A/N – HI READERS! YUP, I'm starting with another new chaptered story... I've read a few FINN amnesia stories but haven't yet read any where RACH is the one forgettin' (tho I'm pretty sure a couple of those exist)... So. As a creative challenge to myself, I started writing this, hmm, end of Oct-ish and if I am ever to push it fwd I felt like I needed an audience to kick me in the butt! Heehee. I'm hoping if I publish the first couple chapters maybe you'll tell me how important it is to have more of this story, and maybe it'll force/inspire me to get back into the headspace to finish it LOL. I know I have a few other chaptered stories out there already that still need TLC – and they'll get it, I promise... but maybe I was a little eager to hear your feedback on this one too though =)

Your 'need to knows' before we being: Canon through senior year – except for the very end part of S3, so NO TRAIN STATION nonsense. Yes they were engaged. Yes she was accepted at NYADA and YES Finn was supposed to go with her... You'll have to read on for more than that!

PS - don't worry... I'M STILL FINCHELIST! FINCHEL HEA'S ARE IN MY DNA! :-D

XOXOXOXO


CHAPTER 1 :: ACCIDENT (PROLOGUE)


"Noah, when you've finished with Mr. Falchuk, we need you to clear the deck. The E.D. is sending up a VIP case from the mass cash incident. They're just trying to stabilize her for transpo first… 25 year old female, penetrating abdominal injuries and head trauma. They're not sure which injury is the surgical priority so Chang ordered a full PET CT including cranial and thoracic. Order should be queued up on your end by now."

Puck nods, giving a thumbs up from the imaging control room "You got it, Nance," then sighs under his breath 'shit.. sounds like this is gonna be another long ass night'. Sitting in front of the computer, he begins clicking his way to the physician's orders screen "VIP huh? Hey – it's not The Boss is it? I'd be stoked to meet him. 'Born to Run' is like my ethos! I heard he was gonna be at that benefit thing at the Hall of Fame tonight."

Nancy, the 58 year old battle-weary veteran charge nurse chuckles and glances down her long slender nose through her bifocals to the iPad in her hand and reads aloud, "No, we'd never be so lucky to get someone of his stature in here – at least not at this hour of the night. And anyway don't wish these injuries on him. Poor thing's gonna need a lot of work and rehab later, it sounds like – assuming she makes it. Sounds pretty bad."

Puck wrinkles his brow sympathetically with a soft sigh. "Damn that sucks. Ok I'm in. Name?"

"Berry, Rachel Berry. She's supposed to be sort of famous? At least that's the buzz I heard when the call came up. She was in that theater group tour bus, I guess they performed at that benefit tonight."

All color drains from Pucks face and a massive shot of adrenaline bursts through him. He turns with a stunned expression of terror to meet Nancy's confused face. "You said RACHEL Berry? No… Oh sweet fucking Jesus, no…"

"Don't tell me you actually know her, Puckerman? You're just a small town Ohio guy. With a mohawk. I doubt very much you have those kind of connections."

"Yeah well, you'd be wrong… If it's the same Rachel Berry I know, she's five feet two inches and a buck-oh-five of sheer star power. Not to mention one of my oldest and dearest friends from high school. So yeah, I'd say I know her. VERY well."

:.:.:.:.:


"We're losing her! Charging paddles to 300… CLEAR!"

"Hang that last unit and call the blood bank for 2 more, type specific, AB positive packed red blood cells. Tell them to send plasma too!"

"Rachel, I've got you girl, just hang on Diva… you're not leaving us tonight."

"Mike, I think I can throw a quick stitch on the bleeder, move over give me access..."

Puck stands back to the side of the hallway holding his breath and praying to Buddha, Allah, Satan and whoever the hell else might be listening as the code team works their magic to get a pulse back. He's praying for Rachel and he's thanking those same gods that the highly gifted Dr. Mike Chang, neurosurgeon supreme, decided to listen to his old man after all and gave up the dancing dream for a career in medicine. Around these parts at Cleveland Clinic they call him the 'pop-n-lock-doc' and he's an absolute rockstar neuro-god in the making by anyone's measure.

Apparently the internal bleeding is pretty severe and this is the second time she's gone down since she arrived. She nearly made it all the way inside the diagnostic imaging suite before she'd flatlined the second time outside the suite doorway.

When the glorious sound of the monitor finally erupts into a steady rhythm of chirping beeps, Puck's exhale gushes out with force and he hungrily gasps fresh oxygen into his burning lungs. As the team wheels past him, he grabs the back of the gurney and leans down close to her ear, "Hey Rach, I got you babe. You're not checking out on us that easily, no way, you hear me! You're too damned stubborn to just give up like that.. so you just hold on darlin'."

:.:.:.:.:


"HUDSON! You finished with that extrication on the west side of the berm? We need the jaws over here."

Finn wipes the driving rain from his brow and adjusts his helmet. "Yeah they're pulling the guy out now. I'll grab Lewis and head over."

"Thanks but I'll get Lewis.. you have an emergency call coming over the walkie. Take it in the rig."

As the flashing lights from the veritable hive of emergency response vehicles blinds him, Finn motions with one hand to all the broken shards of glass and twisted hunks of metal littered all around that were once operable cars, trucks and SUVs in motion with real people inside them. There was even a fancy luxury tour bus involved when the tractor trailer jackknifed in the fog of the sudden downpour washing off Lake Erie on this chilly autumn evening. "Emergency? Cap, this is an emergency! Who is it?"

"Dunno Huddy, not your secretary. Just go take your call and make it quick. Hope everything's alright."

:.:.:.:.:


"Yeah, this is Finn Hudson, who's this?"

— "Finn! Thank god! Hey it's me, Puck."

"Puck?! I'm kinda busy, I'm on scene at that multi-vehicle crash on I-77, there's a lot of casualties, people are still trapped and–"

— "Yeah Finn man, I know, I know… but that's why I'm calling. One of those casualties was sent here to CCED and, well… you should maybe brace yourself, brother."

"Why, Puck I'm busy out here and… wait, why do I need to brace myself? What are you saying? Who are you talking about?"

— "Fuck, I just don't know how to... bro I'm so sorry, but I think you might wanna get here ASAP. It.. it's Rachel. And it's not lookin' good."

"WHAT?"