“Are you sure you're okay to go on your own tiger?” Sebastian asked as he looked over at the passenger side of the car where Blaine was just getting out.

“Yes… I mean… you don't know him and I'll introduce you if he's feeling up to it when he's more with it.. but…”  Blaine hesitated, looking back at his boyfriend who had taken the time to drive him to the hospital.  Generally Wes took him since Blaine otherwise didn't need a car and used the subway for his transportation, but Wes wasn't available today.

Sebastian smiled that trademark grin of his and nodded, “It's okay.  Let me know if you need anything or need a ride back to your place.”

Blaine breathed relief and said his goodbyes, exiting the vehicle and travelling into the now too familiar corridors of the hospital.  They hadn't discovered anything more about Kurt, if that really was still his name, and despite Wes' and the social worker's attempts to look into missing persons of New York, they hadn't found a match.  Still, they had over forty other states they could now start to look into.

It was a start.

Blaine and Wes usually spent their mutual free time at the hospital.  Even though Kurt still hadn't regained consciousness, at least not for more than a few bleary and confused minutes at a time, they had unofficially begun to use his room as a base in their efforts to find out who he was and where he had come from.  It was like their days growing up as kids, solving mysteries like ‘where can we find peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?' except this mystery was much more daunting, more depressing, and more consuming.

Each time Kurt seemed temporarily roused from his perpetual sleep, Blaine would rush over and Wes would call in a nurse or doctor if one was nearby.  His pupils were checked, his responses monitored, but every time it seemed like he was truly waking up and pulling himself out of the sleep that had consumed him, it pulled him back and he dropped off again.

The doctor said it was actually alright, and that, based on their charts, he was getting up more frequently and logging more seconds every time.

If that was the case, why did every instant he did it seem so much shorter to Blaine?

Today he was alone on his quest to find out more about his sleeping beauty, sitting in the worn out old orange chair and propping open his laptop on the rolling tray that would have normally been used to hold meals for Kurt had he been capable of eating and not just absorbing his nutrients.  Today, Blaine decided, he would look through missing persons of Rhode Island.  It was small, close, and might easily be checked off their list if he could get through it.  

Wes and Blaine had still not discussed the idea of Kurt coming from outsides the U.S.A… they could only handle so much at once.

The process was time consuming.  Blaine didn't know how long Kurt had been lost for so he had to look at all the photos and composite sketches from children right up to adults.  The little kids were the hardest to look at.  Little boys that had disappeared in the night or been taken by a relative, usually a parent in a custody battle that didn't want to risk losing their kid.  Blaine would have to assess the fine details - eye colour, the way Kurt's earlobes swooped and arched, hairline… and then compare it to those of the kids.  He really didn't want to get close and have to call a parent that had been missing a child for over a decade and give them what might be false hope that they had found their missing family member.

So far he had been lucky enough not to have to.

The social worker also suggested to them that Kurt might have been an orphan that grew up in a group home and became independant upon turning eighteen.   He might not have been reported missing because there would have been no one to have reported him missing in the first place.  It was a grim thought and one they set to the side for after they had exhausted the missing persons lists.

They had had a dentist come in a few times, first to check his teeth, then to do a few fillings, and then to work on the teeth in the back that needed root canals.  The doctor and dentist both said it was easier to do while he was asleep.  At the whining whizzing of the drill, Blaine couldn't help but agree.  The dentist was not his favourite place - not when he liked sweets as much as he did.

They were also apprised of any changes in his medication or treatment.  Wes initially argued it, saying they shouldn't have that privilege since they weren't next of kin, but the social worker argued back that someone who seemed to care should know - just in case.  

He was still on antibiotics he was getting intravenously, as well as a buffer solution (Wes seemed to understand what that was for - something about the pneumonia).  A nutritional formula was also administered intravenously.  He was periodically given medication for pain via injection, the night nurse saying that he seemed to cry out the most in his sleep when he dreamt during late night.  At one point the doctor told Blaine that they had changed from one type of antibiotic to another and Blaine couldn't even pronounce either of the medication's names.  

He had begun to deeply appreciate Wes being there to help him out.

Blaine had been there for an hour that night when Kurt awoke the first time, whimpering softly and looking around in confusion, and as always Blaine rushed over but pressed the call button for the nurse since Wes wasn't there.  Again they checked him over and again Kurt fell back asleep within minutes.  Each time he awoke, he looked like he was lost in a dream, not really seeing anyone around him but seeing through them.

The next time Kurt woke up was a half hour past that and the routine followed the same as it had earlier.  Blaine always called out Kurt's name to see if he recognized it or at least responded to it, but, as had consistently become the case, Kurt just looked ahead with his bright blue eyes and whined.

The third time though was different.  

Blaine was getting ready to go walk to the cafeteria to pick up whatever reheated item they had on special and stretch his legs when a small, almost inaudible voice piped up.

“Where am I?”

Blaine's head snapped around and he saw Kurt looking around, though not with the usual glossed over vacant look he had when he had woken up before, this time he was really focusing and trying to take in his surroundings - specially Blaine.

Blaine's first instinct was to press the call button.

His second was to try to see if there really was a difference this time.  

“Kurt?”

“Trust fund kid?”

