Thanks to Whoknowstv and another anonymous reader I will be fixing the discrepancies in the timeline...aparently my counting is way off. So a few tweaks and things will be right...not much will be impacted with the story and I will put the changes in the A/N when I have it all edited.

Also for Samcedes fans...I will be writing and posting some samcedes flashbacks (of the time before their wedding) that will be added to a revised version of Tailspin1. Because all of you are already in the middle of the journey I will share them in their entirety, so you won't have to search for them in the other story. So stay tuned for that..

Another...Thanks for reading and commenting

Chapter 19

Her husband's baby. She had said it outright the other day, only he didn't know he was the husband she was talking about. Everything about this seemed wrong. He didn't want to believe it. He refused to. Something about all of it didn't sit right with him. Being married to Quinn made sense. Years of friendship and attraction could have reunited them as a couple. Sam had planned to reconnect with her anyway, once he had recovered. So to find out they were already married and had a child, was the best news he had received in a long time. Only it wasn't true. They had Beth, but not each other, and that couldn't be right. Sam knew he wouldn't get that close to Quinn, close enough to conceive a child, and just walk away from her.

Dr. Hill tapped her glittery pen against the file on her lap. His whole life was summed up in that folder and she was just casually beating out a tune on it as if it were nothing. It pissed him off even more the longer he watched. The minutes were ticking away since Mercedes left the room with his daughter. She said she needed to put her down in her crib in the hospital nursery, but Sam suspected she really just wanted to get away from him. He had jumped all over her, relentlessly pushing for answers, that by the end of the it all Mercedes was left a limp, quivering shell. Sam had definitely gained the upper hand with her, until Dr. Hill dropped that bomb on him and he was the one left quivering and pale.

Sam prided himself on being one step ahead of things in life, although his memory loss put him at a disadvantage lately, he had been so sure he had a handle on this situation with Mercedes. He had pretty much figured out her angle. She was a lonely girl that had fallen for him while he was in a coma. At first Sam had been drawn to that, maybe a little flattered by such obvious attention. He could tell that her obsession with him was just her way of coping with a bad home life. He had felt sorry for her and could sympathize, having been through his own fizzled romance. When he found out she had withheld information about his child and his relationship with Quinn however, he had been angry with her for lying and with himself for trusting her. He should've known better than to trust a stranger with what appeared to be a deep seated crush, but his instincts were telling him that she was okay to be around, to confide in, his gut was telling him she could be someone special. Never would he have guessed that he had it so wrong. In fact, he still wasn't convinced that he actually did have it wrong. His therapist was from a family of lunatics and his nurse appeared to be a pathological liar, it suddenly occurred to him that maybe he was being played.

"Both of you are crazy," said Sam when Mercedes finally returned. She took a seat on the bed opposite his own, beside Dr. Hill. "I should've kicked you out the moment I found out you were related to Santana. Probably just as untrustworthy as she is."

"I thought we agreed it is unfair to judge each other by our families," said Dr. Hill.

Her voice was even and calm, almost devoid of emotion, clinical and detached. Yet another thing that annoyed him. His life had gone into disarray and his doctor couldn't even be bothered to fake some concern. She hadn't even raised her voice when he started in on Mercedes earlier.

"I decided to give you a chance. You failed. I can't believe you expected me to fall for this. Are you two in on it together? Some sort of con?"

A con job made the most sense at this point. What other reason could there be for two women to just heap all of these lies on him? They tell him he has a family and then they yank it all away before he could even fully used to the idea. It had to be some sort of plot.

Then again if it were a plot it was one that Sam had fallen for before. His mind wandered back to high school and Quinn. He was so sure about their relationship, he knew deep down she truly loved him even if she never said the words, but then one day – there was Puck. Puck ended up being the one that Quinn loved and wanted. Sam had never seen it coming. There were signs, but he thought Puck was just messing things up for them, making his life hell as he always had, he never believed that Quinn could be the one falling for someone else.

"No one is conning you Sam. We loved each other and we got married," said Mercedes finally saying something.

