#yellow fever

Then the door slams open so hard it rattles the frame. You flinch instinctively, heart leaping, and both of your heads snap toward the noise.

The sheriff storms in with a gun raised and wild eyes locked on Dean. His voice is a harsh roar, filled with rage and fear. He screams about how he’s not going to let Dean ruin his life. Your stomach drops when you see the telltale rash crawling up his arms.

Everything happens fast—too fast. The sheriff charges, and Dean throws himself in front of you, knocking you aside as they crash together. The gun skitters across the floor. Dean wrestles him down, slamming the man into the coffee table, which gives with a splintering crack under the weight.

The sheriff seizes violently, gasping, screaming. Dean shouts at him to calm down, but it’s no use. The man’s body twists and then goes horrifyingly still.

Dean stumbles back, breath ragged, clawing at his arms like something is trying to crawl out of his skin. He collapses onto the couch, his whole body vibrating with panic.

You rush to him, fall to your knees in front of him, hands flying up to cradle his face. “Baby, hey—look at me. Calm down. Stop, okay?” Your voice shakes, but you need him to hear you, to see you. His eyes won’t stay still—they dart wildly around the room, full of terror.

You grab his hands before he can tear at his skin any further. “Dean. Baby. You’ve gotta focus. Look at me.” You lean in close, willing your voice to ground him. “I’m here. Dammit, I’m real. This isn’t an illusion. You’re gonna be fine. Sammy’s got this. You just need to breathe. Please, baby, breathe.”

Finally, his eyes lock onto yours. There’s so much fear there, it tears at your chest. Without thinking, you crawl into his lap, wrapping your arms tight around him like you can shield him from the weight crushing his mind. One hand slides to the back of his head, gently guiding his face to your neck.

“Close your eyes,” you whisper, voice soft against his temple. “We’re gonna sit this one out. Just you and me, baby. You’re safe. You’re okay. Breathe with me…”

You place tender kisses on top of his head, your heart thudding in sync with the frantic beat of his. Then his body stiffens.

“Please don’t say that… not you,” he growls suddenly, shoving you away so hard you stumble backward. He’s on his feet in an instant, fury overtaking the fear. “How can you say I deserve to go to hell again?!”

You freeze. “Dean, I didn’t—”

“Get out of her, you black-eyed bitch!” he shouts, and before you can react, he lunges.

“Fucking hell—” You gasp as he tackles you, and the breath is knocked from your lungs. Instinct takes over. You roll, scrambling to pin him beneath you, gripping his wrists as tightly as you can.

“Dean! It’s me! Baby, it’s me! You’re hallucinating—please, goddamn it, look at me!”

His arms jerk free and he clutches his chest, twisting, groaning, like he’s being torn apart from the inside out. You scramble back, rising to your feet, helplessness closing in like a noose.

“No, no, no—Dean!” you beg, voice cracking as you watch him shrink into a corner, still clutching at his chest, mumbling Lilith’s name like a broken prayer. Then—

He stops moving.

His body goes still, eyes wide open and unseeing.

You can’t move. You can’t breathe. Your feet are rooted to the floor as terror locks your body in place.

Then, a gasp—sharp and alive. Dean blinks, coughs, then shifts upright, dazed and shaking. The spell shatters, and you rush to him, falling to your knees and wrapping your arms around him without hesitation. He leans into you, all strength gone, and you lower him gently to the floor, cradling him close.

His fingers trail along the skin of his arms where the rash used to be. Eventually, he stills. His head finds your chest, and he buries himself in your embrace, clinging to the sound of your heartbeat. Whatever Sam and Bobby did—it worked. The sickness is gone.