A Father's Worst Nightmare

Waking up in an empty hospital room sucks, although he could see a few people outside the room talking.

Kurt couldn't make out everything, but what he could hear wasn't positive. He felt numb and fuzzy - why was he here in the first place? The last thing he remembered was reading a text message from Blaine -

Wait - that's not right. A text message doesn't usually land people in the hospital. Something happened afterward -

Kurt let out a gasp as images started running through his mind. Losing his phone...the locker room...pain...

Karofsky.

What the hell happened to me?

Blaine didn't know what to do. He had been working on homework when Finn had called his phone. All that he got from Finn was that Kurt was in the hospital and that he needed to come as soon as possible. He'd explain what happened in person.

He knew he was in no fit state to drive. Most of the Warblers weren't available and Blaine was getting more upset the longer it took him to get to the hospital. Why couldn't Finn tell him what was wrong? Just when Blaine was about to say 'screw it' and go, Jeff popped into his room.

"Hey Blaine I have a quest - what's the matter?"

"Jeff, are you busy right now?"

"I was just working on a project...so no. Why are you so upset?"

"I need to go to Lima Memorial. Finn called and said something's happened to Kurt, but he wouldn't say what. I don't think I should be driving right now, but I need to go." Just thinking about the conversation again was making him panic again.

Jeff was worried about Blaine. None of them had known Kurt for long, but they all generally liked the guy. And it was thanks to him a handful of them were now passing French. So Jeff grabbed his wallet, cell, and keys and started dragging Blaine out of the room.

"Well, then what are we waiting for? Let's go - I'll drive."

Finn was relieved to see a text from Blaine, who was now en route to Lima with Jeff. Finn hadn't really met many of the warblers, but was glad to see that they looked out for each other. He knew Blaine was probably thinking the worst; for a guy that was adamant that he liked Kurt, not liked Kurt, he was quick to come when called. Finn had no doubts that at some point, Blaine and Kurt would be an item.

And if he noticed it now - him, the often oblivious jock - that was saying something.

Finn shook his head; now wasn't the time to think about his brother getting with Blaine, although he could already tell that Kurt had feelings for the guy. Keeping that in mind, how the hell was he going to explain what happened to Blaine and Jeff when they got here?

He looked over at his mom and Burt. All of them were upset, obviously, but Burt was definitely the worst of the three of them. This situation was high on his list of 'things he hoped would never happen to his son' and to hear it happened on school grounds just made it worse.

Finn thought back to how the last two days went down. First was the disagreement with the guys about what song they would be performing for the boys vs. girls battle, which ended with Kurt ditching school to go visit Blaine at Dalton. Both Kurt and Finn got a talking to from their parents: one for ditching, and one for instigating the idea.

Then, it was the whole situation with Coach Beiste, which ended with all the guys following Kurt's lead on how to incorporate two girl songs together and turn it into an awesome apology. That resulted in the boys' reinstatement to the football team, and an extra ten minutes after glee to get their butts on the field for practice. It may not seem like a lot, but on days like this when they're dressed up, the extra time is appreciated.

That's where the problems started. Kurt had hung back in the choir room with Mr. Schue and the girls, while the guys went to the locker room to change for practice. They had been threatened by Kurt to take care of the outfits and not mess them up, or else. When they made it outside, they didn't notice right away that somebody was missing.

Since Coach Beiste was in a good mood again, she was giving them a free pass to just do personal fitness training, with the stipulation that once you were done, you were free to go. Fifteen minutes into it was when Mike noticed how Azimio and a few of the other guys kept looking around, like they were waiting for something. Artie picked up on the fact the Karofsky was MIA. Sam ran to Coach Beiste and asked where he was - nobody knew. Finn and Puck took it upon themselves to go look for him. The others tagged along.

None of them expected to find him in the locker room with Kurt.

To be honest, everything that happened after that was both a blur and crystal clear, which didn't make any sense. Finn remembers throwing Karofsky off of Kurt and into a locker. He doesn't recall Artie leaving to get Beiste. He barely remembers Puck and Sam holding Karofsky down on the ground, while he was cursing them out and trying to break free. He sort of remembers Mike trying to wake up Kurt.

