A/N: You knew there had to be a long angsty hospital chapter, didn't you? I apologize in advance. Eh. Whatever. :)

He was in the hospital again.

He remembered Blaine trying to pull the gun out of Sebastian's fingers, a gunshot...and then nothing. But he hadn't died. Because if he was dead, why did everything hurt so much?

Kurt willed himself to sit up, but found it impossible. He could move nothing, not even his eyelids, and could only listen to the muffled voices and screeching wheels of whatever he was strapped to. He was being wheeled down a noisy hallway. Kurt desperately wanted to open his eyes. A low groan escaped his lips.

What had happened to Sebastian? Had he escaped again? The thought was almost unbearable. The whole experience had been utterly draining. He wanted to drift into oblivion, but he remained awake, tinny voices reaching his throbbing head, needles stabbing at his arms. He heard words like 'surgery' and 'pins,' and as he was gently lifted from the bed, something tickled his nose and everything went tranquil.

They were in the waiting room of Kurt's hospital.

Except for Blaine.

Nobody knew where he had gone, or what had happened. The police had tracked Sebastian's route to the clump of trees, where they found him with a bullet in his heart.

They were scouting the forests, but not a trace of the former Warbler anywhere.

Rachel was resting her head on Puck's shoulder. Quinn was dead. Dead! It was so hard to accept. She wanted to cry, but still couldn't comprehend what had happened.

Santana was rubbing Brittany's shoulders soothingly. They both had silent tears running down their cheeks. Quinn had been their closest friend, apart from each other.

Burt was pacing the room madly. "Why won't they let me see my own damn son?" he demanded for the hundredth time.

Carole sighed shakily. "He's in the urgent care, he's on life support, and they don't know if he can even hear us or not. The doctors don't want us to upset him and stimulate his heart."

"Ugh!" Burt whipped the baseball cap off of his head and wrung it in his hands.

"Where do you think Blaine went?" sniffled Rachel.

Puck sighed heavily. "Bet he shot that Smythe dude."

Finn was in the bathroom. He was probably crying or something. Nobody really cared.

"Where's Quinn?" asked Santana softly.

"She's in the morgue. Her mother is with her." replied Tina listlessly, her hand entwined with Mike's.

"So she's definitely – " Carole cut in.

"Yes." Artie bowed his head.

"Her poor mother." Carole grasped her chest as Burt stopped pacing and embraced his wife.

A doctor walked into the waiting room. "Burt and Carole Hudson-Hummel?"

They both stiffened. Burt weakly raised a hand.

"You may come into your son's room now. His heart seems steady and he's undergone three surgeries in the past hour, but he should be waking up in just a few minutes, if he hasn't already."

"Oh no." Burt led Carole after the doctor.

After they had disappeared down the hall, a tinkle of bells told the New Directions that someone new had entered the room.

"Mr. Schuester!" Rachel cried. "You came!"

"How'd you know?" Mercedes asked, her eyes drooping with lethargy. "That we were all group-kidnapped?"

Mr. Schuester shook his head sadly. "I am so sorry you had to go through that, guys. By the way, Sergent Boo is going to come and interview you all. Probably Kurt, if he's up to it."

He surveyed the room. "Is Blaine with him?"

"Blaine's gone."

"Wha – "

"Not dead, he ran away. That Sebastian kid has a bullet in his brain and nobody knows what happened." Puck cocked his head. "Maybe he went to Vegas to drink off the pain. I would have."

"Finn...?"

"Bathroom!" Rory chimed.

"Quinn?"

"Dead as a doorknob." Brittany uttered, bursting into tears again and burying her head in Santana's shoulder.

Pain flitted across Mr. Schue's face. "You're serious?"

Their blank stares were as good as any verbal answer.

Mr. Schue sank onto one of the sunken chairs. "I can't believe it!" he said with a stifled sob.

The machines and their mechanical chorus could be heard from the doorway. The doctor, who had introduced himself as Dr. Dillard, was hesitating at the door.

"Whatever you do, don't speed up his heart rate, alright? It's pretty delicate right now. You probably shouldn't even be going in there to see him."

Burt nodded and Dr. Dillard ushered them inside. "If something happens, just come out into the hallway. I'll be there."

He shut them in to give them privacy.

Burt approached the beeping machine maze until he found a little white bed. On it lay a boy. An unrecognizable boy.

