A/N : Wow okay so I think you all deserve to have this chapter now since I was a big jerk and left you hanging with a pretty intense cliffhanger. Now some of you saw the silver lining at the end of the last chapter which meant that most of you didn't shoot daggers into my eyes and I am still unscathed. Thanks for not killing me!
Now this chapter continues from where we left off approximately, and it's a little intense but not as bad as the last one I promise.
Also a BIG THANK YOU, to all of my reviewers and readers alike, this story still makes me nervous about it's actually popularity but as one reviewer whom PM'd me said, "This story is epic, and so are you. We love it, please keep writing, because if you don't then Kurt and Blaine will cry!"
We can't have that now can we LOL...so here's the next one loves, thank you again for all the support, you are all angels.
xoxox
...oh and I own nothing, I think my animals actually own me at this point...
Ta!
Bittersweet Symphony
Echoes
(KPOV)
I hated hospitals. I hated them. Only bad things in my life had ever happened in one of these god forsaken places, to my family and to myself. I swore I would try to avoid the familiar halls at all costs but I found myself again, wrecked with worry as I slung the backpack over my shoulders as I ran down the halls towards the main emergency desk.
Clack, Clack, Clack.
The sound of my boots hitting the overly polished linoleum kept pace with my now increasingly erratic heartbeat. The last time I was in a place like this was during my first year of college...I had been...injured...and I had been so scared, and alone and just empty...
Push, It. Aside. Hummel. You're here for Blaine, swallow your fears for now and just be there for him!
I never wanted Blaine to feel like that, I never wanted him to know a moment of loneliness in a place like this, so with renewed urgency I halted in front of the main desk and approached a woman in colourful floral scrubs who looked to be in her late fifties. I was out of breath by this point, but she looked calm enough, I guess I wasn't the only dishevelled person she had dealt with recently. Carol had told me numerous times about all the whack jobs she had come up to her on a daily basis, but that also meant that I knew hospital protocol, and what questions to ask, and what details to throw out there.
"Hi, sorry. I am looking for my boyfriend, came in about 20 minutes ago by ambulance, Anderson, Blaine, 24 year old male Caucasian,, 5 foot 7, dark brown curly hair, probable medication reaction? ."
I couldn't have given her a more detailed description unless it was to a sketch artist for a police report. Why was she taking so long in looking up the information that I wanted? I could have sworn that even though she typed in the name, she was biding her time looking between me and the screen with a non readable expression.
"Boyfriend huh? Okay so that doesn't make you family ...um...look Mr.?"
"Hummel, Kurt Hummel...where is Mr. Anderson, I need to see him?" I was being perfectly reasonable especially since I was ignoring the somewhat rude looking grimace on her face when she repeated the word boyfriend. She cleared her throat and looked down at the screen through her half moon shaped glasses.
"From this I can see that the ER physician has looked his over and hasn't placed him in ICU but in ward, so he's listed as stable, but that doesn't mean that just anyone can go in and see him."
"What do you mean not just anyone can go in and see him? If he isn't currently in surgery for any reason or in a state of true emergency that would require him to be in intensive care than I should be able to see him like any other husband,wife, girlfriend or boyfriend should..."
"Whatever your social interaction or attachment may be to Mr Anderson, you are not his immediate family or emergency contact, so you need to wait..."
Okay I've had enough.
"Social attachment? Do you consider that assumed wedding band on your left hand as a symbol of your life long social interaction with your attachment? Or do you see it as a wedding band to your probable husband? Someone you love and care about greatly? Much the same way that I care about the aforementioned Mr Anderson, so if you would kindly drop the bigotry, and allow me access to your patient since he is stable enough to receive visitors, it would greatly appreciated."
I gritted my teeth and held back the condescending pretentious cow comment and just stared her down. She didn't break but she also didn't respond right away.
"Look, clashing opinions aside sir, until these papers are signed by someone other than Mr. Anderson, or anyone who is legally allowed to do so, I am afraid that my hands are tied...sir."
"Of all the miserable...he's 24 years old, self reliant and dependent, and doesn't need a legal guardian or anything, I can fill out his paperwork, I have all his information here in this bag and..."
"I believe I can help here."
A short brunette with thin but well styled hair and a kind smile approached the desk, his aura radiating kind professionalism. He had a smile on that was all confidence, but I could tell he meant business, and the tall blonde man he was with was looking at him like he was the centre of the universe.
