I had a lot of fun writing this chapter! I hope you all enjoy it because I was in a fit of giggles almost the whole time.
There's a party tonight. Do you want to come with me, as friends of course?
Rachel read the message more than once, more times then she could count actually. She tried to read any subtext, hidden messages, or downright naughty innuendo it might hold. Taking into account that the word come had been spelled properly, Rachel decided it had been an honest offer of friendship. She had said she would give Santana a chance, as friends, and this would be a great way to test the waters. They wouldn't be left alone so it would not feel like it was a date.
After telling Santana she would very much enjoy accompanying her, as friends, she had set out to find an outfit that would be appropriate and classy enough for the evening.
Meet at my place at 8. You can go through my closet. Here's my address.
Rachel tapped her finger against her phone, chewing her lip. It was as if Santana had read her mind. She honestly had no idea what sort of attire to wear and decided that if Santana was offering then she would take her up on that offer. She did want to make a good impression on any acquaintances of Santana's that might be at the party. If they were to be friends, she needed other people Santana knew to like her as well.
"I can't believe you're going" Samantha mumbled over her cup of nightly tea.
"You can't believe it because I am going to a party or you can't believe it because you aren't invited?"
"Both! You never party. I have known you for like years and I've seen you go to like three parties and you always leave super early."
"Well I have mapped out the subway system and hours around the address of the party so if I feel the need to leave early, I will" Rachel nodded, pushing her hair off her face. She had done it in a loose ponytail, figuring with wardrobe would also come hair advice. She didn't want Santana to have to undo too much work to make her acceptable to her friends.
"I can't believe you're going to let her dress you. It's like you're her little doll now."
"Hey!" Rachel glared, shaking her head a little bit "That was uncalled for. She is simply from a different lifestyle and if we are to be friends I want to be able to fit in."
"Rachel you are changing for this girl" Sam said with a soft frown on her lips.
"I am not! If you recall I let you give me a makeover and take me shopping not long after we met." Rachel folded her arms, giving a little nod.
Sam looked at her friend, shrugged and nodded "True, but you looked like a twelve year old."
"I was fresh out of high school! I didn't really care about having any sort of….sex appeal. I was naïve and thought my talent would get me noticed." Rachel huffed, blushing a little at the memory of her younger self.
"Thank god I came along or you'd still be getting roles as young girl three" Sam mumbled under her breath, trying not to laugh.
Rachel put her hands on her hips, sighing and rolling her eyes "I told you that you were right and thanked you for helping me. You will never let me live that down, will you?"
"Not ever" Sam chimed in a sing song voice and a huge grin.
Rachel rolled her eyes, shaking her head a little "Well soon enough I may have a new look that you did not give me and you can take no credit for."
"I still say it's weird"
"Friends borrow clothes all the time. You steal things from my closet almost daily"
"Not daily! Just when I haven't done laundry" Sam's eyes shifted, trying not to smirk.
"Daily" Rachel mumbled, checking her watch. "It is time for me to go. Don't wait up. I will text you when I get there so you know I am safe."
"Mhm" Sam got up, going to her friend and giving her a kiss on the forehead "Don't do anything I wouldn't do, short stuff."
"That leaves the possibilities wide open" Rachel chirped, grabbing her bag and heading for the door.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
Santana's apartment building was surprisingly moderate in size. For whatever reason, Rachel had expected her to own the entire building. Maybe she did. She did have money, after all. Shaking away the thoughts, she was let in by the doorman who said that Santana had let him know she was coming. He instructed her what number was Santana's and said to walk on in, as per Santana's wishes.
Rachel would never just walk on into someone's home whom she was not familiar with and she would not start now. Rachel rode the few floors on the elevator and when the cart stop, she stepped into the hallway and looked both ways to find which way the numbers went, following them down to the door that she was told was Santana's.
Lifting her hand, she knocked lightly figuring if the girl was expecting her she would be heard. When no answer came, Rachel knocked a little louder. Frowning when no response came again, she stepped back, checked her watch and nodded. It was ten to eight, Santana should be home right?
Taking a deep breath, and hoping this wasn't some sort of set up, Rachel turned the knob and slowly pushed the door open. Hey, she was told to just walk in right?
