"Quinn Fabray," a nurse called out into the waiting room of St. Rita's Eastside Urgent Care Center.
"Do you want me to go in with you?" Rachel asked as Quinn stood up from her seat.
She anxiously looked over at the nurse. "Is that okay?"
"That's fine," she said with a soft smile, putting Quinn a little more at ease.
The two girls then followed the woman through the short hallway and into one of the examining rooms. Rachel took a seat on the stool in the corner while the nurse took Quinn's weight and blood pressure.
"Dr. Gidwani will be in to see you in a minute," the nurse explained before leaving the two of them alone.
"Thanks for coming with me, Rach," Quinn said, looking over at her girlfriend, who had insisted that she get looked at by a doctor immediately. After some reluctance, Quinn had agreed, knowing that it was probably for the best, despite her fears of being found out by anyone other than Rachel and what her father might do when she next saw him.
"It's the least I can do. Although, I wish you didn't have to be here at all," she replied sadly.
"Yeah, me neither," Quinn said with a sigh, looking down at her hands, trying not to dwell on the events that led to her being here in this very room.
The door opened then, revealing a tall middle-aged Indian man wearing doctor's scrubs.
"Hello, girls," Dr. Gidwani greeted them as he walked in the room. "Which one of you is my patient?"
"That would be Quinn," Rachel clarified, gesturing to her girlfriend.
"So, Quinn, what brings you here today?" he asked.
"Wednesday night, I fell in the shower," she lied. "And I hurt my ribs."
"What are your symptoms?"
"Bruising and it hurts when I try to take a deep breath or move quickly."
He nodded as his expression became more serious. "Can you lift up your shirt so I can see the injury?"
Quinn hesitated. She knew that she would have to do this at some point, but she still worried. What if he could somehow tell that the bruises weren't really from the shower, but were actually from being pushed on the stairs and then beaten?
And then there was Rachel. She could practically feel her girlfriend's worried gaze. Despite the fact that Rachel knew she was hurt, she still didn't know the specifics of how it happened. Quinn mentally shook her head then, realizing it was better to just get it over with.
As she lifted her shirt up, revealing deep purple bruises all along her ribcage, Rachel released an audible gasp at the sight, and Quinn clenched her jaw to keep her emotions in check.
Dr. Gidwani lightly pressed his fingers against her ribs, causing Quinn to hiss in pain.
"Does that hurt?" he asked, before moving his hand away.
"Obviously," she gritted out in annoyance.
"You can lower your shirt," he instructed, and she complied. "You shouldn't have waited so long to get this looked at."
"I didn't think it was something that needed a visit."
"Hopefully there isn't anything seriously wrong," he continued.
"Like what?" she asked worriedly.
"Well, if your ribs are broken, there is a risk of suffering a bruised or punctured lung."
Quinn's eyes widened in surprise, unable to keep her worry from growing. She glanced over at Rachel, whose expression matched her own.
"I'm going to take some x-rays to make sure nothing is broken and that there's no damage to any thoracic organs."
Quinn could only nod as Rachel moved to stand beside her, placing a comforting hand on her back.
"God, I hope nothing is broken," Quinn said worriedly as she and Rachel waited in the examining room for Dr. Gidwani to return with the x-rays.
Rachel didn't reply right away, too angry to speak. Her jaw was clenched, and her hands were balled into fists. She was furious. Even if Quinn's ribs weren't broken, this was far from acceptable.
"Quinn… how did this happen?" Rachel asked quietly, trying to keep her anger under control.
Hazel eyes glanced at the closed door briefly before meeting deep brown irises. There was a moment's hesitation, and Rachel detected a sliver of fear, before Quinn brought her gaze down to her hands, which were resting in her lap.
Rachel felt her anger dissipate somewhat at the sight, and her heart went out to the girl. She reached over then, clasping Quinn's hand in her own. "Hey," she said, keeping her voice soft, and drawing Quinn's eyes back up to meet hers. "You can trust me."
Quinn let out a deep breath. "I know. And I'll tell you," she said as she once again glanced back toward the door. "But not now. I promise I'll tell you once we're out of here."
Rachel nodded, understanding Quinn's reluctance to open up, especially here.
The door opened then, revealing Dr. Gidwani with Quinn's x-rays. The pair watched as he placed them up on the wall over the light box, unsure of what exactly they were seeing.
"Luckily, nothing is broken, but there is some deep bruising on two of your ribs," he explained, pointing to the x-ray. "As you can see, they've moved slightly out of place, so you need to take it easy for the next week or so. That means limiting your physical activity—so no sports or anything else that might aggravate them. Rest as much as possible. Take Advil for the pain—it will also keep swelling down since it's an anti-inflammatory. You can ice them as well for the next few days. Don't be afraid to take deep breaths. I'll give you some breathing exercises to do—they'll help move the ribs back into place, thus encouraging the healing process."
