New story even though I already have a WIP. I've been promising this one for a while now and I think it's time to make good on that promise. :-P

If you are a new reader and you haven't read Distance Makes The Heart Grow Fonder, you might be able to follow this without reading that insanly long story, but there are a little details here and there that are referenced that are explained in DMTHGF. I would suggest reading that one first, but it's kind of insanely long and I wouldn't blame you if you didn't want to read it.

Rated M for future chapters.

The first chapter moves kind of fast. Enjoy!

Chapter 1

Kurt was in shock. They all were. Kurt, Mike, Tina, Kurt's father, and Blaine's parents all stood outside the hospital room, looking through the glass as doctors and nurses swarmed over an unconscious Blaine.

Blaine's hair was still wet from the accident, but his clothes had been cut from his body and he was now naked, for the time being, under hospital blankets.

No one was crying; not yet anyway. Everyone was in too much shock to do or say anything. Mike and Tina's parents had already come and gone as the couple expressed a need to stay with their friend. Their clothes were dry ones that they had changed into. Kurt was still standing in his water drenched designer jeans and button up shirt, clutching the bag of dry clothes his father had brought him.

Wake up, Kurt thought. Just wake up. He inhaled and his breath caught audibly, causing a domino effect of everyone looking at him, then both Tina and Blaine's mother crying into Mike and Blaine's fathers' shoulders. Burt, Kurt's father, put his arm around Kurt's shoulders and Kurt finally felt the hot sting of tears flowing from his eyes.

It was an accident. It really was, but Kurt couldn't help but wonder "what if." What if they went to a different movie time for their double date? What if someone else besides Blaine was driving? What if they waited for the rain to slow down before getting in the car? What if Blaine kept his eyes on the road instead of taking that one second to look at Kurt with his warm honey eyes and smile?

If any of those things were different, would they all be in the hospital right now? Would Kurt and Mike be completely unscathed from being on the passenger side of the car? Would Tina have needed stitches on her left eyebrow? Would the deer that caused Blaine to slam on his brakes and hydroplane off the road and into the lake have not been in the road?

Kurt cringed at the memory. He wasn't sure what made Blaine hit his head and knock him unconscious, but the effect of it caused Blaine's foot to slide off the brake peddle and end up as dead weight on the gas peddle. The car was sinking further down into the man made lake and Kurt was struggling to wake Blaine up while Mike shouted out orders to Kurt who couldn't hear him.

Water was now threatening to burst through the windows when Mike grabbed Kurt and told him to switch places with him. Mike practically dragged Kurt to the backseat. "Use this," he handed his keys from his pocket to Tina and made sure Kurt was listening. He took the keys out of the ignition and Kurt saw that Blaine's keys had the same screwdriver-like contraption on them that Mike's had. "Push really hard on the back window when I say go. The window will break and you two can swim to the surface. I'll get Blaine out." Mike stopped Kurt from protesting and counted to three.

Kurt did as he was told. He took a deep breath, Tina broke the window, and the two of them kicked to the surface after escaping out of the back car window. Mike had done the same to his own window and had a little difficulty getting Blaine out from behind the wheel after the water came rushing into the car, but he snatched Blaine and barely made it to the surface on the one breath he held.

Tina had already run off to flag down a driver to call 911 before Kurt had even surfaced. Kurt helped drag Blaine to the shore and Mike immediately, though out of breath, started the prep work for CPR. "Wait, what are you doing?" Kurt asked when he saw Mike unbuttoning Blaine's jacket.

"He was unconscious before we got in the water. He wasn't able to hold his breath like we were. He probably has water in his lungs. We need to get it out, or he's going to die. You know mouth to mouth?" Kurt nodded his head quickly and responded with a 'yes.' "I'm too out of breath to do that part. Tilt his head extremely gently and block his nose. Give a full breath when I say."

"One. Two. Three…" Mike counted out to ten, compressing Blaine's chest with his hands. "Blow!"

Kurt tilted Blaine's head chin up and blocked his nose. He formed his lips to Blaine's and blew every ounce of air he had in his lungs. Mike watched as Blaine chest rose and fell as Kurt's air left his lungs. "Again!" Kurt yelled. Come on Blaine. Come on baby you can do this. Come back to me, Kurt thought as he tried to focus on Mike's actions.

Mike and Kurt repeated their actions and after three tries, their efforts prevailed and Blaine's chest heaved as he coughed up water. His eyes fluttered open for a second and looked Kurt in the eyes before slowly closing again and falling unconscious once more. "Blaine?" Kurt screamed. "Blaine, no! Stay with me! Blaine! Blaine! Stay with me!" Sirens were heard in the back ground as Kurt repeatedly shook and slapped his boyfriend, trying to rouse him.

