I was falling quickly, gaining speed as I fell further and further, until I landed on the ground, surprisingly unhurt. Standing up and brushing myself down, I surveyed the area, to find I was unable to see much more than a few feet in front of me. Everywhere else was pitch black, like an empty black hole of despair. An ice-cold breeze ruffled through my clothing, and I instantly wrapped my hospital gown tighter around my skinny frame. And that's when it hit me.

Why am I wearing a hospital gown?

A sudden pain wrenched through my body, subsiding mainly in my stomach. I pulled off the hospital gown to see a large scar just above my navel. I gasped, and the pain increased. I gently traced the scar with my fingertip, and on pulling it back I saw it was coated in rich red blood. The entire cut was oozing blood, and when I tried to scream, it just increased the flow. I looked around frantically for someone to help me, anyone. Suddenly, a single voice echoed through the silence.

"KURT!"

I spun around to find the person calling my name, but couldn't see anyone. I began to run in the direction of the voice, feeling weaker and weaker as I ran. Finally, I saw him, standing under a tree, smiling at me, and I stopped to smile back at him. He began to walk towards me, and I tried to run to meet him, but my legs gave way underneath me, and I was falling again, falling faster than I ever had before. All I could see was the boy's face, contorted in horror and he was screaming;

"Kurt, please don't leave me, don't die, don't die, I love you…"

I opened my mouth to reply, but the pain was too strong, and the boy was moving further away from me as I fell. I stretched out my arm to grab him, and he did the same, but we were too far away, and he began to cry as I fell further into the black hole. I opened my mouth, and whispered a simple sentence back, before the boy's face was gone and all was black once more.

"I love you too, Blaine."

--------

The ambulance took far too long; for what felt like hours, Blaine sat there, stroking Kurt's unconscious face, shaking uncontrollably with sobs. He didn't hear the door open quietly, or the soft "Blaine, Kurt is it ok if I…" He did, however, hear the ear splitting scream that echoed through the room. He spun round to see Finn standing in the doorway, shaking like a leaf.

"Wha-at… Kurt?"

The tall boy ran towards his brother, tears already forming in his eyes. He stood above Blaine, speechless.

"Who-o did this?"

Blaine looked at Finn, his eyes not quite meeting the taller boy's.

"I think it was K-karofsky. He told me that he loved Kurt, a-and that sometimes he has no choice but to h-hurt him. I was only gone for 20 minutes to get some food! I should never have left him alone, it's all my f-fault!" Blaine broke down into giant sobs, clutching Kurt's hand tightly.

Finn placed a hand on Blaine's back, trying to hold back his own sobs.

"You've called an ambulance, right?"

Blaine nodded.

"Then it'll be ok. He'll be ok."

He was saying it just as much for himself as he was for Blaine. He turned round to see a crowd of people forming in the doorway, each wearing the same shocked expression. Mercedes stepped forward.

"K-kurt?"

She burst into hysterical sobs, burying herself in David's top. The boys looked as if they each wanted to cut off one of Karofsky's limbs and burn it. Finn let go of Blaine and turned to face the group.

"Blaine has called an ambulance and it's on its way. I guess you guys know who did this, and we won't rest until we've found him and made him suffer. I need to call Burt and my mom." And with that, he took one last glance at his brother lying on the bed, breathed deeply and stepped around the group. He headed for his room, slamming the door behind him before falling to his knees in wrenching sobs. Why was it always Kurt? Why couldn't his poor brother just catch a break? He looked up to see that all of Karofsky's things were still strewn across the room, as if nothing had happened in the past 20 minutes. But it had. His brother was on the brink of death, and he couldn't do anything to save him. He picked up his phone, dialling 911.

At least if I can't save Kurt until the ambulance gets here, I can make sure Karofsky gets what he deserves.

---------

Karofsky was running as fast as he could down a street he couldn't name. He just needed to get away from the hotel, get away from Kurt. Kurt had deserved everything he had done, hadn't he? He had warned his hobbit boyfriend that, if he didn't comply, he would get hurt. So it isn't my fault, he thought. It was his, for not loving me back. Of course he deserved it.