Quinn could only stare at him, and Rachel was doing her best to process all the information he was throwing at them while keeping her growing temper under control.
"I want to see you again in a week for a follow up, and then we'll take it from there," he added as he handed Quinn a doctor's note as well as a sheet of paper with instructions for breathing exercises.
"Wait, no physical activity for the next week or so?" Rachel asked, hoping she had misheard him, knowing how important soccer was to Quinn—not to mention what that might mean for glee club.
"No, not unless it can be helped," the doctor clarified. "Like I said, rest as much as possible. I'll see you in a week, Quinn."
Quinn nodded as he exited the room, closing the door behind him.
"Dammit," Quinn muttered once he was gone, clearly frustrated. "The playoffs start next week." She blinked before scowling. "And Invitationals are in two weeks."
Rachel frowned and bit her lower lip, trying to keep her emotions in check as she squeezed Quinn's hand in a comforting gesture, but her girlfriend seemed not to notice.
Quinn let out a frustrated groan. "It's not fair. It's-" she cut herself off mid-rant. "I have to get out of here," she said before abruptly standing, inadvertently pulling Rachel up to her feet, seeing as their hands were still connected.
She silently followed her out of the immediate care center and out into the parking lot.
Walking back to her car, Quinn didn't know what to feel. She was angry and frustrated over her injury and that she wouldn't be able to play or perform. But part of her couldn't help but blame herself for all of this, and she was afraid of what would happen when she finally returned home.
"So, what happened?" Rachel asked once they were inside Quinn's car. It was obvious the girl was angry, but Quinn knew it wasn't directed at her.
Still, she hesitated. She knew she promised that she would tell Rachel what had happened, and she knew she could trust her, but the reality of saying the words out loud was nerve-wracking.
Rachel leaned over, pressing a kiss to the corner of Quinn's mouth before pulling back. She felt herself relax slightly, but the feelings of shame didn't lessen.
"Wednesday night, my dad pushed me up the stairs, and I fell," Quinn admitted quietly, furrowing her brow. It felt strange to say it out loud. She wasn't sure if it was a good feeling or not.
Rachel took one of Quinn's hands in her own, and she could practically feel the girl's blood boil. She found it oddly comforting.
"It was my own fault," Quinn explained, casting a look over at her girlfriend. Rachel looked like she wanted to object, but she pressed on. "I was supposed to pick up my parents' dry cleaning. But I got there too late, and the place was closed. My dad gave me this car, so I'm supposed to do my fair share of the chores."
"Wait, Quinn… are you saying that you were hurt because you weren't able to pick up you parents' dry cleaning on time?" Rachel asked incredulously.
"Yes," she murmured, feeling simultaneously stupid and self-conscious.
"I don't want you going back to your house," Rachel said firmly.
"I'll have to go back there eventually," Quinn said, feeling somewhat defeated. Really, what other option did she have? Sure, she was staying at Rachel's tonight, but eventually she had to go back.
"Dammit, Quinn!" Rachel yelled in frustration, taking Quinn somewhat by surprise. "I don't want you going back there ever again. Your father hurt you."
"I deserved it," she argued weakly.
"Stop saying that! I don't care what you did, you did not deserve to almost have your ribs broken. You could have been seriously hurt! What's to stop it from happening again?"
Quinn opened her mouth to respond and then promptly shut it. Rachel was right. What was to stop it from happening again? Her father was still furious with her, and there was no way she was going to get away with what she had pulled earlier today.
"You were shaking like a leaf when you came to my house earlier," Rachel said as if reading Quinn's thoughts. Her voice was a little quieter now, but she was still clearly upset. "You're terrified of what he'll do to you. And, honestly, so am I. I just can't let you walk back into that situation. I promised that I would take care of you, and I fully intend to keep that promise."
Quinn looked into Rachel's eyes—the deep brown swirling with righteous anger and care. She had never felt so cared for. And even though she had always tried to maintain the appearance of being confident and self-assured, it felt good not to have to hide behind that for once.
But despite her girlfriend's promise to take care of her, she just didn't see how she was going to get out of this.
"What am I supposed to do, Rachel?" Quinn asked, before gathering the courage to admit what she next said. "I mean, you're right. I am afraid of what he'll do, but the longer I wait to go back, the more trouble I'll be in. I can't stay away forever."
"Maybe," Rachel began, a hopeful note creeping into her voice, "maybe you can stay away forever."
"One day, I will," she replied determinedly. "I'll do what Frannie did."
"Frannie?"
"My sister," she explained. "She was captain of the Cheerios and got a full-ride scholarship to Northwestern. She left Lima and never looked back. I'll get a scholarship for soccer and leave this town for good."
