March 7, 2014, 6 p.m.
Let me fall asleep: Chapter 1
T - Words: 1,429 - Last Updated: Mar 07, 2014 Story: Complete - Chapters: 24/? - Created: Nov 04, 2013 - Updated: Nov 04, 2013 123 0 0 0 0
Kurt squinted at the faint, familiar neon light bouncing off the white walls, the long corridors still looked as uninviting as ever. He passed the receptionist, who gave him a short nod and then went back to ignoring him.
He was disliking the way this whole thing had started to feel like it was normal, as if it had always been this way. He made his way to the sixth floor and found himself in a matter of minutes before his dads rooms door. He knocked once before entering. "Kurt? Is that you?" his dads voice came from the bed. Kurt hummed confirming, biting the inside of his cheek when he saw his dad.
"Howre you feeling dad?" he asked quietly, sitting down in one of the chairs next to the bed.
"Much better." Burt smiled.
"Glad to hear. How long do you have to stay this time?" Kurt inquired. His dad shrugged and Kurt had to fight the urge to yell at his dad. "You didnt listen again?" he said accusing.
His dad looked at him with wide eyes, they had dark rings under them and he still looked very tired. "Kurtie, whats that supposed to mean?"
"Will it finaly be over now, dad? Will you finally stop?" Kurt said, his tone pleading.
Burt bit his lip, looking at Kurt with guilty eyes "You know Im sick Kurt. Its not that easy."
"Youre not even going to try are you? Why are we still bothering to pretend that you will? Why are we even wasting our money on these hospital bills if you dont intend on even trying to be better?" he said, not wanting to raise his voice but not being able to control it either.
"Kurt."
Kurt sighed "What?" he looked at his dad and could see the desperation in Burts eyes.
"Please."
Kurt felt as if he had ran a marathon, he felt as if all the energy was drained from his body. He had lost count on how many times the feeling of wanting to give up, every time they ended up here, had overtaken him. "Fine." he finally gave in, "but this is the last time dad. If you end up here one more time, Im ending this." he warned.
Burt nodded and smiled at his only son. He reached out for Kurts hand and felt the warmth spread through his own the moment his son grabbed it. "Thank you." the sight of Kurts defeated state, crushed him on the inside. He hated feeling like he let his son down again. "I love you." he whispered, feeling lost for any other words of comfort or reassurance. He wished he could promise Kurt that this was the last time but no one could be sure.
"I love you too." Kurt spoke. He got up hesitatingly "I need something to drink. Ill be right back."
Once Kurt was out of the room and had closed the door, he let out a frustrated sigh and fell to the floor in desperation. It took him all the strength he had left not to cry. He knew his dad was ill and that it wasnt entirely his fault but he hated that he didnt even try to change. Especially considering his dad took all what the hospital did for him for granted. It wasnt every day a drunk got treated this well. He sometimes hated how they had enough money to not worry about the hospital costs. How the memory of his mum was somehow enough for some of the people who worked here to not treat his dad like garbage, but with some more respect than they would treat any other alcoholic.
And then he hated himself for thinking all these things instead of wishing and hoping his dad would get better. How he should not be so bitter but thankful that they had the resources for his dad to be helped here whenever itd gotten out of hand again. But he couldnt help but wonder if this was exactly the way his dad liked it. Being fixed up all over again, so that after a little while he could lose all control again, knowing he had the luxury of a safety net that caught him every time he fell.
"Are you okay?" an unfamiliar voice came from above him.
Kurt looked up straight into a pair of golden brown eyes. He looked down again and wondered what he must be looking like to a total stranger. "I...uhm..yeah, Im fine." he assured.
"You dont look like you are." the other one spoke, "let me help you up."
Kurt felt how a hand reached for his and let him be pulled upwards. It wasnt until he was standing straight he noticed the metal hoops that were holding the boys catheter, which he was holding with his other hand. Kurt flushed, feeling embarrassed about not being a bit more helpful when the boy had pulled him up. "Thank you." he mumbled quickly.
"Thats alright. Its not that I mind finding cute strangers outside my door but you were kind of blocking my way." he spoke, smiling.
Kurt felt even more heat in his cheeks rise and frowned, "your room?"
"201." the boy replied, pointing behind Kurt to the door next to his dads, "okay so it wasnt exactly in front of mine but still close enough." he laughed.
