Episode 5x18: Bash
Synopsis: The Hudson-Hummels, including Finn (Cory Monteith), make an emergency trip to New York in the wake of Kurt's attack. The rest of the New York crew, despite friendships being fractured, are forced to come together to be by Kurt's side. And it's NYADA fall critique week!
Whew! What a week for Rachel Berry. NYADA classes, preparing for her fall critique, the Broadway Bitches campaign, Funny Girl rehearsals, shifts at the Spotlight Diner, and managing a social life. She never complained, though. She was always a busy bee, as long as she could remember, and she loved it. She thrived off of it, in fact. However, with Funny Girl opening up in just about a week, things were seriously ramping up on the theater side of things. The timing worked out with her NYADA critique, though. She was holding her breath, hoping and praying that she wouldn't have to split time between NYADA and Broadway if they were scheduled the same week. NYADA liked to schedule things last minute to keep their students on their toes, but Rachel got lucky with them being split between two weeks. She sat in the infamous NYADA Round Room, her mind racing a mile a minute as she prepared for her showcase.
Finally, as the person ahead of her concluded their show and the applause concluded, the legendary Carmen Tibideaux rose from her seat and stood in the middle of the room, addressing her crowd. "Thank you. Our next performer is nothing short of ambitious. She came into NYADA last fall as a freshman, and took the school by storm. She quickly became one of Cassandra July's best students, and rose to the ranks as one of our best and brightest. She is currently set to star as Fanny Brice in the upcoming revival of Funny Girl. Let this be a lesson to everyone in this room that the New York Academy of Dramatic Arts can open various avenues for you. She and I may not see eye to eye, however, it is with great honor that I introduce the talented Rachel Berry. Miss Berry, please take the stage for your fall critique."
She was sort of surprised by Madame Tibideaux's kind words, however, who is she to complain? With a deep breath she stood up, walked out onto the floor, and addressed her classmates. "Hi, I'm Rachel Berry, and I'll be singing Broadway Baby from the 1971 musical Follies, written by the legendary Stephen Sondheim."
I'm just a Broadway Baby
Walking off my tired feet
Pounding Forty Second Street
To be in a show, oh
Broadway Baby
Learnin' how to sing and dance
Waiting for that one big chance
To be in a show, oh
Gee, I'd like to be on some marquee
All twinkling lights
A spark to pierce the dark
From Batt'ry Park to Washington Heights
Some day maybe
All my dreams will be repaid
Heck, I'd even play the maid
To be in a show
Hey, Mister producer
I'm talkin' to you, sir
I don't need a lot
Only what I got
Plus a tube of greasepaint and a follow spot
I'm a Broadway Baby
Broadway Baby
Slaving at the five and ten
Oooo, Yeah
Dreaming of the great day when
I'll be in a show
Oh, Oh, Oh
Hey, hey
Oh, Broadway Baby
Broadway Baby
Making rounds all afternoon
Eating at a greasy spoon
To save on my dough
At my tiny flat there's just my cat
A bed and a chair
Still I'll stick it till
I'm on a bill
All over Times Square
All some day maybe
If I stick it long enough
I may get to strut my stuff
Working for a nice man
Like a Ziegfeld or a Weissman
In a
Great big Broadway show
Rachel's body radiated as she felt the applause, but especially was excited about Carmen Tibideaux's reaction. A small head nod and applause from Madame Tibideaux was practically an A+! What an electric feeling. She took a bow, and moved back to her seat.
After she was released from the Round Room, Rachel found her phone vibrating in her pocket. She picked it up and saw tons of missed calls from Blaine. She didn't think much of it, considering she and Blaine were close and talked often, but couldn't help but worry considering he called multiple, multiple times. As she went to call him back, however, he called back once again. This time, she picked up. "Hello?"
Across town, Mercedes sat in the recording studio, polishing up her album before it was time to turn it in. Locked in. They re-recorded Hell 2 The No as a remix for the final track, and were preparing to release her new single, Shakin' My Head. Her dreams were inching closer to a reality.
A knock on the door came. When Mercedes motioned them inside, her engineer DeShawn entered. "Hey, uh, phone call for you. Says it's urgent."
Mercedes nodded, taking the phone from DeShawn. "This is Mercedes?"
Shortly thereafter, we visit Santana and Tina, as they finished up their morning shift over at the Spotlight Diner. The two walked out of the restaurant together, chatting about... you guessed it! Sam Evans.
