"I'm bleeding" says Rory numbly as Kurt and Finn shuffle him out of the gym and part ways with the rest of the group.

"Yeah, that's what a few dozen balls thrown at your head will do to you, dude. Sorry about that, it was really un-cool of them to do that to you," says Finn, patting the younger boys shoulder.

" Damn," whispers Rory, more to himself then to them. He grabs his nose tightly, with a look of panic in his eyes. The guy is seriously going to have a hard time with the bullies here if he couldn't handle something as simple as a nosebleed. He might just catch the next plane back to Ireland once he gets his first slushie facial.

Kurt hands Rory a pack of facial tissue he keeps in his backpack for fashion related emergencies. As Rory moves his hand away to grab a tissue, Finn is alarmed to see the amount of blood that is already on his hands and the heavy stream of blood that is still coming out of his nose.

"Wow, you are really gushing blood!" exclaims Kurt, looking away from the gruesome sight. "I can't believe those girls did that to you. Especially Mercedes, she's getting a phone call from me tonight."

"I…er.. I need to see the nurse," stammers Rory. He is now looking extremely anxious to the point that his hands are even shaking.

"It's past school hours Rory, She'll have left by now. It's just a nosebleed. Calm down, you'll be fine." Finn is trying to reassure him, but it has the opposite effect and Rory begins to pace nervously. Kurt and Finn look at each other in alarm. This is not a normal reaction.

"Maybe-maybe she left the door unlocked… I think I'll go check. See you fellows later." Rory turns to go.

The sudden forced bravo worries Finn more than anything else. He looks so young right then, like a pathetic little kid.

"Rory, what's wrong? What aren't you telling us?"

Rory looks nervously back and forth at the two step brothers, before sighing and looking at the floor.

"I have hemophilia. The factor I need to stop the bleeding is in the nurse's office since I'm not allowed to carry needles with me at school…."

"Shit!" Finn's mom is a nurse, so he had heard all kinds of stories from her during the brief time she had worked in the ER. Rory is already looking pale and now that Finn knew what to look for he could see multiple bruises beginning to form on his face from where the balls hit him. This is not good.

"Okay," he says thinking fast. "I'm going to run ahead to see if the office is unlocked or find a janitor who has a key. Kurt stay with him, follow behind and get him more tissues."

"So… you have hemophilia" asks Kurt awkwardly. He isn't quite sure how to handle this situation.

Rory nods in confirmation, blushing.

"That's when your blood can't clot?"

"More or less. Can- can I have some more tissues?" he stammers, holding up the now completely red used tissue.

"Yeah, sorry I guess I'm just a bit confused," says Kurt handing over the whole package. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"I'm already picked on for being new, for having an accent, for being in Glee club. I don't want everyone to know that I'm even more different, that I'm fragile. And I didn't want any of you guys to treat me differently."

Rory suddenly freezes and leans up against the nearest wall, breathing deeply.

"Rory?" he asks gently, placing his hand on the younger boys shoulder.

"I'm okay," whispers Rory. "I just got really lightheaded for a second there. I'm fine, let's keep going."

"No, I think you should sit down. You're losing quite a bit of blood. Finn will be able to find us once he gets the nurse."

Rory nods, but does so with such a pouty look that Kurt has to hold back a giggle. Instead he takes Rory by the arm and guides him down to the ground so that they are both sitting up against the lockers.

"Jesus, I hope my parents don't find out about this. Me ma didn't want me to go because of this; she thought it is too dangerous. But I really wanted to and da has always been insistent about not coddling me."

The bleeding continues at the same rate and within minutes Rory has to toss aside the new tissue and grab another one, this time electing to use several at once. He doesn't look good.

"Are you okay? Do you want me to get you water or something?"

"No, just…don't leave okay?"

"I won't."

"Thanks Kurt, I-" Suddenly he goes very quiet and tenses up, his lips pressed firmly together.

"Rory what's-" Before he could finish his sentence Rory jerks to the side, leans forward and vomits painfully.

"I'm …sorry," gasps Rory when once he was done, avoiding Kurt's eyes.

Kurt is just about to tell him not to worry about it, when he unconsciously glances at the pile of sick and sees that it is all blood. Rory had vomited blood.

"Oh my god Rory, that's blood! I think you might be bleeding internally from when the balls hit your stomach. I'm calling an ambulance!" exclaims Kurt, fumbling for his phone.

"No, Kurt stop! It's just the blood that is draining backwards into my stomach. I've had this happen before."

Kurt momentarily feels better, but then realizes that if that is the case his bleeding is even more severe than he can see, and that alone is bad.

Rory looks completely spaced out and has stopped all efforts to control the bleeding, letting it run out freely. Upon noticing this Kurt grabs the tissues and holds it up against Rory's nose himself, pinching his nostrils closed. He's fading fast.

Where the hell is Finn?

Finn runs throughout the school, desperately searching for a janitor, anyone, who might be able to unlock the nurse's office for him. He had already wasted precious time stupidly trying to kick the door down and pick the lock.

This is all his fault. It had been his idea to have this game after school hours. It had been his idea to have the game in the first place. And Rory is so lonely and desperate to be his friend that he had went along with it despite the risks. Come to think of it no one had even stopped to fricking explain the rules to him, so Rory didn't even have a chance to back out of it. God, Finn couldn't do anything right!

Finn is stopped from his mental assault when his phone buzzes. It is a text from Kurt, just one word: HELP! Horrified, Finn takes off running in the opposite direction.

Finn finds them sitting in the hallway near the gym. Rory is slumped up against a locker. He is extremely pale and is drenched in sweat. Rory looks up at him with wide, panicked eyes, which is the only part of his face Finn can properly see since the rest of it is covered up by a giant wad of heavily blood soaked tissues Kurt is holding up to his nose. There is even more blooded tissues scattered across the floor.

"Finn, oh thank god! I don't know what to do. He won't stop bleeding and I feel like he's going into shock or something. I don't know what to do!" Kurt is crying, shaking and if possible, looks paler than Rory does. His hands are stained with Rory's blood.

"No one is here. We have to get him to a hospital."

"Don't worry. I have medication at Brittney's house. I don't need the hospital" whispers Rory.

"No way, I'm not taking any chances with you." Finn stares at Rory for a minute, sizing him up before reaching a decision and scooping him into his arms.

To be continued...