CHAPTER 55
A/N: Hi people! As I already said when I updated my other story, I know it's been a while but I really had a lot to deal with in the past few months... Anyway, I'm back and I want to thank all of you who took the time to review the previous chapter. I won't name you individually (unless you like it), because it seems it sometimes makes people uncomfortable. But know that I'm grateful and carefully read every review I get! Please keep them coming, even if it's as an anonymous guest! As always, a big thank you to WhitWalk for proofreading my draft :-) This chapter is dedicated to our wonderful Naya. Unfortunately, I was not ready to publish it in July so that's why it comes out only now. Back to the story now, watch out the POV, as we start with Quinn's!
LATER THAT DAY (DAY 6 SINCE THE EARTHQUAKE) – IN LOS ANGELES – QUINN's POV
"Britt, hi!"I say, picking up the phone as soon as it rings. "So, did you see San? How is she?"
"Hi, Q… um… yeah, I saw her." She says in a trembling voice, obviously shaken up. "She's… okay, I guess… She was weak, and yet strong. She was pretty pale but… beautiful, and inappropriate." She chuckles nervously.
"That sounds like our San." I smile. "What did the doctor say?"
"He uh…" She trails off. "He said that her heart stopped and that she… died, before they brought her back." She adds in a cracking voice.
"What…?! Oh my God!"I say, completely shocked. "But… you're sure she's okay now?"
"Well… She's going to be." She replies. "She had surgery on her spleen, and her lungs are pretty bad right now, but… thank God, she's out of danger. The doctor said she will have to stay at least two weeks in the hospital, and will have a long recovery even after that." She says. "I'm just wondering if I should transfer her to a hospital in L.A. or keep her here in Nevada. But I'm not sure she's strong enough for such a transfer and I don't want paparazzi to bother her. Speaking of which, how is the situation now?"
"Honestly, Brittany… I think it would be wiser for Santana to stay in Nevada. I keep getting calls from journalists several times per day and a few of them are still waiting outside your house…"
"I see…" She sighs. "Well… I better look for a place to stay here then… And I will also have to fly in the kids, so they can be with me and hopefully see Santana. Although it's tricky because she's not allowed to have visitors. I already had to insist that the doctor let me see her."
"Well, if you want, Puck and I can take the kids to Nevada." I offer.
"You would do that?" She asks, surprised.
"Of course, Britt! Anything for you!" I immediately reply. "But given the situation, will you be okay taking care of them by yourself?"
"I won't be alone, San's mom said she'll come to Nevada for a few days."
THE NEXT DAY (DAY 7) – IN NEVADA – AT THE HOSPITAL – BRITTANY's POV
"I can only stay 20 minutes…" I tell Santana when sitting by her bed, taking her hand in mine. "Dr. Harris is pretty strict."
"No, wait…" I block her hand when I see she's about to remove her oxygen mask. "He said you should keep it on when you're not talking, and I have a few things to say first…"
"I brought you a new phone, just in case you need it…" I say, placing the device on her nightstand. "It's got the numbers of our family and friends, and a few pictures of us and the kids… Oh, and before I forget… Sam helped Sofia record a message for you." I add, taking my own phone to play it.
"Hi mamaaaaa! It's me!" We hear Sofia shouting in an excited voice. "I really, really miss you! Today, I made a drawing of you playing the piano, and it has lots of hearts and flowers everywhere! When can I give it to you? I hope you feel better soon, mommy said that the doctors will fix you. I love you very, very much, more than ice-cream!"
"More than ice-cream, that says a lot!" I chuckle and I see Santana smirk through her mask, before taking it off.
"Are… the kids… okay…?" She asks, still experiencing shortness of breath.
"Yes, they are." I nod. "I downplayed your situation a bit, because I didn't want them to worry. And apparently, they're having lots of fun with Mercedes and Sam!" I say. "Quinn and Puck will bring them here in a couple of days, and your mom will come too. I still have to find a way to convince Dr. Harris to let them see you, but I'm working on it." I smile, caressing her cheek. "How are you feeling, honey?"
"I've… never been… better." She jokes.
I know she won't tell me the truth because she doesn't want me to worry, but I also know it's typically the kind of thing she would say when being truly in pain.
"I still have… 7 minutes." I say, checking my watch. "So, how about we put that mask back on your pretty face…" I add, placing it back. "… and I just cuddle with you?" I suggest, taking off my shoes to lay on her bed, right next to her.
To keep her close to my body, I carefully wrap one arm around her shoulders, my other hand grabbing hers, and I place a soft kiss on her forehead.
I can tell she's trying to fight her tiredness, but she falls asleep on my chest barely a minute later. I keep her in a loving embrace, enjoying this closeness I missed so much.
When our time is up, I try to leave without waking her up but despite my best efforts, I don't succeed. Her eyes flutter open a few times and she removes her mask, looking at me while gently tapping her lips with two fingers.
