Burt never thought he would be happy about a hacker breaking into the Congress' computer system. It gave him two extra free days which he used to travel back to Lima earlier than planned. One of the other congressmen from Ohio wasn't so happy about it. Two more free days meant he had to travel to Colorado to his mother-in-law 84th birthday and to miss the Buckeyes game in Columbus the upcoming weekend.  

After a silly game of rock-paper-scissors between four middle aged men at lunch, Burt won the two tickets. He drove straight from the airport to McKinley to surprise Blaine with the tickets. It would be the first time that the two men went alone to a game. All the other times Finn was also there and sometimes, when Blaine let out his big puppy eyes, Kurt.

Burt arrived at the school in the midst of lunch time and went directly to the school's cafeteria. He looked over the bustling student's body and found the New Direction table.  All the kids from the New Directions sat there, except from Blaine.

"Hi Burt, what are you doing here?" Will Schuester asked him.

"Oh, I'm here to meet Blaine. Where is he?" Burt looked at Mr. Schue and then back to the table.

"I had to send him home. He shouldn't have come to school at all today," the teacher replied.

"Why?" Burt asked, confused and a bit worried.

Before Will could answer, two jocks began to fight and he left Burt.

"Call Blaine," Will Schuester said to Burt as he and another teacher led the two struggling students to the Principal‘s office.

Burt left the school with the plan to do this as soon as he arrived at home.

When Burt opened the front door he heard music coming from one of the rooms upstairs. Wondering why there was music he slowly went up the stairs and looked in the rooms. Finn's room was in a state like it should be, since he had joined the Army. The guestroom, Sam's room, was also as expected. The last room he came to was Kurt's room. The music was now at its loudest. Burt knocked on the door and called out for Kurt. He waited but there was no answer. He opened the door and saw a mop of dark hair lying between Kurt's pillows.

"Blaine," he said, not too loud but also not too quiet. Blaine's answer was a snore. Burt walked to the bed to get a better look. When he was next to the bed he could hear the boy's breathing. It didn't sound right. Burt immediately remembered the time when Kurt was ten years old and had pneumonia. The coughing, the rattling and wheezing of his lungs, the fever and the extreme paleness. It all came to Burt in that moment. He placed his hand on Blaine's forehead; it was hot.

"Blaine." He shook Blaine slightly but the boy didn't wake up. Burt shut off the music and left the room with the door open so that he could hear Blaine at any time.

"Let's hope it's only a bad cold," Burt said to himself as he looked through the medicine cabinet. He was surprised to find a neat envelope in the cabinet. "Blaine" was written in Kurt's tidy handwriting. The envelope wasn't closed so Burt opened it and began to read:

What to do if Blaine is sick

1. Call me

2. He is allergic to Tylenol. He's also very sensitive to other medicines. There is an open pack of Junior Advil in the cabinet. It is from the time Blaine injured his little toe during dance rehearsal. If you have to buy new meds please buy the children's version. If you only get the adult versions, please only give him a half dose of those drugs. I don't think the neighbors would appreciate a three hours off-key version of Teenage Dream.

3. Blue silk pajamas. Ever since I got him blue silk pajamas he only wants to wear them when he is ill. It gives him comfort. In my closet at the back, is a black box with five identical pairs of those pajamas. Don't let him know about that.

4. Stuffed Penguin. He is a cuddler and he is more of a cuddler when he is ill. Please give him my old stuffed penguin to cuddle. The Penguin is on my shelf.

5. If you have the opportunity please go to his house and get him some comfortable clothes, Maggie (the stuffed dog on his bed) and his "Kurt" CD. The CD is a copy of his "Kurt" iPod playlist, just in case something happened to his iPod. The music will help to calm him down and to fall asleep. The CD is on his shelf, next to his desk. There is spare key to his house in my desk. His room is on the second floor, right side, last door.

6. Insurance information. The information for his insurance is on the second paper.

7. Call me now

"Hello," Kurt answered his phone.

"Hi, kiddo. How are you?" Burt asked his son.

"I'm fine. How is Washington?" Kurt replied

"Washington was fine. I'm back in Lima and I found something, or better yet, someone in your bed."

"What?" was Kurt's surprised reaction.

"Blaine. He's sleeping but he looks and sounds bad." Burt let his concern fill his voice.

"Damn. He's sounded ill the last days. He said it was just a cold." At that Burt snorted.

"I'll be honest with you. His lungs sound like an old steam-engine," he said, worried. "Can you give me the number of his parents?" Burt asked.

"They're on a trip around the world. We don't know where they are at the moment. The last time they called was three weeks ago." Kurt sighed. He disliked Blaine's parents. "Can he stay with you? I don't want him to be alone and I won't be home until tomorrow."

"You're coming home?" Burt asked, surprised, though when he thought about it, it wasn't really a surprise.

"Of course, he needs me," Kurt said with finality in his voice. Burt didn't try to argue. He heard Blaine coughing and then footsteps.

"I think he woke up. I'll take him to the doctor and then call you again afterward." Burt said as he made his way to the stairs.

"Okay, Dad. Don't take no for an answer. He hates doctors," Kurt chuckled and Burt wondered what memories were behind that. He made a mental note to ask Blaine later.

"Bye, kiddo. Love you."

"Bye Dad. Love you, too."

Burt was on the last step as Blaine left Kurt's room. He closed the door and began to walk to the stairs. After three steps his eyes fell on Burt. The look at Blaine's face was a mix of surprise, fear, embarrassment and something Burt couldn't decipher.

"H...Hel-lo Mr. Hummel. I- I had to get something, for my college application. I'll go now. Sorry." At that Burt interrupted him.

"Yes, with me to the next doctor," Blaine's eyebrows shot up and his eyes got unnaturally big. He started to say something but Burt was faster. "I won't take a no for an answer. You're ill and Kurt will kill me if I'll let you go back to your house, where you'll be alone."

"I'm not ill," Blaine started to say but a coughing fit interrupted him.

"Hmm, totally healthy," Burt said and started to walk down the stairs. "You're going."

Blaine followed Burt, resigned.

The next day Kurt arrived in full care-taking mood.

Thanksgiving was two weeks later and Blaine was much better. Kurt, however, was not.

"I can't believe you."

"It's not my fault. I told you to stay away from me."

"You're my boyfriend."

"With an infectious illness."

Kurt gave Blaine one of his famous glares, though it was with swollen and red eyes, as both boys went into the kitchen.

"Boys," Carole called "Take a seat, eat your breakfast, drink your teas, take your medicine and stop fighting." She sat the cough syrup at the table and gave them a stern look.

They did as she asked, Kurt muttering unintelligibly as he did so.

"How is our bronchitis army this morning?" Burt asked, joking, as he walked into the room.

"Better," Blaine answered enthusiastically. Kurt just gave them all a dark look.

Burt chuckled and laid a comforting hand on his son's shoulder "Two weeks and you will be healthy again; we caught it in an early state."

"What?!" Kurt squeaked out during a coughing fit. "I hate you, Blaine Anderson."

"I love you too," Blaine said and kissed his boyfriend's warm cheek.