By the time March had come around, neither Quinn nor Rachel had once brought up their conversation about Puck and Finn in the parking lot. Finn no longer glared at Quinn, but he still spoke to her only when he had no other option. Puck stayed in the periphery, managing his frustration and anger by slumping silently in chairs and only speaking when spoken to; he skipped more classes than ever and spent most of his time working odd jobs around town or in the football team's weight room. Rachel and Quinn returned to their previously comfortable routine, spending time with Brittany and Santana and the rest of glee at school, and studying together comfortably at home.
It was a Thursday when it happened. The day before, Rachel had gone with Quinn to an appointment with her obstetrician; at almost thirty weeks, he informed her that all was well. Quinn had spent the evening mulling over whether or not she was going to keep the baby, leaving her room only when Rachel dragged her out to watch the last half of Casablanca with her. She had let herself be settled on the couch with unbuttered popcorn and Rachel prodding the knots out of her shoulders until she fell asleep, dreaming about a girl with blonde curls and Puck's eyes playing on a jungle gym. When she woke at the end of the movie, she almost announced to Rachel that she wanted to keep the baby, but instead decided that it was probably not in her best interest to make such a decision based on a dream.
They were walking to glee practice after school, talking with Brittany and Santana about upcoming Regionals, when Dave Karofsky and appeared at the top of the stairs they were climbing. Four grape slushies flew into their faces, catching all of them off-guard. Quinn felt the ice slam into her face, soaking her hair and shirt and chilling her skin; she heard the angry outburst from Santana and confusion from Brittany and frustrated sigh from Rachel, the laughter from Karofsky and his friends; she felt the waver in her normally-pristine balance as water and ice dripped down onto the floor under her shoes.
And then, all she could comprehend was that she was slipping, her hands reaching for the railing and catching only empty air as her shoes skidded out from under her and she toppled backwards down the stairs. She slammed into the floor on the landing, her head cracking painfully on the linoleum and her wrist twisting as her hand caught a too-late grip on a bottom rung of the railing, but all she noticed was the explosion of pain in her stomach and back, forcing a strangled cry past her lips. Her vision blurred from her head impacting on the floor, the ceiling tiles melting together into a mass of off-white dotted with black.
Rachel appeared at her side, Brittany on the other, shock and concern etched across their faces and tainted with grape slushie remnants. Both of them were talking, Rachel's hand hovering over her stomach, but Quinn couldn't tell what they were saying. In the background, she saw Santana—never one to panic—whipping out her cell phone; even in her calm, she was staring at Quinn worriedly, alternating concern with fury and she glared up at the top of the stairs where Karofsky and his friends had run away.
Rachel's voice cut through the pain, and Quinn struggled to focus on it. She was gripping Quinn's hand tightly in her own, brown eyes wide as she talked on constantly, telling her that an ambulance was on the way, she was going to be fine, there was nothing to worry about. Quinn bit down on her lip, clenching her eyes shut, and told herself repeatedly that the damp feeling in her jeans had to be grape slushie and was absolutely not blood.
The paramedics got there quickly, and the sound of the sirens brought the rest of glee out into the hallway. Quinn's head reeled as she was loaded onto a stretcher, another strangled cry escaping her as a fresh wave of pain blossomed in her stomach. She forced her eyes open and saw Rachel staring at her anxiously, Puck behind her looking terrified, his eyes bright with what may actually be tears. Mr. Scheu had a hand on Puck's shoulder and was talking to him softly, and Quinn locked eyes with Puck momentarily before another wave of pain forced them shut again.
The paramedics strapped her in, talking all the while, and then started out to the ambulance. The entirety of glee club followed them out. Quinn gritted her teeth, determined to keep from crying out even when she could do nothing to restrain the tears rolling steadily out of her eyes. As she was loaded into the ambulance, the paramedics had to stop Rachel, Puck, Mr. Scheu, Brittany, and Santana from all cramming into the back with her. Yet another fresh stab of pain left Quinn breathless, her eyes clenched shut and her head reeling dizzily even at a stand-still. When she opened her eyes, the ambulance doors where shut and Puck was at her side, gripping her hand gently and staring at her silently with wide eyes full of fear and unshed tears.
At the hospital, she was wheeled into the emergency room, Puck trailing after the doctors and asking constantly if she would be okay, if the baby was okay. Quinn felt the prick of a needle in her arm and a light was shone into her eyes; she blinked tiredly and looked away. Questions were thrown at her, her name floating into her ears on unfamiliar voices, but even the pain felt distant as her eyes started to droop. Just before she drifted off into blissful unconsciousness, she saw Rachel burst into the trauma room, Finn and Brittany and Santana in tow; Puck was trembling visibly and Rachel stared at her, eyes wide and hands covering her mouth. An unfamiliar voice shouted something, and then Quinn finally passed out.