But there was one thing he'd never forget: Kurt's appearance, more specifically, the amount of damage to his body...and the blood.

Just thinking about it again made him want to kill Karofsky. Kurt didn't deserve this. So what if Karofsky was in jail? He was still very much alive. Finn, Burt, and Carole were still waiting to hear about Kurt's condition. They knew what happened, just not how bad the beating had ultimately hurt Kurt. Finn could only hope that they'd know something before Blaine got there.

Finn was lost in thought. Kurt's alive, not in good shape, but alive. Right? Someone would've told us by now if that wasn't the case. But that paramedic had said that he wasn't breathing right, and something about internal bleeding, and that's really bad. Kurt's a strong person though...he'll pull thru.

The next thing that Finn was aware of was the sound of running and a yell for "Finn!" He must've been out of it for a while, because it was Blaine yelling for him, with Jeff right behind him.

Blaine came up to Finn, "Finn! What's going on? Where's Kurt?" Finn didn't realize he was by himself. He vaguely recalls his mom taking Burt somewhere, and since he didn't know when they'd be back, that meant he would have to tell Blaine and Jeff what was going on.

"You guys got here quick."

"We might've sped a little, but we were worried. What's going on?" Jeff asked.

"This is gonna be hard to hear...you're gonna wanna sit down."

Jeff glanced at Blaine. Jeff had only spoken to Finn twice, but with how often Kurt spoke of him, he could tell that Finn was worried and scared of something. Now he was worried, and from what he could tell, Blaine was feeling worse than he was.

The boys sat down across from Finn, also wondering where the adults were. "Mom and Burt are trying to find out any news...we've been here for a couple hours already."

Blaine finally said something, "Finn...where's Kurt? I sent him a text earlier and never heard back from him. We were supposed to meet up for coffee after glee. Then you called and said to come here. Did he get hurt at school?"

Finn nodded. He knew they were aware of the whole Beiste situation, so he started with the guys leaving for football practice, and how they noticed that Karofsky was missing. The more Finn spoke, the paler the other two got.

--flashback to earlier that day--

Finn, Puck, Mike, Sam, and Artie were on the field before most of the other players, which still never made sense to any of them. While they usually met with the rest of New Directions, most of the team didn't have anything to do after school. So it was no was no surprise that they didn't notice the missing player at first.

Mike was the first to notice, "What's with Azimio? He keeps looking around...and he seems worried."

"Worried? About what? That dude doesn't know what it means to be worried."

Sam agreed with Mike. "Puck, Mike's got a point. The guy is definitely distracted, and that's saying something. So what gives?"

Artie rolled up to the guys and looked around for himself. "Guys! Karofsky isn't here!"

"What!?" They looked around and saw that Artie was right.

Sam ran off the field, "I'm gonna ask Coach Beiste if she knows."

Puck turned to the guys, "I don't like this. He's not usually the last one here."

They started moving off the field towards Sam and Coach Beiste. Once they saw her reaction to Sam's questioning, they knew she didn't know where he was either.

"Coach - do you know where he is?" When she shook her head, Finn started to panic. Kurt was still at school, but by this point, the rest of the girls would've left already. Since Karofsky wasn't here, that meant he could be roaming around the building somewhere, and with the last few close calls they'd had...

"Hudson! Where are you going?" he heard Beiste yell.

Finn took off for the locker room, hearing the others following. As long as it was empty, Kurt had no problems going in there. He knew Kurt kept a backup outfit or two in his gym locker. He'd used the one in his regular locker that morning, and even he wouldn't be in the mood to keep their pseudo-tux ensemble from earlier on. But if he didn't know Karofsky was unaccounted for...he could be in serious trouble.

This is the one time I better be wrong, he thought, please don't be in there.

When they could hear noises, yelling, and crying coming from the locker room before they got there, Finn knew he wasn't wrong. He stood in the doorway shocked for just seconds before throwing himself at Karofsky.

