one.”
Sam heard the unspoken message. Dean knew exactly what Sam could handle, and the fact that Dean wanted Sam to have backup suggested that this trip was going to be a little more complicated than just going into town and buying the meds.
“I’ll go, too,” Cas said quietly. “Your knee isn’t going to take the long drive, Dean.”
Dean sighed. “Yeah, I know. Doc, thanks for coming out.”
“I’ll be in town for a few days,” she promised. “I’ll do everything I can for Henry.”
“Thanks,” Dean replied. “We really appreciate the house call.”
Cas walked the doctor out, and Sam stared at Dean. “What the fuck happened?”
“Remember how Henry fell and cut his leg a few days ago?” Dean asked wearily.
Sam frowned. “I guess. It didn’t seem that bad.”
“No, it didn’t, until his jaw started to spasm this morning.” Dean rubbed his eyes. “We’re lucky the doc was in town.”
“You know I can handle myself,” Sam replied. “I could take care of it.”
Dean shook his head. “We’ve got some money socked away, but I don’t think we’ve got enough. Jameson was right about that much. The more desperate you are, the more expensive the meds get, and you don’t buy tetanus meds unless you really need them.”
Sam leaned back in his chair. “You think we’re going to have to steal them.”
“I wouldn’t rule it out,” Dean replied. “I wasn’t going to bring this up in front of the doctor, but I can’t ask you to do this, Sam. Henry isn’t your kid, and I know you’ve got a good thing going with Julia.”
Sam glared at him. “Seriously, Dean, you think I’d leave Henry hanging like that? He’s my fucking nephew!”
Dean smiled. “That’s what I figured you’d say. Cas was right; I’d be a liability in the field, and I’m not up for a long drive.”
Sam shook his head. “Don’t test me, Dean.”
“It wasn’t a test,” Dean assured him. “Look, Sam, I just want you to know that you don’t have to do this.”
“And who are you going to send if I don’t go?” Sam demanded. “If it’s a two-man job, and you can’t go-”
“Then I go,” Ben said from the doorway. “I could go, Dad.”
“I’m not quite ready for you to turn into a felon,” Dean replied wryly.
Ben scowled. “You think I can’t handle it?”
“I think that you’ve got your whole life ahead of you, and you’re not in the system yet,” Dean replied. “Sam and I both have records-or we would if we hadn’t been declared dead. Also, Sam has experience breaking and entering.”
“And I’m more than capable of the same,” Cas said, reappearing in the doorway. “We appreciate you volunteering, Ben, but Sam and I have more experience with things like this.”
Sam had no idea what kind of experience Cas would have in breaking and entering-or escaping if they got caught, in the worst case scenario-but he had to admit that he’d prefer to have Cas at his back, if only because Cas seemed to have this Zen thing going for him, as well as a pipeline to the divine.
Besides, Ben was Dean’s kid. Sam didn’t think he’d ever be able to come back here and tell Dean something had happened to Ben.
“But as a kid, they might not hold me if we get caught,” Ben protested.
“You’re old enough,” Sam said quietly. “Ben, when I was in L.A., they didn’t waste time asking how old people were. They shot first and asked questions later, even with kids as young as twelve.”
Sam had tried to keep his kill shots for those who looked like adults, and had disabled the rest, but not everyone had been so discerning. He’d watched one of the other contractors put a bullet through a kid’s head who couldn’t have been more than eleven.
Ben paled. “I thought-“
“It’s different in the cities, Ben,” Sam said quietly. “Here, people will cut kids a break, and they’ll understand if you’re stealing to care for your family. In the cities, they don’t give a rat’s ass.”
Ben stared at the floor. “I could still go with you. I could be a lookout.”
“You could,” Sam agreed, ignoring Dean’s glare. “But I’m going to need someone to help Howl, and your dad’s going to need help with the other kids. And do you seriously think that Cas and I wouldn’t worry about you? Do you think we wouldn’t do everything we could to protect you? We wouldn’t be able to focus on the job.”
Ben sighed. “Yeah. I guess.”
