The next few weeks went along the same way. Blaine worked on the apartment steadily and it was coming together well.

Every day he was there, he took the next Vogue from the collection and read it to Kurt. It was something small he could do to maybe help. It gave the nurses a break, and maybe Kurt was listening to him read out loud. As someone who admired Kurt's work and felt badly about his accident, Blaine wanted to show his respect somehow.

He got to know the staff well also. There was a maid who cleaned once a week. The nurses in rotation. The physiotherapist. The doctor.

But by the time he'd read the most recent Vogue to Kurt, the apartment was done. Everything was unpacked and in place. The walk-in closet had taken the longest, and Blaine had ended up installing custom shelving to better fit Kurt's wardrobe.

The office had a file folder system set up, with all his various bills neatly organized. His personal papers were in decorative boxes, full of pictures and journals and personal letters. Blaine had been tempted to read them, but respected Kurt's privacy and stored them away.

He had decorated the apartment with Kurt's things to make it feel like a home. Setting a comfy reading chair near the bookcase with a floor lamp nearby. Hanging art up on the wall.

Walking through the apartment a final time, Blaine felt satisfied. The last thing he did was put his business card on the fridge with a magnet.

Hannah entered the kitchen, smiling at him warmly. "Oh good, thanks for leaving your contact information, Blaine. You have done a great job here. Maybe I should hire you to organize my place."

Blaine returned her easy grin. He had enjoyed getting to know her. "Well, feel free to call me anytime. I could always pop by for lunch sometime if I'm working in the area. Plus, I want to hear how Kurt is doing."

"It's pretty unlikely that much will change there, but I'm an eternal optimist." She walked him to the door, giving him a quick hug before he left.

...

A few weeks later, Blaine was deep in a project with a hoarder. His family was paying for Blaine's services and they had warned them that it would be a slow process, mostly dealing with their father's mental blocks around letting go of things.

He had worked with hoarders in the past and it was hard work. But it was very satisfying in the end to really help somebody in this way. In the beginning, there were small steps to gain the hoarder's trust and get some easier tasks accomplished.

Leaving for home, his cell rang with an unknown number. A new client perhaps?

"Blaine Anderson." He answered.

"Blaine! So good to get ahold of you! This is Hannah, from the Hummel apartment." Her voice was very cheerful.

Blaine was happy to hear from her. He had stopped by a couple times to eat his lunch with her, giving her some company in the quiet, elegant apartment. "Hannah, it's great to hear from you."

"Blaine, there is some exciting news here." Her voice dropped to a quieter tone. "Kurt has woken up."

Shocked, Blaine walked off the busy sidewalk and into a park, dropping down onto a bench. "But I haven't heard anything about it on the news or anything."

Hannah chuckled softly. "It's all hush-hush right now. It's great that he's regained consciousness, but he is still easing back into life. He's in pretty rough shape, very weak, and needs to rest often."

"Well, I'm still so happy he's regained consciousness. He's far too young to have stayed under. Thanks for letting me know, Hannah." Blaine shook his head, still amazed by the news.

Hannah cleared her throat, and her tone became more serious. "Do you think you could come by to read to him again, Blaine? If it's not too much to ask?"

Blaine was pleased by the request. "Sure. I could even swing by right now. I just finished work."

"Great. See you soon."

Hannah greeted him at the door and they shared a hug, both so happy at Kurt's progress.

She pulled him into the kitchen, pouring them both a cup of coffee, and they sat down at the table.

Blaine would guess she was in her late forties, still very fit and attractive. He liked her professionalism, tempered with her warm heart. She really cared about Kurt.

"It's only been three days so far. But he's improving a little every day." She sipped her coffee, watching Blaine's response.

Blaine nodded. "I'm sure it will take months and months for his body to recover."

"Yes, and the psychological traumas also to deal with. How familiar are you with his history?"

Shrugging, Blaine wondered how to phrase it. "Well, I had seen him perform years ago, and consider myself a fan. So, I paid attention to the news that came out about him. His father, the accident, his boyfriend leaving the US."

Hannah laid her hand over his arm. "I know you signed a confidentiality agreement to work here, as we all did. I think all those things snowballed into each other. His accident was because he wasn't dealing well with his father's death, and may have strained the relationship with his boyfriend. I think their relationship was already on the rocks before any of that happened, and would have ended soon anyways."

Blaine nodded. This all made sense with what he had heard from other sources.

"So, in addition to dealing with his physical challenges, Kurt has to deal with his father's death, the breakup with his boyfriend and the effects of the accident." Hannah swirled her coffee in her cup.

Blaine nodded. "So, there will be psychologists visiting him as well?"

"Eventually, maybe. But for now, I need to keep his spirits up, and give him some distraction from the endless comings and goings of the health staff." Hannah gave a small smile. "And that's why I called you. It's quite possible your reading before was reaching him and I'm hoping you will be a familiar voice to him."