"Get off of him!" Finn got a hit or two in before Karofsky retaliated.

"Fuck off Hudson! He was asking for it!" That was enough for Sam and Puck, who attacked Karofsky and pushed him to the ground. Artie had already left to get help, leaving Mike to tend to Kurt, who at this point was barely conscious.

"Finn, leave him and get over here. Kurt needs help." Mike had Kurt covered up, and had a towel under his head, acting as both a pillow and a way to stop the bleeding. From what they could tell, Kurt's head made impact with the bench, if the blood trail was anything to go by.

"Stop moving you asshole! Just wait til the cops show up to take your ass to jail!" Puck and Sam were having a hard time keeping the struggling jock on the floor. Finn told Mike to go help them - he'd take care of Kurt until help arrived.

"hmm...Finn..." Kurt was having a hard time keeping his eyes open. He was also having hard time breathing. Finn thought it was just from Kurt crying, until he noticed something under Kurt's shirt.

"Kurt, I need to look under your shirt real quick...can I?" Finn knew he couldn't make any sudden movements. Otherwise, Kurt would freak out or zone out, neither of them being a favorable option. He got a soft 'ok' before he lifted the shirt and saw the bruises. Finn had seen enough sports injuries - many his own or Puck's - that he could tell that he had some serious damage to his chest.

"Kurt, I need you to stay awake for me, okay? I can tell you hit your head, so I need to see if you have a concussion. You have some bruising on your chest, too...did that asshole kick you? Where does it hurt?"

"...head hurts...probly a 'cushion...kicked m'side aft'r I fell..." Kurt weakly pointed to where the bruising was located. Finn noticed the slow, slurred speech. He was able to make out the way Kurt's pupils looked and could tell he had a slight concussion.

"Bro, you sound like me when I get hit on the field," which got him a very small, watery smile, "and you probably have a couple of bruised ribs, so don't move too much." Finn saw Kurt's eyes starting to flicker. "No, you can't sleep yet. We're getting you help - stay awake for me."

"...trying..."

"Let me go you bastards!" Finn turned around to see Karofsky still fighting from his spot on the floor. Sam, Puck, and Mike had a good hold on him, and if the sounds coming from outside the locker room were any indication, Artie was finally on his way with backup. When Finn turns back to Kurt, he startles when he sees Kurt's reaction to Karofsky's nearness. He's shaking and hyperventilating, and nothing he's doing is helping.

"Look at me Kurt! He can't hurt you again. The guys have him and aren't letting go. Help's on the way...just focus on me, dude."

Minutes later, the room is filled with a few officers and paramedics, as well as Coach Beiste. She was able to convince everyone to let Finn go to the hospital with Kurt, since he was his step-brother and the one that was keeping Kurt calm. One of the paramedics wasn't going to let him go, but after Kurt started to fight them, they didn't have a choice but to let Finn ride with them. Within ten minutes of arriving Kurt was on the way to Lima Memorial, leaving the guys behind to explain what they saw.

--End of flashback--

"I was so busy trying to keep Kurt awake, I didn't think about what happened to Kurt before we got there. It was easier to focus on what I could do to help, than think about what Karofsky did to him. It didn't really sink in until I got here - Karofsky almost killed him. If we got there any later...

"I called Mom and Burt, but the cops had already called them. When I told Burt what I knew, I thought he was gonna have another heart attack. We've been waiting for news since."

Blaine and Jeff couldn't get any paler. After hearing all of that, they didn't know what to say. Jeff asked if Finn had heard from the guys yet.

"One of the officers came here to talk to me and said he'd sent the guys home after getting their statements. I asked about Karofsky and was told they had him at their station. They have plenty of evidence, so it's not like he can deny anything happened. They even got video of Karofsky hurting Kurt in the hallway leading up to it."

Blaine looked at Finn, "How is there video? Your school doesn't have cameras."

"Some of the AV club members were trying out some new equipment in the hallway and got them on tape. Kurt had just left the locker room. Karofsky threw him against the lockers in the hallway, and Kurt went after him. We kinda know what happened next..."

