Once they were inside the ambulance Rachel felt like she couldn't breathe, she was gasping for air as her tears fell in a heavy and steady stream down her cheeks. She was in shock and she couldn't break herself out of it. Her heart as racing and all she could was continue to hold onto Santana as if her life depended on it. Before too long her head was spinning and she rested her head on Santana's shoulder as the second paramedic took her vitals and tried to get her to focus on them and focus on her breathing but she couldn't look at them. She was staring them in the eye but not really seeing anything as the realization dawned on her.

They were it, everyone else they had been in that room with was gone and Tyler was no longer a free man. Everything was becoming far too much for Rachel and without a single word she slipped into the blackness that had been threatening to take her for ages now. In her state of unconsciousness she had slumped to the side a little only to be caught by the paramedic and her grip on Santana's hand loosened slightly but in her mind she was seeing and hearing it all over again and looking down the barrel of the gun as it was pointed straight at her.

Santana felt it when Rachel passed out. Her grip on her hand had slackened, her head on her shoulder and her weight against her side was heavier, and it panicked Santana to the point that she could no longer even attempt to control her tears. For several moments, until she saw Rachel's chest moving, she thought she had died too.

Yelping aloud as the girl went limp, Santana shook her, trying to support her, sobbing and choking until a female paramedic had to gently separate her from Rachel and concentrate on Santana alone. Guiding Santana to sit hunched over, head between her knees, she rubbed her back, softly instructing her on how to breathe until Santana could manage a little better on her own. When Santana had finally somewhat caught her breath, the ambulance was now in motion, and she was still crying, now holding Rachel's hand even as she whispered more to herself than to anyone else.

"Please, I want to talk to Brittany, I want to talk to my mami. Please, I want them, please…"

It doesn't occur to her she can take her cell phone and call them herself.

As they get to the hospital and she realizes that it is their intent that she and Rachel be separated to be more closely examined and questioned by police, Santana is set off all over again. Refusing to let go of her hand, she shakes her head vehemently, again crying, setting her feet beside Rachel's stretcher.

"No, no, no…"

Rachel could feel Santana's grip on her hand and a paramedic laying her down making sure she was warm enough as her body fought an internal struggle to get back to consciousness. She was still struggling to breathe and struggling to break through to the surface but it was getting closer and closer. When they reached the hospital and tried to separate them the medical staff all shared a look before Rachel's dads came racing in not caring that they had walked through doors they weren't meant to.

"Let them stay together, they need each other right now," Hiram said as Rachel blinked her eyes a little to try and wake up.

After a few minutes of struggling she opened her eyes and squeezed Santana's hand.

"Stay," she whispered.

She sounded terrified and disorientated but if there was one thing she knew, it was that she couldn't let Santana go now. She needed her even if they later came to realize they hated each other or didn't want to even know one another.

Santana would have had to have been forced to leave. She barely pays attention to Rachel's fathers, gripping Santana's hand hard as they are taken into a hospital room. This is one usually reserved for the victims of rape, which makes it a more private room, but Santana does not know this. She knows only that every second seems a blur of movement and motion, with the only thing in focus being Rachel and her hand in her own.

They have gone to the hospital where Santana's father works, and yet Santana doesn't register this either. She knows only that she wants her mother, she wants Brittany, and she doesn't want Rachel out of her sight.

She holds Rachel's hand, silent, and when the doctor comes to them, Santana's father is right behind him, paler and more upset than Santana has ever seen him in her life. Although he is normally not an affectionate man, and he and Santana have a somewhat distant relationship, given his busy schedule and his reserved ways, when he comes to her, saying her name in a slightly uneven tone, and reaches to gently touch her face, Santana breaks down in tears and throws herself at him. Her father's arms go around her, gingerly at first, then more firmly, and for the first time that she can remember in probably ten years, he holds her, lightly patting her back. All this time she still doesn't let go of Rachel's hand, crushing it against her father's arm.

When he releases her, handing her a paper towel that she crushes in her hand rather than using to clean herself up with, Dr. Lopez looks at her and tells her softly, "Mija, the police will question you and your friend here after you have been tended to medically. Your mother is on her way, she will be here with you. There…there are things I must handle, so I will not be able to stay, but…I am here, do you understand me, mija? If you…if you need me, I will ask for you, but the other children…"

He trails off, swallowing, and Santana understands the implications. Biting her lip, she asks, "Papi..are they…did anyone else live?"

She can tell by her father's shifting eyes and his lack of a response what the answer was.

