"Jessie." Blaine called as the nurse made her rounds.
The redhead came over, a warm smile on her face. He was sitting at the edge of Kurt's bed – like usual.
"Yes Blaine?"
"Do you think you could get Kurt unstrapped?"
Kurt looked wide-eyed at his sudden question.
"Blaine...Kurt's strapped for a reason." She said gently.
"Just for like...half an hour. So we can go into the courtyard. And you can be there the whole time..." He pleaded, looking up at her wide eyes.
She hesitated, chewing her lower lip ever so slightly. "I'll be back."
Blaine grinned triumphantly, waiting until she was out of the room before turning back to Kurt. "You'll be unstrapped today. Jessie can charm the pants off the head doctor. She told me so herself."
Kurt looked alarmed. "She told you that?"
"Well...she was telling someone else. But I heard it. That's kind of like the same thing," he laughed.
Kurt chuckled. "What's so special about the courtyard?"
Blaine's eyes lit up, and he took a deep breath. "The courtyard...is...like, the only good looking thing in this stupid place. There's flowers, and the garden, and stones..." he grinned. "It's beautiful."
Kurt was grinning too. "It sounds amazing."
Jessie returned, a grin on her face. "Alright. You've got an hour and a half."
Kurt's eyes lit up and Blaine whooped. She worked on Kurt's restraints and he sat up properly, pulling her into a hug.
"Thank you."
She smiled, helping him up. "No worries.
Blaine's eyes lit up. "Does this mean I can have my guitar, too?"
Jessie faltered, before coming to a decision and nodding. "I'll go get it. Stay here."
Both boys nodded, and Blaine jumped onto Kurt's bed, his grin as wide as his face.
"You play guitar?" Kurt inquired, stretching slightly now he was free.
Blaine nodded eagerly. "I started playing when I was six."
Kurt's eyes widened. "So you can play properly?"
"Any song, if I have the chords." He said proudly, and Kurt grinned.
Jesse returned with Blaine's acoustic, and he stretched out for it, hugging it to his chest. "Capo?"
She passed the small black device over and he grinned, clamping it to the neck. "Thank you so much."
"No problem. Come on." She escorted them out, through the numerous halls.
Kurt looked around in wonder – this was the first time he'd been outside his room since they brought him in. It was white and scary and daunting, with wards fullof people of all ages, and Blaine nudged him with a grin.
"Getting your first view of hell, eh?"
"It's too white to be hell." Kurt smiled slightly. "And too clean."
Blaine laughed, grinning as Jessie led them through another hall until they entered another large room – with glass doors lining the far wall, thick red curtains hiding the view to the outside world.
"Keep us hidden, don't you?" Blaine smirked, and Jessie smiled, pulling the two curtains away from each other.
Brilliant sunlight flooded the room and Kurt and Blaine both recoiled and hissed, covering their eyes. Jessie laughed, pulling the two doors open.
"An hour and a half." She repeated, pulling a chair outside.
Kurt and Blaine both bolted for the door, and a happy laugh escaped Blaine's lips. They were both bathed in sunlight and Blaine outstretched his arms, his face turned to the rays of sun. Kurt was struck by the pure beauty of the courtyard. It was everything Blaine had described – bright with flowers protruding from everywhere.
Kurt gave a happy sigh, before flopping onto his back in the grass. Blaine joined him a second later, starting to laugh again.
When they had calmed down, Kurt rolled onto his stomach, glancing at Blaine.
"How long have you been here?"
Blaine blinked a couple of times, before replying. "I got here about two weeks before you did."
Kurt nodded. "Do you know how long you'll be here?"
Blaine shrugged. "Until I get better, I suppose."
"Do you think you're sick, Blaine?" Jessie asked from the doorway, and Blaine looked up at her.
"That's what my therapist tells me." He said softly. "I'm...'mentally unstable and my thoughts are sick and polluted...and the only way I'm going to get better is if I clear my mind and make things better'."
"Have you been?" she asked.
Blaine shrugged. "I know what I need to be better. And it's not here."
"Then fake it." Kurt said softly, and Blaine glanced over at him.
"What?"
"Pretend you're better. Until they let you go – then seek what will actually make you better."
"And you're saying this in front of a nurse?" Blaine scoffed.
"I won't tell. I promise." She grinned.
"You're okay with this method?" Blaine asked incredulously.
