DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy!
A/N: Happy Holidays to all!
Chapter Thirteen: Sick Love
Rachel felt like she was still in a dream when she woke up the next morning sleeping next to Finn. She knew it definitely wasn't a weekend since her alarm was blaring all around her, but his body was still wrapped around hers tightly as she fell backwards into his embrace. When was the last time she'd had this luxury on a weekday? She couldn't even remember as she maneuvered herself around to face him, gently stroking his cheek with her knuckles. He stirred slightly, tightening his hold on her as he groaned audibly.
"Don't get up now babe," he said, his voice husky and thick with sleep. "Take the day off and go back to bed."
"You know I can't," she said sadly, trying to pull away from him but failing as the warmth of his body started to lull her back to sleep. "It's Friday and I have a full set of clients today."
"They can reschedule," he argued, kissing her forehead and trailing his lips down the side of her face as she giggled lightly. "Take a special three-day weekend for yourself. I want you to stay. Please?"
"No," she finally said after a few more moments of blissful torture. Pulling out of his arms she reached over and shut off her alarm as the room became silent once more. "You know I can't just call out of work unless it's an emergency."
"This is an emergency," he whined as she turned on her bedroom lights and blinded him accidentally. "I need you," was his muffled response as he covered his face with a pillow to block out the light.
"I know, baby," she agreed, reaching over to move the pillow and place her lips on his in a short yet affectionate kiss. "I need you too, but not today." She tried to move away from the bed so she could use the bathroom and get ready, but he gently held her arm and kept her in place.
"I'm sorry about last night," he said sleepily, peeking up at her. "I decided not to visit Quinn anymore." She sat down at the edge of the bed, shocked that he'd changed his mind.
"Really?"
"Yeah. It's not worth the fighting and the stress and I know deep down that she'll be fine at the hospital. Checking up on her isn't going to magically make her better." She was so grateful for Finn's change of heart that she seriously reconsidered climbing into bed with him and ditching work altogether. However, the responsible part of her brain was screaming at her to get ready for work so she kissed the back of Finn's hand and stood up from her spot on the bed.
"Thank you, Finn. You don't know how much this means to me."
His eyes were fluttering shut again and she knew he had to get back to sleep. "I love you, Rachel. I don't want us to fight anymore."
"Me neither. I'm so glad it's finally the weekend so we can have some time with one another." She was looking forward to a pleasant weekend alone with Finn, and wanted the opportunity to talk to him about the problems in their relationship. She was serious about what she had said to him the night before and needed the chance to fix them. "Now get back to sleep, Finn. You need your rest."
"I'll stop by the hospital later. We can do lunch in the cafeteria." She smiled as she grabbed her clothing and walked towards the bathroom to change.
"Sounds perfect. I'll see you later." She exited the bedroom only to find Kurt in the kitchen brewing coffee. She poured herself a huge cup and downed it as she sped into the bathroom.
"You're not ready yet?" Kurt asked from the other side of the bathroom door. "Did your alarm ring this morning?"
"Finn decided to come over after his shift ended. He was trying to get me to call in sick today."
"So why the hell aren't you still in bed?" He laughed.
"Because unlike you, my life isn't controlled by sex. I have responsibilities and I plan on fulfilling them all."
"Ah, Rachel, you really are quite the rare breed. Hurry up before we're late." She rushed to finish getting ready and she and Kurt made it to work exactly on time. The hospital was almost as hectic as it had been the day before and for a moment she thought that Jesse had made another donation, or something else to make Rachel's life even more of a living hell.
"What's going on?" She asked Puck, who was speeding through the main floor in a rush.
"The Ice Queen is awake," he yelled behind him as he quickly turned a corner and disappeared out of sight. She was relieved that Quinn had pulled through her ordeal, but knew that Quinn's' struggle had only just begun. She said her goodbyes to Kurt and made her way up to the therapy wing, where she opened up her office and printed out her daily itinerary. For some reason, her final afternoon session was blocked off, and she got a phone call from Dr. Schuester before she could go back and check her original plans in her agenda.
"Good morning, sir, how can I help you?"
"Good morning, Rachel, I have some important matters that need to be discussed. It's about Dr. Fabray."
