"You doin' ok, kid?" Burt asked him gruffly.

"Yeah." Kurt lifted his other hand slightly to show Burt the IV attached to it. "Whatever they put in there 's good stuff." His speech was a little slurred, his breathing was ragged, and his eyes were slightly unfocused. "I'm gonna be fine, Dad, don't worry."

"Of course you are, kid, you're a Hummel." Burt had to work to keep his tone even and keep his voice from cracking.

It wasn't easy; Kurt's hand in his felt so very small and light. It hurt to be so helpless in the face of his son's pain. It was a physical ache in his chest, making it heard to draw breath. His baby, his child,lying there looking so fragile, so battered - and trying to reassure him. He was not a praying man, but Burt sent up a silent thanks to whatever guardian angel or spirit had brought Kurt through this alive, and, even more miraculously, mostly whole. It wouldn't be easy, but he'd mend, and Burt would do all he could to make sure of it. It could have been so much worse.

He wanted to gather the boy in close against him and stand as a wall against all the pain the world could throw at him, and he knew he couldn't do it. Not now - he was almost afraid even to touch Kurt- and really, not ever. His son was on the verge of adulthood, and there was only so much a father could really protect him from. What he could do, what he always would do, was make sure he had a safe place to retreat when it was too much.

Carole shifted a little behind Burt, and Kurt's eyes tracked the motion for a moment before he realized who was there, and he could feel himself blushing, and his breathing got a little shallower. "Carole," he whispered. He hadn't even seen her since... "I'm so sorry..."

She shook her head, moving around the bed to take his other hand carefully in hers. "Not the time, honey," she told him, gently brushing his bangs back out of his eyes. "We can work things out, once you're on your feet again." His relieved little smile - really just a tiny lift at one corner of his mouth -had her blinking back tears.

The doctor came back over to them. "OK folks, we're ready to take him upstairs now," she said as the nurse tucked a blanket around Kurt, whose eyes had drifted closed again. "I'll come back down as soon as we know the extent of his injuries." Burt and Carole released Kurt's hands reluctantly and were ushered back out. All they could do now was wait.

As they settled into the chairs again, Burt cleared his throat and took of his cap to run a hand over his scalp again before finally looking over at Carole. "I... thanks for coming. I know it must have been..."

She interrupted him, raising one hand to lay a finger across his lips before linking her fingers through his. "I'm really glad you called, Burt. If I'd -if we'd- heard about this on the news, or from the school... I don't think I could stand it."

She paused, looking down the hallway where Puck and Finn were heading back towards them, deep in conversation. It was clear to her, having watched them together for years, that they were still not entirely comfortable with each other, and they might never get back to the friendship they had had. But they were better, maybe because of shock, maybe something had clicked in their young minds to make them aware that they weren't immortal, that sometimes it could all end in an instant.

That in that instant you could be gone... or someone you cared about could.

She looked back at Burt with just a trace of tears in her eyes. "I know what's to come isn't going to be easy, for you or for him, and Finn and me... we're already involved, we both care a lot about you guys. So. I want that second chance we talked about, Burt. For us, and for them. And... I think need to be here for this, and I want to. And I think Finn and me, we need you and Kurt to be there for us. I just want us to do it right, this time."

And again, Burt had to look down at their linked hands to hide how damp his own eyes had grown, and offer up another prayer of gratitude. For the miracle of his son's survival, and for second chances.

Author's note-

so, my dears….

I think this is going to stand as my conclusion for now.
School starts next week, and I won't have time to work on much more than that, and my other story still has so far to go!

On the other hand, I do have some follow up material sketched out... Mercedes Jones watching the news... Artie reacting to friend of his being in a bad accident... Schue finding out... SUE finding out (you know the physical therapist Kerrigan had after her knee injury? Second best in the country. - the best is on permanent retainer exclusively to one National Championship winning cheerleading coach for her team's use only. Puck the reluctant hero, dealing with both the aftermath of the accident and everyone else's reaction to the fact that it was Puck who was there... a conversation between Puck and Kurt...

but. school. Bleah. Real life. Double bleah. So maybe follow up in December.