Cooper Anderson was a busy man. He had graduated six years ago and did his internship at a prestigious hospital in Los Angeles. Hed returned to his hometown in Ohio when his parents passed away in a light plane crash. His father was flying the little Cessna and his mother was in the plane that day. Ever since, he had been his brothers guardian and trustee of his parents estate.

Blaine had been a handful to care for the first six months after the crash. He was angry, belligerent, and depressed. It had only been a month after hed come out to his parents and they had not mended fences entirely when the accident happened. Cooper could tell Blaine a hundred times that the plane crash was sheer misfortune, an accident that was nobodys fault, and Blaine could deny that he was feeling blame – but everyone from Cooper to the dog next door could see the guilt that bathed the boy in shame and self-loathing.

It was Coopers idea that Blaine start his junior year at Dalton. He was fine at his local public school, living in the same home hed grown up in. Cooper had moved back and lived there with him, but soon saw that Blaine would do anything to keep from walking down the hall that led to his late parents bedroom. Cooper moved them into the carriage house behind the mansion, using only the furniture from the back parlor so it didnt trigger and memories for them.

No matter how often Blaines friends told him differently, Blaine was convinced that his father had been distraught over Blaine being gay. Cooper told him that being physicians, their parents were forward thinking and had accepted their younger son. It had just been a shock and they were taking time to get used to it.

Cooper finally just dropped it. He could not convince Blaine of any other truth, so they agreed to let it go and move on. Coop thought it was done, Blaine had settled in with friends, old and new, at Dalton and was in several extra-curricular activities. He was on the polo team, the Lacrosse Team, the Fencing Team. He boxed in Golden Gloves and was the lead soloist for the Warblers. He seemed to be well-adjusted and Cooper was proud of how far hed come.

Of course, there were those days when Cooper would tear out his hair – coming to Headmaster Grosvenors office to clear up a little prank Blaine and his crew had seen fit to play on one of the faculty. He walked into the office to find a very upset Prof. Rosenblum, her tiny white Maltese dog on her lap – dyed pink and green for Easter. Blaine, Trent, Jeff, and Thad sat opposite her on the teak bench reserved for miscreants and rule-breakers. Cooper had spent a good many hours on that very bench. He had to play the strict doctor-guardian-disciplinarian to all, but underneath he was jumping and clapping that Blaine was finally getting comfortable within himself again.

The upshot of the incident was that Blaine, as the self-proclaimed leader of the prank, had to do tootsie-roll patrol twice a week for a month. He ended up getting to be good friends with Prof. Rosenblum, which was an unexpected bonus.

Now, Blaine had gotten himself into some other piece of trouble. He refused to elaborate over the phone, just telling his brother that he needed him and could he be there as soon as possible. Cooper put his foot down a little harder on the accelerator, hitting the corner a little faster than was safe as he took the last turn into Daltons grounds.

There, standing in the cold without a decent coat was Blaine. He looked small and scared. Cooper hadnt seen him like this since he came to get him at the hospital where hed waited for his parents to come home on that fateful day. Cooper pulled up, slamming the brakes on his BMW and closing his eyes briefly, willing himself to stay strong for the little brother he loved. This didnt look good.

“Blaine? What happened?” Coop asked, his breath coming out in a frosty cloud as he held his arms out to his brother. Blaine was in them in a minute, hugging Cooper tightly.

“Just come with me,” Blaine whispered and turned to run back to his dorm room.

Cooper followed, memories of his own days at Dalton haunting him with every step.

Blaine knocked twice and opened the door quietly, ushering Cooper in with a finger to his lips to ask for quiet. Cooper stepped in, looking around and finding Trent sitting in the same overstuffed chair that had been in his house so many years ago. Coop blinked, trying to see what was wrong with Trent, his eyes lighting on a still form in the bed.

He turned to his brother with his eyebrows raised, walking slowly over to the bed and indicating that Trent should move. The boy jumped up, moving away and Cooper sat down in the chair.

