Chapter 16

Kurt was worried. Incredibly worried.

He'd spent the entire weekend thinking about the bruised and battered frame of a boy he'd dropped off at his home Friday evening.

Blaine had been in rough shape, as much as he'd tried to deny it. Kurt had never seen anyone so bruised, swollen and scarred. Several times over the course of the weekend Kurt found himself pacing his bedroom, trying to convince himself that Blaine was fine. If he had been really badly injured, he would have consented to a trip to the hospital… right?

At one point on Sunday afternoon Kurt found himself sitting in his car parked in his own driveway debating on whether or not to make a quick trip over to the grey house on the north end of the city to check up on Blaine.

He shook his head, once again ignoring the nagging voice in the back of his mind, and trudged back into the house. He'd spent the remainder of the day baking cookies and cakes in attempt to keep his mind off the hazel eyes which kept looking pleadingly into his soul.

It was a failed attempt, but Burt was more than impressed with the array of baked goods waiting for him on the table when he arrived home Sunday evening.

"Is that Glee club of yours having another bake sale or something?" Burt asked, picking up a chocolate chip cookie and taking an enormous bite, sending crumbs tumbling down his grease-covered front.

Kurt sighed. "No, I was just… bored."

Burt shoved the remainder of the cookie into his mouth and grabbed a piece of lemon loaf.

"Oh, well in that case, you should be bored more often, 'cuz this is awesome!"

Kurt half-smiled as he watched his dad shovel nearly the entire piece of cake into his mouth before walking to the fridge and taking a swig of milk right from the jug.

Burt wiped a grimy sleeve across his mouth as he finished putting the milk back in the fridge.

"Okay Kurt, now I know something's up. There is no way you let me eat all those sweets and then drink from the jug like that without severe consequences." Burt pulled a chair out from the table next to Kurt and sat down.

"What's going on, buddy?"

Kurt looked into his dad's eyes for the first time that afternoon and sighed again. He knew that he should really tell his father what had happened, but he could still hear the panic in Blaine's voice, 'Promise me you won't tell anyone'.

Plus, Burt had made it very clear at the football game that Blaine was off limits and that the two boys were not to have contact with each other. But that was before all of this had happened. No one knew that Blaine was gay back then.

Kurt then thought about how hard it was when he was outted before he was ready to face the consequences. Telling his dad about Blaine would open up a whole new can of worms. Kurt had seemingly made a new friend over the past few days and he didn't want to chance ruining that.

He concluded that he would wait until the next day at school to speak with Blaine and make sure he was alright.

"It's nothing dad. I'm just tired." Kurt lied.

"Are those pricks still giving you a hard time at school?" Burt suddenly sat up straighter and looked at Kurt with a menacing glare. "It's not that Blaine kid again, is it? I'll kill him."

"No!" Kurt answered quickly, his head shooting up from where he had been staring at the floor.

"Blaine didn't do anything to me. He…" Kurt paused, closing his eyes briefly.

He needs help.

"I'm fine dad." Kurt insisted. "I'm going to go down to my room now. I'll come back up and put this stuff away after it cools."

"Okay kiddo." Burt replied, grabbing one more cookie from the pile. "But I have one more question before you go – how are things with you and Finn?"

Kurt gulped. Truthfully, he hadn't spoken a word to the other boy since Thursday in the choir room. Finn had tried to apologize several times since then but Kurt had simply walked away.

"We're good now, dad. It was all a misunderstanding and he apologized."

It wasn't a total lie.

Burt smiled, leaned in and gave Kurt a tight hug. He stood back up and placed a firm hand on his son's shoulder.

"Good. You know I don't stand for any of that homophobia garbage. I think Finn means well, he just got caught up in the moment the other day."

Kurt nodded.

Burt took his greasy ball cap off his bald head and set it on the table next to the cookies.

"Are you okay if I invite them over for dinner tomorrow night? Carole said she'd like to see you."

"Of course dad, I miss Carole too." Kurt smiled.

Burt grinned and slapped Kurt on the back of his shoulder, took another large bite of cookie, walked into the living room and sat on the couch, reaching for the remote.

"No more treats for you tonight, dad. You know they're not good for you." Kurt's voice echoed from the kitchen.

That's my boy, Burt thought with a grin as he turned the TV on and began watching the sports highlights.