The boys were quiet after that. Before anything else could be said, they heard footsteps coming toward them. It was Burt and Carole, as well as a doctor. Finn, Blaine, and Jeff stood up when they got close.

Finn spoke up first, "Mom...Burt...how's Kurt?"

"Boys, come with us. We're going to Dr. Howard's office to talk. She's going to tell us how Kurt's doing. He's in bad shape, but he's alive." Carole didn't say anything more, but if the tears were anything to go by, it wasn't good news.

Dr. Carla Howard had seen a lot of patients, but the amount of damage done to this patient, really hit her hard. She had spoken with his father and stepmother already, but she didn't know how these boys were going to take the news. Just talking to Carole and Burt was hard enough.

She'd worked with Carole many times at the hospital, and the only thing allowing her to stay on this case was the fact that she only knew Kurt from Carole's mentions of him. If she knew Kurt personally before this, there was no way she would've been able to take care of him. If would've been difficult either way - she was the only female on-call at the moment, and there was no way she was going to make things worse for him.

Carla led the group into her office and closed the door. Carole had told her that Finn and the other glee boys had gotten to Kurt before more damage could've been done. She also mentioned that there was a good chance that Kurt's friend Blaine would be showing up. Since she had two unknown boys in front of her, she decided that introductions needed to be dealt with first. She wasn't about to divulge more information than necessary.

"Since some of us don't know each other, I'm going to introduce myself. I'm Dr. Carla Howard - Dr. Howard or just Carla is fine. I've been taking care of Kurt since he was brought in today. Now, I've worked with Carole often and know Finn. I've only recently met Burt, but I would like to know who you two are," pointing to Jeff and Blaine.

Both boys looked at each other before Blaine spoke up. "Um, okay. I'm Blaine and this is Jeff. We're friends of Kurt's. We go to Dalton Academy in Westerville. Finn called me and told me to come to the hospital because something happened to Kurt."

"He wasn't exactly in a fit state to drive, so I told him I'd come with...Finn told us what happened," added Jeff, "but something tells me it's worse than we thought."

Carla sighed and after a moment began to speak. "Kurt was beaten badly. He's got a slight concussion and some bruised ribs, but I can tell he didn't go down without a fight. Unfortunately, there were signs of sexual assault and we had to do a rape kit on him - "

"WHAT?!" Finn had leapt out of his seat, knocking it to the floor, and causing both Dalton boys to jump.

"Finn, calm down -"

"How can you tell me to calm down, Mom - you're telling me that asshole did that to him?! We promised to look out for him, and this is what happened?"

Burt jumped in by that point, "Finn, I don't think any of us thought Karofsky was capable of something like this. This just proved there's something wrong with that kid. Bullying is what he's always been known for. No one ever expected things to escalate like this. And don't put yourselves down. You boys have done a lot of looking out for him for the last few weeks, and you'll never know how much that means to me."

Finn sat down again with his head in his hands. Blaine and Jeff were both teary-eyed and in shock. Blaine recovered a second before Jeff did and asked, "How bad is he?"

Carla sighed, "What you should focus on is the fact that he will get better with time, rest, and support. If the rest of his friends are anything like the three of you, then he'll feel better sooner - physically. Emotionally, it may take longer. Even half-aware of what was going on when he was brought in, he didn't handle any of the male nurses well; once I had them out of the room, he calmed down but still didn't fully wake up."

"Has he woken up yet? I thought you couldn't let someone with a concussion sleep." asked Jeff.

Carla shook her head. "We put him under a light sedation, just so that he could relax and do some tests. I felt it would be easier for him if we could get all of that out of the way. Most of his scans came back with no signs of anything broken; the concussion isn't as bad as expected either. We're just waiting for his blood results - "

A knock on the door interrupted her. Carla got up to answer it and was given a folder with some papers and some images. Carla sat down and opened the folder, skipping the papers and going to the images. Her eyebrows rose, and then narrowed, before she looked back to the group, specifically Burt.

