"Hey baby."

Brittany smiles at Santana while they walk towards each other, as she and Rachel walk through the hospital lobby, "Hi San. How's Quinn? Is she okay?"

Santana hugs her and rubs her hands up and down her back, nodding slightly, "She's…well, she's awake."

Rachel is surprised when Santana wraps her in a hug as well. Brittany smiles, "So we can go see her?"

Santana steps back from Rachel and looks from her to Brittany, "We can…but," she takes a breath, "baby, you have to remember that she's going to be okay, but to get better she has to have a lot of machines hooked up to her." She looks at Rachel then back to blue eyes, "It's going to be a little bit scary at first but you have to know that she's okay. Her face has a lot of bruises on it and you have to be very careful when you touch her. She's got a lot of medicine so she sounds a little funny, but it's okay because it's normal. She's going to sound a little bit off…She had a respirator down her throat all of last night and they've cautiously taken it out and now instead of a tube down her throat she's got a mask on standby and just the nose line." She tries and simplifies it for Brittany, not wanting to scare the blonde too much.

Rachel takes a deep breath, her mind already preparing her for the worst, "Has she woken up at all?"

Santana nods her head, "She has. She's actually with her mom right now. I just thought that I should come get you before you got to Q's room so I could let you know what to expect so that you don't go in blind."

Brittany gently takes a hold of Rachel's hand and looks at Santana, "I really want to see Q right now San. Please? Me and Rach really need to see her."

Santana gives them both small smiles before nodding, "Yeah. Yeah we can go see her now."

Brittany squeals excitedly, hops in place once before walking towards the direction of her room.

Santana smiles adoringly after her, and follows close behind the two. Rachel slows slightly but not enough to need to let go of Brittany, "Is she really okay?"

Santana clears her throat and nods, "I'm not going to lie Rach. She looks bad, but she's alive. And everything…she's going to be okay. She's Quinn Fabray. We won't let things not be okay."

Rachel nods resolutely, "What have the doctors said?"

The shorter of the two brunettes notices a falter in Santana's step when she asks that question, "It's a uh long list. I'll give you a break down after you two visit with Q."

Rachel places her free hand on Santana's forearm and squeezes gently. Santana gives her a small smile in thanks.

Reaching Quinn's room Brittany suddenly gets pulled back from her forward momentum by Rachel because the tiny brunette just stops walking. Brittany turns to look at her, concern evident in her eyes and across her face. Rachel just takes a deep breath and then nods and they walk in.

Judy looks over at them, a smile on her face. Quinn's eyes are bright, and they're open, and Rachel's eyes brighten with unshed tears, a smile on her face as she takes in the blonde's form.

"Raach! Hey! Britters too! Hi baby B. San-Sssan you came back like you promised. Oh wow! Mommy, can my girls come closer? Oh. Ow. Ow." Quinn grimaces slightly, squinting her eyes and all other occupants quickly make their way closer, all ready to move when Quinn lets them know what's bothering her. Quinn sighs, "The light burning with an intensity of a thousand suns is like 'coming at me bro; and my eyes can't, they can't handle it."

Santana chuckles as she relaxes her stance, rubs Quinn's foot as she makes her way to the windows and draws the blinds. Quinn smiles as she opens her eyes and blows Santana a kiss, "Thank you Santa. Satan. No ugh thanks babe."

Rachel sighs out a chuckle as she walks closer still, a lot of the tension leaving her body. How can it not when the blonde, regardless of injury, is being so cute and innocent? Quinn turns her head to look at Rachel, her eyes widen further, her smile softening, "Hi Rachel Bear. That's…not right- you're a teddy. You look sad." She pouts slightly, her lower lip protruding.

Brittany watches as she holds Santana's hand and squeezes, she sees the bruises, she sees all the wires and machines. She notices how the hazel eyes of one of her best friends seem to be too bright, glassy. She knows Quinn isn't back to herself, but she's alive, even if her voice sounds tired and smokier than normal. It's still Quinn in there and she's happy because even though it's a little bit sad Brittany can't help but to say a thank you to God because Quinn looks like a jigsaw puzzle, but all of the pieces are still here. Even though her heart is in Rachel right now, Quinn'll be okay with waiting for Rachel's heart to be given to her, she's been waiting for a long time anyways.

Rachel smiles at Quinn and it looks a little sad, "I'm not really sad anymore though Quinn. You're alive."

The blonde smiles bashfully, "Yeah I am. But it's weird it doesn't feel real. Like it isn't real life right now."

Brittany tilts her head slightly and Quinn looks from Rachel over to Santana and Brittany before continuing, "Cuz you're here and it feels so awesome. So much better than when you weren't here. It was scary there."

Judy moves to the couch at the far end of the room, sitting back and allowing the cushions to almost swallow her whole. Santana and Brittany move even closer to Quinn. Brittany taking a seat on the edge of the bed and Santana dips down quickly to give Quinn a kiss before moving to sit beside Judy.

