Kurt awoke at 8 AM the next morning and cursed himself for being so sick. Where had the day gone? Oh, he groaned in remorse, he'd missed seeing Blaine. Considering the time, Blaine was definitely home by now.
He exhaled, relieved as he realized his ear wasn't throbbing any longer, and sunk into his wonderfully comfortable and cool pillows. Missing Blaine, and his friends, for more sleep was totally worth it for his ear to not throb anymore. He must have slept through a lot of the pain because though his head ached, he didn't feel like it was throbbing anymore. He hadn't thought that there was much of a difference between the two before yesterday, but he could definitely feel it today. His whole body just felt lighter and less horrible.
He cuddled into his quilt for a moment, and decided to shelve his happier thoughts. Mostly because he supposed he should get up now, he didn't want to, but he really should, if his grumbling stomach was anything to go by anyway.
He slowly rose from bed and the room immediately seemed to tilt. He grasped at his bedside table and fumbled for his lamp as it nearly toppled over. Perhaps it was his having just woken up, he thought, what else could cause this?
He absentmindedly scratched at his still warm left ear. An ear infection could go away after one night, right?
After his shower and making himself look semi-presentable, he realized he was wrong. Completely, and utterly wrong. It was a brief release from imminent pain. It was as if moving was all around confusing. His ear felt like it was burning, the aching of his head was affecting him so much more, and why did everything seem so quiet?
He thought maybe it was his absent-mindedness. It's not as if he had the time or reason to focus on what he's hearing, not when he's trying not to fall flat on his face that is. The rooms just kept spinning and the aching of his head was so constant. Honestly, how could he focus on anything aside from that?
He wearily gripped the banister as if it were his only lifeline and slowly dragged himself downstairs. The house seemed to be bathed in luminescent sunlight, any other day and he would have reveled in it, but at the moment the sunlight was like several tiny daggers piercing his skull. He cringed, but continued to walk past the living room towards the kitchen. That is, until he saw what, or more so who was in his living room.
Bodies were scattered everywhere, he gazed into the chaos that had once been his home as the members of New Directions and the Warblers seemed to squirm or kick in their sleep.
He noticed Puck's guitar lying across the room and realized they must have had their 'jam session' anyway, but why were they still here?
His eyes widened in surprise when he turned to find Blaine standing beside him when he looked behind him and noticed the kitchen light on. Blaine must have gotten up for a snack.
He turned back to Blaine to ask him why he was being so quiet, but he voice caught in his throat. Blaine was talking to him, well it sure looked like he was, his lips were moving but no sound was coming out. He shakily placed his hand upon Blaine's lips, to pause whatever ramblings he may have had going on. Perhaps his dizziness was distracting him. That had to be it, it's not like he could have missed that when he woke up, right?
Right! He turned towards the kitchen and began banging drawers, turning on the sinks faucet, anything at all that he knew would produce some kind of noise. He strained to try and hear anything at all, but he heard nothing. He didn't even hear his head pounding from his running himself rabid, he'd even be okay with that because at least it'd be a noise, at least it wouldn't be as eerily silent as it had become. He jumped back from his place near the counter because Blaine had just placed his hand upon his arm.
When had he shown up? He looked at Blaine confused and his shaking became more pronounced. The room was getting smaller, just like that time in the doctor's office. Maybe if he talked, it would help; he didn't know why, but he felt that if he could just hear himself think out loud the world would suddenly make more sense.
Kurt stepped towards Blaine, using the counter to help balance himself and whispered, "Blaine?"
And then, nothing. He heard nothing! He could feel the vibrations of his throat, but he couldn't hear a thing. Was he going crazy, was this it? Why was this happening?
Nothing made sense, Blaine looked like he was talking again, and all he wanted was to hear him. He needed to hear Blaine's voice. He suddenly let go of the counter thinking he'd move the last few inches towards his friends, but the effort to move in this room that just kept spinning with each step he took was too much.
So he fell, he collapsed in a tangled heap upon the floor. He could care less how he looked at the moment, he barely even noticed. The floor, at least, didn't move.
He desperately started pounding on the floor, but he didn't hear his fists slapping against the tile as he thought he should. He couldn't take this anymore; he just felt the need to scream.
If he could hear anything, it'd be his own screaming, right? He sure hoped so.