"Is there something you've neglected to mention about Kurt's medical history?"

Burt looked at Carla in confusion, "What do you mean? You have his file and I've supplied you with anything else."

"Because according to this, we may have a problem in the future, and if you're not aware of it, then this hospital will have a major problem on their hands."

Carole was shocked at this response. "Carla, what are you talking about? What's on those scans that could result in the hospital being responsible for it?"

"We scanned Kurt to check for internal injuries. We found something surprising, and you need to be made aware of it. First I need to ask - when Kurt was born, were there any problems, with either him or his mother?"

Burt honestly didn't know what to say at first, but then he spoke up. "Elizabeth and I had a hard time conceiving. We were told that the chances of us having kids were nonexistent, which didn't make any sense. Neither of us were infertile, and we were both young and healthy. We gave up for a while, then out of the blue, a year later Elizabeth was pregnant."

Burt seemed to have forgotten who was in the room, like he was stuck in the past.

"She had an easy pregnancy, until about halfway thru. Elizabeth was losing weight and was sick a lot of the time. Doctor said it was just the woes of pregnancy and that there wasn't much we could do about it. We did what we could, and for some time, the only highlight was finding out we were having a girl."

That got odd looks from Carole, Finn, Blaine, and Jeff, all thinking the same thought - that Kurt was a boy.

"Elizabeth did start feeling better, but then at barely 30 weeks, was admitted into the hospital for preeclampsia, and ended up delivering early. We found out Kurt was a boy during the C-section. You could tell by looking at him that he was a preemie. He was in the hospital for a long time, but he's been fine since."

Carla could tell that Burt spoke the truth, and obviously had no idea what she was going to tell him. "Neither of you were told that there was anything different about him?"

"No, just that he would be small for a while. He had some breathing problems too, but that was normal."

"I'm sorry about being cross earlier, but the reason for that is this: Kurt is a carrier...he's capable of getting pregnant."

"Please tell me this is some sick joke."

Everyone turned to, surprisingly, Jeff. Even Blaine was shocked he said that aloud, although he'd be lying if he said he wasn't thinking the same thing.

"Jeff - "

"No - this isn't fair! No wonder Kurt doesn't believe in God. It's not enough that he is harassed and raped by some asshole, but there's a chance he could get pregnant after all of that?! Is there anything you can do to make sure that doesn't happen, or can you tell if he is yet?"

Carla was shocked at Jeff's response, and she wasn't the only one. "We won't be able to tell for sure for some time yet, but there's nothing I can do to prevent it from happening." She saw Jeff about to open his mouth again. "And the morning-after pill cannot be given to carriers. It doesn't react well, and it's not worth risking Kurt's health to try."

"How could we not have known? Nowadays, parents find out by the time the kid's two if it's possible." Burt was just stunned.

"I don't know what to say. I can tell from his file; that Kurt's not much of a hospital person, or much of a doctor's person either."

"Kurt was always good about not getting sick, especially before his mother died. Don't get me wrong, he does get the occasional cold, and sometimes he has headaches, but that's about it."

"I don't want us to get ahead of ourselves. There's still a chance that there will be no baby - I just want us to be aware of the chance that there can be. Only time will really tell. We can cross that bridge when, and if, we get to it." That seemed to be the end of that particular discussion.

Finn, who'd been quiet for a while, finally asked a question on everyone's mind. "So when can Kurt come home? I know you already told us about how he's doing, but Kurt's not a fan of hospitals. It won't be long before he starts freaking out because you're keeping him here."

Carla sighed again, "It really depends on how he's doing, but knowing of his past experiences...he needs to stay put at least for a couple of days - no sooner."

"...can we see him? I understand if we can't, but I need to see him, just for a minute." Carla turned toward Blaine. She was going to say no but she couldn't deny his request. He looked so heartbroken, and if Carole's thoughts were anything to go by, he'd be with Kurt in no time.

"Follow me. I'll take you to his room.