"You want a kiss?" I ask, interpreting the gesture, and she nods in confirmation.
I don't even know if I'm allowed to do that in her condition, but I decide to make the most of the few seconds we have left, and give her a short, tender kiss on the mouth. She tastes like meds but I don't care, there was a time I feared I would never get to kiss those lips again.
"I love you…" I whisper, running my thumb on her cheek.
"Love you… more…" She pants, putting her mask back on.
"Get some rest, I'll be back tomorrow." I smile, bringing her hand to my lips.
THE NEXT DAY (DAY 8) – AT THE HOSPITAL
"I'm afraid the answer is no, Mrs. Lopez-Pierce. I'm sorry." Dr. Harris says firmly. "You know that we normally don't allow visitors in the ICU, I already bent the rules for you! And now, you're asking me to let in even more people?"
"It's not 'people', it's her children and her mother!" I object. "Dr. Harris, when the earthquake struck, Santana had been away on a business trip for a while, which means that my children haven't seen their mama in 3 weeks!" I argue, placing a family picture in front of him. "Look how young they are, our sons are not even 2 years old. They need to see her! And Santana is an only child, so can you imagine what her mother went through when she was missing?"
"Mrs. Lopez-Pierce, these rules are in place for a…"
"I thought a support system was essential for the healing process?" I cut him off.
"Well, yes, but…"
"She doesn't know anyone here." I interrupt him again. "And the kids are everything to her! I beg you, she needs this as much as they do." I say, looking him right in the eye.
"You're pretty stubborn, aren't you?" He eventually asks after a moment of silence.
"Trust me, you haven't seen anything yet." I reply in a determined voice, never breaking eye contact. "Look, I know you have Santana's best interest at heart, but so do I. She needs to see her kids." I repeat once more.
"Fine…" He eventually sighs, giving in. "Arrange it the way you see fit, but visits are still limited to 20 minutes a day, she needs to rest."
"Oh, thank you…" I let out in relief. "Thank you so much!" I repeat, shaking his hand in gratitude.
THE NEXT DAY (DAY 9) – AT THE HOSPITAL
"Peanut, before we go in, I need to tell you a few things…" I tell Sofia just outside Santana's room, kneeling down to her level. "Mama is still very tired and needs to rest a lot, so we can only stay a few minutes. It's just to say hi, you understand?" I ask and she silently nods. "And we have to be very, very gentle, because she has um… a few bruises, especially on her tummy." I say, deciding not to tell her about Santana's recent surgery. "She also has a mask on her face, to help her breathe until she gets all better. She can remove it to talk but she speaks slower than usual, and she breathes harder too. That's normal, okay?" I add, and she nods again.
"Do you mind keeping the boys with you?" I ask Quinn and Puck. "I would rather go in separate groups, so we don't tire her too much."
"Of course." Quinn nods, with a smile.
"Thanks, Q… Come on, peanut, let's go see mama." I say, holding out my hand to her.
A FEW MINUTES LATER – IN SANTANA's ROOM
When we enter the room, Santana is fortunately awake, sitting up in bed.
"Look who I brought today…" I say, and she immediately removes her oxygen mask upon seeing our little girl.
"Mija!" She smiles big. "Come here… baby…"
I lift Sofia and sit her on her mama's lap, allowing Santana to give her a few sweet kisses.
"I missed you… so much, mija…" She whispers, with eyes full of love. But our little girl remains silent, suddenly looking all shy. I guess she's a bit impressed by the unusual surroundings…
"Why don't you show mama the drawing you made for her, peanut?" I suggest, to put her at ease.
She hesitates for a few seconds but eventually hands the sheet of paper to Santana, without a word.
"Oohh… that's the drawing… you mentioned… on the phone… It's… beautiful!" She says in an enthusiastic voice and I can tell she's trying her best not to sound too short of breath. "Thank you, baby… I… love it…" She adds, caressing our daughter's hair.
"Are you in pain…?" Sofia suddenly asks her mama, with concerned eyes.
"A little, but I'm okay… I feel… so much better when… you're here, mija…" Santana replies, with a comforting smile.
"Can I give mama a hug? And a magic kiss?" Sofia asks me.
"Of course, peanut! You just need to be gentle, remember?" I remind her and she nods.
As I watch my little girl give a loving hug and a "magic kiss" to Santana, I feel tears coming up to my eyes, realizing how close my children were to losing their mama.
It's such a miracle she's still with us…
A LITTLE WHILE LATER
"I love you… so much…" Santana tells our baby boys, breathing in their heads and covering them with kisses.
They're all so cute together that I can't stop myself from taking a picture. Reunited at last…
As always, the boys giggle loudly as soon as Santana tickles their belly. She laughs along with them for a while, until she suddenly starts coughing. I know this is to be expected, given her lung issues, but her coughing attack sounds so harsh and painful that I rush to her side in panic, and put her oxygen mask back on.
