The cafeteria was pretty quiet this late in the evening, and for that Kurt was very thankful. He was desperate for some downtime, and he didn’t expect to have any in the near future. Detective Fitzgerald got them both a coffee and gestured for Kurt to sit in one of the hard plastic chairs. Kurt appreciated the police officer treating him, but he was nervous about the impending interview. What exactly was he going to tell the man? “I guess the only thing I can tell him is the truth or at least the truth as I know it,” he thought to himself.

“So Burt has told me you had a pretty rough week, Kurt,” the detective said conversationally.

“Rough is an understatement, Detective Fitzgerald,” Kurt said, wrapping his hands around the hot paper cup.

“Just Robert is fine,” the detective corrected. “Your father and I are old friends. He’s been my tire guy for a pretty long time.”

“Oh, that’s good,” Kurt said, distracted, and looked at the visitors and patients in the cafeteria. Realizing that he had to focus on the meeting, he returned his attention to Robert. “If I’m telling the truth, I’m more than a little nervous. I’ve never had a police officer question me.”

Robert pulled out a small notebook and explained, “Don’t worry. This isn’t an interrogation. I just wanted to get your take on today’s events. We still need to talk to Blaine, but it would be best if we waited until the morning, after he’s had some rest.”

“Have you found his father?” Kurt asked. “I have to say I’m extremely angry at him. Even extremely angry is a mild term compared to how I’m feeling right now.”

“Unfortunately we haven’t tracked him down,” Robert responded. “We’re trying our hardest to find him, though. He has a lot to answer to. I assure you we’re doing our best.”

“Well, give him a couple of smacks for me, will ya?” Kurt asked angrily. He shook his head and added, “Sorry, it’s the stress.” He took a drink of his coffee and made a face. “Seriously, do they add tar to hospital coffee? Yuck!”

“So Kurt, what happened exactly?” Robert inquired, his pen poised at the ready to take notes.

“Before I tell you about yesterday, I want to explain what Blaine told me a couple days ago,” Kurt started. He explained about Blaine’s abuse situation after his transfer, and Kurt confessed his concern that it wasn’t the only time it happened. Robert nodded and continued making notes as Kurt talked.

“Blaine isn’t in trouble, is he?” Kurt asked. He didn’t want his boyfriend to get into trouble for something Kurt might have said, especially since he had promised to be silent about the situation.

“Of course not,” Robert responded. “He did nothing to get in trouble. I’m just making notes for his file.” He put his notebook on the table and looked at Kurt. “Son, if this goes to trial, would you be willing to testify in court?”

“I didn’t think it was that serious!” Kurt exclaimed, his eyes going wide. “I don’t want to put Blaine through all that.”

“There’s only a small chance that may happen,” Robert assured. “It’s more likely that everything will be settled out of court. But either way Child Protective Services needs to know about this.”

“What would be settled out of court?” Kurt asked, confused that Robert was talking about a settlement. What was there to settle? “Isn’t this for a criminal trial for Mr. Anderson?”

“I think that’s something that Burt should explain to you, Kurt,” Robert advised. “So what happened yesterday?”

Kurt spent several minutes explaining his day, his worry about Blaine, and the events on the side of the road. Robert nodded and made notes, interrupting every once in a while to ask a clarifying question. Eventually, Kurt got to the end of his story and Robert closed his notebook.

“I think that’s everything I need. Thanks so much for your cooperation. I just need to take a few more statements so we can move on with the investigation,” Robert said, putting his book in his briefcase and standing up. “You did a really good thing here, Kurt.”

“I just don’t want this to be stressful for Blaine. I think he’s gone through enough,” Kurt said with concern in his voice. “If you need anything else, please give me a call.” He gave Robert his cell number and shook his hand.

“I’ll walk you back to the hospital room. I wanted to talk to Burt about a tire change anyhow,” Robert said. Kurt nodded and they walked the way back to the room in contemplative silence.

******

In the meantime, Burt was sitting in Blaine’s hospital room, wringing his hands. The lights were off so it was pretty dark, but the yellow light from the street lamp shed a little bit of light into the room. “Today was going to be so simple!” he thought. “Kurt and I would have one of those crazy uncomfortable talks and we would move on and learn from the experience. Okay, so simple is too strong a word. The plan was to watch a few games, get some work done at the shop, and go back to DC. Easy, right?”

Instead Burt had ended up being part of a police investigation for child abuse… and of a close friend to the family, no less. He took off his hat and put it on the table beside him. He looked over and saw Blaine in a deep sleep. He looked so peaceful, despite the bruises on his face. He almost appeared childlike in his innocence.

