AN: So...um you guys all read the summary, right?

*runs and hides*

Carole Hudson Hummel worked in this hospital. She was used to the sights, the sounds, the smells, and more often than not knew the people at least in passing. The lady at the ER Admissions Nurse (Anita Ferguson) had even attended her and Burt's wedding.

That wedding seemed like a lifetime ago.

When Carole first started seeing Burt, she'd been thrilled that Burt and Finn got along so well. She was most worried that Burt and Finn wouldn't get along at all, but they quickly became two peas in a pod, going to games, talking cars, and doing a lot of things Finn had missed out on as a boy. Burt was such a good guy. Better than she certainly deserved, and she quickly grew attached to Kurt as well. She didn't always understand Kurt when they first met, but she thought he was sweet, intelligent, and kind. Kurt was only a year younger than Finn, but she saw a precious, lonely little boy who, although he was a little bit misguided in his intentions at first, was a genuinely good person who just wanted to be loved.

Kurt wasn't perfect, and Lord knows his relationship with Finn wasn't either, but Kurt was hers every bit as much as Finn was now. She'd lost her first husband to a horrible war. Now, the thought of losing that sweet, kind-hearted boy to something equally as terrible and senseless enough to break her apart at the seams if she dwelled on it to long, so she couldn't.

At the moment, she was could be strong for Burt, Finn, and Kurt's friends. She knew she couldn't fall to pieces because someone had to take care of things. There was paperwork to be filled out. There were children who were up much later than they should be who needed taken care of.

Kids like Blaine Anderson. Carole really loved Blaine. He was so polite, so talented, and so obviously smitten with Kurt. He was always so together, and it was unnerving to see him with puffy eyes, disheveled hair, and what was undoubtedly blood over his pressed shirt.

"It's been over three hours," Blaine said weakly. "You'd think they'd have some news by now."

"We've just got to wait," Wes said. "I am sure that Kurt is not their only patient."

"Maybe it's a good thing they're taking so long," Quinn answered, fiddling with the hem of her Cheerios uniform. "It means they're busy. It means he's still…"

"They'll come out and tell us when there's news," Carole reassured them. "I know the doctor. He's one of the best." It was true. He was a good doctor and a good man. All the nurses who worked in Dr. Peters' office worshipped the ground he walked on.

"You know there are 171, 476 words in the latest count of the Oxford English Dictionary?" Thad said. "There are 171, 476 words, and those are the ones currently in use. There are, in addition, 47, 156 obsolete words and approximately 9,500 derivative words. Out of all of those words, a quarter of those are adjectives, and there is nothing, nothing at all that exists to accurately describe what I'm feeling right now."

"I kinda wanna puke right about now," Lauren announced. "I was supposed to be looking out for him."

"Let me know if you're gonna hurl," Puck said. "I'll hold your hair back. At least that would be doing something."

Lauren didn't have time to respond.

Carole's head snapped up as Dr. Peters appeared in the doorway. Finn noticed his mom's reaction at that point and nudged Mercedes awake, who'd finally cried herself to sleep on his shoulder.

"That's him?" Burt asked. It was the first words he'd spoken since they got the call from that young man from Kurt's new glee club. Carole thought his name might've been Wes, but she couldn't be sure.

The young man put a hand on Blaine's shoulder and nodded in the doctor's direction, and although they'd all been absorbed in their laptops or their cell phones or dozing, they were fully alert and focused.

Carole nodded and inhaled a sharp breath.

She tried to read his expression, and sharply inhaled as she, Finn and Burt approached him, reminding her of the scene in Wizard of Oz when Dorothy, the Tin Man and The Cowardly Lion had entered the wizard's chambers and were frightened out of their wits, but holding on to each other for dear life.

Only here, there was no smoke machine. Here, it was no illusion. And the wizard could do nothing for them.

She prayed that wasn't the case.

The doctor eyed the gaggle of teens in the waiting room watching them like hawks, and led them out to a separate waiting room in an area of the hospital that had long-since closed for the day.

"When can I see my kid?" Burt asked.

Dr. Peters didn't answer immediately. He just sighed, and looked down. He didn't even need to finish the sentence. "I am so very sorry to have to tell you…"

Tears began streaming down her face then. Finn looked wildly from her back to the doctor and then back to her. Burt immediately tensed and tightened his grip on his wife's hand.

"Oh no…" she finally choked out.

"I'm so, so sorry," Dr. Peters said. "We did everything we could, but by the time he got to us…"

"This has to be a mistake," Finn said. "We got there in time. Check again. Are you sure it's Kurt, and not somebody else?"

"I wish it was, kid. I really do," Dr. Peters said. "He hung on a lot longer than he should have, given the amount of blood-loss he'd sustained by the time he arrived. It's amazing he made it to the operating table at all."

"When can I see my kid?" Burt asked again.

"The body's en route to the morgue right now. When we've finished the autopsy…"

Burt grabbed the doctor by the collar and shoved him against the wall. "AUTOPSY? WHAT THE HELL DO YOU NEED AN AUTOSPY FOR? YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED!"

