The news that Sally Jenkins had been fire thanks to one Burt Hummel seemed to slightly appease the loved ones of the deceased and surviving victims who had been named in her life ruining article. Burt Hummel had contacted his lawyer as something hadn't sat quite right with him in regards to the fact that the newspaper had released the names of the victims in print. It turned out that he had been right to question it. Section forty five of the 1999 Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act declared that any young victims of rape and other sexual offences had automatic anonymity subject to the provisions of the Sexual Offences Act 1992. The Act stated that if it was breached, it was irreversible and that it could cause both immediate and long term distress and harm. It continued to say that those involved in the publication of the material, that breached the act, were to be prosecuted for what they done in the interest of the public.
Burt Hummel knew that this would deeply affect his son for the long term and he wanted Sally Jenkins, Katherine Bright and everyone who worked at the Ohio newspaper to pay for the damage they had caused to his baby boy and everyone else involved in this horrific case.

*********************************************************************

Why was it getting harder to breathe? Kurt seriously felt like there was something blocking his airways as he was struggling to catch his breath. His head was already spinning from everything that was going on in his life. It hurt to think about it all, both mentally and physically. His body seemed to ache everywhere, but maybe that was from sitting still for so long? Maybe he could actually breathe absolutely fine and maybe he wasn't hurting as he was just delusional due to his lack of sleep. That was a possibility.
Kurt turned his clock to glance at the clock, sitting on the bedside table. The hands on the clock indicated that it was now twenty five past five in the morning. It wasn't that sleep was alluding the youngest member of the Hummel family, rather that he was frantically fighting against it. He desperately wished that he could allow himself to sleep as it would be one way to escape from the reality of the situation that he was in and everything else that was happening. Kurt was tired. He had felt the fatigue for a long time and now it seemed that he would never have peace and be allowed to rest. Any time that he had started to head off to the land of nod, he had been sucked into a parade of nightmares, living in the horrors of New York. All Kurt wanted was to try and move on and be able to attempt to be happy. It had been a challenge beforehand, but with the publication of the article revealing the horrific truth, it was now impossible to even think about moving on. Kurt would always be known for this, no matter where he went, and the story about his involvement would never be forgotten. He would be constantly reminded that his innocence had been ripped from him in such a brutal way for the rest of his life.
No sleep meant way too much time to think. It meant that everything and anything was running through his mind or it would constantly be on his mind. A little sleep would most likely do some good, but that wouldn't be happening any time soon. The last time Kurt had actually got some sleep was with Blaine in the latter's bed after the day from hell. His theory about why he was able to sleep was that he had been so exhausted that day due to everything, his mind had switched off to let him sleep. He had barely slept since, jolting awake in panic. The teenager had to remind himself that he was safe and that he was home, not in a filthy basement in New York. Thomas Manson was no longer in his life and he was now locked up in prison for life, but that did nothing to stop the man from haunting his thoughts and his dreams. Sometimes all it would have to be is a quiet voice in the darkness telling him what a good slut he still was and Kurt would be instantly awake, his body pouring out sweat. It was simply better not to sleep, despite the fact that the lack of sleep was making him feel ill and probably thinking about everything in even more of a negative view than before.
It was half past seven when Carole stuck her head in her stepson's room to see how he was doing. The last few days since the article had been published had been tough on everyone, but the nurse was seriously worried about Kurt. Some may have thought that he had been doing fine before the article, but her maternal instincts told her otherwise and always made her doubt it. It was clear to her that the boy had not been fine for a long time and when she looked back, it was obvious. Carole was annoyed at herself for going along with it, for accepting Kurt's promises that he was fine and for not intervening sooner. It was true to say that Kurt had been physically healing and potentially healing mentally too, but now any sort of progress had been for nothing. That awful woman, Sally Jenkins, probably still didn't realise what she had done and all the damage she had caused.
Carole let out a sad sigh at the sight of her stepson sitting at the window seat in his room, staring out into the distance. It was clear to her that he had not slept, not even for one minute. It was most likely that he had sat in that position all night, not wanting to be tempted by his comfortable bed. She wanted to take him to see a doctor, but Kurt hadn't left his room since he had returned from Blaine's house. When they had got home, Kurt had just walked upstairs and he had crawled under his duvet, blocking out the world around him.
"Good morning, sweetheart," Carole said cheerfully, really trying to get a response from the boy in front of her, "It looks like it's going to be a lovely day today. The weather hasn't been great recently, so this is a nice thing. Maybe we can all go for a walk and get some fresh air? It might make you feel better."
No response. Kurt didn't even look in his stepmother's direction, nor did he acknowledge whether he had actually heard her. Carole was struggling with what to do as the young boy had not spoken to anyone since he came home. It was as if everyone was taking at Kurt, the words simply bouncing off him or not even being able to penetrate the shield that he had surrounded himself with.
Blaine seemed to think that Kurt wasn't ready to talk and that his mind was trying its best to protect him by shielding him off from everyone, so he couldn't be hurt anymore. Carole knew that the former Warbler would either simply lie beside Kurt or he would hold him to him, just talking about anything and everything. Blaine was certain that Kurt was taking his time to find his voice and be ready to eventually open up to his loved ones.
Carole simply just wanted to hear her stepson's lovely voice again and, if it wasn't too much to want, to see his beautiful smile once more. She wished that there was something to be done.
The nurse tried again, "I'm thinking about doing a family breakfast this morning and doing so much food that even Finn would struggle to eat it all! Of course, this will be ready once Finn wakes up so it could be a while. It might help you feel better if you get some food in you as it'll give you some energy. I always turn to my cheat treats when I need a pick me up. I'm very happy to go out and buy you lots of cheesecakes if you want me to. I don't know if cheesecake would be good so early in the morning, but there is a first time for everything! Maybe you could try it out and let us know what it's like."
The mother of one had no idea what she was even saying at that moment. She just talking about anything that came into her mind and she had grasped at the straws about Kurt liking cheesecake and had gone with that.
Kurt hadn't acknowledged that there was anyone in his room talking to him. Carole let out a defeated sigh and moved over to where her stepson was sitting.
She leaned down and kissed him on the forehead, "I love you so much, Kurt. I'm always here for you. Please let us in, sweetheart!"
Carole took her leave, feeling utterly helpless and wishing that she could do something or take action against anyone who had wronged her stepson. She ultimately wished that she could go back and stop it all from happening, but that really was wishful thinking.

