It was unanimous, we're keeping the "Last time on…". I agreed with all your reasons to keep it, which is why I started doing it in the first place. Thank you for all of your reviews. You guys are the best. I still don't own Glee – unfortunately. Enjoy the story! Oh and I'm throwing around medical terms like I know what I'm talking about. Which I don't. I did some general research, but it doesn't fit the story like I need it to. So, enjoy the Fictional story. ;)
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Last time on "Love Me Not":
After a light dinner, Kurt noticed his throat was scratchy and tickling again. While he prepared for bed, his phone rang.
"Hello?" he answered.
"Kurt Hummel? This is Dr Li."
"Yes, is there a problem?"
"Yes. Can you come in right now?"
"Um. Okay," Kurt answered, very confused.
"Good. See you soon," Dr Li said and hung up.
Kurt was suddenly worried and dialed the first number that came to him.
"Hey Kurt, how's it going, champ?"
"Hey, Blaine. This is going to sound odd, but I need your support again…"
. . . . . . .
Dear Journal;
This is going to be short. Blaine is on his way to come pick me up. After what seemed like a normal physical – other than a simple throat culture – Dr Li has called at seven in the evening to have me come back in. He wouldn't even say what the problem was, just that there was one. I couldn't bear to face it alone, I'm shaking so bad right now that I don't think I could even drive. After Dad's heart attack, I can't seem to stand being around doctors for long. I have managed to stay healthy enough to avoid doctors, other than physicals for the Cheerios. What if there is something wrong? Not that I think there is. Other than a mere tickle in my throat I have felt fine. Dammit, Kurt, stop being so damn paranoid! This is why I take care of my body.
Moving on. Blaine is so sweet. He came and cheered me on at the try-outs, paid for the celebration lunch, and now he's coming to take me to the clinic. It'll be nice to have good company. He is proving to be a really good friend.
Write more later.
Wishes for tonight:
That nothing is wrong with me
Gotta get some sleep before tomorrow, hope this doesn't take long
K.E.H.
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"I appreciate you coming with me," Kurt said as Blaine drove them to the clinic. "Much less driving me."
"You sounded pretty nervous," Blaine said, secretly pleased that he was the one Kurt had called for help.
"Well, the doc seemed concerned when he first looked at my throat, then all the sudden he calls. After the clinic is closed and he wants me in immediately. What the hell could it be? And when it comes to doctors, I'm not a big fan. Physicals are one thing, something actually being wrong is something else," Kurt rambled.
"Well, hey, you are tough, as you so easily proved today, so a doc is nothing you can't handle. If he pisses you off, do a high kick and break his jaw," Blaine said, trying to lighten the mood. He could tell that Kurt was nervous. They'd been friends for a short time, yet he'd memorized Kurt's expressions and tells. Yes, it could be construed as stalkery or creepy, but he had it bad for Kurt. His every expression, the motions of his body, so graceful and beautiful. Blaine had to admit, he was falling in love. Hard.
"Yeah, I could freak them all out and do round offs until I double tuck my way out of the damn clinic. You'll have to open the doors for me," Kurt giggled.
Blaine loved the sound of Kurt's throaty laughs. His voice was so smooth and even, but when he laughed, his voice went even deeper and it pulled at everything inside Blaine. Including everything below the waist. That throaty sound could make him so hard and right now that would be bad because he was driving and he'd hate to have the steering wheel rub against an erection.
Pulling into the clinic, Blaine turned the car off and looked at Kurt. He could see the worry in his blue green eyes. Hesitantly, Blaine put his hand on Kurt's, resting on the middle console.
"It's going to be okay, Kurt. I'll be here as long as you want me to be," Blaine promised.
Kurt turned his hand up and slotted their fingers together. "You've proven to be a good friend to me, Blaine. I appreciate it more than you know," Kurt said. He gave Blaine's hand a squeeze and let it go. "Alright. It's now or never. Were you willing to go in there with me?"
Blaine chuckled. "I thought that was kind of the point."
"Right. Yes. Okay, let's go," Kurt said, smiling weakly.
They had to knock on the glass door and Dr Li himself came over to let them in.
"Thank you for coming in so late, Mr. Hummel. Let's go back to my office," he said shortly and led them back to a small room with an overloaded desk and two fold up chairs. "Do you mind your friend here listening in or would you rather keep this private?"
"Blaine can have access to any of my information," Kurt said firmly, though his hands were starting to tremble.
"Alright then, let's get right down to it. Your throat culture came back… abnormal," Dr Li began.
Blaine didn't hesitate and reached for Kurt who met him halfway, their hands gripping tightly.
"I'm coming right out here to say this just to prepare you. As far as I could see from the throat culture and even your blood tests, you may be facing; and I'm truly sorry to say this; but you may be facing cancer. We need to do an Endotracheal intubation to take a look of the area. The procedure simply uses a thin tube that we will place in your throat that has a camera on the end so we can take pictures of your vocal cords. Based on what we see, we will do a biopsy of the area, take a small sample of anything unusual. We will get the results of the biopsy within forty eight hours and get back to you as soon as possible. Do you have any questions?" The doctor asked.
Blaine looked over at Kurt and saw blank shock on his face. He hoped he wasn't overstepping his bounds. "What if it is cancer?" he asked quietly. Kurt squeezed his hand hard and a tear trickled down the pale man's face.
