It didn't quite add up.
They stopped at the bottom of the stairs. Britney was kneeling by his chair, it looked like she was trying to snuggle Kurt or touch him or...honestly he had no idea what she was thinking. She apparently had an idea though, because when Brtt, a bit rougher than was necessary, to her feet, Brittany protested a little too loudly. Santana covered Brittany's mouth and made eye contact with him and Artie knew that Santana could tell it didn't quite add up too.
Then they heard the footsteps.
Artie's heart hadn't exactly ever stopped pounding, but now it doubled. The weirdly calm freshman was suddenly hauling Kurt out of his lap and saying "C'mon" in that urgent, quiet voice of his. Santana rushed around and she and Britney tried to support Kurt's weight. Kurt was obviously trying too, as the effort of putting weight on his own feet was visible, and failing. Kurt's whole body sagged between the women. Artie had never quite realized just how *tall* Kurt was. The angle the girls had to hold him at was nearly impossible, and as much as the boy had spent years watching his weight he'd never been approved for cheerio pyramids. Then the other guy started to pick him up and Artie cut him off.
"No." he said suddenly, cursing himself. All eyes turned to him, even, with some obvious struggle, Kurt's. His voice broke when he finished "No, leave me." It was exactly what he'd said to Mike earlier, and look how that had turned out.
With him demanding the same thing again. Because as much as Artie didn't want to dieā¦he couldn't keep his eyes from straying to Brittany, to Santana's hand, lightly brushing Brittany's shoulder as they held Kurt between them. He forced his eyes away and looked up at the stranger, ordering simply "You can carry Kurt."
"And let you get shot?" snapped the boy. "I'm not going to have that on my conscious." and with out time for further argument Artie was being picked up. So not only was this freshman eerily calm, but he was freakishly strong too. Artie felt like nothing, being carried like this. Carried up the stairs and out of danger...he knew he should be feeling relief, but it was like his body hadn't caught up and all he could feel was the fear.
If the girls could pull Kurt up the stairs than all would be well.
If.