"Santana?" Rachel said as her head peeked inside. She didn't see anyone immediately but there were lights on so someone had to be there. Perhaps she was using the restroom.
Stepping into the apartment fully now, she gently closed the door and folded her hands together as she took a few timid steps forward. She looked left and right, searching for a clue as to where Santana might be. Although the building looked moderate from the outside, the apartment was anything but on the inside. It was lavishly decorated with lots of open space. Each room flowed so effortlessly into the next. She stepped out of the small foyer area and into the living room area. It was a completely open space, the ceiling obviously having been taken out to open the space up even more. Rachel realized that Santana must own the lot above this one too.
Rachel slowly made her way into the huge living room. It was big enough to throw a party in it. It was bigger than her and Sam's entire apartment. The windows took up the entire wall, it seemed, offering an unrestricted view of the nearby city.
To the right was the kitchen, though no walls separated the rooms, simply just a strip on the floor where the tile ended and the hardwood floors began.
As Rachel turned away from the kitchen she noticed stairs. That must lead to Santana's bedroom. She didn't see any other bedrooms on this level. She saw a bathroom tucked in the corner of the living room and what looked to be some sort of laundry or storage room in the other corner, but no bedrooms. The stairs lead into the part of the room that did have a low ceiling and Rachel figured that ceiling was the floor of her bedroom so after taking a deep breath, she headed that way.
One by one she took the steps, still waiting to hear anything that told her that Santana was there. It wasn't until she was about five steps from the top that she heard music. A smile came to her lips. That must be why Santana didn't hear anything, she was getting ready and listening to music.
As Rachel got to the top step, she turned and headed to the only door on the top floor. It was cracked and the music grew louder as she approached. Rachel noticed movement through the crack and she let out a sigh of relief. Santana had not stood her up!
"Santana I-" Rachel pushed open the door when she reached it only to stop mid-sentence halfway into the room. The sight she was greeted with was not Santana sorting through clothes and preparing for the party.
Instead she was greeted with breasts. Breasts attached to a completely naked woman. A woman that was not Santana. If that was not Santana, then where was Santana?
That's when she heard a moan, a low raspy moan that sounded like it came from a voice that was all too familiar. Rachel blinked a few times and as her eyes focused, she realized she had just walked in on Santana and some random girl in the heat of the moment.
"Oh, I…" Rachel tried a quick back pedal, but the door had closed slightly behind her and she ended up running herself right into it, the knob of the door jabbing her right in the ribcage. The groan of pain that left her lips at the sudden stabbing sensation caused the naked stranger to look her way.
"Holy shit!" The girl toppled backward off the bed, grabbing the sheet as she went. Santana then sat up and looked at the girl "What the fuck?"
"Someone was watching us!"
Santana's face flickered of confusion, then anger, and her head whipped around toward the door. There was an onslaught of profanities set to explode but when she saw it was Rachel, her face softened and she laughed softly "Oh shit is it eight alright?"
"I wasn't watching!" Rachel protested in a groan of pain, her hand now cupping against her back, fingers working the sore spot softly "I'm sorry Santana, you didn't answer your door and the guy who let me into the building said you were expecting me."
"I was" Santana said with a shrug, not even bothering to cover herself up. "I just lost track of time."
"I should go." Rachel mumbled, closing her eyes as her body trembled in pain.
"Don't go!" Santana got out of bed quickly, holding up a hand toward Rachel "We were finished anyway."
"I sure as Hell wasn't" The voice from the floor came.
Santana rolled her eyes and shook her head "I don't even know her name" Santana whispered, putting a hand on Rachel's shoulder and guiding her into the room further, much to Rachel's protest.
"No, really, I should go." Rachel said with a shake of her head "I think I hurt-"
"This is Rachel" Santana motioned her hand to the girl who was on the floor, tangled in the sheet.
The girl gave an awkward wave and clenched her hand against her chest tighter so the sheet wouldn't come open "I'm Gale."
"I apologize Gale, I never meant to intrude." Rachel whispered softly. She took a deep breath, trying desperately to catch it since having rammed into the doorknob.
"Gale was just leaving." Santana said with a nod, tossing the girl her clothes. The girl's jaw dropped and she gave a huff but before she could argue Santana perked an eyebrow and silently threatened her.
