Chapter 1:
Author's Note: This idea came to me while I was walking home, out of nowhere.
I don't own the characters, still.
And thank you to Amber (AmberKNIFEsweet) for beta reading as always. You rock.
–
Lima, Ohio
Kurt winced and squeezed Finn's hand when the needle went into the crook of his arm. "Is that it?" he asked the nurse, Marianne, nervously.
She smiled at him. "As far as the needles go, yes. I'm going to hang the bag on this stand and let it empty out, which should take about two hours. I'll come back to check on you and talk about the side effects of the chemo, okay?"
Kurt nodded and let go of his brother's hand. "God this sucks. First, Blaine... Then, this. What's next?"
Finn put his arm around Kurt and gave him a hug. "It's going to be okay. You have us, your family, here to support you through all of this. We're not going anywhere and we love you. Don't forget that."
"He is right, you know, " Burt chimed in, coming through the curtain with Carol. "We're gonna be here through it all."
"Thanks," Kurt replied. "I would love to know how this happened to me though. I was always perfectly healthy."
"Honey, the doctor's don't even know how. But now that they caught it, it can be treated," Carol replied.
Kurt sighed and leaned his head back against the chair and started to reflect on everything that's happened in the last couple weeks. Before he knew it, the nurse was shaking him to let him know that he was done with the first treatment.
"Do you know the side effects?" she asked.
"Just nausea, vomiting and hair loss." Kurt sniffled. "The hair that I spent SO many hours a day keeping in perfect condition."
"It's true," Finn added with a laugh. "At least two hours a day on his hair and face."
Kurt nodded in agreement. Marianne shook her head. "Unfortunately, there are a lot of side effects besides the nausea and hair loss. You could get any combination of them. The main ones are fatigue, nausea, vomiting, hair loss, pain, anemia, infection, problems with your blood clotting, diarrhea, constipation, flu-like symptoms, fluid retention, affects on sexuality, and changes to your skin and nails."
He sat up quickly. "The sexuality is one thing, I'm not seeing anyone anymore, but my hair, nails AND skin? Hell no."
"Son, take a deep breath," Burt said, stepping forward to put his hand on Kurt's shoulder.
"Dad, I'm fine. But so much is going to change because of this. I'm going to be BALD, a look that I know that I can't pull off, and who knows what my skin and nails are going to look like in a week."
"You might want to shave your head, Kurt," Marianne added. "Before it falls out. I've had a lot of patients that prefer that. I mean, after one session you won't see any immediate changes but you have to do three sessions this week and by the end, you will start to.
Kurt just nodded, unable to say anything else. He turned his head and threw up into the basin next to him.
–
3 days before
"Acute Myelogenous Leukemia," Dr. Roberts told Kurt, glancing up from his chart. "I'm surprised a doctor hasn't caught this before."
"I haven't been to a doctor in... Years," Kurt admitted.
"When we got your blood results back, your white blood cells were low. That's why we ordered the bone marrow biopsy, which confirmed our suspicions."
"So what are we talking here?" Burt asked the doctor. "I mean, what are his chances? Tell us straight."
"Of course, Mr. Hummel. His leukemia is stage 3. Which means he's going to have to start chemotherapy first thing Monday morning. And even then less than 60% and even then science only gives him 5 years."
"5 YEARS?" Kurt exclaimed, jumping off the table to his feet. "I'm 18 years old, I'm supposed to have my whole life ahead of me and here you are telling me that I could be dead at 23?"
"According to science, yes. But you are young and healthy. Stage 3 isn't terminal and with aggressive chemo you could be put into remission in a year, even."
Kurt was already pulling his clothes on and stuffing his feet back into his shoes before the doctor could finish. "I refuse to accept what you're telling me. I'm leaving."
–
Luckily the doctor's office was only about ten blocks from the house. Kurt was about halfway when he had the sudden urge to text Blaine. Sweet Blaine. Cruel Blaine, who'd given up trying and flew to California.
Sending a text would be showing weakness that he needed Blaine when he'd spent the last two weeks convincing himself that he didn't. Two weeks of torture and hell. That had been topped with the discovery of cancer.
Kurt stopped walking, about halfway home, and started crying. Crying for Blaine being gone, and for his life that could dramatically be shortened. He stopped to blame himself for the love of his life up and moving across the country. And at the moment, that's what hurt the most.
–
"Are you okay?" Mercedes asked the next day at school.
Kurt looked at over, trying not to glare. "I'm going through chemo. I don't even want to be here but it's our last week as seniors. I can't miss this."
"I know, but I also meant with the other thing."
"Oh, that. No, I'm..." Kurt had to stop mid sentence and run to the trashcan to throw up. "Ugh, it's not even lunch and I'm already throwing up."
Mercedes handed him a Sprite. "Drink this. It'll calm your stomach."
He popped the tab and took a few sips. "We better get to Glee."
–
"Are you sure you want to shave your head?" Finn asked his brother the next day, holding the electric razor in his hand.
"Yes," Kurt sniffled. "I found a small patch of hair on my pillow this morning. I can't stand to watch it fall out slowly. Do it."
Finn sighed and followed Kurt's wishes. Then shaved his own head to show his support. "Maybe no hair will be the new look," he joked. Kurt rolled his eyes. "I mean for graduation. For cancer awareness!"
"Graduation is in two days. I wonder how many people will go along with it." Kurt couldn't help but be sarcastic. 'How many people really fucking care enough to be bald for me at our high school graduation,' he thought.
"You never know. I'll make a few calls and see how fast it spreads." Finn, obviously oblivious, left the bathroom to get the word spread.
–
San Diego, California
Blaine was sitting on the couch, channel surfing aimlessly. Nothing looked interesting. It had been the longest two weeks of his life. Nothing seemed interesting anymore. It was only seven in the evening, and still sunny out but he had no desire to go anywhere.
Out of nowhere, he felt his phone vibrate signifying a text message. Half of him didn't even want to look at it. His parents were in the next room, and he didn't really have any friends that would be texting him. But for some reason, he decided to look. But what he saw, made him drop his phone and hold back tears.