**********************************************************************

(Flashback)
"Are you crying, my little slut? Oh look at my good little slut desperately trying not to cry! He's trying so hard, bless him! If he cries, we need to make him man up! Let's see how long it takes before he cracks!"
Manson was kicking Kurt, his foot whacking against his ribs again and again. He barely had enough energy to lift his head, yet alone to shield him from the beating. He had tried to curl up into a ball to protect himself to stop his ribs from being battered, but he hadn't done a good enough job.
The kicking was never going to end. He couldn't cry and he wouldn't cry. Kurt actually believed that he was too dehydrated to produce physical tears. He been having a hard enough time to produce saliva in his own mouth. Kurt knew that he was in a complete no win situation. Manson didn't want him to cry, yet at the same time he did so he could punish him. Manson wouldn't stop hurting him either way.
Kurt watched as Manson reared his foot back and brought it rapidly towards his abdomen. The foot ploughed into his body, jolting him backwards.
(Flashback)

Kurt jolted awake, gasping for breath. He quickly reached for his ribcage, needing to feel his healed and unbroken bones. He ran his other hand through his hair, feeling the cold sweat that had gathered on his forehead.
Kurt turned to look at the clock and saw that it was nearly nine o'clock. He knew that Carole must have come in to his room around half seven, but other than that, it was as if time didn't exist to him anymore. He was just holed up in his bedroom, waiting for something to happen. He didn't know if he wanted this something to be good or bad, but he wanted something to happen. The teenager was doing his best to hold off any thoughts about how meaningless his existence was and how easy it would be to stop it all hurting, but it was getting harder every day.
The knock on his bedroom door pulled Kurt away from these thoughts, startling him in the process. He was in an incredible vulnerable position after he had been reminded of all the crap he had dealt with, so he didn't want anyone to see him in this state. He had basically passed out from being sleep deprived and his face felt strange from being passed against the bedroom window.
The handle slowly turned and the next second, Blaine's head appeared at the door, peering around to check that it was okay to come in. His heart broke at the sight of his agitated boyfriend, sitting on the window seat, clearly distressed. He knew that there was no point asking as he would receive no reply. Blaine simply walked over to the older boy and held out his hand, giving Kurt the choice to accept his hand or not.
Kurt didn't move for several seconds, just looking at the hand outstretched in his direction. Blaine had actually started to wonder if Kurt could see him when his boyfriend finally reached out and accepted his hand.
Blaine helped Kurt over to his bed and he encouraged his boyfriend to lie down. The younger boy walked over to the speakers on the desk and he connected his phone, selecting a playlist to play that was full of slow and relaxing music, created for situations like this. Adele's 'Make You Feel My Love' filled the room as Blaine made his way over to the double bed.
"I love this song," Blaine whispered as he pulled the boy he loved into his arms, "It always makes me think of you and how there's nothing that I wouldn't do for you."
Kurt's eyes seemed to glisten for a moment, but the boy blinked in response to this and continued to watch his boyfriend.
Blaine leaned in to nuzzle his nose against Kurt's, "I miss you," he whispered, smiling sadly at the love of his life, "It seems so crazy to say that when I'm holding you in my arms, but it's true. I completely get that you don't feel ready to talk and I will be there for you no matter what, but I wish that you would realise that you can talk to me about anything. You can cry, shout, scream to high heavens or anything you want and that would be fine with me. I am here for you. You are not alone."
Those words hit Kurt hard. There was a complete truth to what Blaine was telling him and he knew that he wasn't alone, but then why did he feel so alone? Why did he feel so distanced from anyone, including Blaine?
Blaine didn't expect an answer, so he simply sang along to Adele, holding his boyfriend close and wishing that he could do something to help.

