Everett sat quietly at Cooper's beside. He could feel Blaine itching to get away, but he knew his brother wouldn't go anywhere. Their father had obviously asked him to be there or he would have left already. The more polished of the twins had hardly spoken a word to him, so Everett focused all of his attention on holding Cooper's hand and silently praying that he wouldn't feel as bad as he looked. The bruises and swelling were enough to make Ev feel woozy even without lifting the sheet to see the mess of bloody bandages covering his brother's knee. He jerked to attention as Cooper's fingers flexed in his own. "Coop?"

It hurt waking up. The process of opening his eyes - or his eye, really, as the left one was swollen tightly shut - was like peeling of a bandage. Cooper knew it probably would have been better to do it all at once, but instead he came to slowly. Every small bit of wakefulness came with an effort. He focused in quickly on Everett's face, blotchy from crying, his hair even more unkempt than usual. "Guess I made it," he managed in a tired, gravely voice.

"How are you feeling?" Blaine asked stoically. It was, he ventured, a rather stupid question considering everything Cooper had been through. He couldn't help feeling a pang of irritation over the way Everett gripped their older brother's hand. And, try as he might, Blaine fought the images of Everett and Cooper ravaging each other like wild animals from entering his mind to no avail. It seemed as if the visual was determined to plague and infuriate him for the rest of his life. "I think you're probably going to be in here for quite a while," he said matter-of-factly.

"Always a ray of sunshine, B," Cooper answered with the best smile he could manage given the circumstances. Judging from how much it hurt, he guessed his lip was split in more than a few places. Since it probably looked grisly anyway, he quickly gave up the attempt. "And I feel like dog food." Cooper reached down gingerly with his free hand and lifted the sheet, wincing at the sight of the bandages surrounding his knee. "It's... pretty bad, huh?" He swallowed hard at the realization of just how bad it might be. Between the dull ache that suffused his body and the malaise from the medication, Cooper couldn't think about much or be bothered to do much experimental wiggling, but he knew it wouldn't be good when he needed to.

Everett took a breath and tried to look hopeful. "There's no internal bleeding, and the ribs are just cracked not broken. But... your knee... it's kinda messed up. They did surgery so it can heal better, they just... don't know..."

"Right," Cooper echoed before Everett could try any harder to explain, "yeah, I get it. It's fine, Evvy. Maybe the physical therapy nurses will be cute." His expression sobered as he realized there was one more thing he hadn't asked about - and that no one had mentioned. "Is Cam okay?"

Blaine wondered when the subject of Kurt's brother might come up. He'd pretty much figured Cooper would have forgotten all about Cameron with Everett at his bedside. Although he had only met Cameron tonight, the fact that he was Kurt's twin made him feel protective over him. "He's pretty shaken up," Blaine answered, ready to make this visit as short as possible. "He wanted to see you, but their only allowing family at the moment." Taking a step forward, and crossing his arms over his chest, he ventured, "Are you two dating?"

Cooper was somewhat shocked by the confrontational question, but he gave a slight shake of his head - the most he could manage given how much it hurt to move. "No. He's a friend. We work together." Deciding that he might as well go for broke since Blaine was going to hate hearing anything he had to say anyway, Cooper added, "But I hope maybe we can be more eventually when we aren't working together. I like him."

It had always been confusing over the years when one or the other of them had a boyfriend. They were supportive, warm and encouraging, but Everett knew he always felt an odd twinge at the thought of Cooper with someone else no matter how badly he wanted his brother to be happy. He gave Cooper's hand a gentle squeeze to show his support.

Returning the squeeze along with a gentle smile, Cooper moved his gaze briefly from Blaine to Everett only to look back again. "You ask that like you know him."

"Well, I only met him tonight," Blaine replied, feeling somewhat proud of the fact that he could one-up his older brother with the news. "But, he's my boyfriend Kurt's twin brother." He gave a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders, adding, "Small world, isn't it? I'm dating Kurt, you liking Cameron, and Everett here used to be lovers with their stepbrother, Finn."

Everett looked up sharply at that and then looked away again. Of course Blaine knew. He'd been all but curled up in Finn's lap half the night. It wasn't exactly subtle. Feeling Cooper's gaze on him, Ev shrugged himself in an odd, awkward echo of Blaine's gesture. "He came to make sure I was okay. Finn did, I mean. He was worried." Everett looked back at his twin. He'd never felt quite so uncertain around Blaine, not since they were kids, and it hurt like hell to know how far apart they really were. Blaine had intended to throw him off, maybe even to hurt him. It wasn't a game they usually played with each other. "We were together for quite awhile, and things... I got some things wrong about what happened."

