They’re just finishing the last lines of “Bad,” coming together in the middle of the parking garage - New Directions on one side and Warblers on the other, jeering and taunting each other as Artie had instructed – when Blaine sees it.

Sebastian has a slushie. He doesn’t know where it came from or how he got it or anything logical – all he knows is that Sebastian has it and he’s aiming it right at Kurt. Blaine doesn’t think, he just moves.

He throws himself in front of Kurt and the force of the slushie gets him right in the face. It’s red, and he can’t see, and he’s already off balance. He can feel himself falling but he’s powerless to stop it.

Blaine hits the ground and his head bounces off the concrete.

Everything goes mercifully black.

*

Everyone stops when Kurt screams.

“Blaine!” He’s the first one to Blaine’s side (after all, Blaine had just jumped in front of him, taking a slushie to the face so Kurt wouldn’t have to). “Blaine?” he says again. Blaine’s eyes are shut, and his hand is limp in Kurt’s when he picks it up. Kurt leans forward, and exhales a sigh of relief when he feels Blaine’s breath against his cheek. He wipes as much of the red dye and ice chunks off Blaine with his free hand.

“I called 9-1-1,” Tina says, kneeling down next to him, the phone in her hand. “They want to know if he’s awake.” Kurt shakes his head, tears forming in his eyes. Tina goes back to talking into the phone, but Kurt tunes her out. All he can do is stare at Blaine and say his name, begging him to open his eyes. He doesn’t know where everyone else went, but he can hear other voices behind him, talking low.

“The ambulance is on its way,” Tina’s back, kneeling next to him again. “They said not to move him, and if we can, cover him up.

“There’s a blanket in the back of the Navigator,” Kurt replies, his voice shaking.

“I’ll go get it.” Finn volunteers, and Kurt hears him walk away, and the sound of SUV doors opening and closing echoes through the garage. Finn’s back in second; Blaine’s eyes are still closed and Kurt is this close to freaking out, and where the hell is the ambulance?

“We’ll go down and show them up,” Puck says, gesturing to himself and Sam as soon as sirens sound nearby. It might have only been minutes, but it feels like forever before Puck and Sam are back, the ambulance pulling into the garage behind them. A cop car pulls up as well. There’s a lot of noise then, the paramedics hopping out of the ambulance and getting the gurney out. He feels hands pulling at him, and he struggles away, but it’s Finn, and Kurt finally lets his brother pull him out of the way.

The paramedics set to work, saying things that don’t make much sense to Kurt. One of them barks out “Has he woken up at all?”

“No,” Kurt answers in a low voice. The paramedic nods, and Kurt doesn’t like the grim expression on his face. He may not have medical training but even he knows that’s not good.
He watches with feelings of detachment as they work, putting a collar on Blaine’s neck, and starting an IV. It isn’t until they roll Blaine on his side to get the backboard underneath him that Kurt makes a sound – He sees the back of Blaine’s head the split second before of the paramedics covers it with gauze and he can’t breathe for a second because Blaine’s hair is matted with blood.

The paramedics lift Blaine up and onto the gurney, wheeling it over the ambulance and loading him in. Kurt breaks away from Finn, following them. “I’m coming too.”

“Are you family?” one of the paramedics asks.

“Boyfriend,” Kurt answers after a second’s pause.

“Only family members are allowed to ride along,” the paramedic tells him, hopping up into the back alongside Blaine. “You’re more than welcome to follow along behind us.”

“Are you serious?” Kurt can’t believe what he’s hearing.

“I’m sorry, those are the rules.” With that, the door to the ambulance slams shut and the lights and sirens start up as it roars away.

It’s gone for thirty seconds when Kurt snaps. He whirls around eyes searching, and then he moves. He heads for Sebastian, who’s standing there with the rest of the Warblers and launches himself at him.

“Kurt, stop it!” Finn shouts, grabbing for him. “There’s a cop here, and you'll get arrested!”

Kurt struggles to get away, shouting “What did he ever do to you, huh? He was your friend!” He wants to hurt Sebastian, wants to make him feel guilty for what just happened. Wants him to pay. “Was it because he wouldn’t sleep with you? Huh? Why would you do that?”

“I was aiming for you,” Sebastian says, his voice sounding off. “He jumped in the way!”

“If anything happens to him, I swear…” Kurt begins, and then he just so of crumples, tears flowing as Finn holds him up.

“Listen, the cop said we could answer questions later, okay?” Finn says in his ear. “We’ll go to the hospital and see Blaine.”

Kurt nods and lets himself be ushered into his car.

*

When Kurt walks into glee Monday morning, everyone is all over him to find out how Blaine is. Honestly, given how some members of New Directions had treated Blaine last week before this whole mess happened, Kurt almost feels a need to keep it to himself. He’s not that vindictive though, so he stands in front of the class and Mr. Schue (who’d already given them a talk about how disappointed in them he was), and tells them.

“Concussion,” Kurt says. “He didn’t wake up for a few hours.” He pauses. “He had to get seven stitches in the back of his head.”

“When will be back at school?” Rachel asks, and Kurt knows she’s thinking about NYADA and Regionals and at the moment he could give a crap about all of that.

“His doctor said he’s on bed rest for at least a week, maybe two.”

“And that Sebastian dude?” Puck demands. “Please tell me he got what was coming to him.”

“Blaine’s parents pressed charges,” Kurt answers. “I don’t know all the details, but he’s going to end up doing community service. Dalton will probably expel him for violating their zero-tolerance policy as well.”

“We should go see him after school,” Rachel whispers once Mr. Schue starts talking. “We can cheer him up.” She pats Kurt's arm. “I know the perfect song.”

Kurt nods, because he was going to Blaine’s anyway. He has a feeling he’ll be pretty much living at Blaine’s house until Blaine is back at school.

*

That night he lies in Blaine’s arms, holding him tightly. Rachel and Finn have already gone downstairs to the car, giving him and Blaine a few minutes together.

“I love you,” Kurt whispers, pressing a gently kiss to Blaine’s lips.

“I love you,” Blaine replies, smiling. He winces, and Kurt knows it’s because he’s got a killer headache, and Tylenol won’t touch it but Blaine can’t take anything stronger than that at the moment. Kurt cracks in that moment, tears coming fast and spilling over onto his cheeks. “Hey, hey,” Blaine soothes, wiping them away with his fingers.

“Sorry,” Kurt muttered, sitting up. “It’s just that this whole mess is my fault.”

“What is?”

“You, getting hurt,” Kurt tells him.

“Sebastian is the one who threw the slushie, Kurt,” Blaine says, wincing again.

Guilt bounces through him.

“He was aiming for me,” Kurt replies.

“And I jumped in front of it,” Blaine points out. “So if this is anyone’s fault, it’s mine.”

“I just…” Kurt’s voice breaks. “If anything had happened to you…”

“I’m fine, Kurt,” Blaine insists. “Yeah, I’ve got a terrible headache and I’m going to miss school, but I’ve have worse injuries.” Kurt thinks back to last year and Blaine telling him about the Sadie Hawkins dance where he’d been gay bashed, and figures Blaine’s telling the truth, as much as it pains his heart to hear it. “You should go. Rachel and Finn are waiting.”
Kurt sighs, but gets up, leaning down to kiss him one last time.

“Besides,” Blaine smiles, “I’ll be back to school before you know it. You won’t even miss me.”

As Kurt heads downstairs, his heart tells him that it’s a lie. Still, he can do this. He can be strong for Blaine.

And they’re going to kick Warbler ass at Regionals.