Through a bustling mess of wires and hands poking and prodding his body, Blaine tries to sit up on the gurney he's being wheeled around on. A hand pushes him down and someone's voice tells him that he's safe, that he's in the hospital. They tell him he's been stabbed. He remembers all of this, but his mind is focused on one thing, one person. Sam. His eyes dart. Through his fogged vision he catches a glimpse of messy blonde hair. He forces himself up and sees an unconscious Sam being wheeled away.
"SAM!" Blaine cries out, desperate to reach the one he loves most.
He's pushed back down, but he continues to fight. He reaches out and grabs hold of a tray, trying to get back up. Two male nurses hold him down and he hears a doctor order a sedative.
Tears fill his eyes, "I have to get to Sam." He whines, "He needs me!"
A sweet, smiling female doctor gets down on his level. "He's in good hands. You're no good to each other being hurt. So, let us take care of your injuries and I promise to get you two in a shared room after you've woken up from surgery. Okay?"
Blaine nods before feeling a pinch in his arm, "I just need to see him first. I…I need to…tell him I'm sorry for the things that I said before…" The drug is taking effect and in one last attempt, he forces himself all the way up to a seated position, knocking heads with one of the male nurses. "SAM!" He cries out one last time, hoping he'll be heard, but the drugs in his system take hold and he blacks out.
Despite the team working on him, Blaine lands hard against the backboard. The bandage on the wound near his neck turns scarlet and soon blood begins to rapidly seep through. "His artery must've burst." A doctor says before running off to a nearby set of drawers. She grabs a few instruments and manages to do a quick repair. "That won't hold for long. We need to get him to the OR now!"
Within minutes Sam and Blaine are both being operated on. The doctors work vigorously on both boys. Their heart rates have dropped due to their blood loss and from the trauma they've both endured. The monitors are beeping loudly in both rooms. Beep….beep…beep…beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep! The code teams are called and compressions are being done to try and restart their hearts, but nothing is working.
….
Will enters the hospital running. He makes it to the front desk of the emergency room. Emma, Finn, Sebastian, and Rachel aren't far behind them. Sebastian catches a glimpse of Puck from the corner of his eye and changes his course. When he gets a few feet from his boyfriend he can see that he's just finishing up with the police. They thank him for his statement and then let him go.
He sees Sebastian and tears are in his eyes. His face has paled and Sebastian embraces him tightly. "I'm so glad you're okay!" Sebastian says as tears of joy fall from his eyes and land on Noah's neck.
"WHERE IS MY SON!?" They both turn to see Will yelling at the receptionist.
She's frantically typing away at her computer, with a terrified look on her face. She stutters as she speaks, "I'm so sorry. I literally just started my shift. Can you…p..pplllease tell me your son's name a…ugh again, please?"
Emma places her hand on Will's and says, "His name is Sam Evans. He's seventeen, he has blonde hair, green eyes that in certain light almost actually look blue, but that's just the light playing tricks, and …and he was brought in a little while ago. The police called us and said they'd found our son and that they'd brought him here for emergency treatment."
Will is looking at his girlfriend with awe. This was the first time she had referred Sam as being more than just his son. She had actually said, "our son."
The girl at the desk checks her screen again, "Okay, I found him. He and another boy were brought in. His wrist was cut and they've taken him back to surgery."
Will and Emma cringe and hang on tightly to each other, while Rachel and Finn do the same.
"And Blaine…Blaine Anderson..the other boy who was brought in?" Rachel asks.
She looks at Rachel, "Are you family?"
"I'm his sister…we both have different moms." She knows the girl could get in trouble, but she doesn't care. Her friends are hurt and she wants answers.
The nurse clicks on Blaine's file that was attached to Sam's. "Here he is. He's in surgery also."
"What happened?!" Rachel asks sounding more worried than ever.
"Um his chart says he suffered a stab wound close to his neck and the notes also state they're having to repair a damaged artery." She looks at the group before her with apologetic eyes. "I'm sorry but that's all I can tell you for now. When they're out of surgery the doctors will provide you all with more information. Oh and Ms. Anderson, we're having trouble contacting your parents, is there an issue we need to be aware of?" Rachel shakes her head.
She reaches for her phone. "I'll call them and then let you talk to them when I get a hold of them. They don't usually answer numbers they don't know."