The twins immediately burst into tears, scared by the sudden agitation and Santana's unusual guttural cough.
"Get them… out…" She begs me through the mask, in between coughs.
I stay frozen for a minute, my eyes going back and forth between her and the boys, not knowing if I should first help her breathe or take the kids out.
"Britt…" She says, her pleading eyes meeting mine. And this time, I get it: she doesn't want our sons to see her like that. So, I hurry to take Diego in my arms and grab Gabriel's hand, leading them out of the room.
I leave the boys with Quinn and Puck and fortunately, by the time I get back to Santana's side, her cough has stopped.
"I'm so sorry…" I tell her with apologetic eyes. "I thought it would be okay if you saw the kids for a few minutes, but I guess it's too early to take off your mask this long…"
"It's… okay… It was… important… to see them…" She says, removing her mask just long enough to speak, putting it back on in between sentences. She seems to struggle to breathe even more than before and I can't help but feel guilty.
"Quinn and Puck are here, but I'll tell them to come back tomorrow. You need to rest." I say, caressing her hair.
THE NEXT DAY (DAY 10) – AT THE HOSPITAL
"Thank you for meeting me again." I tell Dr. Harris. "Um… this is Maribel Lopez, Santana's mother." I say as they shake hands. "We just wanted an update on Santana's condition, especially since she was coughing a lot yesterday."
"Of course." He nods. "Well, as you know, she had an operation a week ago, to repair her partially ruptured spleen. The surgery went well and she's recovering as expected. We put her on antibiotics as a precautionary measure, to avoid infections." He says. "Her lungs remain a point of concern, though. She still needs a higher volume of oxygen than I would like, but we're monitoring her closely."
"Is there anything more you can do to help her lungs heal?" Maribel asks, holding my hand in hers.
"Well, the road to recovery will be long, ma'am." He replies. "But we are doing everything we can. Besides oxygen therapy, we are treating your daughter with medication and inhalers. We've also started breathing exercises and pulmonary rehabilitation, which will have to continue for many weeks, even after she's discharged from the hospital."
"I see…" Maribel says, and I can detect the worry in her voice. "Is there anything we, as a family, can do to help her?"
"As I told your daughter-in-law, you can keep her spirit high and make sure she rests. The stress on her lungs, combined with heavy medication, is really taking a toll on her body."
LATER THAT DAY – AT THE HOSPITAL – QUINN's POV
"As you know, we have to limit visiting time… So, you guys have five minutes." Brittany tells Puck and me. "And San, you keep your mask on today, okay? Otherwise, I'll put it back on you myself." She warns, taking Santana's hand in hers.
"Well, I never thought I would say this because it's not my style, but… it's so good to see you, Lopez." Puck says.
"You really scared us this time, you know…" I add sadly, and Santana immediately grabs my hand in response.
Just like Brittany said the other day, she looks pale and weak, but her eyes are as intense as ever.
"I have some good news for you…" I eventually tell Santana, hoping that this might cheer her up. "It turns out there is a silver lining to this whole tragedy… Apparently, tons of people rushed to watch Glee after you went missing." I say. "And given the great ratings, Patricia Miller already decided to renew the show for another season!" I announce and Santana immediately smiles big through her mask, squeezing my hand tight.
"Oh my God, that's amazing! Congratulations, girls!" Brittany says proudly, kissing Santana's forehead while I nod in gratitude.
"By the way, Patricia will increase the cast's salaries retroactively, just like she promised." I add. "I already told Naya, she will share the news with the rest of the cast."
A WHILE LATER – BRITTANY's POV
"I'm afraid I'll have to go…" I say, now that Santana and I are alone in her room. "We have already reached the 20 minutes limit for today…" I pout and she nods in understanding, gently rubbing her thumb on the back of my hand.
"But I'll be back tomorrow…" I'm quick to add, placing a gentle kiss on her cheek.
I'm about to leave the room but Santana doesn't let go of my hand.
"What is it, honey?" I ask, looking into her eyes, and she gestures towards her mask.
"Alright, I'll take it off. But just for a minute, okay?"
"What does… a girl have to do… to get a proper kiss… around here?" She asks, pointing at her lips. "I survived… a freaking earthquake… to be with you, Pierce!" She argues and I can't help but chuckle.
"Come here, silly…" I say, cupping her cheek to capture her lips in a loving kiss.
"Now, put your mask back on." I say, placing it back. "The kids and I need you to get healthy so we can bring you back home."
A FEW DAYS LATER – AT THE HOSPITAL
"Your dad and Abuela send their love…" Maribel tells Santana in an emotional voice, caressing her hair affectionately.
"You're not… gonna cry again… are you?" Santana teases her through her mask, pulling the twins closer to her.
"I'm your mother, I get to cry when my baby is hurt!" Maribel argues.
"Mama, look! I made two new drawings for you!" Sofia says proudly while I hold her in my arms.
