Author's Note: Last update of any story before I move into my dorm! Luckily there is no hurricane here. There appears to be a rather lot of rain at the moment though…let's hope that clears up.
-SQ
Disclaimer: There are so many reasons why I couldn't possibly own Glee…
Chapter Fourteen: Visiting Hours
Blaine's palms were sweating by the time he arrived at the hospital reception area. He told himself that he had no reason to be nervous around Kurt's family, that they liked him, and Finn was expecting him, but he still felt like an intruder.
He walked up to the desk. The girl there was the same one as the last time. She was on the phone, relaying information to the person on the other end of the line with a bored expression on her face. She perked up, however, when she saw Blaine, and quickly finished the call.
"Good morning, what can I do for you?"
"My name is—"
"Blaine, yes, I remember," said the girl, whose name Blaine certainly could not remember. She smiled and wound a lock of reddish-brown hair around her index finger. "How may I help you today, Blaine?"
"I'm here to visit Kurt Hummel," said Blaine. "His step-brother, Finn Hudson, should be expecting me."
"Oh, yes," said the young woman, sounding slightly disappointed. "I'll let him know you're here." She pressed a button on the desk in front of her. "Finn Hudson to reception, please, a visitor has arrived for Kurt Hummel. Finn Hudson to reception, please."
"So, Blaine," said the receptionist, leaning toward him, "do you go to school around here?"
"Uh, yes," said Blaine, glancing in the direction of Kurt's room.
"Where?" inquired the girl, unwinding the lock of hair from around her finger and tucking it behind her ear. "Otterbien?" "Columbus?"
"Um, no," said Blaine. "Dalton Academy."
The receptionist's perfectly waxed eyebrows rose. "You're still in high school? But you look so mature!"
"Um, thank you?" said Blaine, unsure how to respond to that.
"I'm from Indiana," said the young woman, "but I'm studying pre-med at Otterbien. I'm in my sophomore year, but I'm still nineteen." She lowered her thick, brown eyelashes slightly and rested a purple manicured nail against her lower lip. "Do you have any idea what you'd like to study?"
"Um…"
"Blaine." Finn's hand clapped down on Blaine's shoulder, making him jump. "Hey, dude. Sorry I took so long, I was in the bathroom." The taller boy had dark circles under his eyes and his hair stood up every which way, but he smiled tightly down at Blaine.
"Hi, Finn," said Blaine. "I'm sorry to intrude like this. Wes stole my phone and—"
"No worries, dude, I'm glad you're here," said Finn, starting back in the direction he'd come from. "Burt and my mom don't trust me to stay with him by myself," he frowned in sadness and confusion. "But maybe they'll agree to take a break if you're there too. Burt's really showing the strain."
They stopped in front of Kurt's door and Finn let them in. "Mom, Burt, it's me and Blaine."
"Blaine, honey, how are you?" said Carole, rising and coming over to hug him.
"Um, I'm okay," said Blaine, caught slightly off-guard; he wasn't used to open displays of affection, except from Kurt of course.
"I know you must be busy with school," said Carole, "so we really appreciate you taking the time to come here and visit Kurt."
"Yeah…" Now Blaine felt guiltily for not coming sooner, even though Kurt had only been in the hospital for less than twenty-four hours.
"Mom, Burt," said Finn. "You two should really go take a walk, get some food and some rest, Blaine and I'll be fine here."
"I don't that that's a good idea," said Burt immediately.
"Well, I do," said Carole. "It won't be for very long, Burt, and Kurt has plenty of doctors and nurses to take care of him, as well as two boys who care about him very much."
"I need to be here for my son."
"You have been here for him, and you will be. But you won't do him any good by giving yourself another heart attack," said Carole sternly. "Come on."
Reluctantly, Burt levered himself out of his chair beside his son's bed and followed Carole out of the room, leaving the three boys, two conscious, one unconscious, alone.
Blaine stood there awkwardly for a few seconds before sitting down in the chair Kurt's father had just vacated. His heart clenched painfully as he looked down at the still, pale form of the boy he had fallen for. A thick white bandage was wrapped around his head, a ventilator tube stuck down his nose, and an IV in his arm. Gingerly, Blaine brushed the backs of his fingers against Kurt's cheek; it was burning hot.
This is all my fault, he thought miserably, tears pricking his eyes. Then, I wish I knew if you liked me too, Kurt.
"What?"
Blaine looked up at Finn, who was looking back at him with a puzzled expression. Had he just said that out loud?
"Did you just say what I think you said?"
"I don't know," said Blaine cautiously. "What do you think I said?"