When Kurt arrived at school Monday morning, he was beyond distraught when he discovered that Blaine was nowhere to be found. He spent his entire lunch break and free period scouring the school grounds, hoping to find the curly-haired boy holed up somewhere, but came up empty.

He considered asking Finn for Blaine's phone number but quickly dismissed the thought after taking into account the number of new rumors that simple action might initiate. The last thing he needed was the entire school thinking that he and Blaine were an item.

Kurt was on his way home from school when his curiosity got the better of him and he detoured to Blaine's end of town. He vaguely remembered the route he and Blaine had taken the other night and he only made a few wrong turns before he found himself parked out front of the house.

He was standing on the porch and had already pressed on the doorbell button when a panicked thought invaded his mind. What the fuck was he going to say?

Hi, I'm the gay kid that left your son on his own after he was nearly gay-bashed to death last week. He wouldn't happen to still be alive would he?

Kurt glanced back at his car and momentarily considered making a run for it, but decided to man up and face the music.

He'd simply ask if Blaine was home and if his parents questioned his presence, he'd tell them that he was a friend from school with his homework from that day.

That always worked in the movies… right?

Kurt released a breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding when no one came to the door after several tense moments. He rang the doorbell a second time and waited.

Huh… Either he's fine and gone out with friends, he's in the hospital with life-threatening injuries, or he's lying on the floor dead and his cat is chewing on his eyeball.

Kurt shuddered.

Yes. Let's go with door number one.

He rang the doorbell a third time before retreating to his car.

Kurt considered leaving a note under the door, but decided that was too 'horror movie stalkerish'.

Plus, he didn't have a pen.

He decided to wait in his car until someone came home and he could talk to them to make sure Blaine was alright.

He spent 45 minutes manicuring his fingernails until he remembered the dinner plans with Finn and Carole. He quickly buckled up and drove away from the grey house, with many scenarios playing in his head.

Some with cats, some without.

Kurt was busying himself by setting the table and washing up a few dishes left over from breakfast that morning when he heard the doorbell. There were still a couple of hours until Finn and Carole were due to arrive so he figured it must have been his father at the door.

Dad, did you seriously forget your keys again?

He picked up a tea towel from the front of the stove and dried his hands as he walked over to the front door.

Kurt unlocked the door and swung it open, "How many times must you…"

He stopped dead and dropped the towel on the floor as a short, curly-haired boy stood on his front porch looking up at him through near-swollen shut hazel eyes.

"Blaine?"

The shorter boy stumbled slightly and his eyes momentarily drifted closed as he regained his balance. Kurt now noticed that the boy was clutching onto the doorframe with his right hand to maintain his balance.

"K-kurt...I…need…"

Blaine was unable to finish the mumbled and obviously pain-filled sentence as his legs gave out from underneath him and he fell forward, narrowly missing the floor before Kurt grabbed him and held him in his arms, lowering him the remainder of the way to the ground.

"Blaine? Oh my god!"

The boy slumped into Kurt's arms and was unresponsive.

"Blaine? Can you hear me?" Kurt gently tapped on the boy's bruised cheek.

No response.

"Oh god Blaine, please wake up!"

Nothing.

Kurt felt the boy's neck and was truly relieved when he felt a pulse.

"Blaine?" Tears were streaming down Kurt's cheeks as he feared the worse.

He scooped up the boy in his arms and pulled him into the house and closed the door with his foot. Kurt was momentarily amazed by how little the boy weighed. He'd realized that he was short in stature, but he had significant musculature and should easily weigh more than what he did. The frail looking boy seemed to weigh next to nothing as Kurt easily carried him into the living room.

The bitter cold air immediately dissipated and the new warmth of the house sent additional shivers up Kurt's spine.

"Blaine, how did you get here? You're freezing cold!"

There was a bluish tinge to Blaine's lips and his skin was very cool to the touch. Kurt picked up one of Blaine's hands and winced when he felt how cold it was.

Blaine was not wearing a jacket, only a pair of grey sweatpants and his McKinley Titans practice jersey over a t-shirt. Kurt was comforted slightly when he looked down to see that at the very least, the boy was wearing socks and shoes.

A small whimper snapped Kurt from his trance and he breathed a sigh of relief as Blaine's blackened eyes rolled open slightly.

"Blaine, I have to take you to the hospital."

"No hospt'l" The boy slurred.

"Blaine. You're hurt really bad. We need to go now."

Kurt was about to set him down on the couch and wrap him in a blanket when the boy began to sob quietly.

