Isabel was sitting in the waiting room waiting for the doctors to say what’s happened with Blaine. Her dad was sitting next to her, tapping his foot impatiently.
“Blaine Anderson?” a doctor called out.
Mr. Anderson got up. “Yes?”
“Your son just got out of surgery. He’ll make it, for now.”
“For now?”
“I’m afraid that unless he wakes up, we won’t know for sure if the surgery was successful or not.”
“Can’t you do anything to help him wake up?”
“I’m sorry sir. But he has to wake up on his own.”
…
Kurt walked up to Isabel the next day. She hadn’t been in school the day before. She looked even more depressed than before.
“Hey Isabel. What’s happened? I noticed you weren’t in school yesterday.”
“I was at the hospital.”
‘Obviously. Is everything okay?”
“Yes, everything’s okay. I mean except for the fact that my brother’s dying and I don’t know what to do, and yesterday he had to go back into surgery. But everything’s fine,” she answered very sarcastically.
“Woah. Sorry. I was just asking.”
Isabel didn’t answer. Instead she just slammed her locker closed and said, “I have to go.”
She walked away from Kurt. Kurt stared as she walked away. Why was she being so mean?
“Sarcasm is her way of dealing with things,” Kurt heard Thomas say behind him.
Kurt whipped around. “What are you talking about?”
“Whenever something’s bothering her, she attacks with sarcasm. Her way of defending herself sometimes. When she doesn’t wanna show her emotions, she uses sarcasm.”
“And I guess you know all this from when you used to be friends?”
“No I just figured it out right now,” Thomas said sarcastically.
Kurt shakes his head. “Did you learn your sarcasm from Blaine or something?”
Thomas just stared at him. “No, he learnt it from me.”
“Oh so he actually learned something from you, besides don’t trust pretty boys?”
Thomas’s nostril’s flared. “You may think you know everything about what happened between me and Blaine but you don’t.”
“All I know is that he gave you his heart and you stomped on it.”
“You know something Kurt? I’m tired of this. I’m tired of having to fight everyone because of who I am. I made mistakes and I’ve paid dearly for it, okay? I lost the one guy I’ve ever loved and now he hates me.” Thomas walked away.
…
Isabel was sitting at the therapist’s office. Her father was worried for her and basically forced her to go. But he couldn’t force her to talk.
The therapist was a short, blonde lady with glasses. She was sitting opposite of Isabel, waiting for her to speak. When she didn’t the therapist decided to speak up instead.
“Isabel, your father told me that your twin brother’s been in an accident. Is that true?”
“No, my father always lies,” she said sarcastically.
“Isabel, I’m not here to judge you. I’m just trying to figure out why you’re depressed, that’s all.”
“I’m losing my twin brother. That’s why I’m depressed.”
“Have you and your brother-?”
“Blaine.”
“Blaine. Have you two always been close?”
“We’re siblings. What do you expect?”
“Your father told me that you two became extremely close after your freshman year. Care to tell me why?”
“No.”
“Listen Isabel. I know you don’t want to talk but it might help you to talk.”
“It might help me? It might help me to bring up the worst year of my life? To bring back all that pain? I don’t think so.”
“It only hurts right now because you’re bottling up everything. But if you let it out, the pain will heal. You don’t have to talk to me, but you need to talk to someone.”
…
Isabel didn’t know why she was taking the therapist’s advice. She didn’t want to tell anyone, and yet she did. She just wanted to get rid of the pain. That’s why she was meeting Jeff and the park. She was going to tell him. Why Jeff? She didn’t know. He was the first person that came to mind when she thought about telling someone. It wasn’t too late, she could forget about it. She could change her mind. But then she saw Jeff. She couldn’t change her mind. Jeff came and sat down next to her.
“Hey, Isabel. What’s up?” he said.
“I need to talk to you.” Isabel replied.
“What is it?”
And so she told him. She told him everything. Once she started, she couldn’t stop. It all came out and he listened. He didn’t say anything and when she finished, he pulled her to him. She started to sob into his chest and he just held her. He wasn’t running away or looking at her strangely. He was holding her and letting her cry.
Jeff thought that Isabel’s story was a terrible thing to bear. Especially now, when the only person who ever knew is in a coma. She was depressed and he could understand. He knew he would feel almost the same way if something happened to Leslie. But he was also worried about Isabel. She had already tried to kill herself before and who knows if she would try again. He needed to tell her that everything was going to be alright. He was going to need the Warblers and Hex Education.
…
Isabel got a text from Jeff telling her to meet him at the Easton’s auditorium after school. She was curious as to why there, so of course she went. She walked in and saw Jeff.
“Jeff, what’s up?” she asked, suddenly scared of what he might tell her.
“It’s about the other day. I’m worried for you and so I’ve brought you here to tell you something.”
“Obviously.”
He took her hand and led her to the front row. “Please sit.”
She did and he walked to the stage.
“This song is for you.”
The curtain rose and Hex Education and the Warblers were standing behind it.
They started to sing collectively.

