It was a severe case of pneumonia the doctor explained after running their tests. She was on IV antibiotics, again, and had to go through respiratory therapy. Her hospital stay was only a little easier this time through because one of them was allowed to stay with her past visiting hours.
Blaine quickly offered to be the one to spend her night with her, and based on the look Kurt gave him he knew Kurt understood the guilt he was feeling.
"She shouldn't be here too long, but anything can happen" The doctor explained handing them a form to fill out.
"and what exactly does that mean?" Kurt asked, already annoyed at how vague he was being.
"Well it's hard to say she could go home tomorrow or have to stay all week, just depends on how fast she recovers" he answered without glancing up. "You got her here quickly but there was a lot of mucus in her lungs."
"Well, we have two other children what if they start showing signs of being sick?" Kurt asked crossing his arms.
"I wouldn't be surprised if they do show signs for a flu of some kind," The doctor responded reaching over the counter and grabbing a few pamphlets to give to them. "You'll want to keep her isolated if they do become sick when she's home. And before she gets home wash everything in her room, bedding, stuffed toys, clothes. You'll also need to disinfect the bathroom. Now please excuse me I have other patients to attend to." He walked away ignoring Kurt's frown.
Once he was out of sight Kurt let out a groan. "I can't believe Doctor Taylor isn't reachable for three days."
"I'm sure he has a family he wants to see too," Blaine tried to reason finishing up the form and handing it over to the nurse behind the counter.
"Can we get another pediatrician assigned to her?" Kurt asked the nurse behind the counter.
"Doctor Hannigan is one of the best we have here, sir" She answered softly, shrinking under Kurt's glare.
"His bedside manner is-" Kurt started before Blaine cut him off, taking a different approach.
"What my husband is trying say is we have a special circumstance that asks for someone with a little more of a softer approach to treating her. If you looked in her file you will see she is dealing with past abuse." Blaine tried to explain, his voice straining at the end.
She nodded, typing something into the computer, humming a little as she worked.
"I see …" she said slowly, biting her lip. "I will see what I can do for you, and try to get in contact with Doctor Taylor to see who he recommends until he returns."
"Thank you we appreciate that," Blaine smiled warmly before guiding Kurt away from the desk.
"Just because you're scared doesn't mean you can take it out on the rest of the staff, we need them to like us" Blaine chided.
"I'm not scared," Kurt snapped back quickly, pulling his arm away from Blaine's gentle hold, "and don't scold me like a child."
"I wouldn't have to if you didn't act like one," Blaine responded before he could stop himself.
He couldn't read the look Kurt was giving him, something between furious, disgusted, and shocked.
Blaine rubbed his hands over his faced, exhausted and stressed.
"It's going to be okay," Kurt comforted taking hold of Blaine's hands, now worried about how upset Blaine was getting. "I'm sorry for getting mad, hospitals stress me out."
"It's because you feel out a loss of control, and have to put trust in other people's hands," Blaine mumbled, venom gone from his voice and the fight leaving his body.
Kurt let out a breath, probably deciding to ignore the comment, even if Blaine didn't mean it as a negative thing.
"You go see Riley, I'm going to call home and get Sophie to bring us an overnight bag," Kurt suggested.
Blaine nodded heading into Riley's room, his heart sinking at the sight of her in the hospital bed. It's something he probably should be used to by now, but she still looks small and sick in the bed. Her fever was down and a little bit of color was returned to her face, but the IV's were taped to her little hand making her look like she never even left the hospital.
"Sophie's on her way, she's bringing stuff for us and some extra's for Riley," Kurt said as he entered the room taking his place next to Blaine. "And according to her Cooper thinks he might be feeling a little flu-ish now."
"Cooper is an over dramatic hypochondriac; he is not sick" Blaine laughed shaking his head.
"And you don't suddenly come down with something once I or the kids have it?" Kurt teased lightly. "Sorry to break the news to you Blaine but you get just as man sick as Cooper does."
"I'm mellow compared to Cooper, you just don't think so because you think you're superior to being sick and refuse to rest or get treatment," Blaine teased back.
Riley let out a weak cough, she turned and looked miserably at him. Kurt instantly cooed at her feeling bad for how miserable she felt.
