Chapter 4: Sam I Am

Rachel and Quinn walk arm in arm into Physics class with Mike behind them. Rachel likes this class. Mr. Moser is an oddball, but nice. They slide into their seats and Rachel chuckles. There's a small packet of tissues in her spot. Mr. Moser doesn't say anything or even look at her, but she knows he put them there. She'd had a nosebleed last class and hadn't had any tissues on hand. Apparently this is how her teacher is addressing the issue. It's nice, but not necessary. Not only does she now have her own pack of tissues in her bag, but Holly stations herself nearby and has instructed the entire Glee club to text her if anything happens. So next time she gets a nosebleed or something, Holly can come help out.

She wonders how many classes she'll be missing this year. She's already missed a bunch and it's still September. She's trying to be okay with letting herself stay home or go home early when she needs to, but it's hard. She's also trying to stay positive. Or at least act positive. She's noticed the looks on her friend's faces whenever she leaves early or comes late. If she's also upset, it makes them more upset. If she's nonchalant about it, or can even make a joke about it, they relax a little. It works that way with all of her symptoms, actually. The calmer she is about attacks, dizziness, and the like, the calmer her loved ones are as they help her through them.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After class they walk down the hall talking, amused by the ridiculous answer a classmate had given. They cross paths with Noah, who snakes an arm around Rachel's waist as they walk. Quinn and Mike head off to their next class while Noah keeps walking with Rachel. She sees Finn up ahead and grins, hoping to get in a little time with him before class. He's talking to some blonde boy she doesn't recognize.

"Hey, dude."

Finn turns and smiles. "Hey, Puck. Rach."

The blonde guy's eyes rove over Rachel curiously. "Hi."

She smiles back politely. "Hello."

Noah releases Rachel and Finn takes over, wrapping an arm around her. The boy looks confused. They only get as far as trading names when the bell rings. Sam and Noah nod their goodbyes and head off. Rachel looks up at Finn with a smile. She's pretty sure she doesn't even have to say what her intentions are. She's quite sure he can read them off her face. Her grin widens when he proves her right.

"I think we're the only couple that won't get in trouble for being late to class because we wanted to make out a little." He says, grinning down at her.

"Especially since my next class is gym." Rachel adds.

She doesn't exactly have gym class anymore. She goes, but mostly sits and does homework. She doesn't participate. She hasn't had a real gym class since last year when she had a severe attack during one. Coach Beiste seems afraid to let her do anything even remotely strenuous. Her exercise these days is once a week when she works out with Sue. The couple slips into the auditorium. Finn pulls Rachel onto his lap and they enjoy several minutes of making out. Rachel doesn't even mind when Finn slips his hand under her shirt, but she's glad he keeps his hand on her back. She's not quite ready for more than that just yet. The skin contact is nice, though.

"Ahem." The loud clearing of a throat breaks them apart. Sue Sylvester is glaring down at them with her arms folded.

Finn's eyes go wide, but Rachel is trying not to smirk. She knows Sue better than the other kids do and she can tell that the woman is more amused than annoyed. She wonders if she'll cave in and let them go or if she'll try to get them in trouble. Rachel's not sure which she'd prefer. On the one hand, she does not want to be in trouble. On the other hand, she's kind of tired of being treated with kid gloves. Everyone, especially teachers, tend to walk on eggshells around her. Sue's eyes take in their position and appearance in silence. She looks away. When she looks back at them, Rachel's amusement evaporates. And for good reason.

"Follow me, you two."

Meekly, they follow her to her office. Sue picks up her phone. "We'll start with your mother, Franken-teen."

Finn's leg bounces anxiously. Rachel has no idea just how much trouble they'll actually be in now.

"Hi, Carole. It's Sue Sylvester. Yes. I was just letting you know that your son was caught skipping class to make out with his girlfriend. Uh huh. Yes, ma'am. We can dish out a school consequence, or we can leave it up to you to deal with. Of course. Here he is."

