CHAPTER 8

As idyllic as their relationship seemed, it was sometimes glaringly apparent that no relationship is perfect, and that they didn't necessarily know everything about each other.  Blaine liked to mentally classify their disputes, disagreements and debates into roommate issues, such as the debate over bookshelves and the air conditioning argument, which could occur between any random roommates, and couple issues, which occurred because they were a couple, such as the negotiation over the side of the bed.  He grew annoyed with himself when he couldn't figure out which way to categorize the next matter that became a point of contention.

A few weeks after Santana and Brittany's announcement, Kurt and Blaine were having breakfast before heading to class.  Kurt suddenly proclaimed, “You need to go get a flu shot.  Flu season's starting early this year, and it's supposed to be really bad.”

“Okay,” Blaine agreed.  He appreciated the fact that Kurt was concerned about his health, he knew it was a good idea, and he intended to do it.  Just not today, because he was already running late for class, it was his busiest class day, plus he had private lessons today, and band practice.  He'd be lucky if he was able to grab lunch, and it was looking like dinner would either be leftovers once he got home around midnight, or maybe cereal, if there weren't any leftovers.  He didn't have time to go stand in line at the quack shack for a flu shot.

The days slipped past.  Every so often, Kurt would ask him about the flu shot, and remind him how important it was.  Blaine would promise to get one as soon as he could, and he really meant it.  He was just so busy that somehow he never made it.

One morning a few weeks later, Kurt asked him again.  Again, he promised.  “Today,” Kurt insisted.

“Today,” Blaine promised.  He'd noticed a lot of students were starting to miss classes, mostly due to flu.  He was making copies of his notes for several friends who'd been stricken.  He had a busy morning with classes, but his private lessons had been canceled:  two of his teachers were out with the flu, and the third was out of town.  The two kids he was giving lessons to both had the flu.  For once the band wasn't practicing or playing, and the student health center was open late tonight.  He could definitely make it work today.

Both men headed to class, Kurt making his way to the subway while Blaine made the short walk to Columbia's campus.  By the time he arrived at his first class, he was tired and feeling run down, which baffled him, since he'd gotten a decent night's sleep the night before.  During his second class, he developed a headache and by the end of class, he was aching all over.  In his third class, his chemistry lab, he began to shiver.  He was trying to pour a chemical from a test tube into a beaker to complete the experiment, but his hands were shaking.  His lab partner quickly grabbed the test tube before it could spill onto the lab table.  As her hand brushed Blaine's, she gasped.  “Oh, my God, you're burning up!”

“I'm fine,” Blaine managed to say through chattering teeth.

Ignoring him, his lab partner raised her hand, attracting the attention of the teaching assistant supervising the lab.  “Blaine isn't feeling well.  We've finished the experiment, and I can write it up later.  Can I take him to the health center?”

Casting a quick glance at Blaine, the TA rapidly said, “Sure.  Is anyone else done?  She could use some help.”  The two guys at the next table volunteered to help.  They usually didn't manage to finish the experiments, and rarely correctly even when they did; Blaine guessed they were going to beg to copy the lab report, but at this point he didn't care.  The guys supported him, while his lab partner carried his backpack. 

Once at the health center, he was ushered back to an exam room quickly.  His fellow students waited for him.  The nurse swabbed his nose for a flu test, which came back positive.  He was given a prescription that the nurse told him would lessen the duration and severity of the illness.  He was then ushered out of the health center.  His classmates helped him make the short walk home and up to his apartment.  They told him they weren't worried about getting sick, as one of them had already had the flu, and the other two had gotten flu shots earlier. 

As soon as the door closed, separating him from the friends who had helped him home, Blaine stumbled back to the bedroom.  Blearily, he thought that he should shower, but he couldn't manage to muster enough energy, so he just lay down on the bed, still dressed, and rolled up in the covers, shivering.  Several hours later, Kurt found him there, having barely moved.

