CHAPTER 54
A/N: Thanks to Tamardejong, Yadi, pacumeme57, Berrylucky5, Ludipa, pjay413, Lana66, Olivia, Michelle, Marie RieRie England, heyamustbreal, Itsskik, Beth as well as the Guest and Anom for their reviews! Sorry, it took me long to update but I really needed to reflect carefully on the story. Special thanks to WhitWalk for proofreading this new chapter. Watch out the POV and enjoy!
A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER (DAY 3) – AT HOME – QUINN's POV
"You can't go there, Brittany… It's a crazy plan!" I argue, sitting on the edge of her bed while she's packing her stuff.
"I made my decision, Quinn. I'm going." She says in a calm, yet determined voice. "Today."
"But… what about the kids?"
"I called Sam and Mercedes earlier, they agreed to take them until I come back."
"And how exactly are you going to get them out of here? The paparazzi are still waiting outside!"
"Well, I have it all figured out: you and Rachel will talk to the paparazzi, to distract and stall them, while the kids and I go out at the back. Sam and Mercedes will drive Sofia and the boys to their house, and I will ask Puck to take me to the Air Force base."
"But you don't even know if you can actually get to San Francisco, Britt!" I object. "You heard what Puck said: the army won't transport civilians. Only the Air Force does, but you gotta be an official volunteer for a humanitarian organization, and you're not!"
"I am, actually."
"Since when?!" I ask, frowning in confusion.
"Since one hour ago." She replies, much to my surprise. "Naya is an ambassador of the Red Cross, so I asked her to use her connections… and they made me a volunteer, effective immediately." She says while I look at her in disbelief.
"And then what?" I eventually ask, raising my arms.
"I don't know…" She shrugs. "But I can't stay here anymore, Q… I need to do something! I married Santana to have a lifetime of her, I'm not ready to say goodbye…" She shakes her head, trying hard to refrain herself from crying. "So, I will see what I do when I'm there, but I guess I will start by talking to people, to find more information, and search for Santana. Until I find her."
"Brittany…" I sigh. "I just… I don't think Santana would want me to let you go over there. There are still aftershocks in the area, it's dangerous…"
"I'll be careful." She replies in a serious tone, making me shake my head in despair.
"You know you can't stop me from going, Q." She adds and I don't object anymore, recognizing the same stubborn look in her eyes as Santana.
"But if something were to happen to me, you remember what we discussed?" She asks, locking eyes with me.
"Yeah…" I whisper sadly, nodding.
A while ago, Santana and Brittany made special arrangements, so that Puck and I would automatically become their kids' guardians in the event of their death. And we promised we would love them and raise them as our own…
"Okay…" She whispers back, squeezing my hand in gratitude.
LATER THAT DAY – AT HOME – IN THE KITCHEN
"We can't let these kids lose both of their moms…" I tell Puck. "Besides, if Santana survives this, you can be sure she will kill us if anything happens to Britt! And if she's dead, I'm sure she will find a way to haunt us!" I say, raising my arms.
"Look, I just had Naya on the phone and she said that the Red Cross coordinator is a very good friend of hers, and he promised to keep Brittany safe." Puck says. "And I will ask my buddy Andrew, who is in the army, to keep an eye on her too. She'll be fine…" He adds in a reassuring tone, rubbing my arm.
EVEN LATER – AT HOME – BRITTANY's POV
"Be nice to Auntie 'Cedes and Uncle Sam, okay?" I tell Sofia, after giving her a goodbye kiss.
"I don't want you to go…" She pouts and I can tell that she's on the verge of crying.
"I know, baby… But um… since phones are still not working in San Francisco, I need to go there in person, to find mama…"
"But if phones don't work, then I can't talk to you either…?" She pouts again, raising sad eyes towards me.
"Well, the good news is that I'm going with friends of Auntie Nay Nay and they have magic phones, that work even when the cell towers are down!" I say in an enthusiastic voice as she opens her eyes wide in amazement. "And they said I could use their phone from time to time, so I will call you." I smile.
"You promise?" She asks.
"I promise." I immediately say, before kneeling down to hug her tight. "I love you so much, peanut…" I whisper in her ear.
LATER THAT DAY – ON THE AIR FORCE PLANE
We're on our way to San Francisco and I have been silent ever since we took off, my eyes set on a family picture of Santana, me, and our kids.
"That's a really great picture…" Asher suddenly says, with a comforting smile.
"Thanks…"
Asher is a good friend of Naya's and even though I just met him, I can tell that he's genuinely a caring person. As one of the Red Cross coordinators, he has been helping on site ever since the earthquake struck. He actually only flew to L.A. to escort me to San Francisco, as a favor to Naya.
"You're really sure you haven't seen her?" I ask him for the third time today, handing him the picture of Santana.
"I'm sorry, I haven't… She looks so much like Naya that I would have remembered if I had seen her." He says, much to my despair. "But I promise that I will take you to the area she went missing, so you can talk to the rescue team in charge, okay?" He suggests and I silently nod.
