The Conversation's Trivial but Trivial is Fine [Chapter One]
Title: The Conversation's Trivial but Trivial is Fine [Chapter One]
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Klaine
Summary: Blaine is injured in a hate crime and suffers from brain damage as a result. After waiting for days for him to wake up Kurt is horrified to find that Blaine has Wernicke's Aphasia and can not understand anything that is said to him or say anything that makes sense.
Disclaimer: All Glee things are Glee's. The title comes from the amazing song Words by Kate Miller-Heidke
Author's Note: A prompt from the angst meme. I guess I just can't stay away from hurt/comfort Klaine :)
It had been six days.
Six days since Kurt last heard Blaine laugh, saw him smile, or looked into his eyes.
Six days since Blaine had dropped Kurt off at home, gone to get gas, and had been beaten into a coma with a tire iron.
Kurt had spent six whole days sitting by his boyfriend’s side, staring at his too still face and the steady rise and fall of his chest. However, instead of the quiet hopelessness that normally filled the room it was filled with excitement.
After six miserable days Blaine was finally waking up.
He had started twitching, turning his head and moaning. Every so often he would open hazy eyes and stare around the room, not completely aware of what was happening before falling back into a deep sleep.
“I think he’ll be okay,” Kurt said with a bright smile. “I mean, he’s waking up finally and the doctors thought it would take a much longer time.”
“Kurt, remember what the doctor said,” Amy Anderson smiled tiredly at him from where she was sitting. “He sustained a brain injury. We won’t know how bad it is until he really wakes up.”
“Blaine is so strong,” Kurt said, gently finishing up as he shaved his boyfriend’s face. “He’ll be fine.”
Amy nodded carefully, hoping that Kurt wouldn’t get too hopeful about her son’s outcome. She had sat in the waiting room for hours that nights hearing things like broken ribs, shattered wrist, bleed in the brain, coma, and thirty percent chance of waking.
She had honestly thought her son was going to die.
Blaine let out a soft moan, opening and blinking his hazel eyes. Everyone in the room froze as his head turned from side to side before he was finally able to lock eyes with Kurt.
“Blaine!” Kurt grabbed his hand and tears sprung to his eyes when he squeezed back. “Oh God you’re awake! Please be awake for real this time!”
Blaine smiled softly, wincing as it aggravated a bruise. He ran his thumb along Kurt’s wrist, keeping a firm grip on Kurt’s hand. A doctor rushed into the room, followed by Amy who was smiling tearfully.
“Blaine!” The doctor leaned over him smiling at Kurt who stepped away. “You’re awake, how do you feel?”
Frowning, Blaine stared up at the doctor blankly.
“Okay, let’s just get some yes or no questions. Do you know where you are?” The doctor asked, pulling out his chart and clicking his pen.
“Down plack to,” Blaine started mumbling, looking confused.
“Alright, just calm down,” The doctor frowned. “Do you know your name?”
“Just quell,” He tried again, taking in the confused faces all around him.
“Let me check your eyes,” The doctor smiled but Blaine jerked away as soon as he lifted the pen light.
He let out a small sound of distress, eyes wide with fear as he caught Kurt’s gaze again.
“Blaine, what’s wrong?” Kurt jumped forward and grabbed his hand. “Talk to me sweetheart.”
Now breathing erratically, Blaine flickered his eyes back and forth. He started shaking his head quickly, squeezing his eyes shut.
“There pool to us west illo tartin. I need harkin about the reading,” Blaine said in a rush and looked even more distressed by the horrified looks from everyone in the room.
“We’ll need to get a speech specialist to test him,” The doctor paged a nurse before giving Blaine a reassuring smile.
“What’s happening?” Amy asked frantically, moving to Blaine’s side to brush back his hair. “What’s wrong?”
“I can’t be certain, and it is really rare, but he might have Wernicke’s Aphasia. Blaine did show some damage in parts of his temporal lobe and it may have caused more problems than we thought,” The doctor said gently, keeping a happy tone in his voice. “He is showing trouble understanding spoken language and forming sentences.”
“So he can’t understand anything or say anything?” Amy asked, tightening her grip on her clearly terrified son’s shoulder.
“Let’s run some more tests,” The doctor said lightly, still keeping a smile on his face. “If it is aphasia we can put him into some therapy programs to help with his speech. Just for now keep your tone light so he doesn’t get upset or scared.”
“He’s not a dog,” Kurt snarled, feeling Blaine grip his hand tighten. “You can’t just put on a happy voice and it’ll be alright.”
“It’ll be alright,” The doctor said but continued smiling.
Kurt scowled but grabbed at a nearby notebook and scribbled down a message for Blaine.
You’re going to be okay.
Blaine stared at the paper for a few moments before looking up at Kurt with tears flashing in his eyes.