************************************************************************

The phrase 'common whore' wouldn't stop bothering Kurt since the question about whether Kurt was a common whore had been uttered by Jacob Ben Israel. Manson had called him a 'whore' many times, but he had hoped that he wouldn't be called that ever again when he left New York. Clearly he was wrong.
Kurt moved away from where he was sitting over to his desk, sitting down in the chair situated there. He glanced at the time on the screen as he woke his sleeping laptop. Kurt had always been one for beauty sleep and making sure that he had his eight hours of sleep. Now that concept was non-existent. It was now quarter past four in the morning and the teenager couldn't really remember the last time he had actually slept. He knew that he must have drifted off occasionally, otherwise he probably would have been hospitalised, but Kurt was certain that he had not had a solid hour of sleep.
Kurt opened up google chrome and typed the phrase into the search engine, his eyes adjusting to brightness of the screen.
He clicked on the first link and he read that a common whore was deemed a prostitute, a slut, someone who was promiscuous, someone who compromised their principles and debased themselves.
Before Kurt could react, a link caught his eye and he clicked on it. A definition from urban dictionary appeared, telling him that a whore slept with everyone and that words that were related were: slut bitch, skank, tramp, slag, easy, hooker, hoe and many, many more.
Kurt quickly shut down the site and pushed away from his desk, trying to figure out how to feel. His brain ached from the lack of sleep and the amount of information he was trying to process. He knew that he had heard Manson and his clients call him those names many, many times, but he had always tried to ignore them. Had they been right to all him those derogatory terms? Was that how he should view himself? If asked, his family, boyfriend and friends would immediately refute that and they would demand that he never think like that again. However, technically those individuals had been right when calling him those names as what he had done matched the definitions of the phrase. Even though he had been forced to, he had slept with numerous people. Maybe it was true and that he should accept that he, Kurt Elizabeth Hummel, was a common whore.
Kurt got to his feet and walked over to his bed, slumping down and curling up in the fetal position. He had been worried for a long time that he could be defined as a whore, but now he knew that he was one.
The young boy stared at his bedroom wall unblinking, desperately trying to block out that he now was a whore as he had been forced to become one against his will.

*************************************************************************

(Flashback)
The sound of flesh smacking into flesh filled the small, windowless room. Kurt scrunched his eyes shut as he frantically tried to block out what was happening to his body without his consent. He could feel the tears streaming down his face as the man behind him grippe even harder onto his hips, adding to the many bruises already there.
His arms were straining in agony as he struggled to stay upright on his hands and knees. The man currently thrusting into him had become a regular, due to his love of Kurt's innocent. The young boy was terrified of this man as he actually thought that Kurt belonged to him for some bizarre reason, as if he had a claim over the teenager. The man also seemed to suffer from violent mood swings and Kurt had learnt the hard way that it was best to do as he was told if he valued his life even a little bit. He had tried to fight back several times beforehand and it had always ended up with him bleeding, being injured or being choked. Kurt could still feel the stinging pain of the man whipping him with his belt across his arse cheeks.
The man had told Kurt to get on his hands and knees and not to move a muscle. Kurt was using every ounce of the little energy he had to stay upright. He was weirdly grateful that Briggs had forced him to snort some cocaine to give him energy beforehand. He fought to stay in place as the man slammed into him from behind. He still wasn't used to the feeling of someone's dick penetrating his arsehole, not caring if he was ready or prepared, and it must have been months that it had been happening for. He still wasn't used to the pain. He doubted that he ever would be.
"God my beautiful angel, you're so fucking beautiful! You're so good for me! You're so tight and you're all mine!" The man moaned, before leaning down and sinking his teeth into the teenager's right shoulder, "You taste so good. Your sweat is just so delicious!"
The man's hands moved so that he had one on the shoulder that he had just bitten, pressing down on the bite mark, and the other on his hip, holding them as a leverage to pound into the angelic boy even harder.
Kurt desperately fought to stay in place, biting down on his lips so he wouldn't cry out in pain. The man hated that. As Kurt struggled, he let his mind wonder to the boy that he loved so much and would do anything to be with right now. God he missed Blaine Anderson so much. He had always thought that he would lose this virginity to the Warbler, even when they weren't together and they were dealing with the dramas of Jeremiah, Rachel and his sexy faces. It was clear to him and to all that they were meant to be together; their souls fighting to find one another. Kurt just wished that he had got the chance to tell Blaine that he loved him. He would have told Blaine how perfect he was, how beautiful he was and how he loved him with all his heart and that he always would. If only he could see Blaine just one more time. That was all he wanted.
The sound of groaning and the feeling of the man's dick pulsing inside him brought Kurt back from his attempt to get through what was happening to reality.
(Flashback)

