Disenchanted
Ok sorry for the lack of updates however real life hasn't been fun for me as of late. First there was a slight case of writers block (or was it ADD?) and then there was a little accident that happened to me the other day. I was lucky that I just got a few bruises but I'm still a bit shaken and well considering the way the last chapter ended I was a bit shaky on updating but like they say the show must go on and so I am sucking it up and updating. Also this may be my last update as I may take a month long fanfic writing hiatus while I do NaNoWriMo I haven't decided if I want to do it this year yet or not…..anyway still don't own GLEE…
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The sound of Artie singing that 'Spin Doctors' song still rang in her ear as her Epiphany overtook her. She was going to tell Artie that she loved him before the day was done and nothing was going to stop her….
"ARTIE NO," she screamed at the top of her lungs before watching as the car hit an all too familiar figure moments before her legs gave out and she fainted.
…well nothing but that.
"Tina, Tina, can you hear me?" Mike's voice rang out as her eyes popped open.
"M-mike," she began reverting back to her stutter, "w-what happened?"
Mike's eyes drifted to the far end of the parking lot where the ambulance had since came to transport Artie to the hospital. Swallowing the lump that formed in his throat the 'other Asian' seemed to of formulated a stutter of his own.
"I-I don't know how to tell you this," he began, trying to take calm breaths between his words, "b-but there was an accident."
"A-artie?"
All Mike could do was nod as he watched a tear stream down Tina's cheek causing her mascara to run. Reaching out he began to gently stroke her red streaked hair.
"H-he's going to be alright T," Mike said, "h-he's going to be alright."
Rocking back and fourth, tears falling down her cheek Tina nodded putting all her trust in her friend as the other members of glee club slowly began to trickle out of the school.
"Tina?" Kurt said kneeling on the girls other side, "what happened to cause your runny raccoon eyes."
"Not to sound insensitive," Santana said, "but you look like someone died."
"A-artie," was all she could mumble through her continuous tears.
"Artie's not dead," Brit said reassuringly, "he was just here….where is he?"
"Karofsky," Mike said as Finn looked across the parking lot to now see the jock pacing back and fourth, a panicked expression on his face.
Finn didn't stay to hear what Mike said next and neither did Puck. The two jocks liked Artie, he was their friend and teammate and no Hockey Neanderthal was going to mess with him.
"What the hell did you do?" Finn asked as he approached the jock with a pissed off glint in his eyes.
The jock, looking all to shaken up in his own right just looked at the two boys.
"It was an accident," he said trying to be manly and not cry however not really succeeding in that, "I never meant to hit him….who knew texting and driving was really as bad as they say it is on the news…."
"What did you do to Abrams?" Puck asked still not satisfied with what the jock was saying as he tried with all his might to refrain from sucker punching him…. For Artie.
Karofsky let out a breath.
"I was pulling out of my parking space, answering a text from my mom…."
He paused.
"and then it all just happened so fast, I saw Abrams and I tried to swerve out of the way but I couldn't and I hit him and god if he winds up in a wheelchair again or worse I'll never forgive myself…I mean I may be a bully sometime…most of the time actually but I do have a soul."
Finn and Puck looked from the jock, to one another, to back across the parking lot where Tina, still crying was being comforted by the rest of the members of New Directions.
They said no more as they made their way back to the group to explain Karofsky's story to his friends.
They sat in silence for a long time before the simple notion of going to the hospital to physically check on Artie was brought up.
"I don't know," Rachel said, sounding all to confident between her tears, "wouldn't the eleven of us, well twelve if you count Mr. Schue be a bit to overwhelming."
"And besides," Santana said, "my dad's a doctor and I know that they let only two people in the room at a time and the waiting areas are a living hell."
"But I want to see Artie," Brit said resting her head on the Latina's shoulder.
"I know you do," Santana replied as she slipped off her friend's signature cheerio ponytail and began to brush her hair with her fingers
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After much deliberating it was decided against the gleeks showing up right away to go to the hospital as Artie probably would be going through tests and resting most of the time and so the following morning Tina, who had spent the night at Kurt's seeing as how her parents were still away on business picked up her phone and dialed Mrs. Abrams's cell number.
"Hello," the older woman said.
"H-hi, Mrs. Abrams, its Tina."
"Tina…."
Her voice sounded drained and teary which caused the young girl to go into panic mode.
"I-is Artie alright."
"If you mean is he alive, yes, however with everything that has happened to him in the past few months the doctors want to keep him for a few tests."
Tina didn't need to ask what kind of tests as she instantly knew that it had to do with his mobility.
"if you want you can come over after school to see him."
"it it's alright Mrs. Abrams, I'd like to skip school and come over once visiting hours begin."
"That would be fine too sweetie."
Tina hung up the phone as Kurt entered the room already impeccably dressed to start his day.