Blaine almost backed out once they got to Kurt's room. He didn't want to freak out, or start crying again, but he couldn't go back to school until he saw him with his own eyes. He could tell Jeff was thinking the same thing.

Carla stopped in front of a room. "Remember what I said boys. He looks worse than he is. Keep in mind, he may not react well to you. If that happens, give him some space. Let me know if you need anything." She walked off, leaving the boys outside of the room. Burt and Carole were already inside. Blaine, Jeff, and Finn didn't move, each waiting for another to go first. Blaine finally couldn't take it anymore.

"That's it - I need to see him. Even if he kicks me out...I don't care." With that said Blaine took a deep breath and cautiously walked into Kurt's room. Jeff and Finn looked at each other before following him in, but staying close to the door.

Kurt was awake, but you could tell that he was still under the influence of whatever drugs they gave him. Burt saw Blaine first, and the other two behind him, and turned to Kurt. He was hoping for the best but was determined to give him the option of whether or not he wanted to see anyone.

"Kurt, you have a few visitors, if you're up to it." Burt leaned out of the way enough for Kurt and Blaine to see each other. He knew that they were still new friends, but nobody could deny that there was something between them.

Kurt was shocked, "Blaine...you're here? But I thought you didn't like hospitals."

Blaine actually smiled a little bit at that, "No I don't...but I like you. When I heard you were here, I wasn't about to let a little fear keep me away. I was worried when you didn't show up for coffee. Can I come in?"

Kurt nodded. Blaine could tell by his face that he was a little afraid, but he could also see that Kurt really wanted him to come closer - and who was he to deny that.

Blaine reached for one of Kurt's hands, hoping that little bit of physical contact would be alright. Blaine was so relieved that Kurt wasn't really afraid of him, that he almost missed Kurt mumbling, "I'm sorry I worried you."

Blaine pulled back before responding with a, "Don't worry your pretty little head about it. You up to two more people that wanna see you?" Kurt looked toward the door to see Jeff and Finn, both who gave him little waves. He gave them a small smile, which they took as the okay to go in.

"Hey bro."

"Hi Kurt."

"Hi guys."

Burt and Carole decided to leave the group alone for a few minutes, so they went in search of coffee. Kurt panicked for a second when they said they would be back in a little bit, but looking at Blaine, Jeff, and Finn reminded him that they'd be here and weren't going to hurt him.

Finn and Jeff took the chairs the parents had been using. Blaine just staying on the bed with Kurt. They almost didn't believe that Kurt had been raped - how could he let them get so close without panicking - but they noticed every time a male doctor or nurse walked by the room, Kurt visibly tensed and shook until they had passed by.

"How are you feeling Kurt? Dr. Howard said you'd be in here a few days...I already told her that you wouldn't like that."

"Thanks Finn, and I told her the same thing. There's no reason why I can't just sit in my own bed at home. Yes, I'm hurting, but I'd rather be somewhere I know is safe than be here freaking out every time someone walks by. I have to ask you something though..."

Finn had a feeling he knew what was coming. "Yeah...what is it?"

"How did you know to come looking for me? You were all at practice, weren't you?"

"Me and the guys weren't on the field long before we noticed that Karofsky was missing and nobody knew where he was. We ran back to the building and started looking for you. we found you both in the locker room. Puck, Sam, and eventually Mike were all holding him down to keep him away from you til Artie came back with help. You had hit your head and were really confused."

"I remember leaving the locker room and reading Blaine's text, but then Karofsky was there, and I ran after him. There was yelling and pushing... It gets blurry after a while...I sorta remember you saying that I sounded like you."

Finn let out a laugh, "Trust you to remember me saying that. We - we didn't really realize what that bastard had done to you until later. They almost didn't let me come in the ambulance with you."

Finn saw Kurt stiffen for a second and noticed the far-away look in his eyes. "Oh, Kurt, I didn't mean to bring that up. I'm sorry - "

Kurt brought himself out of his thoughts. "No, Finn, it's okay...it still hasn't fully processed yet. Everything feels numb; it's still hazy, but I know what happened. Did any of you get hurt?"

