"Blaine," Kurt peeped. His throat was feeling funny, like he would throw up just from talking. He didn't want to wake Blaine up, but he was desperate.
His husband stirred in bed and turned over to face him. Kurt scooted over and laid his head on his chest.
"Mm what's the matter?" Blaine mumbled. "Are you sick again?" Kurt nodded and shivered. Blaine covered him up and kissed his forehead. "Oh babe, you're burning up."
Kurt gripped Blaine's shirt in his fist. He felt so awful. "My stomach hurts. Really bad." He pressed up against Blaine and whimpered. He didn't want to throw up on him, he really didn't.
Kurt had started feeling bad at work that day. It was just a little stomachache after lunch, but by 2:30 in the afternoon he could hardly move from how nauseous he felt. Isabelle noticed and sent him home right away, and she must've called Blaine on his emergency contacts because he got home half an hour after him with Micah and fussed over him all evening.
"Move over so I can get up. I'll bring you some more crackers and Gatorade. Would that help?" he asked, rubbing his back. Kurt nodded and moved so Blaine could get up. Kurt rolled onto his right side and buried his face in his pillow. He wasn't sure if he had food poisoning or just a stomach bug or what, but it was bad. He'd thrown up at least once an hour, and he was weak and had no energy whatsoever.
"Here, honey. Can you sit up?" Blaine asked, and turned on the lamp on Kurt's nightstand. Kurt pushed himself up so he was semi reclined against the headboard of the bed. Just doing that wore him out. Blaine handed him a plastic cup of yellow Gatorade with a straw. Kurt sipped it slowly, and then gave the cup back to him.
"I hate this," Kurt groaned, tilting his head back. He hated feeling sick. The nausea, cramps, and chills were the worst. Bust most of all he hated throwing up. He felt gross and his throat burned, and it only left him feeling worse.
"I know," Blaine said softly, handing him a saltine cracker. "You'll start feeling better soon. By tomorrow you should be doing a little better."
Kurt ate five crackers and took another drink of the Gatorade before lying down again. Blaine tucked him in and kissed his cheek. Kurt felt hot, even though he was shivering, and he knew he wasn't going to be able to keep his food down for much longer.
"Blaine," he moaned, reaching out for him before he could walk away. "Blaine, I-" Kurt pressed his hand over his mouth and shut his eyes. He felt Blaine in front of him, and his husband sat him up quickly.
"It's okay," he told him, turning the lamp back on. Kurt looked and saw Blaine holding his trashcan under his chin, and Kurt breathed out slowly and shivered. He didn't want to be sick. Not again. Blaine rubbed his back slowly and brushed his hair back. "Kurt, get it out of your system. You'll feel better."
Kurt leaned forward, clutching the trashcan and suddenly getting sick. His face felt hot, and his throat felt like it was on fire. After coughing for several seconds and finally catching his breath, Kurt pushed it away and reached out for Blaine. His husband wrapped his arms around him and kissed his temple.
"It's okay," Blaine soothed. "You're okay. Do you want a drink?" Kurt nodded, and Blaine gave him another drink of Gatorade. It was fine for a minute, and Kurt started to relax again, but he couldn't even keep that down. It came right back up seconds later, Kurt's stomach cramping painfully as he threw up.
He was so weak and exhausted, and he felt Blaine's hands on him. "Hey, don't cry. You're gonna be okay. Do you want some water? Water might be better."
Kurt shook his head and curled up in the fetal position, even though he was sitting up. He rested his forehead on his knees and accepted the fact that he was probably going to be getting sick all night. He couldn't help it that he was crying. His stomach had never hurt so much.
Blaine was stroking his hair, and Kurt reached out for him. His husband laid him back and covered him up to keep him warm.
"You just need some rest," Blaine told him. "It'll be okay. I can still get you some water if you want it."
Kurt paused for a second, and then nodded. He didn't want to go back to sleep with the nasty taste in his mouth. Kurt held his head up just enough to take a sip of water without choking. He spit it out into the trashcan, and dry heaved forcefully, as there was nothing left in his stomach. Kurt laid his head back on his pillow, and felt Blaine pinch him on his hand.