Hesitantly, Finn takes the phone. "Mom?" His eyes jump to hers. "Uh…yeah. I did. Yes." His leg stops bouncing. "Well, yeah, Mom. Of course! No, no, I wouldn't." He rolls his eyes. "Mooom." He groans, but then his eyes widen and his posture straightens. "No! No, I didn't…I'm sorry. Okay. I understand." He listens a minute longer, then hangs up. He takes Rachel's hand in his, but doesn't look at her. A muscle in his cheek twitches.

Rachel waits anxiously as Sue calls her own mother. This is a new experience for her. She's never had a bad phone call to a parent before!

"Hi, Shelby. No, she's fine. She and her boyfriend are sitting with me now. You see, I caught them skipping class. Yes. They were in the auditorium, making out. Yes." Curiously, Sue looks down at her desk and appears to be trying to keep a blank face.

Xxx

Miles away, Shelby Corcoran is in her office laughing her ass off. This was not a call she expected to get, but one she finds she doesn't mind. A normal call about her daughter from her high school. Normal teenage trouble. It beats the hell out of the calls she usually gets. When she's able to calm down and pull herself back together, she asks to speak to her daughter. She knows she needs to be firm, but it's going to take all of her acting skills.

Xxx

Rachel takes the phone nervously. She has absolutely no idea how her mother is going to react to this. "Mom?"

"Skipping class?"

Rachel shrinks in her seat at the sharpness in her mother's tone. "Yes."

"To make out with your boyfriend."

"Yes. I'm sorry."

"Rachel, you already miss a lot of class time. Choosing to miss more of it when it's not necessary is not responsible of you. I send you to school to learn, not to make out with your boyfriend."

Rachel bites her lip. Her mom is right and she knows it. "I know. I'm sorry. I'll make up the work I missed!"

"Oh, you most definitely will, young lady."

Rachel listens to her mom promise that they'll talk more about it at home, then hangs up. Sue is looking sternly at both of them.

"It seems the two of you can't be trusted alone. You will need some sort of chaperone from here on out. Other friends or Holly or myself."

Their eyes widen, imagining Sue following them around all day. Not fun. Rachel tries to come to their defense.

"It was my idea. I didn't get to spend much time with Finn outside of school this past week and I miss him. I just had gym class." She pauses, realizing she'd promised her mother she'd make up any missed work from class. It was gym class, which she doesn't participate in. She doesn't have any work to make up. Then again, Finn will. She mentally changes her promise to helping her boyfriend make up his missed classwork. "I know Finn had Science, but I'll help him with the work he missed."

"He'll still probably end up with detention for skipping class."

"We weren't going to skip, just go a few minutes late." Finn insists.

"Won't I get detention, too? Since I technically skipped class as well?" Rachel asks hesitantly. Again, she's not sure what answer she wants.

Sue gives her an odd look. "Maybe. It'll be up to your teacher."

Xxxxxxx

In the end, they were both given lunch detention. However, it is overseen by Sue and the time is used for Rachel to help Finn with his missed classwork. As they walked out, Rachel apologized to Finn.

"Sorry. So much for not getting in trouble."

"Are you kidding? I got to make out with my girl, then spend a quiet lunch just me and her, and get one on one help with my classwork. It worked out pretty well for me." He gives her an easy grin.

Xxxxxx

Holly drove her home. The woman appeared torn between being amused and annoyed. "It looks like I'm going to have to follow you around even more closely, Bright Stuff."

Her mother talked to her through dinner about not skipping class, even gym. She also lectured her on responsibility and making good choices. Rachel stayed quiet and didn't argue. She's sure she could turn on the waterworks and express her feelings about not getting much time with her boyfriend (because she's sick) and her mom would probably cave and stop lecturing. However, she decides not to. Sick or not, she still chose to make out with her boyfriend instead of go to class like she was supposed to. She'll accept the consequences of her choice. When dinner is over her mom sends her off to bed early. She falls asleep quickly.