Kurt was surprised.  He wasn't home late, and while he knew Blaine was going to get home earlier than he did tonight, he expected him to still be up.  He'd been looking forward to spending a little time with Blaine this evening.  He sat down on the edge of the bed and reached out to touch Blaine's cheek.  He gasped when he felt the heat radiating from Blaine's skin, and realized Blaine was shivering.  He picked up his phone and called Brittany, asking her to buy a thermometer on her way home.  Casting his gaze around the room, he saw a piece of paper on the bedside table; looking, he saw the prescription.  Reading what it was for, Kurt instantly realized Blaine had the flu.  Now that the mystery was solved, he knew what to do, and immediately went into action.

He called Brittany back and told her not to bother with the thermometer, since he needed to go to the pharmacy anyway.  He then left; Blaine had been alone most of the day, another half hour wasn't going to make much difference.  First, he dropped off Blaine's prescription.  Next, he puttered around the pharmacy, picking up the things he needed:  a thermometer, some Gatorade, some Tylenol and Motrin, and a few more over the counter remedies that might make Blaine feel better.  He returned to the prescription counter and glared at the pharmacist as if that would make her move faster.  She finally called Blaine's name, and Kurt went up to the counter, explaining that he was Blaine's boyfriend and that Blaine was home in bed.  She wasn't really concerned; there was no real black market in flu medication.  She rang up his purchases, and he left the store.  On the way back to the apartment, he stopped at a deli and picked up soup for both of them and a veggie sandwich for himself.  He finally made his way back to the apartment, preparing to take care of Blaine.

He put the food in the refrigerator, along with the Gatorade.  Getting a glass of water, he headed to the bedroom.  After placing the water and medication on the bedside table, he began the arduous task of waking Blaine.  “Come on, Baby, wake up.  I need to take your temperature,” he pleaded.  Blaine did little more than groan and attempt to roll away from him.  He finally resorted to threatening, “Blaine, if you don't sit up and let me take your temperature right now, I'm going to put the thermometer somewhere else!”  Blaine finally struggled into a half-sitting position and let Kurt put the thermometer under his tongue.  A few minutes later Kurt drew the thermometer from his mouth, whistling as he read it, “103.3.  Looks like you won the jackpot.”  He handed Blaine a pill from the prescription bottle and a couple of Tylenol, then the glass of water.  “Take them,” he instructed.

Blaine shook his head listlessly.  “Throat hurts,” he croaked.

“I know, Sweetie, but these will help,” he told him, adding a muttered, “eventually.”  He knew there wasn't much he could do other than try to make Blaine as comfortable as possible and wait out the illness.  A call to Carole had confirmed what he already knew, that the medication might shorten the duration of the flu by a day or two, and might make the symptoms less severe, but it wasn't a magic bullet.  It took a little more wheedling, but he finally succeeded in getting Blaine to take the medication.

Next he managed to get Blaine to the bathroom, where he drew a lukewarm bath.  Blaine complained it was too cold; Kurt sympathized, but he knew Blaine's shivering and feeling cold were the result of the fever, and he was afraid a hot bath would make things worse, and so he insisted that Blaine get into the tepid water.  After watching him for a minute, Kurt decided he wouldn't drown if left alone briefly, so he returned to the bedroom and changed the sweaty bed linens, spraying the mattress with disinfectant for good measure.  He then returned to the bathroom and helped Blaine out of the tub.  After getting him dried off and into fresh pajamas, he announced that it was time for Blaine to eat.  Blaine protested, but Kurt was insistent.  A combination of pleading, cajoling, and threatening eventually resulted in Blaine sipping a few spoonfuls of soup that Kurt fed to him and taking a few swallows of Gatorade.  More than that Blaine flatly refused.  Sighing, Kurt gave up for the moment and put Blaine back to bed.  He then took the linens down to the laundry room in the basement, placed them in a washer, and returned to the apartment.

He sat down and tried to study, but couldn't focus.  He was worried about Blaine, and concerned about his health, but mostly, he was furious.  He had told Blaine several times to get a flu shot, but he never did, because he was always so busy, and now he was sick.  This was exactly what Kurt had feared would happen. 

