Ch. 90
Nick sat in his cafeteria chair, dumbfounded, numb and ….yep, there it was, inching in ever so slowly….angry as hell. This is the mother of the love of your life, Nick….don't freak out, don't get angry, don't say something you can't fix…
"I…" Nick began, eyes blinking quickly and a stunned expression on his face. "Ms. Caroline, as much as I appreciate the fact that you're distraught and upset, because God knows, I am too, I feel the need to interject here. Jeff is my husband now, and as such, his care is in my hands…no longer yours. I absolutely understand your anger and frustration, believe me….God, nobody feels it more than I do, considering….but I won't let you take him away from me." Nick said calmly, his hands balled into fists on the table.
"We'll see about that. I like you, Nick. I really do, but not enough to watch your father kill my only son. Make no mistake, he's not giving up, I'm sure of it. All this time he's been harassing Jeffrey, tormenting him, making his life a miserable living hell….and this has all been since he's been with you."
"You can't honestly blame Nick for this, Ms. Caroline?" Blaine asked, his expression incredulous. "There is no doubt in my mind that, given the opportunity, Nick would sooner choke the life out of his own father than have you upset with him. And I know for a fact that he'd have switched places with Jeff last night in an instant if he could have. I'm sorry, but I can't take your side on this. It's wrong, plain and simple, and Jeff would be fifty kinds of pissed off if he knew what you were thinking, believe me."
"Well, Blaine, he doesn't know what's going on, because he's in a coma…because of Nick's family!" Caroline bellowed.
"Now wait a minute…" Nick began. Yes, calling his father out for what he was could be expected, but bringing the rest of his family members into it wasn't acceptable. "My family-"
"No, you wait a minute! Do you see what's happened to him in the short time he's known you, Nick?"
"Well, if he doesn't see it, Caroline, I do." Blaine said flatly. "I see what's happened. Jeff has fallen head over heels in love. He's happier than I've ever seen him in all the years I've known him, and I venture to say, many of those years were spent with me more often than with you. I've seen him grow as a person in New York City, I've seen him find something he thought would never be his, and I've seen his happiness inside and out. I've spoken to him so many times about his feelings for Nick that I've lost count. I know that he loves this man dearly, with every ounce of his being, and no matter what you do, say, or try to finagle here, it will be wrong if it ends in Jeff being away from Nick. Plain and simple, that's what I've seen 'happen' to Jeff."
"I respect you as the mother of my husband, Ms. Caroline, but I won't stand here and allow you to take him away from me. He's my husband, my other half, my soul mate, and his place is here with me where I will be by his side from this day forward until he leaves his doctor's care of his own accord. If I have to chain myself to his bed, that's what I'll do. He may be your son, but he's MY husband now, and you won't take him from me without the fight of your life. I have fought with, argued and ultimately walked away from my own father for that perfect man upstairs, and I sure as hell have no issues walking away from you if you make this harder than it needs to be." Nick stated firmly.
"Please….all of you, please stop this!" Gram said, her voice shaky. It was the first thing she'd said in a long while and it startled all three of the others at the table as if they'd forgotten she was there. She placed both hands on the table and hoisted her tiny frame out of her chair with a huff. "That's my grandson laying up there half dead! He's not a piece of property to argue over. He's a human being, and the best one I know. You all love him dearly, it's clear, but this isn't helping. Caroline…please…think of what Jeffrey would want. Don't come in here angry, hurt and upset on Jeff's behalf and make decisions that affect his life on the spur of the moment. Nicholas…please, try to understand Caro's place in this. He's her only son and he's been through so much. She's just so concerned, honey. Blaine…dear Blaine…you've been such a good friend to him. Just be there for him…but this arguing must stop. I can't bear it!" She said, tears on her face now as she strode away, body wracked with sobs.
The other three sat at the table, none of them speaking for a while until Nick broke the silence.
"Ms. Caroline…please know that I mean no disrespect…I really don't. But look at what's happened and caused all this grief. Everything my father is doing is because HE thinks he knows what's best for me. He thinks he knows what's going on in my life. He thinks he knows Jeff, but he doesn't. He thinks he knows better than anyone else what should happen and how things should work and he hasn't consulted me at all. He thinks he knows what Jeff's after. He's taken decisions out of my hands and taken it upon himself to cause trouble where there shouldn't be any. Please know that, from where I stand, you're doing the same thing. You're assuming you know what's best for Jeff when he can't speak for himself. God knows I wish he could, and I won't give up until he's able to speak for himself again. But please…please don't be my dad all over again. I can't handle two of you."
Finally Nick gave a nod to his two table mates and got up to go back up to Jeff's room. He'd been away from him long enough and he missed his Pretty Boy's face.
"Meredith…" Gram said quietly, by way of greeting when she slipped into the chapel at the hospital and found Nick's mother kneeling, her head bowed, and a candle lit before her.
"Mrs. Durban! I wasn't aware that you'd arrived. I'm…I'm so sorry, I—" Meredith began, choking on her words as she thought of what these people - Nick's mother and grandmother - must think of her family. "I can't even begin to tell you—"
"And you don't have to. I know, dear girl, I know. I wouldn't hold you responsible for his actions. I saw the way you interacted with my Jeffrey this weekend, Meredith. I know you love him as we do. This is not your choice. This was done to all of us and we must stay strong and stand together to make it right again."
Meredith slid across the bench and hugged Jeff's Gram tightly, her tears showing her sorrow and pain and her words full of remorse.
