Before Kurt, Rachel and Santana arrived at Blaine’s hospital room, they had to make a small pit stop at the gift shop. Kurt bought a flower arrangement with carnations and roses which were Blaine’s favorite, and Santana and Rachel split the cost of a large stuffed monkey. Kurt was apprehensive because the last time he saw his boyfriend his face was covered in blood, and it looked like he was barely alive. The doctor said that Blaine would be heavily medicated, so Kurt wondered if he would even be awake.

They arrived at the room and knocked on the door, which was ajar. The nurse looked up and said, “Well, lookie here, Blaine! You have some visitors! Come on in!” He was blocked from the door with a curtain, and Kurt started to shake because he didn’t want to see his boyfriend all bruised up.

“Hi, Blainers!” Rachel exclaimed as she pulled the curtain aside. Blaine was lying in the hospital bed but slightly propped up and covered with a sterile hospital blanket. He had an IV in the back of his hand, but thankfully that was the only thing attached to his body, other than the heart rate monitor. His face had some pretty severe discoloration and a few cuts, but underneath all that he still looked like Blaine. He just appeared very, very sad.

Blaine was definitely conscious and somewhat alert, but he was heavily medicated and his eyelids were droopy. Kurt was relieved to see that the blood was gone, but his face was still heavily bruised. Still, it didn’t look as bad as he feared.

“Hi, Strawberry,” Blaine said quietly. He then tried sitting up and gave a grimace of pain.

Rachel gave Blaine a sharp look and hissed, “You weren’t supposed to say anything! It was a Raine secret!”

“Strawberry?” Kurt asked in a bewildered tone, looking back and forth between his boyfriend and best friend. He was scared to get any closer to Blaine; he didn’t want to hurt him any more than he already had been. “And who or what is Raine?”

“Oops, sorry. It’s the drugs talking,” Blaine said, pretending to be contrite, knowing full well that he accidentally-on-purpose let Rachel’s familial nickname slip. “Our little chanteuse here has a very adorable nickname that I’ll be using at every opportunity.”

“Interesting…” Kurt said. This was very interesting information indeed. It appeared that Rachel didn’t like the nickname. “Eeeexxcellent,” Kurt thought to himself in Mr. Burns’ voice from the Simpsons. This reveal could come in very handy! He said nothing but filed the information for later blackmail or prank purposes.

“Raine is Rachel and Blaine. You know, like Klaine or Finchel!” Rachel snarked, still glaring at Blaine. “Santana and I dragged your boyfriend along. Not like he wanted to see you or anything.” She then stuck out her tongue like a five year-old that hadn’t gotten her way.

“Shush, Rachel. Blaine and I are way too mature for those silly portmanteaus,” Kurt teased. “Hi, Blaine. How are you feeling?”

“Hi, babe,” Blaine responded tiredly. “I look hideous, don’t I?”

“Hey, don’t talk like that,” Kurt admonished, rushing to the side of the bed and gently kissing Blaine on the lips. He was careful as the cuts and bruises looked painful. “You’re as handsome as ever!”

“I hardly think so,” Blaine said and tried to smile. “I certainly don’t feel handsome.”

“Well, you’re perfect to me, and that’s all that matters, right?” Kurt responded and put the flower arrangement on the table beside the bed. “We brought presents! I thought I’d pretty up the place and bring flowers. These yahoos thought it would be nice to bring you a large stuffed primate. Really classy, that is.”

“Hey, I like monkeys!” Blaine exclaimed. Kurt pouted playfully, so he added, “And the flowers are beautiful. Thanks for coming, guys.”

Kurt noticed that despite the small smile on Blaine’s face, his eyes projected something else entirely. He was almost an expert in reading his boyfriend’s emotions. It was all in the eyes; those gorgeous brown eyes.

“You can’t get rid of me that easily, sweetie,” Kurt advised and gently took Blaine’s hand. “I’m not leaving this room until they kick me out.”

“I’m sorry, but I think I ruined that awesome new outfit you bought for me,” Blaine said, embarrassed. “Blood stains can be a bitch to get out.”

“It’s an excuse to go shopping to get you a new one, then,” Kurt said gently. He was really trying to avoid the subject of Blaine’s beating, and Blaine was treading uncomfortably close to the subject. He was about to change the topic of conversation, but Santana beat him to it.

“Hey, Anderson, you need to get better for us, okay?” she ordered. “We have some epic hanging out to accomplish this summer.”

Blaine looked gratefully at Santana as he asked, “I can vaguely remember it, but Kurt told me that you found me in my car?” She nodded but didn’t say anything. “Thank you, really. You might have saved my life.”

