Fic: Hide and Seek (Ch. 25/?) Rated R
Title: Hide and Seek (Ch. 24/?)
Author: spookykat
Rating: R/T
Pairing: Klaine, mentions of other s3 canon pairings.
Word count: ~1,370 for this chapter, approximately 44k overall so far
Warnings: Abduction, kidnapping, bondage in a non-smutty context, foul language, homophobic slurs, violence, blood and gore (but not terribly descriptive).
Summary: Sebastian promised the Warblers that if they made him Captain, he'd get them to Nationals. Unfortunately for Kurt, Sebastian intends to keep that promise.
Spoilers: Spoilers for Michael apply, also for Congressman!BurtA/N: I'm choosing to ignore the fact that Sam lives with the Hudmels now, because this chapter was written before that bit of info was revealed. Also, the events of On My Way and beyond do not apply to this story.
Chapter 1
Chapter 24
Kurt was having a really awful, strange dream. Except, he couldn’t remember anything specific, just that it was pitch-black, and he was awoken (well, awoken wasn’t perhaps the right word; he seemed to be unable to open his eyes) and he was being lifted and then poked and prodded. Sharp needles pinched his wrists, and he felt weightless and much too heavy all at once. He just knew his body was there and he was a part of it, but no matter what he did, his eyelids refused to open, and he couldn’t figure out why.
He knew he wasn’t in chains anymore, though he was tethered somehow by something, but what that something was, he didn’t know.
He could hear voices around him, most of which were unfamiliar. But then he recognized his dad and Blaine. Later, he heard Finn and Carole. He knew they were sad and Kurt wanted nothing more than to let them know that he was okay somehow, but he couldn’t. Sometimes, someone held his hand, and he couldn’t understand what they were saying, but for the time being, the Nothingness was overwhelming.
Sometimes he would almost be not-floating. Sometimes he would think maybe he could try opening his eyes, but then he’d drift back into the Nothingness, and it was tempting to just stay in the void where nothing hurt and nothing mattered, except if he let the darkness take him, he couldn’t tell Blaine how sorry he was. He’d never get to grow old with him. He’d never see his dad again.
He’d never get to yell at his brother again or remind him that he’s actually not worthless.
He could hear Blaine speaking. He knew Blaine was pleading with him even though the words were still indistinguishable. He wanted to open his eyes. So, so badly. But he might as well have tried to move a mountain.
He could feel an odd weight on his chest. The gratefully familiar scent of Blaine’s favorite cologne and products mixed with subtle hints of scent filled his nostrils that Kurt could only describe as Blaine. Which meant Blaine was here. Blaine was here, and Kurt had to wake up so he could tell Blaine how sorry he was for everything, to give Blaine some kind of sign that he was there and that he was okay, but he couldn’t.
Then all the sudden the words were making sense. He could feel the sharp jab of the needle and this time, he could almost flinch.
Then he was thirsty. So thirsty he felt like he could drink an ocean, and he tried to open his eyes again, and all of a sudden it wasn’t impossible anymore. Light assaulted his eyes and he had a throbbing headache and all he wanted to do was to crawl back into the darkness.
Someone was holding his hand, although it didn’t feel like his dad’s or Blaine’s or Rachel’s or Carole’s.
“Kurt, can you hear me? You’re at DuPont Hospital in Fort Wayne, Indiana,” a strange voice was telling him. I’m Peggy, and I’m your nurse. If you understand me, can you blink or squeeze my hand?”
Of course Kurt could hear her. He understood her. But squeezing someone’s hand or blinking? That was all he’d been trying to do since the darkness overtook him, and it had always been impossible before.
Except, maybe now, he could.
He tried again.
It took every ounce of energy he could muster to send the signals from his brain to his fingers to squeeze the hand that was holding his, and he didn’t know if he could do it again, but he managed.
Then he tried opening his eyes, and was rewarded with a stab of bright light made it hard to not want to crawl back into the darkness.
