Glee 1. Chapter 1

Kurt awoke to the sound of beeping, with a hissing sound nearby. He slowly opened his eyes and took in his surroundings, white walls, a poster of the human anatomy, a counter with a sink and various medical supplies, and a clock from what he could see without turning his head. _Must be in the hospital… _he mused to himself. He closed his eyes, wondering how he let it get this bad.  
_  
"If you tell anyone, I'm going to kill you." The words had haunted him for days, every time a locker slammed, Kurt would flinch, every time he turned a corner, he would brace himself for an attack, every time someone accidently bumped him in the hall he would hold his breath, waiting for the shove into a locker. He was living in fear, and he was alone. Blaine's texts were what got him through the days of terror. But Kurt knew that text messages weren't going to help when Karofsky decided to make his move. He was careful not to mention Karofsky in any conversation, when he was talking with his friends and he saw Karofsky headed his way he would intentionally speak louder to make sure Karofsky knew the conversation wasn't about him, but sometimes, misunderstandings happen…  
It was the day after the wedding, and Kurt had just finished telling Mercedes that his dad had tried to make a big family breakfast by himself that morning. "He did what?!" Mercedes had exclaimed, right as Karofsky walked by. The rest was a blur, Kurt remembered a fist connecting with his face and hitting the locker beside him. He remembered feeling the blood trickling down his face as his ribs cracked under the pressure of Karofsky's next fist striking his ribcage. The next thing he knew, Karofsky's hands were around his throat and Mercedes was screaming for help. Kurt wasn't sure how long the hands were around his throat, he only remembered the terror, the realization he could very well die in that moment. He wasn't sure who had finally managed to pull Karofsky off, but he did recall Mr. Schuester's voice asking him to stay awake, right before he passed out.  
_  
Shaking the memory from his mind, Kurt began to take inventory of his body; he was wearing an oxygen mask, there was an IV drip into his left hand, he felt a tight bandage around his ribs and when he raised his hand to his face, he felt stiches just below his right eye. He was aware of a small neck brace, designed only to keep his head still without restricting the airway, and he instantly hated it. As if one had to know about injuries before feeling them, Kurt suddenly felt his body overwhelmed by pain. He let out a tiny groan, unintentionally. Almost instantly he felt a hand enclose his right hand and another hand on his forehead.

"Kurt, Kurt buddy can you hear me?" It was his father. Not sure if he should speak with the oxygen mask on, Kurt just gave a small nod. "I'm going to go find the doctor Kurt, Carole's right here if you need her." With that, Burt was gone. Carole moved herself closer to Kurt and took his hand.

"Hi honey… how do you feel?" she asked. Kurt wanted to cry, how long had it been since he felt a mother's touch and heard a mother's concerned voice asking about his well-being? He knew Carole would never replace his own mother, but right now, he felt like he needed her more than anything in the world. He tightened his grip on her hand and opened his mouth to tell her how he was, even if he wasn't sure of the answer. To his surprise, nothing came out. He tried again, nothing.  
Carole just shook her head, "Don't try to talk, honey. Wait for the doctor."  
It was only a few minutes before Burt returned with a doctor. Burt took a seat in one of the chairs as the Doctor began with his examination.

"Hi Kurt, my name's Doctor Cameron. Do you feel any pain right now?" Kurt nodded as best he could, and Dr. Cameron was soon injecting a painkiller into Kurt's arm. "There, that should keep it down for a while. So I did everything I could for you Kurt, I've repaired the damage to your throat as best I can, but I'm afraid it's mostly permanent. I'm going to keep you on oxygen for now, but we're going to have to take you off of it soon to make sure you can breathe normally. Kurt, this may be hard for you to hear, but with the way your vocal cords look right now, it doesn't look as though you'll be able to speak again… at least not for a long while."

~*~

That night, Kurt lay awake in his bed. They had taken him off oxygen about two hours ago and he was breathing normally. Finn had been to see him and explained that it was Puck and Mr. Schue who had dragged Karofsky off, and that both of them were being questioned by the police. Burt had explained that Karofsky was currently in a jail cell awaiting trial, and Carole had spent most of the evening making sure Kurt was comfortable. The three of them had left fifteen minutes ago, on command from the doctor, and Kurt was now faced with a night alone. Kurt didn't even try to sleep, opting instead to lay awake and think about what the doctor had said.

How would he live without his voice? Singing was everything to him; it was his future, his life, and his passion. Without it, he felt lost, blind almost. Wincing as a tear fell and stung the cuts on his face; he closed his eyes and tried to find solace in the world of sleep.

He wasn't sure when he drifted off, or what time it was when he woke up. When his eyes fluttered open, he was greeted with a face he didn't know how much he wanted to see until that moment.

"Blaine…" he tried to say, but nothing came out. Blaine just gave him a sympathetic smile.

"Hey Kurt, feeling better?" Kurt just nodded. Blaine pulled his hands from behind his back to reveal a small teddy bear with 'Get Well Soon!' embroidered on its belly. The bear was wearing a little bowtie, and was probably one of the cutest things Kurt had ever seen. He smiled and took it.

