Sam looked at his watch wondering where Mercedes was. It was quarter after 12 and she said she would be there by 12. She wasn't picking up her phone and Sam had a gut feeling something was wrong. Finn looked over to him.

"What's wrong man?"

Sam sighed. "Mercedes was supposed to be up here almost a half hour ago, i got a bad feeling man I think something is wrong. I know it. She would have called me or pick up but her phone keeps going to voicemail."

Finn nodded. "Ok well lets go see if she is still at your place."

Sam nodded grabbing his keys and running out the door. With Finn in the passenger side he made it to his place in 8 minutes. Ignoring all traffic signals. Running to the front door his heart stopped as he noticed the door off the hinges.

"Finn call 911 get the police and an ambulance here now!"

Sam walked slowly in the apartment. "Merce? Merce are you here?" He walked towards the kitchen and saw her bleeding out out the floor. Sam fell to his knees pulling her to him and holding her wound.

"Mercedes, Mercedes can you hear me? Please baby tell em you are alright. FINN! FINN SHE IS HURT YOU GOTTA HELP ME."

Tears fell from Sam's eyes and Finn ran over to him. He was still on the phone. "They said they will be here in ten minutes man."

"No! Thats not good enough."

Sam picked her up in his arms. "Grab the towel of the counter and come on. You sit in the back with her and put pressure on her wound I am getting he to the hospital."

Sam stopped in his tracks. "Oh God, She's not breathing."

Sam ran right up to the hospital entrance with Mercedes in his arms and Finn following after him. "I need some help here. Somebody please I think she's dying."

Someone walked towards him with a gurney and placed Mercedes on it.

"What's her name?"

"Mercedes…Mercedes Jones. help her please. Please."

The nurse tried to move the gurney but Sam was hovered over Mercedes with tears in his eyes. She sighed looking at him. "Sir I'm sorry but I am gonna need you to step back."

Sam stepped back and allowed them to take her away as he and Finn tried to follow them. He couldn't wrap his head around what happened. Mercedes was his life he couldn't lose her.

It had been almost 7 hours since Sam had brought her in and they still had no update on her condition. How she was. He had been question by the police. Sam was sure Brad attacked her. He had no doubt in his mind. He was growing restless and Finn was having a hard time calming him down when Santana and Mike walked into the hospital. They still had their bags so Sam was sure they had just come from the airport He had called them as soon as got to the hospital. Santana rushed over to him.

"What happened how is she?"

"I don't know they won't tell me anything. I thin- i think Brad got to her. When Finn and I got to the apartment she was on the ground….."

Sam fell out into the chair he was still trying to process everything that had happened. Mike glanced at Sam's blood stained clothes and dug into his bag for a pair of sweats..

"Here you might want to change, you are covered in dried up blood."

Sam nodded taking the sweats. "Thanks."

Mike Sat next to him. "Ok now take a breath are you sure Brad attacked her?"

"He came to me a few weeks ago asking me to help him find her. I turned him down. He must have followed me and saw her."

Sam stood up realizing that this whole mess was his fault, if he would have been more vigilant. He grew angry as his stupidity and punched the wall. Finn grabbed him and pulled him down to the seat.

"Its my fault. He got to her because of me."

Sam began to cry and Santana sighed. "I am still confused as to what went down."

Finn cleared his throat."When Sam and I walked into the apartment she was covered in blood and the knife was just sitting next to her. We got her here as soon as we could."

"wait what?"

"Yeah I guess he stabbed her. But like I said Sam and I got her here. he carried her to his car and he ran her in here he's a hero."

Sam shook his head. "Not if I was too late this is all my fault."

Mike ran his hands over his hair..

"Sam did you know Brad would find her?"

"No we we keep a low profile and she rarely went out."

"Did you do all you could to save her?"

"I did or at least I thought I did..."

"Then it's not your fault. You should go get changed."

Sam shook his head. "No not until after I find out she is ok."

"You shouldn't be sitting around here with blood covered clothes on Sam."

"I am looking for the family for one Mercedes Jones?"

They turned to see a short Hispanic doctor with salt and pepper hair. They stood and walked over to him. Sam moved closer to the doctor.

"That's us. Is she ok? Please tell me she is ok."

"She had lost a lot of blood by the time you brought here here. She went into cardiac arrest on the table."

Santana shook her head. "Wait what?"

Sam sat down and placed his hands over his head as Mike moved closer to the doctor.

"What does that mean is she ok? Is she dead? You can't just say something like that without clarifying it.."

The doctor held up his hands.