He carried on running until he reached a large crowd of people and attempted to immerse himself in that. Now I can get off free, and no one needs to know what I did. What he made me do. He travelled with the crowd for a few blocks, weaving his way through large families until he reached an alleyway. He slipped into it, unnoticed by the other pedestrians. Pulling out his phone, he saw that it was 4pm; an hour had gone by since he had stabbed Kurt. Then it hit him. He had stabbed someone; he had stabbed Kurt. The person he loved the most in the world. He slammed his head against the brick wall. All he could hear was the ear splitting scream that Kurt emitted, all he could see was the pain in Kurt's eyes as he thrust the knife into Kurt's perfect chest.

What have I done?

Suddenly, he was strongly aware of his surroundings. The idle chat of people as they walked past the alleyway where he stood, the beeping of traffic in the distance, and, most prominently, the sound of sirens getting closer and closer.

That can't be for me. No one knows who I am, or where I am. It's for someone else.

He felt his hands tighten over an object in his meaty paw. Looking down, he saw he was clutching his phone like his life depended on it.

They can track phones now, can't they? A voice in his brain said.

Karofsky dropped his phone and began to run towards the group of people once more, but the sirens were so close, and he could see the police cars turning the corner of the road.

Shit shit shit shit.

He turned 180 degrees and began to run in the opposite direction. Yes, it was back in the direction of the hotel, but if he could get off this street he'd be ok, he'd go free. He spoke too soon, because another Police car was heading down the road towards him. He was trapped, no way out. He took one last deep breath, knowing that this would be the last time he would see anywhere except the inside of a cell. An officer grabbed him from behind, securing his hands behind his back with a pair of metal handcuffs.

"You're in a lot of trouble, kid."

---------

The only sound in the room was the soft beeping of the life support machine that was stopping Kurt from falling through the delicate line between life and death. It was bordering on midnight, and Blaine was still sat with his boyfriend, clutching onto his hand, with his fingers feeling Kurt's gentle pulse. He didn't trust a machine to tell him whether his boyfriend was alive or not; only he could truly know. Finn had spoken to Burt and Carole, and they were on their way, along with Amelie and Louise. So many people cared about Kurt; why did he end up here?

It should have been me.

That was all he'd thought for the past hour; it should be me lying in the hospital, comatose, with a stab wound in my stomach. Not Kurt, not beautiful, perfect Kurt.

The doctor had told Blaine that the surgery had gone well. They had managed to stitch up the muscle in Kurt's chest, and the penknife hadn't penetrated any vital organs. He would be ok, as long as he woke up from his coma. At the moment, he wasn't showing any signs of doing that soon. Blaine prayed to God, to the Holy Spirit, heck, he even prayed to Grilled Cheesus that his boyfriend would soon wake up. Nothing was working.

He heard a soft knock on the door, and looked up as the Glee club walked in. Mercedes looked at Blaine hopefully, and visibly sagged as he shook his head mournfully. No change. Wes, David and Jude appeared from behind the group. It was odd to see them looking so distraught; they always seemed so happy and joyful. Kurt was their friend too. Wes walked over to Blaine and pulled him into a comforting hug.

"It'll be ok. You heard the doctor, as soon as he gets out of this coma, he'll be fine."

Blaine nodded, a stray tear falling down his face.

"How did you guys get in here? Visiting hours ended ages ago."

Jude looked sheepish.

"I may have pulled a few strings with my dad. He owns the paediatrics ward here."

Blaine smiled weakly at the bleach blonde boy. Kurt would be grateful that his friends had gone to so much trouble, just to see him. Rachel coughed, and he looked up at her to see she was holding a large trophy.

"We won?"

She smiled at the tenor.

"We did. And it was all thanks to you and Kurt. Your duet was… stunning." She choked up, looking down at Kurt's lifeless form.

