Hi everyone! Thank you for all the reviews. So this is chapter two. :) I've got about three or four more chapters to go.
Thank you again to Margaret for pre-reading this, and the FR thread for being so supportive. I love you all!
Disclaimer - again, I don't own Glee.
Chapter 2:
The ringtone wakes her from a dead sleep, and she sits up with a zombie-like look on her face.
"Kurt it's Saturday," Rachel moans into the cellphone, "6:15 on a Saturday. I don't get on the elliptical until approximately eight AM on Saturdays." She is not going to tolerate someone interrupting a healthy eight hours of sleep.
"Rachel please come-"
She interrupts him, "Kurt you know I'd be more than happy to offer intelligent advice on your problems with Blaine, but can it be in two hours instead-"
"Rachel our house caught fire and you need to come to the hospital. Please." Kurt raises his voice, but his tone still hints at desperation. Rachel hears the other end of the phone line go dead.
One second is all it takes for about thirty different things to fly through her mind. Why were they in the hospital? Did anyone get hurt? Did this affect Burt's heart in some way? Wait.. their house burned down? To the ground? Kurt sounded like he was panicking. Is he okay? Carole?
Was Finn hurt?
She shakes the thoughts from her head, knowing she shouldn't jump to conclusions before she the full extent of the situation. Plus, she can't manage all these questions, which scares her because she's usually in complete control of her thoughts.
She takes a deep breath, reaches for the hoodie that Finn left at her house the night before, and shrugs it over her shoulders.
Her dads aren't awake yet, so she scribbles a note on a piece of paper informing them of her whereabouts, and rushes out the side door of the house.
She arrives in record time, completely ignoring the fact that she drove nearly ten miles over the speed limit the whole way there. Rachel never condoned driving over the speed limit, but this indeed was a worthy exception.
"Excuse me," she stops the first nurse she sees when she gets into the hospital, "I'm looking for the Hummel's. Their house caught fire and..." she realizes that she doesn't really have any more information to give. "Do you know where they might be?" she asks.
She wont blow her composure. Finn, Kurt, Carole, and Burt are going to be upset enough, so she vows to herself that she'll be strong for them through this tragedy. If there's one thing she can do, it's act. And she knows she'll be able to at least act strong for the people she cares about.
Once the nurse points her in the right direction, her brisk walk turns into a light jog. When she reaches the end of the hallway, she pushes open the double doors, and looks around without trying to seem frantic.
Kurt spots her and jumps up out of his chair, running toward her with an expression that she can't quite read. His hair is a mess, and his face has traces of black on it. She guesses it's from the ashes. If it were any other time and he looked in a mirror, he'd scream bloody murder. Rachel hugs him tightly, and looks over his shoulder at the rest of the room.
Where is he?
She spots Carole who doesn't move from her position on a waiting room chair; one hand up to her mouth, and the other clutching Burt's hand tightly. Rachel can see her fingernails digging into Burt's skin.
No. Rachel stares, trying to wrap her mind around everything. What was that supposed to mean? Where was Finn? Maybe he's just in the bathroom. Finn goes to the bathroom a lot. He's definitely going to walk out any second, and she'll hug him and tell him she's there for him and that everything will be okay. That's going to happen, right? Right?
She pushes Kurt back and looks into his eyes with a questioning expression. Kurt's her best friend. She doesn't even need to ask him the question.
"He," Kurt pauses, "he got hurt in the fire," he finally manages to choke out.
Rachel closes her eyes and feels the blood drain from her face. "So he got a burn? A bad burn? Because my dad got a considerably bad burn once while making..." she trails off and holds her breath when she sees Kurt put his head down, and she glances back at Carole.
It isn't just a burn. Or a cut that can be healed by Neosporin and a steadfast bandage changing routine.
She hears Kurt saying something about a fallen piece of wood and Finn being unconscious, but she tunes him out soon after and walks over to Carole, taking the seat next to her.
They don't exchange a single word. Rachel brings the sleeve of Finn's sweatshirt up to her nose, breathing in the smell. Carole reaches down and grabs Rachel's small hand, and gives it the slightest hint of a squeeze. Rachel closes her eyes, and begs for composure once again. She's the one that needs to stay strong.
That's what Finn would want, right?
Two hours go by, and she simply cannot sit any longer. Rachel was never one for sitting still. The doctor had come out earlier to update them, and they all breathed sigh of relief when they found out Finn only suffered a concussion, and a second degree burn on his arm. He would wake up for sure, but it was just a matter of when he would wake up. It could take any where from hours to days. Burt asked if they could go in the room and see him, and the doctor informed them that it would just take about another hour for him to be transported into a private room, and then he would be allowed visitors.