“He still is a child!” Burt thought to himself. “Why would anyone do this to a child? And why didn’t Blaine say anything?”

“I really wish you’d come to me, kid,” Burt murmured quietly. Thankfully, Blaine didn’t wake up, and Burt didn’t think he would wake for several hours because of the medication. “I could’ve helped you out. Now you need to deal with all this bullshit.”

Burt stood and slowly paced the room as he continued, “I promise you, Blaine, I won’t let anything happen to you ever again, and I’ll see your bastard father behind bars. At the very least, I want him to suffer for what he did to you. You saved my son’s life, and I’m going to return the favor.”

He had tears in his eyes, and he really wished that Carole was there with him. He hated feeling so helpless, and he felt like he had to do something other than waiting. He roughly wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and sat down in the chair. “Look. I know you can’t hear me or anything, but I want you to consider me your dad, okay? You need people in your life who are willing to care for you. I know you have Kurt and everything, but you need family. I want us to be that family.”

“Burt?” a voice called from the door. Burt looked up and saw that it was Carole with one of Finn’s backpacks full of items for Blaine and Kurt’s gray and red satchel which contained his laptop. “Who are you talking to?”

Burt grabbed a tissue from the end table and wiped his eyes again as he stood up. “Just talking to myself, dear,” he said. “I’m sure that Kurt will appreciate you bringing their stuff.”

Carole put down the bags and walked up to her husband. “This is really bothering you, isn’t it?” she asked and Burt nodded sadly. “I’m one to talk since I’m barely holding it together myself. I’ve come to really love that young man.” She pointed to Blaine’s bed. “He’s so good for Kurt, and he really loves our family.”

“So do you think we’re making the right decision?” he asked his wife. She simply nodded and grabbed a tissue as she started to cry as well.

“I don’t think there’s any other option,” Carole responded as she dabbed her eyes. “Our little family is growing pretty quickly, it seems.”

“I was just thinking that earlier. The family started with Kurt and me and grew to seven people! Well, if you include Sam, that is,” Burt said and smiled. “Are you ready for all the drama this might involve?”

“Are you talking about the investigation or the four boys in the house?” Carole asked. “Either way, I’m sure I can handle it. Besides, eventually Kurt and Finn will be off to New York, and a few short months later Sam and Blaine will have graduated, and we’ll be empty nesters!”

“God, I feel so old,” Burt said, hugging Carole. “I remember when Kurt was born, and now he’s about to go out into that big, mean world. It terrifies me.”

Carole put her hand behind Burt’s neck and said, “I say we worry about that when it happens, okay? Until then, we can enjoy our great big family.” Burt nodded and leaned in to give his wife a kiss.

“Ewww, get a room, guys!” Kurt teased quietly and turned on the small light by the door so he wouldn’t wake up his boyfriend. “Dad, Robert wants to speak with you. Hi, Mom. Thanks for bringing the stuff.”

“You’re welcome, dear,” Carole responded and walked over to Kurt, putting her hand on his shoulder. “I’m going to take your dad home so he can get some rest. Are you sure you’re okay here alone?” Kurt nodded so Carole gave him a hug. “We’ll see you in the morning.”

“Thanks, and love you, Mom. You too, Dad. You’ve both been incredibly supportive and amazing through all this. I could never repay you,” Kurt said with a smile.

“That’s what parents do, Kurt,” Burt explained. “Tomorrow, I need to talk to both of you boys. For now, rest well and if you need anything at all, I have my cell nearby.”

“I’m not in more trouble, am I?” Kurt asked with wide eyes.

“Not at all, sweetie,” Carole responded. “We just want to discuss our next steps in all of this.”

Kurt nodded and walked his parents to the door. While he was talking with the detective, the orderly brought in the sleeping chair with a blanket and pillow. Kurt closed the door and turned off the light. He could find his way around by the light shining in from outside. He didn’t bother changing into pajamas because the clothes he was wearing were loose enough to sleep in.

He unfurled the blanket and laid it out on the sleeping chair. Then he grabbed his satchel and pulled out his laptop. Fortunately, the hospital had wifi for the visitors so he was able to log onto the internet. He went to Facebook and found several messages from his friends, and even messages from former classmates that he didn’t really talk to from school, wishing Blaine a speedy recovery and support for Kurt.

“Wow, word gets around fast!” he thought bitterly to himself. “Where were these people when I was having issues in school? I seriously can’t figure out this stupid town!”

He had one personal message, from Quinn.

