Blaine was staying the weekend with the Hummel family. The guest room had become a second home to him and the boys had been up late last night watching movies and cuddling on the sofa in the den. Kurt came in to the guest room to wake Blaine up. They had planned a day of hiking in the woods outside of town and Kurt wanted to get an early start, but Blaine didn't want to get up. That was true most every day because snuggling close to Kurt in a warm bed was always better than getting up in a cold room.

Kurt leaned over to plant a kiss on Blaine's temple to wake him but when his lips touched Blaine's skin he pulled back in shock. It was HOT. Not just sleep-warmed, but fever hot.

“Blaine?”

“I'm getting up, just let me sleep a minute more, okay?” Blaine whined. He struggled to open his eyes to see his friend, but the effort was just too much and he closed them again. His hand reached out to tangle his fingers with Kurt's.

“Don't worry, baby, I'll be back in a minute,” Kurt told him, untangling his fingers from the red hot hand.

Kurt was a bit worried, Blaine had never been sick in the monhts they had been together. His first thought was to go get Carole. She was a nurse after all, and would know what to do. But she had left an hour ago for her shift at the hospital and his dad was at work, too. Kurt reasoned that Blaine was a strong healthy teenager, so this was probably just the flu.

He went down to the kitchen and made some tea with lemon, buttered toast, orange juice, and scrambled eggs. He brought it all upstairs on a tray.

“Wake up, honey, I brought you some breakfast," Kurt announced as he walked back into the guest room. He set the tray down on the dresser.

“I'm not hungry. I just want to sleep," Blaine drawled, his voice unable to enunciate clearly.

“You can go back to sleep in a minute, eat a bit, drink some juice and take some asprin.”

Blaine struggled to open his eyes. He really just wanted to go back to sleep, but he knew Kurt by now, and that meant he knew Kurt was stubborn and never gave an inch. Blaine didn't have the strength to fight him on something so small.

“I have to pee.”

“Ah...okay.” Kurt gave him a small smile. He must be sick, that wasn't something he would normally say. They were very close...made out on a regular basis, but talking about body functions wasn't an plateau that had been reached yet.

Blaine got to his feet and immediately fell back to the bed with a grunt, almost sliding to the floor if Kurt hadn't caught him.

“Oh, no, honey. Let's just sit for a minute and let your head clear.”

“NO! I have to go. NOW!” Blaine shouted, hisz eyes still tightly closed.

“Okay, okay. I'll help you,” Kurt said and moved his arm around Blaine's waist and they walked a few steps -- but as Blaine fell again, Kurt just slid his arm in back of Blaine's knees and picked him up. Blaine was shorter than Kurt, but was surprisingly heavy. It was a good thing Kurt worked out so the boy wasn't really a burden. He stepped into the bathroom. Blaine was almost asleep just standing there, and he whimpered.

Kurt saw just one thing he could do before an embarrassing accident happened: he held Blaine against his hip to keep him standing and pulled down his pajama pants, holding his penis so the boy wouldn't pee on himself. Well, Kurt might have had a burning desire to see and hold Blaine's like this, but this was hardly the way he had dreamed it.....

“Finished?”

“Uh huh..” Blaine made a move to pull up his pants, but Kurt ended up doing it for him, then carried him back to bed.

“Okay, time for a little breakfast. You aren't going to throw up, are you?”

Blaine shook his head no, but his arms flew up to hold his head as he whimpered loudly, his breath hissing through his lips.

“Blaine? What's wrong?” Kurt was starting to get seriously worried. The boy had felt really hot when Kurt helped him to the bathroom, and when he took his temperature it was 102.7.

To Carole: Blaine is sick. His temp is almost 103. He is not really conscious. What do I do? - Kurt

To Kurt: Can he touch his chin to his chest? -Carole

“Blaine. BLAINE. Come on, baby, do this for me. I'm going to get you sitting up. Okay? Now, touch your chin to your chest. Please, please,” Kurt begged. Blaine tried, but he just couldn't. It HURT. His head hurt, his knees hurt.

“No. No more sun. Close the curtains, it hurts,” Blaine said in a tiny voice before grasping Kurt's hand.

To Carole: No, he can't. He says his head hurts, the sun hurts. He is crying and couldn't walk to the bathroom by himself. What's wrong with him? -Kurt

Kurt's phone rang.

“Kurt, honey. I know this is scary. Can you call Blaine's parents?” Carole's calm nurse voice came over the phone.

