Never Say Goodbye

Cooper's words echoed through Kurt's head.

"He's alive. Blaine's alive."

"H-How?" Kurt sputtered. "Y-You said he was-"

"I know," Cooper cut him off, his eyes bewildered. "I mean, I thought... he wasn't moving... they said that he wasn't breathing... they took him away..."

"Cooper, where is he?" Kurt demanded, grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him slightly as if to shake some sense into him.

"Hospital," Cooper managed to get out. "He's at the hospital."

"Give me your keys," Kurt ordered, turning him around and steering him back towards the stairs. "You're in no state to drive." Cooper slowly pulled his keys out of his pocket and handed them to Kurt as they went down the stairs and out the front door.

Kurt helped Cooper get into the passenger's seat before hopping into to driver's seat and putting the keys in the ignition. He quickly backed out of the driveway and sped off down the street, not caring about the fact that he had just done that in front of a bunch of cops. Blaine was alive. Nothing was going to stop him from getting to that hospital.

In no time at all, Kurt was pulling into the hospital parking lot. He had gone way over the speed limit on the way there, something of which he normally would have never done as he was a very cautious driver, but at that moment he didn't care. All that mattered was getting to Blaine.

Kurt quickly jumped out of the vehicle and went around to the other side to help Cooper get out. He still had the Scotch bottle in his hand, so Kurt carefully eased it out of his grasp. This time, Cooper let him take the bottle. He was in such a state of shock, it was like as if he was barely registering anything that was happening around him. He hadn't even said a word on the drive over.

Kurt carefully helped him out of the vehicle and supported him as the walked into the building. There was instantly a nurse by their side.

"What happened?" the blonde woman asked, looking from Kurt to Cooper then back to Kurt again. Cooper was leaning heavily on Kurt, so it must have looked like he was half dead.

"He's fine," Kurt replied softly. "He's just in a bit of shock. He thought that his brother was dead and then was told that he was alive. I think he's having a hard time registering it all."

"Are you here to see him?" she asked, stating what Kurt thought was pretty obvious.

"Yes," Kurt nodded, following the woman over to the main desk. "His name is Blaine Anderson. He was brought in... probably about a couple of hours ago."

The woman quickly typed the information into the computer before her. Kurt noticed the exact moment when she found the file because sorrow instantly filled her eyes.

"Oh dear," she whispered softly. "He's the-"

"Yes," Kurt cut her off before she could finish. He didn't want to hear someone actually say it. It was hard enough thinking about what had happened. He didn't want to hear someone admit that it was actually true. Kurt secretly hoped that he would wake up tomorrow and all of this would have been just a horrible dream. The cheating, the break up, the... Everything. But somewhere deep in his heart, Kurt knew that he wasn't going to wake up from this.

"He's in the Intensive Care Unit," the nurse said softly. "He's not allowed visitors yet, but you can wait in the Waiting Area there. I'll let the doctor know that his family is here... You are his family, right?"

Kurt nodded quickly.

"This is Cooper Anderson, his brother," Kurt said, motioning to the man still leaning against him. "And I'm Kurt... his boyfriend." Kurt waited for the judgmental look to come from the woman, but all she did was just nod.

"The ICU is down that hall and to your right," she said, pointing to the hallway behind her. "You can take a seat in the Waiting Room and I'll have the doctor come speak to you."

"Thank you," Kurt gave her a slight, thankful smile as he started to turn away and walk down the hall with Cooper still leaning heavily against him.

"Come on, Coop!" Kurt exclaimed quietly, slightly shaking him. "You need to snap out of this! I need you here with me! Blaine needs you here." That seemed to break through his wall and suddenly Cooper started crying.

"My brother, my baby brother," he mumbled as they continued down the hallway, quickly finding the Waiting Room. They had only been there about ten minutes when a tall, dark-haired man in a white Doctor's coat walked into the room.

"Anderson?" he called out, though they were the only ones in the room at that moment.

"Yes," Kurt nodded, quickly standing up as to be on the same level as the Doctor. One thing that Kurt couldn't stand was being talked down to.

"Mr. Anderson," the Doctor began, though Kurt quickly cut him off.

