Brittanafan100: I don't know if I can do more, I write what I have ideas for. But I'm glad you liked that one.Thanks for reading and reviewing.
Gleekforever12345: Okay, I'm happy you liked it anyway. Someone else requested a Brittana one so that's a part of what I made it for. This one's Barole. I hope you like this one and the rest of the story too. Thanks for reading and reviewing.
I looked on google to find around how long it takes to drive from Lima to New York, and it said some different so I just counted out around the middle and ended up with like ten hours. So I hope it showed right and if not, don't blame me. Blame google.
T is for Trip
"So is that it then?"
I threw what seemed to be the last one of Kurt's all bags into the back of Blaine's car and turned to look at the boys. Kurt nodded, but I still reminded myself to go check so we had actually gotten mine and Carole's bag with is too. I just needed to quickly talk to Carole first.
"You okay?" Carole sat in the back seat turned to the road and I slightly patted her shoulder and ran my hand over her forehead. "You still feel kind of warm honey. Are you sure you're okay with this? You know we don't have to go anywhere if you don't want to. We could just stay home and… I don't know. Spend the whole day of Fourth of July in our pyjamas and watch a bad movie." Carole made a kind of failed attempt to smile but it ended up more of a half- hearted grimace.
"No, no I want to go. Honey, I think it's for the best to just get away for a while. Get away from this house and Lima and Ohio and… try and just… be! I think it's what we both need and I really want to do it."
I nodded and turned to the boys. "Is that all then?" Blaine asked and I thought for a second and nodded. Then Blaine got into the driver's seat and Kurt sat down next to him, while Carole moved into the middle seat in the back and I sat down next to her. Moving the backpack with my and hers things for the trip from the floor in front of me to the empty seat on the other side.
I glanced to Carole, since Finn had been hit by a car and killed just over two months ago. She had been during the days acting like she was just going on automobile and walking around in a fog at all times. While nights were filled with nightmares, screaming and crying and for her to wake up with me trying to comfort her as good as I possibly could.
But after all of the hard days and yet harder nights tonight had been one of the very hardest. Carole had been feverish and more worried and nervous than ever. I had barely gotten a minute of sleep sitting with her wrapped up in my arms and doing my best to calm her down when she fell asleep and then woke up screaming for her son.
I wouldn't want to admit it to her. Of course not, whatever I was feeling it was nothing compared to what she was feeling. But after more than two months with barely any sleep, and if I had any, getting woken up by her screaming. I was exhausted so badly it was a miracle I could still stay on my feet or at all keep my mind straight.
I wanted to keep awake now too, even though we were going on the ten- hours- long- way from Lima to New York and Bushwick. But barely had we gotten out of our block when Carole rested her head against my shoulder and closed her eyes. And my head fell backwards towards the top of the seat and I blacked out completely.
"Mhm." I wasn't sure how long it was later, but it felt like I had only just closed my eyes when a bump in the road made the car jump and woke me up. I lifted my head and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and tried to recognize the view by the highway we were at. "Where are we? How long had we been driving for?"
"I'm not sure where we are. But I can tell we're on the highway." Blaine answered me. "And we've been driving for just about two hours. So… Eight to go. Hurray!" I had Blaine right in front of me so I couldn't see the look on his face. But I could still tell that he was meaning to say something else when I felt Carole tugging my sleeve.
"Yes? Honey are you okay?"
Carole was white as a sheet in the face and was staring right ahead of her with her lips pressed together hard. "Have you gotten car sick?" Carole nodded slightly, but still stared right ahead of her. "Are you going to throw up?" Carole nodded slightly again and I laid an arm around her shoulders to try and give as much comfort as I possibly could. "It's okay hon. Blaine, can you find somewhere to pull over? Carole's nauseas." I could see Blaine look to us in the rearview mirror before he answered.
"We're in the middle of the highway. There's nowhere to stop."
I sighed and closed my eyes for a split moment. Go to hell for Murphy's Law! Everything that could have possibly gone wrong had gone wrong in the worst possible way.
"It's okay." I opened my eyes again and continued rubbing circles on Carole's back. She had gone kind of greenish and with every movement in the car I thought she'd get sick. "Just relax honey." I had barely finished the sentence when Carole threw a hand over her mouth and threw up. "Okay." As gently as I could I pushed her forward so she leaned over the car floor. "It's okay."
For the next couple of minutes Carole was heaving so much and so often she could barely catch her breath. And I felt the worry grow inside of me for every second and I would have done anything there was in my power if it meant I could take it instead of her. While everything I could do was just to continue with rubbing her back and try to comfort her.
"It's okay." When Blaine after what felt like hours found somewhere to stop the heaving finally stopped. "It's okay…"
I hadn't thought that my heart could break anymore after all of this. But so Carole hit me, not hard. And she was shaking and trembling from top to toe so to me it felt kind of amazing she could move at all and she hit my arm over and over again. And cried, and spoke to me.
