A/N: Thank you very much for taking the time to review the last chapter. I adore each and every single one of them. I hope you like this chapter, for some reason, it took a lot long to write than usual. As always, feedback is greatly appreciated.
Santana anxiously paced back and forth in front of the pew she had forced Quinn to sit down while they waited, her calm and controlled disposition quickly disintegrating as she watched Quinn double over as she fought to get through the pain of yet another contraction. "Alright Q, just breathe or something." She ran her hands through her thick dark hair, murmuring "Oh thank God." When she saw Mr. Schuester, closely followed by the others, run through the doors.
"Quinn, are you okay?" Mr. Schuester gently asked the terrified girl, kneeling down so he was at eye level with her.
"I think my water broke." Quinn's voice was shaky, she had never been so scared before. "Where's Rachel?" She asked, ignoring the surprised looks of the rest of her friends. Sure, it was well known Quinn and Rachel were no longer enemies, and Rachel had allowed Quinn to sleep at her house the past couple of nights, but they had not known the girls had become so close.
"Present and accounted for." Rachel pushed past the rest of the group, sitting down on the pew next to Quinn. "We're going to get you to hospital, okay Quinn?"
Quinn shook her head. "No no no. It's too soon, I've still got five weeks to go, she can't come yet, she can't."
"Can't she just keep her legs closed or something?" Brittany asked.
Rachel shot Brittany a dirty look. "This is why I prepared a powerpoint presentation on what everyone would need to do if Quinn went into labor in our presence. I had a pamphlet too." Rachel was becoming frantic, but she knew now, more than ever, she needed to use her superb acting skills and at least seem calm, for Quinn's sake.
"I am NOT going to the hospital. My baby cannot be born today. Today was supposed to be all about Puck, I am so sorry I am taking that away." Tears rolled down Quinn's cheeks. "Please I cannot have her today, it's too soon."
"Quinn, sweetheart. I know you're scared, but we need to you to the hospital, okay?" Rachel's dad, Paul spoke up in a soothing voice.
"Okay." Will clapped his hands together, much like the way he did when he was about to explain a new assignment to the kids. "I'll take Quinn to the hospital in my car, Santana, Brittany, who don't you join us." Will said, naming the members of New Directions he assumed Quinn was closest too. "The rest of you divide up and either ride with Artie's dad, who should be in the parking lot waiting to take him to the cemetery, Ms. Pillsbury, or the Berry's." Will directed the students, who all nodded.
Rachel squeezed Quinn's hand. "I'll see you in a little while, okay?" Rachel reluctantly let go of Quinn's hand and stood up to go with her dad's to the hospital.
Quinn grabbed Rachel's wrist, startling the girl. "No. Please Rachel, don't leave me."
Rachel was surprised, pleasantly so. She obviously knew her and Quinn had grown closer over the past few days, but Quinn had been friends with Brittany and Santana since middle school and Rachel had assumed their company would be more than enough for Quinn. Rachel smiled at the idea of Quinn wanting her there. Rachel Berry wasn't used to be wanted, especially by her New Directions friends, she was merely needed or tolerated, but rarely wanted. "I wont you leave you, Quinn." She said staring into large, terrified hazel eyes. "I promise."
Once they arrived at the hospital, they were quite a sight to be seen; fourteen people, wearing suits or dresses running down the corridors of the hospital, trying to reach the maternity ward. Rachel was pushing Quinn in a wheelchair she had all but stolen from an extremely startled man in the front of the hospital. "Move it people! Woman about to give birth coming through!" Rachel would shout as they encountered others, flying through the hallways. "Hello, I am Rachel Berry, my friend Quinn Fabray is about to give birth." Rachel said, faking a calm voice, really putting those superb acting skills to the test, once they reached the nurses station.
"I'll be with you in a moment." The nurse at the desk said, not bothering to look up from the file in front of her.
"Did you not hear me? I said, my friend is about to bring a new life into this world, help her!" Rachel raised her voice, slamming her fist on the counter above the desk, causing a cup filled with pens to topple over and fall onto the floor.
"Rachel!" Quinn exclaimed from her wheelchair, part of her extremely embarrassed and another part of her really glad she had a friend there to rally for her.
"Jesus Berry, settle down." Santana said plopping down in a chair, grabbing a magazine. "It will probably be hours, maybe even days before Q pops that kid out."
Quinn's eyes bulged at the thought of being in this excruciating pain for that long. "Girl, settle down, you know how Santana can be." Mercedes said placing a calming hand on Quinn's shoulder, while shooting Santana a disapproving look.
