This chapter is short a sweet. It's the shortest one that I've written in a long time. But I think that it works out. It being short allows for me to post if before Finals start up. Because they're next week and I've got some major studying to do. But then after that I'm free to do all the writing that I want! So, for everyone getting ready to take Finals/tests/whatever you want to call them at the end of the semester. Good luck!

And of course, I would be rude not to thank everyone for reading this. I know that I say it every chapter, but if I didn't let you all know then, well, it would be very rude of me. Because it's every single one of you who take the time to read this that keeps me going and motivates me to write more. So thank you!

Kurt waited, never letting his phone out of reach, all night. When it hit ten o'clock he finally picked up the machine and called Blaine. When the Warbler didn't answer he felt the panic well up inside him. Blaine never missed his calls. But, he could be dealing with his family, he told himself. He patiently waited for Blaine's call. At midnight he tried again. This time he left a message. "Blaine. It's me. I was just worried since you haven't called. It's not like you, but I supposed you could be asleep or still at your parents. Anyway, when you get this call me back. I love you."

The time continued to tick by. Kurt didn't remember falling asleep but soon he was blinking sun out of his eyes as his alarm pulled him back to consciousness. He checked his phone, still no call from Blaine. Worry coursed through his veins. The whole night passed without a call or text and that was something Blaine would never do, even if he got in late or thought Kurt was asleep. Kurt tried calling again. By now, Blaine would be getting ready for school or at least be up. No answer. 'Blaine.' Kurt shot his a quick text. 'I'm really starting to worry. Please. Please call me when you get this. Just let me know you're okay.'

The whole morning he debated on telling his dad, seeing if the man would let him skip classes and go to Dalton or not. He knew what Burt would say. He was overreacting, and Kurt knew it was possible he was, that Blaine was just so exhausted from his family that he didn't remember to call. But there was also the chance that something was very, very wrong. He also though about just skipping and not telling his dad. But Finn would notice and say something to both adults. In the end he decided to go to school hoping the feeling in his gut was wrong and Blaine as fine.

All day he felt the dread building. Glee was almost unbearable. Rachel pointed out that he looked sick, and that she hoped it was nothing. "Nationals are coming up! We can't afford for you to get sick."

"It's nothing. Really." Kurt told her as they got ready to practice the routine for one of their songs. But he wasn't okay, he couldn't remember ever feeling more sick, other than loosing his mom and almost loosing his dad. Kurt felt tears prick his eyes and he had to blink them back. That's just ridiculous, Kurt thought, you haven't lost Blaine. Get it together. Even with his thought supplying a pep talk his uneasy feeling wouldn't go away.

The second he walked thought the front door, he was bolting up the stairs, calling Blaine. Still no answer. He left another voice mail and had to fight the urge to drive all the way out to Dalton to check on him. Though, if Blaine didn't call soon he wouldn't be able to fight it any longer.

Pain was the first thing Blaine was aware of. In his chest and head, radiating out to his limbs each time his body forced him to take a breath in. Slowly, he opened his eyes, letting white light flood in. Blurred shapes swam in front of him before coming more into focus. He was in a hospital room. White walls, white lights, white pillows, white sheets, and the nauseating smell of bleach masking sickness. Blaine moaned. He hated hospitals and wanted nothing more than to be out of there.

"Blaine, honey? Are you alright?"

Blaine wanted to groan again. Great. Mom's here, he thought weakly. Not only was she there but she seemed to mistake his groan of distaste for a groan of pain. But Blaine didn't say anything to her. If he could help it he would never say anything to his parents ever again.

"I'm glad that you're alright. You slept for a long time." She told him.

That knocked the remaining sleepy -and Blaine also guessed drug induced- haze from his brain. He tried to sit up, too quickly, and was met with a sharp pain in his chest and immediately laid back. A helpless whimper left his mouth, and then his mom was by his side. "Blaine, honey. You have to be careful."

"What time is it?" Was all he asked.

"It's after four."

Blaine whimpered. "I need to go home."

"You will once the doctors come back and show us the x-rays. They took them while you were still asleep."

Asleep? Blaine's thoughts asked. I was passed out. Stop trying to fool me and yourself. But out loud he just repeated. "I want to go home."

He couldn't stop his thoughts from going to Kurt. He must be worried sick. It had been way to long since he said he would call. And knowing that Kurt would worry- was worrying- made him hurt more. He wanted to make the pain stop so he could yell at his mom and tell her to go away until he was done and able to go back to Dalton. But it hurt to talk, to move and muscle in his face.

Blaine didn't have to wait to long for the doctor to come in. He explained that Blaine had two bruised ribs, a fractured rib, and three broken ribs. He showed the x-ray pointing out each rib. Blaine could see the fracture, going not quite through, but leaving a crack in the bone. The breaks were all the way through the bone. And then he switched to Blaine's nose. "Your nose wasn't as bad a break." He said. "But we set it while you were asleep and everything will heal fine. you just need a few weeks rest."

"A few weeks?" Blaine asked. "But I'm flying to New York next week to watch-"

"Not with broken bones, you're not. Sorry." The doctor replied. Blaine felt like his soul was crushed. He was given instructions on resting and taking care of his breaks and bruising. After he was given prescriptions for pain, he was discharged, free to go back home. "We'll get you home and into bed, honey." His mom said once they were in the car.

"I want to go back to Dalton." Blaine said, all thoughts on getting away from his parents and calling Kurt. He didn't want to think about having to break the news to Kurt, but he also wanted to hear Kurt's voice. To assure the other boy that everything was okay.

