CHAPTER ONE
September, 2009
The notice wasn't any flashier than any of the other sign up sheets pinned to the bulletin board. It was situated just below and to the right of the Glee club sign up. He'd just put his name down on that particular sheet when he noticed it. Instead of a place to put down your name, there were little tabs that you could tear off with a web address printed on them. None of the tabs had been taken. He glanced around quickly before tearing one off and stuffing it in his pocket.
Later that afternoon, he'd almost forgotten the tiny slip of paper until he was emptying his pockets before taking a shower. For a moment he almost just threw it away, but at the last moment he set it on his desk, beside his laptop, then went to take his shower.
He didn't look at the slip again until after dinner. He stared at the web address for almost five minutes before he booted up his laptop and typed it into the search bar. The first image on the screen showed an ambulance rushing through traffic. Though it was a still photo, you could tell the red and blue lights were flashing. The caption read, 'Allen County Volunteer Fire/EMT and Search and Rescue.'
He scrolled down a little, and another image appeared. This one showed four people wearing safety gear and vests that had 'Search & Rescue' printed on the back. Two of them were repelling down a cliff with a stretcher, as the other two maintained the ropes.
He scanned the rest of the page until he found the section titled 'Volunteer Requirements.'
1. Volunteers must be at least sixteen years of age. Volunteers under the age of eighteen must be enrolled in school or have a GED. Volunteers enrolled in school must maintain a 3.5 GPA, and have a parent's or legal guardian's approval.
2. All volunteers must have a valid drivers license.
3. All volunteers must pass a background check, as well as a physical and mental evaluation.
4. All volunteers must go through rigorous training, and certify annually in basic first aid, as well as other specialized training that pertains to any activity involved in their field (i.e. rope climbing, diving, etc.)
There were a few other basic requirements as well, but nothing that would preclude him from volunteering.
Was he actually considering this? He wasn't the kind of guy who usually went traipsing around the woods or running into burning buildings. No one ever looked at him and thought, 'now that's what a hero looks like.' Most people thought he still looked like a child. Would people want to be rescued by him? He could think of dozens of reasons to just close the page and throw away the slip of paper and forget this crazy idea, but only one reason to sign up.
Maybe, if there had been an EMT there that night when he was eight, his mother might still be alive. Maybe he could save someone else's mom from dying at the hands of a drunk driver.
Kurt printed out the forms, and went back downstairs. "Dad, can we talk for a minute?"
…
It had been surprisingly easy to get Burt Hummel to sign the permission forms. All Kurt had to say was that it would look great on his college applications. And Kurt thought Burt had seemed relieved that he was showing interest in something more physical, more manly.
Two weeks later, on Saturday morning, he sat through an orientation and introductory presentation with two dozen other people, most of whom looked like college students. Kurt was the only one under the age of eighteen there. The instructor who had taken his application hadn't believed Kurt was sixteen, until he produced his drivers license. The instructor still wasn't impressed.
"You look like you're twelve," he'd grunted, handing Kurt back the ID. Kurt had resisted the urge to roll his eyes, and took a seat in the back row, in a corner, as far away from everyone else as he could get. Most of the others ignored him anyway, the guys seeming to be more interested in flirting with the few female volunteers than anything else. One woman did look at him, and smiled. She looked to be in her late teens to early twenties, with dark chocolate skin and kind eyes. She looked vaguely familiar, but Kurt couldn't figure out why. One of the college jocks had been trying to get her attention, but she didn't seem interested, gently rebuffing his attempts to flirt.
The presentation began, and Kurt nearly fell out of his seat when the instructor entered and introduced herself.
"Listen up losers! I'm Sue Sylvestor, and I'll be in charge of turning you lot of pathetic wannabes into a cohesive unit of life saving do gooders! Many of you will fail and be kicked out of the program. Out of all of you, I expect only five will graduate from the program."
At those words, her eyes found Kurt's, her trademark sneer gracing her face. He almost walked out right then, but the Hummel stubbornness kicked in, and he just glared back at her, chin up. The sneer briefly turned to a smile of admiration before disappearing all together as she continued her speech, outlining the various courses and training programs they would be going through over the next eight weeks. "Your CPR and first responder training begins now!"
When she finished speaking, one of the local fire captains took the floor.