Mercedes' voice was stronger now, louder since Beth was no longer in the room. She might be finally speaking up for herself, but Sam didn't believe a word that came out of her mouth. They had spent days together and not once did she mention these supposed feelings of love. It seemed to him if she felt as strongly as she claimed to, there would be no way she could've kept it all bottled up inside, especially after he had been in a coma for months.

"Lies," he mumbled. No way could he have married someone like her, not with Quinn still in the picture.

He'd had her in his arms, asked her to dinner, offered to save her from her scumbag husband when all the while she never said anything. Question after question he had asked her about her marriage and her husband, about why she seemed so sad, and she never let on that he was the reason for her pain. How could she have been that intimate with him last night and not tell him who she was?

Sam felt like a complete idiot. He hadn't gotten lucky and landed a playboy bunny for a nurse, instead she was his wife, a lying, sneaky woman that chose to control him by keeping him in the dark. Sam definitely was his father's son all right, following right down the old man's path of getting involved with malicious, back stabbing women.

"You know I'm not lying. You can feel it. You feel something for me even now. Remember all that you said to me?" she asked, her tear filled eyes pleading for him to give her a sign, some acknowledgement that he still felt connection.

Sam didn't want to remember. He felt like a fool. Flirting with her, baring his soul, all the while she was reveling in her victory. She had gotten him to reveal himself. Sam couldn't figure out her motives, what was she after? Was it his money or the chance to spend the night with him? Sam had dealt with his fair share of women who went to extremes in the hopes of getting into his bed. Maybe Mercedes was one of those women.

"A man will say anything to get what he wants. You seemed like a fun diversion to pass the time, especially since you were so willing to do anything I wanted."

Her eyes flickered with pain, tears fell down her cheeks but she didn't bother to wipe them away. Sam refused to let her get to him. He turned away from her coldly, before her brown eyes started to make him feel more than he wanted. She's a liar he reminded himself. Nothing he felt for her was real.

"Sam I think you need to stop right there. You're just being deliberately cruel," said Kalina.

"Let him talk Kalina, he should be able to express how he really feels, even if it is complete bullshit."

He shot Mercedes a pointed look. How dare she call him out as if he were the one dealing in untruths? Her eyes flashed with a spark of anger and there was a definite challenge in her tone.

Sam turned his focus to Dr. Hill, deliberately avoiding glancing in Mercedes's direction. He wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of playing along with her little game. "I don't have anything else to say to her. I want her to leave."

"Sam can you try addressing Mercedes directly? She's still in the room."

"It's fine Kalina. I know how Sam gets. He tends to shut down when things don't go his way, wallow in denial, drown himself in scotch, then go out and do something impulsive and stupid."

"Stop talking like you know me."

"I do know you, maybe better than anyone."

She was pushing him, trying to get a reaction. Sam wasn't biting. "Yeah right."

"I know that Quinn was your high school sweetheart," Mercedes began.

"I told you that the other day," he scoffed fanning his hand at her.

"I know that you were so head over heels for her that you used to serenade her and you carved your initials into a tree in the woods."

He was a sap in high school. Everyone knew it. She must have heard the stories.

"That's pretty much common knowledge in this town. You'll have to do better."

"You keep a brown and silver flask in your pocket at all times. You got it on your 21st birthday from your dad. Most of the time it only has water in it, until you get stressed or upset, then you fill it with scotch."

A little more detail, he'd have to hand it to her, she did her research. But again it was nothing that couldn't have been learned from talking to his family.

"So you saw my personal affects when I was admitted to the hospital."

Mercedes got up and walked over to his bed, blocking Dr. Hill's view, leaning in close to face, her hair brushing against his skin. Sam should've pushed her away. She didn't have the right to encroach on his personal space, even when that morning they had been all over each other. Curiosity got the better of him and he let her be, watching her every move.

"The first time you had sex was when you were eighteen, in the Army, you just completed basic training," she said lowering her voice so that only he could hear her words. Mercedes leaned in even closer, pressing her palms against his chest. "You wanted to sleep with a woman that looked just like Quinn, because she hurt you so bad when she left you for Puck. You thought that if you could be with someone that looked like her it would get her out of your system. But whenever you got alone with any green-eyed blonde you couldn't close the deal." She smirked, pulling back slightly just to make sure he saw that glint in her eyes. "So you ended up meeting a brunette in a bar and spending the night with her."