"I don't even know what you see in him anyway," Santana practically gagged. "I mean, he looks like the lips from Rocky Horror. I should know; I played them during my junior year!"
"You grow to appreciate them, if you know what I mean."
"Okay, ew."
"What?" Tina asked. "You think I enjoyed hearing about you and Brittany all the time? Speaking of which, how are things with you two? Do you talk?"
"You really think I'm going to tell you, National Inquirer?" Santana scoffed. "Please. You're an even bigger blabbermouth than Fredo Corleone. And don't change the subject, by the way. When are you going to forgive Sam?"
Tina's phone began to buzz. "Saved by the bell!" She squeaked, picking it up and seeing Artie calling. She answered. "Hello?"
{The scene cuts to Rachel, Blaine, Sam, Artie, Tina, Mercedes, and Santana in the waiting room at the hospital. They have clearly gotten the news regarding Kurt. Despite their recent differences, they knew that they couldn't be alone, and more importantly, couldn't leave Kurt alone. Not again.}
[Rachel]
Mother cannot guide you
Now you're on your own
Only me beside you
Still, you're not alone
No one is alone, truly
No one is alone
[Artie] (Artie and Sam)
You move just a finger
Say the slightest word
(Something's bound to linger, be heard)
No one acts alone
(Careful)
No one is alone
[Rachel, Mercedes and Blaine]
People make mistakes
[Blaine]
Fathers
[Rachel]
Mothers
[Rachel, Mercedes and Blaine]
People make mistakes
Holding to (their own)
[Mercedes]
Thinking they're alone
[Sam and Tina] (Santana)
Honor their mistakes (Fight for their mistakes)
Everybody makes
One another's terrible mistakes
[Rachel, Artie, Mercedes and Tina]
Witches can be right
Giants can be good
You decide what's right
You decide what's good
[Rachel] (Sam and Santana)
Just remember (Just remember)
[Blaine] (Tina)
Someone is on your side (Our side)
Someone else is not (Someone else is not)
[Rachel, Artie, Mercedes and Tina]
While we're seeing our side
Maybe we forgot
[Rachel and Blaine] (Santana)
They are not alone (They are not alone)
No one is alone (No one is alone)
[Blaine]
Hard to see the light now
Just don't let it go
Things will come out right now
We can make it so
[Rachel, Artie, Sam, Mercedes, Blaine, Tina and Santana] (Blaine)
Someone is on your side (Someone is on your side)
No one is alone
The group found comfort and peace amongst each other. You might think that was obvious, but given how things were amongst the group just last week, it was a very shocking turn of events.
Hours had passed. The group stayed put in the waiting room, together, regardless of what was going on in their outside lives. Most of them were drifting in and out of sleep at this point; Tina slept on Sam's shoulder, who leaned up against her as he himself slept. Artie had comfort in his wheelchair, while Santana drifted off, sprawled across a few chairs. Blaine, Rachel and Mercedes, however, remained restless. The three sat, mindlessly sipping on their coffee, as they awaited some kind of news. Anything.
"Are they going to tell us anything?" Mercedes grumbled.
"They told me no, since we're not family," Rachel replied, swinging her legs back and forth, all of the energy from the NYADA audition now a distant memory. She felt numb. She looked over at Blaine, who remained speechless, and had been so essentially the entire time. She gently put a hand on his shoulder. "How are you doing?"
He didn't reply, but when a doctor walked out into the waiting room, he jumped up out of his seat and rushed over. "Is he okay?"
Rachel and Mercedes jolted up as well, working together to awaken the rest of the group as they followed over to hear what the doctor had to say.
"He has a hairline fracture above his right eye socket, some other cuts, and some bruising," the doctor replied. "He's alive and he will be okay. He's sleeping now from the morpheme, but you can see him."
Kurt's room wasn't built to hold seven people, to say the least. Not to mention all of the flowers that Maggie and the folks over at the Lexington Home had sent. However, they packed in like sardines and stood vigil by his bedside, staring at him with sad looks on all of their faces. Sam was closest to the bed, leaning over and looking down at his friend. "Hey, Kurt? It's me, Sam. I know you're on a lot of painkillers right now, but you can wake up anytime now."
"Sam, just leave him be," Tina whispered gently, pulling on his sleeve as he backed away from the hospital bed.