Not liking the sad tone in Everett's voice or the triumphant light in Blaine's eyes, Cooper tried to force a smile despite how much it hurt. "Maybe you two can work it out. He'd be crazy not to want to."

"Yeah," Everett answered without any real conviction. "Maybe. I just... don't know. It's complicated." He swallowed hard and finally allowed, "Blaine and I should go let everybody know you're awake. If they'll let him, do you wanna see Cam?"

The response was immediate, "Yes. Please. I just want to see for myself that he's alright."

Blaine felt a little more at ease hearing that Cooper's focus was on Cameron other than Everett. A part of him felt that if Ev showed the slightest bit of interest or vulnerability, then their older brother would be all over his twin again. Then again, he didn't want to see Kurt's brother get caught up with Cooper. It could only lead to heartache, and Blaine decided he might have a word with his boyfriend about it. "That sounds like a good idea," he half-lied, urging Ev on his feet. "Let's go find the doctor and see what we can do."

Everett followed his brother out into the waiting room and, seeing no sign of Cameron, he suggested, "You check in with Finn and Kurt, I'll go find Cam." Though neither Kurt nor Finn had any personal investment in Cooper's health, he knew that they both wanted to make sure that everything was alright. He appreciated the sentiment. It showed just how new Blaine's relationship with Kurt was, though, if Kurt really worried that Blaine might be upset. Everett shook his head to try and clear the distinctly bitter thoughts before he headed for the front door to see if Cameron had stepped outside.

*****

Jesse checked his hair in the bathroom before he headed to the surgery waiting room. As soon as Cameron's text arrived, he'd hopped in a cab, but that didn't mean that Jesse intended to look anything less than perfect. Seeing the other man again had proved something of a jumpstart to his hormones. It would be a shame to waste such a prime opportunity. Besides, he wanted to know that their director would be back on his feet soon. Cooper was the driving force behind the whole production, and Jesse wasn't about to let his co-starring role fall apart. He picked out Cameron almost at once in the small room and closed the distance. With Finn and Kurt tucked out of immediate sight, Jesse didn't even register their presence. "Have you heard anything?"

Cameron started at the sound of Jesse's voice. Even though he had sent a text to the majority of his fellow cast members, Cam hadn't expected any of them to show up at the hospital... least of all Jesse St. James. "I think he's going to be okay," Cam replied with an uncertain nod of his head. Still unconsciously hugging himself, he closed his eyes and tried to block out the images that threatened to return of the attack. "They're only letting family in to see him right now. But I wanted to stay and be sure." His gaze flickered onto Jesse, who looked genuinely concerned. "What are you doing here?" Cam didn't mean for it to sound accusatory, but this was so unlike the Jesse he knew.

"Checking in," Jesse answered before taking the seat next to Cameron. He smiled - not enough to look too happy but enough to communicate warmth, comfort - and nudged the other man's shoulder, "And not just on Cooper. I'm worried about him, don't get me wrong, but I'm more worried about you." The words rang true because they were. "Cooper may be the one who got hurt, but he's not the only one who got attacked." Jesse reached up and boldly brushed back a lot of Cameron's hair in a gesture far more familiar than was strictly appropriate. "Are you alright?"

"I thought the bullying had ended with high school," Cam murmured, sounding bitter, sad and miserable. He glanced up at Jesse, finding his familiar touch oddly comforting. "Brings back too many bad memories... I thought I'd locked away." He caught his bottom lip with his teeth to stop it quivering. "Cooper... he saved my life. He pushed me out of the way when the attack started. If he hadn't..." Cam didn't want to think about that. Both of them could have been hurt... or even worse. "He's got to be alright, he's got to be..."

"Hey, I'm sure he will be," Jesse assured in a warm tone. He reached out and pulled Cameron in against his body, holding him close. It was surprisingly affecting being close to him again. They hadn't been together long, and aside from derailing his plans with Rachel slightly, it hadn't been all that intense, but... still... "Cooper's been working for this for a long time. Do you really think he's going to let a couple of drunk idiots keep him from seeing the show through?" Maybe Cooper's priorities weren't quite so cutthroat as his own often were, but Jesse recognized hunger when he saw it. No one got as far as Cooper had as fast as he'd gotten there without wanting - badly.

