The Light at the End 6/??
Title: The Light at the End
Pairing: Kurt/Blaine
Rating: PG-13
Next chapter: Even though he and Blaine were talking once again...
Previous chapter: Rachel Berry did not have good taste in fashion
Summary: Kurt Hummel was just like every other teenager: loud, demanding, but still a good child. That is, he was like that until he was diagnosed with a medical condition that was, without a doubt, going to kill him. So, he accepted his condition and decided to wait out the rest of his short life. But a chance meeting with a boy named Blaine Anderson could possibly give him just enough strength to keep fighting.
Author's notes: I started this a while ago - and by a while ago I mean a couple of months, a few days, and roughly 2.7 hours ago. The medical condition is inspired by the movie Seven Pounds, and the will to keep going in this story is inspired by a fact that I learned: that even if everything seems gloomy, one person can make an immense difference.
I hope that you all enjoy.
Chapter Six
Carole was a nice lady.
She'd been a single parent for so long, and even though she had only been dating his dad for a little while, she'd already started treating Kurt like her second son. He liked her. He gave her make-overs, took her shopping, and helped her pick out what she would wear when his dad took her out for the night.
He was just worried what would happen to their relationship once she found out about Kurt's heart.
Finn was nice too. He was very oblivious to many things (his wardrobe being one of them), but he treated Kurt like another person, and not some gay kid who was going to 'contaminate him'. Kurt felt like, that with Finn, he might possibly have a brother. But, the same with Carole, he worried how Finn would take the fact that Kurt's heart was failing.
He just never thought that they'd find out like this.
It was Saturday night dinner with the Hudson's, and this time, Burt had decided to take them out to the cafe by the garage. He'd recently proposed to Carole (Kurt was proud to admit that he knew his dad would propose before his dad even did), and the soon-to-be family decided on having a mini-celebration. The cafe was a great place for those. It was a small place, but Kurt's mother had picked it out when he'd been three, but his dad had never actually taken him there in a long time.
Kurt wanted to enjoy the moment, but he was finding it hard to pay attention to his dad talking, Carole and Finn laughing, all of the sounds around him. He hadn't been feeling good the entire day; he was so tired, and he didn't know why, because he'd been sleeping well for the first time since the day that Blaine had fallen asleep next to him on the couch. Walking from the parking lot to their seat had taken a toll out of him, and he was sitting next to Finn, breathless and dizzy and not even bothering to look at the menu.
He had yet to mention how tired and dizzy he was to his dad, because for the first time in a long time, his dad was happy and laughing and he had his hand wrapped around Carole's shoulder; he and Finn were getting along great and who was Kurt to deny him of that?
Plus, it all meant that if and when Kurt's heart gave out, his dad would still have a family, and that helped ease the weight in his chest.
"And so, I'm thinking of taking Finn to see the football game this weekend. Would that be okay with you, Carole?" Burt looked over at Finn. "What do you think, Finn?"
Finn looked up from his menu and gasped at Burt. "You serious? I'd love to go! That would be totally awesome!"
"Great. Would you be okay with that, Kurt?"
Kurt glanced up and tried to make his eyes focus, but his dad's face kept sliding in and out of focus, and he couldn't tell where he was actually looking. "That would be fine."
"You can invite Blaine to come over, or maybe rent a movie."
"Hmm..."
Burt then went back to his conversation with Carole, and Kurt went back to staring at the fuzzy outline of the menu. Maybe he was just hungry? He hadn't been eating a lot lately, since the day that he'd completely ruined his relationship with Blaine. Yeah, that was it. That was why he was so tired, and dizzy and breathless and-
"Kurt, buddy," his dad said loudly.
Kurt looked up again to see everyone staring at him. "Huh?"
There was a cough to his right and then the fuzzy outline of the waitress was in his line of sight. "Are you ready to order, sir?"
Kurt blinked up at her tiredly. No, he wasn't ready to order. He just wanted to go home and curl up in bed and sleep, but that would have made him sound like a five year old, so he nodded and said, "I'll just have a salad with vinegar and oil for the dressing, thanks."
She wrote it down, then said, "I'll have your orders out when they are ready."
When she'd turned the corner and was out of sight, he felt the heavy weight of a hand land on his wrist, and he heard his dad whisper, "Are you okay?"
"You look really pale, dude."
"Thanks, Finn. I really wanted to hear that. I'm fine, Dad, and Finn? Don't call me 'dude'."
The look his dad was giving him made his heart clench; he looked worried, concerned and sad all at the same time. "Are you sure you're okay?"
Kurt wanted to lie, say that he was fine and just having a bad day, but the truth was he had never felt this bad before, and it was scaring him. He shook his head, and as he did, he felt his world teeter to the side.
"Kurt?"
His vision went black, and he was falling.
"Kurt!"
[*]*[*]
"...so... you mean...?"
"Yes, Kurt's...my boy is... my boy is dying, Carole."
"Oh, Burt... I- ...is there any hope at all?"
Sigh
"He's not a rare blood type so the percentage of getting a heart transplant is a little bit higher, and I guess that now he's Status 1 he'll be put on the list for a donor but-"
"But that means he could go faster, huh?"
"Yeah..."
Between all of the talking, there were beep beep sounds, as well as the sound of someone tapping their foot against what he assumed was the floor. He didn't even need to open his eyes to know that he was in the hospital; he'd woken up in the same situation many times before.
He let his eyes slide open, and he waited.
"Kurt!"
He'd only waited a few seconds before Finn's face was being shoved in front of his; a small smile appeared, and then Finn's face lifted slightly. "Burt! Mom! He's awake!"
Kurt let his eyes close and didn't open them, even when his dad ran a hand through his hair and held his hand. "What did the doctor say?"
Burt sighed. "You've been incredibly tired lately, haven't you." It wasn't a question, and Kurt didn't even bother to answer; they both knew the answer. "The doctor said...said that the reason you passed out was because your heart wasn't strong enough to pump blood to your brain. They-they said that it's gotten pretty big and-"
His dad cut off, and Kurt opened his eyes. "It's starting to not work, huh?"
Burt nodded, a few tears falling down his cheeks.
Kurt looked up at the ceiling and blinked rapidly, trying to keep his own tears from falling. If he cried, his dad most certainly would. "How much longer do I have?"
Burt shook his head. "That is completely up to your heart."
Kurt nodded, then closed his eyes slowly, inhaling deeply. "Hey, Dad?"
"Yes?"
"Will you do me one last favor?"
His dad nodded, his gaze intense on Kurt's eyes. Kurt tried to make his smile happy, but when he did smile, the tears began to spill over. "Will you let me start to plan the wedding? I've kind of always wanted to do that."
His dad let out a choked sob, then lunged forward and grabbed Kurt in a tight hug, pulling him close. "You can plan the entire damn thing, Kurt. You're going to beat this. You'll get a heart, I promise."
Kurt gripped the back of his dad's coat tightly. "Don't make promises that might not happen, Dad..."
