A/N: hope you'll enjoy this chapter. Lauren has done her magic with it, but then I couldn't help making some changes...
Blaine got a room on the orthopedic ward. They had forced the temperature down with medicine and started him on antibiotics, but he still needed extra oxygen. He slept all through that day. Kurt didn't leave his side. Carole, Kristen and Martin went home to shower but Kurt refused to leave.
Late that afternoon Blaine was wheeled away to the OR. Carole hugged Kurt when the two of them were left in his room.
"I just feel so bad for him. He told me he'd never had a thanksgiving. He asked me what would happen. And now it won't happen for him."
"Then it will happen next year sweety." Carole said.
"I know... I just... Can't he just catch a break? Isn't it enough now?" Kurt started crying.
Carole sat down on the armchair in the room and took Kurt in her embrace. He sat on her knees like a small child and cried his eyes out. Carole understood his exhaustion and wasn't surprised when she felt him relaxing in her embrace. He fell asleep after ten minutes of crying, pressed close to her. She closed her eyes and let herself get some rest. There wasn't anything she could do at this very moment.
Burt came to the hospital an hour later. He found Kurt and Carole asleep, cuddled close together in the small armchair. Burt slowly lifted Kurt from Carole's embrace, laid him down on the couch and covered him with a blanket. Kurt didn't stir at the movement, but the loss of warmth woke Carole up.
"Blaine?" She asked confused.
"He isn't here." Burt whispered trying not to wake Kurt and lifted up his wife. He sat down in the armchair and placed Carole the same way Kurt had seated earlier.
"Operation." Carole mumbled before she closed her eyes and sank back to sleep.
Two hours later Blaine was wheeled back in the room. Burt's heart constricted at the sight of his son, he looked so small in the big bed. His right arm had a cast with bolts sticking up from it. It was placed on two pillows on his side. Three bags with different solutions were hanging above his head. He still had the tube under his nose providing him with extra oxygen. During the operation he had been given a urine catheter and an almost empty bag hung from the bottom of his bed. The paleness was the thing Burt reacted to the most though; he was almost grey in the face.
"A doctor will come and talk to you soon." The nurse who had wheeled Blaine in said to Burt.
Burt nodded to her, but couldn't look away from Blaine. As the nurse left the room Burt shook Carole.
"Honey? Blaine's back."
Carole woke immediately and was on her feet at once. She looked over Blaine. Stroked away the hair from his forehead. He was still warm, but it didn't worry Carole this time. Burt went to the other side of the bed and pressed a kiss on Blaine's cheek.
"Hi kiddo, sorry I wasn't there in the ER, your mom didn't wake me. I'm here now though. You're doing so well."
Carole looked at Burt.
"I'm sorry, Burt. I didn't think. I panicked."
"I understand. It's okay. Let's wake Kurt up."
"I'll do it."
Carole went to the couch and shook Kurt who groaned and shifted away from her.
"Kurty? Sweety?"
"Mom?"
"It's Carole."
"That's what I said." Kurt mumbled before he remembered where he was and why. His eyes shot up along with his body as he bolted up. He stumbled as the blood didn't quite follow his body's quick movement. Carole held onto him until he had regained his balance. Then they both went up to the bed.
"Hi sweetie, welcome back." Kurt mumbled and kissed him on his forehead.
"He's not so hot anymore!" He said to Carole.
"I don't wanna rain on your parade, but I think that's the medicine doing. Without it he still would have been burning up." Carole said.
"But still, it must be better for him." Kurt said.
"Oh, yes, you're right!"
"Mr. and Mrs. Hummel?" A doctor entered Blaine's room. He was dressed all in green and had a smile on his face, even without smiling.
"Yes, that's us. This is our son, Kurt Hummel."
"Blaine's brother, nice to meet you. Well, I just want to inform you about the surgery. The wrist was broken in a couple of places. We had to put some bolts in to keep it in place. We need to x-ray it some more over the days to come, but I have a good feeling about it. I'd like to say it went well, but I need Blaine to wake up and feel it first.
"The anesthetic was a bit tricky. This is a quick and fairly simple operation, so normally he would have been placed under a mask during the operation. But, his pneumonia and his lack of being without extra oxygen forced us to put a breathing tube down his throat. As you can see, we've removed it by now, but it could give him a strange feeling in his throat when he wakes up.
"Since he has an infection in his body already, there's a bigger risk for him to develop a septic shock. We will follow him real close over the coming days to catch it in time. Right now he's still sedated, I don't remember when the nurse will take that away. He's also on heavy painkillers and ordinary fluids. He'll be given two different antibiotics. The nurses will be here a lot. You are of course welcome to stay as long as you like or as short as you like. Do you have any question at this point?"
"When will he wake up?" Kurt asked.
"I can't say. He was unconscious before the surgery, and then it's always tricky to say when he will decide to join reality again. If I should guess, I'd say not until tomorrow afternoon. But, that's just my guess."