Both LeRoy and Hiram had followed Santana and Rachel into the room hovering over their daughter and the fact that she looked so pale and unlike herself. They knew then and there that this was something they would be dealing with for years to come and that it would be hard to go through everything but they would do what they always did and they would manage. They would be the family unit they had promised to be when they decided that they had wanted to start a family of their own. Neither one of them noticed the doctors or Santana's father but they did keep a tight hold of Rachel's free hand and each other, both of them with tear streaked faces from when they had gotten their daughters text message.

Rachel on the other hand was struggling to keep herself awake. She still felt like she was going to be sick, but she was relieved to hear Santana's father speak, knowing that he was there for his daughter the same way her fathers were there for her brought her a new sense of relief. There was no such thing as complete relief though, as their entire world had changed...but when Santana asked about the others, her eyes flicked up to the doctors and watched his expression.

"How.. how could he?"

That day there was going to be families grieving over the loss of their children, no matter what they did wrong or whatever was going on in their lives there was nothing greater than the loss of a child. It was that news which made both LeRoy and Hiram thankful for the fact that both girls had run when they did and escaped a fate like the others.

Santana's father left the room after hugging her one more time, his hand lingering against her face, and Santana huddled against Rachel, still not acknowledging the presence of her fathers. When the doctor comes forward to retake their vitals, then mentions something about the bruises on their arms, asking if they had been grabbed or hit, Santana doesn't at first know what he's talking about until she looks down at her and Rachel's arms and sees what he is talking about, showing more clearly on Rachel's paler skin than her own. They had held each other so hard they were already bruising.

She doesn't answer. When they ask about pain, about whether they had been injured in any way, Santana can't respond. She is thinking instead about Robert, the blood over his chest, about the teacher and the way she could see his eyes change from living to dead even before he hit the ground, and she knew barely without time to do anything about it she was going to vomit. Releasing Rachel's hand at last and almost shoving the doctor out of the way, she ran blindly towards the sink in the back of the room, beginning to gag and choke over it, some of her hair hanging forward dangerously close to the mess. Eyes and nose streaming, she held onto its edge, trying and having great difficulty in forcing the mental images away.

Rachel's fathers mention the way they've been hanging onto each other and that's probably what was behind the bruising showing up on them both. She wasn't fully aware of anything though, the biggest thing she was aware of was Santana's body beside her own. The same body that had help protect her and keep her from screaming in the very beginning. She could see the blood draining from Robert's body, the way his eyes went from bright and full of life to dull and lifeless. She could hear the blood curdling screams of the skank at the front of the room, see the twitching of the monitor as he went down and in that moment she swore she was covered in blood and would never be able to wash her hands clean of it.

The moment she was somewhat snapped back to reality was when Santana let go of her and she immediately began to panic. Within seconds she was pulling things off of her and was at Santana's side, pulling her hair back and rubbing her back hoping that she knew she wasn't alone even when she felt so bad. She didn't speak, she didn't have to because everyone in that room knew that both girls were reliving it all.

Santana held onto the sink's edge, shaking, sobbing, and eventually let go, turning into Rachel and burying her face in her shoulder. She held her hard, not wanting to let go, even though she can hear the doctor speaking to her. It isn't until she hears another familiar voice calling out to her that she finally draws back and lets her mother, now present, take over.

She can hear that her mother is crying quietly as she takes her into her arms, stroking back her hair and holding her almost as though Santana is a child again, six instead of sixteen, rocking her back and forth and kissing her head repeatedly. But as much as she wants and needs her mother, as much as she wants to be held by her, Santana feels a sense of panic as well that her mother has managed to detach her from Rachel. Although she knows the other girl is right there, had in fact been holding her seconds ago, she still somehow just NEEDS her to still be there, to still be connected, and she sobs "Mami, Mami, Rachel- Rachel-" several times before her mother seems to understand.

Kissing her again, Maribel Lopez releases her enough to give her room to grasp for Rachel, and then guides her to sit on the hospital bed, taking Santana onto her lap and wrapping her arms around her waist like she's a young child. Santana lets her mom hold her, still holding Rachel's hand, until the doctor needs both her and Rachel to take off their clothing, which is spattered with minute flecks of Robert's blood, and gives them hospital gowns instead. She waits for him to examine Rachel's ribs and hers as well, and then is told the police will come in.

Hiram was at Rachel's side cradling her to his chest when Santana's mother had managed to break them apart. She clung to her father and cried into his chest, taking a small sense of comfort in the fact that he was there and he wasn't mad at her for anything in that moment. They were there and being supportive and that was all that mattered. The second she felt Santana's hand in her own again she held onto it tightly as if it were the only lifeline that she had to cling to. Santana was her safe place, she felt safe holding onto her and being separated made her feel like she was falling into a dark hole suffocating and struggling to make sense of anything.