“Ben, you could do this,” Dean said quietly. “I could send you to Denver, and I know you’d bring back the meds Henry needs. I know that. But I’m a selfish bastard, and the thought of losing you-I can’t deal with it.”
Ben nodded, his expression softening. “Yeah, I get it, Dad. It’s okay.”
“Good,” Dean replied. “Cas?”
“We leave tonight, and we drive straight through. We’ll stop in town and have Maryanne call ahead where she can. And then we try to buy the meds. If we can’t buy them-” Cas shrugged. “We get them any way we can.”
~~~~~
They went by Howl’s place first so Sam could let him know that Ben would be taking his place for the next few days. After that was done, Cas said, “I can drop you off at Julia’s while I talk with Maryanne.”
Sam nodded. “That would be good. I don’t think she’d be happy if I disappeared for a few days without saying goodbye.”
Julia met him at the door, obviously surprised to see him back so soon. “Sam? What happened?”
Sam explained the situation, ending with, “And we’re not sure where we’re going to get the meds. Cas and I are leaving as soon as he finishes talking to Maryanne.”
“How far do you have to go?”
“We’ll try to find what we need in Rapid City first,” Sam replied. “But we think we might have to go to Denver.”
Julia grimaced. “You’ll be careful? I know you’ve been in the cities before, but-”
“Cas will be with me,” Sam assured her. “But we’ll be careful.” He offered a crooked grin. “No way am I telling Dean I got his boyfriend hurt.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You’d better come back in one piece, too. I’m not losing you.”
Sam pulled her into a tight embrace, his nose buried in her dark hair. She smelled of lavender and soap. “I have no intention of getting lost.”
Her kiss was demanding and hungry. “A little something for the road,” she said. “Good luck.”
“Thanks.” He pulled away reluctantly. “I have to go.”
“Yeah, you do,” Julia said, looking over Sam’s shoulder as Cas pulled up in front of the house.
Sam brushed his lips across hers and climbed into the passenger seat. “What did Maryanne have to say?” he asked as Cas pulled out.
He shook his head. “The hospital in Rapid City has been having trouble with their suppliers. They’re demanding more money for necessary medications, money that most people in this area don’t have.”
“Let me guess. The supplies come in from Denver.”
Cas nodded. “Which means we won’t be able to buy the drugs Henry needs. Maryanne asked her contact at the hospital how much we’d have to pay, and it would probably be around $700-if we find someone who’s sympathetic.”
Sam wasn’t too surprised. Before Cypress Grove, he had spent most of his time in cities, and he’d seen the price gouging that went on first hand. Food, water, medicine-you name it, and there was a steep price on it, one that a lot of people couldn’t afford. That was one reason there were so many riots: people were angry, and that anger had to go somewhere.
“What do you want to do?” Sam asked after a long pause.
Cas shook his head. “I don’t know.” He glanced over at Sam, his expression troubled. “I don’t like the idea of stealing, but-”
“We can’t approach them openly,” Sam said decisively. “If we try and fail, and we have to resort to robbery, they’re going to know exactly who’s to blame, and they might come after us, even in Cypress Grove.”
Cas sighed. “You’re right.”
“I’d suggest the black market, but I don’t know Denver well enough to find the right people without putting some time into it, and that’s time we don’t have,” Sam said. “I think our best bet is breaking and entering. We can leave some cash behind if you want. That way it’s not stealing, it’s cutting out the middle man.”
Cas’ laughter startled Sam. “Very nice rationalization, Sam.”
“Well, I was thinking about going to law school,” Sam replied with a grin.
~~~~~
Cas was asleep in the passenger seat when Sam reached Denver. He’d driven on I-25 enough prior to the apocalypse to notice a real difference when they got past Ft. Collins. The interstate was quiet, almost empty, save for a couple of trucks and a few other cars.
He negotiated the road with few problems, feeling the spot between his shoulder blades start to itch. He’d gotten soft after a year in a small town, although it was a softness that Sam could live with.
He liked himself a lot better now than he had a year ago.
