Break it like you broke my heart Chapter 13: Matters of the Heart, a glee fanfic

Matters of the Heart

Rachel floated. She was weightless. Slowly though the she felt it, a small tug or sharp stab there, a heavy feeling settled on her chest. It grew and grew and grew until pressed on her from every side. She moved slightly trying to alleviate the pressure. The pressure intensified and she shook her head trying to clear of the fog that suddenly appeared in her mind. Slowly her hearing returned and she head a radio. She tried to move her hand and found that she couldn't. She gently pulled on her hand. The music had stopped. She pulled her hand again. Suddenly the pressure was gone and loud noises could be heard. She felt some touch her head and her eyes fluttered open. The first thing she notice was that it was bright. Very very bright. She heard rushing and she looked around the room. White walls, white ceiling, a t.v. looking thing to right. Her eyes finally settled on bright green eyes.

"Hello, Is it me you're looking for?"

She blinked and tried to speak but it came out in a choke and gasp. He was quickly pulled away as a man in his early fifties took his place.

"Hi Rachel, I'm Dr. Campbell." He took a pen light and flashed it her eyes. Rachel shrank back and blinked again.

"You've been out quite a while Ms. Berry so I am going to ask you a few questions okay?"

"Yes." It sounded like a croak. She saw Jesse move to the water pitcher on the little table at the end of her bed.

"What's your name?"

"Rachel Barbra Berry."

" How old are you?"

"24"

"What do you do?"

"I work on Broadway." Dr. Campbell nodded his gentle hands began probing her face and throat.

"Who is this?" He pointed to Jesse. Rachel's eyes flicked to his again.

"Jesse." Dr. Campbell nodded.

"Well, you have the all clear for now, but I'll be back later to discuss your treatment options. Feel better Rachel." And with that he walked out of the room. Jesse quickly replaced him. He sat on the edge of the bed his eyes anxiously studying her face. Rachel looked at him. He looked like hell. His eyes had huge dark circles under them, his clothes were rumpled and his hair was disheveled.

"You look horr..." she was cut off by a cough and Jesse pressed a cup of water into her palm. Rachel guzzled down the water.

"Horrible."

"Yeah, well I've been here."

"Where do you think I've been?" Rachel arched an eyebrow at him.

"Touche..." They feel into an awkward silence. Jesse scooted closer and took her hand in his.

"I'm sorry." Rachel looked at him curiously.

"For losing my temper over something silly, like that."

"It's my fault for not asking you." she smiled slightly. Jesse grinned.

"Yeah well I think this settles you is the most dramatic between us."

"Yeah me."

"Shoot!" Rachel looked at him curiously.

"I have to tell the Puckerman's that your up." Jesse stood and grabbed his phone, he quickly looked through his contacts when he found Puck's number he went to press send but stopped at the strangled sob that made its way through Rachel's lips. He turned around to see her brown eyes wide, her hands over her mouth.

"What's wrong?" Her eyes filled with tears and she made a strange sound.

"Rach?" He eyed her, she leaned forward and gave a shuddering gasp. Jesse quickly reached her bed and pushed the nurse on call button and place a steadying hand on her shoulder.

"Breath, Rach. ." he gently coached her. Slowly Rachel's erratic breathing was replaced by breathy sobs.

"Rachel? What's the matter babe?" Jesse pushed the button again.

"Puck's...Dads...gone... car... forever...hurts...never...bye...Jesse." she choked out. Jesse's heart constricted painfully in his chest.

"Rachel..." He crawled into bed with her, wrapping his lean arms around her petite frame as she shook with grief. Jesse mummered comfort for several minutes until he felt her body relaxed and her sobs turned into whimpers. He rested his head on top of hers and drifted off into sleep, his eyebrows furrowed with worry.

"MR. !" Jesse and Rachel were startled awake. Rachel struggled to keep her eyes open, but Jesse's eyes snapped to a middle aged blonde woman, angrily tapping her foot.

"What?"

"We don't not allow patients to have guest in their beds." She gave him a stern look.

