I know theatricality was a long time ago, but I was inspired by this: www(dot)rachelschallenge(dot)com/
Characters belong to Ryan Murphy
"You need to back off and leave me the hell alone! I just don't want to have to worry about this kind of stuff in my own room." Finn shouted at Kurt. "Don't think I don't see the why you look at me during glee club."
Kurt was speechless as he stood in the middle of their newly decorated room and took the words thrown at him because he knew that Finn was right.
"I'm sorry," Kurt whispered quickly.
"Good, you should be!" Finn grabbed a small bag, threw a change of clothes into it, and headed upstairs. "I'm out of here. I'll be at Puck's if Mom asks."
Finn stormed out of the house and began to walk the short distance to his friend's house. He called him on the way to let Puck know he was coming.
"I got into a fight with Kurt, and the last place I want to be is home. Can I crash at your place?"
"Sure, man, are you on your way?"
"Yeah, I'll be there in a few."
Kurt sat on the cushioned armchair and stared at his doing.
"Boys, it's time for dinner!" Carole called down.
When Kurt entered the dining room, he explained where Finn had gone.
Puck and Finn were up late playing video games, and when they finally crashed, Finn didn't realize that his phone had died which meant that his alarm clock was not going to go off in the morning.
Kurt dressed and applied his moisturizer as he always did before hopping into his Navigator and making his way to school. He sat in second period and remembered back to what had happened the previous night. The bell rang, alerting the class that it was time to go their next class. Kurt headed to the library to study for an upcoming French
test during his free period.
Half way into the period, a frantic teacher ran into the library. "Everybody down, heads down now!" The women screamed. Kurt dove underneath his table when he heard a gunshot that sounded just outside the library doors. A boy, who looked familiar, burst through the doors with a gun.
Without flinching, the shooter aimed and killed a blonde-hair girl who slumped lifelessly to the floor. The boy shot again and again killing a total of six students.
Police sirens were heard coming closer, and the shooter looked frantic before he noticed Kurt's presence.
"Hey, homo, you are disgusting; you don't deserve life, you nasty vermin."
A squad burst through the door, so the shooter made quick work. He had no time to aim, so he shot at Kurt before turning the gun on himself.
Kurt clutched his side and felt wetness there. He sunk down to the floor feeling weaker by the minute until darkness swept him up.
Parents and family members waited outside in hopes of being reunited with their children. Paramedics rushed inside then out of the school building with injured students. Lists were posted as students were counted, and parents frantically searched the lists for their children's names.
Finn and Puck arrived at school later and they both headed straight to the nurses office claiming they didn't feel well. They were both told to lie down and rest. After the attack, the boys were escorted out. Finn met his mother outside the building, and she embraced him tightly.
"I was so scared," she murmured in his ear. When they released, Carole began to look around again. "Have you seen Kurt?"
When Finn shook his head, Carole pulled him to the lists and searched for Kurt Hummel's name. A star appeared next to his name showing that he was one of the injured ones. Carole choked and pulled Finn to the car. She sped to the hospital while Finn called Burt to let him know of the situation.
Burt nearly dropped his phone in shook when he got the call, and he closed the shop right away so he could drive to the hospital.
Carole ended up behind an ambulance and hoped that it was the one which carried Kurt.
Finn's thoughts were scrambled, but time froze when they pulled into the hospital lot and saw the paramedics pull the gurney put of the ambulance.
"Kurt!" Carole shrieked, climbing out of the car and running to the gurney. Finn approached warily and saw the deep stain in Kurt's shirt.
You need to back off and leave me the hell alone! Finn shivered as he remembered his own cruel words.
Kurt drug his eyelids back with the last remaining energy in his body and met chocolate colored orbs before his eyes snapped back down.
Finn stared into Kurt's usually warm and sparkling blue eyes but what Finn saw was defeat. His heart dropped into his stomach when he realized that he might never be able to take back his horrible words.
Burt arrived shortly after Kurt had been taken into surgery. The bullet was lodged between two ribs, and if it were to move the wrong way, the bullet could potentially knick his heart.
Carole sobbed as she was held by Burt who held her carefully while trying to deal with his own emotions.
