Sebastian returned a few minutes after Kurt's confession, raising an eyebrow at the brittle atmosphere in the room but wisely didn't comment. The trio returned to watching the news, occasionally switching between CNN and MSNBC, though nothing about Blaine's case came on either channel. Blaine wasn't sure whether to be relieved or disappointed.

Cooper texted Kurt a little before ten, telling him that the Andersons were on their way. Kurt and Sebastian left a few minutes later, though they seemed hesitant to do so. Blaine turned the television to ESPN just before his family arrived around a quarter after. His father gave the channel an approving look before taking a seat at Blaine's bedside. They settled in to watching March Madness highlights, Cooper once again opposite their parents.

Blaine found himself drifting as his dad and Cooper bantered over the teams and his mother read something on her iPad. He was just the right amount of fuzzy from the medication and comfortable with his family near. His eyes slid shut, the familiar voices lulling...

Kurt turned on the couch to face Blaine, pulling a leg up under him. In the dim room, the television's bright colors illuminated Kurt's pale skin and cast moving shadows across his face, giving him an ethereal quality. 

"I want to talk, Blaine. I mean it." He swallowed. "I had this whole speech in my head that I rehearsed on the flight and everything." He shook his head with a wry smile; it wasn't a happy expression. "And then you opened the door and it felt like it was the first time I was seeing you in months. And the entire speech just flew out of my head."

Blaine's eyes flew open with a gasp and, for a moment, he couldn't remember where he was.

"Blaine, honey?"

He turned his head to see his mother, her tablet resting in her lap and her eyes fixed worriedly on him. His father turned from the television as well. Blaine swallowed. Right. Hospital. Family.

"I'm okay," he said finally, once he trusted his voice. Was he getting bits and pieces of his missing memories back? Or was his brain just filling in events he'd been told had happened? There was only one way to find out. "I just... I need to talk to Kurt."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea, son," Charles said slowly, brow furrowing.

"I-"

"I think Kurt went back to Lima to be with his father today," Maria said more gently, though there was something underneath the words that Blaine, after years of learning to read between the lines when it came to his parents, didn't quite trust. "Mr. Hummel is ill, isn't he?"

Blaine nodded absently. "Prostate cancer. They caught it early, though."

His parents hummed noncommittally. The Andersons might not be the biggest fans of the Hummels, but Blaine knew his parents well enough to know they wouldn't say anything ill of someone with cancer. Think, maybe, but not say.

"Do you want to call Kurt?" Cooper asked from Blaine's other side.

"I don't have my phone," Blaine replied, though he gave his brother a grateful look. For all of Cooper's shortcomings, he'd been the one member of the family who'd taken Blaine's coming out in stride and had accepted Kurt as his boyfriend without reservation when they'd been introduced. "I guess it got wrecked?"

"We'll have to get you another one, then," Cooper said simply, looking back at their parents though he was still speaking to Blaine. "So you can keep in touch with your friends while you're laid up."

"That would be great," Blaine agreed, also glancing at their parents. If his parents were going to make it uncomfortable for Blaine's friends to come visit, having a way to get in touch with them would be better than nothing. He was feeling isolated, stuck in bed, barely able to move without pulling at something.

Maria and Charles shared a long look, but finally Maria nodded. "We can go by the store after lunch."

Blaine nodded his thanks. Once Maria had turned back to her tablet and Charles back to the television, Cooper slipped Blaine his phone with a wink.

Getting a new phone soon, Blaine typed to Kurt. Talk later?

The reply was almost immediate: Any time. XO

-----

About ten minutes after Blaine's family had gone for lunch and to get Blaine's new phone there was a timid knock at the door. Blaine muted the television-now on a What Not to Wear rerun-as the door opened and Unique peered in the room. Blaine's eyes widened slightly in surprise.

"Is this a bad time?" she asked, looking around the otherwise empty room.

"No," Blaine said, quickly masking his surprise. "Come in."

She nodded and stepped inside, shutting the door behind her. She was dressed as Wade today, and she looked hesitant as she stood just inside the room-it was an expression he didn't often see on the normally fierce diva's face. Blaine nodded toward the chairs next to his bed.

"You can come closer, you know."

She gave him a sheepish smile and crossed the room. Blaine noticed that her posture was slumped and she seemed tired. She slid into the seat and looked back up at him, expression still a bit nervous.

"Hi," she said.

"Hi," Blaine replied with a wan smile.

