Chapter Three
The car ride to the hospital was a silent one, save the occasional sniffle from Rachel. It took all of Jesse's will power to not remove a hand from the steering wheel, find her hand, and squeeze it reassuringly. He knew that he hadn't been forgiven, not by anyone especially her, but that she needed someone to be strong for her, someone who hadn't recently broken her heart.
What was Finn thinking? He thought to himself. Stop it. Stop thinking like that, he then scolded himself. You broke her before he did and you don't even know what happened.
He stole another glance at Rachel. He could tell she was trying to rein in her emotions; trying to put on her show face; trying desperately to be strong for her dad who probably needed her now more than ever.
As if suddenly remembering something, or someone, she reached for her purse, seeming slightly surprised it was even there, and pulled out her phone. Turning it back on having, probably, turning it off after receiving the text message from her dad, he watched as she hit speed dial number six.
Briefly he wondered who she felt the need to call, but didn't have to wait long for the answer. Realization coming as Rachel breathed one word.
"Mom."
Rachel held her breathe as she waited for her mother to answer her phone. Though she wasn't the closest to Shelby, they had begun a relationship and she knew her mother would want to her about this from her.
She didn't have to wait long for her to answer as the older woman picked up on the second ring.
"Hello?" she asked sounding a little tired.
"Mom," Rachel replied, sighing in relief to her hear her voice.
"Rachel? Honey, what's wrong?" All tiredness gone instantly at the sound of her eldest daughter's (having recently adopted a baby girl herself) worried voice.
"Daddy's in the hospital. Dad sent me text to tell me just before glee rehearsal started."
"He told you in a text message? Never mind. Let me get Beth ready and I'll come get you. I don't want you driving after that news."
"I'm already on my way to the hospital. And don't worry I'm not driving. Someone else offered, as I was in absolutely no condition to."
"Okay, we'll meet you at the hospital then. Who offered to drive you?"
"Jesse..."
"Jesse? As in Jesse St. James, Jesse?"
"Yes?"
"And he's back in your life because…"
"He's the new co-director of New Directions. Principal Figgins hired him over break."
"Okay. We'll talk more about this when Beth and I get to the hospital. I'll be there as soon as I can, okay?"
"Okay, Mom. Love you."
"Love you, too, honey. See you soon."
With that Rachel closed her phone and reopened it sending the same text to her two closest friends, Kurt and Blaine. Please meet at the hospital. My daddy's there and I don't know why. I may need you guys.
With that she turned the phone back off, closed it once more, and put it back inside her purse.
Jesse watched, out of the corner of his eye, while Rachel placed her phone back in her purse as he pulled into the hospital's parking lot. He found a parking space and had to hurry to catch up with Rachel who was out of the car before the keys were out of the ignition.
He followed her to the front desk, stood slightly behind and off to the side of her as the nurse told her where her father was, and followed her again until they reached the waiting room the nurse had directed them to. Rachel stopped just outside the room. Jesse came up beside her and watched her dad pace the floor, as was Rachel who seems frozen where she stood.
As if sensing his daughter's presence, Leroy looked toward the doorway where the pair stood. First noticing Rachel, before his gaze landed on Jesse giving the young man a slight nod before opening his arms for his daughter who rushed into them without hesitation, tears running down her face once more.
"They said he had a stroke," he whispered to her. "They haven't told me anything else."
All she did was nod as her dad held her with Jesse watching the pair, tears also silently running down his checks.