Ch. 94
The following morning Dr. Devlin stopped in to see how Jeff was feeling. His color was good and his vital signs were fine. According to the doctor, he was doing very well and was well on his way to being discharged. Nick was thrilled.
"Although, you do need to know, both of you, that there are things that might happen now that you're not used to. Head injuries are strange things. Some people have many odd symptoms afterward and some suffer few or none at all. You might have some memory issues for awhile, trouble finding the right words, inability to put a sentence together the way you want to. If you're stressed or tired it could exacerbate this. It's not uncommon at all for Jeff to experience confusion, headaches, dizziness, blurry vision, nausea or vomiting, ringing in his ears and maybe some changes in his emotions or sleep patterns. All of these things are very common, but should you come across any of them, I'd like you to record the time and date and what you were doing when that occurred, if that's applicable. We can look over it at your follow up appointment, Jeff."
"I can do that, doc. But what does that mean, 'changes in emotions'?" Jeff wanted to know.
"You can be absolutely fine one moment and then something will set you off and the next moment you're ready to rip someone's head off. Anger is a very common symptom, so be prepared for that. Even if you were very low key and laid back before-hand, it can sneak up on you now." The doctor told them, then caught them giving each other the side eye, as if maybe they'd already experienced that particular symptom. He wondered if that's why Nick wasn't there when he checked on Jeff again the previous day. "Also, on the other side of the spectrum, you might simply cry without provocation. It's all very personal and individual, though. You might experience all of these things or none of them. Only time will tell, really."
"I plan to be home with him daily, Dr. Devlin, but I wonder if he'll need a home health aide of some kind?" Nick asked. "I don't mind telling you that I'm a little nervous. I don't want to do anything wrong…."
"Well, that's certainly an option. I would obviously make sure Jeff was in good shape before he left our facility here, but if you'd like, I can give you some options."
"We'd appreciate that, thanks." Jeff answered. "So uh, when can I go home, doc?"
Before the doctor could answer there was a knock on the door and Vivian came pushing her cart in.
"I'll tell you what, I'll be back in a bit. I'll let Vivian do her thing and I'm going to go over your chart and all that good stuff. I don't want you taking off on us until we're sure it's the right thing to do. We'll talk more this afternoon, gentlemen." He said before leaving the room with a smile for them both.
"Well, well, well, look who decided to grace us with his presence." Vivian quipped. Jeff just shot a look at Nick, obviously unsure who she was. Nick grinned at Vivian and then at Jeff.
"Vivian, this is my stunning husband, Jeff Sterling-Duval. I told you his smile would knock your socks off, didn't I? Pretty Boy, this is Vivian. She's been in charge of keeping you clean, dressed and changed for the past week."
"Sh-she has?" Jeff squeaked, eyes wide. "Keeping uh…keeping what clean?" He stuttered, looking at Vivian again. "Y-you have?"
"Oh, definitely. And let me just say, it's been my pleasure to be your nurse, Jeff. I've heard all about you from this guy. I've learned a lot…and seen much more," she said, winking at Jeff. She and Nick were enjoying this way too much.
"Oh my God…" Jeff breathed out, the sound like a puff of smoke and his face going bright pink as Nick held in his laughter. "Nicky, you…you let a woman…do that…to me?"
"Oh, don't worry, it wasn't anything I hadn't seen before, Blondie. We're all good," she said, grabbing her tub to fill in the sink.
"Nicky?" Jeff pleaded, blinking rapidly at his husband and shaking his head no. Finally, Nick couldn't take it anymore and burst out laughing. "Oh you ass…." Jeff hissed, embarrassed.
"Do you really think, for even one minute, I'd allow that to happen if there was any way I could avoid it, Babe?"
"Payback is a bitch, Duval. Watch your back when I'm healthy again." Jeff said, eyes narrowed and mouth set in a grim line.
"That's Sterling-Duval to you, boy." Nick retorted with a wicked grin.
"Oddly, I'm not feeling very much like sharing my name with you right this minute. You may, however, keep yours." Jeff said with a haughty lift of his chin as he looked away from Nick and pouted, crossing his arms over his chest as well as he was able with one broken. Vivian couldn't help but laugh at them.
"Honey, he wouldn't let me within a half mile of anything between your cute little bellybutton and your knees, don't you worry….chased me off day one and that was that. Apparently nobody touches what belongs to him, or some such nonsense. He also said something about you possibly not approving of 'having your junk handled by a complete stranger, let alone a woman'," she said, making air quotes, "even if it's my job and I do it all day long."
"No offense or anything, and I'm sure you're great at what you do, but…um, if it's all the same to you, I'd just rather do it myself now…if I can."
"What you can reach is fine, but I don't think you're gonna be able to…uh…reach…everything," she grinned, turning a bit pink herself.
"Ok, uh, then Nick can um…he'll just do that…if that's ok?"
"Oh my god, you're so precious, you two. You may as well live in a giant ball of cotton candy, you're so damn sweet!" She laughed. "Ok, Jeff, arms up…"
"Nobody's ever moving again. This is it. Blaine, you stay upstairs, Maggie and I will be here and Mom stays in her new place. Moving sucks ass, I'm just sayin'." Cooper groused as he carried another piece of furniture up from the moving truck out front.
"Agreed. I've moved twice in 6 months, I'm not looking forward to doing it again anytime soon," Blaine agreed. "I thought that was going to Mom's place?" Blaine asked, eyeing the sofa they'd just carried up.
"Nope, she didn't want the furniture in the living room, the family room or the rec room, so I took some pictures and asked Maggie if she wanted any of it and she loved this and the chairs that go with it…so here they are. One less thing we'll have to carry out of her place and up the steps here, I guess.
"Every little bit helps. I have no delusions that you're going to hire movers and NOT call me to help you, so let me thank you for that in advance, you cheap ass," Blaine deadpanned.
"Anytime, Blainers, anytime!" Coop smiled, whacking his brother on the back.
"So when are you going to move everything else in here, then?"
"Probably this weekend for most of the big things. She gave the super her notice, and we have three weeks to get out now, but there's no reason to wait. The kids are super excited to be here with their Uncle Blaine and Uncle Kurt!"
