Could it be Vertigo

Disclaimer: Supernatural and the Winchesters belong to Erik Kripke and the CW. I am just playing with them for a little while. I own nothing recognizable in this story, nor am I making a profit.

Author's Note: Sam is sixteen in this story and Dean is twenty.

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Driving into the small town of Friendsville, Illinois, John ran a weary hand over his face as he glanced into the rear view mirror to see his youngest leaning against the window asleep. Sam had been somber most of the ride and he couldn't really blame the kid since he had been forced to leave close friends behind once again. He knew Sam craved some normalcy and he wished he could give it to the sixteen year old, but his need to find the demon that killed his wife was stronger. "I'm sorry Sammy, but you're just going to have to learn to suck it up kiddo." He whispered before returning his attention to the road once again.

"He'll be fine dad, he just needs a few days to brood is all." Dean informed his dad with a yawn as he rapidly blinked his eyes trying to stay awake. It was nearing two in the morning, and he was trying to make sure his dad didn't fall asleep behind the wheel.

"I thought you were asleep Ace." John stated with surprise as he glanced at his oldest who had been slumped down in his seat for the past hour or so, his chin resting lightly on his chest.

"No sir, just resting a little." Dean replied with another yawn as he rubbed bloodshot eyes with the tips of his fingers. "You want me to take over driving for a little while?"

"Nah, I was planning on stopping for the night at the next motel I see anyway." John replied knowing his oldest was in no shape to drive. Dean was bruised from their last hunt and even though he wouldn't admit it, John knew his oldest was hurting.

"Sounds good to me." Dean stated honestly with the desire to take a quick shower and hit the sack. He was feeling sore all over and the long ride hadn't helped the feeling any. Noticing that the car was slowing down, he looked ahead to see a flashing neon sign proclaiming a vacancy at the Rest Haven Motel.

Pulling into the parking lot, John parked the car in front of the reception office and left the motor running. "I'll be back in a minute." He informed Dean as he opened the door to climb out. Walking inside, he quickly registered them and paid for a room for the night. Returning to the car, he handed Dean the keys and said, "We're in room number twenty two." Driving around back, he parked the Impala in front of the door and shut it down before reaching in the back and giving Sammy's shoulder a light shake.

"Wake up kiddo so you can go into the room and sleep in a real bed." John encouraged with a low voice so as not to scare his son. He watched his youngest open his eyes and noticed how disoriented Sam seemed to be as he glanced around trying to figure out where they were. "We've stopped for the night tiger. You need to get your stuff and then get inside." John said as he got out of the car and then opened the back door for Sam to do the same.

"Yes Sir." Sam answered with a yawn as he climbed out of the car. He suddenly felt a slight case of vertigo from the change in height and swayed upon reaching a standing position.

"Whoa, you feeling alright Sam?" John questioned as he grasped Sam by the arm to steady him.

"Yes Sir, M'just tired is all." Sam responded as he leaned back against the car and shook his head to dispel the vertigo that was assailing him.

"Dean, get your brother inside while I get our things." John ordered as he saw Dean walk around the front of the car to look at Sam with concern in his eyes. He watched as Dean wrapped a supportive arm around Sam's waist and led him inside before walking to the trunk and taking out their duffle bags, along with the weapons that needed cleaning after their last hunt.

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Opening the door, Dean led Sam inside to see a relatively clean room with two beds and a small sofa. Leading Sam over to the bed farthest from the door, he pulled back the comforter and then helped him to sit down on the bed before kneeling down in front of him and untying his baby brother's shoes.

"Dean, I can get that." Sam said as he started to lean down only to lose his balance and start toppling towards the floor. He would have face planted on the floor if it hadn't been for his big brother catching him.

"Shit Sammy, what's wrong with you dude?" Dean questioned as he caught his brother by the shoulders to keep him from hitting the floor.

"Just a little dizzy is all." Sam replied as he raised his hands to his head feeling a light case of nausea bubbling up. He had been feeling a little dizzy for a few days now, but it seemed to be getting a little worse making him wonder if he had an ear infection or something.

"That's probably cause you're still feeling drowsy." Dean said as he placed his hands on Sam's shoulders lightly pushing him back to lay down. "You just get some sleep and you'll feel better in the morning." He stated as he reached down to unbutton Sam's jeans before pulling them off so he could sleep more comfortably.

"Deeean" Sam whined slightly before rolling over onto his side and pulling his legs towards his chest and fading off to sleep.

Lightly brushing his fingers through Sam's mop of hair, Dean wondered if his baby brother was getting sick. Placing his palm on Sam's forehead, he relaxed at finding it cool to the touch. Grasping the comforter with his hand, he pulled it up over Sam and watched him for just a minute. Hearing a sound, he turned around to see their dad placing the duffle bags on the floor as he glanced over at the bed.

"He doing okay?" John questioned as he nodded his head towards the sleeping teen on the bed after having seen Dean checking for fever.