He screamed and clawed at his own ears, 'Work!' he yelled, 'Why won't you work!' He screamed and clawed up until he realized he couldn't anymore because Blaine wouldn't let him. He knew Blaine was trying to be soothing, trying to talk to him and calm him down.
Blaine's breath was warm near his ear and trying to get Kurt to look him in the eye, but it wouldn't work. Kurt knew it wouldn't because he couldn't hear a damn thing.
So suddenly, nothing seemed to matter anymore. Nothing made sense anymore. He couldn't scream, his throat went sore from overuse. If he could sing he would, but if he can't hear himself speak, why would he even try a pathetic attempt at singing?
Silence was all he had. It was never his biggest fear to go deaf, and in this moment he regretted not fearing it more.
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Blaine didn't know what more he could do. Kurt just kept screaming and crying. His friend was hurting himself, and he had no idea why. He tried asking, but Kurt wouldn't answer back. He turned to the other kids, who'd been woken up by Kurt's screaming, standing around the kitchen looking rumpled in their pajamas. He glared balefully at Finn, "What are you doing? Don't just stand there, go get his dad!"
Abruptly Finn clamored out of the room, shoving Puck and David out of the way, as Blaine continued to try and soothe Kurt as best as he could. Once in awhile, Kurt would look up and Blaine would try and get his attention, but Kurt simply shook his head and muttered "No, no, no" before curling up once again.
"Do you think there's any way we can help?" Mercedes asked hesitantly as she glanced worriedly at her friend.
"No offense, to any of you, but I think you should leave. As much as I know you want to help. I think you'd only get in the way, and I don't think Kurt would appreciate all of you seeing him like this. Maybe when he gets better you can perform a joint routine for him? I think it'd help him out if you all showed how much you cared. Sound good?"
Rachel stepped forward in her silk pink matching pajama set, "That sounds like a wonderful idea I for one believe we should do a medley of sorts-"
"That's nice Berry, let's take your annoying speeches out of the vicinity alright? By the time we're out of here and to a different place I'm sure you'll be done and we can get to some real planning, right?"
"Excuse me!" Rachel scoffed as Lauren gripped her arm and lead her into the living room where everyone else had already rushed to, to gather their things in a hurry. Blaine was so thankful that they were so understanding about this. In any other situation he would insist on them staying and cooing over Kurt, mostly because he'd be doing it right alongside them. However, in this moment he was positive if they even tried to come near Kurt it'd set him more on edge than he needed to be.
Mere minutes later he heard the front door being slammed shut and Blaine sagged down in relief as he noticed Kurt had at least stopped reaching to claw at his ears, although he'd need a few bandages for the scratches on his hand. He glanced at one, as the other was preoccupied with rubbing Kurt's back, he couldn't believe how sharp his nails could be. He realized that he should check Kurt's ears, and hoped that Kurt wouldn't flinch away.
He kept rubbing Kurt's back as the boy whimpered when Blaine tried to gently touch his left ear and then his right to check if Kurt broke the skin. He winced when he noticed the rough scratches around and on his ear. "Hopefully we'll be getting to the emergency room soon," he muttered aloud.
"Damn right we are," Burt said. "That infection must have been there longer than we thought. Kid must be freaking out right now." Burt had finally entered the room and headed straight for his son. He went to pull Kurt to stand but Kurt would have none of that. He immediately grabbed Blaine's sleep-worn Buckeye's jersey in a vice grip.
"Sir, I think the only way he'll let me go is if we cut my jersey and I don't think that'd halt him at all. He'd probably just reach for me again." Blaine winced as Kurt grabbed a tighter hold of his jersey.
Burt scratched his head as he replied, "I suppose you'll just have to come along with us to the Emergency Room."
"I was planning to do that anyway, sir." Blaine shrugged as he tried to stand while steadying Kurt at the same time. Thankfully, Kurt was okay with his Dad helping him, because he allowed Burt to lean forward to grasp Kurt's arm and steady him, as long as he could hold onto Blaine.
"What made you think I'd be okay with that?" Burt's expression was unreadable, but Blaine hoped he hadn't gotten on Burt's bad side, he desperately felt the need to stay by Kurt's side.
"I didn't really think, I was just going with my instinct to stand by him. Kurt's my friend, sir." Blaine added the sir as an afterthought, although he was sure that it was barely noticed. Burt stared into Blaine's eyes as he seemed to be searching for something, God only knows what, Blaine thought.
He must have found it, though, because he nodded, and patted Blaine's shoulder before moving to stand beside his swaying son. "You're a good kid." he simply said.