"And who are you sir?" The nurse immediately turned her attention to this gentleman who just seemed to captivate everyone's attention when he spoke.
"Hello.." the man checked her tag on her uniform, "Wendy, my name is Nick Duval, I'm Blaine Anderson's emergency contact and his current power of attorney. As I'm sure you've noticed since looking up Mr. Anderson's file, that he has a hearing impairment and has left me as his current adviser with regards to treatment, all aforementioned paperwork and of course the billing information required to cover his stay here. As his ex-boyfriend, I do know the gentleman well and I assure you that this man here, " He gestured towards me but my mind was still screaming 'ex-boyfriend?', " would very much like to see Mr. Anderson. So...I will fill out the incidentals here, and if you would be so kind, and please let Mr. Hummel here know where he can find his boyfriend, that would be greatly appreciated...Wendy."
I swore I heard the blonde man, whom I could only assume to be Nick's partner Jeff snicker under his breath that he covered with a slight cough.
The nurse looked stunned but covered it well with a stern glare at myself and then Nick before handing him the papers.
"Second hallway turn left, use that set of elevators to go to the 6th floor, room 209 Mr. Hummel. Please see the admittance desk when you get to the floor, I will let the nurse there know to expect you."
She said all of this to Nick who just smiled as he began to skim through the paperwork, Jeff now lingering close to his side, who gave me a quick smile and a head shake that I took as my cue to leave.
"Oh Kurt?"
I turned around at Nick's voice, "We'll see you up there, everything will be fine I'm sure." I don't know how but Nick's reassurance seemed to make me feel better as I resumed my light jog to the elevators the nurse had described.
I only got mildly lost trying to find the elevators that I was supposed to take to the 6th floor and when I finally found them my brain was buzzing so loud I swear others could have heard it.
Ding
When the doors opened I readjusted my bag sheepishly as I approached the desk, which was a whirlwind of activity, and I found the nurse who seemed to be in charge looking over some paperwork.
"Excuse me?"
The woman at the desk at her back turned to me, her long black hair pulled into a tight pony-tail at the back of her head and I heard her mutter something in Spanish, at least I think it was Spanish.
"Mierda de lo que ahora..."
When she turned around it was definitely not what I was expecting.
"Santana?"
"Well well well...I haven't seen you lady lips in what...7-8 years? Fancy seeing you in my particular level of hell."
She was wearing black scrub pants and a bright red scrub top that she of course new was a colour she could always pull off. But Santana...a nurse? How the? What the? Okay I have got to be hallucinating.
"Porcelain relax. I know it's weird and whatever, and it's not how I figured I would ever see your alabaster ass again but you are here for a reason yes?"
"Uh yes...yes the lady at the main desk should have called up here saying to expect me, my-my boyfriend, Blaine...A-Anderson just came in, room 209?"
"Ugh Wendy. She's a bit of a bitch, and that's coming from me, sorry about her."
"Bit of, that's putting it mildly."
Santana only smiled quickly and turned on her heal to look it up. She barked a couple of orders at the other ladies whom she seemed to have complete control of and respect from and it was a little unnerving seeing the frustrated and angry teenager that I knew in high school in a real work place, working so well with others. That was never a strong suit for her before.
She sighed and turned back to me, walking out from behind the desk to stand beside me.
"Okay. Room 209, the end of this hall here on your right. He's on IV and still unconscious. The doctor will probably be in in a little while to check on his progress but that's all I know for now. He's listed as stable but anymore info than that you'll have to get from the doc, Porcelain."
She still seemed like the snarky Latina I knew from all those years ago, but I couldn't even begin to be happy about this mini reunion, I was so stressed and I felt myself beginning to tear up at the sights and sounds of hospitals that I had tried to block out.
"Hey, Kurt look, he's okay right now, just breathe for me alright. Everything's gonna be fine, just go check on him. Just remember that he's unconscious right now so don't expect a warm welcome."
She soothed my back in an act that I would never have expected from her and added, "Come find me if you need anything, or buzz the front desk here if he wakes up or anything. I have to go back to work, today's been ridiculous, and aside from all this...you look good Hummel. I'll see ya."
With that she went back behind the desk, the smile she sent me turning upside down and muttered something else in Spanish before she looked at the receptionist and sighed.
"No green goes here, yellow there...or else the doctors are going to carved me a new one for Christmas, this will be my butt if you screw it up, please try again."