Of all the people in the world who might have comforted him, Cameron would have never guessed in a million years that Jesse would be one of them. A part of him wanted to break away and put as much distance between them as possible. But Jesse had been surprisingly sweet, and Cam felt far too drained to fight the offered warmth. "No, Cooper's not going to let anything keep him down," he sniffled, nodding into Jesse's chest. "I just hope the police track down the bastards that did this to him." Another shiver coursed over Cam, and he found Jesse's embrace strangely soothing. It was something he really did not want to analyze too closely, especially in his current, vulnerable state of mind.

The thought brought a frown to Jesse's face, though he tried to banish it quickly. Wrinkles were something he couldn't afford when his career was finally beginning to look up. "Have you spoken to them yet?" As he talked, Jesse stroked Cameron's hair almost absently in a gesture of comfort. "I could drive you to the nearest precinct if you need to give a statement. I'm sure the sooner they have a description the better." He didn't really like the idea of crazed drunken idiots wandering the streets even if he knew there were some at any given time of the day in such a large city. //That doesn't mean they have to be anywhere near me.//

*****

With Blaine and Everett off waiting for their brother to wake up and Cameron dozing in his chair, Kurt finally saw his opportunity. He caught Finn's eye and nodded toward a section of chairs farther away. Kurt barely managed to wait until they were out of earshot before he hissed, "What in the hell happened with Everett?" Before Finn could open his mouth, Kurt held up a warning finger, "Don't you dare lie to me. Cameron said Everett picked him up in a bar and thought he was me for heaven's sake! Why would he even know what I look like?" There was only one possible explanation, but Kurt wanted to hear the words from Finn's mouth. He could hardly believe his stepbrother had kept so foolish a mistake from him, but he wasn't about to let the lie go on a second longer.

Finn blanched. He had been dreading something like this happening. And he realized what a big mistake keeping it a secret from Kurt had been. Taking a shuddering breath, Finn started to explain. "Because I fucked up, Kurt. I fucked up big time," he hissed under his breath. "Ev wanted a copy of the video we made together, but... I accidentally sent him the one of you and me..." Kurt had every right to be angry and hate him for his screw-up. Finn prepared himself to be thoroughly annihilated. "So, that's why Everett knew what you look like. Kurt, I'm sorry! You don't have a clue how sorry I am about this. It's been eating me up inside every since it happened."

Kurt closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His stepbrother was an idiot. He'd known that for years. It was adorable sometimes, honestly, but there were moments when Kurt wanted to smack him hard upside the head and be done with it. "Finn Hudson, you are-" He opened his eyes, ready to lecture if not yell outright, but the strain on Finn's face took some of the venom out of his fury. As much as Kurt hated what had happened, he'd learned a lot since high school. Words could wound deeply, and he tried hard not to be quite as quick to throw them out as he'd been once upon a time. "Well it's no wonder Ev broke up with you, then. Do you think I should apologize?" It was an awkward situation. Everett was his boyfriend's twin, so obviously they'd be seeing each other from time to time. Would saying he was sorry make it better or worse? "It doesn't fix things, but... it seems like he's at least started forgiving you if his using you as a pillow for the past hour was any indication."

Finn shook his head. "No, I don't think that's it at all," he decided, surprised Kurt hadn't disowned him right then and there. "He needs someone to be there for him, and I just happen to be here." Tomorrow Everett would go back to loathing him, Finn had no doubt about that. And, of course he deserved it. "Kurt, the reason I didn't tell you about what I did was because I thought you'd hate me. I couldn't take both you and Ev feeling like that." That was an understatement. It would have surely killed him. The two men he loved despising him. "You'd told Blaine what happened between us. He was cool with it." Finn shrugged helplessly, adding, "I didn't want you to blame yourself for the stupid thing I did."

"Sending the video was a mistake you made, but... let's face it, the way we did everything else was stupid on both our parts." Kurt paused to sort through his thoughts and finally admitted, "I'm not sorry it happened, but I'm sorry it happened the way it did. I'm sorry that I risked everything with Blaine and that you hurt Everett." A faint hint of a smile lit Kurt's face, and he pointed out, "He still loves you. He's hurt, but he loves you. I won't talk to him if you don't think it will help, but you should keep trying. If you can prove to him that he can trust you... he's looking for a reason to anyway."