"Stop," Kurt moaned, drawing his arm back. He just wanted to go back to sleep.
"Kurt, you're dehydrated," Blaine told him, his voice quiet and gentle. "If you can't even keep a drink of water down, then it's only going to get worse. We need to go to the doctor to get some fluids in you."
Kurt had tuned Blaine out. He wasn't going to the hospital, much less at 2:30 in the morning. Blaine was just overreacting.
"No," Kurt said firmly. "Get back in bed. I'm cold." Kurt rolled onto his side so he could lay up against Blaine, but his husband didn't come back to bed.
"Kurt, you're sick, baby. You've got a pretty high fever. Let's get you feeling better before you get me and Micah sick. The nurses can give you something to make you not feel so sick," Blaine coaxed. "I'm gonna put some clothes on, and I'll call Rachel to come over and watch the baby. Just close your eyes. I'll help you get some socks and shoes on."
Kurt heard Blaine on the phone, and next thing he knew he was being forced to sit up while Blaine put some shoes on him.
"Rachel's coming to stay with Micah. He's still asleep, but we need to wait for her to get here. Do you want to go lay on the couch?" Blaine offered. Kurt shook his head and shivered. Blaine draped a blanket over him and rubbed his back. "I know you hate the doctor, but I'll get to stay with you. They won't make me leave you."
Kurt leaned his head on Blaine's shoulder as they sat on the edge of the bed and waited for Rachel to come. Blaine wrapped his arms around him, and Kurt relaxed a little, even though he was in pain. He was too weak to put up a fight about having to go to the emergency room.
"You're gonna be okay," Blaine kept telling him. "You're just dehydrated. We'll only be there an hour or two. Then we can come home and you can rest."
Kurt moaned as his stomach cramped for the millionth time. Blaine helped him as he dry heaved and did his best not to cry. Kurt hardly ever got sick, and he hadn't felt so bad since he'd gotten appendicitis two years earlier.
The sound of the doorbell made him jerk, and Blaine quickly calmed him down before getting up.
"It's just Rachel," he said. Kurt moaned as he heard Micah start to cry. He was suddenly cold without Blaine right there to keep him warm, even though he had a fever. He heard voices, and then the baby stopped crying. Blaine came back and helped him stand up.
"Let's go, babe," he told him. "Lean on me, and tell me if you feel dizzy or sick."
Kurt leaned heavily against his husband as they walked out to the living room. Rachel was on the couch holding Micah and trying to get him to go back to sleep. Kurt didn't say anything to her. He wasn't being rude, he just didn't have the energy. Walking was leaving him breathless and dizzy, but he didn't tell Blaine.
Blaine took him down the elevator and outside to their car. "Can you buckle yourself in?" he asked. Kurt nodded, and pulled his blanket tighter around him. Blaine shut his door and got in on the driver's side of the Prius. Kurt reached his hand over and grabbed Blaine's in his.
"I'm cold," he murmured. Blaine started the car and turned the heat on for him. Kurt felt himself sweating, but he was still shaking. Blaine held his hand the entire way to the hospital, and Kurt managed to not get sick for the duration of the ride.
Blaine went to the hospital that he worked at. Kurt had visited him at work countless times, so he felt a little more comfortable knowing it was a familiar place. His husband took him in the emergency room entrance, and the bright lights forced Kurt to wake up more.
"Sit tight," he told him. "I'm gonna go sign you in and see if we can get you seen faster since I know the people here. Okay? Just relax. Everything is gonna be okay. You're gonna be fine."
Kurt hunched over, his arms wrapped around his stomach, while Blaine went up to the receptionist's desk. He came back with a clipboard and pen, and took Kurt's hand.
"I just need to fill these out, and then we can go back to get you looked at," Blaine told him, already working on the forms. Kurt laid his head on his shoulder again and breathed shallowly as another bout of nausea took over him.
