Survive, Boy, Survive

Chapter 12

We pulled up to this huge building out in Lebanon, Kansas. We got out of the car and walked towards it,
Dean said" When's the last time somebody was in this place?" We looked at the door,
Sam said" 65, 70 years ago." Dean opened the box, and we looked at the key, he grabbed it and we walked down to the door.

I turned on my flashlight as Sam and Dean did,
Dean said" Son of a bitch."
Sam said" Look at this. Ham radio, telegraph, switchboard. This was their nerve center." I walked down the stairs, I heard Sam following me.
" Henry did say that they ran dispatch on their own team of hunters. Wow. Halfway through their coffee and a game of chess- Looks like whoever was manning the hub left quick."
" On the alarm call that ended the men of letters." I heard Dean push something then the lights came on, then Dean pushed something else." Son of a bitch." Dean walked down to us as we walked to the mini library they had. We walked to the steps, Dean stopped with us.
" Sammy, Riv, I think we found the bat cave."
———
Dean said" Morning." I laughed at him immediately,
Sam said" Morning."
" The, uh, water pressure in the letters' shower room is marvelous."
" Yeah, I still can't figure out how we even have water... or electricity."
" Yep, well, I am putting that under the ain't broke column. Listen, little brothers, let's not go all geek on this stuff. Okay?"
" Geek?" I was already messing with a sword I found, it was sharp... I tested that theory on the tip of my finger.
" Yeah. Yeah, I mean, don't-don't get me wrong." He picked up another sword, I smiled," This stuff is awesome, and it looks like they ran a real tight outfit here, but I'm just saying, you know, don't, uh, don't think that they knew some big secrets that we don't know." He got into a stance with the sword, then went to swing it but stopped as Sam turned to him.
" Dean... They were a secret society."
" Which means that they made crap up and wore fezzes and sashes and swung around scimitars. They probably didn't even sharp-" He nicked himself," That's very sharp."
" Dean, look. I think we might have something here. Something that could help us, help humanity. Henry certainly thought so. I mean, you know damn well we could use a break. What if we finally got one? Are you gonna take off the dead-guy robe?" Dean made that face, I rolled my eyes,
I said" He probably won't." I swung the sword in my hand,
" You gonna stop playing with a sword?"
" Definitely not." I swung it again, smiling at him," Keep reading, geek." He scoffed, Dean chuckled,
" Pipsqueak."
———
Dean came in, I was running the length of the library,
Dean said" Hey."
Sam said" Hey. So... how's Kevin doing?"
" You know, he's okay, I guess. In his corner, hacking out his da vinci code. Nothing actionable yet. Garth says hi, by the way. Anything from Cas?"
" No. Not-not a peep. Why? You?"
" No, he's, uh- he's not answering."
" Right. Well, uh, so I have been trying to chart out the letters' network of hunters, their allies, uh, affiliated groups they worked with, kept files on."
" Circa 1958?"
" Yeah. True. Most are dead or defunct, but others- I'm not so sure. And this one... You should definitely check out."
" The Judah initiative?"
" European team. They were active during world war II."
" Really? Hunters fighting in a war- that's cool."
" Not exactly hunters, n-n-not exactly fighting, but, uh..."
" Rabbis. Rabbis? Really?"
" The letters' file on them is sketchy, but, apparently, they were hard-core saboteurs. So, I ran a search on the initiative's entire roster, and I got a hit- one rabbi Isaac Bass. He was 17 years old when he joined the initiative and 85 years old when he died... two weeks ago. In a college town back east, he was capped."
" Capped?"
" Yeah. He was there doing research, and according to eye witnesses, he spontaneously combusted."
" So... this is a case? I just got back." Then he noticed me zooming back and forth behind Sam." What's up with Zoomies over there?"
" Oh, yeah, he had a nightmare. He puked 13 times last night, he hasn't touched anything since not even water. And he's had the zoomies ever since."
" Melatonin?"
" There's no telling what damage he could do to himself if he couldn't wake up from a nightmare."
" Beer?"
" He's a kid!"
" I'm just asking, geez. River, hey, buddy!" I stopped, my foot started tapping," Okay, what was the nightmare about?"
I said" No."
" Come on, bud, you've gotta help us help you."
" Don't need help. I'm fine." He scoffed, Sam did too," I am."
" Yeah, all right. Stop tapping your foot then." I looked at my foot, glaring at it, trying to get it to stop moving, but huffed once it didn't." That's what I thought. Look, man, you've gotta eat."
" No."
" Yes. Okay, I can handle the barely sleeping, because 4 to 5 hours is pretty good for you. But-but the not eating, that's something I'm not handling, all right? So, you're eating, end of discussion."
" You can't make me!"
" I raised your punk ass, so don't think I'm against shoving food down your throat, River."
" Food makes me sick."
" Nightmares make you sick, not the food, buddy."
" No eating, no puking."
" I know that's your logic, but you've gotta eat. You'll get really sick if you don't, River, okay? Just... okay, how about this? You don't have to eat meals." I tilted my head," We won't make you eat anything you don't want to eat. Okay? If you want 5 apples instead of a burger and fries, fine, have at it. You want a bag of chips, or a chocolate bar or gummi worms... have at it, but you will eat something. And you're drinking too. I don't care if it's water, juice, soda, I don't give a damn, but you're eating and drinking."
" Fine."
" Deal?"
" Deal."