Standing up, she carried their cups to the sink.

Turning around, she looked at Blaine steadily. "And there is one other thing you should know before seeing him." She let out a sigh. "He is having difficulty speaking, and there is a chance of permanent damage to his vocal cords from the accident."

She turned and walked out of the kitchen, and Blaine followed her down to the bedroom, still reeling from this news. A professional singer who couldn't sing? What would Kurt do with his life if he couldn't sing?

Hannah stopped outside the door and spoke softly. "I left the newest Vogue in there with a couple bottles of water. Take your time. I'll be out here if you need anything."

Watching as she walked back down the hall, Blaine turned to the door and took a deep breath to steady his nerves. What was he even going to say to Kurt?

Knocking softly on the door, he opened it slowly and looked towards the bed. Kurt was propped up, his eyes open and turned towards Blaine. Even though Blaine had been expecting it, it was still jarring seeing him awake. He felt a bit shy, star-struck.

The blue of Kurt's eyes seemed even brighter than Blaine remembered them, maybe due to his pale pallor. He looked weak, a little dazed, reminding Blaine of a small bird that had fallen out of its nest. It made Blaine feel a rush of compassion towards the young man who had been through so much already. No wonder he looked a little lost and overwhelmed.

Entering, Blaine closed the door most of the way and stepped closer. "Um, Hi. I'm Blaine and I was working in your apartment when you first moved here. Hannah, the nurse, thought I could come by and read to you again."

His explanation sounded weak and odd to his own ears, but Kurt gave him a small nod. Relieved, Blaine pulled up a chair and saw the magazine and water close by.

Taking the magazine, Blaine opened it and flipped to the first article, and started. It was nerve-wracking reading as Kurt looked at him, so he was speaking a little fast and stumbling over words. But after a few paragraphs, he relaxed a little and spoke more clearly.

Occasionally, he would flick his gaze up to Kurt's face, and Kurt's eyes were on him, open and interested. Not looking sleepy. Seeing those famous blue-grey eyes on him made his stomach clench with nerves. Blaine dropped his gaze back to the magazine to get lost in the words again.

A few articles in, he stopped to open a water bottle, feeling thirsty. After drinking about half of it, he looked to Kurt. "Are you thirsty too?"

Kurt gave a small nod, looking a little tired, and Blaine glanced at the bedside table. There was a lidded cup with a bendy straw. Blaine peeked inside and saw it was ice water.

He brought it to Kurt, angling the straw so he could accept it and Kurt took a long sip. He let go and gave Blaine a little nod. He was quite expressive, even without saying a word.

Picking up the magazine again, Blaine gave Kurt a questioning glance, and got another nod in response. Blaine continued reading.

By the time he had finished the magazine, he could tell Kurt was sleepy. "OK, I'll go now. Would it be OK if I come back in a day or two?"

Kurt gave him a small closed-lip smile and nodded again. He looked a little better now, calmer.

Blaine left, closing the door softly behind him. He walked down the hall and found Hannah reading on the balcony.

"How did it go?" Hannah put her book down, and waved to the other chair.

Blaine sat and looked over at her. "It seemed to be good. He seemed interested in the magazine and listened attentively. By the end, he was sleepy and he's napping now."

Hannah nodded and smiled. "Good. Would you come back again?"

"Yes, I asked him if that would be OK, and he nodded. But I don't have any more Vogues to read to him." Blaine chuckled at how odd this whole situation was.

Hannah chuckled too. "Well, you unpacked that whole library of books. Perhaps you could select a few that interest you and let him choose one."

Blaine nodded, remembering several titles that had piqued his interest.

"Thank you, Blaine, for doing this." Hannah sighed, looking out at the pretty view. "Working with various patients over the years, I've seen a big variety of cases. When you work in people's houses for months, you see very deeply into their lives."

Blaine let her talk, knowing she was working up to something.

She turned slightly towards Blaine, her legs crossed. "I think Kurt was very sad and lonely before the accident. He worked long hours and was very respected, but when you get to that level of fame, do you have close friends in your co-workers? They say it's lonely at the top, and that was the case here. He was close with his father, and with his boyfriend in the early stages."

"We notified his boyfriend about Kurt, and he was pleased. But he's not going to come back to the US." Hannah said softly. "He will continue to pay for his care only. We asked about other people to notify, and he only gave us the contact information for his stepmother. She is also out of the country, and it may take awhile for word to get to her. He couldn't even give us the names of any close friends to notify."

Blaine was rocked by this news. He knew Kurt's relationship wasn't doing well at the end, and wouldn't have been surprised if he had read about them splitting up back then. But for the boyfriend to be so heartless to not even visit Kurt now? It said something about how bad their relationship must have been.

