Out

Chapter: Don't Breathe

Date: August 2, 2014

Disclaimer: I do not own this fandom nor make any profit from the writing of this fiction.

After ending his budding friendship with Sam due to the absolute non-support from everyone in his life, Kurt threw himself into getting out of Ohio by working on appealing to colleges out of state. He was not taking any chances that he would get stuck in the hellmouth that was Lima, thus he was not throwing all his eggs in one basket as he might have before one Finn Hudson had decided to butt into his life with the belief that he knew what was best. Kurt had three separate goals to look forward to in order to leave: the performing arts, fashion design and his academics in general as he was thinking he would own his own business one day and a degree in business administration would go a long way towards that goal.

For his performing arts portfolio, Kurt realized that he had no choice but to recruit Lauren Zizes if he wanted to ensure that his performances were not diminished by his admittedly limited amount of skill with electronics. She was easy to convince with a monthly supply of his homemade chocolate bars that had his special, secret recipe strawberry filling and promises that copies could be made for some of the geeks that wanted to get into schools that specialize in their field. He was also able to get the help of several of the Cheerios, those not associated with Glee or under the thumbs of certain female Glee members in uniform, when he needed more than just himself to pull off a performance. He did solos, duets and group numbers to show that not only could he hold his own but that he could also work well with others. He demonstrated with earlier clips that he would work hard to improve his weaknesses such as dancing which had been helped along by his career as a Cheerio.

His academic portfolio did not need much help, but he decided to run for student government even though he knew that he would not be elected to any position due to his status in the hierarchy. It was more a filler to show that he had determination, drive and initiative beyond what his grades could tell the individuals that would be reviewing his application. He made sure to include the work that he does for his father by gathering reviews and surveys from both his father and his father's employees. In his essays, he informed the potential schools about his mechanics license or his hope to own a fashion line. As something extra, he included a business plan for each field to prove his determination to do succeed. He also used some of his academic portfolio laterally to coincide with his applications for fashion or business school.

Kurt's fashion portfolio had been reserved to just himself and his unique tastes for quite some time, so he took a weekend to go up into the city in order to explore fashion in a broader sense. He looked at the type of apparel that was being promoted in the stores and compared that to the styles that consumers were actually wearing. He had mini-interviews with several individuals, making sure to record them once he received permission, about their fashion style and what kind of styles they would experiment with to improve current fashion. Once he had completed his research, Kurt set about drawing various designs that played with multiple styles or improved upon an existing theme. He made several pieces that he believed to be his best works in both the male and female arena, so that he could put them on an actual model. Once again, he used the Cheerios, most especially Brittany who was always to help out her 'unicorn.' The team was quite happy to do it on the very easy condition that Kurt redesign the Cheerios uniforms so that they were more comfortable and movable than the current uniforms and especially the winter sets due to the fact that they left the cheerleaders absolutely freezing.

While he was content with the work that he currently had, Kurt knew that over the next year he would be editing, adding and subtracting items and ideas involved with each portfolio he had created. For the moment, he would have to be happy that he was doing everything he could to get as far away from Lima and Ohio as possible. He had even found an early start program for business administration in Rhode Island that would allow him to complete his senior year of high school and his freshman year of college at the same time. The only thing putting a stopper in that plan at the moment was getting his father to agree and letting him leave the nest a year early. However, he had some time to think about that before actually broaching the subject.

Ever since that 'Talk,' Burt's relationship with his son had cooled to the point of being ice cold. It was not that Kurt was avoiding him or not talking to him, but he was shutting him out in a way that made it impossible to tell what the boy was thinking. For instance, when Burt and Carol had announced they were getting married, Finn had taken it well compared to when he had found out they were dating, but Kurt had been indifferent. Despite the smile on his face and the hugs that he had given, Burt had just known that there was no real emotion behind the mask. The smile was cold and hard but fragile like porcelain and the hugs had been bereft of heart and genuine emotion. He knows that the cause is rooted in that 'Talk' but he cannot exactly pinpoint where Kurt shut him out since most of the conversation had had the effect of Kurt being on the defensive. He wanted his vibrant and flamboyant son back, but he just did not know where to begin because Kurt was not allowing any leeway for them to talk about anything dealing with that 'Talk' or even his sexuality anymore.

