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Fall break came early for NYADA students and Rachel was desperate for home. After what seemed like hours of begging, Kurt had agreed to take a few days off to join her in Lima. Kurt had been more than reluctant at first. After all, he had an amazing job that most people only ever dreamed of and Kurt wasn’t about to let anything jeopardize that. But he did miss his family and Blaine.

There just wasn’t enough time in the day for Kurt to take care of his needs, Isabelle’s wants and needs, and to fit in Kurt’s wants. All too often, Kurt’s wants were completely forgotten by the time he walked through the door to the loft. He would eat a quick supper before collapsing into bed, texting Blaine that he was too tired to talk that night.

The distance was getting to both Kurt and Blaine. Kurt missed Blaine horribly and couldn’t seem to find any time to communicate with him. Blaine, on the other hand, spent every spare moment thinking about Kurt. He couldn’t keep himself from daydreaming about his long-distance boyfriend during class, Glee club, or any other time his mind was supposed to be focused. While he did his homework after school he kept his Skype window up, just in case Kurt found the time to chat. Every night, Blaine’s heart would break a little more when he shut down his computer.

Weeks passed without a word from Kurt. Blaine knew then it was over between them. At least, he thought he did. Blaine made the biggest mistake of his life cheating on Kurt, and he knew it the second it was over. Blaine resolved himself to the fact that he would have to tell Kurt as soon as he saw him, as this was something that was best done in person.

Blaine was shocked when he opened his front door to reveal his boyfriend. His arms were full of Kurt before he could comprehend what was happening. Kurt kissed Blaine passionately, holding him tightly.

"Kurt,” Blaine gasped when they broke apart, “what are you doing here?”

“Rachel’s on fall break so I decided to tag along when she came home,” Kurt said cheerfully. He didn’t wait for a response, instead tugging Blaine down the stairs towards his car. Blaine looked around for Kurt’s Navigator; when he didn’t see it he assumed Rachel had dropped him off on her way to see her fathers.

“Wait, where are we going?” Blaine asked. He managed to kick the front door shut before Kurt had pulled him off the porch.

“We are meeting Finn and Rachel at Breadstix for dinner,” Kurt said as they climbed into Blaine’s car. “Then I thought we’d take a walk through Schoonover Park.”

The shock of Kurt’s presence dissipated until guilt was all that was left. He dreaded telling Kurt the truth of his unfaithfulness, but knew keeping it a secret was not an option. Blaine was quiet throughout dinner, which did not escape Kurt’s notice. He knew when something was wrong with his boyfriend but was not going to broach the subject with Finn and Rachel present.

So Kurt waited until they were strolling through Schoonover Park hand in hand. Rachel and Finn were several yards ahead of them and Kurt was satisfied that they were out of earshot. He squeezed Blaine’s hand before saying, “I really missed you.”

“I missed you too. I’m really glad that you’re here,” Blaine said with a pathetic excuse of a smile.

“But you’ve been so emotional and weirdly sad. Please stop pretending that there’s nothing wrong.” Kurt stopped walking, looking Blaine dead on.

Blaine drew up all the strength and courage he had and admitted, “I was with someone.”

He saw Kurt breaking down in front of him, tears filling his eyes. Instantly, Kurt’s walls were up, trying to protect his already shattered heart.

“It was Sebastian, wasn’t it?” Kurt asked.

“No, it wasn’t Sebastian, but it doesn’t-it didn’t mean anything. It was just a hook-up, okay?”

“Who was it?!” Kurt demanded.

“It doesn’t matter who I was with, Kurt. What matters is that I was by myself. I needed you and you weren’t there and I was lonely and I’m . . . I’m really sorry.” Blaine fought back his own tears.

“And you don’t think that I’ve been lonely?” Kurt spat, already backing away from Blaine.

“I’m so sorry, Kurt, I really am,” Blaine repeated. But it wasn’t enough, and Blaine knew that.

He watched as Kurt ran away. Only then did he notice that Finn and Rachel had had an argument and Rachel was in tears. Kurt took her hand without a word and ran with her out of the park.