Burt hadn't seen his son up close at all during the incident in the choir room. Kurt had been face down and had too many broken bones for Burt to flip him over. Besides, Burt could hardly remember what had happened in the choir room. It was all a horrific, blurred memory, even though it had occurred merely hours ago.

Burt narrowed his eyes and examined his son.

His complexion was dry and as pale as a vampire. His cheeks were thin, and a bright red weal was drawn across his face. His nose was broken. Kurt's eyes were shut and his mouth was wearing a faint frown. A large bump was swelling on the top of his head, and a bag of ice was strapped to it. His ear was purple.

His arms, bony and bruised, were laid over the thin sheet that covered his torso. His fingers had been heavily bandaged and splinted. They'd obviously been fractured.

Burt gently pulled the blue linen down farther, examining Kurt's stomach and chest. It was dangerously thin again. Kurt had been skipping meals. His ribs were fractured, and thick bandages , stitches, and gauze wrapped around him like a Christmas present. His stomach sported bright purple bruises as big as Burt's fists, and small stitches dotted his abdomen from the surgery.

Blinking hard, Burt pulled the sheet back over Kurt's body. He didn't want to see any more.

Carole observed them both from the doorway, not wanting to venture into the room.

Tentatively, Burt started to stroke Kurt's cheek; the one without the red mark on it. He glanced at the heart monitor, which had begun to beep a tad faster.

Burt sat down on a small metal stool that had been placed beside Kurt's bed. He placed his fingers on his son's ashen, blank face, rhythmically moving them on his cheek.

"Kurt, can you hear me?"

It all reminded Burt of when he'd been in the hospital himself. Now the roles were reversed.

Kurt gave no indication that he had heard him, the monitor beeping consistently.

Bleep. Bleep. Bleep.

"Kurt?" Burt whispered. "Kurt, please, buddy. Just wake up! I need you, Kurt."

Bleep. Bleep. Bleep. Nothing happened.

"Kurt!" Burt raised his voice, feeling powerful emotions wave through him. Carole bit her own fist to keep from crying out.

Bleep. Bleep. Bleepbleepbleepbleepbleep.

"Eh," Kurt's eyelashes flickered weakly.

"Kurt! You can hear me!" Burt cried triumphantly. "Can't you, Kurt?"

His eyes fluttered open. "Whashapinin." he slurred.

"That guy is dead, Kurt, and you are alive. You are safe!" Burt exclaimed. "Safe forever!"

Kurt raised a bandaged arm and touched Burt's face, as if to see if he was really there. As he raised his arm, a moan escaped his lips.

Burt caught his hand and clasped it gently to his chest. "Okay." Burt said soothingly. "Don't worry now."

The heart monitor slowed down again. Bleepbleep. Bleep. Bleep. Bleep.

Kurt whimpered. "Whahappened?" The painkillers were starting to wear off, and stings and cuts were starting to burn again, bringing tears to his eyes. He wished he was asleep again.

"Well, let's see." Burt paused. What's the last thing you remember?"

Kurt's face crumpled as the memory trickled to him. He cleared his throat and coughed, sending a crushing pain through his ribs. He cried out in pain, but managed to choke, "S'bas'iankickedme."

Burt remembered. Kurt had been having a meltdown on the floor when Sebastian had wheeled around, his foot spinning out and landed a powerful blow to Kurt's head, thankfully missing his face.

He eyed the lump on Kurt's head and nodded. "So after you got knocked out, that psycho pulled the trigger and shot this girl named – named – "

Shiny tears spilled onto Kurt's cheeks. Who had died at Sebastian's hands? Rachel? Mercedes?

"Her name was Quinn." Carole cut in wearily. "Quinn Fabray."

"Oh!" Kurt closed his stinging eyes. Quinn, dead? He couldn't comprehend it. Didn't want to comprehend it.

"So then he ran out of the room and out of the school, I think." Burt continued, using his flannel sleeve to dab at the tears on Kurt's face.

"An' he got 'way." finished Kurt, struggling to form a intelligible sentence. "We're back to square one."

"Kurt. Sebastian is dead."

Bleep. Bleepbleepbleepbleep.

"Who kill'd 'm?" Kurt rasped.

"We don't know." Burt looked hopelessly at Carole. "We think Blaine killed him, because he ran after the kid."

"Where's Blaine?" Kurt asked, a sudden sparkle entering his eye. "Is he coming in after you?"

