KlaineForeverLover07: Yeah that totally makes you torn. It's so sad that Elizabeth had to die but if she hadn't there wouldn't have been Barole. Thank you and I'm trying. Well… as I told you in a message… where I come from we say "the taste is like the butt- split" And that definitely does sound better in Swedish but I think you get it.
Gleekforever12345: I haven't either read too much fics about Kurt's mum. There's been a few but not many. Yeah I thought it was sad too… I hope you liked it anyway
Lilangel1: Thank you… yes it was. I'm glad you thought that- because I guess moving is good. And you'll get to read more once I get home today and can upload the chapter
Precious- passenger: Awww. I knew it was sad but that sad… I'm sorry to hear… "Hugs" sadly, Cancer is something that hits almost every family sooner or later- mine too. Thank you. And yeah, I loved that scene- it was a way of getting some… happiness… easier stuff into a otherwise very sad and rough chapter and I'm so glad I had that idea.
F is for Family
I yawned, I had come home from my first week at Dalton and I was so tired I swore I could fall asleep standing up from all the new impressions the last few days. Most of all I just wanted to go lay down and sleep somewhere, but I, Finn, dad and Carole were moving into a new house and of course I had to help.
Dad and Carole had driven away to our old houses again, got some of the things from there to take them here. Because the distances were so short we had decided not to hire some moving- company- however- my dad had taken a truck from his station and was driving back and forth with it to get with the big stuff.
I was currently walking around trying to find the blue carton- I knew I had put it here somewhere and it held the plates that I was going to put in the kitchen cupboards. "FINN" I shouted at last. "Have you seen the blue box with plates?" I started taking another box filled with glasses and cups. Just as I heard from Finn that he'd carried it upstairs and then footsteps coming down the stairs just as the front door open.
I had just dropped a cup that fell to the floor and broke into three pieces, so I kneeled down to pick them up-and just as I carefully picked the biggest- and the sharpest piece up, a shout was heard from the stairs, then several bangs. "Ah" I exclaimed and dropped the piece when I jumped- and the sharp end made a deep cut across my palm.
The shout was followed by two loud bangs. But I barely heard them when the sight of the blood made my head spin and on top of it all pain shot through my hand all the way up to my elbow. Blood dripped from my hand and down to the floor and I looked away, took support a with my free hand towards the drawers and fought not to pass out.
But just as I tried my best taking deep breaths not to pass out or throw up the kitchen door open. I opened my eyes and stretched out my unharmed hand and pretended to pick up the pieces just as dad came through the door. The freezer and the fridge was about the first we had moved and dad opened the freezer and got out a bag of frozen peas.
"Finn stumbled in the stairs- he sprained his ankle but he's going to be fine and he didn't drop anything." Dad smiled at me and then turned around and left the kitchen. But I had let go for just a little bit too long. I felt my eyes roll as everything went black and I fell to the floor.
Carole POV
"No Burt- " I said when Burt was beginning to put the bag of frozen peas towards Finn's ankle. "You need to wrap in something, or else he's going to have freeze burns. Hold on I'll go get a towel." I stood up and walked over the floor and through the hallway to the kitchen where I pushed the door open.
The first I noticed was how quiet it was- that was weird because just a minute ago Kurt had been in here. I walked in and looked around- and then spotted the body of the slender teenager on the floor. I forgot everything about the towel I was getting and rushed over to him.
"BURT" I shouted. "Can you come in here for a moment?" I brushed away Kurt's brown tresses from his forehead and felt it with my palm- he wasn't unusually warm. I felt for his pulse and breathing but it all seemed normal as Burt came into the room and kneeled in front of his son- and saw something I hadn't.
"He's bleeding." Burt pointed, and just as he pointed I saw a cut in Kurt's palm. I carefully lifted Kurt's hand into mine and used the other hand to stretch out Kurt's fingers so I could take a look at the cut. It was right across the palm, but I couldn't see much because it was bleeding so much. I heard a- sound I did not recognize from my husband and when I looked up I saw him- pale as a ghost, doing his best to look away from his son's hand.
