A/N: All righty, then. I'm new to the Supernatural fandom, like virtually brand new, but I have years of experience listening to my friends weep about Sam and Dean and Cas. I basically marathoned Season 1 less than a week ago so now I'm hooked. I'm also emotionally traumatized, but I'm assured that it'll get much worse. So. . . I love all the angst on this show, and I decided to add some more. I adore medicine and the like, so each chapter will deal with either an ailment or some medical device (like a ventilator or an ET tube). Seeing as I've only seen Season 1, the earlier chapters will focus mostly on Sam and Dean and not others. Give me some time and others will show up eventually. It's gonna be great, guys. :)

Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own Supernatural or any of the characters and I make no profit doing this.

Disclaimer #2: I am not a medical professional (yet) and my research is based off textbooks and many hours of arduous research on the internet. But if any of you are medical professionals out there, I'd love to hear your input.

Reviews are much welcome! Enjoy!

A is For Anaphylaxis

"Dude, what is this?" Dean whipped a small, penlike object from out of Sam's duffel, throwing him a strange look. "Is it a pen?" He began to take the bright orange cap off, but Sam snatched it from him with an eye roll.

"It's an EpiPen, Dean."

"An EpiPen?"

"Yeah, it's short for epinephrine?"

Dean stared at his brother blankly.

"It's for anaphylaxis," Sam explained. "Severe allergic reactions."

"You allergic to something?"

"Yeah, to wasps."

"When did you get stung by a wasp?"

"Back at Stanford. We were all screwing around, must have messed with their hive or something. Next thing I know, I can't breathe and had to be rushed to the hospital. Apparently I'm incredibly allergic to them."

Dean regarded his brother curiously, taking the pen from him.

"And this helps?"

"Yeah, epinephrine is adrenaline. It makes your heart beat faster, keeps your throat from swelling up."

"Really?"

"Yep." Sam turned back to his bag, taking some clothes from it and stuffing it in the motel drawer. When he turned back to Dean, his brother was still staring at the pen.

"Teach me how to use it," Dean demanded suddenly, holding the pen out to Sam.

"Why?"

"Don't ask questions, just do it."

Sam rolled his eyes.

"It's not that hard, really. You just hold it in your hand like a fist and then jab it into my thigh."

"Through your clothes?"

"Yeah, the needle goes through."

"How do I know if it worked?"

"There's a colored indicator. If this strip right here changes color, then you administered the drug."

Dean shrugged.

"Seems simple enough," he said.

"Yeah, that's cause it is."

Dean filed away the information, hoping he never needed to use it.

A Few Months Later

The brothers were running through some God-forsaken forest in Montana, chasing after some God-forsaken monster, hoping to catch it before it hurt anyone else. Dean was sprinting quickly through the forest brush, knowing that Sam was right behind him, and, with a perfect shot that any sharp shooter would be proud of, the eldest Winchester put that hideous beast to rest. He turned around to grin at his brother, but he was nowhere to be seen. Dean frowned.

"Sam?" he called. No answer. "Sammy?" Nothing.

Beginning to be nervous, Dean rushed back through the brush, continuing to call for his baby brother. Less than a minute later, Dean heard a painful wheeze and rushed forward into a clearing. There was Sam, leaning apparently uninjured against a tree.

"Sam!" Dean said, relieved. "You really shouldn't fall behind, you know. Next time I'll just leave your sorry ass."

Sam didn't respond, but only shifted feebly, his hands reaching for his throat. A worried frown settled onto Dean's face and he took a step forward.

"Sammy?"

Sam made a painful wheezing noise and Dean rushed to him. He recoiled for a moment, horrified. Sam's skin was mottled white and red and his lips and throat were swelled to twice their normal size. Dean steeled himself.

"Where's that damn EpiPen?" he practically yelled at his brother.

Sam pointed at his coat pocket with shaking hands and Dean rummaged through it quickly, Sam's rough breathing whistling against his ear. When he had his fingers wrapped around the pen, he ripped off the cap and did everything his brother had instructed him to.

A stab, a colored strip, and a few tense moments later, Sam's breathing evened out and he took a few hesitant sips of air graciously. He leaned his head back against the tree trunk in exhaustion. His heart was racing. Sam became slowly aware that Dean was watching him warily, his eyes barely hiding his worry. Sam tried to smile reassuringly at him.

"'S all good," he slurred, words coming with difficulty.

Dean's eyes narrowed.

"It is!" Sam protested.

"Where'd the wasp sting you?" he asked. Sam pointed to a swollen red spot just above his ankle.

"Must've disturbed it or something," he explained. "But I'm okay, Dean." He clapped his hand to his brother's shoulder. "Thanks to you."

Dean rolled his eyes.

"Don't get mushy on me, Sammy." But Sam only smiled. "All right, time to get going. Can you walk?"

Sam nodded and Dean helped him to his feet. They started walking back to the Impala.

"You're supposed to take me to the hospital, you know," Sam said after a moment.

"What?" Dean asked. "Why?"

"Observation, make sure nothing happens to me."

"What would happen to you?"

Sam shrugged.

"Complications."

"I'm not spending our stolen health insurance so that a bunch of quacks can observe you for 'complications.' You have another, EpiPen, right?"

Sam nodded.

"Good. Then we have nothing to worry about. I'll watch you myself."

They returned to their motel, satisfied with a job well done and relishing in the fact that everybody was alive, and after a small meal, Sam went to sleep.

Dean silently watched him.

You really should go to the hospital after using an EpiPen, though.

Reviews are wonderful. :)