Kurt's eyes shot open and het let out a shaky breath. The flashback, nightmare or whatever it had been had felt so vivid and real. Of course it had actually happened in real life, but it felt that it had just actually happened and that Kurt was dealing with the aftermath now, with him being back in that hellhole.
As Kurt slowly started to calm down, he realised that there was a pair of arms wrapped around him, spooning him from behind. Kurt started to panic, making the connection that he had had that particular flashback because it had actually just happened and that it was that terrifying men who was holding his body to him. He tried to remain calm, but he could feel himself struggling to catch his breath.
"Kurt?" That wasn't the creepy man from New York's vice, "Kurt baby, it's me. You're safe. I'm here and I promise you that you're safe. It's just me and I promise you that I've got you."
Blaine, of course it was Blaine! If he had actually thought about it before panicking, he would have realised that he did feel safe and comfortable, as well as being surrounded by Blaine's scent.
Kurt slowly turned over in Blaine's arms so that their noses were practically touching, overwhelmed with emotion due to the flashback and the comforting feeling of being in Blaine's arms, "Blaine."
"Hey you," Blaine felt like his heart might burst out of his chest. Kurt had finally spoken. And he had said his name! It had been days since Kurt had said anything and now he had finally said a word; it being his name. It was definitely a start, a very good start.
Blaine couldn't help himself as he leaned in and placed a quick kiss to Kurt's lips, unable to resist, "I've been here for about half an hour and I was so happy to find you asleep when I got here. I know everyone is relieved to hear that you're getting some sleep. Sorry if I'm completely overstepping, but I couldn't resist curling up with you. Crap, I'm sorry if you weren't ready for me to kiss you. I just couldn't resist. I'm so sorry, my love."
Kurt didn't say anything as he watched Blaine talk. He just revelled in the fact that he felt safe. Blaine's kiss hadn't freaked him out, like he had expected it to. It made him slightly normal for a brief period of time and it had given him a sense of hope.
Kurt decided to take a leap of faith and he leaned in to give Blaine a quick, chaste kiss back, "Don't apologise. You don't need to apologise for making me feel safe."
Blaine's heart was out of his chest, out of the door and running down the street due to the overwhelming emotion hitting him. He just felt so incredibly happy that after everything Kurt had been through, he felt safe with Blaine. It just showed that nothing could come between them.
"What time is it? What day is it?" Kurt whispered, his voice slightly croaky from the lack of use.
Blaine paused for a moment, wondering if Kurt would realise what day it was, "It's a little after three in the afternoon and it's Thursday 15th March."
"Our anniversary," Kurt whispered, causing Blaine to let out a sigh of relief.
"Yes, our one year anniversary," Blaine replied, revelling in happiness at the sound of Kurt's voice and the fact that their one year anniversary has been remembered, "I don't expect us to celebrate it given everything that has gone on. I'm just happy to be here with you."
Kurt made a slight movement with his hand and Blaine decided to take it as a gesture to look at the desk. Blaine glanced over in that direction and noticed a card and a wrapped gift. He wondered how long they had been there.
Blaine slowly pulled away from Kurt and he went and grabbed the gift and card, before bringing them back over to the bed. He opened the card first and he read the message inside:
Dear Blaine,
Happy anniversary! One year together! I know that we technically were apart for a period of time, but I love that it doesn't matter to either of us. Our love is so strong and we can get through anything. I can't thank you enough for everything that you've done for me. You've been my rock, especially over the last three months since I have returned home.
I am so thankful that you are in my life, Blaine Devon Anderson. I love you with all my heart.
Happy anniversary, my love. Here's to many more together.
I love you, love Kurt xxxxxx

Tears were already pouring down Blaine's face as he processed what Kurt had written to him in his card. It was all so beautiful and touching. Blaine wondered when Kurt had written this card and got him the present. It definitely must have been before all the shit had gone down.
Blaine put the card down, before unwrapping the gift. It was a scrapbook full of pictures of the couple together, from the time that they had met to a photo taken less than a week ago of the two of them on Kurt's phone. Neither of them were actually looking at the camera, but the happiness was radiating from the pair. Blaine loved that picture. He had demanded that Kurt send it to him the instant he saw it as it just summed up their relationship.
"I love you so much," Blaine exclaimed as he turned to thank his boyfriend.
Instead he was met with the sight of said boyfriend asleep. Obviously his lack of sleep and exhaustion was definitely getting the best of him and he was starting to get some sleep. Blaine knew that Kurt had been resisting sleep as he wanted to stop the nightmares or the flashback triggers, but he was worried that Kurt would make himself ill if he kept up this lack of sleep. Blaine was happy to stay with Kurt if that did anything to help keep the nightmares away.
Blaine moved the card and the scrapbook from the bed to the bedside table and then moved back into his original position of spooning Kurt, enjoying the feeling of holding his boyfriend close. His own card and gift of a Marc Jacobs scarf and a framed photo of the two of them together (the same photo that he loved that was in the scrapbook) could wait.