For Kurt it was just a protective measure against learning his father's true feelings about his orientation. The youngest Hummel knew that it was hard on his father to not only have a gay son, but to be such an open and loving parent in spite of it. The conversation that had occurred on that day had planted a terrible seed of doubt within him and shutting down any attempts to nurture it with further talk about the subject was his way of protecting himself from the knowledge that his father might not be as tolerant of his sexuality as Kurt had come to believe. This defensive mechanism had radiated outward to protect him from everything, including his current state of loneliness.

Kurt no longer freely engaged with Carol, he completely avoided Finn whether they were at home or at school and he did not acknowledge anyone from glee club. It was to the point that he thought of himself as nothing but a ghost that was merely passing through. He was waiting for time to pass so that he could move on to a better place and he continued to remind himself to wait just a little bit longer during those moments when he felt weak enough to want to break down, to end it in the easiest way possible, when waiting seemed like too much in and of itself.

As was the pattern with the youngest Hummel, Kurt's life became worse after he had run into David Karofsky while at Carrie's Movie Theater in the next town over in the men's bathroom. It was rather dead since they were only showing older movies at the matinee this particular weekend, so they were completely alone in the cramped, tiled space. Kurt had been content to ignore the guy and since none of the other jocks appeared to be present, he had hoped that the linebacker could ignore him as well, but it was not meant to be.

"On a date with yourself, Ladyboy. …Ya' know, since you're the only person who likes you?" The jock laughed cruelly and Kurt just snapped. With everything that had been going on and the loneliness closing in around him, Kurt had just had enough with people picking at his sore spots over and over again. He gave back better than he had gotten.

"Then what does that make you? You are just as alone because no one thinks highly of an oversized, ordinary, crass, classless, third-rate show-off that stinks of B-O and CheezBalls whose hairline will begin receding before he's thirty and already has the making of the most unattractive beer-gut imaginable to man-kind! At least I have enough brain cells between my ears to want to be better than losers like you whom will never be more than has-beens trying to live vicariously through the lives of their carbon-copy, just-as-unfortunate, future progeny." Kurt was panting with anger and incoming fear by the end of the rant while Karofsky remained frozen under the beating that was Hummel's verbal smack-down.

Kurt immediately attempted to excuse himself, so he could leave even though he had not finished his movie, his day was ruined anyway, but the hockey player blocked his exit and grabbed him harshly. All the effeminate boy could feel was two oversized, beefy hands squishing the delicate skin of his face before two chapped lips with the lingering taste of soda and candy landed squarely upon his own. It was Kurt's turn to be frozen though he did not know if it was from shock or fear. His emotions quickly ran to outrage as the jock pulled back and just as quickly turned back into fear as he tried to avoid a second kiss. Karofsky was stronger and the knowledge that they were almost certainly alone had bolstered his confidence in attempting to take what he wanted. The linebacker was able to get his second kiss, but before he could think of anything else beyond that kiss, Kurt struck hard and true.

"St-stay away from me!" Was all the smaller male had to say as he quickly moved away from the older boy that was now curled up in the fetal position on the floor, cupping his injured pride after the blow it had received from Kurt's knee.

Sadly that was not the last that Kurt had seen of the hockey player. In fact, the jock assaulted him and tormented him more than usual. In conjunction with the increased hostility from Karofsky, the entire hockey team and some of the football team as well had become more eager in their dealings with Kurt. It was to the point that the former glee member was beginning to seriously fear for his own safety both within and out of the school. This increasingly volatile situation was also putting more strain on Kurt's relationships at home because he knew that he could not trust Finn to even want to try to understand what actually happened, Carol was already wary of him due to the last situation and his dad was still recovering from his heart attack as well as having an admitted sympathy for the so-called 'outsiders.' Most unfortunate, as is everything in his life as of late, things went from bad to worse.

