BY VERY DEFINITION
19. The Hospital Part Two: Grace
When Parker returned to the waiting room she sat down next to Mercedes. Kurt leaned across her and tapped Parker on the knee.
"Where were you?" He asked quietly. Parker just shrugged, routinely checking her eyes for tears. Something about Whitney really got to her, when she had watched the sick little girl walk away she felt like someone was trying to pull her heart right out of her chest. She sat there, brooding, for a long time.
The hours crept by, the members of the Glee Club became more restless with each tick of the clock. Puck, Finn, Mark, and Matt started a poker game, Brittany and Santana were texting on their cell phones, Artie and Tina were talking quietly, Rachel had pulled out a book, while Kurt, Parker, and Mercedes all continued to sit in silence, staring at the clock. Every now and then Mr. Schuester would move from his seat to go talk to Rhonda, who was in and out of Quinn's room all the time. Nurses periodically rotated around the room, sometimes going into rooms, sometimes just passing by.
Night fell, they had been there for twelve hours, and the baby was still showing now signs of coming out.
"Are we sure that's she's actually in labor?" Santana asked around one in the morning.
"Yes." Rhonda assured her calmly, "The doctor days she just need a few more centimeters, and then the baby will be able to come out."
"I have a tattoo." Brittany said suddenly, everyone ignored her.
It was eight-o-clock in the morning, most of the people sitting in the waiting room were sipping coffee or eating a vending machine breakfast. They weren't very well rested, though most everyone was able to sleep a few hours at some point during the night. It wasn't yet eight thirty when Rhonda dashed out of Quinn's room, looking startled, and they heard Quinn's anguished screams coming from inside the room.
"Doctor!" Rhonda called urgently. A doctor and two nurses ran down the hallway and disappeared with Rhonda into the labor room. Everyone in the waiting room leaned forward, all poker games and conversations were ceased. After a minute the door flung open and the two nurses wheeled Quinn out with the doctor shouting orders at them. Rhonda followed behind them, but she turned to look at everyone. "Puck!" She called, ushering the high-schooler forward. Puck took off after them and held Quinn's hand as they continued to wheel her away.
"And Parker!" Quinn called in between her deep, heaving breaths. Parker sat in shock for a moment before Mercedes pushed her forward. Parker went quickly to Rhonda's side and they jogged behind the others to the delivery room. Once there, Puck, Parker, and Rhonda were all handed green hospital smocks. Parker was holding one of Quinn's hands and Puck was holding the other, both muttering encouragement, not knowing what else to do. Rhonda, on the other hand, stood behind Parker with both of her hands braced on her foster daughter's shoulders. When Rhonda had first planned on being a mother she learned many birthing techniques in her quest to become pregnant. Now she used her expertise to coach Quinn through the painful delivery.
Not too long after that, Parker slowly walked back to the Waiting Room. She had taken off her Hospital smock and her Cheerio Uniform was, once again, visible. As soon as she walked into the room everyone was on their feet, asking her questions about the baby.
"Everyone calm down." Mr. Schue ordered, "Parker, would you care to update us?"
"The baby is perfectly healthy. 5 pounds, 6 ounces. Quinn is fine, too. They're taking her into recovery right now. They'll be up and about in no time." Parker answered tiredly. Everyone sighed, a few people exchanged high fives. Kurt let out a breath of relief then stopped, taking a long hard look at his exhausted little friend.
"Someone needs a coffee." He insisted, reaching through the crowd and taking Parker's wrist.
"I'm fine." Parker argued halfheartedly as she let Kurt drag her through the hospital's hallways.
"Parker, you've been up all night. Plus you just saw someone give birth for what I assume is the first time. Babies aren't too cute when they first come out."
"Cute enough." Parker muttered.
"Come on. There's a coffee machine down by this other waiting room. They're so lucky, all our waiting room has is a soup machine. A soup machine! Can you believe it?" Kurt huffed, offended.
"Nope." Parker agreed dazedly, not entirely listening. He toted her to the another waiting room and marched her right up to the coffee machine.
"What do you want?" Kurt asked. He looked over at her when she didn't reply. In truth, Parker wasn't listening. Her gaze was fixed on a young couple on the other side of the waiting room, something about them was eerily familiar, though she couldn't quite place it. As she watched them a Doctor emerged from a hallway and the couple stood up and walked over to him expectantly, the mother dragging a small brown-haired girl by the hand. The Doctor spoke privately to them, keeping his voice hushed. After a moment of explanation the woman dropped her daughter's hand and collapsed into her husband. He wrapped his arms around her and pat her back soothingly, though she saw him fighting tears.
The little girl tugged on her mother's shirt, saying, "Mama? Mama, what's wrong?" The mother was too busy crying to answer her. When the little girl looked up at her father he merely shook his head and looked meaningfully at the doctor. The Doctor knelt next to the girl and put a hand on her tiny shoulder, speaking to her in the same hushed tone as before. The little girl's eyes welled up and she shook her head, backing away from the Doctor. "Liar!" She shouted, causing everyone in the waiting room (including Kurt) to glance at them, then most people respected their privacy and looked away.