“They're in Istanbul on business, not coming home for four more weeks, but I have his brother's number. Cooper is in Columbus and he is Blaine's guardian," Kurt answered, glad he knew these answers.

“Okay. Call him and have him come to the hospital.”

“The hospital?” Kurt could hardly speak. His hands started to shake. “Do I need to get Blaine to the hospital? Finn is down the hall, he can help me get Blaine into the Navigator.”

“No, don't try to move him. I'm sending an ambulance. Get ready, I know Blaine will need you to be strong now. Kurt, you have had times in your life when you had to face difficult things. This is one of them. Let the EMTs in when they get there and they will know how to prepare him for transport. Be there for Blaine, Kurt. He's going to need you," Carole said, as calmly as she had been taught to do in extreme situations. Kurt recognized this and it sent a spike of fear up his spine. He looked at Blaine who was lying on the bed, his body shivering in spite of the heat inside it.

“What's wrong with him?” Kurt was really scared now.

“I'm not sure, Kurt, but it might be meningitis.”

Kurt got dressed as quickly as he could, calling Finn to sit with Blaine before he left the room. By the time he got back, Blaine was vomiting into a towel and Finn was holding him. The ambulance was in the driveway and the men were there putting Blaine on the gurney. It happened so fast, but also seemed to be happening in slow motion.

The man was asking Blaine some simple questions, but he didn't seem able to answer anything. He just laid there looking up at Kurt, and Kurt felt his heart break. Blaine grabbed his hand and held on for dear life – the only words that passed Blaine's lips sounded like a prayer: “Kurt, don't leave me. Kurt, don't leave me...”

“I'm here, baby, and I'm not leaving you.” Kurt blinked the tears from his eyes. He took a breath, squared his shoulders and a deep resolve began in his very being. He would be a brick wall for Blaine.

At the hospital, Kurt was allowed to stay with Blaine because the poor boy was almost hysterical whenever Kurt loosened his grip. Carole probably greased the wheels a bit, but Kurt was barely aware of anything other than this boy he loved.

“Kurt, have you been able to contact Cooper?” Carole asked him.

“I left a message, but let me try again.”

Blaine had dozed off, so Carole took over the hand holding duties. Kurt called Cooper once again.

“Cooper!”

“Oh, is this Kurt? I saw you called. What's up? How's my baby brother?” came a voice over the cell phone. Kurt didn't really know Cooper, he had only met him twice.

“Coop, he's sick. You need to get here soon. Drive carefully, but hurry. We are at the hospital and the doctors need you to give permission to do a spinal tap.” Kurt sounded like a robot by now, holding in his emotions to be strong for Blaine.

“He what? What happened? I just spoke to him last night...he was on his way to your house for dinner...”

“He woke up with a high fever, we brought him by ambulance to the hospital.....wait, here's my stepmother, she's a nurse here...” and he handed the phone to Carole.

After a short conversation where Carole explained what they thought was wrong with Blaine and got verbal permission to treat him, she assured him they would keep him informed by bluetooth as he drove.

Doctors came and went, they took blood, did the spinal tap, put in IVs. At some point in all the confusion and worry, Kurt felt warm hands come down to massage his shoulders. Burt had arrived, spoken briefly to Carole, and joined Kurt in the room.

“How is he, buddy?” Burt was a calm presence in this storm and Kurt clung to him for a few minutes until Blaine started to cry at Kurt's hand being gone.

Kurt was just numb by now. Blaine was covered with tubes and needles, in a little hospital gown and a sheet. He shivered sometimes, blinked his eyes like he might wake up, but mostly he clung to Kurt – whimpering or crying if Kurt let go. Kurt was told not to touch Blaine, other than to hold his hand, and they came with a paper gown, foot covers, hat, and mask for Kurt to wear, but nobody asked him to leave and for that he was thankful. He wouldn't have left, but it was good he didn't have to fight.

When the boys were left alone for a few minutes at a time, Kurt would brush the curls out of Blaine's face and lean close to tell him it would be okay, he would never leave him, it would be okay, he loved him. Though Blaine appeared to be asleep, he would squeeze Kurt's hand when he whispered these things.

Cooper arrived and after he came in to see Blaine for a minute and leave a kiss on the top of his head, he was pulled into the hallway for an update. Kurt could hear most of it: Blaine had meningitis. It was probably caused by a strep infection he had in his ear last week. The doctors were administering antibiotics. Iit could get worse – involving eyesight or hearing, blood flow or pressure on his brain. But right now he was stable. The doctor was adamant Blaine not be allowed get upset, so they allowed Kurt to stay and keep him calm. No, it might be contagious, but not likely and Kurt was wearing a mask. Anyone exposed to Blaine would have to start taking antibiotics.