"Um, thanks, Sir."
Burt huffed as Kurt reached for his startlingly red left ear, but Blaine gently pushed it back down with a shake of his head.
"Enough with the sir stuff, the name's Burt, use it. Now, I think my son needs to get to the hospital ASAP. Think you can help me with that? Carole and Finn are probably already in the car, I'm gonna grab him a jacket. Call if you need my help, yea?"
"Yes Si- I mean, Burt." Burt nodded and glanced back at Kurt worriedly before leaving to find his son a jacket.
By the time Blaine and Kurt reached the front door Kurt was shaking even worse. Blaine had to wonder to himself if Kurt would even want to go outside. The closer they came to the door the more he would shake his head, the more he'd make noises of protests, and the more Blaine hoped for Burt to come back to them.
He reached for the doorknob and immediately felt Kurt's small, quivering hands, grasp his wrist. He wasn't just holding his wrist either, he was in an alarmingly frenzied state. The boy was basically cutting off Blaine's blood flow, and yes it hurt, but he was more worried about how to get Kurt to the emergency room. His wrist would be fine in a few minutes, God only knew how long Kurt would take to heal from this predicament.
Burt lumbered down the stairs towards them, "I couldn't find any of his jackets in that closet of his so I just nabbed one of mine, let's go." He threw the worn plaid coat over Kurt's shoulder and moved towards the entryway, but Kurt simply turned and burrowed his head onto Blaine's shoulder. He didn't want to leave, that much was obvious, but at this point they had no choice but to shove him out of the door.
So they did – Burt grabbed his son firmly, yet gently, by his shoulders and steered him out of the door, with Blaine pulling Kurt along as quickly as possible without too much pressure. Sitting Kurt between him and Finn, Blaine bit his lip as he watched Kurt settle uncomfortably into the car.
The poor kid was a mess of tears and Blaine knew if it weren't for this situation Kurt would be trying to hide how he was feeling to not cause worry. His being so open with Blaine, while oddly comforting, was scary.
If he felt so scared, to prompt him to cling to Blaine so hysterically, what would the diagnosis say? All signs were pointing to Kurt's deafness. He didn't know how Kurt would react to the bright lights and continuous chaos of the emergency room. He hoped with all his heart that Kurt would be seen at the hospital as soon as possible, with Kurt keening in his arms and the rest of the Hummel-Hudson clan glancing worriedly over at him, this was surely a time sensitive matter.
If Kurt didn't get cared for soon, he'd just continue to head towards hysterics, and then what could they do? There were only so many soothing motions Blaine could make before Kurt would spiral to a point where he'd barely notice them.
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Four hours after their stint in the triage unit and they were still seated in the emergency room waiting for Kurt's name to be called. Kurt had fallen asleep a little while ago, and was content to wait, his head resting on Blaine's shoulder.
Blaine looked towards the fluorescent lights of the ceiling and sighed, it was just their luck that the emergency room was busy. Damn weekends.
"Do you think he'll be okay?"
Blaine turned to stare into Finn's worried, confused eyes, and shrugged. How would I know? I'm not a doctor, Blaine was half-tempted to say, but he knew Finn was genuinely concerned. So instead, he sighed, and said, "I'm sure Kurt will pull through this, just as strong as he had with the other issues in his life."
Finn nodded, seemingly satisfied with his answer, but Blaine knew it didn't really mean much. For all he knew the boy he cared for so much, that leaned against him so heavily, was destined for some kind of harsh reality when it came to his hearing. However, he knew that, even if for this small amount of time he could offer someone comfort – because obviously, he wasn't giving Kurt much comfort beyond being there –, that he was helping, and he was glad to have helped at all.
"Hummel!" called a nurse from the patient's rooms entrance. Blaine tried to gently coax his friend awake as the nurse waited rather impatiently across the room. With Burt gripping Kurt's elbow to steady him, and Blaine's arm around Kurt's shoulders, the two of them guided a half-asleep Kurt across the waiting room, Carole following close behind. Kurt yawned, letting out a soft mewling noise, and Blaine smiled at how adorable it was. Kurt's sleep-weary disposition allowed Blaine and Burt to guide him without much difficulty, and Kurt was able to find his balance easily enough as he woke up from his nap.