But Santana barely has the time to look at our daughter's artwork before Dr. Harris enters the room.
"Good afternoon." He says. "Oh, I see that the little family is here!" He adds, making funny faces at the boys.
"How are you feeling, Santana?" He asks, removing her oxygen mask.
"I'm okay…" She replies in a tired voice.
"As a matter of fact, you are okay." He confirms, nodding. "You still have a long recovery ahead of you, but your lungs are a little bit better." He adds in an encouraging tone, making us all smile at this wonderful news. "So, as of today, we're going to remove your mask and replace it with a nasal cannula. It will still bring you oxygen but it will be more comfortable, and it will allow you to speak more easily." He adds. "And given your good test results, I will also increase the visiting time to 45 minutes per day." He adds while Santana and I exchange a content smile.
A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER – AT THE HOSPITAL
"So, Rachel called earlier…" I tell Santana, intertwining our fingers. "She wanted to know how you were doing, and to remind you that 'music can be very therapeutic'." I say, reusing our friend's words. "She even sent me a song she sang just for you. I can play it if you w–…"
"God, no!" Santana interrupts me. "I don't have the energy… nor the patience… to listen to Berry's irritating voice." She complains, and I can't help but smile, knowing that her reaction is a clear sign that she's getting better.
A FEW DAYS LATER – AT THE HOSPITAL – SANTANA's POV
"So, Santana, I have great news!" Dr. Harris says, while Brittany is sitting by my side. "Your latest tests show that your lungs have significantly improved. You will still need to do lung therapy for a while but your results are good enough for you to go home in a couple of days."
"Oh my God, really?" Brittany says in a surprised, yet hopeful voice.
"Really." Dr. Harris confirms with a smile.
"Finally…" I say, relieved. "No offense to the quality of your care, Doc', but I would rather be at home with my children, and sleep in my wife's bed."
"None taken." He chuckles. "I do however have some recommendations for you." He adds in a serious tone. "First, no heavy lifting."
"Wait… Does that mean I can't carry my children?" I ask, frowning.
"I'm afraid not…" He says, making me pout in disappointment. "Daily walks are strongly encouraged, but no jogging, no abdominal exercises or vigorous sports, okay?"
"You don't have to worry about that, I'm really not a sports person."
"No alcohol either." Dr. Harris adds, continuing to read out his list.
"Damn…" I let out in spite of myself.
"And I don't know if you're a smoker, but…"
"I'm not." I cut him off. "This one here made me quit years ago." I say, pointing at Brittany.
"Good, because under no circumstance should you smoke in your current condition." He says. "And of course, you'll need to rest as much as possible."
"As for the lung therapy…" He adds. "… I recommend three sessions per week, either in a facility or at home. And here is a list of a few specialists that can do the follow-up with you in L.A." He says, handing us a sheet of paper.
"Thank you, doctor. For everything." Brittany says in gratitude.
THE NEXT DAY – AT THE HOSPITAL
"So, since you're not allowed to fly…" Brittany says. "… I will drive you back home. But the journey is too long for the kids, so I have asked Quinn and Puck to come back here and fly home with them tomorrow. You and me can leave one day later."
"I'm sorry…" I whisper, feeling bad for putting Brittany and our friends through so much trouble.
"Don't be… It's gonna be fun, like a road trip!" She smiles, pressing her lips on mine. But considering that I still feel pretty weak, I'm sure she knows I will probably be asleep the whole time.
A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER (EVENING TIME) – IN LOS ANGELES – AT HOME
Just like I suspected, I had a really hard time keeping my eyes open during our trip, and ended up sleeping most of the time. I feel bad for Brittany though, she spent more than 8 hours behind the wheel, just to bring me home. I'm so lucky to have her…
Once we arrived in L.A., we briefly stopped by Mike and Tina's, who had planned a little "welcome back" dinner for me. They even had a huge banner, balloons and everything! And I must say that it felt really good to finally be out of the hospital, and just enjoy time with my loved ones. But unfortunately, Brittany and I were so exhausted from the trip that we didn't have the energy to stay as long as we wanted, and we eventually went home.
"It was nice tonight, wasn't it?" Britt asks me, as we're getting under the sheets. I can't believe I finally get to sleep in my own bed, next to my beautiful wife…
"It sure was!" I confirm. "Maybe I should die more often, because it was really nice to feel all this love tonight." I joke.
"Don't say that!" She frowns, slapping my arm. "And let's be clear: I forbid you from dying again, Santana Lopez-Pierce. Is that understood?" She says in a very serious tone.
"Yes, ma'am." I nod. "I promise I'll do my best." I say, snuggling up against her.
Everything is always so perfect when I'm in Brittany's arms… I love how good she smells, the softness of her skin, and the warmth of her embrace.
"I missed this…" I eventually say, placing a kiss on her collarbone.