"How do you know all of that?" he asked angrily shoving her away from him.

"You told me," Mercedes responded nonchalantly as she returned to her seat next to Dr. Hill, who was busy scribbling away in her notebook.

"I've never told anyone that before."

"I'm not just anyone. I'm your wife. I know you like to cuddle in bed, your favorite food is a cheeseburger with mustard, you sing in the shower, you don't like coffee, you…"

"Enough…" He felt sick as his stomach dropped. He couldn't deny it anymore. It was all true.

"Are you sure? I can keep going."

"None of this changes anything. You lied to me."

The past few days ran through his mind. She was always there, so happy to see him, she had clothes in his room, slept next to him while he was in a coma, and the kisses. All the kisses, never tentative, so much emotion, those eyes constantly watching him, searching for something. He hadn't been wrong, his gut was right, it was all for him. Every look, every touch, all the smiles, there was no freaking cosmic connection between them, no otherworldly bond. She just already knew him. She knew which spots to hit, which buttons to push. He wanted to throw something. This could not be his life. He was not married to a person he couldn't even remember.

"I was trying to protect you. The doctor's said…"

"Screw the doctors, if you really loved me like you say you do, then you would have told me the truth."

Sam had told her how much he wanted a family. Even shared his disappointment that he didn't seem to have any love in his life. Mercedes had just sat there, wide eyes, tight lipped and let him ramble his tale of self-pity.

"I do love you."

He choked out a humorless laugh. "I find that hard to believe. A wife puts her husband first. You knew I had all these questions about Quinn, about my life and you said nothing."

He covered his face with his hands all the things he told her about Quinn, about his feelings for her. She had let him go on and on. He just couldn't wrap his mind around it at all. If she truly cared about him why didn't she just tell him the truth? He could have maybe let go of this thing with Quinn, or at least kept it all to himself.

He wanted her to disappear. He wanted to rewind the clock and go back to the time when he thought he was married to Quinn, a real family with his baby.

"I did put you first. Did I say a word about you wanting to speak to Quinn? I even got her on the phone for you."

"Why would you do that? You know how I feel about Quinn."

"You were upset and it seemed like you needed her."

"Touching, you really are a good, loving wife."

"I try to be," she said quietly.

"Here's an idea. Why don't you be a good wife now and bring Quinn here for a little visit?"

Mercedes slanted her eyes in anger. "Quinn doesn't get out much where she's at. They don't like crazy people roaming the streets, it scares the neighborhood children."

"Don't talk about Quinn like that. She's not crazy."

"If you say so. I think you have a little fantasy cooked up in your head about a happy family with Quinn and Beth, but it's going to come crumbling down all around you. You and Quinn will never work."

She was clearly jealous, trying to trash Quinn, in order to cling to the chance that they could be together. Sam hoped her dreams were vivid because there was no way he was ever going to be with her. Finally the time had come for him to be with Quinn, and this time they were going to last. It wasn't just a fantasy. Sam felt it to his core that Quinn would want this too.

"You have no idea what Quinn and I share, our history, our bond."

"It's a dream come true, no doubt. I just hope this time she actually wants to be with you."

"We have a daughter together now."

Beth was the proof, the living sign that he and Quinn were meant to be together. This must have been why he kept hearing Quinn's voice in his mind. His subconscious was urging him to claim his family.

"Maybe that will sway the odds in your favor, I guess we'll see. I've always had the impression that she just wasn't that into you."

She was trying to hurt him, he could see it in her eyes. Her attempts at playing on his insecurities weren't going to work. All it did was further prove to Sam how threatened Mercedes was of Quinn.

"You little…" He had a few names on the tip of his tongue for her, and none of them felt quite nasty enough.

"Okay you two, you need to cool down now," said Kalina putting a hand on Mercedes's arm. She had been very quiet during their whole exchange. She probably was too busy taking dictation to play referee. "We don't want to take things too far."

"I'm not saying anything Sam doesn't already know. Isn't that right Sam?" A hint of a smile played on her lips. She wasn't backing down at all.