“It was nothing,” Santana said and her voice cracked. She turned away. As she covered up her tears she quickly added, “I gotta go. I’ll visit a little later. Brit needs me.” She wiped her eyes as she left the room. Underneath all that fire and attitude, Santana was just a great big softie.

“I hope I didn’t upset her,” Blaine said as he watched her leave. He really was grateful for what Santana had done. “Maybe when I’m feeling well enough, I’ll treat her to a meal at Breadstix. I know it’s her favorite restaurant,” he thought.

There was a moment of awkward silence, and then Rachel chirped, “Just about everyone is outside waiting to see you. Are you up for more visitors?” Blaine nodded, so Rachel kissed him on the forehead and left the room.

Kurt and Blaine looked at each other for a moment.

“So...” Blaine started.

“So...” Kurt repeated, playing with the tie string on his hoodie. “I haven’t talked to the doctor yet, so I don’t know the extent of your injuries.”

“Kurt...” Blaine interrupted. He knew that they had to talk about it eventually.

“No, it’s fine,” Kurt said, standing up and starting to pace. “We’ll get you better and take you home and everything will be fine, right? It’ll all be fine!”

“Kurt, it’s not fine,” Blaine whispered, looking at his boyfriend with sad, watery eyes. “It’s so far away from fine, it’s in another country.”

“God, Blaine, why did you have to go back there? I know I shouldn’t be angry, but I’m so pissed at you right now!” Kurt cried, spinning and pointing at his boyfriend. “I’m ready to kill your father.”

“I’m so sorry,” Blaine whispered, looking down at his hands, devastated that he had angered Kurt. “I was starting to pack to leave home, and he came after me. Maybe I deserved it. I can’t seem to get anything right lately.”

Kurt sat on the chair beside the bed and grabbed Blaine’s hand. “Don’t say that. Don’t you EVER say that you deserved what he did to you,” he exclaimed. “Look... you just scared me half to death, that’s all.”

“I love you so much, babe. You were the one thing that drove me forward. I think I eventually passed out because of the pain,” Blaine said. “All I could think about was getting back to you. I’m sorry if I disappointed you.”

Suddenly Kurt’s anger melted. “I’m not disappointed in you, Blaine. I’m proud of you for getting away and trying to find us. What’s important is that we’re together again now, right?” he said and gently touched Blaine’s cheek as he smiled. “We’ve gone through quite a bit this past week, haven’t we?”

“That we have,” Blaine responded, grabbing the hand on his face and giving it a squeeze. “Enough to fill a novel, at least. I think this is enough drama to last me awhile, thank you very much.”

“Agreed. Let’s have a nice calm summer, shall we?” Kurt asked and leaned forward to kiss his boyfriend. They were interrupted by a knock on the door. He looked over to see Burt, Finn, and Sam waiting nervously.

He waved them in and Burt walked up to the bed. “Hey sport, how’s it going?” Burt asked, then cringed inwardly, feeling like a giant dork. He wasn’t sure why he had just called Blaine “sport.” It just seemed fitting for the situation.

“I could be better,” Blaine responded and tried to smile. He winced at the pain and gently rubbed his face.

“Hey, dude,” Finn said and put his fist up for a fist bump. Blaine returned it and waved to Sam.

“Blaine, would you mind if I steal your boyfriend for a minute?” Burt asked. Blaine nodded so Burt left Sam and Finn to sit and chat. Of course the conversation immediately steered to video games.

“Typical male behaviour,” Kurt thought to himself then sighed. “Wish I could be there talking with them, though. Anything is better than this nightmare.”

Kurt followed his father out of the room and closed the door behind him. “What’s up?” he asked.

Burt took off his hat and rubbed his bald head as he said, “So I talked to the doctor. Thankfully, it’s not as bad as we feared. He has one broken rib...”

“Not as bad as we feared?” Kurt asked loudly. His father shushed him, so he said much quieter, “I wouldn’t call that a laugh riot.”

“The doctor said that the rib didn’t puncture any major organs, but there may be a bit of internal bleeding. Other than some cuts and bruises, that was the worst of the damage,” Burt explained. “He also said that Blaine passed out because of the pain. It was just a way for his body to protect itself. He just needs lots of painkillers and rest.”

“Thank god,” Kurt said and gave a sigh of relief. “There’s only one issue.”

“What’s that?” Burt asked.

“I think the worst damage of all is to his emotional state,” Kurt said and looked back at the hospital room door. “Dad, what are we going to do?”