The sound of her mother laughing on the phone with Carole Hudson never reaches her sleeping ears.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Rachel is sitting in the cafeteria with her friends. She is glad Sophomores and Juniors have overlapping lunches this year so she can spend more time with Tina and Artie. She's surprised when the blonde boy she'd met the day before walks up to their table.

"Hey, Sam." Mike greets him with a fist bump.

"Hey."

They all scoot to make room for the newcomer. Rachel ends up squeezed tight between Finn and Noah, not that she minds. Finn goes around and introduces everyone to Sam.

"Why didn't you come to auditions?" Mercedes questions. "The guys said you're good."

"I don't know, I just…..I've never sung in front of people before."

Artie tries to be sympathetic. "It can be uncomfortable, but you get used to it. I—"

"I'm sorry, I just can't get over how big your mouth is!" Santana interrupts.

Chortles go around the table as Quinn slaps Santana's arm and tells her to be nice. Rachel grabs her drink only to realize it's empty.

"Crap." She mutters.

The boys on either side of her look over. "I'll go get you another." Finn says, immediately getting up.

"Thanks, Finn."

"Until then," Noah slides his own water bottle over to her, "I swear I'm not sick."

It makes her realize that she hasn't gotten sick in a while. Not even a cold. Probably because over the summer she was really only around her family and the same group of friends. Not as much germ exposure as during the school year. She smiles at him.

"Thanks, Noah." She takes a sip.

Sam shakes his head in bewilderment. "Okay, I'm sorry, but I have to ask. Rachel, which one of them are you dating?"

The group bursts out laughing.

"Me!" Mike says, leaning across the table to kiss her cheek. The group laughs harder.

"Uh, no, she's dating me!" Santana claims, and leans across Noah to kiss Rachel right on the mouth.

Mercedes and Tina are laughing so hard they're crying. Sam is laughing as well, but is shaking his head again.

"No, seriously. Who are you dating?"

Kurt rests his chin on his hand. "Why, are you interested in dating her?"

Sam's mouth opens slightly and he blushes a little as his eyes drift to Quinn before going back to Rachel. Rachel grins, hoping it works out for her friend. "Uh, I…I mean, Rachel you're very pretty—"

"More like smoking hot." Noah interrupts. Rachel rolls her eyes.

Sam nods his agreement. "Right. But, no. No offense."

She smiles at him. "None taken."

"No offense about what?" Finn asks, returning with a new water bottle.

"Saying he's not interested in dating Rachel." Tina says, grinning.

Finn frowns. "What?"

Rachel wraps her arm around his as he retakes his seat. "Sam was wondering who I'm dating. You or Noah."

"And?"

"I haven't actually had a chance to say anything. Everyone else has chimed in insisting they're each dating me."

Finn laughs. "Of course they did." He turns to Sam. "She's my girl. So hands off." He mock glares.

Sam raises his hands up innocently.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sam ended up agreeing to join Glee and they now have 12 members. He also joined just in time for their annual duet assignment. Kurt had insisted that Sam is gay, but Rachel had her doubts. Kurt may be gay, but Rachel grew up with two gay dads. Her gay-dar has always been better than Kurt's, not that he likes to admit it. Plus she keeps seeing him glance at Quinn with more-than-friendly looks.

She and Finn practiced singing on Tuesday. They were confident they'd win the dinner to Breaksticks. On Wednesday, something not unexpected but a little unusual happened. She got dizzy. That wasn't unusual. The unusual part was that the dizziness was enough to knock her out. She'd felt a little odd in class, but brushed it off as fatigue. She was walking down the hall with Finn and Brittany when the world spun. Used to this, she stopped walking and leaned more heavily on Finn's arm. He stopped walking and held her. Brittany stopped as well, stepping closer. The spinning didn't stop. Rachel pressed her head against Finn's arm and focused on taking deep breaths. When she started teetering more, Brittany grabbed her arms.