“Okay, Blaine. Spill,” Coop said, gently pulling back the blankets to reveal a skinny, malnourished boy. He touched his head, assessing his temperature to be over 102 by the feel. He ran a tender hand down the thin cheek, flushed with fever, and watched as the boy tried to lick his chapped lips in his sleep. He only managed to get them sticky, his mouth too dry to produce saliva in any useful amount. Cooper turned his eyes once more on Blaine.

“Coop, can you help him? I ….well, he cut his stump pretty badly, but he begged me not to tell anyone. I didnt have a choice if I wanted to help, he was so scared. Trent and I got him back here and we tried to clean the wound, but now hes fevered....” Blaine stopped talking as Cooper pulled the blanket farther off to see this gash. He jumped a bit when he saw the stump, the red, oozing wound had turned virulent and red streaks were starting to form. Cooper frowned. He pressed on the swollen edge of the wound and pus flowed out.

“He needs to be in the hospital, Blaine. Im going to call an ambulance. Where are his mother and father?” Cooper asked.

“He wont tell me. He wont tell me his real name. Trent and I think hes been abused or something, we didnt know what to do. Can you help him, Cooper? Youre a doctor,” Blaine pleaded. He never asked for much, always trying to do things himself. He even got a hard job at the hospital on his own to try and help with expenses, although he had plenty of money he wanted to pay his own way when he could. For a seventeen year old, Blaine was one of the most responsible Cooper had ever met.

“I can set up an IV with antibiotics for tonight and clean the wound. How did he lose his leg?” Cooper asked.

“I didnt ask. He is really frightened and closed off. I was afraid if I pushed him too far that hed run away – hes obviously run before,” Blaine reasoned.

“Ill have to go get my bag. Take these shorts and the shirt off, but you can leave the briefs on. Get an old T-shirt I can cut, but make sure its clean.”

“I brought in your medical bag,” Blaine indicated, pointing to the leather satchel on the table by the window.

“Good. Here, Trent, go get my other bags out of the back seat of my car,” Cooper asked, throwing his car keys to the other boy. Trent nodded and was gone.

“I need him to wake up so I can ask him some questions. Has he been asleep long? Has he lost consciousness?”

“I dont think so, although I didnt try to wake him,” Blaine said, sitting on the bed and leaning over the skinny boy. “Hey, time to wake up. Elijah, wake up,” he said, gently shaking Kurt. He decided to go with the false name Kurt had tried to use earlier.

Kurt blinked, then shuddered as he reached for his leg. He looked at Blaine, then at Cooper and jumped. A look of utter betrayal entered his eyes as he squinted back at Blaine.

“Elijah,” Blaine said, enunciating clearly so Kurt would know he did not betray him completely. Kurt nodded so slightly nobody would have noticed if they werent looking for it.

“Hello, Elijah, Im Blaines brother. My name is Cooper Anderson. Im a surgeon and Blaine asked me to come look at your leg. How do you feel?” Coop asked, using his no-nonsense but-very-friendly voice.

Kurt just stared at him, his lips moving as he tried to gather saliva to open his dry, sticky mouth.

Blaine could see the problem and brought a cup of warm water. Kurt drank it down, then another before he spoke.

“Thank you for coming. I think Ill be fine, though,” he said, very unconvincing -even to his own ears.

“Are you allergic to anything? Like penicillin or sulfa?” Cooper asked. Kurt shook his head, indicating no.

“How old are you?” Cooper asked. Kurt knew he was asking to see if he was of legal age to sign medical documents himself.

“Im 19,” he lied.

“How did you lose your leg?” Cooper asked. It was obviously surgically removed, so if there had been an accident they would have had to cut somewhat above the wound.

“Ah...does it matter?” Kurt asked and closed his eyes. He was hot and thirsty and so sleepy. Blaine had moved next to him, seeing the pain in his eyes. He put a supportive arm around the boys shoulders to keep him from slipping down in the bed again.

Trent came back in, lugging two medical boxes. He set them down on the table and turned to see what else he could do.