"Guys, stop fighting. The baby won't come out if we are all fighting, she will be too scared." Brittany said quietly.
"Brittany's right, arguing, and yelling at the nursing staff is not going to make this easier on Quinn." Mr. Schuester said trying to gain control of the situation once more.
About that time the nurse made her way from around the desk. "We'll get you put in a room, then I have some paperwork for you to fill out okay?"
Quinn nodded as the nurse began to push her down the corridor towards some double doors which lead to the maternity ward. "Everyone needs to wait here while we get the mother settled in." The nurse instructed when she noticed the entire crowd of fourteen beginning to follow her through the double doors.
"Is Q coming back, S?" Brittany asked as she watched Quinn disappear behind the doors.
"Yeah B, she'll be back, it's okay." Santana linked pinkies with the other girl to soothe not only Brittany's nerves, but hers as well.
After Santana and Brittany's exchange the group took their seats in the waiting area adjacent to the nurses station. The only sound was the ticking of the clock, too much was weighing on everyones mind to have any form of conversation. To go from the funeral of their good friend to the birth of his child all within an hour was emotionally exhausting. "Miss Fabray indicated there was no father present." The same nurse said, breaking the silence, her judgement of Quinn as a promiscuous, careless sixteen year old was evident. "She has asked for a Rachel to be in the room with her during the birth. Which one of you is Rachel?" The nurse asked scanning the group, her eyes stopping on the small brunette who hesitantly raised her hand. "Come along, we'll get you suited up."
"Wait." Rachel said, standing in front of the chair she had previously occupied, as if she was frozen. "My fathers excused me from the birth video in sex-ed last year, due to the fact they lacked the confidence I could emotionally process the event. What if I choose not to go?" Rachel felt guilty for even considering not complying with Quinn's request, but she was terrified and she didn't know if she could handle seeing her newly acquired friend go through such an event.
"Well, she could ask someone else or do it alone, someone doesn't have to be there." The nurse responded, look quite impatient.
Rachel glanced around the room at Quinn's other options. Quinn certainly couldn't ask Rachel's fathers, she knew Quinn wasn't entirely comfortable with Ms. Pillsbury plus with Ms. Pillsbury's fear of germs she couldn't possibly be an option, and then there was Mr. Schu, who would probably make an awesome labor coach, but him being there would be wildly inappropriate and Rachel could see Coach Sylvester having a field day if she ever found out. Rachel continued to glance around the room Mike, Matt, Tina, and Artie weren't good options, Quinn wasn't nearly close enough to them. The babygate drama prevented Finn from being a viable option, and Kurt couldn't possibly do it, Rachel recalled how pale the boy got last week after the mere mention of a vagina in biology class. The thought of Santana being patient and caring enough to be a decent coach was laughable, and Brittany...no just no. Her attention finally turned to Mercedes. Perfect. Mercedes was cool under pressure, yet loving and caring enough to successfully coach Quinn through labor. But Quinn hadn't asked for Mercedes, she had asked for her.
Having enough of the silence the nurse began to walk away. "I'll tell the mother to ask someone else."
The nurse rolled her eyes when she heard Rachel yell "Wait!" Rachel walked quickly to catch up with nurse. "I'll do it. I want to do it."
Quinn gazed out the window, taking a breather, thankful to be in between contractions. She still could not believe she was going to have her baby today. Since the day she saw those two pink lines on that little white stick she knew this day would come, and she thought she had been prepared and ready, but here in this moment she knew she was neither prepared, nor ready. She groaned when she heard the door to her room open, thinking about how badly the examine the doctor gave her a little while ago had hurt, not ready for another one. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Rachel cautiously walking to her bedside.
Rachel attempted to utilize the relaxation breathing techniques she used before her performances in an attempt to calm herself down. "Is this really happening?" She asked Quinn, who was dressed in a blue hospital gown, her blonde hair was let loose from the up-do it had previously been restrained in.
"I think so." Quinn responded, her eyes quickly filling with tears. "Im so scared Rachel, I don't think I can do this."
Before Rachel could respond the doctor came in. He was a tall man in his early fifties, his hair was cut short and was greying. His blue eyes were kind and his smile always genuine. "Well, Quinn it looks like we are having a baby today."
"But it's too early, she's still got five weeks left. She can't come yet." Quinn protested.
