Work Text
Oakwood Missouri, August, 28th 1984
Dean 5, Sam 1.
John Winchester sat down heavily on the plastic chairs decorated in complementary browns, and baby blues. He looked over the checklist he was given and began to fill it out: Child’s Name (Last) – Winchester. First – DeanDate of Birth - January 24th 1979. Home Phone - John sighed, and decided to fill in a random number. He looked down at his two small boys. Sammy was strapped in his stroller and Dean was crouched next to him, gently stroking his brother’s foot. They were sitting by a square glass topped coffee table with magazines scattered around. John noticed a few kids playing with blocks and books in the corner of the waiting room. He saw Dean’s wide anxious eyes meet his and he smiled gently. “Hey buddy, you can go play with the blocks if you want.” Dean shook his head, he was content being close to his Dad and Sammy. He didn’t want to play with strangers. He didn’t feel much like playing at all. Not at the doctors office that’s for sure. It’s been two years since Dean’s been to a doctors appointment. That doesn’t seem like a long time, just two little years, but remember the kid is only five-years-old. The last time he was in a doctors office he was a cute little toddler at the tender age of three. John and his beautiful wife, Mary, took him for his yearly check-up. That was back when John took them to yearly check-ups. That’s when John had Mary. When Dean was four, and Sammy had just been born. Mary and John took the baby to a few check-ups following his birth. But when Mary passed away on Sam’s sixth month birthday, John stopped taking his boys to the doctors. He stopped doing a lot of fatherly things and fell into a pit of despair. He barely got out of bed. All he did was drink and sleep. The first thing he did after the fire was take the boys to a motel room far away from Lawrence Kansas. For days, he watched himself drink his sorrows away while his four-year-old tried to take care of a six-month baby all by himself. Then, something inside John snapped. He couldn’t carry on like this. He had two sons to take care of; two boys he loved more than anything in the world. They were Mary’s last gift to him and it was his responsibility as a father to suck up all his pain and misery and be strong for his kids. Also, he used what little energy he had left, and focused it on finding the thing that killed his Mary. This desire is what kept him alive. Got him out of bed. Hunting things gave John hope that one day he could destroy what killed his wife and finally move on from the pain. So here he was today, at a doctors office in Oakland Missouri. Not because he wanted to be here. If it was up to John he would either be researching more information about the supernatural or drinking in a bar. But Dean was five-years-old, and school starts in September. So as his father he needed to get the kid vaccinated. He enrolled Dean, after much persuasion from his hunter friends. One of the most persuasive people was a woman named Kelly Moore. She was a maid at the motel John stayed at once Mary died. The woman basically took John and his boys into her own hands. She made sure the boys were safe, and made sure John was fed, gave them extra pillows in their room and everything. She was the definition of a saint. After she encouraged John to let Dean go to school, he enrolled his kid. Now, he’s getting letters saying Dean can’t go to school unless he’s vaccinated. So here John is, with two little boys, sitting in a waiting room, waiting to stick his kids with needles. He peered down and Sam and winced. His one-year-old was so happy and innocent, sucking on his pacifier and playing with his stuffed elephant. John could almost hear the screams of betrayal from his baby now. Dean kept looking at John like he was skeptical of where they were at. The boy knew something was up but he didn’t remember what doctors offices were like, so he wasn’t sure what to expect. John didn’t want to tell him. He didn’t want to scare Dean. A loud cry from behind the doors startled both of his kids. Dean was quick to recover from the shock when he noticed Sam’s teary eyes. “It’s okay, Sammy. Mr. Elephant will protect you.” Dean said, holding the stuffed elephant out and making him kiss Sam’s face. The baby squealed in delight. Reaching his tiny hands out, Sam grabbed the elephant and hugged it tightly. John returned to his paperwork. No allergies as far as he knew. No past medical issues. Who was the parent or guardian? That would be himself. He filled out Sam’s checklist next. When he was done, he handed to clipboard back to the secretary and sat back down. “Daddy.” Dean said quietly. “Yeah buddy?” John said, lifting his kid onto his lap.