***********************************************************************

(Flashback)
"Hello my little slut," Manson whispered as he invaded Kurt's personal space, smirking at the whimper the young boy let out as he tried to move back, but he had been backed into a corner.
Kurt could feel him shaking as he waited with bated breath for whatever Manson was planning on doing to him. He didn't know how much more of all of this he could take. He knew that he was practically counting down the days until he was likely to snap. What the outcome of that would be, he did not know.
Manson reached out and ran one finger down Kurt's cheek, letting out a low chuckle as Kurt let out another whimper and his eyes widened in terror, "I am grateful that my men grabbed you from New York several months back. You have made me so much money."
Kurt was violently shaking now, almost unhinged from Manson's behaviour. The man was usually beating him by now. It was unnerving at how calm and collected Manson was. It was as if he had no intention of actually hurting Kurt and was just toying with him.
Manson's hand suddenly gripped Kurt's face, forcing the young boy to meet his eyes, "You are going to continue to make me more and more money. Word is getting out about you, so I will just up your number of clients. You belong to me and you will do as I say!"
The older man tightened his grip and leaned in even closer, whispering his words menacingly, "I can tell that you still hope and pray and cry that you'll go home someday. Well, let me tell you know that that is never going to happen, my moneymaking whore. I will keep offering your body and services over and over again. Maybe sometimes I might have a go myself. I can guarantee that you'll cry, you'll scream, you'll sob for your daddy or someone to come and save you, but there won't be able to save you. No one is coming for you."
Kurt frantically held in the screams that were desperate to be released from his mouth as Manson smirked at him and continued to speak, "I will make sure that you have been used thoroughly until I deem that you are done. At that point, you'll be so broken and traumatised that you'll most likely be catatonic and won't be able to function anymore. You'll be a boring slut. Who wants a boring slut? No one, that's who! I know you know I'm right. At the moment, you're an interesting slut who people want. When I'm done with you, no one will want you. I'll probably just kill you at that point. I could make it quick and simple, or I could drag it out even longer. Maybe I just bury your body... you better hope that you'll already be dead if I decide to do that!"
Manson let out a low, cold laugh as Kurt had to refrain from vomiting over all over the man holding his jaw in a bruising grip. He wanted to cry, scream, vomit... he wanted to do something! If he had any energy at all, he might have tried to free him from Manson's grip and make a run for it. Maybe the adrenaline to be free would have overpowered him and helped him fight off Manson's little g.ng. Kurt would never know. He stayed where he was, shaking violently with fear. It couldn't be true what he was hearing. It just couldn't be. His lips were already forming the words that he desperately wanted to cry, yet could not find the breath to utter.
No... no... no... oh god no...
"Do you understand me?" Manson sneered as he tightened his grip to the extent that Kurt was certain his jaw was now broken.
Kurt's heart lurched with fear as he was forced to nod wordlessly, knowing that he had no choice but to comply with what Mason had told him. It sickened him to know that he was nodding in agreement to his body being used until he was nothing less than broken and catatonic.
"Good stuff!" Manson grinned with satisfaction as he let go of Kurt's jaw, before dropping a place to the young boy's hairline, "That's what I like to hear! You're such a good little slut for me. I can see why everyone wants you. I can't wait to try you out myself."
Manson shoved Kurt backwards into the wall behind him as he stood up and stretched. He gestured to the men close by and they moved away, leaving Kurt to try and shut out the terrifying images that were trying to fill his mind of all the possibilities that Manson had mentioned.
Kurt caught Luke's eye, before quickly looking away. He had to try to remain strong and he didn't want anyone's sympathy. Kurt could see James and Hayley looking at him out of the corner of his eye, but he ignored them. He knew that Hayley would want to comfort him, but he would break if someone tried to tell him things would be okay. Things would never be okay again.
A shudder of apprehension crept down Kurt's spine as he thought about Manson's last words to him. He had to do everything that he could to stay away from Manson. Kurt's stomach turned with fear as his mind conjured up all the awful things that Manson could do to him. Maybe if he was lucky, Manson would kill him on the first time if he decided to 'try him out'. The idea of being buried alive was one that Kurt could not get out of his head and the fact that he had been threatened with and that there was a chance it could happen to him, that terrified him to his very core.
(Flashback)

