Kurt bit into his fist to keep from crying for the hundredth time.

He didn't understand how he could have missed it.

When the fevers and the chills manifested, Kurt just assumed Finn had the flu, until he was helping change Finn's sweat soaked shirt and saw it.

A cut, no bigger than a fingernail scratch really, that became infected. The infection was kept hidden. A hidden illness had grown and taken over.

Now, Finn – beautiful, wonderful, athletic Finn – lay on a bed in the ICU, pale and septic.

A staph infection, most likely contracted from rough housing on the filthy mat at the Boys' and Girls' Club he liked to play at with his friends after school. Kurt always made such a fuss over scratches and scrapes, Finn probably just decided to save himself the trouble and ignore this one.

It was easy for Kurt to get pissed at Finn for just a minute – for putting his life in danger, for putting his sisters' lives in danger - but that anger didn't last long. It was shoved away by fear and guilt.

Another child in the hospital.

Another failure as a parent.

This, however, was different from when little Eva had broken her leg.

They could actually lose Finn.

Finn – with his father's eyes, and nose, and gullible, easy going nature, but all of his mother's ruthless ambition.

Kurt couldn't lose Finn.

Of all of the children, Finn was the most like his parents.

It would be like losing them all over again.

Abscesses had formed, and had to be surgically drained. Doctors told them that Finn was young, and he should come through just fine.

The staph, though life threatening, turned out to be a blessing, a road sign that led them to another problem – an underlying blood infection that preceded the staph infection, probably by only a few hours, but was much more dangerous. It, too, could be cured, but would require a blood transfusion…and fast.

Blood from a family member was highly recommended, but since only two of his younger sisters fit the bill (little Eva being incapable due to her own regimen of medications), everyone stepped up to the plate.

The small group gathered in record time – Kurt, Dave, Blaine, and Adam of course. Hunter, Nick, and Jeff as well. Even Thad came in to be tested. Unfortunately, none of them even came close.

Finn had a rare blood type, AB negative, compounded by very specific genetic markers, which in this case couldn't be ignored.

He shared this trait with only a single other member of his family – little Elphaba.

Kurt and Dave found themselves caught in a bind. Kurt's knee jerk reaction was a definite ‘no'. Dave agreed, wanting to vehemently refuse.

“She's too young!” Kurt argued. “And so small for her age. There's no way she could donate. There has to be another way.”

“Yes,” the doctor agreed, “she is young, and in most cases we wouldn't even consider a transfusion from her, but the fact of the matter is this is an emergency situation. We could take a chance with an anonymous donor, but we don't have any AB negative blood on hand. We'd have to get some sent from another hospital. Locating it and transporting it would take time we don't want to spare.”

Kurt sighed, dropping his head in his hands, shaking gently. Dave put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing comfortingly while simultaneously wanting to fall to pieces.

“She's a perfect match,” the doctor explained quietly. “Her blood would pretty much ensure that the treatment would be an overwhelming success. We don't need much, and we won't put her in any unnecessary danger. I promise.”

Kurt agreed, but he refused to make the decision for her, no matter what. Even though she was only six years old, Kurt and Dave sat the little girl down and tried their best to explain the severity of the situation in a way a child her age would understand.

“So, I have to give him my blood?” she asked, wide eyed and more than a little frightened. “Like a gift?”

“Yes,” Kurt said sadly, “a very important gift. Without it, sweetie, well, I don't know…”

Elphaba's breath caught in her throat.

“Oh, baby.” Dave wrapped comforting arms around her. “If you don't want to do it, we'll still do everything we can for your brother, I promise.”

Elphaba was confused. She couldn't understand why Kurt and Dave would chose her brother over her, but she loved Finn, and if this special gift would make him better, she would give it. Elphaba thought for just a moment, before looking at her uncles with wide, watery eyes and agreed.

“Do you want me to stay and hold your hand, baby?” Kurt asked, trying to be brave for his little girl.

Elphaba's lips quivered as she watched a nurse with Dora the Explorer scrubs carry a tiny kidney shaped container with needles and tiny packets of alcohol and set it on a table beside her.

“W-would it be okay if Hunter held my hand?”

Hunter pulled a stool up beside Elphaba's chair, and the girl immediately laced her delicate fingers between his. He saw the little girl's eyes watering as she courageously held back tears. He leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers.