"We'll be splitting you into three groups of eight, since we only have one CPR dummy to work with. The other two groups will be at either the bandaging station or triage station. We'll rotate in forty five minute intervals so that everyone has a chance at each station. When I call your name, join your group in the designated area. Group one will start with CPR," he indicated a room off to the left, and began calling names.
Kurt ended up in group three at the triage station, along with the dark skinned woman, who smiled at him again. "Hi, I'm Farera Jones, but you can call me Rae. You look familiar."
"I'm Kurt. Kurt Hummel. Are you related to Mercedes Jones?"
Rae laughed. "My younger sister. That's why you look familiar. She pointed you out to me last week when I dropped her off at school. She called you 'that white boy with the great sense of style.'"
Kurt smiled at that. Before they could say anything more, the instructor began showing them the various diagnostic equipment they had, explained what they were used for, and demonstrated how to use them. They spent the rest of their forty five minutes using the tools on each other. After spending the next forty five minutes learning the different types of bandages and how to properly apply them, they moved on to the CPR station.
The jock from earlier apparently wasn't taking kindly to Rae's repeated dismissals, and had decided to take it out on Kurt, who she'd partnered with at the previous two stations.
"Are you sure you want to group with that little boy for this? His arms are so skinny, they'd probably snap in half if he tried to do chest compressions on anyone!"
Kurt glared at him, but Rae spoke up before he could say anything. "He has more of a chance of making it through training than you do, James. While you were busy being all macho he-man Neanderthal, Kurt was actually paying attention in the last two rotations, and did everything properly on his first try. I seem to recall you having to reapply your pressure dressing three times before the instructor approved it. And FYI, the stethoscope works better when placed over the heart, not someone's tits."
The CPR instructor glanced between the three of them, one eyebrow raised. "I'd listen to her if I was you. Either pay attention, or walk away now. Observation is a major factor in an EMT's job. One careless moment and you can do more harm than help. Miss Jones, Mr. Hummel, would you two care to demonstrate the proper way to save someone's life with CPR?"
Kurt and Rae exchanged a look and moved to the CPR dummy. "Have you ever taken a CPR class before?" Rae asked him.
Kurt nodded. "They taught us in seventh grade. First thing is to verify the person is in trouble. Shake their shoulder and speak loudly when asking if they need help."
Rae smiled at him, and shook the dummy's shoulder. "Sir! Are you okay? Do you need help?"
After a brief pause, the instructor called out. "No response. What do you do next?"
Kurt leaned down and placed his ear above the dummy's chest, as Rae checked for a pulse. "He's not breathing,'' Kurt said.
"I can't find a pulse," Rae responded. She then tilted the dummy's head back to open the airway, pinched the nose, and gave the dummy two puffs of air, making sure that the chest rose both times. Kurt then placed the heel of his palm between the dummy's breasts, clasping his other hand over the first, and gave five sharp compressions to the chest, pushing in about an inch and a half to two inches. He and Rae alternated breaths and compressions a few more times, then paused to check for a pulse once more.
"No pulse," the instructor said.
Kurt nodded at Rae and they began CPR again. After the third set of breaths and compressions, the instructor informed them that they now had a pulse, but the victim still was not breathing on their own. Kurt stopped doing the compressions, as Rae switched from two breaths per cycle to one breath every five seconds. After nearly a minute and a half, a beep sounded from the dummy, signaling that they had successfully resuscitated him.
"Good job, both of you," The instructor informed them. Kurt smiled as Rae high-fived him. The jock still wasn't impressed as Kurt shot him a Bitch glare.
"Mr. Rutherford, would you like to demonstrate single person CPR?"
The jock glared back at Kurt as he moved up to the dummy. He pinched the nose and leaned in to begin breathing, but the instructor interrupted.
"Stop! Who can tell Mr. Rutherford what his first mistake was?"
Kurt raised his hand. The instructor nodded at him. "He didn't check to see if the victim actually needed help."
The instructor nodded. "And his second mistake, Miss Jones?"
"He didn't check for a pulse and respiration."
"It's just a dummy!" James shouted, exasperated.
The instructor ignored him. "Can someone other than Mr. Hummel or Miss Jones tell me what the third mistake was? Anyone?" No one volunteered the information. "He did not tilt the head to open the airway. Failure to do so gives inadequate rescue breaths, causing lack of oxygen, which can lead to brain damage and death."