"Rachel?" She couldn't respond. The world spun faster until darkness started creeping into the edges of her vision. "Rachel?" Her boyfriend's voice sounded like it had an echo. Then everything went black.

She woke up about an hour later in the comfortable chair in Sue's office. Sue and Holly were sitting a few feet away talking. She felt sluggish. She slowly pushed herself into a sitting position. Holly and Sue hurried over to help her. Once she was sitting up properly, she thought back to what had happened.

"I just…fainted?"

"Yeah, mini-Streisand. You did." Sue confirmed. "Can you tell us what was happening? How you felt just before?"

"Dizzy."

"Just dizzy?"

"Yeah. I'd felt a little odd in class, but just figured I was tired."

The two women nod slowly. "How are you feeling now?"

She knows better than to downplay her symptoms. "Like crap."

The women blink in surprise at her blunt honesty. Sue snorts and shakes her head. Holly smiles sadly.

"Thanks for being honest. But can you be a little more specific?"

"I feel heavy. And tired."

"Are you dizzy at all?"

"Not right now."

"I'm taking you home, Bright Stuff. Your school day is over."

"I figured as much." Rachel admits. Then she sighs despondently. "One class."

The two blonde women look at her sympathetically.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sam Evans is confused. He knows he's not the brightest tool in the…..wait, no…sharpest crayon in….? He shakes his head. He's not super smart and reading is hard because he's dyslexic. It's not uncommon for him to be confused. But he feels like he's missing something big; he just doesn't know what. He's in Glee rehearsal and everyone else is a little more…..morose than usual. Quieter. Except Santana, who is snappish and bitchier than usual. Finn looks downright glum. But no one is saying why and he doesn't feel like he knows them well enough to ask. Mr. Schuester comes in looking less chipper than usual and gets them started on their duets. That's when Sam realizes something.

"Where's Rachel?"

The others look at each other, seeming surprised. Artie scoffs and shakes his head. "Seriously? No one thought to tell him? Dang, y'all."

"What? Tell me what?"

Kurt looks up from his phone. "Rachel went home early."

No one adds anything else. She doesn't come to school at all on Thursday. Finn tells Sam that Rachel had a doctor's appointment so her mom was letting her stay home all day.

Lucky girl.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

On Friday, Sam walks into the cafeteria and decides to sit with the Glee kids. Rachel is sitting on Finn's lap and smiling, listening to Tina tell a story. He notices that she's not eating anything. He realizes that he hadn't seen her at all that morning, but brushes it off as not being any of his business. He likes these people and enjoys spending time with them. He's really glad he joined Glee. When lunch ends Finn helps Rachel stand. It makes Sam pause. It could have just been a polite gesture, but it seemed more than that. Something about it…before he can continue his train of thought, Mercedes grabs Rachel's arm and they walk off to class together.

