Kurt had no visitors on Thursday. Rachel had a full day rehearsal, Isabelle had to pick up a lot of the workload with Kurt gone, and Aidan still hadn't come back.

Kurt thought a lot about Aidan. He had tried calling him twice and texting him once, but he didn't get any response. And Kurt was not the type of guy to leave dozens of voicemails to anyone.

Today he sort of wished he was that kind of guy.

When a call came in from the florist asking if he had decided on an arrangement for the centerpieces for the wedding yet, he simply hung up. They were supposed to be married. They were supposed to live together until they were wrinkly, grouchy old men. They had laughed about that visual together in the past. Kurt had shared more with Aidan than he had with anyone. Well, anyone but Rachel and his father, of course, but they were exceptions.

How could someone just leave someone they loved and not look back?

Sure, this whole thing with his heart was scary, but he was going to be alright, right? If Aidan had stuck around just a few more hours, he would have heard that Kurt would be just fine, and none of this would have ever happened. They would be sitting in this room together planning their honeymoon. This little medical thing would just be a bump in the road, and they could brush it off their shoulders.

Kurt wished he could tell him he was fine. Aidan was probably just worried. He was probably scared that Kurt was going to die and didn't know how to live with that. If Aidan would just call him back, Kurt could explain that this whole thing was just a scare.

But Aidan wasn't calling.

He didn't know when it happened, but sometime before lunch Kurt started sobbing. A young nurse came hurrying in to check on him, but Kurt swore he was fine. She reluctantly left the room, but Kurt heard her mutter to one of the other nurses to keep an eye on him. That only made him sob harder.

A little while after, Paula came in to his room and pulled up the chair to hold his hand. She tried soothing him, but Kurt only got more hysterical. She asked if he wanted anything to sedate him but he refused. After several minutes and plenty "Oh honey I know"s, Paula was being called in for some emergency. She looked torn but Kurt shooed her away. There was nothing really wrong with him. He was just having a breakdown.

Kurt's face was buried in his hands as his shoulders shook with sobs. He didn't even care that he looked like a psychotic mess; he just wanted his fianc�e back.

"Kurt?" A small voice asked from the doorway.

Kurt's head shot up, but it wasn't Aidan. "G-g-go aw-way, Dr. A-Anderson."

"Come on, now," he chided, stepping into the room. "I told you to call me Blaine."

Kurt continued to cry and the doctor sighed before sitting in the chair next to the bed. "It sucks, I know. I, um," he continued, clearing his throat. "I know what it's like to have someone leave you. And it sucks."

This caught Kurt's attention. Not even the words so much as his tone. It was so soft and vulnerable, as if he was sharing his saddest secret. Which, Kurt thought, he probably was.

"In college, I- I had this boyfriend, Mark. He and I were in a lot of the same classes. We were both going to be surgeons. When you have a major like that, you get to know everyone in the program pretty quickly. We became study partners. Then we started dating. We were so in love. It was kind of obnoxious, actually," he chuckled. Kurt didn't know when he had stopped crying, but now he was listening in rapture. "Before we graduated, we swore we would go to New York together and find an internship. We could have done it. Top two in our class. But the night we graduated, he... he told me he d-didn't love me. He said he never wanted to live in New York, he just didn't know how to tell me. He had accepted an internship in California. That was the last I heard from him." He shook his head and took a moment. "A year later I found out he's married to some girl he's been on and off with since high school. They have three kids now." He took a deep breath. "He told me I was his first boyfriend. Didn't mention any girls."

Kurt stared at him. "Dr. Anderson—"

"Please call me Blaine," he said, not looking up from the spot he was staring at on the bed.

"B-Blaine..." Kurt didn't know what to say. "You really suck at making someone feel better, you know that?"

Blaine looked up at him at this, and after a moment, they both started cracking up. When the moment ended, Kurt was wiping at his eyes with the blanket and trying to wipe his nose as discreetly as possible.

"You're the first person I've ever told that to," Blaine informed him.

Kurt couldn't believe it. "Why?"

Blaine shrugged emotionlessly. "I guess it just never came up." He stood up and shook his head as if he was trying to shake some thoughts away. "I have to... I have to go." He looked down at Kurt. "I'm sorry." He didn't give Kurt time to respond before he was out the door.

...

The rest of the day dragged by at an ungodly pace. Kurt thought about what Dr. Anderson had said, and he couldn't figure out why he had confided that story to him. Sure, Kurt had already figured he was the gossip in the halls of the hospital, what with his fianc� leaving when he went in for heart surgery. It was the kind of thing Kurt would get sucked into on one of his favorite tv dramas. Very melodramatic. So maybe Blaine pitied him. Maybe he just assumed that Kurt felt all alone and had no one to relate to on this. That was the only option that made sense.

After a few minutes of seriously contemplating this, Kurt drifted to sleep. He expected it to be the the peaceful post-cry sleep that leaves you feeling refreshed and brighter, and while he did feel much better, there was no denying that there was a gaping hole in his heart where Aidan belonged. All Kurt wanted was for everything to go back to the way it was before.