Nobody else said a word for a while. Kurt was sound asleep. His face and neck were bruised from the attack. When Blaine got the call from the police about what happened, he was driving Tina home from Kurt's Peter Pan performance. He was informed that Kurt had stepped in and saved another gay man from a homophobic attack, but what hit hard was that everyone involved in the attack was there. They were at the Lexington Home; they were all grandchildren of some of the performers. It was a painful, scary feeling to realize that such an evil, malicious attack was done by someone in that home, who watched Kurt bring all of those old people their spark back. It enraged Blaine. He wished it was him instead of Kurt, and let's be honest, it very well could've been him. Despite the legalization of gay marriage, and overall acceptance in society, some people just didn't feel the same. It was, and is, disgusting.
Rachel felt equally as disgusted, in ways similar to and differently from Blaine. Sure, she hated the act and how homophobic it was. She had two gay dads, she knew the feeling. But she felt like she could've done more to prevent this from happening. "I feel so responsible," she whispered, breaking the silence of the room. "You know, we had this fight, and I left him, all alone. We could've stopped this. If only we didn't do that stupid dog thing..."
Blaine, who sat at the foot of Kurt's bed, looked over at Rachel and reached out for her. She took his hand as he said, "If you would've been with him, he would've done the same thing." He was right. Kurt was not the frail, closeted kid he was when they all first met him. He grew, gained courage and confidence, and pride in who he was. It wouldn't have mattered if they attended the Peter Pan performance. If he saw someone in need, he would've stepped in. Period.
"I want to kill whoever did this to him," Sam whispered, shoving his hands in his pockets. He stared down at Kurt, also regretting not being there. If only he and Tina could've put their personal feelings aside, just once, for him.
"Don't say that, Sam," Mercedes spoke up. "You don't mean that."
The crowd fell silent once again. Blaine shut down, turning his back again to the group and focusing on his boyfriend, who lay in his pain. His body language said it all. Rachel exited the room first, wheeling Artie out as she did. She was quickly followed by Mercedes, then Tina and Sam, and finally, Santana. Santana, like Blaine, hadn't said much, but she lingered in the room before eventually leaving to give Blaine his privacy and space. Once everyone left, Blaine crawled up next to Kurt and cuddled against him, beginning to cry.
He just wanted him to be okay.
The group collectively stayed a little while longer, but eventually left for the night. Blaine stayed behind, not leaving his side, until Rachel arrived the next morning, two cups of coffee in her hand. She knocked gently on the door and entered, seeing Blaine sitting in a chair next to his bed, reading a magazine. He looked up at her and smiled gently, as she offered him a coffee. "You didn't sleep much, did you?"
He shook his head.
She motioned to the doorway. "Go home," she whispered. "I can take it from here."
"Rachel-"
"He would want you at your best," she insisted. "Seriously, go. I'll be here until you're ready to come back."
Blaine reluctantly nodded, getting up and hugging her, kissing her cheek, before hesitating in the doorway and leaving.
Rachel sat down in the chair and looked at Kurt, who slept soundly. She could tell he was still in pain, but the morpheme was doing its job. He looked a little bit better than the day before, as the wounds gradually began to heal. She took a sip of her coffee before placing it down on the endtable in front of her, scooting the chair closer to him.
"Hey, Kurt," she whispered softly. "My NYADA critique went really well. Madame Tibideaux liked it, can you believe that? She mentioned how excited she was to hear what you had in store. She always did have a soft spot for you, you know." She pursed her lips and placed her hand above his head, running her fingers through his hair gently. "I did a Sondheim song. I think you should, too. I know how much you love him. Let's work on that together. Since I've been at NYADA longer than you, a-and I knocked my critique out of the park, I can give you some pointers. Just me and you, Bushwick apartment, like old times. Let's do it."
Despite the elephant in the room, Rachel spoke to Kurt as if nothing had happened. As if she and Santana didn't push him out of the Broadway Bitches campaign, as if he wasn't in a hospital bed, fighting to survive. She tried to ignore all of that, and get things back to normal. The first stage of grief is denial.
The door quickly burst open as Blaine rushed back in, interrupting Rachel's moment with Kurt. She whipped her head around and looked at her friend. "Is everything okay?"
Following Blaine into the room were three faces that Rachel knew all too well.
Burt Hummel, Kurt's father.
Carole Hudson-Hummel, Kurt's stepmother and...
Sure enough, there he was. Carole's son, Kurt's stepbrother, and her ex-boyfriend. The love of her life. Finn Hudson.