"Oh, okay..." Kurt said.
"Right, I almost forgot. He had this on his finger. We had to remove it during surgery; I'm guessing his girlfriend wouldn't be too happy if he lost it." The doctor smiled at them as he held out the engagement ring for Burt.
"He wouldn't be too happy either. He was the one to propose to me actually." Kurt said and took the ring.
"Oh, I'm so sorry; I just guessed you're his brother since you have the same last name."
"It's fine. We are a complicated family. Thanks for operating on our son." Burt said.
The doctor nodded and left the room.
"And now we wait..." Carole said in the silence.
"So, since my wife left our house without telling me in the middle of the night, I'm well-rested so I'll stay here during the night." Burt said.
"I'm not leaving." Kurt stated.
"Kurt..."
"No! It's not even up for discussion; I have no school to go to tomorrow. I'm not leaving. That's that."
"Well, I actually could use some sleep in a bed. And I'm guessing I have a son and his best friend at the house? Oh, and a puking sister..." Carole said.
"A puking sister?" Burt said confused.
"Right, you haven't heard the latest news about our crazy family..." Carole sighed. "How about I tell you about your brother and my sister while we go to the cafeteria and get something for you two to eat?"
"My brother? What has he to do with your sister puking?" Burt said as they left the room.
Kurt shook his head and turned to Blaine.
"This family has reached a whole new level of craziness. I have so much to tell you when you are back with me."
Kurt watched him lying there breathing for a while. He sighed and went to the backpack he packed during the night. He took out the book he knew Blaine had tried to read. He settled down in the armchair and opened the book. He was about to start reading to Blaine, but when a nurse came in he quickly got on his feet and looked at her.
"Hi sweetie. I'm Marge. I'll be here all night. I'll be in here at least every half an hour, so you really don't have to get up every time."
"Hi. I'm Kurt. I'm his boyfriend."
"Nice to meet you. I'm here to give him some antibiotics and to take away the anesthetic medicine."
"Okay." Kurt said and sat down.
"How long have you been together then?"
"For... It's been 8 months soon."
"Oh, that's sweet. And now you're at his side in the hospital, even during thanksgiving. Don't you want to be with your family?" She smiled at him.
She was an old woman; you would think she would be retired by now. But she filled Kurt with security. He was glad she was Blaine's nurse. He felt like he could tell her everything.
"Well, my family is his family. He was born by two shitty parents who treated him extremely badly. Since May my parents have had custody of him. We are a weird family. We are both boyfriends and brothers kinda..."
"Well, wasn't that nice of them? Taking him in like that?"
"I guess... He wouldn't have survived without them." Kurt said and took Blaine's hand.
"Oh, it was that bad?"
"Yes, his father's in jail because of it."
"Poor thing."
"You have no idea."
"So, I'll be back in a little while. Press on the button if you need me."
"Okay, thanks."
She left the room and Kurt turned to Blaine.
"Oh, Blainey. Living everyday with you made me forget everything you've been through. Being here and telling people about it makes me remember it all again. Of course I haven't forgotten it, but it's not like I think about it every day. But you must do. Of course you do. I'm so sorry, Blaine. I've been a dick. I'm so, so sorry."
Kurt felt tears running before he started sobbing. He pressed his face to the mattress. How could he have been annoyed with Blaine not studying? He had been so inconsiderate.
Burt came in carrying a salad and a diet coke for his son. He knew Carole and Kristen had kept feeding him during the day but he was about to try again. That was his thought anyway. But when he walked into the room to find his two sons both sleeping, that thought vanished. He stood in the doorway watching the two of them.
"Excuse me." He heard from behind.
When he turned he saw a nurse rolling in a bed in the room.
"Is Blaine getting a roommate?" He asked her.
"No, it's for Kurt. We have lots of beds free tonight, so I thought I would give him one."
"Oh, thank you!" Burt said.
"You're their father?"
"I am, sorry, I'm Burt."
"I'm Marge. I'll be here all night." She smiled at him.
Burt smiled back. When she started checking Blaine over he lifted his son and laid him down on the bed, he stirred at the movement and looked around him when Burt laid him down.
"Blaine?"
"He's still sleeping, Kurt. I'll wake you if anything happens. You get some sleep now."
"But I should..." Kurt mumbled before sinking back to sleep.
Burt removed his shoes before he pulled the blanket over him.
"Love you, buddy, sleep tight, I'll be right here."
The night was slow for Burt. He kept nodding off in the armchair and was startled awake when Marge or anyone else came into the room. Around 5 am, it was Blaine that woke Burt, by moving around a bit. He moved his hand as if he tried to find a position where it wouldn't hurt. Burt pressed the bottom to alert Marge that Blaine was awake.
"Sssh... I know you're hurting." Burt took Blaine's left hand in his.