"I'm beside myself, so much for Jeff, but also for my children. They've lost their father, today, and although he's not dead, he's as gone to them now as he would be if he were dead. My husband….God, I feel sick just referring to him as such now. I can't…I can't even imagine what was going on in his mind, Mrs. Dur-"
"Please, call me Catherine…or Gram," she smiled. "My Caroline…she's not thinking clearly. She's angry and upset. She's talking nonsense of taking Jeffrey away, back to Ohio and having the marriage annulled and your Nicholas…he's going to need you. I left them in the cafeteria, sniping at one another, but I'm certain she's just taking her fury out on those she cares for the most. She's more than aware that Nicholas cares for Jeffrey as much as any man could for another…more, even. He's a good boy, Nicholas is, and I've grown to admire him and care for him as our own. Caroline has, too. She's just blinded by grief. She'll need you, as another mother, to hold on to."
"I don't know that she'll want me around, Catherine, especially now that things are what they are. You have to know, though, that taking Jeff away would destroy Nicholas. He loves that boy more than his own life or anything in it. We can't allow that to happen. It would destroy Jeff as well, I'm certain of it." Meredith said sadly. "Those boys…their love…it's like nothing I've ever witnessed with Nicholas in all his life. He's devoted to Jeff…lives his life for him, and taking him away…"
"I'm with you. It's not the answer, and I needed to talk to the Man Upstairs regarding the whole mess so I might approach it with a clear head and know what's best." Gram said, glancing up at the altar and the cross behind it. Her faith had always been important to her, and she hadn't felt it being tested this much since Jeff's father had passed. She needed clarity, and she figured it was a good place to start.
"I'll go to the boys, then. I don't like Jeffrey up there alone." Meredith said softly, rising from the bench and slipping out with a kind look for Gram.
"I'll be back up there soon, as well."
"Blaine, we need to go home. I know you want to stay every moment, but they won't allow it. I'm shocked they haven't kicked us out yet as it is." Kurt said, knowing how tired he was, and seeing right before him how tired Blaine was as well. It was late, nearly 11 pm now, and it was time to get home. Blaine nodded, rose from the chairs outside the glass doors, and went inside to speak to Nick.
"We're going to head home, man. I'll be back tomorrow." Blaine said, resting his hand on Nick's shoulder. "Call me if you need anything…anything at all, ok? I'll bring food with me tomorrow, because I know the hospital food isn't gonna cut it here," he finished, giving his friend a warm smile. Nick nodded, gripping the hand Blaine laid on his shoulder tightly.
"He's going to be fine, Blaine. He'll come back to me…right?" Nick asked, not even turning around to lock eyes with his friend.
"He will. I have every confidence that he'll be fine. He's resting…healing up inside. Soon, Nick. He'll be back."
"Tell me what you're thinking. I can feel the stress and tenseness in your shoulders, Blaine. I know you're holding it in." Kurt whispered into his ear as they lay in bed.
"I'm just wondering how anyone could conceivably do this to someone like Jeff. He'd do anything for anyone…give you the shirt off his back and more…yet, he's lying there, possibly dying, because Nick's dad has so much hatred for a man he's never even met. How is this fair, Kurt? Why is this happening to him? He's paid his dues. He's had enough shit happen to him in his life that this is just overkill. You can only push someone so far before…before they just snap and say 'enough, I'm done trying'…and I fear, when he wakes up, he'll be at that point."
"Blaine…" Kurt trailed off, hugging him tightly in his arms, burying his face into his lover's neck and just breathing him in. "I know you're worried about him, and I am as well, but we have to be strong for him, and when he wakes up, we'll remind him of what we need to do, what's ahead of him, how much he still needs to accomplish. We won't allow him to give up, baby. There's just too much left for him to just give up, and God knows Nick needs him desperately. He'll have to know that."
"I hope so, Kurt. I truly do, because I don't know if I'd be strong enough to go on doing it…living life…when all it does is cut me down."
Kurt listened to the words and wondered about the meaning behind them…was it a slip or…did Blaine think…had life cut him down in ways Kurt wasn't seeing? Were there things Blaine wanted that he didn't know about? They'd been so busy lately with Blaine being at Westindale, everything that had happened with Jackson, moving and weddings and now the accident. Kurt felt like they hadn't had two minutes time to just sit down and talk about 'them' in ages. Maybe he was missing something? Maybe he wasn't seeing things for what they were.
"Do you ever feel like that? Like life is cutting you down?" Kurt asked, eyes falling shut as he breathed in the scent of freshly showered Blaine.
"Not for a while now….not since you."
"Not since…..Blaine." Kurt breathed out, his smile so full of the love he felt for the man in his arms that it was crippling. "Tell me what's made you feel that way…cut down. Does it bother you now? Is there a way I can help you fix it?"
"My dad always made me feel inferior, like I was never good enough, and no matter what I did, I never would be. My mom, God love her…she never, ever made me feel that way. I know, now, that she tried to stay away from the house as much as possible because of him. She kept herself busy for a reason, and I can't blame her, really. I didn't want to be around my dad either, and I already told you Cooper took off as soon as he was able. Days and nights home with him were….they were pretty horrible. He drank a lot, and when he drank, he was angry at the whole world. He hid it well from the outside world, but we knew. We felt the brunt of it. Cooper and I….we took what he dished out to keep mom safe."
Kurt squeezed him tighter and kissed his shoulder.