Rachel didn't notice. She barely noticed the fact that Santana was still naked, standing beside her, touching her shoulder. She might feel a bit more awkward if she could breathe.
"Whatever. I am so not calling you back." Gale climbed to her feet, gathered her clothes, and stormed out of the room, sheet still wrapped around her.
"It's alright, you weren't that great anyway!" Santana called with a little wave as the girl slammed the door behind her. Santana let out a soft laugh and looked down to Rachel "Sorry about that. I needed to get my kicks before tonight so I wouldn't be hitting on you all night."
Rachel didn't hear her. All she could hear was her beating heart as her fingers ran over the sore spot on her back. Every time she drew in a breath, a sharp pain ripped through her body. Without warning, a tear slipped from her eye.
"Hey, why are you crying? If I had known you wanted me to hit on you all night I wouldn't have slept with her…" Santana's face fell and she dipped her head to get a better look at Rachel "Hey, I'm kidding. Are you okay?"
Rachel shook her head and another tear slipped down her cheek. She tried to pull in a breath and another sharp pain filled her body. Each failed breath in caused more tears to fall.
"Shit, what happened?" Santana shifted now to stand in front of her, crouching a bit as her hands gripped Rachel's shoulders, trying to see her face.
"I.." Rachel gasped, clenching her eyes closed and shaking her head a bit "door…" She was trying not to cry. She knew if she cried it would make breathing even more impossible "hurt…"
"You hurt yourself on the door?" Santana perked an eyebrow and looked at the door. She didn't quite get it.
Rachel nodded and motioned to her back, shaking her head again "Can't…" she took in a gasping breath and wailed out as another sharp pain shot through her.
"You can't breathe!" Santana stood up quickly "Shit, hold still. Here, come sit." She slowly guided Rachel to sit on the edge of her bed, nodding a little as her hand rubbed her arm "Just calm down. Focus on slow, easy breaths alright?"
Rachel nodded and tried, but even the smallest of breaths hurt.
"Stay put" Santana said, even though Rachel was not going anywhere. "Just focus." She backed up, keeping her eyes on her until she reached her closet. She stepped in, grabbed the first sweater she could find, pulled it over her head, then grabbed for a pair of jeans and hopped in them so fast it was almost as if she put both legs in at once. She zipped and buttoned in one easy movement and was back out of her closet and over to Rachel in no time.
"How's it going?" She whispered softly, kneeling in front of the smaller girl trying to comfort her with her hands on her knees.
"Little better" Rachel mumbled, trying to pull in the smallest breaths she could "Still hurts." She nodded, reaching back to rub the spot that was now throbbing in pain. She shook her head and wailed out again "Santana I think I need to go to the hospital."
Santana nodded quickly, got up, turned in a circle, then spotted her shoes. She swept them off the floor then dug out some socks before sitting on her bed next to Rachel and one by one pushed her foot into sock and then shoe, tying a quick little knot in each one before standing again. "Don't move. I am going to go call a car." She held her hands up, silently telling the girl to stay as she moved out of the room and down the stairs, taking them two at a time before leaping down the last three and rushing to her phone.
It was a quick call and Santana was right back up the steps and into her bedroom. "Don't worry Rachel I'm going to get you checked out at a hospital, alright?" She reached for a hair tie from her dresser and quickly tossed her hair up.
"Santana" Rachel started, shaking her head a little bit. "I can't…" she was trying to speak but every breath was terrifyingly painful "afford that…"
"Don't worry about it" Santana said softly, laughing a little bit "You're sitting here unable to breathe and you're worried money?" She couldn't help the smile that came to her lips "You're adorable."
Rachel looked up at Santana and gave her best scowl.
"Hey, friends call friends adorable all the time. I think"
Rachel let out a soft laugh, which caused her to wince in pain.
"Sorry! No more funny business. I am serious from now on." Santana zipped her lips and threw away the key.
Rachel smiled softly. She liked this side of Santana.
Suddenly there was a buzzer and Santana looked toward the door "Alright that's our ride."
Rachel tried to stand, but when she paused and groaned out, Santana shook her head.
