Author's Note: Sorry it's so short! Just one more chapter after this, then the epilogue!

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Most of the time when people wake up after a traumatic experience, it takes the body a few moments to recall exactly what happened.

That wasn't the case for me.

The second I awoke, before I even opened my eyes, I remembered the horrifying emptiness in my mind, mostly because it was still there. I still couldn't feel my Blaine attached to me, still didn't know if his heart was beating or bleeding.

My eyes flew open, met with a blinding white light that involuntarily caused them to shut again. I became aware that I had a splitting headache, as well as the sound of machines whirring quietly. Somewhere to my right came a noise like sheets rustling and I tried opening my eyes again, squinting.

I was in a hospital, though I probably should've guessed that earlier from the disinfectant smell. I instantly glanced around the room, searching, and I found what I was looking for in the bed next to mine.

"Blaine," I sobbed dryly.

I had seen Blaine in bad shape before, but never like this. There was a bandage wrapped around his head, slightly overhung by his curls, and he had a nasty black eye that was swollen shut. The other eye had a dark circle under it and his nose was taped. His bottom lip was split and his right arm was in a sling, three of the fingers on his other hand taped together in a splint.

I shot out of bed, ignoring the way my head throbbed painfully at the sudden movement. I realized I was still in my Dalton uniform, not attached to any IVs like Blaine was.

I stopped at Blaine's bedside, touching his face as gently as I could and placing several kisses to his curls simply because he was alive. My Blaine was still here with me, and I wouldn't have to make the deathly decision of pushing on without him or leaving everyone else I loved.

Because god I loved Blaine. It was something I couldn't ignore anymore.

Blaine began to stir, his good eye blinking open slowly. It fell on me and he took a shuddering breath.

"Kurt," he whispered, voice raspy. It was the most beautiful sound I'd ever heard.

"Blaine – what happened, are you okay?" I said in a frantic rush. "Why can't I feel our Connection? Did Karofsky hurt you? Oh god Blaine, I'm so sorry-"

"Hey," he said quietly. "It's okay, I closed our Connection. I didn't want you to feel how much that hurt."

"Open it. Now," I deadpanned.

"Kurt, I'm still in pain-"

"Damn it Blaine, my head's too fucking empty without you, open it."

Blaine seemed to comply out of shock more than anything - I was pretty sure that was the first time he'd ever heard me swear more than once in a sentence. I sighed with relief as his presence flooded back into me, completing me.

"Thank you," I said, far more calmly. "Now tell me exactly what happened, no skimping on any details."

Blaine took a deep breath and began his tale.

"Karofsky's harassment has been getting worse since I talked to you," he muttered. My hands clenched into fists. "Wait, let me tell the whole story before you get mad, okay? It's kind of my fault this happened actually.

"I decided to go talk to him, just to let him know that I wasn't gonna spill his secret so he'd lay off. I caught him alone on his way to football practice after school and I…I think he sort of thought I was taunting him or something."

I listened intently, trying not to get angry at the brute that had hurt my boyfriend, but it was difficult when Blaine had to keep taking shaky breaths in the middle of sentences or when he looked at me with his one good eye. I found myself hating Karofsky almost as much as Blaine's father.

"I guess he figured I was threatening to out him, because of the way I said it, and he looked really scared. Then after a few seconds he just started hitting me," Blaine continued. "I could tell he was desperate – you should've seen him Kurt, really, he was crying – so I…I didn't fight back."

"You what?" I practically shrieked, making Blaine jump then wince.

"Do you think I'd look half as bad if I actually tried to hold him off?" Blaine laughed, showing a flicker of his old self. "I could kick that guy's ass."

"Then why on Earth didn't you?"

"Because he's just like I was," he reminded me. "He's confused, Kurt – I know he's done a lot of horrible things to both of us, and I hate him for hurting you, but I can also sympathize with what he's going through."

"So you let him beat the crap out of you?"

"I'm still on probation from juvie. Even defending myself is taking the risk of being thrown back in there. And besides, you told me not to fight him when he was shoving you into lockers."

I stared at him, shocked he remembered that.

"Honey," I said slowly, "I'm very touched that you kept your promise to me in a situation like that, but as soon as you get off probation, if anyone lays a finger on you, kick their ass for me."

Blaine grinned and nodded fervently.

I smiled affectionately and gently kissed his bruised cheek.

"Oh good, you boys are awake!"

We looked up to see my dad shouldering his way into the room, carrying a teetering tray of food. He looked far too chipper for the situation.

"Did you guys hear the good news?" he asked, setting the food down on the table and beginning to unwrap a sandwich. When he saw our blank expressions he elaborated, "Karofsky got expelled for beating the crap out of Blaine!"

My eyes widened in shock, Blaine and I glancing at each other.

"And Blaine, the doctor says you're gonna be fine in a couple weeks – your right shoulder was dislocated, you broke a few fingers on your left hand as well as your nose, and suffered a minor head injury, but no brain damage. You're gonna be sore for a while, but they're letting you out tomorrow after the police debrief you."

It all felt too good to be true – Blaine would be all right, Karofsky was expelled, and thus I could go back to McKinley, and Blaine wasn't getting put in a juvenile detention center as a result.

"Why did I lose consciousness?" I asked, not yet willing to believe that all the loose ends were tied up. I could tell Blaine wasn't either.

"Blaine must've gotten knocked out," Dad explained, looking to Blaine for affirmation.

"Yeah, he hit my head against the wall," Blaine muttered, looking sheepishly at me. For the first time in a while I felt the instinctive protectiveness set in.

"That could've killed you," I said through gritted teeth. "And you sympathize with him?" Blaine averted his eyes.

"Connections can be funny like that," Dad said.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door, light and nervous-sounding. Dad set down his sandwich and opened it, looking confusedly at someone I couldn't see from this angle.

"May I help you?" my dad said.

"Hi, I'm looking for Blaine Anderson?" said a woman's voice, just as timid as the knock.

I felt Blaine stiffen, his eyes blowing wide and a million emotions coursing through him.

Dad let the woman in, and as soon as she came into view, I knew who she was.

"Mom?" Blaine croaked.

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