"I don't want you to talk about things that upset you, but I need to know that YOU know…anytime you want to talk about it…about anything at all, Blaine, I'm here to listen. Please…don't ever keep anything bottled up that we can hash out and make right together. I can't bear to think of you holding in anger and grief. Know that whatever it is, I'll listen."
"And this is why I love you, Kurt. You don't push, but I know you'll always be there." Blaine smiled as he turned his head to kiss Kurt's lips, flexed his fingers tighter as they entwined with Kurt's at his belly, and let his eyes finally fall closed.
"I'm saying I think it's best if we get Brad to do another scan when we send him to-" Dr. Gillen began while pulling back the curtain in Jeff's small area. He paused when he saw Nick's upper body draped across the side of Jeff's bed, still holding Jeff's hand, and nearly roared his displeasure at the nurse in charge at the desk. Gladys, the new nurse, had begun her shift at 11 p.m., leaving Nick's new favorite nurse, Bev, to head home for the night.
"I'm sorry, Dr. Gillen, but he refused to leave, and I don't know what he said to Dr. Filmore last night, but he gave the o.k. for Mr. Sterling-Duval to stay the night," the harried nurse explained, a look of mild disdain on her own face.
"Find Dr. Filmore for me, please, Gladys." Dr. Gillen said sternly.
"Yes, Dr. Gillen…" she answered and the doctor continued on into Jeff's space.
"Mr. Duval-"
"Sterling-Duval…" Nick said sleepily as he attempted to shake the kink from the muscles in his back. "But I think yesterday we settled on Nick, didn't we?" He added with a smile.
"We did, yes. Be that as it may, it's very unorthodox for you to be here, and hospital policy is for visitors to be out of the area by 8 p.m., and I would-"
"Good luck with that. The bottom line, here, is that you're wasting your breath. I worked things out last evening with Dr. Filmore, who I believe is the Chief of Staff here at the hospital, isn't he?" Nick asked, still sleepy.
"He is, yes, but-"
"Dr. Gillen, I've been given permission to be here with Jeff, 24/7, until he's released from the hospital. He's my husband and I'm not leaving his side, no matter what you say. I'm sure there are more important things to discuss. Can we get on with it? How's my husband this morning?" Nick asked, his tone less soft than when he first woke up. He didn't have time to waste on this crap.
"Mr…..Nick, Dr. Devlin and I would like to discuss moving Jeff to-"
"No, absolutely not. Not going to happen. I don't know what bullshit his mother spouted into your ear, but he's not going back to Ohio, and if I have to chain myself to this damn bed, I will. He is MY husband, Dr. Gillen, and his welfare is no longer in her hands." Nick said sternly, and not just a little fierce in his diatribe, barely even taking a breath as he spoke. Dr. Gillen's face was almost comical, his eyes wide and his mouth an 'o' shape as he stood, speechless, and listened to Nick's tirade. "I'm sure she thinks it's best to have him with her and his grandmother, but the bottom line is this," he hissed. "He's my husband, we live in New York City, not Ohio, I am able and willing to be here, 24/7, with him until he is well and truly healed from this mess, and she's not able to do that with her job. I will not-"
"NICK!" Dr. Gillen cut in, exasperated. "For God's sake, man, calm yourself! Moving Jeff is my idea, and that of Dr. Devlin!"
"Where do you want to move him to…and why?" Nick asked.
"New York Presbyterian Hospital of Columbia and Cornell—"
"I've heard of it, yes-"
"They're the best in the area, Nick, for neurological issues, and I believe that's what we're dealing with and why Jeff's not responding…waking up. The scans show swelling in the brain. I think it would be best for him to be where they can do the most good, if you're amenable to that. I realize they brought him here because it was closest and immediate care was of the utmost concern, but at this point, I believe moving him there would be invaluable."
"Have you spoken with Blaine? Or Kurt? Is there any news on Jeff?" Maggie asked as she sat at the table having coffee with her husband before he left for work.
"I haven't, but I need to call him today and make sure he's still on board with leaving this weekend. With Jeff in the hospital, he may refuse to go, but mom needs his help. I need to know, too, if he's going to let me back in his good graces…and into his apartment as well." Cooper said with a grin, his eyes downcast. His own actions had gotten him in trouble with his brother and he knew he needed to reign in his antics or he'd risk losing him. Sometimes, Cooper knew, he acted before he thought things through.
"Are you sure you don't want me to go with you to Ohio this weekend?"
"I don't think it's necessary, Mags. I don't want to be without you, but let's face it, I'm more than a little uptight about my dad showing up. Just because he told mom he wouldn't be there doesn't mean he won't tie one on and decide to cause trouble anyway. It's how he is…his M.O., if you will. I'd rather you, and especially the kids, weren't around for that. If you never meet him, it'll be too soon." Cooper grimaced.
"You think it'll only be a day or two, then?"
"I hope so, yeah….flying into Ohio, renting a truck, loading it up, I'll fly back to the city with mom, and Blaine said he would drive the truck back."
"Kurt's not going?" Maggie asked.
"Not that I know of, although another strong back wouldn't be a bad thing, I guess. Less work for me!" Cooper grinned, leaning over to kiss Maggie on the nose before grabbing his briefcase and heading toward the door. "Only a few more days and they're back in school, right? Keep your chin up, babe." Cooper said as he heard something crash in Evee's and Mattie's room, then booming laughter. Maggie rolled her eyes. "See you later, you crazy nutballs!" Cooper yelled, and the kids yelled goodbye back to him, still laughing.