“Well, they’re keeping him overnight for observation to make sure there isn’t any sort of complications,” Burt said. “In the meantime, we need to sit down as a family and discuss what our next move is.”

“I don’t want to leave him!” Kurt exclaimed. “Leaving him alone is the last thing he needs.”

“In the morning, Kurt,” Burt assured. “I’m afraid this evening is going to be full of police statements and doctor’s meetings. I also need to talk to our lawyer.”

“Why would you need to talk to the lawyer?” Kurt asked. “I hope you don’t plan on killing Blaine’s father, ‘cause I’d like to claim that honor.”

“Kurt, don’t even joke about stuff like that,” Burt hissed as he looked around, making sure no one was listening in. “Let me worry about the lawyer. You just care for Blaine. I got special permission so you can stay the night. They’ll bring in a special sleeping chair for you.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Kurt said and gave his father a tight hug. “I’m so glad you’re here. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

“It’s not the most ideal way of spending my days off, but for you and Blaine it’s worth it,” Burt said. “So don’t think twice about it, okay?” Kurt nodded and Burt clapped him on the shoulder. “I’ll go get Carole, Will and Emma. Will and Emma need to get home, so they should visit Blaine next, and Carole wants to go home to get some of Blaine’s stuff. The police will want to talk to you, so I’ll come get you when they arrive.”

“I hope you don’t mind me putting off starting at the shop for a week or so. My priority right now is helping Blaine get better,” Kurt asked, hoping his dad would understand.

“Of course, Bud. Take all the time you need. Your job isn’t going anywhere,” Burt agreed. “I’ll be back in a bit.”

“Okay,” Kurt said and nodded. He went back into the room to find the boys talking about their favorite superheroes. He marveled at how geeky his boyfriend could be sometimes, no pun intended.

“Blaine, you’re talking out of your ass! Spiderman is totally the bomb!” Finn argued.

“Are you serious? Batman would kick Spiderman’s ass from here to Gotham City!” Blaine countered.

“You’re both wrong. The ultimate superhero is Wolverine,” Sam interjected. Finn and Blaine just looked at him like he went insane. “What? Adamantine coated skeleton and retractable claws? Hello?”

“Yeah, whatever, Sam,” Blaine said and made a shooing motion with the hand not attached to the IV. He looked over to Kurt and asked, “Babe, what’s your favorite superhero?”

“I don’t know! Wonder Woman maybe? It’s the only cartoon I remember watching when I was a kid,” Kurt said as he shook his head at the absurdity of it all. “I also like Alf. You know, that furry dude from Melmac?”

Finn could barely remember that strange ‘80s sitcom, but he recalled watching it after school when it was in syndication. “Alf wasn’t a superhero, Kurt!” he said, laughing at his brother’s ignorance. “He was an alien. Big difference.”

“Okay, how about Harry Potter then? He was a hero!” Kurt countered, completely missing the point. “Why are they arguing about such a pointless subject, anyway?” he thought to himself.

“Kurt has a point there,” Blaine explained. “Most superheroes are from other planets! And Harry Potter was a hero. He just didn’t have tights and a cape. Good insight, babe!”

Kurt looked at his boyfriend with a grin, even though Blaine’s ponderings were more than likely medication induced. “See?” he said and stuck out his tongue. “Suck it, Hudson!” Finn just flipped the bird at Kurt in response.

“Well, Wonder Woman was kinda hot,” Sam added, trying to bring the conversation back to some semblance of order. “I think we need to add Superhero 101 to your geek education, Kurt.”

“Riiiight,” Kurt said and side-eyed the three men. “Anyway, Emma and Will are coming in to visit. Be ready for the long parade of New Directions.”

“That’s cool,” Finn said and stood up. “Let’s go for a walk, Kurt, while everyone comes to visit.”

Kurt walked over to the bed and took Blaine’s hand as he said, “I’ll be back in a bit, sweetie.” He was about to walk away when he remembered Blaine’s phone. “Oh, wait!” He pulled Blaine’s phone out of his pocket and passed it to his boyfriend. “If you get too tired or need anything, just send me a text, okay?”

“I could really use some decent food,” Blaine informed. “I absolutely loathe hospital slop, and I haven’t eaten all day.”

“We’ll see what we can find,” Finn said and smiled at Blaine. “Take care of yourself, dude. We’ll be back in a bit.”

The two men passed Will and Emma in the hall. “How are you holding up, Kurt?” Will asked.

“Better than I was earlier. I’m glad Blaine is going to be okay. I’m just a bit worried about where we go from here. You know… with his father,” Kurt said, biting his lower lip. Will nodded sadly.