"Stop it, Grace." Her father said sternly. The little girl, Grace, looked at him desperately.
"Omigod." Parker whispered, "Gracie." Whitney. That was when Parker saw why they looked so familiar: the little girl had Whitney's eyes, and so did the father.
"Who?" Kurt asked, but Parker, once again, didn't answer him. She was rooted to the spot, her body felt as though it could have been chiseled out of ice, she felt so cold. Her heart was hurting, the tugging from earlier had intensified until it made Parker grasp at it desperately. She felt as though all of the empty space in her head filled with smoke that confused the rest of her mind. She felt as though she was falling backward, and there was no end in sight.
"She...she didn't make it. She didn't make it through the surgery." Parker gasped. Her eyes felt wet but no tears fell from them, they were stuck in her eyes like the sob was stuck in her throat.
"What are you talking about?" Kurt demanded, alarmed by Parker's reaction.
"Whitney." Parker said quietly, "I was talking to her, just a few hours ago." She shuddered, a few hours ago that sweet little girl had been more alive than anyone Parker had ever met. And now... As though in a trance, Parker slowly started walking toward the distraught family.
"Parker, what are you doing?" Kurt hissed, latching himself on to his friend's arm.
"I'm going to talk to them." She answered sternly, shaking him off. He was unable to catch up to her before she was standing in front of them. "Excuse me." She said, they all looked at her, "I'm really sorry, are you Whitney's family?"
"Yes." The mother sniffed, "Who are you?"
"I'm Parker Evans, I was a friend of hers. I'm sorry for your loss."
"Thank you." The mother smiled shakily, "Whitney didn't have very many friends. And look at you, you're a cheerleader." Parker smiled sadly, knowing that she was referring to her late daughter wanting to become a cheerleader.
"She would have been a great one." Parker said softly, observing the woman. Whitney had looked like her mother, they had the same face, but different eyes. Parker knelt down and faced the little girl. "And you're Gracie?" She asked. The little girl nodded hesitantly. "I was a friend of your sister's. And she wanted me to tell you something."
"What?" Gracie asked, her eyes widening.
"She wanted me to tell you that she loves you. She loves you very, very much." The family was silent. Gracie's forehead wrinkled in grief.
"I love her too." She said quietly before she started bawling. Parker was unaware of Kurt coming up behind her as Gracie fell into her arms, crying on the Cheerio's shoulder. Parker stroked the girl's hair and let her cry. After a moment, she moved the hair away from the little girl's ear and started singing softly to her.
"Every night in my dreams
I see you, I feel you
That is how I know you go on
Far across the distance
And spaces between us
You have come to show you go on
Near, far, wherever you are
I believe that the heart does go on
Once more you open the door
And you're here in my heart
And my heart will go on and on
Love can touch us one time
And last for a lifetime
And never let go till we're gone
Love was when I loved you
One true time I hold to
In my life we'll always go on
Near, far, wherever you are
I believe that the heart does go on
Once more you open the door
And you're here in my heart
And my heart will go on and on
You're here, there's nothing I fear
And I know that my heart will go on
We'll stay forever this way
You are safe in my heart
And my heart will go on and on"
Gracie wiped her eyes on the back of her hand and leaned back from Parker. The tears had stopped and she was looking at her with more calculation than was seen in the average five-year-old.
"You're very pretty." She said at last, "You're a cheerleader, and a singer. Whitney must like you. And she was very lucky to have you as a friend." That made Parker grab her chest again: Whitney was lucky to have her? She deserved so much more, she deserved so much better. The older girl thought sadly as the doctor led Whitney's family away. Parker stood up, feeling thoroughly depressed and met Kurt's puzzled gaze.
"A few hours ago, when I was walking through the hospital, I met this little girl. She had a tumor in her chest and was about to go into surgery. She was only twelve, Kurt, and she was sick. And even through all that she was brave, hopeful, and selfless. She was so sweet and kind. And she died. That was just a few hours ago, and now she's gone." Parker choked, wiping tears from her eyes, "She wasn't worried about it, she told me the Doctors said it was routine, that it wasn't a big deal."
"Removing tumors is never routine." Kurt said soothingly, carefully moving Parker back to the coffee machine. Instead of asking her he pushed a button and started to fill a cup, "They're always different and they're always tricky."
"She was a gymnast." Parker told him, "She wanted to be a Cheerleader when she was old enough. She'd never had a boyfriend, and she didn't have many friends. But I don't know why. She wasn't afraid of dying, you know. She was afraid of withering, and she was worried about how people would remember her. And she loved her sister, but she never said it. She was going to tell her after the surgery."
"So you told her." Kurt finished for her, handing her the coffee cup, "Parker, you did the right thing, you know that? She knows that her sister loved her, and always will. You were like a miracle to them by passing along that message."
"I guess." Parker took a sip of the hot liquid and sighed, "She really got to me." Kurt latched his arm around hers and started leading her back through the hallways.