It hurt to say that, because the child in him wanted to be able to believe in the words his daddy had said, because what daddy said just had to be true. But he knew that there were many people that needed heart transplants, and Kurt was a single number against many others. He wanted to feel selfish, but the feeling wouldn't come, and, sighing, he sagged against his dad's chest. "I'm tired..." he said softly, letting his eyes drip closed.
His dad sniffed, then nodded and stood up. "I'm going to get a nurse and tell the doctor that you're awake."
He walked out of the room, took Carole's hand and disappeared around the corner.
Finn was still in the room, though, and when he cleared his throat Kurt glanced tiredly over at him. "Are you hungry? I can go and get something from the cafeteria or..."
Kurt stretched out a hand and grabbed Finn's. He didn't want to, but-
"Finn...please, stay in here with me? Please..."
The next thing he knew, tears were falling down his cheeks, and Finn had him in a tight hug. "It'll be okay, Kurt."
He was just so tired of it all, and for the first time in a long time, he let himself believe that it would be okay.
[*]*[*]
"You what?"
Kurt couldn't believe it. He just... No, Finn wouldn't have done that. He wouldn't have.
"I'm sorry, Kurt! I just thought that they needed to know!"
Kurt shook his head. "Finn, I'm not that great of friends with any of them! I mean, sure, we all get a long, and I do consider them my friends, and I hang out with Mercedes quite a bit but - They're not close to me, and I'm not close to them. Why, whywould you tell them that I'm in the hospital?"
Finn put his hands up in front of him in a gesture of peace. "It's because they care about you, Kurt? All this week they've been asking if you're okay, and if you were sick and at home and... Santana even seemed worried about you!"
Kurt was still shaking his head. "You... you didn't tell them the reason why I was in the hospital, did you?"
Finn was silent.
"Oh my god..."
His soon-to-be stepbrother at least had the decency to look ashamed. "I just... Kurt, everyone in Glee club really likes you, even if they don't show it. Can't you just trust me with this?"
"I don't know if I can, Finn. I didn't... I... I told Blaine in the worst way possible, and now he's no longer talking to me. I just - I can't deal with losing other people as well, Finn, I can't."
Finn sighed, then took the seat next to Kurt's bed. He placed a hand on Kurt's shoulder and inhaled deeply. "I really am sorry, dude."
"Don't call me 'dude', please. You at least owe me that."
Finn let out a small laugh. "Okay, okay. But, you know, they're all planning on coming to see you after school instead of having rehearsal."
Kurt's head shot up. "But... What about Sectionals? They have to be ready for that!"
"They care more about you. Rachel was the one who suggested it."
Kurt blinked, then sat back against his pillow, stunned. "Wow... I didn't think..."
"That people cared that much about you?"
"Well, yeah. Forgive me if I'm hesitant about this, but until this year I've never had any friends, or had someone I like, or a best fri-"
"Wait, you like someone?"
Oh... Shit.
He hadn't meant to say that, and, trying to shift attention away from it, he said quickly, "So, are you still with Rachel or are you dating Quinn now, or what's going on with that?"
But Finn wasn't going to be persuaded. "Kurt... Who is it? Does he go to our school, or is he just someone close to..." Finn drew off. Then his eyes widened. "It's Blaine, huh?"
Kurt lowered his head. "Yes, I like Blaine."
"Dude, that's awesome! He's gay, you're gay, so you guys can totally date and-"
"And do you remember, Finn, that I told you that Blaine is no longer talking to me?"
Finn went quiet.
"I... I was stupid, and told him that I was dying over a fucking text message, and now he's not talking to me. It's kind of like he erased me a bit... Well, I deserve it. At least this way he doesn't have to associate himself with the dying kid, right?"
It wasn't until he had a tissue shoved into his face that he realized he was crying. He took the tissue and quickly wiped his tears away. "I'm sorry. Here you are, being insanely nice, and I'm whining."
"Don't apologize, Kurt. I mean, what are brothers for?"
Kurt glanced up at him then, a small smile gracing his face, and he leaned forward and gave Finn a quick hug. "Can you do me a favor?"
"Sure."
He took a deep breath. "Will you watch out for my dad when I leave?"
Finn looked confused when Kurt pulled back. "What do you mean, when you leave?"
Kurt was trying really hard not to cry, but it was getting harder and harder to not cry. "When I die."
Finn looked like he was going to interject, so Kurt held up a hand. "I am going to die, Finn. I think..." he turned his head away and stared out the window. "I think that by now I've accepted it. Unless some sort of miracle happens - which I doubt - my heart is going to stop working, and I'm going to die. But, I know that my dad is going to have a hard time with my passing, and so I'd like you and Carole to help take care of him, okay?"
Now Finn looked like he wanted to cry, so as Finn nodded, Kurt smiled and laid back down on the bed. "So, I'm sort of hungry, and the food that they have here is awful. Could you go get me a salad and some pasta from Breadstix, please?"
Finn nodded and stood up, "Of course, dude," and then he was gone, leaving Kurt alone in his hospital bed.
Sighing, Kurt took a deep breath and slowly got up from his bed, taking one step after the other to reach the window. He reached behind him to check to make sure that his gown hadn't opened, and when he was reassured that it wasn't he turned and looked out of the window and up at the sky.
There were birds flying, late on flying south for the winter. And as Kurt watched, he remembered being a small child who sat on his mother's lap and wondered why birds could fly and he couldn't. His mother had explained it to him, but it had been very hard for him to understand, so he'd turned to his mom and said, "I just think that they're really special and light and that's why they can fly."
There were times when Kurt wanted to be able to fly away from everything, like a bird; just let his wings open and take off, leaving the pain and the fear of dying behind and be free; he wanted to fly off into the sunset and be happy, like he'd been when he and Blaine had been close.
But I ruined that one, didn't I?
Yes, he'd ruined it. But as he'd told Finn, Blaine would be better off with Kurt out of his life.
[*]*[*]
For some reason, Finn had talked the Glee club out of coming to visit him. He'd brought Kurt his salad and pasta, then said that he had a test in his next period that he couldn't miss, so he'd have to leave. Kurt had said it was "fine, good luck on the test, and will you ask my dad to come visit me after work, please?" before watching Finn grab his stuff and leave.
He ate his meal quickly (it was much better than the hospital food, by a long shot), then attempted to sleep.
It was almost impossible to sleep, though, as he found his mind running through many things. Would he like his funeral to have this, and how he wouldn't want anyone to be crying for him. He'd want them to be happy and to be smiling; that was why he had decided that he was going to have food at his burial. That way they could eat and laugh and be with other people who cared about him and forget him.
It was easier to forget something tragic and sad when other people were around you and laughing.
He sighed and tried to get more comfortable on his bed; he failed.
He was focusing on trying to find a nice spot, so the knock on his door was unexpected, because he knew that Finn was back at school, and both Carole and his dad were working. But when he looked up none of them were at the door.
Instead, Blaine was.
"Hi..."
Kurt stared at him, not exactly knowing what to say.