The receptionist nodded and they all went over to where Puck and Sebastian were sitting. The two boys stand up when Will moves in front of them. "Mr. Schue, I'm so sorry." Noah says as he begins to cry.
He is surprised when his teacher wraps his arms around him and hugs him tightly, "Thank you." Will says with a quiet sob. Will pulls back and wipes his eyes, "Thank you for saving my son, Noah."
Puck couldn't help but smile. It was the first time his teacher had actually been nice to him since the school board hearing. "I just wish I had gotten there sooner. Neither of them would be hurt right now if…"
"You couldn't have known, Puck. None of us suspected that kid," Will says and then begins looking around, "Where is Chandler anyways?"
Puck groans, "I shot him in the lung, they've taken him to First Presbyterian…apparently they've got something called a cardio god over there, named Dr. Yang. They think she can save him…not that he deserves saving."
Will shakes his head, "As much as I'd love to see that kid suffocate from a collapsed lung, I'd rather see him rot in prison for the rest of his life."
….
Sam opens his eyes and the light is so bright that it takes a while for his eyes to adjust. When they do, he sees that he's standing in the hallway of the hospital, except it's deserted and everything is glowing. He jumps when he catches something in his peripheral. He turns and sees Blaine standing next to him.
"Blaine," Sam says whispering.
Blaine turns, his eyes widening in shock. "Sam," he says smiling, and then looking around.
"Blaine, are…are we dead?" Sam asks looking and feeling scared.
A familiar voice comes from behind them, "Not yet."
…..
Puck is shaking, even though Sebastian is holding him. A doctor comes over holding a couple of prescription bottles and stands in front of the young teen. "Noah, I've got some anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medicines that I would like for you to take over the next few weeks, as needed. And remember what we talked about, what you did was necessary. You and your friends might have died had it not been for you."
He nods and takes the medication. When the doctor is gone, Noah gets up and throws the bottles in the trash. Sebastian runs over and retrieves them, much to Emma's displeasure. He takes a seat next to his boyfriend and holds his hand. "Babe, I really think you should take one of the anti-anxiety ones. You've been shaking like a leaf for almost an hour."
Noah huffs.
Sebastian looks at him with his most pitiful look, knowing Puck could never resist seeing him looking so sad. "Please, Noah, it hurts me to see you like this. These pills will make you feel better. Or at the very least get some rest and let me take care of you."
Puck begrudgingly takes the anti-anxiety pill with a swig of water that he and Seb were sharing. He opens his mouth to show that he's swallowed it. The look on Sebastian's now pleased face, makes a slight smile cross Noah's lips. "Happy now?"
"Very," Sebastian says giving him a quick peck on the lips and whispering, "I love you and I'm so glad you weren't hurt."
Puck wipes the tears forming in his boyfriend's eyes, "I love you too, Seb."
…
Sam and Blaine turn quickly. Both of their faces stricken with disbelief, "No way," Sam says rubbing his eyes to make sure he isn't seeing things.
Blaine steps forward, "Kurt? Is that really you?"
The porcelain skinned boy smiles Cheshire grin, "In the flesh…so to speak."
Sam feels his heart drop when he watches Blaine run over to him and hug him tightly and spin him around, screaming happily. He laughs and puts Kurt down, "I've missed you, Kurt."
Kurt smiles, "I can see that. I also see that you and Sam are together now."
Blaine's face drops for a moment, but quickly returns to normal. However, his reaction may have been short, but Sam did see it and the tall blonde began to worry. If they are dead, or soon to be dead, then maybe in the afterlife Blaine was going to be with Kurt and not him.
So Sam decides to ask a question, "Why are you here, Kurt? I mean, you said we're not dead yet, and you're dead, so how do you know that Blaine and I aren't dead yet?"
Kurt smiles, "Because, Sam, I'm the angel of death now…well one of his interns anyways, but someday I'll be a full-fledged, AOD," He can see the acronym has been lost between his two friends, "It stands for angel of death."
They both nod and Blaine asks, "So are you here to takes us away then?"
Kurt smiles, "I can't tell you that just yet. I can tell you that I am here to take someone."
Blaine looks at Sam with fear in his eyes and he takes his love by the hand. Sam turns to Blaine and they both see what the other is thinking. Being torn apart by death at this point would destroy the one who lived.