"Come here" She whispered softly, stepping to the side of Rachel. She gently slid one arm around Rachel's back, careful to stay lower than the sore spot. The other arm slid under her knees and without effort she lifted the girl into her arms.
"You alright?" Santana whispered, not wanting to hurt her by carrying her down.
Rachel nodded and for the first time since ramming herself into the door, she released the spot on her back and lifted her arm to wrap around Santana's neck for stability.
Santana gave the girl a smile and gently turned to leave the room. She watched her face with every movement she made, not wanting to jar her around and cause her pain. The steps were the hardest and Rachel had gasped a few times, but told her to keep going. They made it the rest of the way without much incident and after a shaky elevator ride to the ground floor, Santana was gently setting Rachel into the back seat of the car.
"The nearest hospital, please. And I swear to god if you hit any bumps on the way I will end your career." Okay, so it was a little dramatic, but Santana liked to use a bit of intimidation to make sure things got done the way she wanted them.
Santana sat with her hand between Rachel's shoulders, rubbing as soothingly as she could, trying to help keep Rachel calm. "How you doing?" She whispered softly, her other hand resting on Rachel's knee.
"I think…" Rachel wheezed, gritting her teeth each time she pulled a breath in "I'll live."
Santana smiled softly, lifting her hand off her knee and pushing some of Rachel's hair off her face "You will. I told you I'd patch you up if you ever tore."
Rachel felt her heart leap and for the first time since the doorknob had knocked her breathless, she couldn't breathe for a different reason. That might have been even sweeter than the entire unicorn speech. She just smiled, keeping her eyes on the floor near her feet. She couldn't let Santana see the dreamy look on her face.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
"You have a fractured rib, Ms. Berry." The doctor turned on the back lit board and threw the x-ray up, circling the area where the cracked bone was at.
Rachel groaned from where she laid in bed. Her eyes closed and her head rolled back into the pillow.
"Shit" Santana said softly, her eyes on the black and white picture. "You have hot ribs."
"Shut…up…" Rachel breathed out through her teeth. Since getting to the hospital she had been given pain medication to make breathing easier but it was still a daunting task.
Santana looked at Rachel and smirked "Friends compliment friends on their bones all the time."
Rachel rolled her eyes and looked back to the doctor "What does…that mean…?"
"Well you're going to be in a lot of pain for a while. Your breathing should get easier, especially with the help of pain medications, but I recommend at least a week of bed rest to insure you don't injure yourself further.
"A week?" Rachel's face twisted as if she were going to yell and cry and vomit all at once.
"That's bed rest. It could take another 4-6 weeks before you will be completely pain-free and healed. To speed up the process I recommend no strenuous activities which include heavy lifting, dancing, running of any sort. Anything that might overly twist or stretch your back."
"No sex…" Santana mumbled.
"Santana!" Rachel growled.
"No, she's right. Absolutely not sex for at least three weeks." The doctor nodded firmly.
"I'm not having….sex with anyone….right now anyway…" Rachel huffed, glaring at Santana.
"That's not my fault" Santana smirked and looked back to the doctor. "So, bed rest for a week, nothing fun for at least another month?"
"At the very least. If you take very good care of yourself you can get back to regular activities in about a month."
"A MONTH!" Rachel's eyes went as wide as baseballs "But I have….a show…..to do…."
"A show?" The doctor asked.
"She's on Broadway. Pretty talented." Santana said with a nod.
The doctor made a tsk sound and shook his head "Oh, no dear, no singing. You won't be able to hold a note very long at all. And like I said, no dancing."
"I am so dead" Rachel whispered, her head falling back to the pillow again. "Dead" she mumbled, shaking her head "I am going….to be fired….and my career….is over."
"You have a medical excuse for missing the play. You have an understudy. You're good." Santana shrugged as if that should have been obvious. "You can get her a doctor's note, right?"
The doctor nodded.
"Shut up" Rachel mumbled. She was almost sure she would be replaced. The understudy she had was good. She had been picked up just a month or two after Rachel joined the play and hadn't missed a day. Rachel had always used her as a way to stay good so she couldn't take her spot. And now she had given the girl a wide open window. She was doomed.