Kurt smiled at the sound of it, sometimes he forgot how it was to be so completely without worries that there sometimes were still reasons to genuinely laugh. This boys laugh filled him with renewed life lust. "Thank you." he smiled.
The boys brows knitted together in a frown "What for?"
"Helping me back to my feet." Kurt spoke matter of factly.
"Any time."
"I hope youll get better soon," Kurt added, before he said, "I have to go now but it was nice meeting you."
"You too." the stranger nodded and entered his room.
Kurt came back from the vending machine with a coke and some M&Ms to live off until he could eat later in the evening. He paused slightly as he neared room 201, seeing its door wide open and could see the dark haired boy sitting in his bed. The boy turned his head and his eyes met Kurts, giving him a small wave before focusing back on the television above his bed.
He took a few more steps and walked back into his dads room, waiting to see if one of the doctors would see to them.
It wasnt until Kurt finished his last M&M that there was a knock before the door opened, and a nurse came in bringing Burt his food. She smiled at Kurt before the cart with the tray on it down, next to the bed.
"Excuse me, is there any chance we could speak to Doctor Schue before I leave?" Kurt asked politely.
"Im sorry sir, he left half an hour ago." the woman looked apologetic.
"Oh...he will be in tomorrow, wont he?" he asked and the nurse nodded, "Do you by any chance know how long my dad has to stay?"
she shook her head "Im sorry, sir."
"Thats alright. Thank you."
He watched her walk out the room and let his gaze fall back to his dad, whod started on his dinner. Burt made a face, "This hospital food always tastes the same."
"You dont have to eat it, just as much as you dont have to be here, dad." Kurt pointed out, trying not to fall back into the same conversation as earlier. They sat in silence while Burt forked down his dinner and Kurt, feeling uneasy with the tension caused by the earlier discussion, turned on the television.
Kurt stayed until visiting hour was over, he said his goodbyes to his dad and walked out before telling him he'd be back tomorrow. It wasn't like Burt didn't know this, Kurt had visited him every day since Burt had been hospitalized but he still felt the need to tell his dad every time. It seemed like a reassurance to both his dad and himself, that at least they had certainty of that visit.
As he passed the boy's room, of which the door was still open, he sneaked a quick peek inside and met those golden eyes when he did. He felt himself blush, realizing he'd been caught and smiled apologetic. The boy smiled back and gave him a wave. Kurt, after waving back, walked off, still feeling the heat in his cheeks as he did.
Kurt squinted at the faint, familiar neon light bouncing off the white walls, the long corridors still looked as uninviting as ever. He passed the receptionist, who gave him a short nod and then went back to ignoring him.
He was disliking the way this whole thing had started to feel like it was normal, as if it had always been this way. He made his way to the sixth floor and found himself in a matter of minutes before his dads rooms door. He knocked once before entering. "Kurt? Is that you?" his dads voice came from the bed. Kurt hummed confirming, biting the inside of his cheek when he saw his dad.
"Howre you feeling dad?" he asked quietly, sitting down in one of the chairs next to the bed.
"Much better." Burt smiled.
"Glad to hear. How long do you have to stay this time?" Kurt inquired. His dad shrugged and Kurt had to fight the urge to yell at his dad. "You didnt listen again?" he said accusing.
His dad looked at him with wide eyes, they had dark rings under them and he still looked very tired. "Kurtie, whats that supposed to mean?"
"Will it finaly be over now, dad? Will you finally stop?" Kurt said, his tone pleading.
Burt bit his lip, looking at Kurt with guilty eyes "You know Im sick Kurt. Its not that easy."
"Youre not even going to try are you? Why are we still bothering to pretend that you will? Why are we even wasting our money on these hospital bills if you dont intend on even trying to be better?" he said, not wanting to raise his voice but not being able to control it either.
"Kurt."
Kurt sighed "What?" he looked at his dad and could see the desperation in Burts eyes.
"Please."
Kurt felt as if he had ran a marathon, he felt as if all the energy was drained from his body. He had lost count on how many times the feeling of wanting to give up, every time they ended up here, had overtaken him. "Fine." he finally gave in, "but this is the last time dad. If you end up here one more time, Im ending this." he warned.
Burt nodded and smiled at his only son. He reached out for Kurts hand and felt the warmth spread through his own the moment his son grabbed it. "Thank you." the sight of Kurts defeated state, crushed him on the inside. He hated feeling like he let his son down again. "I love you." he whispered, feeling lost for any other words of comfort or reassurance. He wished he could promise Kurt that this was the last time but no one could be sure.