“You know we are here day or night if you need us, Kurt,” Emma said sweetly. “Blaine may need someone to talk to, and I’m willing to have a chat with him if he needs a sympathetic ear.”

“I really appreciate that, Emma,” Kurt said, fighting back the tears again. “I gotta go. Finn and I are on a mission for some edible food for our patient.”

“Good luck!” Will said and entered Blaine’s room.

Kurt turned to his brother and asked, “So, where to?”

“I haven’t figured that out yet,” Finn said and shrugged. “Let’s just tell the others that we’re leaving for a bit.”

They returned to the waiting room to inform the others on Blaine’s status and to assure them that their turn to visit was coming soon. Finn told Burt and Carole that they were going to find food, using Finn’s car as Kurt’s SUV was still at home.

“Okay, so I was thinking we could get a pizza and have the four of us hang out in the room. You, me, Blaine, and Rachel that is,” Kurt suggested. “We can make half of the pizza vegetarian. It’s a good easy option for everyone, and I know it’s impossible for Blaine to refuse pizza. He would eat it every day if I let him.”

“Yeah, I could do pizza,” Finn said as he left the parking lot. He sounded distracted. “Look, Kurt, there’s another reason I dragged you away from Blaine. I need to talk to you alone, and the hospital isn’t the best place to do that.”

Kurt looked worriedly at Finn. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Do you remember what we talked about in the playground?” Finn inquired. “I couldn’t tell if you remembered, ‘cause you were totally wasted last night.”

“Vaguely,” Kurt answered, trying to recall the previous night’s events. Most of it proved impossible to recollect. “I remember you telling me about the army thing and about your dad. Sorry, I don’t remember any details.”

“I understand,” Finn said. “I’ve been thinking about this all day, and I still need to talk to Mom and Dad about it, but I need your help.”

“Sure, Finn. What can I do?” Kurt asked, starting to get a little nervous at Finn’s tone.

“I need you to distract Rachel for a few hours in the next couple of days. I want to have a meeting with Mom, Dad and Rachel’s dads,” Finn explained. He pulled into a coffee shop parking lot. “Kurt, I’m gonna do it. I’m joining the army.”

“What?” Kurt exclaimed, looking over at his brother. “How? When?”

“I’m signing up for basic training this summer,” he explained. “And there’s something else.”

“Finn, I’m not liking where this is going,” Kurt warned.

“I’m sorry, Kurt, but this is something I really have to do,” Finn said, wringing his hands. “I don’t know how to put this.”

“Just be direct,” Kurt advised. “Finn, please stop beating around the bush.”

“I’m not going to New York with Rachel,” Finn said quickly, as if he wanted to get it over with. “I’m going to set her free and see where life brings us.”

Kurt was shocked. “You’re breaking up with Rachel?” he asked. This was just more drama he didn’t have the energy to deal with considering present circumstances. “Finn, setting her free? That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard! Why would you need to set her free?”

“No, not breaking up with her!” Finn said, flustered. “I don’t know! I just think she belongs in New York, and right now I don’t. Maybe someday, but not right now. I feel like I’ve been given this quest that I can’t turn down. So I need your help.”

“Finn…” Kurt started. He knew what Finn was thinking. It was that stupid “hero” complex he had. “He always has to save people!” Kurt thought bitterly. “This whole thing smacks of ‘BAD IDEA!’ Finn is clumsy in the best of circumstances. And Rachel! Poor Rachel…”

“I know Rachel is your best friend, but Kurt, you’re my brother. I’m asking for your help here!” Finn interrupted. “You can’t leave me hanging!”

“Hudson, that is not fair! You can’t expect me to be in the middle of you two. It sounds like you want me to pick sides!” Kurt exclaimed. “You know I can’t do that!”

“I’m not making you pick sides!” Finn yelled, frustrated that the conversation was turning into an argument. That was totally not what he had intended. He stopped and took a deep breath as he continued, “Sorry, dude, I’m super stressed right now.” He put his fist up for an apologetic fist bump.

“Welcome to the club,” Kurt grumbled, running his fingers through his hair. “This hasn’t been a good week for the Hudson-Hummels, that’s for sure.” He sighed heavily but returned the brotherly gesture.

“Anyway, I’m telling this to you right now so you won’t be surprised when I tell everyone else later. I respect your opinion more than just about anyone else, Kurt. So can I depend on you to distract Rachel?” Finn asked. “Maybe you and Blaine could take her to the movies or something. That is, if Blaine gets out of the hospital in time. I’ll even pay!”