"No one likes being sick," Blaine explains to her, "but the doctors here are going to get you better so you can go to back …" He trailed off not knowing if he should reference their home as her home. Maybe she didn't feel at home with them.
"Sophie is going to bring you your pillow and blanket to help you feel more comfortable and rest more," Kurt says jumping in as Blaine trails off. "And this time Blaine and I get to stay the whole time with you. We won't leave your side unless you want us to go."
She smiles weakly, her eyes blinking tiredly. She hasn't been awake long, barely a minute, but Blaine knows that medicine can tend to make her tired so he isn't surprised. It was probably her cough that woke her up in the first place.
Blaine hums quietly to her, telling her to go back to sleep and reminding her they will be here when she wakes up.
He waits till he knows she is fully asleep before bringing up the issue with Kurt.
"What if she doesn't want to come home with us? What if she doesn't like it there?" Blaine asks quietly afraid of the answer.
"I don't think that's the problem," Kurt answers honestly. "She wants to be there, she wants us, but she's afraid to want something. She doesn't know what a home is or parents are."
Blaine looks at Kurt surprised.
"Don't be too impressed, I've been looking for support groups for us and found some online articles and stories," Kurt confesses.
They settle more into their seats, attempting to get comfortable. Kurt gravitates towards Blaine seeking his warmth and Blaine cannot be more grateful because despite him knowing Kurt likes his space, he needs that reassuring physical comfort of Kurt being there.
"Remember when we were here all the time for Oliver?" Blaine thinks out loud.
Kurt hums in response.
"You think our experience and familiarity would make it easier," Blaine continues.
"We knew Oliver would be okay, it wasn't life threatening, just painful and annoying," Kurt answers, pausing before adding "Not including when he was born too early," as an afterthought.
"He was so little," Blaine remembers. "When he was sick again all I thought about was that tiny premature infant who couldn't remember to breathe on his own."
"Each of them are so dramatic in their own way," Kurt laughs lightly.
"How else would we know they were ours," Blaine chuckles but quickly frowns as Riley let's out another cough, this one sounding worse than the last. She whines a little at the end letting them know she is still awake.
"I'll go see if they can give her something to help with her cough," Kurt say looking determined to get whatever she needs.
"Just please don't" Blaine begins but the warning look Kurt sends him forces his words to cut off.
Riley coughs again and gives him a pleading look.
"Oh, angel," Blaine coos in an attempt to soothe her. He carefully climbs into the bed with her, allowing her to cuddle close to him and make herself more comfortable. Her fever has gone down from its extremely high temperature, but she does still feel clammy. He starts to hum to her softly and gently rock her. Between Oliver being a colicky baby and being sick all the time, and Sophie having digestion issues since she was born, he and Kurt are both used to sick, whiny, children. It doesn't make it any easier to them sick and in pain, though.
A minute later Kurt walks in with Sophie and a nurse, who rushes to Riley's side.
The nurse is a younger woman, with long auburn hair. The age she looks makes Blaine feel old. She looks like she is two days out of high school. He knows she isn't, but she looks it.
"We're going to get her ready for some breathing treatments, a mask is going to have to put over her nose and mouth," she informs without any kind of an introduction.
Riley begins to whine and squirm in Blaine's arms at her presence. Blaine can feel her heart begin to race. She eventually gets so out of control that Blaine has to move to her side, trying to block the view of the nurse, who seems clueless about how to handle to situation.
"You need to leave," Kurt instructs doing his best to keep his own emotion and frustration out of his voice.
As Riley's crying becomes more uncontrollable so does her cough and before Blaine can react Kurt is shoving a bin in front of her as she starts to vomit.
Blaine begins to rub circles on her back as Kurt holds her hair away from her face. Blaine knows he should be doing more to get her to relax and calm down, but it sounds so painful. He and Kurt are both used to vomit after Sophie who always had an extremely weak stomach and threw up even if she was excited or at the sight of something she found gross.
It doesn't take her long to stop and fall back into her pillows, with Blaine's guidance. She hadn't eaten all day so it isn't a lot, but it still takes any energy she had left.
Kurt immediately takes away the bin handing it over to the nurse, giving her an icy look.