"Can't come soon enough." She said, moving toward the door and pressing Coop against it for a slow, deep kiss. "I'll miss you, Mr. Anderson. Have a splendid day."
"And I'll miss you, too, Mrs. Anderson. My day will be exponentially better when I'm back here with my family." He smiled, and it melted Maggie from the inside out. "I love you."
"I love you, too. See you later." She said, closing the door behind him, then leaning against it with a grin that split her face from ear to ear. Yes…she really loved that man.
"Squirt!" Cooper bellowed into his phone.
"Dear God, idiot, what the heck time is it?" Blaine whined groggily into his phone as he tried to rouse himself from a good sleep. Rolling over he realized Kurt was already up, and maybe even gone from the apartment. He'd felt guilty about missing work the previous day and knew he had things to catch up on, so he'd planned on going in early this morning.
"Almost 8, so get your ass outta bed. We're still on for this weekend, right?"
"Refresh me, what's- SHIT…oh shit, I totally forgot, Coop! Damn it!" Blaine huffed. "I don't know, man, with Jeffie in the hospital and all that, I have to…lemme talk to Kurt…and I have to call Nick, too. I don't know if I feel right leaving town when things are up in the air like this."
"B, mom needs to get her shit outta there, and we need to do the same. She worked it out with dad that he would make himself scarce and I think we need to take advantage of that. God only knows what he's done to the house already. Let's go, get it over with and get back. Three days at most and you'll be back here, ok?"
"Yeah…yeah, you're right. But I still want to make sure it's ok with Kurt. I don't even think I told him with everything going on. My mind's just been all over the board with the move, the wedding, the accident. It should be fine, though. What time's our flight?"
"9:30, but we should be to the airport by 7:30 to be safe." Coop answered.
"Ok, I'll…I'll make it work, somehow. I'm off work this weekend already, so that's not an issue, but I'm uneasy about leaving Jeffie, man."
"I know it. Call Nick, find out what's going on and how he's doing and then call Kurt and get the go ahead. Then call me back, ok?"
"I'll do that. I just need for him to come outta this, ya know? It's not right…." Blaine trailed off sadly.
"It's not, but Jeffie's a strong boy, B…he'll pull through. I'm pullin' for him, ok? Call and see how he's doing. I'll wait to hear from you. OH! And Mags is yankin' my chain about uh….moving." Cooper said a little sheepishly.
"Coop…."
"C'mon, Squirt, it was an honest mistake. You two are the hottest thing I've ever seen next to my sexy ass wife, and it was just…you were begging to be captured on film…or my cell phone, whatever way you wanna wrap that up. You guys are just too adorable together, what can I say. I wanted to share the love, B! I promise it won't happen again. You have my word."
"I'll call you back, I can't think about that right now."
"Give me another chance, Squirt. You won't regret it. I'm pointing at you, you just can't see it." Cooper grinned to himself.
"Goodbye, idiot."
"Kurt…"
"Hey, I was just thinking about you." Kurt grinned into his phone. He'd stopped this morning to pick up a few prints he'd had made from the wedding pictures he took. He was currently settling one of Blaine and him into a beautiful silver and black frame on his desk. "I'm sorry I had to leave before you woke up this morning."
"It's ok, I know you wanted to get in there early and all that. I wanted to talk to you about something that completely slipped my mind. If you're not ok with it, just say so."
"Ok….sounds important."
"It is, but it isn't. I told my mom and Coop I'd fly home with them this weekend…to Ohio, to help mom get everything packed up and loaded onto a truck. Coop has court on Monday, so he can't drive back with me, and you know how mom hates long drives, so I'm driving the truck back—"
"Alone? I don't want you driving a big ass truck for 11 hours alone, Blaine! When are you leaving?"
"We'll fly out Friday. It's ok, I mean, if I need to, I can stop and sleep and—"
"You know what…hang on a sec, ok?" Kurt asked, covering the phone. Blaine heard a muffled conversation on the other end and waited while whoever Kurt was talking to finished what they were saying. A few minutes passed and Blaine was just about to tell Kurt just to call him back when Kurt returned. "I have the best boss ever. Ok, book me a flight out with yours if you can and I'll drive back with you. I don't want you doing that drive alone, love."
"Kurt….you don't need to do that, really." Blaine smiled and it traveled through the phone. Kurt could see his face in his mind's eye, blushing bashfully, thinking of how much his boyfriend cared for him, not wanting him to drive alone all that way.
"I don't have to, but I want to. Plus, it'll give us some time together, alone, with nothing else to do but just talk. It's been too long since we've had that. I'm actually looking forward to it." Kurt smiled. "David's ok with it, I have some things I can bring along to work on in the evening, and it'll all be fine. Have you talked to Nick this morning?"
"I did, I have, yeah. No change, but they want to move Jeff to another hospital in town that deals with neurological stuff and they think it'll be a better set of docs to deal with what's going on. Nick's ok with it, and they were going to do that this afternoon if all goes well. He's going to call me when he finds out a new room number and all that. I want to see him before I go, even if he doesn't know I'm there. I'm really uptight about leaving now. I want to get back to Ohio, get this done and get out of there. If I can get through this without running into my dad, I'll call it a win."
"Oh….yeah, I hadn't thought about your dad. He won't be there, will he?"
"He's supposed to stay away while we're there, yeah. Crossing my fingers. It's not like him to comply, though. I wouldn't put it past him to pull some shit and show up. That's mainly why I want to go…to be there for my mom, ya know?"
"Well, then it'll be the three of us there for Cris. He better keep his distance!" Kurt said with a laugh, picturing the Anderson boys with him against their father.
