Mercedes awoke in Sam's arms. He always knew how to make her feel safe and content even if it was just by holding her close. She checked the clock and sighed seeing how it was quarter to four already. She had to be at work at six. She turned and snuggled close to Sam. They had gotten closer in the last few weeks. Sam kept asking her to move in with him but she wasn't sure she could. Even though she spent practically lived with him anyways. She did love Sam and she really could see a future with him. But what she was afraid of was the fact that she could lose Sam, that and she had the feeling that she was betraying Finn. He meant the world to her, and yet here she was in bed with another man. A man who wasn't him.
She couldn't help but feel like he was angry with her for finding another love. And in another Universe she wouldn't even know who Sam was, or would she and would she betray a living Finn? All these questions did nothing but add to the fear of actually making a life with Sam. She sighed rolling over about to get out of bed, stirring in his sleep Sam reached up after her and pulled her back to him.
"Come back to bed, you are so warm."
"Sam I have to get ready for work."
"Can't you play hookie today?"
Mercedes allowed him to pull her back and squealed when he pinned her to the bed. "Sam you know I can't play hookie, we are understaffed as it is."
"But its not fair."
Sam pouted as he bent down to kiss her neck. "I guess I just have to make the most of you being here right now."
Mercedes giggled and slightly moaned as Sam continued his assault on her body, moving from neck to her breast.
"You know if you stayed, I can promise to make it worth your while. I promise nothing but serving and satisfying all day long."
"Sam I swear you are such a tease, you need to stop making it so hard for me to leave. I might have to go back to my place to get some actual rest."
Sam stopped his movements and moved from on top of her. She frowned. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, I am just gonna let you get home and ready for work."
"Sam."
"Why won't you move in Mercedes? We live together anyways. I just don't understand. I mean you said you forgave me, that you loved me so come on already."
"Sam I just need more time."
"How much more time? A week? Month? Year?"
Mercedes reached for his arm but he pulled away moving out of the bed. "I am trying to be patient Mercedes but having you here and then there it just makes me feel like I am in this alone. Is it the Quinn of it all?"
"No Sam it has nothing to do with her, its me okay? I just don't know right now."
"Oh, okay then. You know maybe you should head to your place tonight, you know since you have it and all. I would hate to have you waste your money on a place you don't need."
He walked out the room heading downstairs. Mercedes sat up shaking her head trying to get him to come back. "Sam. Sam? SAM!"
Mercedes leaned back on the bed trying not to cry. She hated hurting him but if she wasn't ready there was no point in doing it. Moving in was a huge deal she just wish he understood that."
Mercedes arrived at work trying to put everything that happened that morning behind her. She went to find Sam but he had shut himself up in his home office refusing to talk to her. She couldn't blame him, it was her fault for not making up her mind on what she wanted to do. She sighed heavily walking to the front desk.
"Tina how has it been so far?"
Tina looked up and sighed. "Umm mostly quiet. We did have a mother and stepfather bring in her two daughters. They are in with Dr. Chang now if you want to check on them. I was going to after I checked on Santana's patients. What a great time for her to take Brittany and run away."
"Is Kurt still up in Peds?"
"Yeah and Kelly is out with the flu so its just you and me here other than the newbies."
Mercedes nodded. "Well then let me go check on the girls."
Mercedes walked away glancing at her phone. She closed her eyes after dialing Sam's number praying he would pick up.
"Hello."
"Sam hey, I just I made it to work and i wanted to tell you that I am sorry. Can we just meet for lunch?"
"Look Mercedes I just think maybe you not wanting to move in is a sign that this isn't going to work out after all. I have been patient I have done everything you ask and still you give me nothing."
"Nothing? Sam I just I want to be sure."
"You have been living with me for over a month and yet you still aren't sure?"
"Sam please lets just go to lunch, around 11."
"I am sorry, I have to meet Quinn at the doctors. You can come get your stuff Mercedes and we can talk about it some other time."
Sam hung up the phone before Mercedes could respond. She felt her eyes water but pushed away her own feelings, she had a job to do. Sighing she placed her phone into her pocket and wiped her eyes before walking into the room and glancing at Mike and two very emotional adults. "Ah Nurse Jones. Please come in. I was hoping to see you. I need you to stay with the girls while I talk to their parents, is that okay? Sandy just has a few scrapes and bruises she should be fine."
"Yeah sure, not a problem."
Mike lead the parents out the room but stopped at Mercedes. "The girls aren't talking. Tina and I have noticed how withdrawn and sketchy the girls are, if you can get them to talk please try."
Mercedes nodded. She had seen it before, kids with superficial bruising but real issues. Mike left the room and Mercedes walked over to the bed. The girls moved closer together and she smiled sweetly.
"Hi guys I am Mercedes."
The oldest who looked to be about 12 glanced at her as if she was sizing her up. "Where did our parents go?"
"They just went to talk to Dr. Chang. Are you okay? I see you are a little banged up."
"I fell off my bike."
"Ouch, I have done that. What happened?"
The little girl hesitated for a moment before glancing back at Mercedes. "It hurt to ride it and I fell."
"It hurt?"
She nodded and Mercedes got the hint. She moved closer to the girl.
"I know you're scared but if you tell me what happened I know we can help you."
The little girl looked at Mercedes. "How…he said no one can help us…if I say anything he is gonna he's gonna get us."
Sandy glanced at her. "Sarah be quiet."
Mercedes sighed bending down. "Sandy I won't let him hurt you, he wont ok you girls are safe here I promise. Who is he?"
Sandy looked at her little sister and sighed. "Martin...our step father. He…"
The little girls voice trailed off and her eyes began to water. Mercedes took her hand.
"Sweetie its okay just take your time."
The girl looked ot her sister again then back to Mercedes.