Kurt bolted upright, sucking in the air around him as he fought to find his breath. The last thought he had had was one about being buried alive. Manson had told him that he was going to dispose of him when he was used up, no matter whether he was actually dead. The thought of being burying alive had haunted Kurt ever since and he knew that no matter how much he was healed, he would never get over that. The idea of that happening was repulsive to begin with, but the young boy had actually been threatened with it. That would never go away.
The teenager run a hand through his hair as he let out a shuddery breath, still feeling terrified at the flashback he had just witnessed in his nightmare. He rubbed at his eyes, before slowly opening them and letting them adjust to the room around him.
Blaine, his Dad and Carole were all standing in his room, whispering to one another by the door. Kurt guessed that they had heard his cries, screams or whatever they had been and the three of them had come running. They all looked as if they were a mixture of anxious, concerned and heartbroken.
Kurt frowned as he took in what Blaine was wearing. It was different from when he had last seen Blaine on their anniversary and he had finally let himself speak. Why was it different? Surely a day or more couldn't have passed since then? He had lost complete track of days and what time it was. It was as if every now and then, he was going to and dipping back into reality briefly, before going off for days at a time. No wonder his loved ones were really worried about him.
Burt noticed that his son was looking at him and he immediately left the little group and sat down on the edge of Kurt's bed, "Hey buddy," he whispered softly, trying to sooth his agitated son, "How you doing?"
No response. Burt let out a sigh as he reached over and brushed Kurt's hair backwards, away from his sweaty forehead. He had been so overjoyed when Blaine came charging down and told him that Kurt had said a few words, before falling asleep, a couple of days ago. He thought that it was a step in the right direction. That incident seemed to have been an anomaly as Kurt had retreated into his shell once more and hadn't said a word since, even when it had been just him and Blaine.
The father was getting desperate as he didn't know what to do. There was a chance that he would lose his son forever. He managed to book an emergency appointment with Doctor Morgan and he asked her to come to the house, since he knew that it was unlikely that they would get Kurt to leave his room.
Burt's hand reached out and took Kurt's hand in his, "I have someone downstairs who wants to help you. Doctor Morgan is downstairs with Finn at the moment and she wants to see you. I know that you've spoken to her in the past about what happened, so I thought that maybe you might want to talk to her again if you don't want to talk to us."
"Sweetie, I know that you find it difficult to talk about, but it can get worse if you bottle it all up," Blaine stated, wishing that there was something he could do to help his boyfriend, "We all love you and we all want what's best for you."
Kurt almost felt like responding to that, wanting to argue that what's best for him was for him to be left alone and come to terms with the fact that he was indeed a worthless, common whore. Instead he stayed silent, just looking at the people in his room talking to him.
Carole smiled sadly at Kurt, before leaving the room. Kurt could only guess that she had to get Doctor Morgan. Sure enough, about a minute later, Carole came back, with Doctor Morgan and Finn in tow.
The therapist felt her heart break slightly at the sight of her patient sitting in bed, clearly scared and agitated. When she had heard about what had happened to him being made public, Alice wanted to join in with the persecution of that horrible reporter. That was neither here or there as she forced herself to focus back on her patient in the present moment.
Alice brushed her long brown hair back over her shoulder and fixed a gentle smile onto her face as she approached Kurt, "Hello Kurt, it's good to see you again. It's been too long since I last saw you. I've missed your sarcasm and comments about my fashion sense."
There was no reaction from the boy as she sat down in his desk chair, which had been moved closer to his bed so she could talk to him. She placed her large handbag at her feet, before glancing up at her unresponsive patient.
Doctor Morgan decided to change her strategy slightly, so she turned to addressed his family and boyfriend, "Finn's only told me so much, so I have to ask... how long has he been like this?"
"A little over a week now," Burt replied, turning his gaze onto his son, "I don't think he's realised that amount of time has passed. He hasn't shown much sign of understanding what's going on around him. I've spent hours in his room at a time, but I don't think he realised I was there at all. I think he was lost inside his own head."
Blaine nodded in agreement to that, "I've been with him as much as I could, but it has been like he has retreated into his own space, refusing to let others in. He did speak to me once and that was on our anniversary. I think he had had a nightmare and that there was something to do with me in it, because he actually responded to me. He fell asleep not long after, but I had hoped we were making progress. I was clearly wrong."
"He hasn't been eating or drinking much," Carole added, the concern obvious in her voice, "I've hardly seen him move to go to the bathroom either. I feel like any progress we made with his weight has now started going backwards. He's starting to look unhealthier again."
Doctor Morgan made a few notes of what was before said to him, before turning to watch her patient. He was glancing around the room, as if he could hear what was being said and could understand it all, but was choosing not to respond and stay silent instead. She wondered if he would open up if it was just the two of them, like it was in her office.
"Okay, thank you everyone," Doctor Morgan smiled, offering his loved ones a soft smile, "I'm very grateful for all the information you have given me, but now I think it's time for me to have a chat with Kurt on our own. He may feel like he can open up more."
Blaine and Burt looked like they were both going to protest, but Carole nodded at her words and dragged the three men out of the bedroom with her, closing the door behind them. Now they were open and maybe Kurt might open up.
"Kurt?" Doctor Morgan started, hoping that her patient might talk in private, "Kurt, it's just you and me now. You're completely alone. It's like how it is at my office, where you can talk about anything. I'm here for you."
The doctor received no response from her patient, who was now staring at the part of the duvet he was clutching in his hands. Alice jotted down a few notes in her file, not wanting to miss anything in case it could help her later on.
She tried again and again, but to no avail. Kurt seemed to have retreated into his own little world again. His eyes were wide and his pupils seemed to be dilated, as if the nervous system had triggered the 'fight or flight' response due to the amount of stress he was under. Alice could see clearly that Kurt was getting by with very little sleep, just by glancing at her patient. Finn had told her that he was suffering with nightmares and flashbacks, causing him to refuse or fight sleep. She made a note to re-prescribe the pills he had previously taken to help with nightmares.
