A/N: This one is short, but I didn't feel any other perspective was needed. I tried something different, hope you recognize it, understand it, and like it. Please review and thank you to those who continually do so: Shananigan, Alex B. Goode, olacindy, croque, and the guest. Thank you so much. Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters. Glee belongs to FOX and its creators.

Ch. 10

Long lashes fluttered and hazel orbs flickered around the room. Santana sighed and brought herself into focus of the panicking eyes. "Q calm." She settled her hand on her friends shoulder and began to stroke it softly. Quinn visibly relaxed under Santana's gentle touch. Looking over Santana nudged Brittany awake, "Britt, go get the doctor." Brittany nodded and left but not before kissing Quinn's forehead.

Santana saw Quinn's hand raise towards her mouth, so she reached out and stopped the thin pale digits from touching the tube protruding from Quinn's mouth. "Don't touch that, you need it."

Question marks swirled in the hazel staring back at her. "You're back on the respirator Quinn. I don't really understand a lot of what the doctor said, but I'll give you the cliff notes version. Your lungs were still too weak. Your left one collapsed from the strain of sitting in the wheelchair and because of some fluid that had made its way there. They fixed your lung and put in a chest tube." Hazel eyes darted down, left then right, then back to the left. "It's on the left side. It'll be there another day or so. So will your respirator. It's helping your lungs heal. It's not like the one you were on when you first got to the hospital. This one, it give you air when you initiate your own breathing. It's like a crutch for your lungs I guess. So yeah no talking for awhile so don't try."

Despite her words there was fear in Quinn's gorgeous eyes. They flickered around the room again. They darkened not with lust but despair and defeat.

"Hey, hey, don't be like that Q. You are going to be fine. It's just a minor setback."

The eyes shot back to her, you can't know that, screamed through them.

Santana shook her head, "No giving up now."

The eyes dropped why not?

"Seriously Q, you have so much to look forward too, Yale and Beth being the best. I know it's hard."

Hazel rolled in a circle and looked away You know nothing, leave me.

Santana shook her head and squeezed the hand in her palms. "No, no you don't get to do that, you don't get to push me away, any of us away. You have no, no idea what…" Her voice creaked. The eyes shot back to her San?

"You don't know Quinn. I know your hurt and scared but so are we. We love you Quinn, so much. More than you allow yourself to believe. And and…" This time it was her hand being squeezed. Santana looked back to the hazel, Keep going Sanny, I'm listening, I'm here, they calmly urged her.

"It was horrible. One minute you were talking to us and the next you were limp in Puck's arms not breathing, for fuck's sake Quinn you weren't breathing. It was terrifying I thought we'd lost you again. They rushed you past us to the OR with no word. We sat in those damn plastic chairs for hours again, waiting for the doctor to come out and tell us we weren't lucky this time. That you were gone. That life had finally beaten you." Santana was sobbing now. Tears slid from her deep brown oceans down her cheeks and splashed on their joined hands. The emotions were too much. "You're my best friend Quinn. I…I can't…what would I do without you?"

A squeeze was her reply and request to look up into the eyes she'd been having a conversation with. They were lighter this time, glassy, brimming with love and friendship, you won't have to ever find out, I'm not going anywhere.

"But I nearly lost you twice. We all did. Puck is such a mess Quinn, and your mother, you don't know how truly loved you are. I know life keeps pushing you, sucker punching you time after time, but you have to stay strong, flick fate or life or whomever is messing with you a bird, two in fact an win. Please, please…" she pulled Quinn's hand up and kissed the soft porcelain skin where it meets her own caramel, "don't scare us like that again. Fight and stay with us."

Hazel flickered with gold and green, bright and alive, healthy with a promise, Never again, I'll always be here. I love you.

"I love you too."

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