"It's standard procedure, sir. The DA requested it for his case. Once we're done with the body…then you…"

"Wait…how does the DA even know…" Carole started.

"Wes called 9-1-1. He was probably called when Karofsky was brought in."

"It's not A. BODY. THAT'S MY KID! I HAVE A RIGHT TO SEE MY OWN SON!"

Finn didn't know how he was able to get him off Burt. "Come on Burt, you know it's not good for your heart to go off like that."

"Yeah, well, my heart's got no right to be beating. Not…not when Kurt's…" he collapsed onto a nearby bench, then, and buried his head in his hands. He dissolved into sobs, unable to finish the sentence.

"I'm so sorry," Carole told Dr. Peters. "He's just…"

"Hey, I get it," Dr. Peters told her. "Nobody knows how they react when stuff like this happens. Listen, there are some forms he needs to fill out, but if you want to bring him back tomorrow…"

Carole nodded.

"I have to uh…his friends are waiting in there. I should…they've been waiting a long time. They need to go home. Get some sleep."

"Mom," Finn said, letting out a shaky breath. "Stay with Burt. He doesn't need to be alone right now."

"Honey…" Carole began.

"Mom," Finn said, clinging on to her for dear life. "Somebody's got to tell them."

Finn stared at the linoleum floor in front of the door of the hallway leading to the waiting room for a very long time, to the point that the tiny spots in the tile and the lines blurred into each other and bore into his retinas. He closed his eyes, but he could still see them.

This wasn't happening. This was all a nightmare. Any moment now, he'd wake up and he'd be pissed because it'd be a couple of hours before he had to wake up, but Kurt would be sleeping in the room next door, but deep down, he knew it wasn't true.

And he had to go out there and tell everyone what had happened.

He opened his eyes and took another deep breath and opened the door.

Blaine, Rachel and Mercedes were both out of their chairs like a shot, looking at him expectantly.

"So can we go see him?" Blaine asked.

Finn shook his head.

"Why not?" Rachel asked quietly. "Why can't we…"

Finn just looked down at the floor, unable to meet anyone's eyes.

"They said they did everything they could…" Finn said in a voice that didn't sound like his, even to his own ears. "They said he shouldn't have even made it to the operating table…"

Tears pricked at his eyes again. "I thought it was some kind of mistake at first…but…"

Rachel shook her head violently and held her ears.

"Oh no…." Mercedes choked out between sobs, her arms wrapping around her body tightly and rocking back and forth. "No no no no no…."

"Oh God…" Blaine breathed.

The walls began closing in around Blaine then, and he gasped for air as his lungs suddenly refused to function properly.

"Warbler David," Wes said, suddenly springing to action. "Take Warbler Blaine outside for some air. Warbler David, don't let him out of your sight. Stay with Warbler Blaine like glue, David. Like glue."

"Got it," David said, going outside.

Wes was about to say something else, but he was interrupted by the sound of the glass bottle of Arizona Tea Puck was drinking smashing into a million pieces on the floor.

"GODDAMNIT!" Puck yelled.

"Puck, man, calm down," Mike said, but Puck was pacing like a caged tiger.

"I'm supposed to calm down? I'm supposed to fucking CALM DOWN? Karofsky's rotting in jail right now, but he's FUCKING BREATHING and IT'S NOT FUCKING FAIR!"

"It's not…but Puck…" Lauren said.

"NO LAUREN! I'm not taking this lying down. Karofsky's going to fucking pay. Who's with me?"

With that he left.

"New Directions," Wes said. "Here's what I propose. New Direction Mike. You and New Direction Artie, go after New Direction Puck." He inhaled sharply. "Warbler Kurt told me…" he cleared his throat. "He obviously does not need to be left alone right now. The last thing we need is a trip to jail tonight."

"This is my business card," he said, taking out a silver card-holder and giving them each a copy. "Anyone who needs anything, anything at all, do not hesitate to use that number, and please keep us in the loop regarding any developments."

"Warblers," he said, turning to the Dalton crowd, "we will escort New Directions home, as it is unsafe for them to drive in this state of mind. Warbles Thad, Nick and Jeff, attend to the young ladies. Everyone else is heading back to Westerfield, with the exception of Warblers Blaine, David and myself. Warbler Trent," he said, tossing him the keys. "You're driving."

"New Directions Finn," Wes said in a voice barely above a whisper, turning to him now and laying a hand on his shoulder. "I wish tonight had ended differently. Truly, I do. I cannot express how sorry I am for your loss."

Finn nodded.

"There is nothing in the Official Handbook that directly addresses…this kind of situation. But if there's anything else I can do…"

"Thank you," Rachel answered for him.

"We should go home," Quinn said., sniffling.

"I should wait for mom and Burt," Finn said.

"We could stay…if you want," Matt said.

"If you don't wanna go home tonight, my parents probably won't mind if you sleep over," Sam offered.

Carole emerged in the doorway then, her face tear-streaked and her eyes all puffy and red.

"Finn, they said we can see him."

It wasn't until they hit the button for the basement and the elevator opened directly to The Morgue that it hit him.

His brother was gone. And nothing was bringing him back.