He wasn't surprised by her reaction; everyone who'd come to see him so far had been taken aback by his condition at first. He'd finally convinced Kurt to get him a mirror, and once he'd been able to see himself, he'd understood why. He'd known he was bruised to hell-he could see the healing bruises on his arms and legs-and that he was a mess with a cast on his arm, splint on his fingers, and brace on his knee.

But the purples and greens and yellows on his face had momentarily sucker punched him. He could feel the tender skin when he spoke or smiled or yawned, but actually seeing it was another thing. He'd barely been able to recognize himself, and it had scared the hell out of him.

That night, after visiting hours had ended and Kurt, Cooper, and Sebastian had left, Blaine had broken down, stifling his sobs with a pillow. It had been agonizing, pulling at not just his bruises and breaks, but also his heart as he worried that those bastards had finally irrevocably damaged him. He had a scar on his chest from Sadie Hawkins, yes, but what he truly feared was internal-he was terrified of letting them have the power to change him into a scared shell of who he once was.

He'd eventually fallen asleep, aching and hollowed out. But every time a new visitor flinched at his injuries, Blaine couldn't help the twinge of bitterness.

"How are you feeling?" Unique asked before cringing. "Okay, terrible question. But Finn said you were doing better."

"I am," he assured her. "I mean, still don't remember anything about what happened."

Unless you count those dreams you've been having, a voice in the back of his mind taunted, but Blaine shoved that voice as far down as possible before continuing.

"And I had surgery on my knee yesterday. It's pretty sore," which was an understatement, especially once the painkillers began wearing off, "but they're giving me the good stuff."

He cracked a goofy grin at that and Unique gave a small smile in return, which Blaine considered a win.

"Really," he added softly. "I'm..." He hesitated, the lie tasting like ash on his tongue. "I'll be okay," he finally decided on. Because no, he wasn't fine right now; he wasn't even close, actually. But he was alive and had people who cared about him at his side. He could be so much worse. And he was figuring out how to come to terms with that. Again.

Unique nodded thoughtfully at that but remained silent, staring at the sheets on Blaine's bed as though they were the most fascinating thing in the room.

"Not that I'm not happy to see you," Blaine said once the silence stretched on, "but shouldn't you be at school?"

Unique looked up. "Unique is skipping," she said, a hint of challenge in her voice, though it faded quickly into something more somber. "Everyone else is planning to come by after school, but..." She trailed off, seeming to search for the right words. "But I wanted to come see you myself first."

Blaine remained silent, letting her work through whatever she needed to say.

"I was so terrified when I heard what had happened," Unique said after a time. "I was so worried about you, of course." She looked up then, meeting Blaine's eyes, as though pleading with him to understand. "I'm glad we became friends this year."

Blaine nodded. They hadn't started off on the best foot, but eventually they'd become pretty good friends as the year went on. While she spent most of her time with Marley and Blaine was closest with Sam and Tina, they'd found that they had more in common than they'd originally thought and had had some enjoyable coffee and shopping outings in the last few months.

"But I was also, I guess, terrified for me, too." She swallowed. "You, Blaine Anderson, pass. As straight and white and," she added when Blaine opened his mouth, "I know you don't try to be something you're not. It is what it is. But I guess I thought, if you could be hurt just for being who you are, what about the rest of us...?" she trailed off.

And Blaine, stomach sinking, got it.

"You are the Alpha Gay," Kurt had once snarled at him during a fight. "Even Rachel wanted to make out with you." Those words had stung long after the fight had ended as Blaine realized that even Kurt-brave, bold, beautiful Kurt who loved him-resented him for that. Blaine didn't try to be anything but who he was, but people made assumptions. And it hurt.

"Do you remember when we did Grease?" Unique went on.

Blaine grimaced at the bitter memory of opening night-of running into Kurt backstage, nearly losing it during the performance after making eye contact with him in the audience, and that awful conversation in the hallway after the show-but he masked it and nodded. That was in the past. "Yeah."

"I wanted to be Rizzo so badly," Unique said, hands bunching in the denim of her jeans. "And Finn gave the part to me. It was like a gift. But then my parents pulled me out because they were worried about my safety." She bit her lip. "They sat me down and asked me to dress like a boy at school and in public, to leave Unique for the show choir stage if I had to dress like her at all. I was so mad. And hurt," she said, still looking down. "I thought they just didn't understand and didn't want to support me. But now..."

Blaine knew his parents sometimes gave him looks when he left the house in a pair of brightly colored pants or a bowtie, and though they never said anything, he understood their desire for him to tone it down and look like everyone else. After Sadie Hawkins, he'd worn a lot of jeans and hoodies, and once he'd enrolled in Dalton, he'd had the uniform.