Maryanne had gotten the names of the major drug supplier from her contact in Rapid City, but Sam wanted to do some reconnaissance first. They would need to be sure that the supplier had what Henry needed.
Cas roused when Sam stopped in front of a flophouse. They weren’t hard to find in a city this size, when a good part of the population was out of work and scrabbling for enough money to pay for room and board. “Where are we?”
“We need to call the supplier,” Sam replied. “To make sure they have what we need. And we’ll need to wait until the sun goes down to break in.”
Cas nodded. “Yes, of course. You’re right.”
“How are you at acting?” Sam asked.
Cas’ eyes went wide. “What?”
“Can you sound like a doctor?” Sam asked.
Cas blinked. “I don’t know.”
Sam grinned. “Never mind. I’ll make the call. Come on. And don’t be surprised if they assume we’re together.”
“I hate to tell you this, Sam, but you’re not my type,” Cas said solemnly with a completely straight face.
Sam laughed. “Yeah, no offense, but I prefer breasts.”
Cas grinned. “Julia has a very interesting pair.”
“If you want to put it that way,” Sam agreed. “I’m a lucky guy.”
“I’ve discovered that having a partner is everything,” Cas quietly agreed.
Sam glanced over at Cas. “Did Dean tell you about Laura?”
“He did,” Cas said quietly.
“Did he tell you that I was going to be a father?” Sam asked. “I thought I was ready, but I wasn’t. Now, though, I know if I stay with Julia, that’s exactly what I’ll be to Aubrey.”
“You’ll make a good father, Sam,” Cas replied gently. “You’re good with our children.”
Sam smiled. “Aubrey is a great kid.”
“He really is,” Cas agreed.
“Be right back,” Sam promised.
The rooms at this place rented by the hour or by the week, so Sam paid for 8 hours and took the proffered key. The manager, a large man in a sweat-stained t-shirt, glanced out the window to see Cas sitting in the car. “It’s extra for two people.”
Sam paid the extra money and asked, “Can I make a call from the room?”
“It’s a dollar every local call,” the manager replied apathetically. “The phones in the rooms won’t make long distance calls.”
“Yeah, okay,” Sam replied shortly, knowing that too much courtesy would be remembered long after rudeness.
The room was just as terrible as Sam had expected it to be-stained, rust-colored carpet, one king-size bed with an ugly navy blue and red comforter, beige walls that showed every dirty, greasy smudge.
Cas grimaced. “I always forget how terrible these places can be.”
“I don’t,” Sam admitted. “But I’ve stayed in worse places over the years.”
“I’m sorry this brings back bad memories,” Cas said quietly.
Sam looked around, thinking about how far away this world was from the one he now inhabited. He ran a hand through his hair-still short, courtesy of Julia. He was a different man than he’d been a year ago, living hand to mouth, selling his talents to the highest bidder, looking out only for himself.
“We live in a different world,” Sam murmured. “It’s easy to forget that at home.”
Cas smiled faintly. “I’m glad you came home, Sam.”
“Yeah, me too,” Sam agreed. “I need to make that phone call.”
Cas nodded equably. “Of course.”
Sam dialed the number Maryanne had wangled, and as usual, it paid off. He had no intention of giving the game away, so he introduced himself as Dr. Arnold Coolidge from Cheyenne. It was easy to give the name of the doctor who had treated him in Los Angeles, and to adopt an officious, authoritative tone. Sam had kind of missed this part of the job.
The man on the other end of the line introduced himself as Carl, and asked what Sam wanted in a suspicious tone of voice.
“I have a client who needs medication,” Sam explained brusquely. “And he’s willing to send a private plane to Denver to pick it up.”
Sam glanced over at Cas, who was grinning broadly. Sam returned the smile, then tuned back into the conversation. Carl was protesting that the drugs cost a lot of money and were difficult to produce. Sam rolled his eyes and said impatiently, “He has the money. How much do you want?”
“Well, I don’t know,” Carl prevaricated. “How much are you willing to spend?”
“He can give you a thousand in cash.”