In Glee, he's one of the first to arrive. He watches Rachel walk in while talking to Kurt. Kurt is listening intently and has an arm around her waist, holding her close as they walk. Sam frowns. Now that he thinks about it, he's not sure he's ever seen Rachel on her own. And almost every time he sees her, someone is either touching her or holding her. Even teachers! Once he saw her walking down the hall and holding onto Mr. Schuester's arm. Another time Coach Sylvester had a hand on her back as they walked. Sometimes people grab her without any warning. They'll be next to her, then they'll be holding her hand or arm or even hugging her. It's odd. And Rachel never says anything about it. In fact, she's usually silent when that happens, keeping her face down or turned away. He wondered if she wasn't happy with it but didn't want to say anything to them. If that's the case, she should speak up. They'll listen. He had noticed right away that the other kids seem to defer to her. They watch her closely. They listen when she talks. More so than with anyone else. At first he'd just figured that she's respected as the female lead. He still thinks that's true, but now he's also thinking everyone has a soft spot for her. He's just not sure why. She and Finn sing their duet while sitting on stools. She really does have an incredible voice. They all do and he's honored to be amongst them. During football practice the other day, Mike admitted that Glee is his favorite class mostly because he just likes listening to his friends sing. Sam gets it. While he enjoys singing by himself, and he really loves singing with all of them and hearing their voices blend together, it really is awesome to just sit back and listen to the others sing.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The following week, the teachers have an in-service day. Students get the day off. Kurt enjoyed getting to sleep in on a weekday. The original plan was just to lounge around the house. By 11 he was bored and texting his friends. A few agreed to meet up at the mall. Rachel actually said she was up to going as well. Kurt sent her a side text to make sure she's actually up for going out and not just saying it because she's tired of feeling left out. He was glad she'd opened up to him, telling him about how she was feeling emotionally. He'd picked up on a bit of it himself. She could hide a lot from the others, but not from him. He knows her too well. Still, he was he was proud of her and happy she opened up to him voluntarily, confirming his suspicions and letting him comfort her. Her responding message was a bit exasperated, but understanding. She truly does feel up to going out. The group meeting up at the mall ended up being Kurt, Rachel, Finn, Quinn, Puck, Mercedes, Brittany, and Mike. Holly Holliday drove Rachel, then wandered off, stating that she'd be walking around the mall. They just had to call or text her if they needed anything. And she reminded Rachel to let her know when she's ready to go. Not when the group as a whole is ready, but when she is ready. Even if it's in 15 minutes. The blonde woman also had Rachel's portable oxygen tank with her. Rachel had frowned, but nodded.

The eight friends meandered through the mall, going into various stores, talking, and joking around. Kurt loved that the group flowed seamlessly; they were all so different, and yet still found a way to get along. He honestly doubts they'd be as good friends if the events of their freshman year hadn't happened. He bets that if they'd all met sophomore year, they wouldn't be as close. Plus, he'd never say it to Rachel, but her illness brought them closer. There have been a times when a few got angry with each other, but a reminder of what Rachel's going through, and that she needs them, has been enough to make them cool off and work through whatever pissed them off. Like when Quinn accused Santana of getting a boob job over the summer. She hadn't; she'd just had a growth spurt. Santana had been offended at first and the others had thought they'd have an actual cat fight. Once they both cooled down, Santana had been able to see the humor of it. When arguments and "almost fights" pop up, they work as a group to resolve them. Then, they either keep it from Rachel or downplay it when telling her about it. At first, Kurt had worried that they were being hypocrites; expecting Rachel to be completely honest with them, when they're not telling her everything about themselves. He talked it over with Blaine, since he's their friend but just far enough removed to be able to see things from the "outside". Blaine pointed out that while it may be a tad hypocritical, Rachel has enough stress and worry on her plate. She doesn't need any added anxiety from normal teenage drama.

Kurt turns to look behind him, realizing that Finn and Rachel have begun lagging behind. They're talking quietly and walking slowly behind the group. Kurt narrows his eyes. When Rachel's eyes meet his, she smiles.

"We're gonna go get a drink from the food court." Code for "I need to rest". Kurt is well aware of this. He also knows they chose the food court because its a reasonable excuse, not far from where they are now, and there's ample seating. He smiles back and nods.

"Actually, I could go for lunch." Mike chimes in.

A few others agree. They find a group of tables close together to fit them all and set their stuff down. Since Finn already knows what Rachel wants, he kisses her, and heads off to get it, asking her to hold their tables for them. Kurt sits next to her as everyone else splits up to get their food.

"I'm proud of you, Rachel."

She looks confused. "Why?"

He smiles softly at her. "You admitted to yourself and to us that you needed to rest. Even if you didn't use those exact words, it was obvious enough."

His sister sighs. "I was hoping no one would make a big deal of it. And I'm not surprised that Finn left me sitting here to go get food. Or that you're staying behind to keep me company."

"Well, in my defense, you are fabulous company." Rachel laughs. "Not as fabulous as me, but then again, who is?" She laughs harder.

The eight enjoy a nice lunch, having fun comparing the food to the cafeteria food at McKinley. Rachel drank a smoothie and ate most of a soft pretzel. It wasn't much, but she'd told them all how Holly had made them both a big (late) breakfast of eggs that morning.