"I heard she woke up from the coma, Doctor. What's the diagnosis?"
"Well, she was lucky not to have any internal bleeding, but the head trauma was significant. She's having problems with some motor functions and balance and I cleared off a block in your schedule this afternoon so you can work with her and see what kind of techniques we can use in her therapy."
Her blood turned into ice in her veins. "Sir, is Quinn going to be one of my clients from now on?"
"Yes, Ms. Berry, I'm trusting you to look after her during therapy sessions and I have high expectations for her progress." This was like living in a nightmare. Quinn had pulled almost every single one of her patients from Rachel's care in the past because she didn't believe it was an essential therapeutic method. How was she going to be able to help her? "I'll be stopping by with her this afternoon for a little while. I'm really hoping that the two of you will cultivate a mutually beneficial working relationship together."
She was so stunned she could barely find the right words to say as her new schedule finally made sense. "Of course sir. I'll see you later." She hung up the phone and almost banged her head on the desk in frustration.
Finn was right. She really should have stayed in bed.
"Alright, now repeat the same beats as I did while keeping up with the pace," the blonde rolled her eyes at her with a frown while Rachel struggled to stay calm. The past half an hour had been tough enough and they still had so much time left in their session. Quinn refused to follow directions. "Start with C and work your way up. . ."
"I know how to do it," she snapped angrily.
"Well then do it," she replied tersely, losing patience. "Dr. Schuester wants to know your progress and I can't report back anything positive if you don't cooperate."
"This is ridiculous," Quinn snapped. "I shouldn't even be here."
"Well that's not up to me, that's up to your doctor. I'm here to help but I can't do that if you're not willing to help yourself."
Glaring at her defiantly, Quinn pulled her upper lip into a sneer before staring at the xylophone in front of her. "Where do I begin again?" she conceded stubbornly.
"Right here," she said, pointing to the proper note as Quinn played the beats that Rachel had modeled for her. Her reflexes and timing were off, and she noted it in her file.
"My head hurts," Quinn complained after repeating the exercises twice more. The wrapping on her head was thick and a deep bruise tattooed the left side of her face.
"You'll be able to rest soon," Rachel said as she pulled out her maracas for a rhythm exercise. "We have 20 minutes left."
"I want my pain meds. Now," she demanded, her eyes narrowing into slits of anger as Rachel sighed.
"I'll call the nurses, hold on." She grabbed the phone and dialed the nurses station, hearing Santana's voice on the other end.
"What is it?" was her casual greeting.
"Santana, it's Rachel in Therapy 2. Quinn is asking for her pain meds, can someone bring them down?"
"Um, well, her chart says it's time," she stuttered, her voice sounding uncharacteristically nervous. "But I'm the only one at the station."
"I really hate bothering you Santana, but if it says she gets her meds now, then we should really give them to her."
"Fine," she huffed, sounding more like herself. "I'll be right there." Rachel hung up the phone, Quinn's silhouette in her periphery as she noticed how melancholy the neurologist was. She could understand her frustration; normally Quinn was the doctor instead of the patient and the damage to her motor functions was more severe than Rachel had realized. Quinn didn't have the same luxury as most patients; she knew exactly what was wrong with her, and what kind of recovery she was going to have to endure. Rachel could only assume that she was feeling miserable as the blonde stared out of the window with a longing ache in her eyes.
A minute later, Santana arrived with Quinn's pain medication and administered it without even making eye contact with Rachel, which the therapist found odd. Normally she and Santana were friendly with one another but the sassy Latina almost looked nervous as Rachel approached her. Before Santana could sneak out of the office, Rachel pulled her to the side with a frown.
"Is something wrong, Santana?" Rachel asked, noticing as she looked anywhere but her eyes. "How are things with Brittany? Is everything okay between you two?"
Without warning, Santana snapped, shocking Rachel into silence. "Why don't you worry about your own relationship instead of sticking your fat nose into other people's business!" With a deep frown the nurse stomped out of the room, leaving Rachel shocked and confused at Santana's odd behavior. She heard Quinn snicker behind her and hoped that the pain meds had brightened her mood a bit. They still had some time left in their session and Rachel's already sour mood was not improving.