The second stage of grief is anger, and boy was Burt angry.
Shortly after their arrival Rachel and Blaine took Carole and Finn to the hospital cafeteria to grab something to eat. They caught a super last minute flight and ever since hearing about the news, all three of them had been restless. Especially Burt. He stood at the foot of Kurt's bed, and stared down at his son, his heart breaking seeing him in this state.
"Kurt, what were you thinking?" He asked loudly, yelling in frustration at his son. "I mean, I know what you were thinking, but... who do you think you are? Die Hard? Charles Bronson or something? Those guys could've had a gun! Come on, you could've called the cops. You could've gotten help. I'm proud of what you did but come on, man! Use your head!" He sighed, shaking his head and sitting down in the chair next to Kurt's bed. "Do you realize how lucky you are? What about that other gay kid that you saved, huh? You think he isn't as strong, or as brave as you? You think he couldn't be his own hero?" He sighed once again, cracking his knuckles and looking at the floor.
"I can't believe that this happened here. I mean, this is New York City. Come on, this isn't Kansas. Am I an idiot? Huh? Am I an idiot because I thought you'd be safe here? Safer?" He found himself slowly calming down, looking at his son once again, tears watering in his eyes. "Look at your beautiful face."
Everyone was feeling a twang of responsibility, a hint of guilt, but it was possible that Burt felt the guiltiest of them all. He allowed his son to move almost ten hours away, and for what? For him to get hurt? Did he make a mistake?
He stood up and stared down at Kurt, shaking his head once again before exiting the hospital room.
"Burt, sweetheart, you need to calm down," Carole said, rubbing her husband's back as he entered the waiting room once again. Blaine, Rachel and Finn sat as well, looking at the couple.
"Like hell I do," he replied. "My son is in there with cuts and bruises all over his face and hands, and I'm supposed to calm down?"
"Your heart, honey. Why don't we go take a walk?"
Burt reluctantly agreed as the two got up and exited the hospital, leaving the three kids.
"I'm gonna run to the bathroom quick," Blaine said, almost as soon as they left the room. "I'll be right back."
Suddenly, only Finn and Rachel remained. The two hadn't spoken much since Rachel came back to New York, so things were sort of awkward, to say the least. She crossed her legs and looked over at him. "How are you? How are your summer classes treating you?"
"Great," he said, smiling softly as the two tried to gain a sense of normalcy. "I'm basically taking semesters worth of classes so I can speed things up and graduate."
"That's nice, Finn." She paused. "How is Penny?"
Nope. They found the line. Finn instantly changed the subject. "So, I-I don't understand. What exactly happened here?"
"What, with Kurt?" She asked. Finn nodded in response. "Well, he was performing at this old folk's home, for retired Broadway performers. After the show, he was walking home, and then he got into a fight with some guys, and here we are."
"He was alone?"
Rachel nodded.
"Why?" The third stage of grief is bargaining. Struggling to find meaning. Finn couldn't understand what had happened here. "Where were you guys?"
Rachel pursed her lips. "Well, Blaine and Tina were there watching his performance. The rest of us were at the Spotlight Diner for Mercedes and I's benefit."
"What do you mean, for your benefit? Like for your own good?"
Rachel couldn't help but laugh, despite the circumstances. God, Finn was so charming. She practically melted like putty in his hands. "No, it was like a charity thing. We called it Broadway Bitches, like for dogs."
Finn found himself chuckling slightly now. "That's a pretty clever name."
"Thanks!"
For a split second there was a sense of normalcy between the two, but obviously that couldn't last. Finn spoke again, "I just don't get it. I mean, you and Kurt are best friends. I sort of got the rundown on what happened from Sam on the way here from the airport, but why weren't you here? I mean, really. You could've made time for him. Why?"
"You called Sam?" While Rachel was deflecting, still personifying the first stage of grief, Finn was continuing the bargaining stage as he tried to understand what went down days prior.
"Yes, I reached out to see how he was doing." The third stage also involved reaching out to others.
"Why didn't you call me?" She continued to deflect.
"Rachel, why weren't you here? Why didn't you make time?" He repeated.
She looked down in shame. "I don't know," she admitted. "I feel so guilty, Finn. I feel like there was so much more I could've done. I mean, you saw him. I can't help but wonder how things could've been, should've been, if I was there."