"There's nothing you can say that will make me turn away from Quinn."

Mercedes smiled, a full mocking grin that Sam couldn't wait to wipe off of her face. "Oh I think there's plenty I can say. For starters…"

"Mercedes," interrupted Kalina. "Please don't say anything else. We're taking it easy, remember?"

"Don't stop her now Dr. Hill. The little nurse has finally found her tongue. It's not like she has the power to stop Quinn and me from being together anyway. Mercedes is nothing more than my nurse," said Sam folding his arms behind his head. He couldn't contain his smile as he watched her flinch. He had struck a nerve.

"I'm not going to stop anything. If you want Quinn, so be it. Too bad she'll never make you happy."

"Oh and now you're going to try to convince me that you can make me happy instead? Are you going to tie me to the bed, do that little trick with your tongue again?"

She jumped to her feet looking ready to curse him out. It might have been a low blow to bring up their physical encounter so explicitly, but he wanted to make it clear that he was on to her. There were no tricks she could pull now to keep him away from Quinn. Not even a trick that made his eyes roll back in his head and his toes twitch. She might know the ways to get his body to respond, but she would never be able to get to his heart. He'd never give her the chance to get that close again. Not after all of this.

"You and Quinn can try to resurrect the shambles of your so-called great love for the eighteenth time. Have at it. That will be your pain to carry, but if any of that spills onto Beth and hurts her, I'm going to step in." She was shaking, she was so upset, her face scrunched up tight.

"Beth is my child. You don't have any say in her life," he said sitting up straighter in the bed.

"I'm her stepmother and her custodial parent. I have more say than you realize. I will die before I let Quinn hurt her again."

Why would she even take it there? The idea that Quinn would hurt their baby was too ridiculous for words. Mercedes was grasping at straws now, trying to find any way to discredit Quinn.

"Quinn would never hurt our child."

"Of course not. Just like she'd never hurt you right?"

A chill ran over Sam's body at Mercedes's words. The way she had said it, so calm and resolute, made Sam shudder. He could tell she actually believed Quinn was capable of hurting Beth.

Twenty uncomfortable minutes of silence and Mercedes finally got the hint and left. After she had made those ridiculous statements about Quinn hurting Beth, he had completely shut her out. Turned his back, stared at the wall, and didn't say another word. Dr. Hill decided to do her job and suggested that Mercedes leave so she could talk to him alone. Sam was relieved. He could hear Mercedes sniffling, crying behind his back. He tried to block her out, humming a tune in his mind, but her sad doe eyes crept in and Sam was forced to see what his words had done to her, even though his eyes were closed.

Once he was alone with Dr. Hill, he began to relax. Mercedes' presence had stifled him, making it hard for him to form a coherent thought. Slowly things were starting to become clearer in his mind. There was Beth and there was Quinn, this other stuff with Mercedes wasn't important.

"Dr. Hill why is there an insane woman taking care of my daughter? She's completely delusional."

"What makes you think that?"

"She just told me she'd die before she'd let Quinn hurt Beth."

Dr. Hill shrugged. "Mercedes loves her. It's not surprising she is protective."

"She said she had custody."

"She does. You were in a coma. The judge allowed her to take Beth since she's your wife."

Sam wondered why a judge was involved at all. Quinn could have just taken care of the baby, she didn't need him to be conscious for that.

"What about Quinn? Where was she?"

"I told you she's suffering from postpartum depression."

"Being sick doesn't mean someone else gets custody of your baby. So does Mercedes actually have legal custody or is she just taking care of Beth?"

"Would you even believe anything I told you at this point? I am related to the wicked Santana after all."

She was teasing him now, but Sam didn't find it at all funny. He had the right to have a doctor not connected to a woman that had destroyed his marriage. It might seem hypocritical given his own history, but it was how he felt.

"Good point. I should be demanding a new doctor."

"Why aren't you?" she asked.

"Don't get too comfortable. I still might."

He wasn't sure why he was still letting her stay. She was infuriating as hell. The way she never gave him a straight answer about anything was driving him up the wall. He guessed it was the fact that she had that little file on his life. Sam thought he might have a shot at sweet talking her into showing him some of it if he let her stick around. Switching doctors might land him a hard ass male that would be immune to his certain brand of charm.

