Blaine's could see his jacket pocket vibrating all through his Thursday afternoon dance class relentlessly, but Cassandra July would kill him if he answered the phone going off inside it. So instead he kept dancing, trying to convince himself that it was just a relentless telemarketer.

When class finally did end and Ms. July informed him to be less distracted next week or she'd make sure he really knew what it meant to be distracted (whatever that meant), he grabbed his jacket and shoulder bag and checked his phone as soon as he was in the hallway. Call after call from Kurt, and sixteen missed text messages. Instead of checking them, he called Kurt right away who picked up immediately.

"Blaine. She's sick. She's been vomiting. I'm at the E.R. She's got a fever and she's been trembling and I don't know what's wrong and I need you here and. -"

"I'm on the way Kurt. Just... just calm down alright. Kids get sick. It'll be fine." Was he convincing Kurt or himself? Julie had yet to get sick and she was almost a year old now.

He made a dash for the exit and hailed a cab, not wanting to have to wait even a minute for a subway car. If there was one good thing about New York, it was that there was always a cab around, you just needed to have the stomach to handle their driving.

When he got to the hospital, he checked in with the ER and was directed to the children's emergency area where Kurt had already checked Julie in. He found Kurt, rocking back and forth on a chair, with Julie in his arms, whimpering against him, in a private room.

"Oh Blaine...." Kurt looked to him with panic. What struck Blaine first was how casually Kurt was dressed - T-shirt and jeans, which meant he really was afraid.

Blaine dropped his jacket and bag on the bed in the room, moving to Kurt and Julie and putting a hand on Julie's forehead which was burning. He frowned and looked to Kurt, "Have you seen a doctor yet?"

Kurt shook his head, "But I have seen a nurse who checked her all in, took her temperature, and did all the basic tests. She hasn't eaten or drank at all today, and has been vomiting up constantly. Our apartment smells of bile and I didn't bother to clean it before coming here. She's been hot and that baby tylenol didn't do a damn thing to help it. She's also had this really odd barking kind of cough....."

Blaine reached around to gently rub Kurt's back, trying to soothe him. "A barking cough sounds like croup... but I don't know about the rest."

"She's stuffy too... and it seems like everything hurts in her..." Kurt's eyes were tearing up and Blaine reached to take Julie from him. Kurt looked at him tentatively, but then held Julie out, revealing the sweat stain she had made on his T-shirt where she was resting against.

"Da...." Julie whined, looking at Kurt as she was pulled away and Kurt made a small whimper at the separation. Once Julie processed that it was Blaine taking her though, she snuggled up against him and he could feel just how hot she was. He was glad he hadn't changed out of his dance clothing which in this New York winter weather, would otherwise cause him to be freezing right now.

"You need to go and take an ativan Kurt. She needs you to be calm right now. She feeds off your emotions." Blaine directed. Kurt was prescribed ativan to take when going to the dentist since he had an unnatural fear of dentists, and Blaine knew he carried around a couple pills with him at all times "just in case". Just in case was definitely now.

Kurt bit his lower lip gently, looking at Julie intently for a moment, because standing up and leaving the room.

Blaine sat down on the hospital bed, gently rocking Julie who coughed against his shoulder, and it definitely sounded like a croup cough with that seal like bark. He sighed and pressed a kiss into her sweat soaked hair, which hadn't really grown out all that much since they got her. Every now and then she shuddered like she was cold, but her body was a furnace.

"Da...." A little sniffle came along with the word she used for both of them.

"I'm here sweetie... Dad has you." He rocked her gently and softly began singing A Dream is a Wish Your Hearts Makes to her. He had ensured he knew the full catalog of disney songs when she had come along.

Kurt reappeared after a minute, a cup of water in his hand. He looked a little more mellow, though still worried as he watched Blaine sing to Julie. Blaine whispered over Julie's head to him, "How about you call Rachel or Finn and ask them to deal with the apartment while we're here? We don't want to bring her back there if the smell will make her sick again."

Kurt sighed and left the room again. Ultimately Blaine wanted to make sure Kurt was fully calmed down before returning. Julie truly did emulate Kurt's feelings, and often to an exaggerated amount. If he was frustrated, she would have a tantrum. If he was moping, she was bawling. When he was happy, she was giggling like crazy. Blaine didn't want to see what could come of Kurt being this anxious around her.

Another few minutes passed and Kurt entered again, this time looking a lot more relaxed. He sat in the chair provided in the room. "They'll take care of it. Rachel said she's sanitize everything just in case whatever bug Julie must have is on anything...."

Blaine smiled softly over to Kurt. "Thank you." He peeked down at Julie, who was trying to sleep on him, but clearly in too much pain to get completely relaxed, little eyes opened in slits and wincing at every little movement she made.

A blonde woman in scrubs entered then, holding the chart that had been clipped to the door of the room, "Julie... Hummel-Anderson?" she asked, looking toward them.