All of this information fell into Kurt's brain, but very little registered with him. His only consistant thoughts were a feeling of danger and the primal need to stay with Blaine to keep him safe.

Cooper joined Kurt, giving him a huge hug and thanking him for being there for his brother. It never came up that Kurt should leave. Apparently someone, probably Kurt's parents, had arranged everything. Kurt was allowed to stay with with Blaine when they wheeled him into ICU and a cot was set up for Kurt to sleep on.

For most of the time Cooper, Carole, Burt, and sometimes Finn would join Kurt in his vigil, holding Blaine's hand so Kurt could eat or doze for a few hours. Kurt stayed out of the way of the nurses as they did their rounds and spoke quietly to the doctors that came and went, but saved all of his strength for Blaine.

The vigil took it's toll on everyone, but especially on Kurt as some very scary events came and went. Blaine's blood pressure got low, sending monitors into a cacophony of frenzied of noise and bringing medical persons on the run to push more medications into the tubes going into Blaine's veins. They came and put a central line directly into his heart when the overworked veins infiltrated. Kurt got used to seeing nurses bathe Blaine or change his catheter and IV bags. He learned to empty the catheter bag and spoon food into Blaine when he was able to eat. Sometimes when nobody was looking, he would climb into Blaine's bed and just hold him close, whispering soft things into his sleeping ear.

One night Blaine was more awake than usual and asked Kurt to sing. He didn't talk often, mostly just asking Kurt never to leave, telling him he loved him. But tonight he seemed more restless.

“Okay, baby, what do you want me to sing?”

“Something from Disney.”

Kurt had watched numerous Disney movies with Blaine, but didn't know many of the songs by heart without the movie playing. He remembered his mother singing a song from Mary Poppins to him when he was a very little boy. He sang it to Blaine, stroking his forehead:

Stay awake, don't rest your head
Don't lie down upon your bed
While the moon drifts in the skies
Stay awake, don't close your eyes

Though the world is fast asleep
Though your pillow's soft and deep
You're not sleepy as you seem
Stay awake, don't nod and dream
Stay awake, don't nod and dream

By the time it was done, Blaine was looking at him, tears streaming down his face. He looked sort of sleepy, so Kurt kissed his temple and began stroking his cheek. Blaine closed his eyes and sighed. He muttered, “You won't leave me...I know it,” and a small smile graced his lips. Blaine went to sleep, still holding on to Kurt for dear life.

At first, Kurt was petrified. Burt noticed and asked him, and Kurt finally told him what he had overheard in the hallway. Cooper was sitting with Blaine, so Burt took Kurt by the hand into a private room. He motioned for Carole to join them and they sat down to go over what information they had. Kurt was reassured that Blaine was on the mend. His eyesight and hearing were fine. There had been a scare about the blood pressure, but it had been taken care of. Blaine had, thank goodness, not had a seizure – which was a common thing with Meningitis.

“Kurt, buddy, I still think of you as my sweet little boy. But this week has shown me you are an adult. The care you have shown another person, the selflessness and loyalty you show Blaine just makes me stop in my tracks. I am so proud of you, Kurt,” Burt blinked back tears.

Carole came closer and put a hand on Kurt's back. “And I know your mother would be proud of you, too.”

With that, Kurt finally broke down. He launched himself into Burt's arms and let himself cry for the first time since Blaine had gotten sick.

“Oh, Dad, I'm so scared. I don't know what I'll do if anything happens to Blaine. I love him, Dad. I love him more than anything,” Kurt sobbed into Burt's shoulder. Burt looked at Carole, thinking 'When did this happen? Carole just smiled.

“It will be okay, buddy, if love can save someone, Blaine is going to be fine.”

Day by day, Blaine got better. There came a day when he was able to stay awake longer, then his fever went down, he was able to pull himself together enough to trust that Kurt would never actually leave him, and he was content to sit quietly with Finn or Cooper, sometimes with Carole or Burt. He left the ICU and got a regular room, so some of his friends were able to visit. Mercedes, though he thought she was probably there more for Kurt than himself. Wes, Dave, Nick, Trent, Jeff and a few more Warblers came. Some of the New Directions, too.

The last day, they removed the central line and told Blaine he was okay to go home, but he would still need time to recover. It would continue to be a struggle for a while, but the Hummel-Hudson family were ready to be the family he needed. Cooper would stay with him there for another week.