“I wanna go back to the motel.” He said, “I don’t like it here.” John sighed again. This was going to be a long day. “We can go back once we’re done getting our check-ups. We have to make sure you and Sammy are healthy little rascals.” “I feel fine, Daddy.” John nodded, “I know, but the doctor needs to make sure you won’t get sick in the future. He’s going to make sure you stay healthy.” Dean seemed to like that answer because he didn’t ask any more questions. He leaned back in his Father’s arms and closed his eyes. They stayed like that for a while - Dean’s head on John’s chest. John’s fingers brushing his wispy hair as he listened to his son breathe. A woman sat down next to John. She had two kids as well. A baby girl and a little boy, who couldn’t have been older than Dean. “Someone’s tired.” She said softly. Her eyes were scanning Dean’s sleepy figure and John felt slightly guilty. “Yeah, he was up late last night. I had some late night research to do and my friends were helping me. I guess we made too much noise.” John chuckled nervously. The woman smiled, “we’ve all been there. I’m lucky if I can get my little girl friends to be quiet for ten minutes at night.” John stiffened. He felt awkward talking to another parent. That’s something he would do with Mary. But now, it felt weird, out of place to be exchanging parenting stories. Especially since John’s been failing in the parent department lately. “John Winchester?” A nurse in a white lab coat saved him from the weird tension. “That’s us.” John said, standing up, placing Dean on the floor next to him then taking the stroller by his hands. “Good luck.” The woman called out. John forced a weak smile. He was going to freaking need that luck. “Hi John, I’m Nancy. And who might you be, cutie?” She looked down at the brunette boy, with big green eyes and freckles splashing over his cheeks. “Dean.” The boy said confidently. “Hi there Dean. Aren’t you just the sweetest little thing. And who is this little guy?” John smiled down at his baby, “Sammy can you say your name? Tell her, my name’s Sammy.” The baby was whimpering, cowering behind his elephant, and looking up at Dean for comfort. “He’s a little shy.” John said slightly embarrassed by his son’s reaction. He nurse didn’t seem to be affected. “That’s quite all right. He’s adorable.” She said, gushing. After the greeting, she took them to the measurement chart and took their height and weight. “Healthy, But Dean’s on the lighter side. Make sure he’s getting a balanced diet. I’ll give you a packet about balanced meals.” John gritted his teeth and forced another smile. “Thank you.” Next she took them to an eye chart and had Dean read off the shapes. He was too little to understand letters. “Good job.” She praised once Dean finished reading. Next, they were put in a colorful room with dinosaur wallpaper on the walls. Sam was incredibly fascinated by them. He kept poking his little finger along their bodies, trying to pet them. He proceeded to name them, and babble to each one. “That’s a T-Rex.” John explained. He laughed as Sam’s eyes got wide. “He big! Daddy, look at teeth!” Sam slapped his hand against the wall, trying to grab the dinosaur’s teeth. “I need to buy you a book on dinosaurs.” John mumbled, “It will keep you entertained for hours.” Dean on the other hand was nervously pacing the room. The medical equipment terrified him, and he didn’t like the looks of the gloves or the empty syringes. “Dean, settle down.” John ordered. He hated being stern, but Dean’s pacing was making him nervous. His son shot him a cold glare, but he didn’t dare disobey. The nurse walked back in a second later. “Sorry about that. I was checking on something. Anyway, let’s get started talking about some milestones. Dean, sweetie, you can go sit with Daddy if you want.” Dean took that opportunity to sit on John’s lap while John switched Sammy to his other arm. “Is Sammy eating solid foods yet?” “Yes, basically. I still have to mush some items together but he’s not eating baby food anymore.”