"I'll love having them here, I'm sure. You, not so much," he said, giving Cooper a roll of his eyes. "I'm sure THEY won't be barging in on Kurt and I…on purpose, anyway." Blaine stood looking around his old apartment and grinned, remembering the few months he'd spent in it. He was glad it was still in the family and he could be here if he wanted to. There were some pretty great memories for him and Kurt there.
"Kurt working?"
"Yeah. He took off Friday to come with me and didn't want to miss another day. As soon as he gets home we're gonna go see Jeff. He looked so much better last night when we got there. The jerk scared me to death though. I'm thinkin' he's still out cold and he starts a freakin' conversation out of the blue. I damn near pulled a muscle, I jumped so badly when he started talking!"
"Sorry I missed that then. You tell him I said I'm pullin' for him. He's strong, though. He'll be back to 100% in no time. But about that…" Cooper began, and Blaine gave him a questioning look. "I uh…I called a few friends of mine and asked about Nick's dad…you know, just to keep an eye and an ear on things. You know they have him on suicide watch, right? They said he's super depressed and doesn't talk to anyone. He stares at the wall all day long and only moves when he's forced to. It's creepy, Blaine. My colleague called me this morning and said Nick was there to see him yesterday. Did you know about that?"
"Shit…no, I didn't know. He didn't mention it, but I haven't really had a chance to talk to him since we've been back. He was sleeping when we got there yesterday and I talked to Jeff for a while, but when Nick came in, it was clear they had some stuff to talk about, so Kurt and I left 'em to it."
"My guy said Nick was furious…insanely angry, yelling and pointing at him right in the face, standing up so fast he upended his chair a time or two, while pacing around the floor. The guard was almost ready to ask him to leave, but Nick left then anyway. He said David Duval didn't say a word the whole time, just sat staring down at the table with a blank expression…wouldn't make eye contact with Nick at all, apparently. If he wasn't such an asshole, I'd almost feel sorry for the guy. I mean, he's built this empire and it's all coming down around him. His business is being combed over by the feds, his kids have disowned him and his wife's divorcing him. Life's rough, man."
"He deserves every bit of everything that's happening to him," Blaine said angrily. "He nearly killed one of the very best people I know, and all out of spite. He can rot away in that place for all I care. I hope he never sees the light of day again." Blaine turned and strode out of the apartment and up the stairs to his own place. He needed a few minutes to calm himself down.
Cooper stared after him as he left, knowing for certain he'd never heard his brother speak of anyone in such a way. Blaine was usually so easy going, so laid back, so kind and friendly, but David Duval had hurt his best friend, and if there was one word to describe his brother, it was 'loyal'. He was that, absolutely- loyal to a fault. With a sigh, he went back down the steps to retrieve a few last things from the truck. Back upstairs, he moved a few pieces of furniture around and stacked a few boxes in the corner.
"Hey…"
Coop swung around to find Maggie in the doorway, smiling her brightest at him and looking around.
"Hey, babe…we just finished bringing up the furniture. You like?"
"I do! Oh it's beautiful, Coop. I can't believe your mom didn't want this! It looks brand new!" Maggie chirped.
"It is…she bought it at Christmas this past year. It's probably been sat on twice," he laughed. "I think, though, that she's hoping to start fresh, and only took things with her that held sentimental value. She brought her mother's buffet and dining room table and chairs along, a few pieces that are antiques, her bed that my father never slept in…" he laughed.
"I'm so thrilled she didn't mind that you took it. It was about time to start thinking of something new in my place anyway, but this…wow…" she said, flopping back onto the sofa and letting her eyes fall closed. "Heaven…."
"If the sofa is heaven, then there's an angel in heaven who looks just like you."
"You're so cheesy. And I love you for it," she said, sitting up to look around. "Where'd Blaine go? I thought he was here helping you?"
"He's upstairs. We were discussing Nick's dad and he got a little…bent out of shape. I think he's de-stressing a little," Coop explained, sliding over closer to her. She just nodded.
"So…this weekend then?"
"Yep…we'll move it all in this weekend," Cooper smiled. "Our place…"
"You're looking quite smug," Thad said as he walked into their apartment after work to find Trent flopped back on the sofa with a shit eating grin. Thad dropped his messenger bag and slipped off his jacket, hanging it on the coat tree just inside the door.
"I'm allowed to look smug, I've just made the last phone call. It's all done," Trent replied.
"All? As in everything? You can't be serious," Thad questioned, his brow furrowed.
"Serious. Maybe I missed my calling as a wedding planner? Everyone's been contacted, the musicians are booked, the caterer, the photographer, the minister…it's all done. And Ted's on board. We've planned out where everything will be moved to make room for tables and a dance floor. We're all set, babe," Trent said, leaning in to kiss his fiancé. We have a week or ten days before we should really send out the invitations. Did you get all of the addresses you wanted from your mom?"
"I did, for the most part, yeah. Just waiting on one or two now. You know that only leaves one thing, right? I think it's time to make those decisions," Trent smiled.
"Decisions made on my end, although I'm sure they overlap yours?"
"Blaine and Jeff…"
"I have three brothers, Trent, and you have 4 sisters, don't forget."
"I'm only doing this once and I'm not not asking someone because 'sides won't be even', because screw that. I'm not so traditional that it's going to make me insane. I'm an artist. Asymmetrical balance is a thing…roll with it," he laughed.
"And I'm pretty sure your four sisters will keep all five boys in line just fine."
"I've no doubt. It's not every day their baby brother gets married—"
"To such a handsome prince, of course."
"Of course," Trent said and rolled his eyes with a smirk.
"What do you think Jeff will say?" Thad asked, his voice a bit timid.
"I'm not sure, but I'll ask him anyway. He's been there for me for years. He's like the brother I never had, and I don't want to do it without him there beside me."
"Understood…me either. It's always been the four of us…you, me, Blaine and Jeff."
"And it always will be…just with a few additions thrown in now. I think it's a good thing."
"It's a damn good thing," Thad grinned.
"So, I think the only thing left now is suits? I don't think we have to go all matchy-matchy, do we? If everyone wears a black suit of their choosing, that'll be fine with me if it's fine with you." Thad asked.