Both of them nodded towards her, and she looked back down at the chart. "Alright. Coughing, fever, chills, vomiting, stuffiness.... how's her bowel movements?"

"Runny... and she has a rash down there...." Kurt noted, making a face like he couldn't believe he forgot to mention that.

"Alright... you want to lay her on the bed and let me look at her?"

Blaine nodded and set Julie down gently on the bed, Kurt reaching to take one of her hands while Blaine took the other, "Just like nap time Julie-bean."

The doctor pressed the stethoscope to her chest and stomach, Julie whining at the touch of cold metal on her skin. "I'm going to have a nurse come and swab her mouth and we'll see what's going on here..."

Both the boys nodded gratefully and the doctor left the room, with no more information on what might be happening. Kurt huffed and reached to take Julie in his arms. She snuffled and tucked her face into the crook of his neck as cuddled her against him.

Blaine took the hands free moment to quickly shoot a text off to his parents and Kurt's parents letting them know Julie was in the hospital and what was going on, as well as one to Rachel and Finn thanking them for helping out and that he would keep them posted.

After another fifteen minutes, a nurse finally came in and took a few swabs from Julie's mouth and promised Kurt that she would return with a better pain reliever for her than the baby tylenol.

She did thankfully return, within a few minutes, with a little baby sized purple popsicle which Julie eyed up hungrily. Kurt made a face at it, but the nurse explained that they had the best luck administering medicine via popsicles instead of trying to force kids to drink the liquid stuff. Blaine held the popsicle while Julie sucked on it eagerly. Clearly her appetite wasn't gone, just her ability to keep the food down. Blaine hoped she'd be able to handle this as he didn't think purple puke was something he could handle right now. Once the popsicle was gone and Julie had a purple ring around her lips, she snuggled back into Kurt's chest and lazily laid there, every now and then coughing and trembling in turn.

So they waited, and waited. After a half hour, Julie's fever was gone and she was sleeping soundly on Kurt while Blaine looked outside of the room and tried to flag down a nurse to no avail. Fifteen minutes after that, Kurt had dozed off while still holding Julie. Blaine was left to oversee them both until the doctor returned a half hour after Kurt had fallen asleep.

"Lab tests indicate that it's Mono, RSV, and croup. She's got a triple doozy there."

Blaine furrowed up his brow, wondering how Julie had managed that since Kurt and him kept her so clean. The doctor went on to explain that the mono was probably causing the lethargy, and the nausea. The RSV (Respiratory syncytial virus) was just like having a cold if you were an adult, but in the weaker immune system of a child it caused fever and respiratory infections. Finally, the croup was causing the cough. The three illnesses working in tandem just amplified each of them.

"I'd like to keep her overnight for observation. You are both welcome to stay as her parents. RSV usually goes away on it's own, as does mono. The croup takes a little longer, but also tends to take care of itself. However with her having all three, I want to make sure her breathing is alright and we also need to make sure she gets nutrition in her so she doesn't starve."

Blaine just nodded, looking over at his sleeping husband and child as the doctor talked about getting pedialyte to supplement her nutritional needs, and that she would be prescribing some stronger child painkillers - the same that were in the popsicle.

"How... how did this happen?" Blaine asked at one point, looking at the doctor with a creased brow.

"Could have been anything Mr. Hummel-Anderson... It probably didn't happen all at once either. She probably had one of them, and it wasn't really bothering her until she got another one, which just made her susceptible to the third. They all can be caught very easily, and they're also all very common, and I have yet to meet a kid who hasn't had at least one of them. Don't feel bad. It's normal for kids to get sick."

Blaine sighed and looked at his hands which he was wringing together, "Thank you doctor..."

She left the room with that and Blaine laid himself back on the hospital bed since it was otherwise not being used. He updated the family through texts and laid there, trying to fall asleep as well since Kurt and Julie seemed to be enjoying the rest, but with no success on his part. His phone buzzed in his hands and he looked at the screen.

Do you need me to come out? - Mom

Don't worry about it Mom. - Blaine

Are you sure? - Mom

We're going to see you in a couple weeks anyhow for Christmas. -Blaine

I don't mind. - Mom

Really. We'll be fine. -Blaine

Okay. Just let me know if you change your mind. -Mom

Blaine sighed and put his phone back down. His mother needed a hobby other than her granddaughter. He was sure she'd come live with them to help with Julie if they'd allow it. It wasn't that he didn't love his mother, it's just that he didn't want to live with her anymore.

Another buzzing and Blaine looked at his phone.

I had to buy a whole lot of lysol for your place! - Rachel

Sorry. - Blaine

Thanks a lot! Now Finn is saying he never wants kids! - Rachel

I promise to make it up to you. - Blaine

Just make sure she stays healthy. If I never have kids I need to be able to spoil her. -Rachel

Yes ma'am. - Blaine

Blaine went to his calendar and looked through the schedule for the next couple weeks. His eyes went wide as a date for tomorrow came up and he turned his head to his sleeping family.

