CHAPTER FIVE
May, 2010
"How are you doing?" Kurt asked.
Quinn smiled at him. "I'm fine, and the baby is fine." The other New Directions had gone to the nursery to see the baby, but Kurt had stayed behind.
Kurt smiled back at her. "I'm just glad I didn't have to deliver this one."
The blonde girl laughed. "Rae told me about your special delivery. No offense, but I'm glad you didn't deliver it either." They both giggled. "It just sucks that we lost."
Kurt shrugged. "I have a feeling this isn't the end of New Directions. I think Sue is going to surprise us by showing her softer side."
"So you've seen it too? I know she can be a real bitch sometimes, but I also know that when you make her list, she'll fight like a momma bear for you."
Kurt nodded. "I'm pretty sure she was secretly rooting for me during training. There were a couple of times she could have chewed me out for not pushing myself harder, but she always just seemed to turn a blind eye, and by the end, I was exceeding everyone's expectations."
"Speaking of your secret identity," she said teasingly, "Puck, Santana, Tina and Artie are a hundred percent convinced you are being sexually exploited, they just can't figure out how Sue factors into it."
Kurt rolled his eyes. "Santana at least should know that if Sue is involved, then there is nothing elicit about it."
"True," Quinn agreed. "So, when are you going to spring the trap?"
"I haven't quite figured that part out yet."
…
"Are you sure this is the song you want to perform for the Summer Fair?" Wes asked.
Blaine bounced lightly on his feet. "It's climbing the charts, it's fun, and it's relevant."
"Well, if this were a competition, I'd say choose something else, but since this is just an exhibition, I'll allow it, if the other two councilmen approve."
David and Thad nodded in agreement. "We'll work out harmonies and choreography tomorrow, that will give us two weeks to work it out."
Blaine smiled happily. "Thank you, I promise you won't regret this!"
…
Mr. Schue walked into the choir room on Friday afternoon, noting all the sad faces. He smiled at them. "We get one more year!"
There were cheers at this announcement. Before he could say more, Kurt's pager went off. On his way out the door, he gave Mercedes and Quinn a little wink.
"I wonder what it'll be today," Quinn whispered, leaning close to Mercedes. She noticed Tina leaning forward to listen in on what they were trying to say.
"I don't know," Mercedes whispered back. "I just hope they're using protection."
"I'm sure they are. Didn't Kurt say they'd probably be using more rope now that it's almost summer?"
"Yeah. Do you think he'll use the collar this time?"
Rachel leaned back in her chair and stage whispered, "I hope they don't use drugs this time. That really worries me."
Mercedes could see Tina's eyes go extremely wide as she ate up this juicy piece of gossip. She shared a smirk with Quinn.
…
"We've got a search and rescue," Rae said when Kurt arrived at the station. "A couple of girls wandered off during recess early this morning. No one noticed they were missing right away because they had an assembly and then early dismissal. When the one girl wasn't home when her mom got off work, they got concerned. She asked around, and that is when one of the other kids mentioned they'd seen the two leaving school grounds.
"There is a state park near the school, with dozens of hiking trails. They think the girls wandered into the park and got lost, with lots of places they could have fallen or been injured. Since there is so much ground to cover, they called in all the search and rescue teams. We're taking rescue51. I've already stowed our aid packs."
It took them almost thirty minutes to reach the site and check in with the coordinator. "The girls' names are Karly and Mary, they're both eleven years old. Karly has asthma, and doesn't have her medication, so it's imperative we find them before nightfall."
Kurt and Rae were directed to their search grid, and began combing the underbrush. At first the searchers were bunched together, but as the search went on, they were more spread out. They'd been searching for almost two hours when Rae pointed something out to him.
"Look, down there, stuck to that tree limb, does that look like a scrunchy to you?"
Kurt studied it for a moment. Whatever it was, it wasn't a color you would normally find in nature. Instead it was a dark blue, and even though it was still a distance away, they could see something shimmery that appeared to be caught in whatever it was and blowing in the wind.
"We should check it out." He cautiously led the way over ground that was a little marshy in areas. As they got closer, they could tell it was definitely a hair scrunchy, and even had some blonde strands tangled in it.
"Karly? Mary?" Kurt called out. They didn't get a response.