“Most people with Wernicke’s aren’t able to comprehend written language either,” The doctor said softly as Blaine took the paper himself.
He tried writing but his hands shook too much to make any more than a few deep scratches with the pen. When Blaine finally got his grip he wasn’t able to form any words. With a sob, he shoved the paper away from him before covering his face with his hands.
Kurt rubbed at his shoulder and shushed him softly, knowing that he couldn’t understand anything that was said.
“Mrs. Anderson, can I speak to you outside about his injuries?” The doctor asked and Amy kissed her son on the head before stepping out.
Kurt sat on the side of the bed, pulling Blaine’s head to his shoulder and rubbed his back. He closed his eyes as he felt the tremors from his boyfriend and squeezed his arms, avoiding the bandages and cast on Blaine’s left arm.
“Pills to the green Saturday,” Blaine said shakily, turning his eyes up to meet Kurt’s.
“Honey, I can’t understand you,” Kurt whispered and Blaine closed his eyes tightly, tears running down his face.
Blaine picked at his cast, trying to take deep breaths. After a few minutes, the pain medication made him fall asleep on Kurt’s chest.
“Blaine wanted to teach music,” Amy spoke up from the doorway, face wet with tears. “Elementary. He was always so good with children and you know that he’s so talented when it comes to music.”
“I didn’t know that,” Kurt whispered.
“He’s been looking into education programs all over the country,” She wiped at her eyes and gave him a shaky smile.
“What did the doctor say?” Kurt asked, feeling his heart constrict at the expression on her face.
“It is presenting as Wernicke’s. They’re going to try a bunch of different therapies to try and help his speech or comprehension,” She sighed, rubbing at her arms. “Oh God, he’ll never be able to teach. He will never be able to get a decent job or go to college.”
“No,” Kurt blinked against the tears building in his eyes.
“You should go call your dad sweetie,” Amy said, waiting until Kurt got off the bed before smoothing down Blaine’s blankets.
He stumbled out into the hallway and walked until he got to a small secluded waiting room. Hands trembling, Kurt dialed his father’s number and waited.
“Hey Kurt!” Burt’s happy voice interrupted the dial tone. “Are visiting hours over? Do you need a ride?”
“Blaine woke up,” His lips quirked into a slight smile.
“Thank God! I was so worried about that boy!” Burt sighed. “How’s he doing? Still in quite a bit of pain I suppose.”
“Um…dad, Blaine is showing signs of brain damage,” Kurt’s voice broke slightly. “He can’t understand anything or say anything that makes sense.”
“Oh,” His father muttered after a long moment.
“And he’s just so scared. He doesn’t know what’s going on and we don’t know if he’ll ever get better,” He let out a choked sob. “I don’t know what to do dad.”
“I’m on my way,” The click of the phone hanging up sounded unnaturally loud in the silent room.
Kurt leaned back, scrubbing at his face and sighed.
He had gotten the phone call at exactly three minutes past midnight. Blaine’s mother had sobbed out that he had been badly beaten and was in critical condition. Ever since he had not left his boyfriend’s side, getting notes from school and having his father call him in sick.
The idea that Blaine might never be able to understand him or even talk to him completely broke his heart. He would live in a world where he couldn’t understand anything or really communicate.
Kurt had never told Blaine he loved him and now he never would be able to.
“Kurt?” He snapped his head up to see him father standing in the doorway holding a bag. His face fell when he saw the tears on his son’s face. “Oh Kurt.”
He wrapped arms around Kurt’s shaking shoulders and rubbed his back as he sobbed. Burt gently shushed him and rocked him back and forth.
“I can’t talk to him,” Kurt choked out, breathing harshly. “He thinks he makes sense but we can’t explain that he doesn’t. He just starts spouting out random words and he’s so lost.”
“It’ll be okay,” Burt whispered into his ear.
“What if it isn’t? How will he ever be able to communicate with other people? How will he ever be able to do anything he wants in his life?” Kurt sniffled. “How will our relationship work through this?”
“Kurt, you care about Blaine very much,” Burt gave his son a tight hug.
“I never told Blaine I love him,” Kurt blurted, interrupting Burt. “I never told him and now he will never be able to hear me say it. I can’t ever have a conversation with him ever again.”
“Kurt,” Burt made his son look him in the eye. “He knows. And true love doesn’t need words.”
Kurt sobbed until he finally fell asleep in his father’s arms. Burt smoothed down his son’s messy hair and lifted him up into his arms like he did when Kurt was a small child. He set him down onto the couch, covering him with his jacket and sat down heavily in a nearby plastic chair.
Ever since the attack Burt had hardly slept. He had heard about these vicious attacks on gay kids but he never considered this would happen to someone like Blaine. Someone so…unobvious.
It shook him to the core.