"I want to see you again in a week, Ms. Berry. If you have stayed true to my instructions you should only need pain medication for any sort of accidental tweaking you might do." The doctor scribbled on a paper and handed it over to Santana "This is her prescription. She should take one every 4-6 hours as needed with pain. No more than that, got it?"
Santana nodded and looked over to Rachel, smiling very softly "You're not going to feel a thing pretty soon."
Rachel sighed, opening her eyes and looking at the girl next to her bed "Whatever. Can I go home now?"
"As soon as I fill out your release forms you are free to go." He nodded, giving the girls a smile "I will leave the paperwork with the nurses. If you have any other questions, ask them." He turned to leave then stopped at the door and looked back at Rachel "I mean it, Ms. Berry, a week. If you rush it you will be out of your play longer than need be."
Rachel rolled her eyes and folded her arms, giving a soft huff. Stupid doctor, what did he know?
"Hey it could be worse" Santana said with a little shrug of her shoulders. You could have been naked too. Talk about embarrassing!" Santana let out a soft laugh, her hand rubbing Rachel's arm. She was just trying to make the girl feel better. She felt responsible, even if it had all been a freak accident.
Rachel rolled her eyes and folded her arms. She did her best to shift away from Santana, but it didn't really work.
"Hey, why the cold shoulder?" Santana frowned, dropping her hand back to her lap. "I am about to spend more on you, as a friend, then I've ever spent on any girl just to get her in bed."
"Santana" Rachel groaned as she spoke "I don't need….you to pay….I will call….my dads."
"It was a joke" Santana mumbled softly "Jesus, do you ever loosen up?"
"Do I ever loosen up!" Rachel yelled, then cried out, grabbing her back. She closed her eyes, gritted her teeth, and tried to calm her breathing.
"Hey" Santana scooted closer, putting a hand on Rachel's shoulder "Just calm down. I'm sorry I said that."
Rachel pulled her shoulder away the best she could. Her eyes came open and she looked at Santana with a glare "This is your fault."
"Me? I didn't do a damn thing!" Santana pulled her hand away and folded her arms "For once I was the innocent one here."
"You didn't…" Rachel took a deep breath, shaking her head "do anything?" She growled, rubbing her back with her fingers. "How about when…..you invited me over….then decided…..that having sex….with another girl….was a good idea."
Santana's eyes shifted a bit and her brow knitted together in a bit of a confused frown "So? I have sex with a lot of girls. It's usually always a good idea."
"That" Rachel rolled her eyes, lifting her hand to point at Santana "that right there….is why I will never…..be more than….a friend to you." Rachel licked her lips, wishing she didn't have to sound like a dying hot air balloon as she spoke "You see nothing….wrong with your….actions and how….they might affect….other people."
"Oh?" Santana gave a bit of a head cock to the side, her lips pursed a bit as she stared down the girl in bed "And how exactly did my actions affect you?"
Rachel's eyes widened in disbelief. She looked around the room, then down at herself, then huffed.
"Right. You backed into a door because you were so horrified at having walked in on me with another woman."
"Right" Rachel nodded "Who wants to….see people….especially strangers…..having sex?"
"Or maybe you were horrified because you showed up at my house expecting some cute one on one time with the untamable beast and your world was shattered when you saw me having sex and you realized that my invite was purely out of friendship, as you requested, and not some secret way to lure you into my house and seduce you with romance and shit?"
Rachel gasped at the accusation. Her mouth dropped and her eyes narrowed into a deadly glare "Santana….Lopez….I will have…..you know that….I will never be…..jealous of any…..girl you have sex….with." She folded her arms and looked at the window opposite to where Santana sat "I made a….mistake tonight….by thinking you…..were really a…..friend."
Santana rolled her eyes and got up from where she was sitting.
Rachel heard the chair move and peeked over her shoulder. When she saw Santana leaving, she frowned "Where are you….going?"
"To get your paperwork. You need some drugs in your system and a good night rest."
Rachel's frown softened for a moment and she looked over Santana before nodding her head.
Santana rolled her eyes and left the room, heading to the nurses' station to get everything settled out. She was gone ten minute or so before returning with papers in hand and a wheelchair. "Come on, let me help you up."