"Kuuurt… promis'd…" Blaine's whimpers sent a wave of nausea though Kurt's stomach.

"You need help."

The tears were freely flowing down Kurt's cheeks by this point and he looked at Blaine's beaten body with a grimace. The bones in his left shoulder were still deformed and his arm was cradled over his chest as it had been on Friday evening and there were new bruises on his swollen face.

Blaine had never gone to the hospital.

"You need a doctor."

"Jus wan' sleeeeep…"

Kurt wrapped the blanket around Blaine's body and scooped him up once again.

"Pleeease… I'm jus' tired…"

Kurt's heart was breaking. He knew Blaine needed medical help; that much was apparent. But he was still so cold.

"Blaine. I'm going to bring you downstairs and help warm you up, okay? Then we'll talk about seeing a doctor."

Blaine nodded and closed his eyes once again, leaning heavily into Kurt's chest.

Kurt managed to carry Blaine down the stairs to his bedroom without dropping him or banging his head against the doorframe. He was out of breath by the time they reached the bedroom and he stood Blaine up in front of him.

"Can you stand?"

Blaine nodded slowly, his eyes still closed and his bushy eyebrows knit in obvious discomfort.

Kurt carefully pulled the loose-fitting white jersey over Blaine's head, which elicited a pained groan from the boy as his shoulder was moved ever-so-slightly. Kurt winced, wondering how he was going to pull the tight fitting T-shirt off the shivering boy without causing him further pain.

"Blaine, I need you to pull your good arm out of this sleeve."

After several minutes of struggles and whimpers, Kurt had successfully managed to remove the T-shirt. He dropped the shirt to the floor next to the football jersey and looked at Blaine, who was still standing, but wavering and shivering visibly.

"We have to take your sweatpants off now Blaine." Kurt informed, with a slight blush warming his cheeks.

He looked down to see that Blaine had his eyes open slightly, but was staring off to the left of Kurt, not acknowledging his presence or his request.

Kurt reached down and gently pulled on the white cord that held the pants in place over his thin, bony hips.

Blaine's eyes shot open at the sudden contact and he weakly pushed back on Kurt's hand.

"No, please don't…"

Kurt jumped back slightly and looked at Blaine, who had terror etched into his eyes. But what he found more distressing was the look of hollow unfamiliarity written into Blaine's darkened features.

"Blaine? It's me, Kurt. I'm only going to help you okay?"

As suspected, Blaine nodded, appeared almost immediately more relaxed and his eyes drifted closed once again.

Kurt directed Blaine a few steps towards the bathroom before he reached down slowly and pulled on the white cord of the sweat pants once again.

"It's okay Blaine; I'm going to help you into the shower so you warm up, okay?"

Blaine mumbled something incoherent but seemed to be more relaxed, although the shivering had increased since Kurt had pulled off the boy's shirt. Kurt gently tugged at the cord until he could feel it loosen off and the pants began to slide down Blaine's hips. Kurt stood behind Blaine, with one hand helping the pants down and his second arm holding the other boy firmly around his chest. His skin was still cold and he was trembling as he wavered slightly on his unsteady legs.

The sweatpants hit the floor around Blaine's ankles and Kurt moved his hand back up to pull down the pair of navy blue boxers Blaine was wearing. Needing both hands to pull them down, Kurt leaned Blaine back onto his own chest and supported his weight with his body as he slipped the boxer shorts down to the floor.

There was not an ounce of sexual tension in the room as Kurt assisted Blaine in stepping out of the shorts and sweatpants that lay bundled on his bedroom floor.

Now naked, it was evident that Blaine had obtained several new bruises and markings on his bare skin. A distinct boot print was visible on his right side, along with multiple lacerations that criss-crossed over his back; new wounds overlapping eerily similar, faded scars, which to Kurt, looked like the beginnings of a sadistic game of X's and O's.

Kurt couldn't contain the whimper he released when he lowered his eyes and noticed bruising and dried blood surrounding the boy's backside. There were bruises left by what Kurt assumed were large fingers on his ass cheeks and the thought of what the boy had endured forced him to close his eyes to contain the nausea. The acidic taste of bile entered his throat and he clenched his fists in anger.

After taking a moment to compose himself, Kurt placed a hand on Blaine's back and guided him the remaining steps into the bathroom and turned on the shower. The heat from the steam instantly warmed up the room and left a layer of fog on the mirror.

