With Karofsky gone and Azimio watching his own tongue now after the example set by Karofsky's departure, things were much easier on shift for Kurt.  Things went quicker, the new recruit that replaced Karofsky had boundless energy that helped get jobs done faster, and Kurt felt more free than ever to check out Blaine when his back was turned, no longer worried about homophobics (or closet homosexuals for that matter) making comments on his ogling eyes.

He was still a teenaged boy in his core after all.  Kurt was well aware it would do no one any good to act on his crush, see if Blaine felt the same, or even flirt playfully.  He couldn't get his hopes up because if there was one rule that was maintained at the warehouse, it was that there were to be no relationships of that manner.  It was one of the major reasons why the bosses only hired male Dents - to avoid relationship issues, but Kurt couldn't imagine they'd be supportive of a same-sex relationship either, especially one that was doomed to separation eventually.  Blaine was in until the mandatory age release of nineteen and Kurt only had less than a year.  

Kurt still hadn't told Blaine that little detail yet.  He didn't want to impose a time limit on their friendship when he didn't even know if they'd ever see one another again after he was released.  For now, Kurt just wanted to enjoy his time with Blaine and secretly look forward to seeing his dad again.

“Hey.  How do you do this?”  Blaine asked, shuffling his math module towards Kurt so he could take a look.

“Mmm…”  Kurt said, thinking as he took a sip of juice before grabbing a pencil and sketching out the process for Blaine, “Algebra.  Nice.”

Blaine chuckled and just shook his head as he watched Kurt and listened to his explanation of how to go through the process.  “How have you been able to teach yourself how to do this stuff?  I honestly need a teacher to guide me…. this is so much harder to try and figure out on your own…”

Kurt smiled and went back to working on an outline for the english essay assignment in front of him.  “Really… I've been doing it for so long now I don't remember what having a teacher is like.”

Blaine sighed, scratched his head with the pointed end of his pencil, and then went back to work on his math.  “I wish I didn't remember.  School was so much easier than this and yet I thought it was so hard when I was in it… thankfully I have you at least to help me out.”

Kurt just grinned and shrugged, leading them back into silence to get their schoolwork done so they could have some free time later.  Most of the guys in the warehouse weren't nearly as studious as Kurt and Blaine were - usually rushing through modules right before they were due and barely passing, if they passed at all.  Kurt didn't want to end up behind though when he got out, so he had always made a concerted effort not to get behind and to try and understand everything he was doing.

It would have been easier to focus though if Blaine hadn't been sniffing and snuffling every minute though.

“You should go to the bathroom if you need to blow you nose.”  Kurt said quietly, pointedly, wanting to get his work done and having a hard time focusing with the constant interruptions.

“Sorry…”  Blaine murmured, ducking his head down and trying to focus in on his math.

The sniffling continued though, and Kurt managed to get his english done, but only by sighing in exasperation every time Blaine's nose started getting too noisy for his liking which prompted Blaine to finally go empty it out in the washroom.  The warehouse was always dusty, so stuffy noses were the norm - Kurt would have just preferred that Blaine deal with it rather than ignore it.

Except it became clear that it was more than just a stuffy nose when Blaine's eyes started watering during their free time, in which they chose to watch a movie in one of the backrooms.  

“It's not a sad movie….”  Kurt noted in confusion as he looked over at Blaine who was rubbing his eyes to the point of rubbing them right out.

“I know… they're just… they feel like they're burning from behind…”

Kurt frowned and lifted a hand which he placed to Blaine's forehead.  “Jeeze Blaine…. you have a fever…”

“Oh…”

Kurt rolled his eyes, turned off the TV, and proceeded to lead the man-child friend of his to his palette where he helped him on with his socks and gloves and tucked him in.  “God Blaine… if you were sick you should have just said so…”

Blaine made a small whine, grinning weakly up at Kurt who proceeded to go and get him a second blanket as he chanted his mother's old mantra of “Feed a fever, starve a cold.” she used on him when he was small and sick.

“I'll bring you some water, which you'll drink all down.  We'll flush the sick out of you.”  Kurt said.  Blaine just gave him a little nod in return, though was already asleep when Kurt came back with the water.

“Goofball…”  Kurt said with a smirk, shaking his head and setting the water down before going to shower himself and put himself to bed, sure that Blaine would feel better in the morning.

But when Blaine didn't show up for his morning shift and Kurt went to check on him, he found that the fever was still in full force and Blaine was whimpering softly, complaining his his whole body aching and being on fire.

“I'll see if I can get the bosses to bring in a nurse or doctor Blaine….”  Kurt said softly, reaching to squeeze Blaine's hand gently and not try to convey the fact the he was officially worried now.

The bosses promised to call the Dent Medical line and get someone in, telling Kurt to check in with them after his shift to ensure it was done.  His whole shift was agonizing, knowing that Blaine was having to lay in that cot alone, no one to watch over him or check up on him to make sure he was okay or if he needed anything.  

By the time his shift was over, Kurt was running to the palettes, finding Blaine still fixed in place where he had left him earlier that day, reeking of piss and vomit which was puddled on the floor.  In shock, Kurt stood in the little doorway, watching Blaine just whimper and cry to himself, completely unaware of Kurt's presence.  Why hadn't anyone come?  Why did Kurt even worry about work if this was what it meant?

He ran to the office, telling the bosses that Blaine was worse.  They assured him that the Dent Medical line said someone would be in tomorrow to check on Blaine.

“Not good enough!  He's really sick!”  Kurt huffed.

“Well that's the best we can do.”