Cooper set an IV in Kurts arm. He asked Trent to fix more tea and add a lot of sugar, then bring a glass to Elijah. Trent hesitated for a beat, but recovered nicely and got the tea. Kurt drank most of it without taking a breath.

“Whats in the IV?” asked Kurt.

“Antibiotics – gentomyacin to be exact – along with saline, ringers lactate, and now Im going to add a narcotic because flushing this wound might be a little painful,” Cooper said.

“Meperidine or fentanyl works better than toradol for short term with me,” he said quietly. Cooper gave him a serious look, but didnt ask any questions. He set a bottle down and picked up another, slipping the needle in and removing some of the liquid before pushing the needle into the IV buff cap. Neither Blaine or Trent followed this, too busy with the tasks Cooper had assigned them.

Cooper set up as sterile an environment as he could, using the equipment from his medical kits. He pulled back the leg of the briefs to expose as much of the leg stump as possible without making Kurt show off too much. He set up a basin and removed the butterfly closures that Trent had used to hold the lips of the wound together.

“Okay, I need one of you to sit behind Elijah and hold him steady,” Cooper said, looking at Blaine. His brother scooted close behind Kurt and put his arms around him, holding him close. To his surprise, Kurt turned towards him and snuggled his face into Blaines neck – holding his breath to keep his whimpers at bay. Cooper pressed the pain medication into the IV and Blaine felt Kurt relax. He was still very much awake, just a bit groggy. Cooper flushed the gash with distilled water, bottle after bottle as Trent emptied the basin as necessary. When Cooper was done, he sprayed some sort of liquid on the wound and bandaged it. Looking at the limb, he moved the hip joint, paying close attention to how it moved and Kurts face. Satisfied, he cut the sleeve on the T-shirt Blaine had provided and put the shirt on Kurt, using safety pins to close the open seams. He hefted the boy back to where hed been on the bed and covered him up.

“Okay, that is all I can do tonight. Youre going to have to keep the IV in for a few more days, which means I can take you to the hospital or you can stay here. Im on holiday, so I can be here in minutes if you need me. Im going to be here twice a day until this infection resolves itself. When was the last time you had a tetanus shot, Elijah?”

“I dont remember,” he said.

“No problem,” Cooper said, fixing another syringe and giving the boy a shot in his hip.

“Now, Im going home to get some sleep. Call if you need me. Blaine, walk me to my car,” Cooper said, leaving one box of supplies on the table and taking the other things – which he piled in Blaines arms to carry.

Out by the BMW, Cooper turned to Blaine.

“What have you gotten yourself into now, Squirt?” he asked.

“I dont know. I was walking home and saw him fall on the Alms Creek Bridge. He was hiding in the mens restroom and when I got there, he pulled a knife on me. Hes really afraid of something, Coop. I dont think he trusts me, but hes being forced into it because of this. Hes even more afraid that Ill call someone or turn him in. Trent and I think maybe hes been abused in some way – maybe a runaway foster kid or something. That doesnt happen just in New York or LA,” Blaine said.

“He isnt a stray cat, Blaine. I could get into trouble, maybe get my license suspended if I get caught housing something illegal – especially if I treat him! Its going to have to do for now, but you and I are going to talk this over in the morning. Why? Why are you sticking your neck out for some skinny kid you dont even know?” Cooper said in exasperation.

“He needs me,” Blaine said. Then he tugged Cooper down and hugged his neck for a long minute before he turned to trudge back into his dorm. Cooper stood alone in the snow, watching his baby brother. Blaine was back in his dorm room before Coop got in his car and started the engine.

Blaine walked back into the dorm room to find Trent sitting on the side of the bed, holding Kurts hand and yawning. Kurts eyes were closed, but he had a pained look on his face. Blaine didnt think he was asleep.

“Hey, Trent. Why dont you get back to bed. Ill stay awake for a while with Kurt. I dont think I can get back to sleep now anyway,” Blaine said, holding out a hand to help his friend up. Trent took it and smiled at Blaine.

“Okay. Ill bring breakfast in the morning. Any requests?”