"I love you too." Kurt spoke. He got up hesitatingly "I need something to drink. Ill be right back."
Once Kurt was out of the room and had closed the door, he let out a frustrated sigh and fell to the floor in desperation. It took him all the strength he had left not to cry. He knew his dad was ill and that it wasnt entirely his fault but he hated that he didnt even try to change. Especially considering his dad took all what the hospital did for him for granted. It wasnt every day a drunk got treated this well. He sometimes hated how they had enough money to not worry about the hospital costs. How the memory of his mum was somehow enough for some of the people who worked here to not treat his dad like garbage, but with some more respect than they would treat any other alcoholic.
And then he hated himself for thinking all these things instead of wishing and hoping his dad would get better. How he should not be so bitter but thankful that they had the resources for his dad to be helped here whenever itd gotten out of hand again. But he couldnt help but wonder if this was exactly the way his dad liked it. Being fixed up all over again, so that after a little while he could lose all control again, knowing he had the luxury of a safety net that caught him every time he fell.
"Are you okay?" an unfamiliar voice came from above him.
Kurt looked up straight into a pair of golden brown eyes. He looked down again and wondered what he must be looking like to a total stranger. "I...uhm..yeah, Im fine." he assured.
"You dont look like you are." the other one spoke, "let me help you up."
Kurt felt how a hand reached for his and let him be pulled upwards. It wasnt until he was standing straight he noticed the metal hoops that were holding the boys catheter, which he was holding with his other hand. Kurt flushed, feeling embarrassed about not being a bit more helpful when the boy had pulled him up. "Thank you." he mumbled quickly.
"Thats alright. Its not that I mind finding cute strangers outside my door but you were kind of blocking my way." he spoke, smiling.
Kurt felt even more heat in his cheeks rise and frowned, "your room?"
"201." the boy replied, pointing behind Kurt to the door next to his dads, "okay so it wasnt exactly in front of mine but still close enough." he laughed.
Kurt smiled at the sound of it, sometimes he forgot how it was to be so completely without worries that there sometimes were still reasons to genuinely laugh. This boys laugh filled him with renewed life lust. "Thank you." he smiled.
The boys brows knitted together in a frown "What for?"
"Helping me back to my feet." Kurt spoke matter of factly.
"Any time."
"I hope youll get better soon," Kurt added, before he said, "I have to go now but it was nice meeting you."
"You too." the stranger nodded and entered his room.
Kurt came back from the vending machine with a coke and some M&Ms to live off until he could eat later in the evening. He paused slightly as he neared room 201, seeing its door wide open and could see the dark haired boy sitting in his bed. The boy turned his head and his eyes met Kurts, giving him a small wave before focusing back on the television above his bed.
He took a few more steps and walked back into his dads room, waiting to see if one of the doctors would see to them.
It wasnt until Kurt finished his last M&M that there was a knock before the door opened, and a nurse came in bringing Burt his food. She smiled at Kurt before the cart with the tray on it down, next to the bed.
"Excuse me, is there any chance we could speak to Doctor Schue before I leave?" Kurt asked politely.
"Im sorry sir, he left half an hour ago." the woman looked apologetic.
"Oh...he will be in tomorrow, wont he?" he asked and the nurse nodded, "Do you by any chance know how long my dad has to stay?"
she shook her head "Im sorry, sir."
"Thats alright. Thank you."
He watched her walk out the room and let his gaze fall back to his dad, whod started on his dinner. Burt made a face, "This hospital food always tastes the same."
"You dont have to eat it, just as much as you dont have to be here, dad." Kurt pointed out, trying not to fall back into the same conversation as earlier. They sat in silence while Burt forked down his dinner and Kurt, feeling uneasy with the tension caused by the earlier discussion, turned on the television.
Kurt stayed until visiting hour was over, he said his goodbyes to his dad and walked out before telling him he'd be back tomorrow. It wasn't like Burt didn't know this, Kurt had visited him every day since Burt had been hospitalized but he still felt the need to tell his dad every time. It seemed like a reassurance to both his dad and himself, that at least they had certainty of that visit.
As he passed the boy's room, of which the door was still open, he sneaked a quick peek inside and met those golden eyes when he did. He felt himself blush, realizing he'd been caught and smiled apologetic. The boy smiled back and gave him a wave. Kurt, after waving back, walked off, still feeling the heat in his cheeks as he did.