Rachel rolled to her back, looked at Santana and the wheelchair, and shook her head "I can walk." She shifted on the bed, sat up very gingerly, and put her feet on the floor. As soon as she pushed up to stand, she winced and grabbed her back. But always the determined type, she got to her feet and gave a smile "See?"
"You're gritting your teeth. Sit down." Santana pushed the chair over and stood in front of Rachel, gently putting her hands on her shoulders "Sit down, please."
Rachel huffed and sat down gingerly. She bit her lip and closed her eyes and she settled, lifting her feet to place them in the holds before she gripped the handles for her arms "I need to call…my roommate." Rachel mumbled as Santana started to push her out of the room. "She needs to know…..what to expect…..when I get home tonight."
"You're not going home tonight. You're staying at my place." Santana didn't leave room to argue with the tone she used.
But Rachel argued "What? No!" She took a breath "That is the last…..place I want….to be…."
"You said it was my fault. The least I can do is make sure you survive the night before letting you loose on your roommate." Santana pressed the button for the elevator and waited for the doors to open.
"Santana" Rachel growled.
"Deal with it." Santana pushed her through the doors and onto the elevator. "Besides, I can physically restrain you if you try to fight. Your roommate is too skinny for that. I don't want you hurting yourself again trying to get up in the middle of the night."
"I'll be fine" Rachel mumbled.
"Yes you will because I am taking care of you tonight." Santana pushed her through the doors as the cart stopped on the lobby level.
Rachel shook her head but didn't argue. She didn't care at the moment; she just wanted to lie down and go to sleep.
Santana took her silence with a smile, glad she had finally stopped talking and saved her breath for trying to survive the pain. The pair stayed quiet as Santana loaded Rachel into the car. There was silence between them the entire car ride back to Santana's place.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
"Alright so this paper says take two for your first dose and follow up with one every 4-6 hours as needed for pain." Santana read the paper in one hand, handing the pills to Rachel in the other. She sat on the edge of the bed, her eyes glued on the paper.
Rachel took the pills with ease, setting her water down and sighing as she settled into the bed "You really don't have to do this."
"It's my fault, remember?"
"I might have been a little harsh." Rachel said softly. She was surrounded by pillows, propped up where she would be comfortable but no weight would be put on her back. She looked kind of like a little doll in the middle of all the fluffy stuff around her in Santana's bed.
"Might have." Santana sing songed then put down the paper "But you're here now."
Rachel nodded, settled against the pillows and letting out a sigh "Your bed is really nice."
"Only the best for me and whatever guest I might have over." Santana shrugged, standing now and moving to Rachel's bag. She dug through it and pulled out her phone, bringing it over to her now "It's been ringing like mad. Go ahead and check it, I am going to go get you more water. I think I have some juice, too."
Rachel nodded a soft thank you and watched Santana go before she checked her phone. Five missed calls and about twenty texts from Sam. It was far later than Rachel would ever stay out and it was natural for her friend to worry.
Sighing, she pressed call and held the phone to her ear. How was she going to explain this?
"Rachel! Jesus Christ I was about to call the cops! Where are you? Did Santana try something on you? Did you rip her weave out? Are you dead in a gutter?"
Rachel rolled her eyes. And her friend called her over dramatic. "I'm fine."
"You sound like shit! What's wrong?"
Rachel bit her lip. She should have known Sam would pick up on something right away. Her voice was hoarse and weak. "Don't freak out."
"Oh my god, did she touch you! Did she beat you up and tie you down? I am going to kill me a Latina!"
"Sam, calm down. Santana didn't do anything. We never even went to the party."
"You didn't? Then where the Hell have you been all night?"
Rachel rubbed her eyes softly, taking a deep breath as pain shot through her "I've been in the hospital."
"What! What room are you in? What happened? I am coming to see you!"
"Don't, I'm out now." Rachel licked her lips, reaching to the water on the night stand and taking another drink "It was a freak accident."
"Rachel, explain! I am losing my shit over here!"
She knew her roommate was going to laugh, so she sighed and braced herself "I ran into a doorknob and cracked a rib."
There was silence on the other end of the phone for a few moments before Sam finally spoke "What?"
"Yeah. I, uh…" She took a breath, shaking her head a little bit "Had a clumsy moment and ran my back right into a doorknob."