The darker haired teen looks at the blond and grabs him, holding him tightly.
"You two should go for a walk and…talk things out that you've left partially unresolved." Kurt says gesturing down the hallway.
Sam looks at him inquisitively, "What do you mean by that?"
Kurt smiles, "Your hearts have forgiven, but your minds still have their guards up, protecting themselves from getting hurt again. You two need to restore the balance between the rational and the emotional parts of your souls, or else you're never going to move on…living or dead." With that Kurt fades away.
Sam and Blaine look at each other and decide to take Kurt's advice and begin their walk down the hallway.
….
Puck's anti-anxiety medicine has taken effect and he's now laid across the chairs with his head in Sebastian's lap. Seb runs his fingers back and forth in the strip of hair atop his boyfriend's crown. Every so often he whimpers and cries, and so Sebastian kisses his cheek and whispers that he's safe.
Emma and Will hang onto each other, praying for Sam and Blaine to come through their surgeries unscathed. They worry what damage has been done, not just physically, but emotionally. Emma and Will have agreed that no matter how long it takes for him to be ready, Will is going to stay home with Sam and take care of him, while Emma continues to work at the school. They plan to take full advantage the mandatory sabbatical that Figgins ordered Will to take.
Just then two doctors come in. "Who is here for Sam Evans and Blaine Anderson?" Will, Emma, Rachel, and Finn stand up and walk over to them. Sebastian would join them, but his concern is focused on keeping Noah comfortable and feeling safe.
"We're Sam's parents." Will says as Emma's grip cuts the circulation to his hand.
"I'm Blaine's sister. Ugh…Our mom and dad are out of town but they're on their way." Rachel says lying. She called the number she had for Blaine's parents four times. When Mr. Anderson finally picked up the phone, he made it clear that neither he nor his wife would be coming, but to call if Blaine died.
The doctor nods, "Well, both of them are in recovery. Both lost a lot of blood, but luckily we've used up most of our supply, so if any of you are matching blood types, we could use the supply in case we have to go back in on either of them."
Emma is the one who speaks up, "Will and Sam have the same type, and Noah and Sebastian are the same type as Blaine. Finn," She turns to her tallest student, "you, Mike, …and Tina! You're all universal donors! Go call them!"
Finn does as he's told and runs off to get his friend's to donate blood.
"I think Quinn and Rory are Blaine's blood type too," she says turning to Rachel who begins to make calls with Finn.
The other doctor begins to speak, "That's great, but how do you know all of their blood types?"
Emma knows she's violating her student's privacy but this is a life and death matter. "I have OCD and the memory of twenty elephants. I'm their school counselor and I have each of their files memorized."
"Okay, well," the second doctor says, "you should be aware that both of their hearts stopped. Sam was gone for three minutes and Blaine was gone for five. Both are fine and we don't suspect any brain damage, but Sam does have an infection from his body being cut up by his attacker. We have him on antibiotics and fluids to help flush it out."
Will chokes back his fear and asks, "What about his wrist? The receptionist said it was cut?"
The doctor sighs a bit, "It looks like his attacker wanted to make it look like he tried to commit suicide. We repaired the damage and we're confident he'll retain full function of his hand. We did pull his file and saw that he actually had made an attempt earlier this year, so we would like to have a psych evaluation done to make sure this kind of traumatic event doesn't cause him to relapse into those feelings."
Will nods, "Yes of course. But, Sam's different now. He lost his mom, dad, brother and sister in a fire, got outed to the entire world, and found out I was his dad all in a matter of weeks. That's enough to send the strongest person over the edge. After that he came back stronger than ever, though."
The doctor nods and shows everyone where they can donate blood.
….
Walking the hallways Blaine grabs Sam and holds him tightly. The smell of Blaine's skin fills Sam's senses and he smiles. Pulling back he smiles, "What was that for?"
Blaine's face shows that something is wrong, "Sam, I'm sorry."
Sam feels confused. "Sorry for what?"
Blaine notices a couple of chairs. "For our fight we had, before…"
Seeing the pain in his lover's face Sam pulls him in and kisses the top of his head. "Babe that was my fault. I knew how you felt about Puck and me being around him and I should've been more respectful."
Blaine shakes his head and looks up into Sam's eyes, "No, you were being you. You forgive people because you've learned that being angry with them is a waste of time."