Carl sputtered. “We can negotiate-”
“Take it or leave it,” Sam said evenly. “If you can’t meet our needs, we’ll go somewhere else.”
Carl agreed quickly, apparently wanting to close the deal before Sam decided to take his business elsewhere, and they made plans to meet at the municipal airport late the following day. By then, Sam and Cas would hopefully have the drugs and be long gone.
Sam hung up with a sigh. “They’ve got it. We’ll go in tonight as soon as it’s dark.”
“Good,” Cas said briefly. “You should get some sleep. I’ll keep watch.”
Sam stretched out on the bed, not bothering to take his boots off. “Wake me up in a couple of hours, okay?”
“Of course,” Cas said, but his tone of voice suggested that he would wake Sam up when he felt like it, and not a moment before.
Sam smiled and slept, trusting Cas to look out for him.
~~~~~
When Sam woke, the sun was on its descent, and the light in the room had softened, making the décor a lot more pleasant. “I thought you were going to wake me up,” Sam said, rubbing his good eye.
“You were sleeping,” Cas replied. “I’ll let you drive the getaway car.”
Sam snorted. “You know, Dean might need you to take care of him, but I don’t.”
Cas laughed. “You’re Dean’s brother. Of course I’m going to take care of you.”
Sam felt a reluctant grin pull at his lips. “Fair enough. Just so you know, I feel the same way.”
Cas met his eyes, and Sam realized that they were on the same page. They would do anything for Dean, they would do anything to protect Dean, and that meant doing everything they could for his kids, and for each other.
“We should get moving,” Cas said after a moment. “The sooner we get back home, the better.”
“Definitely,” Sam agreed.
They changed into dark clothing and made their way to the warehouse where the supplier kept the drugs. It was nondescript, which probably kept theft down. The security system might have posed a challenge to the average thief, but Sam had plenty of experience, and the alarm was no more sophisticated than any others Sam had dealt with in the past.
Sam pulled on a pair of gloves and, using his Leatherman, cut wires and crossed them to circumvent the system. “Okay, we’re good,” he whispered. “I just need to pick the lock.”
Cas stood next to him, alert and with a shotgun held at the ready. Sam figured that if he couldn’t have Dean with him, Cas was the next best thing. The door clicked open, and Sam drew his gun. “You remember what we need?” Sam asked.
Cas nodded. “I remember.”
They split up once they got inside. The interior of the warehouse was cool and clearly climate-controlled. Sam had no idea how the warehouse was arranged, and so he moved down the rows, checking each one. After a few minutes, he figured out the organization scheme. “Cas!” Sam called softly.
Cas hadn’t gotten too far yet, because he answered from a few rows away. “Yeah?”
“The drugs are ordered by type. I’ll look for the antibiotics. You look for the other stuff. They’ll probably be refrigerated.”
Dr. Jameson had said metronidazole was most effective against tetanus, and when he found it, he grabbed several large bottles of the pills, leaving a few crumpled $20 bills. Then, on impulse, he grabbed a few vials of the other antibiotics, thinking that it couldn’t hurt.
Sam headed for the entrance to wait for Cas, who joined him a few minutes later. “I found it,” Cas said. “And I got some of the vaccine, too.”
Sam grinned. “Did you leave cash?”
“Just enough to be insulting,” Cas admitted with a smirk he could have only learned from Dean. “But I grabbed enough vaccine to take care of us and the kids. We’ll drop whatever extra we have off with the hospital in Rapid City or Dr. Jameson.”
Sam grinned. “Let’s get moving.”
It was easier than he’d thought it would be, but Sam wasn’t going to complain. They stashed the meds in the cooler they’d brought, and headed towards I-25 and the long drive home.
~~~~~
Maryanne’s contacts proved invaluable on the trip home. Sam and Cas stopped off in Guernsey, trading a bottle of penicillin for enough gas to get them to Rapid City. Once there, they headed straight for the hospital, handing over some of their spoils, keeping back enough to treat Henry and inoculate the rest of the kids. They got a few gallons of gas in exchange, and then Cas turned the Willys towards home.
