xXx
Kurt settled onto the radiation therapy table for his third day of radiation. Dr. Benson had been telling him that he'd probably never have to worry about chest hair and so he was in a good mood. The radiation therapists did their thing then left so that the radiation therapy could start. He had been told that his tumor was practically gone, so his radiation treatment was practically over. Unfortunately, chemo would start in only a couple of days and he wasn't ready to lose his hair. His father had taken him hat shopping earlier that week so he could prolong the inevitable. Telling his friends. They would know that something was up the second that they saw his hair and he wanted to tell them himself.
Carole and Burt had been working since Wednesday to keep Finn away from Blaine and had gotten rid of the steroids. Finn was very low self esteem at the time and still extremely agressive if you were to pester him. Kurt had tried to get Blaine to stop taking them as well and despite the fact that he had promised to stop taking them, Kurt was worried that he wouldn't even try.
"David, you have to help him." Kurt had pleaded his boyfriend after school the day before. "He's going to kill himself if he keeps this up."
"I don't like him, Kurt." Dave grumbled, "It's his problem."
"But he needs support!" Kurt crossed his arms. "His parents don't know any other way to help him than rehab and no one knows where he's getting them from."
"Yeah, well, I didn't have any help and I'm just fine." Dave insisted.
"But you're stronger than him." Kurt assured him, "If you won't help him then I will go and help him by myself."
"I don't think he'd let you." Dave said, "He hardly let you talk to him today and that promise was bogus."
"That's why he needs our help." Kurt pointed out, "We're helping Finn so why shouldn't we help Blaine?"
"Fine, Kurt." Dave sighed then gave him a chaste kiss on the forehead, "But if he hurts you, I'll let the steroids kill him."
Kurt closed his eyes and stayed very still. He didn't know whether it was the radiation or the cancer, but something was taking it's toll on him. He was easily exhausted and was forced to sit out during glee and P.E. that day. He didn't know whether or not Mr. Schue knew that he was sick. Mr. Figgins knew and had told any of the teachers that required the information. He might have overlooked Mr. Schue, but he knew that his glee director would know soon considering how much gossip happened in the teachers' lounge.
Mercedes had announced to Kurt that she liked Azimio, that morning. She hadn't talked to him since Wednesday and begged Kurt to invite Dave and Azimio to go somewhere with him. They decided that another mall trip was in order.
"Stay awake, Kurt." Dr. Benson warned him over the intercom. He had fallen asleep the day before and rolled over, causing himself to fall off the table. Luckily, he didn't get very much radiation anywhere that it didn't belong.
"Okay." Kurt shook his head a tiny bit, careful not to move too much.
"This is your last radiation treatment, be a little happier." Dr. Benson said cheerfully.
"I'll only get upset again when I start chemo on Monday." Kurt told her.
"Don't worry about that," Dr. Benson said, "I'll be there."
"Good." Kurt sighed. He trusted Dr. Benson with his life at the moment. He had to.
xXx
"Three days." Carole stuck a gold star sticker to Finn's forehead.
"I'm doing good, right?" Finn grinned. He must have just talked to Rachel to be in such a good mood. She went out of her way to give him complements and praise, but she only talked to him on the phone out of fear that he might get angry again. They were lucky that the steroids weren't addictive, just the effect they had on someone's body was. Kurt had made Finn look at pictures of steroid users that had developed breasts and he was mortified.
"You mean 'doing well', Finn." Kurt corrected. "And you're doing very well."
"How is Blaine?" Carole asked.
"We're still trying to get to him." Kurt said, "He won't look at the pictures of men with boobs so it's a little tough."
Carole sighed, "I hope he comes around."
"Yeah," Kurt had just got back from his very last radiation treatment and needed a nap. "I'm going to sleep." He yawned.
"But it's twelve o'clock." Finn pointed out.
"Your point?" Kurt raised a tired eyebrow.
"It's lunch time," Finn said, "mom was going to let me make us lunch. She said it was some kind of 'alternative activity'."
"I'm really tired though, Finn." Kurt insisted.
"What? Do you think I just suck at cooking." Finn was starting to get irritated.
"I'm sure that's not what he meant, honey." Carole tried to calm him down.
Finn glared at the floor, "Yes, it is."
"No, Finn," Kurt started to panic. "I just thought that maybe you could wake me up for lunch. If I go to sleep now I'll get hungry so I can eat more later. It's like when you wake up for breakfast and you're really, really, hungry. You, see?"
"Oh." Finn seemed to buy it. Kurt was so lucky that he knew how to trick Finn and avoid any yelling or throwing of objects. "Then go on. I'll start cooking."
Carole gave a quiet sigh of relief and lead Finn into the kitchen to start lunch. Kurt decided to sleep on the couch and was unconsious the second he laid down.
"Kurt, Kurt, Kurt." Kurt groaned and slowly opened his eyes to see Finn holding out a plate.
"Is this my food then?" Kurt managed a smile to Finn as he slowly sat up.
"Yup." Finn handed him the plate. "Eat up."
