trans_9 | (no subject)

Entry tags:

(no subject)

Karen was still a little nervous around Kang, and quiet, even after spending a couple of days with him, and he couldn't really blame her. At least she wasn't terrified of him anymore, and she wasn't all that difficult to watch over. He'd even managed to find a few things to help keep her entertained in Possessions (the Fairplay memories were definitely coming in handy in this case; he wouldn't have known what type of things human children typically liked to do otherwise).

He had duties at the tavern, though, and decided to bring her along with him. She'd offered to help him out, but there really wasn't anything a child as young as her could do, so he'd handed her some paper and crayons and set her up at a table next to the bar, asking her to draw some pictures for the tavern. That way, she was occupied and out of the way, and still felt that she was doing something to help.

He made sure to keep an eye on her as he went about his usual business, checking up on her every now and then to make sure she wasn't bored.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Kang had been staying silent, letting the two of them talk, but upon hearing that Sam knew this had been happening, and the mention of plans, he snorted, "If you knew, why was he not taken to the med bay? And what plans are you talking about?"

Dean felt he needed to sit for this crap. Plus he was too sober. But would drinking make this thing worse, whatever it was?

"Hey I've been fine till this." He then got a better look at what he was wearing.

"Why the hell am I in a suit? And Sam, what plans?"

Sam's hands moved to the spot between forehead and temples, pressing and rubbing in circles. "Because angels are dicks," was his explanation to Dean. "And one in particular decided to show you what your life might have been like without hunting. You were a corporate drone."

Which Dean would LOVE, he was certain.

After a moment, he dropped his hands and looked up at Kang. "Dean wasn't meant to leave the house. I didn't think he'd regress back to a point where...well, absolutely nothing would make sense." If he had, he'd have been more careful when leaving. "That said. The reason he's not in the medbay is because, at the current rate, he's going to think he's back in Hell before the end of the week. Including ten years of being..." He glanced at Dean, then back to Kang. "Basically a torturer's apprentice."

He knew Dean had told Kang about a lot of what had happened. And as much as he didn't want to bring this up, Sam knew damned well he was going to need back up when that happened.

"Did you at least inform any others about Dean being affected?" Kang asked. "I can understand why you did try to keep him in the house, but they still needed to know. As of yet, we have no idea what's causing this."

Dean started to yell about he's standing right the fuck here so stop talking about him like he wasn't. But then off Sam's mention, he felt his stomach drop. Yeah, he vaguely remembered telling Kang, but he didn't realize that if Sam had later memories, he must have told him at some point. He told him about picking up the knife, and how much he loved it.

He closed into himself for the time being, again wishing for a beer or better yet, whiskey.

Sam shifted, pushing his shoulder against Dean's. Just a reminder that he was there.

"No, I haven't," Sam replied, straightening his shoulders. "If I told medical, they'd make Dean come in. Whatever it is, it's not affecting me. As soon as I figured out what was happening, I left notes of the last things I remembered from my world on my omnicomm. It's set to come up when I look at it in the morning. My memories haven't changed."

He picked up the mug again. "So, no. I'm not telling medical. Not until the worst of this has run its course." Given the fact that Dean had been in Hell longer than he'd been alive, that was going to take some time.

"Damn it to the Abyss, you two are the most stubborn humans I have ever met," Kang cursed. He had to admit, it was pretty smart of Sam to do that, though. "I'm of a mind to go and tell medical myself now."

Dean leaned against Sam, using that support and reassurance to ground himself. Keep away the screams and the smell of blood and sulfur overtaking him.

However he did catch what Kang was saying, and got up, "No! Come on, Kang, I'm fine. You don't want me there. I'll head back to the house, it'll be fine." He was trying to be convincing but there was something wild and frenzied in his expression.

"Better if I just stay away from everybody."

Having Dean lean against him was a little new. Dean didn't do the leaning, usually. There was a part of Sam that was happy to be able to give that to him, just like there was a part that hated that Dean needed it. Or, more to the point, that his memories were in enough of a jumble to need it.

Sam flashed a quick, wry smile at Kang. "You realize I take that as a compliment." About being one of the most stubborn humans that Kang knew. "No, Kang. I'm going to ask, as a friend, that you don't. There are things that nobody outside of this needs to know. What we're facing down here? Is definitely one of them.

"I'm getting all weapons out of the house. I'm going to send Bobby and Tom..." Well, he'd thought about sending him to Marco's house, but that was probably a bad idea now. "...to Xander. Or Kaylee, maybe. And then I'm going to ask Rhiow if there's a way to lock a circle around the house so that nobody can go in or out." It was safer if it was nobody rather than keying it to just Dean. Those years in Hell would probably do a number on his name.

