Aug. 20, 2011, 9:06 p.m.
Heartbeats: Chapter 5
M - Words: 2,120 - Last Updated: Aug 20, 2011 Story: Complete - Chapters: 16/16 - Created: Aug 05, 2011 - Updated: Aug 20, 2011 964 0 0 0 0
"Mr. Hummel?" Blaine could hear the fear in his own voice as it came out, "Ku-Kurt. How's Kurt? How are y-you? You look...tired."
Burt walked in, his legs shaky, and sat in the chair next to Blaine’s bed, handing him the coffee.
"I..uh. Kurt told me you like Lima Bean coffee,” Burt said shakily.
“I do. Thank you,” Blaine said, returning his gaze back to Burt, in a heap of worry and confusion.
“The hospital informed me that you are to be released soon, yet you don't have an emergency contact, or any guardians listed in your records, Blaine." He was looking directly into Blaine’s eyes, Burt’s eyes looked so much like Kurt's which only brought Blaine more pain.
"I.. err..well, my parents.. sort of.. disowned me, in a sense, or I disowned them," Blaine could feel his face becoming hot and his heart monitor was beeping out of control, "I-It's complicated."
Burt handed Blaine a small stack of Dalton Academy clothes and spoke softly, "I brought these for you from Kurt's closet. Blaine, you are welcome to stay at our house until the school is running again."
Blaine’s head shook almost immediately. His throat felt closed but he managed to let out a "No thanks, I don't want to be a burden."
Burt stood and looked at him and said in a more stern yet calm voice, "Blaine, you would be far from a burden. You need a place to stay, and this way you can be updated on Kurt."
"O-okay," Blaine said lightly, "Thank you, for everything. My parents, it's not.. It's just..."
"It's okay, Blaine," he said, "There's no need to explain, the Hummels are here for you. They told us you can be released. Meet us in the lobby when you’re ready to go, okay?" Then Burt slipped out of the room.
Blaine felt a sigh of relief. He hadn't even thought about the fact that the school might be closed after a mass shooting. Where would he have gone if Burt hadn't been here? He climbed out of his bed and dressed slowly.
A nurse helped him into a wheel chair and rolled him to the lobby where Finn, Burt, and Carole were all sitting, their faces all flushed and tired. It was eerie to see all of them like this, they were usually so upbeat and joyous. It only brought back flashbacks of memories for Blaine. Being with Kurt and his family. Laying around watching movies or family dinners. He had always wanted a family like Kurt's. His dad supporting him completely. It almost hurt for Blaine to know that he would never really have what Kurt and his dad had. Finn and Carole cared for Kurt so much too and accepted him, it was purely amazing, Blaine thought.
A few days had passed. Blaine had mostly spent them helping do chores, waiting for Kurt's family to come back from the hospital with more news, and laying around watching anything but the numerous news coverage on the "Dalton Academy Boy's Prep School Discriminatory Mass Shooting" as they called it. It was hard, just waiting, knowing that any day the hospital could call and a voice could completely ruin every one of their lives, or one day Burt could walk in and collapse from heartache over his son's death. Blaine mostly spent time with Carole or Finn when they were home, sometimes Carole would offer to take him with her to run errands or Finn would invite him to Glee Club or the Lima Bean. Though, Blaine was never in the mood. Burt was always gone though, if he ever came home, it was to sleep for a few hours and then head back to the hospital again.
It was early in the morning, probably four or so and Blaine was sitting on the couch in the dark. He never slept, only thought. Every time he closed his eyes, the shooters were there or Kurt's saddened eyes with tears streaming down his cheeks. Blaine constantly heard shots and cries of pain, Kurt choking on blood, trying to form the name, "Blaine." He hated how their last kiss was. He felt horrible for it, poor Kurt. Blaine got off the couch and began to pace around the living room. Thoughts circled his head as if his own mind was mocking him and shaming him for kissing Kurt like that, for not saving him, for not standing up for him. Blaine walked across the perfect wood floor, careful not to creek and saw Finn's running shoes. He put them on and slowly went out the front door.
The morning air was light and humid. The sun wasn't up yet, the street lamps were the only thing that gleamed light. Blaine closed his eyes to breathe in the scent, but only saw pain. He began to run, his heart racing ahead of his feet. He heard Kurt telling me that he loved him, his feet quickened. He tasted Kurt’s bloody mouth on his again, he ran harder. He could hear the shooters, what they had said, how they had hurt Kurt, how he might have hurt Kurt. He could barely breathe but Blaine pushed through it. He could hear Kurt telling me that he didn't want to die a virgin. Blaine ran so hard that he began to trip a little over his own feet a little. He could feel Kurt's bloody hand in his, so soft yet so weak. He fell onto the cement. Blaine could feel the sting of his knees as they hit ground. His hands covered his face as he let out a sob that overtook him. Blaine’s body shook, it felt weak from not eating and not sleeping.
“How could he have done this to Kurt? He made him join Dalton. How could he have kissed him when Kurt was in pain just to make the poor boy silent? Kurt probably would have been quiet on his own, he'll probably never talk to Blaine again if he makes it. if.” He thought.