"Yes Sir, I think he's just exhausted is all." Dean answered knowing that Sam hadn't been sleeping too good for the past few nights. He had heard him up and roaming around a few times during the previous nights. When he had questioned Sam about it, Sam had replied that he just had a case of insomnia and not to worry about it.

"You look pretty tired yourself, why don't you go on to bed and I'll take care of protecting the room." John said as he pulled out a canister of salt.

"That sounds good, but I think I'll take a hot shower first." Dean replied knowing it would help his tense muscles to relax. Pulling off his favorite AC/DC shirt, he started walking towards the small motel bathroom. Shutting the door behind him, he turned on the faucets and finished undressing. Climbing into the shower, he sighed as he felt the steaming hot water pulsating over his body. Soaping up a wash cloth, he quickly washed up knowing that his dad would kill him if he didn't leave some hot water for him too.

Stepping out of the shower, he dried off a little before wrapping one of the large terry cloth towels around his waist. Opening the door, he walked out amidst a cloud of steam. "Bathroom's all your's dad." He informed John as he walked over to his duffle bag to get a clean pair of boxers and a t-shirt to sleep in. Quickly slipping the items of clothing on, he walked over to Sam's bed and climbed in beside him to sleep knowing that Sammy would sleep better with him near, and besides, his dad would appreciate having a bed to sleep on instead of the small couch provided by the motel.

John smiled as he watched his oldest climb into bed with Sam. He knew Dean was really concerned about the kid when he walked into the room to find Dean palming his forehead. Dean was now in mother hen mode and would be watching over Sammy closely for the next few days whether the youngster liked it or not. Finishing the salt lines, he drew a few protective wards and sigils over the door with wax before climbing into the shower himself.

Standing under the scalding water, he hoped that Dean was right, that Sam was just exhausted. The kid had become so moody and argumentative lately that sometimes he wondered if Sam was drinking or taking drugs behind his back. God help him if he was. He rarely spanked his boys, but Sam would definitely feel the effects of a good, hard spanking with his belt if he was doing something so damn stupid. Shaking the negative thoughts from his head, he stepped out of the shower and quickly dried off before pulling on his boxers and his gray Army t-shirt which was his usual sleeping gear. Exiting the bathroom, he checked on his boys to see that they were both sleeping before turning off the lamp and climbing into bed himself and fading off to sleep.

He was awakened from his sleep a few short hours later however by the sound of whimpering coming from one of his children. Sitting up with a yawn, he ran a hand through his sleep mussed hair before throwing the covers aside to go see what was wrong. He had just began to stand when he heard Dean's voice.

"S'okay dad, I've got him. Go back to sleep." Dean informed John as he wrapped a comforting arm around Sam and pulled him closer, whispering that everything was okay. He could feel Sam lightly trembling and figured he was most likely having another nightmare. Sam had been prone to them since he was just a little guy and Dean wished he could find a way to keep them from happening.

Knowing that Dean was better at comforting Sammy anyway, John sighed and lay back down in his bed wishing that he could have that kind of connection with his youngest. He knew it was his fault for allowing Dean to be his main caregiver when his baby was younger, but it was something that had to be done to keep his boys safe. He would never regret making the choices he did knowing that it kept his boys alive.

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Early the next morning found John sitting at the table sifting through the information he had gathered for their next hunt as he awaited for his boys to awaken. Apparently five hikers had been killed in the mountains of Idaho and the lone survivor of the attack claimed that it had been done by some skeletal looking creature that was over seven feet tall. Authorities believed the man was suffering from shock and therefore wasn't making sense, but John knew better. Obviously a wendigo was in the area terrorizing hikers and it needed to be dealt with ASAP.

Going through the notes he had gathered on wendigos, he knew that they were originally thought to be humans who had turned into an emaciated creature after having devoured human flesh. Because of their cannibalism, the creatures were cursed to be forever hungry and resorted to hunting campers and hikers in the deep forest. The creatures were also said to have horrifically long claws that could easily tear into human flesh and they were known for having inhuman speed which could really complicate matters. Of course there was different lore on the ways to kill the creature, but John knew the only way to truly do it was to melt it's ice cold heart using a flare gun and shooting it dead center in the chest.

Looking at his watch, John decided he would soon have to wake his boys if they didn't wake on their own, He had made plans for them to meet up with Joshua later on in the evening and he didn't want to be late. They needed to compare notes and establish the best place to start their hunt since the area they were headed to had numerous caves and old mines in which the wendigo could lay low.

Placing his notes inside his journal, he glanced over to the bed where his boys were now beginning to show signs of waking. Sam still seemed to be a little pale, but that could be from the fact the kid hadn't eaten much of anything the previous day since he was brooding. Taking a deep breath, John vowed to make sure that Sam ate a full breakfast and lunch before they arrived at their destination. He wanted his boys in their best hunting form.

TBC So should I keep going or trash it?