Kurt stretched stiffly in the hospital chair. He yawned and looked around the room, his eyebrows furrowed together as he tried to piece together the unfamiliar room. He couldn’t remember where he was. Suddenly the hospital room’s appearance dawned on him and Kurt realized where he was. His heart sunk to his stomach as he thought of Aiden. He looked anxiously at him lying in the small child size hospital bed, his heart calmed once he realized that Aiden was still asleep. He glanced at the tubes and machines still plugged to his son and his heart ached. He gently grabbed his hand, so small as he watched his chest heave up and down.

Kurt spent so many nights watching Aiden sleep, counting the number of times he would breathe in and out before he would pause and then go again. Kurt would always sneak into his room checking on him through the night and Blaine would always catch him telling him he worried too much. Thinking of Blaine, Kurt expected him to be sleeping in the chair by the door. Kurt scanned the room Blaine was no where to be found. Kurt saw the target bags and got up to look through them. He changed into the clothes left for him and smiled at Blaine's outfit choices for Aiden. He saw a toy and instantly frowned, he always told Blaine to stop spoiling him. Kurt put the things back in the bag and placed a soft kiss on Aiden's forehead. He left the room in search for Blaine. He dialed his cell in the elevator with no answer.

Kurt decided to look outside, figuring Blaine went to the car. It was earlier now, the sun was just coming up. Kurt had to squint, he had been so used to the dim hospital lights. Being this far away from Aiden even just for a few moments made his heart pang. He made a mental note to only be out here for five minutes, if he couldn’t find Blaine then he would go back in. Kurt found him outside smoking a cigarette on the side of the hospital. Blaine was leaned against the wall with his sunglasses on, he was taking a long drag off of his cigarette. Kurt didn’t want to startle him so he cleared his throat. He knew Blaine heard him, but Blaine made no movement he just inhaled again.

“I thought you quit.” Kurt asked. “Actually I thought you would quit when you saw your son hooked up to an oxygen machine.”

“I only smoke when I’m stressed. I’m stressed.” Blaine kept his stance only moving his arm up to finish off the cigarette. He threw it on the ground and ashed it out, only pausing for a second to grab the one behind his ear and light that. He took a long drag, careful not to blow in Kurt’s direction.

Kurt automatically put his hands on his hips, “Have you been smoking the whole time, in New York too?”

“I guess.”

Kurt rubbed his temples, “Okay I don’t want to yell, but do you think smoking is the best for Aiden right now?”

“He’s inside. I always smoke outside.”

“Blaine, I have no idea what is going on with you right now but this whole act isn’t helping anything.” Kurt gave him an annoyed look.

“I’m stressed out and unless you want me to go postal on another nurse, I’m going to stand out here and smoke.”

“Well unless you don’t want to be around your son again I suggest you get rid of those cigarettes.” Kurt stood his ground.

“I’m not fighting with you Kurt.” Blaine lifted his shades up and peered at Kurt under his glasses.

Kurt hated being the one to always get frustrated first, “Blaine…” He stomped his foot and then cursed himself for throwing a hissy fit. “You’re being ridiculous and honestly annoying.”

Blaine took another drag, “Our relationship is about communication Kurt.”

“Fine, I’m communicating. Can you get rid of those cancer sticks because not only does it hurt me but it hurts our son too.”

“It’s my body, I can do with it what I please.” Blaine leaned against the wall again.

“Why are you being like this?” Kurt threw his hands up in the air.

“I’m not BEING like anything Kurt. I’m minding my own business out here dealing with my stress the way I feel like.” He shrugged his shoulders.

“Well it’s not just YOUR stress Blaine, it’s ours together. We’re a family and we figure out things together.”

Blaine turned to him, “So when you asked my Dad for nearly three thousand dollars and had me sign papers without my knowledge that was together right?”

Kurt stood back mouth open, “That’s…that’s different…”

“How?” Blaine ashed out the cigarette, “How could you talk to my dad without telling me first?”

“I didn’t know what else to do Blaine, I panicked because everything was happening so fast. They told me that they wouldn’t take Aiden anymore…and…and I freaked.”

“Well should have told me Kurt. I’m the rock of this family, I need to make these types of decisions…”

“Wait, wait…the rock of the family? Um the last time I checked I could take care of myself and we we’re in this together.” Kurt raised his voice a little.