Dr Li was quiet. "If it is, we will do our best to remove the unnatural cells – which we will do whether it is benign or malignant – we will add in a couple rounds of chemotherapy to see if that helps. The positive aspect is that you don't have any other symptoms that point to cancer. I wanted you to come in tonight because I want to do the intubation and biopsy tonight, though we are going to move this to the hospital. There is just something strange in the results that I can't put my finger on and I would like to have more opinions available."
"This is all happening so fast," Kurt breathed, his eyes wide. "I need to call my dad. We'll be there shortly," he said, the same stunned expression on his face.
"We'll be expecting you in a half hour, Mr. Hummel. If you'd like you to bring your friend, that would be great as you will need a ride home. I am so sorry that this has happened, but keep hope, okay?" The doctor said as they all stood and made their way out of the clinic.
Blaine hurried ahead and opened the passenger side door for Kurt.
"I know we are only friends, but can I have a hug?" Kurt asked, his blue eyes wracked with fear and misery.
"None of those things matter. Of course you can have a hug," Blaine said, wrapping his arms around Kurt. This was such a different Kurt than the one he had seen in the gymnastics tryout. That Kurt had been strong and confident. This Kurt seemed smaller, weaker, almost thinner. Kurt tucked his hands in between their bodies, as if cold. Blaine tried to surround his friend, make him feel warm and protected as he rubbed up and down his back and neck. His own feelings never even came into it, other than empathy.
"I am so freaking scared, Blaine. I don't want to have cancer, even if it is just in my vocal cords," Kurt said, his voice shuddering against Blaine's neck.
"Of course you're scared. And it doesn't matter what kind of cancer you have. Nobody wants it and anyone with cancer or the fear of it would be devastated. Do you want to call your dad on the way over?" Blaine asked softly. He knew time was short
Kurt coughed and stood back, wiping his face. "Yeah, I probably should. Or should I wait until we know for sure?"
"Well, it's up to you, but I think he might be upset that you went through this without him," Blaine pointed out.
"You're right. Screw cancer, he'd have my head on a platter," Kurt said, the hint of a smile on his face. He got in the car and Blaine closed the door. As he walked to his side, he prayed for the first time in his childhood. He prayed that Kurt would be healthy, that nothing would be wrong with his throat and if there was, that it would be easy to take care of.
Starting the car, they began the relatively short drive to the hospital.
"Hi Dad," Kurt greeted his dad.
"Hey kiddo, you have any idea what time it is? Now, what's wrong?"
"I'm sorry, I know it's late for you. I, uh, joined the gymnastics team, as you know, and I had my physical this afternoon. They saw something odd in my throat and took some swabs and blood work. Then the doc called me back this evening," Kurt told him, already feeling more comfort in knowing his dad knew.
"Oh god, Kurt, what is it, son? Tell me," his dad insisted, his voice instantly filled with concern.
"I'm on my way to the hospital right now to have a tube with a camera put down my throat so they can take a closer look at my vocal chords and maybe take a biopsy," Kurt started sniffling. "Dad, I might have cancer," he said with a sob.
"Oh dear god, my boy. Carole is calling for a plane right now. Can they hold off the testing until I get there?" Burt asked in a rush.
"Dad, I don't want to wait. There will be a wait after the biopsy anyway. You will be there by then. I will be at Saint Luke's Hospital near campus." He turned to Blaine and asked quietly. "Will you be staying?"
"If you'd like me to, I would like to," Blaine replied softly.
"Dad, my friend, Blaine, will be in the waiting room. He's about five foot eight and has super curly black hair. Here, take down his number. He probably won't be let back to see me unless you let him," Kurt said, telling his dad Blaine's phone number.
"We'll give him a call. I love you, Kurt. Carole sends her love, too. We will see you as soon as we possibly can. We will get through this together, I promise, buddy," Burt said.
"I love you, too, Daddy. Please hurry. I am so scared," Kurt admitted.
"It would be odd if you weren't scared, son. Carole just booked a flight leaving here in forty five minutes, so I'm going to pack. I'll see you soon, buddy," his dad said.
"Okay. See you soon," Kurt said and hung up. He turned his red eyes to Blaine. "I hope it was okay to give him your number," he said listlessly.
"Of course it was. I want to help in any way I can," Blaine said sincerely.
"Well, don't feel bad if you need to leave. My dad finally knows how to text, so just send him a message if you need to take off for whatever reason," Kurt said as they pulled into the hospital parking lot.
. . .
All too soon, they had Kurt signed and were waiting for Kurt to be called back. At some point, Kurt had slipped his fingers into Blaine's and rested his head on Blaine's shoulder. All that curly hair tickled at his ear and he found he liked it. Blaine sticking around for something as possibly morbid as this definitely put him in the good slash best friend category.
"Kurt Hummel?" A lady in blue scrubs called out.
Kurt and Blaine both stood. Without a word, they embraced, squeezing tight.
"I'll be here when you come back," Blaine promised in his ear.
"Thank you for everything. This officially makes you my best friend, you know," Kurt said as they pulled back.
"Good thing I already considered you mine," Blaine said with a wink.
They stood there for a moment, hands stretched between them. Finally, Kurt dropped his hand and followed the nurse. He looked back once and saw Blaine smiling softly. That smile gave him strength.
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This chapter was so hard to write. I kept finding excuse after excuse to not write it. So I found a good stopping point and I'll start another chapter. Next up: Weirdness