"I think that sounds just fine. I'm there to marry you, forever, not to worry about what suit I'm in."
"I want to go see Jeff. You up for it?" Thad asked, his smile so truly heartfelt for his fiancé.
"You know it. Let's go."
"We ran into this mess on the sidewalk outside the building and decided to drag it along with us," Blaine said with a big grin, knocking elbows with Trent as the four boys walked into Jeff's room. Nick was sitting up in bed with him and they were both reading the same book, which Nick set on the table when their guests arrived.
"What's with the glasses, nerdy boy?" Thad teased Jeff. "I haven't seen you wear glasses since freshman year!"
"I'm not sure what happened to my contacts after…everything. I need 'em to read, doofus, shut your hole," Jeff retorted and accepted the fist bump from his friend. "And someone kinda likes the glasses, so I lean toward them…" he trailed off quietly, blushing.
"You're so hot in your glasses…don't listen to him," Nick purred in his ear, causing Jeff to blush even more. Nick shot a grin toward Thad and stuck his tongue out at him.
"Somebody throw ice water on those two," Sebastian snarked as he strode into the room a minute behind everyone else. "What's up, Blondie. How are you feeling today? Glad to see you awake, man! We missed you there for a while," he said, also leaning in to fist bump with Jeff.
"As well as can be expected, I guess. Dr. Devlin says I'm doing great and I can go home in a couple days. We'll have someone come in to do whatever needs to be done, I guess, and then there's therapy and…all that…" he trailed off with a slight grimace.
"Babe?"
"Um…'m ok, just…the dizziness, ya know?" Jeff forced a grin.
"Too much going on?" Nick asked.
"No, no it's uh…you know what, I think it's because I'm hungry. I don't want whatever it was they brought up, though. I'm dying for a pizza. I can't wait to get out of here and get real food." Jeff said.
"Babe, for you, I will go get pizza. Let me make sure it's ok and I'll be right back. You guys want?"
A chorus of hungry boys weren't turning down pizza, so Nick left, and Seb followed him out the door.
"I'll tag along to help if you don't mind?"
"Works for me. What's news, because I know that look on your face, Seb. You came to tell me something," Nick said flatly. He stopped at the desk and made sure he could bring Jeff pizza and they called the order in as they left the hospital.
"I uh…" Seb said, rubbing the back of his neck, "I just wanted to keep you up to date on what's going on. His attorney was there again today and he still won't talk to him. Hasn't said a word, Nick, not since your brother laid into him that day. And I hear you were there yesterday?"
"I was, and he didn't say a word to me, either. It was all I could do not to beat the living hell out of him with the chair, and if that guard hadn't been so fucking buff, I might have tried," Nick huffed with a smirk. "I don't feel sorry for him, Seb. I really don't. He brought all of this on himself and he has nobody else to blame. He nearly killed Jeff and that's not something I'll ever forgive him for, not to mention nearly taking out his own daughter in the process. He's not well…he hasn't been for some time, in my estimation, and he needs to be locked up. I'll be happy to see that day come, and I'll do whatever I have to do to see it happen."
"Fair enough. I just wanted you to know."
"And now I know."
"So how are you really feeling?" Kurt asked as soon as the door closed behind Nick and Sebastian.
"I'm so tired. I feel like I could sleep for days, and every time I say I'm tired I see that spark of fear in Nick's eyes…like I might close my eyes and not open them again for a week. I feel like hell that I'm putting him through this," Jeff answered honestly.
"You have to be kidding….Jeff, he doesn't see it as 'you putting him through this', I'm sure of it," Blaine grinned. "He'd do anything for you. You should have seen him here, every single day, right by your side, refusing to leave. He was the most devoted man I've ever seen…he loves you unconditionally, and you need to stop beating yourself up. It takes time to heal, man."
"I know…and I'm gonna heal. I have things to do, schools to open up and classes to teach!" Jeff smiled widely.
"That's what I wanna hear!" Blaine smiled back, as did the other boys in the room. Trent cleared his throat.
"Um…speaking of things to do…" he smiled, with his cheeks pinking a bit. "Thad and I were wondering, Jeff…Blaine…if the two of you would do us the great honor of being in our wedding at Thanksgiving?"
Blaine was ecstatic, obviously, and Kurt smiled widely at him. Jeff was hesitant, though.
"Guys, as happy as I'd be to do that, I don't want to make a spectacle of myself having to roll down the aisle or something," he said, gesturing to his leg.
"Nope, don't you tell me no, Jeffie. It'll be almost 11 weeks by then, and you'll have had your cast off for probably 2 or 3 weeks by that time. I'm counting on you to work your ass off and stand up for us when we say 'I do'. Don't give me some excuse. I have faith in you, man. You can do this, right?" Trent asked, his hopes high that his friend would say yes.
"I'll um…ok, I'll try. But please don't be angry if I can't, ok?" Jeff asked, insecure.
"We won't have a chance to be angry. You're gonna do it, so just concentrate on getting strong again, man." Thad smiled, his encouragement showing in his face.
Nick returned later with 10 pizzas; five for the guys in the room and five for the staff on duty. How rude would it have been to eat it in front of them, he asked Seb upon their return. Seb only rolled his eyes.
"So where's your boy, anyway, Seb?" Jeff asked. "I have some things to say to him that I haven't gotten to say yet…mainly 'thanks for keeping me alive in that alley until the ambulance got there'. My doc tells me if it hadn't been for Hunter, I probably wouldn't be here."
"Hunter started his internship this week. He's been working an insane amount of hours. I think he's due home around midnight tonight. I'll tell him if he has a free minute to stop over and see you. I know he wants to."
"I'd appreciate it. I owe him an awful lot. I talked to Bailey on the phone today. She says he was the only thing that kept her from completely freaking out…said he was calm, cool and collected. He told her what to do, where to hold, what to press to stop the bleeding. And she said he's not bad to look at either and you should watch your back, but I'm not supposed to tell you that," Jeff laughed. At the look on Nick's face he laughed harder, then grasped his ribs with his good arm as he shook and snorted.
Sebastian just smirked, hands in his pockets hiding the band on his finger until Hunter could be there with him to break their news. He knew Hunter was his, heart and soul, for a lifetime now.