A nurse approached them, and the atmosphere tense was clear. Something was wrong, it was written all over her face. "Mr. Hummel, the surgeon who operated on your son would like to have a word with you."
The three followed the nurses to where the surgeon was waiting. "Mr. Hummel, your son is in critical condition. We
almost lost him during the procedure, and his body has slipped into hibernation."
"Are you saying that my son is in a coma?"
"Yes, your son has gone into a coma because the mental pressure on his brain worsened by the physical stress on his heart pushed his brain to shut down physical movement."
"When is he going to wake up?"
"We, uh, we don't know quite yet."
An awkward silence settled on the group before Burt asked to see Kurt. They were led to Kurt's room, and Burt went head of the Carole and Finn to go to his son.
"Kurt," he touched Kurt's hand, and it was cold. "Why did this happen to you?" A piece of Kurt shined through in his father when his strong appearance cracked away and raw emotion was seen in his eyes when he looked at his sleeping son.
Finn stood stunned when he saw Kurt for reality hit him like a cold slap in the face. Kurt's usually flush face was pale and void of color. The news was just beginning to sink in. Kurt was shot. A student shot him with an armed gun.
Finn went to Kurt's side and collapsed in a chair. Without warning, Mercedes burst through the door followed by a displeased nurse.
"Kurt!" She went to the side Finn wasn't occupying and held Kurt's face gently in her hands. "When is going to wake up?"
"The surgeon said he wasn't sure."
Silent tears rushed down her face as she cried for her friend. She leaned down to Kurt's ear, and Finn heard her whisper that she would visit him as often as possible. She kissed his cold cheek before leaving the room.
Finn, who was basing all his knowledge off of movies he had seen, figured that Kurt was dreaming and would eventually wake up with a fantastic tale to tell.
"I'll be right back. I'm going to talk to a nurse and get a cup of coffee."
Finn looked up to answer to Burt, but he realized the man wasn't talking to him, he was talking to Kurt. As he stood, he gently kissed the brown tresses.
"Finn, honey, go ahead on home. I'll be there soon to make you some dinner."
Finn waited until both adults had exited the room before scooping up Kurt's lifeless hand. "God, Kurt, I'm so sorry I called you that awful name. What if I never get to tell you that to your face with your eyes open? I swear that I'll make you proud. When you wake up, you'll see all the wonderful things I've accomplished, and I'll be able to tell you that I've done them for you."
With that in the open, Finn dropped the boy's hand and left the room.
Within the next year, Finn visited Kurt enough times that every nurse knew Finn by name and which soda he preferred from the Coke machine. As long as Kurt showed signs of brain activity, he wasn't going to be shut down.
Finn was able to make it to the top ten in his class because of his motivation, and he was to attend Baldwin Wallace for theater. He didn't consider pursuing a relationship with Rachel or any of the females of McKinley; his thoughts were too focused.
"I'm going off to college tomorrow, Kurt, so I'm not going to be able to visit for a while, but I promise I'll come down and see you every chance I get. Did you know that I got almost a full scholarship just for being in glee and for picking up my grades?" Finn was silent for a moment before continuing in a settler voice. "You'd be really proud of me," he murmured turning Kurt's dead hand in his own, "I'm really going somewhere, and it's for you."
A young nurse came in and twirled a strand of blond hair between her fingers, "How are you today?"
Finn didn't look away from Kurt. "I'm fine."
Frustrated, the nurse left when Finn was oblivious to her come on.
"You missed their wedding. It wasn't the same without you, and we all had a hard time following through. I bet the décor would never have made it past your taste if you were awake."
"I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you. If I hadn't said that terrible thing to you, this would have never happened." Finn glanced at his watch before leaning down to Kurt's ear, "I better be going. I love you, Kurt." Finn gently kissed his cheek before leaving the room confused about the way he might love his new step-brother.
College was tougher than Finn had expected, but he pushed through it for his brother. Unfortunately, the time he was able to spend with Kurt paid for it. Over Christmas break, Finn blew off ever offer to be with high school friends to sit with Kurt and tell him about his college experiences.
