Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.
Chapter 8:
When Blaine and Principal Edwards got back to his office, Blaine was shocked to see his mother and his brother, and two policemen there waiting for him.
Before Blaine could say anything, his principal stopped him.
"Why didn't you tell the cops that you heard from Kurt early this morning?" he asked.
Blaine's jaw dropped. How did he know...?
"The cops already know, and I was informed -"
Was his principal a mind reader or something?
"What? No!" Blaine exploded. "No! If that - that monster still has him - I didn't want him to get hurt, and he will - unless he got away - that's why I didn't call the cops! I don't want him hurt any worse than he already has been! I did ask him to hide and then find a safe spot that I could pick him up at, but he never -"
"Kurt escaped?" interjected Josh, staring at his brother, dumbfounded. "Blaine -"
"Josh don't." Blaine wearily ran a hand through his hair (it was easier since he hadn't gelled his hair that morning.).
"Blaine you don't get it," Josh stood and smoothed the wrinkles of his light purple button down shirt out, clearly agitated. "There was a report this morning over in Plain City. Some trucker saw a kid at a rest stop. He matched Kurt's description," he hesitated. "He didn't look good, Blaine."
Blaine tried to get up but Josh shook his head. Blaine looked at Principal Edwards.
"He did. He got away...Oh...Oh my...he told the trucker, didn't he?" Blaine was trembling uncontrollably. "He said he talked to me?"
Principal Edwards nodded.
"We came to pick you up, honey." Valerie told him. "Kurt was brought back to Lima after the ambulance got him. H-His dad called us an hour ago."
Blaine launched himself out of the chair, only to be caught and pushed back into it by his mother.
How did he make it through the drive...it's an hour and a half drive from there to Lima...they should have treated him there...
"W-Why did you wait until I was halfway through my school day to tell me?" he croaked, using the back of his hand to wipe his eyes. "He's my boyfriend, Mom..."
Valerie placed a hand on his knee, her expression sympathetic.
"I know. Sweetheart, we had to wait for his dad to call us and tell us what happened to him, and what the doctors were doing. We can talk about it in the car, I've already signed you out for today and tomorrow, just make sure to get all your homework from your friends -"'
Blaine shoved her hand off his thigh, stood up, and left the room at a run.
His mother and brother followed.
Burt stared down at his son's still form, seething.
According to the police, Karofsky had not been spotted, and no one would know for certain where to look until Kurt talked to the cops...but then even he doubted the homophobic asshole was anywhere near where he'd held Kurt hostage.
It made him so angry to hear the doctor start rattling off his injuries: multiple bruises and cuts (the worst on his head was infected), one or two fractured ribs, and multiple signs of sexual abuse.
Burt had wanted to cry when he heard.
Carole clutched his hand gently, her eyes swimming with tears.
"It could have been worse," she whispered. "and thank God it wasn't."
Burt nodded, his ears intent on the steady beeping that was the heart monitor. His fingers lightly stroked the soft strands of Kurt's hair.
"Do you think they told Blaine?" asked Carole.
Burt looked at her.
"I guess we'll find that out whenever Valerie calls back." he said quietly. "She said she'd let us know when she talked to him."
Carole nodded.
Blaine cried through most of the trip to Lima as he listened to his mother described Kurt's injuries to him.
Josh sat in the back seat with him, rubbing his shoulder comfortingly.
"His dad said the doctors are optimistic, considering how much worse his injuries could have been." he paused. "There was a chance he would have died if he hadn't made it to that rest stop."
Valerie shot her eldest son a pointed look in the rear-view mirror before returning her eyes to the road. Josh just shrugged.
Blaine wiped his eyes and leaned against his older brother.
"D-Did they find Karofsky?" he asked.
Josh shook his head slowly.
"No, Blaine. They didn't. "
Blaine punched the seat angrily before covering his face with both hands, body shaking with silent sobs.
Josh glanced at his mother before wrapping one arm around Blaine.
They didn't speak for the rest of the drive.
Finn was slumped in one of the chairs in the waiting room, holding Rachel's hand. He'd promised his mom and Burt that when Blaine got there he would let them know.
He felt sick when he thought about Kurt, and how he hadn't done enough to protect him upon his return to McKinley, even after promising his step-father that he would.
He was such a failure.
"Finn?" he looked over at Rachel.
"Yeah?"
She looked at him knowingly.
"It wasn't your fault." she said softly. "Karofsky would have attacked him anyway."
Finn ran a hand through his hair.
"Yeah, and we didn't do shit to prevent it." he said bluntly. "and we should have."
Rachel was quiet for a moment, recalling the shouting match she'd had with Blaine the day Kurt had been kidnapped.
"If you guys would ignore your own drama for once and help him out, maybe he wouldn't have to deal with it! Hell, he shouldn't have to!"
She couldn't help but agree with her boyfriend.
Rachel still felt guilty for telling Blaine that Kurt should have stayed at Dalton...she knew it was the worst thing she could have said to her friend, considering what he had gone through the week after he transfered back.
She glanced toward Kurt's hospital room.
I'm so sorry, Kurt.
Thoughts?
Reviews are appreciated - but no flames please! You may leave constructive criticism if you wish.
