"My teeth are tired." Finn mumbled around a mouthful of Pop-Tart.

"Would you rather stay here, then?" Carol didn't look at him as she bustled from the kitchen to the family room—dropping things in her purse, checking the extra bag she'd packed of some of Kurt's things.

"No. I wanna come." Finn gave up on his breakfast. A daring feet considering how much he loved wild berry Pop-Tarts.

He sank down into the passenger's seat, his head against the glass. At eight in the morning, it was already warm against his face.

"Burt says he was awake for a little while this morning." Carol offered after a few minutes of silent driving.

"That's good… is he feeling okay, I mean, better?" Finn blinked to try and ease the burning in his eyes. He was so tired.

"I don't think he said anything, but I'm sure he's doing much better." Carol patted Finn's knee- more a reassurance to herself that her own flesh and blood was safe beside her than any comfort to Finn.

Finn dosed off despite his best efforts and only awoke when his mother shook his shoulder to announce they'd arrived. He dragged after her up to the third floor.

Blaine was already there, neatly dressed as ever, his hands folded in his lap. Finn was always a little in awe of Blaine- proper, neat, charming, and for some reason, he always knew exactly what to say… he'd tried to describe his observations to Rachel once and she'd provided him with the word for it: dapper. Blaine was dapper.

"Hey, man, you been here long?"

Blaine startled a little, apparently having been lost in his thoughts. He smiled quickly though, and stood. "Not too long. How was the drive over?"

"Fine, dear. Have you been in to see Kurt yet?" Carol was frowning at Blaine the same way she did at Finn when he didn't feel well.

"No, ma'am," Blaine nodded toward the clock. "Family only until ten."

"You've just been-" Carol cut herself off with a disgusted noise and marched toward the nurse's station. She stood and talked with the woman behind the counter for a few minutes, motioning toward the boys behind her a few times.

"Have you heard anything?" Blaine spoke up, watching Carol with his hands folded behind his back.

Finn glanced at Blaine. "Burt says he was awake for a bit early today."

Blaine nodded slowly. "Good. That's good."

Finn studied the boy beside him. He was a good solid six or seven inches shorter. He'd never realized how small Blaine was (then again, next to Finn, everyone looked little), but how come he'd never noticed such an extreme height difference? Maybe it was something in how he carried himself or how he stood or maybe it was that Dalton blazer… Finn folded his own hands behind his back, tried to get his shoulders set straight-

"All right, boys- Finn, what are you doing?" Carol looked at her son strangely.

Finn dropped his hands back to his sides and let his shoulders slump back quickly. "Nothing."

Blaine glanced at him, but seemed unfettered.

"Blaine, you're coming with us now." Carol smiled at him, but still sent Finn a few odd looks.

"Thank you, ma'am." Blaine smiled, looking relieved as he followed them down the hall.

"Call me Carol, sweetie; and what exactly were you planning on doing out there until ten?"

Blaine smiled ruefully and shrugged. "I talked to the police when I got in, and it didn't make much sense for me to just turn around and go back home. I was hoping I could wait around for someone to tell me something, I guess."

"Well, why wait when you can check on things yourself." Carol touched a soft hand to Blaine's arm with a smile.

Blaine held the door open for both Carol and Finn before following after them. Finn made a mental note to hold doors more often.

"How is he?" Carol asked softly, moving to sit beside Burt.

Burt looked exhausted, "Well drugged. Rough time this morning."

"Is he okay?" Blaine moved to the other side of the bed to study Kurt's face.

"He will be. Real disoriented this morning and he was in a lot of pain…the doctors want to ease up on the sedation though, keep him awake for a bit from time to time." Burt rubbed his eyes with the hand that wasn't locked on his son's.

"Have you had anything to eat?" Carol said after a few moments silence, her eyes on her husband. "We should go down to the cafeteria."

"Not hungry." Burt replied flatly.

"Coffee, then." Carol squeezed his shoulder.

"I'm not leaving him, Carol." Burt kept his eyes on his child.

"He'd be upset if he knew you weren't taking care of yourself, and you know it." Carol tugged gently at his shoulder. "The boys can stay with him until we get back."

Burt kept his eyes on Kurt's face for a few moments longer before letting out a resigned sigh. "All right. A cup of coffee."

"You two will be all right, won't you?" Carol turned around to study Finn on the couch.

Finn nodded, "Sure."

"Take your time." Blaine smiled.