"Burt" I began- because I understood that if Burt stayed in here- I'd have to deal with two unconscious Hummel's instead of one. "Go out in the hallway, sit down and take deep breaths until everything's stopped spinning- then go out to my car- there's a first aid kit in the back of it- you know where it is." Burt nodded- and walked on unsteady legs out of the kitchen while I tried to wake up Kurt.
"Kurt?" I rubbed his head. "Sweetie. Can you hear me?" Kurt moaned and turned his head, then his eyes fluttered open and he looked to me. "Do you remember what happened sweetie?" I asked him, he nodded barely noticeable, and started sitting up. I held a hand on each of his shoulderblades to be ready to catch if he fell again.
"I dropped a cup and I was picking the pieces up when Finn shouted- then I slipped and it cut my hand." Kurt looked to his hand and swayed as if he was fainting again. I told him to lay down again and look away, which he did just as Burt came back with the first aid kit from my car. Then I told him to go help Finn while I handled this.
"Ow, ow" Kurt whimpered while I pressed the compress to his palm. I lifted one of my hands and stroke his hair to calm him down while I talked in a comforting tone hoping that it would help the teenager to calm down. It helped and after a few minutes I lifted the compress and checked the wound. There was no doubt.
"Kurt. We need to go to the hospital, this needs stitches." Kurt moaned. "Do you want me or your dad to come with you?" Kurt shrugged, pushed himself up into sitting position and leaned against the kitchen bench.
"I'd suggest Carole" I looked to the other end of the kitchen when Burt's voice was heard. "You know I love you scooter and I'd take you to the hospital. But you know my thing with blood." Kurt nodded, and took support against me to stand up. I grabbed a bandage from the first aid kit and wrapped it around Kurt's hand and then took a scarf to make it into a sling.
"That will do until we get to the hospital" I said. "You need to keep that high. Now come on honey." I gently pushed Kurt so he'd move forward, told Burt and Finn that we were going to the hospital. Finn moaned about his foot and wondered if he was going too but- I told him he would be fine with Burt, then helped Kurt to pull on a jacket at the same time as I ran around trying to find my own jacket, car- keys, wallet and then around for five minutes trying to find my cellphone until I realized it was in my pocket.
At last I found myself by the steering wheel next to Kurt in the passenger seat and started driving. I didn't want to waste any more time so I called into the reception and asked Alexey- the receptionist to check with the staff if there was anyone who could take it as soon as we came in. It had already bled through the bandage I put so I hit the gas and sped faster towards the ER.
"Hey C." Alexey Nicholson greeted me as I came in with Kurt- I could never make him use my name. "Trenton's in curtain two setting up everything." I led Kurt towards the curtain where Dr. Anthony Trenton sat with his thick glasses pressed down on the lower bridge of his nose and a bottle with local anesthesia that he dropped down in a syringe.
Kurt- if possible- turned even paler when he saw the syringe. I gently pushed him to sit down on the bunch before he had fallen again, and sat down on the stool on the opposite side from Dr. Trenton- asking him if he shouldn't have waited with doing that until he's checked the wound himself and is fully sure that it need stitches.
"I trust your opinion and vision Carole." He mumbled. "One thing first Mr. Hummel, can you clench your hand… Just hold on a sec. Carole can you find a scissor?" I leaned down and found a scissor in a drawer that Dr. Trenton used to cut up and remove the bandage. "Yeah… can you clench your hand and move your wrist and your arm good… yeah that's good. There's no damage on any sinew. So… yep this needs stitches. I'll put some local anesthesia and then put maybe… ten to fifteen stitches."
"It's okay." I took Kurt's free hand in mine when he bit his jaws together and turned even paler. "I'm here… it'll be over soon." I had been through this quite a lot of times with Finn- not to mention Christopher- and thousands of patients- so I knew what there was I could do- and what there was that wouldn't help so I just held my fingers wrapped around Kurt's.
Kurt was one of those that would never really admit he was in pain- well- until he had a syringe with a needle a bit too close because as soon as Dr. Trenton had put the needle to Kurt's hand I felt his grip around my hand tighten. I brainstormed for something to talk to him about to get his mind of the needle that Trenton was just fixing.