“Kurt I need to be the man of this house. I mean look at the income, I’m bringing in a lot of our money and should have a say in where we invest it. You have the more nurturing role, that’s fine. You keep the house in order. ”

“Are you drunk?” Kurt had to laugh at the ridiculous things Blaine was saying. “Like seriously? First of all, I have a job. I’m not just staying at home all day like you get to. I work six days a week and THEN come home and clean and cook. Second, Blaine no one needs to be the MAN of the house. We’re both men…”

“That’s not what I meant. “

Kurt was downright pissed off now. "So because I'm the more feminine one I have to obviously fall into domesticity? That's not going to happen. Look around Blaine there are no mom or dad roles in our family. It's just dads. We work TOGETHER."

"This is why I came out here because you don't understand." Blaine took another drag. "I feel like I can't talk to you about this."

"You’re not talking to me, your talking at me."

"I’m talking to you."

"You're talking at me Blaine."

Blaine shot him a side glance which he knew Kurt could see through his sunglasses. "Kurt you have no idea how much pressure I have on me. I have to take care of you and Aiden. My dad’s up my ass about everything. My mom wants me to come home, I've been ignoring her emails for weeks. Work has been nearly impossible now that I work from home most of the time. I can't concentrate with Aiden at home getting into everything. Then you come home and want to talk and tell me about your day and we have bills and I have to do it all. Now you want to go to California meaning more stress. Plus we owe my dad money, which he’s going to hold over our heads forever and our son could have died last night.” Blaine rubbed his temples. “I love Aiden, I do but sometimes…maybe we just did this whole parenting thing too fast...sometimes I miss our old lives. Back when things weren’t so complicated" Blaine was shaking by the end of his rant.

Kurt shook his head, crossed his arms and spoke slowly, "I'm going back in with MY son, when you decide that being a father is important you can come in, but if you’re going to keep up this whole thing you've got in your head where it's all about you don't bother. In case you didn't know Blaine, I'm here. I'm standing right here and I'm not leaving you to deal with all this stress. Stop being your father and grow up because I need you. I need you to be a parent and a husband right now while our son is hooked up to all these machines. I can't do this by myself but if you’re not willing to help then I guess I'm going to have to try." Kurt turned on his heels and walked away, he turned back once to Blaine, "You’re not your dad Blaine and you don't have to be.”

Kurt walked back into the hospital and got in the elevator. He was too angry, too exhausted and just too fed up to cry. He stopped on the third floor and a very pregnant woman walked in. She was blonde with large eyes. Kurt observed her quickly, she couldn’t have been any more than thirty and her nearly platinum blonde hair was real. Kurt knew he was the only kind of person who assessed who he was in an elevator with. He countlessly blamed his dad for telling him as a kid that he once got into an elevator with a mass murderer and didn’t even know it. Getting lost in his thoughts, Kurt didn’t notice the woman turn and smile at him.

"I'm walking to get rid of this baby." She said pointing to her stomach. "They told me to walk the floors until I start getting more contractions. Don’t tell anyone but I’m cheating. I just came from the cafeteria, chocolate pudding was calling my name.”

Kurt nodded, halfway startled by her sudden remark,  "Is it your first?" He asked her.

"Well technically. I'm a surrogate for the two most amazing dads. Soon to be dads I should say but they're thrilled. I already have a daughter she's eight."


Kurt smiled and looked at the buttons of the elevator, normally he would make conversation but he didn’t know how much longer he could hold out before he broke down in tears.

The door opened for the lady to walk out, she waddled toward the door and then she turned to Kurt, "It's going to be okay. Everything happens in time and life's going to get better."  She turned to a yelling older lady down the hall screaming at her to hurry with her child of sin.

Kurt looked up in awe and watched the doors closed. Normally he would pray to Elizabeth Taylor asking for guidance and to keep his figure and smooth skin but this was a real sign.
Everything was going to be okay. He got to the floor and walked down the hall slowly, trying not to peek into the open rooms. The thought of hospitals always scared him, they always reminded him of death and hurting.

He caught a glimpse of a dad talking to his newborn son in one of those plastic cases. The baby had more machines and cords hooked up to him than Aiden. Kurt tried not to linger but he watched the father. Stress read across his face and he had his large hand over the top of the plastic case. The father closed his eyes and hummed softly, Kurt realized that he couldn’t actually touch his baby. His heart ached as he continued down the hall, he was thankful Aiden wasn’t like that.

Suddenly a nurse rushed past him followed by another. One yelled out ,"Hurry we're losing him." Kurt slowed his pace down because he knew. Being a parent, he knew. He felt himself just stop, his feet couldn't connect as he watched the nurses and then two more run into Aiden's room.

Kurt watched and all he heard was white noise. He fumbled with his phone blindly, in slow motion he somehow dialed Blaine. Seconds felt like days as he heard Blaine ask hello multiple times, ask him why he wasn't talking and what was wrong.


Kurt stared down the hall eyes wide he whispered softly to Blaine, "He's dying." Then it all went black.