"And I'm sure you really got to her, too. And to her little sister, for that matter." He assured her, "Just remember that. Remember what you did for each other. Now come on, we have to go see Quinn's baby."
James Pierson had just arrived on the scene. He stood with his wife and Quinn, looking through the glass at all of the newborns. They were all looking at the little girl lying in the middle crib: Quinn's baby.
"Are you going to keep her?" Rhonda asked.
"No." Quinn said, "I'm not ready for a baby yet, I can't take care of her. I'm sure she'll be better off with someone else."
"That's a very hard choice, and a very mature decision." Rhonda sighed, "She is so precious." At that remark, Quinn looked up at Rhonda with the strangest expression on her face.
"Have you two ever thought about adopting a baby?" She asked.
"A little, but not since we got Parker. She's enough for us." The woman answered calmly.
"Parker is worried that she doesn't satisfy you." Quinn said softly, "She's worried that you're missing out on potty training and parent-teacher conferences."
"She said that?" Rhonda sounded surprised.
"Yes. She told me a while ago. And, to tell the truth, I can't think of a better set of parents, or a better sister."
"What are you saying?" Rhonda asked slowly, James looked around her to peer at the young girl.
"I want you to adopt my baby." Quinn said quickly. Rhonda looked shocked while her husband raised his eyebrows. Slowly, the woman turned her head to look at the baby resting in the hospital crib.
"I do love her." She said to herself quietly, wrapping her arms around her husband's waist contently.
"She's beautiful." He whispered to her.
"You really think so?" Rhonda asked, choking up a bit.
"Yes, I do."
"We'll need to talk to Parker." Rhonda said.
"Yes, we will."
"Talk to me about what?" Parker came up behind them.
"Parker!" Rhonda said in surprise, not entirely sure how to start. Parker looked at her quizzically until Quinn took the smaller girl by the shoulders and forced her to turn until she was looking at her.
"Parker," She said clearly, "I've asked Mr. and Mrs. Pierson to be the parents of my baby." Parker's eyebrows raised.
"That's wonderful." She said quickly, not able to feel all the enthusiasm she should have.
"Are you sure you'd be okay with that?" Rhonda insisted, "You don't sound very happy about it, and you have to remember that we'll love you both the same."
"I'm not worried about that." Her foster-daughter cut in, "I'm thrilled, I really am. I just have a lot on my mind right now." Rhonda looked at her sympathetically as a nurse came out of the nursery.
"Would you like to hold your baby?" She asked.
"Yes." Rhonda answered at once. The nurse disappeared into the room and returned with a small figure wrapped in a pink blanked tucked in her arms. Gently, she deposited the sleeping baby into Rhonda's waiting arms. Rhonda's eyes melted into a tender expression as she looked into the baby's face. "Hey, baby." She said softly, "It's me, I'm going to be your mommy."
This is a good choice, Quinn thought, I can't think of anyone who deserves a baby more. And it's love at first sight, they're already a family. I hope Parker is okay with it, she seems sad about something, I'll ask her later.
"Parker, come here." Rhonda beckoned. The girl moved forward and Rhonda placed the baby in her grasp. Parker looked down at the small face. Something about seemed vaguely familiar, the baby almost seemed...hopeful. Her heart melted at the sight and touch of the adorable baby girl. "What do you think we should name your foster-sister?" Rhonda asked, looking at the baby over Parker's shoulder.
"Whitney." Parker said in a strangled voice, "Whitney Grace."
"Whitney Grace Pierson." Rhonda reveled, "I like it." She ran a finger softly down Whitney Grace Pierson's face. As Parker looked at the sleeping child resting peacefully in her arms she thought to herself; I vow to myself that this baby will always have something to hope for. She'll know how much her sister loves her, and she'll always be healthy. She'll be sweet and kind. I won't let anything happen to her. I vow these two things:
1. Tate Hanson will be my boyfriend.
2. I won't ever let anything happen to you, Whitney.
Song: "My Heart Will Go On" By Celine Dion
We Have To Talk About A Few Things:
1. I'm sorry! *Sob* (you know why)
2. Lately I've been worried that this story is becoming too much of a "Parker Show". I love writing her story, and even though all of my new characters are well liked, I get worried that the Glee element isn't in the Glee Fanfiction enough (I don't mean like sectionals and stuff, I couldn't write that if I tried). Thoughts? Do you like hearing about Parker? How much more of the original characters do you want so see? PLEASE RESPOND.
3. I got a little concerned that I was taking the mystery element out of the story but the Parker/Whitney scene didn't seem complete without the confession about Parker's real father. NOW YOU KNOW! But it's okay because there are still plenty of plot twists to come (Tate Hanson, June Harrison, Little Whitney Grace, Parker's real mother, "I don't remember" (siblings), revealing to other people, Parker's relationship with her foster-parents, and more!).
4. For the song in this chapter, I'd like you to imagine it more as a Glee-style song instead of her just singing in the kid's ear the whole time (because where's the fun in that?). Sometimes you need to imagine these songs as a music video because there's only so much I can write about them.
Don't forget to review! It is SO important this time!
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