Burt sighed and took one look at his exhausted son before pulling a burger out of the bag by his feet and settling down to wait.
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Klaine
Summary: Blaine is injured in a hate crime and suffers from brain damage as a result. After waiting for days for him to wake up Kurt is horrified to find that Blaine has Wernicke's Aphasia and can not understand anything that is said to him or say anything that makes sense.
Disclaimer: All Glee things are Glee's. The title comes from the amazing song Words by Kate Miller-Heidke
Author's Note: A prompt from the angst meme. I guess I just can't stay away from hurt/comfort Klaine :)
It had been six days.
Six days since Kurt last heard Blaine laugh, saw him smile, or looked into his eyes.
Six days since Blaine had dropped Kurt off at home, gone to get gas, and had been beaten into a coma with a tire iron.
Kurt had spent six whole days sitting by his boyfriend’s side, staring at his too still face and the steady rise and fall of his chest. However, instead of the quiet hopelessness that normally filled the room it was filled with excitement.
After six miserable days Blaine was finally waking up.
He had started twitching, turning his head and moaning. Every so often he would open hazy eyes and stare around the room, not completely aware of what was happening before falling back into a deep sleep.
“I think he’ll be okay,” Kurt said with a bright smile. “I mean, he’s waking up finally and the doctors thought it would take a much longer time.”
“Kurt, remember what the doctor said,” Amy Anderson smiled tiredly at him from where she was sitting. “He sustained a brain injury. We won’t know how bad it is until he really wakes up.”
“Blaine is so strong,” Kurt said, gently finishing up as he shaved his boyfriend’s face. “He’ll be fine.”
Amy nodded carefully, hoping that Kurt wouldn’t get too hopeful about her son’s outcome. She had sat in the waiting room for hours that nights hearing things like broken ribs, shattered wrist, bleed in the brain, coma, and thirty percent chance of waking.
She had honestly thought her son was going to die.
Blaine let out a soft moan, opening and blinking his hazel eyes. Everyone in the room froze as his head turned from side to side before he was finally able to lock eyes with Kurt.
“Blaine!” Kurt grabbed his hand and tears sprung to his eyes when he squeezed back. “Oh God you’re awake! Please be awake for real this time!”
Blaine smiled softly, wincing as it aggravated a bruise. He ran his thumb along Kurt’s wrist, keeping a firm grip on Kurt’s hand. A doctor rushed into the room, followed by Amy who was smiling tearfully.
“Blaine!” The doctor leaned over him smiling at Kurt who stepped away. “You’re awake, how do you feel?”
Frowning, Blaine stared up at the doctor blankly.
“Okay, let’s just get some yes or no questions. Do you know where you are?” The doctor asked, pulling out his chart and clicking his pen.
“Down plack to,” Blaine started mumbling, looking confused.
“Alright, just calm down,” The doctor frowned. “Do you know your name?”
“Just quell,” He tried again, taking in the confused faces all around him.
“Let me check your eyes,” The doctor smiled but Blaine jerked away as soon as he lifted the pen light.
He let out a small sound of distress, eyes wide with fear as he caught Kurt’s gaze again.
“Blaine, what’s wrong?” Kurt jumped forward and grabbed his hand. “Talk to me sweetheart.”
Now breathing erratically, Blaine flickered his eyes back and forth. He started shaking his head quickly, squeezing his eyes shut.
“There pool to us west illo tartin. I need harkin about the reading,” Blaine said in a rush and looked even more distressed by the horrified looks from everyone in the room.
“We’ll need to get a speech specialist to test him,” The doctor paged a nurse before giving Blaine a reassuring smile.
“What’s happening?” Amy asked frantically, moving to Blaine’s side to brush back his hair. “What’s wrong?”
“I can’t be certain, and it is really rare, but he might have Wernicke’s Aphasia. Blaine did show some damage in parts of his temporal lobe and it may have caused more problems than we thought,” The doctor said gently, keeping a happy tone in his voice. “He is showing trouble understanding spoken language and forming sentences.”
“So he can’t understand anything or say anything?” Amy asked, tightening her grip on her clearly terrified son’s shoulder.
“Let’s run some more tests,” The doctor said lightly, still keeping a smile on his face. “If it is aphasia we can put him into some therapy programs to help with his speech. Just for now keep your tone light so he doesn’t get upset or scared.”
“He’s not a dog,” Kurt snarled, feeling Blaine grip his hand tighten. “You can’t just put on a happy voice and it’ll be alright.”
“It’ll be alright,” The doctor said but continued smiling.
Kurt scowled but grabbed at a nearby notebook and scribbled down a message for Blaine.
You’re going to be okay.
Blaine stared at the paper for a few moments before looking up at Kurt with tears flashing in his eyes.
“Most people with Wernicke’s aren’t able to comprehend written language either,” The doctor said softly as Blaine took the paper himself.