Hey Kurt,

I’m sooo sorry I couldn’t make it to the hospital tonight. I was out with my family and I left my cell at home. Ever since the accident, I’m nervous about bringing it in the car with me. I promise I’ll come with Rachel in the morning to visit. I’m really sorry about what happened, and if there is anything you need, please let me know. By the way, I have some super exciting news to tell you. I think you’ll be crazy jealous.

Love you,
Quinn

Kurt smiled and sent a message in response, telling her that he was still at the hospital. He noted Quinn’s absence earlier in the day but thought nothing about it. She really liked Blaine, and she would have had a really good reason for not being there. He was also curious about her super exciting news.

He changed his status and was about to close the laptop when a message popped up from Rachel.

Hey, sweetie. Are you okay at the hospital? I’m worried about you.

Kurt responded:

I’ll be fine, Rach. Go get some sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.

A moment later, Rachel responded one last time.

Fine! Give Blaine kisses and hugs for me. Kisses and hugs to you too. Love you both.

Kurt logged out and closed the laptop, looking over to Blaine in the hospital bed. Thank goodness he was okay. Well, relatively okay at least. He was looking forward to getting back to his house so they could have a proper rest without needles or tubes or uncomfortable sleeping chairs.

He put his laptop on the table and moved over to the chair beside the bed. He sat and gently took Blaine’s non-needled hand. It didn’t so much as make him stir. The medication must have really knocked him out. Just as well, he really needed to heal.

“Well, love, here we are, alone at last. And we’re both sober!” Kurt joked, even though Blaine couldn’t hear him. “Yeah, I know you can’t really hear me, but it’s making me feel better talking to you, alright? So the police came to talk to me and I told them whatever I could. I’m sorry I couldn’t keep your secret, but I promise I did it because I want to protect you.” He started to cry and continued, “Blaine, you scared me so badly. When I saw that blood on your face I...” He had to stop to regain his composure. “Well, you’re safe now. I can’t promise you won’t get hurt again – I don’t think anyone can promise that – but I promise it’ll never be because of your father.”

He took a tissue to wipe his eyes and blow his nose. There were still a couple cans of soda left from the pizza, so he opened one and took a drink. He continued, “I just need you to let me take care of you. If I have my own way, I’ll be taking care of you for the rest of my life.” He started gently rubbing his boyfriend’s hand. Blaine gave a gentle moan, turned his head and fell back into steady deep breathing. “Blaine, I’m going to marry you. That’s a promise. I’d ask you now, but you’re still in school, and we saw how that went with Rachel and Finn. Just be patient, okay? I love you, baby. Just get better.”

Talking like this was making him calm down so he kept going. “So Finn talked to me earlier today. He decided to sign up for the army, after all. Truthfully, it kinda scares me. He’s so clumsy, and I’m worried he might hurt himself. The worst part is that he’s leaving Rachel. I mean, he’s not leaving leaving Rachel, but he won’t be going to New York with her. That means she’s going there by herself.” He gave a bitter chuckle and continued, “I remember not even a month ago we were planning all the things we were going to do in the big city, and how we were going to have you move in the second you graduated. It seems now like it was so long ago.”

He was going to leave Blaine to sleep but he thought of one last thing. “Oh yeah! I kinda remember what happened last night with Santana. She was sort of freaking out. You see, she’s worried about her relationship with Brit. Things aren’t too happy there, I’m afraid. And surprisingly, she feels as lost as I do. Somehow, that’s comforting because I don’t feel like I’m losing it as much. Anyway, we talked, I vaguely recall singing something, and we decided to play a prank on the boys by pretending to make out. I promise you nothing happened. These lips are only for you, Blaine. It really freaked them out, so I call it a win. It was a prank that would’ve made you proud, I know it!”

He checked his phone and saw it was almost midnight, “I should really get some rest. I think I’ve rambled enough. I’m probably going to have to repeat everything tomorrow, but whatever. I feel better,” he said. “You were right when you said talking it out is cathartic. I think that’s my new favorite word. Goodnight, my love.”

He brushed the curls off Blaine’s face, kissed him on the forehead and stood up to return to the sleeping chair. Suddenly he changed his mind and sat down heavily on the chair. He wasn’t sure what he was doing, and he really couldn’t figure it out after the fact either, but he put his arms on the bed, clasped his hands and put his head on top of them.