Sitting on the edge of the bed with Hiram rubbing her back she kept her hand firmly in Santana's as silent tears fell down her cheeks. She hadn't noticed the blood on her clothing and was too numb to fully register that they were told to get changed. Hiram helped Rachel get undressed and gasped when he saw the dark bruises on her ribs but she didn't care about them. All she wanted was to lay down and hide away in Santana's arms again. Once they had both been examined she laid down on the bed, holding Santana's hand and trying not to close her eyes. She didn't want to see the images again but she knew no matter what they were burnt into her memory for good now.

"Don't let go," she whispered nervously.

Santana isn't about to. She lays down with Rachel, pressing her hip and shoulder to the other girl's, and grips her hand, closing her eyes. She is aware of her mother's hand stroking her hair and face and lets her, dimly noting that her mother is using a wet paper towel to wipe at her face and neck, trying to clean her up, or maybe cool her down. She does feel very hot, even though she still occasionally breaks out in shivers.

When the police come in, Santana doesn't even want to look at them, in case she has to see their guns. She doesn't want to talk to them, she doesn't want to have to think of any of this, and she says as much, her voice shrill, almost a yell, but nevertheless indicating her agitation.

"I don't want to talk about it, can't you leave us alone? Can't you tell what happened?"

Rachel held Santana close, unaware of her dads rubbing her back and trying their hardest to make her relax a little more. All she was able to do was hide against Santana, burying her head against her and closing her eyes. She felt a little safer there, a little happier to try and relax as she cuddled into Santana. Their past was entirely irrelevant, it didn't matter at all, all that mattered was that they had each other. She hadn't stopped crying, and as the police came in, they looked sympathetic, but Rachel didn't look at them.

All she was focusing on was Santana's grip on her and the sound of her voice trying to get rid of the police officers.

"We have to interview you both about the events of today and it's best to do it right now while it's fresh in your memory."

Rachel just laughed a dry and bitter laugh because she knew it was never going to fade, the memories were burnt into her memory.

"They're dead, he shot them, we ran." She mumbled, her voice was a mere echo of how it usually sound.

"Miss Berry, Miss Lopez, what we are trying to do here is gather enough evidence so that we can make sure the suspect in question will never be able to do anything like this again," the officer is saying, and Santana's head jerks up. Eyes wide, she starts to nearly yell, gesturing wildly with the hand now hooked through Rachel's.

"Evidence?! There are dead bodies all over the fucking place, there is fucking blood on us, there is a guy with a fucking gun with his fingerprints on it! He did it, we saw him, case closed, what more the fuck do you want us to say?!"

She closed her eyes, a sob erupting at the last word in spite of their harshness, and she turned to put her face against Rachel, a shudder rolling through her. She felt her mother's hands on her back then, heard her faintly, taking up her cause.

"The girls are in shock, Office. They've been through a terrible, horrible thing, and they are injured and upset. Can you please not let them have some time before you make them speak? My daughter was physically ill not twenty minutes ago! There are bruises all over her, and this nina here, she has broken ribs!" She gestured towards Rachel indignantly as she spoke.

Normally, Santana would not want her mother to make her sound weak or childish, and she would have snickered at her describing Rachel as a little girl. But now she hopes they listen.

Rachel couldn't form words to compile a coherent sentence, she was shaking and crying a little as she listened to Santana because that was it. That was the extent of it and it was awful. It was beyond awful and she had no idea why it had happened or even what changed within the room because everything was a blur or blood smeared across the floor and the sounds of shots being fired was all she could hear.

The moment Santana hid against her she held her tightly and pressed a kiss to the top of her head without giving it a second thought. In that moment she just needed Santana to be okay, she needed her to let it all out and to just be left alone by the officers.

LeRoy stepped in when Santana's mother didn't seem to be getting very far.

"I'm a lawyer and I'll be representing both girls and as they are minors we as their parents can say no to them be questioned so this is me saying no on their behalf. What they need right now is rest, support and to get their minds off of today as much as possible. As Mrs Lopez said my daughter has broken ribs and hers has some awful bruising, they are both tired and distraught. If you want evidence bag up their shirts and test the blood on them, you aren't speaking to them today."

Santana feels Rachel kiss her and burrows even closer to her, wrapping her arms even more tightly around her. In ordinary circumstances, Rachel Berry kissing her would have caused her to go off on a half panicked tirade, mocking her and accusing her of being gay, worried that someone would see and think something about her and Rachel being not only possibly friends, but TOGETHER- that SANTANA was gay. But right now, it seems unbelievable that she ever would have protested such a thing. She accepts the kiss and the comfort that Rachel's arms provides, and when she hears Rachel's fathers address the officers further, she stays still, waiting to see what will happen.

Not until the officers have left, again stating that they will have to speak with the girls soon and wishing them rest, does Santana finally look up. Maribel touches her shoulder, reaching to smooth back her hair as she talks to her softly.