Blaine dropped to his knees, completely at a loss of what to do. He had to make this right. He couldn’t lose Kurt. Kurt was his everything. Without Kurt, he was nothing. Blaine didn’t know how long he sat there, crying in the middle of the park. Eventually, he forced himself onto his feet, knowing he couldn’t fix things sitting down.

As he made his way out of the park, he tried calling Kurt. The phone rang and rang but Kurt never picked up. Blaine hung up before dialing again. This time the call went straight to voicemail. Blaine knew he left a message, but couldn’t remember what was said. All he knew was a gaping hole had been torn into his soul, a hole that wouldn’t close without Kurt.

Blaine kept trying Kurt’s number to no avail. By the time he reached his car he knew Kurt wasn’t going to answer or turn his phone back on anytime soon. He climbed into his car, tossing the phone onto the passenger seat. Blaine started the car and cranked the radio in a vain attempt to drown out his thoughts.

Bet your window's rolled down and your hair's pulled back.

And I bet you got no idea you're going way too fast.

You're trying not to think about what went wrong;

Trying not to stop 'til you get where you goin'.

You're trying to stay awake so I bet you turn on the radio.

And the song goes,

The radio was his second biggest mistake. The lyrics reminded him of Kurt. Desperate to get home, Blaine pushed down on the gas pedal a little more. He ignored the posted speed limit signs and pointed the car toward home. But then a car came around the curve of the road with their bright lights on, momentarily blinding Blaine. He felt his car veer off the road and overcorrected. The station wagon careened over the ditch and straight into a tree.

“I can't live without you, I can't live without you, baby.

I can't live without you; I can't live without you, baby, baby.”

The night had been just like any other night at Lima Memorial for Carole. She was just finishing up her shift when she heard the call come in. Male, late teens, serious car crash. Her thoughts instantly were on Finn and Kurt, who she knew was visiting from New York. At first she felt relief when the gurney was rolled into the Emergency Room and she saw a head full of curls. Neither Finn nor Kurt had curly hair. But then she caught sight of the boy’s face and her heart stopped.

The highway won't hold you tonight.

The highway don't know you're alive.

The highway don't care if you're all alone,

But I do, I do.

The highway won't dry your tears.

The highway don't need you here.

The highway don't care if you're coming home,

But I do, I do.

“I can’t believe he cheated on me,” Kurt cried into Rachel’s shoulder.

“Everything will be all right, Kurt. Blaine loves you,” Rachel said, rubbing his back.

“He cheated on me, Rachel! How can he love me if he cheated on me?” Kurt exclaimed.

Rachel was spared from answering when her phone rang, showing Carole’s number. She frowned, wondering why her ex-boyfriend’s mother would be calling her. Rachel accepted the call and lifted the phone to her ear.

“Rachel, I have to speak with Kurt!”

I bet you got a dead cell phone in your shotgun seat.

Yeah, I bet you're bending God's ear talking 'bout me.

You're trying not to let the first tear fall out;

Trying not to think about turning around.

You're trying not to get lost in the sound but that song is always on.

So you sing along.

Carole was pushed to the side as doctors and nurses swarmed over Blaine. She knew she had a conflict of interests and stayed out of the way as they worked on him. His injuries were quickly accessed and before Carole could do or say anything, Blaine was being wheeled away for surgery. Carole dug her phone out of her pocket and frantically called Kurt’s number.

“I can't live without you, I can't live without you, baby.

I can't live without you, I can't live without you baby, oh baby.”

“Blaine was in a car accident,” Kurt repeated, horrified. “How bad is it?”

“It’s bad, Kurt. He has a contusion on his brain which has caused swelling. He’s in surgery now,” Carole answered. “His parents have been notified but they’re in Antwerp and are trying to find a flight back.”

“I’ll be right there,” Kurt said.

The highway won't hold you tonight.

The highway don't know you're alive.

The highway don't care if you're all alone,

But I do, I do.

The highway won't dry your tears.

The highway don't need you here.

The highway don't care if you're coming home,

But I do, I do.

Hazards flashing, Kurt sped to Lima Memorial. All thoughts of Blaine’s infidelity were behind him. All that mattered was Blaine was hurt and alone. He needed someone. He needed Kurt. Kurt wasn’t going to leave Blaine all alone, not again. Especially not when he was in the hospital with a brain injury.