"Wait are you just now getting here?"

"Mr. off the bed."

"Are you just now getting here?"

"Mr. !" Jesse eased himself away from Rachel, she had fallen back asleep. He gently lowered her back unto the pillows and brushed the hair out of her face, before turning an icy glare on the nurse.

"I'm out of the bed. Now, did you just get here?" she ignored him and looked at Rachel's chart.

"Unfortuently, Mr. we can not just drop everything just because a patient's overprotective boyfriend thinks something is wrong." Jesse's mouth fell open; was this woman serious?

"Isn't that your job? To take care of patients? What if something was really wrong?" he retorted.

"Yes. My job is to take care of patients who need medical attention, not patients that are here just because they can't keep anything in their stomachs." Jesse's jaw clenched and his hand balled into fists.

"Let me get this straight. You didn't come when I pressed the call button because you think she has an eating-disorder?" The woman shrugged and reached for Rachel's IV. Jesse strode over and caught the woman in a white knuckled grip.

"Don't. You. Touch. Her." he bit out , his green eyes flashing dangerously. The nurse jerked her hand and Jesse held on tighter.

"Is there a problem?" A smooth voice asked. Both parties turned to look at a smartly dressed doctor standing in the door way, his hazel eyes a mixture of caution and concern as he surveyed to scene before him. The nurse opened her mouth but Jesse beat her to it. He pushed her away her way and took on a protective stance in front of Rachel.

"Ms. Vazquez." he sneered as he squinted at her name tag. "Here ignored the one-call button for Ms. Berry's room." The doctor's eyes widened.

"That is a rather serious accusation, Mr. ...)

"."

"St. James. Are you sure?"

"Positive. She told me herself that she thought Rachel was here because she had an eating disorder and was not a "real" patient." Jesse finished shooting daggers at the nurse.

"Kaloni? Is that true?"

The nurse blushed and lifted her head defiantly. " What I said was that she was not an immediate case, because she was probably just some Hollywood knock-off that was trying to slim down." Jesse snorted.

The effect was intimidate. The doctor marched into the room and grabbed the clipboard from Kaloni and took ahold of her elbow.

"Unacceptable." was all he said as he led her from the room a smirking Jesse left in her wake.

I apologize for that. That was unacceptable. The doctor said as he re-entered the room several minutes later. Jesse gave a curt nod. The doctor stuck his hand out.

"I am Dr. Mercer. I am the cardiologist."

"Jesse St. James."

The men's attention was diverted when Rachel for the second time that day stirred.

"Jesse?" She mumbled.

"Right her babe." He gave her hand a squeeze.

"Hi, Rachel. I'm Dr. Mercer. I'm the cardiologist." Rachel was now completely awake.

"Cardiologist?"

"Yes, I need to talk to you about some very serious issues that came up?"

"Do we have to this now? I...I...just lost my fathers."

"I am truly sorry for your loss, but this needs to be addressed or you might be joining them rather soon." Rachel shot a panicked look to Jesse who moved closer. Dr. Mercer

took a deep breath and locked his eyes with Rachel.

"Rachel, you have a very serious heart condition called Brugada Syndrome. Brugada syndrome is a life-threatening, frequently inherited disorder characterized by an abnormal heart rhythm, called a Brugada sign this arrhythmia prevents the chambers of the heart from pumping effectively, preventing blood from traveling normally throughout the body. As a result, fainting or sudden heart attack. Now we believe that you may have had a very small heart attack which cause the fainting and the coma..."

"Coma? Jesse how long have I been out?" Rachel's voiced cracked and rose.

"Five days. When was a supposed to tell you? You have been a sleep for the last 3 hours and you hyperventilated before that."

"Yeah but you could have told me." she grumbled. Dr. Mercer eyes flitted between the two of them before clearing his throat. Jesse and Rachel looked at him.

"There is another thing." Jesse and Rachel looked at each other. Dr. Mercer's blue eyes looked at them critically before taking a big breath.

"Rachel, Broadway would be a bad idea. I don't think you should sing anymore." Matters of the Heart