"So how do you like it at Dalton?" I asked at last. Kurt sighed, something that seem to come from centuries of heartbreaks and sorrows. Dr. Trenton was humming on some song I couldn't recognize- the same he always hummed on when he would give shots or draw blood. Kurt looked to him, then to the needle, then to me and shrugged.
"It's okay I guess. It's not McKinley… and maybe that's for the best and… and for the worst." Kurt flinched and whimpered as Dr. Trenton poked the needle into his hand, I stroke Kurt's other hand and asked him to continue. "I mean… it's great to be away from Karofsky and… and them but… but all my friends are at McKinley." Kurt sighed, and I could spot there was something he wanted to say but didn't quite know how- or didn't quite know if he could.
"Carole?" He exclaimed at last. "Can I ask you something?" I answered him that of course he could, he sighed again and looked down. "I… Dalton is great. The warblers are too only… the warblers they're like…. Super popular you know… that's great but… The warblers is a glee club and… New Directions is a family." Kurt sighed yet another time. "Is it weird of me to miss McKinley- when… well, you know?"
I bit my lip and slowly shook my head. Answered him no- but didn't know what more to say. "There is another thing." Kurt cleared his throat then nodded towards Dr. Trenton. "But maybe we could take that later." I nodded. At this point- Dr. Trenton was about half way done with stitching up the wound- and I told Kurt to talk about what interested him the most- fashion- to keep his mind of his hand.
I had to admit- it was pretty interesting to listen to Kurt when he was talking about the latest trends- I could see it made him happy with how he gesticulated with his free hand and how his eyes lit up when he did. Dr. Trenton- still humming finished stitching up the wound and put a bandage on, and then Kurt silent.
Kurt kept silent during the time we got in the car and I started driving again. I asked him if we wanted to talk about what was bothering him now- or later when we came home. He shrugged at first but then mumbled "now" so I drove onto the side and stopped the car. Kurt didn't say anything at first and just sat and looked down and fingered with the bandage around his hand.
"It's not that I don't… that I don't like… you or Finn. It's just that…" I was starting to guess what this was about- and I had known that this would be brought up sooner or later. "It's just that… when we're moving in and you two are married and everything it… it kinda makes me feel like he's… like he's forgetting about…" Kurt silent again, and when he didn't continue I finished the sentence for him.
"Your mum?!" Kurt nodded without looking up. "Listen Kurt. I know it's… weird, and it feels like with moving in with me and Finn and marrying me and everything Burt is forgetting about Elizabeth. But… he'd never do that. And I could never replace her- not for you- and not for your dad. And moving on does not mean… forgetting… it does not mean leaving behind and head forward. It just simply means to allow oneself to feel good about both the memories and the present."
The car fell silent again and after a few minutes I started driving again and stopped outside the store to get some food home. Kurt disappeared and that didn't really bother me until I was done and couldn't find him anywhere. I walked between the shelves and around them trying to find him and at last I found him by some shelves with toys and other kids' stuff. He stood with hands behind his back and looked down at a framed picture I couldn't see. I could have just called for him but something told me that I should walk up and see what he was looking at.
"Ohana means family" I read out loud from the framed quote with a picture from Lilo and Stitch. "Family means no one gets left behind, or forgotten." I smiled. "You want it?" Kurt shrugged. "We could buy it and hang it in the living room or somewhere and… as a reminder not to forget either about each other or Elizabeth or Christopher…. You want to know a secret?" I leaned forward and almost whispered to him. "I love that movie- I must have watched it a thousand times during days when Finn was at football camp or wherever. And I cried every single time." Kurt smiled.
"I cry every time watching it too. But you know that dad will be furious if we bring home frames like that… he hates it." I knew that- but whatever- let him be furious then- and that was what I told Kurt before he grabbed the upper part of the frame and we walked to pay for everything.
"Do you know why dad have got problems with seeing blood?" Kurt suddenly asked when we sat in the car. I shook my head- it hadn't really crossed my mind there would be a special reason. "Because the day my… the day my mum died she…." It seemed like Kurt had gone through a million times how he would say this- but he still couldn't really do it. I reached out my hand and took Kurt's in mine- trying to give him the comfort I could without pushing him to do anything.
"She started throwing up blood, and that was when dad took her to the hospital and then she… well, you know. And dad can't see blood without getting flashbacks…. Sorry, I don't know why I told you that."
