Kurt felt like he was on top of the world.

He had just walked out of his last exam for the semester, and he was pretty sure he aced it. Of course, there were some parts in his Dance 302 exam that he wasn't sure if he nailed but regardless of how he did, he was just happy it was over.

As he exited his classroom, he walked down the corridors of NYADA and felt all of the tension in his shoulders melt away

He originally had plans to just go home, take a nap and watch a movie – his normal routine after a long day – but today was different. He was invited to go out for dinner with a small group of friends he had met this semester. Kurt smiled to himself as he thought of his new friends and how far he had come in the past few months.

Not too long ago, all of his friends from McKinley left New York, and he had called off his engagement with Blaine. He knew that the breakup was his decision but it was still very difficult for him to adjust to not having someone there all the time. That, plus his friends leaving, made him feel really lonely and isolated for a while. Getting through the first few weeks had been really tough but he just focused on his schoolwork, joined more clubs, and kept himself busy. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that he was actually really proud of himself for getting through everything.

There was a spring in his step as he turned a corner and took a right turn down one of the lesser-used hallways. He made his way to the bathroom at the end of the hall and sighed in contentment when he entered it. This bathroom had the best lighting and mirrors on campus so of course, he had to use it to fix his hair before dinner.

When he got the mirror, he took out his hairspray and was humming to himself as he combed his fingers through his hair. He was just thinking about the amazing salad he was going to have at the dinner place when he heard sounds from one of the closed stalls. There was a loud set of coughs and retching sounds from the stall. It sounded like someone was puking. He scrunched up his nose and mouth in disgust as he glared at the stall and contemplated leaving. When he looked back at the mirror, he realized his hair was almost done so he figured he should just finish it off. As he fixed the front of his coiffed hair with his fingers, he wondered if the person in the stall had some illness that he could get.

Was there some bad chicken or something at the cafeteria?

He hoped there wasn't some flu going around because, with all the shared changing rooms at NYADA, things usually spread really quickly. He was pulled out of his thoughts by more loud coughs and some shuffling sounds from the stall. As Kurt looked at the stall, he heard a loud 'thump' that sounded like someone fell in the stall. Kurt jumped and felt a tinge of concern for the person. He wasn't sure if it was the 'mother hen' in him but he was tempted to ask if the person was ok.

Was it normal to ask people questions though a bathroom stall?

He ran his hands through his hair and pulled on the ends but he wasn't concentrating on what he was doing. He felt too conflicted.

Should I ask the person if they need something or should I just leave?

Suppose he asked and the person said yes, and pass something to this sick person. He couldn't afford to get sick right now and he didn't want to interact with someone who had just puked. On the other hand, if the person has passed out or hit their head, they could be really sick.

He pictured the headline now, "NYADA student dies in bathroom stall from head injury" or "NYADA student Kurt Hummel witnessed tragic death but doesn't help."

He chuckled to himself at the fact that he even thought of such a thing happening but he knew he would be thinking about it for the rest of the day if he didn't do something. He certainly didn't want this on his conscience so he decided it was probably better that he just asked. Maybe if he ended up helping the guy, he could save a life and be a hero.

That thought made him smile.

Kurt cleared his throat, put away his hair spray, and then knocked lightly on the stall door

"Hello?"

No response.

He heard some movement and when he listened closer, he heard heavy breathing. It sounded really familiar actually like maybe it was one of his friends or someone in his class. This made him a little more concerned.

What if this is my friend or classmate that's really sick or hurt?

He knocked again and this time he spoke louder.

"Hey! Are you ok?" he shouted.

No response.

"Do you need something ?" he continued

He heard more fumbling and heavy breathing but that was it. He waited a more few seconds and then sighed.

Well at least I tried, he thought to himself. The person hasn't passed out so they could probably take care of themselves. Plus, he could go to dinner knowing that he didn't regret anything. He took one last look at himself in the mirror, fixed one last strand of hair and then turned to leave. He didn't know why he was disappointed that he didn't get to help the person. Maybe he liked helping people more than he thought.

He was about to exit the bathroom when the person finally replied.

"Kurt?" the person said. The voice wasn't very loud and it was strangled but it made Kurt stop dead in his tracks.

He felt a chill run down his spine. He could recognize that voice anywhere, even as a whisper, he knew it without a doubt.

"BLAINE" his mind screamed, "IT'S BLAINE!"

He felt his heartbeat quicken as realization dawned on him. He knew he didn't have to ask but the words spilled out of his mouth anyway.

"Blaine?" he called desperately as he ran to the stall. He put his ear to the stall and spoke.

"Blaine, is that you?"

"Yes" The voice replied softly, and that was all he needed.