When the door closed behind his parents, Finn wasn't really sure what to do. He had never really been alone with Blaine before…well, technically Kurt was there, but he didn't really count just then…maybe that was an awful thing to think…

Blaine didn't seem to mind the silence. He studied Kurt's face; brushed a hand across his forehead until it came to rest on his cheek and left it there.

Finn regarded him with curiosity. The weirdest thing about Blaine was Kurt. The two just didn't make sense to Finn…well, two dudes in a relationship was still a little confusing for him, but even if it wasn't, they seemed like a funny couple all the same. But… the way Blaine watched Kurt now and the way Kurt looked when he would come home from Dalton… there was no question they were crazy about each other. Maybe it was like him and Rachel; they made no freaking sense at all…

"How do you think two people end up together?"

When Blaine looked up at him, his eyebrows raised, Finn realized he'd spoken aloud. Damn; awkward.

Before he could try and take the query back though, Blaine smiled and shrugged. "I don't know."

Finn opted to keep his mouth shut. Too afraid of making a fool of himself again to give any explanation for the question.

Blaine, however, seemed as at ease as ever, "I think you find the person who sees you in a way nobody else does."

Finn nodded slowly. He liked that—it reminded him of Rachel. But he wasn't entirely sure how it pertained to Blaine: everyone knew Blaine was…what was the word? Oh yeah: dapper. "Does Kurt see you that way?"

Blaine's hand was still cupped against Kurt's cheek; he smiled, "Definitely."

"Do you think you see him that way?" Kurt had always been a mystery to Finn. One second he seemed happy, the next he was angry or crying or depressed. But not when it came to Blaine. He was always happy when it came down to Blaine.

Blaine brushed his thumb across the abrasions by Kurt's nose, "I try to. I can't even begin to tell you what he was thinking with this though."

Blaine looked sad. Finn had never seen Blaine look anything but varying degrees of happy- other than the day before when he'd freaked about Kurt being in the hospital. He wondered briefly if he'd said something to depress him (maybe Finn was just a boring conversation partner), but whatever the cause of the line between the smaller boy's eyebrows, Finn felt responsible for making him feel a little better. "You…you make him really happy, ya know."

Blaine smiled briefly at Finn then looked back to Kurt. "I do my best."

Finn rose from the couch and took the chair on the opposite side of the bed from Blaine. The two regarded each other for a moment before Blaine slipped back into his casual conversation mode. "How are things with Rachel?"

"Good…. great. She's great." Finn studied the little clip on Kurt's finger and wondered what it might be for.

Blaine asked him another question, but Finn didn't hear it. His eyes were still focused on his stepbrother's hand. He thought he'd seen it move...

"Finn?" Blaine called his name uncertainly.

There. He was sure this time. Kurt's fingers curled and uncurled atop the sheet. "I- I think maybe he's waking up."

Blaine dropped his hand from Kurt's face and leaned over to see.

The hand was still for a moment, and then it twitched again, fingers flexing out and then in toward his palm. Finn let out a fluttery relieved laugh.

Blaine straightened back up and took Kurt's hand on his side of the bed in his own. "Kurt, Kurt can you hear us?"

Finn watched the rhythmic movement of his brother's hand. Mesmerized as the movement intensified- his hand clenching tighter…

A low moan startled Finn from his focus. Kurt's leg moved beneath the blanket, his peaceful face looked suddenly stricken with agony. "Blaine, what's happening?"

Blaine remained calm, his free hand going to Kurt's hair, his mouth close to his ear. "Shh, just relax."

Kurt didn't relax. He moaned again, louder, and let out a hiss of pain when he tried to suck in a breath.

"Blaine, what do we do?" Finn stood; frightened.

"Hold his hand; let him know you're here," Blaine instructed, his voice still all silk as he turned his attention back to Kurt, "Kurt, hush, it's me. I'm here."

Kurt's breathing was erratic, his eyes clenched tightly shut. His mouth opened and closed a few times only to let out cries of pain before a breathy word escaped, "…hurts…"

"I know, I know," Blaine moved his hand from Kurt's head to his chest, his fingers fanned out across his sternum, just barely touching the thin hospital gown, "Nice and easy. Shallow breaths, just up to my hand; you feel my hand, don't you?"

Finn found himself soothed by Blaine's soft murmurings into Kurt's ear; he gently squeezed Kurt's hand.