"Mija, the doctors here have said that you can come home tonight, because you do not have any serious injuries. Papi will be home soon, he will be leaving as early as he can today, and he will be there. As soon as we can check you out we'll go home, carina."

But although she doesn't voice this, this isn't what Santana wants. She had wanted her mother, yes…but right now, her immediate thoughts are that when she goes home, she won't see Rachel. And what if Tyler somehow has escaped, and he knows where she lives? What if he comes to finish what he started?

A sharp gasp escapes her, and she knows she's trembling again. Her mother, not knowing, of course, what's upsetting her, leans to kiss her, rubbing her shoulder.

"Almost, mija. Soon."

The mere thought of being apart from Santana was terrifying, instinctively her grip tightened on her a little forgetting that her ribs were hurting too. She wanted to cry and beg for her not to leave her alone because the fear of Tyler hurting either of them so was too strong for her to handle alone and the images were too much for her to deal with alone but she didn't. She remained silent and tangled up with Santana as much as their bodies would allow.

"Your father and I will stay here with you tonight, sweetheart," Hiram said as she sat on the other side of Rache,l resting a hand on her hip, but it was then that she spoke up, choking out the words she had waiting on the tip of her tongue.

"Santana… I just.. need.. Santana."

She felt weak and pathetic for admitting that, but it was the truth. She needed the girl holding onto her and she needed the closeness that they had shared throughout the entire ordeal. She wasn't even sure how to cope without her holding onto her because it seemed to be what was holding her together.

Santana can hardly believe that Rachel just said what she did. Even though the girl had barely let go of her without being made to over the past few hours, even though Rachel had told her several times not to let go, she had somehow thought unconsciously that this was due to Rachel being kind, that the girl knew her own desire not to be parted. But now Rachel is practically begging her not to go…Rachel is saying she needs her.

And Santana needs Rachel. She knows that now like she knows her own name. She doesn't want to let go, she can't imagine even trying to sleep or move right now without her being there, holding onto her, keeping her somehow safe. Rachel Berry had saved her life today. If it wasn't for Rachel, grabbing her hand, pulling her out of the classroom and into the janitor closet, she would be dead now.

"Mami, I want to stay," she mumbled into Rachel, not looking back at her. "Please, please…please, I…I want to stay."

Maribel looked at the entwined girls, then at Rachel's fathers, biting her lip. Gently she reached out and petted her daughter's hair again, exhaling finally.

"Mija, you need to be sure you'll rest tonight," she said quietly. "The doctors will be prescribing you some medicine to help with that. I just don't want you and Rachel to be disturbing each other when you need to rest. You can stay here if you need, carina, just for tonight, and I will stay with you…but this is Rachel's room and Rachel is the one who needs to stay overnight, mija. You cannot be doing anything to get in the way, and if you are upset and upsetting her…you're going to have to leave and come home with me. Do you understand? You can stay, but only if it will keep you both feeling better tonight."

Rachel managed to crack a small smile as the older woman spoke. She knew that they would both struggle to sleep but she didn't care, the only thing that she was certain of was that she needed Santana there to ensure both of them were safe and sound.

"Thank you," she whispered to their parents before hiding against Santana once more.

They didn't understand how much it meant to her to have Santana be able to stay there with her, it was something that gave her a sense of comfort and happiness that she had been aching for.

88

As the day drags on, their parents make sure that the TV is never on, knowing that news channels will be all that will be playing, showing coverage of the shooting. Santana doesn't talk very much; she doesn't have the energy to. She remains always close to Rachel, keeping contact with her in some way at almost all times. When Rachel's dinner is brought up to her, Santana's mother brings her a tray from the cafeteria, which she doesn't touch. She can't imagine eating tonight. It's not even eight pm before she lays down, somewhat cramped, as the bed was not made for two, with Rachel, closing her eyes as she tries to lose herself in sleep. She threads her arm through Rachel's, pressing her shoulder into hers, and it occurs to her that ironically enough, one thing that would really comfort her now is hearing Rachel sing.

Rachel doesn't eat, she physically can't force herself to eat and the simple smell of food makes her feel ill. What she did do was take a sip of water before nestling back into Santana and closing her eyes. The only thing she needed was Santana and to feel better again instead of feeling so trapped in her own mind and replaying the events of the day. Without realizing it she began humming a tune in her head which had always been one to make her happy and lift her back up whenever she was down. Would it work? She didn't know but she sure hoped it did.

Santana's lips curve into a faint smile, the first and only of the day. She keeps her eyes closed, listening to Rachel's soft hum, and lays her head against the girl's shoulder, her ear close to her mouth. She tries to match her breathing to Rachel's, and listening to her, she is able after several minutes to drift into a light sleep.