Kurt shrugged and said, “I guess so. You do realize this is incredibly bad timing on your part, right? I really need to figure out things with Blaine and his father, and it’s all starting to give me a headache.”

“And I’m totally sorry about that. I just need to get this figured out ASAP. We can drop it for now, but I’ll keep you posted,” Finn apologized. He pulled back out into traffic. “So, Blaine, huh? I can’t believe what happened, but I’m glad he’s okay.”

“I’m ready to murder his father, so I’m glad you’re distracting me,” Kurt said, looking out of the window and trying not to get worked up again.

“Need any help?” Finn asked and gently punched his brother’s arm. “I hope Mr. Anderson gets buried in so much shit, he won’t be able to dig himself out of it for a few years. You should have heard Dad earlier. We might want to keep an eye on him so he doesn’t do anything stupid.”

“Finn, we don’t need to both end up in jail,” Kurt said and smirked at his brother. “No, seriously, I’m going to make sure Anderson pays for what he did.” At Finn’s judgmental look, he added, “Legally! Sheesh, Finn, I’m not a barbarian!”

“Dude, I’ve seen you with those sai swords! You’re a modern day ninja!” Finn exclaimed. “You almost took out my eye when you were practicing in the backyard once! And you’re super stealthy. You scared the crap out of me more than once.”

“There are still ninjas today, Finn. It’s called ninjitsu,” Kurt tried explaining. Finn quickly gave him a blank look. “Oh, nevermind!” he said, rolling his eyes. He wasn’t going to get into it again with his brother over something so stupid. “So, pizza then? Let me ask Blaine, although I’m sure I already know his answer.” He sent a quick text:

Finn suggests pizza for the four of us. That ok with you?

After a few seconds he got a response.

Do you really need to ask? Yes, please!! Rachel says not to forget the vegetarian!

“Okay, so it looks like pizza is a go,” Kurt said, putting his phone back in his hoodie pocket. “Hey, Finn?”

“Hmm?” Finn responded, concentrating on the heavier traffic downtown.

“Thanks for being there for me this past week. I’ve been a stupid shitbucket to everyone, and you guys stuck with me anyway,” Kurt said gratefully.

All of a sudden Finn started laughing and asked, “Shitbucket? God, Kurt, I love you so much right now! I mean, in a totally manly brotherly way.”

“Yeah, right. You’re totally a closet case!” Kurt joked. “Although that would officially be incest.” He shuddered and added, “Okay, now I have a creepy image in my head. Quick, change the subject!”

“Um… what about your plans for the summer?” Finn asked, not quite processing what Kurt had just said. Maybe it was better that way.

“Looks like I’ll be kicking Anderson’s ass, followed by a whole lot of working and not much else,” Kurt pouted. “Dad is making me change oil all summer. I’m supposed to be working under you, but I guess that’s going to change now.”

“Yeah, that kinda sucks that he demoted you,” Finn responded. “I’m sure once he calms down, he’ll make you assistant manager again.”

“I doubt it. It’s his way of trying to make me a man or something. What am I now? A girl?” Kurt asked, frustrated by the day’s turn of events.

Finn turned into the pizza place as he teased, “Do you really want me to answer that, Hummel?”

“I’d rather you not,” Kurt huffed. Why did everyone think he was a girl? Was he really that effeminate? He just thought that he was putting himself out there. He considered it charismatic. “Whatever,” he thought. “I’m done with all that now. I’m experiencing a metamorphosis; finding out who I really am. In the meantime, I just need to get through the rest of this week.”

They ordered a large half and half pizza, and spent the time waiting by playing with an old arcade fighting game. Once again, Kurt mopped the floor with Finn. “Have you ever considered professional video gaming? There’s money to be made doing that, you know!” Finn suggested.

“Yeah, that’s my new dream!” Kurt said sardonically. “Who needs NYADA when I have Mario!”

Finn shrugged as he grabbed the pizza and a six-pack of soda. “I’m sure everyone is done visiting with Blaine now, so we should head back to the hospital. I told Rachel to wait there, so she’s probably trying to entertain your boyfriend with some show tunes,” he said.

“Hey, I wouldn’t consider that complete torture,” Kurt said. “Remember, Rach and I are showtunes sisters.” He shook his head. “Okay, NOW I understand why you call me a girl.”

Finn chuckled and took the short way back to the hospital. He took the roundabout route on the way there because he wanted to talk to Kurt about distracting Rachel. They parked the car and made their way back inside. They found out that Blaine had been moved to a private room on the same floor, so the brothers made their way to the new accommodations. The pizza was smelling good, and Kurt was starting to get hungry.