"I'm not too worried. I think I've got this one in the bag," he grinned like the cat who ate the canary.
Blaine's first night back at The Dive was hectic. His days there had been sporadic at best lately, but thankfully he had a replacement he could call on when he wasn't able to play. He just really hoped his schedule would smooth out and he could get back to playing nightly. He missed it more than he thought possible, and that pretty much sealed it for Blaine. Music was in his blood, and he'd teach kids to love it and cherish it as much as he did.
It was strange playing with Puck, because obviously Nick wasn't going to be there. Davina had made a point to welcome him when he came in and then also threw his arms (her arms? Kurt wondered…he was never sure how to address Davina) around Kurt as well. It was the first time in a while Blaine had noticed Kurt flinch, and he cast his eyes at Kurt as if to ask 'you ok?' to which Kurt nodded reassuringly. With a deep breath, he followed Blaine backstage to the break room, hugged Finn when he saw him, and said hello to everyone else as well.
Kurt still preferred to sit on the stage with Ron, the sound man, and nobody seemed to care. If Jeff or Hunter had been there to hang with him at the bar, it may have been different, but they weren't. The band played for hours and had the crowd pretty wild and wound up with a good, eclectic mix of old and new, fast and slow. Soon enough, though, the music ended and they were headed home.
Climbing the stairs and pulling out his keys, Blaine remarked on how well Kurt seemed to be doing in the bar, as he'd previously been terrified of the masses of people there. Kurt grinned and kissed Blaine's cheek.
"It's you. You got me out and about and made me comfortable again. I think Jax being gone is another reason. I'm a little more comfortable in my own skin now, that's for certain," Kurt replied.
"Mmmmm, and it is such fine skin…." Blaine teased, kissing Kurt's cheek as he put the key in their door.
They heard the door downstairs open and footsteps coming up the stairs. Blaine paused to see who it was, making sure it was someone who belonged there. It was 2:30 in the morning, after all. Everyone should be in bed, to his thinking.
Hunter literally dragged himself up the steps looking haggard as hell and Kurt's eyes flew wide.
"Holy shit…wow, you look awful," he said without thinking.
"I'm so glad to see you as well, Kurt." Hunter snarked with a wide smile…as wide as he could manage with his fatigue.
"You know I don't mean it. Seb said you'd be home around midnight. What happened?"
"Multiple car accident, short staff…"
"Well, we won't keep you, get on in there and get some sleep, man," Blaine added, giving him a bump on the shoulder.
"Oh, and Hunter?" Kurt said, stopping him. Hunter turned tired eyes to Kurt. "Congratulations," he grinned. "Seb's ring is gorgeous, no matter how he tries to keep his hands in his pockets."
Hunter smiled and closed his eyes, dropping his chin to his chest and shaking his head.
"Vegas…Sebastian married me in Vegas, because I asked him to. I didn't want to wait another day, ya know?" He chuckled.
"He'd do anything for you. He loves you, and it's obvious. Really, we're happy for you," Kurt said with a kind smile. "I'll keep it under wraps if you want?"
"No…no, my parents know now, and I really just wanted to tell you first…and now you know. I'm sorry I didn't do it the right way…" he trailed off, yawning. "I'll make it up to you."
"You did just fine. Now go get your man and actually sleep. You're dead on your feet."
Hunter turned around and walked back down the hall toward Kurt, wrapped his arms around him, and gave him a long, warm hug.
"Had it not been for you, I may not have him at all. Thank you for that. I owe you a lot for kicking me in the ass when you did. Goodnight guys," he said tiredly, then shuffled back down the hall to his own apartment door.
"I didn't…how did you…why didn't you tell ME, Kurt?" Blaine asked, grinning.
"Wasn't for me to say, but I noticed Seb's ring at the hospital. When he wasn't forthcoming with information, I thought there might be a reason. But at the same time, if he didn't want anyone to know, he wouldn't be wearing a ring at all. Maybe he was waiting for Hunter to tell people? I just helped him along a bit," Kurt smiled as they climbed their steps.
"Tired…" Blaine yawned.
"Yep, and I have to be into the loft by 9 a.m. You gonna let me sleep tonight, Anderson?"
"When I'm done with you, you can sleep all you want, babe." Blaine said with a glint in his eye as he slapped Kurt on the butt.
It was three days later when Jeff finally got to go home. The staff and the nurses were all sad to see him go, but he and Nick were ecstatic to be out of the hospital, despite the doting and consistently concerned care from the staff at the hospital. Crutches weren't even an option for Jeff's broken leg, mostly because of the broken arm on the same side. It would have been impossible for him to maneuver around, so they wheeled him out to the waiting Towne Car in a wheelchair, much to Jeff's chagrin.
"Babe, it's hospital policy. Even if nothing was broken, you'd probably have to come out of there in a wheelchair. They're not making any veiled assumptions about your strength or virility with this thing!" Nick laughed, gesturing at the rolling contraption.
"I feel like an invalid," Jeff groused, moping.
"You're going home. I thought you'd be happy…or at least in a better mood?"
"I'm happy to be going home, although I was getting rather used to Vivian's baths. That woman has a way with her hands that—"
"Stop it now or I'll push you down the ramp, Jeffrey," Nick said with wider eyes than normal and Jeff snickered, trying to hide it behind his hand.
"Don't be jealous, Nicky. You'll always be my first choice when it comes to bathing partners."
"…better be…" Nick mumbled, pulling the door open before the driver could even make his way around the car. Nick was a little testy, mostly because of his anxiety over taking Jeff home. Jeff would need him now more than ever and he didn't want to screw anything up. He'd need to be strong and there for Jeff for anything he needed. He would not let him down, no way, no how.
"Lemme get in sideways and kinda pull my leg in behind me?" Jeff said, using his good leg to pivot and sit on the edge of the car's seat. He managed to get himself in ok and Nick was pleased to see it. The nurse who'd accompanied them out to the car smiled and pulled the chair back. "Thank you…thanks, really…for everything." Jeff smiled back at her.
Nick settled into the other side of the car and scooted over toward Jeff so Jeff could lean on him if he wanted to.
"Home, Sir?" The driver asked. Nick cast a look at Jeff to see if he wanted to stop anywhere.