"Thank you." He mouthed. Blaine smiled.

"I was here the day before yesterday, but you were asleep the whole time, so I figured I'd wait and come give it to you when you were awake. Your brother told me about your voice… I'm so sorry Kurt. I wish there was something I could do…"

Kurt just smiled and reached for Blaine's hand, which the other boy happily obliged to.

~*~  
It was another week before Kurt was released from the hospital, he was given strict instruction not to over exert himself and to not even attempt to speak to give his vocal cords a maximum chance of healing. They had taken off the brace, on the strict condition that Kurt not move his head too much. He had had to write several accounts of the attack and the events leading up to it for the police, and he would have to give testimony at Karofsky's trial via sign language, which he was already in the process of learning.

After many hours of discussion, Burt and Carole decided to use the money they had saved for their honeymoon to send Kurt to Dalton Academy. Kurt had thought long and hard about this decision, but eventually came to the conclusion he'd rather a zero tolerance policy than risk becoming the target of another bully.

On his second day at home, he received a visit from Mr. Schuester and the New Directions. The group had been turned away at the hospital for being too big of a crowd, but Kurt was glad they were here now. They were all sad about Kurt's decision to transfer, but they were understanding and supported him. After many hugs, a song, and a promise to visit whenever possible, Burt and Carole ushered the choir out and demanded that Kurt get some sleep.

~*~

On the following Sunday, Burt pulled into the parking lot at Dalton Academy. "Ready kiddo?"

Kurt nodded, and the two headed into the school. The secretary gave them a smile as they came in.

"You must be Kurt Hummel." At Kurt's nod, she tapped at her keyboard before printing off a few pieces of paper. "So here's a map of the school, and your dorm is marked right here. Here's your class schedule, and Mr. Hummel I'll need you to sign these." Burt signed the papers and handed over a cheque for tuition.

"All right, everything seems to be in order… There are a few things I'd like to go over regarding your situation though, Kurt."

Burt laid a hand on Kurt's shoulder and guided him to a chair. "You two can work that out, I'm going to go put all your stuff in your room, okay?" At Kurt's nod, Burt left the room.

"So Kurt, all of our teachers here already know sign language, so there's no reason you can't participate in class discussions, and I've arranged for you to continue learning sign language with Mr. Losette. If there's anything you aren't sure how to sign, just write it down. I understand you've already met Blaine Anderson and the Warblers, so I'm sure you'll have no trouble making friends, and remember, if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask."

Kurt signed a thank you to the secretary, and left the room to meet his father. He found him at the door, and together the two of them set off to locate Kurt's dorm.

"Are you nervous, kiddo?" Burt asked, dragging Kurt's suitcase along on its wheels. Kurt nodded as they entered an elevator. "You'll be okay… just uh, don't get into any fights and be careful okay?"

Kurt signed "Don't worry."

Burt smiled and clasped his son's shoulder before they exited the elevator and set off down the hallway to find Kurt's room. "Here it is. Room C210." Burt took the key from his pocket and opened the door, letting Kurt walk in first.

On the bed, Kurt's new Dalton Academy blazer, tie, shirt and pants were folded neatly inside plastic. The bedside table had a water bottle, a pack of gum, and a pen tied neatly together with a little card saying "Welcome to Dalton."

Kurt turned to his father and threw his arms around him. Burt returned the hug, "You'll be okay, kiddo. See you this weekend, all right? Study hard, and have fun. I love you."

Kurt pulled away and signed "I love you too."

~*~  
_AN: So obviously this is AU, and I'm not sure if I've explained everything clearly in the story about what's different, so if you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them.  
On that note, I'd like to credit the author 08Trekker for letting me use this idea, although many modifications on my part are being made. If you'd like to read the story that gave me this idea, it's called 'Strangled Words' published by 08Trekker. Please go check it out.  
Thanks for reading!  
~RW_


	2. Chapter 2

Monday morning dawned rather grey. Kurt awoke at his usual time and began his morning moisturizing routine. He took his time getting into the Dalton uniform, and studied himself in the mirror. The cut below his eyes was almost fully healed, but the bruise on the other side was still very evident against his pale skin, and his neck still bore finger marks and heavy bruising. Frowning at how visible the marks were. Kurt dug through his still unpacked suitcase for a scarf. Choosing red to match the piping on his blazer, he wrapped it around his neck. Checking the time and deciding there was nothing he could do for his face in the time he had, he shouldered his school bag and made his way to the cafeteria for breakfast.

He had just finished putting his breakfast on his tray when he heard his name being called from the corner.

"KURT! HEY KURT!" He located the source of the voice, Blaine, obviously, and made his way over to him. He waved hello and took the seat Blaine offered him. "So since I'm a sophomore, I don't have any classes with you, but David here has agreed to show you around." Kurt froze. David… the name sent chills down his spine, he knew it was silly, but he couldn't help it.

"Kurt?" Blaine asked, concerned.