"Yeah, but you're my boyfriend. I should have been more respectful of your feelings. And I shouldn't have said any of those mean things to you when we were in the hallway." Sam says feeling a tear trickle down his cheek. His mind flashes back to the last time he saw Blaine before is kidnapping.
Blaine presses his lips to Sam's. The kiss is soft and lingering as Blaine allows Sam to pull him closer. When they part Blaine says, "Sam I'm sorry for what I said too. We both ended up causing each other to have trust issues, and I promise to not get jealous over you hanging out with your friends. I see now that Puck and Sebastian are crazy for each other…as weird as that relationship is."
Sam laughs, "Okay, well I promise that when you do get jealous, I will respect your feelings…even when they reach levels of maximum craziness. I want us to be forever, but Kurt said he's here to take someone, not someones."
Fear hit Blaine like a rampaging elephant that just got shot in the ass with a dartgun. "You…you think he's really going to take one of us away? To you know…the other side?"
Tears fill Sam's eyes, "I don't know, but if he does, I want him to take me."
"No, if either of us has to die, it's going to be me, Sam. I love you and you've survived so much, that you deserve to live." Blaine sees that Sam is about to argue with him, so he does what he knows will silence him. He crashes his mouth into the tall blonde's. Though tears spawned from the fear of the unknown, stream down their faces, the kiss intensifies.
When they come up for air Sam knows that if they have any say in the matter, Blaine won't let him be the one to go. "I don't…I don't know what …how I'm supposed to live without you."
Blaine smiles halfheartedly, "You'll never be without me. I'm going to make sure that you have a happy life, Sam."
Sam kisses Blaine again. But just as quickly as he felt his boyfriend's lips on his Blaine felt like he was kissing air. He opens his eyes and Sam is gone and he's alone. Panic strikes his face and he begins to call out, "SAM!" He turns a corner, "SAM!" He runs, "SAM!"
"Would you stop screaming!" Blaine turns and finds Kurt standing behind him, "You'll wake the dead!"
Blaine grabs Kurt by the collar of his black button down and slams him against the wall. His jaw is clenched tight as he growls, "Where. Is. Sam?!"
Kurt starts to laugh, "I sent him so he could say goodbye."
Blaine's eyes go wide and he drops his ex before falling to his knees. He fears that he may never see Sam again.
….
After he's donated two pints Will is taken to Sam and Blaine's room. He pulls a chair up next to his son's bed and holds his hand. "I'm here, Sam."
Sam suddenly appears behind Will. His body is in a leaned in, kissing position, causing him to fall forward. He manages to catch himself, but he nearly collapses when he sees himself lying in bed, well his body at least. He looks around for Blaine. When he turns around he finds only his boyfriend's unconscious body.
Will begins to sob uncontrollably and Sam goes over to him. Emma runs in the room and through Sam. She wraps her arms around the man she loves. "He's gonna be fine, Will. They've done everything. They said it's up to him now to open his eyes.
He looks at her, not letting go of his son. "What if he's not fine, Emma? What if I lose him all over again?"
Sam's eyes fill with tears, "I'm here, dad! I'm right here!" He shouts, but quickly realizes he can't be heard in the state he's in.
"You won't." Emma says quickly. "We've got our son back. He's safe, and when he opens his eyes we're going to show him that he's safe and no one is ever going to hurt him again."
Sam feels his heart skip a beat and it shows on the machine. "I never knew you cared about me like that, Emma." He says smiling at her.
He lowers himself to look at his father. "Dad, I know you can't hear me, but I'm here and I'm not going anywhere."
A new presence enters the room and Sam hears another familiar voice, "Hello Sammy." He turns and his heart begins to race. He'd recognize that angelic face anywhere. He stands to his feet, feeling nothing but disbelief as he gazes at the sight of his mother.
"Mom, is it really you?" He says walking towards her.
She smiles, "Yes, sweetie, it's me."
…..
A/N: Thanks again to all that have reviewed. I know I saw it a lot, but I really mean it. You guys are awesome and I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. I was going to have it all be in one chapter, but as I got to writing this part of this story, it became apparent I was either going to have a chapter that was double the size of the others, or it was going to be split into separate chapters. More than likely the second part will be the last part of Sam and Blaine's time in being in a state of Limbo.