Kurt knocked on the door and cried, “Pizzagram!” Burt and Rachel were sitting on the chairs on each side of the bed, chatting with a slightly more cheered-up Blaine. It appeared that they weren’t really talking about anything in particular. Kurt looked over to Burt and asked, “Hey Dad, want some pizza?”

Burt stood up and answered, “Sorry, Kurt. I have some stuff to do. I’ll leave you kids to hang out.” He looked at Kurt knowingly, because “stuff to do” was code for talking to the police and Burt’s lawyer. He didn’t want to let on to Blaine what was going on, because it might upset him. Kurt nodded and hugged his father. “I’ll get Carole to bring in Blaine’s pajamas when she gets back.”

“Thanks, Burt. For everything,” Blaine said sincerely.

“You just get better, Bud,” Burt said, his voice cracking. He left the room, leaving the four friends looking at each other awkwardly.

“So, Blaine, are you hungry?” Finn asked as he opened the pizza box.

“Very much so! And a bit sleepy. Visitors are exhausting!” Blaine exclaimed.

Kurt took a slice of pizza, put it on a plate and passed it to his boyfriend. Then he took a vegetarian slice and sat at the end of the bed, leaving the two chairs for Rachel and Finn. “You need to rest, Blaine,” he advised. “We can eat, hang out a bit, then I’m kicking these two out and you’re gonna get some sleep.”

“Kurt, you don’t have to stay here tonight,” Blaine said. “I’ll be fine for one night.”

“I would suggest that you refrain from arguing with me, because you know how stubborn I can be!” Kurt scolded. “Just eat your pizza.”

“Yes, boss!” Blaine said and gently took a bite of pizza. “Okay, that kind of hurts, but it’s totally worth it! Thanks for the grub, guys.”

They talked for a bit while they ate. Well, Kurt, Finn and Rachel talked. Blaine just sat there and listened. He looked distracted. Suddenly he shook his head as if to eject a thought and focused on his three best friends.

“I wanted to talk to you guys. I’m glad we’re all here alone together,” Blaine informed. “I just wanted to apologize.”

“For what?” Kurt asked. “You don’t have anything to apologize for! I should be the one apologizing.”

“Kurt, stop that,” Blaine said, grabbing his boyfriend’s hand and giving it a gentle kiss. “You don’t always need to be my white knight.” Kurt looked down but gave a small smile. “I want to apologize for not telling you earlier about what was going on at home.”

“Blaine, we really don’t need to talk about it,” Kurt argued.

“That’s the problem, babe! We do need to talk about it. You need to know,” Blaine countered. “You three are my best friends and you deserve to know.”

“Blaine...” Rachel said. “If you don’t feel comfortable talking about it, we can wait for another time.”

“Yeah, dude, it’s all cool,” Finn added.

“I’d rather just get it over with,” Blaine said and looked out the window, realizing that the conversation might become uncomfortable for all of them. “Look, my father has always been cold and aloof. My family isn’t what you would call the warm fuzzy type. I told this to Kurt already, but my mom once told me that I was a mistake, and dad told me the same thing earlier today.”

“Oh my god, Blaine!” Rachel said, tears forming in her eyes. “You can’t believe them!”

“That’s so messed up!” Finn exploded.

“Well, I’m used to it. I’ve heard similar in different forms all my life. When you hear it enough, you sort of start to believe it. Know what I mean?” Blaine explained. “Anyhow, Dad was just a jerk for most of my childhood. Things didn’t get really bad until I came out a few years ago. Even then it wasn’t that bad. He would just hit me, but it wasn’t bad. All kids get one upside the head when they misbehaved, right?”

“You need to stop making excuses for him, Blaine!” Kurt exclaimed. “He abused you no matter what he did to you! My father has never hit me like that. Yeah, I got a tap on my butt when I was a kid and I misbehaved, but that was it!”

“It just started getting really bad in the last year or so, ever since I started dating Kurt,” Blaine continued.

Kurt put his hand to his mouth and whispered, “Shit, this is all my fault! Blaine, I’m so sorry.”

“What did I say about not apologizing?” Blaine scolded. “It’s not your fault. My father didn’t want his stupid perfect image blemished by my ‘heathen homosexual ways’,” he said, putting the last three words in air quotes. “I was simply living the life the way I felt I needed to. Besides, he barely paid attention to me before the incident at the Sadie Hawkins dance. If Dad had his way, Kurt and I would have broken up long ago and I would be back in Dalton, being his perfect straight son, at least on the surface where it counted to him. I think I’d rather be dead.”