He didn't reply right away, but he looked at her with sadness in his eyes. He almost spoke, but then stood up and motioned for her to follow.
The two walked into Kurt's bedroom and stood by his bedside, Finn's arm around Rachel's shoulders comfortingly. When they first met, Finn and Kurt couldn't have been more different. He was the quarterback, coolest kid in school, and Kurt was the only gay, closeted kid in the entire town of Lima. They came together over their shared love for music, and when their families became one, they became brothers. Finn wasn't always a good friend or a good brother to Kurt, but they had came a long way. He, too, wished he could've been there for Kurt.
He broke from Rachel's embrace and made his way to the side of Kurt's bed, sitting down next to him. "Hey man," he whispered. "I'm sorry. I'm your big brother, I should've been here for you. We all should've been." The comment wasn't made to hurt Rachel, but it worked. He continued on, "If I could only get over my own insecurities in time to move to New York and be here with you and the rest of our friends, I could've been here to stop it." He shook his head and laughed. "Dude, you've came a long way since we first met. So have I. I'm here for you, Kurt, whether I'm in New York or Lima or wherever. I've got your back. I know you've got mine, too."
When life leaves you high and dry
I'll be at your door tonight
If you need help, if you need help
I'll shut down the city lights
I'll lie, cheat, I'll beg and bribe
To make you well, to make you well
When enemies are at your door
I'll carry you way from war
If you need help, if you need help
Your hope dangling by a string
I'll share in your suffering
To make you well, to make you well
Give me reasons to believe
That you would do the same for me
And I would do it for you, for you
Baby, I'm not moving on
I'll love you long after you're gone
For you, for you
You will never sleep alone
I'll love you long after you're gone
And long after you're gone, gone, gone
You're my backbone
You're my cornerstone
You're my crutch when my legs stop moving
You're my headstart
You're my rugged heart
You're the pulse that I've always needed
Like a drum, baby, don't stop beating
Like a drum, baby, don't stop beating
Like a drum, baby, don't stop beating
Like a drum, my heart never stops beating
For you, for you
Baby, I'm not movin' on
I'll love you long after you're gone
For you, for you
You will never sleep alone
I'll love you long, long after you're gone
Like a drum, baby, don't stop beating
Like a drum, baby, don't stop beating
Like a drum, baby, don't stop beating
Like a drum, my heart never stops beating for you
And long after you're gone, gone, gone
I'll love you long after you're gone, gone, gone
As the song concluded, Rachel walked over and hugged Finn tight, time freezing as the two reunited, even if it was for a split second.
While the Hudson-Hummels, Blaine and Rachel remained at the hospital, the rest of the gang found comfort in each other over in the Bushwick apartment. They agreed that they should give the family their space. Rachel basically counted as family, what with her connection to Finn and all. Nonetheless, they had their own little family on the other side of the city.
Artie and Sam distracted themselves by playing video games together, oblivious of the fact that they were leaving Tina and Mercedes to interact with each other. It was awkward, to say the least. They didn't even have Santana to play the middleman, as she was locked away in her bedroom. She had totally shut down after the news of Kurt.
Mercedes had a glass of lemonade in front of her, swirling the straw in circles in the cup. They hadn't spoken much, which made sense since they were all pretty upset about Kurt, but obviously there was the elephant in the room, AKA the Sam situation. They used to be really good friends, and things just hadn't been the same since. "Have you heard anything?" Mercedes spoke up, motioning down to Tina's phone.
Tina shook her head. "Not much since Finn and their parents showed up." She looked at Mercedes. "He's going to be okay, you know."
"I know, it's just scary."
"I know." Tina looked around the room, seeing that Sam was clearly preoccupied, before she made her next move. "Listen, Mercedes, I just want to apologize for how I've been acting recently. I know that what happened with Sam isn't your fault, and I need to stop holding it over your head."
Mercedes, truthfully, was shocked that Tina was mending fences here. She thought she would hold that grudge forever. "Tina-"
Tina shook her head. "I'm serious. You weren't that whore model that kissed him." She paused before continuing, and addressing the other half of this situation. "But, you do still have feelings for him, right?"
"It doesn't matter how I feel," she replied. "I told you, I'm not that kind of girl. I wouldn't get between my friend's relationship regardless of how I felt."
Tina believed her, truly she did, but it still hurt to think about. Perhaps her anger was misdirected towards Mercedes, when it should've been towards Sam, but she didn't know how to feel at the moment. There was a lot going on that she was trying to process.