Around two, Kurt's stomach started growling furiously and he realized he had slept through lunch. He pressed the nurse call button and within seconds a redheaded nurse was walking in with a tray in her hands. The way they sometimes just knew was astounding. Kurt recognized her as the one he had pegged as an intern. She still looked just as nervous and fidgety as before.

"H-here's your lunch, Mr. Hummel," she stammered, eye contact fleeting.

"Thank you." Kurt gave her the most gracious smile he could manage. "I'm sorry, I don't think I ever actually caught your name."

The nurse's eyes went so wide Kurt got a little worried. Her massive glasses did nothing to help the effect. "Oh. I... um." She blinked rapidly. "I. Um. My name is, um, Courtney."

Kurt tried not to be judgmental, but how on Earth did this poor girl become a nurse if this is how she dealt with human interaction? "Well thank you very much, Courtney."

The nurse just stood there shocked. After a moment Kurt subtly brushed at his mouth to make sure nothing was on his face. Nope, nothing, she was just... staring. "Um..."

Courtney seemed to snap back into reality. "Oh! Um. I'm so sorry. You probably think I'm the weirdest person on the planet." She sighed, looking absolutely exasperated. "I'm just... such a big fan."

Well Kurt hadn't been expecting that at all.

"Oh. Well. Thank you very much. I appreciate that a lot."

She took a step in. "No, I don't think you understand how talented you are. Your work with Vogue has changed the way we look at fashion. It's... ugh," she buried her face in her hands. "I am being so inarticulate." She dropped her hands and sighed. "You're going to be such a supernova in the world of fashion, I can tell. Your designs are flawless. They are stunning. To do that and be in charge of the events and things like you do? I don't know how you do it. But you're fantastic."

Kurt's jaw was slack. He had never been recognized for his work outside of the office or an event. "I—thank you, so much, that means so much to me—"

"I practically have a closet devoted to your designs," she confided. "Those beige heels you designed? The ones that were mentioned in the October edition of Vogue? They are like my babies. I wish I could wear them to work. You have no idea what it's like wearing scrubs every day."

Kurt grimaced. For a split second, he imagined a world in which he wore loose fitting cotton scrubs covered in cartoon characters or smiley faces every day and cringed. He shoved that thought into the archives of his brain never to be remembered again. "Sounds like hell to me."

For the next half hour, the two talked about the woes of her work attire and the pros and cons of styles this season. It was only when one of the less accommodating nurses came in to tell her to check on another patient did Courtney seem to remember that she was on the clock.

"I could talk to you about this for hours."

Kurt chuckled. "Well you know where to find me. I'm always up for some lady chat."

Courtney laughed. "I'll be back soon enough, don't you worry."

She started heading out the door before Kurt called her attention back. "Oh, and Courtney?" She turned around to face him. "Let me know next time you need to go shopping. You wouldn't believe some of the deals I get."

Kurt wouldn't have been surprised if she had collapsed onto the floor right there.

After she was gone, it wasn't long before Dr. Anderson came back in the room, back to his usual smiley self. "Good afternoon, Kurt."

"Good afternoon, Dr. Anderson."

The doctor looked up and raised an eyebrow. "Why don't you want to call me Blaine?" he asked. It wasn't incredulous, he just sounded curious. And maybe the teensiest bit hurt, Kurt thought.

Kurt didn't really know how to respond. "I... You were serious about that?"

"Well... yeah."

"Oh." Kurt was really growing to like his doctor, but for some reason he didn't feel like he was on a first name basis level with him yet. "I don't know, I just don't feel like... Well you're my doctor. I don't know you that well."

Dr. Anderson—Blaine—took a second and then smiled. "Maybe as of now. But you need an MRI," he informed Kurt, glancing down at the chart, "and I'm going to take you there. And if you remember correctly, that's all the way across the hospital. That means we get a solid six or seven minutes of getting to know each other goodness." He gave Kurt the cheesiest of grins, looking absolutely pleased with himself.

"Well aren't you just an eager beaver," Kurt teased.

"My mother used to call me beaver for that very reason, actually," he primly informed him, starting to roll the bed towards the door. "You know what, that's actually a good starting point. Childhood nickname. Go."

The first thing Kurt thought was all the mean nicknames he got growing up, but that was no way to jump into this conversation. "My mom used to call me Kurtie Bee when I was little. I specifically remember her saying it before bed time a lot."

From behind the bed, Blaine smiled. "Your mother seemed like a very nice lady."

Kurt froze. "...what?"

The hesitation didn't go past Blaine and he was confused now. "Your—your mother. I met her when your parents were visiting you. They both seemed really nice."

Kurt let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. "Oh, you mean Carole." They were getting on the elevator now. "That's my step mom." Kurt couldn't see it, but Blaine was bright red. "But you're right, she's wonderful. And my dad is, too. I couldn't have asked for two better people in my life." Kurt smiled fondly.

Blaine was quiet now. He didn't want to make any more faux pas. "So your mother..."

"She passed away when I was eight."

