Author's Note: Welcome to chapter 2! I prefer this one much more than the first chapter, so hopefully you'll agree. ;) Without further ado, I give you chapter 2. (Ha- it rhymes!) Sorry if the alerts were messed up, but I had to re-upload it because my original page breaks weren't showing up.
Disclaimer: (See Chapter 1)
Aftermath
~Chapter 2~
Out of the corner of his eye, Kurt saw Carole walking over to him. As much as he probably needed comfort, he wished she would leave him alone. He did not want to break down. He wanted to stay strong– to prove that he could handle this. After all, he didn't even know if he had to worry about Burt and Finn…right?
"Kurt, honey?" a voice spoke next to him.
Kurt almost said nothing, because he feared that he would burst into tears if he tried to talk.
He attempted to hold it together as he asked, "Can I borrow your phone, please?"
Carole handed him the device, squeezed his shoulder lovingly, and walked over to intercept the firefighters. Kurt paused before dialing, trying to calm himself down and stop his fingers from shaking. He needed someone there that he could tell anything, someone that loved and understood him, and someone that he could break down in front of.
He needed Blaine.
After only two rings, Kurt heard the voice on the other end answer, "Hey, Kurt! What's up?"
Hearing the cheeriness in Blaine's voice, Kurt barely managed to choke out, "Blaine…"
"Kurt? What's wrong? Do you need me to come over?" his tone quickly changed to a cross between fear and concern.
The fact that Blaine didn't even bother to ask what was wrong before trying to help showed just how much Kurt's current state was unnerving him.
There was a moment of silence before the reply. "Yes."
"I'm on my way."
The line went dead, and Kurt took a few deep breaths. Blaine is coming and everything is going to be fine. Blaine is coming and everything is going to be fine. Blaine is coming and everything is… maybe… going to be fine.
By now, the fire was put out, and only the smoking carcass of their house remained. Just a little while ago, the paramedics had put Burt and Finn's burnt bodies onto stretchers, loaded them into the ambulance, and taken off for the hospital.
Carole had followed them in her car, which had thankfully been parked in the driveway and hadn't been damaged. Kurt, however, had insisted on staying behind because he wanted to wait for Blaine. He should be arriving very soon…
As if summoned by Kurt thinking his name, Blaine pulled up next to the sidewalk– close to the house, but giving the remaining fire trucks enough room. Upon seeing the familiar car, Kurt immediately turned to walk over to it, still clutching the two framed pictures in his arms.
Blaine opened the door as soon as the car stopped, gaping at the ruins of the Hummel-Hudson residence. After Kurt's phone call, he had expected something bad, but this…how could this have happened to someone as sweet and amazing as Kurt?
Seconds later, Kurt was standing in front of him. Without a word, Kurt held the photographs out to Blaine, who understood the silent request, and set them in between the front seats. Still, Kurt stood before him with downcast eyes and trembling hands. Blaine had no words to express his emotions. He simply opened his arms and gave him a sad half-smile.
At this gesture, Kurt glanced up at him, his eyes filling with tears. At once, all illusions of control left him, and he wound his arms around Blaine. Finally, safe in his boyfriends' embrace, he allowed himself to cry.
Kurt cried for his lost home, for the unknown fates of his father and brother, and finally for the awful stomach-wrenching truth that this was probably all his fault. Even when the tears stopped, he stayed where he was, with his face pressed into Blaine's shoulder and his arms locked around him tightly. Kurt felt warm hands rubbing his back soothingly, and Blaine kept repeating comforting words along the lines of "It's okay. I promise you'll be okay."
After a period of time that was both too short and yet felt like an eternity, the two boys broke the embrace. Blaine gripped Kurt's shoulders, and gazed sympathetically into his red-rimmed eyes.
"Did all four of you get out?" Blaine asked tenderly.
Kurt shook his head, and said softly, "My dad and Finn are in the hospital. Carole went along."
"Do you want me to drive you there?"
Kurt nodded, and Blaine removed his hands from Kurt's shoulders to open the car door. Kurt gave him a weak smile of gratitude as he sat down in the passenger's seat. Blaine went around to the opposite side, strapping himself in and starting the engine. Just like that, they were off.
Once they were on the main road, Blaine took one hand off of the steering wheel to hold the hand of the fragile boy sitting next to him. Kurt squeezed his hand in return, comforted by the show of affection. Even with his world spinning out of control, Blaine was something constant to hold on to. He was a thread of stability to grasp when his own were starting to snap.