“Um, hi, god. It’s me again.” This time Kurt’s prayer was silent. He continued, “I guess I just wanted to thank you for helping Blaine wake up. I know a big part of me wants to give credit to the doctors since that’s what they do. And I’m not saying I believe yet, but it was an eerie coincidence that he woke up after we prayed. And a lot of my friends believe in you, and they aren’t crazy. It’s just that I don’t see any proof of you. And I still wonder why you put gay people on the earth for them to be persecuted so much. But I’m starting to wonder if homophobia is a human condition, not a celestial one.”

“Anyway, thanks again. I also want to pray for myself this time. God, I’m feeling really lost right now. I thought I knew what I wanted to do with my life, but after this week I’m not really sure anymore. Mercedes always told me that if I prayed for guidance, you might help me find my way. So here it is. I’m asking you to give me a sign, or otherwise help me find my purpose in life. I know I’m not meant to remain in Lima, that there’s something out there for me. I’m also sure that I’m meant to find that destiny with Blaine. I’m not sure if your religion believes in soul mates, but that’s what Blaine is to me. So thank you for bringing him into my life. I’m convinced going to Dalton wasn’t a chance occurrence. I was meant to be there at that time.”

“Well, I think I’ve taken enough of your time. I’m sure you have other prayers you need to listen to. I can’t promise anything, but I’ll try to pray when I can, okay?” Kurt looked up at Blaine, wondering if he was able to keep that vow. It all felt so wrong to him. He bowed his head again as he continued, “It’s kinda weird, but I feel peaceful when I pray. So until next time, I guess. Still not sure how to close so I will say what Joe said earlier. Amen.”

Kurt didn’t lift his head but kept it on his hands. He started to cry because it was all he could do. After releasing all his pent up emotions, he fell asleep as he remained in that position.

******

Early the next morning, Rachel picked up Quinn, and they made their way to the hospital, but not before stopping at the Lima Bean to get everyone a coffee. Rachel had the men’s orders memorized, so she picked up a mocha for Kurt and a medium drip for Blaine. She also purchased several varieties of muffins as they were always a popular breakfast item.

“So all this stuff happened this week?” Quinn asked, sipping at her hot coffee and walking back to Rachel’s car. “I seemed to have missed quite a bit, haven’t I?”

“You sure did!” Rachel exclaimed. “Frankly, I’m exhausted, but I think we’re out of the woods now. At least I hope so.”

“Well, that would explain why Kurt went off the deep end!” Quinn stated. She shook her head as she added, “Was I really that bad last year?”

Rachel briefly side-eyed her friend and gave a giggle. “I’m not going to answer that, Quinn,” she said sarcastically. “Trying to steal your baby back? A little more extreme than a dye job and new clothes. No offence or anything.”

“None taken,” Quinn responded. “What in the hell was I thinking, anyway? To be fair, I was a bit pissed about the Puck/Shelby drama, but that doesn’t make her a bad mother. Just one with incredibly bad judgment.” They both laughed at the zinger that Quinn had made about Rachel’s birth mother. It also worked on more than one level as Shelby had given up Rachel when she was born, which showed bad judgment as well.

“So what’s your crazy incredibly super cool news?” Rachel asked as they pulled into the hospital parking lot.

“Jeez, girl! Have a bit of patience! I want to wait until we’re with Kurt and Blaine so I don’t have to explain it so many times,” Quinn said, patting Rachel on the arm. “So, how are you doing with all this? I heard you had a pretty massive fight with Kurt a few days ago. I’m so out of the loop!”

“This time, you should be glad you were out of the glee loop. You know some of the drama Kurt and I have been through. This was about ten times worse than any of that. You know how calm Kurt can be, right?” Rachel asked. Quinn nodded so she continued, “Well, even though he can be a drama queen, he holds it together pretty well. Not the other day. We had a screaming, yelling, throwing-stuff-around fight. Well, I threw stuff, he just yelled a lot. And I’m being perfectly honest when I said he scared the crap out of me.”

“Oh my god!” Quinn exclaimed and put her hand to her mouth, shocked that Kurt would behave that way. She wouldn’t put it past Puck, but she was surprised that Kurt lost his cool like that. “Kurt did that? Our Kurt?”

“Of course, I couldn’t let him see that he rattled me. I gave him just as good as he gave me. Anyhow, we made up and are closer than ever. And the best part about it is that I can use the pain of the experience to help in my performances!” Rachel explained.

“Oh, Rachel...” Quinn scolded. She knew she should lecture Rachel on the importance of friendship over New York and Broadway, but it would just fall on deaf ears.

“I know, Quinn. Kurt is more important to me right now. And so is Blaine,” Rachel assured. She parked the car and got out, grabbing a ticket to pay for the parking.

“So what was all that stuff that happened at the party?” Quinn asked. She was starting to piece together all the events and had a better understanding as to what transpired.