"I'm so sorry." He sounded so genuine it made Kurt's heart break. So much for not starting off with heavy stuff.

"It's okay." They both sat in silence for a moment, watching the floor numbers change steadily. "So," Kurt piped, "What's your favorite romantic comedy?"

Blaine laughed. He was probably glad for the change of subject. "My Best Friend's Wedding, definitely."

Hmm. Not bad at all. "Good one. Explain."

Blaine scoffed. "What's not to like? Julia Roberts is a goddess, that scene on the boat is absolutely unparalleled. And the lobster scene is probably one of my favorite scenes in movie history," he gushed. Kurt smiled. It was cool seeing the doctor character come down and discovering the man underneath. "It was also one of the first movies with a super cool gay character I can remember watching. And call me crazy, but I couldn't have imagined a better ending."

This took Kurt by surprise. He remembered watching the movie when he was younger and positively loathing the ending. "Really? And why is that?"

"I actually really like that they don't get together in the end."

Kurt balled up the blankets in his hands and shook his head. "But you're rooting for her the whole time. From the very first scene, you want her to get with the guy. She tries so hard, and then after all that effort, Cameron Diaz marries him. It's like, you went all this way and then... I don't know. I guess I just wanted them to be together." Kurt bit his lip.

"But I think that's why it's so special. They're not perfect for each other. Julia Roberts may love him, but that doesn't mean they should get married or whatever. They dated. They tried it. It didn't work out. You see these movies and they all end the same. The girl is unhappy because she wants to be with this one guy. There's some grand obstacle in her way preventing her from being with that specific guy. And then, when it seems all hope is lost, there's a turning point, and the two live happily ever after. I mean, in real life, people think they know what they want, but no one really knows what the future holds for them. And as much as you want to see her get the guy, by the last scene, you know that there's someone out there that's just for her. It was the end of the movie, but it wasn't the end of her life. And I think that's kind of remarkable."

Kurt stayed quiet. "...Kurt?" Blaine sounded worried, like maybe he had made another slip- up.

"What? Oh, I'm... I'm just thinking."

The elevator opened at their floor and Blaine pushed the bed into the hallway. "Favorite dessert?"

"Cheesecake," Kurt answered without a pause.

Blaine chuckled. "I'm down with that. I'm more of a brownie hot fudge sundae guy myself but I can eat half a cheesecake by myself if I'm left alone with one long enough." Kurt could hear the smile in his voice.

"You eat half my cheesecake and I will go to the board of surgeons and tell them to fire you."

Blaine gasped in mock horror. "You would ruin my career over a dessert?"

"I don't mess around with cheesecake," Kurt deadpanned.

"Noted." Blaine was grinning openly now.

The rest of the trip continued in a similar fashion, each man asking the other trivial questions about their lives. Kurt couldn't help but think how easy it was. He didn't generally make friends quickly, but these conversations were flowing so naturally.

After learning his doctor's favorite salad dressing (Italian), favorite color (purple), and his high school jam (Katy Perry, what kind of question is that?), Kurt cocked his head to the side thoughtfully. "I think you were right?"

"Of course I was. What specifically are you talking about?"

Kurt shook his head as he smiled. Maybe the stereotypes were right and surgeons were all cocky. Surprisingly, though, he found that he didn't mind. "I think we could be on a first name basis."

"And make all my dreams come true?" Blaine all but squealed, joking around.

"I couldn't possibly imagine a better dream than being on a first name basis with me," Kurt teased, "so yes."

"I will never want for anything again."

Kurt shook his head, trying to suppress a smile. This guy was ridiculous.

They reached the MRI room and Kurt groaned internally. He was not looking forward to sitting in a claustrophobic tube for however long and not moving. Blaine seemed to notice his distress and gave him a sympathetic look. "These things suck, I know. But hey, they're better than big needles right?"

Kurt got ready to lie in the tube. "You really need to get better at making people feel better."

Blaine scoffed from the observation room over the intercom. "I am wonderful at making people feel better. I am the most reassuring doctor in this hospital." Kurt snorted. "I would just prefer to make you laugh."

"Oh yeah, I'm laughing real hard."

"Face it, you love me."

Kurt stopped in his tracks. Did Blaine think he was flirting? He couldn't possibly. He knew Kurt was still in love with Aidan. He and Aidan were going to get back together, Kurt was sure of it. Whatever was happening between him and Blaine now... Kurt didn't know. There was no way it could be romance, though. He belonged with Aidan. Was it so awful that he made friends with someone who made him happy while he waited? Just because Blaine was gay and attractive did not mean they were going to get together.

"Kurt, I'm only joking." Blaine's soft voice snapped Kurt out of his thoughts.

"What? Oh," Kurt tried to shake his thoughts away. They were on the same page. He was worried for no reason. "Sorry, I was just... Sorry." He laid down in the MRI tube in took a huge breath, wondering why nothing was simple anymore.

"I understand," Blaine assured him, and Kurt smiled.

From the observation room, Blaine rubbed his face. He couldn't fall for a patient. And he definitely couldn't fall for this patient.