"I'm not Cooper," Kurt said, motioning back at Cooper who had stayed seated with his head buried in his hands. "He's Cooper. I'm Kurt. Kurt Hummel. Blaine's boyfriend."

Kurt noticed recognition flicker through the Doctor's eyes when he told him his name. At first, it confused Kurt, but then he suddenly realized why. He was Blaine's doctor. He would have seen Kurt's name carved into Blaine's arm.

"Mr. Hummel," the Doctor said carefully, avoiding using his first name. "I'm Doctor Wales. I'm afraid that I don't have pleasant news concerning Blaine Anderson."

"He's not..." Kurt couldn't bring himself to say the word. "We were told that he was alive!"

"No, he's not dead," Doctor Wales said softly. "But he's not fully alive either... Mr. Hummel, I think that we should sit down. This may be a lot to handle."

Kurt nodded slowly as he sank back down in the chair behind him. Doctor Wales pulled a chair out to sit in front of him.

"Kurt," Kurt said softly. "Please, call me Kurt."

"Alright, Kurt," Doctor Wales sighed, running his hand back through his hair. Kurt looked barely much older than his own son did. He quickly made a mental note to go home and hug his son and tell him how much he loved him. "When the paramedics got to Blaine, he was not breathing. We're not sure how long he was without oxygen, but the longer it was, the more worse it will be for him. When your brain doesn't get enough oxygen, it starts to shut down, and that's what has happened to Blaine. We were able to resuscitate him, but he has not regained consciousness. He is currently in a heavy coma and we're not sure if he will wake up. Even if he does, he's going to suffer from serious brain damage."

"W-What does that mean?" Kurt asked, trying to hold back his tears.

"It means that he might not be able to talk, though this is something he can get therapeutic help for," Doctor Wales explained. "Or he might not be able to use certain limbs. Or he might have amnesia. Best case scenario, his memory would return. Worst case scenario... he might not remember anything or anyone... ever."

"He won't remember me?" Kurt exclaimed, startled. The man he loved wouldn't even remember him?

"Like I said, that's just a possibility," Doctor Wales replied softly. "All we can do for now is just wait. Wait and hope that he wakes up." The Doctor placed a comforting hand on Kurt's shoulder.

"I promise you that we will not give up on him," he promised, looking into the boy's tear-filled, glasz eyes. "We will do whatever we can to help him."

"T-Thank you," Kurt managed to sputter. "C-Can I see him?"

Doctor Wales hesitated for a moment, but after a moment he sighed and nodded his head.

"Follow me," he said, standing up and exiting the room. Kurt glanced back at Cooper as he followed the Doctor out. He had passed out in the chair, worn out from exhaustion and crying.

I'll let him sleep, Kurt decided, turning his attention back on the man in front of him. The Doctor quickly led Kurt down the hall to an isolated room.

"Be warned, he's not in good shape right now," Doctor Wales said, pausing with his hand on the doorknob. "With time, he will get better, but right now, he does not look well at all. It may be hard for you to see him like this. Are you sure you want to go in?"

Kurt didn't trust his voice at that moment, so all he could do was nod.

"Alright," Doctor Wales sighed, opening the door for him. "Here he is."

Kurt looked up into the room and his heart sank. There, lying so still on the white blanketed bed, was Blaine. His[i/] Blaine.

His skin was so pale that it was even whiter than Kurt's own skin tone. There were so many tiny tubes sticking into his arms and a thick one was protruding from his mouth. Kurt knew that this was to keep the oxygen flowing through his body, but Kurt couldn't help but wince at the sight of it sticking out of his mouth. It didn't look right. Blaine wasn't supposed to be here like this.

Somehow, Kurt regained the use of his legs and he slowly made his way towards the bed, sinking down into the chair beside it. He carefully grabbed Blaine`s still, left hand and held it between his own hands.

"Why, Blaine?" Kurt cried softly, tearing flowing down his cheeks. "Why did you do it?"

It was then that Kurt noticed it. The thick, white bandage wrapped around Blaine's right arm. Kurt suddenly felt his body go numb as he remember what was hiding under there. A name. His name. Kurt.

It's my fault, Kurt realized suddenly. It's my fault! The proof of it is written all over his arm... No, carved into his arm. Blaine did this because of me.