Chapter 11: Broken Angel
"This way," the nurse says almost grimly as she leads them to the end of the hall, through a pair of doors into the intensive care unit. The group of five feel as though they are in a funeral march, slowly walking towards the coffin that held their loved one. The hospital seems dead quiet as they go, Jay clinging tightly to Ryder, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck and she's already crying. Rory has to basically lead the older two cousins because they were so afraid of what would happen next that they want to stay put.
The rest of Sara's friends stand at a distance near the nurses' station, waiting for someone to allow them to follow the others. This pause in the journey would prove useful in order to prepare themselves for what they might witness. They were afraid of what they were going to see through the window.
"Just in here," the nurse says, opening a door in the middle of the intensive care unit. Like it had been said before, there was a window for everyone else to look through. She pauses for a moment and looks at the group. "Are you sure the children should see this because wait you are going to see in extremely unpleasant?"
Both Ryder and Rory look at the children in their care. Rory leans down and has Katy and Maddy face him.
"Are you sure you want to see Sara?"
Madison nods without much hesitation, and while Katlyn takes a little longer, she also agrees.
"If it becomes too much for you, Rory or I will take you out, okay?" Ryder says, stroking Julia's hair to give her some comfort.
"All right then," the nurse says. She pushes the door open fully and the group is facing a large blue curtain. The room is filled with the incessant sounds of beeping monitors tracking the progress of the patient, the faint hissing of an oxygen tank and struggling gasps of a person trying to inhale the gases.
"Please prepare yourself," the nurse adds. "It will be a bit of a shock."
Without another word, she pulls the curtain back.
Both Ryder and Rory gasp in horror. Both their stomachs turn violently. They may have to be taken out of the room instead of the girls. Maddy whimpers loudly and so does Katy, but then she leans into Rory's pants to hide from seeing the sight. The only other sounds coming from the group are Jay's sobs of fear and sadness.
The limp form of what should be Sara lays in a large hospital bed. It's hard to tell that it was her because of all the tubes, nozzles, needles, and wires strapped all over her body. She has a breathing apparatus up her nose, but also a large tube inserted into her mouth to ensure her airway is clear. Her face is badly bruised in several places, especially near her eyes. The large lumps are purple and have swollen badly, causing her face to become misshapen and unrecognizable. Some of her hair looks like it had to be cut off, so doctors could treat some more bruising on her head, and the older boys can see that the edges of her hair are in thin clumps due to the dried blood in them. She has several stitches on her upper arms, along with an IV and other tubes to give her the proper fluids to help with her blood loss. Both her wrists are wrapped in gauze due to them being sprained and they are both strapped to the edge of the bed. The boys had forgotten that she had to be restrained in order to avoid more blood loss as well as hurting herself or the baby. She's dressed in a hospital gown and there's a large strap across her chest to keep her body still. The boys assume that the sewn-up stab wound/ gash on her stomach is beneath her robe. Her left leg is in a plaster cast that is not hung above the bed like it usually would be. Both her legs are also covered in bruises and scars, a dreadful reminder of the abuse she suffered at the hands of her own brother. There are x-rays on a projector behind the bed showing the fractures as well as lots of paperwork like containing the list of her injuries.
Ryder can't stand to see Sara like this. Tears burn in his eyes as he angrily bites his lip, trying to remain strong for everyone. Both Maddy and Katy are already in tears and are clinging to Rory for support and comfort. Rory could not hold back his tears, he doesn't try to fight them, and he lets the salty drops fall down his face, not bothering to wipe them away. J. J. continues to weep, only taking quick peeks of her cousin before hiding back in Ryder's shoulders.
They all stand motionless, unable to fully comprehend what kind of monster would do this to a person… and the longer the potential fathers of the unborn baby think about it, the more they understood why Sara hid all the abuse from them. She was trying to protect everyone she loved from the horrible mess that was her life. When Ryder finally realizes this, he lets the tears go and squeezes Julia tightly, holding her like she's the one holding him and not the other way around.
The nurse stands by, remaining stoic as part of her duties. While she'd seen a lot of horrible injuries before, this one was unique, not just because this magnitude of violence from one individual, or how complicated the unexpected pregnancy was, but of all the people and loved ones who have come to support this poor girl. She'd never seen such a large number of people in a hospital at once for a single person. She notices the flowers in the one girl's hand.
"Do you want me to put them in some water?" she offers quietly.
Madison looks at the nurse and then nods. "Sara likes bright and happy things."