"Did you just say that you like Kurt? Like, as more than friends?"
Well, there was no use denying it. "Yes, I do," said Blaine. "Very much so."
Finn blinked. "Well, you have kind of crappy timing, dude, but that's perfect!"
It was Blaine's turn to look puzzled. "Why is it perfect?"
"Um, because, dude, Kurt's totally been crushing on you since the day he met you," said Finn, as though it should be obvious. "He's, like, in love with you."
Blaine's heart skipped beat. He felt a little shell-shocked. Sure, he had sometimes wondered whether his newest best friend had more-than-friendly feeling for him, but he had dismissed it as Kurt's usual affectionate personality. He was Kurt's friend and mentor; true, there had been that whole thing on Valentine's Day, but Blaine had written it off as more of him being misleading than Kurt actually wanting something more from him.
"Are you sure?"
"Unless Kurt has been lying to us all this time," said Finn.
"Us?"
"Me, my mom, Mr. Shue, the entire McKinley glee club…"
Wow. Idiot did not even begin to cover how Blaine felt right now.
"Dude? Are you okay?"
"What?"
"You're crying."
Blaine realized that he was. "Oh…"
"The doctors said he's gonna be okay," said Finn.
Blaine nodded, tears still falling down his cheeks, his thumb drawing circles on Kurt's palm. "You must think I'm a baby."
"Nah," said Finn. "I live with Kurt, remember? I'm getting used to seeing dudes cry." He pulled up a second chair next to Blaine's. "You gonna be okay, dude?"
Blaine nodded again. "Yeah. Sorry. I know this is really hard for you too. He's your brother…"
"Yeah, I kind of already had my totally flipping out moment earlier."
Blaine smiled. "Yeah, so did I."
"Um, Blaine?"
"Yes?"
"Can I tell the rest of New Directions? That you like Kurt back, I mean. They'll be really stoked."
"Um, sure, okay," said Blaine somewhat hesitantly. "But let me tell Kurt."
"Of course," said Finn.
The two boys lapsed into silence, each holding one of Kurt's hands. Occasionally one of them would say something, and the other would respond, then they'd go back to sitting quietly. After a while Finn turned on the RV and they sat watching football and bad commercials, cheering mutedly for the team they both supported, groaning quietly when the other teams scored. At one point Carole and Burt stuck their heads in the room and saw the two boys, both still holding Kurt's hands, both still with their eyes fixed on the TV screen. Carole smiled slightly and put a finger to her lips, drawing her husband away from the door and closing it with a faint click that went unheard by the occupants of the room.
The next person to enter was a nurse. "Visiting hours for non-family members are over," she said.
Blaine looked over at her, blinking in the absence of the TV glare. "Oh, alright, thanks." He stood, stretching out cramped limbs.
"Will you be back tomorrow?" asked Finn, rising with him.
"Uh, I don't know," said Blaine. "Should I be?"
"Yeah, dude, you should," said Finn. "Some of New Directions is gonna try to come if the hospital'll let them. You should come too."
"Alright," said Blaine. He gave Kurt's hand a last gentle squeeze, pressed his fingertips to his lips and then to Kurt's forehead, and then crossed to the door, reaching it at the same time that Burt and Carole arrived on the other side. "Thanks, Finn."
"No problem, Dude. See you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow."
Blaine left the room and walked back through the lobby, his thoughts still on Kurt, and what Finn had said. He was nearly to the door when he realized someone was calling his name.
"Blaine! Blaine!"
The young receptionist was standing behind him, a breathless smile on her face, a sheet of notebook paper in her manicured hand.
"Hey, sorry," she said, sweeping her red-brown hair out of her face. "I just wanted to catch you before you left." She held out the sheet of paper. "In case you want to get a coffee or something some time."
Blaine stared at the sheet blankly.
"It's my number," said the girl.
"Oh," said Blaine. He took the paper and pocketed it. "Okay."
"It was nice talking to you today, Blaine," she said.
"Um, you too…"
"Shelby," said the young woman, beaming at him.
"Bye, Shelby" said Blaine, "thanks for your help."
"My pleasure," said Shelby. "See you later. Take care, Blaine!"
"Take care," responded Blaine, feeling slightly confused. "See you later." He left the hospital and walked through the parking lot to his car, wondering how much gloating he was going to have to endure on Wes's part when he got back to Dalton.
AN: So? Finn knows Blaine likes Kurt (okay, so he loves him, but he hasn't admitted that to Finn yet) and some ND members are gonna be in the next chapter. In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed (& will review) this one!
-SQ