"We've come to sing for Kurt."

Blaine looked surprised. The doctor had told him that any sounds were comforting to a person in a coma. Finn pressed a button on a boom box, and the music began.

There's a place for us

Somewhere a place for us

Peace and quiet and open air

Wait for us

Somewhere

West Side Story was one of Kurt's favourite musicals. This would mean so much to him.

There's a time for us

Some day a time for us

Time together

With time to spare

Time to learn

Time to care

Someday

Somewhere

We'll find a new way of living

We'll find a way of forgiving

Somewhere

Wes, David and Jude all joined in. Tears were streaming down Blaine's face, as well as the faces of many of the club, including, most surprisingly, Puck's.

There's a place for us

A time and place for us

Hold my hand

And we're halfway there

Hold my hand

And I'll take you there

Somehow

Someday

Somewhere

The music stopped, and the room was once again quiet. Kurt didn't move; the song hadn't worked. The faces of the entire club dropped with disappointment. They'd all had mental images of Kurt waking up slowly at the end of their song, saying he'd heard their beautiful singing and it had lured him out of his coma. Sadly, not all dreams come true.

The door swung open to reveal a slightly irritated nurse standing there, arms crossed across her chest, tapping her foot angrily.

"You do realize that visiting hours ended a long time ago."

The club looked at their feet guilty.

"Out. You can come back tomorrow."

The club shuffled out the door, shooting sympathetic looks at Blaine. Finn was the last one to leave, and he paused in the doorway.

"They caught him, by the way. Karofsky." He spat the word, as if it were venomous. "He's going to jail, for a really long time. I know it doesn't make things much better right now, but it'll make a difference when he wakes up. I'll call you when my mom and Burt get here."

He was about to shut the door, when he paused, and ran back into the room, enveloping Blaine in a massive bear hug.

"I promise it'll be ok."

He pulled back, smiling at Blaine, before squeezing Kurt's free hand, and leaving the room. The room was once again silent, with only the beeping of the life support machine. Blaine was left alone with his thoughts once more.

It should have been me.

---------

I was cold and alone, lying on the hard ground. I groaned in pain, and tried to move, but my muscles wouldn't agree with my brain's demands, staying lifeless against the floor. It was still dark, but now the outlines of shapes were visible to me. I could see old trees, bent and withered, with very few leaves adorning their rotting branches. The sky was dark and eerie, with gloomy clouds covering the sun. The pain in my stomach was still there, growing stronger by the minute, clouding my vision slightly.

I opened my mouth to ask for Blaine, but no sound came out. Blaine wasn't there, nor could I hear Blaine's voice. The only sound I could hear was a soft beeping, and I was unsure of where it was coming from. There was nothing but the trees around me.

Finally, I lifted my right hand, although it felt heavy, like it was padded with bricks. Lifting the other hand, I found it didn't have the same feeling; it was as if someone was squeezing my right hand, clutching at it with all their strength. My muscles began to twitch, and I could finally stand, hoisting myself to my feet with what little energy I had left. From my standing position, I could see everything around me. The whole area was dark and colourless, as if I were in a black and white movie, and apart from the few trees surrounding me, there was nothing but land stretching out for miles.

Turning my head to the side, I saw him: A tiny figure, sat amongst the lower branches of a particularly ancient tree. Slowly, I began to step towards the boy, testing the strength of my legs, before confidently gaining speed until I was running, sprinting to get to the boy as fast as I could.

I soon reached him, and saw that he was clutching something desperately, something that was glinting up at me from the little bit of light that had escaped through the clouds. The boy was bent over the object, sobbing quietly, his brown hair falling in front of his eyes like a shield. Soft music started from behind me, and I turned, confused, for there was nothing near me that could be producing such a beautiful sound.

I was still unable to talk, so I reached out my hand, gently touching his knee, trying to comfort him. His head jerked up, and he stared at me in shock.

It was me. There were tears running down my cheeks, and in my hands, I was clutching a small penknife, covered in rich red blood. My blood.