"Kurt..."

Kurt murmured and nuzzled his nose into Julie's hair, otherwise unresponsive.

Blaine frowned. Kurt had a final tomorrow in intermediate acting theory. He wondered if Kurt had even had a chance to study or remembered about it at this point. Blaine considered phoning the school to see if he could see have the test rescheduled for Kurt but checking the time, he saw that the NYADA office would be closed by now. How did time go slowly yet so fast in a hospital?

Rachel. Kurt has a test tomorrow. -Blaine

Oh no! The IAT test! It's supposed to be brutal! -Rachel

Right. Know how to get ahold of the prof. for that at all? - Blaine

No. The guy is so old I don't even think he knows how to use a regular phone. -Rachel

Any ideas? -Blaine

Pray to the acting gods? -Rachel

You're no help. -Blaine

I'll ask around. -Rachel

Thanks. -Blaine

Blaine continued to lie on the bed, counting the tiles on the ceiling and then counting them again. At some point, he managed to doze off, being woken by a soft cry near him and Kurt's voice shhhing Julie.

He looked over and saw that Kurt was now standing and rocking Julie gently as he paced back and forth. Blaine sat up and looking inquiringly at his husband who informed him, "The fever is back..."

Blaine nodded and got up, walking into the now dimmed hallway to find a nurse and see about getting another medicine popsicle. Through the hallway, he discovered that theirs was not the only child crying in the ward, and surmised that the children's section of the hospital must be well soundproofed.

A nurse he had yet to meet was at the nurses station and he hopped to his feet and immediately got a painkiller popsicle out of the freezer and handed it to Blaine who thanked him. When Julie saw the popsicle on his return, she held out her hands to it and whined.

"We're going to have to teach you please soon Julie-bean." Blaine grinned and held the popsicle again as she sucked on it, happy for what she saw as a treat.

As she worked on it, Blaine whispered to Kurt. "You have a final tomorrow."

Kurt nodded. So he hadn't forgotten.

"You should go home and study and have a decent sleep and I'll stay with her."

"Like hell I will." Kurt responded, and Blaine could see him getting tense.

"Sweetie..."

"Don't sweetie me. I'm not leaving her when she feels bad. It's not what I signed up for. Do you really think I'd be able to focus on studying anyhow if I went home?"

Blaine sighed. "No."

"Then don't worry about it. I'm not leaving you guys."

Blaine just stayed quiet, throwing out the popsicle stick once Julie had sucked all the juice out of it and had thoroughly gnawed on it with her little teeth. He helped Kurt lay on the bed with Julie wrapped in his arms and pulled the pathetic little blanket over them. "Try to rest anyhow..."

At that point a new doctor arrived, younger and male, who introduced himself and said he was there to check on Julie's vitals and breathing. Again the diagnostic tests were performed and again they were left after the doctor seemed to think everything was satisfactory for the moment. Blaine tried again to get his family to sleep, singing Part of Your World to them now.

By the time the song was done, Kurt was asleep again and Julie was almost there. Her little eyes watching Blaine through heavy eyelashes. He smiled down at her and gave her nose a kiss, "Poor little girl. So tough to be such a cute baby."

She made a little fussy sound and huddled against Kurt again, dozing almost instantly. He sat back in the chair and checked his text messages.

Couldn't find anything. Sorry. -Rachel

Update? -Burt

Are you sure you don't want me to come? -Mom

How's my niece? -Finn

Blaine chuckled and made the appropriate responses to the family before leaning back in the seat. He could smell himself. He half debated between asking if there was a shower available since the sweat from his dancing hours ago had obviously settled into his clothing. He knew he was stuck with it though for now. Blaine couldn't just leave them.

The rest of the night was fitful at best. They woke up regularly to Julie's crying and coughing and each time tried to settle her back down. They were both hungry, but neither would leave to find food, and even though they had short naps, their sleep was unrestful and their eyes were both red with exhaustion.

By the time morning came, it felt like Blaine had been steamrolled over a few times. He ached, and his head was pounding, his arms were sore from holding Julie so much, and his eyes just burned. Kurt looked no better, in fact he probably looked worse because worry affected him so much more.

When the doctor came in to check on Julie, he announced that they could go home since it looked like she was not having any issues with her breathing and no infection was present in her lungs. They both breathed relief, collected their items and the prescriptions and caught a cab home.

"I'll get this filled once I'm done my exam..." Kurt said, holding the prescription as they walked in the door, Blaine holding Julie.

"You're going to write it?" Blaine asked, slightly aghast at the suggestion.

Kurt shrugged, "It's worth half of my final mark. I don't really have a choice."

Blaine balked, but didn't argue. He went to bed, taking Julie with him and listening as Kurt showered, got ready, and left again.

Kurt ended up getting the top mark on the exam that day.

This whole chapter was based on something that really did occur with one of my kids. The only difference is that instead of an intermediate acting theory class, it was an advanced integrated calculus class. Booyah!