Kurt felt the urge to kick in the door to see Blaine and make sure he was okay but he stopped himself and settled for talking to him instead. He listened to the loud breaths coming from the other side of the stall door, and it was like alarm bells were going off in his mind. Blaine was the one that had been throwing up, coughing and hyperventilating. Blaine was the one who potentially fell down in the stall and called out to him with a weak voice. Kurt also knew that Blaine never asked for help unless he really really needed it. This made Kurt feel very nervous and an overwhelming sense of fear engulfed him.

What was wrong with Blaine? Was he sick? Was he injured? How long had he been in there?

Kurt needed to know.

"Can I come in?" Kurt asked

No response.

"Blaine, can you open the door?" he said louder.

He heard some tapping and scratching on the door that sounded like he was trying to open it.

"Can't" he heard him say. His voice sounded dejected.

Kurt felt a lump form in his throat and he took a big gulp. Why couldn't he open the door? Why was his voice so weak? It sounded like it took all the effort he had to say those few words. That combined with his uneven breathing and the one-word responses was not a good sign. Kurt had to get in there, NOW.

Kurt looked down at the space between the floor and the bottom of the stall door. It was a small space but he could crawl under if he wanted too. He thought of all the germs and dirt that would be on the bathroom floor and how wrinkled his shirt would be after but there really wasn't another option.

"I'm gonna come in from the bottom of the door. Is that ok, Blaine?"

"Okay" Blaine timidly replied.

Kurt took a deep breath and kneeled down before crawling under the bathroom door. He tried really hard not to let his face touch the ground and when he finally got through he collided with Blaine's outstretched legs on the floor. He looked up and his eyes met with half-open, unfocused hazel eyes that belonged to his ex-fiancé. Blaine's lips were slightly parted and his nose was flaring every time he took a huffed, quick breath. His hair was a mess of gel and sweat with tiny curls creeping onto his face and his bow tie was hanging loosely around his neck. He was leaning back against the side of the stall with his right hand gripping the floor and his left hand wrapped tightly around his stomach. Kurt hadn't seen him in a long time but he could tell that something was very wrong. He placed a hand on Blane's forehead to check his temperature but immediately moved his hand away. It was like a furnace.

"Blaine, you're burning up, what happened?"

Blaine was looking at the wall next to Kurt and didn't seem to hear him.

"Blaine!" Kurt shouted

This got his attention and he looked at Kurt again. His eyes were glassy but it looked like he was trying to focus on what Kurt was saying.

"What?" He asked softly. Kurt softened his urgent tone and tried to speak to him in a soothing manner.

"What happened, Blaine? Are you sick?" He asked slowly and clearly.

Blaine furrowed his brow and seemed to have a hard time concentrating.

"Do you have the flu? What's wrong?" Kurt continued.

Blaine looked around the stall and then back at Kurt.

"I don't - I don't know," he said quietly.

Kurt felt a stab of fear in his chest. He had never seen Blaine this spaced out before, and it was scaring him. From what Kurt remembered, they had both had the flu before but it was never like this. What else could it be?

"Blaine, how long have you been in here?" He asked.

Blaine was looking at him but he was blinking slowly and seemed to have trouble keeping his eyes open. It didn't seem like he was going to answer anytime soon and Kurt was getting more and more anxious by the minute. He kept having the urge to do something but he didn't know what to do.

He finally decided to cup Blaine's face and neck in his hands and practically force him to focus.

"Blaine, look at me can you hear me?" Kurt was trying to sound calm but he couldn't help the desperation and fear in his voice.

Blaine looked at him, dead in the eyes for a second and then slowly whispered.

"Kurt?" Blaine sounded so tired and defeated that Kurt felt sick to his stomach.

The small hint of unsurety in Blaine's voice scared Kurt more than anything. Did Blaine not recognize him or was he just surprised that he was there? Kurt cleared his throat so his voice wouldn't give away the concern rising in his throat.

"Yea, it's me Blaine. Now can you tell me how long you've been here?" he asked, searching for a sign in Blaine's eyes.

Blaine just stared at him blankly with half-opened eyes. He looked to his left as though he was going to find the answer on the bathroom walls.

Kurt had to take a deep breath to stop himself from freaking out and panicking; he wanted to scream and cry at the same time. His mind started working in overdrive trying to figure out what was wrong with Blaine.

Blaine maybe has a fever, he was vomiting, and he couldn't focus. He couldn't open the door, almost fell and was pale, he calculated. What did that mean?

Kurt suddenly felt pressure on his hand and he realized that he was still holding Blaine's face. Blaine's head was heavily leaning on Kurt's hand and his eyes were closed. Kurt didn't want to wake him but he knew that passing out was not going to help.

"Blaine," he said softly as he nudged the sleeping boy's face with his hand.

There was no response.

Kurt didn't know how much longer he could keep himself together. The more time that passed, the more frustrated he got and he couldn't stop himself anymore.

