“Are you going to kick me again?” The doctor asked Kurt after he had said he needed to check Kurt's lower anatomy.  

“Last time you said you just needed to look.  You said nothing about putting your cold, clammy hands on my junk.”  Kurt grunted back, already uncomfortable with being checked over.  The doctor gave him a full check up daily, and he was tired of being poked and prodded as if anything had really changed all that much.

“Alright, well, just so you know then, part of my check is to ensure there's no infections or other concerns down there.  Your antibiotic regimen is done so if there is something going on there, we'd like to catch it before you leave the hospital.”

Kurt exhaled heavily and rolled his eyes, dropping his head back to his pillow, “Fine.  Just don't get too grabby unless you intend to pass me some cash.”

He grimaced through the touching, intermingled with periods of absence as the doctor scrawled notes on his clipboard.  Kurt had grabbed the clipboard that hung on the end of his bed once and tried to make sense of it all, but all that happened was he gave himself a headache.

When it was over and he was allowed to put his gown back on, the doctor grinned at him, “Well, everything looks pretty good.  Ready to rejoin civilized society?”

Kurt huffed, trying to redo the snaps on the back of the gown to give him some modesty, “Nothing civilized about it.  Are you trying to tell me I can leave?”

The doctor nodded, “Just as soon as your social worker and guardian arrive we can finish up the paperwork.  There's also some prescriptions but I'll talk to your friend Wes about those and your guardian.”

“Brilliant fucking idea.” Kurt grunted, resting back on the bed as soon as he was done up in the back.  

When the doctor left, Kurt glanced around the room.  He had nothing they he owned left to his name.  His clothing had never made an appearance in this room and Wes had said something early on about it being so torn and gross they just garbaged it.  He had no idea what had happened to his phone or headphones, and his piercings… well… they had been given back to him and he was wearing them again - but he had to argue with a nurse for them.

Was he expected to leave the hospital wearing the ugly blue patterned gown that barely covered him?  If so, it was a new low in the system.

Eventually Blaine and Wes arrived.  Wes was as cheery as always but Blaine seemed nervous and reserved.  Kurt couldn't blame him.  He certainly wouldn't want to live with himself even if he was being paid to.

They carried a couple bags and Wes pulled out a few items of clothing, “We had to guess at your size but anything is better than nothing hey?”

Kurt sat up and nodded, glancing at the nondescript jeans and T-shirts and hoodies.  “Payment for me already come through?”

“No.  I just didn't want you to have nothing in the beginning…” Blaine said, setting the bags on the bed so Kurt could look through them.  “If you don't like them or they don't fit we can get them exchanged…”

Honestly Kurt didn't care.  They were real clothes and they were new.  He hadn't had new clothes in years… He took a second look at the bags they came in and a little voice from his past popped into his head and alerted him of just where these clothes were purchased from and made him realize just how much they must have cost even though they didn't look any different from what he could have gotten from a thrift mart.  

“There's no way whatever you're getting paid to babysit me will cover this shit Blaine.  Hell… I couldn't make enough to pay for one of these pants in a week on the street…”

Blaine just shrugged and Kurt gave his head a shake.  Of course he didn't care.  He probably didn't even care about the money he was getting to watch over Kurt because it was barely a drop in the bucket compared to what he was used to having around.   Of course, that begged the question, why was he doing it?

Without warning, Kurt pulled the damned gown up and over his head, making both the other boys in the room yelp in surprise and turn around synchronously.  Kurt chucked and pulled on a T-shirt.  It was a little baggy, but then, he was all bones right now.  If he could eat a bit better he could fill it out no problem.  Boxers and pants followed, and then socks.  God, socks… of all the things he'd gone without in the past couple years he didn't realize how much he missed the warmth around his toes that came with socks.

“How'd you know I was a size ten?” Kurt grunted as he looked at the black sneakers in the bag and then pulled them on.

“I might have been really bored when you were still out of it and compared my foot to yours.” Wes admitted with a bit of a chuckle.

“Well fuck.  Nice job.”  Kurt slid off the bed and walked slowly to the bathroom to look at himself, the boys turning back to look over at him too when they realized he was dressed.

He was too thin, too weak looking, and his hair was all brown.  Without eyeliner his eyes looked like they were just dark spots on his pale face.  He would need some hair dye, and also…

“Get me any cigarettes?”

He looked back to see Blaine looking confused and shaking his head.  Wes also shook his head but at least supplied an answer.