"Are we ready to keep shopping?" Quinn asks.

Inevitably, everyone ends up looking at Rachel. She chuckles, knowing the question was mostly for her sake. "I'm ready. There are still a few shops we didn't get to."

They're wandering past a shoe store when a dog hurries up to Rachel, halting her. Kurt goes to pet it when he notices it's wearing a service animal harness. He pauses and looks around confused while his friends coo at the adorable golden retriever. The dog starts pawing at Rachel's leg and whining.

"Wha-"

A man hurries up to them, looking awkward. "I'm sorry. That's Daisy, she won't hurt you. Young lady is there any chance you have epilepsy? Do you get seizures?"

Rachel's jaw drops. "Uh…"

Kurt's eyes widen. "Rachel—"

Rachel sighs and kneels down. "I don't get seizures, but I do get something similar. The doctors call them 'attacks'. They're very painful."

Kurt kneels next to her. Finn kneels behind her. The rest of their friends gather around, curious and concerned. Quinn pulls out her phone and quietly says she'll send a text to Holly, just in case. Rachel pets Daisy's head while the dog continues to whimper. She looks up at Kurt.

"I never imagined tha-"

She cuts off with a gasp, hands going to her chest. Having expected it, Finn is already pulling her back against his chest, holding her steady. Curiously, the dog lays on Rachel's legs and rests her head on Rachel's stomach. The owner watches nervously.

"Is it okay that she does that? She does this for me during seizures, but if this isn't a seizure, I don't want her actions to hurt your friend."

"I don't think it'll hurt her at all. She has a hard time breathing during these, so as long as the dog doesn't lay on her chest, it's fine." Kurt explains, watching closely.

Quinn, Brittany, Mercedes, Mike, and Puck do what they can to quietly send away curious onlookers. Finn talks to Rachel quietly, reminding her to breathe. Thankfully, this seems to just be a moderate. Kurt holds one of Rachel's hands. A security guard in a uniform as wrinkled as his face comes over.

"What's going on?" He's giving Puck a suspicious look.

"Our friend is having a medical emergency. It'll pass soon, it's fine." Mercedes tells him.

Finn looks up at them. "It's not passing yet. How long has it been?"

Kurt's stomach sinks. Sure enough, it's been at least two minutes and Rachel is still clearly in pain. Her face is pale and in a tight grimace, her hands are still clenched, and she's still taking short, labored breaths. He leans closer and whispers "Are you getting enough air?"

Her response is just to squeeze his hand harder. He's not sure what it means, but focuses on making sure she keeps breathing. The dog, Daisy, keeps her eyes up on Rachel.

"Do I need to call an ambulance?" The security guard asks, wary.

"No. If one needs to be called, we know when and we'll take care of it." Mike tells him.

"Is an adult here with you kids?" The dog owner asks quietly.

"Yeah. Rachel's…..nurse….is in the mall. We sent a text, so she should be here soon."

Just as Rachel releases her tight grasp of Kurt's hand, Daisy leans up and starts licking Rachel's face. She laughs, but because of the attack, and how long it lasted, it's a breathless laugh. Finn grins and kisses Rachel's temple. She's smiling, but Kurt can't help but see how utterly exhausted she is.

Rachel pets the dogs head and looks up at the owner. "Thanks."

It's breathy and weak, but clearly heard. The guy looks solemn. "You're welcome. Do you get those a lot?"

"More and…..more often. I'm…..stage 3."

The guy's frown deepens. Before he can ask anything else, Ms. Holliday hurries up to them, pony tail swinging.

"Hey, girlfriend." She kneels next to her and pulls the small portable oxygen tank out of her bag. Kurt helps her put it on Rachel correctly. "So, the service dog was right, huh?"

The kids nod. The guy kneels by them and pets Daisy, telling her she's a good girl. "My dog Daisy is trained to sense my seizures and help me. She lets me know if one is about to happen so I can lay down. Then she stays with me and comforts me during and after. Kind of like she is now."