"So... Finn called me," Blaine said as he walked in and sat down on the chair next to Kurt's bed. "Told me that you'd passed out and that you were still in the hospital. He gave me your room number and told me to come visit you."
"Oh... Well, hi...?"
They both fell silent for a while, letting the beeping and the sounds of the machine fill the room, until Blaine asked, "Is it true?"
"Is what true?"
Blaine closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "That your heart's staring to shut down?"
Oh god, Finn had told Blaine that as well... Why is Finn incapable of keeping his mouth shut? Kurt exhaled and gripped the hospital sheet until his knuckles turned while. "Yes."
"I see..." Blaine went silent again.
Kurt let out a small, quiet laugh. "Look, it's okay. You can say it."
Blaine cocked his eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
Kurt looked down at his hands. "You don't want to hang out with the dying kid, it's okay. You're probably just here because you feel some sort of duty or whatever..."
Blaine's eyebrows rose quickly. "No, no! Kurt, trust me, it's nothing like that!"
Kurt didn't even want to look at him, because if he did, it would just confirm that he was lying. "Th-then why didn't you show up?"
Blaine let out a sigh, and it sounded so anguished that Kurt's head snapped up to see Blaine holding his head in his hands. "Because someone who'd become insanely close to me and means so fucking much to me told me, over text, that he was dying and then refused to answer any of my calls."
Kurt glanced back down at his hands again.
Okay, so he'd handled that completely wrong - again. "I'm so sorry, Blaine. I just had to tell you before I lost my nerves, and then once I'd sent the text, I couldn't believe that I'd told you and I shut my phone off. I didn't mean to ignore you."
He heard Blaine sigh again. "It's okay, Kurt. I shouldn't have not shown up either. That was also stupid of me."
"I guess we're both idiots, huh?"
Blaine let out a strangled laugh that raised the corners of Kurt's mouth just a tad. "I'd have to agree on that."
Kurt finally looked up all of the way, and when he did he found his gaze locked with Blaine's. "I really am sorry."
Blaine's gaze softened. "I am too, Kurt. I am very sorry."
Not wanting to cry, Kurt leaned over the railing of the hospital bed and pulled Blaine into a hug. "Can I tell you something?"
"Anything," Blaine breathed against his neck.
"...I'm terrified to die. I don't want to leave."
The grip Blaine had on him tightened largely. "I don't either. I want you to live, so goddamn much that it hurts. There are so many things that I want you to see, like New York and Broadway and the ocean."
Kurt nodded and let the tears fall again. "Thank you," he whispered.
"For what?"
"For not giving up on me."
Blaine pulled away slightly and stared at him in the eyes. With how close they were, Kurt was able to make out all of the different colors in Blaine's eyes, and he loved it. "I will never give up on you, Kurt. I'm going to be with you until the end, understand?"
Kurt let out a sigh of relief and moved back into the hug. "Thank you again, Blaine. You always seem to know what to say in these kinds of situations."
He felt Blaine smiled against the top of his head, and then Blaine spoke. "There's a hole in the world, like a great black pit, and it's filled with people who are filled with shit."
Kurt sighed. "Blaine?"
"Yeah?"
"Sweeny Todd? Really? We were having a moment, a nice one at that, but then you ruined it."
Blaine laughed, and Kurt felt like laughing along with him. "There's the Kurt I know." He went silent again, then muttered, "Is it okay if I ask you to tell me about it?"
Kurt stiffened, then bit his lip, not wanting to go into all of exactly. But who else would Blaine go to? He wasn't going to make his dad tell the story again, because he'd, no doubt, already told Finn and Carole. He took a deep breath.
"I have what is called CHF, or congestive heart failure. I have systolic heart failure. It means my heart has issues pumping and ejecting the blood out. And now my heart is starting to shut down. My heart stopped working, and I had a total circulatory collapse during dinner the other day."
Blaine's grip had tightened around him while he'd been talking. Kurt was going to try and tell him that it would be okay (he didn't know if it would), but he yawned as soon as he'd opened his mouth. He wasn't sure if he was just imagining it or not, but it felt like Blaine had placed a kiss on the top of his head. "Go to sleep. I'll wait here until you wake up."
Kurt nodded against Blaine's chest. "Okay. Talk to you soon."
He was still wrapped up in Blaine's arm when he woke up; Blaine had seemed to climb halfway on to the hospital bed, and he was laying awkwardly around Kurt, one of his hands placed on Kurt's head, and the other wrapped around his waist. Sitting up slightly so that he didn't wake him, Kurt glanced down and smiled softly.
Blaine looked so much like a puppy it was insane sometimes.
"Mr. Hummel?"
He looked up to see a nurse standing awkwardly in the doorway; he sat up slowly, then ran a hand through his hair. "Um, yes?"
"I'm sorry, but visiting hours are over now. I'm afraid that your friend needs to leave." She seemed sad to inform him of the hospital rules, but he knew that Blaine did need to leave. Westerville was about two hours away from Lima, so Blaine would need to leave to get home on time.
"Oh, okay. I'll wake him up then."
She nodded, then left the room, and Kurt turned slightly in Blaine's arms and tapped his cheek. "Hey, Blaine..."
Blaine let out a small hum, then nuzzled his face into Kurt's side.
Kurt frowned to stop himself from blushing. He has Jeremiah, Kurt. You can't think that.
"Blaine."
Blaine stirred, then blinked his eyes open. "Hello..." he muttered, yawning. "What's up?" Then, suddenly, he shot up, almost knocking Kurt off of the bed, and grabbed his shoulders. "Are you okay? I mean, do you feel okay?"
Kurt didn't know why he laughed, but he did, and even though Blaine was staring at him as though he was crazy and needed help, Kurt couldn't stop laughing. "No, Blaine, I feel fine, it's just that visiting hours are over, and you need to go home."
Blaine blinked at him for a while, then deflated and sighed. "God, I thought that something had happened."
"No, nothing happened. My hearts still pumping, like a champion," he said, smile still on his face.
Blaine sighed again, then rubbed his eye. "So, I need to leave now?"
"Yes, that is what I said."
"Mmkay," he said, slipping off of the bed and grabbing his jacket off of the chair. "I don't know how you manage to sleep on that thing."
Kurt shrugged. "You managed just fine."
Blaine laughed. "I guess that I did, huh?"
Blaine walked over to the doorway, then smiled at him. "I'll come by to visit you in two days. I'd come tomorrow, but I have a history final and I am not ready for it."
Kurt snickered. "Put off studying again? What was it this time? Video game party at David's?"
Blaine grimaced. "No, it was a pizza party that Wes' mom decided to host. Apparently, Wes needs to 'have fun', because according to his mom, he never does."
"I can actually see that happening. Wes is really uptight."
Blaine shrugged and waved. "Let me know when your dad brings over your phone tomorrow, and then I'll call you, okay?"
"Sure."
Two minutes after Blaine had left the room found Kurt walking down the cardiac wing hall as fast as he could towards the elevator. Blaine was just getting in, and as the door began to close, Kurt called out, "Hold the elevator please!"