Kurt was cornered in the hallway just before Cheerios practice by Azimio. The jock had shoulder checked him with enough force that his head had slammed fiercely enough into the lockers that he was seeing bright clusters of stars in his vision. Before he could regain his bearings enough to deal with the situation at hand, Kurt feels himself being lifted like a sack of potatoes and the swaying of movement. By the time his vision has cleared, the only openly gay student at McKinley High found himself on the ground surrounded by his frequent and most violent tormentors with Karofsky seemingly leading the bunch. In truth, the jock had been given the pleasure of the first swing due to story he concocted surrounding the injury he gained from Kurt's knee in the theater bathroom. He bent down close over Kurt to whisper his warning.

"Tell anyone anything and I will make it the last thing you ever do. Consider this your only warning," Karofsky leaned back and threw the first blow before speaking once more. "Don't just stand there boys, Fancy here has been getting too big for his panties. I think we need to show him exactly where he stands." The signal had been given and Kurt could think of nothing as he cried out in pain, anger and fear. He felt nothing but empty, there were no thoughts running about haphazardly in his mind. Everything was blank and in that moment, he preferred it that way.

Shortly after the flamboyant teen had lost consciousness, the group of attackers scattered due to the sound of footsteps approaching. Coach Sylvester despises tardiness and had just sent her most formidable Cheerio and her girlfriend to find the flamboyant teen. Santana and Brittany had met up with Puck along the way, who was cutting football practice for whatever reason, who was the first to identify the familiar sound of flesh pounding into flesh. He led the girls down the hall to see what it was, only for the group to be nearly bowled over by a flood of jocks. As they were so busy trying to avoid being trampled, they did not have the wherewithal to take in faces. Once the stampede had passed, they went into the room where it had originated from and came upon a horrible sight.

The boy was covered head to toe in bruises, some bruises so vibrant that shoe prints could be seen, as well as his own blood. It was obvious that his nose had been broken from the new angle that it was perched at and a couple of his fingers had suffered as well. His face was a mess of bruising, blood and cuts that painted a very disturbing image that had Brittany in tears and Santana reluctantly looking away so that she did not relive what she had eaten that day. It was Puck who was able to keep himself together enough to call for emergency services and listen to the operator as they asked questions and gave directions regarding helping the unconscious teen. Santana and Brittany left to inform the front office and lead the paramedics to Kurt.

By the time Kurt arrived at the hospital, the medics had had to puncture a hole in his intercostal muscle in order to inflate his collapsed lung and they were still too close to losing him. The beating that the teen had taken meant a noticeable amount of blood loss and more dangerously, it meant that he was suffering from an even greater amount of internal bleeding. Kurt was at a serious risk of drowning in his own blood if they could not treat the damage to his internal organs quickly. For the young man, it meant going under the knife on the surgeon's table in order to save his life and there was no guarantee that he would recover 100% of his previous health should he make it through this alive. It was nearly twenty-four hours later that the surgeon emerged to speak with Burt and Carol Hudson-Hummel about Kurt's condition.

"Against all odds, we have stabilized your son. However, in order to aid with healing and preventing re-injury, we put Kurt in a medical coma. He sustained multiple fractures of his ribs, both radii, both ulnas, left femur, a shattered left patella, both tibulae, both fibulae, four fingers on his left hand, one finger on his right, and shattered his right cheek along with a broken nose. His spleen was ruptured and had to be removed, both kidneys are severely bruised and to relieve the stress on them we have temporarily placed him on dialysis. His liver, stomach, and intestines were also severely bruised and we had to repair a puncture of the right upper lobe of his lung."

By this point, Burt was barely standing as it felt like his world was crashing and burning at his feet. Despite the fact that he knew his son would live, it was far too close to the memory of losing Kurt's mother Elizabeth. It took his breath away that he could have possibly lost his son and more importantly, that he could have lost his son while they were at odds with each other even if Kurt had tried to act like they were not.