"Tina, I also want you to know that your frustration is completely valid. I mean, I know I'd feel the same way."
"Yeah, but you're you!" Tina argued. "You're the Mercedes Jones. One of the most talented products of the William McKinley High glee club. Future Sony Records legend. I don't have the same confidence that you have."
"Girl, I heard all about your little diva ways your senior year! That's nonsense."
"Yeah, well, that was in Lima. This is different here, I don't know."
Mercedes reached out and took her friend's hand. "Look, that Tina is still inside you, you just need to tap into her again! It doesn't matter where you are or what you do, I know that you have the strength and the courage to be the best of the best. Don't let this big city get in the way of your even bigger dreams, m'kay?"
Tina smiled gently before her eyes wandered over to Sam. "What about him?"
"That's none of my business," Mercedes let go of Tina's hand before throwing her own hands up in defense. "Your call to make. I'm your friend, through and through, and even though I'm about to go away on tour, I got your back. Hoes over bros, right?"
Tina let out a cackle, the first time Mercedes had heard her laugh in quite some time. The two stood up from the table and hugged; it felt great to be friends again. Tina pulled away, looking at Mercedes as tears filled her eyes now. "Did we just make up strictly because Kurt is in the hospital?"
"Oh, honey, no." She hugged her again as Tina sobbed. "Wipe your tears, I'm going to check on Santana."
The fourth stage of grief is depression. Santana had totally shut down after hearing the news on Kurt. She was normally hostile, but she had cranked it all the way up to, like, an eleven, after what happened to him.
Mercedes knocked on the doorframe and entered the room gently. "El Diabla," she said jokingly, trying to elicit some kind of laughter or joy from her friend. "You doing alright?"
She felt helpless, and like everyone else, felt guilty. She was just dealing with it by bottling everything up and, really, not dealing with it. "I organized this stupid female dog event, and kept everyone from being there for Kurt. It's all my fault."
Mercedes shook her head, mentally preparing to be the shoulder to cry on for someone else. "No it's not, Santana. Sam and Tina just couldn't be in the same room as each other, and Sam was Artie's ride."
"Yeah, well, can't Artie just get in the bike lane or something?" Santana groaned, throwing a pillow over her head. "I'm so embarrassed. I should've just let him in on the performance. Now I feel like I can't even go to that hospital, or Finn will call me a slur, and Kurt's dad will kick the crap out of me."
"Do you even know who these people are? Does that sound like either of them?"
Santana paused. "No, but that's how Finn used to be. I don't know, okay? I just feel responsible so I don't want to show face."
"We're all feeling what you're feeling, Santana, but Kurt is going to be okay. You'll be able to talk things out with him soon enough." She sat down next to her friend. "He's always so supportive of us, you should be supportive of him, too. He needs it. He needs you. The real you, the take no prisoners Santana Lopez, not this mopey one hiding in her room."
Santana listened to her closely, nodding her head. "You know, I've never thanked him for this, but Kurt is a big part in me finally coming out. I mean, after I was forced to, I mean. I thought that P!nk duet he and Blaine did was gayer than me having sex with a woman, but I mean it. He paved the way for a lot of us. Me, Karofsky, Unique. The people who were scared to be who they were in our town, found themselves because of Kurt's courage. It was pretty great. And, of course, him welcoming me to New York with open arms. I found my footing here because of him, too."
"Well, then, you should get down to the hospital and tell him."
Santana took a deep breath and stood up. "Okay. Let's go, now."
"Oh! Uh, okay."
Santana stood up, clearing her throat. "Look, just because I showed you some feelings, doesn't mean that I'm not still your badass publicist, got it?"
Mercedes chuckled and nodded her head. "Noted. But, I know you have a heart. Remember Brittany?"
"Do I remember Brittany?" Santana scoffed. "Obviously, I think about her all the time."
A lightbulb went off in Mercedes' head. This would be an idea that she revisited later.
The two exited Santana's bedroom as they found Tina, Sam and Artie hurrying to pack their things and walk out the door. "Where are you three stooges in a hurry to?" Santana asked.
"Blaine just called," Artie confirmed. "Kurt is awake."
The fifth stage of grief is acceptance. They say that acceptance is the final stage of grief, but of course, everyone handles their grief and suffering in different ways. In Blaine's case, he was ready to get Kurt back into action.