He also knew about Kurt's family. His mother had died when he was young, and his father raised him. He had remarried, but his stepbrother had died as a young adult. His stepmother was his only family left now.

And friends... Blaine had seen many, many pictures of smiling people, letters, mementos amongst Kurt's things. But who were important still to Kurt? Had he kept in touch, kept those relationships alive? Knowing how chaotic Kurt's life had been the last few years, Blaine wouldn't be surprised if he hadn't been able to.

Hannah reached over and took Blaine's hand. "I've never worked with a client who didn't have family or friends around. But he needs people to connect to, to relate to. More than just health care providers dealing with his body. Someone more his age."

Blaine nodded. "I'd like to help in any way I can."

"Great. For now, if you can keep up the visits as they fit your schedule. We'll see what else as things progress." She smiled again and got up. "Now, I'm going to prepare some exciting things like broth and Jell-O for Kurt. Get him used to eating again."

...

A couple days later, Blaine arrived as Hannah was leaving for the day. She gave him a quick update and hugged him before stepping out.

Going to the library area of the living room, Blaine quickly found the books he was thinking of. He stopped by the kitchen for a bottle of water on the way.

Knocking on the door before entering, he saw Deanna was standing beside Kurt, adjusting something.

"Hi Blaine. Hannah mentioned you would be by today." The small Filipino nurse was always cheerful when he'd crossed paths with her before. "Kurt is just having his meal, and I'll be out of your way in a minute."

Blaine nodded, putting his items down on the extra table. Walking over to the window, he gazed out, giving Kurt his privacy.

"OK, all finished here." Her voice sang out, and she carried a tray with some medical supplies on it. He didn't see any dishes or cutlery. Soon, she left the room, leaving the door mostly shut.

Blaine smiled at Kurt as he sat down. "You are all caught up on Vogue, so I took the liberty of choosing a few books we could read instead. Is that OK?"

Kurt looked more alert today, and his color was a bit better. He nodded at Blaine.

Spreading out the three books for Kurt to see, he waited while Kurt looked them over. It was nice having a few seconds to take him in, his eyes tracing over the long, graceful line of his neck. After a couple moments, Kurt looked at one book and nodded.

Chuckling, Blaine put the other books aside. He had picked a Jane Austen classic, a highly rated historical fiction and a light-hearted action novel. Kurt had selected the last one.

Blaine had seen the movie, but he'd heard that the book was better and a lot different. Settling into the chair, he opened to the first chapter.

...

After about an hour, Blaine finished a chapter and closed the book.

"That's a hell of a lot different than reading Vogue to you." Blaine chuckled. The book was interesting, and he wanted to read on. But Kurt was looking a little tired. "Is it OK if I come back tomorrow to read more with you?"

Kurt nodded, his small closed-lip smile in place, looking pleased. Blaine felt proud that he had helped, that Kurt had enjoyed the reading.

Shutting the door behind him, Blaine went to find Deanna. She was in the kitchen, working with the medical supplies he'd seen earlier.

"Hey Deanna. Kurt's just napping now." He watched as she rinsed out some tubing and put it in the garbage.

"Thanks, Blaine." She nodded his way.

Blaine watched as she worked, curious. "You mentioned giving Kurt his meal, but I didn't see regular food. Do you mean the IV?"

She shook her head. "No, that is just used for his fluids and medications. His food is mostly supplied by a tube feed."

He must have made a strange expression because she giggled. "It's not as bad as it sounds. For people in a coma or unable to eat normally, there are formulas that can be put right into their stomach or intestine. It meets all their nutritional needs and keeps the gut working. In Kurt's case, there is a surgically installed port going right into his stomach and he gets three meals a day."

Blaine gave her a puzzled expression. "But Hannah mentioned giving Kurt broth and Jell-O the other day."

She nodded. "Yes, as he is able to eat more normally, we'll cut back on the tube feeding. Maybe eventually, have none at all and remove the port."

Blaine nodded back. "Can he feed himself?"

"Well, he is working with physio. He has general muscle weakness from disuse, and some damage from the accident." Deanna finished up her work in the kitchen. "It will take some time to see what he can do."

...

hi bllaine. It's Kurt.

Blaine looked down at his phone, his brow furrowed. A second later, there was another message, this time from Hannah.

Isn't this great? Kurt's hands are strong enough now to use a tablet. He can text! -H

A wide grin spread across Blaine's face.

Hands shaking, he responded to the first message.

Great to text with you, Kurt! Feel free to message me anytime. -B

The second message was to Hannah:

I'm so happy for him. Now he can communicate much easier with people. -B

Kurt had tried writing on a notepad, but didn't have an easy time printing. The messages were just a word or two, the letters badly formed and hard to read. Blaine could tell Kurt was very frustrated with it.

It would be exciting to see what Kurt could do with texting.

...

The next time Blaine came to the apartment, he could here two voices coming from the balcony. Peeking into Kurt's bedroom, he was surprised to find the bed empty.