"Here, take these," she said, handing Quinn the maracas as she started to shake them and create a beat. "Try and match my pacing." For a few minutes Quinn actually obliged, frowning when she couldn't sync up to match Rachel's beat. "You're doing great, Quinn."
Rachel had to duck as Quinn threw one of her maracas clear across the room. It hit the far wall with a crash so loud that Rachel winced. "You're such a liar. You think I don't know what's going on inside of my own skull? The pressure in my brain, the extent of the damage? I'm a neurologist, not one of your little autistic kids. Don't patronize me."
"Then stop acting like a child and show some responsibility for yourself," she said defiantly, shocked that the words even escaped her lips. "I know this is hard, but as a neurologist you should know the risks of not participating in therapy and show some consideration for the people who are trying to help you." Rachel picked the maraca off of the floor and handed it back to Quinn who glared at it like it had been dipped in poison. Eventually she took it back and they repeated the exercise until Rachel got a knock on her door.
"Hey babe, I brought you lunch. . .," Rachel looked on in horror as Finn strolled right into the therapy clinic with a brown bag filled with food, spotting Quinn and Rachel together while the blood drained out of his face. Rachel turned to Quinn to gauge her reaction and the look in her eyes could only be described as hero worship.
"Finn!" Quinn said, waving from her spot on the couch and looking happier than Rachel had ever seen. "How did you know that I was going to be here?"
"Um," Finn said, looking horrified as Rachel bit her tongue. "I didn't." He crossed the span of the room and placed the bag of lunch on Rachel's desk. Coming up to her, he draped an arm over Rachel's shoulder. "Rachel and I have been seeing each other for months, Quinn." The blonde looked physically wounded as she started to tap the maraca on the corner of her chair. The sound was making goosebumps rise on Rachel's skin and she just wanted to disappear into Finn's arms forever.
"Finn, I think you should get going. We were in the middle of a session." Finn nodded and went to leave, but Quinn wasn't finished yet.
"It's funny how you forgot to mention that to me when you came to visit." Finn froze in place as Quinn's voice echoes around the therapy room. It was so silent that Rachel could hear her own heart pounding as the atmosphere grew thick with tension. When did he visit her? He didn't have the time before his shift because of their fight, so was it during his shift? Afterwards? Right before he crawled into bed with her? She couldn't think rationally as the pain rippled through her in waves. "No wonder you bolted so fast after I woke up."
Finn's eyes were panicked and Rachel refused to make eye contact with him as she avoided his gaze. She turned to her client, who was still shooting Finn a wicked smirk, and secretly wished she could slap it clear off of her face. "This session is over. I'm calling Puck to bring you back to your room." She moved towards her desk but Quinn's icy response stopped her in her tracks.
"Why doesn't Finn do it? He used to be a porter here, he has plenty of experience and also happens to know where my room is." Shaking her head, she just wanted the both of them out of her sight. She was trying to fight back tears and couldn't let Quinn see her break down like this. She waved them off and grabbed her belongings in a rush.
"Whatever," was her blunt and unprofessional response. She was on escape mode and had to get out of there. Rachel walked out of her office without saying goodbye and Finn chased after her, grabbing her by the wrist to keep her from running. She shook it away and turned to him with a fire in her eyes.
"Don't touch me!" She hissed, trying to keep her voice low in the corridors of the hospital. "Just go and take care of Quinn and leave me alone."
"Rachel, wait, I can explain. . .,"
"Explain what?" She seethed. "How you lied to me? How you went to see Quinn then crawled right into my bed immediately afterwards?" She shook her head in disgust and felt sick to her stomach.
"I was just trying to make sure she was okay! She's twisting this whole thing around to make me look bad," the look in his eyes was breaking her heart and she wanted to believe him so badly but she couldn't. Quinn was everything he'd ever wanted and now she was waiting for him to run to her with open arms. How could she compete with that? "You're the girl that I want to be with, Rachel. You have to believe me."