“I’m paging your doctor, okay?” the nurse informed him.
Kurt closed his eyes again, and it seemed like people wouldn’t leave him alone after that. A woman in a white jacket and fabulous curly red hair shined even brighter lights in his eyes, and pricked a needle in his foot and in his hand, which made him actually flinch this time, and asked him a ton of questions, which he couldn’t answer not because he didn’t know the answers. He knew he was Kurt Fucking Hummel and as long as it was still before the November election, Obama was still President, no matter what the Tea Party idiots thought. He knew he was there because Sebastian decided to make his life a living hell, but saying all those things? That was a different story.
She demanded answers from him, and when Kurt couldn’t give her any, her mouth pinched into a frown. He wanted to answer her questions, because he wanted some answers himself, like how long he’d been there, like how he got here.
He heard Blaine frantically trying to get in on the other side of the door, but the nurse wasn’t letting him.
“He’s starting to come around,” the nurse said calmly. “Let us do our job, then you can see him.”
Blaine was helpless. All he wanted to do was get to Kurt, just like he’d wanted since Kurt disappeared, but now he was just on the other side of the door and they weren’t letting him in.
“I’m gonna go call my mom and let her know what’s going on,” Finn informed him. “I think Burt should prob’ly be here. Are you gonna be okay alone if I go outside to let them know?”
Blaine nodded, and rocked on his heels, wishing that he could justify bursting through the door, because he didn’t mind that Finn wasn’t there, but just standing outside the door and waiting? That was torture.
Then the nurse poked her head through the door, and the doctor left, smiling at him like a stewardess.
“What’s happening, is he okay?”
“Are you Blaine?”
He nodded, and fought the lump in his throat.
“You can go on in. He’s asking for you.”
That still didn’t answer any of Blaine’s questions, but he didn’t care.
Hand shaking, he pushed open the door.
“I’m just outside if you need anything,” she told Kurt, but as far as Blaine was concerned, she might as well have been invisible. The only thing that mattered in that room was lying in the bed, with his eyes still closed and still frighteningly pale and unmoving. Yet somehow, there was something different. He couldn't help but believe what the doctor had said was true.
Blaine couldn’t believe it. Kurt’s eyes were closed, and if there was any change, Blaine certainly couldn’t see it.
“Hey,” Blaine almost-whispered, taking his hand. “It’s me. I mean, Blaine. I’m here.”
And then it happened. It wasn’t much, but it was there. Kurt squeezed back. Blaine looked from Kurt’s hand to Kurt’s face and
back to his hand again.
“Your dad’s on his way. Finn’s just left to call your step-mom,” Blaine rushed out.
His eyes didn’t open, but started mumbling something incoherent.
“Shhhh, don’t try to talk,” Blaine said.
“‘M’Sorry,” Kurt mumbled so quietly Blaine almost missed it.
“No, Kurt,” he sniffled. “No apologies. You didn’t do anything to be sorry for. Oh my God, Kurt. I’m the one... “
Kurt’s eyelids fluttered, and he flinched. Blaine remembered how bright it was after he woke up when he had his eye-surgery.
“Hey,” Kurt finally rasped out.
He returned the greeting with a watery smile. “Oh my God. I don’t know what to say. I’ve been waiting so long to just talk to you again and to touch you and hold your hand and feel you squeeze back, and now that it’s finally here, that’s the best I can come up with.”
“Oh. There you are,” Kurt finally managed, and grinned weakly.
"Hey, that's my line," Blaine said. Then he started to laugh, but it came out as a sob. He laid his head on Kurt’s chest, and after a long effort, like it took a lot of effort, Blaine felt Kurt’s hand on his shoulder.
And that was how Finn found them moments later. The fact that Kurt’s hand had moved at all was Finn’s only proof that what the doctor actually said was true.
Kurt was going to be okay, and even if Finn didn’t really believe in God anymore since he ate the Grilled Cheesus, he still felt as though he should thank someone up there for bringing him back.