"I think it's smart. Blaine...you've been here for two weeks. You started speaking only because of Kurt. Obviously this place isn't doing anything for you."
Kurt looked at Blaine, wide eyed. "You weren't speaking?"
Blaine was blushing again. "Didn't see the point."
Kurt bit his lip, a small grin lighting his features. Jessie gave a small chuckle and Blaine sighed, shaking his head awkwardly and raking a hand through his hair.
"So, play for me." Kurt broke the tension, and Blaine nodded, retrieving his guitar.
"What do you want to hear?"
"What can you play?"
Blaine let out a frustrated huff. "I'm sure that if you mention a song, I can at least figure it out if I don't know it."
"Hm. Okay...how about...Accidentally In Love?"
Blaine's eyes lit up. "Yeah, okay. Hold on."
He strummed a few of the chords, gently humming the melody, before nodding to himself.
"Okay. Sing with me?"
"You can sing too?"
Blaine nodded and grinned. "You?"
Kurt nodded wordlessly, sitting up as Blaine adjusted himself.
So she said what's the problem, baby?
What's the problem, I don't know, well, maybe I'm in love.
Their eyes locked over the first verse, a blush rising to both their cheeks, but they kept singing. Jessie watched them, a small grin on her lips.
When they finished, she clapped.
"You play...really well." Kurt swallowed hard, picking at a few strands of grass.
"Thanks, you sing really well."
"Thanks."
They waited in silence for another couple of minutes, before Kurt rolled onto his back, closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath.
"Imakemyselfthrowup."
Blaine sat up. "What?"
"No. Lie down and don't look at me." Kurt panicked, and Blaine did as he was told. "I hate my body...the way I look...the way my arms sag...and the..."
"Kurt."
"No, shut up." He swallowed. "I tried to diet. I really did. I lost five pounds...but it wasn't enough. So I started making myself throw up. And I got away with it for three months. But then my father found out. And they put me in here."
Blaine was silent, and Kurt opened his eyes again. "You can talk now."
"I cut myself. I couldn't take it anymore and I wanted to die. My father's a dickhead and my mother doesn't care. I was the only gay kid in my school that was out and I was getting picked on and beaten up. So I tried to kill myself, and I obviously failed, and I ended up here..."
Kurt swallowed and nodded, rolling over to face him. "Thank you."
"Thank you."
^.^
"I took your advice." Blaine said softly one day while perched on Kurt's bed.
"Hm?"
"Faking it."
Kurt looked up properly, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm talking to Dr. Miles now. Talking in group."
Kurt bit his lip. It had been a week since their outing to the courtyard. He was still strapped and only seeing a private therapist.
"Does that mean you'll be let out soon?"
Blaine nodded. "Dr. Miles says I'm 'improving considerably'...I should be out by like...the end of the week, hopefully." He noticed Kurt's sudden look of panic. "But I'll come visit you. Allthe time." He promised.
Kurt bit his lip and nodded, swallowing hard.
"I'll sure miss you." Jessie said from the curtain, grinning.
"Jessie!" Blaine laughed, pulling her into a hug.
"I've got some good news." She hugged him back, and they both watched her expectantly. "Kurt's allowed to be unstrapped."
Kurt's eyes widened. "Really?"
"Really." She grinned. "You'll be attending group and your private therapy slot is changed to just before lunch."
"So they trust me now?"
Jessie nodded, grinning and moved forward to un-strap Kurt's restraints. Blaine grinned as Kurt sat up, stretching with an appreciative noise.
"Thank you." He whispered, and Jessie laughed.
"No worries. Be safe now."
When she left the room, Blaine's grin was wider. "This is awesome. Want to go for a walk?"
Kurt quirked an eyebrow. "What?"
"A walk."
"We're allowed out?"
Blaine nodded. "During the day, we can go wherever we want – provided we stay in the centre, of course."
Kurt's mouth dropped open. "Why didn't you go before?"
Blaine faltered, smiling slightly. "I didn't want you to be alone."
The corners of Kurt's mouth turned up slightly, and he stood up, almost shakily, but managed to keep his balance.
"Where to?"
Blaine grinned, holding out his hand. "Everywhere."
Kurt paused, glancing at his hand for a moment. He licked his lips, before he took Blaine's hand. Blaine grinned widely, pulling him out of his section and down the ward, ignoring the weird looks from the other patients.