His mom tried to argue with him, to talk him into going back home with her. But Blaine stood firm and she eventually drove him back to Dalton. "This is why you get hurt." She said on the drive. "Because you're so stubborn and you refuse to back down. Why can't you just do what we ask and be how your father and I want you to be?"

Blaine didn't say anything, feigning that he was in to much pain to reply. Though it wasn't much of an act, he was in a lot of pain.

Apparently, his mom had already called the Headmaster saying he had been in a car accident. After that it didn't toke long to spread out through the school. So when his mom walked with him up to his dorm Nick and Jeff were there to help. Blaine made it to his bed, making himself as comfortable as he could. Eventually his mom dropped his medicine off after the prescriptions were filled. Once she was gone and Nick and Jeff satisfied that he was okay in bed, he reached for his phone, ready to call Kurt.

Kurt picked up before the first ring was finished. "Where the hell have you been?" He squeaked. His voice was high and Blaine could hear every emotion that was there. "I've been worried sick. Not answering my calls and texts. I was on me way out the door to find out what was wrong. You said you'd call..."

Once his rant was done, Blaine started, hoping his body could handle the pain long enough to complete a phone call. "Kurt. I'm sorry. Please don't worry. Everything's fine. I was just late last night. I didn't want to risk waking you. Please don't be mad."

"You could have text. It's never stopped you before." Kurt sighed. "I'm not mad, Blaine. I was worried. All night. All day. Hell, it's been almost twenty-four hours. I thought something bad happened."

"I know. I should have." Blaine told him, as if he had been able to. "I was just so busy with my parents. I'm so sorry, Kurt. I didn't want to-"

"Just," Kurt interrupted, Blaine hearing the switch in his voice. "Shut up." And when Blaine didn't say anything added. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Blaine said automatically.

"What, umm," Kurt started. "What did your parent say?"

"They're thinking about it a little longer." Blaine said. "But they think it will be fine."

Blaine could have cared less that the doctor said it would be a no. If he felt up to it, he was going to New York, broken bones or not. But he worded it where it would be possible for him to back out if he needed to. The thought made a bitter taste well in his mouth and he send a silent apology to Kurt for holding back the truth. Blaine did hear Kurt's happy yelp at his announcement and it helped the bitterness.

"So. I get to see you soon, right?" Kurt asked.

Blaine laughed and had to bite back a whimper at the pain. He couldn't let Kurt know. Couldn't let Kurt worry.

"I love you so much." Blaine told him. "And you know I want to see you ever second of every day. But Nationals means so much to you. I want you to win. So let's just spend the next few days focusing on Nationals. And I'll see you on the day we leave."

"You're right." Kurt said, but Blaine could hear the disappointment in his high voice. "I do need to focus."

Their conversation didn't last long after that, Blaine feigning tiredness to mask the pain he was in. Sleep that night was illusive to Blaine even with pain medicine he still hurt. He didn't go to classes on Friday either. Nick and Jeff got him food and helped the best they could.

He talked to Kurt a little, but Kurt's focus on Nationals prevented too much talking. Blaine spend the weekend resting, hoping that his bones would be okay enough to go to New York, but the most time that passed the more he doubted it.

Kurt and the rest of the New Directions practiced. Over and over. Hour after hour until they thought they might pass out. After school, during school, and during the weekend. But everyone loved it. Well, after Rachel got over seeing the set list and the solos that would be occurring.

"It's Nationals, though." Kurt told her as he, Mercedes, Tina, Mike, and Rachel sat down for coffee. Sunday's practice was over and they officially would be leaving for New York in less than seventy-two hours. "I thought you got over not having a solo. Plus, maybe it's a good thing to change it up."

"People will no doubt be waiting for you to sing." Mercedes added, defending Kurt's argument. "So it will be a surprise."

"I know." Rachel said. "I'm just saying, no offense, Tina, that I have the strongest voice."

Kurt watched as Tina didn't rise to Rachel's jab. The sweet, good natured, team player just grinned, ear to ear. Kurt had to hide his smile behind his coffee, immensely proud of his friend.

Before Kurt knew it the coffee break turned into Glee practice on Monday. He hadn't talked to Blaine much that day and once practice rolled around his thoughts were on the numbers. The songs. The routines. New York. The competition. Nationals meaning so much to him.

The hours whittled by, sweat pouring down his face and he was exhausted but once he was free to go his thoughts turned toward Blaine once again. He thought he would have heard the Anderson's decision by now. They were leaving on Wednesday, after all. But Blaine said nothing about it.

"Did your parents ever confirm New York?" Kurt asked that night when Blaine called.

"I can't go." Blaine told him. Kurt could hear the offness in the Warblers voice. It had been there since his return from his parents. Kurt knew something wasn't right, but he couldn't tell what. Maybe it was that he couldn't go to New York.

"What?" Kurt asked. "But I thought-"

"They just decided that I shouldn't miss so much school." Blaine interrupted.

"Well, I'll stop by tomorrow after practice to see you before I leave then."

Blaine laughed into the earpiece. "Don't do that. Focus on Nationals. I'll be there when you get back."

Kurt didn't know that to say. It wasn't like Blaine to turn down a chance to see him. He always wanted to see him. It hurt Kurt and worried him. Blaine apparently could read that in Kurt's silence because he was saying, "It's not that I don't want to see you. You know that, Kurt. I just want you to win, okay? So I'll see you in a couple days. I love you, Kurt."

"I love you, too." The phone disconnected. Kurt's worry didn't dissipate, though. He had one day to spend before he went to Nationals, and surprising Blaine would set them both at ease. Kurt would be able to completely focus on Nationals then.