Kurt's words sparked a faint glimmering of hope in Finn. It seemed too good to be true. But Kurt had always been the smart and perceptive one. And Finn wasn't about to doubt his stepbrother if he thought their was actually a chance to repair his mistake. "You're right. You're always right. Why don't I ever listen to you?" He gave Kurt's shoulder a gentle nudge. Finn had dodged a bullet. He'd been so certain that Kurt would end up hating him for being such a complete dumb-ass. Although luck was on his side this time, Finn knew he was going to need a hell of a lot more if he ever hoped to make things up to Everett. "I think I'll wait till they come out," he decided, nodding toward the door which led out of the waiting room. "See if maybe Ev wants me to take him home."

"I think it would be a nice gesture." Kurt felt sure that Everett would appreciate someone looking out for him given how obviously shaken he was by the attack on Cooper. Frankly it worried him more than Blaine seemed so cool about it all. Someday he wanted to know the story behind it, but it most definitely wasn't the right time to push for more information. Instead Kurt followed Finn out into the waiting room and froze. His gaze narrowed, and anger brought a flush to his cheeks. At any other time in any other place, he would have stalked right up and slapped Jesse for touching his twin. Kurt still remembered vividly the nights he'd spent comforting Cameron after the man used and discarded him like he didn't matter at all. "I hope we aren't interrupting," he said instead once they were close enough to have interrupted anyway.

Cameron swallowed hard, then he pushed himself away from Jesse without catching Kurt's burning gaze. "No, of course not," he insisted, straightening in his seat. "Jesse came by to see how Cooper's doing." It still surprised him that the other man had taken the time, especially considering how self-centered he could be. Then again, Cam reminded himself, Jesse was probably only looking out for his best interests. With the writer/director/producer of the play incapacitated, it did put the show in jeopardy. He appreciated the fact that Kurt felt protective of him. But, in another way, it made Cam feel a little angry. After the way Kurt had pushed him out of his life, his twin had no right to be judgmental about the company he kept. He sighed, glancing past Finn and Kurt toward the door. "I wish they'd come back and tell us something."

"I'm sure they'll be out as soon as Cooper wakes up." The nurse had assured them that he'd come through the surgery beautifully and would be waking in no time, but Kurt was just as sure that the brothers wanted to spend some time with him. He sighed, wishing he could be there with Blaine to offer him support - even if Blaine didn't seem to need it. "They'll be fine." He reached out and rested a hand on Cameron's shoulder before giving Jesse a brief, icy glare.

Whether oblivious or simply uncaring, Jesse smiled back. "Absolutely. There's nothing to worry about. Cooper's not the type to fall apart just because he has a rough time." Turning that same warm smile on Cameron, his hand rose to card absently through the hair at the base of the other man's neck. "He'll be back to work in no time - and so will we."

Between Kurt's hand on his shoulder and Jesse caressing the back of the neck, Cameron felt decidedly awkward. He abruptly stood up, hugging himself and trying to shake off the tension he felt. It was bad enough that Cooper had been horribly attacked, now he had to deal with his twin brother being overprotective and his ex boyfriend being... well, being Jesse. "I need some fresh air," he announced, turning to address Finn as he added, "Come and get me when Blaine and Everett get back, please?" With that, Cam pushed his way through the doors and left the waiting room.

"Okay," Finn began, sensing that something was off. "Anybody want to tell me what's going on?"

"I'm sure Kurt will be happy to fill you in. By the way, lovely seeing you at opening night. Or it would have been if you'd bothered to show up," Jesse snapped before following after Cameron. He didn't care one way or another about Finn, but given that Kurt hadn't been around at all during rehearsals and then at the play itself, he found himself intensely annoyed at the fact that he was suddenly sticking his nose in.

Kurt only barely kept from screaming at Jesse. Indeed the only thing that changed his mind was the annoying realization that Jesse was right. He was absolutely, 100% right. He hadn't been there for Cameron at all, hadn't been there for quite awhile, and he didn't have any right to suddenly be protective. Shaken and frustrated, Kurt took a deep breath before addressing Finn. "Of course you remember when Jesse was after Rachel in high school. You also remember how quickly he exited the scene? Well it wasn't just that he'd finished doing his dirty work for Shelby. He... he and Cam were together." That was too gentle a way to put it. Kurt sighed at his own delicacy and stated more bluntly, "They had sex. Just once. Cam thought it meant something, of course, and... it didn't. Not to Jesse. He broke up with Rachel, went back to Carmel, and left Cameron an absolute mess. Now they're in that damn play together, and Jesse's sniffing around again and it makes me sick."

