Disclaimer: I do NOT own rights to any of the characters from Glee. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
A/N:
(Spotlight illuminates the dark stage to reveal a sole figure standing in front of a microphone)
James: "Uh...Hi. I'm James aka The Jellybaby Bandit. I'm here tonight because of several requests for info on where to see Chris Colfer doing pelvic thrusts. So I've invited a special guest along to explain.
(Sue Sylvester enters from Stage Right carrying a slushie and looks at James in disgust)
Sue: "And what – exactly is that on your face?"
James: "Uh... a beard Sue?",
Sue: "A beard? And what? Did they suddenly run out of razors at whatever Broadway revue you just crawled out of? You're gay James, you're meant to know the difference between a beard and a beard – jeez do I have to explain everything to you sneaky gays?"
James: "Please Sue... just get on with the announcement."
(Sue gives James the finger and throws the slushie in his face)
Sue: "You have to switch on your computer – see Brittany she'll tell you how. Then you have to go to Youtube. And on Youtube you do not search for Justin Bieber as he's the Devil and you do not search for any workout videos either. You enter just four words - "Push It Live Glee".
(James spluttering and wiping out his sticky eyes)
James: "Thank you Sue. Now I think we should get on with the Chapter."
Sue: "Yeah – whatever."
(Slaps sticker on James chest and walks away)
James: "Hello my name is Sticky Gay No 1?..."
Chapter 25 – Finn Fallout
There was silence in the hallway for several seconds a voice echoed in the empty corridor.
"You... what?", asked Finn looking confused.
"I said you moron...", said Quinn putting a hand on her hip and glaring at the jock, "... Puck is my baby's Father..."
"I don't understand...", muttered Finn glancing in turn between Puck and Quinn, "... so you two are going to get together and be what? One big happy family?"
Puck turned his head sharply to look at Quinn, pleading with his eyes for the girl not to provoke the Quarterback – after all it was he and not she who was the one most likely to end up on the end of any eventual physical confrontation.
Quinn however had built up a head of steam and wasn't in the mood to be gentle,
"Of course you don't understand – after all you thought it was actually possible to get pregnant in a hot tub! And no, we're not getting back together – we were never together in the first place...",
Puck snorted at the inappropriate thought that the pair had obviously been together at least some of the time – how else would the girl be preggers?
"Not now Puck!", growled the blonde.
Mercedes and Kurt both turned their heads to look at the blonde girl in surprise as she successfully shut down the half-back with nothing more than a growl. Puck raised his eyes to the Heavens and prayed to whoever was listening that both his and Finn's faces would remain pretty after the beat down that was sure to come.
Seeing a fire lighting in the Quarterback's eyes, Puck chose to err on the side of caution – he didn't want Kurt getting injured. Untangling the brunette's legs from around his waist, the jock gently set the protesting Kurt down on his feet beside him.
"Trust me...", he warned softly and the soprano was suddenly wary after seeing the look in his eye.
'I'm so not in the mood for this...'
"Puck?", asked Finn turning furious eyes at the half-back, "... tell me this isn't true man..."
'Is he really this dumb?'
Puck didn't know why he said it and in retrospect it was a mistake but – it just burst out of him before he could stop himself,
"No man – it's all a huge joke...", Finn's face relaxed, "... It's actually twins!"
Puck heard Finn's movement before he realised what was happening as he found himself being picked bodily from the ground and rammed into the lockers – hard.
"You... fucking... asshole...", screamed Finn as he rained punches down on Puck's face while the half-back tried to catch the breath which had been knocked out of him, "... I... trusted... you..."
Puck chose to be the better man and didn't try to fight back, moving instead to just protect his face which was in danger of resembling mincemeat.
'Not the face...'
Ordinarily Puck would have flipped the sucker over by now and begun laying the smack down – but this was Finn and in a way he did deserve this.
"Noah!", cried Kurt as Finn's shoulder connected with the boy lifting him off of his feet and propelling the pair of them into the lockers with a resounding crash.
