Author's Note: Remember the italics are flashbacks. The entire flashback in this episode takes place on Wednesday, May 25, 2011.
Disclaimer: If you recognize it, I don't own it.
Sitting in the middle of Physics wasn't the most stimulating experience at the moment. Kurt was barely retaining any information that his teacher was lecturing about. All of his attention was focused on his father, and his father's wellbeing. When he would recover, if he would recover. His teachers had been made aware of his father's situation the moment he arrived at school the previous day. They had all agreed to let him keep his cell-phone on vibrate so that he would be reachable in case something happened. Which he was thankful for, because a minute or two later, his phone started to vibrate in his pocket. He quickly stood up and took the phone out of his pocket. He checked to see who it was, and he saw the Caller-ID tell him that it was Finn. He made his way out of the room, showing his phone to the teacher who just waved him off. Some of his classmates were shooting him scathing looks, wondering why he was able to get away with answering his phone during class, but those in the Warblers were well aware and hushed the few that whispered.
Kurt answered the call and before he could even greet Finn, his step-brother was already speaking.
"Kurt, we need to talk." Finn said in a rush, his tone of voice filled with stress and grief.
"About what? Is Dad okay?" Kurt asked anxiously.
"Burt's fine. It's mom that's the problem right now." Finn said, and Kurt sighed. Of course it was Carole. It was always Carole.
"What do you mean, what has she done now?" He asked, and Finn stumbled for words for a moment, unsure of how to tell Kurt the information he had just learned a few minutes ago.
"Well nothing yet, but she wants to pull the plug on him." Finn said, finally deciding to just be blunt.
"What?" Kurt exclaimed. "She can't do that. He hasn't even been in the coma for 48 hours!" Kurt shouted, resulting in a few teachers popping their heads out of their classrooms a few seconds later, only to let it go when they saw who it was.
"I know! I overheard her talking on the phone. She wants to pull the plug and collect the life insurance and the inheritance." Finn said reluctantly. As much as he wanted to be there for his brother, he still had a bit of loyalty to his mother.
"What inheritance? The shop? Wow she'll get 50% of the shop, Big Deal!" Kurt said sarcastically.
"Why only 50%?" Finn asked confused. He had never heard of any insurance or inheritance before. As far as he knew everything would be split between the three of them.
"The other 50% is mine. Mom and Dad went into the shop as Partners. When she died, her half was left to me in trust. Carole can't touch it." Kurt told him. "Now that I think about it, since I turned 18, I can take control of my portion of the shop and start drawing from it…. Well at least that takes care of some things I've been worrying about…" Kurt said thinking about the money that had been left in a trust for him when his mom had died, earning interest over the past 11 years.
"And the life insurance?" Finn asked, and Kurt scoffed.
"Unless Dad got around to changing the beneficiary and I don't think he would have even thought about it… it all goes to me after his death." Kurt told him. Finn huffed.
"So there's no reason to want to pull the plug?" He asked and Kurt shook his head, even though Finn wouldn't have been able to see it from the Hospital's parking lot.
"Not really."
Neither of them said anything for a few minutes, until finally Finn spoke again. "So why is she doing it?"
"I don't know. Just keep me informed, will ya?" Kurt asked his brother, something a few days ago he didn't think he'd be able to do. Finn was touched that Kurt trusted him to keep him informed.
"Will do, Dude."
"Thanks for letting me know, Finn. "
When Kurt hung up the phone, he was leaning up against the wall staring up at the ceiling. He wasn't sure what to do. Carole wanted to essentially kill his father – legally, and he didn't know what he was going to be able to do about it. There was only one person that he knew of that would be able to help him with this. Well two people, but only one person has the legal know how and power to get anything done.
He looks through his phone's contact list, and selects a number and presses call. A few minutes later, the man at the other end of the line answers. "Hey Martin, are you busy?"
It was twenty minutes later and Kurt had finally gotten off the phone with Blaine's father. They had discussed Burt's legal rights, Carole's legal rights and Kurt's legal rights based on the documents Kurt believes Burt had in the safe at the Shop. In the end, Martin said he'd do everything within his power to stop her from going through with her plan, but it wouldn't hurt to have a backup. This is why Kurt was now on his way to Blaine's current class. Martin was calling Blaine out of school, and them him and Blaine were going on a little road trip.
Kurt knocked on the door and a moment later when Mrs. Allen popped her head out of the room, Kurt smiled politely.
"Hello Mrs. Allen, may I speak with Blaine please?" Kurt was sure to use proper English, and not the poor excuse he was taught at McKinley, especially as Mrs. Allen was an English teacher with a grammar Nazi compulsion.
"Now Kurt, you know I don't allow disruptions in my classroom." Kurt nodded his head apologetically.