Blaine stuck his hand out to stop the door from closing as Kurt stopped in front of it, panting. "Hey, are you okay?" Blaine asked, stepping out of the elevator and allowing the door to close.
Kurt took a deep breath, inhaling through his nose and out through his mouth, trying to calm himself. "Are..." he paused, trying to take in as much air as he could.
"Hey," Blaine said softly, taking his hands and leading him over to some of the waiting chairs. "Why did you run after me like that?"
Kurt tipped his head up, his mouth slightly open, and he sighed, then he let his head fall back down. "Are... are we okay?"
Blaine blinked. "What... What do you mean?"
"I'm sorry that I told you about my... condition the way I did."
Blaine reached up with his hand and placed it on his shoulder. "No, it's okay. You don't have to apologize. Really, it's okay."
"So... We're...?"
"We're just fine, Kurt. Really."
Kurt smiled up at him. "Thank you..."
Blaine sighed, but he was smiling as well. "Come one. I'll take you back to your room."
And when Blaine said goodbye for the second time, and Kurt promptly fell asleep, he had to say that a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders.
[*]*[*]
"Are you sure you're okay, boo?"
Boo.
That had been the name Mercedes had bestowed upon him the first day that the entire Glee club (including Mr. Schue) had come to visit him in the hospital. Most of the Glee club had clobbered him with hugs, and Brittany had decided to sit on his lap the entire time they'd visited.
Puck had been angry, though, exclaiming, "I need to punch something!" after Kurt had described what was going on with his heart. Then he'd stalked over to Kurt's bedside table, and asked calmly, "Do I need to kill someone so you can get the heart you need?"
Kurt, wide-eyed, had shook his head frantically. Puck had then hugged him and said, "Well, I will if you want me too. You're one of us, dude."
Kurt then told him not to call him 'dude', and was pulled into a deep conversation with Mercedes. Since that day, she'd texted him, called him, and visited him more than Blaine and his family did. She was a very different kind of person, but Kurt had to admit, he liked her. A lot.
"I think that I'll be fine to have my dad take me home today, Mercedes."
She smiled at him. "Okay, fine."
He frowned. "Are you skipping class to see me?"
She shrugged. "It's no biggie. I told Mrs. Larson that I'd be bringing you the homework from the last week, so she said she'd forgive me for intentionally skipping her class."
"Well, that's new..."
"She likes you."
"Oh, really?"
"Really. She knows that we're friends, so she's been asking how you've been doing and stuff. Being all... caring teacher-y. It's rather odd, I have to say."
He leaned back against his pillows. "Hey, thanks for coming to see me."
She smiled at him. "Anytime, boo. So, your dad said he'd be picking you up in two hours."
"Yes, he is. He would have been here earlier, but he had to go to work for some time today to make up for all of these godawful medical bills."
His face fell. Mercedes abandoned her amazing and socomfy chair to sit next to him on the hospital bed. "What is it, Kurt?"
He reached out and grabbed her hand. "I hate that I'm doing this to him. He's working a lot so that we'll have a cushion if we end up needing I, because something could happen that could be very costly. I feel like a burden. I mean, he's so tired and worn out, but he always finds time to visit me and-"
"Kurt?"
It wasn't Mercedes that had spoken, and when he looked up, he saw his dad standing awkwardly in the doorway with Finn, Carole and Blaine.
"Oh... Hi, Dad."
His dad looked even more tired, and he sighed audibly. "Guys, could you let me speak to Kurt alone for a while? I'll let you know when you can come back in."
Mercedes reached up and ran a hand through Kurt's hair, whispered, "I'll call you later, boo. Send me a text to let me know when you get home, okay?" Then she stood up and left the room; she grabbed Blaine's hand and the two walked out of sight. Finn looked like he wanted to stay, but Carole took his arm and dragged him away.
Finally, Burt walked over to Kurt's bed and sat down on the end. "Kurt, I... Is that really what you think? That you're a burden?"
He wanted to say that no, that's not really how he felt, but when he opened his mouth, he was unable to say no. His dad sighed, then reached out and began to run a hand through his hair.
"Listen, Kiddo. You are never goin' to be a burden. I love you. I will do anything for you, and even if that means that I'm a little more tired or worn out, I'm willing to take it. You're my little baby boy, Kurt."
Kurt tried not to, but he was unable to stop the smile from spreading across his face. "Dad," he said, "You know that I don't like being called your 'little baby boy'.
Burt laughed. "I know, I know. I just want you to know, that no matter what you do, even if you kill someone, or you date the wrong person who hates your family... I'll love you. I'll always love you. You mean the world to me, Kurt, and I don't want you to forget that."
Kurt reached a hand up and placed it on his dad's hand. "Thank you, Dad." Then he paused. "How come you're here early?"
Burt shrugged. "I had Charlie take over the car that I was planning on working on. He needs the money; his wife had an early pregnancy and so they need the money to pay for the ambulance bill."
"You're such a nice person, Dad."
Burt smiled. "Got that from your mom," he said proudly.
Kurt leaned up and pulled his dad into a hug. "I miss her, a lot more these days."
Burt tightened the grip he had on him. "I miss her too, kiddo. I miss her too."
"But, I really like Carole, and Finn." He pulled back slightly. "So, when we get home, I'm going to have to steal Carole from you, okay? The two of us have wedding dresses to look over, and I need to find out where she would like to have it so that I can find the right colors for the wedding. Since it's almost Christmas, I would think some sort of green, or a red, but nothing with the two together. That would be awful and-"
Burt laughed. "Okay, okay. I'm going to go find your doctor so that I can sign your release forms. I'll see you in a minute."
Kurt waved at him as he left the room, then smiled as Blaine, Finn and Carole walked in. "Hi," he said happily. "Dad just went to get my release forms." His smile grew. "I get to go home today," he said, reaching over to his side. "And they gave me this pager." He held it up for them all to see.
Finn reached over and took the pager out of Kurt's hand. "What's this for?"
"It'll beep if they have a heart for me. They gave Dad one too so that he can have one with him wherever he needs to be."
Carole smiled at him and began to run a hand through his hair. Kurt frowned. "What is it with everyone and my hair today?"
Blaine snickered, then he also began to play with Kurt's hair. "It's because you're actually letting people touch it."
"Well, maybe I should stop then?"
"You won't," Carole said.
"Why not?"
"Because you like it," Blaine finished, still playing with his hair. Kurt leaned towards his hand, unwilling to admit that he did, in fact, like it.
"Carole," he said quietly, feeling himself falling asleep.
"Yes, honey?"
"We have a lot of work to do today, when I get home. All of that wedding stuff..."
Carole's smile softened. "Of course, honey. I'll get my wedding magazines out and we can look at them later..."
He smiled, and the last thing he remembered before falling asleep was Blaine's voice in his ears.
"Go to sleep, Kurt. We'll all be here when you wake up."