They arrived at the hospital in just under ten minutes. When they stepped inside, Kurt immediately half-walked, half-ran over to the front desk, still firmly gripping Blaine's hand in his own. Normally, he wouldn't advertise their relationship in public, but he needed to draw strength from Blaine; right now, Blaine was his strength.
"Can I help you?" the receptionist asked pleasantly.
"I need to see Burt Hummel and Finn Hudson. I'm Burt's son, and Finn is my step-brother." Kurt said quickly.
"Oh, you must be Kurt Hummel. Mrs. Hudson told me to let you back there. They're in the fourth room on the left, and also the room right across from that."
Kurt nodded his thanks, and nearly dragged Blaine to Burt's hospital room. Anxiety quickened his pace, and thoughts flew through his head: What if I'm too late? What if they're dead? What if Carole had a heart attack or something worse? What if –
"We're here." Blaine's voice broke through his thoughts.
They stood in front of one of the many ominous doors in the bleach-white hallway. Kurt released Blaine's hand, and slowly turned the handle. He was greeted by Carole's relieved face, and her hands tightly squeezing his.
"Kurt! I'm so glad you made it here safely– you worried me sick!"
"Sorry, but you know I had to wait for Blaine. He drove me here." Kurt said, nodding in Blaine's general direction.
Blaine stepped forward out of the doorway when he heard his name, and smiled a quick greeting to Carole, who returned her own smile half-heartedly.
"How are Dad and Finn? Did they make it?" Kurt spoke up.
Blaine, sensing his boyfriend's distress, placed a comforting hand on his back. He felt Kurt relax a few seconds later when Carole informed him that both his father and his step-brother were still alive. However, Kurt tensed up again when he caught a glimpse of Burt on the hospital bed.
Carole had been standing in his line of sight all this time, but now he could clearly see what damage the fire had done to his beloved father. Severe burn marks covered the majority of his body, and he was covered in bandages hiding further injury. Burt had still been inside when the house had begun to fall in on itself. Clearly, the collapsing building and scalding flames had taken their toll.
Kurt tentatively walked toward the hospital bed. He stood next to it, not wanting to touch his father for fear of damaging him further. Blaine hovered at a distance. He knew that Kurt needed some space when it came to Burt's life being in danger, but he wanted to be there for him all the same.
"Can I have a few minutes alone with him, please?"
…Or not. Blaine exchanged a glance with Carole, and they both stepped outside.
"Blaine, it's getting late. Your parents will probably start to worry if you don't go home soon." Carole said once they were in the hallway.
He pondered this for a moment, and then asked, "Would it be alright if I stayed here overnight? I just…really want to be there for Kurt."
Carole nodded in understanding. "I have no problem with it, but call them and tell them so they know where you are. If they'll let you, you're welcome to stay."
Blaine whipped out his cell phone, thanked Carole, and proceeded to dial his home phone number so that he could inform his parents of the change in plans.
Back in the room, Kurt had pulled up a chair so that he could sit next to Burt. The space was absolutely silent, with the exception of the heart monitor beeping every few seconds. The silence only added to Kurt's fear– the fear that his father would never wake up. But he had needed just a moment alone with Burt. Just a moment to savor their bond, and to talk to him without being scrutinized.
"Dad…we've been in this situation before, haven't we? Last time, it turned out alright. I just hope that this time is the same." He paused. "I love you so much, Dad, and I need you here with me. Carole and Finn do, too. There's so much you have to see! New Directions is going to win nationals, I'm going to graduate from high school, and you'll get to see my name in lights." Kurt began to choke up, and he said in a tight voice, "I'm going to make you proud."
He took a deep breath, fighting back the tears that threatened to overflow. There's no need to cry. He's not dead– he's going to be fine. He HAS to be fine.
Once Kurt was sufficiently calm (on the outside), he took one last look at Burt and then stepped into the hallway. He saw Blaine talking on his cell phone, and shot a questioning look at Carole.
"Who is he calling? Is he leaving already?"
"Actually, he's asking his parents if he can stay here tonight."
To his left, Kurt saw Blaine snap his phone shut and tuck it away into his pocket. He took this as a cue to go and speak with him.
"Blaine," Kurt asked tentatively as he walked over to him, "are you sure that you want to stay?"
Blaine smiled and took his hands. "Yes. I have to stay– for you."
And he said those last two words so meaningfully, with a look in his eyes that just screamed "I love you", that Kurt felt his heart melt right on the spot. He leaned over to peck his boyfriend on the cheek, aware that they were still standing in the middle of a hallway.