Kurt looked down at the food and felt nauseous, but not because the food looked or smelled gross. He really wasn't hungry, but if he didn't eat then Finn would get upset again.
"Mom and Burt are in the kitchen." Finn said.
"I'd better join them then." Kurt said, knowing that if he stayed on the couch he'd fall back to sleep.
"Kurt, are you okay?" Burt asked as Kurt entered the kitchen followed by Finn. "You look tired."
"I'm fine," Kurt tried to smile again as he faught the urge to throw up. "I just woke up."
"Eat!" Finn enthused as Kurt sat at the table.
"It's really good actually." Carole said, genuinely impressed.
"You should cook more often, son." Burt told the now-beaming Finn.
Kurt never thought that Finn would ever be able to cook anything without starting some kind of fire even if it was just in the microwave. He remembered the day that Finn had decided to put his cereal in the microvave, metal spoon and all. Finn had thought that the world was ending and ran to hide in his room.
Kurt forced himself to take a bite of whatever it was. His vision was blurred and he wasn't quite sure, but it did taste pretty good going down, unfortunately it burned his throat coming back up a few seconds later. He wasn't sure what happened after he puked because he passed out before anyone could react.
Kurt had expected to wake up to an angry Finn, but instead he looked more devistated and concerned.
"Kurt?" Kurt heard his dad say, "Are you okay?"
He was still laying on the kitchen floor, he must have woken up when he fell out of his chair. He felt himself drift back to sleep, making sure to say, "Wrap that up, it's really good, Finn." and catching the excited look on Finn's face just before letting go and falling asleep.
xXx
"Kurt." Someone poked his forehead. "Kuuuuurt!"
Kurt opened his eyes to see Mercedes staring down at him. His father must have carried him to his room after he fell asleep.
"You have been sleeping since yesterday." Mercedes told him, "It's almost eight and I've been promised another mall day!"
"I've been asleep for twenty hours?" Kurt sat bolt upright and looked over at his clock to confirm his findings.
"Yeah," Mercedes threw herself onto his bed. "so get up sleepy-head. I need to get something sexy enough to allure my new male suitor."
"Oh, yeah." Kurt had wanted to get in one last shopping trip before chemo came along and ruined everything. "Let me get ready."
"Okay." Mercedes skipped out the door and Kurt started getting ready. He didn't feel sick or tired anymore, in fact, he was starving.
"I need food, Mercedes." Kurt said as he entered the kitchen.
"Food court first then?" Mercedes suggested.
"Yes, please!" Kurt nodded then hurried Mercedes out to her car.
"The others are just going to meet us there." Mercedes told him. "Artie's coming so that Quinn can use his van and Puck's coming because he's the only one who knows how to drive it."
"And Finn is coming because Rachel wants to see him." Kurt rolled his eyes, "We might as well have invited everyone."
"Oh," Mercedes gave Kurt a huge smile, "Blaine is coming because he needs an 'alternative activity'."
Kurt was slightly shocked, what had made Blaine decide to quit? "Really?"
"Yeah." Mercedes nodded, "I saw the whole thing, he called last night to talk to you and ended up talking to Carole for two hours. She told him about how she was helping Finn quit and he jumped on the bandwagon and she suggested that he come with us today. We've decided to go to his house this week and flush his stash."
"That's awesome." Kurt felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of his chest.
"One more thing," Mercedes said, "we planned a little something for them."
xXx
Rory watched as Mercedes gave him 'the signal' and pressed the play button on the boom box that Sam had brought and the music started.
"What's going on?" Finn asked. He looked over to Kurt who was eating as fast as humanly possible and didn't even notice.
"Oh," Blaine blinked, "they're gonna sing."
Rachel smiled at them and said, "This is for you two."
Rachel strutted up to the front of the cafeteria and sang:
"Can you lay your life down, so a stranger can live? Can you take what you need but take less than you give? Could you close everyday without the glory and fame? Could you hold your head high when no one knows your name? That's how legends are made, at least that's what they say."
Puck sang after her:
"We say goodbye but never let go We live, we die 'cause you can't save every soul Gotta take every chance to show that you're the kinda man Who will never look back, never look down and never let go."
Rachel took lead again:
""an you lose everything, you ever had planned? Can you sit down again and play another hand? Could you risk everything for the chance of being alone? Under pressure find the grace or would you come undone? That's how legends are made, at least that's what they say?"
Sam sang next:
"We say goodbye, but never let go We live, we die 'cause you can't save every soul Gotta take every chance to show that you're the kinda man Who will never look back, never look down and never let go"
Everyone sang together (minus Finn and Blaine and Kurt):
Never let go, never let go, never let go Gotta take every chance to show that you're the kinda man Who will never look back, never look down and never let go We say goodbye but never let go We live, we die but you can't save every soul Gotta take every chance to, show that you're the kinda man Who will never look back, never look down and never let go Will never look back, never look down and never let go Never let go, never let go, never let go."
Kurt didn't know at what point in the song that he started shaking, but as it came to an end his mind went blank and, for the second time in two days, he fell onto the floor and blacked out.
xXx
A/N: Uhhhh ohhhhh! Reviews are my drug :)