"So, what's the prognosis," he asked as he took a seat beside her.
"god you watch too much Grays Anatomy."
Kurt rolled his eyes.
"Anyway Artie is alive thank god."
"That's good news, what about….you know."
Tina nodded.
"I don't know, his mother didn't say much about that just that the doctors wanted to run more tests."
Now it was Kurt's turn to nod while Tina teared up.
"It was all supposed to be perfect Kurt, I was going to tell Artie I loved him, he hopefully would of told me he felt the same way, regardless we would of fine tuned out duet and kicked Vocal Adrenalin's ass at Regionals."
Kurt just nodded.
"I may not be the most spiritual person in the world T, but I do believe everything happens for a reason and that things will work out."
She smiled at her friend's blatant optimism before getting up off the Hummel's couch and digging in her overnight bag for a clean outfit.
"In the meantime," she said, "I'm going to ditch school and head to the hospital to see him, you want to come with me."
Kurt just nodded.
"I'll make breakfast, and don't say no because you need to eat, it's the most important meal of the day and besides Hospital food either comes from a vending machine or tastes like cardboard."
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It appeared that Kurt and Tina weren't the only two members of New Directions who had the same idea as Puck was sitting in the waiting room with Artie's mom.
"Mercedes is in with Artie," Puck said as he began to explain how he was going to ditch school anyway so why not be productive and go with his girl to be with their teammate.
Kurt just nodded while Tina tossed her arms around Mrs. Abrams.
"I'm so happy you're here," the older woman said through her tears.
Tina hoped the older woman had something that she could tell her now that they were face to face however the older woman repeated the facts that the only thing that was a hundred percent was that Artie was alive.
In that moment Mercedes walked out of the room with Artie's dad and smiled at Tina before letting Puck wrap his arms around her like a shield.
"Tina," Mr. Abrams said, "Do you want to be alone with him."
She nodded as she entered the room and took a seat by his sleeping body.
It didn't look as bad as she thought as she looked at her dearest friend lying in a hospital bed. There was nothing hooked up to him except for an IV and while he had a few cuts, scrapes, and bruises there were no casts in sight in fact she would of bet if it weren't for his previous conditions he would be resting peacefully in his own bed, lying on an icepack and having a marathon viewing of one of those epic saga film series that he loved so much.
"Artie," she softly said not stuttering for once as she reached to take his hand, silently holding it for a moment before she softly began to sing:
You know the words once upon a time
Makes you listen
There's a reason
And when you dream there's a chance you'll find
A little laughter
Or happy ever after
Your harmony to the melody
It's echoing inside my head
A single voice
Above the noise
And it's like a common thread
You're singing to me
When I hear my favorite song
I know we belong
Coz you are the music in me
It's living in all of us
It's here because
You are the music in me…..
She felt Artie's hand begin to move as he opened his eyes, a smile crossing his chapped lips.
"I thought I was the only one with a closeted liking of Disney Channel music."
Tina let out a laugh as she shook her head.
"I guess that's one more reason why we're meant to….." she paused mid sentence.
"Meant to….go on."
Artie watched as Tina nervously swallowed.
"I know things have been complicated."
"Complicated, now that's a bit on an understatement now isn't it?"
"Well what other word can your genius mind come up with to describe things. Your suddenly able to walk again like magic with no physical indication that you'd ever even been paralyzed just as I was starting to go out with Mike. Then, you became the 'hot' new guy gaining instant popularity and a cheerio girlfriend. "
"I guess complicated is a good adjective to describe things, anyway T I sense there is more to this complexity then you are letting on…."
Letting out a sigh she thought that it was oh so scary how well Artie knew her.
"Yesterday, before Karofsky hit you, I was about to tell you something."
Artie's thoughts while clouded thought back to after he and Mike sang and the girl pulling the young Asian boy aside to talk.
He didn't stop to ask what, he was just waiting for her to hit him when he was down and tell him of how she asked Mike to officially become her boyfriend or something like that.
"I've done a lot of thinking Artie and I finally realized…."
She paused.
"Spit it out T," he declared as she thought of the old adage of actions speaking louder then words.
Leaning over she gently placed a kiss on his cheek.
"Artie, it's you…it's always been you….I love you."
"I love you too T," he managed to choke out as his mom and one of the doctors entered the room signaling for Tina to leave.
"I'll be right outside," the girl said causing Artie to smile
Meanwhile on the other end of the hospital a woman shrouded in Purple made her way toward the reception desk.
"Can I help you," a young nurse asked.
"Hello," the woman said, "can you tell me where Artie Abrams's room is?"
TBC
I wanted to do more of the accident/hospital stuff but like I mentioned before I am still in shock from a few days ago and didn't want memories to resurface. I hope this chapter was good all things considered and didn't feel rushed or disappointing… also song used was You Are The Music In Me from the movie High School Musical 2