Following the sound of the voices, he found Hannah on the balcony, and she gave him an excited wave.

"Blaine, come join us!" She pointed to a chair nearby, and Blaine followed her instructions. Sitting in the other wicker armchair was Kurt, looking very happy.

Hannah was like a proud mother. "Kurt has been walking a little lately, and I thought he'd like to get some fresh air and a change of scenery from that old bedroom."

Lifting a mini iPad, Kurt hit a couple buttons.

"Yes, mother." The tablet intoned, a male voice with a bit of an Australian accent.

Hannah chuckled, looking over at Blaine. "Kurt already has a bunch of comments pre-typed on his tablet, and just has to select 'speak'. I get the 'Yes, mother' comment a lot."

She stood up. "Well, I'll leave you to your visit. Today, I'm making my beef barley soup for dinner." As she left, she patted Blaine's shoulder.

Kurt was clicking in his tablet, and then looked up at Blaine.

"Hi Blaine. It's nice to actually be able to talk with you finally." The voice from the tablet was different than before, now switched to a male American accent.

Blaine smiled at Kurt, loving seeing his cheerful expression and how much stronger he looked. "Nice to talk to you too, Kurt. So why do I get a different accent than Hannah?"

Kurt shrugged, and typed a little more.

"I use different accents for different people. Just something fun for me. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?" The voice from the tablet spoke clearly, although some words had odd pronunciations. Overall, Blaine didn't have a problem following along.

Blaine laughed, and shook his head. "Sure, ask away." There was a tray on the table, and he poured himself a glass of iced tea. Kurt already had a lidded cup near him, with a bendy straw.

"I'd like to get to know you better. Where did you grow up? How did you come to do this kind of work?" Kurt had only clicked a couple buttons, so Blaine guessed it was something pre-typed, probably something he used with all his different health care workers to get a conversation going.

Blaine thought of how to answer the questions briefly. "Well, I grew up in Chicago and have a music degree. I moved to New York to pursue my career. Played in lots of bands, did lots of gigs. But I had to have a day job too so ended up working for a company that installed closet organizers."

He took a sip of his drink, and Kurt gave him a little nod and a wave of his hand to continue.

"People in New York have a lot of stuff and tiny apartments. I saw a need and started my own professional organization business. And I've been working steady for the last four years now." He shrugged. It was a strange path, but he liked the work and it paid quite well.

Kurt raised his eyebrows, looking impressed. Turning back to his tablet, Blaine watched as he typed on the screen. Not one of his standard questions then.

"Did you organize this apartment? All my stuff?"

Blaine was starting to merge Kurt's old voice with the tablet's voice, in his head. The tablet's voice was a bit stilted, but when paired with Kurt's expressive face, his messages came across fully.

Blaine nodded. "Yes, I was hired to set up your apartment. Everything was in boxes and shoved into the living room. If you want anything changed, just let me know."

Kurt shook his head, and then typed. "No, you did a wonderful job. It already feels like home, seeing my things so nicely arranged everywhere."

Feeling relieved, Blaine smiled and sipped his drink. Hearing that from Kurt himself was very satisfying. It was the best part of his job, knowing he'd made people feel good in their homes. Usually, it was people out of control, living in chaos. This was a different situation.

"But, why are you still coming back here?" Kurt asked.

Blaine looked down, feeling uncomfortable. Why was he coming? "It's hard to explain. I liked working here, getting to know the staff. I liked being able to help you, knowing your backstory and everything..."

Kurt huffed and typed quickly. "So, it's pity for me, then?"

"No, no...not at all. I admired your work in the past, and respect you. I also like Hannah and she suggested reading to you. I enjoy doing it. I'd like to continue, if you'll let me." Blaine looked at Kurt, seeing the spark of anger and pride in his eyes fading back to his normal look.

Kurt typed again. "If it's not out of pity, then let me pay you."

Blaine sighed, biting his lip. "Maybe I'm overstepping here, but I'd like to continue coming, visiting you, Hannah and the other staff. But as a friend. Would that be OK?"

Kurt gave Blaine a long, hard look. Blaine could understand it, given Kurt's history, but found it a bit sad. It said a lot about Kurt's life the last few years. How many people had tried to use Kurt? Sucking up to him to get a part in a show? To get invited to parties with his famous and rich friends? How many of them wanted what he could do for them instead of getting to know the real him? No wonder he was lonely, as Hannah suspected.

"OK, friends." Kurt finally typed.

Blaine let out the breath he'd been holding and picked up their book. "Good. Now is it OK if I read a bit? We were just getting to a good part."

They both settled back into the comfortable wicker armchairs, feet up on the ottoman, as Blaine continued their story.

...

-A/N: Thanks for the reads so far. It is nice seeing some people are re-reading this version of the story