Slow Fade

Chapter 5

The day of Kurt’s bone marrow aspiration had finally arrived, and he was feeling absolutely terrified. Part of it was due to the fact that he hated needles, but there were several other things bothering him at the moment. In order to have his procedure done, Kurt had called off from work which was a first for him. Unfortunately the director decided to chew him out for several long minutes about what this shooting delay would cost the studio. Kurt could’ve told him the truth of course, but he’d opted for another excuse. By telling anyone about his recent health problems would make it feel too real, and Kurt just couldn’t face that right now.

There was also Blaine Anderson to consider. It had been years since a guy had made him feel the way that the good doctor did, and Kurt didn’t really know how to deal with it. Blaine was nothing more than a compassionate physician and probably straight as a board, Kurt repeatedly tried to tell himself. Yet there was a small part of him that hoped, a part of him that would always be blushing like a schoolboy in his doctor’s presence.

Kurt tried to hold in the butterflies whizzing around in his stomach as Henry drove him to the hospital on the day of his procedure. He was not just facing the nerves, but there was also a numbing fear coursing through his body that threatened to cripple him. Much to Kurt’s relief, it wasn’t as hard to sneak into the hospital unseen as he thought it would be. They were all too willing to accommodate the star and had arranged for a discreet security detail to escort him to the room where Kurt’s procedure would take place.

When Kurt arrived in the room he was directed to strip and put on a hospital gown. Blaine was nowhere to be seen at the moment, but Kurt was grateful for that at the time since he felt rather self conscious wearing nothing but the thin hospital gown. Kurt was directed to lie on his stomach on the hospital bed, when a thought struck him. Though Blaine had explained the procedure to Kurt in great detail, it didn’t really register that his butt would be exposed.

The nurse worked quickly to cover the areas not needed, leaving only a small section of his left hip and butt completely bare. She put some sort of freezing cold solution on the area probably to sanitize it, and then Kurt heard the door opening.

He was here! Kurt heard Blaine’s footsteps move across the floor as he spoke softly with the nurse. It was a good thing he was face down right now because Kurt was sure he was blushing right now.

“How are you doing today Mr. Hummel?” Blaine asked cordially as he walked closer to Kurt.

“As I’m about to have a giant needle shoved in my hot, I would say I’m doing just peachy,” Kurt replied, the sarcasm seeping into his voice unintentionally.

Blaine laughed a warm belly laugh that sent a shudder down Kurt’s spine. “You certainly have a way with words.”

“It’s a gift,” Kurt quipped, unable to keep the smile out of his voice.

“I’m sure,” Blaine answered, and Kurt heard the snap of gloves and a tray being rolled across the floor. The nurse spoke medical mumbo jumbo to Blaine, but Kurt sudden shivered, feeling terrified all over again.

“You won’t tell me that it won’t hurt?” Kurt asked, hopefully failing to keep the fear out of his voice.

“I won’t sugarcoat it,” Blaine replied. “It will hurt, but I’m also not going to torture you. It will be over quickly.”

“Thanks, I think,” Kurt said. The sarcasm and blatant flirting with his doctor was a great coping method when he was so apprehensive. Hopefully Blaine wouldn’t realize that Kurt was flirting with him.

“You are going to feel a pinch,” Blaine advised.

Kurt winced as he felt a needle puncture his skin, but within a few seconds it was withdrawn. He let out the breath he’d been holding. “That wasn’t so bad.”

“That was just Lidocaine, a numbing agent,” Blaine said apologetically.

“Just my luck,” Kurt complained.

“I’m going to do it for real now,” Blaine warned. “Take a few deep breaths and relax. And try not to move because that may affect the results, and I’ll have to do it again.”

“Got it,” Kurt retorted, taking a few shaky breaths.

“Don’t forget to relax,” Blaine whispered into Kurt’s ear causing goose bumps to rise on his arms as the doctor’s breath tickled his neck.

“Relaxing,” Kurt squeaked.

“On the count of three,” Blaine informed him. “One, two, three.”

“Shit!” Kurt cursed as he felt the mega needle pierce his hip. Blaine never lied, it was extremely painful. It seemed to take forever for the doctor to push the need all the way in, and then he started to move it from side to side. Kurt couldn’t stop the tears that were soon falling fast and hot down his cheeks, and a soft whimper escaped his mouth.

“You are doing great,” Blaine said encouragingly. “Almost done.”

In less than a minute it was all over thankfully. Kurt was more than relieved when the ridiculously huge needle finally was removed. He was still hurting but the Lidocaine’s numbing effect helped a little. Blaine held down pressure on the injection site for a few minutes to stop any bleeding, and Kurt tried to ignore the fact that his own personal McDreamy was touching his butt.

Sometime later when Kurt was finally allowed to stand and get dressed again, did he finally start to come down from his adrenaline high. He felt sore, tired, and weak but not all of it could be attributed to his rough morning. Kurt looked forward to spending the rest of the day in his home relaxing, something the high profile actor rarely did anymore.

Blaine entered the room, shutting the door behind him. “How are you feeling?” he asked for the second time that day.

“A little sore but I will be alright,” Kurt answered honestly.

“I’m glad to hear it,” Blaine replied, flashing his white teeth in a gorgeous smile.

“What’s next?” Kurt asked.

“I should have the results in a few days; I will contact Mr. Hudson to set up a time. But for the rest of the day I want you to relax and give your body a chance to recover,” Blaine said sternly.

“Already ahead of you, my schedule is clear for the day,” Kurt said, but then he suddenly felt shy. “I just wanted to say, thank you for putting up with me and dealing with a crazy diva actor with an insane schedule.”

“It has been my pleasure,” Blaine breathed.

Then before Kurt could lose his nerve, he hugged Blaine quickly. The physician seemed startled initially but then returned the embrace.

//////////

“Kurt, explain to me what the hell this is!” Finn’s angry voice broke through the early morning silence of Kurt’s bedroom.

“Can’t you knock?” Kurt muttered, covering his face with his pillow. “It is too early for your dramatics, Finn.”

Finn pulled the pillow away and shoved something in Kurt’s face that took the actor a few seconds to focus his tired eyes on it. It was a tabloid, one of the more reputable ones granted, but a tabloid nonetheless. Since becoming famous, Kurt had learned that tabloids would make up any story with the right picture, and this one was no exception. While Kurt wasn’t surprised to see his face on the front page, the picture itself was startling.

It was a picture taken the day before at the hospital, when Kurt had thanked Blaine after the procedure in the private exam room. It caught the exact moment when they were hugging, and unfortunately, there was a clear shot of both their faces. How on earth did the paparazzi get this? Kurt was astounded, shocked, embarrassed, and furious all at the same time.

The headline read: Kurt Hummel has a hunky new beau! Read inside for details!

“Care to explain?” Finn snapped.

Kurt looked from the picture to Finn and back again.

Crap.