"Me too…" She whispers, holding me tighter. "But we should sleep now, it was a pretty long day and you need your rest." She adds, pressing her lips against my forehead.
A FEW DAYS LATER (AFTERNOON TIME) – AT HOME – QUINN's POV
"Hey, San!" I say, entering her bedroom where she's reading in bed.
"Oh, it's you…" She sighs, not even bothering to hide her disappointment.
"You always know how to make me feel so welcome." I say sarcastically. "Britt let me in, but if you want, I can come back another day."
"No, it's fine." She mumbles through her teeth, obviously in a bad mood.
"Okay, what's wrong?" I sigh, sitting on the chair by her bed.
"You know how, after a near-death experience, you're grateful for surviving and just want to enjoy life to the fullest?" She asks.
"Um, I guess…" I shrug. It's not like I have ever had any near-death experience, but what she says makes sense.
"Well, guess what?" She says, crossing her arms. "It turns out that everything I like to do is forbidden! I'm serious! I'm barely allowed to get out of bed, I can't play with the kids, unless it's boring things like puzzles… I can't sing, I can't drink, I'm not even allowed to have sex!" She complains, raising her arms in frustration.
Oh… So, that's why she's so cranky: she can't get into Brittany's pants. I should have known…
"This Dr. Spencer is really a bitch, she's even more strict than Dr. Harris! And she scared Britt so much with her crap that now my wife won't even kiss me anymore, unless it's a damn peck!"
"Why?" I frown in confusion.
"I don't know! Apparently, if I dare make out with my woman, I might suffocate and die or something…" She says sarcastically.
THREE DAYS LATER – AT HOME – SANTANA's POV
"Hold on! Did you just say that Patricia Miller doubled the budget for next season?" I ask Quinn, not believing my ears.
"Yep!" She confirms, nodding. "And there's more… Everyone that financed season 4 wants to do it again: Rachel, Mercedes, Naya… even Julia Peterson contacted me!"
"Oh… um… I'm not sure Britt will be okay with that…"
"Okay with what?" Brittany asks, appearing out of nowhere.
"Um… Julia Peterson wants to produce the next season of Glee…" I say, feeling uncomfortable.
"Well, as long as she stays away from you, I'm totally fine with you taking her money." Brittany shrugs, putting fresh clothes into our wardrobe.
"Really?" I frown in surprise.
"Sure, why not…" She replies, pressing her lips on mine, before exiting the room.
"Well, it looks like this year, we'll have the luxury to be as ambitious as we want with musical numbers!" Quinn says. "How are you getting on with the scripts?"
"I'm afraid I'm very slow, since Brittany limits my writing time to 2 hours per day… I've finished all the synopses but I've only written one full script…"
"It's already great that you've completed all the synopses, San!" Quinn says. "I can't wait to read that, what are the main storylines?"
"Well, obviously, the first episode has to start with Brittany accepting my wedding proposal, since it's where we left off." I say. "Then, I thought we could focus on Mercedes' tour for the first half of the season. Of course, we'll also show what Rachel and the others were up to in New York, and what you and Puck were doing in Connecticut." I add. "And for the second half, I was thinking to show Brittana and the Changs' big move to L.A."
"It sounds perfect!" She smiles. "Well, if you want, I can write a couple of episodes based on your synopses, and we meet again to discuss it?"
"Sure! Thanks, Q…"
A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER (LATE EVENING) – AT HOME
"Britt!" I shout from the living room couch. "Hurry up, it's starting!"
"Already?" She asks from the kitchen. "Just give me a minute, I'll be right there." She adds, and I hear her start the dishwasher, before running into the living room.
"Okay, I'm here!" She says, putting her arms around me, to pull me closer to her. At least, Dr. Spencer didn't forbid cuddling…
"What did I miss?" She asks.
"Well, she's talking about Glee…" I say, as we watch Naya being interviewed on a talk show.
"I watched it all, and I thought that this season was very different from the others." The host says. "As a member of the cast, did you have the same feeling?"
"Absolutely, everything was different!" Naya nods. "After three years playing a high school cheerleader, this season was definitely a turning point for my character. We see Santana trying to figure out her life as a grown up, she moves to New York… so, even the setting was different. But it was also a very interesting change for me in terms of storylines, because they were more… 'adult', you know? She faces financial issues, she moves in with Brittany, and like many young people, she struggles to find her place in the world… But beyond what we see on screen, even the production of the show was very different this year."
"With the move to Netflix, you mean?"
"Yes." She confirms. "Santana – the real Santana, I mean – had a lot more freedom and we could all feel it in so many ways: the tone of the writing changed, there were more romantic scenes, but also more dramatic ones, like the 'Quarterback' for instance… And she brought the musical performances to a whole new level!" She says. "Even our shooting schedule changed. For the better, if you ask me…"
"Now that you mention the showrunner, Santana Lopez-Pierce… I also want to discuss your very first album, which you released a few weeks ago. I discovered – when listening to it – that Santana actually co-wrote it with you?"