Before she could say anything, a sickly sweet voice carried across the hallway and sent shivers up Rachel's spine. "Aw, is there trouble in paradise?" Jesse's icy blue eyes glared at the couple as he made his way down the corridor. Her already bruised heart felt battered enough, she didn't need any more reminders of her past pain. Without saying another word to anyone, she turned on her heal and ran away from the only two men who she'd ever given her heart to as she finally allowed the tears to fall.
Finn watched Rachel run away crying with a heavy heart and an intense need to go and comfort her. He had never expected to run into Quinn during one of Rachel's sessions, and now that the truth was out about his visit he felt lower than dirt as he watched her figure disappear around the corridor.
I did this, he thought to himself as his heart clenched in his chest. I hurt her. I promised her I would never hurt her.
"I guess I was right then," came Jesse's blunt retort as Finn snapped back to reality. He had completely forgotten that Jesse was even there and a blinding rage surged through him as he caught the satisfied smirk on his face. "Rachel only pulls her 'diva storm-out's' when she's really pissed."
"Fuck off," Finn said harshly as he faced off against Rachel's ex-fiancé. They were alone for the first time together so any restraint he normally exercised was taken over by anger. "You don't know shit about Rachel, me, or our relationship so back off."
"I definitely know a lover's quarrel when I see one," he retorted. "What did she do this time? Max out your credit card? Redecorate the dining room without your permission? She did that to me once and I cut her off for almost a month." Finn glared at Jesse with open disgust as he shook his head.
"Rachel's not like that. I don't even have a credit card."
"Rachel's not like that?" Jesse repeated with a frown. "Are we talking about the same girl here? Did she even tell you what she did to me when I broke off our engagement?"
"Um, move across the state because you ruined any chance of her ever getting a job in Cleveland?" he replied, his voice dripping in sarcasm.
"She caused over $50,000 dollars worth of damage to my parent's penthouse apartment after shaking up a bottle of red wine and dripping it all over the walls and furniture. Money that I had to pay out of my own pocket. She's lucky that I never sued her for the damages."
"Oh what a Prince you are," Finn replied, his tone scathing. "Should I be angry at her for this? Because I kind of want to give her a high five." Jesse's frown was deep and his upper lip curled in anger as his eyes narrowed.
"I just want to warn you about your girlfriend before you start thinking that she's some sort of perfect angel. I lived with her Finn. I almost married her too and there was a reason why we broke up."
"Yeah, because you're a selfish, elitist asshole."
"No, because she was draining my bank account one shopping spree at a time, especially once we started planning the wedding," he replied evenly. "My parents thought that she was a straight-up gold digger after a while and I was starting to believe them. Did you know that she wanted crystal chandelier centerpieces on every one of the 20 guest tables for the wedding? They were $4500 bucks a piece."
He shook the venomous words out of his head and refused to believe them. Money had always been a sore spot for him, especially compared to Jesse's fortune, and he didn't want to cast Rachel in such an unfavorable light. She had always reassured him that money didn't matter to her. Had she been lying to him just to appease him? "Rachel's not like that anymore," he said with assurance. "That kind of stuff doesn't matter to her."
"Whatever you say, Finn," Jesse replied with a shake of his head. "But if you get home to find that she trashed your apartment beyond recognition don't say I didn't warn you." His grin was wicked and smug and he had to resist the urge to punch him.
"Why are you doing this?" Finn asked, exasperated. "You already broke up with her once, so why is it that you want her back now?"
"I miss her," was his immediate response, and Finn could detect no sarcasm or doubt in his tone. "She took care of me and understood me better than anyone, and I didn't realize it until it was too late."
"Yeah, well, you missed your chance with her. Rachel's not some expensive toy you can buy accessories for and put up on a shelf. She's got feelings and goals and dreams and she's made her choice." He looked right into Jesse's cold blue eyes and leveled him with a single glare. "I'm the one she wants to be with. You have no idea what we're going through right now in our relationship but it doesn't even matter, because we love each other and we're going to get through it." He scoffed. "You just can't handle the fact that she's happy with someone else."
"She didn't look too happy a couple of minutes ago."
His voice was low and gritty when he spoke again. "Stay away from Rachel. She doesn't want to be with you anymore." The two men faced off against one another with hate crackling in the air. "So take your money and your fancy bullshit and get the fuck out of my hometown."