Burt cast his eyes on the floor.

Kurt gasped, a movement that sent a shock through his fragile body. "NO!"

"Kurt!" Burt tried to shush him. "If they hear you yelling, they'll kick me out!"

Bleepbleepbleepbleepbleep.

"Where'sBlaineDad?" Fresh tears flowed down his face at an alarming rate. "Where's he?"

Burt sighed and held Kurt's hand again. "We don't know, nobody's seen him, Kurt!"

"No!" Kurt cried in anguish. "No, y're lying!" His voice cracked. "Blaine!"

BLEEPBLEEPBLEEPBLEEPBLEEP.

His eyes closed.

"Kurt!" Burt yelled, but it was no use.

Kurt slid back into his former state of mind, dead to the world.

Burt rose to his feet and wiped tears from his own eyes.

Dr. Dillard popped in. "I'm assuming that you're done here?"

Carole squeezed past him and ran crying back to the waiting room, but Burt shook his head. "I'm staying here."

"What's your name?" Sergent Boo grunted, scribbling own name on a slip of paper.

"Finn Hudson..." Finn said distractedly. He glanced at the notepad. "And I think you spelled Sergeant wrong..."

"No. That's my name." glared Boo. "So what happened after you were abducted in the hallway?"

Finn squinted in concentration. "Um...I think...well...we got in there, and Sebastian threatened Kurt with the gun and he was being dramatic and stuff. Like he made Blaine Anderson get on his knees and stuff...and...uh...then he was about to shoot Kurt and these Warbler dudes stood up and left and called you – "

"Slow down!" Boo scribbled frantically.

"And then Sebastian accidentally shot that gun and it hit Quinn." Finn felt despair and shock roll around inside him. How could Quinn be dead? "And Sebastian ran for it, Blaine followed him, and then you guys came."

Boo nodded. "Thanks." Finn nodded and left the hospital room the police were using to interrogate the witnesses.

Everybody looked up when Finn reentered the waiting room. He saw that his mother was back.

"Is Kurt okay?" Finn asked immediately.

Carole wordlessly shook her head.

"Where's Burt?"

"He's still with Kurt, honey. I came back, because I couldn't stand it."

An icy shiver of fear spiked through him. "Is it as bad as last time?"

He remembered seeing Kurt after the first kidnapping,, remembered the blood that blossomed from his skin and his emaciated body.

Carole bit her lip. "Worse."

Finn gasped, and pushed past her into the hallway. "Finn, wait!" Carole called, but Finn ignored her, jogging down the hallway until he caught sight of Burt's yellow vest.

"What is it, Finn?" demanded Burt as Finn burst into the room. Dr. Dillard looked up.

"Another visitor, eh? Well, don't get his heart rate up." He glared at Burt.

"I'm his brother." snapped Finn. Dr. Dillard rolled his eyes.

"Whatever! I need to get Kurt a new I.V. You two keep a watch on him, okay?"

They nodded and Dr. Dillard briskly walked away, oozing confidence.

"Screw him." Finn glared. He turned to Kurt and took in the extent of his injuries. "Has he woken up yet?"

"Yeah." Burt rubbed his forehead. "He's pretty torn up. When I told him we didn't know where Blaine was, he flipped out and went under again."

"Whew." Finn whistled. "Burt, what'll happen if Blaine isn't okay? What'll Kurt do?"

Burt couldn't even think about it. "Sometimes I think he loves that guy more than he loves all of us combined."

Finn nodded. "He does."

Burt put his hand over Kurt's bandaged fingers. "He'd better be okay, then. Blaine."

Kurt's face seemed to twitch.

"My Kurt's a fighter." Burt said fondly. "Whatever happens."

Finn pulled up another stool to Kurt's bed and stared into his face. "I really hope he'll get better." he said, and gently brushed a lock of hair from Kurt's face. "You you think we can wake him up again?"

"We can try." said Burt doubtfully.

"No, no no!" Dr. Dillard reentered the room. "If you try and wake him up, you'll probably kill him!"

He wheeled an I.V. to Kurt's side and pressed it into Kurt's arm. "So he fainted. All we have to do is this!"

He pressed a button on one of the machines, and Kurt jolted painfully on the bed.

"What was that?" Burt roared.

Dr. Dillard gave an apologetic smile. "Shock wave. We find it more efficient than salts and all that other nonsense."