The next day, he woke Blaine to give him his medication, then told him when he should take it again.  He set alarms on Blaine's phone to wake him so he would take the medicine, and told him to be sure to eat and drink, so he could keep up his strength and remain hydrated.  He made him a breakfast tray with scrambled eggs and a bit of yogurt, things that would be easy on his throat.  He placed it on Blaine's lap in bed and explained that there was soup in the refrigerator for lunch.  He placed two bottles of Gatorade, a pitcher of water, and a glass on the small nightstand.  Blaine nodded obediently and promised to take care of himself.  Kurt gave him a long look and then kissed his forehead and left for class.

He returned that evening after work to the sound of the alarm blaring.  He found the breakfast tray, untouched, on the floor next to the bed.  No soup was gone from the refrigerator, and there were no dirty dishes.  The Gatorade was unopened where Kurt had left it, the pitcher still full and the glass still dry and empty.  Counting the pills in the prescription bottle, Kurt realized Blaine had not taken his medication at all that day, other than the one dose he had given him that morning.  Blaine was curled up on the bed in a fetal position, fever blazing, drenched in sweat.  Sighing, Kurt repeated his routine from the night before.  The major difference was that once he made it back to the apartment after his trip to the laundry room, instead of studying, he called in favors at work, and traded future favors, to get his shifts covered so he could stay home and take care of Blaine, who obviously wasn't going to take care of himself when he was this sick.

Three days later, Blaine still felt sick, but was doing well enough that it was less of a struggle to get him to eat and drink and take his medicine.  It was Monday, and Kurt decided to chance returning to class and work, although he dropped by the apartment after classes, before going in to work, to make sure Blaine was behaving.  He was, having taken the correct medication at the correct times, and having voluntarily eaten small meals and snacks during the day, and having had enough to drink to stay hydrated.

By the weekend, Blaine was beginning to feel human again, although he was still tired and run down.  Kurt, however, was feeling anything but human.  He was achy, the exhaustion brought on by worry and the stress of taking care of Blaine on top of classes and work was becoming unbearable, and he had a sore throat.  Blaine noticed and insisted he return to the clinic where they had been tested several months earlier; having heard stories about NYADA's “health center,” he didn't bother to suggest it.  The clinic, while more expensive, was closer and boasted the advantage of having a fully qualified, licensed staff.  The clinic personnel confirmed Blaine's fears:  Kurt had the flu. 

By the time they returned home, Kurt was running a fever.  Blaine put Kurt to bed, then wracked his brain for what to do.  He'd never really taken care of someone who was sick before.  He thought about what his mom and Tina had done for him when he was sick, and what Kurt had done for him over the last week and a half.  As he was thinking, Kurt's phone rang.  The caller ID told him it was Kurt's dad.  Answering it, he began, “Hey, Mr. Hummel, it's Blaine.  Kurt has the flu and he's in bed asleep right now.”

“Who's taking care of him?”  Burt got right to the point.

“Um, me.  At least I'm trying, but I don't really know what to do,” Blaine admitted.

“Carole told me you were sick a while back.  I was actually calling Kurt to see how you were doing,” Burt told him.

“Yeah.  I had the flu, but I'm fine now, just a little tired.  Is there anything Kurt likes when he's sick?  Anything I can do for him?”  Blaine inquired.

Burt laughed a little.  “Well, he likes to be left alone, but you can't really do that because he won't take care of himself.  You're going to have to make sure he eats and drinks enough, and that he takes any medicine he's supposed to have, because left to his own devices, he won't do any of it.  You're also going to have to make sure he takes it easy for a while.  He doesn't get sick often, but when he does he doesn't recover fast and he tries to go back to normal life too early and just ends up sicker.  You also need to try to take it easy yourself, rest as much as you can, because you're still recovering and it won't do Kurt any good for you to get sick again.  Oh, and you should apply for combat pay because Kurt will fight tooth and nail against any attention or attempts to take care of him.  He's great at taking care of everyone else, but he's the worst patient in the world.”