“You know,” he whispered, “you can cry if you want to.”

Elphaba sniffled as the nurse took the girl's arm.

“No,” she said in a small, trembling voice. “Everyone else is being brave. I'm going to be brave, too.”

Hunter nodded, putting a comforting hand on her head of wavy cinnamon colored hair.

Elphaba started to pant nervously as she felt the nurse rub along her arm with the cold alcohol.

“What would you like to do while you're here?” Hunter asked, trying to distract the girl. “I brought my iPad. We could play a game, or watch some cartoons. I could read you a book.”

Elphaba nodded, and then suddenly sucked in a sharp breath as the nurse carefully stuck the thin needle into the girl's arm.

“Owie, owie, owie, owie, owie…” the poor girl chanted.

“It's okay, doll face,” Hunter cooed. “Shhh, it's going to be okay…” Elphaba couldn't hear him, and Hunter bit his lip, praying that he could be brave enough himself not to cry.

Being so young and so small, they took Elphaba's blood over a long period of time. Hunter did his best to keep the girl occupied, with stories, and games, and knock-knock jokes, but even though everything was going smoothly, Elphaba seemed unspeakably depressed. When the nurse came back, smiling warmly, removing the needle and putting gauze and a bright pink wrap around her arm, Elphaba seemed even more upset.

“There you go,” Hunter said with a smile. “You're all done.”

Elphaba looked down in her lap and started to cry.

“Oh, sweetheart. Baby.” Hunter took the small girl in his arms. “It's all over now. Finn's going to be just fine because of you. You're a hero.”

Elphaba nodded sadly.

“So, what's the problem, angel?”

Elphaba could barely speak, but still managed to ask, “How much time do I have left?”

Hunter's brow knit in confusion as he looked at the little girl.

“What do you mean? We just have to sit here for a bit and wait for the doctor to make sure you're okay, and then we can go.”

“No.” Elphaba shook her head. “How long do I have till I die?”

Hunter sat straight up with shock at her question.

“Honey…” Hunter picked the girl up off the chair and cradled her in his arms. “Why do you think that you're going to die?”

“Be-because I gave Finn all of my blood,” she sobbed. “And I know that you can't live without blood, so…”

Hunter wrapped his arms around the little girl and rocked her soothingly, burying his face into her strawberry scented hair, and this time he couldn't help crying.

“I'm such an idiot!” Kurt hissed as he left Elphaba's room. After Hunter told Kurt and Dave about his conversation with Elphaba, the whole group made it their mission to lavish her with extra love and attention. Hunter spent the afternoon with her, reading all of her favorite books until he knew them by heart. Kurt made cupcakes for dinner. Blaine and Nick took her out shopping and bought her a new dress. By the time Elphaba went to bed, Kurt had never seen a smile so big on the little girl's face.

It made his heart break even more.

“It never dawned on me,” Dave admitted as he leaned against Adam, holding tight to the other man's hand, “to explain just how much they would take, or that her body would make the blood back.”

“Don't be so hard on yourself.” Adam held Dave close, Dave leaning his head on Adam's shoulder. “You were worried about Finn.”

“That's a reason, not an excuse.” Kurt dropped down on the couch beside Blaine, raking his fingers through his hair in frustration. Blaine put an arm around Kurt's shoulders and held him close.

“We'd better get some sleep.” Blaine kissed Kurt on the top of the head. “We have to relieve Nick and Jeff from bed sitting duty at the hospital in five hours.”

Kurt nodded, waving at Dave, Adam, and Hunter, still sitting on the couch.

“I think we'd better pack it in, too,” Adam said. “We have the shift right after theirs.”

“Yup.”

Adam stood, taking Dave's hand and pulling him up with him.

“Uh, if you guys don't mind, can I crash on your couch?” Hunter asked. “I cleared my calendar for tomorrow and I'd kind of like to be here when Elphie wakes up.”

Blaine chuckled. Barely anyone used the nickname he had made up for Elphaba so long ago.

“Of course,” Kurt said, turning to the linen closet outside his bedroom door and fetching out a pillow and some blankets.

Blaine smirked at Dave who was looking back at him with a knowing look.

“You really like her, don't you?” Adam asked.

“I admire her very much,” Hunter admitted, taking the pillow and blankets from Kurt with a grateful nod. “She did an amazing thing today. She thought she was giving up her life for her brother. That's an amazing gift.”