“Good. And is he getting the hang of eating off a spoon or is he still using his hands?” “Spoon.” John answered with a smile. “Excellent. Dean, come have a seat up here. I’m going to take your blood pressure.”Dean spun his head back, to look at his Dad, worry evident in his eyes. “Shh. It’s not a problem, bud. The table’s safe. Hop up there.” John’s encouraging words helped Dean find the courage to sit on the big scary table. “Okay Dean. I’m going to wrap this around your arm. It’s going to get tighter and tighter like a big hug. Then it will get loose. Ready.” She put the cuff around Dean’s arm and began inflating it. Dean handled the situation with ease. He even smiled as it happened. Once again he was praised. With that, the nurse left and said the doctor will be in shortly. “Change into this paper robe. Nothing expect your underwear should be left on.” She told Dean before she left. John helped Dean get undressed, even though his son could do it by himself. He then took Sammy’s baby clothes off and left him in his diaper. Dean felt smaller and more vulnerable without his clothes. The paper outfit was scratchy and weird. “Daddy I don’t like this.” “It’s ok, Dean. The doctor’s just going to give you a quick check-up.” John assured. He was busy trying to keep Sam entertained that he couldn’t focus on comforting Dean. Right now, he was bouncing the baby on his lap.Dean looked at the colorful walls with disgust. This place seemed fake ‘happy.’ Like the, ‘oh we’re just going to torture you, but we’ll pretend to be nice.’ Dean scowled, crossing his arms over his chest. When the doctor entered, he greeted the family with an over-enthusiastic expression just like everyone else in this dump. Dean nearly growled as the doctor pressed a stethoscope against his chest. The metal was cold. Next, the doctor looked in Dean’s eyes, and ears. Then he bopped his knee with a rubber hammer. Luckily, It didn’t hurt like Dean thought it would. “Good job, Dean. Now I need you to lay on your back.” Slowly, Dean complied. “That’s a good boy. I’m going to check your belly.” Dean started giggling as the doctor’s hands ran over his stomach. He didn’t want to laugh, but It tickled and he couldn’t help himself. The doctor smiled. “He’s a healthy kid.” John smiled as well. “I’m a lucky man.” “All right, Dean. This part might make you a little uncomfortable. I just need to check down here really quick. You can hold your dad’s hand if you want.” The doctor removed Dean’s underwear in a quick motion and started checking a few areas. Dean’s face flushed red. He knew he hated this place. Stupid doctors were mean ugly bullies. He kept waiting for his father to come rescue him. Any minute now, Daddy will walk over here and punch you right in the face, then you’ll be sorry for messing with me. But the doctor was done quickly and, to Dean’s surprise, John never punched him. Once Dean’s underwear was back up, he sat up and looked at his Dad. John was smiling at him, a silent praise. “Excellent. Why don’t you stand up. Raise your arms and bend over.” Dean did as he was told without question. That’s just who Dean was. But he was certain the doctor was going to kill him just like the werewolf that slashed Daddy’s back. The doctor checked his spine and smiled. “No problems.” Dean was beyond relieved to hear that his check-up was over. However, his relief was short-lived when he saw the doctor pick-up Sammy. The doctor proceeded to check Sammy out for any problems. He looked at Sammy’s warm hazel green eyes, and throat. He checked the baby’s ears, which caused Sammy to cry. That pissed Dean off. He had to actively resist kicking the doctors shin. He would have done it if his Daddy wasn’t in the room. But Dean knew better than to kick people. Daddy told him to never kick anyone unless they are attacking him or his family. Even though Dean thought this doctor was attacking Sammy, his Dad didn’t even flinch so the doctor must not be trying to hurt Sammy. He was obviously just really bad with babies. What was he thinking, poking kids in the ear with sharp metal thingies. After Sammy settled down, the doctor checked his neck for lymph nodes. Then, he listened to his heart beat. The baby gurgled and giggled at that. He felt Sam’s belly for any type of mass that might be growing. He then untapped the baby’s diaper and checked his lower region to make sure both testicles were inside. He then taped the diaper back on and grabbed Sammy’s legs. The doctor made cooing noises as he pushed and pulled Sam’s legs up towards his belly and back down again. He was making sure the baby’s hips were not dislocated. He then checked Sam’s back. Dean watched the man with growing displeasure. Why couldn’t he just leave Sammy alone. Once the doctor was done, he concluded Sammy was a very healthy baby, except he was slightly concerned with the diaper rash Sam was sporting. He explained ways to help comfort and soothe Sam’s skin and ways to prevent it from happening again. Last but not least, it was time from the immunization shots. The boys got dressed while the doctor left to fetch the nurse.