“He dropped some unexpected news on Blaine. With the stress of the last week, Blaine just lost it and almost broke up with him,” Rachel said seriously. She shuddered at the thought.

“What?” Quinn asked as she stopped in her tracks and stared at Rachel with her mouth hanging open. “Kurt and Blaine don’t break up. Kurt and Blaine breaking up is a sign of the apocalypse. They are okay now, right?”

“Don’t worry, they’re thick as thieves again,” Rachel said, patting Quinn on the shoulder. They continued walking toward the front entrance. “Except now Blaine is in the hospital. I shouldn’t tell you and let Blaine explain it, but it was his father that did… that… to him.”

“I still can’t believe what had happened when you told me last night, Rachel,” Quinn said, thinking about her friends in pain. It hurt her a lot, and she couldn’t wait to see the couple to give them some comfort. She felt bad that she couldn’t join everyone at the hospital the night before, but her mother had insisted on taking her out to dinner with her Aunt and Uncle to celebrate her internship. By the time she got home and heard the news, everyone had already left the hospital.

“At least Blaine is only here for overnight observation. I promised Kurt I would help him bring Blaine back to the house once he gets discharged. I think Kurt is going to ask if Blaine can stay with them for awhile,” Rachel said, holding open the door because Quinn was carrying the tray with the coffee cups.

“Thanks for catching me up,” Quinn said quietly. “I really need to start paying more attention to my friends.”

“Hey, it’s fine!” Rachel said and gave a smile to the small blonde. “You have a whole new life to plan at Yale! You know we aren’t going anywhere. Well most of us are leaving town, but you know what I mean, right?”

They got to the ward where Blaine was staying and realized that they had come a little too early for visiting hours. The nurse advised that the couple was still sleeping peacefully, and Rachel didn’t want to interrupt their rest.

“Let’s go to the chapel,” Rachel suggested. “Oh! Get this… Kurt prayed last night!”

“He what?” Quinn asked incredulously. She butted heads several times with Kurt on the subject of praying and religion as he was an atheist and very stubborn in his beliefs… or lack thereof. The fact that he actually prayed was nothing short of a miracle.

“Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think he’s all born again or anything, but I do think he was trying to search for some direction,” Rachel explained as they walked to the chapel. “It was quite sweet because he prayed out loud. It sounded like he was writing God a letter.”

“I’m still stunned that the words ‘Kurt’ and ‘prayed’ are in the same sentence!” Quinn exclaimed. They opened the door to the chapel and were shocked to see that Santana was sitting in one of the front rows. Quinn put the tray of drinks on the table in the back of the room and walked to the front. Santana was kneeling in the pew looking at the cross mounted in the front of the room. She had a tissue in her hand and was sniffling. “Santana, what’s wrong?” Quinn asked and joined the former Cheerio.

“Oh, hey guys,” Santana greeted and wiped her eyes. “I didn’t hear you coming in. I just couldn’t sleep so I came to visit the boys. They wouldn’t let me in yet, so I thought I’d come hang in here.”

“Why are you crying?” Rachel asked, joining the girls. “Blaine is going to be okay. There’s nothing to worry about.”

“It’s not that. It’s just… I think I’m still freaking out about finding Blaine yesterday,” Santana said, recalling the terror she felt when she found Blaine bloody and unconscious. “I was alone and I couldn’t help and it was raining and it was just terrifying. I can take a lot, and that almost unhinged me.”

“Santana...” Rachel said and sat down, putting her arm around her brown haired friend.

“I mean, Blaine is such a decent guy. Who would do that do him? And why? Poor Kurt. I can’t imagine what he had to go through last night. If something like that happened to Brit, I’d be ready to cut a bitch!” Santana sniffled.

Rachel and Quinn looked at each other, debating wordlessly as to whether they should tell Santana that it was Blaine’s father who had put his son in this state. Quinn nodded so Rachel turned to face Santana as she said, “I want to tell you something, but you need to promise you won’t tell anyone else. I’m sure Blaine will tell you at some point anyhow. You guys seem pretty tight lately.”

“Rachel, are you telling me this because you can’t keep a secret?” Santana asked. “If so, don’t bother. I don’t want to get anyone in trouble.”

“Santana, just listen to me!” Rachel said passionately. “We need to keep an eye out for Blaine. We need to protect him, because we’re worried he might come back.”

“What are you talking about?” Santana asked, confused at Rachel’s babbling. At least that’s what it sounded like to her. Babbling. She loved Rachel, but she could barely listen to her most of the time without wanting to hurt someone.