…
Since they had passed both single person and two person CPR, and were able to adequately describe the proper way to administer CPR to a child (since they didn't have a child sized dummy,) Kurt and Rae talked quietly as they waited for everyone else to finish.
"Do you have any other brothers or sisters besides Mercedes?" Kurt had asked.
Rae smiled. "Two brothers. At nineteen, I'm the oldest, by about a minute. I'm studying nursing at Rhodes. My parents are happy I decided to study so close to home and not move out, unlike my twin, Frankie, who is at State, pre-med. You know Mercedes, and then there is Joseph, or Jojo. He's nine. What about you? Any siblings?"
Kurt shook his head. "It's just me. My mom and dad wanted more kids, but she died before they could have more."
"I'm sorry."
Kurt smiled at her. "She's the reason I signed up for this. She was t-boned by a drunk driver, and bled out before advanced paramedics could arrive. I was eight at the time, and I couldn't help wondering if, had there been EMTs on site ahead of the paramedics, would they have been able to stop the bleeding, or slow it enough for her to survive until advanced help arrived."
Rae smiled, and gave him a one armed hug. "I'm sure she'd be proud of you right now."
The instructor's voice cut in, once again correcting James' attempts to perform CPR. The jock kept trying to take shortcuts that could cost a person their lives.
"You seem to know James pretty well," Kurt said.
Rae shrugged. "He's in two of my required classes at Rhodes. He can't seem to comprehend the fact that I'm just not into him."
"Not your type?"
"Wrong gender," Rae said, glancing sideways at Kurt. It took him a moment to realize what she'd meant.
"Oh," was his oh so intelligent reply. "Does your family know?"
She shrugged. "Just Frankie. He's cool with it, I just don't know how mom and dad will handle it." She paused, studying Kurt for a moment. "What about you, does anyone know you're gay?"
Kurt jerked at the question. "What? I'm not...I mean, not that there is anything wrong with it, but I…" he floundered.
She put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, take it easy. It's okay, you know. A lot of people struggle with it at first. Trust me, I know. Been there, done that, got the Pride Flag t-shirt hidden in the back of my closet."
Kurt deflated a little. "Is it that obvious?"
She smiled kindly. "Not many straight guys can pull off Marc Jacobs effortlessly. Word of warning though, I think Mercedes has just the tiniest of crushes on you, so you might want to figure out a way to let her down gently."
"She has a crush on me? Why?"
"Probably because you're the first guy who has treated her with respect, instead of trying to hit on her. Our parents always told us that actions speak louder than words, and that if a guy really likes us, they would treat us with dignity and respect." She smiled ruefully. "Of course in my case, they have nothing to worry about in that regard, although there are some women who come on too strong. My girlfriend is great, though. She's studying to become a veterinarian, and is as sweet as they come."
"Alright, that's all for the day!" the instructor called out. "Mr. Rutherford, Mr. Hagland, and Miss Carmichael, you failed to certify today. You will be given one more opportunity over the next eight weeks. I suggest you study and practice. If you fail again, you will be dropped from the program. The rest of you, congratulations, you passed. See Ms. Sylvester for your certificates on your way out!"
Kurt and Rae were the first ones from their group to line up. "Hello, Lady Hummel, Aretha's older sister," was Sue's greeting. "I see my first assessment of you two was correct. I expect you two to make it through to the end of the training program. Don't disappoint me."
Kurt was surprised by her words. Not the nickname, of course, that wasn't new. "Thanks coach Sue," they both said together as she handed them their certificates. Once out in the parking lot, Kurt took a deep breath and relaxed a little.
"I can't believe that woman is still teaching at McKinley," Rae said. "She tried to get me to join the Cheerios when I was there, but I refused. She tried to make my life a living hell after that. That is until my dad threatened to blacklist the Cheerios from every Dentist office in a five state radius, cutting them off from whitening treatments and crowns."
Kurt giggled at that. "Good to know there are some lines she won't cross. She hates the Glee club with a passion, I don't know why."
"Probably because she tried recruiting many of us when I was there, but only two joined her."
"You were in Glee club?"
Rae nodded. "Only for a year, though. I left when that creepy Ryerson took over. The guy had pervert written all over him."