"True…he's no match for my Kurt when he pitches a bitch fit, is he?"
"And don't you forget it, baby!" Kurt drawled. "Ok, back to work for me. Make sure your mom doesn't mind me going and let me know about the ticket, ok? Call me if you need me for anything. Love you."
"I need you for everything, Kurt…always."
"Blaine? He's moved, and everything went fine. I'm supposed to have a meeting with his new doctors in a few minutes, but I wanted to give you the new room number and all that in case you were planning on coming over." Nick said without pause.
"I am, I will be. No change so far, though?"
"No, none to speak of. I think they're here, though, so I'm gonna go. I'll see you soon, B."
"Yep, chin up, man. See you in a bit." Blaine said, disconnecting on Tuesday afternoon. It had been a crazy 48 hours and he was still tired, but he couldn't believe it was any worse than what Nick was feeling.
Blaine: Babe, they moved Jeff this afternoon and all is well. I'm thinking of heading over around dinner time or shortly after. Thoughts?
Kurt: Why don't you meet me for dinner around here and we'll head over together? I think the loft is on the way to the hospital now, isn't it?
Blaine: Yeah, you're right, it is. I'll see you around 5:30 or so, then?
Kurt: Sounds good, and we can pick up some food for Nick as well. I'm sure he's not thrilled with the hospital food, and now that he's away from Bailey and his mom, there's nobody to go grab him anything.
Blaine: Hadn't thought of that….of course you did *smile*
Blaine: I talked to my mom about this weekend and she's thrilled that you're coming along, although I'm pretty sure she plans to work you like a rented mule, so be prepared!
Kurt: That's why I'm going. I supposed she has a ton of stuff after living in that house for all those years. I'm up for it! I'll get online tonight and get a plane ticket. Maybe we can work something out and still sit together?
Blaine: Already done. Mom got the tickets when I called her. We're all set.
Kurt: Wonderful! Are you, though?
Blaine: Am I…what?
Kurt: Are you all set? To go home? Maybe run into your dad and have to deal with all of that?
Blaine: I don't know….we'll talk about that later if that's ok. See you at dinner. Love you.
Kurt sat in the loft in his office unsure if he'd hit a nerve with Blaine or if he just wasn't up for talking about it. He had a lot on his plate with the move, going back to The Dive and worrying about Jeff, so Kurt didn't push it. He was sure Blaine wasn't looking forward to possibly having to talk to his dad, especially now that Cris knew what had gone on all those years. Well, the best he could do would be to just be there for Blaine, he figured.
Standing, he walked back out into the loft and looked for David to tell him he'd be leaving on Friday, and to figure out what he could take with him to work on in his down time.
The meeting with the doctors went well. Nick found out some things about Jeff's condition that he hadn't known…maybe the doctors told him all this before and, in his hysteria, he'd missed it? Maybe things were just explained a bit better this time, though, who knew. Either way, he was presented with the facts, such as they were. Jeff had an anoxic brain injury caused by the trauma of the accident. No stimuli would phase him, not heat, pain, pressure… nothing. It was considered temporary in most cases, thank God. Apparently his brain had swelled and the bleeding was causing pressure and, as much as they could tell, causing the brain to push down on the brain stem. There were drugs to reduce the swelling, which Jeff was already on, and would continue to be on, until things got better….and Nick promised himself things would get better.
Jeff would need to remain in the ICU, or at least on that floor, until he recovered enough that the doctors felt safe putting him in another room. They also told him that comas, from a head injury, had a higher rate of recovery than if he'd been dealing with a coma from a lack of oxygen. And lastly, the longer Jeff stayed in the coma, the worse the prognosis was for full recovery. Nick was a little unsteady with that information. True, it had been less than 48 hours, but he was still nervous. Getting Jeff back in tip top shape was the only option. His husband had way too much to do to deal with setbacks and road blocks that would keep him from a full recovery.
His other set back was in speaking with the doctors and letting them know he had no intention of leaving his husband's side. Of course, they spouted off this and that about rules and regulations, but Nick knew the way around all of that. Money talks, and apparently they were in need of a few new machines in the pediatric ward, which were caught up in diplomatic red tape. Well, Nick wouldn't hear of it. The machines would arrive by the end of the week and Mr. Nicholas Sterling-Duval would be welcome to stay in the room with his husband, in any capacity, until his release…doctor's orders.
"Well, Jeffie, maybe this money IS good for something? Maybe it can't bring you back to me, but it can keep me with you every moment. I'm not leaving you, Pretty Boy. I'm in it for the long haul, so you heal up and come on back to me, ok?" Nick smiled at his husband, taking his hand again and stroking over his knuckles softly. "I brought my guitar with me, and I'm going to sing our song to you every day until you wake up and tell me to stop. So if you get sick of hearing it, you're gonna have to pull yourself out of this and make me stop playing," Nick grinned. Picking up his guitar, he settled on the edge of the chair next to Jeff's bed and began to sing.
"When your legs don't work like they used to before, And I can't sweep you off of your feet, Will your mouth still remember the taste of my love? Will your eyes still smile from your cheeks…."
Nick continued to play the song they'd danced to at their wedding, repeating it from the beginning again when he'd finished the first time. Heedless of the audience outside Jeff's door, he played a few more songs, strumming softly and singing to Jeff in the hope that he would break through to him somehow. In time, he told himself. In time he'll come back to me.