…
Meanwhile, outside the rest of the group are being directed by a doctor on how to get to Sara's room in the ICU.
"Please, if you have a weak stomach, do not go to the window," he warns as he holds the door for the group.
Rachel and Finn lead the way and Rachel unconsciously puts her hand in Finn's not even realizing what she's done. The two hold onto each other, unsure about how to face this as they closer and closer to the window where they can see into Sara's room. Rachel swallows a large lump in her throat and Finn squeezes her hand tightly.
When they come to the window, Rachel immediately gasps and turns into Finn's arms horrified by what she can see. She leans into him and begins to cry, her ex-boyfriend holds onto her tightly, close to tears himself at what he sees through the window.
Kurt and Blaine aren't too far behind and almost immediately, Kurt grabs Blaine's hand at the sight of Sara in the next room. Neither can barely hold back the tears as they see this poor wounded girl laying, so close to death. The two lean into each other, any other thoughts of their breakup and separation are forgotten. Santana almost immediately breaks down in Brittany's arms, guilt overwhelming her. The fact that she was so mean to this girl because she was so quiet begins eating away at her insides. She weeps and holds her girlfriend tightly, never wanting to let go. Puck wraps his arms around Quinn tightly and gently brushes hair behind her ear as she whimpers at the sight of this poor girl. She also watches the cousins' reactions, wishing she was there to support Katy and her sisters. She can see how the distressed her new young friend is. Carol and Burt hold each other tightly, Burt keeping a hand on his son's shoulder to help him cope. Tina is in pieces, crying so hard that she has to hold onto Artie's wheelchair to remain standing. Both Mike and Artie rub her shoulders and try to keep her from collapsing. Sheldon and Sue are beginning to shed their tears, feeling helpless that they couldn't have helped this student more. Sheldon himself had been in an abusive relationship and still bore the scars of that time in his life, but he cannot imagine the years of horror that she must have endured. Sam stands with Sugar and Kitty, merely staring forward. Kitty isn't crying yet, but the guilt of trying to steal Rory and taking advantage of Sara's meekness for her own personal gain eats away at her. Joe and Unique stand together, Unique already trying to wipe her tears so it wouldn't smudge her make-up any further, but she gives up and leans on the silent guitar player for support. At the back of the group are Jake and Marley. Jake tries to be there for his girlfriend, but she doesn't last a few moments. The minute Marley sees Sara laying in intensive care, she rushes off to the bathroom and becomes violently ill. The younger Puckerman is too numb to go after her.
As everything is quiet, Rachel pushes out of Finn's arms and stands up to hold his hand. Their history has long forgotten for the sake of Sara. Everyone wishes they could be inside, trying to do anything to help her...
Then a thought enters the lead singer's mind. She's unsure if Sara could hear her if she tried, but she feels like she has to do something... anything to let her friend know that she was there for her.
Rachel opens her mouth and quietly begins singing…
She walks to school with the lunch
She packed
Nobody knows what she's
Holdin' back
Wearin' the same dress
She wore yesterday...
She stops for a moment to take in a shaky breath. The rest of the group look at her, some thinking that what Miss Rachel Berry is doing is crazy, since they are in a hospital, but then Joe takes his guitar from his back and gently strokes the next chords. Finn puts his arms tightly around Rachel and then joins in the song.
She hides the bruises with linen
And Lace
The teacher wonders but she
Doesn't ask
It's hard to see the pain
Behind the mask
Bearing the burden
Of a secret storm
Sometimes she wishes she was
Never born...
By now, the entire glee club and other individuals have joined in, singing softly in the hallway of the hospital, trying to let Sara know that they were there for her and they were sorry they'd never asked her about the pain she was in.
Through the wind and the rain
She stands hard as a stone
In her world that she can rise above
But her dreams give her wings
And she flies to a place where
She's loved
Concrete angel
Somebody cries in the middle
Of the night
The neighbours hear, but they turn
Out the lights
A fragile soul caught in the hands
Of Fate
When morning comes
It'll be too late
Through the wind and the rain
She stands hard as a stone
In her world that she can rise above
But her dreams give her wings
And she flies to a place where
She's loved
Concrete angel
A statue stands in a shaded place
An angel girl with an upturned face
A name is written on a polished rock
A broken heart that the world forgot
Through the wind and the rain
She stands hard as a stone
In her world that she can rise above
But her dreams give her wings
And she flies to a place where
She's loved
Concrete angel
A/N: All rights go to Martina McBride, Stephanie Bently, Rob Crosby, and the record company for the lyrics of Concrete Angel.