A vintage VW Bug painted like a ladybug pulled up beside them, and a pretty redhead with bright green eyes and pert nose generously sprinkled with freckles got out.
"Hi, sweetie," she said, coming around the car to kiss Rae, before looking at Kurt. "I see you finally found a guy who could charm you into talking to him," she teased with a faint Irish brogue.
Rae laughed. "This is Kurt, he's a friend of Mercedes, and a kick ass CPR partner. Kurt, this is Sinead, my girlfriend."
Kurt smiled and shook her hand. "Nice to meet you."
"We gotta go," Rae said. "We're going to go see a movie. It was really great meeting you, Kurt. I'll see you Monday afternoon for physical training, okay?"
"Looking forward to it," he said, though his voice indicated the opposite.
Rae laughed. "You'll be fine. See you there."
He watched them drive away.
…
Kurt almost decided to give up and not go to training Monday night. After his daily dumpster toss, he'd been shoved against the lockers three times, and Karofsky had tripped him in the cafeteria, causing him to spill his tray all over his shirt. And the moment he'd walked out of the bathroom after changing into a spare outfit, Rick the stick and a couple of the other puckheads had bombarded him with three slushies, one right after the other. All he wanted to do was go home, change his clothes, and hide under his covers.
But he managed to pull himself together enough to drive to the address given to them for physical training. Upon entering and signing in, he was issued what looked like PE shorts and a shirt that had ALLEN COUNTY FIRE/EMT TRAINEE printed on the front. On the back was printed HUMMEL. He took them with a resigned sigh, and went to change.
When he came out to the gym area, Rae was there, already changed and stretching. She smiled when she spotted him. "Hey there. You look like a rabbit about to flee from a hawk."
Kurt frowned. "Funny, that's exactly how I feel. The only saving grace here is that none of the jerks from school are here to shoulder check me into a wall."
Rae frowned at that. "Can't you tell someone about it? A teacher or something?"
Kurt scoffed. "They don't care. It's my word against theirs. All they have to do is say they tripped, it was an accident."
Rae looked furious. "That is so wrong! I have half a mind to go down to that school and…"
She didn't get to finish her sentence as a whistle blew, and Kurt almost let out a groan of defeat as Sue Sylvester called them to attention.
"Okay, you pathetic lot of useless flesh, listen up! Jumping Jacks, full extension, and I don't want to hear anyone whine about it! Go!"
Kurt sighed and began jumping. After fifty Jumping Jacks, Sue called for fifty sit ups, followed by twenty laps around the gym. To Kurt's credit, he was doing better than James Rutherford. Kurt may not like to sweat, but he knew how to run. Rae matched him stride for stride as they lapped the jock for the second time.
"I thought football players had better stamina than that," she said, barely sounding winded.
James glared at her. "I got stamina for the important things. Want me to prove it?"
Rae snorted. "Why do guys always think with their dicks? Oh, that's right, cause they have no brains."
Kurt almost lost his stride as he choked back a laugh. Rae winked at him. "Present company excluded, of course," she said.
After they finished their laps, the real fun began. They were broken up into groups to do rotating stations. There were jump ropes, weighted balls, a rope ladder, long jumps, high jumps, and the dreaded rope climb.
At the end of the two hour training session, Kurt was stiff and sore, but had done better than anyone at McKinley would have thought he could. Rae was a great motivator, encouraging and pushing him to do better.
Once they cleaned up and changed their clothes, Rae asked him if he wanted to go get a coffee, but he declined. "I still have homework to do, but thanks. I'll see you tomorrow, unless I die from over exertion first."
Rae laughed and said goodnight.
…
The rest of the week was more of the same; abuse at school, followed by two hours of torture at physical training. By Friday night, though, he didn't notice the stiffness as much, and the muscle aches were more bearable. Six of the volunteers had already either dropped out of the program, or been cut for not keeping up. Surprisingly, Sue actually seemed to be rooting for Kurt just as much as Rae, never commenting when he came up short on push ups and chin ups. With any of the others, especially James, she chewed them out for not doing better.