"Please. I am Doctor Rodriguez I worked on her. Its like I said she went into cardiac arrest on the table. Her body was in shock due to the blood loss and the trauma. She has bruising along her neck indication someone choked her. Her fifth and sixth ribs are broke. Whoever did this did a number on her. We were able to get her to regain consciousness and her strength does seem to be coming back. But she is not out of the woods yet. The stab wound nicked her lung so we had to repair it. She is up in ICU at the moment, we need to keep a close eye on her and run a few more tests. I will keep you guys posted."

Sam stood slowly. "Can we see her please?"

Doctor Rodriguez nodded. "One at a time."

Santana looked at Sam.

"you go first ok. we will follow."

He looked at her.

"You sure?"

She nodded. "Yeah. You might wanna pull yourself together first."

Sam looked down to his clothes. "Yeah well how about you go first so I can change then."

Santana gave him a small smile as she followed the doctor. Sam walked into the men's room and glanced at himself in the mirror. His shirt and slacks were covered in blood. He pulled off the shirt replacing it with Mike's sweat shirt and then replaced the sweats and washed his hands and face. He took a few breathes trying to pull himself together.

Sam walked into Mercedes ICU room looking over to her as she slept. The doctors said that it was good that she was resting. She needed her strength. Sam walked over to her and took her hand. He kissed it gently then let it go as he turned his attention to some files Rachel brought him. He refused to leave the hospital until he talked to Mercedes and found out she was ok. And then he would only leave if she begged him too.

An hour later Sam was deep in thought when he felt Mercedes stir. He placed the file down looking over to her and smiled when her eyes opened. Sam leaned up closer to her and it seems a weight was lifted.

"Hi beautiful."

Mercedes smiled slightly looking at Sam. "We gotta stop meeting like this."

Sam chuckled. "I agree. No more getting hurt missy, you scared the hell out of me."

Mercedes frowned. "How did he find me Sam?""

Sam sighed angrily. "So it was Brad who attacked you?"

She nodded. "They broke in, wanted to, he tried to kill me." She closed her eyes. "How did I get here?"

"Finn and I found you. I knew something was wrong when you didn't meet me for lunch. He was gone when we got there. I should have been there, I should have protected you better."

Mercedes tried to move but was in too much pain, so instead she just took his hand in hers. "Sam you did everything you could do to keep me safe. This wasn't your fault. Sam I love you, stop blaming yourself please."

"Where is she? They said she was in here!"

Mercedes rolled her eyes as the voice carried down the hall from her room. She looked at Sam.

"How did she find me?"

The door flew open and Mercedes rolled her eyes and gripped Sam's hand tighter as they were face to face with her Mother, and Brad. Sam went to go after Brad but Mercedes held his hand tighter.

"Sam don't please."

Sam glanced at her trying to push his anger down and stay calm for Mercedes but he wasn't making any promises. She hit the nurse's call button as Santana and Mike walked in the room.

"Oh Hell NO! What the hell is he doing here?"

Mercedes sighed. "That's what I want to know, you come to finish the job?"

"Brad smirked. "I came to see my wife."

"We are divorced Brad and don't think I don't remember you attacking me."

Her mother stood up. "Mercedes you need to stop telling lies. Bradly was with me the entire time they said you were attacked. We really did come to see how you are doing."

This time Mercedes managed to sit up. "Why the hell are you lying for him. He attacked me, stabbed me and left me for dea! What kind of monster do you have to be to be defending him like this?"

I am not the monster you claim me to be and neither is Brad. I see the new crowd you run with has poisoned you against your family."

"Get out. Get the hell out of my room."

The nurse walked in and Mercedes turned towards her. "Get security I want that woman thrown out of here and that man arrested. he attacked me."

Brad moved closer to the bed as the Nurse walked out the room.

"Merce I know you are bitter but lying isn't a good look on you." He winked at her and Sam couldn't take it anymore. He shoved Brad all the way to the back wall placing his forearm in Brad's neck. Mercedes mother moved towards them but Santana blocked her.

"No the hell you won't interfer they got some unfinished business."

Sam stared at Brad angrily as he gasped for breath.

"You thought you could come into my home and attack the woman I love? And I wasn't gonna make you pay?"

Santana smiled. "Yeah and when he is done with your ass you know I am next!"

Sam pushed against Brad tighter. Mercedes yelled for him to stop as the Nurse returned back in with security. Mike pulled Sam away from Brad. Sam shrugged Mike off of him. "You come near her again and I swear to God I will kill you with my bare hands!"

Mercedes just sat in utter silence again watching everyone fight her battles. Her mother and Brad were escorted out and Santana was on a rant. Mercedes realized in that moment she needed to learn how to defend herself.