Blaine let his body melt into the sidewalk as he was unable to control his sobs. His head throbbed as he hit his hand against the concrete hard. The pain emanating from his hand and knees wasn't enough to take away the pain he felt for Kurt. Blaine threw his hand down again, hoping he’d crack the concrete or maybe one of his bones. He tried to steady his breathing and held his hurt hand against his chest.
Blaine rolled onto his back and wiped his eyes with the back of his bloody hand. He stared at the sky, so dark. Yet, somehow he could tell that dawn would be coming soon. The sun would rise, just like any day. It would come up, and everyone would feel safer, go out, live their lives, and then it would become dark again, very dark, and Blaine would be one of the few to see it that dark. He saw the stars, they were slowly fading but still visible. Blaine wondered if Kurt had woken up yet. If maybe, just maybe by fate if he was looking at the stars too, out his window. "I love you, Kurt. Please, never leave me," he whispered to the tiny gleams of light.
Blaine thought about the first time he had met Kurt, on the spiral staircase. How broken he was at the time, not even close to how Blaine had seen him last, but still broken. It was Karofsky that had broken him. He was upset and he was struggling to hold on to who he was. Kurt had grown so much since then. He learned to stand up for himself. Sometimes Blaine wished he was as strong as Kurt was. Blaine thought about the fact that he, himself acted like it, sure, but deep down, Kurt was so much stronger. Blaine thought about Kurt’s deep blue eyes. It was hard to even listen to kurt without becoming completely transfixed by those light, beautiful eyes. All of Kurt was beautiful. Blaine had to see him. He had to tell Kurt he was sorry, whether Kurt was conscious or not, he had to know that Blaine was so sorry for not standing up for him. That he was so sorry for forcing his lips upon Kurt’s.
Blaine closed his eyes and let himself fall into deep sleep for the first time in a while because he knew that he would see Kurt tomorrow.
Blaine awoke to a man peering into his face. Startled, he jumped back and sat up, his body aching from the concrete. "Are you okay, son?" The stranger asked.
"Yeah, I..uh was just... running..and," he couldn't find an excuse and the man gave him an odd look and crossed his arms, almost mad. "I was in the shooting," Blaine said because it seemed to get him out of a lot lately, hospital workers had shown complete understanding, "And, I've just had a really hard week."
The man's eyes softened and he reached out a hand to help Blaine up. "Maybe, you should try sleeping in a bed next time, okay?" Blaine just shook his head and walked back to the Hummel's.
The house was completely empty, like usual. Blaine quickly changed into clean clothes and left the house. He didn't care if he wasn't allowed to see Kurt, he was going to anyway. Blaine was going to walk until he got to the hospital because he would walk forever just to see Kurt's face, just one more time.
A new image emerged in Blaine’s thoughts as he walked. What must have happened when Kurt was shot. His smooth, perfect face, probably contorted with a mix of pain, sadness, and confusion. Thinking he was going to die. The shooters probably yelling horrible twisted things at him, as he lay in pain, close to death. Blaine began to feel his speed quicken as he pictured every possible thing that could have happened in the photography room at Dalton on the worst day of both their lives.
After what seemed like eternity, Blaine was standing in front of the doors to the ICU wing in the hospital. Something inside of him felt that Kurt was close. It was the strangest feeling but he held onto it because it was the only keeping him calm. A lady at the front desk stopped Blaine and he turned slowly, thinking up excuses but his brain couldn't form thoughts, only horrible memories. "I was just looking for Kurt Hummel?" he asked playing stupid.
"Kurt Hummel," She began searching on the computer, "Are you immediate family?"
"N-no," Blaine could feel tears behind my eyes, "I just, I..I'm his..boyfriend."
"I'm sorry, young man. But ICU is relatives only." She spoke sternly and then went back to filing.
"Oh," Blaine said lightly. He pretended to walk slowly back to the doors. Waiting a minute or so until he turned around and ran as fast as his feet would let him, down the hallway. His adrenaline was pumping so fast he had to be careful not to pass out.
"Kurt! KURT!" He yelled as loud as he could, Blaine’s voice shaky and scared. He knew Kurt was most likely still in a coma but it didn’t matter to him at this point. He didn't know what room he was in and thought maybe Burt or Finn would hear, just maybe.
Blaine felt strong masculine arms grab him so hard that he thought he would throw up from the instant, rough contact. Blaine kicked and punched, twisted, he kept screaming Kurt's name. The arms took him down to the ground and tried grabbing Blaine’s arms but he kept twisting away and yelling the same four lettered name.
He felt the tears come down now, tears of anger and fear. The arms kept pulling at Blaine, but he kept fighting back. Blaine saw the needle, the syringe. He knew exactly what was happening but he couldn't stop because nothing mattered, nothing in this world mattered anymore than Kurt did. The arms on Blaine wouldn't stop and the nurse held the needle, ready to stab him with it. Blaine knew it was over, his battle was done. He had to give up, they all won.
Suddenly, a weak, faint voice came from down the hallway that startled all three of them. The voice that sent a shiver down Blaine’s spine, and a smile to spread over his face.