And, four hours later when he woke up, they were.
Pairing: Kurt/Blaine
Rating: PG-13
Next chapter: Even though he and Blaine were talking once again...
Previous chapter: Rachel Berry did not have good taste in fashion
Summary: Kurt Hummel was just like every other teenager: loud, demanding, but still a good child. That is, he was like that until he was diagnosed with a medical condition that was, without a doubt, going to kill him. So, he accepted his condition and decided to wait out the rest of his short life. But a chance meeting with a boy named Blaine Anderson could possibly give him just enough strength to keep fighting.
Author's notes: I started this a while ago - and by a while ago I mean a couple of months, a few days, and roughly 2.7 hours ago. The medical condition is inspired by the movie Seven Pounds, and the will to keep going in this story is inspired by a fact that I learned: that even if everything seems gloomy, one person can make an immense difference.
I hope that you all enjoy.
Chapter Six
Carole was a nice lady.
She'd been a single parent for so long, and even though she had only been dating his dad for a little while, she'd already started treating Kurt like her second son. He liked her. He gave her make-overs, took her shopping, and helped her pick out what she would wear when his dad took her out for the night.
He was just worried what would happen to their relationship once she found out about Kurt's heart.
Finn was nice too. He was very oblivious to many things (his wardrobe being one of them), but he treated Kurt like another person, and not some gay kid who was going to 'contaminate him'. Kurt felt like, that with Finn, he might possibly have a brother. But, the same with Carole, he worried how Finn would take the fact that Kurt's heart was failing.
He just never thought that they'd find out like this.
It was Saturday night dinner with the Hudson's, and this time, Burt had decided to take them out to the cafe by the garage. He'd recently proposed to Carole (Kurt was proud to admit that he knew his dad would propose before his dad even did), and the soon-to-be family decided on having a mini-celebration. The cafe was a great place for those. It was a small place, but Kurt's mother had picked it out when he'd been three, but his dad had never actually taken him there in a long time.
Kurt wanted to enjoy the moment, but he was finding it hard to pay attention to his dad talking, Carole and Finn laughing, all of the sounds around him. He hadn't been feeling good the entire day; he was so tired, and he didn't know why, because he'd been sleeping well for the first time since the day that Blaine had fallen asleep next to him on the couch. Walking from the parking lot to their seat had taken a toll out of him, and he was sitting next to Finn, breathless and dizzy and not even bothering to look at the menu.
He had yet to mention how tired and dizzy he was to his dad, because for the first time in a long time, his dad was happy and laughing and he had his hand wrapped around Carole's shoulder; he and Finn were getting along great and who was Kurt to deny him of that?
Plus, it all meant that if and when Kurt's heart gave out, his dad would still have a family, and that helped ease the weight in his chest.
"And so, I'm thinking of taking Finn to see the football game this weekend. Would that be okay with you, Carole?" Burt looked over at Finn. "What do you think, Finn?"
Finn looked up from his menu and gasped at Burt. "You serious? I'd love to go! That would be totally awesome!"
"Great. Would you be okay with that, Kurt?"
Kurt glanced up and tried to make his eyes focus, but his dad's face kept sliding in and out of focus, and he couldn't tell where he was actually looking. "That would be fine."
"You can invite Blaine to come over, or maybe rent a movie."
"Hmm..."
Burt then went back to his conversation with Carole, and Kurt went back to staring at the fuzzy outline of the menu. Maybe he was just hungry? He hadn't been eating a lot lately, since the day that he'd completely ruined his relationship with Blaine. Yeah, that was it. That was why he was so tired, and dizzy and breathless and-
"Kurt, buddy," his dad said loudly.
Kurt looked up again to see everyone staring at him. "Huh?"
There was a cough to his right and then the fuzzy outline of the waitress was in his line of sight. "Are you ready to order, sir?"
Kurt blinked up at her tiredly. No, he wasn't ready to order. He just wanted to go home and curl up in bed and sleep, but that would have made him sound like a five year old, so he nodded and said, "I'll just have a salad with vinegar and oil for the dressing, thanks."
She wrote it down, then said, "I'll have your orders out when they are ready."
When she'd turned the corner and was out of sight, he felt the heavy weight of a hand land on his wrist, and he heard his dad whisper, "Are you okay?"
"You look really pale, dude."
"Thanks, Finn. I really wanted to hear that. I'm fine, Dad, and Finn? Don't call me 'dude'."
The look his dad was giving him made his heart clench; he looked worried, concerned and sad all at the same time. "Are you sure you're okay?"
Kurt wanted to lie, say that he was fine and just having a bad day, but the truth was he had never felt this bad before, and it was scaring him. He shook his head, and as he did, he felt his world teeter to the side.
"Kurt?"
His vision went black, and he was falling.
"Kurt!"
[*]*[*]
"...so... you mean...?"
"Yes, Kurt's...my boy is... my boy is dying, Carole."
"Oh, Burt... I- ...is there any hope at all?"
Sigh
"He's not a rare blood type so the percentage of getting a heart transplant is a little bit higher, and I guess that now he's Status 1 he'll be put on the list for a donor but-"
"But that means he could go faster, huh?"
"Yeah..."
Between all of the talking, there were beep beep sounds, as well as the sound of someone tapping their foot against what he assumed was the floor. He didn't even need to open his eyes to know that he was in the hospital; he'd woken up in the same situation many times before.
He let his eyes slide open, and he waited.
"Kurt!"
He'd only waited a few seconds before Finn's face was being shoved in front of his; a small smile appeared, and then Finn's face lifted slightly. "Burt! Mom! He's awake!"
Kurt let his eyes close and didn't open them, even when his dad ran a hand through his hair and held his hand. "What did the doctor say?"
Burt sighed. "You've been incredibly tired lately, haven't you." It wasn't a question, and Kurt didn't even bother to answer; they both knew the answer. "The doctor said...said that the reason you passed out was because your heart wasn't strong enough to pump blood to your brain. They-they said that it's gotten pretty big and-"
His dad cut off, and Kurt opened his eyes. "It's starting to not work, huh?"
Burt nodded, a few tears falling down his cheeks.
Kurt looked up at the ceiling and blinked rapidly, trying to keep his own tears from falling. If he cried, his dad most certainly would. "How much longer do I have?"
Burt shook his head. "That is completely up to your heart."
Kurt nodded, then closed his eyes slowly, inhaling deeply. "Hey, Dad?"
"Yes?"
"Will you do me one last favor?"
His dad nodded, his gaze intense on Kurt's eyes. Kurt tried to make his smile happy, but when he did smile, the tears began to spill over. "Will you let me start to plan the wedding? I've kind of always wanted to do that."
His dad let out a choked sob, then lunged forward and grabbed Kurt in a tight hug, pulling him close. "You can plan the entire damn thing, Kurt. You're going to beat this. You'll get a heart, I promise."
Kurt gripped the back of his dad's coat tightly. "Don't make promises that might not happen, Dad..."