"No, no, no. No it's not okay. So stop saying it is okay when we both know that nothing will ever be okay ever again."
I took both of her wrists in stern grips in my fists. If not anyway to keep her from hurting me- then to keep her from hurting herself. And that seemed to be it as Carole just broke down sobbing and I didn't think twice before I wrapped her tightly up in my arms and just held her still like that for what felt like it must have been hours- no, years and years. But probably was only a few minutes.
"Oh great."
Hearing the ironic tone in Kurt's voice and the words he chose made me want to give him an earful, but Carole was still there and I wasn't going to do that as long as she heard so I just glared at my son and mimed 'not one word'
"I just mean…" Kurt continued so quietly only I could hear. "We could have had enough with Carole being completely soaked but no. You hugged her and now you are completely soaked." I didn't even look at him and opened the door to the luggage to find our bags so we could change clothes. "I already checked. We must have forgotten your bags at home."
I stopped in the middle of my movement with opening the door and thought back. I had went to get the bags but ended up talking to Carole instead and then someone asked if we were ready to go and I'd forgotten all about our bags.
I rubbed my forehead, yep. This trip was definitely very much according to Murphy's Law. And I hated it already!
"Although…" Kurt continued. "…We seem to have stopped right by a mall. Right by the highway. And it seems on that list of signs of what stores they had in there. "They have a pharmacy. So you and Carole go and check if they have something against motion sickness and then go and find something else to wear. And I and Blaine will go to nearest gas station and clean the car out."
I nodded to Kurt, and got my wallet and raincoat and gave that one to Carole from the backpack in the back seat while I pulled my shirt off even though it was way too cold to only wear T shirt outside.
"Excuse me. Sir." When I and Carole walked into the pharmacy. A guy, at least half my age stood by the shelf and seemed to check something. But I recognized his work uniform and he also had a name tag reading 'Jacob' that I saw when he turned to us. "You work here, right?" Jacob nodded. "I assume you've got something against motion sickness?!" Jacob nodded but had a distressed look on his face. "What?"
"Ehrm." Jacob scratched his neck distressed. "I'm assuming those would be for you. Ma'am?!" Carole nodded. "Have you gotten so sick already like you are very nauseas or have thrown up?" Carole nodded again. "Oh… I'm afraid there's not much we can do at this point then. The medicines we have and that I do believe exist at all is of kinds you take in the evening before and in the morning before, or right when you start getting nauseas. Now… I don't know. We have got these acupressure wristbands but I'm not sure they'll help. And otherwise I guess… You might want to eat something. Motion sickness gets worse if you're hungry. And we've got sickness bags and water but… That's how we can help you."
I knew it wasn't his fault. But what he said mostly wanted me to rip this young guy into very small pieces for not being able to help us- to help my wife.
"I can help you find the things we can you. And then go into the grocery store and help you find some kinds of food that will be good in times like these but… I'm sorry. That's all I can do for you today." I looked to Carole who looked as helpless as I felt. "So… Do you need my help?" I hesitated, then nodded. "Okay, well… First of all. I'm Jake and I work here."
Jake grabbed a basket from by the cashier and in that we put some pills against motion sickness, if nothing else we might need them for going home in a few days. And also a few bottles of water and sickness bags and one of those acupressure bands before I paid for it all and we walked right across the hallway in the store and Jake held up 7- up, white bread and banana.
"I think that's all we need then." I told him walking out from the grocery store. "Have a nice summer." I shook Jake's hand and then laid my arm back around Carole's shoulders heading to the sport's store at the mall to get some new and clean clothes. "Okay, hoodie and sweatpants?" I raised an eyebrow at Carole who just nodded. "Yeah, we'll be staying in the car the whole day anyway. And that's your size and that's my size. And so something to use for sleepwear and each T- shirt. That should do it, we're staying in New York so if we need to do more shopping then we can do it when you're feeling better." I hugged Carole with one arm and walked towards the cashier. "And yeah… I picked out some big sizes so we don't have to worry about it not fitting. Because I guess that I'm not the only one who can't bother to try it out?" Carole just shrugged and stayed silent while I had to let her go to pay for what we were buying and headed to the bathrooms to change.
"Here…" I gave Carole the bag with her clothes after I grabbed my own from the bag. "See you in a second." I didn't actually want to let Carole out of my sight at all. But what other choice did I have actually?
"My God." When I came out from the men's bathroom Carole was standing outside in the hallway and fixing with her shirt. "I'm not a baby!" I patted her shoulder and took the things she had instead before we walked outside and sat down on a bench outside to wait for Kurt and Blaine to pull up so we could keep on moving towards Bushwick.
"Rachel wants to celebrate the fourth of July with us." Kurt turned to the back seat when I and Carole had gotten in and the car was moving again. "That's okay, right?" I nodded and handed Carole one of the cans with 7- up. "Are you feeling alright?" Kurt turned to Carole who nodded and seemed to concentrate to look as far away as possible from the car to keep herself from getting motion sick again. While I tried not to listen to Kurt and Blaine's chattering and just zone out for a bit.