"Food, Pretty Boy? You hungry? Anything you want, just say it," Nick smiled.
"I could go for some of that Thai from the place around the corner from home…and that ice cream we had the night before my birthday, maybe?" He grinned.
The driver nodded and pulled out of the hospital's parking garage into the city traffic.
"I'm gonna be so freakin' fat, laying around here all day, unable to move and exercise and just…damn it…" Jeff whined, and Nick saw tears spring to his eyes. For a minute he panicked.
"You're not gonna be fat, mostly because we're going to watch what you eat, watch your carbs and all that, and you're only gonna have the casts on for a number of weeks and then you'll be right back to yourself, doing what you need to do to regain the strength in your arm and your leg. I won't hear any of this bellyaching!" Nick grinned, spooning another mouthful of ice cream into Jeff's mouth as he moped. "And if you weigh 400 pounds by Christmas, I will still love you endlessly, and there will just be more of you to love."
"I hate you…"
"No you don't."
"The hell I don't. Give me another bite, you jerk."
"With pleasure, love of my life."
Blaine and Kurt spent the majority of the weekend helping Cooper and Maggie move into the apartment. Maggie had taken a couple days off on Thursday and Friday to finish packing and a few of her friends from work had shown up to help them cart boxes and furniture across the street as well. By Sunday night, everything was as it should be, and they were all moved in.
Cooper, who had been trekking back and forth across town to his old place, had been packing things little by little since he'd moved in with Maggie and the kids. Most of what he considered a necessity had been moved bit by bit to Maggie's when he was just staying overnight sometimes. Now, he brought over what he wanted to keep permanently and sold the rest. There was just no reason at all to pay rent on two places when he had no inclination to return to his old place when his family wasn't there.
Cris went through a bunch of his things and kept some little things that she needed and hadn't gotten yet, such as small appliances for her kitchen and a few dishes and cookware. He had a few lamps in the living room that she wanted as well. He brought his bed over, which went into his and Maggie's room and Evee got Maggie's old bed. Mattie got the bunk beds in his room and he was overjoyed to finally be given the go ahead to sleep on the top bunk for the first time ever.
All in all, it had gone smoothly and Blaine was glad to sit down to a hot meal Sunday evening. Kurt had thrown a big roast in the crock pot that morning and he was busy at the stove with some new potatoes and grilled asparagus when Blaine dragged himself up the steps.
"Holy crap, how hungry do you think I am?" Blaine asked, eyes wide as he took in the size of the meal on the counter. Kurt just rolled his eyes at him.
"It's not all for us, goof. I knew they wouldn't want to cook tonight downstairs, so I made enough for Coop, Mags and the kids, too. In fact, I think we'll still have leftovers, if you ask me. I'll take some for lunch tomorrow."
"Well, once again, you've outdone yourself and it smells divine. I'm starving. I hate moving. Like Coop said the other day, we're not moving again for a long time!" He snickered. "Can I do anything to help?"
"Nope, all done. I'm gonna run this downstairs, and I'll be right back up to eat with you," Kurt said, slipping out the door with his hands full. Skipping down the steps, he pushed open the door in the hallway and headed across the hall to Coop and Maggie's just as Trent and Thad were coming up the steps to their own door.
"Holy crap, that smells amazing. What's the occasion?" Trent asked, his mouth watering.
"They've been working hard all day moving in, just thought I'd help out a little," Kurt smiled, waiting on someone to open the door. When he heard Coop call out "I got it!" Kurt turned back to Trent and Thad and said "one sec, don't go anywhere yet." Then the door flew open wide.
"Kurt, I knew I loved you. Are you sure you don't wanna run away and be with me?" Cooper asked, his grin wide.
"I bet your wife and also your brother might have a thing or two to say about that, don't you think?" Kurt laughed.
"My ass might have something to say about it, too, now that I think about it…"
"COOPER!" Maggie yelled from inside. "God Almighty, for the love of all that's holy—"
"I know, I know, I have to remember to tone it down with the kids," he snickered. "Thanks for dinner, man, it smells awesome." He winked as Kurt handed over the food, rolling his eyes at his newest neighbor.
"I'm glad I got the normal brother. Good luck with this one, Maggie!" He called in the door as he turned to go back upstairs.
"So you just making us stand out here and smell your food as torture or did you have something to say?" Thad laughed.
"Impatient!" Kurt grinned. "I held you up to ask if you wanted to join us for dinner. There's plenty up there. Blaine's probably asleep at the counter by now, but you're welcome if you haven't eaten yet," Kurt offered, gesturing to his door as he backed away a step or two. His housemates exchanged a curious glance at one another and shrugged.
"Beats take out, which is what we had in mind. Thanks, Kurt. What are we having anyway?" Trent asked as they all climbed the stairs.
"Hmmm, uh…roast beef, new potatoes and asparagus. I have a couple loaves of fresh bread in the oven, too, that should be done in a minute."
Blaine had, indeed, dozed off, his face laying right on the kitchen counter as he slumped over from his bar stool. His arms hung straight down and Kurt just shook his head at his crazy boyfriend. Just then the oven timer went off and Blaine nearly jumped out of his skin, sitting abruptly upright with a start. Everyone else in the room got a great laugh out of it. Blaine, however, wasn't as amused.
"Shut up, you assholes. Some of us moved furniture and boxes up and down steps all day. Where were YOU when all that was going on? I'll tell you where. NOT HERE, so don't poke fun at the tired guy…" Blaine groused with smirk. It didn't stop the laughing.
They set the table and had just sat down to eat when there was a knock at the door.
"Got it…" Kurt said, standing and heading to the stairs that led down to their door. He was surprised to see Sebastian standing there with a bowl of raisin bran in his hands and a forlorn look on his face.
"Seb…that's a nice bowl of flakes ya got there," Kurt teased.
"Hush, Hummel. Hunter's back at the hospital tonight and I'm not cooking just for me, so I poured a bowl of cereal, but my milk's nasty. Can I borrow some?" Sebastian asked.
"Seriously? Don't you usually just walk in and take what you want?" Kurt teased.
"It was locked, and I gave Blaine all the keys back, against my better judgment." Seb pouted. "Who the hell locks their door against their neighbors, especially ones as hot as me?"