Kurt was glad Saturday finally came around. No school, and no physical training. Instead, they would have eight hours of classes on IV insertion, intubation, and medical jargon, plus learning the med boxes and layout of the ambulances, memorizing where each item is located, how to properly restock everything, and how to check expiration dates. Rae already knew a lot of what they covered that day, having already learned it in nursing classes, and helped Kurt remember everything, which turned out to be a good thing, as they were given a quiz at the end of the day, covering everything they'd learned. Kurt and Rae were two of only three people who got a perfect score. Another volunteer dropped out by the time they were dismissed.
Rae once again invited Kurt to get coffee, and this time he accepted. When they arrived at the Lima Bean, they spotted Mercedes and Tina sitting at a table, and joined them.
"Kurt," Tina exclaimed, her stutter making it sound like three syllables instead of one. "Where have you been? I thought for sure you'd be at the sale at the mall today."
"Oh, I was...getting tutoring from Mercedes' sister. Do you know Rae?"
Tina smiled. "Yeah. Hey Rae. I thought you were going to that EMT training today."
Rae glanced at Kurt, wondering why he had lied, but went along with it. "I finished early, so I told Kurt I'd help him with biology." Mercedes was looking at both of them in confusion. She knew Kurt was in the EMT training program too. But apparently he didn't want anyone else to know. She just shrugged it off, pleased that he had joined them. They spent an hour laughing about Glee club antics.
…
On Monday morning, Mercedes busted Kurt's Windshield.
…
"I told you to let her down easy," Rae greeted him Monday afternoon.
Kurt sighed and rolled his eyes. "I panicked, okay?"
She laughed at him as Sue blew her whistle to start the training.
By Friday of the second week of physical training, Kurt no longer dreaded the two hour sessions. They'd actually helped him improve his singing skills, giving him more stamina to hold notes longer, and greater leg strength for dancing. He'd also noticed that his arm muscles had gained some definition as well. But while Kurt was beginning to excel, others were dropping out or being dropped by the instructors. James Rutherford had been warned that if he didn't improve his work ethic when it came to patient care, he would be out.
Rae noticed Kurt seemed distracted when he arrived Friday night. "What's wrong?"
Kurt heaved a sigh. "My dad caught me dancing with Tina and Brittany while wearing a unitard. I lied to him, said it was conditioning for the football team, because I was now on the football team, and he wants to be there for my first game!"
"Let me guess, you're not on the football team?"
He snorted. "Of course not! And I don't know what to do! I can't tell him I got cut from the team! It would break his heart!"
Rae patted his arm sympathetically. "I don't know what to say, Kurt. I should probably tell you just to come out to him, but that would be the pot calling the kettle black, wouldn't it?"
"I did tell Mercedes the truth the other day. It was the first time I ever said it out loud. I didn't realize it at the time, but it hit me later. I couldn't admit it even to myself. Saying it made it real, and I didn't want it to be real, but I guess it is now."
She hugged him. "It's okay, baby. I think we all feel that at first. Now that you've said it out loud, you'll feel more comfortable with it. It's still scary, but at least now you admit why, and can face it better."
Kurt sighed, and hugged her back.
"What is it with you and that babyface? You into little kids or something?" James taunted when he saw them.
Rae glared at him. Her Bitch face was even scarier than Kurt's. "You know, I've tried being gentle with you so as not to damage your fragile ego, but I'm tired of walking on eggshells, so listen up. I'm not interested in you. I like girls. I have a girlfriend, and you never stood a chance with me. So back off, got it?"
James looked angry, and opened his mouth to speak, but Sue was blowing her whistle. "Rutherford, fifty laps, now! The rest of you, stomach crunches, One hundred of them! Go!"
…
By Saturday morning, Kurt had a plan. He told Rae about it when she picked him up for training that morning, since he no longer had a car, and his dad had to be at the garage early.
"You're going to join the football team?"
"As the kicker, yeah. I looked it up last night when I got home. The Titan's haven't scored a field goal in the past two years. I heard Finn say earlier this week that they were going to have tryouts on Monday. I can skip Glee club for one day."
Rae was shaking her head. "What makes you think you can kick a field goal?"
Kurt shrugged. "I'm the right build, I have good coordination, and I'm extremely motivated. Besides, I asked Finn to teach me how tomorrow."
Rae laughed. "Well, good luck with that. I have some news, too."
"Oh?"
"I'm going to tell Mercedes about me. She's met Sinead before, and likes her, so I'm going to tell her that Sinead and I are a couple."