“I can't live without you, I can't live without you, baby.

I can't live without you, I can't live without you, baby, oh baby.”

The highway don't care.

The highway don't care.

The highway don't care.

But I do, I do.

“How is he?” Kurt asked as he rushed to Carole’s side in the Emergency Room.

“He just came out of surgery and is in recovery right now. He still hasn’t woken up,” Carole said sadly.

“What does that mean? When will he wake up?” Kurt demanded.

“There’s no way to tell, Kurt. He will need several more MRIs to make sure the swelling of his brain is going down. He also suffered a broken femur, several broken ribs and a lacerated spleen. His spleen was removed during surgery,” Carole explained.

“When can I see him?” Kurt asked.

“As soon as he’s taken to a room,” Carole answered.

“I can't live without you, I can't live without you, baby.

I can't live without you, I can't live without you, baby, oh baby.”

(The highway don't care.

The highway don't care.

The highway don't care.

But I do, I do.)

Later that night, Blaine was moved into a room in the Intensive Care Unit. Kurt stayed by his side, refusing to leave despite Burt’s protests that Kurt needed to rest. He couldn’t help but feel guilt for the accident. If he had stayed and talking to Blaine, instead of running away, then Blaine wouldn’t have been driving when he was so upset.

But Kurt knew thinking that way wouldn’t change anything. And for several days, nothing changed. At least, Blaine didn’t regain consciousness. His parents flew back from Antwerp the day after the accident. Imee Anderson may have been a short, Filipino woman but she was a force to be reckoned with. From the instant she set foot in Blaine’s hospital room, she had taken over. She was also the only one who could persuade Kurt to leave Blaine’s side.

“I can't live without you, I can't live without you, baby.

I can't live without I can't live without you, baby, oh baby.”

(The highway don't care.

The highway don't care.

The highway don't care.

But I do, I do.)

Kurt never left for long, only going home to shower and change his clothes. Then he would be back, holding Blaine’s hand while Imee fussed over the both of them. Carrick Anderson, on the other hand, proved to have been appropriately named. He showed little emotion when at the hospital, which was only for thirty minutes each day. Otherwise, he went about his days as usual. Imee assured Kurt that it wasn’t because Carrick didn’t love his son, but because he had been taught to never show his emotions.

“I can't live without you, I can't live without you, baby.

I can't live without I can't live without you, baby, oh baby.”

(The highway don't care.

The highway don't care.

The highway don't care.

But I do, I do.)

The next three days passed the same. Imee would insist that Kurt go home for a few hours and Kurt would comply, returning after a shower and a bite to eat. Carrick would come by on his way home from work, stay the appropriate time length, and then leave once more. Despite his actions, Kurt could tell Carrick cared deeply for his son. The longer Blaine was unconscious, the harder it was for Carrick to hide his emotions. That night Carrick pressed a kiss to his son’s forehead and clapped Kurt on the back before he left.

Kurt was scared too. The doctors assured them that Blaine was getting better. The swelling was almost completely gone and the rest of his injuries were healing appropriately. But Kurt would not be able to relax until Blaine was awake. That night, Kurt resolved to watch over Blaine until he awoke. Even Imee could not persuade him to sleep. Kurt sat ramrod straight in the chair by Blaine’s bed, watching his face for the littlest movement.

It happened, coincidentally enough, just like it does in the movies. The twitching of fingers, the flutter of eyelashes, hazel eyes opening and rapidly closing again at the bright light of the hospital room. Kurt couldn’t contain his tears as he yelled for a doctor.

Blaine was checked over and asked the standard questions before Imee and Kurt were allowed to reenter the room. Blaine assured his mother he was fine, accepting her kiss with a smile. Kurt reached for Blaine’s hand tentatively. Blaine turned to him, his expression nonplussed.

“You’re here,” Blaine said. “You came.”

“I’m always going to be here,” Kurt promised. “I’m going to take care of you. You’re going to be okay.”

Blaine smiled when Kurt kissed him. He knew they would have a lot to talk about later, but for now, Kurt would help Imee care for Blaine. There would be plenty of time to talk after Blaine had recovered. After all, Kurt wasn’t going anywhere.

“I can't live without you, I can't live without you, baby.”