Kurt laughed at him, then grabbed his hand and pulled him up the steps behind him.
"C'mon, you lost puppy. Come and have dinner with us, we have enough."
And this, Kurt thought as he sat down to dinner surrounded by friends, this is what he loved more than anything about their home. He was friends with each and every person who lived under their roof, and he could take care of each and every one, too.
"You're sure you'll be ok? I promise I'll be quick, only about 30 minutes, I swear. I just called everyone to meet with me today at the office because I need to get caught up on what's happening, what I've missed and what I need to do. I know Kyle's been handling things, but I don't want to dump it all off on him, even though he's more than capable of handling everything I've given him. I'm thinking about sort of promoting him to like, I dunno, general manager or something, so he can make decisions when I'm not around to do it. I trust his judgment and he's done a fantastic job on everything he's touched so far, but I don't want to leave you up here alone, Jeff." He paused long enough to take a breath, then began again. "You know what, I'm just gonna call Blaine to come over because-"
"NICK!" Jeff finally yelled. "For God's sake, man. I have my meds, my drink, my phone, my book, my laptop, your iPad, my iPod and the t.v. remote. I've already used the bathroom this morning. I don't know what in the world I could possibly need other than this. I'm good, really, just do your thing and don't worry about me," Jeff smiled at his husband, who was practically wringing his hands at the door. "It's 30 minutes, right? I'll be fine. Just go."
"I don't like leaving you, though."
"You're not leaving me. You're going down a few floors to an office to have a meeting. I'll be ok up here. I have everything I need and, if I need something that desperately, I'll call you."
"I could ask Phillip to come up and sit with you if you want?"
"You could go do your thing and stop hovering if you want?"
"You could be ungrateful if you want?"
"You could walk away before I start throwing things if you want?" Jeff said, forcing a smile he wasn't really feeling, his jaw tense. Nick was smothering him and he was ready to lose it. Hiding his frustration with everything going on was hard enough without Nick shoving 'help' down his throat.
Nick saw Jeff gritting his teeth and bit his lip to keep quiet. He knew he was pushing but he was terrified of leaving Jeff alone. Look how that ended up last time? More than once he berated and chastised himself, thinking he should have definitely gone to Blaine's that night to talk to Jeff or demanded he come home. He shouldn't have let him stay away, because it had turned out awfully, and he'd nearly lost him. He wasn't sure he'd ever leave Jeff alone again without feeling absolutely sick to his stomach.
"Ok, then. If you're sure you'll be ok. You have everything you need? Do you want a snack or—"
"Nick, please, for God's sake!" Jeff snapped. "Now I'm getting pissed, just fucking go, would you?" Jeff snarled, anger peaking without his consent. Nick physically jerked back from leaning in to kiss Jeff's forehead as if he'd been slapped. His eyes were wide and the hurt in them couldn't be concealed. "Just…go do what you need to do and give me a fucking second of peace, would you? Damn…"
Eyes wide, stunned and watery, Nick left the room without looking back.
As soon as he was gone, Jeff felt like absolute shit. Where had that come from? The outburst wasn't at all like him and he instantly regretted the words that tore out of his mouth. What in the world…he'd never spoken to Nick like that before.
For a brief second, he considered calling out to Nick to ask him to come back so he could apologize, but he heard the front door close and thought better of it. He'd tell Nick he was sorry when he came back.
Nick sat down last, everyone else beating him there, and tried his best to focus on what was going on around him. He was certain he'd missed half of what was said and that was confirmed when Kyle snagged his attention from thinking of Jeff.
"Nick? Does that work for you?"
"Hmm? I'm sorry, I zoned, I apologize, guys. Not very much sleep lately…" he said, shaking his head and pinching the bridge of his nose where a headache was coming on. That was the truth. He was so used to sleeping practically wrapped around Jeff in their King sized bed and now he was hesitant to be anywhere near Jeff for fear of hurting him. Granted, it was his right arm and leg that were broken, so it was easy for Jeff to stay on the side of the bed he always slept on anyway and not have the casts near Nick, but Nick was uneasy and he'd tossed and turned for several nights now, thinking perhaps he should just move to the guest room or the couch and leave Jeff to rest on his own. Jeff did love the bed, after all. But he loved Jeff…
"….thought that would be better, since the structure beside it isn't sound and they're thinking of….Nick?" Kyle said again.
"I'm sorry, I…can you give me a minute?" Nick said, rising from the table in the conference room and walking into his office to snag some Tylenol from his desk drawer. Grabbing a bottle of water from his small refrigerator, he downed two tablets and sat behind his desk for a minute, resting his head in his hands, elbows on the desk.
"Everything alright? You're not with it today, are you?" Kyle asked from the doorway. "It's ok, I mean, we all get it. You've been under tremendous stress and nobody blames you one bit, man. If you want to postpone the meeting, it's fine. I have plenty to work on and the guys are busy. The building you bought last week is being inspected today, and I'll be there for that if you don't want to be."
"Shit…I completely forgot about it. Can you? Do you mind?" Nick asked, eyes closed now as he shook his head.
"You know I don't. Whatever I can do to help, all you have to do is say the word, man. He needs you now, and we can handle things without you for the most part. Not that you're not needed, but you're needed elsewhere more."
"I'm not so sure…" Nick trailed off quietly.
"Uh oh…something wrong? I don't mean to pry or anything."
"I think I'm hovering and he got pissed and snapped at me as I was leaving this morning. He's never spoken to me like that before, even when he was really angry and had every right to. It was…well, it was a wake up call for sure….kinda shook me up."
"I'm sure he didn't mean it, Nick. You know, when people have that kinda trauma, it affects 'em in ways like that sometimes. That happened to a guy I went to school with. Nicest guy you'd ever wanna meet, but he was he was in a car accident and he was never the same after that. Good guy, for sure, but you didn't wanna make him mad."
Nick's face paled visibly and Kyle instantly regretted his words.
"He…he'll get better. I was just…I was too insistent. I think? Maybe?" Nick said, wanting nothing more than to go upstairs to Jeff.