“Blainers, you’re breaking my heart. Please stop talking like that!” sobbed Rachel. “How could anyone do that to you? You’re one of the kindest, most generous people I’ve ever met!”

“Thank you, Rachel. That means a lot,” Blaine said, letting go of Kurt’s hand and taking Rachel’s. “No tears, my dear. It’s all over now, I hope.” Rachel nodded and he continued, “I love you guys so much; I love all of New Directions, too. You make me feel like I was put on this earth for a reason. When I’m with my family, I just feel like a waste of space. I’m telling the truth when I say you all saved my life this past year.”

Even Finn had tears in his eyes, which didn’t happen very often. Kurt passed around the tissues, and he had a feeling that they would be using the entire box before long. “Part of me is sort of glad this happened to me,” Blaine continued.

“Blaine! Why would you…” Kurt exclaimed and glared at his boyfriend.

At Kurt’s sharp look Blaine interrupted, “Hear me out here, babe! Now everyone can see my family for what they really are, a bunch of hypocrites!”

“What about Cooper?” Kurt asked. “Does he know about this?”

“No, I don’t think so,” Blaine responded. “He might be an arrogant jerk, but he never hit me. And he didn’t know that Dad used to hit me. Well, he still does, but whatever. I think I’m starting to understand why Coop left home so early.”

“Well, Blaine, I don’t think you’ll ever have to worry about that asshole again,” Finn said vehemently, referring to Blaine’s father. “I don’t care if I have to personally keep guard in front of your door, he won’t hurt you again. Puck and I will take shifts. Sam, too.”

“I don’t think that’s necessary, Finn,” Blaine said and smiled. He turned to Kurt and asked, “Do you mind if I stay with you guys for a few days? I need to figure things out.”

“Why do you even need to ask that?” Kurt responded. “I was going to insist on it, and I’m sure everyone agrees.”

“Dude, you practically live with us now!” Finn exclaimed. “Let’s just make it official!”

Blaine grabbed a tissue and wiped his eyes as he said, “It’s only polite to ask.”

“We get you out of here tomorrow, and then I’m taking you home to nurse you back to health,” Kurt assured and leaned in to kiss his boyfriend. They were interrupted by the same nurse that was helping Blaine before everyone had arrived. Kurt sat back heavily on the bed and whined, “I think the world is against me kissing my boyfriend! Seriously, people!” He then winked at Blaine who gave an adorable little chuckle.

“Knock, knock! Time for your medication, Blaine!” called the nurse from the door. “You want to be able to sleep tonight, don’t you?”

Blaine nodded and introduced the people in the room. “These are my two best friends Rachel and Finn, and this gorgeous man is my boyfriend, Kurt,” he said, pointing to each person in turn. They each gave a friendly wave in greeting.

“Pleased to meet you all,” said the nurse. “I’m Barbara, and Kurt, you’re a very lucky man to have this cutie.”

“I’m quite aware of that,” Kurt said with a mischievous smirk. “Thanks for taking care of Blaine for me.”

“He’s been a model patient,” Barbara informed. “I hate to see him leave tomorrow, but I guess we aren’t in business to keep our patients against their will.” She gave a little giggle as she added the medication to the IV drip. “I’ll get one of the orderlies to bring in that sleeping chair and another chair for you to sit on. It can’t be comfortable being squished up at the end of the bed like that, dear!”

“Thanks again, Barbara. I promise I won’t bother him tonight. I just want to be here with him,” Kurt said. Barbara nodded and left the room. Kurt slid over to the end of the bed and swung his legs over the edge. He stood up, went over to Blaine, took his empty paper plate and threw it in the garbage. Taking the remote control, he flattened the bed out, to the protest of his boyfriend. He then took the blanket and brought it up to tuck it under Blaine’s chin.

“I don’t want to sleep!” Blaine whined. “I was enjoying hanging with you guys!”

“Well, too bad! You need to rest,” Kurt retorted.

“Can I at least have Maurice?” Blaine asked, already starting to feel blurry from the medication.

“Who in the hell is Maurice?” Kurt asked, amused at the innocence in Blaine’s voice. He figured that the drugs were making him say silly things.

“The stuffed monkey! I had to name him! Rachel helped me with the name when you and Finn were out,” Blaine said.

“The monkey’s name is Maurice. Lovely,” Kurt mumbled to himself and rolled his eyes. However, he smiled as Blaine had seemed a little less melancholy. He grabbed the stuffed animal from the windowsill and tucked it in with his boyfriend. Blaine gave a happy sigh and gave it the most endearing hug. Kurt looked at his boyfriend with loving eyes, his heart swelling at the adorableness of it all. “He really is the cutest,” he sighed to himself.

