Author's Note: I apologize for keeping you all on your toes. I've been busy :(

Disclaimer: If you recognize it from Glee, it doesn't belong to me.

Kurt woke some time later, eyes gritty and neck stiff. His cheek was resting on starchy white sheets that were surely doing damage to his skin. He opened his eyes slowly, groaning as he sat up. A warm hand began lightly massaging his neck, fingers pressing firmly on the side while the thumb rubbed in gentle circles.

"Hi, sleepyhead," Carole whispered. Kurt rubbed his eyes, his mind finally remembering where he was.

"Blaine!" he bolted upright, wincing as his back protesting the abrupt movement.

Carole smiled, eyes soft as she laid a hand on his cheek and gently turned his head back toward the bed.

Blaine lay there, chest rising and falling slowly beneath the thin white sheets.

"Is he-" Kurt bit his lip, unable to finish the thought.

"The doctors have him on some intense medication," Carole whispered, running her fingers through Kurt's hair. "He's not in a coma, Kurt,"she continued. "His body just needs to rest."

Kurt sighed, tears filling his eyes once more as he took in the sight of the battered boy before him.

Blaine's forehead was wrapped in gauze, his right eye a deep shade of purple and swollen shut. His right arm was in a cast to just below the elbow. The rest of his body was covered by the hospital-issued nightgown and thin white sheets.

"I borrowed your phone," Carole whispered. "I tried to get ahold of his mother, but her voicemail says she'll be out of the country until the Monday after next at least."

"His dad is gone, too," Kurt whispered. "Tonight, we were planning to ask if he could stay at my house for a while."

"I know it doesn't help right now, but I will insist on him coming home with us once he's discharged."

Kurt swiped at his eyes. "What time is it?"

"10:30. Visiting hours will be over soon."

Kurt felt his heart clench at the idea of leaving Blaine alone for the night. "I convinced the night nurse to let you stay, since Blaine's family can't be here."

Kurt stood, throwing his arms around Carole's neck. "Thank you," he murmured, tears falling from his eyes.

"You're welcome, sweetheart," she replied. "There's a sandwich on the table if you're hungry. Call if you need anything, okay?"

"I will," Kurt promised, returning to the chair near Blaine's bed.

"Sleep more, if you can," Carole said. "And call me if he wakes up tonight. I'll see you in the morning." She kissed his forehead and squeezed his shoulder gently before leaving the room.

Kurt clasped Blaine's hand between his, his thumb running gently over the back of his hand. He pressed a kiss to each of Blaine's fingers before resting his head on his arm and drifting to sleep.

"Wake up, Kurt," a soft voice whispered, nudging his shoulder gently. Kurt groaned, rolling his shoulders as he sat up.

"Go home, sweetheart," Carole said. He shook his head, eyes darting to Blaine, who hadn't moved at all since the night before. "Go home," Carole insisted, tugging him up. "Take a shower, eat some toast, and lie down on your bed for a while. Sleeping like this is going to ruin your back." She held him close for a moment. "Your father is at the shop and I sent Finn to Puck's last night, so you'll have the house to yourself."

Kurt leaned away from her embrace. "But-" He glanced toward the bed.

"I'll stay with him while you're gone. If anything changes, I'll call you right away. Now go home." She gave him a little push. "I don't want to see you for at least two hours."

Kurt sighed. "Alright," he conceded. "I'll see you in a few hours." he walked to the door. "And Carole?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

Kurt returned to the hospital three hours later. A shower had made him feel quite a bit better, and he'd stretched out on his bed and stared at the ceiling for a while, his mind carefully blank. Carole was seated next to Blaine's bed.

"Any change?" he asked.

"Not yet," Carole said. Kurt sighed.

"Oh-I brought you coffee," he said, holding out the travel mug. "Just a hint of cream and sugar."

"Thanks, Kurt," she replied, rising from the chair. She hugged him tightly for a moment before taking the mug from his hand. "Come help me with this crossword puzzle," she said, returning to her chair. "Half of these clues don't make any sense to me."

Kurt sat down on the edge of the bed, and Carole handed him a pencil. "See if you can figure out 12 across for me, please. It's driving me insane."

The remainder of the morning crawled by. Kurt helped Carole finish her crossword, and she tucked the puzzle book away and pulled out a small paperback to read. Kurt had brought a few of his favorite magazines along, but none of them could really hold his interest. He found himself constantly glancing up at Blaine, hoping to see a change. A nurse stopped by once, checking Blaine's vitals and reminding Kurt and Carole to stop at the nurse's station if they needed anything.

Shortly after noon, Carole stood, setting her book on the table and stretching her arms above her head. "It's time for lunch," she said, resting a hand on Kurt's shoulder. "And I know you're going to say you aren't hungry, but you need to eat something anyway. What should I bring you?"

Kurt sighed, knowing better than to argue. "Yogurt and granola would be fabulous," he said. "But I doubt the hospital cafeteria has that..."

"I'll go check," Carole replied. "If they don't, I'll just run to the store and pick some up." She kissed his forehead. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Try not to worry about him too much, okay?"

Kurt smiled sadly, his gaze shifting to his still-unconscious boyfriend. "I'll try," he whispered. "See you later."

Shortly after 3pm, Burt stopped by. He didn't stay long; he had agreed to do the weekend grocery shopping so Carole could stay at the hospital.

Carole stepped out into the hall with Burt for a moment, squeezing Kurt's shoulder gently before leaving.

"No change, I assume," Burt said. Carole shook her head.

"No. Nothing yet. But it's not too unusual for an individual in Blaine's situation to be out for 24 hours or even more, sometimes, so there's no need to worry."

Burt glanced at the door. "Not yet anyway."

Carole sighed, reaching up to rest her hand on Burt's cheek. "He'll get through this," she whispered.

"I sure hope so."

When Carole re-entered the room after sending Burt off to his errands, Kurt had fallen asleep with his head resting on his arm and his hand clasping Blaine's. She brushed his hair away from his face before kissing his cheek. Sighing softly, she did the same to Blaine, running her fingers carefully through his hair before pressing a feather-light kiss to his forehead.

As she pulled away, Blaine groaned, his eyebrows drawing together as he shifted slightly. Carole's eyes widened, and she leaned forward once more. "Blaine?" she whispered. "Honey, can you hear me?"