As predicted, going to school the next day was torturous for Blaine. He was grateful for the distraction, but the only place he really wanted to be was with Kurt. The best part about being in school was that he could go into the gym and let all of his emotion out on the punching bag he'd discovered in there.

Slowly walking up to the punching bag – without even changing into his gym clothes or putting his gloves on – Blaine touched it gently, letting his mind fill with everything that had been haunting him for the past three days.

The moment Blaine found out that Kurt had been attacked…punch.

The moment Blaine entered the hospital and realised that everything was real…punch.

The moment Blaine saw Kurt lying in his hospital bed, covered in bruises and cuts…punch.

The moment Blaine heard that Kurt was in a coma…punch, punch, punch.

Blaine didn't even realise that his knuckles were bruised and bleeding or that he was crying until he felt somebody pull him against their chest and rub his back soothingly…Finn. Blaine turned his head and sobbed into the taller boy's t-shirt, unable to stop himself.

“It's okay.” Finn said softly.

“It's not okay!” Blaine cried. “Kurt's lying in a hospital bed, barely alive while some jerk – or jerks – are free to do whatever they want to after doing that to him. How is that okay!?”

“It's not, but Kurt will be. You know he's strong enough to get through this.”

“What if he's not? He could never wake up, Finn. People go into coma's and they never come out…what if that was to happen to Kurt!?”

“It won't,” Finn said, still calm. “We already know there isn't enough damage to his brain to keep him comatose forever.”

Blaine suddenly started laughing a little, wiping his eyes free of tears.

“What?” Finn asked confusedly.

“Nothing…it's just that was probably the smartest thing I've ever heard you say.”

“Shut up,” Finn teased, shoving Blaine playfully. “Feel better?”

“A little…I still wanna kill whoever did that to Kurt though.”

“Well you can't,” Finn laughed. “Or you'll be the one getting arrested.”

“True,” Blaine laughed.

“Come on,” Finn said, putting a hand on Blaine's shoulder and leading him out of the room. “Let's go and clean your knuckles up. It kinda looks like you actually killed someone.”

As Blaine sat in the nurses office getting his knuckles cleaned a bit, Finn's phone began ringing. It was his mom, so he answered it. It was a quick phone call and Finn pocketed his phone immediately, grabbing Blaine's arm and pulling him out of the room.

“What the –”

“Kurt's awake.” Finn said, dragging Blaine outside of school and towards his car.

“Wait, what!?”

“My mom just called me. He's awake and apparently he keeps saying your name.”

At the hospital, Burt, Carole and a doctor were all trying to calm Kurt down and failing miserably.

“Blaine.” Kurt cried, tears streaming down his face.

“He's on his way, buddy.” Burt said, softly, trying to focus on the fact that his son was terrified and not on the fact that he was actually speaking.

“I want Blaine.” Kurt sobbed, gripping the blankets with his hands.

The doctor was about to sedate him just as Blaine and Finn came running into the room, out of breath.

“Blaine,” Kurt said, his chest heaving as he reached his hands out weakly towards his boyfriend. “Blaine.”

“I'm here,” Blaine said, sitting on the edge of Kurt's bed and carding his fingers through his hair. “I'm right here.”

Kurt latched onto Blaine's hand, trying to stop himself from crying. The doctors ended up sedating him anyway, as he couldn't seem to calm down, and he eventually fell asleep in Blaine's arms, clutching onto his t-shirt tightly.

“What happened to your hands?” Burt asked, noticing the purpleness of Blaine's knuckles. “Please tell me you didn't get into a fight…”

Blaine smiled a little at how Burt spoke to him as if he was his father before replying. “I tried to murder the school punching bag, that's all. I was kind of overwhelmed with everything and I'm used to taking my anger out on punching bags so I did that but I forgot to put my gloves on.”

When Kurt woke up again, he was a lot calmer than before and seemed content to just lay in Blaine's arms. He cried out in pain anytime he moved due to his broken ribs, but other than that he seemed calm.

Kurt's family went out to get dinner a little later, but Blaine refused to leave Kurt now that he was awake. He noticed, once everyone else left, that every time somebody walked past Kurt's room or he heard a fairly loud noise, Kurt tensed slightly and gripped onto Blaine a little tighter.

“You okay?” Blaine asked.

Kurt looked up and nodded a little, snuggling back up to Blaine and wincing a little as his bruises grazed Blaine's shirt.

“I don't feel well.” Kurt said quietly, sounding so little and terrified.

“I know you don't, baby.” Blaine said, pressing a kiss to the top of Kurt's head. He was slightly shocked that Kurt was speaking. He'd stopped because of bullies and then started again after getting attacked…it didn't make sense, but Blaine didn't care. All that was important to him in that moment was that Kurt was awake. He was awake and he was okay. It'd take him a while to heal, of course, but he was okay.

By the time Burt, Carole and Finn returned, both of the boys had fallen asleep, cuddled up to one another. They knew it was the first time that Blaine had slept properly since Kurt was attacked, and they weren't surprised that it took Kurt waking up for him to feel relaxed enough to actually fall asleep. Burt couldn't help but smile at the sight; he was glad that Kurt had somebody like Blaine to look after him and protect him.