Notes: Please remember that I don't know anything about hospital procedure, especially when visiting someone in a coma on life support; the only time I've been in hospital since I was four was because of a short operation after which I didn't even need to stay overnight (though I have some funny, irrelevant-to-the-fic stories about it). That being said, enjoy the final chapter of Book Two, and I will see you again on Monday 12th August!
chapter xii
Kurt couldn't stop fidgeting, tapping his fingers against his legs or pulling on the hems of his blazer. He was wearing his earphones but no music was playing. He wouldn't be able to focus on it, anyway; he could only think about seeing Blaine again for the first time in weeks, and in the real world. Anxiety and excitement twisted into a knot in his stomach, so tight he could barely discern one from the other.
But the headphones served a purpose of providing an excuse to not make conversation with the other boys, or join in their games and sing-alongs on their journey to the hospital. He saw Jeff looking at him regularly in the reflection of the window and was thankful the other boy knew to leave him to himself.
The hour seemed to stretch on for days, and the time slowed down even more once the Warblers got bored of singing and setted down into groups or studying. Kurt stared out the window and flipped his silent iPhone in his hands.
When Jeff did finally get Kurt's attention, Kurt was surprised to see the bus had already stopped in the hospital parking lot.
The last time Kurt had been at a hospital, his dad had been in a coma. Oh, God, he hadn't even thought of that.
"You okay, man?" Jeff asked as Kurt stumbled off the bus.
"Yeah. Thanks." Kurt gave the other boy a shaky smile, and Jeff remained totally, unsurprisingly unconvinced. "I just don't like hospitals," Kurt added. At that, Jeff grimaced empathetically.
"I hear ya. Hospitals are so full of germs and gross sick people and—" He cut himself off with a shudder and Kurt's smile was genuine this time.
"Maybe you'll be able to convince them to give you a decontamination shower before we leave."
"They do those?" Kurt nodded. "Cool!"
"Warblers and non-Warblers, attention!" Wes called form the steps of the bus. Less than half the boys quietened so Wes clapped his hands together and shouted, "Everyone, shut up!"
"I bet someone misses their gavel," someone muttered, and the group broke out into a short round of giggles.
"To remind everyone," Wes said to his now silent crowd, "first on our agenda is to visit Warbler Blaine. He's on life support so he can only have up to three visitors at a time. Anyone who is here just to play with or sing to the children can wait in the main ward with Mr Collins and Ms Marsh and you can play with the kids while you wait.
"After that, we'll perform our set list and then we'll have about an hour afterwards to play with the kids. If you feel like you need a break, take someone with you, preferably either Mr Collins or Ms Marsh or myself, David or Thad, but otherwise keep to the buddy system.
"Remember, you're all wearing your uniforms and your behaviour will reflect on the school, so at least pretend you're upstanding Dalton gentlemen." Wes paused for a moment, seemingly making eye contact with everyone, and then nodded. "Alright, everyone follow Thad and David, and once we're signed in we'll figure out the order in which everyone who wants to can see Blaine." He jumped off the steps and the boys immediately started talking again, though in a much calmer manner than on the coach. Kurt would always be impressed by how easily they slipped into their respectable school personas, especially since the adults weren't the ones bossing everyone around – Mr Schue couldn't even get the New Directions to stop screaming at each other in the green room.
As they all headed inside, Nick pushed his way between Jeff and Kurt and threw his arms around their shoulders. "Dude, I'm so psyched to see Blaine again," he said. "Finals suck. My parents suck. They've been forcing me to study on weekends so I haven't been able to visit for weeks."
"Same here," Jeff said. "They practically chained me to my desk. I never thought I'd say this but I've missed his stupid face."
Nick nodded sagely in agreement, and Kurt's heart swelled. He forgot, sometimes, that it wasn't just for himself and for Blaine that he needed to find a way back to him – it was for Blaine's friends and family, too. Blaine hadn't heard his loved ones' voices in months, and at the time they'd both been concerned they'd stopped visiting, though of course neither had voiced it; now, Kurt suspected it was probably just Blaine sinking deeper into the dream world, or whatever it was.
At the paediatric ward, Wes did a head count and then Ms Marsh signed them in, and the boys who were there just for the kids went straight into the waiting room with the teachers. When only the boys visiting Blaine were left, Wes divided them into groups of three. He reminded them no more than five minutes, and then the council went in to Blaine's private room. The curtains were closed, so no one could see in.
Because everyone believed Kurt and Blaine had been childhood friends, they allowed Kurt to be in one of the first groups to go into Blaine's room. Kurt felt guilty about continuing to lie to them – but it wasn't as if he could tell them the truth. Besides, this way he would get it done quickly and wouldn't start truly freaking out.