"Blaine, I'm going to help you into the shower now, okay?"

After receiving no reply, Kurt pulled back the shower curtain and looked back at Blaine, who stood naked and shivering next to him.

There was no way that he was going to be able to stand on his own in the shower, so Kurt swallowed his nervousness and took a deep breath before removing his own clothes and standing next to the quivering boy wearing only his black boxer briefs.

The heat from Kurt's body was met by the chilling embrace of Blaine as he held him momentarily in his arms before lifting him up off his feet and stepping into the shower. Once inside, Kurt positioned Blaine in front of him so the warm water was cascading over his head and down his discolored torso.

A lone tear pooled down Kurt's cheek as Blaine hissed when the water made contact with his open wounds. Kurt then realized that the water flowing down Blaine's back was burning him as it filtered down and into his raw backside. He turned the boy around robotically so he was facing the wall of the shower and Kurt allowed him to lean back into his now naked chest while he took a cloth and gently dabbed at the wounds on his tanned skin.

Kurt noticed for the first time a pale scar that stretched from Blaine's left side to just above his bellybutton. He gently slid the warm cloth over the scar curiously, and couldn't help but wonder what else this poor boy could possibly have endured in his lifetime. The bruising on Blaine's ribs appeared worse than it had on Friday, and was now speckled with different shades of red, purple and blue.

Kurt noticed that Blaine had stopped trembling and was relaxed against his chest, breathing shallow but still labored breaths.

He gently turned the boy back around to face him and carefully held Blaine's chin in his hand, dabbing the cloth against the gash above his closed eyes. Kurt gasped when Blaine flinched away from his touch and whimpered at the gentle contact. It was only then that Kurt noticed that his hand was lying directly over distinct hand-shaped bruising along Blaine's neck and throat. Initially Kurt was sickened by the thought that he himself had caused the markings but was saddened to confirm that the marks were far bigger than his own delicate hands could produce.

He gently turned the boy to his side so he could carefully slide the warm cloth over his chest and abdomen, trying his hardest not to look at anything below the boy's waist as he moved slowly and cautiously.

He'd never seen another boy completely naked before.

But at this moment, Kurt wasn't thinking about the fact that this was the first time he'd ever touched another boy's soft skin.

He wasn't thinking about the seeing the parts of another boy's anatomy he'd never seen before.

He wasn't thinking about the blood infused trails of water that dripped down the boy's battered skin and circled peacefully down the drain.

As tears freely flowed down his cheeks, all Kurt Hummel could think about was how he'd never again take for granted how lucky he was to have such a loving and caring father who would never let anything bad happen to him if it was within his power.

Kurt remained in the shower with Blaine, gently rubbing the cloth over his back and neck until the water began to lose its warmth. He carefully helped Blaine step out of the shower, noting how gingerly he moved when he lifted his legs over the edge of the tub.

Blaine's color had drastically improved; he had returned to his normal bronze skin tone, and the shivering had ceased completely, but Kurt was still worried that the boy seemed to be in an infinite amount of pain and was still incredibly weak.

He wrapped Blaine with a large red towel and slipped into his own bathrobe before leading the boy slowly into the bedroom. He helped Blaine into a pair of his own boxer shorts and led him towards his bed. Blaine winced when Kurt sat him on the edge of the bed until he was able to lie on his back with his left arm still slung across his middle.

Kurt pulled the blankets up around Blaine's chest and tucked him neatly into the bed. His eyes were closed and Kurt was certain that he had fallen asleep until he went to step away from the bed and Blaine's right hand reached out to stop him.

"Please stay."

The words were whispered quietly enough that Kurt may have missed them had he not been looking at Blaine as he spoke. The boy remained motionless with his eyes closed as Kurt hesitantly slipped under the covers with him, allowing Blaine's head to rest gently on his chest.

As Blaine slipped into unconsciousness, Kurt brought his hand up and gently caressed his thumb over the boy's prominent cheekbones. Comforted slightly by the steady rise and fall of Blaine's chest, he silently wished he could make all of the pain go away as hot salty tears streamed down his porcelain cheeks.

An hour later, Burt was greeted by Finn and Carole as he stepped out of his truck carrying several paper bags containing Chinese takeaway. Both vehicles had pulled into the driveway minutes apart.

"Here, let me get the door for you!" Carole said, stepping around Burt and closing the truck door.

"Thanks sweetie." Burt smiled, leaning over the bags and placing a gentle kiss on her cheek.