"Are you shitting me? A doorknob?"
"A doorknob."
There was silence again. Rachel could tell Sam was processing it all. "you're kidding, right? This is all a big joke. That is a pretty lame excuse for going to the hospital."
"Not joking."
Again with the silence. It lasted a minute or so before Sam finally burst out laughing "A doorknob!"
"It's not funny. It really hurt."
"A doorknob!" Sam's laughter only grew every time she said it.
Rachel sighed and rolled her eyes, dropping the phone into her lap and taking another drink of water. She could still hear her friend's laughter even with the phone in her lap.
Santana walked in with two cups, one of water and one of juice, and set them down. She caught sight of the phone and perked an eyebrow.
"She is laughing at me." Rachel glared at the phone.
"I would too." Santana said with a laugh, sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Gee thanks."
"Hey, that's what friends do right?"
Rachel rolled her eyes and picked up the phone again "Sam. Sammi. SAMANTHA!" The yelling hurt and she took in a deep breath.
"Oh my god Rachel I needed that laugh after being stressed all night. Thank you."
"Glad I could help" Rachel shook her head a little bit, growing more and more annoyed.
"So when you coming home? Should I call Ricky to help you inside?"
"I'm, um, not coming home tonight."
"What? Why not? Are you staying in the hospital?"
"Well, no. I'm, um, I am at Santana's."
"What?" Sam nearly choked on the water she had been drinking.
"Yeah. She felt bad about everything. I might had told her it was her fault. You know how I get when I am grumpy. So she demanded I stay here tonight so she could watch over me."
"Rachel, I don't know."
"I know" She glanced up at Santana then looked back to her lap "But I'm alright. Believe it or not she has a softer side."
There was another moment of silence before Sam whispered "Call me and I'll be there immediately."
"I know. Thank you."
"Be careful. Although that sounds like a warning a bit too late."
"Goodnight, Sam" Rachel said softly, smiling slightly "I love you."
"Uh huh. You're a bitch."
Rachel laughed very softly, rolling her eyes "I will make it up to you."
"Damn right." Sam mumbled "Come home early."
"You got it." Rachel pulled the phone from her ear, pressed the end button, and set it on the night stand.
"She's not my biggest fan, is she?" Santana asked with a smile.
"How can you tell?"
"The way you looked at me. The way you stuttered when talking about me. How your voice lowered toward the end. I'm good at reading people, Rachel, and it's written all over your face."
Rachel bit her lip. She felt bad about that. She looked down and gave a shrug "Yeah well you're pretty abrasive."
"I'm blunt. I don't fuck around. I get to the point. If people can't handle that, then they can't, I don't need them around." Santana shrugged, getting up from the bed and walking to her closet again. She disappeared for a moment and came back in just a tshirt. "Listen, I know we started out on an odd foot."
"More like a creepy one" Rachel mumbled.
"Fair enough" Santana shrugged "But I like you. As a friend" She rolled her eyes "and I do care about you. I mean, I know your last name. I know your blood type. I know your birthday, weight, age, and date of your last menstrual period. You're pretty much the second more serious relationship I've ever had." She gave a little grin.
Rachel laughed and rolled her eyes "Not by my choice, mind you."
"I know. But my point is this" She sat back on the edge of the bed, putting her hand on Rachel's knee "I care. I mean well. I'm not going to try anything funny with you now. You can trust me."
Rachel wasn't sure she could trust her, exactly. She could on some level, but she still had reserves on other levels. Did she think Santana would cause her harm? No, not any more. Did she think she would try to run a game on her to get her to fall for her so they would sleep together? Yes, most definitely. But she could also see Santana making a serious attempt at being a friend, and only a friend, and Rachel had to give the girl credit for that. But she couldn't shake the feeling that the night had been a set up. That Santana had hoped Rachel would walk in on them, get jealous, and realize she did in fact want to sleep with Santana.
"I'm tired" Rachel finally mumbled, looking back up at Santana.
Santana stood without hesitation and gave Rachel a soft smile "I am going to be downstairs on the couch so if you need anything, ring this bell." Santana motioned to the little bell she had set down with her glasses. "Please don't hurt yourself trying to get up to take a piss. It's nothing to be embarrassed about and I promise I won't peek."
