Kurt Pov

Of course it was a needle. Not just any needle either, one that looked like a sword out of Lord of the Rings (hello, Orlando Bloom in tights). Without thinking, I lunged forward and covered Finn's eyes.

It was the closest I had ever gotten to him, except in my fantasies. I mean, I've touched him multiple times in rehearsal, or during choreography, but this was different. This was…intimate.

Finn froze when he lost his sight, his entire body going still. His breath blew across my wrists as he exhaled, making me shiver. Much to my surprise, he didn't either demand to know what the hell I was doing or pull back. He just stayed there, my hands resting on my skin.

Then again, Finn wasn't doing much that wasn't absolutely necessary. I had been trying to keep him upbeat and talking to me, but he wasn't really responding any more. As the pain increased, he had gone from talking to me, to one word answers and finally just grunts or head shakes. I don't know if I've ever felt so helpless in my entire life.

I took a steadying breath, forcing my voice into a mask of calm. "The nurse is here with the pain meds, ok? It's a shot."

He started to struggle immediately. "No." Unfortunately for him, there was nowhere for him to go except backwards against bed. That just gave me more leverage to hold him still.

The nurse looked uncomfortable, as though she was trying to decide whether or not she should call the huge orderlies I had seen milling around. I met her eyes and held up one finger, silently asking for a minute to try.

"Yes. Finn, you need to let her give you the shot, alright? I'll sit right here, and I won't let her hurt you, and you don't have to look, but you have to let her do it." I pushed a little closer. "I'll keep my hands just like, this, and it will all be over in a minute."

It was a testament to how badly Finn was feeling when he just gave up and went limp against the bed. He was still shaking his head, but he didn't try to fight me any more. "Fine." It was a half sob.

He still hadn't told me to get the fuck away from him, so I kept my hands in place while the nurse put on a blood pressure cuff and found a vein in his left arm. "I'm going to have her count to five, and then stick, so count with us." To the nurse, I quickly mouthed "on two"

She nodded and the three of us started to count. "One, two-"Anything else we might have said was covered by Finn's yelp of surprise as the needle hit home. It was a dirty thing to do to him, but I was afraid that if I waited, he would tense up so badly that the needle wouldn't go in. The nurse expertly depressed the plunger and had the needle back out before Finn could get himself together enough to pull away.

I took one hand down to pat Finn's shuddering back. "See, it's over and now you're going to feel better." Even I could hear the false hope in my voice. He pulled away to glare balefully at me, his dark eyes telling me how betrayed he felt. I sighed. "I'm sorry, Finn."

He turned away mutely, laying on his side and facing away from me. His injured arm was tucked against his body. I waited a few seconds, but his anger never materialized. He just remained still, apparently bent on ignoring me.

I tried not to take it personally. Finn wasn't my boyfriend, shit; he was barely even my friend. There was no reason for him to want to talk to me at the best of times, much less right now. Maybe I should have let Puck come with him after all. Sure, I wouldn't be getting anything out of it, but at least we wouldn't be stuck in this awkward silence.

A minute passed, then two, with neither of us saying a word. Finally, unable to bear the silence any longer, and banking on the fact that Finn would be unable to get up and beat the crap out of me, I stood up and put a hand on his shoulder blade. He didn't turn towards me, but he didn't pull away either.

I suddenly realized that I hadn't even told him that his mother was coming. At least it would break the silence. "Your Mom will be here soon."

His response was immediate. "Someone called my Mom?" I couldn't tell if he was happy or not.

"I did, while the nurse was checking you in." I checked my watch. "She should be here in a half hour or so."

Now he did turn over, flinching when he jarred his arm. They had removed the brace I had applied and put a professional one on, but it somehow made things look worse. There was still some blood on his face and neck, a bit smeared from where he had swiped at it hastily. He smiled softly, and I was reminded again why I had fallen in love with him. God knew, it wasn't for his brains. "Thanks, buddy." Then, in a move that almost stopped my heart, he patted the edge of the bed in an invitation to sit.

What sort of friend would I be if I refused? The sort that isn't completely pathetic, that's what. I pushed that thought aside and perched on the edge of the bed, taking care not to get too close. You know, so he wouldn't feel uncomfortable. Yeah, cause it's not like you aren't going to be pressed up against him no matter where you sit. It's a twin bed, Kurt, don't even pretend you haven't noticed.

I ignored Galinda and sat down; choosing not to acknowledge that she was right and my leg was pressed against his. Now that I was this close to him, I could smell the sweat and grass and the vaguely chemical odor that had to be the biofreeze. I had always wanted to be taller, but if being tall meant not being able to walk correctly sometimes because your bones and muscles couldn't keep up with how heavy you suddenly were, I would pass.

"It's definitely broken. I'm out for the season, plus basketball, too. Fuck, I'm probably out of Glee, aren't I?" I had never heard him sound so unhappy.

There wasn't much for me to say about either sport, but I could reassure him about Glee. "You won't be about of Glee. It's just you arm, not your voice."

"But Mr. Shue-"

I cut him off. "Mr. Shue will work around it. After all, you'll only be in a cast for a month or two. It's not the end of the world." As soon as I said it, I wished I could take the words back. Of course it was the end of the world to Finn. For some unknown reason, he loved sports. Then again, it was the only time that he wasn't tripping over his own feet, which, by the way, were huge.

You know what they say about guys with big feet…

Luckily, Galinda's inner musings were interrupted by the nurse appearing with a wheelchair. Even more luckily, it wasn't the same nurse who had tricked Finn with the needle. She was pushing a wheelchair and looked like she was praying for her shift to be over. "I need Finnegan Hudson for an X-ray."

"Just Finn." We spoke at the same time, then exchanged those goofy smiles that people always did when they jinxed each other. I helped Finn sit up, steadying him a bit as he got into the wheelchair.

"You'll be here when I get back, right?" It was the second time he had asked, more like begged, for me to stay with him tonight. If he would only say the word, I would stay with him permanently.

"Of course."

"You're sure, 100%?" He looked so worried and confused when he asked that.

"Yes. I'll be sitting right in this chair when you get back." The shot must have been starting to take effect, because he didn't really look like he understood me. Or maybe he just didn't believe me.

Once Finn was gone, it took approximately 15 seconds for me to get bored. There was nothing to read, no interesting medical paraphernalia to sort through, and my eye candy was being wheeled around somewhere else. I hadn't thought to grab any of my own things, or Finn's for that matter. All I could do now was lean my head back and count the holes in the ceiling tiles.

I was at 694 when the pair of them returned. The nurse looked as crabby as ever and Finn appeared to be half asleep. It broke my heart to see him like that. The Finn I knew would be chattering away, begging to be allowed to wheel himself around, or trying to convince Nurse Grouchy that he would heal much faster if he was allowed to have a Snickers bar to help him along. He wouldn't just sit there, slumped down and looking defeated. When he saw me, though, he perked up a little bit.

"The doctor will be in to talk to you two shortly." One corner of her lip raised in a sneer. "Brothers? Is that what they call it these days?"

My face flamed red, but Finn didn't seem to hear her. Or maybe he did, and just didn't understand what she was implying. I gave her my iciest glare. "He's my stepbrother, not my biological one. And, I'm sorry; did I actually hear you imply that if he was my boyfriend, there would be something wrong with it? I'm sure your superiors would love to hear that you made a homophobic remark in front of a patient. Not only that, but a minor patient who doesn't have a parent present."

Normally, I would have just shaken the remark off. After all, I heard worse every day, over the phone if not to my face. But I was tired and scared and on edge from all of it today and I found myself unable to turn the other cheek. Not this time, not when Finn was involved. I didn't get up, but I made it deadly clear that I was serious.

She backed down, but she never cowered. "I would hardly consider it a homophobic remark. What I meant was, you two are clearly not related, despite your claims. Furthermore, as you are not a blood relative, and Mr. Hudson is, as you pointed out, a minor, I have no reason to let you stay in this room. I'm guessing you're a minor, too?" Her tone told me that she knew I was, so I didn't reply. "Then you certainly shouldn't be here. This is a hospital, not a high school. I'm bending the rules to even let you stay."

In other words, if you even hint you'll make trouble for me, I'll have you thrown out of here. I wanted to call security, call her bluff, do anything but sit here and cower like a child, but there was nothing for me to do. She was right. I could take the high road and make the report right now, but that would mean leaving Finn alone, not even a half hour after I had promised not to do so. So I settled for glaring and biting down on my tongue, my mind burning with hateful thoughts. She had won this round, but that was fine with me. I was capable of holding a grudge that would rival any woman scorned, and I knew how to bide my time. Nurse Grouchy was going down, even if she didn't know it yet.

She turned away from me and busied herself with Finn, helping him back into bed and asking if he was cold and wanted a blanket. He nodded, then shook his head, then nodded again. I was well versed enough in Finn-speak to know that he had no idea what he was, or what he needed. Someone else needed to speak for him. "He needs a blanket." If he was cold, he could use it, if not, I would save it for later.

The blanket arrived in short order, straight out of one of those heaters that I desperately wished I could have at home. I loved having the entire basement to myself, but it tended to get a little cold down there in December. I covered him up without thinking, my attention mostly on the nurse, our third of the evening. I wondered if I had scared Stabby and Grouchy away. To be totally fair, it was more likely that Finn had scared Stabby with his over the top reaction to what was, in hindsight, a pretty minor shot. I had just let his reaction get to me.

"Is he allowed to sleep?" It was head injuries you were supposed to keep awake right? Oh, who was I kidding? I knew some basic first aid, but I was useless beyond that. I did watch Grey's Anatomy, but mostly so I could look at Eric Dane in nothing but a very low-slung towel on. And once I saw that, there wasn't enough blood going to my brain to pay any attention to the actual medical cases they were showing that week. It was all too busy heading southwards.

She took Finn's pulse, smiling gently at both of us. Apparently she thought I was Finn's boyfriend, too. Fantastic. Wouldn't Mrs. Hudson be surprised to find out that her son had jumped the sexuality fence and gotten himself a boyfriend just a few weeks after getting his girlfriend pregnant? Wait, did she know about that? I would have to ask Finn before she got here. I took pride in my ability to keep a secret (see Finn Hudson: crush on), and I didn't want to be anywhere near the Hudson family when this little debacle came to light. "If he can. The shot should make him sleepy. Do either of you need anything else?"

I shook my head and Finn grunted something that sounded a lot more like "no" then it did like "yes", so she left. I hovered at the side of the bed, not sure what to do next. He had welcomed me before, but now he was trying to sleep, and might want a little space. But then, I've never been particularly good at denying myself what I wanted (and let's face it, this opportunity was never going to come knocking again), so I sat down on the bed next to him. "Hey, Finn?"

"Huh?" He sounded almost asleep already, which wasn't going to work. I shook his shoulder until he turned to me, blinking heavily. "Yeah?" There was as slur in his voice that hadn't been there before.

"You mom, does she know about Quinn?" I wasn't sure if I wanted him to say yes or no.

"Not about Baby Drizzle." He huffed a soft sigh, his eyes trained on the ceiling. "She's going to be so disappointed in me."

I understood that. When you only have one parent left, you want to do whatever it takes to make them happy, whether it's joining the football squad or hiding the fact that your girlfriend is pregnant. "She loves you.""

"I know, that's why she's gonna be so disappointed."

There wasn't much that I could say to that, it was the truth after all, so I settled for resting a hand on his shoulder. "Try and sleep a little, alright?"

When he turned and grinned at me, there was a little spark of the old Finn in his eyes. "Sing me a song? How about 'Trying Gravity?' You're good at that one."

I smacked him with the pillow. "It's 'Defying Gravity', jerk. And you promised you wouldn't tell anyone about that."

"I didn't. You already know so it's not telling." He closed his eyes again. "Can you turn the lights off, then come back and sit with me?" He sounded kind of lost and pathetic.

"Of course." My throat was too tight to actually sing anything, but I hummed softly, my arm still resting across his back. I didn't pat or rub, though in his current state, he probably wouldn't have minded either. To appease him, I did end up choosing Defying Gravity, but made sure to keep away from the high notes. He ran his fingers back and forth across the bed in a hypnotizing movement, fairly quick at first, but slower and slower as he drifted off.

I thought that he had fallen asleep, so I jumped a little when he spoke. "Hey, Kurt?"

"Yeah?" I was leaning closer to him now, trying to hear the mumbled words.

"Can you keep a secret?"

You're madly in love with me, and you want to kiss me right now? No, wait. Those were my own thoughts, not his. "Sure."

He was quiet, though, so quiet that I thought he might not reply at all, that his words had been nothing but meaningless sleep talk. When he finally did speak, it wasn't something I would have ever expected. "I think Quinn is cheating on me with Puck."

For a second I couldn't find my voice at all, and when I did speak, it sounded breathy and foreign. "Why do you think that?"

"I don't know. They're just…she used to look at me like that. Now she always wants to be with him, and he's staring at her all the time. I mean, she's pregnant with my baby, even if it was an accident, but that doesn't matter. I love her, you know."

Which only meant that I hated her. It was unfair, of course, to hate Quinn for no other reason then she had what I wanted, and she was willing to throw it away. For Noah Puckerman, none the less. Now, if I were going to hate her for cheating, or spying, or just plain being a bitch (and believe me, I hated her for those things, too), it would be marginally better. But I didn't say any of that to Finn. Instead I went with meaningless comfort. "I'm sure she loves you. She's probably as scared as you are right now, and isn't thinking clearly."

"No, it's more then that." His voice was slurring now, on the very verge of sleep.

"Like what?" Like a gut feeling, Kurt. Jesus you're stupid sometimes. You ought to be happy about this. Quinn's a cheating bitch and Finn knows it. Now listen to Galinda. Don't do anything. I know you, and you're first instinct is to create some overly elaborate scheme that will end up blowing up in your face. Just sit back and let him come to you. He will, trust me on this.

But this time Finn didn't reply at all. Whether the shot had had its tranquilizing effect, or he was just worn out from too much pain, or excitement, or adrenaline, he was finally resting, leaving me to wonder just what it was that he saw with Quinn and Puck.

Once he was actually asleep, there was no reason for me to keep sitting there. I had to stay in the room, of course, considering I had promised his mother I would. Plus, I didn't want him to wake up and be afraid. But I could stay in the room and watch him from the chair. I didn't move though. I very seldom got the chance to be alone with Finn at all, much less actually touch him, and I wasn't about to let this one get away. Yes, I'm fully aware that I was crossing into creepy stalker territory, but come on, we've all been 16 and in love.

Unfortunately, I didn't get much of a chance to enjoy my new closeness. Within 15 minutes, the door came flying open and a middle aged woman entered. I had never seen Mrs. Hudson, but I would have recognized her anywhere. The running mascara and wild hair told me that she had broken several speed limits to get here, crying the entire way. She took a deep breath as she approached Finn, her face hardening into a steely resolve. This was the same woman who had raised her infant son to adulthood alone, without any sort of support system. She wouldn't back down now.

I let her take my place on the bed, suddenly feeling unneeded. Her voice was quiet as she whispered "Oh, Finn." Soft as she was, though, he woke up immediately. "Mom?"

Once he determined that she was actually there, and not some hallucination he did something that surprised me. He burst into tears, throwing himself into her arms. "I'm sorry, Mom. I'm sorry. I got hurt and I think my arm is broken."

I caught Mrs. Hudson's eye and mouthed that I would be in the cafeteria. There had to be something in there that I could eat. I wasn't sure if I should stay at all, I didn't have anything better to do. Mercedes was at a family thing, Artie wasn't speaking to most of us right now (I think it has something to do with Tina), and I would sooner kiss Puck then have anything to do with Rachael. I really needed some more friends.

It wasn't until I was actually down there, eying the bruised looking fruit, that I realized I had no way to pay for any of this. Crap. My money was in my bag, which was in the locker room, along with my clothes and cell phone.

Then something even worse occurred to me. I was out in public, where anyone in the world could see me, and I was dressed like a football player. Why didn't I just wear those hideous colored zebra stripes that I had secretly stolen from Mercedes's closet? She was practically my sister, and a good brother wouldn't let his family wear something so ugly.

As if the football uniform by itself wasn't horrible enough, I had on an oversized grey hoodie that hung down to mid-thigh and constantly needed to have the sleeves pushed back. It had the unfortunate effect of making me look like a 10 year old wearing his father's clothes, but the hoodie had once been Finn's, and that meant I wasn't giving it up.

It had taken about a week for me to figure out that I didn't own any clothing suitable for playing sports. Normally, this would have been a cause for celebration and a massive shopping spree, but I just couldn't summon any enthusiasm. After all, I got a uniform when I joined the team, and I wouldn't be caught dead in most of what the other guys wore.

Of course, it didn't take long for me to regret choosing fashion over comfort. Ohio gets cold early, and within a few weeks I was freezing my ass off during practice. Finn, who could really be observant when he put forth the effort, had offered me his hoodie, which I had gratefully accepted. I had washed it that weekend (after sleeping in it until it didn't smell like him anymore, but he was never going to find that out) and offered to give it back, but he had just shrugged and told me to keep it 'for now'. I wasn't sure exactly what that meant, but now I was keeping it at least until the end of the season, possibly forever if I could get away with it.

A pair of hands touched my shoulders, and I nearly bolted out of my skin. "Easy, Kurt, it's just me."

Somehow, Finn's mom had found me. Before I could ask her how he was, she hugged me tightly. "The doctor said things would have been much worse if you hadn't gotten that brace on his arm. We both owe you."

That was a relief. "So, he's going to be ok?" I wondered why he wasn't with her now. Maybe they were putting a cast on right now.

"He's going to be fine. The break is very clean, he's young and strong." She took a deep breath. "They're going to have to operate on it though, since the bone is totally separated. They were just waiting for me to sign the papers, since he's still a minor. If it all goes well, he'll be released tomorrow afternoon."

It was like the air had been sucked out of the room. I hadn't ever thought that it he might need surgery, even though it made sense. "Can I say goodbye to him?" My voice quivered a little bit.

When she looked at me, I though she might be able to tell that I had a crush on her son. "I'm sorry, Kurt, they already took him to the OR. I can give him a message for you, though."

I couldn't say what I was really thinking to Mrs. Hudson, considering that I couldn't even say it to Finn, so I settled for a quick smile. "Just tell him I hope he feels better, and to call me if he wants some company."

"Do you have a way to get home?" She was going into worried mom mode. "I can take you if you need a ride."

Actually, I didn't. Coach Tanaka had driven, and he had had to go back to the school to try and sort out the liability issues surrounding the accident. He had offered me a ride, but that would have meant leaving Finn alone, and I had refused. "Uh, my Dad is coming to get me."

My father would bought that excuse, but I had forgotten how perceptive mothers were. And considering Finn Hudson and the trouble that he always seemed to get into, I was willing to bet that his mother was more perceptive then most. "Really? When did you call him?"

My blank look must have been answer enough, because she pulled a cell phone out of her purse. "Call him now."

If it had been anyone else, I would have probably had a rude comment about my ability to care for myself. But this was my future boyfriends mother, and she already had enough to worry about. So I dialed my father, praying that he would be home.

He was. "Hummel residence, this better be Kurt, who was supposed to be home an hour ago." I noticed that he didn't sound particularly upset. He was still hoping that I would make more friends on the team, not counting Finn, Matt or Mike, who were in Glee and thus automatically suspect.

"Hey, dad, it's me. I'm sorry I didn't call, but Finn broke his arm at the game today, and I'm at the hospital with him right now. I don't have any way to get home, so can you come get me?"

"I'm on my way. Where do you want me to get you at?"