"I'm sorry you had to see that Soph" Kurt apologized
"I'm studying to be a nurse so it's nothing I won't have to be used to," she waved off before continuing. "Anyway, I brought the stuff you asked for."
"Thank you, Sophie," Kurt said pulling her in for hug and kissing the top of her head, causing Sophie to roll her eyes but smiles fondly and hugs him back.
"It's okay," Blaine comforts as he wipes her face with a tissue to try to clean her off.
Riley whimpers slightly as Blaine finishes and tries to get her to rise her mouth out, tears forming in her eyes.
"You're alright," he soothes again this time dabbing away a loose tear with another tissue.
A young male knocked hesitantly on the door, alerting them of his presence. "Mr. Hummel, Mr. Anderson, I am so sorry for the care you have been given. My fellow intern just informed me what happened and I-"
"Hummel-Anderson," Kurt corrected cutting off his nervous rambling.
"Oh – I – um" he began to stutter his cheeks reddening.
"It happens all the time," Blaine quickly reassured giving Kurt a warning look, they both are aware how many interns Kurt has scared off within their time spent in the hospital. "Maybe you can get us someone to help Riley?" He asked politely.
"Oh yes, that's why I came in," he answered jumping into action. "I'm Declan, I worked with Riley once before when she first got here."
He's young like the woman in the room before him, with much more a baby face than she had. He had his white sleeves push up past his elbow, making Blain assume he had a long sleeve thermal shirt under his baby blue scrubs to keep him warm. His blond hair was styled in a way that reminded him of Jesse Spencer with longer hair.
He worked quickly around Blaine, checking her over before even preparing the mask for the breathing treatment.
"It's a real honor to be in the room with both of you." He said quietly, too embarrassed to look at him or Kurt. "Your stories helped me-"
"That will be enough Intern," an older nurse interrupted taking the file he was filling out from his hands. "You should not be bothering them with your idolization no matter how flattering and justified it is," she continued to scold before turning her attention to Kurt and Blaine. "I apologize for the behavior of my staff."
"No, need. It really is flattering to here and he seemed to calm Riley down enough for him give her the treatment she needs," Kurt answered attempting to give the young intern a reassuring smile.
Riley had whined at little at the mask, but allowed him to place it over her mouth and nose. Even with how tired her eyes look Blaine noticed she looked at him with the same fascination she looked at Oliver with. He allowed himself to look for similarities between them, finding the only two things in common were their baby faces and a couple of light freckles that dusted their face. Blaine can only assume there was a boy with similar features that took care of her and helped her, he forced him not to think further of what happened to him for helping her.
"Is it possible to request," Blaine started motioning towards him, silently asking him for his name again.
"Declan," he answered once he caught on.
"Declan, thank you" he continued "to partially oversee Riley while she is here?"
The older nurse sighed, before turning a serious eye to Declan. "I don't mind as long as you remember to mind yourself while you are working. It is one thing to get star-struck on your own time, but it will not be done during work hours."
"Yes of course, I'm sorry for being so unprofessional, it won't happen again," he rushed out trying to keep the enthusiasm out of his voice. "And thank you Mr. and uh Mr. Hummel-Anderson for this opportunity."
"Kurt and Blaine will be fine," Blaine reassured looking at Kurt for additional acceptance of the informality, who nodded in approval. "And this is our daughter Sophie, she just started school to be a nurse on the opposite coast to get away from us," Blaine introduced.
"Dad" she hissed embarrassed before turning to Declan and sticking her hand out "It's nice to meet you."
"Now that every knows each other, it is past visiting hours so only one of you are allowed to stay in this room," the older nurse instructs.
"Blaine you go with Sophie, I'll stay tonight" Kurt insists handing Blaine his coat.
"Kurt I-" he begins to argue before he is cut off.
"Make sure your brother doesn't sleep in our bed and I expect breakfast from the bistro down the street from us when you come tomorrow," Kurt continues to instruct leaving Blaine no room to argue.
So, he smiles, thanks both the head nurse and Declan as he puts on his coat, scarf and gloves, gives Riley a bright smile, and kisses Kurt goodnight, never goodbye, before he leaves with Sophie.