"I wish I could say that it's not so bad," Blaine said quietly after it became obvious Unique was done speaking. "And I wish people weren't so filled with hate." His knee gave a throb and how did he wish that were true.

Unique sniffed and nodded.

"But," Blaine said, carefully considering his next words because he didn't want to watch one of his friends hurting like that, "when things get bad, I think we sometimes forget all the people who do love us for who we are."

Once he'd started dating Kurt, he'd started feeling safe bringing out some of his old clothes from the back of his closet. The summer before he'd transferred to McKinley, he and Kurt had gone through his closet; Kurt had picked out his favorite pieces and they'd gone shopping to update the rest-and those were the ones Blaine wore when he transferred to McKinley.

"What do you mean?" Unique asked softly.

"Remember that day in glee when you told us about the girls that approached you walking home from school?"

Unique stiffened. "Of course."

Blaine nodded. "And remember how Jake and Ryder immediately volunteered to walk you home any time you wanted them to? Because they care about you."

Unique considered that a moment. "I guess that's true."

"And you perform with the girls," Blaine added, "no questions asked. Because we accept you for who you are."

"A proud black woman," Unique said, raising her chin.

Blaine couldn't help smile at that. "Exactly."

Unique nodded thoughtfully, then looked at Blaine curiously before asking, "And what about you?"

Blaine thought about his answer and licked his lips before speaking. "I didn't have that for a long time." When Unique inclined her head curiously, Blaine decided to tell her.

"I came out to my family the summer before my freshman year," he started. "My brother didn't care but he lived in California so couldn't do much. My parents weren't the most supportive, though." Even now, they tried not to talk about It.

"I didn't have a lot of friends at my old school, but that fall there was a Sadie Hawkins dance." Blaine paused for a moment before continuing. "I asked one of my only friends, Josh. He was the only other out guy in the school. We didn't do much besides stand by the walls and dance to some of the faster songs. But after the dance, we were waiting for his dad in the parking lot, and..."

Blaine took a deep breath. "These three seniors beat the living crap out of us." Unique inhaled sharply, but Blaine kept speaking. "I don't remember a lot about that night, but I know they just left us in the parking lot. By the time I woke up in the hospital, Josh's parents had already transferred him to a school in Columbus."

He smiled without any humor, head dropping back against the pillow as he looked up at the ceiling. He'd been expecting repeating the story to open old wounds, but mostly he just felt numb, like he'd overloaded his emotional circuits and just couldn't right now.

"I haven't talked to him since." Though more than once he'd wondered how Josh was doing. Was he in college? Was he seeing someone? Was he happy?

Blaine looked back over at Unique. "I never saw any of the other people I had considered friends after that either. My parents enrolled me at Dalton once the doctors okayed me to go back to school. So back then, I didn't have anyone. Not until Dalton and the Warblers." Though even that had fallen apart for a time as well.

"But you do now," Unique prompted. Her bottom lip was trembling, and Blaine wondered if her near-tears were for him, herself, or maybe both.

Blaine nodded. "When I woke up in the hospital then, I was alone. My dad was at work and my mother was getting coffee. I was so scared." Blaine tried not to think about those moments when he hadn't known where he was or what was going on. The disorientation more than anything had terrified him.

"But this time, my brother and Kurt were there when I woke up. And I don't think there has been more than a few minutes during visiting hours that I've been alone since then," he added wryly. "So... I do now, yeah." He paused for a moment, considering. "And I think that makes things just a little bit better, you know? The only way to fight hate is with love, and I think we've both got plenty of people who love us, even if it isn't always obvious."

Blaine thought then about Kurt and the sacrifices he'd made to be with Blaine while he recovered despite everything between them.

He thought about Sebastian running to find him in that parking lot even though he could've gotten himself killed and skipping school to keep vigil over him.

He thought about Cooper flying back to Ohio in the middle of filming an episode of his favorite TV show and never leaving his side for long.

He thought of Burt, worrying over the boy who'd broken his son's heart when he had his own health problems to contend with.

He thought of Sam and Tina settling in next to him on his hospital bed, fitting around him like puzzle pieces, enveloping him in a blanket of safety and acceptance.

He thought of the Warblers singing to him and dancing around his hospital room.

He thought of Finn and Carole and their worried mother henning.

He thought about his parents cutting their vacation short to get back to him.

Blaine held out his hand, palm up, to Unique, who had a faraway look in her eye; Blaine hoped she was thinking about the people in her own life who loved her. She studied his hand for a moment before looking up at him. Her eyes were bright.