Finn, who was standing only a few feet away, grimaced awkwardly at the exchange. He was about to turn and walk up to the house when Burt jingled his set of keys that were dangling on his ring finger.

"Finn, do you mind grabbing the door for us? It's the silver key."

Finn nodded and took the keys from Burt's hand and walked up the sidewalk and put the silver key into the door.

"It's already unlocked." He said, pulling the key back out and sliding the door open.

"Kurt must have left it unlocked." Burt replied, and then he added with a chuckle, "Most days I forget my keys and lock myself out."

The three entered the home and Burt set the bags of food on the kitchen table, noting that the kitchen had been tidied and the table was set but the house was eerily quiet.

"Kurt must be down in his room doing homework." Burt said, pulling the Styrofoam containers out of the bags and setting them out on the table. "Do you wanna run down and grab him Finn?"

Finn grabbed a chicken ball out of the container on the table and nodded. "Sure."

He sauntered down the basement stairs and past the room partition to Kurt's side of the duel bedroom.

"Kurt… your dad sent me to come get you for…"

His eyes grew wide and he stopped dead in his tracks.

Kurt was not sitting at his desk chair working on his homework.

He was lying on his back, asleep in his bed, wearing nothing but a white bathrobe. But the thing that caught Finn's utmost attention was the nearly naked boy who was curled up at his side with his head lying on Kurt's chest, sleeping peacefully.

Finn's jaw dropped as he noticed the trail of clothes leading to the bathroom, including a white football jersey.

He stared dumbfounded for a moment, unable to speak before stepping cautiously backwards out of the room. He turned quickly and ran back up the stairs, still not entirely sure what it was that he had just walked in on.

When he reached the kitchen, he must have still had a confused look on his face because Burt looked at him questioningly.

"Well? Is he coming or…?"

Finn stared dumbly at the older man for a full minute before his brain finally managed to convert his thoughts into intelligible words.

"He's in bed."

Burt's eyebrows furrowed.

'That's odd. I wonder if he's not feeling…"

He was interrupted by Finn.

"…with a dude."

Burt blinked. "I-I'm sorry… what?"

"There's a naked guy in his bed."

Burt was speechless.

"It's a football player. I saw his jersey on the floor by the bathroom."

Burt's features turned dark immediately and his voice was deep and frightening as he spoke through gritted teeth.

"I'll kill him."

Before Finn could say anything further, Burt took off down the steps and stormed into Kurt's bedroom.

As he took in the two scantily clad figures nestled in Kurt's bed and the trail of clothes leading to the bathroom he could feel the heat rise in his face. The rage boiled inside of him to beyond the breaking point and he reached down angrily and ripped the unidentified boy out of the bed and threw him onto the floor in a heap.

Blaine's agonizing screams woke Kurt up in a panic. It took him several seconds to remember what had happened.

Blaine showing up bloody and battered on his doorstep, passing out in Kurt's arms, and begging him not to take him to the hospital.

The shower.

Leading him to the bedroom and tucking him in under the covers.

He'd fallen asleep with Blaine!

Kurt's mind was reeling in recollection as Blaine lay cowering on the floor on the opposite side of the bed, gasping in pain and whimpering audibly.

Kurt's eyes scanned up to where his father stood over Blaine's trembling form. He looked angrier than he'd ever seen him before. His face was flushed and he was gritting his teeth and clenching his fists. Had Kurt not known that his father would never strike another person, he'd swear that he was inches away from laying a severe beating into the other boy.

"Dad! Please leave him! This is not what it looks like!" Kurt shouted, jumping off his side of the bed and quickly running around to kneel beside Blaine.

"Really Kurt? Cuz it looks an awful lot like you and this…" He stuttered, looking down at Blaine, "…this asshole were… in bed…naked!"

Kurt looked down at his robe and subconsciously tightened the belt before reaching down and cradling the sobbing boy in his arms.

"Dad, he's… he's hurt." Kurt cried, trying to use the gentle touch of his arms and hands to console Blaine. He was sobbing inconsolably into Kurt's chest.

"Blaine, it's okay. He's not going to hurt you." He whispered into the boy's ear, gently sweeping his hand over his forehead, moving loose curls off to the side of his face.

Blaine was breathing in quick, pained gasps and had his eyes clenched tight. "Please don't let him touch me! Please don't let him touch me!"