"I know, but his father is in the process of calling Blaine out right now. Either you let me talk to him or you'll have another disruption in 10 minutes when the office calls to let you know he is allowed to leave." Kurt points out and she looks down at the boy in front of her, still skeptical. She had never let a student convince her to let another student leave her class before, especially not two students who were knowingly good friends amongst the staff.
"Please, Mrs. Allen. It's about my father." Kurt had Mrs. Allen a little later in the day. She taught every English class at Dalton, except for AP English Literature which is what all the seniors are forced to take. She sighed.
"Fine." She acquiesced. "Blaine, pack up your stuff." Blaine looked at the door curiously, but did as he was told. A minute later he was outside the door with Kurt and Mrs. Allen was back inside the classroom lecturing about Shakespeare and the numerous plays she was having her students read that semester.
"What's going on Kurt?" Blaine asked in a rush, concerned that Kurt wasn't in his class, and that he was being told to leave his own.
"Carole wants to pull the plug on Dad." Kurt said plainly, and Blaine's mouth dropped open.
"But he hasn't even been…" Kurt nods in understanding.
"I know. I talked to your Dad and he's going to try to get an injunction to prevent her from pulling it, but right now we need to go and get a few things out of my Dad's safe." Kurt said, grabbing hold of Blaine's hand and pulling him down the hallway.
"Like what?" Blaine asked trailing after Kurt.
"His living will, and Last Will and Testament. " Blaine's eyes widened.
"I understand the Living Will, but the Last Will and Testament? Isn't that a bit morbid now, considering the circumstances?" Blaine asked, and Kurt stopped to turn around and look at him.
"Carole wants to pull the plug, so she can get all of Dad's money and assets. I need to look at those documents to show her just what she won't be getting when he dies. Hopefully 40 years from now." He added with his eyes closed.
An hour later, Kurt and Blaine were standing in the office of Hummel's Tire and Lube. Blaine looked around nervously and Kurt was determined.
"How are you even going to get into the safe? Isn't your dad the only one with the combination?" Kurt shook his head.
"No. Since the safe was put in, only three people have ever had the combination. My mom, my dad, and me. Dad is of the mindset that only people who need to know the combination to the safe should know it, not just anyone who is in the family." Kurt swallowed. "I didn't know the combination until after Mom died. When he started needed help around the office, I came in and worked with him. He kept getting annoyed having to stop working on cars every time I needed the safe opened to put documents in there or whatever, so finally he told me the combination. I've never told a soul, and I'm confident that he has never told anyone either." Kurt said, before striding over towards the safe in the side of the office wall and spinning the dial to clear it. He spun the same combination of numbers that Burt had just 2 days prior and pulled the handle. The safe sprung open. "Told ya."
He pulled out all the paperwork inside the safe, and looked at each document carefully before putting the rest back. Because Burt had been in here the morning before the crash, the documents Kurt needed were right near the top of the pile, though Kurt had no way of knowing that. Kurt turned around and looked at the copier in the corner of the room and placed the documents so that they would scan properly and hit the green button for print. A few moments later, there was a copy of Burt's Living Will and a copy of Burt's Last Will and Testament sitting before both Blaine and Kurt. Kurt turned around and put both of the originals back in the safe, before locking it up again.
"I don't want her trying to get into my bag or anything to destroy them." He said at Blaine's confused expression.
"Ahh."
"If the hospital needs to see the originals, then I can get them, but for now, copies will have to suffice." Kurt took a deep breath, before pulling Blaine out of the office by his hand. He stopped halfway through the shop and looking at Blaine, he smiled. "Thank you… you know for coming with me. For being there for me throughout all this…"
"There's no where I'd rather be." Blaine reassured him, hugging him into an embrace. "I care about you so much, Kurt. You couldn't keep me away by beating me with a baseball bat." Kurt giggled.
"Good to know." He smiled, not looking Blaine in the eye. Blaine picked Kurt's chin up so they were looking eye to eye.
"What's wrong?" Blaine asked, and Kurt shook his head.
"Nothing."
"Kurt?" Blaine asked, again not believing for a single second the lie Kurt gave him.
"I'm scared." He whispered. Blaine understood. Well he didn't understand. No one could understand the fear of losing a parent like Kurt can. He'd already lost one, had the possibility of losing another, and had gone through torture at the hands of a step-parent. But Blaine could sympathize.
"I know." Blaine holds him tighter places a very light kiss on Kurt's forehead. He didn't want to give Kurt false hope by saying that 'Everything is going to be okay.' Or telling him that 'Your father will be fine.' Because there's no way of knowing that and Blaine doesn't want to be responsible for Kurt's emotional heartbreak if that does happen. But Blaine needs to be optimistic, and so he does what he does best. Physical comfort.
A little while later, Kurt and Blaine were walking into the hospital. They entered through the same entrance they went through on Monday night and saw Maria, the receptionist who was working the front desk again, and they waved hello. She smiled warmly at the two of them. She had grown a fondness for the two boys, especially after hearing of the heartache Kurt had gone through in his life from Julia.