Christmas felt wrong without Kurt to celebrate or complain about the boldness of red and green together. Carole and Burt, as much as they missed Kurt's presence, insisted on staying home to spend time together, so Finn left the house alone to be with his brother. He found himself crying softly in guilt before rushing away from the hospital for the time.
Soon after, Finn headed back to school to finish the year with honors in theater. Finn wanted to see Kurt over the summer, but he was offered a role as the phantom in the school's production of Phantom of The Opera.
Finn was instantly a critics' darling, and he was offered larger roles in midsized theater outside the college campus which Finn accepted in order to get ahead in his career.
Five Years Later
Finn was on Broadway and finishing his latest tour as Fiyero in Wicked when he got a rather unexpected call from his mother.
"Finn, he's showing signs of waking up. I know that you've been busy lately, but I thought you would appreciate knowing." Finn nodded agreeing with her even though she couldn't see his movement.
After thanking his lucky stars that it was his last performance, Finn hopped on the first flight he could catch home to Ohio. Before stopping home to sleep, Finn went to the hospital where he visited Kurt for the first time in three years.
Although he still laid in the same bed in the same room under the same colored blankets dressed in the same material dress, Kurt had physically changed. His baby face was thinner and longer, his hair was slightly longer even though the nurses made sure to keep him in good condition.
At his bedside, Finn sat and gently stroked the wild brown tresses. "I've missed you, Kurt. Mom said you were going to wake up soon? Why can't it be now where I can be here for you? I wish you could have seen my show, you would have loved it. It was for you," his voice dimmed, and he placed a gentle kiss upon his forehead.
Finn's heart tightened with hope when he felt movement beneath him, but it quickly turned to horror. Kurt entire body shook, but his eyes remained shut.
A nurse scrambled into the room and booted Finn from the room while she tended to the comatose boy.
She came out in the hall. "Finn, Kurt is awake, but he is in a state of shock. Don't pressure him to speak or touch you. What you witnessed was him having a seizure, but he'll be just fine."
Finn wasn't processing what she was saying. "He's awake?"
"Yes, but like I said, he's in shock."
Finn wasn't listening; he hurried back into the pale room and met grey eyes. "God, I missed you so much," Finn whimpered as he approached the man.
Kurt didn't say anything; he just stared as Finn came closer. Ignoring the nurse's caution, Finn wrapped his arms around him.
"Why are you hugging me?" Kurt voice was soft but strong. Finn backed away, and Kurt's eye widened. "Why do you look so old?"
"It's been six years, Kurt. God, someone shot you, and I almost lost you. I'm so sorry I wasn't there to protect you, but's all okay now because you're here."
He went back in to hug the confused man again. Kurt sat limp and allowed Finn to rock him. Then, he felt wetness dampen his shoulder.
"Are you crying?"
"I just- I just missed you so much. I went to college, Kurt, and I got on Broadway to make you proud."
Kurt nudged Finn away and watched the tears rolling down his cheeks. "You did all that out of guilt."
The statement was a punch in the gut for Finn because he realized how right Kurt was. Guilt had been his motivation all along, but his love for Kurt was not understandable. For only a moment, Finn wondered what Kurt would say if he were to tell him about his love.
"Did Dad and Carole marry?" Finn snapped out of his thoughts and nodded causing tears to well in Kurt's. "I missed their wedding, graduation, and years of college. How am I ever going to get on Broadway?" Sobs were now filling up the room, and Kurt once again allowed Finn to embrace him.
Finn pressed his lips to Kurt's forehead. "It's going to be okay."
"Damn, Finnegan, you are so great at breaking rules. Mr. Hummel, I'm going to have to escort you for a few tests." She pushed in a wheelchair and looked towards Finn for assistance, "can you help him get into the chair?"
Finn lifted Kurt into his arms, gave him a tight squeeze, and set him in the chair. The confused man was wheeled out of the room without a word, but he glanced back at Finn.
Instead of going home, Finn remained Kurt's room waiting for his brother to return. His parents had already been notified by the hospital, and Kurt was going to be discharged. Unfortunately, he would be returning every other day for physical therapy.
"What was it like," Finn asked when Kurt was wheeled back into the room.
