When he gets hit, she can't breathe. Literally. . . can. . . not. . . breathe. She hears the gasp of the crowd and knows it's bad, but still believes he is going to get up at any moment. He has to right? But he doesn't, and she's beginning to feel light-headed when she finally takes a breath. But he's still lying there, and people are starting to talk about how the angle he was hit was bad, and how his helmet flying off before he collided with the ground was never a good thing. They're bringing a stretcher onto the field now, because he still hasn't risen (hasn't moved). She came here as Finn's girlfriend, to support him. And right now, she needs to be down there. Needs to know where the stretcher with the boy is going, needs to know he'll be okay.

It's an hour later and all of glee (except him) is waiting in the ER.

The boy sitting beside her takes her hand, "He's my best friend."

"I know."

"I haven't talked to him since. . . everything went down"

"I know."

"Then when he. . .it felt like. . .like. . ."

"Like you couldn't breath. I know."

"He's going to be okay," he states and for the first time in this conversation she doesn't respond. Because she doesn't know that. Okay people aren't usually hospitalized. Fine people aren't normally unconscious. Uninjured people don't have family and friends waiting to hear news about their condition.

"Family of. . . " she hears and everyone lifts their head to listen. But all she knows is it's not him.

She's starting to feel dizzy again and doesn't really notice why until Artie is sitting in front of her holding her hands telling her to "Breathe, Rach. In and out with me, you've got to breathe or you're going to pass out."

It's actually Kurt screeching, "Rachel," that makes her take the next breath. Because she thought about not, just for a moment, and just because they still don't know if he's okay or will be okay.

"Family of. . ." comes a few more times before it's finally their turn.

"He broke his lower right arm, and most of the ribs on that side. We had to put a tube in to help him breathe. But we've already been able to remove that since he's been awake. What really worried us was how long he was unconscious. . .in fact, he's only starting to wake up now. We need one of you to come with us so we can figure out how's he's remembering."

His mom goes and she knows that's appropriate. But she really needs to see him so she can breathe easily again without having to order each breath to come.

Finally it's her turn. She can't help but rush to his side. His left side. And she hugs him as much as she can without venturing near the right or jostling him in any way.

"Hey,babe," he says and his voice is a little more gravely, but so him that she nuzzles her face a little closer into his neck.

"Babe, not that I don't appreciate the nearness or am complaining in any way, but I'm pretty sure that before I got knocked out you were Finn's girlfriend."

"Yeah, but you were asleep for a long time, Noah," she answers him. He doesn't really understand but wraps his left arm around her anyway. He's not going to reject getting a girl just by getting knocked out (especially not this girl). He does wonder if Finn knows, but figures that can wait. Right now, he needs to reassure his girl.

Later, Finn makes his way into the room and Noah is worried because Rachel hasn't left his side, and makes no move to. He holds his breath waiting for what Finn will say, "Dude, don't ever do that again. Your girl, here, kept forgetting to breathe." And in that he knows that Finn is surrendering and giving his permission and blessing.