“It was Blaine’s father who beat him!” Rachel exclaimed and the tears started flowing. Santana whipped her head around and stared at her overdramatic friend. “And I really believe he intended to kill Blaine.” Although Rachel was famous for her over-exaggerations, she wasn’t too far from the truth. “So we need to spread the word and we need to protect him from his father. But please, don’t let on to Blaine that you know what happened. Let him come to you.”

“His father?” Santana asked quietly. Rachel and Quinn nodded. She took a moment to process the shocking piece of news and she stood up. “If you’ll excuse me, ladies.”

She started walking away and Rachel grabbed her arm, asking, “Where are you going?”

“I’m about to go all Lima Heights on Mr. Anderson. Once I find him, that is. Let go, Berry!” Santana exploded. “I can’t let him get away with this! I’m calling Puck and we’re going to mess up this man’s face!” She then started in on her infamous string of Spanish curses. Rachel looked at her, shocked that Santana would speak like this in a holy place.

“Come on, Santana. You need to calm down!” Quinn exclaimed, trying to soothe her friend. “Don’t you think we all want to punish Mr. Anderson for what he’s done? I think it’s just best to let the police to do their job. Let’s just sit until visiting hours start.”

“Fine!” Santana cried, yanking her arm from Rachel’s grip. “I’m still not happy about any of this, and I may still change my mind later. Just be ready for a patented Lopez ass-kicking!”

Rachel looked at Quinn with concern. She didn’t want Santana to get herself into any unnecessary trouble, especially for something neither of them could control. She guided Santana back to the front row. Santana sat down heavily with a huff and crossed her arms, sulking. Quinn joined her and kneeled on the knee cushion, putting her head down to pray to herself.

Rachel walked to the front of chapel and looked at the cross. Things were getting so overwhelming. She wondered when the drama was going to stop. When it came to New Directions, the drama had always seemed endless. For years they were outcasts, even when they won competitions, and she wondered if the trend was going to continue when they were all out on their own. Inspired, Rachel started singing, well praying really. But the prayer was in song:

“I don't know if You can hear me or if You're even there.
I don't know if You would listen to my humble prayer.
Yes, I know I'm just an outcast. I shouldn't speak to you.
Still I see Your face and wonder...
Were You once an outcast too?”

Santana and Quinn looked up, watching Rachel expressing her prayer:

“God help the outcasts hungry from birth.
Show them the mercy they don't find on earth.
God help my people.
We look to You still.
God help the outcasts or nobody will.”

Rachel started walking to the back of the room and grabbed the coffee tray. Santana followed and sang the next lines, expressing her concerns about her future:

“I ask for wealth. I ask for fame.
I ask for glory to shine on my name.”

Quinn followed the other two girls, taking the next lines. She wanted to find true love, and hoped she would be successful in the future:

“I ask for love I can possess.
I ask for God and His angels to bless me.”

Rachel walked down the hall to Blaine’s room slowly, with Santana and Quinn on each side. She finished the song, hoping her prayer would be received:

“I ask for nothing. I can get by.
But I know so many less lucky than I.
Please help my people.
The poor and downtrod.
I thought we all were the children of God.
God help the outcasts. Children of God.”

Visiting hours had just started so the three girls quietly let themselves in the room. They were surprised to see the lights off. Blaine was just waking up, and Kurt was still in the same position he had fallen asleep in the night before. Sometime in the night a nurse had covered Kurt with a blanket, not having the heart to wake him.

Blaine looked up, put his finger to his lips and pointed at Kurt’s head. “I think he’s been like this all night, the poor guy,” he said quietly.

“We brought you some coffee from the Bean,” Rachel whispered. “Medium drip, just the way you like it.”

“You’re awesome, Str...” Blaine said, still half whispering. He had almost used Rachel’s hated nickname but stopped himself just in time. “Good morning ladies,” he added, waving at Santana and Quinn. He was always the gentleman, even bruised up and in severe pain.

“Should we move him or something? That really can’t be comfortable,” Quinn suggested. “Poor guy is probably exhausted if we haven’t woken him up yet.”

“As soon as he smells the coffee, he’ll wake up,” Blaine said, gently stroking Kurt’s hair. “It’s better than an alarm clock.”

“How are you, Blaine?” Rachel asked.

Santana just gave a stony look. She didn’t want to say anything because she would most certainly say something about Blaine’s father. Trying to cover up her silence, she excused herself to the washroom.

“In lots of pain, but it was better than yesterday,” Blaine responded, still absently stroking Kurt’s hair. “I’m glad I’m going home today, though. I mean to Kurt’s house.”