They made their way up the elevator and through the maze of hallways and patient rooms until they came to Burt's room. Inside was, as expected Carole and Finn sitting at his bedside. Carole had her back to the door, and Finn looked up at Kurt walked in the room. Immediately he stood up and ushered Kurt out of the room, leaving Blaine standing awkwardly in the center of the room, looking at a man who he had for a brief moment felt both utter contempt and adoration for; along with standing next to a woman who he felt no emotion for except derision. He walked over towards the chair Finn had been sitting in and sat down, trying to avoid glancing at Carole, as if one look from her into his eyes would turn him to stone.
"So why are you here, don't you have school to go to?" Carole asked contemptuously, Blaine bit his tongue to prevent him from saying anything he'd regret later.
"My Dad let me leave early." Blaine said carefully; Carole scoffed.
"To sit at the bedside of a man you barely knew?" Blaine shook his head.
"To be there for my best friend while he sat at the bedside of a man I barely know. Though truth be told, I know more about him than you think I do." Blaine told her. She appeared to take that as a taunt.
"Like what?" She asked rolling her eyes.
"Like how conflicted he was when Kurt gave him the ultimatum." Blaine said offhandedly.
"What ultimatum?" Carole asked carefully.
"You or him." Blaine said cavalierly, a fact that made Carole want to smack the prep school boy in front of her. "That's essentially how it broke down. Burt could have either stayed with you, or divorce you and get Kurt back. But that was the only way he'd get his son to even consider it."
"What makes you think he chose Kurt?" Blaine smiled and looked at her innocently.
"I never said he chose Kurt." Carole huffed.
"Whatever." There was silence for a minute. Blaine was basking in the joy of that small battle won, and Carole didn't want to go to battle with the pipsqueak again within such a short period of time.
"He didn't sleep at home Sunday night, did he?" Blaine said out of nowhere.
"How did you…?" Carole asked, and then almost as immediately as she asked, she came to the correct realization. "Right…Finn." Blaine nodded his head and Carole huffed. "So what, you want a medal for knowing that my husband left me the night before his accident?" Carole asked, and Blaine shook his head.
"Not really. I would like to know why you had the audacity to physically abuse your step-son, but you've denied it this long, I don't think I'm going to get anything out of you." Blaine said, looking her straight in the eye before turning his attention back to Burt.
"I didn't abuse him." She said adamantly, though her voice quivered a bit.
"Did you ever raise a hand to him? Did you ever leave a bruise on his body? Did you physically touch him in a way that no parent should ever touch their child?" Blaine asked the questions in rapid succession not giving Carole a chance to defend herself. But when he did give himself time to catch a breath, she still said nothing. He nodded, as if he knew that was going to be here answer. "Yea, that's what I thought." There was a bit more silence, the eerie type of silence that only occurs when an awkward conversation isn't quite over, but isn't ready to be continued yet.
"Kurt loved you, you know." Blaine said after a minute, and Carole looked up at him. "At least he did before you and Burt got married."
"How would you know?" Carole shot back disdainfully.
"Because unlike you, I actually listen when Kurt speaks." Carole rolled her eyes.
"Whatever." She said again, it becoming her go to word when she didn't have a retort for the 17 year old in front of her.
"He loved you, he cared for you, he trusted you. But you went and broke that trust. You should be ashamed of yourself." Blaine told her, and Carole let out a frustrated huff.
"And you should learn how to talk to your elders. Show them some respect." She argued, and Blaine shook his head.
"I don't show respect to anyone who assaults and abuses an innocent person." Blaine said, before standing up and exiting the room; leaving Carole to sit and stew in her own juices for a while. When he gets outside and sees Kurt and Finn talking down the hall, he walks over. He overhears them talking as he approaches.
"Martin's already called Julia to warn her." Finn looked perplexed, and Blaine rolled his eyes at the taller boy's next question.
"Who is Martin? Who is Julia?"
"They're my parents, Finn."
"Ohhhh…." It seemed realization had dawned on Finn. "What do they have to do with anything?" Apparently not.
"My dad's a lawyer who can get a judge to order Carole and the hospital to prevent them from pulling the plug." Blaine explained. "My mom is a doctor here; you saw her Monday night. She's the one who delivered the verbal beat down on your mother." Finn nodded, smiling slightly at the memory. "She is able to inform every doctor that works on this floor, that if Carole attempts to talk them into pulling his life support, to call her, and to prevent Carole." Blaine clarified.
"I told you I would take care of this, Finn." Finn nodded.
"Wasn't sure how you were going to do it, Dude." Kurt shook his head.
"To be honest, neither did I. But after talking to Martin, and looking over the documents I got out of Dad's safe…. I feel pretty confident that when Dad wakes up, he'll still have a body to wake up to."
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