Finn listened in stunned silence. How could he have not have known about this? When he thought back to that time in high school, Finn remembered how Cameron had sort of shut down. Before Cam had snapped out of it, their parents had actually worried it might be drugs. Now, it all made perfect sense. Jesse hurting Rachel had been bad enough... But Cam as well? Finn's large hands curled into fists, and a furious warmth rose from his neck and stained his cheeks. "I'm going to kill Jesse," he declared through clenched teeth. Then, the former jock was stalking toward the door with murder in his eyes...

"Finn, no - not... not right now." Kurt couldn't speak out too harshly against the idea since he would have gladly seen Jesse St. James beaten to a bloody pulp under normal circumstances. "He was actually right about one thing, and that's that I don't have the right to step in. I've been out of Cameron's life for months, and even though I know for a fact that Jesse is slime, it isn't my place right now. I just need to trust that Cam can handle himself." That hurt more than he liked to admit, but Kurt tried to keep a stiff upper lip. He didn't want to make things harder for Cameron when he was already so shaken.

Finn back down for his brother's sake, but he was so angry that he lashed out and punched the nearest wall instead. He winced, grazing his knuckles. Then, flushed and breathless, he turned to Kurt and fixed him with demanding eyes. "Why the hell didn't one of you tell me about this? I could've done something... helped... I don't know... anything..." It frustrated him no end that neither Kurt or Cameron felt they could confide in him. Of course he hadn't always made it easy. Finn would often find himself wrapped up in his own problems, effectively blinding him to what was happening to those around him.

"Hey, are you guys alright?" Blaine asked, walking back into the waiting room. The air was thick with tension, and Finn looked as if his blood pressure had gone through the roof.

Kurt could barely look at Blaine, but nodded slowly. "Yes. A... a coworker stopped by - one of Cam's, and there's a little history there." He looked back to Finn and met his stepbrother's gaze as evenly as possible. Fighting at all was frustrating, but fighting in front of Blaine made him feel particularly uncomfortable given the tension that still remained between all of them. "As to why I didn't tell you, it wasn't my story to tell. Cameron's business is his own. If you want to know more, I suggest you talk to him." Turning back to Blaine, Kurt did his best to regain some dignity. "Now... how is Cooper doing?"

More brotherly drama, Blaine noted. He didn't want to pry unless it was something Kurt wanted to talk about privately. But Finn looked as if he might blow his top at any moment. Turning to the topic of Cooper, Blaine replied, "He's awake, and he wanted to talk to your brother." Smiling, he added as if confiding a big secret. "We pulled a few strings to give them a minute or two." Blaine moved closer to Kurt, coked his head and wondered aloud, "I'm ready to leave if you are?"

Kurt almost said no outright. He wanted to be there for Cameron, but Cameron seemed far more interested in being there with Jesse. Shoulders slumping slightly, Kurt nodded. "Of course. If you're sure?" He saw no hesitation and looked back to Finn. "No punching, okay? Not unless Cam wants you to. Tell him... could you... tell him to call? Or get his number so I can call him?" Kurt wondered if his brother would even want to talk again. He'd made such a mess of things that he didn't even know where to begin fixing it all. Finally, blinking back tears and wishing he could turn back the clock, Kurt linked his arm with Blaine's. "Let's go."

Finn nodded, promising to do just that as he watched Kurt and Blaine depart from the hospital. It took an almost Herculean effort not to find Jesse and beat the shit of out him. If he had had any idea what had gone on back in high school, then at least he could have done something about it. Thankfully, Everett appeared and afforded him a worthwhile distraction. The air remained tense and uncertain, but Finn didn't have any trouble approaching his ex-boyfriend this time. "Hey, I didn't know if you wanted to stay a little longer or..." He took a breath, venturing bravely, "...if you'd like for me to take you home?"

Everett hesitated. He glanced at the closed door and finally admitted, "The nurse told me he should rest. I just feel weird leaving while he's still stuck here." At the same time, Everett knew that Cooper would just send him home if he didn't go on his own. After a minute, he finally nodded. "Do you mind?" The whole thing was weird. The fact that it was weird was, in itself, weird. For so long he'd felt utterly and completely comfortable with Finn, and now Ev felt as if he was starting at square one. He didn't know quite what to do or how to handle himself.