"Kurt, Nick, Kevin, your turn."
Kurt stood on shaky legs. Please don't let me throw up, he thought.
And then there was Blaine, with a pasty overtone to his tan skin and tubes everywhere. And the only signs of life were the steady beep of the pulse monitor and the hiss of the ventilator.
"You okay, Kurt?" Nick asked. Kurt took a deep breath, nodded, and made his way to the side of Blaine's bed.
The differences between the Blaine in his head and the one on the bed were even more obvious this close; his wrists were so thin they looked as if it wouldn't take long for them to snap; his collar bones jutted from his chest; his arms, encased in short-sleeved pyjamas, looked thin and weak. Kurt was scared to touch him.
"Blaine," he whispered. But that broke the dam and tears slipped down his cheeks.
"Come on, let's go for a walk," Nick said, although Kurt didn't register it until they were already outside the room and Nick had told Wes where they were going.
They didn't go far; only to a bench near a vending machine around the corner from the paediatric ward. Nick bought some water and sat there until Kurt could speak through his tears.
"That was harder than I thought it'd be," he admitted, giving the older boy a half-heartedly self-deprecating smile.
"He's always had a flair for the dramatic – he's probably just biding his time to wake up for when a doctor brings up taking him off life support."
Kurt choked a laugh. That sounded like Blaine.
"You want me to go get some tissues for you?" Nick asked. "Or, well, toilet paper."
"Toilet paper's fine," Kurt agreed. He'd have to moisturise extra tonight anyway, thanks to his crying, so what did toilet paper instead of soft tissues matter? Nick patted him on the shoulder and left Kurt to process a bit more calmly.
After Nick had turned the corner, Kurt closed his eyes and concentrated on breathing, slowly and deeply, and tried not to think about how he was following the same rhythm as Blaine's ventilator.
"You!" Someone grabbed Kurt's forearm tight enough so it would bruise and Kurt opened his eyes in alarm – barely inches from his face was a young woman, her eyes wide and fearful. "You've been touched, you've—"
"Let go of me," Kurt demanded, but the woman's grip remained strong no matter how much he tried to pull his arm away, and her other hand came up to clutch at his chest.
"No, you need to save – the demon has someone – you need to save—"
Kurt froze. "How do you know that?" he whispered.
"I can sense its touch on you – but it hasn't taken you? It doesn't want you. It wants—"
"My friend," Kurt finished. The woman nodded quickly.
"You don't belong there but the connection – there's a link between all minds and it's so strong – don't forget about hope and love, where they're from, promise—"
"I promise," Kurt said quickly. "How can I save him? Please tell me—what are you doing?"
The woman's eyes had rolled into the back of her head even as her grip tightened, and she was chanting. Kurt couldn't understand the words but then – then Nick was back, trying to pull her off him and shouting for a nurse. The woman continued to chant, as she was finally separated from Kurt, and he could hear her shouting all the way down the hall.
"Are you okay, man?" Nick asked, wide-eyed. Kurt barely heard him; his mind was racing, trying to store everything the woman had said because it might be helpful. He had no idea what she was talking about, but she clearly knew something. She might even have told him how to get to Blaine – maybe if he wished it hard enough?
"Yeah, fine," he eventually said. "We should be getting back now."
He saw Nick looking at him with worry about of the corner of his eye as they walked back to the paediatric ward and he wiped his face clean. Just before they went back in, Kurt stopped Nick.
"Look, don't tell the council or any of the teachers, okay? Nothing happened, I promise. I'm not even freaked out."
"I'm pretty sure at least the teachers should know," Nick disagreed.
"Nick."
"Fine. I won't tell."
"Thank you," Kurt breathed.
"Sure. So are you ready to sing your cute tush off?"
Kurt laughed, startled. "Always."
They didn't have to wait long – the last trio was in with Blaine, and when they came out, the nurses gathered the children and David introduced them. He easily had the most comforting vibe out of the whole council, and he made the kids laugh a few times before the Warblers started on their first song. The set list was a mix of pop songs, folk songs and rounds, and the non-Warbler students encouraged the children to join in if they knew the words.
Kurt wondered if Blaine could hear them.
They had just finished a round of Coming Round the Mountain when suddenly the room seemed very far away. A quiet, high-pitched noise quickly overpowered the sounds of the hospital. Kurt felt his legs buckle underneath him, and then—
And then Kurt collapsed onto a stretch of grass, and in front of him, the Lake stretched on for miles.
END OF BOOK TWO