Ms. H watches Rachel petting Daisy and smiles. "We'll have to let your mom know that a service dog was able to sense your attack."

Rachel smiles wryly. "I always….wanted a dog."

Holly frowns. "This was a moderate, right?"

"Yeah, but it lasted more than 3 minutes." Quinn tells her.

"Alright, Bright Stuff. I think it's time we get you home."

Rachel raises an eyebrow. "Do I have…..to move?"

"Uh, no. I'm here. Even if I wasn't, Puck and Mike are. Even if they weren't, the girls and Kurt would figure something out." Finn points out.

Kurt feels mildly offended. "I could lift her."

"Lift, sure, but carry?"

Kurt closes his mouth. Probably not. Ms. H is shaking hands with the guy.

"Any chance you could share any information you have about service dogs with me? Her mother might want to look into it further."

"Yeah, sure. I don't have it on me, but if you give me your email address, I can email it to you later today."

"Great, thanks!"

From the look on the guys face, Kurt is pretty sure he'd offer Ms. Holliday his kidney if she asked for it. They trade information. Mike lifts Rachel from Finn's arms.

"Dude!"

"It was easier this way. Plus, it means I get to carry her for once." Mike says with a big smile.

Everyone else smiles. Brittany slings the oxygen tank bag over her shoulder and walks close to Mike. Rachel has been much calmer through and after moderate attacks lately. He's noticed. They all have. It's like now that she knows what to expect, and accepts how bad it will be, she can handle it better. Calmer. It doesn't mean she's not still exhausted afterwards. Especially this time. Three minutes. Her arms are around Mike's neck and her head is against his shoulder, eyes shut. He's not sure if they're closed because of how tired she is or if she just doesn't want to see people staring at her. Not that he can blame them. At first glance, it's just a teenage boy carrying a teenage girl. Cute. A closer look shows the oxygen tank, the tube going from Rachel to the tank Brittany carries. By the time they're in the parking lot, she's asleep.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Shelby wasn't surprised to come home to an empty house. She's earlier than usual and she knew Rachel (and Holly) had gone to the mall with her friends. It was, however, a little unsettling. She's no longer used to coming home, alone, to an empty house. She doesn't like it. Since it was a professional development day she was able to dress down, so she doesn't have to bother changing into comfortable clothes. She's going through the pantry, trying to decide what to make for dinner when she hears the front door open. She smiles. Tension she hadn't even realized she was holding releases from her.

It only takes a second for her to realize that she didn't hear her daughter call out a greeting like she's gotten used to. Instead, she hears multiple feet shuffling towards the living room and quiet murmuring. Heart thumping, she hurries towards them. She knows she really shouldn't be surprised by the sight that greets her. Finn is laying Rachel on the couch. She already has a nasal cannula on. Holly is switching it over to the house tank, which is bigger. Shelby goes over and starts taking off Rachel's shoes while Finn gets a blanket to lay over her.

"Please tell me it was a moderate."

Holly looks up at her. "It was. But…"

Holly and Finn trade looks. It makes Shelby's stomach clench. "What? What's going on?"

"It lasted for over three minutes." Finn says quietly, eyes on his girlfriend's face.

Three minutes. Three minutes of severe pain. Shelby carefully sits on the edge of the couch and runs her fingers through Rachel's hair.

"Anything else?"

There's a pause and she has to force herself to pull her eyes away from her daughter. Finn and Holly are having a silent conversation, but they're also smiling.

"One other thing, but it can wait. I think Rachel wanted to tell you about it herself." Holly tells her.

Shelby thanks them both and Holly drives Finn home. Finn had offered to carry Rachel up to bed, but it's still early. She'll let Rachel sleep, then give her dinner whenever she wakes up. Hopefully by then she'll be up to walking up the stairs. If not, she can call Burt. Or she can let Rachel spend the night on the couch and she will sleep in the recliner. Rachel ended up sleeping for over three hours. Her waking up was slow and groggy.