“I think it’s lullaby time!” Rachel announced. She leaned over to Kurt and whispered into his ear, then went over to the other side of the bed and whispered into Finn’s.

Kurt’s eyes lit up and he exclaimed, “I love that song! I sang it all the time when I was a kid. Follow my lead, okay? I wish Will was here with his ukulele. This song totally calls for it!”

Finn stood and Kurt sat beside Blaine, gently rubbing his fingers along Blaine’s curly hair as he sang:

“Why are there so many songs about rainbows,
and what's on the other side?
Rainbows are visions, but only illusions,
and rainbows have nothing to hide.
So we've been told and some choose to believe it.
I know they're wrong, wait and see.
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection.
The lovers, the dreamers and me.”

Blaine smiled and closed his eyes. This was also one of his favorite songs. The Muppet Movie was one of those films that he would watch over and over and over again. While Kurt continued stroking Blaine’s hair, Rachel and Finn continued with the second verse, amazingly in two part harmony:

“Who said that every wish would be heard,
and answered when wished on the morning star?
Somebody thought of that and someone believed it.
Look what it's done so far.
What's so amazing that keeps us star gazing,
and what do we think we might see?
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection.
The lovers, the dreamers and me.”

Kurt took over the bridge, touching Blaine’s face:

“All of us under its spell.
We know that it's probably magic.”

Blaine was starting to breathe deeply, so Kurt figured that he must have been starting to fall asleep. The three friends finished the song with their hands on Blaine for comfort:

“Have you been half asleep and have you heard voices?
I've heard them calling my name.
Is this the sweet sound that called the young sailors.
The voice might be one and the same.
I've heard it too many times to ignore it.
It's something that I'm supposed to be.
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection.
The lovers, the dreamers and me.”

By the end of the song Blaine was completely asleep, so Kurt made sure he was covered, kissed him on the forehead, and stood up while putting his finger in front of his lips. He pointed to the door and quietly made his way out of the room, with the other two right behind him.

“I can take it from here, guys,” Kurt whispered. It was getting late and he didn’t want to disturb the other patients. “Thanks so much for hanging out. I think he really appreciated it, and so do I. We need to show him how much he means to us, especially now. I can tell his self-esteem has taken a massive hit.”

“Kurt, I’ll be here first thing in the morning. I want to be with you guys when you take him home,” Rachel promised. “Are you sure you’ll be alright here alone?”

“I can drop Rach off at home and come right back if you need me,” Finn offered. Kurt shook his head. “Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow then, little brother. Just hang in there.”

“Love you both,” Kurt said, hugging both a moment more than necessary. “We’ll get through this. Heh, that seems to be my theme this week. I’m just worried there’ll eventually be something we can’t get through.”

Kurt watched the couple walking away hand and hand and had a brief moment of depression. Finn was leaving Rachel, and Kurt couldn’t do anything about it. It had always felt like those two were meant to be together, even when they were on again and off again in school, but Kurt realized that things could turn on a dime, and in most cases they did. After Finn and Rachel turned the corner, Kurt shook his head and opened the door to return to the hospital room. “Mom should be here any minute with Blaine’s stuff – although Blaine wouldn’t need his pajamas anymore because he fell asleep in that drafty hospital gown – and my laptop,” Kurt thought and let his mind wander.

Burt came around the same corner from which Rachel and Finn had just turned and asked, “Kurt, do you have a minute?” A man in a suit followed behind. “This is Detective Fitzgerald from the Lima City Police Department. Would you mind chatting with him for a few minutes?”

“Of course,” Kurt said and shook the detective’s hand.

“Can I buy you a coffee in the cafeteria, Kurt?” asked the detective. “I know things have been a bit crazy today, so I won’t take too much of your time.”

“Can you keep an eye on Blaine, Dad?” Kurt requested. “I don’t want to leave him alone in case you-know-who comes looking for him.” He didn’t want Anderson anywhere near his son ever again. He lost that right after what he had done today.

“Take your time, Kurt,” Burt responded. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Fine. Let’s go, detective,” Kurt said and put his hands in his pockets as he walked away. He wasn’t sure what he was going to say to the police officer, but he was going to make sure that Anderson was going to be put away for a very long time. And even then it didn’t feel like enough.

Burt watched his son walking away with the detective. There was still so much to be done, although most of it would have to wait until the following day. He made a mental note to cancel his meetings for the week, because he had a feeling that he was going to need the time at home. He had to be there for his sons, all three of them. He knew that Kurt would need his dad, but Blaine would need him most of all.