Puck
After talking with Cory I went back inside right up to Steph.
"Hi, I'm sorry about the outburst," I apologised.
"Thank you," she told me.
"Is Chris...?"
I wondered if he was ready for my visit.
She nodded; "yeah they've gotten him cleaned up, you can go on in."
"Thank you."
I walked down the hall and into the room where Chris and Alice, another nurse, were.
"Hi," she greeted me, warm but confused.
"I'm Puck, a..." I wasn't sure how to introduce myself.
"I know who you are. He's a little out of it."
I sat down in a chair on the side of his bed. He was dressed in a white hospital gown, which made him paler. There was gauze over his forehead and his bottom lip had been stitched up.
"Honey?" he asked.
"He knows you," Alice told me warmly.
"Hey babe," I said, kissing him on the part of his forehead that wasn't bandaged.
I took his hand in mine. He smiled up at me, his eyes full of pain. It almost made me cry. He squeezed my hand.
"How ya doin?" I asked.
"It's ok, the tears are ok," he quoted.
My throat clammed up.
"And since you asked, I'm in pain."
Right, of course.
"Who else is here?"
He was dazed, I could tell.
"The whole club."
"Wow. I'm touched."
"You're a really sweet guy and the most gentle person I know."
Of course they'd be here.
"The deer."
"Deer?" Alice questioned.
"Matthew Shepherd."
"Oh. Yeah when we rolled him in he was mumbling about food and a car and a deer."
"Yeah that's the deer."
"He's a really sweet guy."
"I know, and really careful too. Thank you," I told Alice.
She smiled.
"I love..."
He closed his eyes.
I stood, kissed him and left.
-XXX-
I went down the hall and straight into Mr. Schue's arms.
"Whoa hey what's goin on?" he asked, obviously taken aback.
At this, tears started filling my eyes.
"Do you want me to take care of this?" Miss Pillsbury asked.
"No Emma I will."
Mr. Schue led me outside.
"Hey, what is it?"
"He's in pain Mr. Schue. I told him I'd protect him. He said he wanted to be my bruise when I told him about my. bruises."
He understood immediatly.
"And. I couldn't."
I crumbled.
"Oh god. Puck. I'm sorry."
"I'm not as solid as you think, he taught me that."
"Hey, let's stick with the present here."
"He saw a deer."
"A deer?"
"We were talking about Matther Shepherd today and."
"Oh. Yeah I get it. Spring Awakening, the bruise quote."
I nodded.
"It felt like home with him."
"Yeah I know. Cory called me and told me."
Oh.
"He reallly liked you huh?"
"Yeah. Cory told me they think it might be a hate crime."
"I have an idea," Mr. Schue told me.
"Huh?"
"Follow me. I'll go get Tina."