Santana said please...weird.
Walking down the hall to the room numbered 209 felt like I was walking the green mile. I wasn't in oncology, I wasn't in ICU, this was what got me down the hall as calm as I was despite my surroundings.
When I turned the corner into the room I noticed it was a private one, apparently Blaine's family money allowed for such things, but then my eyes fell on Blaine.
It had only been an hour since I saw him but that didn't take away the pang in my gut when I saw him. They had put him on IV, and of of course oxygen but he looked so small tucked into the bed like he was. His eyes were closed and seemed a little shallower. The heart monitor was beeping which made me sigh in relief but still...this wasn't my Blaine.
I pulled the chair right up next to the bed but I didn't sit, I just put my bag down, and looked at him.
"Blaine? Honey can you hear me?"
I reached out and grabbed his hand, feeling it's warmth calmed me a little but he didn't grab it back which made me tear up a little and just resolve to plunking down in the chair, still holding his hand. I couldn't think of anything else to really say. I just kept muttering that I was there for him and that I wanted him to wake up, even if he couldn't hear me, awake or unconscious it felt better telling him I was there.
As I leaned down to kiss the knuckles on his left hand I heard a knock at the door, only to see Nick and Jeff standing there. What surprised me was when I stood up to greet them, Jeff pulled me into a warm hug. I found myself smiling in the tall man's arms, having never really met either of them, it seemed normal for this kind of closeness somehow. I chanced a glance over Jeff's shoulder to see Nick standing there, taking off his coat and smiling at his partner and I hugging. I hadn't known I needed that hug until it ended.
"Hi Kurt, I'm Jeff if you didn't guess, and the polite and ruggishly authoritative and attractive man behind me is Nick as I'm sure you know now."
He extended his hand which I took warmly, his other hand clasping over mine as he spoke.
"It's really nice to meet you Kurt. Blaine hadn't shut up about you since you met, and I know this wasn't how we were supposed to spend our evening but...shit happens."
After releasing my hand I ran it through my hair before looking at Nick again, the soft beeping of Blaine's monitors reminding me of where we were.
"It's nice to finally meet you too, both of you. Blaine speaks so highly of you guys, you're basically his brothers, I just wish that tonight had of gone differently. And thank you for sorting out that witch at the front desk, I was loosing m temper with her quickly."
"No problem, I could see she was giving you a hard time, and obviously didn't like he fact that you're his boyfriend. Hence why I said I was his ex, so not true but...I just wanted to ruffle her feathers a little."
I laughed, and it seemed a little out of place but it was worth the calmer feeling I was experiencing.
"Blaine made me his power of attorney a few months ago, and told me that since his parents were giant asshats and cut all ties with him recently that I would be responsible in case anything happened to him, since Cooper's out of the country most of the time."
"I guess you got the note on Blaine's door about what had happened? I wrote it in a hurry, they wouldn't let me in the ambulance so I just grabbed all of his paperwork from his study and wrote you guys the note and left."
I walked over to resume my seat, and took Blaine's hand in mine as I spoke.
"No I got the call from the hospital when he got here. Hospital protocol for anyone that comes in alone, call the emergency contact associated with his I.D...that's me. We were running late, thanks to this man's obsession with his hair..."
"Hey!" Jeff looked mocked annoyed and it was cute the way these too bantered.
"Anyway so we had only just left the apartment when I got the call, we don't live far from here so we just cabbed it here instead."
"Well thank you again. I'm glad you got here so quick." Nick waved off the thanks with his hand and smiled and gestured for Jeff to join him.
Nick sat down on the small loveseat that was in the room but Jeff walked over to Blaine's other side and ran his hand through his hair softly and whispered, "Wake up dude, you've got three hot guys in your room, that's reason enough to wake up and stop scaring us."
There was humour but there was also sadness in the tall blonde's voice as he said this. Blaine really had wonderful friends and I just wish that we all could have met under better terms.
Nick gestured Jeff over beside him, telling him to get comfortable, which he did after taking off his coat too.
"So...did you find out anything on his condition yet?" Nick was trying to obviously keep my mind active so that I didn't fall back on nervously breaking into tears from the overwhelming position I was in.
"No, I was told that he was stable, unconscious obviously but stable and that the doctor would be in shortly to check on his progress, shortly means I don't know when in doctor speak though, so we could be here a while."