"Puck and Sam were a little roughed up, and Mike's got a black eye, but they're fine. They've been helping me keep the girls - and each other - away for now. We didn't want to crowd you, or scare you. To be honest, I didn't think we'd get into the room. I mean, you hear stories about how victims deal with people after this kind of thing happens to them, and well..."

"Well what?"

"I was afraid that you would be afraid of me. I'm the same type of guy he is, so I didn't know if you'd wanna see me."

Kurt was both shocked and touched by Finn's answer. "While all of that's true, you were a part of the rescue crew. If it wasn't for you and the guys...trust me, if I didn't want you here, I would've kicked you out a long time ago. I haven't even hugged Dad yet, and that's hurting me just as much as it's hurting him."

"You know your dad won't push you to do something you're not ready for. You're a strong person, Kurt, and you'll be back to your enthusiastic, huggy self in no time," Blaine added.

"I call dibs when you feel up to it. Your love is my drug, Kurtsie."

Kurt's jaw dropped. "Did you seriously quote Kesha, Jeffers? And whatever will I tell Nick?"

Blaine and Finn laughed, not knowing what was funnier - the self-satisfied smirk on Jeff's face or the goldfish expression on Kurt's. "Nick will understand. He loves you too."

Blaine was still holding onto Kurt's hand, and had started rubbing the back of it with his thumb lost in thought. Kurt didn't mind it, but noticed that Blaine was thinking hard about something.

"Blaine, what's wrong? If you keep thinking so hard, you'll blow a vessel or something."

Blaine gave a little jump before focusing on Kurt again. "Did your dad or the doctor mention what they found during your tests?"

"You mean my surprise girly parts? Yeah, Dr. Howard told me...thought it was some sick joke or something."

"...you seem really calm about it."

"I'm still feeling the sedative from earlier...it's also under the 'still hasn't processed yet' file. Wasn't actually prepared for a revelation like that. I guess that explains my girly features, though."

Blaine was about to say different, but was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Hey boys, how are we doing in here?" It was Burt, Carole, and Dr. Howard.

"We're alright Dad...what's up?"

Dr. Howard spoke up, "Unfortunately I'm going to have to kick you three out," pointing to Finn, Blaine, and Jeff, "as Kurt needs to rest now, and visiting hours are over for today." Blaine and Jeff paled a little as they looked at the clock. Even if they left now, they wouldn't make it back to Dalton by curfew.

"Don't worry you two. I called the school for you and explained what happened. You won't get into any trouble, as long as you leave soon." Both Warblers sighed in relief and gave Carole their thanks, before turning back to Kurt.

"I guess that means we gotta go...we didn't exactly tell anyone we were leaving. I probably have a very frantic boyfriend to deal with."

"Which means I'll have Wes and David waiting in my room for me."

Finn looked back at the adults and asked, "Do we all really have to go? Who's gonna stay with Kurt?"

Kurt was wondering the same thing. It was likely that they were going to give him something so he'd sleep, but he wasn't looking forward to being left alone.

Burt replied, "I'm going to stay put. You and your mom will head back home. You still have school in the morning, and I know the rest of the group ain't gonna like being kept in the dark for long. They're gonna wanna know Kurt's doing okay. No offense to your friends, but some of them scare me, each in their own way."

Finn groaned just thinking about it. "I know what you mean. Kurt, do you want me to keep them away for now? You know Rachel will just show up otherwise, and Mercedes has been waiting for me to text her back."

"I'll let you know tomorrow...if they could wait until I go home that would be great, but that's probably asking a lot."

"If they show up after Finn talks to them, I'll just kick them out. I haven't been in 'papa bear' mode in a while."

Kurt rolled his eyes, "Don't play dumb. You did that when the warblers came to the house a few weeks ago."

Several chirps sounded from Blaine and Jeff's phones, which caused both to sigh and get up to leave.

Jeff looked at his phone. "I've got a 'where are you' from Trent, a 'where u be at' from Beatz, and a 'I cant find my bf...idk where he could be' from Nick."