"That's right." Naya confirms with a smile.
"How was that?"
"Oh, it was a fantastic experience! I really loved working with her!" She says and I can't help but smirk. God knows Naya is also one of my favorite persons to work with.
"This album is very dear to my heart because I wrote all the lyrics myself, while Santana composed the music. And I'm so grateful for that! Because not only is she incredibly talented but she was also very mindful of my style and my vision for the album, which is not easy to find in the music industry." She says while Brittany rubs her thumb on my shoulder.
"I know you two are good friends…" The host says while Naya nods in confirmation. "And we've all heard that she was severely injured in the San Francisco earthquake a few weeks ago. She even went missing for an entire week, I believe… What were those days like for you?"
"It was the most awful week of my life." She immediately says, with a sad shrug. "You know, in cases like these, a lot of different scenarios go through your mind, but what they all have in common is the helplessness that you feel… I must have called her phone dozens of times during those days." She adds. "And it's hard to explain, because you have to know her to get it, but… Santana is so… dependable, you know? She's always there for you, and it's such a strong and comforting presence… So, this sudden and unusual silence was unbearable… The whole ordeal really was just devastating, for her wife, her kids, and everyone that loved her." She adds, bringing tears to my eyes while Brittany's grip on me tightens.
"I can imagine…" The host says in an empathetic voice. "How is she doing now?"
"She's okay…" Naya replies in a reassuring tone. "Like you said, she was severely injured, but she's doing her best to get back in shape."
A COUPLE DAYS LATER – AT HOME
"So, how did she do today?" Brittany asks Jordan, after my lung therapy session.
"Well, she won't run the marathon any time soon, but she's making progress." He replies in an encouraging voice. "But it's really important to do the exercises every single day. Okay, Santana?"
"Oh, believe me, I'll do whatever exercise you throw my way if that can get me back to my life!"
LATER THAT WEEK – AT HOME – IN THE KITCHEN
"What do you think you're doing?" Brittany asks me in reproachful tone.
"I'm making Sofia's costume for the school show." I say, pointing at the sewing machine on the table.
"San, you're supposed to be in bed." She crosses her arms.
"Brittany, I'm not climbing a mountain right now, I'm just sitting! And our little girl is very excited about that show! Do you really want to crush her spirit by telling her she will be the only kid that won't be dressed up?"
"That's not what I'm saying at all!" She objects. "I'm saying that you need to be in bed, I can make the costume myself."
"You know you can't sew, honey…" I frown. "And sorry, but I'm not letting my kid show up in public with a lame costume."
"Well, I'll just ask Tina then. She can sew." Brittany shrugs.
"Not like me she can't." I object. "You know I'm the best sewist in miles, I'm 'Abuela' certified!" I argue with pride. "And our daughter deserves the very best."
"Fine." She sighs in defeat. "But as soon as you're done, you're taking a nap, San. I mean it." She says in a serious tone while I sigh in exasperation.
A FEW DAYS LATER – AT HOME
"San, are you in bed?" Brittany shouts from the hall.
"Yeah…" I reply in a jaded tone, even though I'm pretty sure she's going to come check by herself if I really am in bed.
"I know you hate these naps, but it's for your own good, honey…" She says, her head popping through the open door. "And I've found a way to make it less boring…" She adds, making me frown in confusion.
"I brought you a nap buddy!" She smiles and opens the door wide, revealing Gabriel.
"You want to nap with mama, bud?" She asks, sitting our son next to me.
My little boy immediately smiles big at me, with the exact same grin as his beautiful mom, and I can't stop myself from kissing his cheek.
"Since Sofia is at Charlotte's and Diego is spending the afternoon with Quinn, I figured you two could rest together…" Brittany says, caressing my hair.
LATER THAT DAY – AT HOME – BRITTANY's POV
I carefully enter our bedroom and find Santana and Gabriel still asleep. They are spooning and I can't help but smile at this endearing sight, silencing thanking the universe for bringing her back to us.
"San…" I whisper, gently caressing her cheek. "It's time to wake up, honey… Jordan will be here in half an hour, for your therapy session." I say but it takes her a minute to fully emerge from sleep.
"Did you sleep well?" I ask.
"Of course, I slept well…" She whispers. "You paired me with the cutest nap buddy in the world! By the way, that was very sneaky of you, wifey…"
"Well, if being sneaky is what it takes to keep you healthy, I'll do just that…" I say, pressing my lips on hers.
THREE DAYS LATER – AT HOME – SANTANA's POV
I'm reading in bed when someone suddenly knocks on my door. That can't be Britt, why would she be knocking?
"Come in…" I say, wondering who that may be.
"Hi, boss!" Naya smiles, popping her head through the open door.
"Rivera!" I say, surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, I brought you a little something…" She smirks, holding a bottle of wine in one hand and two glasses in the other.