"Burt." I had barely fallen asleep before I felt someone tugging my sleeve and Carole's voice woke me up. And the worried and forced town in it woke me up in a flinch just before everything that had happened since we left came back and I looked up. Once again Carole was pale as a sheet of paper and held so tightly on with her fingers around my wrist I would for sure get bruised.
"It's okay." Stupid and thoughtless as I was I hadn't opened that damn pack with sickness bags and puled and ripped in the plastic without getting it up. "Oh… Kurt… Oh" When Kurt reached for the pack and opened it with ease in some certain way. Well, let's just say if this had been another situation- with another person. I could have punched him in the face for how easy he was doing it. But there simply wasn't time of anything for it as he pulled out one of the bags and I took it and I held it for Carole just in time before she started throwing up again.
I hadn't been thinking that I could feel any worse about not being able to do anything to make Carole feel better. But then I realized I was worrying about how I felt when she felt like… This and then I felt even worse. And also, when one heave after the other wrenched Carole's body and I went more and more desperate trying to calm her down. I felt only worse and worse.
Blaine was driving and seemed to be desperate in his tries of finding somewhere to stop. And I could see that my son mostly just wanted to jump out a window and run, and when he turned around towards us my first intention was to glare at him. But I didn't have the time before he reached out his hand and took Carole's empty hand in his. And I could almost physically feel it when Kurt looked up at me and my glare went into something grateful and loving.
"Thanks." I mimed and Kurt just waved it off. Just like me, I could tell there was nothing more he wanted than for all of the people he loved to feel good and be happy and safe. And when it wasn't possible… you just had to give them as much comfort as you possibly could.
"Here we go." Finally Blaine found a side road to stop by. "Here." He had a water bottle in the door, opened it and handed it to me. "It's not too much left but you can have the rest Carole. I'm sorry I didn't remember I even had it there until now." Now when the car had stopped Carole stopped heaving and with shaky hands let go of mine and took the bottle.
"Guys." I looked forward while still rubbing Carole's back. "Maybe it would be better if we just find some… hotel or whatever to stay at tonight and you, Carole can take medicines tonight and tomorrow morning and then we'll drive the rest of the way in the morning."
"No." Carole looked up but still seemed shaky and weak, as well as her voice when she spoke. "No, not because of me." I suppressed a sigh. "Don't change the whole trip only because of me. You don't have to do that." I held up my hand to silent her and brainstormed for a second to find the right words and actually express myself without making it all even worse.
"Honey. This isn't your fault. Stuff happens and we just have to do the best of the situation and right now I think is to go to that motel down the road over there and stay there over the night. Okay?"
I think Carole had wanted to say more, but she didn't have the energy left to and Blaine slowly drove down the side road and parked by the motel that I had seen. I quickly got out of the car and threw bags into the arms of the boys before I threw my backpack over one shoulder and used the other shoulder and arm to support Carole.
"One room?" The large, grey- haired man behind the desk seemed bored and grumpy looking up at Kurt just as we had all come inside the door. "Or two with one double- bed in each and a door in between?" The man was still looking at Kurt, who looked at me and I held two fingers up. And Kurt turned to the desk and took the keys before he handed one of them to me and we headed towards our rooms.
Carole sat down on the bed as soon as we came into the room which seemed awfully white and I didn't have the heart to leave her be so I unlocked the door that was in between the rooms so the boys could get in between and sat down with my back against the wall and Carole leaned into my embrace and closed the door just as the boys came in from the other room.
"I saw a gas station right by the parking lot." Kurt nodded backwards towards the door. "And Blaine won't give up his current nagging unless he gets a hot dog. So we'll go down and see if we can get something to eat. Do you want something to eat?" I waved it off. "Okay, I'll see what I can find then." Kurt smiled slightly and closed the door after him and Blaine as they left the room.
"Burt." It seemed Carole was more asleep than awake when she still spoke and caught my attention. "Do you really…" She made a pause for a second to change her position and make herself more comfortable. "Do you really mean it… That you'll be there. Even when things are like today or maybe even worse." I nodded and stroke her hair.
"Of course." I brainstormed and tried to find the right words again. "You know… what we have been through today could be kind of a metaphor. You know, in the trip of life when things gets hard then I will still be there for you Carole… Carole? Carole?" I smiled realizing she had fallen asleep and leaned back against the wall. I hadn't planned on falling asleep too but I was exhausted and my eyes wouldn't stay open.
And the last thing I could remember was Kurt draping a blanket over the both of us on the bed.
Random fact
From the beginning this one was going to be M for Motion. But then I had the idea of M for Mummy. And I couldn't make up my mind about them two so I put up a poll (as some of you might remember) and Mummy won with like three votes against one. I'm happy that I finally got to write this.