"If it weren't for Rachel I wouldn't even set foot in this prairie shit-hole, so don't flatter yourself."
"I wonder if they're going to write that on the dedication plaque for the St. James Pavilion?" Finn seethed.
"I just donated more money to this hospital than you'll make in ten years so you should show some respect." His last retort was like a kick to the chest and Finn's simmering anger was quickly starting to boil over.
"Respect? If you don't stay away from Rachel I'll fuck up your face so badly that no plastic surgeon will ever be able to fix it." Jesse looked like he was about to retaliate physically, when all of a sudden a strong hand clamped down on Finn's shoulder, bringing them back to reality.
"Hey buddy! Long time no see!" Finn snapped out of his rage and looked down at the mohawked head of Noah Puckerman, who eyed the two men warily. "Is there an issue here or should I call security down?" He grabbed for his radio but Jesse took a few steps back with his hands raised in innocence.
"There's no reason for that, good sir, I was just leaving." He smiled pleasantly at Puck and Finn curled his hands into tight fists of anger. "I'm the special guest at a fund-raiser this afternoon and I can't keep the administrators waiting." He started to walk away, calling over his shoulder as he made his way down the hall. "I'll be seeing you, Finn." He said it like a threat and Finn wanted nothing more than to run forward and pummel him into oblivion. Puck was there to snap him out of it however, and the porter whistled low as Jesse disappeared around the corner.
"Shit Hudson, I thought you were jealous when I was the one flirting with Rachel. That was fucking intense."
"That was Rachel's ex-fiancé." Finn spit through his clenched jaw. "The donor to the hospital who still happens to be in love with her."
"Damn," he whispered low, shaking his head. "It's a good thing I came down here for Quinn or else we would have a massacre on our hands."
"Crap, I forgot all about Quinn!" He had been so caught up in his emotions that he had forgotten all about her in the therapy room. He massaged his temples as he felt a cloying pressure begin to build there.
"What do you mean you forgot about her? Where the hell is Rachel?"
"We had a fight and she stormed off," he sighed, the pressure becoming a full-on headache. "Things between us have been shaky at best."
"Shit, man, do not get me involved. I don't do girlfriend drama, it's not my thing. I'm just here to do my job," he entered the therapy wing and came out with Quinn in a wheelchair. She looked lonely and sad but brightened considerably when she spotted Finn in the hallway.
"Finn! You waited for me!" She said brightly. He sighed deeply as his head continued to pound and approached the wheelchair slowly.
"I'll take her back to her room, Puck. You go take a break or something." Puck raised an eyebrow in confusion while Quinn looked ecstatic.
"Are you sure that's a good idea, dude? I'm heading up there anyway." Puck moved to the side as Finn grabbed onto the handles and started walking Quinn towards the elevator.
"It's alright Puck. Quinn and I need to talk." The smile that Quinn gave him was bright and serene but his heart was filled with dread as they walked slowly towards the elevator. They were quiet for a few moments as the generic hospital scenery passed them by. He had forgotten how relaxing being a porter had been; his job was so stressful these days and working at the hospital had been simple, yet oddly fulfilling. He almost missed it.
Wheeling Quinn back into her bedroom, he helped her out of the wheelchair and back into her bed, fluffing up her pillows and making sure her blankets weren't tangled around her legs. He could see her blinding smile in his periphery and it made his chest ache. There had been a time where he would have paid money to make Quinn smile like that. Now it only filled him with the deepest dread when he thought about what he had to do.
"Are you comfortable, Quinn? Do you need anything?" He asked, preparing himself mentally for what he had to say next.
"No, I'm fine," she said steadily. She reached her hand out to cover his but it just felt wrong. He moved his hand and her smile instantly melted into a frown. "What's the matter, Finn?"
"I can't see you anymore, Quinn. I didn't come to the hospital today to see you, I came to see Rachel. She's my girlfriend and we're in love. You have to understand that."
"If you love her so much, why didn't you tell her the truth about visiting me in the hospital last night?" She asked, her voice sickly sweet.
"Because I didn't want to hurt her feelings, but it's too late for that. This is the last time you'll be seeing me, Quinn. I'm not coming back."