It infuriated Kurt, but he didn't have any power, certainly not enough to fight them on the matter and get himself in trouble.  He returned to the palette room with a washbucket, clean clothes, and new blankets.  First he cleaned off the vomit, hiding his nose inside the top of his shirt cuff to mute the stench as he did.  Then he peeled off the sticky blankets and pulled Blaine up, leading him to the shower slowly with much of his weight supported by Kurt.

“Where we goin'?”  Blaine murmured, half-way there already.

“You need to be washed.”

“Mmm…. kay.”

Kurt only took a moment to hesitate, to see if Blaine could wash himself so he could avoid having to strip his friend down himself and clean him - but it was abundantly clear by the way Blaine was wobbling in place and so out of sorts that he wouldn't be able to do that.  

So Kurt stripped him down, blushing and averting his gaze when it came to revealing Blaine's most private parts, and led him into the shower.  Despite the fact that it meant his clothes would get sprayed, Kurt stayed dressed as he helped Blaine wash up, shampoo and condition his hair, and dry off.

“M' naked…”  Blaine noted blearily, looking down at himself while Kurt fumbled to get him into clean clothes after the whole process.

“Yes you are.” Kurt said stiffly, struggling to get Blaine's foot through a pant leg.

“Did we have sex?”

Kurt made a small choking sound as his breath seemed to have trouble passing when his ears registered the question, ears burning red to the tips.  “No.  I… I just helped you shower!”

“Oh.  Too bad.”

Kurt couldn't handle this.  He had no medical training.  Everything he knew came from memories of his mom or school health modules.  He knew Blaine probably needed medicine, or some kind of mature adult overseeing his care, and Kurt was worried he was going to make Blaine worse.

But what choice did he have?

Once dressed, he led Blaine back to Palette Town, taking him to his own room and laying him down in his own cot.  It didn't reek of urine in there at least, he told himself.  He left only to get fresh blankets, water, and some advil to help with Blaine's fever, making him take it this time and not letting him fall back asleep until he had.

Then he rested against the cot, sitting on the floor, and watched and waited for Blaine to get better.  He had to get better.

Despite the advil, Blaine's fever got worse throughout the night, and Kurt went to get cold cloths to set on his forehead to try and help the burning he complained of.  

“I don't wanna be sick Kurt…”  Blaine whined softly, looking towards him with slitted eyes that seemed pained by any light.

“I know Blaine… doctor or nurse will be in tomorrow… then you'll be okay.  They'll make you okay…”

“You should kiss me better.”

Again Kurt's ears ran red, as did his cheeks.  “God you're a goof when you're sick.”

“But I always want you to kiss me…”

“You're sick Blaine.”  Kurt sighed, remoistening the now hot rag in the bucket of ice water he had beside the bed before reapplying it.  “You don't know what you want.”

“You looked up at me when I first saw you… I wanted you then.”

Kurt was quickly transported back to that first memory he had of meeting Blaine, being so angry and eyes snapping up to meet Blaine's.  Blaine tattling to his father.  He remembered that?

“You were a kid.  You didn't know what you wanted.”

“Still a kid… but know that I want you…”

If Kurt's hair could blush, it would have, as the rest of his body was already flush with nervous embarrassment.  It had to be the sickness talking.

“Shh… Blaine… when you're better, we can talk about it….”

“Kiss me?”

Kurt chuckled, “No.  For one, you're sick and I don't want whatever it is you have right now.  Two, we'd get in trouble.  Three, you'd probably regret it when you felt better.”

“You don't like me?”

Kurt rolled his eyes.  It was like talking with Blaine from years ago.  So immature and uninhibited.  “I like you Blaine… I always have… but… “  He sighed.  “You need to get better.”

“Mmm… okay… then you'll kiss me.”  Blaine murmured sleepily, mouth smacking as he rolled onto his side and flung an arm around Kurt's waist as much as he could before dozing off.

Kurt grinned down at the little bit of affection he had received, though gently unwound himself from it, not willing to get himself in trouble, or Blaine, by being caught like that.  He could explain why Blaine was in his room, but not that.

“Kurt Hummel?”

Kurt blinked a few times at the unfamiliar voice speaking his real name outside of his room.  He got to his feet and crept out, coming face to face with two officers.

“Oh good.  Are you here to see -YEOW!”

Without warning, one of the officers had put something behind his ear and now he had a throbbing pain back there.  He reached up to clamp a hand over it, which was pulled away by the offending officer and replaced with a cotton ball.  “Hold that there for a moment until the bleeding subsides.”

“What that?”  Kurt looked between them, then down at the device they had jammed behind his ear which held a little chip with his blood and skin on it.

Oh.

His digital ID tag.

“Kurt Hummel.  You have served your time.  Your forms are with your guardian who is outside waiting for you.”

“Huh?”  He looked back up.  “Guardian?  My dad?”

“As you are no longer an Indentured Servant, you must immediately leave these premises.”

“Wait… what?”

“Follow us.”

“But Blaine….”  Kurt looked back at the Palette Room, “He's really sick and needs help.”

“Indentured Medical Support will be notified.  What is his ID?”

“AB216.”

One of the officers pushed several buttons on a keypad and then nodded, “Very good.  Follow us now.”

Confusion.  If there was a word to describe how Kurt felt in that moment, that was it.  He followed them, a blur of emotions and feelings, but overwhelmingly confused.  Didn't he have another year?  Was Blaine going to be okay?  Was his dad really out there?

The last question was answered as soon as he stepped outside.  There, facing him, slightly aged but definitely the same person, was his dad.

“Kurt!”

“Dad!”

He was free.