Knock knock
"Or not. Hi I'm Dr. Stewart, I'm in charge of Blaine's case while he's here with us."
"Oh wow, sorry I didn't mean to imply that..."
The doctor waved his hand and chuckled at me, Nick and Jeff seemed to be enjoying my discomfort a little.
"It's fine son, I know about hospital wait times, people are usually irate with me before I even step into the room, it's normal for me. I just happened to come in at the perfect moment it would seem now...which of you is Mr. Anderson here's family?"
I spoke up, "None of us actually sir. His only family lives really far away, these are his friends Nick and Jeff, Nick is his emergency contact and I'm his boyfriend, Kurt."
We had all stood up, and made our introductions as I waited for the bigotry gavel to fall.
"Fair enough, so I have been looking over his file and he suffered from SSHL within the last 3 years, its idiopathic as I'm sure he told you."
We all nodded, at least we were all on the same page, maybe someone could tell me when he started taking steroids, and why I wasn't informed. When Blaine woke up, and was feeling better, hearing impairment or not he was getting an ear full from me.
"So, from what we can tell, his blood work isn't back yet, and we'll need to take some more once he's awake, and yes I do believe he will wake up soon, what we can decipher was that he had a mild reaction to the high dose of corticosteroids he was on, and had a serious panic attack from the increased stimulation. Was he under any recent stress, more so than usual?"
Jeff shrugged but Nick and I shared a knowing glance.
"Yes he was. Recently his parents and him emancipated themselves from one another, it's been hard on him. We didn't know that he was taking the steroids either sir, that must have been a new treatment."
The doctor looked over the clipboard, skimming through the pages.
"Yes it would seem that Dr. Rosenberg, his Otolaryngologist, prescribed these not too long ago, with some modifications in his current medication regime. We'll compare the blood results I have from him in September and then we can get a more affirmative diagnosis."
The doctor walked over and checked the bag of fluids Blaine was on and wrote something down in his file.
"He's on a glucose solution because his sugar was low as well, his heart rate has been stable since he came in and I see no reason, pending his blood results that he can't go home once he's awake and recovered. We gave him a low dose of the same steroid he's been on because it's dangerous to cut any steroid off cold turkey, it needs to be a gradual taper. I'll keep you posted on any other developments. If he does wake, notify one of the nurses at the front desk, and if and when he does wake, try to keep the stimuli to a minimal, he was overwhelmed with everything, try to keep him calm. I'll be in touch."
We all thanked him with a hand shake and a smile before turning back to Blaine and assuming our seats. A night that should have been filled with food, laughter and reminiscing turning very sour, waiting in a hospital room, silent and foreboding despite the silver lining that the doctor thought he'd be fine.
XXXX
10:03 p.m
"Kurt you want some coffee, or anything to eat? We never really had dinner and we're gonna go and check out what assortment of gross food the cafeteria here has."
"I'm not hungry, thanks though."
I felt a hand on my shoulder and I pulled my eyes away from Blaine for a second.
"Hey, he's not going anywhere and you have to eat something. I will order you if I have to." He winked at me and I tried to not smirk, but I couldn't help it.
"Fine just some coffee then."
"And something to eat, only if it looks like it's edible, viable and somewhat healthy I know...Blaine told me all about your healthy eating habits."
I smiled that Blaine talked to these guys so much about me but that smile quickly turned upside down.
"He scared me Nick."
Nick rubbed my shoulders once more, he really was one of the most calming individuals I had ever met. I could have seen us become friends earlier in life if we had ever met.
"I know, but Blaine has always been lazy, he never got out of bed in high school unless he had to, so give him time. He's probably just enjoying a great nap, and the Anderson I know hardly ever gets his butt up willingly...he'll be okay, I have faith."
Nick turned away then to follow his other half out of the room and his comment on faith reminded me so much of the time I spent in the hospital after my father's heart attack. All of the glee clubbers had come to say a prayer and show their faith in his recovery but not until much later had I really appreciated the gesture.
Faith...what had that ever done for me in a place like this? My mother had died in front of me and my father. My dad was in a coma after his heart attack, thankfully he recovered but still it was one of the worst experiences of my life. I had been in here, I had been here, bleeding, dying, violated...and no amount of faith could have fixed that.
I sighed and tried to remember that this was about Blaine, not me, but my sombre mood finally broke when I heard something angelic.
"Imnot lazy, I just like sleep."
"Blaine! Oh my god Blaine hi!"