If you recall, the hospital room was not meant to house seven people. Now, imagine Finn, Carole and Burt being in there, too. Ten people, crammed into Kurt's room. Honestly, probably not the best idea in the world because it could overwhelm the patient. But, however, Kurt felt a great deal of comfort seeing all of them in here, especially his family. "Guys, this really wasn't necessary for you to come. I'm fine."
"We wouldn't miss it for the world, honey," Carole said, holding onto Burt's arm. "We just wanted to make sure that you were okay."
"Yeah, and I sang you this really cool song from The Amazing Spider-Man 2 that says how I'm always going to be there for you!" Finn said excitedly.
"I know, I heard it," Kurt said with a chuckle. "I heard all of you, actually. I really appreciate the kind words, a-and the apologies, and all of the regret and whatnot. I know that things haven't been perfect around here recently, however I'm just happy to know I have you all in my corner." He attempted to sit up, and was able to do so with Blaine's help. "Dad?"
Burt looked to his son, still feeling a little grumpy. "Yeah, kid?"
"I've thought a lot about what you said," he began. "You know, since all I really could do is think. I've been fighting guys like these for a really long time. You can't really be surprised at what I did here. I'm not, and I'm not upset."
"How could you not be upset?" Burt bellowed. "You're in the damn ICU! Look at you, you look like the Lion King for crying out loud!"
"That's actually Scar that you're referring to," Sam muttered.
"Sam, shut up," Burt snapped, in a very fatherly-like tone, which made sense since he was a father figure to Sam a lot of the time. Sam stayed with Finn and Kurt their senior year of high school, when he got brought back for Sectionals onward.
"I'm actually hoping for a scar," Kurt chuckled. "Is that weird?"
"Yes," Burt replied. "It's weird."
"I hurt," he replied. "Just not on the inside. You know what? Now I know who I am, without a doubt. You know who that is?"
Burt paused before replying. "Braveheart?"
"Your son. The man you raised." Kurt looked around the room, smiling gently. "I'm the man that you've all helped me mold into. That good friend that's always by your side, the one with the confidence to go at two drunk homophobes all by himself. I have you guys to thank. The truth is, I felt a little lonely and directionless when I first got to New York, and definitely recently, too, but this week has really opened up my eyes to what I am to all of you, and to myself. Thank you."
Rachel leaned down and kissed his cheek. "Well, I'm never leaving your side. Ever again."
"Agreed," Mercedes chimed in.
"Yeah, same, even if you have to go to the bathroom," Sam agreed.
Everyone laughed at that one. To give Kurt some space, they all exited the room, but not before giving him a hug or a kiss on the cheek, and saying some brief words.
Santana approached Kurt timidly, like a child. "Kurt, I just wanted to say-"
"I know. Trust me, I know, I'm proud of you."
Santana smiled gently. "Thanks, Lady Hummel," she said playfully, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before exiting.
When it was Finn's turn, he made his way over to his brother and smiled. "I guess I'll see you next time I'm in Lima?" Kurt asked.
Finn shook his head. "Nah, I'm gonna stick around New York for a while. I need to make sure you get back on your feet, and that Blaine gets back on his. Probably another week or so."
Rachel's eyes twinkled as she realized Finn would be in town for her opening night, but for once, read the room and kept her mouth closed. Now, all that remained were Blaine, Kurt, Burt and Carole.
"I'm glad you're okay, son," Burt said gently, hugging his son before leaving with Carole. "Just don't do it again, unless I'm right next to you. We'll take them together!" He called as he left the room.
That just left Blaine.
"Well, what do you think? Do you like a man with some battle scars?" Kurt asked.
Blaine laughed, sitting down next to him. "You know what, tough guy? I don't care how big and strong you are. You know I'm going to be here to protect you no matter what, right?"
Kurt nodded, as Blaine began to sing to him gently as he drifted back to sleep.
Nothing's gonna harm you
Not while I'm around
Nothing's gonna harm you, no, sir
Not while I'm around
Being close and being clever
Ain't like being true
I don't need to, I would never
Hide a thing from you
Like some
Demons'll charm you with a smile
For a while
But in time
Nothing can harm you
Not while I'm around
A few days had gone by and Kurt was out of the hospital, alive and well. He still had some scars and bruising, but he was moving around a lot better and was basically operating as a normal human being once again. He found himself in the hallway outside of NYADA's Round Room, sunglasses on his face. Despite his adversities, the show must go on, and he still had a NYADA critique to complete. Blaine and Rachel stood in the hallway with him, making sure he was good to go. "Are you sure you're up for this?" Blaine asked. "You just got out of the hospital, you don't have to do this." Normally Madame Tibideaux would make zero exceptions for the NYADA critique timeline, but in this case, Blaine was right. She always had a soft spot for Kurt, and she wasn't entirely evil. She wanted to give him time to rest.
