Disclaimer: I don't own Glee.
The night was hard. That was unavoidable. Rachel was up shivering, not allowed to sleep, in fear that she would slip away. So she was forced to spend the night in discomfort. Her temperature was checked regularly to see if she was getting warmer. Finally around four AM, the two adults deemed her temperature safe and she was allowed to sleep. She then woke around noon to the sound of quiet commotion in the kitchen. She was about to force herself up and off the couch, but stopped when she saw Noah peek his head in the room. He smiled when he saw her awake and disappeared for a moment before he reappeared. He sauntered into the room with a bowl of steaming soup in his hands.
He set the soup down, quickly when she moved to get up. "No, no. Stay down. You're not strong enough yet. Just rest for now, okay?" She pouted. "I don't want to," she said. She winced at the sound of her voice. It was so raspy, like she had tried to swallow nails but she was talking in full sentences. She squirmed uncomfortably when he ignored her protests for her current position. Instead, he gently lifted her upper body and took a seat behind her. He propped her up against him and moved for the soup. She was still wiggling around and he gasped when the soup sloshed dangerously close to the edge of the bowl. "Alright, Wiggles knock it off. This stuff is hot and it could easily burn us. Now open up," he said as he lifted the soup filled spoon out of the bowl. He extended it towards her and she opened her mouth. He fed her the soup and smiled at her. "Is it good?" He asked. She only nodded her head and led him feed her.
When the soup was gone he leaned over to place the bowl on the table. He then cuddled her close to him. He smiled at her when she licked a little bit of soup off her lip. She looked exhausted. Her body was like dead weight and she seemed like any movement would be enough to knock her out for about eight more hours. "You really scared me last night. Finn too. He might be seriously stupid but he cares about you, you know," Puck said. "I know. I was upset," she said. "I know, Wiggles. I know," he said as he held her close. He gave her a final squeeze before he stood up. "I'll be back in a while to check on you. Rest up and don't you dare get off that couch," he demanded as he laid her head back down on the pillow. He then left, leaving her there on her own again.
*Glee*
Her next visitor scared her. He shook her to her core. Around 1:30 pm, Kurt Hummel walked into the room alone carrying a glass of water. She watched him through half open eyes. Her energy was gone once again. She was tired. Her muscles ached and her throat felt dry. She followed him with her eyes. He set the glass on the able and turned to Rachel. He lifted her head gently and sat down. He then placed her head in his lap. He reached for the water and held it to her lips. He tilted it back so that the water slid down her throat. She drank it quietly in gulps. She chugged it down, greedily. The cool water felt good against her dry throat. He kept a hand at the back of her head so she wouldn't choke herself. He would pull the glass away from her every few swallows so she could take a breath.
When she finished the glass he set it back on the table. She squirmed at the position she was in. She didn't like it. She didn't like him. She didn't want to be by him. She wanted Puck. She wanted Finn. She would even take Mike or Matt; honestly she would take anybody but Kurt or the girls. She didn't want to be anywhere near them. He simply adjusted himself so that he was more comfortable and started to stroke her hair. She looked at him. She was so uncomfortable. Her head was in his lap… and he hated her.
As he ran his hand down the top of her head, he thought about what he had been through within the last 36 hours. He cleared his throat and said, "Rachel, I never really cared for you. You can be loud and obnoxious and I really want to shove a sock in your mouth. I hate your style. I hate that you get the solo every week in glee club. I didn't think anything could scare me more than you do," he began. Rachel already didn't like where this was going. "Last night, you ran away and I couldn't be more shocked or ecstatic. You finally gave in. Then, I was forced to go out and search for you." As he said his pieces, his hands continued to move through her hair, lightly massaging her scalp. "I didn't care about finding you. I wanted to gossip with the other girls… mostly about you." He took a deep breath here. "I was so wrong though. I didn't care… until I was the one who found you." He paused searching for the words. "You were quiet, motionless, and your skin was turning blue. You were everything your not. You wouldn't respond to us calling your name. I thought you were dead, but then I saw that you had a chance to survive. I couldn't be more excited. Here we are now." She was looking at him with half open eyes, which she was struggling to keep open as he massaged her head. It felt so good and relaxing that she couldn't help feel sleepy.
He chuckled. "Even now you're falling asleep. The point to this story is… I never want to see you like that again. You were just so still… I want to fix our relationship. From now on, I want you to come to me for anything and everything. I promise I'll never make you feel like that again. Especially, after all I've been through. If anyone knows the pain of bullying, it's me. I'll make your life better now though. I'll be your best friend," he said as he smiled down at her. "Sleep now. Your body needs to rest. Sleep well, darling." With that he gave her forehead a kiss and got up, gently repositioning her so that she could get some more sleep. He too, left her alone.
*Glee*
Finn visited her next. His face was a mask of concern as he walked in. He didn't move her like Noah and Kurt had. Instead he knelt down in front of her. He gave a smile and lifted a hand to rest on her shoulder. "Hey, Rach. How do you feel?" He asked. Her eyes again only opened about halfway. She moaned in response. "I'm tired. I'm hurt all over." It took him a moment to realize that she was just sore. Nothing serious… thankfully. "Well, I could leave you alone. You can take a nap," he said. "No. Tired of sleeping. Now, just tired." He nodded in understanding.
"Listen, Rachel, if you ever do this again, you might not get lucky. Just tell someone next time your being bullied. Don't handle it so immaturely," he said, not thinking before it left his mouth. That added salt to her wounds. He was going to scold her. Like a child. She was the victim. She was the one who should be sympathized. She should be fawned over. It would always be Quinn though. Quinn would always win over Finn. He smiled at her as if everything was fine. "Now do you want anything? I can get you something," he said. Rachel couldn't deny it though. She smiled. He was just looking out for her. She asked for water and when he left she sighed. He cared… only in a brotherly way.
Author's Note:
I know. The ending is very rushed. I hope you enjoy it. Guess what happens next and let me know what you think. =)