"Relax, Kurt," Blaine said quietly. "They're gonna help you feel better."
Kurt waited impatiently for Blaine to finish up, and then they got to go down the hall to a triage room. It felt good to lie down again, but the lights were bright in his eyes and the thin pillow felt scratchy against the back of his neck. He held onto Blaine for dear life as a nurse came in.
"Blaine? What're you doing here?" she asked. Kurt didn't look at her, but it was reassuring to know that he was being taken care of by someone Blaine knew.
"Kurt's just sick," he told the woman. "He's got a fever and is dehydrated from throwing up so much." Kurt squeezed his hand and breathed faster as the nurse touched him. He pulled away, turning to Blaine and grabbing him with both hands.
"Kurt, it's okay," Blaine soothed him. "You can trust Holly. She's one of the best nurses we have here. Just let her take your temperature. You can hold my hand."
Kurt reluctantly obeyed, rolling onto his back again. His chin trembled, but it was just from his chills. The nurse- Holly -stuck her thermometer in his ear. Kurt expected it to hurt, but he hardly felt anything.
"He's at 103.2. What are his symptoms?" she asked Blaine. Kurt knew his fever was high, but he didn't expect it to be that bad. He just hoped it wouldn't dictate how long he had to stay at the hospital, but he finally understood why he was feeling as miserable as he was.
"He's just been sick for a little over 12 hours. His boss called me and said he could hardly get any work done with how much his stomach hurt. So I came home to take care of him. He's thrown up about eight times, and can't even keep water down. And he's got chills and is lethargic," Blaine said.
Kurt let go of Blaine's hand and covered his face with his arms, but the nurse gently tugged them down. Kurt looked up at her, frustrated. She smiled at him sweetly, and Kurt blinked slowly at her.
"Blaine…" he trailed off, reaching for his hand again. Blaine took his hand and ran his thumb over his knuckles.
"Honey, have you had anything to eat in the last few hours?" nurse Holly asked.
"Some crackers," he told her. "Blaine made me eat some soup when he first got home. I threw up, though." The nurse nodded at him and wrapped a blood pressure cuff around his right bicep. Kurt hated getting his blood pressure taken. Blaine moved up closer to his head and stroked his sweaty hair as the nurse worked on him.
"You're okay," his husband whispered. "Relax and hold my hand. You haven't thrown up in a while. I'd say you're doing okay." Kurt didn't smile back at him. He breathed out as he relaxed and the nurse finished and undid the cuff.
"His BP is 132 over 84. Since his symptoms progressed relatively quickly it suggests a case of food poisoning," Holly informed them. "I'll just start him on an IV drip to get him rehydrated and make him more comfortable and less nauseous."
Kurt panicked at the word "IV." That meant needles. Kurt wasn't fond of needles on his best days. Now he was sick, dehydrated, and had to get a needle in his arm. Blaine leaned over and kissed his forehead, and Kurt squeezed his eyes shut tight.
"Kurt, don't start to worry," Blaine pleaded. "Please, honey, you're going to be okay. Holly's going to be gentle, and you can hold onto my hand as hard as you need to. Once you get the IV you'll start to feel better and you can go to sleep. I know how tired you are."
It was true. Kurt was exhausted. He was more tired than he had been when they first brought Micah home from the hospital. Sleep had never sounded so good before.
"Then can we go home?" Kurt asked. "I want to go home." He leaned into Blaine's touch as he stroked his hair again.
"Then we'll go home," Blaine repeated. "Holly's not even back yet. Don't get upset, baby. It'll hurt for a second and then it'll be over."
Kurt just held Blaine's hand and waited until he was allowed to sleep. Nurse Holly came back and started getting him ready for the IV. Kurt wrapped his free hand around Blaine's neck and pulled him close to him.
"It'll only take a second," Blaine reminded him. But Kurt wasn't listening. His body tensed as he felt the needle pierce the skin in the back of his hand, and he cried out, right in Blaine's ear. He dug his fingernails into the back of his neck, but Kurt didn't care. He felt a single tear fall down his cheek, but Blaine wiped it away.