"I'll keep that in mind," said Dr. Hill, a small smile on her face.

"Why did you tell me Quinn was my wife?" he asked.

It all came back to this, if she had just told him the truth in the first place it could have saved him so much stress. She had let him continue to hold onto the idea that Quinn was his wife, building it up in his mind, only to suddenly take it all back.

"I didn't. You just assumed."

"Well you said I was a husband and father and then said I have Beth with Quinn." It was a completely logical assumption to make. Why wouldn't he be married to the mother of his child?

"And unmarried people don't have kids together?" Kalina asked.

"That's not something I would've done."

"But you did."

"I see that now. I don't understand this though. If I am married to Mercedes, and Beth is only four months old then that means…."

"Means you cheated."

No way. Sam knew he would never betray someone he loved like that. He may be a lot of things, and have made more questionable choices than he could count, but one thing he prided himself on was that he was loyal and faithful.

"That's impossible. I wouldn't cheat on my wife. I am not a cheater."

"Seems like you are now." She tried to stifle a laugh, as she hid her smile behind her hand.

"Are you getting off on this or something? You seem almost amused."

"I do find it somewhat amusing that you think it impossible that you could have cheated. Given your history. You don't come across as the voice of moral responsibility."

"I'm a one woman kind of guy. If I loved someone enough to get married, I wouldn't cheat on her."

He had seen the damage that infidelity inflicted on his parents. From a very young age, Sam vowed to never be like them, using the heart like a weapon. Love was too rare and wonderful to waste. It might make him seem like less of a man to feel that way but he didn't care.

"Mercedes would beg to differ there."

"That's the thing I can't wrap my head around. Why did I even marry her? She doesn't seem like the type of person…" He ran his hands through his hair as his voice trailed off. Sam wasn't quite sure what he wanted to say about her.

"But you said earlier you felt close to her and you liked her," said Dr. Hill reminding him of his previous statement.

"That's not the same as marrying her. She's just a…she's so young."

The age thing had caught him off guard. It was hard enough to deal with his attraction to someone so young when he thought she was just his nurse, now that he knew he had actually married her, he was really confused. What had happened in his life that made him decide to marry a teenaged college student?

"She is."

"She's not really my type either."

Maybe that was part of the problem. If all the women in Lima were lined up for his selection, Sam wasn't sure he would've chosen Mercedes. There was something about her that was definitely attractive, but she didn't have the look he usually went for. Not that it was all about looks for him, but appearance is what drew him into a woman in order to get to know her better. If he had spotted Mercedes across the room, he might not have ever given her a second glance. Alone in his hospital room she had been enticing. She was really cute and flirty, but he had been forced to be around her. Sam just didn't know if anything would have been there under other circumstances.

"How so?"

"She's just…she's not… You know I don't want to talk about her. Tell me more about Quinn." He was tired of trying to figure this Mercedes thing out. Sam was convinced that there would be no answers that made sense.

"Interesting you went back to her."

"She is my daughter's mother. Only natural I would be concerned."

He didn't even want to think about how horrible it must be for Quinn now, alone in a mental hospital. He was feeling pretty lonely himself and he had a steady stream of visitors. Things must be so much worse for Quinn.

"But no concern for your wife? You ripped into her pretty hard. She was in tears."

"She withheld information from me about Quinn, about Beth…about herself. I can't stand liars."

"Does your stance on that change now that you know you lied to her?"

"When did I lie to her?" Sam had been very upfront with Mercedes, even told her about his conflicting feelings for her and Quinn.

"I am assuming you didn't rush home and tell her about sleeping with Quinn."

"See that. There is something more there. I am wondering if Quinn and I were the ones in love and I had to marry Mercedes for some reason."

"Had to? Like a shotgun wedding?"

"No, but maybe it was about business, or some sort of deal." Or maybe he had lost a bet.

"Couldn't have been something as simple as you were in love with her?"

"If I loved her, I wouldn't have cheated on her. And with Quinn of all people. I have always cared about Quinn. I am thinking maybe we were having an affair and Mercedes got in the way of that. I need to speak with Quinn."