The doctor nodded slowly, understanding the young mother's concern. "Yes, your little one is early, that is unfortunately expected with someone your age, and while we do have some slight concerns about her health, I'm fairly confident she will do just fine. However, no matter what her condition she will be taken to the intensive care nursery following her birth. "
Quinn nodded, not taking much comfort in the doctor's optimism. The sound of her daughter's heart, beating loud and strong, echoing through the room, via the fetal monitor she was hooked up to, was the only thing that comforted her.
Back in the waiting area, the seconds ticking by seemed more like hours to the New Directions gang, all of them awaiting news on Quinn or the baby. All of them were feeling helpless, wanting to do something for Quinn, but knowing all they could do was wait. "I should have known." Kurt said, breaking the silence, causing the rest of them to glance up at him. "She doubled over in pain while I was helping her get dressed, she said it was a muscle spasm, but I should have known."
Mercedes squeezed her best friend's hand. "There's no way you could have known, Kurt. I mean the girl apparently admitted to Mr. Schuester on the way over here she had been having contractions all throughout the funeral service, and all of us were oblivious."
Santana spoke up, setting her magazine down on her lap. "It freaked me out a little bit when Q asked for Treasure Trail to be in the room with her, but you know what I realized? Did any of us bother to call Q and check on her after Puck died? I know I sure as hell didn't. Yeah we all lost Puck, but she was carrying his baby and we should all be ashamed of ourselves I know I am." Santana sighed before going back to her magazine, her heartfelt rant causing her to get suspicious looks from her teammates. "What? So I care about Q, but that does not mean that I will ever stop kicking ass."
The kids all held their breath when they saw Mr. Schuester and Ms. Pillsbury, who had gone to the nurses station for an update on Quinn, return to the waiting area. "Well? What's going on?" Finn asked from his chair, he had been relatively quiet throughout the whole process.
"Well guys, the nurses said we should be meeting Quinn's baby anytime now, she is getting ready push." Will raised his eyebrows, slightly excited, that excitement diminishing when he realized he should be welcoming his own daughter into the world, his daughter who never even existed.
"Berry, I swear to God if you do not put the damn camera down I am going to take it from you and shove it where the sun don't shine!" Quinn panted, as Rachel snapped what seemed like dozens upon dozens of pictures.
"This is precisely the reason I keep my camera in my purse at all times. One day you are going to cherish these photographs, Quinn." Rachel continued to snap away, despite the glares, Rachel thought the glares added a necessary dramatic effect.
"Do it, and it will be the last thing you ever do." Quinn warned when Rachel attempted to stick the camera under the sheet which was covering Quinn's spread legs and dropped knees.
"Oh Quinn, I'm only trying to capture every moment of this experience for you."
Quinn sighed. "Why don't you just wait up here by my shoulders, and please try to keep the photographs to a minimum."
Rachel complied and twenty minutes later, photographs were the last thing on her mind; Quinn had begun pushing and was bearing down so hard on Rachel's hand, Rachel was hoping science had come far enough to successfully and easily preform hand transplants. "Come on Quinn, you are doing so great. Breathe he he hoo he he hoo."
"Cut it out Berry!" Quinn screamed. "If you he he or hoo hoo at me one more time, so help me..." Quinn obviously knew birth was going to be painful, but she was not expecting it to be quite this painful. It honestly felt like the baby was making her way down the birth canal with an ax in hand, ripping her entire body in half. Exhaustion was beginning to take over, just when she thought she couldn't last another second she heard the doctor say "Come on Quinn, one final push, her head is out."
There was one final sharp pain as her shoulders exit Quinn's body, the baby's torso and feet glide out easily in comparison. Quinn hears Rachel politely decline cutting the cord and Quinn lifts her head up off the pillow and watches the lifeline which connected her and her daughter for the past nine months be severed. Before Quinn knows it, the small baby is placed on her chest, her high pitched cries were the most beautiful sound the young mother had ever heard. "I love you." She whispered as she placed a small kiss on the baby's wet head. It shocked her how easily the words came out of her mouth, tears falling from her eyes as she saw the baby's dark hair pushed up into a tiny mohawk, from where she had been dried off. "She has a mohawk." Quinn said, turning to face Rachel, who had begun snapping pictures again. "He always wanted her to have a mohawk."
"Quinn...she's so beautiful." Rachel was surprised as tears fell from her own eyes. "You did it Quinn. She's here, you did such a good job." The two girls shared a bright smile as they stared down at the squirming baby on Quinn's chest.