Blaine tried to cover his right ear with his hand, wincing apparently at the sound of my voice, wait the sound of my voice?
"Ow fuck that's loud...Kurt?"
Blaine turned and looked at me through confused and tired eyes.
"Blaine...y-you can hear me?" I pushed the button beside his bed alerting the main desk. My heart was in my throat...Blaine could hear me? Like actually hear me and not the muffled sounds that he usually did, was I dreaming?
"I don't know Kurt, I can hear you but it's only on one side, and my head hurts but I can hear you but my own voice sounds funny."
"Baby, that's amazing, you're just not used to hearing yourself though, just try and relax and I'm...I'm just so glad you're okay."
I stood up and pressed my lips to his temple, holding them there, breathing in the smell of his shampoo, and feeling his pulse along his temple.
"Kurt...say my name please?" Blaine had squeezed the hand that I was holding and pleaded with me, never faltering his gaze on me which I moved to return.
"Blaine..."
Blaine smiled and closed his eyes.
"Again."
"Blaine."
"I love you Kurt." I didn't blink, I think I had forgotten how. This was all too much, but not enough at the same time. I wanted to jump up and down and squeal like a kid on a sugar rush...I just didn't know which emotion would come out first.
All this was happening so fast, everything seemed unreal, Blaine being rushed to the hospital and finally waking up, him saying he loved me, him being able to hear me for the first time, and all I was sure of was that he had hear what I was about to say now.
"I love you too Blaine."
The smile that accompanied this statement was short lived as I leaned down to kiss him, but it lasted only a second when I heard his heart monitor speed up. I looked at it and then back to a blushing Blaine.
"Sorry you have that effect on me it seems, I love you."
"I love you too. You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear you say that."
I ran my hand over his temple again, smoothing out the fluffy hair against the pillow.
"You have no idea how amazed I am to hear you say that too."
Knock knock
"Wanky"
"Ugh...seriously, you still use that?"
"So the hobbit's awake. Way to go Princess Porcelain, you woke up sleeping beauty here." Santana came across the room and checked Blaine's vitals and his IV line ignoring my question outright but seriously checking on Blaine's condition. This new Santana was a complete mix of the bitchy wordsmith I knew from high school and refined professional.
"I'll get the doctor in here in a minute. Any pains, dizziness, nausea, difficulty breathing, numbness?"
I, for a second, was about to correct Santana that Blaine couldn't hear her but he answered almost immediately
"No no...my head hurts and the ringing in my ear is still there but its better, thank you...uhhh?"
"Santana, old friend of your lover boy here, I'm sure he'll explain it one day. But for now rest please and no make out sessions Kurt, you can't excite him right now... the doctor will be in shortly." Santana gave my arm a confident squeeze and a wink, then nodded at us both as she went out of the room.
"So you know her?"
"Uh long story, but I never thought I would say this but Santana's right. You need to rest. Nick and Jeff are here, they went to get food, they've been here the entire time with me. Rest so you can feel well enough for more visitors."
Blaine sighed and scrunched his head up a little, I'm guessing the pain in his head was a little worse than he let on but he seemed comfortable so I didn't push the argument.
We watched each other for a second, until he spoke up with his eyes closed, looking like he was fighting sleep again.
"Talk to me Kurt, I want to hear your voice while I still can before I fall asleep."
I smiled and did as I was asked. I talked to him about Nick and Jeff and how Nick had saved me from getting arrested for fighting with the hospital staff. I rattled about finding Santana from my old Glee club as the head nurse on this floor, I talked and talked and Blaine slipped further and further under with a smile on his face.
I whispered that I loved him yet again, and it was the first time I did it where I really hoped he had heard it. The small smile that crossed his face said that yes...I was sure he did.
Sad...sappy...fluffy? did I do okay? I hope everyone liked this chapter, and even though there is a small silver lining that Blaine is in fact okay and can hear Kurt, it isn't the end of the battle for them by any means. Niff is awesome as always and I had to throw Santana in there because I love her insanity. Plus I wanted to show her in a more grown up light but with her usual bitchiness :D. I am writing the next one now and it should be up very very shortly. Leave me a comment or concern or cyber cuddles..I love them, and I used Google Translate for the brief Spanish, I hope I didn't butcher it too badly but my apologies if I did.( roughly translates into "Shit, what now?")
See you soon kiddies, thank you so much for reading this.
xxxooo