"Of course I don't mind," Finn answered gently. He couldn't shake the tension that still existed between them. However, he was grateful that he and Everett were at least communicating a little bit again. "I can wait if you want to say goodnight to your brother." Finn glanced over his shoulder, and he glowered at the sight of Jesse obviously waiting around for Cameron. Not only did it anger him, but also left him puzzled. If Jesse had hurt Cameron so badly, what was going on there? "I'd kinda like to make sure mine gets home alright."

"Yeah, sure," Everett agreed after the briefest hesitation. "I'd like to see Coop before he crashes for the day." The sun was slowly coming up outside, and Ev could hardly believe they'd passed the entire night in the hospital. "And if you... if you think you're up to it, maybe we can have a cup of coffee? Talk? There's some things I should tell you too." There would never be another opportunity between them where they could be so brutally honest. After this they'd either go their separate ways permanently or they'd find a way to fix things and be stronger than ever. Everett felt his heart beating faster at the thought.

*****

Jesse spotted Cameron standing just outside the door. If it hadn't been the crack of dawn, he might've needed to fight his way through a crowd of smokers to find a place to stand. Given the early morning hour, they were the only two people outside instead. "Hey... you okay?"

Cameron, not expecting anyone to follow him--let alone Jesse--gave a sigh of exasperation. "I've been better," he replied, glancing out at the parking lot as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. "Cooper and I are attacked, he nearly gets himself killed protecting me, and then my brother--who I haven't heard from in ages--shows up, and..." Cam stopped there. He didn't want to make a point out of Jesse's presence, nor the fact that it had effected him. His ex showing up at the hospital had earned him a couple of Brownie points, even if Jesse was only looking out for his own self interests. "I just wish I could see Cooper," he finished instead. "See for myself that he's going to be alright."

"He will be. And... look, you shouldn't be alone right now. Come home with me. Not a proposition," he clarified when Cameron looked positively scandalized, "you just need someone, and since we'll be going in to work together in the evening anyway, it's easier. Saves gas." Jesse offered a hint of a smile. "I'll take the couch. Just don't go home alone."

Before Cameron had a chance to properly respond, Everett stepped out into the chilly night air and called Cam's name. "Coop's awake. He wanted to talk to you if you're up for it. I don't think he believed me when I said you're fine."

Cameron, reeling from Jesse's invitation, didn't know how to react to his ex-boyfriend's offer. But then, he found himself grateful for Everett's interruption. It was a much-needed distraction from the whirling confusion in his head. Knowing that Cooper was awake and asking for him brought a wide grin to Cam's face. "Well then, I'd just better go and reassure him," he declared, giving Ev a warm embrace. He paused before venturing back inside the hospital, turning to tell Jesse. "You mind waiting for me?" Cam knew he was probably skirting dangerous territory. But he didn't see any reason to ignore Jesse's offer when he'd been kind enough to give it in the first place.

"Of course," Jesse answered immediately. He knew that Cam would say yes. They were both looking for a connection, and Cameron was just vulnerable enough to give him another chance. Their chemistry had always been good, but given how well they'd been performing together, it was sure to be electric now. "I'll be in the waiting room when you come out."

Everett looked the man over for a second but didn't interrupt. Instead he found himself smiling gently at Cam while they headed for Cooper's room. "He's still a little out of it, but he's doing better. " When they arrived, he pushed the door open. "Coop? Cam's with me."

"C'mon in." He gestured vaguely for Ev to step in and couldn't help but smile despite the pain when he saw Cameron, whole and unharmed, behind him. "You look good," Cooper observed with obvious relief.

Tears shimmered in Cameron's blue-green eyes at the sight of Cooper in the hospital bed. His beautiful face was swollen and bruised, sporting numerous abrasions. While one leg sported a bandage and was elevated. It brought the memory of the attack rushing back to Cam. He fought to suppress another involuntary shiver, only to have his body betray him. "You're still handsome as ever," he managed, which was true given how terribly banged-up Cooper appeared. Taking the utmost care, Cam sank down on the edge of the bed and reached for the older man's hand. "Thank you..." He choked on a deep sob of emotion. "Thank you for saving my life."

