Kurt sat ramrod straight, one leg artfully crossed over the other, looking composed and dignified despite the fact that every so often a member of the hospital staff would "happen" to walk in, under the guise of checking on the patient but really just angling to get a look at the only celebrity couple to ever come out of Lima. Kurt ignores them, and the occasional double takes he receives when he ventures down the hall to the vending machine or up to the cafeteria.

The whispers, the looks and the occasional brazen requests for pictures or autographs don't register with the famous fashion designer nor do they merit any reaction other than a perfunctory fake apology about how "now really isn't a good time" from his movie star husband. Kurt doesn't have the energy to play the superstar and Blaine doesn't have the inclination. Their entire world has collapsed in on itself and the focus of their collective attention has narrowed to the unconscious figure lying prone in the hospital bed. Their priority has become counting the steady, shallow rise and fall of the man's chest and memorizing the feel of a large, warm hand in theirs. The silence is deafening, broken only by the steady beeps and constant humming of the hospital machinery and the ever present whoosh whoosh of the ventilator.

Blaine looks into Kurt's eyes and he knows what his husband is thinking because he's thinking the same thing. Burt Hummel should never look so small. Burt's larger than life, loud and boisterous, strong and steady; he's the rock that Kurt, and later Carol, Finn and Blaine rested on. Burt was booming laughter during Jeff Dunham comedy special and a blue streak of curses during Buckeye games. He was monster truck rallies and backyard barbeques, unfiltered honesty and unwavering support, unconditional love and fierce protection. He was the glue that held their family together and that person, their Burt, should never look so small.

Time has turned syrup slow in the small, sterile room and Kurt barely stirs when Finn and Carole come into the room. Carol looks like Blaine feels and Finn just looks lost. Rachel and Blaine make eye contact and in her eyes he sees his own worries and fears mirrored back at him. Finn and Burt have become close; almost as close as Burt and Kurt and that was never more apparent then when Burt formally adopted Finn and Finn tacked "Hummel" onto the end of his name. While Burt hasn't become quite the father figure to Rachel that he has to Blaine (Rachel after all, has two fathers who would move heaven and earth for her while Blaine's relationship with his biological father was an exercise in being tolerated as opposed to accepted) she know what he means to Finn. Rachel, like Blaine, is petrified of what would happen to Burt's son if the man doesn't pull through. Blaine's biggest fear isn't losing the man he's come to love as a father (and oh God how that thought makes him ache) but that he won't know how to see Kurt through the loss. He's afraid that his husband will shatter into so many pieces that he'll never be whole again.

Blaine had no idea long they all sat there, in a tense, terrified silence when the bottom drops out and all hell breaks loose. The steady beep, beep, beep, suddenly turns into an angry, shrieking, high pitched wail and a swarm of doctors and nurses storm the room as if they were some invading army. Before he can catch his bearings, Kurt, Carol and Finn are being ripped away from Burt's bedside and they are all being ordered out of the room. Finn has his mother wrapped in his arms, letting her sob into his chest while Rachel rubs soothing circles into Carol's back with one hand and holds onto Finn with the other. Kurt is simply standing in the open doorway, staring at the doctors and nurses as they try to save his father's life. Blaine gently steers his husband to one of the chairs in the hall, not wanting what could be Kurt's final image of his father to involve intubation and defibulators. It feels like an eternity before the doctor comes out, appropriately apologetic but professionally distant, telling them that they did all they could but the damage was too great and there was nothing that could have been done.

Carol collapses and Finn immediately focuses his energy on his mother, while Rachel focuses hers on Finn's. Blaine can't tear his eyes away from Kurt and doesn't quite know what to do when his husband edges back into Burt's room, stopping just short of his bed, simply looking down at his father's body while one lone tear slips down his cheek. Kurt reaches out and grabs his father's hand, and begins to sing, so softly that Blaine can barely make out the lyrics to "I Want To Hold Your Hand" by The Beatles. Blaine stays in the doorway, fighting back his own tears, giving Kurt the privacy and space he needs to sing for his father one last time.

After a few minutes he realizes that Kurt isn't moving-can't move-and he steps forward and guides him down the hall and through a doorway, into an empty hospital room. He feels Kurt trembling, sees the way he's wrapped his arms around his torso and knows he's doing his best not to break apart. As soon as he closes the door, Kurt falls into his arms; resting his head on Blaine's shoulder and breathing huge, shuddering gulps of air as the tears fall down his cheeks.

"I knew," Kurt whispered," I knew as soon as Carol called and said he was in a coma that he wasn't going to…the second I hung up the phone I started preparing myself to say goodbye. I knew I was going to lose him, that he wouldn't pull through this time but-" Kurt's voice broke and Blaine tightened his hold on him, "I can't do this. I don't know how to do this. He's my dad. He's my hero…he's been everything and now he's just gone and I don't…I can't, Blaine I can't."

Kurt's knees buckle and if it wasn't for the proximity of Blaine's body and the tightness of his embrace he would have fallen to the floor. Blaine walks them over the bed and sits on it, pulling Kurt into his lap. "You can do this. I know you can because you are your father's son. You have his strength, you have his courage and you have his spirit. You are so strong Kurt, so so strong and Burt knew that," Blaine presses a kiss into Kurt's temple and clears away the lump in his throat," you have Carol, Finn and Rachel in your corner. You have all of your friends and baby, you have me. You are not alone, you will never be alone. You can do this and I will be there every step of the way. Just like everything else baby, we'll do this together. Lean on me, Kurt. I promise you I won't let you fall."

There's a moment of silence. It's long, it's painful and Blaine starts to worry he said too much or didn't say enough and then suddenly Kurt's standing up and pulling Blaine up along with him. Blaine doesn't get a chance to ask what's going on before Kurt's wrapping his arms around him, holding him close, and whispering "thank you" into his ear. Blaine simply returns his husband's embrace and holds him close while they cry.