“Blaine, that’s home,” interrupted Kurt, who had just woken up. He was a little groggy, and his back was killing him, but he was awake. “Did I fall asleep bent over? Man, my back is so damn stiff!”

“Kurt, let me give you a back rub,” Blaine offered. He reached over to massage Kurt’s back, but a sharp stab of pain caused him to gasp. He held his side. “Son of a bitch, that hurts!”

Kurt stood up and stretched his back as he said, “Blaine, don’t strain yourself! I’ll be fine.” He looked at the door. “Do I smell coffee?”

“Told you!” Blaine said and laughed. “The ladies brought us breakfast!”

“Oh!” Kurt exclaimed. He turned to see the two girls standing at the end of the bed. “How did I not notice you were there? I must be really out of it.” He put his hand to his hair and realized that it was a mess. “Good morning, girls. I look like hell.”

“Hi, Kurt,” Quinn said, giving Kurt a hug. “Terribly sorry I wasn’t there last night. And you look as handsome as ever, so stop putting yourself down.” Kurt smirked at his friend. He was sure she understood what he was going through, especially since she went through her Skank phase last summer. Quinn moved over to the side of the bed and kissed Blaine on the forehead. “Hey, sweetie. I hear you get to go home today,” she said. Blaine nodded and gingerly put his arms out for a hug. Any sudden movements were painful, so he had to take it slow.

“Just be careful, Quinn. Blaine has a broken rib so it might hurt a bit,” Kurt informed. Quinn gave a gentle hug and took the chair where Kurt had sat before. “So where’s the java?” he asked.

Rachel took the cups from the tray and gave them to Kurt and Blaine. Almost as one person, they took a sip and gave a happy sigh.

“You guys are way too adorable,” said Santana from the door. “It makes me sick.”

“Oh, don’t lie. You know you like it!” Kurt said sarcastically. Santana just gave a grin and nodded. “Okay Quinn, now that we’re all together, you can’t keep us in suspense. What is this great news you have for us?”

Quinn leaned forward in excitement. “So guess who is going to Paris for the summer?” she asked. At the shrug from the others she exclaimed, “Me! I got offered an internship in Paris as a docent! It’s only for a few months, so I should be done before school starts.”

Suddenly Kurt shrieked like a little girl. Everyone jumped because they weren’t expecting that sort of reaction from him, especially with all the stress surrounding the past week. Rachel shushed him, reminding him he was in a hospital. “Quinn! Holy shit! Paris? Like THE Paris? France? The fashion capital of the world?” he exclaimed, unable to get out a proper sentence because he was so excited. “I’m so damn jealous, but this is so amazing for you!” He pulled Quinn up and gave her a tight hug.

“Yeah, congratulations Quinn! That’s awesome!” Blaine said, reaching out and patting Quinn’s arm affectionately.

“I need to give you a list of things to find for me,” Kurt stated. “I have been looking for things to complete my collection and...” He realized that he was starting to fangirl over fancy expensive clothes again and stopped himself. “If you can find them or something... whatever,” he said nonchalantly. Blaine looked at Kurt with amusement. He knew what his boyfriend really was, a closet fashionista.

“So when do you leave?” Rachel asked. She’d been hoping to spend more time with Quinn this summer, but Paris was an opportunity that couldn’t be passed up.

“It’s short notice, but I leave next week,” Quinn said. “So we totally need to have some sort of party before I leave, okay?”

“Of course!” Kurt exclaimed. “Oh, please let me throw it? I need something like this! Look at me being all gay. But Paris!” He started fanning himself. “Is it getting hot in here?” He pulled Quinn aside and started chattering at her about the shops she had to check out and the sights she needed to see.

Barbara entered the room and said, “Well, Blaine, you seem to be a very popular young man! Are you ready for your last dose of IV painkiller? The doctor is making arrangements for your discharge as we speak. Your father is coming to pick you up right now!”

“My father?” Blaine asked, panicking. Kurt stopped talking to Quinn and spun around to stare at the nurse with wide terrified eyes. “Are you sure about that?”

“Oh, I’m sorry! I mean Burt Hummel, dear,” she said, realizing that she might have said the wrong thing. The doctor had filled her in on the situation, and she was embarrassed she had frightened her patient like that. She added the medication and checked Blaine’s pulse and vital signs. All seemed in order.

Blaine gave a relieved sigh and put his hand to his chest. Breathing too heavily really hurt, but the reaction was involuntary. “Oh, thank god. Thanks for all your help Barbara,” he said to the nurse sincerely.