"We can have a second chance," she said, her voice becoming desperate. "I know I was mean to you before and I'm sorry, but we can be happy together, Finn! I'm not the same girl I was before, the accident changed me. It made me see things differently now that I know how precious life can be."
"We could never be happy together, Quinn," he said truthfully. "You hurt me in ways that I've never fully gotten over. You ruined my self esteem and really messed me up for a long time. I can't forgive you for that." She looked away from him guiltily and didn't say a word. "I do want to thank you for something, though."
She peeked up at him through her eyelashes. "What is it?"
"If it weren't for you, I never would have pushed myself to become an EMT," he said truthfully. "And I also would have never formed the bond that I have with Rachel. It was heartache that brought us together, but it was love that kept us going strong. It took me a long time to realize that, but it's true, and it's time for the cycle of heartache to end." He patted her on the hand and stood up to leave. "Don't worry, Quinn. You wont be lovesick forever, because there's a guy out there who's perfect for you if you're open-minded enough to see it." She nodded once and Finn could see a light sheen of tears in her eyes. "And from now on, don't give Rachel a hard time during therapy. She's really trying to help you and you have to let her do her job."
"I'll try," she choked out sadly. "You're a great guy, Finn. I'm sorry I never gave you a real chance."
"Feel better, Quinn. Think of this as an opportunity to see the world in a different light. You never know what could happen." Winking once, Finn walked out of the hospital room, leaving Quinn alone in her bed with tears dripping down her cheeks. Hastily wiping them away, she sat in her bed alone, thinking about what Finn had told her, and how she missed out on a guy like him because of her own ignorance. She made a promise to herself right then and there that she wouldn't let her selfish expectations get in the way of meeting the right guy as the afternoon stretched into the early evening.
Her heavy thoughts were interrupted by the porter from before, the sarcastic, loud one with the mohawk. She watched him as he pulled the wheelchair next to her bed, tenderly helping her out of bed and placing her in the chair. She looked up at his flirty, lascivious smile and noticed the shimmer of amusement in his gaze.
"What is it?" She couldn't help but ask as his fingertips grazed her bare legs. Goosebumps prickled on her skin as he winked at her. He was actually really good looking. . .
"Ill never get tired of picking up beautiful ladies like yourself. It's way better than most of the wrinkly prunes I have to deal with on a daily basis." She smiled at the compliment as he wheeled her out of the room. "They rescheduled your MRI, I hope you don't mind."
"No, not really." She stared at his face and he looked so familiar to her, but she couldn't remember how she knew him. It was the mohawk that triggered her memory as she gazed up at him with recognition and awe. He was one of the many guys she had turned down in the past, she was sure of it. Finn's words from before echoed in her mind and she remembered her own promise to herself as they approached the lab.
"You asked me out once, didn't you?" She asked plainly as the porter looked at her in shock.
"Yeah, I did, and five bucks says you don't even remember my name." She looked away from him sheepishly.
"I owe you five dollars then." He nodded grimly, his lips set in a firm line.
"Well fuck me, I should have bet more," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "It's Noah, but everyone calls me Puck."
"Well, it's nice to meet you, Puck. I'm sorry I never gave you a chance."
"It's okay, Princess, don't lose sleep over it, it was a long time ago." His blunt response made her feel oddly comforted as he wheeled her into the lab. "I'll be here when you get out, so don't move a muscle until I come back." Quinn couldn't help but smile at Puck as he helped her out of the chair.
"You better," she said, her voice taking on a teasing tone. "I still owe you five dollars, don't I? I hope I have the money in my wallet." She couldn't remember the last time she'd been so carefree and flirty with a guy. It was oddly liberating as Puck grinned at her.
"Oh Blondie, I can think of a few ways you can pay me back." He said, wiggling his eyebrows and actually making her blush. "If you're up for it."
"Don't make promises you can't keep then," she said, laughing at the look of shock on his face as she entered the lab and left him gaping at her in her wake. "I'll see you later," she said with a laugh as she walked away.
She should have stopped being a judgmental bitch ages ago.
Merci mille fois, mes amis!
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