"I think you do as well. Tell you what? As soon as you get cleared by your doctors I will make that happen."

"Can't you fill me in on this in the meantime?" Sam couldn't hold out much longer for answers. His mind was creating elaborate scenarios. He needed to know what was real, once and for all.

"I would rather you get your information directly from the source. I think you will accept it better if you hear it straight from Quinn."

The thought of finally seeing Quinn made him smile. There was so much he needed to say to her. He hoped he could put it all into words when he was in her presence. She had a way of making him lose his train of thought whenever he looked at her for too long.

"I have all these questions."

"You could start by talking to your wife."

"I have nothing to say to her." Not like he could trust her to tell him the truth anyway.

"Are you sure about that? You two have these matching beds, the whole night ahead of you."

"No way in hell is she staying in here. I want her out." And to think, just a few hours ago he had been looking forward to spending the night with her.

"Sam, I think it is time for you to grow up and face facts."

"You are the worst shrink I have ever met," Sam said angrily. "I just got out of a coma and you lay all of this on me and you expect me not to react?"

"I was hoping you would take it like a man. All that stuff you were saying earlier about family and responsibility."

She was making him feel like an idiot for not acting per her expectations. He felt like a child being scolded.

"Can you give me a minute? I just found all of this out."

"Sam, you were married before. Since you think it is 2011, that experience should be fresh on your mind."

"This is not the same. I have this dream come true with Beth and Quinn then you tell me I have a wife on top of that."

He had won her back, for those fleeting moments when Dr. Hill told him he was married and had a baby, he had Quinn, something he had wanted for years. Countless nights of dreaming of her coming to him and telling him that it was never Puck and always him. She would tell him that she loved him and that she wanted him back. That dream recurred for years, ultimately feeling more like a nightmare as the harsh reality became too hard to ignore. She wasn't coming back. Then today she had, with their baby in her arms, and his ring on her finger.

"So the problem is Mercedes and the fact you are married to her? Not that she lied to you about it?"

"All of it is a problem. Everything about her is wrong. It shouldn't be like this. It should be me, Quinn and our child."

"That's not how you felt before the accident. You were very dedicated to your marriage."

"How do you even know that?" The file couldn't have that much detail, she had to be making stuff up.

"This file holds many clues. For one, your wife filed for divorce before the accident."

"I knew it! Quinn and I were trying to be together." All that love talk from Mercedes was bogus. If she truly loved him, she would've spared him all of this and just leveled with him from the start. Maybe she was trying to torture him in some way as an act of revenge, since he had cheated on her.

"You were the one that didn't want to sign the papers. Your attorney, Burt Hummel has said you were planning on fighting her."

"Did we have a pre-nup?"

"From the looks of it, you did not."

"There you go. I was trying to hang on to my assets, working out a plan."

"Seems like you have it all worked out now."

"Well it is the only thing that makes sense. Quinn and I were in love, I had to get married for some reason, and we had an affair and conceived our daughter."

"So you were star crossed lovers kept apart by big bad Mercedes?"

"I don't like your tone. I'm not an idiot. I am just trying to figure things out."

"In the most illogical way…"

"I have brain damage, I lost my memory can you cut me a break?"

"You don't have brain damage. Your memory loss is not stemming from anything physical."

"What are you saying?" he asked turning to face her.

"I am saying your mind is blocking the past three years for some reason. The accident probably triggered this reaction, but it is not from physical injury. It is all psychological."

His eyes widened in surprise. "Are you saying I want to forget?"

"In a manner of speaking."

"What the hell happened that I needed to block it out?" Must have been something majorly bad that he would put himself through this, he had completely derailed his own life.

"That is what we need to explore."

"Not in your little file?"

"Oh I am pretty sure all the answers are in here. But I want to go easy with you. You don't seem to handle new information well. After your initial reaction to finding out about your coma, I knew I had to proceed with caution."

"I was shocked and might have overreacted just a little. No big deal."

"Well I didn't want a repeat performance. I figured it was best to tell you things little by little."

"I get that, but why did you let me believe a lie? You let me think I was married to Quinn."