"H-How long will he be…i-in the coma?" He had tried to ask without sounding like he had been suckered punch, but it was of no use.

"Just for the first week or so. We will be monitoring him closely, so if he is doing well it is possible that he could come out of the coma early. Right now, it is totally up to Kurt what happens in the next few weeks." With that the doctor concluded and began to make his way back to his stable but still critical patient. In all his years, he had never seen an episode this bad from McKinley as the staff usually prevented things from going this far. It also meant that he was left with no choice but to report the incident to the state authorities. McKinley High and especially Kurt Hummel would be placed under the microscope in order to ensure that yet another columbine does not occur in the Ohio State Public School System.

Burt did not leave Kurt's side the entire week and three days that his son had been held under a medically induced coma. He remained vigilant at the teen's bedside until the doctor flushed his system of the drugs that kept him under and Kurt finally opened his eyes. Once he had spent most that day reassuring himself that his son would in fact live, and mostly intact, Burt finally returned home to his wife and stepson. They needed to have a heart to heart, face to face talk before Kurt came home. They needed to clear the air and resolve problems so that whatever tension was between them would finally come to a close or as close to being resolved as was possible without Kurt actually present.

"I know that Kurt having had a crush on you made you uncomfortable in the beginning and that you will never be comfortable sharing a room with him, but I believe that he has more than proved that he no longer thinks of you that way. He gave up his memory room so that you would be more comfortable and feel welcomed in our home.

Everyone is entitled their first crush no matter what their orientation and it is time that we move past Kurt's old crush on you so that we can come together as a real family. Being a family means that we need to be able to compromise and understand that we cannot get our way all the time. More importantly, now that we are a family, Kurt is your younger brother. As the elder, it is your duty to look out for him when we, the parents, cannot. You need to step up to the plate, son and look after your brother because family looks after one another no matter our differences. You understand what I am trying to say?"

Finn nodded in confirmation, but the look on his face was anything but reassuring. He did not really have a problem with Kurt or his sexuality, at least not anymore, but he also did not want to be associated with Kurt at school any more than he was already. He had already fallen down the social ladder once and he was not willing to do so again for Kurt who practically screamed his 'otherness' in the faces of the masses at school. This tragedy only reaffirmed his determination to separate himself as much as possible. It was not his fault nor his responsibility to protect Kurt from his own inability to fit in and shut up when the situation called for it.

Burt looked at Carol, whom nodded in agreement, before looking back despondently at the boy that represented everything that Kurt would never be. As much as he cared for Finn, his son came first and since it was clear that Finn was reluctant to look out for his brother at school for whatever reason he may have, it meant that the Hudmel family would have to use Plan B in order to ensure that Kurt had a safe environment in which to learn, socialize and grow as an individual.

"Well, your mother and I have decided that since the bullying has gone this far without anyone stepping in, for Kurt's safety we are removing him from McKinley and transferring him to Dalton Academy for Boys in Westerville. They have zero tolerance for bullying as well as a more challenging curriculum. It is a private school with limited scholarships this late in the year, so you will not be getting that new car we had talked about. That money will be going towards Kurt's tuition."

"What?!" Finn protested loudly. However, Carol was the one to reign him in with just a single look. Finn had had his chance and he had blew it. He had decided that his brother was less important than the transient stage of pubescence known as high school. Therefore, he would learn what consequences and sacrifices awaited him at the end of every decision he made. Even though he had quieted, he had made his displeasure known by excusing himself brusquely and slamming his bedroom door. The two parents sighed at the situation they now found themselves in and wondered where they went wrong so that things had come to this point. Meanwhile, Finn had called Rachel in order to tell her about everything that had gone wrong and he had made it clear that it was Kurt's very existence that had caused his world to collapse and implode upon itself.

A/N: Hey, I am back with another chapter. I hope everyone has continued to enjoy it so far. I will also warn that further chapters might be a while in coming as I gotten a new job. This means less free time and less time to write when inspiration hits. Continue to let me know what you think and look out for more updates.

Cheers!

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