"Mr. Anderson, you sound like an after school special," she decided before slipping her hand into Blaine's, careful to avoid the splint.

Blaine squeezed her hand. "You can always talk to me, you know."

Unique squeezed back. "I know."

-----

Cooper and his parents returned later that afternoon, presenting Blaine with a new iPhone. As his family ensconced themselves in their now familiar positions on either side of Blaine's bed, Blaine sent out a mass text informing his friends he had a phone once more before starting to go through the email and Facebook messages he'd missed in the last week and a half and replying to texts as they came in.

New Directions arrived en masse shortly before dinner, and the Andersons made themselves scarce so Blaine could spend time with his overly enthusiastic teammates. Unique gave Blaine a small wave as she walked in. Brittany glued herself to one of Blaine's sides, wrapping an arm around his bicep above the cast, while Tina took up a spot on his other side. Marley, Sugar, and Kitty sat at his feet while the boys settled into the chairs around his bed. Artie stationed himself at the foot of the bed, and Finn and Mr. Schue hovered by the doorway. Blaine nodded at Finn, who gave him a small smile in return.

After everyone had given Blaine a hug or shoulder clap, the group went quiet and looked around at each other for a moment. Suspicious, Blaine raised an eyebrow.

"Guys?"

Marley grinned at him and squeezed his foot once before starting to sing.

You and I must make a pact,
We must bring salvation back
Where there is love,
I'll be there (I'll be there...) 

Blaine felt something in his chest twinge at the song choice; though it was a Jackson 5 number, he was always going to have mixed feelings toward anything Michael Jackson after the previous year. But he appreciated the sentiment of the song more than he could say.

The rest of the group joined in and Blaine's stomach swooped a little as Sam took over the lead:

I'll reach out my hand to you, I'll have faith in all you do
Just call my name and I'll be there
(I'll be there...) 

Blaine watched his teammates-his friends-sway in their seats, smiling as they sang on, and couldn't help but think of Kurt, Rachel, and Finn singing "Ben" in his bedroom before his eye surgery; the gentle, safe, and loving feelings from that seemed multiplied now with how many people had come to see him.

And oh - I'll be there to comfort you,
Build my world of dreams around you,
I'm so glad that I found you
I'll be there with a love that's strong
I'll be your strength, I'll keep holding on -
(Yes I will, yes I will) 

By the time they got through the first chorus, Blaine was tearing up. He wiped at his eyes with his splinted hand, and Brittany tightened her hold on his arm in support while Tina rested her head on his shoulder. Looking around the room as the group sang, Blaine was struck by just how lucky he really was; like he'd told Unique early in the day, it was so easy to get caught up in all the hate, but then people did something really amazing to surprise you.

He looked over at Unique to gauge her reaction; when their eyes met, her thoughtful, teary-eyed expression seemed to say, I hear you. I see this and I understand. He smiled at her and she smiled, if a little tremulously, back.

As the closing notes of the song faded from the air, Blaine took a steadying breath. "Thank you," he said hoarsely. "That was amazing." He looked around at each member of the group. "It means a lot to me that you guys all came."

"Of course we came, dude," Sam said from his seat near Blaine's hip.  "You're our bro."

"We're really glad you're okay, Blaine," Marley added. The others murmured their agreement. Blaine was still so touched by the gesture that he didn't bother correcting them; he might not be okay yet, but with friends like this, he would be.

-----

New Directions stayed until visiting hours ended. Blaine, while thankful for his friends' visit, was exhausted and hurting. His knee had started throbbing around the halfway point of the visit, and his ribs had protested all the laughing he was doing as well as being accidentally jarred by others, and his head had started aching again.

"They're quite the handful, aren't they?" the nurse-Julie, Blaine thought her name was-asked once the door shut behind Finn.

"You have no idea," Blaine agreed blearily.

Julie laughed as she checked his chart. "They care about you."

Blaine nodded. Sometimes he was still amazed that that was true. For the longest time at McKinley, he'd just been there for Kurt; he'd been friends with Kurt's friends, had been involved in Kurt's activities, and made decisions based on what was best for Kurt, thinking that was what was best for them as a couple. Instead, he'd just lost himself and hadn't realized it until it was too late.

But this year, in the wake of a horrible, multi-heart-breaking mistake, he'd made his own friends, joined his own activities, and started making choices for himself. And in doing so, he'd found himself and, amazingly, found people who cared about him for who he was, not for who he was in relation to his boyfriend. It felt good, though sometimes overwhelming and more than a little humbling.

"I guess I'm just lucky."