They were packing, the black smoke surrounded me, circling me till all I could was black.
I screamed" No! No! Let me out! Stop it! Let me out!" I breathed heavily, my eyes glowed, I screamed, panicked." Sammy! De!" I hit the wall but it didn't open for me, I dropped down and pulled my knees to my chest.
I heard Sam say" River? Dean!" Then I heard him groan as I felt the black smoke push him away.
" No! Leave him alone!"
I heard Dean say" River! Hey!" I screamed, then my eyes rolled back as my body moved weirdly.

Dean's POV
I heard Sam yell for me, I ran into the library and saw a ball of black smoke, and Sam being pushed back.
I said" River! Hey!" The ball disappeared slowly and I saw River seizing on the ground. I ran to him, getting him onto his side and wrapping my arms around him. His hands gripped my arm, as his entire body shook violently, I looked at Sam, he stared at River.

After a few minutes, River went limp against me, I checked his pulse, it was rapid.
Sam said" Is he-"
I said" He's alive." He helped me get River into my arms,
" I think he should stay here, Dean. These attacks, it's getting worse and he's not telling us about it."
" Think he even knows?"
" Possibly. I mean, wouldn't be the first time he's lied to us about his wellbeing."
" He needs to stop lying."
" He's a scared kid, Dean. He thinks it's for the best."
" Yeah, I know. So what? Leave him here with a note?"
" He has his phone, leave him a note to call us when he wakes up, tell him to eat and drink. Hope he can get some sleep. Yeah, I mean, he just needs a break."
" All right. We better get him out of these clothes though. They're soaked in sweat."
" Yeah."

River's POV
I gasped, sitting up, looking around, my eyes glowed,
I said" Sammy? Dean?" I looked next to me and saw my phone and a note, I quickly read it." Seriously?" I grabbed my phone and called Dean's, he answered after a ring.
He said" Hey, buddy. Was about to call you."
" Where are you?"
" Pennsylvania. We'll be back in a few days, okay? Go eat and drink something, all right?"
" Okay. What's going on?"
" Well, we burned a nazi necromancer, we've met a golem, and we're working on finding more nazi necromancers."
" Huh?"
" Yeah, uh, we'll catch you up when we get back, so just sit tight and get some rest, okay?"
" What happened?"
" Don't really know. You had a seizure then passed out, you've been asleep for at most 36 hours."
" What?"
" Yeah, buddy. You were beyond exhausted. You needed the sleep. You doing okay? Have a nightmare?"
" I'm okay, no I didn't."
" Okay, just get some food and drink, I'll check in on you when I can."
" Okay, De."
" All right." He hung up, I sighed then slid off the bed and walked to the kitchen slowly.

I saw apples and other junk on the table, I opened a bag of chips and grabbed an apple. I walked to the library. I sighed as I sat down then walked to the mini fridge, I grabbed a juice bottle and walked to my seat. I pulled my phone from my pocket and began watching a movie while munching on my snacks.
———
They were back, Dean walked into the library where Sammy and I were.
Dean said" What're you doing?"
Sam said" Ordering- I'm making a card entry for our copies from the Thule's red ledger for our collection."
" So, uh, what? Aaron's a JI, and... you're a man of letters now? Is that it?" He poured two glass of bourbon and/or whiskey, and put one next to Sam, and moved away," Good." He sat in a chair next to me and put his feet up, in front of me, I glared at him, my eyes glowed as I moved his feet away from me.