Around 2:30 he realized he hadn't eaten breakfast or lunch and his stomach was reminding him in no uncertain terms, so he kissed his husband and promised him he'd be back in 15 minutes and literally sprinted to the cafeteria, gaining many stern looks along the way. He didn't care. Anything that took him away from Jeff wasn't a good thing and he wanted to keep his time away to a minimum for sure.
He returned 12 minutes later, out of breath and grinning with his bag full of lunch items in his hand. When he swung into the room he was startled to see a young, blonde nurse rolling Jeff's blanket down and over his feet, leaving him covered in only a thin sheet.
"Whoa whoa whoa….wait. He'll get cold, what's up with all this?" Nick asked, startling the nurse as well.
"Oh, my Lord, you scared the bejesus out of me!" She laughed, her hand on her chest. She was cute, for a girl, her long blonde hair pulled back in a sedate pony tail. Her scrubs were brightly colored with balloons and he snickered at that. He was sure Jeff would approve. "You must be the other Mr. Sterling-Duval, then?" she smiled.
"I am…you can just call me Nick. The rest…it's a mouthful, isn't it?" he grinned back.
"It is that, yes. And that makes this handsome fella 'Jeff' then, am I right? Because if I'm not, someone else is about to get his sponge bath." She carried on brightly, unaware of the change on Nick's face.
"Oh no…wait…you can't…you're not. No. Just….no. I can…you can show me how to…because it'll be a cold day in hell before—"
"Mr. Ster—"
"Nick."
"Nick…it's my job. I'm not here to ogle your husband, I assure you, but he's on the rotation and we can't have him remaining unclean or unmoved. He'll develop bed sores and-"
"It's fine, I want him clean, but I'm perfectly capable of doing it. Just show me how…or tell me how, rather, and I'll get it done."
"Nick-"
"And your name is?"
"Vivian. It's nice to meet you," she snickered, reaching out to shake his hand. He was hilarious, his face a mess of emotions, as if she was going to do something inappropriate with Jeff while bathing him. "Nick, I do this all day long, every day I'm here. I know what I'm doing, I'm quick and I'm efficient and I'd like to just finish the job and be on my way. He's my last stop of the day…I'm off at 3:00. You have my word that I won't ogle him." She laughed with a smirk and rolled her eyes at him.
"Be that as it may, I'd um….no. Just…let me. I don't want anyone touching him…like that…but me."
"Nick-"
"Vivian?" He said, one eyebrow raised. "I have washed this man in the shower so many times it would make you combust if I told you all the details, I assure you. I know how to make him clean, and I damn sure know how to get him dirty, too," Nick smirked. "I don't care if you stay, but I'll thank you to let me do the um…his uh….yeah. You get the picture. Don't touch. Let me hold on to a little bit of his dignity, will you? On top of that, what's mine is mine and I don't share well with others, so with all due respect, back off." Nick gave her a saccharine sweet smile and she huffed a bit, but in the end, it was no use arguing with him.
Vivian prepped her basins, towels, washcloths and soaps and Nick scrutinized every move. She started with Jeff's hair, which, unfortunately, was still caked with blood in some spots in the back. It made Nick flinch watching her work the spots out with her gloved fingers. She finished with his hair and moved on to his face, then his shoulders and arms, moving down to Jeff's torso. At that point she dumped the water in the basins and refilled them, ready to move on. As she pulled the sheet down, Nick stepped closer to the bed and helped her to slip another towel under Jeff's sides so as not to get the sheets wet beneath him. She gave him a look with raised eyebrows and then rolled her eyes and stepped back at his challenging gaze.
Nick gave her a little "go on, go away…" motion with his hands and she leaned against the far wall and crossed her arms. Nick moved the sheet away, bunching it up like a small wall to gain Jeff some small modicum of privacy, and pulled the gown up to his chest, giving her a glance at some of the small discolored splotches he noticed. His questioning glance at Vivian was answered with a nod to a new, clean gown on the rolling cart she'd brought with her. He carefully removed the soiled gown, wadded it up and tossed it into the chair he'd been sitting in. Quickly and efficiently he took care of washing every private part of Jeff he didn't want anyone else messing with and rinsed him well, drying with care. She handed him the new hospital gown and assisted him in putting it on Jeff as he laid there, still as could be. Nick then assisted her in finishing Jeff's legs and feet, removing the towels from under him and adding them to the soiled linen pile on the chair.
"You wouldn't happen to have an extra towel I could swipe, would you? And a washcloth, maybe? Apparently they don't see the likelihood of my Pretty Boy jumping up for a shower and didn't leave any in the bathroom," Nick said, motioning toward the door. "I feel like it's been 3 weeks since I've showered and I'm probably pretty ripe," He grinned at her.
Shaking her head, she tossed a towel and a wash cloth at him and headed toward the door.
"I don't mean to make your life harder, you know?" Nick said as she reached for the doorknob. "It's just…he's very important to me…very special…and if I wasn't protective enough before, I sure as hell will be now. He's my husband…ya know?"
"It's alright, I get it. You don't want me 'fondling his junk'…totally understandable. But please know that it's not a thing for me, Nick. I'm not interested, and it's not professional at all for those sort of thoughts to even cross my mind. This is my job, I do it well, I get it done and I move on. Now if you'll excuse me, I see someone important waiting at the nurses station for me and I need to get a move on."
"Someone important? More important than your patients?" Nick smirked.
"When I'm on the clock, nobody's more important than my patients. When I'm off the clock, nobody's more important than that cute little brunette staring at me with a big smile from across the hall there."