"Blaine!" He shouted loudly.

Blaine was startled and quickly perked his head up while gripping the floor with his hands. He looked around and blinked rapidly as though he just woke up from a long nap. Kurt felt bad.

"Sorry" He muttered and Blaine looked up at him with a perplexed expression.

Kurt waited a few seconds for Blaine to wake up fully before he asked him a question again.

"Blaine, concentrate please, I need you to tell me exactly how you're feeling"

Blaine shifted his position, looked around and seemed more aware now. He looked straight at Kurt with a hint of guilt in his eyes. He pursed his lips and it seemed like he was trying to decide what to say.

"Don't sugar coat it Blaine, you know I can tell when you're lying"

Blaine sighed.

"I'm tired and my stomach hurts," he said as he rubbed his stomach. He looked up at Kurt earnestly but Kurt wasn't sure if that was all he was feeling. Blaine's voice was still weak and softer than usual while his breathing was still heavy.

"Can you stand?" Kurt asked. He already knew the answer but he wanted to see if Blaine would admit it.

"Yes" he said without hesitation. Kurt raised his eyebrow in disbelief and leaned back to see this disaster unfold.

Blaine brought his outstretched legs in and tried to ease himself up with his hands. His arms started trembling and his face was contorted in pain as he took a few deep breaths. He tried twice before giving up and returning to his slouching position on the floor. He looked up at Kurt's face and couldn't help but smirk as Kurt's facial expression screamed: "I told you so."

Kurt shook his head and sighed.

"Blaine, I'm gonna call an ambulance, ok? I don't know what's wrong with you and I can't take you to a doctor if you can't stand."

Kurt reached for his phone in his pocket.

"No, don't!" Blaine shouted as he grabbed Kurt's arm and knocked the phone out. Kurt was surprised at his sudden strength and he glared at Blaine in disbelief.

"Blaine you're really sick, you need a doctor." He insisted.

Blaine looked at Kurt pleadingly, with fear in his eyes.

Kurt hated Blaine's puppy dog eyes; they had made him do way too many things against his will in the past. He sighed and put his hands on Blaine's shoulders while rubbing little circles. Blaine's eyes followed Kurt's hands, and then he looked back at him.

"Blaine, you have to trust me, you're gonna be fine. They're just going to make you feel better and there's nothing to be scared of."

Blaine blinked a few times and nodded. He seemed to be thinking about it but his expression suddenly changed to one of discomfort and he scrunched his eyes shut. His hand flew up to his mouth as he lurched forward, looking like he was about to hurl. Kurt was caught off guard but he quickly moved to the side as Blaine climbed to his knees and barely reached the toilet in time. Kurt rubbed Blaine's back as he puked saliva a couple of times and then dry heaved for a few minutes. He was trembling as loud coughs wracked his body. When he was done, his head drooped forward and his hands started slipping from the toilet seat while his body fell back.

"Hey, hey!" Kurt called loudly as he grabbed Blaine's shoulders and held him up so he was facing him.

Blaine perked up slightly but he was breathing in short gasps and his eyes were barely open.

"K-Kurt" he whispered, his voice laced with fear.

"I'm here, I got you" Kurt whispered back. He felt Blaine's body tip forward again and he tightened his grip on Blaine's shoulders while Blaine grabbed at the collar of Kurt's shirt and shoulder to steady himself. Kurt felt a shiver run down his back when Blaine's ice-cold hands touched his skin.

"I got you, don't worry" Kurt cooed softly as he gently lowered Blaine's body so that he was leaning on Kurt's chest.

Blaine started to shiver violently so Kurt rubbed his back and arms to try and keep him warm.

"M' c-cold" Blaine chocked out between breaths.

"I know, it's ok...shh" Kurt tried to sound reassuring but he felt his stomach twist into knots of concern and fear.

Blaine curled his body inward and snuggled into Kurt's chest while Kurt instinctively wrapped his arms around him and pulled him in closer. Kurt couldn't help but marvel at the familiarity of this position and the ease with which their bodies moved to accommodate each other. Having Blaine so close to him after being apart for so long felt oddly reassuring but he didn't like the circumstances that led to this.

"I'm calling the ambulance, ok? You look like hell." Kurt said matter of factly.

Blaine nodded and Kurt reached for his phone that had fallen earlier. He didn't want to move too much because he was holding most of Blaine's weight but his phone was at the end of the stall so he had to awkwardly bend his arm to reach it. After a few tries, he finally grabbed it and dialled 911.

As the phone kept ringing, Kurt looked down and noticed that Blaine's eyes were fully closed.

"Blaine, wake up, you know you can't sleep."

He was still shivering slightly but he didn't open his eyes.

"Blaine," he said loudly as he tapped Blaine's back lightly.

Still no response.