“Yeah, I could sure do with some pancakes. Maybe bacon, too?” he asked with a smile.

“Sure thing, Anderson. Sure thing,” Trent replied with an indulgent smile of his own. He looked at Kurt once more, studying the serious face and the dark circles under his closed eyes. He thought to himself that Kurt was one lucky guy to have Blaine Anderson looking out for him. Then he turned and left, hugging Blaine on the way out of the door.

“You can open your eyes now, Kurt. Hes gone,” Blaine said.

Kurt didnt even try to pretend he was asleep. He sat up a little, being careful not to brush across his stump. It was pretty sore. Of course it got sore fairly frequently, it was an awkward angle and Kurt had been having some problems with it as he went through this last growth spurt. His father had to spend most of his savings on a new prosthesis the last time since it was too soon for the insurance schedule to get one. Everything was regulated by insurance companies and since his dad owned his own company, the costs were astronomical.

Burt never complained. About anything. Not even the weather that kept people in and away from his shop in the inclimate weather. Not about the rising cost of food or gasoline, not about Kurts medical bills. He just worked an extra job delivering flowers or throwing newspapers when he needed more money. Kurt had tried to hide his need for a new prosthetic leg from his dad, thinking about the last time hed had to have a new one.

One morning Burt had come to sit on the side of his bed. He pulled back the covers and pulled up Kurts pajama pants to look at the stump one morning. The look in his fathers eyes made Kurt burst into tears.

“Why, son? Why didnt you tell me this was happening?” Burt asked, his eyes wet and sad.

“I was waiting until the insurance would not need a copay, Dad. It is fine until then,” Kurt tried to say. He knew that made Burt even sadder, so he stopped talking.

“Ill make the appointment for later this week, Kurt. Final. You have to have a new leg, kiddo. You are my number one priority in life, Kurt. I love you and Ill take care of you. Dont worry about the money, well get by. Havent I always taken care of you?”

“Yes, Dad. You always take care of me. I just wish you didnt have to,” Kurt said so quietly he didnt think his dad heard him.

Last month, just before he ran away, Kurt was coming down the stairs with his crutch and heard his father in the kitchen on the phone.

“Well, he grew. No, kids dont grow on the insurance schedule, damn it. It isnt his fault he got taller and now the prosthesis doesnt fit. Okay, well be there on Friday morning at ten. Thanks for nothing,” he said, the anger and futility in his voice cutting into Kurts heart. He sat on the stairs to gather his emotions before going in to breakfast when he heard his dad on the phone again. Kurt stopped and listened.

“Hey, Cliff. I was wondering if I can pick up a few hours this coming week. No, Kurt needs some medical stuff. No, they wont take another IOU, its cash this time. Well, a little over $3,000. No...no, I used all that for the last one. Oh. Well, I guess its hard times for everybody, Cliff. Just...ah...tell me if you can find me anything. Anything at all. Thanks,” Burt said in defeat and hung up the phone very gently, closing his eyes. He jerked up as soon as he heard Kurt on the stairs and was smiling as his son limped into the kitchen.

“Hey, sport, Ill drop you by school this morning, you wont have to call Mercedes. Do we owe her gas money from last week?” Burt asked, a smile pasted on his face.

“No, Dad. I sewed her costume for the play to pay for that, no problem. It isnt that far out of her way and she was glad to have the help with her outfit,” Kurt said. Burt ruffled his hair and Kurt pretended not to like it, but they both knew Kurt loved it when his dad did that – even if Kurt had to go back into the bathroom to fix it before he left.

That was the morning that Kurt packed his backpack with essentials, took all of his money out of his bank account, left a letter on his bed, and took a bus to Westerville. He was done being a burden to his father. Burt didnt deserve to have an albatross around his neck for the rest of his life. Kurt was just dead weight.

“Dad?” Kurt asked as he tried to open his eyes. He was dizzy and a little sick to his stomach. He felt the IV in his arm and thought to call the nurse for some nausea medication when he opened his eyes to see he was in Blaines dorm room.