Mercedes arm snaked out to snag the soprano around the wrist, preventing him from going to his boyfriends aid. And so Kurt was a helpless bystander as Finn started to rain down punches to Noah's face in quick succession.
Glaring at the girl, Kurt attempted to wrench his arm free,
"Let go 'cedes..."
The girl looked apologetic but firm as she shook her head and redoubled her grip. Kurt was aware by that point that Noah wasn't fighting back and that his face was already starting to swell below his right eye.
'I have to help him...'
"Finn! Please stop...", he pleaded finally managing to squirm free of Mercedes grip and move towards the pair.
"Fight back you bastard", Finn's fist snaked between the jock's defensive hands and landed solidly against his already puffy eye.
"Finn...", said Kurt – laying a hand on the Quarterback's shoulder tentatively.
"No! Get off!", cried the Quarterback, shaking his shoulder and throwing a hand out without looking as he continued to lay into the prone Noah.
"Kurt!"
It was Mercedes cry that punctuated the next moment rather than Kurt's as the brunette was propelled away by the Quarterback's angry movement connecting head first with the drinking fountain, before falling heavily to ground.
'Ow...'
Kurt was aware of Mercedes and Quinn hovering over him in the next instant as he rolled over and tried to wave them off. He was fine.
"Aaaaaaah!"
'OK... maybe he wasn't that fine after all...'
Kurt panted as the sudden sharp pain brought tears to his eyes and he looked down to examine his right wrist. A wrist which he'd landed on quite heavily just a moment earlier and that was now an angry red colour and swelling up before his eyes.
'Not red!... Red clashes horribly with this shirt...'
"Ow...", Kurt glanced up into the pale face of Quinn as hovered by his side.
Mercedes knelt down beside the soprano and lifted his arm as Kurt hissed as white hot agony coursed through his arm.
"Kurt boo... I think it's broken..."
'Puck always took everything...'
Ever since Finn had met the boy when they were in Grade School it had always been Puck and Finn – best buddies. The pair had been inseparable and yet at the very same time it was always Puck and Finn – in that order. The Quarterback had been an avid fan of comic books as a young boy and realised very early on in their friendship together that he was Robin.
He was fucking Robin!
How come Puck got to be Batman?
Puck got the girls. Puck got the detentions.
'Not that I really wanted those...'
But with detentions came reputation – the reputation of being a badass.
Sure Finn was the Quarterback and Captain of the football team as a result but let's face it – the team sucked monumental ass for a full season before Kurt started kicking for them – and whenever they did score points in the past, it was always because Puck caught the throw.
Just one more way that Puck managed to overshadow him.
But the one thing he thought he had was Quinn – Head Cheerio – blonde bombshell and chair of the Chastity Club. The one thing in the world that Finn could have that Puck couldn't.
Apparently he had been wrong about that too. Even after all these years he was still Robin!
"I... trusted... you...", Finn's fist connected solidly with Puck's face just above his eye socket.
Puck had taken Quinn from him too. He'd slept with Quinn and gotten her pregnant and then they had both covered it up. And to make things worse they lied to him about the baby and made him look like an idiot.
'I thought I was going to be a Dad...'
His own Dad had been dead since before he could even remember the sound of the man's voice. And though he'd be the first to admit that he was cracking under the pressure before – he still wanted to do right by the baby.
His baby would have had it's Father – it would have been loved. And now he was supposed to just accept that it wasn't his? That it was Puck's?
It was just yet another thing that the half-back had stolen from him.
"Fight back you bastard...", Finn continued raining down punches but Puck wouldn't return a punch.
Any time the pair had come to blows in the past, despite his size advantage over the half-back, Puck had always been the one to come out on top. Finn had never bested Puck ever – so it only served to make him even more angry that now – when he truly wanted him to fight back that Puck wouldn't.
Puck wouldn't even give him that little piece of satisfaction – it was just another way for the jock to overshadow him.