Now that they were in the hospital, the story had been told dozens of times now to police officers, parents, doctors, nurses, and EMT workers. When the crying had paused for the time being, Beth, Blaine's mom had hugged Kurt and asked him to change into dry clothes, stating, "It won't do much good to catch pneumonia." Kurt didn't want to argue with her that he was standing in a warm hospital and wet clothes weren't going to make him sick; so, with prodding from his father, he changed his clothes. He had lost the will to care that his dad picked out a pair of Finn's jeans by accident from the laundry and one of Kurt's white undershirts. It did comfort him, however, that Carol had thrown a sweatshirt she saw on Kurt's bed into the bag. The sweatshirt read Dalton across the chest and it belonged to Blaine. Kurt put it on and he clutched his arms across himself, feeling like Blaine was doing it as his scent wafted in the air.

Kurt returned to the glass window and saw that Blaine's parents were in the room now and Mike and Tina were standing outside.

"They said 'family only,' but Blaine's parents made it clear you can go in," Tina explained.

Kurt looked up to Burt with questioning eyes. He looked like a child for the first time in a long time. Kurt suddenly felt like he was scared to go in to see Blaine, who was still not awake. It was nearly an hour before Henry Anderson, Blaine's father, emerged from the room. He offered to buy everyone something to eat and drink from the cafeteria before putting a hand on Kurt's shoulder. Blaine looks so much like him, Kurt thought.

"You should be with Blaine," Henry said. He looked at Kurt with red rimmed eyes that could only come from a man that had just been crying out "My son; my little boy," just loud enough for his wife to hear.

Kurt simply nodded and everyone left with Henry. He waited a few minutes with his hand on the door knob, wishing for the strength to go in. He finally turned the knob and was taken aback at the sight of Blaine up close in his hospital gown and his mother sitting on the side of the mattress, holding his hands.

Kurt hated hospitals ever since his mother's death when he was eight and seeing Blaine unconscious only made him think of when his dad was in the hospital after his heart attack. Beth motioned for Kurt to join her on the right side of the bed.

He pulled up a chair and sat close, looking on with a mixed expression of somberness and longing. Blaine looked peaceful; like he was only sleeping and could wake up at any minute. "The doctor said his brain needs time to reboot. A couple of his ribs are broken, but they said it's normal for people to have broken bones from CPR. He'll also have a scar from where he needed stitches." Beth seemed to be talking to air as her eyes stayed fixed on her youngest son.

"He needed stitches?" Kurt asked. He hadn't remembered Blaine bleeding.

"Yes, from where he hit his head." There was silence again.

Kurt watched Blaine's chest rise and fall and occasionally something would twitch. "Would you like to talk to him alone?" Beth asked.

"I can't ask that," Kurt replied.

"You don't have to. I'm offering."

Kurt swallowed hard. "O-okay."

Beth managed the tiniest of a reassuring smile and released her son's hand. She got up and left the room, heading for the cafeteria.

"Blaine?" Kurt started. He got up and sat where Blaine's mother was sitting. "Blaine, it's me, Kurt." He took Blaine's hand in his own and held it tight. His hand was warm compared to Kurt's. "The doctors always say that it might help to talk, so I'm trying. I'm sorry I panicked in the car. You passed out and we were sinking. Mike saved your life. He knew exactly what to do. He and Tina are still here. They're in the cafeteria with your parents and my dad. They're all waiting for you to wake up." Kurt moved closer and brushed Blaine's curls with his hand. He forced an encouraging voice. "So, why don't you wake up? Blaine? Everyone is worried about you. I know I am. I can't wait to nurse you back to health. You told me the last time you were sick in bed that I was your favorite nurse. Do you remember, Blaine? I cuddled with you because it made you sleep better and I ended up just as sick as you?" Kurt forced a smile. "Please wake up? Baby?" He leaned forward and kissed Blaine's forehead. "I love you so much. Please. Just wake up."

A minute or two went by and there was a silence in the room. Kurt couldn't think of anything else to say. He was too busy focusing on not crying too hard. His breath caught and gasped when Blaine started fidgeting and moving slightly.

Then, just like that, Blaine's beautiful honey eyes opened and looked upon the angel in front of him. His eyes glistened and the corners of his mouth just barely turned up. "Blaine?" Kurt asked tentatively.

Blaine snapped out of his serene expression and looked around the room; at the white walls, the white ceiling, the machines at his bedside, then finally at the fair skinned boy in front of him who was holding his hand. He was confused. How did he get here? Where was he?

"Blaine, are you okay?" Kurt asked, not knowing what he was supposed to say or do at the moment.

Blaine looked confusedly at Kurt once more and asked, "Who's Blaine?"

Do you get the significance of the title now? :)

In case there are any medical experts reading things, I'm not planning on researching a whole lot to make this accurate. Whatever happens... it pure dramatic effect and literary licence.

What does everyone think? Please review!

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URL: grace ryan

xoxo