"Good friend, then?"
"Very good…good enough to be my wife, actually." She smiled. "So you can go ahead and get all cave-man on me, Nick, but it won't matter one bit. Your hubby might be quite impressive in that department, but it doesn't do a thing for me, hon." She laughed, giving him a wink and a wave. "I'll see you in a couple days. Maybe he'll do us a favor and open those eyes a bit by then, eh?"
"Fingers crossed. And Vivian?" Nick said as she was halfway out the door. "Thank you. Thanks for understanding. I haven't had him long enough to 'let go' of little things like that yet."
"How long have the two of you been married?"
"Oh…um…." Nick checked his watch, which made her look at him oddly. "About 68 hours now. It's been a rough couple of days," he added with a grimace at her appalled look.
"Oh…oh honey, I'm sorry," she said with an apologetic frown. "I'll keep him in my prayers, you hear?" Nick nodded and Vivian left the room with a heavy heart.
Kurt and Blaine walked into the hospital room without anyone telling them they couldn't. Inside they found Nick sitting back in the chair and softly strumming his guitar with his eyes closed.
"When my hands don't play the strings the same way, I know you will still love me the same…"
"Nick…"
"Hey guys," he smiled. "What's new? Am I missing anything in the outside world?"
"Nope, not a damn thing. How's our boy, here?" Kurt answered.
"Same, no change. They took him for another scan when we got here. I guess it's the same thing they did early Monday morning at the other facility but they wanted their own. Weird, whatever…but it shows the same thing."
"Have you slept? I don't mind telling you that you look like hell, man," Blaine said evenly, his eyes concerned for his friend.
"Not so much. Every noise I hear makes me jump in the hope that he's waking up. I don't want him waking up and me not knowing. That might break my heart, especially if he goes right back under or something and I miss it."
"I get that, I do, but you have to sleep. You'll be no good to him if he wakes up and you're so exhausted you can't stay awake long enough to talk to him." Blaine reprimanded him with a kind smile.
"I ate today, that's about as much as I can make myself do. I had to leave him for almost 15 minutes to go get food and I was a wreck the whole time thinking I'd miss something. I can't miss something, Blaine…"
"Oh! Which reminds me, we brought you dinner," Kurt said, handing Nick a bag which he quickly untied and dug into.
"Don't listen, Jeffie…" Nick stages whispered, standing to hug Kurt. "I love you, man. Philly cheesesteak is one of my favorites…this is perfect, thanks."
"A little birdy told me," Kurt smiled.
"A Warbler, maybe?" Nick grinned, glancing back down at Jeff.
"Yeah, maybe…."
"So what's up with Caroline?" Blaine asked, not wanting to bring up the mess, but knowing it had to be addressed.
"She's uh….she hasn't been here today but for maybe 15 minutes with Gram. She wasn't in the best frame of mind and Gram escorted her out. If I didn't know better I'd say she was taking her home to ground her. Gram's on my side, I think. I love that little woman," Nick smiled. "My mom stopped in just after Jeff's sponge bath with the cute nurse-
"Shit, you allowed that to happen?" Blaine laughed.
"Um…no….not….she uh…no. We had words, Vivian and I," Nick laughed. "I think she gets it, though. I feel better knowing she left here with her wife."
"Well, yeah, because….yeah, uncomfortable." Blaine grinned with a blush.
"Promise me that if I ever need that, you'll do it." Kurt said, eyes wide. "I don't want some stranger washing my …me….there, Blaine. Pinky promise," he said, holding out his finger to Blaine, who eagerly took it.
"Ditto, babe. Only you get to do that," Blaine smiled. Nick rolled his eyes at the two of them.
"Hey, I know this is weird, but would you guys hang with him a minute while I shower? I haven't had time to…with everything…and I finally have towels to do so."
"Yeah, man, of course, go do what you need to do. But why didn't you just shower at home?" Blaine asked, curious.
"I haven't been home long enough to do much more than shove my stuff in a bag and run back out."
"You didn't go home to sleep last night?" Kurt exclaimed.
"Hell no, I'm not leaving until Jeffie leaves," Nick answered, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Nick, they're not just gonna let you stay here with him 24/7 are they?! Surely not in the ICU?"
"Oh, but they are, and I will," Nick grinned. He pointed to a fold up cot in the corner of the room. "I worked out a deal they couldn't refuse, actually. Something they need for something I want," he said.
Blaine raised his eyebrows knowing exactly what that meant. "How much is that costing you?"
"Um…." Nick rubbed the back of his neck guiltily. "With shipping, probably around 3.2 or so…." He said as if he was buying groceries. "But it's worth it….it's medical equipment for the pediatric floor, Blaine…."
"Jesus, Nick!" Blaine exclaimed. "You can't be sleeping well here. Is it worth that kind of money? Because you now they'll call the minute he wakes up, right?" He looked a bit sheepish when Nick gave him the 'I-know-you-can't-be-seriously-asking-me-that-right-now look.
"Jeffie's getting the rest he needs….doesn't matter if I do. When he wakes up, I'll be here. That's all that matters."
"It matters to me that you get some good rest. You really look like death, man. You need some decent sleep, even if it's only a few hours. Go shower, and we'll hang here while you sleep some. NO, no backtalk! Go!" Blaine said, leaving no room for arguments.