"Let's see the map again," Rae said. They studied their map, pinpointing their location. "We're not far from Rocky Ford. Let's hope they haven't fallen in."
They made their way towards the river that fed into the nearby lake, calling the girls' names.
"Stop! Did you hear that?" Kurt said, pausing. Very faintly they heard something along the shore. They began to sprint towards the sound. They spotted one girl up a tree, hanging out over the rushing water. The other girl was laying face down on the ground near the base of the tree.
"Help!" Karly cried out when she spotted them, her breathing a bit wheezy as she fought through an asthma attack. "We climbed up the tree to get away from a snake, but Mary couldn't hold on and fell!"
Kurt checked the girl on the ground. "Do you know if the snake bit her?"
The other girl shook her head. "No, I think it got scared and went away when she almost landed on it. I was too scared to climb down."
The girl had a rather large bump on her forehead. "Do you know how long she's been unconscious?" Kurt inquired as Rae began climbing the tree to help the girl down.
"She fell about an hour ago, I think. She woke up a few times, but then went back to sleep."
Kurt swore softly to himself and pulled the radio from his aid pack. "Rescue51 to base, we've found the girls. One of them needs medical assistance, ASAP, possible skull fracture. The other one appears to be in good health, just very frightened." He gave them their location and began to prep Mary for transport, putting a cervical collar on her, and carefully rolling her on to her back. He continued to update them on her condition as they waited for the medevac helicopter to reach them.
As they waited, Karly's breathing became more labored. They kept her calm and as still as possible, and as soon as the paramedics arrived, she was given albuterol and oxygen. The medevac could only carry one patient, so Mary was airlifted out, while Kurt and Rae and one of the paramedics waited with Karly for the stokes to carry her out.
"Karly!" a woman cried out as Kurt and the others carried her back to the base.
"Mommy!" Karly called out, reaching for her. The woman hugged the girl, and then looked at the others who were still carrying the basket with her child in it. "Who found them?" Several people pointed to Kurt and Rae, and the woman embraced them as well.
"Thank you so much! I'm Mayor Casedy George. Thank you so much for finding her!"
"It's what we're here for, ma'am," Kurt said.
"What are your names?" she asked.
"I'm Farera Jones, this is my partner, Kurt Hummel."
"You're so young! You can't even have graduated high school yet!"
"I'm sixteen, ma'am. We're a volunteer unit."
"You're a guardian angel, is what you are!" The woman hugged him and Rae again. "I don't know how I can ever repay you."
Kurt just blushed, as Rae assured the woman that no thanks were necessary.
…
"Okay, I know there is just over one week of school left," Mr. Schue said on Monday, "but we've been asked to perform at a special event this Friday. They've requested a song that was specifically chosen by the event coordinator."
"What's the event?" Tina asked.
"A recruitment fair for the Allen County Fire/EMT and Search and Rescue units."
…
"Great job, Blaine!" David said, slapping him on the back, "That was an awesome arrangement of Party in the USA!"
Wes nodded, thumping him on the back as well. "Yeah, the crowd loved it!"
Blaine smiled happily. He rarely thought about the attack anymore, and the nerve pain was completely gone, thanks to the acupuncture. He'd made some really good friends in the Warblers, and even a few not in the Warblers. They knew he was gay, and none of them cared. No one treated him any differently. He was accepted here.
"Thanks guys, for everything. I don't know what I'd have done without you all." They all grinned and hugged him.
…
"Where's Kurt?" Tina asked. They were about to go on at the recruitment fair Friday afternoon, and there was no sign of the countertenor.
"He'll be here," Mercedes said. "But he's not performing with us."
"What? Why?" Santana asked.
Mercedes and Quinn just exchanged a look. "You'll see. That's our cue!"
Music began to play, and they took their place on stage, Rachel singing lead.
Where have all the good men gone
And where are all the gods
Where's the streetwise Hercules
To fight the rising odds
Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed
Late at night I toss and I turn
And I dream of what I need
I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'till the end of the night
He's gotta be strong, and he's gotta be fast
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight
I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'till the morning light
He's gotta be sure, and it's gotta be soon
And he's gotta be larger than life
Larger than life
Somewhere after midnight
In my wildest fantasy
Somewhere just beyond my reach
There's someone reaching back for me
Racing on the thunder and rising with the heat
It's gonna take a Superman to sweep me off my feet
I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'till the end of the night
He's gotta be strong, and he's gotta be fast
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight
I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'till the morning light
He's gotta be sure, and it's gotta be soon
And he's gotta be larger than life
I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'till the end of the night
As New Directions continued to dance to the instrumental break in the song, a woman took the stage.