“Can we go now.” Dean asked, his tone a mix of annoyance with a touch of pleading. “Soon buddy. You need your shots first.” Dean gulped. That didn’t sound good. When the nurse arrived with a tray of needles, Dean concluded that shots were not good at all. “Hi everyone. How are things going?” She asked. Dean paled, stepping completely behind his father in an attempt to hide. “We’re good.” John’s gruff voice startled Sam. The nurse could hear his irritation and she decided to speed things along. “Okay, so I have four shots for Sammy and three shots for Dean.” “Sammy needs his DTP and Hib shots. Then he needs one for Hepatitis B and Varicella, that’s the chick pox one.” John smiled, “an important one. I remember having the chicken pox when I was young. I don’t want my kids to have to go through that.”The nurse smiled. “I had them too.” She laughed, “I was lucky I didn’t scar up.” Dean couldn’t believe his father was acting nice towards this witch! Dean was certain she was a supernatural creature hell-bent on stabbing him with needles. Why couldn’t his father see that? “Dean needs DTaP, OPV, and PPD.” She explained, “would you like him to go first?” “Yeah. He’s a tough kid. If Sammy watches him get the shot, he probably won’t be as scared.” The nurse nodded. “All right, Dean. Step right up here.” She patted the table. Dean felt the blood drain from his face. His stomach dropped like it does when you free-fall. Still, his father was expecting him to sit on the table, so Dean sat on the table. The nurse rolled up his short sleeve tee revealing his tanned chubby little shoulder. Being only five, Dean hadn’t lost all his baby fat yet. The nurse dabbed his shoulder with a cotton swab and then she took the syringe in her hand. Suddenly, Dean felt his stomach twist violently. The needle was long and sharp and getting closer to his helpless, exposed arm. He was so scared he wanted to cry. But Dad was counting on him to be tough. So Dean had to hold it in. Keep it together. He started breathing through his nose - trying to relax. “You can hold your daddy’s hand.” She said. But Dean shook his head. He wasn’t a baby. He was five-years-old for goodness sake. That’s way to old to be afraid of a little needle. Although, the needle looked really large from where Dean sat. He squeezed his eyes shut and then he felt a wicked pinch. It wasn’t that bad, but Dean had a difficult time remaining stoic. His stupid eyes wanted to water, but Dean wouldn’t let them. He had to be tough for Dad - for Sammy. After two more, he felt lightheaded. There was a buzzing sound in his ears. “Good job, Dean.” The nurse gave him three band aids. When he was back on the floor the room was growing darker. Dean wondered if someone was messing with the lights. “I’m impressed. Most kids cry at least a little, but he just grinned and beared it.” “I told you he’s tough.” John clapped Dean on the back. For some reason, John’s face was fuzzy in Dean’s mind. He watched the nurse put Sammy on the table. His Dad was holding Sammy’s hand. Dean saw the needle enter his little brother’s flesh. It was so disturbing. The long sharp piece of metal was engulfed in his brother’s soft, precious skin. Dean couldn’t see it anymore, but then he saw it come out. Is that what just happened to him? And it hurt too. Poor Sammy. Dean winced at his little brother’s ear-piercing cries. He couldn’t handle the sight of the needle entering his brother’s arm, mixed with his own pain and his little brother’s screams. Everything suddenly went black. But Dean could still vaguely hear the baby’s cries. “Daddy, I can’t see!” Dean yelled, voice laced with panic. John and the nurse turned just in time to see Dean crumble to the ground. “Dean?!” John shouted. The nurse was at Dean’s side in a heart-beat. “He’s all right. Just a little faint. Watching his brother get a shot might have made him squeamish. It happens to a lot of kids.” She said. Dean’s vision returned a few minutes later and the painful roaring sound in his ears stopped. As soon as he saw the nurse huddled over him and his Dad’s worried face, Dean began crying in the earnest. “I’m sorry.” He said, looking up at his father. “I don’t know what happened. I didn’t mean too.” He felt so guilty for not being strong enough. The nurse shushed him. “Don’t worry about it, honey. These things happen to a lot of people. You just don’t like needles.” “I really don’t.” He said. Which got a chuckle out of the nurse and a grunt from Dad. The nurse got him a juice box and forced him to lay down. Dean tried to insist he felt better, but the nurse was persistent on making him lay. After fifteen minutes passed, the nurse allowed John to collect his kids and go home. Thank God that trip was over. John was never taking them to the doctors again. Well, not unless it was extremely necessary, like a lung falling out.