It hurt to say that, because the child in him wanted to be able to believe in the words his daddy had said, because what daddy said just had to be true. But he knew that there were many people that needed heart transplants, and Kurt was a single number against many others. He wanted to feel selfish, but the feeling wouldn't come, and, sighing, he sagged against his dad's chest. "I'm tired..." he said softly, letting his eyes drip closed.
His dad sniffed, then nodded and stood up. "I'm going to get a nurse and tell the doctor that you're awake."
He walked out of the room, took Carole's hand and disappeared around the corner.
Finn was still in the room, though, and when he cleared his throat Kurt glanced tiredly over at him. "Are you hungry? I can go and get something from the cafeteria or..."
Kurt stretched out a hand and grabbed Finn's. He didn't want to, but-
"Finn...please, stay in here with me? Please..."
The next thing he knew, tears were falling down his cheeks, and Finn had him in a tight hug. "It'll be okay, Kurt."
He was just so tired of it all, and for the first time in a long time, he let himself believe that it would be okay.
[*]*[*]
"You what?"
Kurt couldn't believe it. He just... No, Finn wouldn't have done that. He wouldn't have.
"I'm sorry, Kurt! I just thought that they needed to know!"
Kurt shook his head. "Finn, I'm not that great of friends with any of them! I mean, sure, we all get a long, and I do consider them my friends, and I hang out with Mercedes quite a bit but - They're not close to me, and I'm not close to them. Why, whywould you tell them that I'm in the hospital?"
Finn put his hands up in front of him in a gesture of peace. "It's because they care about you, Kurt? All this week they've been asking if you're okay, and if you were sick and at home and... Santana even seemed worried about you!"
Kurt was still shaking his head. "You... you didn't tell them the reason why I was in the hospital, did you?"
Finn was silent.
"Oh my god..."
His soon-to-be stepbrother at least had the decency to look ashamed. "I just... Kurt, everyone in Glee club really likes you, even if they don't show it. Can't you just trust me with this?"
"I don't know if I can, Finn. I didn't... I... I told Blaine in the worst way possible, and now he's no longer talking to me. I just - I can't deal with losing other people as well, Finn, I can't."
Finn sighed, then took the seat next to Kurt's bed. He placed a hand on Kurt's shoulder and inhaled deeply. "I really am sorry, dude."
"Don't call me 'dude', please. You at least owe me that."
Finn let out a small laugh. "Okay, okay. But, you know, they're all planning on coming to see you after school instead of having rehearsal."
Kurt's head shot up. "But... What about Sectionals? They have to be ready for that!"
"They care more about you. Rachel was the one who suggested it."
Kurt blinked, then sat back against his pillow, stunned. "Wow... I didn't think..."
"That people cared that much about you?"
"Well, yeah. Forgive me if I'm hesitant about this, but until this year I've never had any friends, or had someone I like, or a best fri-"
"Wait, you like someone?"
Oh... Shit.
He hadn't meant to say that, and, trying to shift attention away from it, he said quickly, "So, are you still with Rachel or are you dating Quinn now, or what's going on with that?"
But Finn wasn't going to be persuaded. "Kurt... Who is it? Does he go to our school, or is he just someone close to..." Finn drew off. Then his eyes widened. "It's Blaine, huh?"
Kurt lowered his head. "Yes, I like Blaine."
"Dude, that's awesome! He's gay, you're gay, so you guys can totally date and-"
"And do you remember, Finn, that I told you that Blaine is no longer talking to me?"
Finn went quiet.
"I... I was stupid, and told him that I was dying over a fucking text message, and now he's not talking to me. It's kind of like he erased me a bit... Well, I deserve it. At least this way he doesn't have to associate himself with the dying kid, right?"
It wasn't until he had a tissue shoved into his face that he realized he was crying. He took the tissue and quickly wiped his tears away. "I'm sorry. Here you are, being insanely nice, and I'm whining."
"Don't apologize, Kurt. I mean, what are brothers for?"
Kurt glanced up at him then, a small smile gracing his face, and he leaned forward and gave Finn a quick hug. "Can you do me a favor?"
"Sure."
He took a deep breath. "Will you watch out for my dad when I leave?"
Finn looked confused when Kurt pulled back. "What do you mean, when you leave?"
Kurt was trying really hard not to cry, but it was getting harder and harder to not cry. "When I die."
Finn looked like he was going to interject, so Kurt held up a hand. "I am going to die, Finn. I think..." he turned his head away and stared out the window. "I think that by now I've accepted it. Unless some sort of miracle happens - which I doubt - my heart is going to stop working, and I'm going to die. But, I know that my dad is going to have a hard time with my passing, and so I'd like you and Carole to help take care of him, okay?"
Now Finn looked like he wanted to cry, so as Finn nodded, Kurt smiled and laid back down on the bed. "So, I'm sort of hungry, and the food that they have here is awful. Could you go get me a salad and some pasta from Breadstix, please?"
Finn nodded and stood up, "Of course, dude," and then he was gone, leaving Kurt alone in his hospital bed.
Sighing, Kurt took a deep breath and slowly got up from his bed, taking one step after the other to reach the window. He reached behind him to check to make sure that his gown hadn't opened, and when he was reassured that it wasn't he turned and looked out of the window and up at the sky.
There were birds flying, late on flying south for the winter. And as Kurt watched, he remembered being a small child who sat on his mother's lap and wondered why birds could fly and he couldn't. His mother had explained it to him, but it had been very hard for him to understand, so he'd turned to his mom and said, "I just think that they're really special and light and that's why they can fly."
There were times when Kurt wanted to be able to fly away from everything, like a bird; just let his wings open and take off, leaving the pain and the fear of dying behind and be free; he wanted to fly off into the sunset and be happy, like he'd been when he and Blaine had been close.
But I ruined that one, didn't I?
Yes, he'd ruined it. But as he'd told Finn, Blaine would be better off with Kurt out of his life.
[*]*[*]
For some reason, Finn had talked the Glee club out of coming to visit him. He'd brought Kurt his salad and pasta, then said that he had a test in his next period that he couldn't miss, so he'd have to leave. Kurt had said it was "fine, good luck on the test, and will you ask my dad to come visit me after work, please?" before watching Finn grab his stuff and leave.
He ate his meal quickly (it was much better than the hospital food, by a long shot), then attempted to sleep.
It was almost impossible to sleep, though, as he found his mind running through many things. Would he like his funeral to have this, and how he wouldn't want anyone to be crying for him. He'd want them to be happy and to be smiling; that was why he had decided that he was going to have food at his burial. That way they could eat and laugh and be with other people who cared about him and forget him.
It was easier to forget something tragic and sad when other people were around you and laughing.
He sighed and tried to get more comfortable on his bed; he failed.
He was focusing on trying to find a nice spot, so the knock on his door was unexpected, because he knew that Finn was back at school, and both Carole and his dad were working. But when he looked up none of them were at the door.
Instead, Blaine was.
"Hi..."
Kurt stared at him, not exactly knowing what to say.