"Oh… I would love to, you don't even know how much, but… I'm afraid I'm not allowed to drink. How did you even manage to get here with this without being tackled by my overprotective wife?"
"Relax, it's non-alcoholic wine, I'm not crazy! And I cleared it with the 'overprotective wife', so you don't have to worry." Naya replies. "She only gave me one hour but… it's better than nothing!" She shrugs. "Truth be told, I miss chatting and drinking with you, Lopez…" She admits. "And since you can't go to the pub right now, I thought we could improvise one right here!"
"Is that thing even good?" I ask, as she pours me a glass.
"I have no idea! I've never tried non-alcoholic wine before… but I guess we'll find out." She smiles. "To you, Lopez." She says, clinking her glass against mine, before we take a sip.
"Okay! So, now we know it's not good…" Naya declares, pouting in disgust.
"Yeah, it's pretty terrible…" I agree with a chuckle. "I'm sorry…"
"It's okay, we can still have fun!" She says in an enthusiastic voice, smiling at me. "So, what's new?"
"What's new?" I repeat, chuckling. "Well, let's see… I currently have the pulmonary capacity of an 85 year-old smoker and my wife makes me sleep 12 hours per day, so… I'm afraid I don't have anything juicy to tell. But I did see your talk show the other day… It was very touching what you said about me, by the way…" I add, locking eyes with her. "I even may or may not have cried." I admit in a shy whisper.
"Yeah? Well, I may or may not have cried when you went missing…" She says, taking my hand in hers, and I immediately squeeze it in response.
"Seriously, don't you ever pull something like that again, Lopez…" She says, shaking her head. "Because I don't know how this happened, but… it turns out I'm pretty attached to you."
"Ditto…" I whisper, squeezing her hand again. "Even if you make me drink disgusting wine…" I add, making her laugh.
A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER – AT HOME – IN THE LIVING ROOM
I'm reading a children's book to my Diego when my phone suddenly rings.
"Did you butt dial me, Berry?" I frown in confusion, picking up.
"Hi, San! No, I was calling you to know how you were doing."
"Well, I'm doing okay… It's a very slow recovery but my lungs are getting better."
"I'm happy to hear that!" She says enthusiastically.
"Thanks… How are you?" I ask.
"Oh, I'm great! I just got the lead part in a new musical!" She says. "Do you want to hear the main song?"
"Oh God, no! Thank you." I immediately reply.
"You know, San… I already told Brittany, but music is really good for the healing proce-"
"Berry…" I cut her off. "I just cheated death, so let's not make me suicidal, okay?"
A FEW DAYS LATER (EARLY AFTERNOON) – AT HOME
"Seriously, are you kidding me right now?" Brittany says when entering our bedroom, crossing her arms.
"What…?" I shrug innocently, typing on my laptop.
"I thought we had an agreement, San." She says in a serious tone. "You only work on your scripts in the morning, and you take a nap after lunch."
"Brittany, please…" I sigh. "Let's not do that again, okay? I'm still in bed!" I argue. "And I can take a nap later."
"As a matter of fact, you can't." She says. "You have lung therapy later! And you know how exhausted these sessions make you when you don't take a nap first…"
"But I'm stronger now, I'm sure I will be fine." I shrug, getting back to my script.
"I can't believe this…" She sighs in exasperation, shaking her head. "It's your pregnancy all over again!" She raises her arms in frustration.
"Come on, Britt… It has nothing to d-"
"No." She interrupts me in a determined voice, pointing her index finger at me. "I've learned from my mistakes, so… click on 'save'. Now."
"But…"
"I'm taking your laptop away in 10 seconds, Santana." She cuts me off again. "So, I strongly advise you to save your work if you don't want to lose it." She warns, locking eyes with me.
Damn, she actually looks serious…
After a few seconds of hesitation, I eventually decide to click on "save" and I have barely done so that she closes the lid of my laptop and takes it away.
"Okay, now get some rest. I'll wake you up in a couple of hours."
"Does it ever occur to you that after six long weeks, I'm sick of being in bed, doing nothing?" I ask, upset.
"You're not always in bed." She objects, frowning. "We take a walk every day, and…"
"Oh yeah, sorry, I forgot." I interrupt her. "I take a one hour daily walk, so that only makes 23 hours in bed." I say sarcastically.
"You and your overstatements…" She rolls her eyes.
"You know it's true, Brittany! I'm either in bed or on the couch!"
"Well, these are the doctor's orders, so…" She shrugs, as if the topic was closed.
"But what difference does it make if I sleep or if I work on the laptop? I'm in bed either way!" I repeat once more, raising my arms in frustration.
"In case you forgot, you're not well, Santana!" She raises her voice. "You have to rest, so your lungs can heal and your heart can get stronger! And until you're 100% healthy, we're going to follow the doctor's recommendations, okay?" She says, looking me straight in the eye. "Because I don't want to be a widow!" She suddenly adds in a cracking voice, taking me aback.