"Of course he will. He'll be back to his old self in no time. He didn't mean to snap at you, Nick, I'm sure of it. Don't sweat it. Why don't we finish this up and you can head on up to him. I'll go to the inspection today and stop by later to report back. The sooner we get that done, the sooner we can get started on it, ok?"
"Thank you, Kyle. You've been invaluable. Really…I was just…I told Jeff this morning that I need to uh…I'm toying with some ideas…throwing things around in my head about management things…" Nick said, watching Kyle's eyes light up. Surely if Nick wanted to give him that title, he'd do his damnedest do deserve it. "Would you be interested? You'd be in charge of a lot in my absence. I don't know how long this thing with Jeff will be, and I need someone who knows what's what to oversee things…not just one project, but multiple projects at times, ya know?"
"Yeah, I…I mean, sure. Absolutely…if that's the route you want to go, I'm fully on board. Think on it and let me know. C'mon back in here and let's wrap this up. Then you can head back upstairs to Jeff."
With a nod of his head, Nick stood and walked back into the conference room with him and picked up where they'd left off with the meeting.
Upstairs, Jeff was uncomfortable. He'd taken the meds he was supposed to take at 10 a.m., just like the schedule said but they were making him nauseous. That had to be it, he hadn't eaten anything out of the ordinary. It probably didn't help that his stomach had been churning after snapping at Nick that way. He rode it out for a few minutes before he felt like he was going to be sick. Leaning to the side, he looked for the trash can, but didn't see it. The very last thing he wanted to do was to be sick in the bed. How would he explain that to Nick. God….
Deep breaths, he told himself. He sipped his Coke, doing his best to breathe in and out slowly, and attempted to calm his stomach. When it became apparent that it wasn't working, he knew he needed to get to the bathroom, but how? His stomach gave an uncomfortable lurch and he swung his casted leg over the side of the bed without even giving it a second thought. Grimacing, he steadied himself on his left arm and leg and took more deep breaths.
The rolling "walker" with a seat sat against the wall beside the bed where he'd left it that morning and he needed to get to it, and then to the bathroom. His belly was rolling and at that point and he wasn't sure which end he was going to be dealing with…was it going to all come up or…oh God, bathroom, his mind screamed. It wasn't going to hold off until Nick got back.
Scooting awkwardly and not a little uncomfortably toward the walker, he was able to barely grab it with his fingertips from where he sat and pulled it toward him. With firm resolve, he pushed all of his weight up on to his left leg and pivoted around to sit. He breathed a sigh of relief when he was seated fully and began to use his good leg to slowly roll backward over the thick carpet toward the bathroom. There was no way he could pull himself that far with one good leg, so he pushed back with his good leg and did his best to hold the broken one up and out of the way. All the while his stomach rolled.
He'd never been so irritated that Nick's room was so large or the carpet was so plush and soft. The fibers under his feet hindered his progress a lot and he was cursing it when he felt the wheels stop and the walker tip precariously backward as he pushed to make way to the porcelain god he was so in need of. He flung is left arm out to balance himself and then breathed a huge sigh of relief when he was able to right the walker again and make his way across the room once more. It felt like a year later when he finally made it to the tile floor, but he wasn't able to get the wheels over the floor change, so he stood up on his left leg and picked the walker up to get it onto solid flooring where he was, blessedly, able to roll into the huge bathroom. Barely a moment later he made it to the toilet before everything he'd had for breakfast erupted and he felt every muscle in his body tense against the food going the wrong way out of his body.
When he felt he'd emptied out everything he'd eaten, back to his wedding reception, Jeff pushed back, away from the toilet and grabbed the only towel he could reach to wipe his face. He was dizzy and disoriented from the force of his wretching and he felt light headed. Unsure what to do at that point, he shoved the walker backwards against the wall, leaned his head back on the tile and waited to feel normal again.
Nick couldn't get out of that meeting fast enough. He was leaving his office with a stack of files to look over when his phone buzzed. Seeing that it was Blaine, he answered right away while he walked toward the elevators.
"Hey, 'sup man?"
"Nothin' much, Nick. I was just calling Jeff to check on him, but he's not answering, so I thought I'd try you instead. He's doin' ok?" Blaine asked.
"He's good, yeah…he…he didn't answer his phone? I left it next to him on the bed this morning. I wonder if he fell asleep?"
"I dunno, I called it three or four times thinking maybe he couldn't get to it quickly, but then I just left him a message and called you instead. I was gonna stop over if that's ok? I'm right down the street."
"Yeah…yeah, sure. I'm uh…gonna call him myself. Come on over, B. See you then." Nick said, then hung up.
He stabbed repeatedly at the elevator button, willing it to arrive faster and when it did, he got inside and stabbed at those buttons as well before remembering he needed his key to get to the penthouse. All the while, he was trying to call Jeff and getting his voicemail.
"Son of a …" he began, messing with the key, grateful when the doors finally closed and the blasted box began moving. It felt like an eternity before the doors opened in his foyer. He was in a full-fledged panic at that point. Why wasn't Jeff answering?
"Jeff?!" He yelled out, throwing everything in his arms down on the counter. "JEFF!" he yelled again when there was no answer. He strode quickly through the apartment glancing around, noting that nothing was out of place, and then into the bedroom to find the bed empty. Empty. "Jesus Christ, Jeff, where the hell are you!?" He yelled again, then heard a mumbling from the bathroom. Jeff couldn't have gotten into the bathroom alone, could he?
Nearly sprinting into the room, he found Jeff sitting upright, but barely, looking pale and sick as he leaned his face against the cold tile on the wall.
"Christ, Jeff, what? What the hell happened? How'd you get in here? Honey…."
"It's ok…'m alright. Got sick. Too tired to push back in there," he said groggily. "Don't be mad, Nicky…sorry I snapped at you. Isn't like me to snap like that…dunno what happened…" he mumbled on.
"Babe, no, it's totally fine, please let me help you. C'mon." Nick said, helping Jeff to sit more comfortably on the "chair" as he pushed him back into the bedroom. "You feel ok now? Why in God's name did you try to do that yourself, babe? You could have fallen. I knew I shouldn't have left. Jesus, Jeff…"
"Was ok getting in there…knew I was gonna throw up. No trash can…didn't wanna mess up the bed. Belly hurts, Nicky. I think it's the medicines…"
"Ok, alright, I'll call Devlin and see what's up. Lay down here, love. God you scared the life outta me." Nick huffed, leaning over to place Jeff in bed as gently as he could and then lifted his leg up onto a few pillows to elevate it.