He tried writing but his hands shook too much to make any more than a few deep scratches with the pen. When Blaine finally got his grip he wasn’t able to form any words. With a sob, he shoved the paper away from him before covering his face with his hands.
Kurt rubbed at his shoulder and shushed him softly, knowing that he couldn’t understand anything that was said.
“Mrs. Anderson, can I speak to you outside about his injuries?” The doctor asked and Amy kissed her son on the head before stepping out.
Kurt sat on the side of the bed, pulling Blaine’s head to his shoulder and rubbed his back. He closed his eyes as he felt the tremors from his boyfriend and squeezed his arms, avoiding the bandages and cast on Blaine’s left arm.
“Pills to the green Saturday,” Blaine said shakily, turning his eyes up to meet Kurt’s.
“Honey, I can’t understand you,” Kurt whispered and Blaine closed his eyes tightly, tears running down his face.
Blaine picked at his cast, trying to take deep breaths. After a few minutes, the pain medication made him fall asleep on Kurt’s chest.
“Blaine wanted to teach music,” Amy spoke up from the doorway, face wet with tears. “Elementary. He was always so good with children and you know that he’s so talented when it comes to music.”
“I didn’t know that,” Kurt whispered.
“He’s been looking into education programs all over the country,” She wiped at her eyes and gave him a shaky smile.
“What did the doctor say?” Kurt asked, feeling his heart constrict at the expression on her face.
“It is presenting as Wernicke’s. They’re going to try a bunch of different therapies to try and help his speech or comprehension,” She sighed, rubbing at her arms. “Oh God, he’ll never be able to teach. He will never be able to get a decent job or go to college.”
“No,” Kurt blinked against the tears building in his eyes.
“You should go call your dad sweetie,” Amy said, waiting until Kurt got off the bed before smoothing down Blaine’s blankets.
He stumbled out into the hallway and walked until he got to a small secluded waiting room. Hands trembling, Kurt dialed his father’s number and waited.
“Hey Kurt!” Burt’s happy voice interrupted the dial tone. “Are visiting hours over? Do you need a ride?”
“Blaine woke up,” His lips quirked into a slight smile.
“Thank God! I was so worried about that boy!” Burt sighed. “How’s he doing? Still in quite a bit of pain I suppose.”
“Um…dad, Blaine is showing signs of brain damage,” Kurt’s voice broke slightly. “He can’t understand anything or say anything that makes sense.”
“Oh,” His father muttered after a long moment.
“And he’s just so scared. He doesn’t know what’s going on and we don’t know if he’ll ever get better,” He let out a choked sob. “I don’t know what to do dad.”
“I’m on my way,” The click of the phone hanging up sounded unnaturally loud in the silent room.
Kurt leaned back, scrubbing at his face and sighed.
He had gotten the phone call at exactly three minutes past midnight. Blaine’s mother had sobbed out that he had been badly beaten and was in critical condition. Ever since he had not left his boyfriend’s side, getting notes from school and having his father call him in sick.
The idea that Blaine might never be able to understand him or even talk to him completely broke his heart. He would live in a world where he couldn’t understand anything or really communicate.
Kurt had never told Blaine he loved him and now he never would be able to.
“Kurt?” He snapped his head up to see him father standing in the doorway holding a bag. His face fell when he saw the tears on his son’s face. “Oh Kurt.”
He wrapped arms around Kurt’s shaking shoulders and rubbed his back as he sobbed. Burt gently shushed him and rocked him back and forth.
“I can’t talk to him,” Kurt choked out, breathing harshly. “He thinks he makes sense but we can’t explain that he doesn’t. He just starts spouting out random words and he’s so lost.”
“It’ll be okay,” Burt whispered into his ear.
“What if it isn’t? How will he ever be able to communicate with other people? How will he ever be able to do anything he wants in his life?” Kurt sniffled. “How will our relationship work through this?”
“Kurt, you care about Blaine very much,” Burt gave his son a tight hug.
“I never told Blaine I love him,” Kurt blurted, interrupting Burt. “I never told him and now he will never be able to hear me say it. I can’t ever have a conversation with him ever again.”
“Kurt,” Burt made his son look him in the eye. “He knows. And true love doesn’t need words.”
Kurt sobbed until he finally fell asleep in his father’s arms. Burt smoothed down his son’s messy hair and lifted him up into his arms like he did when Kurt was a small child. He set him down onto the couch, covering him with his jacket and sat down heavily in a nearby plastic chair.
Ever since the attack Burt had hardly slept. He had heard about these vicious attacks on gay kids but he never considered this would happen to someone like Blaine. Someone so…unobvious.
It shook him to the core.
Burt sighed and took one look at his exhausted son before pulling a burger out of the bag by his feet and settling down to wait.