Again she switched up her strategy, "I get it, Kurt. Sometimes it's better not to talk. Sometimes it's too hard to talk. Sometimes talking is hard as you have to relive your experiences, or it's too difficult to find the right words to say. I'm very happy if you just want to sit here in silence, but I'm also very happy if you want to talk to me. We don't have to do either of those. We can play a game, or you can do some writing or drawing. I know you're a fantastic drawer from those sketches you showed me a couple of sessions ago. Maybe you could draw what's bothering you?"
Something that she had said seemed to have caught Kurt's attention as he was actually looking at her, eyeing her with slight suspicion. Alice grabbed a sketchpad and a pencil from her bag and placed them on Kurt's bed. Sometimes drawing helped her patient as they didn't have to talk about anything, but they could express how they felt through art. Doctor Morgan liked to try different approaches like art or music therapy. That's why she had given Kurt the assignment to sing about how he was feeling.
Kurt eyed up the sketchpad, but didn't reach out to take it. Doctor Morgan decided that she would talk at Kurt, letting him comfortable and not watched if he chose to take the sketchpad.
"I'm going to tell you a story," Doctor Morgan began, hoping that Kurt would be slightly more at ease, "There was a young boy, like yourself, who came to see me a few years ago due to bullying at his school. He wouldn't talk to me and would bottle everything up, keeping his emotions under iron chains. It sometimes caused him to lash out at his loved ones, even though he knew that they weren't trying to help him. The boy loved to write so we came up with the idea that he would have a feelings box in his room, giving him the opportunity to write down how he felt at any opportune moment. When that had been embedded, we included the rule that every day, he would share just one feeling with his loved ones. He would choose a random note from the box and share it. It didn't matter if it was a happy or sad one, but it gave him the chance to open up and share."
Doctor Morgan was very aware at this point that Kurt had slowly grabbed the sketchpad and was drawing something as she spoke. It helped that he felt at ease with her rambling on about another tactic that she wanted to try that worked with another patient.
"I thought that maybe we could trial this technique for you, to encourage you to share your feelings and thoughts and then see how we get one with it. It doesn't have to be writing. It could be drawings or it could be that you put songs to how you feel and then choose a song to sing. That might be more suitable for you," Doctor Morgan continued to speak, watching her patient.
When Kurt slid the sketchpad back across the bed to her, Doctor Morgan gestured to the pad, "May I?"
Kurt nodded in response and the doctor picked up the pad to view the drawing.
There were two men in the picture and one man was holding a shovel, while the other man was lying at the bottom of a hole in the ground, looking terrified. It didn't take long to realise that one man was burying the other. The thing that truly troubled Doctor Morgan was the words: "Still alive."
The doctor felt sick to her stomach. She didn't know if something like this had already happened to Kurt, whether he had been threatened or whether he was having vivid nightmares about something like this happening to him. Kurt had previously told her that he felt like he was drowning, with no possible way out. That could link in with the being buried alive drawing, but surely he would have drawn a picture of him drowning instead? Alice thought back to the state Kurt was in when she entered his bedroom and she made the connection that Kurt had just had a nightmare or flashback linked to the being buried alive situation. The doctor was horrified at the very thought of this and she couldn't imagine what poor Kurt was going through. She had to do her best to help him.
In the time she had been analysing his drawing, Kurt had rolled over onto his side away from the doctor and shut his eyes, blocking out the situation and choosing to retreat into his head instead.
Doctor Morgan knew that she wouldn't get any more out of Kurt, so chose to leave it there instead of trying and agitating her patient, "Get some rest, Kurt. I'll see you again soon."
The doctor observed the young boy for a moment, feeling truly sorry for him, before grabbing her belongings and making her way out of his room and back down the stairs.
His loved ones jumped to their feet when the doctor entered the living room, staring at her as if she held all the answers.
"Did he say anything?" Burt demanded, desperate to hear what had gone down between the doctor and his son.
The doctor sadly shook her head, "No he did not. However he did draw a picture for me. I used the tactic of rambling on about something, which led him to believe I was distracted and that he was free to express himself on this sketchpad."
"What did he draw?" Finn asked, looking between the doctor and his parents.
Doctor Morgan glanced at Burt, who immediately understood what she was asking, "Blaine and Finn are staying. We're all in this together and we're all here to help Kurt."
The doctor nodded as she held out the sketchpad, "He drew a picture of him being buried alive by a man, who I guess is the main leader, Manson. I'm not certain if the picture emphasises how he feels at the moment with everything that has been going on, or if this actually took place or if he was threatened with it."
The wave of emotion that hit the Hudmel family and Blaine was like a tsunami, powerful enough to knock them off their feet. The idea that someone could have tried to bury Kurt alive, or had insinuated that they were going to do that to him was infuriating. How dare they?! No wonder Kurt was refusing to sleep if this was what he had been through. The thought of someone doing that was disturbing and evil. How could you watch someone, who was clearly alive struggle and call out for help as you attempted to kill them by causing them to suffocate as they were buried? It was all sickening!
"You don't know..." Burt managed to get out, unable to wrap his head around what was going on.
"I don't know, I'm afraid," Doctor Morgan replied apologetically, "I am hopeful that Kurt will reveal why he drew this when he is more responsive, but until then, we can only guess."
"What do we do now?" Blaine asked quietly, his voice breaking slightly as the thought of someone trying to harm Kurt in this way.
The doctor looked around the room, taking in how heartbroken each individual looked, "We have to get through to Kurt. We have to get past those walls he's shielded himself with and show him that we are here for him. He's protecting himself after the truth was revealed, but we need to show him that there is a safe place for him. It's going to take time, but it's got to be done. Otherwise Kurt could completely retreat into him and you could lose him."

