She should have seen it coming.

All her colleagues told her not to blame herself, that no one could have caught it in time, but there had been signs. Rachel had always been so energetic. She never was the type of person who would burn out after only five years on Broadway. She should have seen past the easy excuses of 'stress' and 'overwork'. It was her area of expertise, after all.

But she hadn't.

Now, her wife was lying in a hospital bed looking tinier than ever. Her face was thin and pale. Her toned, muscular legs had wasted away. She was fed almost entirely through a tube in her arm. She couldn't even get up from the bed.

Quinn automatically checked the readouts of the various machines for the thousandth time, but she knew what they had to say.

Rachel was dying.

And there was nothing Quinn could do about it.

They had learned a month ago that Rachel probably only had a week left to live. But Rachel had held on. Even in her frail, weakened form, Rachel fought for a few more days with her wife.

Their borrowed time was almost up, however. The machines all agreed in their assessment that Rachel would be gone before morning.

The last orange rays of the setting sun peaked through the curtains to fall on Rachel's face. She fought to open her eyes.

"Quinn?" she called out weakly.

"I'm here." She held up a water cup for Rachel, who managed to get a few sips. "How are you feeling? Do you need more painkillers?"

"No, I'm good. I feel… fine. Better than I have in a while."

"Yeah?" Quinn's eyes were shining with unshed tears.

"Yeah." Rachel smiled up at her, a big, genuine Rachel Berry smile. Quinn hadn't seen one in months.

She glanced at the unchanged readouts.

"It looks like these new drugs are starting to work," Quinn said, using all her willpower to hold it together.

Rachel smiled slightly. She was struggling to stay awake. Quinn easily moved her over so she could lay in the bed beside her. She took her wife's freezing hands and held them tightly

"'M tired."

"I know." Quinn pressed up against Rachel's side. A few tears leaked out, but she tried to remain strong for her. "Close you eyes, Rach. Get some rest."

"You'll be here when I wake up?"

"Yeah, I'll be here." Quinn choked on the words, but Rachel just nodded. "I love you."

"I love you too, Quinn," Rachel said softly, then she drifted off.