Please tell me you'll fight this fight
I can't see without your light
I need you to breathe into my life
don't tell me this is goodbye
I won't grieve - it's not yet time
Each breath breathed is keeping hope alive

So keep breathing
Go on breathe in
Keep on breathing
Go on breathe in
Just breathe

Each breath breathed means we're alive
And life means that we can find
The reasons to keep on getting by
And if reasons we can't find
We'll make up some to get by
'Til breath by breath we'll
leave this behind

So keep breathing
Go on breathe in
Keep on breathing
Go on breathe in
Just breathe
All you have to do is breathe
All you have to do is breathe

All you have to do is breathe
So keep breathing (All you have to do is breathe)
Go on breathe in
Keep on breathing (All you have to do is breathe)
Go on breathe in
Just breathe

So keep breathing
Go on breathe in
Keep on breathing
Go on breathe in

Before the last line, Leslie walked off the stage and grabbed Isabel’s hand. She was the only one singing the last line.

Just breathe

At the end of the song, Isabel was silently sobbing. She didn’t know what to say. This was amazing. She couldn’t believe that they did this for her. She got up and hugged Leslie.
“Thank you.”
…
Isabel walked into the hospital room for what seemed the thousandth time this week. Blaine was lying there, his face completely healed. He looked fine so why wasn’t he waking up? Why was he going into surgery for the third time since the accident? Why wasn’t he all right? Why?
Isabel’s dad was sitting next to Blaine, tears streaming down his face.
“Blaine, please wake up. If not for me, then at least for Isabel. I know that I haven’t been the best father and that I haven’t really accepted you for who you are, but if you wake up, I swear I’ll try. It may not be easy but I’ll try. Please just wake up.”
“Do you mean it?” Isabel asked him.
He looked up in surprise and saw Isabel. He nodded. Isabel went up to him and hugged. Richard Anderson was surprised. Isabel hadn’t hugged him in a long time. He hugged her back and could feel the tears coming back. She pulled away and Richard got up.
“I’m going to go get coffee. Do you want any?” he asked.
“No thank you.”
He walked out.
She sat down next to the bed and grabbed Blaine’s hand. It was so warm. He was alive but he wasn’t okay? Why wasn’t he okay? Did he not want to be okay? A sob escaped her mouth. What if he died? He couldn’t die. He couldn’t. He was her brother. He was suppose to be there when she was down and lift her up. He’s supposed to always be there for her, no matter what, like she was for him.
“Blaine, can you hear me Blaine?” she asked his sleeping form. “If you can, please wake up. Please don’t die. You can’t die. What am I suppose to do without you? I need you. You’re suppose to tease me about my numerous amount of boyfriends and I tease you about you and Kurt. You’re suppose to get angry when I mess up your hair and steal your gel. You’re supposed to steal my clothes and I steal your socks. You’re suppose to always be there for me. You’re supposed to hold me when I cry and tell me everything’s gonna be alright. You’re suppose to wake me when I have my nightmares and help me go back to sleep. You’re suppose to go to me for advice and I’m suppose to tell you when you’re being stupid. Please don’t leave me here on my own. I don’t think I could survive without you Blaine. You’re my brother and I love you, Blaine.”
Isabel laid her head down on the bed next to Blaine and started crying. She sat there for what seemed hours but was actually two minutes.
“Just my socks?”
Her head popped up. Blaine’s eyes were open and looking at her.
“Blaine?”
“The one and only,” he said with a smile.
She practically jumped on him as she hugged him. Blaine hugged her back with a fierceness he never had before. Isabel started to cry into his shoulder and he stroked her back.
The nurses came in and Isabel had to let go. She still held on to his hand as they ran tests to check his vital signs. When they left, Richard Anderson came to the door.
“Hi Dad,” Blaine said.
“Hello Blaine.”
They didn’t say much more but it was obvious that they’re relationship was mended.