Blaine looked at his. "David said 'Wes wants to know where u went' and Wes said 'its curfew and ur not here...' Well, glad to know that we're missed." He turned back to Kurt. "We have to leave, obviously...is it okay if I come back tomorrow?"

Kurt smiled and said, "If you want to - I'd like that. You'd better get going."

Blaine stood up from the bed and gave his hand one last squeeze. "If you need anything, let me know. I'll see you tomorrow." Blaine and Jeff said their goodbyes to the others and left. Carole almost had to push Finn to leave, but Kurt said he'd see him tomorrow as well.

While Burt got comfortable in the chair next to the bed, Dr. Howard stepped forward and injected a sleep aid into Kurt's IV. She said it was a mild drug and that he'd be out within the next ten minutes or so. After a quick look at him, she bid them both goodbye and left the room.

Burt made sure Kurt was tucked in before getting situated himself. "I'll be right here all night, so if you wake up at all, or need something..."

Kurt sleepily replied, "Thanks Dad...can you hold my hand, at least til I fall asleep?" All he got in response was the feeling of Burt holding his hand, and he was out, leaving both father and son hoping for a dreamless sleep.

Paul Karofsky didn't know what to do anymore. When the police called saying they had arrested their son, he thought it was a mistake. When he and his wife got to the station, they were told it was because Dave had beaten and raped Kurt Hummel, on school grounds no less. His wife wasted no time in defending him, going as far as questioning whether they had the right kid, and demanding to know what evidence they had.

As much as he didn't want to believe it, Paul knew this wasn't a joke. His son hadn't been right for some time now. He was aware of the bullying at school, and how much of that attention was usually on Kurt. But for him to go as far as rape...

Paul had known Burt Hummel for a long time, used to be good friends with him and his wife before she died. They probably didn't remember, but Kurt and Dave used to play together when they were kids. Things changed when they started kindergarten. His wife suddenly wanted nothing to do with the Hummel's. He still talked to Burt and Elizabeth, though, and found out that Kurt was saddened to lose one of his first friends.

From his understanding, the whole situation revolved around the idea that Kurt was a fairy, or at least that was how Jean had explained it to Dave. Paul realized then and there, that she had a real problem with anyone gay, if she was going so far as keeping her son away from a 5-year-old who didn't act like a typical little boy. Just because he was a polite kid that didn't like to play in the mud, didn't mean he was gay, but Jean wouldn't hear it.

Any relationship with the Hummel's died when Elizabeth did. Sure, he still went to Burt with his car, but that was it. They really didn't start talking again until the boys were freshmen. Once he'd heard about the dumpster tossing, he'd told Dave to stop, or he wouldn't be allowed to play football. He didn't know just how bad the bullying had progressed - locker slams, verbal abuse, slushy facials - and all mostly directed at the glee kids, with Kurt as the main target.

One officer had taken Jean to Dave, while another told him what happened in the locker room. Paul couldn't believe that his son had done what he did, but the evidence was there, and to be told that his son hadn't been under the influence of any drugs...

His son had done it with a clear mind and had shown no remorse for his actions. There was nothing he could do to help him, not that he really wanted to. Nobody deserved this kind of treatment, and for him to not have paid more attention to his son's behavior, really hit him hard. When it was his turn to speak to his son, he almost said no, but he needed to see him for himself.

When Paul saw his son, he knew he wouldn't be able to help his defense. His son was proud of what he had done. He had almost killed someone. They had so much proof that a trial would just be a formality, if not a waste of time. He asked his son one question: "Why?"

"He's a fag - what other reason is there? Mom said she understood, and she was proud of me."

Paul didn't want to hear anymore. He left after telling the officer to keep him updated, but that he wouldn't be helping. Dave knowingly went after Kurt, someone who dealt with everything his son threw at him and never retaliated, knowing it would only make things worse.

There was no reason why any of this had to have happened. There was no reason why he should help his son. If his wife wanted to help him, so be it, but he wasn't hanging around to see the outcome.

Dave was guilty, and anyone with eyes could see that.