“Honestly, we were kind of hoping you might quit since Blaine's building doesn't allow it.”

Kurt huffed, shoving his hands in his pockets, “Well I fucking need something.”

“But you've been fine without anything all this time…” Blaine uttered, looking with worry between Wes and Kurt.

The doctor knocked and entered without waiting then, holding several papers which Wes accepted and looked over, nodding periodically and asking questions about.

“Kurt,” Blaine whispered over as the doctor and Wes were occupied, “You know you can't use drugs at the apartment.  It'll be a dealbreaker.”

“Fuck… yes I know mother.”  Kurt grumbled, walking towards the bed and grabbing one of the hoodies bought for him and pulled it on as well.  He was always so cold.  Hopefully Blaine's place had good heating.

The doctor left and Wes turned back to the pair, “Alright, so I have all the information on the meetings and sessions you need to attend Kurt.  Your social worker dropped them off with the doctor since she had some emergency come up.  I also have several prescriptions - “

“Why the hell do I need prescriptions?  Didn't they fix me all up?”

“Well, yes and no.”  Wes looked down at the sheets in his hand, “These are mostly to help you adjust to life off the streets… there's an antidepressant…”

“Fuck that shit.” Kurt didn't need anything else to mess with his brain.  Blow had done enough.

“Kurt.  I'm going to level with you here… depression is the biggest side effect of withdrawal, and granted your body did the biggest part of the withdrawal while you were sick and out of it and that was kind of a blessing in disguise, but this isn't just something that'll go away like that.  It can take months.  Just try them.  Please.”

Kurt didn't respond.  He didn't like being told what kind of drugs to take.

Wes sighed and kept going, “There's some stuff here too just in case you have common side effects of withdrawal - like panic attacks or insomnia.  You don't have to take those, but this way you'll have them if you need them.”

“Fine.”  Kurt knew a guy on the street that used to pay big bucks for some medications… if this didn't work out at least he had some gold in those little prescription bottles.

“There's also one here to help you ease your addiction process.  Honestly I'd just say we hold off on it too because you haven't taken anything for it this whole time you've been in the hospital and you said you don't remember when your last fix was before all this because you were sick for awhile then too, so you might be one of the rare few who can just do this cold turkey.”

Kurt shrugged and then nodded.  He would take Wes' word for that.  He didn't know though there was drugs to help one get off drugs.

“As for cigarettes… “

Kurt immediately perked up at those words.  He had been craving a cigarette the whole time he'd been stuck in this room.

“I get that going free from everything is tough.  So I think we can get you a pack and you can ration them off slowly… see if you can break that cycle too once you're feeling better… but you can't do it inside the building.”

“I could get in trouble with the apartment board.”  Blaine noted.

Kurt just snickered at that, “Right.  Bunch of old geezers that have nothing better to do than get on power trips about how a building is run.  Don't worry.  I'll stick my head out the window or use the stairwell.”

Blaine seemed like he was about to make a retort to that when Wes chimed in, “Fine.  That'll work for now.”

Kurt glanced around the room one last time before grabbing the shopping bags off the bed, “Well.  Let's go then.”

Blaine and Wes walked on either side of him, and he felt like it might have been because they were afraid he might bolt for it once he was given his freedom, but Kurt knew better.  This was the best shot he was going to get and he intended to make full use of it.

They stopped at a pharmacy and convenience store on the way, Wes and Kurt staying in what Wes identified as his car while Blaine ran in to get the prescriptions filled.  The instant Blaine returned though, he handed a pack of cigarettes and a lighter back to Kurt who immediately tore off the wrapper, pulled out one, rolled down the window, and lit up the beautiful slender stick between his fingers.

“Oh fuck yes.”  He moaned as the warmth caressed his throat and fell up and down inside him.  He had been waiting for this forever.

“Did you know they have like… sixty different kinds of cigarettes?” Blaine asked of Wes, causing both Kurt and Wes to chuckle at the naivety of the boy in the front passenger seat.

“So how'd you pick for me then Trust Fund?” Kurt asked between puffs.

“I just… I asked the guy for the ones that most people liked.”

Kurt chuckled again, shaking his head.  The guy sitting in front of him was so childlike and yet he was in charge of Kurt.  He wasn't quite sure how this was going to play out, but at least he'd be entertained in the process.

When they arrived at Blaine's apartment, Kurt sunk back into his seat.  He didn't want anyone to see him, to recognize him.  He had worked this street for over a year and didn't want to have to deal with anyone from that time… Blaine excluded.