"Didn't want to bother you. I knew I could do it. I just got too worn out on the way in and I figured I'd wait a while and then make my way back in here. Then you showed up. Did you call me? I could hear my phone ringing."
"Blaine's been trying to get in touch with you. When you didn't answer, he called me. He's on his way over. I can call him and tell him another time would be better if you want?"
"Nope, I'm already here. But I can go if you're not up to it, Jeffie." Blaine said from the doorway, his smile bright.
"God…he wheeled himself into the bathroom and got sick…" Nick said, shaking his head and motioning toward the walker.
"Not cool, man, you could have fallen and made it worse!" Blaine scolded him.
"The alternative was puking in my bed. No thanks…" Jeff said with a half-hearted grin. "That's a smell that never goes away."
Jeff noticed that Nick was at the end of the bed now, sitting silently with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands.
"Nicky? 'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you."
"It's alright…you're ok, that's all that matters. Listen, you guys…you hang out or whatever. I'm gonna…gonna um…" He motioned into the other room and walked out.
"Trouble in paradise?" Blaine asked, scooting onto the bed next to Jeff. Jeff leaned over and laid his head on Blaine's shoulder and let out a long huff.
"I snapped at him this morning…bit his head off. I'm surprised he didn't come in here ready to tear into me."
"You frightened him, I think. When you didn't answer when I called, I called him instead. I could tell he was freaked out. I know why you needed to be in the bathroom, but why didn't you call him if you needed help?"
"He was working. I didn't want to interrupt him. I made it in there just fine. I was just resting up to make the trip back in."
"I don't think this is the last you'll hear about it, Jeff. That wasn't smart. You should have called him…or me. Hell, I'd have come to sit with you today, you know that. I thought you were looking into getting a nurse to come in?"
"HE was looking into it. I don't need a damn nurse!" Jeff snapped at Blaine, drawing a surprised look from his best friend. "Sorry…I didn't…I don't mean to yell like that I…Jesus. I don't want to be babied, Blaine. I'm fine. I'm just…I need to do things for myself. I can't even take a piss on my own without someone holding my damn hand. LITERALLY!" Jeff grumbled. "I've been home almost a week and already I'm about to freak out. I have weeks left in these fucking casts, man, and I don't think I'm gonna make it. I don't DO still and sedate. It's not in me, B."
"I know it's gotta suck. It has to be seriously hard for you, and I'm sorry…I am…but what can I do to help? I can come over any day you want and help you work out your good leg? We can watch movies like we used to on the laptop in bed, just like this. I can bring you stuff…books, music, whatever you need. Just tell me, ok?" Blaine offered.
"When I figure out what I need, I'll let you know, B, I promise. I think I need to get a handle on my emotions…my temper. I can't believe how angry I was this morning. They told me it might happen, and it did. I hate this…I hate it…." Jeff trailed off. "I was so nasty to him and he's done nothing but treat me like a king. God…I need to talk to him."
"He'll forgive you, he knows that's something that might happen. He will, I know it. Don't beat yourself up. Tell him you're sorry, move on from it. Don't hold on to it. Listen, I'm gonna go and let you guys talk, ok? You call me, let me know what you want to do. I'm sure Nick has stuff to keep him busy. I'll come over, we'll hang out. I've missed it," Blaine smiled.
"I'll call you, I promise," Jeff said. Blaine leaned over and kissed his blonde head, then left the room.
"Is he ok?"
"He's ok, Nick, he just feels like…well, not like himself. You know how he is…doesn't want anyone waiting on him…thinks he can do everything himself. He's gonna go a little nuts with those casts, and you better be ready for it. The whole 'hair trigger temper' thing isn't helping, I'm sure. He feels really shitty about whatever happened this morning, though."
"It's done and over with. I know he didn't mean it, I guess…" Nick trailed off, dropping his eyes to the papers in front of him on the counter.
"You guess?"
"He was…I dunno, he said some stuff. I got my feelings hurt for a split second before realizing he wasn't himself. That's not him, and I know it. It'll take some getting used to, I suppose. You leaving?"
"Yeah, I know you guys have things to talk about, and I have stuff to do. Just wanted to stop over and say hello, see if he needed anything. Listen, I'm free during the day. If you need me, please call me. I'm not just saying that. I'd be more than happy to come over and hang out so he's not alone if you need to do something or go somewhere, alright?"
"I appreciate it, Blaine. I do, and I might call you. I looked into getting a nurse to come in, but he went a little nutty about it and refused to have someone in his face 24/7 'making him insane', he said. It's taking its toll, for sure. I might need you and Kurt to get us out of this apartment after a while as well. He'll hate the chair, but he'll have to use it. I know it won't be long before he's stir crazy."
"Well, we'll make sure he's not stir crazy. You call me, ok?" Blaine said, backing toward the foyer.
"Will do, man. Thanks for stopping over."
"Anytime. You know I'd do anything for him, and by extension, for you as well. All you have to do is ask."
"You're a good friend, Blaine…thank you."
A/N Sorry for the delay. We got 17 inches of snow in a week's time and my kids were off for 9 days straight between in-service days, Presidents Day and the snow / cold. I get NOTHING done when they're home. Ugh...
Thanks to mywayornoway for educating me on things that could / might / will happen with a traumatic brain injury. Always good to have the knowledge of someone who knows more about it than I do. Also thanks to Suzanne for getting this back to me quickly, as always!
I'm running out of good things to read. I'm probably reading the same shiz you guys are, but just in case I'm not, gimme something well written, maybe already complete, if not, something that updates regularly. Klaine, Niff, Smythington, you know the drill and what I like, right? :) Have a great week, you guys!
Oh, and what are your thoughts on that last episode? Me? Completely underwhelmed. When I follow the top couple on a show for the better part of 5 years and everything is built up to a moment you just can't wait for...and then you get THAT? God...just...no. Happy that they're married, very unhappy with how it all panned out :(