"So... Finn called me," Blaine said as he walked in and sat down on the chair next to Kurt's bed. "Told me that you'd passed out and that you were still in the hospital. He gave me your room number and told me to come visit you."
"Oh... Well, hi...?"
They both fell silent for a while, letting the beeping and the sounds of the machine fill the room, until Blaine asked, "Is it true?"
"Is what true?"
Blaine closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "That your heart's staring to shut down?"
Oh god, Finn had told Blaine that as well... Why is Finn incapable of keeping his mouth shut? Kurt exhaled and gripped the hospital sheet until his knuckles turned while. "Yes."
"I see..." Blaine went silent again.
Kurt let out a small, quiet laugh. "Look, it's okay. You can say it."
Blaine cocked his eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
Kurt looked down at his hands. "You don't want to hang out with the dying kid, it's okay. You're probably just here because you feel some sort of duty or whatever..."
Blaine's eyebrows rose quickly. "No, no! Kurt, trust me, it's nothing like that!"
Kurt didn't even want to look at him, because if he did, it would just confirm that he was lying. "Th-then why didn't you show up?"
Blaine let out a sigh, and it sounded so anguished that Kurt's head snapped up to see Blaine holding his head in his hands. "Because someone who'd become insanely close to me and means so fucking much to me told me, over text, that he was dying and then refused to answer any of my calls."
Kurt glanced back down at his hands again.
Okay, so he'd handled that completely wrong - again. "I'm so sorry, Blaine. I just had to tell you before I lost my nerves, and then once I'd sent the text, I couldn't believe that I'd told you and I shut my phone off. I didn't mean to ignore you."
He heard Blaine sigh again. "It's okay, Kurt. I shouldn't have not shown up either. That was also stupid of me."
"I guess we're both idiots, huh?"
Blaine let out a strangled laugh that raised the corners of Kurt's mouth just a tad. "I'd have to agree on that."
Kurt finally looked up all of the way, and when he did he found his gaze locked with Blaine's. "I really am sorry."
Blaine's gaze softened. "I am too, Kurt. I am very sorry."
Not wanting to cry, Kurt leaned over the railing of the hospital bed and pulled Blaine into a hug. "Can I tell you something?"
"Anything," Blaine breathed against his neck.
"...I'm terrified to die. I don't want to leave."
The grip Blaine had on him tightened largely. "I don't either. I want you to live, so goddamn much that it hurts. There are so many things that I want you to see, like New York and Broadway and the ocean."
Kurt nodded and let the tears fall again. "Thank you," he whispered.
"For what?"
"For not giving up on me."
Blaine pulled away slightly and stared at him in the eyes. With how close they were, Kurt was able to make out all of the different colors in Blaine's eyes, and he loved it. "I will never give up on you, Kurt. I'm going to be with you until the end, understand?"
Kurt let out a sigh of relief and moved back into the hug. "Thank you again, Blaine. You always seem to know what to say in these kinds of situations."
He felt Blaine smiled against the top of his head, and then Blaine spoke. "There's a hole in the world, like a great black pit, and it's filled with people who are filled with shit."
Kurt sighed. "Blaine?"
"Yeah?"
"Sweeny Todd? Really? We were having a moment, a nice one at that, but then you ruined it."
Blaine laughed, and Kurt felt like laughing along with him. "There's the Kurt I know." He went silent again, then muttered, "Is it okay if I ask you to tell me about it?"
Kurt stiffened, then bit his lip, not wanting to go into all of exactly. But who else would Blaine go to? He wasn't going to make his dad tell the story again, because he'd, no doubt, already told Finn and Carole. He took a deep breath.
"I have what is called CHF, or congestive heart failure. I have systolic heart failure. It means my heart has issues pumping and ejecting the blood out. And now my heart is starting to shut down. My heart stopped working, and I had a total circulatory collapse during dinner the other day."
Blaine's grip had tightened around him while he'd been talking. Kurt was going to try and tell him that it would be okay (he didn't know if it would), but he yawned as soon as he'd opened his mouth. He wasn't sure if he was just imagining it or not, but it felt like Blaine had placed a kiss on the top of his head. "Go to sleep. I'll wait here until you wake up."
Kurt nodded against Blaine's chest. "Okay. Talk to you soon."
He was still wrapped up in Blaine's arm when he woke up; Blaine had seemed to climb halfway on to the hospital bed, and he was laying awkwardly around Kurt, one of his hands placed on Kurt's head, and the other wrapped around his waist. Sitting up slightly so that he didn't wake him, Kurt glanced down and smiled softly.
Blaine looked so much like a puppy it was insane sometimes.
"Mr. Hummel?"
He looked up to see a nurse standing awkwardly in the doorway; he sat up slowly, then ran a hand through his hair. "Um, yes?"
"I'm sorry, but visiting hours are over now. I'm afraid that your friend needs to leave." She seemed sad to inform him of the hospital rules, but he knew that Blaine did need to leave. Westerville was about two hours away from Lima, so Blaine would need to leave to get home on time.
"Oh, okay. I'll wake him up then."
She nodded, then left the room, and Kurt turned slightly in Blaine's arms and tapped his cheek. "Hey, Blaine..."
Blaine let out a small hum, then nuzzled his face into Kurt's side.
Kurt frowned to stop himself from blushing. He has Jeremiah, Kurt. You can't think that.
"Blaine."
Blaine stirred, then blinked his eyes open. "Hello..." he muttered, yawning. "What's up?" Then, suddenly, he shot up, almost knocking Kurt off of the bed, and grabbed his shoulders. "Are you okay? I mean, do you feel okay?"
Kurt didn't know why he laughed, but he did, and even though Blaine was staring at him as though he was crazy and needed help, Kurt couldn't stop laughing. "No, Blaine, I feel fine, it's just that visiting hours are over, and you need to go home."
Blaine blinked at him for a while, then deflated and sighed. "God, I thought that something had happened."
"No, nothing happened. My hearts still pumping, like a champion," he said, smile still on his face.
Blaine sighed again, then rubbed his eye. "So, I need to leave now?"
"Yes, that is what I said."
"Mmkay," he said, slipping off of the bed and grabbing his jacket off of the chair. "I don't know how you manage to sleep on that thing."
Kurt shrugged. "You managed just fine."
Blaine laughed. "I guess that I did, huh?"
Blaine walked over to the doorway, then smiled at him. "I'll come by to visit you in two days. I'd come tomorrow, but I have a history final and I am not ready for it."
Kurt snickered. "Put off studying again? What was it this time? Video game party at David's?"
Blaine grimaced. "No, it was a pizza party that Wes' mom decided to host. Apparently, Wes needs to 'have fun', because according to his mom, he never does."
"I can actually see that happening. Wes is really uptight."
Blaine shrugged and waved. "Let me know when your dad brings over your phone tomorrow, and then I'll call you, okay?"
"Sure."
Two minutes after Blaine had left the room found Kurt walking down the cardiac wing hall as fast as he could towards the elevator. Blaine was just getting in, and as the door began to close, Kurt called out, "Hold the elevator please!"