"It was nothing; I don't remember anything."
Carole and Burt rushed through the room, and Burt embraced his son whispering sweet words of love. Listening politely, Kurt sat and looked at the ring on Carole's finger.
By the end of the day, Kurt was exhausted. He tried his best to remember everything he was told about the six missed years of his life and answer all the questions thrown his way. Distracted by the memories, Kurt didn't catch the way Finn stared at him.
Finn lifted Kurt from the wheelchair into his car. "Are you feeling okay?"
"Just tired," he mumbled.
Muscles tighten, "you're not going to slip back into a coma if you fall asleep?"
Kurt shook his head, "the nurse said I should be fine."
The rest of the ride was awkward since both man remained silent unsure about what to say. When they pulled up to the house, Kurt was able to get into the wheelchair himself and entered the unchanged house.
He looked at the pictures on the mantel and stared at one of him lying lifeless on the hospital bed while Finn sat beside him; Finn wasn't looking at the camera though, and Kurt wondered if he even knew the picture was being taken.
Kurt was to stay in the guest room since he would get down to his basement room in his wheelchair. He was able to take a bath by lifting himself out of the chair and into the tub. Dressing himself was a challenge; his legs had lost so much muscle mass that he could hardly move his legs.
It was late when Kurt emerged, and his parents hugged him multiple times before saying goodnight.
"Hey, man, do you want to watch a movie before bed? I don't mind musicals so much anymore." Finn frowned slightly when Kurt rejected his offer, and he followed Kurt to his room.
"Kurt, I've spent six years praying I would get the chance to apologize for the awful things I said to you in the basement. But now that I'm saying it to your face with your eyes open, my mind draws a blank. It was so wrong for me to call you that, and I would do anything to take it back-
"Finn, stop. It might seem like just days for me, but it's been six years since the incident. You're a different person now, and it seems like I don't even know you anymore. We'll talk in the morning."
The taller man frowned; he wanted to claim Kurt as his finally after six long years. Through music, he had realized what he truly wanted, and what he wanted was Kurt.
Instead of going up to the room built for him after the basement incident, he went down to Kurt's original room to dwell on the old times.
Kurt, sitting in the guest room alone, thought about the future. He was behind on college, he would probably never find a partner, and he would be in the wheelchair for who knows how long.
Feeling deeply depressed, he wheeled himself to the top of the familiar stairs he used to climb constantly. Mind filled with negative thoughts, he pushed the wheels forward until he was toppling down the stairs along with the chair.
"Kurt!" Blackness swarmed around him, but he could hear the rushing of feet.
Finn witnessed it, and it killed him inside. He heard the thumping of the body sliding against the stairs and saw Kurt's peaceful face when he lied lifelessly on the floor. His nose bled, and Finn took care of it with ease. He cradled Kurt in his arms begging him not to fall back into his coma. Finally, he set the man gently on the barely used bed and stroked the mused brown tresses.
"Please wake up, Kurt. You've been gone for so long; it wouldn't be fair if you left me again."
When Kurt cracked an eye, Finn was looking down at him, he face twisted. "Kurt, what were you doing?"
Finn looked down into scared eyes and quieted his voice, "were you trying to kill yourself?"
Kurt didn't answer; he didn't know what he was doing, and Finn cradled his face in his hands.
"Please, don't ever do something like that again. God, you scared me so bad. Why would you do something like that? I've waited six years for you, and I could have lost you tonight!" Finn shook Kurt's fragile body."
Then, Finn's lips were pressed against Kurt's with certainty. "I love you, Kurt."
Kurt searched Finn's eyes for lies, but he found nothing but affection and concern. "I don't know you," he whispered, and tear fell gracefully from Finn's eyelash.
"But I know you, and I love you so much. Please, after all these years, don't push me away from you."
Kurt was silent, so Finn bent down to kiss Kurt again pleading the other to give him a chance. Slowly, Kurt responded, and Finn surrounded him in his arms. "Thank you," he whispered against plush lips, "I'll give you anything you could want, and I'll help you through. I promise."
This time, Kurt lifted up to place mash his lips against Finn's with passion for this time, he believed him.
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