Finn felt the contact with his shoulder and was aware of the voice speaking, though he wasn't concentrating on either who or what had been said. He just didn't want to be prevented from beating on the prone half-back. So he'd thrown and arm out on instinct to ward off the presence at his shoulder.
Mercedes shrill cry however did penetrate the red mist that had fogged up the Quarterback's mind and he stopped his assault to look over his shoulder.
'Shit... the voice... it was Kurt...'
The soprano was lying propped up by the water fountain, a large gash opened up above his left eye and cradling his right arm. Delivering one final blow to Puck's face, he stood up on suddenly shaky legs.
He'd never meant to hurt Kurt – the little soprano was one of his best friends.
It had bothered him at first – Finn had known for some time that Kurt was attracted to him – after all he'd caught the brunette staring at him enough times in the showers after practice to make it abundantly clear.
But the more he'd gotten to know Kurt as a person, the more he'd become more relaxed about it. Kurt couldn't control who he was or wasn't attracted to – so why should Finn feel uncomfortable about it – after all, if it was a girl, he wouldn't have been having that dilemma. So he'd let Kurt look – Hell he'd even given the boy a little show on occasion.
And then the dreams had started – weird dreams about him and Kurt. Weird homo dreams where they were in a cabin in the woods or in a cave behind a waterfall – really vivid dreams that had caused him wish that the Mailman was there.
And so he'd started trying to avoid the showers after practice. Not because Kurt seeing him made him uncomfortable – but because he might end up giving the brunette more to see than he'd bargained for.
The kicker – pardon the pun – was when he'd been lying in bed with Quinn having just had sex with the blonde for the first time and he'd suddenly thought to himself,
'I wonder what Quinn would look like as a brunette... like Kurt...'
He had fought for weeks to ignore his own body's response to the brunette. The way Kurt would smile in a particular way that lit up his face; the soprano's scowl when he was angry and which made his lips all pouty and the curve of his ass in his tight black skinny jeans.
But now – now he didn't know what to think.
He'd just had a massive argument with Quinn the night before and they had broken up. And so that left him only having a baby with the girl. And throughout everything that had happened, Kurt had been a good friend. He'd helped him choose something to wear to Quinn's house the night they told all about the baby and had never shied away from offering his assistance. That night in Kurt's bedroom it had taken every shred of Finn's self control not to push the little kicker up against the nearest wall and take possession of the boy's lips.
Things were totally fucked up.
And now all of a sudden he wasn't having a baby at all – Puck was having a baby with Quinn instead and he was free.
Reaching the pale boy as he lay huddled on the floor, he took in the trembling of the brunette's limbs as he slipped into shock and the pained grimace on his face as Mercedes supported his obviously broken wrist.
'Broken because of me...'
"Kurt...", he pleaded as he moved to kneel down beside the boy.
Finn's stomach dropped when the brunette flinched and he tried to scoot away from the Quarterback. He was not surprised when Mercedes moved to interfere – the girl was nothing if not protective of the soprano.
"Back off Finn...", warned the girl and Finn ignored her as he focused on the scared Kurt.
"Don't... don't be scared please... I'm sorry... I didn't mean..."
Puck could tell that his nose was most likely broken as one of Finn's fists connected solidly with his eye socket.
'Dammit my nose is one of my best features...'
He'd honestly expected the Quarterback to have run out of steam, but clearly the Coach's new emphasis on cardio was paying dividends, as Finn's fists just kept raining down on him.
So he'd settled for just continuing to block what he could and take what he couldn't block. After all – if taking a beating would get Finn to get over his anger then it was a small price to pay.
He'd never told anyone other than Kurt and Mercedes about the gnawing guilt in the pit of his stomach for having betrayed his best friend. Getting Quinn pregnant was not his finest hour.
Since they were kids he'd worked his ass off trying to look out for the boy. Finn was a good kid, but he was by no means the sharpest crayon in the box. And so he'd spent his time covering for Finn – fighting with older boys who'd think it was cool to pick on the 'slow' kid, getting detentions for things he hadn't actually done just so he could get himself in the same room as the bullies to teach them a lesson.