"Ladies and gentlemen, My name is Casedy George, I'm the Mayor of Van Buren, and today I am here to present an award to two of Allen County's volunteer firefighter/EMT and Search and Rescue members. A week ago, my daughter and her friend were lost in Van Buren State Park. Two brave volunteers found them and cared for their injuries, saving their lives. It is my honor to present the award of courage to Volunteer Firefighter/EMT and Search and Rescue member, Farera Jones!"
Several of the New Directions glanced at Mercedes, who was smiling happily at her sister as they continued to dance.
"And I would also like to present the award of courage to another volunteer Firefighter/EMT and Search and Rescue member, who I am told will turn seventeen tomorrow, Kurt Hummel!"
Tina almost tripped over her own feet as Kurt took the stage to receive his award.
Without missing a beat, Rachel began singing again.
Up where the mountains meet the heavens above
Out where the lightning splits the sea
I could swear there is someone somewhere watching me
Through the wind and the chill and the rain
And the storm and the flood
I can feel his approach like a fire in my blood
I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'till the end of the night
He's gotta be strong, and he's gotta be fast
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight
I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'till the morning light
He's gotta be sure, and it's gotta be soon
And he's gotta be larger than life
I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'till the end of the night
He's gotta be strong, and he's gotta be fast
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight
I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'till the morning light
He's gotta be sure, and it's gotta be soon
And he's gotta be larger than life
I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'till the end of the night
…
When the rest of New Directions joined Kurt backstage, he was laughing with Ralph and Delores, who was showing off her engagement ring.
"So, you're not Kurt's sugar daddy?" Tina asked.
Ralph guffawed at that. "Well, I did teach him some things!"
Kurt rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "I can't believe you all thought I was some kind of gigolo! Okay, maybe I expected it from you, Santana, but Tina and Artie? You guys are going to get yourselves in trouble by spreading gossip one of these days!"
"I told you you were all insane," Rachel said, tossing her hair superiorly.
"I never thought he was a gigolo," Puck said, smiling at one of the female volunteers on the far side of the room, and giving her a wink. Santana just rolled her eyes.
"But, then what was all that talk about protection, and ropes, and collars and drugs the other day?" Tina demanded.
Mercedes rolled her eyes, but everyone was surprised when Brittany spoke up. "Well, firefighters wear protection from the flames, and search and rescue people use ropes to climb down cliffs to save people. I don't know what an EMT is, but that cute guy on that medical show uses drugs and collars to treat people who are injured."
They all just stared at her blankly, until Kurt and Ralph's pagers went off, along with a dozen others in the crowd.
"That's our song," Ralph said, kissing Delores on the cheek as he and Kurt began to run toward their vehicles.
…
"We need another line on the south end!" someone shouted into the radio. They had been battling a fire at a massive warehouse for almost thirty minutes, but weren't making much progress because there were chemicals and accelerants stored inside that kept exploding. Additional fire crews had been brought in, and the chief had just been thankful that the place had been evacuated before the fire had spread too much.
"Hummel, help Gramps out with a two and a half on the south side. Jones, back them up!" the chief instructed, and they nodded and raced towards the far end of the building, grabbing a hose from one of the other trucks on that side of the building.
They approached an area of wall that had been partially cut away to allow access to the flames, where five other firefighters were already pushing forward with their hoses. Ralph took point, as Kurt helped control the hose, and Rae acted as spotter.
They were still several feet behind the other crews when something inside the building exploded. This explosion was much bigger than the others had been, and had knocked all eight of them off their feet, while debris crashed down around them.
Kurt was momentarily dazed, and his ears were ringing, but he didn't think he was injured. He'd been sandwiched between Rae and Ralph. As soon as he came to his senses, he untangled himself from the other two and assessed the situation. Rae was conscious but disoriented from hitting her head when they'd landed, but didn't appear too seriously hurt. Kurt ordered her to lay down and be still as he checked on Gramps.