Kurt wormed out of their grip and insisted on walking the final steps towards the consultation room by himself, which was great for Kurt, but Blaine couldn't help but feel out of place. Now without Kurt in his arms what use did he have intruding on this family emergency?
As Burt, Carole and Kurt disappeared into the room, Blaine stopped outside, standing awkwardly by the door.
"Hey kid, you coming or not?" he heard Burt call from inside the room, and thought that Burt was talking to Finn, who was still sitting, quiet and frozen in his seat. However, it was Blaine whose shoulder Burt laid a warm hand on, and Blaine to whom Burt gestured to enter the room.
"You didn't think we'd leave you out here to wait alone, did you? Especially when my boy needs you."
Blaine gazed into the scrutinizing eyes of Mr. Hummel, and he knew in that moment he was accepted, if he hadn't felt it before, he surely felt so now. He also knew this wasn't a time to smile or behave in the giddy manner his heart seemed to feel was appropriate for their passing this milestone in their 'relationship', but he felt so relieved that Kurt's Dad didn't vehemently hate him or make him leave Kurt's side.
Despite the worry that was surely clogging this man's heart, he had thought of Blaine, and that meant a lot to him.
Blaine smiled, albeit a tad weakly as he nodded, beckoning to Finn. "Come on, Kurt needs us."
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"So will he ever get his hearing back?" Burt asked, once the doctor was done examining Kurt's ear.
"I'm sorry sir, that's for his specialist to decide. However I can prescribe these strong ear drops. They should get rid of the infection, and in my opinion, hopefully restore his hearing."
Burt took the prescription from the emergency room doctor and glanced at his son, who looked so tiny sitting upon that stark-white hospital bed. His ears were glossed with disinfectant cream and tiny bandages on the deepest of cuts he'd made, but Burt's eyes always drifted back to his son's eyes. His boy looked so miserable, and lost. Never had he seen his son look so lost—well not since long ago, when his wife had passed away. He'd hoped to never see that hopeless, lost, gaze upon his son's face ever again.
Yet, there it was.
He reached to ruffle his son's hair in hopes of getting a reaction, and Kurt seemed to frown, shaking the notebook in front of him. Burt glanced to read it and realized Kurt was asking him a question, again.
Since they'd talked to the doctor and Kurt seemed a little more settled after he'd taken a much needed extra strength Tylenol, his boy still had yet to utter a word. He'd indicated his need for a pen and paper, and the waiting room nurse had provided one.
But Burt was worried. He never thought he'd truly miss his son's voice, he never thought there'd be a moment where he wouldn't hear his son at least once a day, but today was the day and he found himself wondering if Kurt would break the way he had at the age of ten, two years after the death of his mother. Ten-year-old Kurt had crawled into his father bed one night, tears running down his face and he had uttered, "I've forgotten what Mom sounds like," and it had broken Burt's heart. The problem had been fixed with a quick re-watching of the home videos they'd taken so religiously – Burt finally understood their importance – but Kurt had been so cautious ever since. Burt wondered if Kurt would forget how he sounded like, if they would all forget how Kurt sounded like.
He frowned, but turned his attention to Kurt's written question.
How long will it take for those drops to work?
Burt turned and asked the doctor, who flicked her hair behind her shoulders before answering.
"Ah, it should take three days to take effect. It'll lessen the intensity of the infection either way. However, the hearing loss is another issue entirely. I can't tell if it's severely affected his eardrum so I highly suggest you see his specialist as soon as possible. These drops will help, but not entirely. I'm just the emergency room general doctor," she said. "You're going to have to make an appointment with your son's specialist."
Burt frowned in annoyance at the woman's reprimand but nodded in understanding nonetheless. She'd helped his son so the least he could do is put up with a lecture.
The frown remained in place when he realized he'd have to translate all of that on to paper. Carole obviously realized his predicament and patted Burt's hand. "Don't worry I'm sure I can handle telling him that, besides, I think Kurt would much rather read my writing as opposed to your unintelligible scrawl."
Burt couldn't help but smile a bit at her attempt at lightening this situation in any way she could.
He turned from his wife writing fervently to try and focus on how the other kids in the room were handling the news. Blaine seemed relieved, which he guess was nice, the kid had been a great help after all. Finn on the other hand, he looked happy, but confused.
"So, he'll be okay now?"
Burt meant to answer his stepson, but Blaine had interrupted with what he had in mind to say anyway.
"He should be."
"Well that's good, right?" Finn hesitantly pushed for more answers, he seemed hopeful, but apparently he didn't want to be too hopeful.