Voices began to sing behind me, and I turned round in shock, expecting to see whoever was singing so beautifully. There was no one there. Turning back to the other Kurt, I saw that we weren't alone. There was a tall boy standing behind the other Kurt, grinning maliciously. The other Kurt began to laugh, cackling malevolently.

Karofsky.

I tried to run, but my feet were glued to the spot; I was trapped. The other Kurt passed Karofsky the knife, and he stepped closer to me until he was no less than 3 inches away from me, spitting in my face.

"You brought this upon yourself. You made me do this."

He stuck the knife into my already wounded stomach before wrenching it out, sneering as I gasped in pain. I fell to the floor, clutching at the gaping wound. The voices behind me died down, bringing the music to a halt. I looked up to see that the other Kurt and Karofsky were gone.

I was left, injured, with nothing but the soft beeping echoing around me. Alone once more.

-------

It was bordering on 3am, and Kurt was still comatose. Lifeless. As if he had already died. Blaine shook his head at the thought. Kurt is not going to die, he said to himself.

Burt and Carole had arrived a little while ago, both with looks of complete shock and concern on their faces. Blaine didn't blame them; their son was on the verge of death, lying in a hospital bed with nothing keeping him alive except a stupid machine. Blaine felt like he had failed his boyfriend, Burt, and especially himself.

"I promised you I would keep you safe. I'm so sorry, I'm so so sorry, I love you so much."

All he could think about was the pain Kurt must have been going through, and how he wasn't there to stop it. His pants were around his ankles; it was obvious what Karofsky had been trying to do. Thank God Kurt didn't let him; Blaine would have never forgiven himself then.

He then thought about that one line that had been haunting him since he'd first heard it in English class so long ago. It seemed so relevant now.

This love is made of broken nails, and bloody kisses on unwilling lips.

Karofsky's love for Kurt was just lust, which resulted in pain, and possibly death. Kurt is not going to die, he reassured himself.

Burt shifted in the corner, and Blaine turned round to check that they were both still asleep. They were, and Blaine was grateful. He wanted to spend as much time as he could with his boyfriend.

He subconsciously rubbed the ring on Kurt's finger, before gasping as he realised what he was doing. Kurt and I were supposed to get married, he thought, trying to hold in his shaking sobs. We were supposed to get married, and live in a little cottage, and adopt two children, and be happy. We were supposed to say 'screw those homophobes, because we only need each other'. But look where that's got us.

A gentle knock on the door pulled Blaine out of his heart wrenching thoughts. A nurse stood there, giving Blaine the most sympathetic look she could conjure. It was supposed to be comforting, but it just made Blaine feel like a child.

"Have you tried talking to him? Singing? He can hear you."

She smiled, before leaving once more. Blaine turned his attention back to his boyfriend's unresponsive body. He decided on a song, before opening his mouth and singing, turning it into a slow ballad instead of the happy song it's supposed to be.

I may not always love you

But long as there are stars above you

You never need to doubt it

I'll make you so sure about it

God only knows what I'd be without you

The song was so perfect. What would he do without Kurt? Kurt was his whole life.

If you should ever leave me

Though life would still go on, believe me

The world could show nothing to me

So what good would livin' do me

God only knows what I'd be without you

He'd never truly registered the lyrics of the song before. His tears were falling rapidly down his face, faster than they ever had before. Kurt couldn't die; he couldn't imagine his life without him.

If you should ever leave me

Though life would still go on, believe me

The world could show nothing to me

So what good would livin' do me

God only knows what I'd be without you

He finished the song, cracking on the last note due to his tears. He rested his head on the bed beside Kurt, sobs shaking his entire body. He laid there for what felt like an hour, although it was only a few minutes, until he felt a small twitch beside him. He shot up, to find Kurt staring into his eyes, looking drowsy, but smiling all the same.

"The Beach Boys? Really, Blaine?"

Blaine chuckled, and placed a kiss to his boyfriend's lips.

Everything would be ok.