"It's all done," he told him. "You did it, it's over now." Kurt sank a little deeper into the thin hospital mattress, relieved he was finished.
"This should get him rehydrated and feeling a little better. Once he drains the bag we'll see how he's doing, but I think he'll be able to go home then." Kurt was so relieved to hear that. He got to go to sleep, and then leave the hospital. He heard Blaine talk to the nurse, and then she left.
"Can I sleep?" Kurt asked, already feeling himself dozing off. Blaine gently removed his hand from around his neck and covered him up with the thin blanket, then the one they brought from home.
"Go to sleep. I'll turn the lights off. And I'll stay with you. I'll stay right here," he promised. Kurt let go of his hand so he could turn out the lights, and he managed to grin a little when he heard his husband humming to him softly in the darkness.
When he woke up, Kurt felt weird. Not better and not worse, just weird. Different. Blaine was still with him, awake as ever and watching over him.
"Hi," he croaked. His throat wasn't dry anymore, but his voice was hoarse.
"Hi, honey," Blaine said. "How are you feeling?" Kurt rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, and yawned.
"I don't feel like throwing up," he mumbled. "I'm still tired. Is it time to go home?" Kurt pulled his blankets up around his chin and shivered a little, but his chills were all gone for the most part.
"I'll get Holly to come check on you. You look a little better than before. And you slept for four hours. It's almost seven in the morning." Kurt moaned at the realization that he'd stayed up the majority of the night getting sick. "I'll be right back. Hopefully we can go home."
Kurt nodded in agreement as Blaine quietly left the room. He returned with the nurse, and after checking his temperature and blood pressure again, she determined he was set to be discharged. His temperature had gone down to 102.4, but she told Blaine to keep giving him Tylenol and pain relievers to bring it down even more.
Kurt leaned on Blaine as they went to sign him out, but he didn't feel as dizzy when he walked. He got in the car and curled up in his seat, simply worn out. He hadn't gotten very good rest at the hospital. He just wanted to get home to his baby and his own bed.
He must have dozed off, because when he opened his eyes Blaine was coming around to help him out of the car.
"We're home?" he asked, blinking several times as Blaine helped him to his feet. It felt like a dream.
"Mm hmm," Blaine told him. "We're home. I'll give you some Tylenol and you can get in bed." Kurt liked the sound of that. He walked with Blaine back up to their apartment, and walked inside in a daze. Rachel was still on the couch, holding his and Blaine's sleeping son.
"Go take your shoes off," Blaine told him. "I'm gonna put Micah back in his crib, and then I'll bring you some medicine and a drink." Kurt nodded and broke away from him. Rachel handed the baby to Blaine and followed Kurt into the bedroom.
"Are you all better?" she asked him, and helped him sit down. Kurt didn't need her help, but he didn't feel like arguing.
"I'm just tired," he said. He pulled his shoes and socks off, and laid down where he had just been a few hours earlier. Rachel covered him up, and Kurt truly felt comfortable and able to relax. His stomach still hurt a little bit, but it wasn't as bad as it had been. Blaine finally came in to give him some Tylenol and a glass of water. It felt good to drink something without it coming right back up.
"Stay with me," Kurt ordered him, taking him by the hand so he couldn't leave.
"Let me walk Rachel out. I'll be right back, and we can go to sleep," Blaine promised. Kurt nodded and waited for him to come back. His husband got in bed besides him, and Kurt curled up against him, warm and snug at last. Blaine kissed the top of his head, and Kurt draped his arm across Blaine's chest, fighting to stay awake.
"I love you," Blaine said. "Go to sleep. I'm not going anywhere." Kurt smiled for the second time all night, and was finally able to get some restful sleep.
Author's Notes:
Ugh my poor baby.
I'm not feeling good at all today. Send me prompts of all kind to write and I'll send you a virtual hug and cookie and write everything for you.