He loved Finn – like a brother – not in a 'want to strip you naked and play with that dildo' kind of way like with Kurt.
'Kurt...'
Puck heard the brunette's small voice as he pleaded with Finn. He wasn't concerned – Finn despite everything was a good guy – Kurt wouldn't be in any danger.
How wrong he was.
Puck felt the pressure on his torso shift and lighten as Finn cried out to be left alone and the half-back's stomach had plummeted as he heard Mercedes cry out.
Cracking open a swollen eye he was able to make out a small figure lying on the ground a few metres away,
'Please no... get up and be OK...'
When the figure moved and rolled over before crying out in pain, Puck was both relieved and angry. Finn had hurt Kurt. He was prepared to take a beating for betraying his friend sure – but Kurt was innocent in all this.
He was done playing punch-bag.
But before he could do anything Finn had gotten off him. And he'd had the gall to approach Kurt and try to apologise.
Puck crawled to his knees just as Finn knelt down beside the brunette. Puck saw the fear in Kurt's eyes as he scooted backwards, pressing himself against the sharp angles of the drinking fountain, as Mercedes made to protect him.
"AAAAARRRGGHHHH!"
Puck's battle cry rang through the hallways of the High School as he launched himself the few metres necessary to tackle the Quarterback – sending both of them colliding with the bank of lockers on the opposite side of the hallway to their initial impact.
"Get away from him!", panted Puck, spitting out mouthful of bloody spit as he took up a defensive position on one knee, protecting the fallen brunette.
Puck saw the remorse in Finn's eyes but right now he didn't care. Finn had hurt Kurt – had injured him – that just wasn't acceptable to him.
"I'm... I'm sorry...", mumbled the Quarterback before he took off down the hallway.
Despite the throbbing pain in his wrist, Kurt couldn't help but smile at the thought that Noah had defended him, earning himself a worried look from both Mercedes and Quinn.
"What?", he asked and the two girls just shook their heads at the boy before becoming serious again.
"Kurt... you need to go to the hospital...", said a pale and shaky looking Quinn.
The blonde's words seemed to spur Noah out of a trance and he turned blazing eyes to examine the soprano whilst breathing heavily, his nostrils flaring.
Kurt felt a momentary thrill at the look of possessiveness on the half-back's face as he traced the outline of his jaw with his fingers.
"I'm OK, Noah...", the brunette reassured the jock, while Mercedes snorted, "Oh, alright – I'm not OK... but I'll live... I do think I need to get to the hospital though..."
Kurt squeaked a second later as he felt himself being bodily lifted from the ground and into Noah's strong arms. Taking the opportunity to look at Noah's face close up, Kurt was shocked to see the damage Finn had done.
Noah's face looked like he'd gone ten rounds with Mike Tyson – his right eye was swollen, almost to the point of being sealed completely shut; there were bruises forming over the bridge of his nose and around his jaw – and his nose appeared to be sitting at a different angle than it usually did.
"Oh Noah...", groaned Kurt as he rolled his own eyes, "... look at the state of you... and all over your new suit too..."
Puck chuckled as Kurt rolled his eyes and decried his appearance, despite the large gash over his own eye that was oozing blood down the side of his face. Puck could care less about his outfit right now.
"Relax Spider Monkey... you can take me shopping when we're patched up OK?... Besides you're not exactly the picture of health right now either..."
Turning to Mercedes who was hovering at his side, Puck groaned as he found turning his neck hurt he spoke,
"Hey Aretha... you got Kurt's car keys?"
The girl fished in Kurt's bag which she'd swung over her shoulder before holding up the item.
"Good. You're driving...", Kurt grumbled in protest but was quickly shut down by a glare from the jock, "... and Q can call your Dad – right Q?"
The pale girl seemed to shake herself before she nodded shakily and accepted the cell phone Mercedes had retrieved from Kurt's bag.