I didn't know what to say- I wanted to say something and brainstormed for just about anything but I couldn't think of anything at all. What was there to say? I squeezed Kurt's hand in mine and then removed it to steer with both hands. "I was at my grandma's and she… she said we were going home so we did go to our house and… then dad came home and… told me… not everything then, I have more or less forced him to tell more details as I've gotten older- I don't know why it just felt like- like I wanted to know… I don't know… sorry." I told him there was nothing to be sorry for- just like anyone would have at this point.
Something made me realize that with Kurt telling me this- made me closer to him than what I'd ever been to any person. Kurt wasn't one to talk about his problems- and it was clear that talking about his mum was tough and he had to give his all just to keep going. "I can't replace your mum Kurt." I said at last. "And it's not what I'm after to do either."
"I don't expect you to either." Kurt looked out the window. "In fact I don't want you to- of course I don't want you to. But… maybe you could be something, just as good as she was- only in another way." I had to smile at the way Kurt expressed himself. "There is one thing I've been thinking about… I can't call you mum… but stepmum sounds… weird! So what is there then?"
"Why don't do like everybody else and call me Carole?" Kurt shook his head slightly.
"You mean too much!" Kurt said- just barely as loud as I could hear it. I smiled and was meaning to say something when he interrupted. "Isn't there some name that means mother or something? What does Carole mean?" I glared at him, I had never liked the meaning of my name- the name I had just learned to live with- the meaning only made people confused- and tell them it had from the beginning been a boys' name. When Kurt looked confused I smirked to let him know I was joking.
"It means free man." Kurt raised an eyebrow at me. "So before you ask- yes it was from the beginning a boys' name. But your middle name is Elizabeth so you don't really have much to say in this matter." I smirked again so he'd understand I was joking again. "Hmm… I don't know any name that means mother… but there is a Scandinavian name that means woman of the house- and living with three men I think I could use such a name."
"What name is it?" Kurt asked.
"Solveig" I answered. "Some Norwegian name- it does mean sunroad in Norwegian as well. Sorry… just talking now." Kurt waved of my apology. "But please Kurt- just call me Carole. I don't think I could get used to yet another name- I've barely gotten used to Hudson instead of Kyemohr- and now I have to get used to Hummel as well- I think that's enough."
"Okay free man." I had a pair of gloves laying in between the seats- now I took them and hit Kurt over the head with them. "Ow… fragile material." I took the gloves and hit him again- the next second I hit the brakes and steered to the left not to hit another car. "WHOA" Kurt shouted before I had regained control over the car and drove onto the side. After shouting some unmentionable terms after the other driver.
"Are you okay?" I looked to Kurt who laid leaned forward- shaking of god knows what. "Kurt are you alright?" The teenager snorted with laughter when he couldn't keep quiet anymore. "What?" Kurt couldn't answer me- that's how much he was laughing as he leaned against the window and shook with laughter.
"I" he laughed after some while. "I… I think you can compete with my mum with temper while driving." He broke down laughing again- And I couldn't help but laugh with him- now when my pulse had finally gone down to normal again. "But I'm not so sure that's a good thing." Kurt whimpered trying to catch some air. I shook my head at him.
"I would… appreciate if you didn't tell your dad about that. If you do then maybe he won't let me drive you… ever… again." Kurt snorted with laughter- just after finishing the last attack. And I chose not to speak anymore before Kurt had stopped laughing, and when he did- suddenly I remembered that maybe- we should head home.
"Come on now." I steered onto the road again. "If family's means not forgetting about one another then I don't think I've been that great of a family the last minutes- there are two parts of the family waiting for their dinner at home." I silent and was half expecting Kurt to do the same when he spoke up again.
"I gotta say we're a pretty great family- happy, great… but totally dysfunctional and whoever is normal it's not us."
So, that seems like an okay ending. I think this chapter is one tiny bit OOC- I don't know why or where but- if it is I'm sorry. And well… some of the things are based on my family. Just some small things though.
And oh, Solveig really is a name- it does mean woman of the house- and sunroad in Norwegian- it was my grandmother's name.
English is not my first language