Rachel nodded her head a bit and laid her head back on the pillow behind her "Thank you" she whispered as Santana made her way to the door.
"Hey, I told you" Santana whispered, flipping off the light, leaving just a lamp on beside the bed "I promised I'd patch you if you tore." With the words, she left the room, leaving the door cracked.
Rachel closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Ouch. Stupid rib. Stupid Santana being nice and paying for everything and saying she will patch her up because she tore. Rachel was growing to resent stuffed unicorns. She wanted to fall asleep and forget this day ever happened. If it hadn't been for the medications, she wouldn't have fallen asleep. She would have stayed up all night running over what she had to do the next day. Luckily, though, the medications worked wonders and she was out before she could think twice about missing a month or more of the show.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
"Santana!" Rachel wailed out loudly. She wasn't sure what time it was, it was still dark outside, but she had woken up in a sweat, tears in her eyes, pain shooting through her body.
"Ouch, ouch" She sniffled, turning to try and find the bell that Santana had left for her. She was struggling to breathe and she couldn't focus in the dark.
She didn't need it. The first cry of her name had woken Santana with a start and she was up the steps in a heartbeat. She burst through the door and knelt near Rachel on the floor by the bed "Hey, hey, shhh, Rachel I'm right here."
"It hurts! It really hurts Santana!" Rachel sobbed out, wrapping her arms around the girl, clinging to her tightly. She buried her face against her neck. Had Rachel been completely conscious she might not have clung to the girl, but she was half asleep, half drugged, and in complete pain.
"It's alright, just take a few breaths, calm down." Santana rubbed her back gently, trying not to go too low and risk putting and pressure on the broken rib. "Let me get you some medicine, alright? You gotta lay back though so I can get it."
"Owie" Rachel mumbled, still holding tightly to Santana as she pulled in breath after breath, trying to find a rhythm that didn't make her dizzy with pain.
"Rachel, shhh" Santana realized she wasn't letting go any time soon so she settled there with the girl in her arms. She closed her eyes and continued to stroke her back gently "I'm right here. Just relax."
Rachel wasn't sure how long Santana had held her in her arms. All she knew was the pain died down after a while and she had actually drifted off with her face buried tightly against her neck. Maybe it was a temporary lapse in medication, or maybe she had flinched wrong in her sleep, but the pain had faded again and she was able to drift off. If wasn't until Santana was whispering her name that she stirred.
"Rachel" The soft voice broke the silence of the darkness and Rachel blinked a few times.
"Hmm?" She hummed softly, her voice a bit groggy as she lifted her head.
"You alright?" Santana greeted her with a smile that even in the dark Rachel could see.
"Yeah" Rachel licked her lips and took in a deep breath "I'm sorry. I suddenly woke up and I felt like my entire body was paralyzed with pain."
"Don't apologize." Santana whispered, lifting a hand to her face to push some of the messy hair off her eyes. As their eyes adjusted to the darkness, they met gazes and Santana smiled softly "Let's get you lying back again, alright?"
Rachel licked her lips and nodded, but kept her eyes locked with Santana's. There was something soothing about that soft sleepy gaze she held. She felt safe.
Santana didn't break the gaze either. She held it as she gently shifted and helped Rachel lay against the soft pillows again. Once she was settled, she pulled the blanket back up around the girl, tucking her in around the hips and legs.
"There we go." She said in a whisper, finally looking away to the bedside table. She grabbed the glass of water and the pills, pouring one into her hand and handing it over to Rachel "Here. It's been four hours so you can have another. I am going to set an alarm for another four hours and I will come check on you, alright?"
Rachel nodded as she swallowed the pill, handing the cup back to Santana again "Thank you" she whispered as her eyes found the soft brown orbs in the darkness again.
"You've got to stop saying thank you." Santana whispered, laughing softly as she stood now. She set down the cup then leaned over Rachel, touching a kiss to her forehead before she reached for the door "Sweet dreams."
Rachel nodded her head, her eyes having already started closing as exhaustion took a hold of her body once more. It had been a long day, a traumatic day, and she knew this was going to be a long road of annoying bed rest and even more annoying limited activity but at the moment, she felt like everything was alright. She wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.