Shelby sat next to her, pulled her into a sitting position, and let her cuddle into her side while she tried to reorient. "You awake?"

"Yeah."

"How're you feeling?"

"Tired."

That's to be expected. "Anything else?"

"Headache."

Shelby kisses her head. "Okay. I'll grab you some Tylenol."

By the time Shelby returns with the medicine and a glass of water, Rachel is fully awake and texting her friends. "So how was the mall?"

Rachel shrugs. "It was fun." She frowns and looks around. "I guess someone has my bags."

"They'll give it to you tomorrow, I'm sure. What'd you get?"

"A CD, a phone case, and a shirt."

"So….Holly and Finn brought you home."

"I figured. Well, Finn or Mike." Rachel notices the look on her face and elaborates. "Finn held me through the attack, but afterwards Mike carried me out of the mall. Finn wasn't thrilled about it. They were still arguing about boyfriend duties versus friend duties when I fell asleep."

Shelby chuckles. She really loves the New Directions. They're great kids. "They mentioned that something else happened, but wouldn't tell me what. They seemed to think you would want to tell me about it."

Her daughter smiles at her. "Yeah, something odd happened."

"Oh?" She's smiling so it's a good thing, right?

"A dog came up to me in the mall."

Shelby frowns. "A dog? Inside the mall?"

"Yeah. A service dog." Shelby stills. Before her mind can fully make the connection, Rachel continues. "It started pawing at me and whining. The owner came up and asked me if I get seizures because the dog was signaling the start of one."

Shelby's pretty sure her face is showing the shock she feels. A service dog sensed her attack? "This was right before the attack?"

Rachel nods enthusiastically. "Yes! As soon as I understood what it meant, I knelt down. Within a minute the attack started."

The implications are eye opening. "A service dog was able to sense your attack. Can they sense all attacks?"

"I don't know, but I'm curious."

"Me too. We'll have to look into this some more. Did the dog do anything else besides help prepare you?"

"Daisy, the dog, laid across my lap and rested her head on my stomach through the attack. When it ended she licked my face."

Shelby smiles. Well this is certainly an interesting development.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sam is confused again. These days most of his confusion revolves around Glee club. Especially two particular girls. Quinn and her beauty and popularity. Rachel and her talent and…..he doesn't know how to describe it. Her hold on the other members? Their attentiveness to her? There's definite mystery surrounding her. Quinn is less of a mystery. Except for figuring out how to date her. They won the duet competition and enjoyed dinner at Breadsticks, but he needs to keep his momentum going. He wants Quinn to be his girl. His thoughts are distracted by Rachel's arrival to the choir room. Once again she is walking with another member. Mercedes, today. More confusing is when they get up to dance, Rachel chooses not to. No one else bats an eye. Sam keeps glancing at her while dancing. She sits and watches, making the occasional comment to her teammates. In the second run through, Mr. Schuester sits next to her and they talk while watching them dance. The next day she dances. She also stops suddenly and leans to the side, clearly off balance. Santana, the closet to her, quickly slips an arm around her.

"Uh, what just happened?" Sam asks her after no one says anything about it or even really reacts.

Rachel looks over at him, with Santana still holding her, and grins slightly. "I got dizzy. It passed."

And practice goes on. No other mention of it, nothing else odd happens. It stayed in Sam's mind, tickling his brain with a quiet "have you figured it out yet?". There are days that he doesn't see Rachel in the morning, but he does in the afternoon. There are days that he does see her in the morning, but not in the afternoon. There are days she doesn't come to school at all. He tried asking the others about why she doesn't consistently come to school. They'd changed the subject and avoided eye contact, so he didn't ask again. Some days a pretty blonde lady, whose name he has learned is Ms. Holliday, joins them in the choir room. He doesn't know who she is or why she's there, but she always talks to Rachel when she comes.

He'll figure it out one day.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx