Disclaimer: I don't own Glee.

Author's Note: This little bit explores what happened at the hospital after the Sadie Hawkins incident, and includes Nick's POV of a flashback that Blaine has in Chapter 25 of 'Unexpected'.

WARNING - IMPORTANT: Brief mentions of violence and abuse mentioned in this chapter. If this bothers you in any way, please do not read.

Nick and Isabel were sitting outside their son's hospital room.

They'd been there for hours, and thankfully, Blaine was alive - albeit pretty banged up.

Mark Collins, the boy he'd gone to the dance with, had been less lucky.

Nick was pretty pissed that they couldn't get any information on how he was doing...the whole 'family-member' thing really sucked sometimes.

He wanted information because he knew the teen's parents couldn't care less about it.

Sure, Nick had seen Adam nearly throttle that asshole who'd knocked Blaine out, but it only added to his suspicions.

He'd seen bruises when Mark and Blaine came back to the Anderson house after school sometimes.

Isabel had told him to report the bastard, but he couldn't do it...not even after seeing Mark's prone body lying in the grass (though he knew most of the blood and bruising was probably more Kyle - that idiotic jock who'd been giving both Mark and Blaine a hard time - than Adam Collins.

She'd called him an idiot. He agreed with that assessment.

"Nick!"

His head jerked upward, and he rubbed his eyes to try waking himself up a bit more; he was so freaking tired.

Mark's father and mother were walking rapidly down the hallway toward them.

"Adam we don't know anything about Mark's condition -" started Nick.

Adam ignored him. His wife, Jackie, looked nervous, and Isabel stepped forward.

"J? Let's go find Doctor Kent, and he can tell you what's going on with -" she looked over at Nick. "Do you...?"

Nick shook his head and she and Jackie headed down the hallway.

"So." said Adam indifferently. "Your son's still giving you trouble."

Nick stared at him, confused.

"No, Adam. What happened tonight was not Blaine's fault -"

"Of course it was." said Adam savagely, leaning against the wall casually. "He turned my boy, you know."

Nick felt anger rip through him at the words: the day Mark had come out to his mother and father, Blaine and Mark had both paid the price for it - Mark wound up with a broken arm, and Blaine came home with a black eye.

"And I told you to never lay a hand on him again," he hissed, "I love my son, Adam. How I handle his sexuality -"

Adam smirked.

"You're not handling it." he said matter-of-factly.

"Oh I'm sorry, do you consider hitting Mark 'handling' his sexuality?" Nick kept his voice low as he advanced. "I know how you've been dealing with the fact that Mark's gay. I'm not stupid, y'know."

Adam's eyes became round with fear.

"You wouldn't."

"I should have the moment you hit my son, Collins." Nick was actually pinning him to the wall. "but we both know why I don't, it's the same reason I don't acknowledge that Blaine's gay, and why you abuse your son."

"I do not abuse -!" spluttered Adam.

"Don't lie to me." snapped Nick. "It's your way of ignoring the kid...making believe that if you hit him hard enough, it makes it that much less true. Sure, play innocent, but I would know - I know Blaine's already upset with me because I can't accept him, because we haven't really talked, but you know what? It makes it easier for me."

"Makes what easier?" Adam was confused.

Nick's response was simple as he turned to go back to his son's hospital room:

"Being there for him."

A half hour later, he was dozing in one of the chairs - uncomfortable wooden, with ugly colored cushions - when Isabel yelled his name:

"Nick? Nick, he's awake!"

His heart was pounding rapidly as he bolted back into his son's hospital room.

Blaine was sitting up in his hospital bed, hazel eyes blinking rapidly as they adjusted to the light.

"Blaine?"

Nick couldn't stand seeing him like this: dark curly locks of hair in complete dissaray, lip split, dark bruises forming on the side of his neck. He didn't even want to think about the injuries underneath the hospital gown and blankets.

"Mark." he said hoarsely. "Mom, where's Mark? Is he okay?"

Nick looked at his wife uncertainly. Neither knew how to answer him; Jackie had told them in simplest terms that Mark was 'gone'. Isabel had pressed her for details until she admitted her son was not in fact dead.

Blaine interpreted the silence wrongly.

"No. Please...tell me they didn't -"

"Calm down honey," Isabel perched herself on the mattress, burying one hand in their son's hair, stroking it gently. "He's -" she looked over at Nick, whose nod was nearly inperceptible. "He's not dead."

Blaine was crying.

"Nick can you go get the doctor?" he couldn't help but notice the strain in her voice.

He didn't want to leave, he wanted to stay there and try to help Blaine understand what was going on - that his friend was not dead.

The part of him screaming to get out of the room won though, and he bolted from the room.

Thoughts? No flames please. Constructive criticism only!