Kang debated with himself for a few seconds, and then sighed, "...fine. Only if you let me help you with this. Remember, I have some spells of my own that might be useful for emergencies."

Dean will deny it later if Sam mentions it, but right now the support helped. He hadn't even realized how much his heart was galloping in his chest at the idea of being held down and confined to a bed. It was too much like the rack or being enclosed. He can't do that again.

He started to calm a little at Kang's agreement, and thanked him, "Thanks, and sure, any protections or wards you got. Should have known we might need a panic room sooner or later."

"Thank you." Sam relaxed a bit as well. This was something he would have taken to Bobby normally. So having Kang willing to help was a load off his mind.

He shuddered at the mention of a panic room. "Well, if it's in your expansion plans for the house, it's not finished yet. So we'll just have to make do with what we have." Which was a Devil's trap in the bedroom, though he didn't know for certain if it would actually hold Dean during that time. "Though, if what just happens holds, we'll have a few moments of warning. It might not be enough, but it'll be something."

Which meant getting back to that delayed explanation, he was certain.

"No protections or wards, but I've got a few spells that are good for subduing someone, and I might be able to find something of use in the Tower. I'll need to ask Aibghalien; he's more familiar with wizard artifacts," Kang said. "What just happens? Did you get that headache because of Dean going further back?"

Dean stared back at him, and frowned at his brother.

"Well it can't be visions again. Thought that went bye bye when Azazel bit it."

Sam's mouth set in a grim line. "Actually, Dean, I think it can be. I got flashes and..." He shook his head. "The Ohm we call Leviathans are psychic, did you know that? And we fought three or four of them. I know I was knocked out when they were killed.

"Ru..." He cut that thought off. Dean didn't know that she absolutely couldn't be trusted, but he didn't want to think about her. "The powers were dormant. I'm thinking something in the death throes may have knocked it loose again."

Kang frowned, "That doesn't sound good. Is there any way to make them more... tolerable?"

He took a drink of his ale, glancing over at Karen. "I'm going to have to find someone else to watch over Karen during this, aren't I? She's met Eva, and I think she'll be willing to take her in. She'll probably be happier staying with someone else anyways; she's still nervous around me."

"Aw crap, you think they whammied you?" Dean looked uneasy at that.

He sighed, and remarked, "Sorry, Kang. Hate to bring this down on you, and yeah, either Eva or staying wherever Tom will be."

Sam nodded to Dean. "Right now, it seems like it's keyed into whatever's causing this. But I'm not getting a lot of lead time." Which meant that when Dean switched, Sam was going to be vulnerable for a few moments. So it was probably a very good idea to have Kang around.

He looked over at Karen. "I'm sure Tom would be glad to have her with him. She does know us, but I don't know how comfortable she is with us yet." He liked her and felt protective, but it depended on what Karen waned, too.

"Dean, you said it before yourself: family. It'd be a pretty shitty thing of me to do to not help you when you needed it," Kang pointed out. "I'll talk to Aibghalien about any artifacts in the Tower, and make arrangements for Karen. I'll need to let the other councilors know that I'll only be available via omnicomm for the next few days, too."

Dean gave Kang a grateful smile at that. He just wasn't good on asking for things for himself. He briefly looked toward Karen, and his expression fell a little. Hoped for more time to get to know the kid, but that would have to wait now. He knew he had to avoid people for a while. Depending on how long this lasted, and it was a shitload of years to cover.

Sam grimaced. "I'm going to have to contact the general, too." Because if he wasn't going to be able to make it to flight practice, he was going to be in trouble. "We'll get it figured out." That was directed to Dean as much as Kang.

"I can help make sure Trudy isn't too hard on you," Kang smiled slightly, and nodded. "And yes, we will get this figured out."

Dean just nodded, because they always do figure it out. But in the meantime, he was staying quiet and trying to hide how much going back to the Pit at least mentally freaked him out.

Pretty much the same way Sam was trying to hide it on his end. He knew what had happened to Dean. Had seen the aftermath in a dozen ways. Had been there with him through the fallout from Punishment.

Now he was going to see it first hand and it frightened and sickened him. But there was no way that Sam would turn his back on him. At least he could be there, this time.

"Any help I can get with Trudy would be awesome," Sam admitted with a shaky smile. "Though you'd think that after that damned fight with the Ohm, we'd have earned a little downtime."

Kang snorted, "Sam, you should know by now that's not how things work. How'd that fight go, anyways? I haven't heard many details yet."