Rachel smiles at her lovingly, "It is real life sweetheart." Her throat gets tight and she has to blink away tears. This is all her fault. Either directly or indirectly, it's her fault.

She feels guilty but she loves her friend, she loves Quinn and she just wants her to be okay. She wants them to be okay. She knows the blonde is really not aware of everything right now and she can only hope and pray that she'll want to see her after she gets good enough to not need such a high dose of morphine.

Brittany has Quinn's left hand in hers, gently threading her fingers through Quinn's over and over again, "Does it feel fuzzy?"

Quinn nods her head slowly, "Like it's a dream kind of. Like…my mind wants to talk but there's a box that deletes some words before it goes out of my mouth."

She takes as deep a breath as she can but there's a stutter and she only winces slightly but no one takes notice because it happen in less than a second, and Quinn was back to talking to Brittany.

Santana chuckles as she watches on. She recalls how when Quinn finally really woke up and having been immediately given the morphine Quinn smiled at her and said, 'Santana. I love you. So much. And you're hot but oh my God you're like a friggen- chichen?...anyway you're, no. You act like a bitch! But no you, you¸ are my sunshine, my Santana boo and I love you and Britt and you both are awesome together like…like Candy-canes on Christmas!'

Rachel looks over and sees Santana and Judy watching the blonde with thankful smiles and she sends up her own prayer thanking God for not taking Quinn away from all of them. She's brought out of her thoughts by Quinn blowing a rather dainty raspberry, "There. You're back now. You smell really good Rachel." A non sequitur, Santana snorts but watches as Rachel blushes and she smiles to herself. Even high off of pain meds, still in a hospital bed, her Q-ball has more game than Finn on a good day. Get 'em Tiger.

"Thank you Quinn."

Quinn smiles, but her face has lost its easiness. She grows somber as she looks from Rachel to Santana over at the couch, "I'm starting to really hurt right now." She looks at Brittany, "Britt?"

The dancer leans in really close and Quinn looks into her eyes, "I love you. I need you to do something for me."

Rachel can see how quickly the pain is coming back to her now. She's starting to sweat and it's evident on her face. Santana walks up to the bed quickly, while Judy slips out to call a nurse.

Brittany nods, her blue eyes deadly serious, "I love you too. Anything Q."

Quinn schools her face as best as she can but can't stop a wince from crossing, "I'd really love some grape juice, but I need to not run or rush. You have to walk to the cafeteria and walk back. Okay B? Sweetie?"

Brittany's eyes water as she nods her head. She knows Quinn's trying to protect her. She knows and it makes her sad that she has to be in pain. Quinn hates grape juice except when her mom makes it to send over to the Fabray's. Brittany bites her lips, Quinn is so beautiful, she doesn't deserve this. Brittany sniffs as she quickly leans down and ghosts her lips across Quinn's forehead, "Okay Q. I love you."

Santana wipes Quinn's tears that fall the second Brittany's back is turned and Rachel watches as she and Brittany leave. Quinn tries with all of her might to stop from crying but she hurts everywhere.

Rachel takes her hand and wipes her tears away, careful of the cuts and bruises, her own tears as she watches Quinn struggle to breathe and keep from yelling and screaming out in pain.

"Sing…please?" It comes out raspier and breathier than Rachel has ever heard but she nods and continues wiping the tears from Quinn's face. She starts singing, softly and so gently, not at all one of her very Rachel Berry performances. This was real and unprepared and so open. "The books get burnt, the statues fall, sometimes feels like nothing will ever last. But you, you, you last a lifetime. You last a lifetime. Hey, love, we'll dance together, since I found you feels like time don't matter. Hey, love, I feel much better, you show me forever. You, you, you last a lifetime .You last a lifetime."

The nurse rushes in with Judy right behind her. She administers the morphine and Quinn's body slackens her face relaxes, her jaw goes slack. The nurse places the respirator over her face without a fight, but Rachel takes it upon herself to wipe the blonde's sweaty face instead of leaving it up to the nurse.

"That looked bad." She whispers and Judy nods, her eyes sad, "It was. She needs to not try and stop from expressing the pain. I wish she'd yell out, scream instead of work so hard to bottle it up."

Quinn mumbles behind the mask before rolling her eyes, "I'm still here and I don't get too loopy til a little bit after. I don't want to scare Britt and Rach away."

Rachel looks at Quinn, her eyes serious, "You could never scare me away."

Santana and Brittany walk in as Quinn shrugs her shoulders, "I just don't want you to get scared and then not want to deal with me."

Rachel looks at her like she's insane, "You're crazy."

Quinn smiles at her from behind the mask, her hazel eyes are shining, as she nods slowly, "Crazy about you."


A/N: The song Rachel sings is called 'Lifetime' by Emeli Sande, you should all listen to it, because it's actually really beautiful.