The whimpers were desperate and terrified and chilled Kurt to the bone. He continued to hold Blaine tight in his arms, but could feel the boy gasping for breaths as he sobbed.

"Blaine, you have to calm down. You're safe okay? You're safe."

The boy was quickly becoming hysterical as his breaths became increasingly pained; loud wheezes audible from across the room.

Burt had instantly moved away from the cowering boy when he'd started screaming, and couldn't help but feel anxious. The aching gasps and sobs emanating from the curly-haired boy on the floor sent chills up his spine. Burt finally looked closer at Blaine and was horrified when he noticed for the first time, the endless number of bruises, cuts and scars that covered a large portion of the boy's tiny frame.

He watched as Kurt pulled the boy closer into his near-bare chest and held him tight, whispering gentle words of comfort into the boy's ear as he attempted to calm him. For the first time in a long while Burt was reminded of Kurt's mother and it brought a tear to his eye as he confirmed the resemblance of the two. The same kindness which was now seeping freely from Kurt was a key reason why he fell in love with Elizabeth all those years ago.

"Kurt…" He whispered, "What can I do?"

There were several tears seeping down his son's porcelain cheeks as he looked up from where he sat, desperately clinging to Blaine's trembling form.

"G-go get Carole. Something's wrong."

Burt never hesitated before turning around and running up the stairs.

Kurt tried to sit Blaine up but halted his efforts when the boy screamed at the sudden movement. His breaths became more ragged and a look of sheer panic crossed his face.

"Can't… breathe…" Blaine gasped.

Kurt lowered him back to his original position of comfort and continued running a gentle hand over the boy's forehead.

"It's okay Blaine, help is coming. Just keep breathing for me okay?"

The wheezes grew louder.

"P-please…" Blaine begged between harsh gasps.

"Blaine, you have to calm down. Please, you're scaring me!"

Blaine's eyes were wide and his face was contorted in obvious pain. He locked his right hand into Kurt's and squeezed, looking for any form of relief.

Carole rushed down the stairs and to the boy's side.

"Kurt, honey? Let me help, okay?"

Kurt nodded and moved around so Carole could pull Blaine up into her lap. He was still gasping, and had begun to flail his arms around in a panic at the loss of contact with Kurt.

"Blaine, sweetheart, you need to slow down your breathing, okay? You need to slow it down." Carole instructed calmly. She resumed Kurt's action of holding his hand while gently caressing the boy's forehead as she continued to speak to Blaine in a peaceful but composed tone.

"That's it sweetie, just breathe okay? You're having a panic attack. Just breathe in and out, nice and slow."

She mimicked the exaggerated breathing rate and was relieved when Blaine made a conscious effort to synchronize his inhalations to match hers. His color slowly improved and the look of sheer terror gradually dissolved from his pale face. The harsh wheezes melted into pained breaths and Blaine's firm grip on her hand relaxed slightly.

Kurt sat only inches away and began to relax to some extent as he noticed the immediate improvement of the other boy's condition. He had never seen anyone so panicked and so entirely afraid.

It chilled him to the bone.

"Carole? Is he… Is he going to be okay?" Kurt heard the voice of his father and turned to look to where he and Finn stood motionless by the bedroom door. Both men had terrified expressions painted on their white faces.

"Should I call an ambulance?" Finn questioned.

Blaine's face contorted once again and Kurt quickly spoke up, "No! Please don't! He doesn't want to go to the hospital."

"Kurt sweetie, Blaine is hurt pretty bad. He needs to see a doctor." Carole said, looking down over Blaine's beaten and battered figure.

Blaine suddenly began struggling against Carole's soft embrace and tried to push himself away from both her and Kurt.

"No… please don't. I-I can't…"

Carole was worried that the boy was going to start hyperventilating once again, so she reached out her hand gently towards his aching shoulder and gently caressed tiny circles into the muscles on his back.

"Blaine, you're shoulder looks really sore. If we take you…"

"No!" Blaine sobbed, "No hospital, please don't make me…"

He winced noticeably as he'd backed himself up against Kurt's bedside table, obviously re-aggravating his shoulder and ribs.

"Blaine, its okay, just relax, alright? No one is going to hurt you anymore." Kurt cooed, shifting slightly closer and returning his trembling hand to Blaine's and giving it a gentle squeeze.

"It's going to be okay. Carole is a nurse. She's going to help you Blaine. It's gonna be alright."

Blaine nodded slightly and returned his stare to where Carole sat with a look of genuine care and concern.