Kurt's breathing evened out, but it still sounded labored as it came in short bursts from his mouth. Soft whimpers escaped every few exhalations. Blaine watched the rise and fall of his chest and sang softly to him, "I'll sing it one last time for you, then we really have to go…"

Blaine sang until Kurt stilled again, his breathing even and his hand going limp in Finn's. Finn watched Blaine for some indication of how to proceed.

Blaine remained half-standing for a long moment before sinking back down into his chair. He looked exhausted.

Finn sat, too, warily watching Kurt's hand in his. "Kind of intense, huh?"

Blaine rubbed his eyes with the hand not holding Kurt's, "It'll get better. You did great."

Finn wanted to point out that he'd stood there and stared at Blaine the whole time, but he felt as tired as Blaine looked and didn't want to raise controversy, "I liked the song you sang for him."

Blaine smiled graciously, but his eyes didn't leave Kurt.

Finn wondered if he would look at Rachel that way if something were wrong with her, "He's lucky to have you."

There went his mouth again: shooting itself off without consulting himself first.

Blaine didn't smooth the moment over with a smart response. He cringed. "If he didn't have me, he wouldn't be in this situation in the first place."

"You didn't do this, man." Finn looked over his brother. "This isn't something a human does… this…these guys had to be monsters from the beginning."

It was Blaine's turn to study Finn's face. He opened his mouth to speak, but the door opened and Burt and Carol were back.

"How is he?" Burt demanded, immediately settling into the chair beside Blaine.

"He sort of woke up for-" Finn started.

"He was awake?" Burt looked up sharply at Finn, "Did he say anything?"

"Not really; he was hurting pretty bad, I think… Blaine calmed him down," Finn glanced at Blaine for confirmation.

"His ribs were hurting him pretty badly." Blaine offered lamely.

Burt looked over Blaine for a moment before squeezing his shoulder briefly. "Glad you were here to settle him down, then."

All four sat in silence for a long moment. Burt glanced over at Blaine, "You planning on going into school in the middle of July?"

"Huh?" Blaine raised his eyebrows in confusion.

Burt only nodded toward Blaine's Dalton uniform.

"Oh, that," Blaine smiled, "I do tours for incoming freshman at Dalton; I have to work today."

"What time?"

"Well, uh, technically eight this morning until three," Blaine rubbed the back of his neck with a bashful smile.

Burt, to everyone's shock, chuckled. "Get to work, kid. Kurt's not going anywhere."

"With respect sir, I'd like to stay," Blaine responded.

Who talks like that? Finn stared at Blaine. How the hell was a guy like Finn who had to give himself a mental kick to say you're welcome when someone thanked him for something, supposed to keep up with a kid in a uniform who sounded like he drank tea with the queen or something? Maybe they took a class at Dalton on how to act like that...

Burt didn't seem as convinced by Blaine's linguistic stylings, "I know you would, but it's not good for kids to be in hospitals for too long. That goes for you, too, Finn, I want you to go be with Puck or Rachel or something later today."

Finn nodded quickly. He was terrified of ever arguing with Burt Hummel. Besides, Burt was kind of right, there was something draining about being in that place for too long.

Blaine looked conflicted for a moment before rising from his seat, "Yes, sir."

"Call me Burt, Blaine," Burt instructed in the same tone. He stared at him a moment longer, "You did a good thing today; talking to the police."

"Thank you, s- Burt," Blaine looked awkward for a moment, but then smiled; shaking Burt's hand and giving Carol's arm a squeeze as he moved toward the door, "Thank you for getting me in this morning."

"Of course, honey. It shouldn't be a problem from now on, I had them move you to the family visitor's list," Finn was confused when his mother suddenly hugged Blaine, "Get some rest, Blaine. You're exhausted."

Blaine nodded his head briefly. He paused in the doorway to look back at Kurt and then at the rest of the family, "Would you mind calling me if anything changes?"

"Sure," Finn waved his phone in the air so Blaine could see it.

With a final nod toward the group, Blaine quietly exited the room.

Carol sighed and stared at the closed door. "Sweet boy."

Finn spotted an opportunity to show off his new vocabulary, "He's very dapper."

Burt chuckled again, "That kid is beyond me."

Carol moved to sit down beside Finn. He let her wrap an arm around him and stroke his hair. She sighed. "He needs someone to let him put the act down for a few minutes. He's exhausted. Seeing Kurt like this can't be easy for him, and other than for a few hours yesterday, he's done nothing but smile and be polite."

"Blaine's always like that, mom." Finn yawned.

"Mothers know when children are just trying to put on a brave face." Carol looked over at her stepson, her voice soft. "And a brave face can go too far."