"Yeah, 'suppose it is." Burt replied with a slight smile as he stared at Kurt and resisted the urge to rub his back to try and comfort him like he did when he was a babe. He still seemed to startle easily when it came to others touching him. He sagged in his uncomfortably hard plastic chair with relief, while some details were vague, at least he knew his son wouldn't be in pain any longer.
For that he was immensely grateful, because in the end all he wanted was for Kurt to get well again. God, he continued to gaze at Kurt (who was reading the doctor's reply to his question and frowning), how he missed his kid's voice.
If he ever heard it again, he knew he would cherish every conversation with him even more so than he had before. Someone once told him, you don't know what you have until it's gone, and he had never fully appreciated that sentiment until now.
And Kurt, while it was his ears that were hurting, in so many ways it was really his heart. So many small pieces of his boy's heart were missing, and he needed them back, so he could have Kurt back. If Kurt couldn't be happy, if he couldn't dream his dreams and fulfill them, then he couldn't be Kurt.
Burt didn't want to lose his son. Hell, no father would. But Kurt was strong, and as he clutched at the fragile white bag containing his medicine, Burt knew that if anyone could pull out of this it would be his son.
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The next few days of Kurt's life seemed endless. He'd gone to his specialist, as directed, but all he'd gotten was the same diatribe the emergency room doctor had given him. The ear drops were all he had to work with for now, and perhaps some strong Tylenol for his head. He wouldn't know any definite readings about his hearing until the infection was healed and he could have another hearing exam, which he loathed having to do in the first place, before any of this insanity had happened.
So after three days of agonizing silence and much too many texts to Blaine, one thing happened that filled him with hope, even if only for the time being.
He'd been moping on the living room couch when he'd felt it, that was the first obvious sensation, the couch was vibrating. The vase on the coffee table looked ready to topple over from its constant quaking, and he's positive if he looked over at the shelf holding their family pictures they'd jumping as if they could dance.
Being the curious cat he deemed himself to be, he crept up the stairs and headed straight towards where the disturbance came from and just like that, he'd heard it.
"Don't stop… believing, hold on to that feeling!" was bouncing off the walls, so loud that Kurt's ears ached as if a church bell had rung right beside his ear.
He walked straight up to Finn's bedroom door and pounded on it as hard as he could, and apparently that was enough because he could hear Finn trip over his probably moss inhabited mess of a room before throwing open his door and closing it to the intense noise of his music.
"Oh, dude." Finn awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck before holding his hands out and speaking slowly, "I need to get a notebook." he turned around to get said book when Kurt poked his shoulder to get his attention.
Finn turned around to put his arms out as if to say, 'Wait' butKurt had had enough of this charade and rather than force Finn to hunt through his safari of his room for a notebook, he decided to show Finn what he'd intended to from the get-go.
"Your music is disturbingly loud," Kurt simply said, proud that his voice hadn't cracked from his own excitement, or lack of use.
Finn tripped over his sneakers in the doorway in his shock before stumbling back, and almost landed on top of Kurt.
"Oh My God, dude! You just spoke to me!" Finn stepped back with a pleasantly shocked expression on his face.
"Yes Finn, I know," Kurt replied with a slight smile, he should have seen that reaction coming.
"No Dude, I mean you spoke to me! I gotta call Burt!"
"Ah-Before you do that, I feel I have a better idea." Kurt said before Finn could fish out his phone from his garish Target-manufactured jeans.
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A/N:
In regards to medical terms, I had my ear infection a while ago and the internets wasn't too helpful on the details I needed so if say the medical treatment isn't accurate I sincerely apologize, but they are based off real life so I know they're plausible.
I know I said this would be the last chapter but then my beta was like, 'hey this could be a good ending for the chap.' Which honestly, I didn't even consider splitting it, but DUDE SHE'S RIGHT! So, hopefully I won't have like 5 more chapters of me saying 'the next chapter will be the last', because the next one really should be the last. I'll be continuing the last scene as well as a lil somethin' somethin' my beta mentioned wanting a few chapters ago. ;) Something I've been both nervous and excited to flesh out and write a full scene for!
I hope you liked this chapter and please review, your thoughts always help keep my writing fresh and in line with staying awesome.
Apologies for the long authors note, you've all been so awesome so I can't help but try and give as much detail as I can.
*BIG HUGS TO YOU *