[h2]Esme[/h2]
Esme looked into Duke’s face as he leaned in closer. It was good to see him smiling and having the smile reach his eyes. The state he was in the night before was really worrisome. She slid her hand from her face to rest on her chest as he spoke. She wanted to go and check on him this morning, but after collapsing in the kitchen, throwing her guts up, and then passing out, she didn't quite make it that far. So, him calling her sweet pear and seeing his smiling face with some mischief first thing after waking up did her a little good after being plagued with dreams of bad memories. She stayed quiet as he continued, a slight smirk playing at the corner of her lips at his words. Esme could feel Bobby’s eye roll at Duke’s words to her. “A dream, huh?” she questioned. “Now you’re just being sweet. After what happened this morning and the dream-filled sleep I had. I know I look rough.” She watched Duke as he grinned at Bobby before looking back down at her. This was the Duke she knew and loved more than anything. This was the Duke she had fallen for.

As Duke spoke again, Esme lovingly squeezed his hand as his words reached her ears. Then he leaned forward and gently kissed her nose. She closed her eyes and smiled. It was a gesture she remembered well from when she was still with Dean. It was something that always made her smile when she was upset or in a fair amount of pain. She opened her eyes and looked into Dukes. “I wish I could say I was feeling okay, but I’m feeling pretty rough and sore.” she told him truthfully. “With the lack of a good night's sleep and what happened before I passed out, it’s a wonder I’m even awake right now.” Esme then dropped her eyes to the bandage on Duke’s stomach, and her smile faded. She lifted her hand from her chest and gently brushed her fingers over the bandage. “I wanted to check on you after Bobby patched me up. I didn’t want you to have to stay out in the RV alone. But as you can see, I didn’t make it that far.” Esme fell silent. It was clear she had gone into thought about something, and something she did. 

Her thoughts went back to this morning when Bobby asked Dean to get her the glass of whiskey from the kitchen. She could remember how much darker in color the whiskey seemed to be, the foul taste of it, and how sick she got after drinking it. She could even remember how Bobby answered when she told him it might have gone bad. It then hit her like a slap to the face. The whiskey hadn’t gone bad. Bobby had put something in it. But what? What could he have possibly put in the whiskey that made her so sick? She just might have to confront him about it later. After a moment, Esme shook herself from her thoughts and looked back into Duke’s eyes. “I think some aspirin and some of that coffee I smell will work wonders if you get it. I’m not in much of a trusting mood for anything Bobby gives me after this morning.” she told Duke softly. She then moved her hand from his stomach and gently placed it on his cheek, rubbing it lovingly with her thumb. “But more importantly, how are you feeling, my sweet Cowboy?”  she asked with concern in her blue eyes.