“Thanks,” Blaine laughed.  What Burt was saying was so in line with everything he'd ever known about Kurt.  “I'm just not sure how this happened.  He kept after me to go get a flu shot, but I was busy.  I was actually going to get one in the afternoon the day I got sick.  I just assumed he'd already gotten one, but I guess he was too busy too.”

Burt sighed.  He really shouldn't get involved in his son's relationships, he knew that, although he'd done what he could to get Kurt and Blaine back together before it had finally happened.  This, however, was something Blaine should know about, something that could affect their relationship, and if it was going to be a deal breaker for him, better it happen now than months or years down the road.  “Are you planning to stay with Kurt?  What I'm asking is, do you think that this is a long term thing?  Are you two going to stay together?”

Blaine was taken aback.  He and Kurt had only started talking about the future at Finn and Rachel's wedding, and they hadn't really discussed details or timing.  He wondered what Kurt had said to his dad.  “Yes.  I mean, we haven't discussed much about it, but we're in love, and I, at least, plan on sticking around.  Why?”

“Kid, I'm going to try not to say too much, and don't talk to him about it while he's still sick, but this isn't the last time this is going to happen, if you stick with him.  I mean, all couples tend to give each other colds and stuff, that's no big deal; what I'm talking about is this:  Kurt doesn't want you to get sick, he wants you to do all you can to prevent it, but he may not take the same steps for himself.”  Burt finished, feeling slightly guilty about having initiated the conversation.

No amount of prying on Blaine's part could get Burt to elaborate or explain why Kurt would behave that way.  Burt would say only that Blaine needed to have that conversation with Kurt, when he wasn't sick.

Blaine decided to follow what Kurt had done for him, to the extent he could remember it.  As Burt had predicted, Kurt was belligerent and uncooperative, but Blaine was stronger than he was when he was sick, and not above picking him up and forcing him to sit up to eat, feeding him like a child, and carrying him to the bath.  He called and told Mike he couldn't come to band practice or the gigs that week, pleading the need to catch up on classwork and lingering effects of the flu.  Like a sick boyfriend, he thought.  He also arranged for friends to take class notes for him the first few days of the next week.  He stayed at the apartment, leaving only to pick up soup and occasionally sandwiches at the deli down the street that Kurt liked, doing his best to care for his ailing boyfriend.

Luckily, Kurt's illness was less severe than Blaine's had been, and by Wednesday, most of his acute symptoms were gone.  He was tired of soup, and his throat felt better, so Blaine ordered Chinese.  He thought it was a safe bet, since if the food irritated Kurt's throat, they could fall back on the egg drop soup.  They were settling down to eat, Blaine asking if he was sure he could handle the solid food, when Kurt blew up.  “Yes, I've told you I'm fine.  If you'd just done what I told you, I never would have gotten sick!”

Blaine was stunned.  “I know I waited too long to get a flu shot, but I was planning to do it.  I'm sorry.  But you can't blame me, since you obviously didn't get one either,” Blaine defended himself.

“If you'd gotten one, I wouldn't have needed to,” Kurt retorted.

Kurt's attempted logic made no sense.  “Kurt, Baby, you still need a flu shot, just like I do.  I'm not your only source of exposure.  You go to school, the office at Vogue.com, you work two jobs waiting tables in crowded places, you ride the subway and walk on crowded streets.  Anyone could have coughed or sneezed on you and gotten you sick.  I agree that it was probably your exposure to me this time, but next time?  It could come from anywhere.”

Kurt's response was to withdraw and become silent.  No matter how much Blaine tried to initiate the discussion, Kurt would not have any part of it.  Blaine silently promised himself he would bring it up again when Kurt was fully recovered, but, as with so many things, their busy life got in the way, and it never really came up again, although it remained a nagging issue in the back of Blaine's mind.