Repositioning the soprano in his arms, Puck motioned for the girls to lead the way as they trooped out to the parking lot – Quinn quietly mumbling into the cell the entire time.
Climbing into the back seat of the Navigator and not releasing the brunette who remained on his lap, Puck watched as the two girls took up the front seats and Mercedes gunned it out of the school parking lot.
The short journey to the hospital was silent apart from the radio playing softly in the background.
"I'm sorry...", said Quinn for the fourth time since they'd left the school.
"For the last time Q – it wasn't your fault...", said Puck realising that the girl was in shock but that her blaming herself was of no use to anyone, "... if anyone is to blame it's me..."
Kurt who had been resting his head against the jock's chest seemed to grumble in protest,
"Don't even Kurt... why do you think I set you down? I knew what was coming..."
All eyes in the car focused on the half-back, though with only one eye working he was unaware of that.
"I knew that Finn was going to need to hit someone – and that that someone would be me... I should have done more to protect you though..."
Kurt growled and butted his head against Puck's chest,
"I was the one that tried to interfere – it was my fault..."
Puck shook his head and refused to believe that as the Navigator pulled into the hospital lot.
Climbing out, Kurt remained in Puck's arms as the group walked in through the automatic doors into the reception area.
Spotting a familiar face, Puck called out,
"Jess!"
The blonde woman looked up from the computer screen she'd been examining and her eyes widened seeing both the condition of Puck's face and the squirming body being carried in his arms.
"Noah... you can let me down y'know...", grumbled Kurt and the jock ignored him.
"Well... if it isn't the Reservoir jocks...", quipped the nurse as she took in the two boys in their black suits.
Mercedes and Quinn tittered at the woman suddenly feeling more at ease. Kurt's whimper of pain as his wrist was jostled however brought an end to the woman's joviality.
"OK... down to business... you girls have to stay here...", her warning glare as Mercedes was about to protest caused the girl to draw in a breath she didn't use, "... you two need to come with me..."
Leading the pair of them through a set of double doors, they disappeared while Mercedes and Quinn sunk bonelessly into the waiting area chairs.
Sitting side by side in the same treatment room, Puck refused the offer of being treated first – insisting that Kurt be given preference.
The brunette just rolled his eyes and called the half-back an idiot but it had no effect.
"Well... you'll need an X-Ray to confirm of course... but I think you've got a broken wrist there – Kurt was it?"
The soprano nodded and his face paled.
"But... but I can't have a broken wrist...", he looked at the woman pleadingly, "... I need my wrist!"
Puck snorted in amusement as Jess giggled and Kurt realised how what he'd said could be taken the wrong way.
Glaring at Puck the brunette clarified with a cheeky grin,
"Not like that – I have Noah for that!", Puck cleared his throat and blushed as Jess looked at him speculatively, "...I have accessories to wear!"
Jess tittered as she filled out a form and signed the bottom with a flourish,
"OK... someone will come fetch you in a minute to go to X-Ray... you...", she said motioning to the red faced half-back, "... I will be back to clean up shortly."
With that the woman smirked at the pair and left the room.
The pair were silent for a few moments after Jess left the room,
"I'm sorry Kurt...", said Puck feeling down on himself.
"It's not your fault Noah... well some of it is I guess...", the jock flinched, "... 'It's twins' Noah? What possessed you?"
The jock shook his head and could think of no answer,
"I... I have no idea... too much time around you maybe?", he smirked as Kurt feigned an offended look before he giggled.
"It was funny though...", before wincing slightly.
"How's the wrist?"
"Sore... really sore... Coach is going to kill us when he finds out..."
Puck blanched thinking of the fallout when Coach Tanaka found out his half-back, Quarterback and Kicker were involved in a brawl that put two out of three in the hospital. It was not going to be pretty that was for sure.
"How's your face?"
Puck shrugged it off as if it was inconsequential and tried to ignore Kurt's disapproving stare,
"I'm fine...", he examined the walls, "... OK jeez... how is it you can make me feel like a scolded puppy?"