Blaine stuck his hand out to stop the door from closing as Kurt stopped in front of it, panting. "Hey, are you okay?" Blaine asked, stepping out of the elevator and allowing the door to close.
Kurt took a deep breath, inhaling through his nose and out through his mouth, trying to calm himself. "Are..." he paused, trying to take in as much air as he could.
"Hey," Blaine said softly, taking his hands and leading him over to some of the waiting chairs. "Why did you run after me like that?"
Kurt tipped his head up, his mouth slightly open, and he sighed, then he let his head fall back down. "Are... are we okay?"
Blaine blinked. "What... What do you mean?"
"I'm sorry that I told you about my... condition the way I did."
Blaine reached up with his hand and placed it on his shoulder. "No, it's okay. You don't have to apologize. Really, it's okay."
"So... We're...?"
"We're just fine, Kurt. Really."
Kurt smiled up at him. "Thank you..."
Blaine sighed, but he was smiling as well. "Come one. I'll take you back to your room."
And when Blaine said goodbye for the second time, and Kurt promptly fell asleep, he had to say that a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders.
[*]*[*]
"Are you sure you're okay, boo?"
Boo.
That had been the name Mercedes had bestowed upon him the first day that the entire Glee club (including Mr. Schue) had come to visit him in the hospital. Most of the Glee club had clobbered him with hugs, and Brittany had decided to sit on his lap the entire time they'd visited.
Puck had been angry, though, exclaiming, "I need to punch something!" after Kurt had described what was going on with his heart. Then he'd stalked over to Kurt's bedside table, and asked calmly, "Do I need to kill someone so you can get the heart you need?"
Kurt, wide-eyed, had shook his head frantically. Puck had then hugged him and said, "Well, I will if you want me too. You're one of us, dude."
Kurt then told him not to call him 'dude', and was pulled into a deep conversation with Mercedes. Since that day, she'd texted him, called him, and visited him more than Blaine and his family did. She was a very different kind of person, but Kurt had to admit, he liked her. A lot.
"I think that I'll be fine to have my dad take me home today, Mercedes."
She smiled at him. "Okay, fine."
He frowned. "Are you skipping class to see me?"
She shrugged. "It's no biggie. I told Mrs. Larson that I'd be bringing you the homework from the last week, so she said she'd forgive me for intentionally skipping her class."
"Well, that's new..."
"She likes you."
"Oh, really?"
"Really. She knows that we're friends, so she's been asking how you've been doing and stuff. Being all... caring teacher-y. It's rather odd, I have to say."
He leaned back against his pillows. "Hey, thanks for coming to see me."
She smiled at him. "Anytime, boo. So, your dad said he'd be picking you up in two hours."
"Yes, he is. He would have been here earlier, but he had to go to work for some time today to make up for all of these godawful medical bills."
His face fell. Mercedes abandoned her amazing and socomfy chair to sit next to him on the hospital bed. "What is it, Kurt?"
He reached out and grabbed her hand. "I hate that I'm doing this to him. He's working a lot so that we'll have a cushion if we end up needing I, because something could happen that could be very costly. I feel like a burden. I mean, he's so tired and worn out, but he always finds time to visit me and-"
"Kurt?"
It wasn't Mercedes that had spoken, and when he looked up, he saw his dad standing awkwardly in the doorway with Finn, Carole and Blaine.
"Oh... Hi, Dad."
His dad looked even more tired, and he sighed audibly. "Guys, could you let me speak to Kurt alone for a while? I'll let you know when you can come back in."
Mercedes reached up and ran a hand through Kurt's hair, whispered, "I'll call you later, boo. Send me a text to let me know when you get home, okay?" Then she stood up and left the room; she grabbed Blaine's hand and the two walked out of sight. Finn looked like he wanted to stay, but Carole took his arm and dragged him away.
Finally, Burt walked over to Kurt's bed and sat down on the end. "Kurt, I... Is that really what you think? That you're a burden?"
He wanted to say that no, that's not really how he felt, but when he opened his mouth, he was unable to say no. His dad sighed, then reached out and began to run a hand through his hair.
"Listen, Kiddo. You are never goin' to be a burden. I love you. I will do anything for you, and even if that means that I'm a little more tired or worn out, I'm willing to take it. You're my little baby boy, Kurt."
Kurt tried not to, but he was unable to stop the smile from spreading across his face. "Dad," he said, "You know that I don't like being called your 'little baby boy'.
Burt laughed. "I know, I know. I just want you to know, that no matter what you do, even if you kill someone, or you date the wrong person who hates your family... I'll love you. I'll always love you. You mean the world to me, Kurt, and I don't want you to forget that."
Kurt reached a hand up and placed it on his dad's hand. "Thank you, Dad." Then he paused. "How come you're here early?"
Burt shrugged. "I had Charlie take over the car that I was planning on working on. He needs the money; his wife had an early pregnancy and so they need the money to pay for the ambulance bill."
"You're such a nice person, Dad."
Burt smiled. "Got that from your mom," he said proudly.
Kurt leaned up and pulled his dad into a hug. "I miss her, a lot more these days."
Burt tightened the grip he had on him. "I miss her too, kiddo. I miss her too."
"But, I really like Carole, and Finn." He pulled back slightly. "So, when we get home, I'm going to have to steal Carole from you, okay? The two of us have wedding dresses to look over, and I need to find out where she would like to have it so that I can find the right colors for the wedding. Since it's almost Christmas, I would think some sort of green, or a red, but nothing with the two together. That would be awful and-"
Burt laughed. "Okay, okay. I'm going to go find your doctor so that I can sign your release forms. I'll see you in a minute."
Kurt waved at him as he left the room, then smiled as Blaine, Finn and Carole walked in. "Hi," he said happily. "Dad just went to get my release forms." His smile grew. "I get to go home today," he said, reaching over to his side. "And they gave me this pager." He held it up for them all to see.
Finn reached over and took the pager out of Kurt's hand. "What's this for?"
"It'll beep if they have a heart for me. They gave Dad one too so that he can have one with him wherever he needs to be."
Carole smiled at him and began to run a hand through his hair. Kurt frowned. "What is it with everyone and my hair today?"
Blaine snickered, then he also began to play with Kurt's hair. "It's because you're actually letting people touch it."
"Well, maybe I should stop then?"
"You won't," Carole said.
"Why not?"
"Because you like it," Blaine finished, still playing with his hair. Kurt leaned towards his hand, unwilling to admit that he did, in fact, like it.
"Carole," he said quietly, feeling himself falling asleep.
"Yes, honey?"
"We have a lot of work to do today, when I get home. All of that wedding stuff..."
Carole's smile softened. "Of course, honey. I'll get my wedding magazines out and we can look at them later..."
He smiled, and the last thing he remembered before falling asleep was Blaine's voice in his ears.
"Go to sleep, Kurt. We'll all be here when you wake up."
And, four hours later when he woke up, they were.