"Kurt?" Blaine slurred and opened his eyes. They were pointing in different directions and he quickly closed them again when he couldn't focus.
"No, it's Burt. Kurt's right here, if you want I'll wake him."
"Oh, dad." He slurred.
Burt felt his heart swell.
"I'm right here, Blaine."
"Hurts so much..."
Marge came in and Burt rose and let go off Blaine's hand.
"No, dad, don't leave me." Blaine slurred.
"Never, kid." Burt said and sat down again and took his hand.
"Blaine, can you tell me where you are?" Marge asked him.
"Hurts."
"Okay, where does it hurt?"
"Hurts so much."
"Okay, I'm gonna give you some more painkillers. You'll fall back into sleep soon."
"Hurts..." Blaine slurred.
It didn't take many seconds after Marge had given him some more medicine before he fell silent and limp in the bed again.
"So, I wouldn't say he's awake, but it's getting there." Marge said. "You okay?"
"Yes, of course!"
"You're crying."
"My son's hurting..." Burt explained.
Marge nodded; she was used to parents and their feelings. She took Blaine's blood pressure and measured his oxygen level before she left the room.
The next day, or the same day but later, Carole came and Burt went home to get some sleep. Blaine woke every couple of hours. He moved around, clearly in pain before he slurred out a "hurts...". He was given more pain medicine. Later he was taken for more x-rays where the doctors could see that the operation had been successful.
Kurt didn't leave his side. He nodded off now and then when Blaine was calm, but was awake the second Blaine started shifting in bed.
The doctor came in and talked to them in the afternoon. They weren't pleased by his pain level and with the dosage of painkillers he required to become calm. They wanted him to deal with the pain in other ways other than with medicine. Carole informed them about the high dosage of sedatives he was on, and they understood it more. They still changed the medicine to a different kind, which hopefully would make him less sedated.
Around 8 pm, Blaine rose from the land of drugs. He opened his eyes and blinked in the bright light. He closed his eyes again. He felt something irritating his nose and he lifted his right hand to take it away. Pain shot through his body and he screamed out. The pain subdued when he put the hand down. He lifted his left hand and pulled the annoying thing in his nose away.
"Blaine, sweety, you need to have it there, it brings you extra oxygen." Carole told him.
He opened his eyes and tried to focus on her. She smiled at him as she put the tube back under his nose. He groaned, the irritation was back. Once again he lifted his right hand to remove it and once again the pain was overwhelming and made him scream out. He took his left hand and pulled his tube away.
"Blaine, you really need to have it there."
As she tried to put it back he moved his head on his side.
"Noooo..." He whined.
"Yes, sweety, it helps you."
He heard a door open and soon his left hand was in its right place again; in Kurt's hand.
"Blainey, you awake?" Kurt said.
Blaine opened his eyes and looked at him. He smiled big.
"Cuddle." He said and moved to the side, making room for Kurt to join him.
Kurt looked at Carole who nodded to him. While he climbed onto the bed she pressed the button for a nurse. Kurt took Blaine in his embrace.
"How are you feeling?" Kurt asked him.
"Tired. She's mean." Blaine mumbled.
"Who's mean to you?"
"Mom."
"Blaine, I just want you to feel good, and right now that means to have some extra oxygen."
"No. Mean."
Carole just smiled at him. Kurt held out his hand for the plastic tube and Carole gave it to him.
"Blaine? How about we put it right here for a while?" Kurt put it close to Blaine's nose, but not right under it.
"Mmmmokay." Blaine hummed.
Carole smiled at Kurt, it was better than nothing. She guessed he wouldn't be awake for long anyway. A nurse came into the room.
"Hi, Blaine, how nice of you to wake up." She said to him.
Blaine didn't respond other than by burying himself further into Kurt's side.
"Blaine, can you look at me for a moment?" She asked him.
He shook his head.
"Blainey, honey. Look at me." Kurt said and Blaine did as he was told. "Good, can you look at mom?"
Blaine nodded and looked at Carole who was standing behind the nurse.
"Mean, but I love you." He stated.
"Love you too." Carole told him.
"Blaine, can you point to your nose for me?" The nurse asked.
Once again he shook his head.
"Blainey, where's your nose?" Kurt asked him in a light voice; it was like talking to a child.
Blaine smiled big at him and lifted his right hand to show Kurt. The movement caused the pain to shoot along his arm and he screamed.
"Hurts." He whimpered into Kurt's body.
"It's fine for now, I'm gonna give him some more painkillers and he'll be sleeping soon." The nurse said and did as she said.
It didn't take long until Blaine's body became limp and Carole could put back the tube that fed him with oxygen.
"I'm really sorry, he isn't as stubborn as this normally."
"Oh, don't worry about it. I got what I wanted from him. Most likely he won't remember this at all tomorrow. And I'm used to patients saying the most crazy things."
"Okay." Carole said. "Thanks."