"I will admit that I might have let that go on a tad long but it was fascinating to see where your mind went with the idea. I never would have gained so much insight about you otherwise."

Sam exhaled sharply. "So it was all a big experiment?"

"You're resistant to therapy and hesitant to talk to me. I needed answers. I figured this approach was best and I was right."

"You put me through hell, built me up and then tore me down and you think that's best?" he asked shaking his head in disbelief.

"I knew you could take it," she said simply.

"Where did you get your degree? ?" Dr. Hill was a total quack. He was sure of it.

"Disparaging my education? I don't see that you went to school anywhere."

"I went into the service. I got a whole different kind of education."

"Learn anything of use?"

"Sure did. The Army taught me how to problem solve, how to think on my feet, to be aware of my surroundings, so I'll never be caught off guard. It made me tough and tenacious. I can handle anything that comes my way. I can adapt to…" He paused. "I see your point now."

"I had every confidence you would. I can tell you're a smart man, once you close your mouth and let your brain work."

This woman was unbelievable. It was like she had no internal censor. "I could fire you for a comment like that."

"Yep you could."

"So are you going to share any of these new insights you gained with me?"

"Maybe another time. I do have one question though. What was Mercedes saying to you when she came over to your bed? I couldn't hear."

"It was personal."

"Something about what happened between you two last night?" she asked, actually leaning toward him in rapt attention.

"Should've known you'd find a way back to that. You're just dying of curiosity aren't you?"

"Psychiatry is a haven for nosy people. Let's us snoop legitimately."

"Not much to tell about last night. We talked."

"I'm not buying that. It seems to me the reason you are so upset with Mercedes is because of something that happened last night."

"I thought she was someone I could trust. Turns out she's not. End of story."

The absolute end. He was thoroughly disgusted that she had gotten so close to him, claimed to feel so much, yet kept her mouth shut. If he had been able, Sam was sure she would have slept with him and still never told him she was his wife.

"You do understand she wasn't allowed to tell you about the past?"

Maybe he was making too much out of it all. He probably should let it go, but he had trusted her and she let him down. He'd only known her a short while, but he thought that they had meant something to each other. Now it all felt like a lie. In the end, she didn't have his back, and it hurt.

"So she said, but she could have been straight with me if she wanted to be. She chose not to. Actually my whole family kept me in the dark."

"That they did. And don't forget about Quinn."

"What about her? She's not even here." How he wished Quinn were here. He needed her badly. Sam was starting to feel like he had absolutely no one on his side in the world.

"She kept you in the dark too. Never said anything to you about Beth."

"That's different. She's upstate."

"Oh, so only people in close proximity can get blamed?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

"She wasn't around me to see my mental state. If we were face to face she never would've kept that from me. We've always been honest with each other."

"Sounds like a good foundation for a relationship."

"I think so."

"Why didn't you end up together?"

"She fell in love with another man." It still hurt to say the words.

"That's right. Noah Puckerman."

"If you don't mind I'd rather not reminisce back to those days. It still stings."

"Really? After all of these years?"

"Some loves you just don't get over." No matter how hard you try.

"Not even when you marry someone else?"

"I don't know anything about Mercedes and our so called marriage," he spat out in disgust.

"I was talking about Brittany. You married her after Quinn and by all accounts you were committed to her."

"I loved Brittany. It was good for awhile but…"

"But then she fell for another woman?"

"I can admit now that the other woman was always in the picture. I just didn't want to see it at the time."

"Living in denial is better than facing the pain?"

"Sometimes. You never really know you're in denial while you're going through it though."

Kalina nodded. "I think that is about eighty percent of my job, helping people face their denial."

"I'm not in denial if that's what you're hinting at. I'm just angry about the whole situation." Angry at his family, angry at his nurse, and most of all angry at himself for allowing all of this to blindside him.

"I don't blame you. Stuck in the bed, other people making decisions for you, years of your life erased, it must be confusing and frustrating."

"It is. I just want to reach out and hurt somebody," he said clenching his hands into tight fists.

"Kind of hard when you can't move."

"Tell me about it." If he could just get out of the bed things would be better. He wouldn't feel so trapped, like his body was holding him prisoner.