Kurt slowly nodded, mentally berating himself. _Get a grip, Kurt… You can't go freaking out every time something reminds you of it…  
_  
Blaine frowned, but picked up his spoon and continued with his breakfast. The rest of the table followed without a word.

After eating, Kurt cleared his tray and waved good-bye to Blaine. David smiled at Kurt and led him from the cafeteria.

The two of them walked in silence, David slightly ahead, showing Kurt where to go. Kurt was hoping he was imagining it, but David looked slightly uncomfortable. _Great…_ Kurt thought to himself, _Gay and disabled, I can't win. People are going to be uncomfortable around me no matter what. _

When they entered the classroom, David introduced him to Mr. Hansen and took his seat rather quickly. Kurt bit his lip, but took the hand Mr. Hansen was offering him.

"Welcome Kurt. You can have a seat in the front here by Nick. After today's class I'd like for you to come and see me so we can determine how far behind you may be."

Kurt gave a nod and took the seat Mr. Hansen indicated. He still ad about ten minutes before class would start, so he pulled out his phone and quickly sent off a message to Mercedes.

It was only a few seconds before he got a reply, **"Hey boo, how r u?" **

Opening the keyboard he typed his response, **"I'm all right I guess, I found out Blaine's actually only a sophomore, so he isn't in any of my classes."**

He put the phone back into his pocket while he took his books out of his school bag and set them on the desk. A minute later he felt his phone vibrate. **"Aww srry boo. I have 2 go,**

Kurt sighed, there was only a few minutes left till class started anyway. He recognized Nick, the boy beside him, as a member of the Warblers. The other boy didn't seem like he wanted to socialize, so Kurt occupied himself with doodling in his notebook.

He was aware of the stares and whispers as the rest of his class filed in. Most of which were about his scarf, and how it was against the dress code. He hoped none of them would bring it to the attention of Mr. Hansen.

"Kurt, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to remove your scarf." Kurt bit his lip, Mr. Hansen must have heard the boys. Slowly he pulled the scarf off, revealing the heavy bruising underneath.

Kurt internally swore as unexpected tears sprang to his eyes at the collective gasp and more whispers from the class. Mr. Hansen gave him a sympathetic look and began the class in an attempt to draw attention away.

~*~

When lunch hour finally came around, Kurt was feeling very overwhelmed. He and Mr. Hansen had determined that Kurt was almost two chapters behind in math and science. To catch up, Kurt was given an assignment and notes for each chapter to do every night for the next 6 days.

Dreading the afternoon when he would discover how far behind he'd be in English and History, he decided to try get a head start on the math homework during lunch. Eating could wait.

He took a seat at a table in a secluded corner, opened his text book, and began to read. It wasn't long before a voice interrupted him.

"Hey Kurt, what are you doing way back here?"

Looking up Kurt bit his lip, unsure of how to sign what he wanted to say. He held up a finger and pulled his notebook from hi bag along with a pen. He flipped the notebook open to a random page and wrote "I'm really far behind, I have to catch up by next week."

"Oh." Blaine said. "Aren't you going to eat anything?" Kurt shook his head, turning his attention back to his book.

Blaine frowned. He decided it would be best to leave Kurt alone for the time being, as the taller boy was self-consciously trying to pull his blazer further up his neck to hide the bruising. "I'll be over there if you need anything, Kurt."

Kurt gave a nod without looking up, and Blaine left.

~*~

That evening, Kurt skipped supper in favour of getting as much of his catch up work done as possible. He'd been assigned more work in his English and History classes, but he'd lucked out in his French class and been a level ahead of them, having learned many Celine Dion songs in both English and French. He had opted out of taking Spanish, and in its place he was taking Art. He figured it would be the only way he could express himself without the use of his voice.

He was halfway through finishing his History assignment when he heard it; the distant strumming of a guitar and the sound of a voice to go with it. Curious, Kurt put down his pen and wrapped a scarf around his neck, hoping since class hours were over no one would say anything. He followed the sound down the hall into the common room.

There, on the back of one of the couches, Blaine was sitting with a guitar and playing a song Kurt didn't recognize. There were quite a few other students, most of which Kurt recognized as members of the Warblers.

He took a seat and listened to Blaine play several songs, most of which he learned were original compositions from listening to the other students talk. After a while, Blaine put down his guitar and took a seat next to Kurt. Most of the other students had now cleared out, save for a group in another corner, who were enthralled in a seemingly intense debate.

"You weren't at supper, Kurt… you must be starving." Blaine said as he sat.

Kurt just shook his head. "I'm fine." He signed, then remembered Blaine couldn't understand sign language.

Blaine seemed to understand anyway, and as if reading Kurt's thoughts, "I asked Mr. Losette if I could learn sign language too. I want to be able to understand you…"

Kurt found a stray pen and pulled out a small notepad he had been carrying around. He scribbled down "You don't have to do that…" and showed it to Blaine.

"I want to though… We're friends right? So, tomorrow, as your friend, I shall be accompanying you to your sign language lesson."

Kurt smiled. "Thank you." He wrote.

~*~


End file.

Glee, Hurt-Comfort