“Hey, are you all right?” Blaine asked, rushing over to the boy in his bed.

“Yeah, yeah...just didnt know where I was for a few minutes. No, Im fine,” Kurt tried to say, but his lips were sticking together and he needed a drink. He looked towards the bedside table and tried to reach the glass of water from the previous night.

“Here, let me do that for you,” Blaine offered, pouring more water from a crystal pitcher filled with crushed ice and water. He handed the lemon-brightened drink to Kurt.

After drinking most of the glass, Kurt thanked his host and looked up. He was feeling better than last night, so the antibiotics were working. Blaine reached over to feel his forehead and smiled when he found it had cooled significantly.

“You sure gave us a scare last night,” he said.

“Sorry. Listen, I should be getting on down the road anyway. I have $40 to leave with you, just let me know how much more and I will get you the rest as soon as I can,” Kurt said. “Can you hand me my crutch?”

“No. Coop said you are to stay in bed. You dont owe me a thing, Kurt. I was glad to help. What you can do is tell me what the hell is going on. I stuck my neck out for you, and my brother really stuck his neck out. I think you owe me some sort of explanation,” Blaine said. He wasnt forceful – he said it in a pleasant voice, but Kurt could not mistake his meaning.

“I cant tell you, I dont want to burden another person – so I will just be going. I cannot thank you enough, really. And Im sorry about your brother. He wont get in trouble because nobody will ever know. Im trustworthy on that count. I have....ah, things I need to attend to. So, if you can get me my prosthesis?”

Blaine moved closer and sat in the comfy chair beside the bed.

“Sorry, but I cannot do that. Coop said that it doesnt fit you properly, which is probably why you fell yesterday. You not only cut yourself badly, you pulled and maybe tore some ligaments and tendons in the fall – because the prosthesis didnt fit you properly. I dont know whats going on, but Im not letting you leave here until this is resolved. Understood? Unless youd care to give me your parents phone number? Ill call them and we can talk this all over with them,” Blaine said in a kind voice.

Kurt was infuriated.

“You cant do that! You are keeping me prisoner here. Thats a federal offense – kidnapping. Please, Blaine, I just want to move along, get out of your hair,” he said, looking tired.

“Hey, dont get so upset, Kurt,” he said, standing up and moving so he was sitting next to Kurt on the bed. “I dont want to stop you from whatever it is you have to do. I just want you to be healthy enough to do it. You have a bad infection, thanks to my screwing it up by trying to do it myself. Cooper is so pissed at me now, Im kind of afraid of what hes going to do this morning when he gets here. I only want to help you,” Blaine tried to explain.

“Why? Why me?”

“Because.....I guess because you need help. Isnt that the right way to do things? Give help where its needed? Isnt that just part of being human?” Blaine asked, looking down at his lap.

Kurt shut his mouth. This kid sounded like his dad. Damn, he missed his dad. Tears came to his eyes, but he knew he couldnt go back home and continue to be a burden on his dad. Burt had a heart attack last year and he shouldnt be working extra jobs to buy stuff for Kurt. Burt had experienced enough heartbreak in his life, he needed a break.

“Okay, Blaine. Ill stay here until Im well. Thank you. I will find a way to make it up to you. I promise. Hummels never break their promises,” he said, leaning back in the pillows and closing his eyes. He was sound asleep when Trent knocked on the door, bringing pancakes and bacon.

“I hope this is okay...its still hot, my mom put it in the insulated bag for me. Here, help yourself. I even brought maple syrup!” Trent said, grinning at his breakfast companions.

Kurt smiled, the smell of fresh pancakes making his mouth salivate.

“Hey, I thought you lived in the dorms,” Kurt noted, looking at the freshly cooked food.

“Oh, I do – but my house is just a block from campus, so my sister brought it to me this morning when Mom cooked it. My sisters spoil me rotten,” Trent grinned. Blaine rolled his eyes and nodded his head. The three boys made up their plates and sat down to eat, listening to the latest songs on the radio.