"Graduation's more than two years away," Rachel said sadly, pulling Quinn back to reality. "And, I don't mean to sound insensitive, but how do you intend to get a soccer scholarship if you can't even play?"
Quinn scowled and looked away from her girlfriend.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you," Rachel said apologetically.
"I'm not upset with you. I'm just upset at the situation," Quinn explained, letting her head fall back against the headrest. "I just-"
The ringing of Quinn's cell phone interrupted them. Reluctantly, Quinn pulled her phone out of the glove compartment where she had left it before going into St. Rita's. She looked down and, seeing that it was her mother calling, decided she better answer it.
"Hello?"
"Quinnie, where are you?" came the sound of her mother's impatient voice. "I've been trying to call you for over an hour."
"Sorry, I left my phone in the car. I was at the doctor." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Rachel look at her curiously.
"What for? Are you sick?"
"No, it's my ribs," she explained, and Rachel gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "They got messed up when Dad pushed me up the stairs a few nights ago." She left off the part about when he had given her a beating, not wanting Rachel to hear it.
"Quinnie, that wasn't a good idea," her mother warned. "You don't want people to know."
Quinn swallowed thickly, trying to ignore the hurt she felt at her mother's callousness. "I know, but I was in a lot of pain," she admitted. "I still am." Quinn felt the gentle press of lips against her shoulder as Rachel shifted closer to her.
"It's your own fault, you know. If you had just done what your father had asked, it wouldn't have happened."
"I know," she agreed, feeling ashamed yet frustrated by her mother's response. "But Coach Castle said I should see a doctor."
Her mother sucked in a harsh breath at those words. "You told your coach what happened?" she asked sharply.
"No!" Quinn replied quickly. "She noticed that I was having trouble playing and asked me what was up. I told her I fell in the shower."
Quinn heard the woman let out a sigh of relief. "I trust you told the doctor the exact same thing."
"Of course," Quinn nodded. She certainly hadn't wanted to fess up to him where her injury really came from—probably more so than her mother did.
"Good," she replied. "So when can I expect you home? Your father is out right now, but I suggest you get home before he does. He's not too happy about what you pulled earlier this afternoon."
Quinn was somewhat hurt by the fact that her mother didn't seem to care at all about the fact that she was injured. "Don't you want to know what the doctor said?" she asked, unable to keep the hurt out of her voice. Instinctively, Rachel brought herself even closer to Quinn, resting her forehead against Quinn's shoulder while tightening her grip on her hand.
"Of course I do," she replied somewhat sympathetically, before taking on a warning tone once again, "but you can tell me when you get home. You don't want to upset your father more than you already have."
It was then that Quinn realized that, in some strange way, this was her mother's idea of protecting her. She was seemingly incapable of keeping her completely out of harm's way, so she was doing what she could to encourage Quinn to incur less of her father's wrath.
But Rachel? Rachel was different. She was willing to do more to protect her than her own mother was. She closed her eyes, gathering strength from the girl next to her before she spoke.
"I don't know when I'll be home, Mom," Quinn replied. "Goodbye." She quickly ended the call and turned off her phone, feeling both relieved and anxious.
"I take it that was your mom," Rachel said, pulling back slightly so she could look at Quinn.
"Yeah," she replied with a nod. "I can still stay at your place tonight, right?"
"Of course. I thought we had already agreed to that."
"I know, but I just wanted to make sure."
"I told you, you're welcome in my home anytime. You can stay as long as you like," Rachel said, leaning over and kissing Quinn, putting her at ease. Quinn sometimes couldn't believe how much she felt in Rachel's kisses.
"I think I'm going to take you up on that," she said after they broke apart.
Rachel looked incredibly relieved to hear that.
"Are you sure your dads won't mind?"
"They're the ones who suggested it, actually."
Quinn's eyes widened in surprise before realizing what must have happened. "You told them?"
"Yes," Rachel replied a bit nervously.
Quinn wasn't really sure how she felt about that. Despite not knowing them very well, she liked Rachel's dads, but she didn't really want anyone besides Rachel knowing what had been going on in her house.
"I was really worried about you," Rachel explained hurriedly, "and I kind of tell them everything, and they felt it was imperative that you know you always have a safe place to go."
Quinn couldn't help but smile a bit at that. "Okay," she said, trying to put Rachel at ease. "But, Rachel, I need you to promise not to tell anyone else about this."
"I won't," she agreed. "You can trust me, Quinn."
"Thank you," Quinn said before pressing a soft kiss to Rachel's lips, once again feeling incredibly grateful. "You really are an awesome girlfriend."
Rachel gave her a warm smile, and Quinn felt herself fall a little more.
"I know we still have things to talk about, and I have a lot to figure out, but I think I'm ready to go back to La Casa Berry now."
Rachel nodded her agreement and put Quinn's car into drive. "As you wish."