*******************************************************************************

(Flashback)
It would all be over. He would finally be free if he just had the courage to do it. Manson, his men or the clients wouldn't be able to hurt him anymore. It would all be over. Sure, his family and friends would be upset, but they probably thought that he was dead already, or they had moved on. Kurt knew that months had passed since he had been snapped. His family had probably given up on him at this point.
He needed to man up. He could do this. He didn't want to suffer any longer. All he needed was a little courage. He suddenly thought back to the first time he met Blaine and how Blaine had texted him that word when he had all the issues with the bullies... 'courage'. All of that seemed so long ago.
Could he make his move before he was caught? Surely he would make a lot of noise, but hopefully by the time he was discovered, it would be done.
This was it. Kurt couldn't take it anymore. He was going to die. He had made his peace and accepted it. He was never going to leave this place. No one was looking for him, no one was coming to save him. He was all alone in the world.
Kurt took a deep breath and stood up, preparing himself for his final footsteps.
"Kurt?"
(Flashback)

The sound of his name being called pulled Kurt out of the memory and caused him to blink several times, adjusting to the reality he was in. He realised that he was sitting up in his own bed, propped up by a couple of pillows.
Blaine was sitting on the bed to him, watching him with worry in his eyes. Finn was standing at the foot of the bed, looking confused and upset at the same time.
"Hey little brother," Finn spoke softly, "Everyone misses you so much. We all do. All of our friends have been asking to see you, but obviously we told them no. I actually had to hold some of them back as they're so desperate to see if you're okay. They wanted you to know that they're thinking of you. Your phone has been practically blowing up with the number of notifications that you've got. I can read some of the messages out to you, if you want?"
No response. Blaine just sighed, as he took Kurt's hands in his, and nodded at Finn to start.
Finn cleared his throat, "Okay, this one is from Rachel and she... yeah. She hopes you're okay. The next is Brittany. She says how much you loves you and misses her dolphin. Santana says that she will help you cut a bitch. Wow dude, you have so many. Everyone in the New Directions and Warblers has messaged you, at least five times. Everyone wants to see you. It'll take me forever to read, so why don't I leave your phone here for you to read yourself?"
Finn placed the phone on the bed next to Kurt, but the latter didn't even look at it. Finn glance at Blaine, unsure what to do next.
Suddenly a voice came from the doorway, "Boys, can you excuse me for a second? I want to talk to Kurt."
Blaine and Finn both frowned at one another, but complied with the older man's wishes. Blaine squeezed Kurt's hand and kissed the top of his head, before he let go of him and left the room, shutting the door behind him.
Burt looked at his son, preparing what he was going to say in his head. Nothing was getting through to Kurt and they were trying everything. He refused to lose his son, so he was ready to try anger and tough love. He hoped that it would trigger something in Kurt and that Kurt would forgive him for all of this.
Burt braced himself for what was going to hopefully come, "Right, that's it! I refuse to put up with your childish ways any longer, Kurt Hummel! For nearly two weeks now, I have let you mope around in your bedroom, behaving like a teenager and acting as if the world revolves around you. Let me tell you kid, it doesn't! Your behaviour has affected me, Carole, Finn, Blaine and everyone else who loves you. It's like you don't care. Goddamn it, you're being so selfish Kurt, and I refuse to stand for it any longer. You need to get over all this! This is getting boring now. Come on Kurt, man up!"
The father hated himself for everything he had just said. He didn't mean any of it, but he had to try.
There was no response at first, until finally Kurt turned his head, "You can't say that."
A reaction! Burt jumped at it, "I can and I will! You're dragging this out, making a big deal out of all this! Get over it! It can't be as bad as you said! Why can't you get over this?"
That definitely triggered something in Kurt as the boy was on his feet, glaring at his father, releasing all the anguish as he screamed, "Get over it!? I can't fucking get over it! It's worse than I said. I haven't told you everything as I still can't believe it actually happened to me. I am never going to get over this! Because of those men, I am nothing more than a common whore. I fit with all the definitions of one. My innocence was ripped from me and I can never get it back! I lived in constant fear of my life! I couldn't deal with it and I came ever so close to killing myself, only falling at the last hurdle! Manson told me that my sore purpose was to be his good slut, who he'd have a go himself. He promised me that he'd ensure that I was catatonic and broken and only then he would slowly kill me, or just bury my body, not caring if I was actually dead at this point! He told me that I'd be screaming and crying, calling for my daddy, but no one cared about me anymore and that no one was ever coming to save me!"
Kurt's screams could be heard from every room in the house. The second he had started yelling, Carole, Finn and Blaine had come running. All they could do was stand and watch as Kurt seemed to release everything he had been feeling since the truth had shattered everything. There wasn't a dry eye in the house as Kurt finally revealed his pain to the world.
Kurt continued, his voice hoarse from screaming, "And now everyone knows! Everyone knows the truth about me. They all know how disgusting I am and how I am nothing more than a lowlife! I am broken beyond repair and that is never going to change. I've been ruined, no matter what anything says. I don't think I could ever make a big enough deal out of what happened to me. I will never get over this! I fucking wish I could, but I never will! I will always be reminded what a slut and a whore I am! There, does that answer your fucking question?"
The young boy's knees gave way as he collapsed to the floor, hysterically sobbing. Burt immediately dropped to the floor, gathering his son up in his arms and holding him tight. He couldn't stop his own tears as he listened to the painful sobs rapidly coming out of his son.
Burt placed a kiss to the top of Kurt's head and whispered, "I am so sorry that I had to do that, Kurt. I had to break through those walls that were guarding you. I can't lose you, not now!"
Kurt didn't answer his father as his hysterical sobs grew. Burt clutched onto his little boy as the emotion poured out of Kurt; something that should have been done two weeks previously. He couldn't focus on what Kurt had screamed at him for the time being. He needed to be there for his son. All that would come later.
For now, Burt held onto Kurt tightly as he rocked him back and forward as he cried. Carole, Finn and Blaine stood and watched the father and son in silence, while battling their own tears.