A knock on the door was followed by Cooper Anderson walking in. He greeted the boys, hugged his brother, and sat down next to Kurt.

“How are you feeling this morning?” he asked, listening to Kurts heart then taking his pulse.

“Im okay. Its sore but not as painful to the touch as it has been. I dont seem to have a reaction to the gentamyacin, either,” Kurt said in a low voice. Cooper just looked at him again, not saying anything as he took his temperature and then asked him to lie back so he could change the dressing on the wound.

Kurt laid back, not looking at the other people in the room until Coop began unwinding the gauze from the stump. Kurt glanced at Blaine, a plaintive look on his face causing Blaine to hurry to his side, climbing in back of him just as he had the night before. Kurt once more buried his face in Blaines neck until the bandages were gone.

“Well, its looking better. The wound isnt streaking, I dont see any pus, and the seepage is much less and clear. I think we can flush it quickly and rebandage until tonight. Do you need narcotics, Elijah?” Coop asked but Kurt shook his head no. Cooper nodded and set up the sterile field to flush the wound. He set the steel basin on the bed, holding Kurts stump over it while he poured the sterile water. Trent sat across the room, trying not to look. He and Blaine had a kidding rivalry going – they were both thinking of pre-med, but the sight of certain body fluids, like blood and pus, made poor Trents stomach weak. Cooper said he would get over it in time and Trent really hoped he wasnt kidding.

“There. Now, what is causing these blisters and callouses? Your prosthesis doesnt fit you, does it? These over here are pressure wounds,” Cooper said bluntly.

“I just need new pads,” Kurt rushed out. He didnt think he could fool this man, but he wanted to postpone the inevitable discussion about getting a new one. He knew he could be traced through that.

“Okay. Well, Im no expert on limbs, Im just a surgeon, but it looks more serious than that to me. Lets revisit that when its healed enough to put the prosthesis back on, right?”

“Yeah, that sounds good,” Kurt agreed, happy it didnt take more than that to convince the doctor.

“I think I can give you two more days of IVs, but Im switching to another drug,” Cooper said.

“I already have Menieres, so dont change on that account if that is what youre trying to prevent,” Kurt said quietly. Cooper just looked at him again.

“I dont want the damage to get any worse, then Elijah. I can switch easily enough and this one isnt as caustic to the veins. I just needed to jump start the antibiotics and Gent is pretty powerful. How do you tolerate cefazolin?” Cooper asked.

“Fine. That is fine,” Kurt said, then turned his head back to hide in Blaines chest. Blaines arm went around him as if by habit and Kurt relaxed into it. Cooper finished changing the IV drugs and bandaged the wound.

“Stay off of it completely, Elijah. Youre safe here, so rest. Call if you need me, Im just a few minutes away. You guys stay out of trouble, okay?” Coop said, packing up and leaving. Blaine walked him to his car.

“Blaine, has he said anything about his past?” Cooper asked.

“Nope. Hes really tight lipped about it. I dont want to scare him off before he is out of danger, ya know?” Blaine said.

“I just wonder what could have happened to him that he was on gentamyacin long enough to get Menieres?” Coop said.

“Whats that?” Blaine asked.

“Its a disease of the inner ear. The little cilia in there that keep your balance? It causes them to die, and they dont grow back. You have dizzy spells, bed spins, and it affects your hearing. Sometimes theres a ringing in your ears that cannot be silenced. Its not a pleasant thing to have, Im sorry if hes suffering from that. He must have had a bad time of it if his doctor chose that drug knowing what damage it could do,” Cooper said sadly, shaking his head. “Plus, those sores on his leg? They have been there a long time. He should have been fitted for a new prosthesis long ago. No wonder he ran away. Im going to try and see what I can find out.....without anyone getting suspicious. I promised Id keep your secret as long as nobody is in danger. Okay?” Coop said.

“Okay. I trust you. Ill try and talk to him,” Blaine said.

“Elijah isnt his name, is it?” Cooper asked.

“Ah...no. No, it isnt,” Blaine said, then hugged his brother and walked back into the dorm.