Ralph was also conscious and alert, but was clutching his right arm to his chest. "I'm pretty sure it's broken, just above the elbow. You and Rae broke most of my fall, but what did hit, hit very hard."
Kurt nodded, then went to check on the other five. Three of them were okay, but one of them had minor burns on his face and hands, and the other had some kind of chemicals in their eyes. Kurt radioed to have someone bring down the med kits, and call for ambulances, and to request additional help. The three uninjured firefighters had jumped back on a hose and were putting out the few spot fires that burning debris had started.
Once he had his equipment, he flushed the one man's eyes and placed sterile pads and saline on the burns. He then immobilized Ralph's arm. Rae showed signs of having a minor concussion. He got all four of the injured into ambulances, and then ended up treating a few others over the better part of the next hour and a half before they finally managed to get the fire out.
…
Kurt and Mercedes arrived at the hospital at the same time. They stopped by Rae's room first. Xray had confirmed Rae had a mild concussion, and they'd kept her overnight for observation. She was just about to be discharged when they arrived, and the three of them went straight to Ralph's room. He had started having chest pains shortly after he'd reached the ER and was being treated for a myocardial infarction, along with the fractured humerus bone.
"Well, if it ain't my two favorite rookies," Ralph said, smiling at them.
"How are you feeling, Gramps?" Kurt asked.
"Like I got kicked by a mule. Doc says I've fought my last fire. Delores agrees. Hey, would you guys stick around for a little bit? Delores will be right back. She's gone to pick up a couple things, and then we have a special favor to ask of you."
"What's the favor?" Rae asked.
Ralph just smiled at them. "You'll see."
…
Thirty minutes later, in the hospital chapel, Kurt stood beside Gramps and Rae beamed from a couple feet away, while Mercedes sang The Rose, as Delores walked down the aisle in a baby blue dress suit, carrying a bouquet of white roses and pink carnations. The hospital chaplain was smiling as he performed the ceremony. Ralph and Delores were going to have a large reception at the station when Ralph was discharged in a few days, but this late in life, they didn't want to wait for a big, over the top wedding.
After the ceremony, Ralph hugged all three of them. "I feel like I am leaving the department in good hands with you two holding down the fort."
Thanks, Gramps," Rae said, hugging Delores as well. You'll be missed at the station. Don't be a stranger, stop in and visit often."
"Yeah," Kurt agreed. "How will I ever survive without my sugar daddy?"
They all burst into laughter, even the chaplain, who seemed confused by the statement.
…
They celebrated Kurt's birthday later that afternoon. Tina apologized again for thinking the worst about him. Artie was conflicted. On the one hand he was glad he hadn't reported his suspicions to the authorities, since they turned out to be false, but on the other hand, felt ashamed that he hadn't reported it, since Kurt could have been seriously at risk if his suspicions had been correct. Kurt just shook his head at the younger boy.
On the plus side, Mike and Puck were both considering volunteering after hearing some of Kurt and Rae's stories. Kurt had booted up his laptop so they could check out the website, and printed up the forms for them, and for Quinn, who decided that since she was no longer on the Cheerios, she'd like something else to be able to add to her college applications.
…
"Last day," Trent said as they finished packing up their dorm room. "Got plans for the summer?"
Blaine shrugged. "We're going to visit my brother in California for a couple weeks. Other than that, I don't really have anything planned. What about you?"
Trent stopped packing and rolled his eyes. "My dad got reassigned to Germany, so I'll be spending my summer with him and my two older brothers. It's going to be miserable."
"What about your mom?" Blaine asked.
"She's going to be in Borneo all summer, tagging endangered species for tracking. To tell you the truth, I'd much rather be hot and miserable with her in Borneo than spend the entire two and a half months with my brothers."
Blaine laughed. "I can relate to that. I'm not really looking forward to hanging out with my brother either. But at least for me it's only a couple weeks, not a couple months."
"Lucky you. So, do you think we'll be roommates again next year?"
"I hope so," Blaine said, smiling at his friend. "I enjoyed sharing a room with you this year. I think if it had been anyone else, I probably wouldn't have felt as comfortable, and I probably would never have joined the Warblers. I'm glad I met you."
Trent smiled back at him. "I'm glad I met you too, Blaine."