Author's note: This story is inspired by a family friend who can no longer walk or function on a day to day basis but is supported by her loving husband everyday.
It happened during Glee practice. Brittany took one wrong step and fell over, crashing loudly and rather horribly into the chairs. Everyone stopped and some instinctively went over to her asking if she were ok. Brittany stood up, saying "I'm fine." But she looked shaken. Mr. Shue went over, put a hand on her shoulder and told her to take 5. Brittany shook her head. "I'm fine." She insisted. Santana Lopez watched from a distance. She was one of the few who didn't rush to Brittany's aid. It was as if Santana herself had fallen instead of Brittany. The look of confusion and shock on the Latina's face mirrored that of the blonde's. Everyone else went back to the set but Santana couldn't stop looking at the blonde and for good reason.
Brittany doesn't fall.
As stupid as Brittany was, clumsy she was not. She hadn't fallen since she had taken her first steps. It was like she was born with the grace of a dancer and her body just took a few months to grow muscles to support that. But she took her first steps and never fell again. Even when Santana pushed her as hard as she could, Brittany stumbled but recovered gracefully. She confronted Brittany right after practice.
"Brittany, what happened at Glee?"
"I fell, no big deal." Brittany said, trying to ignore the problem.
"Brittany, you don't fall. Ever." Santana stated.
"You have to fall sometime."
"You're like a cat! You land on your feet!" Santana insisted.
"I don't want to talk about it." Brittany said and walked away. Santana knew something was wrong.
This suspicion only continued when the following week, Brittany, who was supposed to catch Mike Chang, literally just sat down as if her legs gave way. Mike, who trusted each and every Glee member with his life, leaned back and fell onto her.
"Oh my god!" Rachel gasped, covering her mouth. Finn and Puck rushed to lift the jock off of the dancer. Brittany was fine, both of them were; physically at least.
"Dude, twinkle toes, nothing in the choreography says to sit down." Puck snapped and Santana instantly rushed over to defend her.
"Back off Baldy Jr." Santana hissed.
"No, Santana, it was my fault. We're the ones who did the choreography. I knew it like the back of my hand. I just need a minute." Brittany said but she didn't move. The tension had grown to the point where Mr. Shue told everyone just to go home. He then called Brittany over.
"Are you ok? You seem out of it."
"Sorry, Mr. Shue, it won't happen again." Brittany said.
"Are you eating right, getting enough sleep?" He asked.
"It won't happen again." She repeated and walked out of the room, her head downcast.
Things didn't improve over the next few weeks. Brittany stumbled more and more but only Santana saw it as a major problem. Everyone else assumed this was a natural thing, the blonde is stupid and clumsy. But Santana knew the truth. Brittany was more graceful than the whole school combined.
One day Brittany just didn't show up to school. Everyone assumed it was because she just forgot how to read the alarm clock but Santana knew. Since she got her car the beginning of their senior year, she had picked Brittany up daily. This morning, however, when she got to the house Brittany's mother told her to go on without her. It looked like she had been crying all night.
Santana wasn't going to take that for an answer. The minute the bell rang, she skipped out on Glee practice and went to Brittany's house. Her mother wasn't home so Santana climbed onto the porch roof and knocked on Brittany's window. It took a minute but she saw the lump in the bed move and slowly make her way to open the window. Santana slid inside.
"Hey, missed you at school today. Are you sick?" She asked. It was obvious that Brittany had been crying the previous night.
"I guess so."
"You have a fever? Mono? We shouldn't make out?" Santana joked, referring to the one time they had drunkenly kissed. Brittany smiled but it broke Santana's heart to see that it wasn't full of the radiance it used to have.
"I couldn't get out of bed." She explained. Santana's blood ran cold.
"Cramps?" She tried, thinking of any other explanation. But the dots connected themselves.
"No, my legs wouldn't work." Brittany said matter-of-factly. Santana closed the gap between them and hugged Brittany. Brittany gripped onto Santana's arm so hard, it was as if she would fall if she let go. And Santana knew that may have very well been the truth.
As the months progressed, it became evident that Brittany was not getting better. Her condition worsened until even the dimmest of the Glee members (namely Rachel) noticed that Brittany wasn't just clumsy. But none of them dared speak a word about it for fear of destroying the blonde or incurring the wrath of her best friend.
Sue Sylvester was not so forgiving. The minute Brittany messed up so badly that she brought the whole pyramid down on her, Sue kicked her out. Perhaps it was a merciful act, perhaps it was just Sue being Sue but Brittany decided it was probably the best choice anyway. Without Brittany, though, Santana felt as though the Cheerios lost its appeal.
Santana wanted to ask what was wrong but she was afraid of the answer so it took Brittany to explain what was going on.
"The doctor says my legs won't work." She whispered, tucking her chin on her knees. Santana said nothing and kept eating. The two sat alone at lunch which brought the blonde some measure of comfort knowing that no one else was watching or feeling pity for her.
"Won't work for now?" Santana asked hopefully.
"No...they won't work anymore after this year, if they make it to then."
"Is there anything you can do about it?" The look and Brittany's eyes said no.