"He bothers me, I try to keep him away from Sarah but he started watching her and that is how it started with me. He said mom wouldn't believe us. That she would blame us."
Mercedes nodded grabbing each of the girls hand. "I am going to make sure we stop him okay?"
"Where are my daughters…I get the message they are here? What did that son of a bitch do to them?"
Sarah ran behind Mackenzie and her older sister hugged her. "That's daddy if he finds out he will kill him. Mercedes went to the door pulling out her phone.
"Kurt hey where are you? Oh that is perfect I am in room 12 I need you to get Dr. Anderson and another Ped's nurse, a female...maybe Megan. Come here now please."
She hung up looking out the window. She noticed the girls mom and stepdad were standing next to Mike and a taller man. A few minutes later Kurt walked into the room with the Peds nurse Megan. Mercedes moved closer to them and lowered her tone. "Kurt Megan thanks for coming in here. I need you to stay with the girls and I need you to get a rape kit ready for the oldest. I need to let Mike and their mother know what is going on. Can you call Matt down at the precinct? Have him meet me here?"
"Yeah I can do that."
Mercedes turned towards the girls. "I will be right back. I am going to get your mom and make sure your stepfather doesn't come near you. These are my friends, they will take care of you while I am out there."
Mercedes gently closed the door behind her as she walked out into the hall. She walked up and stood besides Mike as the girl's father started talking.
"Where are my girls? I KNOW THIS BASTARD DID SOMETHING TO THEM."
"Jerome please just stop. Sandy fell off her bike Martin had nothing to do with it."
"I have seen the difference in the girls Keri! I know there is something going on."
Mercedes held up her hands. "Guys this is a hospital, I think maybe we should go into the conference room and talk about this."
"This?" The father asked. Mercede sighed as he glanced at Martin. "Look at the bastard he's guilty as hell."
Everyone turned towards Martin and he backed away slowly. Keri glanced at him and shook her head, "No I mean you wouldn't you love those girls like your ow."
"i do love them and this is just ridiculous. You have no proof of these accusations."
Mercedes held her hands up in protest to calm everyone down.
"Please lets leave the hall and talk, we can figure all this out."
Mackenzie moved towards the door but the father shook his head.
"I am not leaving without those girls. I will not let my girls go home with him. I swear you are not touching them again."
"Keri you don't believe this nonsense do you?"
"I need to talk to the girls…Nurse are they still in their room?"
Mercedes sighed. "Mrs. Myers, you don't need to ask them because Sandy told me what happened."
Four pair of eyes stared at Mercedes as one of the security guards made his way to them. "Guys this is a hospital and I am going ot have to ask you guys to go somewhere."
Jeremy shook his head. "No! TELL ME WHAT THAT BASTARD DID!"
Mercedes cleared her throat. She knew the only way to get them to move was to tell them the truth.
"Sandy said she fell from the bike because it hurt to ride it. Her stepfather has been abusing her and she was afraid he was going to start hurting Sarah."
Martin glanced at Mercedes and shook his head.
"That is a lie. She is lying."
Mercedes shook her head. "Its the truth, I just got one talking to them.
"You bitch!" He shoved the security guard grabbing his gun and pointed it at Mercedes.
"I want my daughters…I will kill you before I let you keep them from me."
Jerome moved closer to him and Martin turned the guy to Jerome. "Don't you move."
"They are not your daughters you sick son of a bitch."
Mercedes held her hands up and moved between they guys. "Look this is not the way to settle things. Please. Lets just all calm down. Think about what you are doing? Do you really want your girls to see you like this?"
"I made a mistake don't take them from me please, I love them I do and I know they love me."
"But you don't want to do this. If you shoot us you will never see them again. Do you want to take that chance?"
"If I can't have them no one can."
Keri shook her head wiping her eyes. "What is wrong with you Martin? Why are you acting like this?"
Jerome laughed running his hands through his hair. "Because he is a psycho I told you not to let him move in with you and those girls."
Mercedes held her hand up.
"I know you made a mistake but is this worth it?"
"I just wanna say sorry. I won't do it again."
Jerome moved closer to Martin. "Those girls are my babies and you hurt them I have every right to rip you apart. And if you didn't have that gun I would rip you limb from limb. But right now those girls need me now more than ever and you won't ever hurt them again. Gun or no gun, you are not going to be near them again."
Mercedes moved closer to Martin with every intention of trying to stop the man in front of her, but it was at the moment she realized she had a gun pointed at her. She froze in her steps wanting to talk but not being able to. She swallowed hard and all she saw was that day in the school. She saw Finn trying to talk Jacob down. Mercedes was broguht out of her thoughts as she realized she had to stop this man who was steadily becoming unstable.
"I know that you are scared but sir this is not the way. You need to think about those girls, you need to think about what you are doing."
"I know what I am doing. You are going to go into that room and get me the girls."
Mercedes shook her head. "No, I'm not. You are not going to hurt them again."
He clicked the gun and it was at the moment, Mercedes realized that the hall had been cleared and Matt was standing behind him. Mercedes cleared her throat trying to think on what she could say to this man. To this distraught man who sees his whole life falling apart.
"Look I can't pretend to understand how you are feeling. But this is not the way. You need to put the gun down and let us all sort out the truth. Sort out what really happened."
Jeremy ended his silence slamming his fist into his hand.
"We know what happened this son of a bitch raped my little girl and I am not gonna let him touch her again."
Jeremy lunged at Martin and they both fell to the ground as the gun went off. Artie and the security guard took the distraction of the gun going off to separate the two men and kick the gun away. Mike glanced over at Mercedes and noticed her standing in fear as she watched the scene unfold. He walked over to her and that is when he noticed her holding her side. She moved her hand away and Mike grabbed her noticing the blood.
"Oh my God, Mercedes."