“You take care of yourself, Blaine,” Barbara said. “Hope I don’t see you in here anytime soon.” She turned to Kurt. “You make sure you take care of him, okay?”

“Always,” Kurt said and smiled at his boyfriend. Barbara nodded and left the room. Kurt rushed over to Blaine and whispered frantically, “She scared the crap out of me. If your dad actually showed up, I might have completely lost it.”

“You would have?” Blaine responded quietly. “I don’t want him within 50 feet of me. I don’t want to see either of my parents ever again.”

“Let’s not talk about it anymore,” Kurt said. “Let’s just get you home, okay?” Blaine nodded so Kurt sat on the bed beside his boyfriend and gently put his arm around him. The five friends talked more about Quinn’s Paris adventure and other plans for the summer.

Eventually, Burt knocked on the door. “Morning, guys!” he exclaimed. “Blaine, are you almost ready to get out of this place?”

“You bet I am! I just want to rest without needles sticking in me. I want to be comfortable,” Blaine said and Kurt gave him very a gentle squeeze. He put his head on his boyfriend’s shoulder, appreciating the moral support.

“Let me sign some paperwork then, and we’ll get the nurse to get you ready to go,” Burt said with a goofy grin on his face. “Carole is at home making some food for everyone. She’s really worried about you.”

“We better go then, so you can get Blaine home,” Rachel said, standing up. “It looks like you don’t need my help since Burt is here. Once Blaine is settled, I’ll come back to visit and we can watch some Harry Potter or something.”

“Rachel, you need to admit that you’re an addict,” Blaine teased. “I love the HP, but sometimes enough is enough!”

“Whatever, Blainers!” she exclaimed and kissed the curly haired man. “Love you and see you both very soon! Come on, Quinn. I’ll drive you home.”

“Bye, guys!” Quinn said and waved. Kurt returned the wave and gave the “call me” sign to Quinn so they could gossip more about her impending trip and party.

“I better get going, too,” Santana said, grabbing her purse. “I don’t think I’ve seen my bedroom in days between being at Brit’s and here at the hospital. Maybe I can sleep for a few hours. Mind if I join you guys later?”

“Of course!” Blaine said. “The more the merrier. I think I’ll need to be distracted, anyhow. You don’t mind, do you, Kurt?”

“Not at all!” Kurt responded. He stood, hugged Santana and said, “Looking forward to it, Tana. And thank you... for everything.”

Santana kissed Kurt on the cheek and waved goodbye as she left the room. Barbara came in and gently took the IV needle out of Blaine’s hand. Blaine rubbed the back of his hand because the needle was starting to get uncomfortable. “The doctor gave Mr. Hummel a prescription for some painkillers with instructions. If the pain becomes unbearable, make sure to return to us, will you?” she said.

“He will,” Kurt assured. Barbara gave a friendly pat on Blaine’s shoulder and left the room. “I don’t think you want to wear that hospital robe home, do you? Let’s at least put these PJs on you.” He said, lifting the backpack. He closed the door and helped Blaine get undressed. He avoided looking at Blaine’s body because he was afraid at what he would see. He did notice a tight bandage wrapped around his torso. He figured that it might be because of the broken rib. Very gently, he helped Blaine put on his sweat pants and t-shirt.

Once Blaine was dressed, he sat on the edge of the bed and looked at Kurt. He wasn’t sure what to say. There was going to be lots of time for talking later. Hours and hours of time to talk… and to think.

Kurt was packing his stuff and looked over to his boyfriend. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

Blaine just shook his head but said nothing. Suddenly he burst into tears and put his arms out as if begging for a hug. “Baby, what’s wrong?” Kurt asked and rushed to his boyfriend’s side. Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt and started sobbing. “It’s okay, sweetie... shhh.”

“I’ve been trying to hold it together, to pretend everything is okay. I just can’t Kurt,” Blaine sobbed. “I don’t know what to do. The future seems so… so foggy!”

Kurt grabbed the tissue box and pulled Blaine away. Passing the box to his boyfriend, he said, “I promise as soon as we get home and we get you settled, you and I are going to talk about this and figure everything out.”

“I’m just scared,” Blaine said, wiping his eyes.

“So am I, sweetie,” Kurt agreed. “So am I.” He brought Blaine in for another hug and held him until Burt returned from the meeting with the doctor. Kurt was facing the door so he gestured to his dad to get a wheelchair. Once Burt returned, he helped his boyfriend move over to the chair as he said, “Come on, Blaine. Let’s go home.” It was Kurt’s time to be strong for both of them.