"Please help me."

The three words broke her heart into a million pieces and dropped her stomach to her feet. This poor boy had endured who knows what and obviously had nowhere else to turn for help. It was apparent that he and Kurt had formed some sort of bond since that day after the football game.

Carole leaned in close and spoke in the calmest and most protective voice she could muster.

"Blaine, I'm going to help Kurt lift you back up onto the bed so I can take a look at you, okay?"

The boy hesitated, looking deep into her eyes for several moments, as though making some sort of connection before silently nodding.

Carole and Kurt gently lifted him off the floor and back up onto the bed, where he winced slightly as he was set down on the mattress.

"Carole, he is… kind of… sore… down there, I think he'd prefer to stand."

Carole closed her eyes momentarily, trying desperately to contain the disgusted sigh which threatened to escape from her lips.

This poor boy…

"Blaine, would you like to stand?" She asked, her voice nowhere near as strong as she'd hoped.

Blaine looked ashamedly towards the floor and slowly nodded his head.

Kurt pulled Blaine's right arm behind own shoulders and wrapped his free arm around his friend's back and slowly lifted the boy to his feet.

A soft groan escaped Blaine's lips before he was standing fully erect, wobbling slightly on his unsure legs. Kurt remained positioned beside him, as Blaine leaned heavily into his left side, breathing shallow, pain-filled breaths.

"Blaine?" Kurt asked from beside him. "Do you want me to leave for this?"

"No!" The boy said with panicked eyes. "Please don't go."

Kurt tightened his grip on the boy's torso and whispered. "It's okay, I'll stay. I'm not going anywhere."

Carole smiled at the exchange. Although the words had sent a pang through her chest, it was obvious that Blaine trusted Kurt completely. Her heart warmed slightly as she felt pride for Burt's strong and courageous son.

Carole's heart broke with every new scar she came across during her examination. She placed a few butterfly strips across the gash above the boy's eye, effectively closing the wound.

"Okay sweetie, I'm going to have a look at your ribs now okay?" Carole said, cautiously moving in front of Blaine.

She took in the full view of the boy's chest and abdomen and was astonished to find even more bruises. Her eyebrows furrowed as he observed the dark purple contusions on the right side of his bare torso. She placed both her hands around his ribcage and instructed Blaine to take a deep breath.

When he tried to obey, he recoiled as his chest filled with air, expanding his ribcage and causing an infinite amount of pain to go shooting through his body.

"Alright sweetie, that's enough. I think you must have a couple of cracked or fractured ribs on this side. I'm going to wrap up your chest for you so it won't hurt so bad okay?"

Blaine nodded.

Carole disappeared from the bedroom, returning moments later with several white bandages. She carefully wrapped the bandages around Blaine's torso, binding his ribs tightly. Blaine could feel the relief instantly, and was comforted immensely when he found that it was suddenly slightly easier to breathe.

After she was finished, Carole moved her hands up to his left shoulder and gently felt the obvious deformity that was present and surrounded by bruises and multiple shades of discoloration.

"Blaine, can you move your fingers on this hand?"

He obliged the best he could, wiggling all five fingers only slightly. She felt his radial pulse and was happy to see that there was no circulatory compromise to the injured limb.

"Blaine, your shoulder is badly dislocated. It needs to be x-rayed and re-set."

Blaine's head popped up with her words and a new look of fear crossed his face.

"N-no… you said I wouldn't… I can't…"

"It's okay Blaine, just relax." Kurt encouraged from beside him. "She's just trying to help."

Blaine looked back into Carole's tender eyes and thought for a brief moment before whispering softly, "Can't you just fix it? Please?"

Carole shook her head softly, "No honey, the doctor needs to take an x-ray of it first to make sure he puts it back in the right position."

Blaine bowed his head, "It's been out a couple times before, and all you need to do is just pull it down and inwards. I tried to do it myself but… it didn't work. Please, can't you just do it here? Please?" He begged, several tears finding their way down his swollen cheek.

Carole sighed. The boy needed to see a doctor. That much was obvious. She could see the harm that had been inflicted to his body, and she was seriously concerned about the internal damage that may be present, especially if he had been assaulted sexually, which Kurt had all but implied. But she worried that if they forced him to do anything he didn't want to, that he might run off and be left alone. She couldn't let that happen.

The thought of the young boy having tried to re-set the injured limb himself sent waves of nausea through her.