Blaine laughed, the sudden shrillness of it making Kurt shrink back in surprise and Blaine slapped his hands over his mouth before letting his fingers unravel from over it.  “You're awake!”

“Fucking apparently….”

That was all Kurt was able to get out because the nurse rushed in, and upon a quick check of Kurt's responsiveness, a doctor followed.  Blaine stood back, watching as Kurt winced when the light was shined in his eyes, gritting his teeth when the cool metal of the stethoscope was applied to him, and demanded to know just what the hell was going on from the white jacketed people around him.

The social worker was alerted, and she too joined the fray, standing back with Blaine while a few more preliminary checks were done and the doctor informed Kurt of his list of ailments and the treatments for said ailments before letting Kurt know he'd be back to check on him again in an hour.

“Well fuck.”

“Charming.” The social worker noted, being awarded a glare from the bed ridden boy.

Blaine finished shooting off a text to Wes who was already planning to join him as soon as he could and then noted, “He's quite dapper can't you tell?”

“You two are fucking comedians.  Who the hell is she and what the hell are you doing here again trust fund kid?”

Blaine tipped his head to the side, regarding how amazing it was that the body could go through that much trauma but still retain all the brain cells required to swear and spit that much.  “I was called when you were picked up… and this is your social worker, assigned by the state.  She's been the one looking after you.”

“Right.  Well in case you haven't noticed my balls have dropped so I don't need a social worker.”

“Oh good.  Clients are always so much more fun when they have a chip on their shoulder.” The woman casually remarked and flipped open her clipboard.  “Kurt's your name right?”

Kurt's eyes flicked from the woman, back to Blaine accusingly, and then back to her, “Yes.”

“And the last name is…?”

“Why do you need to know?”

“So we can properly document and -”

“No.”

“Is there a reason you don't want to share your last name?”

“Yes.”

“Are you going to elaborate on that?”

“No.”

“Perhaps we could discuss this and -”

“No.”

Blaine smirked at the exchange.  Really he wasn't surprised.  If anything he was still elated by Kurt's sudden awakening and happy to see that there was still a spark in him.  For now, the social worker also seemed to see that the route she was going was pointless and changed course.

“You were dropped off in an alleyway.”

“If you say so.”

“You don't remember?”

“Last thing I remember was… “  Kurt looked away and up at the ceiling, and Blaine could almost hear the gears turning in Kurt's head as he tried to think, “.... I don't know… I was feeling like shit.”  He looked down at all the tubes in his arms and wrists, “Apparently I still am feeling like shit…”

“You might want to think on it Kurt.  Now that you're awake the police will want to question you.”

“They can ask all they want.  I'm not saying shit to them.”

“Do you have a criminal record?”

“No.”

“Then why do you feel hostile towards them?”

Kurt shrugged, looking away from them and towards the floor.

“Alright… well… I need to contact my superiors.  Will you be alright with Blaine for a few minutes?”

“Blaine… right… trust fund kid…. sure.”

When the door was closed on them, it suddenly became much more quiet than it had been when Blaine had been working and Kurt had been asleep, like they were both holding their breath.  Blaine took a cautious step towards the bed, then another, remembering just how hostile Kurt had been the last time he had been in the hospital.

“Can I get you anything?”

“Cigarettes?”  Kurt caught himself and then shook his head.  “Nevermind.  Probably won't let me have any in here anyhow.”

“Probably right.” Blaine replied softly.

“Why're you here?”

“They called me when you were brought in… I'm the only one that has a name connected to you in any form from when I paid for your last hospital stay.”

“Huh.”  Kurt turned his head back and looked at Blaine, “Well that was kind of stupid of you.”

Blaine chuckled and nodded, “Yes.  My friends and family all agree on that.  Because of you I've had to get a job to pay off my debts.”

Kurt snickered a little, “You're welcome.  I hope you're not turning tricks though.  Not a good livelihood.  Wouldn't recommend it.”

Blaine shook his head, still smiling at Kurt's attempt at humor, “No.  Animal shelter.”

“Fucking adorable…. should've figured….”  Kurt looked down at his hands again, “Does all of me look like shit or just my hands?”

“Pretty much all of you right now.”

Kurt let out a single laugh, “Well.  Guess I'll have to rely on my brains now since my beauty is gone.”

“Once your system is cleared of all the things you let yourself get sick with and you're eating and moving again you'll be fine Kurt.  Assuming you take care of yourself after all this….”

Kurt was quiet again, still looking down.  Eventually he nodded, “Yes…”

“Yes?”

“Fuck… yes.  Yes I want to not be on shit or doing shit or… “  He brought a hand up, the tubes coming with it as he carefully brushed back his hair.  “... I don't know.  I know I just can't keep on like I have been…. I already figured that out before I got sick but then I got sick and… well… fuck.”

“You know your social worker is right hey?  You really are charming.” Blaine teased, giving Kurt the opportunity to ease himself out of what he was clearly uncomfortable doing - namely being serious and straightforward.

Kurt grinned, then winced, “Fuck.  It feels like someone was drilling around in my mouth while I was out.  You do anything kinky to me while I was asleep trust fund?”

Blaine laughed, “No.  You had some dental work done courtesy of New York.”

“Well damn.  I better start brushing again then hey?”

Blaine smiled.  “Yah.  You'd better.”