Kurt chuckled as the jock threw his arms up in the air,
"And they call me the drama queen! How are you Noah, really?"
Puck sighed as he thought about where to begin,
"My right eye – can't see a thing, completely swollen shut...", Kurt winced and paled, "... my nose – think it's maybe broken... my jaw – think I lost one, maybe two teeth, not sure..."
"OK... enough Noah, please..."
Puck paused and looked at Kurt who was fairly green around the gills and his trembling had returned more pronounced than before.
Their moment together was interrupted by the entrance of a large black orderly pushing a wheelchair,
"Kurt Hummel?", he asked looking between the pair.
Kurt nodded and hopped down off the treatment table and sat in the wheelchair with a grateful sigh.
"I'll see you later Noah... no more fighting...", warned Kurt as he was wheeled out of the room without any further preamble.
A moment later Jess entered carrying a large silver tray which she sat down on a stand by the foot of the bed.
"So how's it look 'Doc?", asked Puck grinning at the woman.
"Honestly? You don't want to know – and I can't imagine what that boy sees in you!", Puck was about to protest when the woman kept speaking, "... I suppose it's probably Puckzilla huh?"
Puck's hearty belly laugh as the woman threw his previous words back in his face echoed before dying off in a split second as Jess filled a syringe.
"I don't need any needles... honestly..."
Jess stalked towards Puck with an evil smirk on her face,
"It's just a little prick Puckzilla..."
Puck didn't think that was funny.
"Wait... what?"
Instead of going for his arm, Jess kept moving towards his face,
"Your nose is broken 'hon – so the needle goes in right... here..."
Puck's eyes crossed as he tracked the needle's progress before Jess with her final word, stuck him like a pig.
"Yow!", he protested.
"Yeah yeah – crazy needle lady – I know the drill...", mocked Jess.
"S'not funny...", grumbled Puck though he couldn't deny that the lack of pain from his nose was a welcome relief.
Puck continued to look sour as Jess cleaned him up before setting down her cotton swab on the tray.
"OK... Puck... we have to set your nose back in place... you ready?"
Puck met the nurse's eyes challengingly,
"Bring it..."
Jess smiled before she reached out and placing her thumb and forefinger either side of the boy's septum, she pushed and twisted.
A loud pop sounded before Puck groaned, it wasn't painful – so much as just completely wrong that his nose could move sideways.
"There...", said Jess applying a plaster over the bridge of the jock's nose before stepping back, "... well aren't you the handsome fella..."
"Stow it Jess...", grumbled Puck as the door opened and Kurt was wheeled back in by the same orderly that he'd left with.
"Wheeeeee!"
'Oh no...'
Puck smacked himself in the face in abject horror.
"Please tell me you didn't...", he pleaded with the black orderly who shrugged before beating a hasty retreat.
"Uh... Jess... what painkillers did you give Kurt?"
The brunette was giggling in his wheelchair and sporting a bright white cast on his right arm.
"Just something for the pain I'm sure... probably Percocet..."
Puck blanched recalling what had happened just the week before.
"Oh God..."
Kurt giggled some more and started to hum an indistinct but cheerful tune to himself.
"What?", asked Jess clearly worried, "... Is Kurt allergic to the medication?"
Puck shook his head seeing that the woman was starting to panic.
"Not allergic...just look...", he said waving at the brunette.
"P-p-p-poker face, p-p-poker face...", sang Kurt quietly as he picked at the seam of his pants a fixed grin on his face.
Jess blanched as she realised that the Percocet must have thrown the kid for a loop.
'Oh well...'
"Kurt doesn't do well with painkillers then?", she smiled in amusement.
Puck snorted as he answered the woman,
"If by 'not do well' you mean turns into a five year old, then no!"
"Hey Noah!", cried Kurt, having just spotted the jock from across the room, waving enthusiastically.
Sighing and going to pinch the bridge of his nose but thinking better of it, Puck replied,
"Hey Kurt."