In the end, Nick fell into a restless sleep for about 4 hours while Kurt and Blaine sat with Jeff and talked softly about anything and everything. The longer they sat there, the more Kurt could understand what Nick mean, though. Any minute things could change and Jeff might open his eyes and look around. He'd be confused, for sure, and wondering where he was and why at first if he didn't recall what happened right away. Kurt knew, if he were in that spot, he would want to wake up and see someone he knew sitting with him. But it wasn't good for Nick if he wasn't resting well. He made a point of telling Blaine they'd need to relieve Nick now and again and let him sleep. He was sure Trent and Thad would take a shift as well. He knew Nick wouldn't rest at all if Caroline was there, afraid he'd wake up and Jeff would be gone.
When they left, the cab dropped Kurt off at the apartment and Blaine went on to The Dive. He'd only been back a handful of days but he'd missed it. Playing music was his life and he couldn't ask for a better job. It was fun, uplifting and it gave him a few hours to forget all the things on his mind and just lose himself in the music.
Everyone asked about Jeff and Nick so Blaine gave them all the information he was able to give. When it came out that Shane was involved, Mickey and Mac were furious, blaming themselves for having brought the two into the same place at all by allowing Shane to work at the Dive for even that short amount of time. Blaine assured them that Shane's father was a business associate of Mr. Duval's and that he would have used Shane if he wanted to regardless. Either way, regretting their actions, no matter how much it wasn't their fault, wasn't helping anyone now.
At the end of the week, things were still the same. The only difference was the constant little containers of food that started showing up in the morning and at lunchtime. It seemed he nurses had made Nick their pet project and took turns bringing him a bagel and cream cheese, a few Danish, a sandwich and chips at lunch as well as a re-heat-able container of something Italian and so freaking fantastic that Nick vowed to find out who'd brought it and beg for the recipe. He had no doubts that Vivian was somehow involved. It didn't matter, though, because whoever started it, he was eternally grateful and loved each and every one of them for it.
For the past two days Kurt and Blaine had sat with Jeff while Nick had dinner, showered and slept. There was no change at all, but they did finally meet Vivian, who, it turns out, was a sweet, kind girl with a good head on her shoulders. She gave as good as she got with Nick and teased him unmercifully about the baths and any other thing she could get his goat about. Blaine liked her instantly.
"Nick, I still can't believe you're being so stubborn. It's not like that…." She said, rolling her cart to where she had everything at her fingertips. Kurt and Blaine stood against the far wall, out of sight of anything embarrassing, grinning at the two as they verbally sparred over the sponge bath once again. Vivian was just giving Nick a hard time for the heck of it, keeping him on his toes, and Nick was giving it right back, keeping her on her toes as well.
"Don't care, you don't fondle my man's junk while I have anything to say about it," Nick snickered at her.
"You won't let me do my job, but you let these guys stay in the room? How's that fair?" she teased him.
"Yeah, well, Blaine's already fondled Jeff's junk and Kurt's pretty trustworthy, and they're like besties so that's just not happening. I trust 'em…." Nick laughed, seeing the look on Vivian's face when he'd spoken of Blaine and Jeff. "No worries, it's years in the past and I'm not giving it enough thought right now to get riled up." Nick grinned at her. Vivian shot Blaine a look and saw the wide blush on his cheeks as he stared at the floor intently.
"Ok…then…uh….let's get on with it, shall we?" She said, picking up her washcloth and soap.
"Listen, Nick, we're heading home to Ohio for a few days. We're leaving tomorrow morning, flying into Columbus and helping my mom pack and load the truck. Mom and Coop fly back out Sunday morning and Kurt and I are going to drive the truck home. Please promise you'll call me if anything changes, ok? I mean, like right away. I don't want to go, and I don't like being away when he's like this, but I promised my mom…"
"Go head, guys. It's ok. I'll be here with him all the while. I think Trent's coming to hang out tomorrow and I'm sure Caroline will be around. My brothers went back home Tuesday, but mom's still here and Bailey's been released. We'll be fine, but I appreciate the fact that you're concerned," Nick said, hugging them both as they prepared to leave. "I know you're worried and all that, but don't worry too much. He's in good hands and I know your mom needs you this weekend. I'm not alone here by any means, so go do what you gotta do."
Kurt hugged him long and hard and held on for a minute longer. "Don't hesitate to call if you want to talk, ok? We'll be just a phone call or text away."
"Will do. Go get it done and get back. Maybe he'll wake up and surprise you for your return?" Nick smiled.
"Fingers crossed, man," Blaine told him, before hugging him again, leaning down to kiss Jeff's forehead and heading out.
The door had barely closed when they heard the strumming of the guitar again.
"When your legs don't work like they used to before, And I can't sweep you off of your feet, Will your mouth still remember the taste of my love? Will your eyes still smile from your cheeks…."
A/N God, so sorry for that long delay. So much has happened. I hope your holidays were fantastic! I ended up with a little bit of the flu, I think, for Christmas, but it was still nice :) Spent the day with just the hubby and kids and all went well! If you missed it, I posted a Klaine Christmas one shot called Sleigh Bells Ring. Check it out!
Thanks to the girls for reading and re-reading and telling me where I'm long winded and sharing too much of our boys' inner thoughts! LOL
And Holy crap, those two episodes tonight? Please...share your thoughts with me? Deep breath, people...we'll get through this together!
I'm reading: The Rebound Agreement (it's Kurtbastian, don't freak out, but it's good!) and also Wordless Love, The Warbler is a Tramp and Braced for Impact. What are YOU guys reading? :)
Have a great weekend! A big hug for each and every one of you, but especially those of you in France dealing with all the dangerous things happening! Stay safe!