There were tears in his eyes too, but Cooper still gave Cameron's hand a squeeze. "I didn't do anything that dramatic. Just wanted to keep you safe. The show must go on and all that," he added with a soft laugh. "I kind of remembered talking to you before the ambulance came, but I just... I know Evvy said you were fine, but I didn't believe it until I saw you for myself. Kinda dumb." He reached across with his free hand, mindful of the IV in it, and brushed a tear away from Cameron's cheek. "Sorry we didn't get that drink."

Seeing the two of them together was intense, and Everett quietly slipped out the door, feeling that even being present at all was interrupting something. He took a breath and reminded himself that it was a good thing that Cooper had found someone. The fact that Cameron looked too much like Kurt certainly wasn't his fault or Coop's.

"Rain check?" Cameron suggested, closing his eyes and smiling as he relished Cooper's gentle touch. "Only this time, why don't we have a drink at my place instead?" It wasn't hiding from the ignorant bastards of the world, or even suggesting something more between himself and Cooper. He just genuinely wanted to spend time alone with him. "Don't worry. You didn't say anything embarrassing," Cam assured Cooper with a warm grin. "You were suitably heroic throughout."

"Always knew I had it in me. Apparently I just needed inspiration." Cooper let his hand fall. It was stupid that just talking to a few people had left him so drained, but that didn't make it any less true. "Can I ask a favor? Just one thing, okay?" He waited until Cameron nodded before adding, "Work. Sleep. Have some fun. I'm okay, I'll be fine, and then I'll be back to work with you. And... okay, two favors, maybe. If you can, get my brother to do the same thing. Blaine'll be fine. He's probably gone already." Knowing Blaine, he'd grabbed Kurt and gotten the hell out the first chance he got. "Evvy's another story. I know his ex is here, but I don't know if that's enough, so maybe just... nudge him. Remind him he should sleep."

With everything that had happened tonight Cameron was still trying to process the fact that Everett and Finn had been dating. Finn, his supposedly totally straight stepbrother. //Wow. Definitely didn't see that one coming.// "Everett I can definitely promise to help," Cam replied, his smile segueing into a frown. He decided to keep his drunken encounter with Cooper's brother to himself for now. Or at least until Cooper was better. "But, me? No, I'm not going to be able to do anything except worry about you, mister." Although his tone was light, Cam meant every word. The idea of getting on with life while Cooper was in the hospital seemed like an impossible task.

"Hmm... looks like I'll have to sic Ev on you, then." Cooper gave a slight shake of his head and then sighed. He was still bone tired and aching all over. Reluctantly he pressed the button to get another small dose of morphine. "Think I'm gonna have to sleep for awhile. Just... work. Live. Be okay. Come if you want, but Ev'll be back tomorrow." Whatever anyone else did, Cooper never doubted for a moment that Everett would be at his side as much as possible. "Can you send him in so I can say goodnight?"

"Of course," Cameron replied, smiling even as he gave one more sniffle. He leaned forward and pressed the gentlest of kisses to the unblemished side of Cooper's mouth. "If you're feeling up to it, I'll come by and see you again tomorrow." Tenderly brushing stray strands of Cooper's bangs away from his eyes, Cam whispered, "Sweet dreams." Finding it incredibly difficult to leave the other man's side, he ventured back out into the waiting room where he found Everett and Finn. There was no sign of Blaine or Kurt, and as much as it pained Cam to admit it, he was slightly relieved not to have a confrontation with his twin.

"Cooper wants to say goodnight," he told Ev, only to find that he had to steel himself after the other man departed.

"What's going on between you and Jesse?" Finn demanded.

Cam sighed. He grimaced over what Kurt had probably divulged to their stepbrother. "Nothing's going on, Finn," he replied as calmly as possible. "We're in Cooper's play together, and he was kind enough to come here and see how we were doing." Now Cam never would have thought he'd equate the word 'kind' with Jesse St. James ever again. But his ex boyfriend had scored a couple of redemption points. He spotted Jesse waiting down the hall, and excusing himself from having to get into the whole sordid ordeal from high school with Finn, Cam greeted him.

"Hi, erm... does the offer still stand?" he asked Jesse.

"Of course," Jesse agreed. He caught Finn glaring at him and simply smiled back. The jock had never liked him. Of course, when they met, he'd been well on his way to completely seducing the man's ex. That could drive a wedge between people. "Let's go. We both need proper rest if we're going to be brilliant tonight."