The next day… Tuesday, four in the morning

Blaine was still asleep when Mairead quietly padded into the room in Kurt's comfy slippers. She had woken up five minutes before; she was getting hungry and needed to use the bathroom. Opening the door as softly as she could, she peeked in before walking in. Kurt was fast asleep on the bed with Blaine; his hand, as far as Mairead could tell because Kurt was curled up to Blaine's side under the blanket, was holding Blaine's hand. She smiled, they looked so perfect together. Mairead looked at the clock above Blaine's desk; it was a little after four in the morning and she was still tired. She grabbed her journal out of her backpack and a pair of sweatpants and a spare t-shirt, too. Going over to the desk, Mairead grabbed a packet of the natural fruit snacks. But before she went back to Kurt's room, she walked over to the bed where the two of them were sleeping. She found the thermometer on the nightstand and inserted it into Blaine's underarm.

Blaine stirred, opening his eyes and groaning. He still couldn't see anything without his glasses or contacts. "Mm, Mari?" He grumbled softly, slowly opening and closing his eyes. Blaine was slowly flexing his fingers and was surprised to find another hand in his right hand. He slowly turned his head and saw Kurt curled next to him, sleeping.

She smiled. "Yeah, it's me. Just wanted to check in with you. I can see Kurt's been taking good care of you."

Blaine also smiled a little smile. "I don't know what I would do without him, he's the glue that's keeping me together right now." He took a deep breath in through his nose, but stopped midway. "Hey, it doesn't hurt to breathe anymore! " Blaine slowly lifted his left hand, and the IV line, to his nose. He still felt the heat radiating from his healing nose. "Is it getting better? I can't tell." He whispered to Mairead.

She nodded. "It's still a little swollen though, so try not to move your head too much." A beeping alerted her, the thermometer was finished measuring his temperature. The monitor read 101.9 degrees. Mairead smiled at Blaine who was drowsily looking at her, waiting for her reaction. "Your fever is finally going down. Now it just needs to get down to about ninety-eight, ninety-nine for it to be in the normal range." She took out the thermometer and replaced on the nightstand, but something else cot her attention. There was bag full of brown-tinted syringes with a post-it note on top addressed to her. The note read:

Mairead-

Give one syringe to Blaine if he wakes up and I haven't yet. Tell him it's for his infection on his forehead. It's an oral medication so he should drink the whole syringe and a few sips of water to wash the remnants down. If I'm still asleep when you read this, tell him I love him.

-Kurt

She took one of the syringes out of the bag and grabbed the empty cup on the small nightstand before going to the bathroom. After filling the cup with water, she walked back to Blaine and heard him mutter a soft "Ouch." Reaching the bed, she cocked an eyebrow up at him.

He looked at her embarrassingly. "I tried to raise my eyebrows… not a good idea."

Mairead chuckled softly before waving the syringe in front of him. Blaine looked confused. "What is that? It looks kinda familiar."

"It's something for your infection from your forehead gash. Kurt said he gave you one yesterday." Mairead whispered to him as she took the cap off. "Here, you just need to swallow this." She started to give him the syringe but remembered that both hands were somewhat occupied; one with the IV and the other with Kurt's hand. "Actually, let me help you. Open your mouth." He complied and she inserted the syringe until it touched the tip of his tongue. She pushed the plunger down until it was empty. Blaine's eyes were drooping by the time he finished the cup of water.

"I don't know why I'm so tired. I've been sleeping for what, the past three days? I need to get up and do something at least." Blaine sighed, shifting his weight on the bed to a more comfortable position. He looked down at his hand and started. "When did this blanket come out? I put it away after winter." He then looked at his slumbering boyfriend and then remembered. Blaine smiled and carefully lifted his IV hand to brush back the bit of hair from his forehead that was threatening to fall into Kurt's beautiful glasz eyes. His eyes teared up at the thought of telling Kurt what had happened. He didn't want to hurt Kurt with more hateful gestures that the world had thrown at him after he told of his story with the bullies he had to endure at his old school.

Mairead saw the gesture and touched Blaine's bare shoulder gently. "Hey, why don't you go to sleep for the next four hours or so? After that, let's see if you can walk around a bit. You've been in that bed for what, three days or something? I've lost track," She grinned. "And besides, you're getting laz-" She ducked as Blaine threw the empty cup at her head. "Okay! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" She laughed softly, covering her face with her hands. "Go to sleep, Anderson. I'll wake you up in four hours." Blaine nodded and smiled at his best friend; well next to Kurt, of course! He drifted off thinking of the past memories he had with both Kurt and Mairead.