Burt sighed. "Can you leave now? Finn and I want a moment alone with him."

"Okay. But if he faints again, you will not be permitted to be alone with him again." warned the doctor and awkwardly bowed out.

Kurt was stirring feebly on the bed. Finn watched intently, willing him to recover.

"Dad!" Kurt uttered as soon as he found his voice. He choked and his eyes rolled up into his head.

"Right here, son. Finn's here too."

Finn leaned over so that he was in Kurt's line of vision.

"Finn." Kurt said vaguely. "Where's your Gaga outfit?"

"Uh..." Finn didn't know what to say.

Kurt nodded. To what or who he was nodding at was unclear.

"Will you help me sit up?" he asked uncertainly. "I've been lying here for days."

Finn hesitated. "A few hours, actually. Are you sure that's safe? Aren't your ribs broken?"

"Screw that." sighed Kurt, and he tried to prop himself up, but cried out when he arched his back. Defeated, he slumped back into the bed and pouted.

"I have to admit, Kurt, I'm pleasantly surprised that you're not going all crazy on us." Burt winced, remembering the last time Kurt had been in the hospital.

Kurt shrugged and cleared his throat. He whispered, "It's okay, because Blaine comes in every five minutes to comfort me. He's the best boyfriend ever. I wouldn't be half this sane if it weren't for him."

Burt and Finn exchanged glances.

Then Kurt gasped and clutched his chest. He exhaled sharply and felt his eyes well up with pain.

"Kurt..." Burt said slowly. "When did Blaine come and see you?"

Kurt chuckled weakly. "I don't know...right before you came in?"

"Kurt, you were unconscious." Finn said firmly. "How could you remember if Blaine came in?"

"Because I saw him!" Kurt cried stubbornly. "I saw him, Finn!"

"He wasn't here, Kurt." Finn said loudly.

Kurt's eyes twitched as though he wanted to roll them. "Yes. He. Was. Shut up, Finn, he was here!"

Finn opened his mouth again, but Burt elbowed him in the side. Finn forced a smile onto his face. "Sure."

Kurt smiled blissfully. "Can you go now? I bet he's coming in after you leave."

Burt lifted a hand to Kurt's forehead. It was extremely warm.

"Sure." said Finn again, and he and Burt stumbled out.

"What the hell?" Burt hissed when they were in the hallway, out of earshot. "Blaine's not here!"

Dr. Dillard was nowhere in sight, so the two put their ears against the door. They could scarcely hear Kurt's voice.

"Blaine, I love you. There, I said it. I mean it." They heard a faint sob. "Why is this happening to me? Why don't they believe me? You're here. I know you're here."

Burt shook his head.

"Blaine, why won't you talk to me?What did Sebastian do to you? Are you mad at me? You're upset that I almost killed you, aren't you, Blaine?"

It was painful to listen to. Burt willed himself to leave, but couldn't bear to tear himself away.

"Blaine, please say something. I'm sorry that I let you get hurt. Blaine, Blaine, Blaine..."

It's the fever talking, Finn told himself.

"Blaine!" came Kurt's muffled scream. "Blaine, please come back! Come back!"

They heard a thump, like Kurt had slammed his fist into the mattress.

"What's going on here?" Dr. Dillard's voice interrupted.

Burt jumped away from the door as though it was on fire. "My son's having hallucinations." he said hoarsely. "You've got to do something about this!"

"Does he have a fever?" Dr. Dillard rolled his eyes.

"Yes..."

"Then of course he's having hallucinations, you idiot. Think about it. He's just been tortured, almost killed, then brought into a hospital, been operated on several times, and everything is happening too fast for him. Don't freak out. Just take it slow."

He sighed. "Once the fever breaks, the hallucinations will stop. So just hang tight."

As he shuffled papers on his clipboard, they heard Kurt start ranting again.

"Sebastian, please, have mercy...don't hurt him...please, please, I'm begging you, leave him alone..." Kurt pleaded.

"I can't listen to this." Burt threw his baseball cap on the ground and stomped back to the waiting room, Finn trailing behind.

A/N: Yay for the end of that one!

Reviewing is like an invite for me to read your stories. And review them. Or read your profile. So is subscribing/favoriting, but since my email is a fail, I have no idea who you are. So review! Even if all you have to say is 'hippo.' In the next chapter we will find out what happened to Blaine!

*awkwardly leaves*