"I need more time with you… I… I don't want to experience life without you…" She shakes her head in despair, eyes filled with tears.
"Brittany…" I say in a softer tone, getting out of bed to pull her into a tight hug.
"I thought you were gone…" She sobs, her head buried in my neck.
"I'm right here, honey…" I say, rubbing her back. "I'm out of danger now… And I'm getting better every day."
It breaks my heart to see her like this… I have been so frustrated with being stuck in bed that I didn't notice how much this whole situation was still affecting her…
"I'm so sorry you had to go through that…" I say. "I can't imagine how hard this must have been."
Although I'm very familiar with the despair one can feel when the woman they love is between life and death, this must have been a lot worse for her. At least, when Brittany had her car accident, I got to be by her side the whole time, finding comfort in the fact that she was receiving proper care.
But in this case, Brittany had no idea where I was for an entire week. She didn't know if I was alive or dead, or if I would even be treated on time if I was injured.
"You could have died so many times during that week…" She says in between sobs. "If you had stayed at the KNTV studio instead of going to that bakery, you might not have made it. And without that beam that protected you, you would have died instantly…" She adds. "And even like that, you could have died from your internal injuries if Vincent had not found you on time. Or your heart might not have restarted… It just makes me realize how close we were to losing you…"
"But you didn't lose me." I say, cupping her cheek while looking into her blue eyes. "You know, I don't remember much from the earthquake. I guess I was unconscious the whole time I was trapped… But I do remember the moment the building started to shake violently and everything around me seemed to collapse… I'm sure it just took a couple of seconds but it was like time stood still… And in that moment, I remember talking to God in my head, telling Him that it was not my time to go, begging Him to keep me alive because I couldn't possibly leave my wife and children behind…" I shrug. "I needed more time with you too…" I add in an emotional voice, gently wiping her tears away.
"Can I please give you a real kiss…?" I plead. "I know the doctor would say that kissing 'can put stress on my respiratory system' but I really, really want to kiss you."
"Okay…" She eventually whispers.
"Really?" I say in disbelief.
"Yeah…" She shrugs. "I also miss kissing you, so… I looked it up earlier and it turns out that there are a lot of benefits to kissing…" She says, taking her phone out of her pocket to read out some notes. "It reduces blood pressure, boosts the immune system, burns calories… And hear this: 'when you kiss someone, your lungs work harder as you take three times more inhales per minute. Such ventilation is known to be a good preventive measure against lung diseases'."
"In your face, Dr. Spencer!" I immediately say with a victorious grin, making her chuckle.
Her eyes flutter to my mouth and she eventually cups my cheek, connecting our lips. This time, it's not the usual brief peck, it's the most perfect tender and romantic kiss… Oh God, what a great time to be alive!
We both savor this intimate moment, until Britt eventually pulls away, panting.
"Who's out of breath now?" I smirk, making her chuckle.
"I'm sorry I'm being such a pain in the ass…" I eventually say, tucking a strand of blond hair behind her ear. "It's just that being in bed all the time drives me crazy! You know I'm not a patient person…" I shrug. "But I promise I'll rest…"
A FEW DAYS LATER (EVENING TIME) – AT HOME
"San, there's something I would like to talk to you about…" Brittany suddenly says as we get in bed, making me turn to her.
"With your health condition, I had given up on any summer holiday plans for this year but… my mom called earlier and said that the people who rented the Hawaii house had to cancel last minute, so… we could actually have the place for a whole month if we want…" She says. "Obviously, my parents would also go, and they said we could even invite your parents and Abuela to join us! And after what happened to you, I'm thinking that it could be really good for all of us… It would be the occasion to spend time as one big family! So, what do you think…?"
"Well, isn't there a little problem?" I ask. "I can't fly."
"Actually, I called Dr. Spencer to ask her opinion and she said that your lungs are now well enough to get on a plane." She says, much to my surprise. "You would have to continue your lung therapy in Hawaii but you're allowed to travel… And I know going with our parents is not what you would prefer but… at least, if the whole family is there with us, they could help us out. Because frankly, it's getting harder and harder to handle everything on my own…"
"Well… let's do it." I shrug, knowing how much she needs this. And she's right, after what happened, I think the whole family could use some quality time together.
"Oh my God, really?" She asks in disbelief.
"Yes, wifey, really!" I smile, bringing her hand to my lips.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed this update, please let me know what you think about it!
In the next one, I'll bring you back to Hawaii, to see how Santana's recovery progresses and follow the summer adventures of the Lopez-Pierce family ;-) As I mentioned at the beginning of this chapter, please don't hesitate to leave a review, even anonymously. It's so precious for authors (not just me!), it keeps them motivated after spending a lot of time on writing, and it also helps the story be more visible for new readers! Thank you in advance!