I had a sneaking suspicion that Mrs. Hudson wasn't going to be satisfied until she actually saw me getting into my father's car. "Can you come to the cafeteria?"

"Yes." His voice sounded a little strained. "Are you alright, son?"

"Of course, I'm fine." Much to my surprise, I wasn't really lying. I had been so focused on getting through each moment of what was happening that I hadn't had much time to dwell on my own worries.

We said our goodbyes, and he nearly hung up before I could get the last bit out. "Dad?"

"What?"

"I-I love you." It came out stammery and weak, betraying how little I actually said the words.

"I love you, too." His voice was gruff, but indulgent. He, too, had trouble getting it out.

I hung up and gave Mrs. Hudson her phone back. She smiled gently at me. "Do you want something to eat?"

It surprised me to find out that I did. I was always too nervous to eat much before a game, even though I didn't usually do anything, and I was ravenous after. I fixed myself a salad, dressing on the side, and chose two of the freshest looking bananas to go along with it. Then I decided, screw it, and got a hamburger to go along with it. Stress burned calories like crazy, and I had had plenty of that today.

Neither one of us spoke while I added some ketchup and mustard and she found us a table. She was watching me, and I squirmed uncomfortably under her gaze. "Mrs. Hudson-"

"Carol. If we're going to sit together in a hospital cafeteria, we're close enough for you to call me by my first name. Now, what exactly happened?"

The memory of the bone snapping made me feel sick. "He was…" I took a steadying breath and a sip of my water. "He threw the ball, and this guy from the other team just slammed him. It wasn't fair, and Finn wasn't ready and they both kind of came down on his arm."

She flinched, and I felt terrible. "Sorry."

"It's alright." Mrs. Hudson- no Carol- looked up for a second, mouthing words that I couldn't catch, but that looked a little like a prayer. "It's going to be alright, me and you and him."

I couldn't see how, but even I knew not to bring that up. Instead I forced myself to be as cheerful as possible. "Sure. I mean, its Finn we're talking about. He'll probably wake up complaining that he missed dinner."

"Kurt!" My fathers voice boomed across the cafeteria, making both of us jump and causing everyone to stare at us. Normally, that would have been cause for extreme embarrassment on my part, but, under the circumstances, I couldn't help but stand up and rush to him.

He didn't hug me, of course, but he did put an arm around my shoulders and pull me closer to him. The entire evening caught up with me right there, and it was only through the barest sense of pride that kept me from crying in his arms just like Finn had done with his mother earlier. It was a close call, though.

Carol stood up and came over to introduce herself. For some reason, I felt shy with the two of them there, so I looked down at the tile instead. They spoke quietly, a few words filtering over to me. "Finn….glee…mother…brave…thank you."

Then they were both quiet, and I forced myself to look up again. I didn't want to watch them talk or, dear God, were they flirting? As unbelievable as it sounded, they were. It was downright nauseating.

Apparently, being stared at by your sixteen year old son was a bit of a mood killer, because suddenly they were backing away from each other, making excuses about signing hospital paperwork and needing to get me home. I was starting to turn away when Carol suddenly gave me another hug, this time kissing me on the cheek. Apparently being overly affectionate runs in the Hudson family.

It all happened so quickly that it was over before I could react. I just stood there, mouth gaping open, as my father led me away. We were actually in the car before I came out of my stupor. I love my father, and I'm fully aware that I couldn't have asked for a better reaction to the Big Gay Revelation (it always had capital letters in my mind), but he wasn't a physically affectionate man. I could count the number of times he had hugged me on one hand, and I couldn't even remember the last time he had kissed me. Plus, it was different when Carol did it. She was a woman, but more importantly, she was a mother. They just…well, they just kiss in their own way. It made me miss my own mom even more than usual.

"Kurt?" My father has this special tone that he uses when he isn't sure what to say to me. It's one that suggests I might either start screaming or start crying and he wasn't sure which.

"Yeah?" I offered him my most winning smile, the one that reassured him that his son was not a crazy person, just really, really gay.

"Son, I think we need to have a talk."