Sam fell asleep somewhere between Rapid City and Cypress Grove, waking up only when Cas pulled up in front of Maryanne’s place. “I’m going to see if Dr. Jameson is here,” Cas said. “You can go see Julia if you want.”
The sun had already come up over the horizon, and Sam glanced around sleepily. “Thanks,” he replied. “But I’ll see her once we take care of Henry.”
Cas smiled. “Give me a minute.”
Sam rolled down the window, leaning against the door. “No problem.”
Cas emerged from Maryanne’s drugstore with the doctor in tow, and she hopped up into the backseat of the Willys with a spryness that belied her age.
“You boys are resourceful,” Jameson said. “I didn’t think you’d be able to find the medication.”
“How is Henry?” Sam asked immediately.
“Hanging in there,” she assured him. “He’s sick, and he might get sicker yet, but I think he’ll make a full recovery.”
When they pulled up in front of the house, Cas grabbed the cooler and preceded the doctor inside. Sam stayed where he was in the passenger seat, feeling oddly reluctant to follow.
Even after a year here, Sam felt like a stranger sometimes. This was one of those times.
Sam adjusted his eye patch and climbed out of the car, grabbing a clean set of clothes before heading into the house. “Hey,” Ben greeted him. “Dad and Cas went upstairs with the doctor.”
“Great,” Sam replied. “How’s everything here?”
“We’ve been worried,” Ben admitted. “Dad’s kind of freaked out, especially with you and Cas gone, but we’re okay.”
Sam nodded. “Good.”
“Dr. Jameson seemed pretty happy with what you got,” Ben noted. “Was it hard?”
Sam shook his head. “No, it was pretty easy. I’m used to dealing with a lot more trouble.”
“Good thing?” Ben asked.
“Definitely a good thing,” Sam replied. “I think I’m going to take a shower. Yell if you need anything.”
The shower soothed him. Sam let the hot water pummel sore muscles, easing the tension from the drive and washing away the grime of the big city. By the time he emerged in a cloud of steam, Sam felt a lot more human, as though he’d left the past behind him again.
Sam was a different person here. He had family and a woman he loved. He could look at himself in the mirror without flinching now.
But if he needed those skills again to help his family-if he had to kill, or steal, or hurt someone-Sam would use them. He’d do just about anything for them.
He stuck his head into Henry’s room. Henry’s face was flushed and sweaty. “Hey, Uncle Sam,” Henry said as soon as he spotted Sam. “Good to see you.”
“Same here,” Sam replied, sitting down on the edge of Henry’s bed. “How are you feeling, bud?”
“Pretty crappy,” Henry admitted cheerfully. “But Dr. Jameson said I’ll feel better soon.”
Sam glanced over at Casey, who was sitting cross-legged at the end of Henry’s bed. “Are you keeping him company, Tough Stuff?”
“He did the same thing for me when I hurt my shoulder,” she replied. “How was the city, Uncle Sam?”
“Dirty,” Sam replied. “And not much fun.” He ruffled Henry’s hair, and then Casey’s. “I’ll see you later, okay?”
Sam found Dean and Cas in the kitchen with Dr. Jameson and Ben. Cas was standing behind Dean, his hands on Dean’s shoulders. “Hey, guys.”
Dean looked up, his eyes shadowed and his beard untrimmed. “Sammy. How are you?”
“Fine,” Sam assured him. “Doc?”
“He’ll be fine,” Dr. Jameson insisted. “He’s going to be feeling about 100% better after a couple of days of antibiotics.”
Sam grinned in relief. “That’s good to hear. Unless you want me to stick around, I think I might drop by Julia’s.”
“Go,” Dean replied, and his smile reached his eyes. “And Sammy?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks.”
That one word was filled with emotion, and Sam shrugged. He hadn’t done all that much. “Any time,” he replied. “Anything you need.” He met Cas’ eyes. “It was actually kind of fun.”
Cas chuckled. “It was, although I can’t say I want to do it again.”
“Nah,” Sam agreed. “I prefer to stay close to home these days.”
It was good to finally have a home to return to.