"You did a pretty admirable job though."

"What are you talking about?"

"Hurting somebody. I assume that was what you were doing when you went off on Mercedes, taking your pain out on her?"

"She had that coming." He was so tired of talking about Mercedes.

"She has spent almost the entire last year caring for you and you just attacked her like she was your enemy."

"I explained that to you already," he said curtly. He was done talking about it.

"None of what you said works for me."

He shrugged. "Too bad, that's how I feel." Sam crossed his arms over his chest and stared blankly at his doctor.

"I think we've done enough for today," she announced, closing up her files. "You need to let this stuff marinate."

"I really need to see your credentials."

Kalina pulled her medical license out of her wallet and showed it to him. It looked legit. Sam guessed she was who she claimed to be. He still planned on having her investigated though.

"Well Dr. Kalina Hill, when do we see each other again?"

"Soon. I will get you scheduled," she said packing up her belongings. "In the meantime, think about this. The one new addition to your life before the accident, is the one you seem to be blocking out, the same one you just went off on."

"Nurse Mercedes," he sighed.

He let his head fall back on the pillow, struggling to keep his eyes open. The day was wearing on him. The lack of sleep from the night before was starting to hit him.

"You might want to start thinking about why you are reacting so strongly toward her."

"I would rather think about getting Quinn out of the mental hospital."

"You have no control over that."

"That's where you're wrong. I am Sam Evans. I can control whatever I want."

"Can't seem to control your own memory though," she said with a smirk.

"That's pretty harsh Doc." Sam had to admit his doctor had spunk. She had no qualms about taking shots at him. He sort of liked it, made him feel like he was back to normal.

"I know you can take it. And never call me Doc. Dr. Hill, or Kalina. I might even let you call me Kali if you're good."

"Kali it is then, because I'm always good." He winked at her letting a slow grin spread on his face.

"Welcome back Sam Evans," she said shaking his hand. "You certainly have been worth the wait." She flashed him a bright smile.

"Thank you. I'm just getting started, soon I will be back on my feet."

"That should be fun. Will I have to wear padding to our sessions? Do you throw chairs?" she asked laughing lightly.

He grinned. "I'm Irish and from Tennessee. Bourbon and beer bottles only."

"Duly noted. Take care," she said as she left the room.

Finally alone, and Sam was thrilled. He had hated being on display for his shrink as he found out about his life. Something so personal revealed by a stranger, it was a bit hard to take. Now that no one was watching he really could let it all sink in. He was a dad. Amazing.

Sam rolled on his side, straining his neck upward to stare out of the window. The sun would be setting soon. Where had the day gone? Seemed like it just had been sunrise. He turned away from the window in irritation, when memories of his morning with Mercedes popped into his mind. She had ruined sunrises for him. Everything in the room was tainted by Mercedes now. He couldn't wait to get out of the place and away from all evidence of her. He didn't know what the hell he was thinking when he married that girl, but it didn't matter now. He had to find a way to get to Quinn. Their daughter needed to be back with her. He'd deal with the whole wife business later. First priority was the well being of his child. He wanted Beth to have a loving and stable home life and that needed to happen soon. Quinn had to come home now.

His hands were tied in the hospital though. He wasn't allowed any communication without express approval from his doctors. The phone in his room was a useless piece of junk, nothing but modern sculpture, since the staff had made sure it was disconnected. He looked over at the phone in disgust, wanting to knock it off the bedside table, out of sheer frustration, and that is when he saw it, the cell phone. Mercedes must have left it behind again.

Sam picked it up and turned it on. It still was almost fully charged. He couldn't believe his luck. Now he had the power to make something happen, to set things in motion, to put his family back together. He just needed some help, someone to be his legs while he was confined to the bed. Who could he trust to ignore the doctors and listen to him? Sam knew just the person. It was a risk, but if it panned out Sam could get anything he wanted even while stuck in the hospital.

He thought of Quinn as he dialed the number. He had let her down all this time, by not being able to help her, but now he was going to make things right. First he was going to bring her home and then he was going to win her back. Sam was determined to give his baby the family she deserved.