Thankfully salvation arrived in the form of Burt Hummel a moment later.
"Oh thank God! Kurt are you alright?", asked the older man hurriedly taking in the cast on the boy's arm and his cheerful disposition.
"Hi Daddy!"
"Mr Hummel?", asked Jess interrupting.
Straightening up Burt became all business,
"Yes... Nurse?"
"Williams... but please call me Jess..."
The older man nodded as he took in Noah's beat up face and Kurt's arm in a plaster cast.
"What the Hell happened? Was it that Justin kid?"
Puck realised that Burt probably thought that Kurt had broken up with the blonde jock and that he had flipped out. Though it was tempting to say yes, Puck shook his head.
"No Mr H... this was my fault."
Burt looked murderous as he loomed over the boy from across the room – a considerable feat.
"You did this to my son?", he growled.
Puck's panicked expression when faced with an angry Burt Hummel and hurried stammering cleared things up though,
"What? N-no Mr H... it was my fault but I didn't do it..."
Kurt giggled from his wheelchair as he parroted,
"Do it..."
Puck smiled slightly at the small boy who was completely out of it before focusing again on the serious Mr H waiting impatiently.
"OK, here goes... I got Quinn pregnant not Finn and Finn didn't know and thought he was the Father and Quinn didn't tell him any different – so now they broke up and Quinn got angry and told him the truth and it was Finn who did this."
Puck took a deep breath having rattled off his explanation in one go.
"So – let me get this straight...", said a surprisingly calm looking Burt, "... this Quinn girl is... was Finn's girlfriend? The blonde girl in the waiting room right?"
Puck nodded having forgotten that both she and Mercedes were around somewhere.
"And... you got her pregnant and then you both lied to Finn and made him believe he was the Father?"
Puck nodded again and his shoulders slumped realising just how truly awful it sounded when someone else said it.
"And now Finn found out and he's pissed at you? Now I understand why he would want to mess you up... but why Kurt?"
Puck sighed in remorse,
"I tried to protect him Mr H...", the older man looked unimpressed, "... really – I even moved him away when I saw what was coming. He just – your son is too nice for his own good. He tried to talk Finn down and got caught by a stray arm."
Puck was relieved when Mr H's angry face thawed slightly as he nodded in acceptance.
"OK. I'm not pleased and we will be having further words later – for now let's just go home."
Jess who had been listening quietly whilst completing the discharge paperwork handed a clipboard to Mr H who signed with a flourish.
"I uh... also need a signature for Noah – we haven't been able to get hold of his next of kin – a Lilith Puckerman...", said Jess examining the clipboard.
Puck had ducked his head and Kurt had started to softly cry by the time Jess realised something wasn't right. Looking to Burt he saw the sadness in the older man's eyes.
"I'm afraid Noah's Mother passed away – her funeral was this morning... I'll sign for him for now if that's alright?"
Jess looked at Puck with a heartfelt apology in her eyes which the jock accepted without a word, as he hopped from the treatment bed and crossed to comfort Kurt. Picking up a second clipboard, Jess handed over the further set of papers to Burt who again signed them with a flourish.
"Thanks Mr H...", said Puck while the older man waved it off as nothing.
"Let's just go home kids...", said Burt moving to behind Kurt's wheelchair and wheeling the boy out of the room.
Puck looked to the quietly observing Jess once more before he nodded.
"Thanks Jess... for everything."
The nurse smiled and patted the jock on the cheek.
"Good luck Noah Puckerman..."
Puck trailed after the pair, one singing Gaga whilst the other tried in vain to shush the singer, as they made their way down the hallway.
A/N: OK – I could continue to write past this point but from what I can see this is a natural place to end the chapter. I already have a few hundred words typed up of Ch. 26 which will be hopefully put together over the next few days.
Thank you to everyone who reviewed as always – it's your encouragement that keeps me going on days where I could quite easily just say 'ah stuff it' and down tools.
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