Kurt smiled at her. "I'm sure she'll be okay with it. You were right, admitting it out loud has made it easier. Maybe I'll even tell my dad. Someday."
They pulled into the parking lot of the fire station where today's training would take place. As they entered the bay, Kurt noticed two firemen working on the engine of the rescue truck, arguing over what seemed to be wrong with it. One seemed to think it was the air hose, while the other thought it was a clogged fuel line. He listened as they cranked the engine over.
"You're both wrong. Your fan belt is frayed. My dad owns Hummel Tire and Lube. He'd be happy to fix it for you for just the cost of the part."
Both men looked at him, sizing him up, before turning back to inspect the engine. Sure enough, after a more thorough look, they found the fan belt had begun to fray, and was on the verge of snapping.
"Thanks, kid," one of them said. "You one of the trainees?"
Kurt nodded.
"Good luck," the other man said.
"Thanks."
They were down to nine volunteers by then, so the morning passed quickly as they learned how to don their turnout gear and breathing apparatus, followed by a tour of the various fire and rescue vehicles, learning what each one's purpose was, and what equipment they carried. They learned about the jaws of life, air jacks, seatbelt cutters, fire blankets, window punchers, elevator keys, and the different types of shovels and axes.
After lunch, it was all about the hoses. Kurt hadn't realized there were different sized hoses, and that each one had a different purpose. The one they were going to train on that day was the one used for large, out of control brush fires. It was the largest and most powerful, with a spray radius of up to twelve feet, and could send a jet out as far as fifty feet. It took all nine of them to manage it, and the person at the nozzle needed to be able to keep a steady hand as it jerked them around. If the frontman lost control, the hose could whip around and hurt someone. At full force, it would be like a pedestrian being struck by a fully loaded small U-Haul moving van at fifty miles per hour.
They each took turns at the nozzle, and most of them managed to keep it steady. There was a scary moment when James lost focus and almost let go, causing the hose to jerk violently, knocking Kurt and Rae down. Fortunately there were a half dozen fully trained firefighters on hand, who dived onto the hose before it got too out of control.
Seemingly out of nowhere, Sue Sylvester showed up as the hose was shut down. "Mr. Rutherford, your carelessness could have killed someone today. Pack it up, you're done!"
A few of the other trainees cheered at the news, although Kurt and Rae were too busy making sure the other one wasn't too seriously injured. Kurt had a scrape on his chin from being dragged a few inches by the hose when it knocked him down, but Rae had taken the brunt of the force, and it appeared she had sprained her wrist. They were excused from the last two hours of training so Kurt could drive her to the hospital for x-rays, since she couldn't grip the steering wheel.
Fortunately it was only a minor sprain. Kurt called his dad to come pick them up. Rae rode with Burt as Kurt drove her car for her, not wanting her to get in an accident because of the pain medicine they'd given her. They dropped her off at her house, letting her mom and dad know what was up. She was going to be wearing a brace for a week at least, and wouldn't be allowed to drive until Monday. Rae gave Kurt a hug before they said goodbye.
…
"Alright you scroungy pack of water slugs! You think you've been working hard? You haven't been working hard! When I get done with you I want your blisters to have blisters and your scabs to have scabs!"
Kurt rolled his eyes as he and Rae helped each other stretch.
"So, you made the football team?" She asked, trying not to wince as the exercise pulled at her wrist.
"Yeah, who knew I was such a natural kicker?" Kurt laughed, easing his grip on her hand a little so not to apply so much pressure. "Finn was a big help, although he seemed really distracted by something. I have no idea what, though."
She smiled gratefully as he loosened his grip. "So, when's your big game?"
"Friday night, which is perfect, since there's no training that night because of the administration meeting. My dad was so happy when I gave him the ticket."
"That's great! I told Mercedes yesterday. She was really cool with it. Said she figured there must be some reason I never brought a boyfriend home. She thinks I should tell mom and dad."
"Maybe she's right. I don't know if I can hide it from my dad much longer. I hate lying to him."
She just shrugged non committedly. "Maybe."
…
The game Friday night was probably the most unusual football game anyone had ever seen. The McKinley players broke out in a dance routine mid play, distracting the other team, allowing them to close the gap, and get within a field goal of victory. And the kicker followed up with some dancing of his own, scoring the winning point with a perfect kick between the posts.