Kurt, as resilient as ever, powered through. "I do, and I want to."
He looked over at Rachel, who had tears in her eyes once again. "Kurt? Look, I'll say it til the day I die, but you are the most talented person that I've ever met, and you've taken more risks in your life than I ever have or ever will, and... I just don't want another minute to go by without telling you that I love you, and you're my best friend, and that I'm just glad you're okay."
"God, you're sappy," Kurt said, his trademark sassiness breaking through, a smile growing on his face. "You're my best friend, too, and you know I love you."
"Okay," Rachel said, wiping her tears as she hugged him tightly. "Break a leg out there, okay?"
Rachel and Blaine quickly rushed into the Round Room, taking a seat and sitting amongst all of their friends (Mercedes, Sam, Artie, Tina and Santana), as well as Burt and Carole, and Finn. Madame Tibideaux stood centerstage.
"This is a moment we've all been waiting for," Tibideaux said. "Practically rising from the grave, this individual proves me right about him each and every day. His work ethic is remarkable, and his dedication to his craft is something we should all strive for. I credit that to his father. Ladies and gentleman, let's give it up for Kurt Hummel."
The crowd began to cheer as the lights dimmed, and Kurt appeared by the piano, beginning his performance.
Good times and bum times
I've seen them all
And my dear, I'm still here
Plush velvet sometimes
Sometimes just pretzels and beer
But I'm here
Oh, I've stuffed the dailies in my shoes
Strummed ukuleles, I've sung the blues
Seen all my dreams disappear
But I'm here
Oh, I've been through Reno
I've been through Beverly Hills
And I'm here
Reefers and vino
Rest cures, religion, and pills
But I'm here
I've been called a 'Pinko', commie tool
Got through it stinko by my pool
Oh, still someone said, "She's sincere"
So I'm here
Black sable one day
Next day it goes into hock
But I'm here
First, you're another sloe-eyed vamp
Then someone's mother, then you're camp
I'm almost through my memoirs
And I'm here
I've gotten through
"Hey, lady, aren't you whoozis? Wow, what a looker you were"
Or better yet
"Sorry, I thought you were whoozis. Whatever happened to her?"
Good times and bum times
I've seen 'em all
And I'm still here
Plush velvet sometimes
Sometimes just pretzels and beer
But I'm here
Lord knows, at least I've been there
And I'm here
Look who's here
I'm still here
Kurt Hummel is here
Whoo, yeah
Kurt, finishing the performance standing on the piano, was greeted with applause from all over the room, but more importantly to him, his friends and family damn-near bomb-rushing the piano to embrace and congratulate him. The feelings of loneliness and fear evaporated from his body, knowing he had these guys and girls to lean on.
Ladies and gentleman, Kurt Hummel is here indeed. Here to stay.
glee
Season 5B: New York
STARRING
Lea Michele as Rachel Berry
Chris Colfer as Kurt Hummel
Naya Rivera as Santana Lopez
Darren Criss as Blaine Anderson
Amber Riley as Mercedes Jones
Chord Overstreet as Sam Evans
Jenna Ushkowitz as Tina Cohen-Chang
Kevin McHale as Artie Abrams
GUEST STARRING
Whoopi Goldberg as Carmen Tibideaux
Gary Dourdan as DeShawn
Assaf Cohen as Kurt's Doctor
Mike O'Malley as Burt Hummel
Romy Rosemont as Carole Hudson-Hummel
Cory Monteith as Finn Hudson
SONG(S) PERFORMED:
Follies Cast - Broadway Baby: Performed by Rachel Berry
Into the Woods Cast - No One Is Alone: Performed by Rachel Berry, Artie Abrams, Sam Evans, Mercedes Jones, Blaine Anderson, Tina Cohen-Chang and Santana Lopez
Phillip Phillips - Gone, Gone Gone: Performed by Finn Hudson
Sweeney Todd Cast - Not While I'm Around: Performed by Blaine Anderson
Follies Cast - I'm Still Here: Performed by Kurt Hummel