"They just...won't...work." Santana leaned over and put her arm around Brittany, pulling her close.
For Santana, things didn't sink in until one day, Brittany came to school in a wheel chair. Brittany offered a smile.
"At least I won't lose it this time." She joked. The rest of the Glee class tried to smile back. Santana took one look at Brittany and walked out of the room.
Brittany sat out regionals her last year. She watched as the group performed on the stage and felt a pang of regret. She was no where near as capable with a wheelchair as Artie was and told everyone she would just cheer them on. Mr. Shuester sat next to Brittany, holding her hand through the performance. Santana had a solo in the last song and she sang it, tears in her eyes while looking directly at Brittany.
They won nationals that year. It was a year Glee club remembered with a bittersweet smile. They had won but they could've blown the crowd out of the water had Brittany been up there with them. They missed one of their best dancers and it was plain to see that Brittany had missed them too.
"So...they can't do anything?" Rachel asked when Brittany wasn't around. "Like...she won't get better at all?"
"This sucks." Puck hissed. Santana said nothing. Since the whole incident began, it was like all the energy had left her body.
"Maybe they can do therapy or something." Tina offered.
"Santana, you should talk to her about that, you're her best friend." Rachel suggested. Santana stared at the blank piece of paper in front of her, meant for writing down ideas for a farewell song after they graduated. Instead, she took the paper and ripped it up, picked up her bag and walked out of the room.
Somehow, Santana had convinced Brittany to go to prom. Mike had been Brittany's date and Matt had been Santana's. But the two boys left the two girls alone at the table to join their other friends.
"You don't have to sit here with me." Brittany said. "Go join the others, they're having fun."
"I want to be here with you." Santana replied. The blonde smiled but didn't look at her. Instead, she watched as Rachel and Finn danced with each other in the middle of the dance floor, garnering all the attention.
"I got into NYU." Santana blurted. Brittany turned to her, eyes shining with joy.
"Congrats, San! I knew it!"
"I'm going to be a producer." Santana stated. "The best and I don't care who the hell gets in my way." Brittany clasped Santana's hand in hers.
"I know you'll be." Suddenly, Santana wished she hadn't said anything. She knew that Brittany was going to stay in Lima. Cheerleading and dancing had been her one selling point. Everyone knew Brittany wasn't going to get anywhere with her brains but her dancing had been more than enough to get her through life. And now she had nothing.
"I'm sorry." Santana whispered, pulling her hand away.
"Don't be." Brittany replied. "Just...don't be."
When graduation rolled around, Santana found she had a bitter taste in her mouth when Brittany went up to receive her diploma. She was shocked to find that it was the taste of tears streaming down her face. She quickly wiped them off, looking around to see if anyone noticed. Brittany received the loudest applause when her name was called. She smiled and waved as if she had just won an award. Santana found it hard to keep from crying or leaving.
The whole Glee club got together to take one last photo before everyone scattered to every direction. Brittany looked up at Santana.
"Can you help me up?" She asked. Santana stared at her. "I want to be standing for this photo."
"But Brittany, you can't..." Finn began before Santana shut her up with a glare. Santana found Brittany lighter than she thought and she and Quinn let Brittany rest all her weight on the two of them. The blonde smiled wider than she had in a while when the camera flashed. Afterwards, she sat back down in the wheelchair.
"Thanks guys." She said.
"Anytime."
"Party at my house later!" Kurt said. Brittany clapped her hands in excitement but Santana could only offer a small smile.
At the party, Kurt's father had left the house, telling them not to cause too much trouble. Of course the minute he shut the door, Puck brought out the beer and Tina had sneaked some liquor from her dad's cabinet. In less than an hour, almost all of them had gotten completely trashed. The only two sober ones were Santana and Brittany and they had snuck out of the party long ago.
The two of them walked the streets of Lima. Crickets sang and lightning bugs flashed in the humid summer night. Santana pushed Brittany's wheelchair along and Brittany took in her surroundings.
"I'm going to miss everyone." Brittany sighed.
"We'll visit you, wherever you are."
"Probably here." She admitted. A silence passed between them as they crossed the corner and somehow wound up at McKinley High. They stopped in the parking lot and Brittany lifted herself out of her chair and sat on the pavement, playing with the loose rocks. Santana could feel the mosquitoes eating at her but she didn't care. If they bit her and not Brittany, she'd stay there forever.
"Hey San?" Brittany whispered.
"Yeah Brit?"
"Can you just...hold me?" Without wasting a second, Brittany sat down behind her and hugged her so that her arms were resting on her collarbone. Brittany lifted her arms and touched Santana's hands. "I'm scared, San."
"I love you." Santana whispered into Brittany's hair. Brittany kissed Santana's wrist. The two of them stayed like that for hours, staring at the entrance to their high school. When it was time to go, Santana helped Brittany back into her wheelchair and the two of them went back to the party where everyone had either left or passed out on the floor. Santana wheeled Brittany back to her house later that night and, on impulse, kissed her on the lips. Brittany smiled the same radiant smile that Santana remembered from before the incident happened and she imprinted that in her memory as the door closed. That was the last that Santana saw of Brittany for years.
To be continued...