Finn, Puck, Mike and Matt hoisted Kurt up on their shoulders in celebration, and carried him into the locker room. Later, as Kurt was on his way across the parking lot to meet his dad, he heard a disturbance off to his right.
"Damn it, Matt! Let me go! That scrawny little runt is the one who got me kicked out of the volunteer program! You know my scholarship is dependent on my participating in a volunteer career program!"
Kurt recognized that voice, but hadn't connected it to his Glee classmate in any way. Why hadn't he put two and two together?
Matt sounded exasperated when he replied. "And the only reason you have that clause is because of all the trouble you got into for fighting in high school. Do you really want to ruin your life completely because you can't control your anger?"
Kurt glanced from the two boys to where his dad was pulling up in his truck. He indicated to his dad that he'd be there in a minute, before walking over to the two Rutherfords. "Hey, Matt, great game. Hello James. Just for the record, I'm not the one who got you kicked out. You, however, are the one who nearly got eight people killed with that fire hose. You constantly failed to listen to the instructors, thought you could take shortcuts, and showed a rather disturbing lack of concern for human life. Frankly, I think you merely joined because it was a requirement and there were openings, not because you actually cared about learning." Kurt nodded politely to Matt before turning and walking away.
…
October, 2009
Kurt was grinning happily Saturday morning as he arrived for training, seeking out Rae immediately. "I told him!"
Rae looked surprised. "You came out to your dad?"
He nodded and hugged her. "He said he'd known since I was three!"
"What?"
"Apparently I asked for a pair of sensible heels for my birthday."
She laughed. "I'm so happy for you, Kurt!" She hugged him once more.
"Oh, I almost forgot, how is your wrist?"
She held the appendage up. "Good as new!"
"Good."
They didn't exactly have training that day, more like a midterm review. They were given a written quiz first, and then a practical application exam, and finally they went over the various forms of CPR once more. Rae got a perfect score, but Kurt got his butterfly syringes and infant syringes mixed up during the practical portion.
…
The next four weeks of training grew more intense with each passing day. Physical training had them all pushing their limits, while the practical had them all on their toes as they progressed to fire training.
During that time, a lot was going on at school as well. The whole Quinn pregnancy had thrown the Glee club for a loop, and the Finn/Puck baby daddy thing was threatening to tear things apart, not to mention Puck, Matt, and Mike joining Glee club and invading his only safe space. And then there was the April Rhodes fiasco that wasted an entire week of their time, and Mrs. Schuester getting them all in trouble with her Vitamin D prescription. Between all the drama, including Kurt's fight for the Defying Gravity solo, and the super intense training, Kurt wasn't sure he would make it to the end of the training program.
But he did make it, along with four others, including Rae. Sue's prediction of only five of them completing the course was right on the spot. They had a graduation ceremony, where each of them were presented with their uniforms, name tags, and EMT patch. Since Kurt and Rae were the top in their class, they were given their choice of whom they wished to partner with. Naturally, they chose each other. They both also opted to take an additional three week training course for Search and Rescue that would include rock climbing, repelling, knot tying, and water rescue. Rae decided to take the additional option of becoming Scuba certified. Kurt had thought about it, but really didn't feel comfortable with the idea.
After the ceremony, Kurt, Burt, Rae, Mercedes, their parents and little brother, and Sinead all went out to Breadstix to celebrate.
Once the waiter had taken their orders and brought them their drinks, Rae took Sinead's hand under the table and cleared her throat. "I know we have a lot to celebrate tonight, but mom, dad, there is something I've been wanting to tell you both for a while now, but was too scared to…"
Mrs. Jones rolled her eyes. "Why don't you just kiss your girlfriend and skip all the drama. I've known from the first time you introduced her as your 'friend from Ireland,' and I've just been waiting for you to fess up."
It was the first time Kurt had seen Rae so shocked. The table had gone quiet for several heartbeats, and then everyone burst into laughter, and Rae got her kiss from Sinead
...
A/N This will be a little bit of a slow burn. The first few chapters will be mostly Kurt, with glimpses of Blaine here and there. While it is AU, it does mostly follow canon, as much as it can be followed considering the season one timeline makes little sense, LOL.