Suddenly Blaine's laboured breathing stopped and his body went very still. His hand fell limply from Kurt's shirt and he felt heavier than before.

"No no no, Blaine!" Kurt shouted fearfully while nudging him. "Come on, wake up!"

Blaine wasn't stirring.

A surge of panic shot through Kurt's body and he felt his own breathing quicken as he thought of a million things that could have gone wrong. He couldn't tell if Blaine was breathing or not and he didn't know how to check.

"Blaine, please wake up, please!" he shouted as he shook Blaine's shoulders.

Blaine didn't even flinch.

"Shit, shit!" Kurt said as he continued to shake the younger boy to no vail. Kurt felt his eyes fill with tears and he hugged Blaine's body tighter.

"911, what's your emergency ?" The 911 operator finally responded.

"Hi um m-my boyfriend just passed out and he's really sick! We n-need help!" Kurt shouted, panicking.

"Ok sir, I need your address"

"I'm at the New York Academy of Dramatic Arts in the b-bathroom behind the blue corridor"

"We'll send an ambulance over right away. Can you describe his symptoms?"

"Um yea"

Kurt described Blaine's symptoms and their interactions in the stall as best he could but he got choked up towards the end and couldn't finish.

"Sir, it's important that you remain calm. The ambulance is on the way and your boyfriend is going to be taken care of."

"Okay," Kurt was still panicked and didn't feel reassured at all. He sniffled and wiped his eyes as he realized he was fully crying now.

"What's your name?" the operator asked.

"Kurt" he said tearfully.

"Ok Kurt, can you think of anything else that we might need to know? For instance, does your boyfriend have any underlying conditions?"

"No, no conditions"

"Is he on any medications that might have caused this ?"

"No, I don-don't think so"

Kurt wished he knew for sure.

"Do you know how much he had to eat or drink today ?"

Kurt felt a pang of guilt.

"Um no, I - I didn't see him"

"Has this happened before ?"

Kurt felt numb. He didn't know.

For the first time in a long time, he had no idea what was happening in Blaine's life. Kurt had spent the last few minutes feeling so helpless and now, the one time he could actually help, he didn't know what to say.

"I don't think so" he finally replied

"Ok, that's alright Kurt. Let me know if you think of any other information that might help us"

Kurt felt embarrassed. Clearly, he wasn't Blaine's boyfriend anymore if he didn't know basic things about his life. Why did I even say "boyfriend"? I haven't talked to Blaine in months.

"Are you still there, Kurt ?" The operator asked

"Yes, I'm here"

"The ambulance is almost there but I need you to do me a favour."

"Okay"

"You mentioned earlier that the patient was breathing heavily, can you check on his breathing now ?"

"How do I do that?"

"You need to lay him on a flat surface and place him on his side."

Kurt sighed. He didn't want to let go of the tight grip he had on Blaine but he knew he had to. He opened the bathroom stall and did what the nurse said. She continued to describe how to put Blaine in a recovery position on the floor and when she was done, Kurt heard a small gasp escape from Blaine's lips.

"Blaine?" He shouted

There was no response but he told the nurse what happened and she said the gasp was a good thing.

"You're doing a great job Kurt, thank you"

Kurt sniffled and nodded but he didn't feel any better. He just kept staring at Blaine's prone form on the floor and his heart ached.

Finally, paramedics burst through the door and told Kurt to move aside as they got to work. Kurt was in a daze as he heard a flurry of words being shouted while things were being passed around Blaine. He saw an oxygen mask, a stretcher, wires, and machines. Kurt took a breathe and tried to wrap his head around what was happening. How did I get here? he thought. He was was supposed to be going out to dinner with his friends and now Blaine was unconscious on the floor with paramedics around him. Kurt felt like he was floating in a sea of confusion until someone tapped on his shoulder and brought him out of it.

"Kurt, right?" He heard a paramedic say.

He nodded.

"We're ready to go, are you coming?"

He nodded again and felt unsteady as he stood up and followed closely behind the paramedics. He didn't know how much time had passed since he first found Blaine but however long it was, it felt like a blur. The only thing he could focus on right now was Blaine's face. Kurt stared at him next to the medical staff, through the crowd of confused NYADA students, throughout the ambulance ride, and at the hospital. He couldn't take his eyes off of him. It felt like there was an invisible tether tying Blaine's body to his and it was pulling him to stay close to Blaine, no matter what.

The last hour had been a whirlwind of confusion and concern but though it all, Kurt had realized something very important:

He was still in love with Blaine.

When Blaine passed out and he wasn't waking up, even if it was for a minute, Kurt felt like his world was crumbling in front of him. He had never felt that type of fear before and he didn't think anyone else could make him feel like that. Kurt knew now, more than ever, that Blaine was the most important thing in his life, and he was ashamed that he had spent so much time thinking he wasn't.