"Thank you." Kurt said gratefully, feeling a blush rise to the surface of his cheeks to tinge them pink.
He felt a bit embarrassed that Blaine staying there meant so much to him, but was still happy that he wouldn't have to face all of this alone. It was a fact that Kurt Hummel could be strong when he had to be…but when Kurt Hummel broke, he shattered.
And what would he do if there was no one to pick up the pieces?
"We should probably check in on Finn." Blaine said, breaking the silence.
Kurt nodded in agreement. He felt guilt blossom in his chest. In the midst of worrying about Burt, he had almost entirely forgotten about his step-brother.
The two boys took a few steps across the hallway, and entered the room directly across from Burt's. Carole, who had been hanging back until now as to not disturb the moment between Kurt and Blaine, followed behind them.
Inside, Finn lay on a pale white hospital bed identical to the one across the hall. He was as motionless as Burt, Kurt noticed, but although he had various cuts, bruises, and burns, he looked like he was in much better shape. That left him with a question, however…
"Why is he unconscious?" Kurt asked.
Carole responded immediately, "The nurse said that he ended up with a concussion from falling debris."
Of course, Kurt though to himself. Finn had pushed him out of the way when the ceiling had caved. That was why Finn hadn't answered when he had called his name. It also meant that if it weren't for Finn, Kurt would be the one on the hospital bed right now. He felt a swell of compassion for his step-brother, thanking him silently in his head.
Kurt turned back to Carole. "When will he wake up?"
"He's expected to regain consciousness in the next few days. He's stable, considering what happened, so don't you worry about him at all."
Kurt let out a sigh of relief. Now, at least, he only had to worry about one of his family members. Hopefully soon, he wouldn't have to stress about either of them.
"If Finn's alright, then I want to stay with Dad until he wakes up."
Blaine and Carole agreed with Kurt, and the three of them relocated back across the hall. They all took their places in chairs against the wall perpendicular to Burt's bedside, and prepared to stay as long as their dad's/husband's/boyfriend's dad's state required them to.
Minutes turned to hours, and it soon became apparent that they were going to be here the whole night. Still, they fought off any exhaustion they felt so that they could be there for Burt. Even when the urge to fall asleep got…so tempting…
Kurt's eyes snapped open sometime around 4:00 in the morning when a shrill beeping noise cut through the air. He immediately sat straight up, rubbing his tired eyes. To his right, he saw Blaine and Carole already awake.
A group of paramedics burst in through the door a few moments later. This got the wheels turning in his head, and he suddenly realized the source of the sound that had woken him: the heart monitor. Panic stabbed at his heart as this sunk in. No! He can't die! HE CAN'T DIE!
Kurt jumped out of his chair, and it clattered to the floor. He was immediately at Burt's bedside with his hands gripping the edge until his knuckles turned white.
"Dad? DAD!" His voice bordered on yelling, and was laced with a touch of hysteria.
The experience was almost surreal. Kurt was vaguely aware that he was pushed backward as the doctors and nurses surrounded Burt, trying to restart his failing heart. He also somewhat felt Blaine's hands on his shoulders as his boyfriend tried to provide some form of security. And finally, almost from a distance, he heard a nurse say the words "Burt Hummel" and "dead".
The hospital staff began to exit…
…and then suddenly reality came rushing at him to slap him in the face.
"No!" Kurt screamed shrilly.
This had to be some sort of nightmare. He had to wake up soon from this terrible dream because surely his father wasn't dead. He was always strong, always a safe place to turn, always someone Kurt could rely on in the face of hardship, and oh, god…he really was gone, wasn't he?
Kurt found himself ripping away from Blaine's hands and practically throwing himself on top of Burt's lifeless form. He thought he had already drained himself of any tears he possessed, but that assumption turned out to be entirely incorrect.
He sobbed, his shoulders shaking with the sickening raw emotion he felt. The sound was muffled slightly from his face being buried into his father's chest, but it didn't stop Blaine and Carole from hearing his cries.
At this point, Kurt was just plain hysterical with grief, but still one word kept echoing through his mind.
Gone.
Gone.
GONE.
Author's Note: I am SOOO evil. I felt awful about actually killing Burt in the story, but I had to...(oh gosh, I feel the guilt coming back again...) Thanks for reading! Feel free to add this to your story alerts, and please review- I love getting your feedback! The next chapter will be up in another 2 days, and it's my favorite one of all...so you could get excited. :) Oh, and new season of Glee tomorrow! Needless to say, I've been fangirling about that for some time...
~KlaineFangirl4life