Mairead had snuck back into Kurt's room and had taken a seat in Kurt's plush desk chair and started writing in her journal. Her journal was her best friend during her horrible years and since then, she hasn't ever missed a day of writing in it. Well, maybe a few accidental days when she was too exhausted to anything but sleep; but even those days were rare. She had gone through at least ten journals since them and kept them in a safe box at the bank where her parents usually go to when they need to access their super important paperwork. Mairead wrote for about an hour and took her own advice to go to sleep for the next three hours.

Tuesday, ten in the morning

Blaine woke up to Kurt humming the song they were going to sing together at Regionals, Candles, by Hey Monday. Once Kurt reached the beginning of Blaine's part he started to sing in a whisper:

And someday
You will get back
Everything you gave me

Kurt turned his head to look at Blaine and softly joined in.

Blow the candles out
Looks like a solo tonight
I'm beginning to see the light

Blow the candles out (The candles out)

Looks like a solo tonight (Solo tonight)

They both smiled at each other as they sang the last line, perfectly harmonizing with the other.

But I think I'll be alright.

Kurt moved in closer to Blaine. "I love you so much." And kissed Blaine passionately on the lips for what seemed like three minutes and only stopped when Blaine gently pushed Kurt away. He needed to catch his breath and put his finger to his lips and pointed to the door when Kurt looked confused. Kurt could hear the quietest giggling from behind the cracked door. He looked on the other side of the bed where he saw the messed up, but empty, sleeping bag. The two boys on the bed grinned.

"Let's get you up and sitting, Blaine. I don't think it'll hurt anything but I have to deal with a little something first." Kurt winked at Blaine. He took the empty cup from the nightstand, went to the bathroom and filled it up with the coldest water possible from the faucet, and walked to the door with the cup in hand hidden behind his back. He slowly opened up the door and quickly pushed his hand out, splashing the water on the two people. Kurt then slammed the door shut and locked it, laughing the whole time. Blaine joined in even though it hurt. They could both hear the pounding on the door as they begged to be let back in the room. Kurt finally opened the door when they finally apologized.

Mairead and Kurt helped Blaine up to a sitting position on the side of the bed, being wary of the IV and the lightheadedness that would happen. "Ugh, it feels weird. Is it normal to get dizzy?" Blaine groaned. He started to get up, but both Mairead and Kurt held him back down on the bed.

"Not until you feel normal again, not with you lightheaded. Else you're going to faint or have a horrible headache all day." Kurt told him sternly, Blaine groaned again.

Blaine looked at Mairead pleadingly. "I feel gross. Please let me go and take a shower?"

She cocked an eyebrow at him. "You heard what your boyfriend said. Besides, Carole's going to be here in like five minutes and we need to get you food and take that IV out before you can do anything.

Joey dragged over Blaine's desk chair to the bed. "Here, I know you're getting sick of that bed." Mairead and Kurt carefully helped Blaine over to the chair.

Blaine felt even more lightheaded after those few steps. "Maybe it was a good idea not to get after all." He sighed in exhaustion, leaning his head back until it touched the back of the chair. Kurt and Mairead rolled their eyes. Joey handed his brother a quarter of a chocolate chip muffin. Blaine started eating it, making sounds of delight as it hit his empty stomach. He finished it in no time.

Carole knocked on the door before coming in. She was delighted to see Blaine in a chair, upright and talking. "Hey there. Feeling better, I see." Blaine nodded as he was drinking some water.

"Can I take a shower? I feel extremely gross right now…" Blaine asked, giving the cup back to Kurt.

"Just let me check your stitches, take your temperature one last time and take out your IV and you'll be free do almost anything. Okay, sweetie?" Carole told him. Blaine grunted in affirmation.

As Carole checked the bandages, Blaine kept talking with Kurt about what they needed to do about practicing for their duet at Regionals in three weeks.

"Everything looks okay, Blaine. The only thing is… you can't take a shower with the stitches in your forehead. You can wash hair but you can't get your forehead wet or another infection's going to be in the gash. There shouldn't be any scars after it heals; I used a very fine suture thread. So in a few days, I'll return and take out the thread. Until then, no showers, no pools, no wetness on those stitches or on the cuts on your chest; they don't have stitches, but to cut down the risk of infection. Okay, sweetheart?" Carole said to him as she snapped off her gloves. He nodded.

"Do you want me to help you take a bath instead? I'll wash your hair with some of my French shampoo Rachel got for me when she went over to Paris during her winter break. Your hair will be as soft as a whipped cream on a medium drip coffee." Kurt said excitedly.

Blaine groaned and mouthed to Mairead, who was covering her mouth trying not to laugh, Rescue me? Please?

She shook her head, smiling.