It takes all of Rachel's will power not to scream at the doctor. An hour? That was absolutely preposterous. What kind of hospital was this? There were so many things she could yell right now, but she has to be the one to keep calm.
Sitting and waiting wont cut it for her though, so she decides to take charge and make phone calls. She calls her dads, and tells them the family will need somewhere to stay, at least for tonight. They agree, because in the past few months Hiram and Leroy have become pretty fond of Burt. She calls Puck asking if he has any spare large t-shirts that will fit Finn. She calls Mike, who seems more Kurt-sized, and asks the same question; though she knows Kurt will cringe at the idea of wearing unfashionable boy clothing. She gives Mr. Schue a call so he is informed. She calls Tina who tells her that everyone on their street is cooking for the family. She calls everyone. She calls Mercedes who has to convince her that everything will be okay.
She goes downstairs to the hospital cafeteria with Kurt to eat a corn muffin, and brings up food for Carole, though she refuses.
And then there's nothing left for her to do.
After about ten more minutes, the doctor comes in and says they can see Finn, and the four of them jump up and follow the doctor towards the elevator, and up to room 400B.
The sight of him laying in a hospital bed causes Rachel to freeze in the doorway, but Carole and Kurt rush to Finn's side. Carole kisses his cheek and runs her hand over his shoulder, tears spilling over her eyelids. Burt sympathetically pats his hand on Rachel's shoulder, then passes her to enter the room and takes his place next to Carole.
Rachel focuses on Finn for a moment. He's dressed in a hospital gown, and there are blankets are placed over his legs and stomach. His eyes are shut and his head is almost completely wrapped up with a white bandage. He's got a pretty large cut on the left side of his cheek, and his right arm is wrapped up as well. She assumes that is where he got burned.
The sight is too much for Rachel to take in, so she mumbles that she'll be right back, and hurries out of the room back toward the cafeteria. She spent the past few hours keeping her confident Rachel Berry level-headedness - trying to distract herself from the fact that Finn was hurt. Sure, she knew that the doctor said he would wake up, but it didn't pain her any less to see him lying unconscious. He was so hurt, and there was nothing that she could do about it. No amount of phone calls or spare shirts, or bandaids, or Neosporin, or insane cleanliness would help right now.
If there's one thing she despises, even more than Jacob, it's feeling helpless.
And Finn, lying there.. She needs him to wake up. She needs to see his eyes, his smile.
So much for staying strong, she thinks to herself as she wipes her tears with his sweatshirt. She feels so out of character right now.
Time escapes her as she stares into space, but after a while Burt comes down and tells Rachel that he's going to run a few errands, and that Carole and Kurt are going back to the Berry residence to clean up and rest.
"You should go home, too, get some rest" he suggests, "the doctor said that he'd call us as soon as Finn wakes up."
She can't leave. She knows that Kurt needs her too, and that her dads will worry, but she definitely can't leave.
"I think I am going to stay a while longer," she replies softly. "But my dads are expecting you guys, so I'm positive that they have prepared a meal for you three, and they'll show you to the guest rooms. Tell Carole and Kurt I will meet them there." Burt thanks Rachel for her help, gives her a hug, and walks away.
Rachel sits in her seat for another minute before she gets up. She looks around, taking in the sight of people who are in the same position as her: scared, afraid, and anxiously awaiting news or a positive change. Finn's going to wake up, he is. The doctor said it. She is thankful that she at least has that much good news - that he's going to be okay soon enough.
She takes in another deep breath, and walks back up to room 400B where Finn is. She hesitates in the doorway momentarily, her breath catching in her throat, but this time she shakes it off and walks right up to his bedside.
Looking down at him, her hand grazes across his cheek, down his neck, and stops on his chest. She watches, relieved, as her hand moves up and down with his breathing. She grabs his hand, the one that isn't burned, brings it up to her mouth, and kisses it gently. She touches her cheek with it, and closes her eyes to try to fight back tears. His hand is so warm, so familiar, like always. Her eyes are burning and she succumbs to her emotions and lets her tears fall.
"Finn, I'm here," Rachel chokes out, "I'm here and.. and you're going to be just fine. Just wake up soon because.. we have so much to do. We have to fill out all our applications, and we must beat everyone else in the duets competition this year.. and we're going to win Nationals. And .. just wake up soon okay? I demand it." she laughs a little, and sobs at the same time.
Not sure if she can manage to say anything else, she starts to hum the tune of an incredibly random song: "Lullaby of Broadway" from 42nd Street. She forced Finn to watch that movie just last week.
She places a kiss on his cheek, and swears she can feel him breathe in a little deeper at the contact. Pulling up a chair, she takes his and again, and rests her head on the bed so the top of her head is touching his chest.
She breathes with him.
He's going to wake up soon, she thinks, shuts her eyes, and continues to hum.