Blaine was a tough, tough kid.

"Okay Blaine. We'll try it once, but if it doesn't re-set properly you have to promise to let me take you to see a doctor right away? Deal?"

Blaine nodded, another tear escaping down his cheek.

"Thank you." He whispered timidly.

"Don't thank me yet sweetheart. This is going to hurt."

She'd watched the doctor do this several times at the hospital, but she was still worried.

One wrong move and the boy could be left with permanent damage and disability.

"Kurt, I need you to hold him tight from behind him okay?" She instructed.

Kurt's eyes widened, but he nodded and slipped in behind Blaine, and placed both arms around his chest and torso, underneath both of the boy's arms.

Carole removed a pillowcase from the pillow on Kurt's bed and wrapped it neatly above Blaine's elbow, twisting it gently until it was snug around the boy's bicep.

"Blaine, are you ready?"

Blaine closed his eyes and released a deep breath before nodding.

"Deep breath now… on three…"

Blaine took in the deepest breath he could hold.

"One."

He closed his eyes.

"Two."

Kurt shifted uncomfortably behind Blaine, widening his stance and preparing for the worst.

"Three!" Carole shouted as she pulled the twisted pillowcase down and inwards, successfully snapping Blaine's shoulder back into place.

The shriek that Blaine released was mind numbing. His knees buckled and he would have surely fallen to the floor if not for Kurt's strong hold on his upper body.

He stopped breathing momentarily as he struggled to control the urge to shout out in agony.

"Blaine, I know it hurts but you have to breathe… Come on, sweetie…" Carole encouraged.

Blaine released the breath in short, agonizing gasps as tears fell freely down his face. A wave of nausea invaded his stomach and he suddenly felt the urge to be sick.

"I think I'm gonna…" He started, but Carole was prepared and held out the waste basket.

He clutched the bin with his right hand and retched several times, the dry heaves causing bolts of pain to shoot through his ribs and chest. Strings of drool slipped from his chin into the waste bin but his empty stomach refused to produce anything further.

Once he appeared finished, Carole handed him the damp cloth that she'd warmed under the faucet in the bathroom. He gratefully exchanged the bin for the cloth and gingerly wiped his face and chin.

She fixed his injured arm in a white sling, securing it tight across his chest in the same position that he'd been holding it on his own.

Again, instant relief flooded through the boy.

Carole reassessed the pulse in his wrist and when she was happy with the results, she looked back to where the boy seemed to be relaxing slightly into Kurt's body.

"Okay sweetie." Carole whispered, sliding a gentle hand down his cheek. "Does that feel better?"

Blaine nodded, his eyes still brimming with pain-induced tears.

"Alright." She smiled. "Kurt, why don't you help him back into bed and I'll go get some aspirin and an ice pack for his shoulder."

She disappeared once again, this time taking a wide-eyed Finn and Burt out of the room with her.

"Blaine?" Kurt ventured, after they were gone. "Are you doing okay?"

Blaine mumbled something quietly as his eyes slipped closed.

"Blaine?"

"Jus'tired." His words were slightly slurred.

"Alright, let's get you into bed and you can rest again, okay?" Kurt spoke softly as he turned the dazed boy around and helped him to lie back onto the bed. He adjusted the pillows beneath Blaine's head slightly and asked if the other boy was comfortable.

"Hmmmm" He moaned softly. "Will you stay with me?"

"Of course." Kurt said, tucking him under the covers carefully. "I'll be right back, okay? I'm just going to change."

Another incomprehensible mumble escaped Blaine's lips as he relaxed into the soft cotton sheets.

Kurt quickly took a few moments in the bathroom to change into pajama pants and a T-shirt before nestling himself on the bed, above the covers, next to the exhausted teenager. Blaine's breathing had already leveled out and he seemed to be resting comfortably, so Kurt wrapped his arm protectively around the other boy and snuggled in close.

I'll never let anyone hurt you again.

Carole returned to the bedroom several minutes later, carrying a glass of water, a bottle of aspirin and a package of frozen peas. As she approached the bed and was just about to open her mouth to speak, her eyes settled on the most tranquil scene she could have ever imagined.

Kurt was nestled into Blaine's side, with an arm draped over his bandaged torso, holding onto him protectively with a slight smile displayed across his delicate face.

Blaine was lying on his back, propped up with several pillows, with the fingers of his right hand entwined gracefully with Kurt's.

Both boys were sound asleep.