“It's okay Kurt.”  Wes said, looking back at him in the rearview mirror as they pulled into the private parking lot and Wes flashed Blaine's key fob for access in.  “It's daytime, you've been gone from here for months, and you don't even have pink in your hair.  No one will recognize you.  You're safe.”

Safe.  He hadn't been truly safe since… well, he'd have to think about when.  He wasn't sure.

Wes parked and while Kurt grabbed the clothing bags, Wes popped the trunk open and Blaine and he gathered a few more bags which Blaine explained as “Groceries and necessities of life.”  There was an elevator trip up to Blaine's floor, which was not that far from ground level as Blaine explained that he generally took the stairs and didn't want to wait for elevators all the time and then they were all in Blaine's apartment.  It hadn't changed much since Kurt had been there.  A few items seemed barren where there had once been pictures or decorations, and the living room looked like it had been reconfigured, but Kurt knew it, and knew where to find things from his night with Blaine months ago.

“Here.”  Wes dropped his bags by the entrance, “I'll show Kurt his room and you can put the groceries away Blaine.”

Blaine nodded and left the two of them for the kitchen while Kurt followed Wes to what Wes explained had been Rachel's room. “Blaine redid it though this week.  Not sure what was wrong with it before, but he gets ideas in his head and then he just follows through on them….”

Kurt nodded, looking around at the room that was his.  Just his.  It had a bed, and a bigger bed at that with pillows and sheets and a comforter.  He had night tables and drawers and a big wall mirror and a closet that was open and emptied with hangers waiting for clothing.  There was a window above the bed that had real curtains and blinds instead of foil pressed into it.   He had a lamp beside his bed and a rug on the floor.  It was clean and smelled fresh and….

He had his own room.  His own.  He bit down on his lower lip just to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

“So Blaine and you can go shopping for some more clothes when you're more settled in and fill up that closet.  And - OH!”

Wes was interrupted by the arrival of a large brown dog that hopped up on it's hind legs to place it's forepaws on Wes and try and lick him making Wes laugh delightedly.

“And this is Romeo.”

Kurt grinned and held out a hand to the dog who sniffed it over enthusiastically before covering it with his tongue several times over as he licked it.  “Hey there pup.”

By the time Blaine came to check on them, Kurt and Romeo were wrestling with one another on the bed, sheets all askew, as Wes looked on.

“What the….?”

Kurt laughed and grabbed the dog in a bear hug while the dog squirmed back and did his best to try and do the same to Kurt.

“They are fast friends.” Wes explained over to Blaine.

“Apparently. Ah.. supper?”

Kurt made one more playful growl over at the dog and then hopped back off the bed.  Romeo tried to engage him one last time in play with a whine but Kurt just patted the dog's head and promised, “After supper.”

He was looking forward to a meal that wasn't made by hospital staff and had a feeling Blaine didn't skimp on things like spices, and the meal met those expectations and more.  Wes kept telling him to take it easy, don't overeat, and pace himself - but Kurt was famished and it actually all smelled really good.  By the time Blaine suggested dessert, he had already unbuttoned the top of his jeans and was leaning back in his chair.  The thought that there would be dessert hadn't even entered into his mind and he regretted scarfing back as much as he had when slices of cake were placed in front of Wes and Blaine.

“It's okay.”  Blaine said with a forced smile, “There's lots more in the fridge when you're done digesting supper.”

Kurt nodded and let his hand fall to his side where Romeo was waiting and began licking at it.  “Not now pup… too full to play.”

“You did promise him…” Wes said with a smirk.

Kurt groaned and peeled himself off the chair and laid down on the floor, letting Romeo bounce back and forth over him and sniff at him freely while he continued to let the food process in him.  Somewhere above him he heard someone giggle but he couldn't be bothered to look up.  

After he felt okay and heard the dishes being cleaned up, Kurt dragged himself up to his feet and lazily played with the dog.  He had never really considered himself a dog person.  His mom had been allergic and so Kurt had just accepted early on that he wouldn't have a dog even after she had died.  There was something great about another creature though that didn't care or judge you or what you had done.  As far as this dog was concerned, Kurt was just another guy to play with and hang around with.  Kurt knew that dogs were always happy to see their people, and while Kurt was here, he inwardly knew that he needed that kind of cost-free affection.  He needed someone to want him there no matter what.