MUCH LATER (NIGHT TIME) – IN SAN FRANCISCO – AT THE RED CROSS SHELTER
Being in San Francisco helps me feel a little closer to Santana, but I still struggle to fall sleep. Every time I close my eyes, I see her face and I immediately feel heartbroken all over again.
'Please, San… Just be ok. Please…' I silently pray to myself, lying in the bed that Asher installed for me in the main room. 'Help me find you...'
If only our telepathy could work…
FLASHBACK TO A FEW YEARS AGO – AT HOME
"Hey, San…" I say, as we are both reading in bed.
"Mmhh?" She mumbles, her eyes still set on her book.
"I'm reading an article and it says that some couples have telepathy! Do you think we have it?"
"Well… sometimes, we understand each other without talking, so… maybe?"
"Can we test it?" I suggest in an excited voice. "I could think really hard about something and you could try to guess what it is?"
"Okay…" She shrugs and I immediately close my eyes, trying to focus as hard as I can.
"So?" I eventually ask her, upon opening my eyes.
"Mmhh… You were thinking that… I'm really hot, and you want to make out?" She says in a hopeful voice while I roll my eyes.
"I wasn't thinking that!" I frown. "But I am now…" I admit in a whisper, making her chuckle.
"Well, shall we…?" She asks in a flirty tone, placing a soft kiss on my lips.
"In a minute…" I smile, giving her another quick kiss. "I still want you to guess what I was thinking about."
"Okay…" She sighs. "Well, if you were not thinking about us, then I guess it was about the kids. Or dancing. Or the Gleeks. Am I right?"
"That's not really guessing, you just mentioned all the things I have in my life!" I argue.
"But was I right?" She asks again.
"Yes, but that's not the point!"
"Okay, you try then." She suggests. "What am I thinking about right now?" She asks, closing her eyes.
"Kissing me?" I ask in a jaded tone, aware that anyone knowing Santana could guess that.
"See? It works perfectly well!" She says with a proud smirk, pulling me into a kiss.
PRESENT TIME (DAY 4)
Just like he promised, Asher brought me to the KNTV studio – or what is left of it…
Although I knew what to expect, I can't hold back my tears when I see the entire building reduced to rubble, painfully aware that there is no way anyone could survive for 4 days in here…
"I'm sorry…" Asher says in a sympathetic voice, squeezing my shoulder. "I know this is difficult, Brittany… But there is always hope until there isn't. Okay?" He adds and I nod in silence, wiping my tears away.
"Come on, I'll take you to Ivy, she's the onsite rescue team leader." He says, gently pulling me by the arm, to invite me to follow him.
A WHILE LATER – IN THE DISASTER MOBILE COMMAND CENTER
"Mrs. Lopez-Pierce…" Ivy says, as we sit opposite each other.
"Please, just call me Brittany." I ask, locking eyes with her.
With brown hair pulled back in a ponytail, Ivy appears barely older than me but her strongly built physique and the grave expression on her face command respect.
"Brittany…" She repeats. "Asher told me that you're looking for your missing wife, and that she was reported to be at KNTV when the earthquake struck?"
"Yes…" I confirm sadly. "Have you seen her…?" I ask, knowing that Asher showed her Santana's picture earlier.
"I'm sorry, I'm afraid she doesn't look familiar…" She shakes her head and I immediately look down at my hands in despair.
"Brittany, you… um…" She trails off. "You need to know that the rescue operations at KNTV are now over… There are no more people trapped in the rubble, fortunately. But there were very few survivors…" She says in a sad voice. "According to our database, all the survivors we rescued have now been identified and… I'm afraid your wife is not among them." She adds, sending a chill down my spine.
"I'm sorry… I know it's not what you wanted to hear…" She says. "And it's not what I want to tell families either but… if your wife really was at KNTV during the earthquake, it's likely that she didn't survive." She eventually adds, causing the knot I've had in my stomach for days to tighten even more.
"You said 'it's likely that she didn't survive' so… you actually don't know if she's truly among the deceased, correct?" I ask after a brief moment of silence.
"Well, she's not among the identified deceased but… there are still a few Jane Does among the bodies we pulled out…"
"Is there a way I could see these unidentified bodies?" I ask.
"Brittany, I strongly advise against it." She shakes her head. "Looking at dead bodies, especially that of a loved one can be very distressing. And some of the victims were in um… a severe state… That's why identifying them has been so difficult and…"
"I need to see them, Ivy." I say, cutting her off. "I have to know what happened to my wife, because not knowing is the worst feeling in the world! And if she has… passed away, I need to see her body with my own eyes. Otherwise, I won't believe it's real…" I plead, staring into her eyes.
"Okay…" She eventually sighs, nodding.
LATER THAT DAY - IN THE DISASTER MOBILE COMMAND CENTER
I'm crying hysterically, my face buried in my hands, when Asher comes in.
"I brought you some coffee, Britt…" He says, before falling silent. "Oh my God… did you find Santana…?" He asks in a sad tone, as my teary eyes meet his gaze.
"No… I… I just…" I stutter in between sobs. "I was going through the victims' records on Ivy's computer and… one of the descriptions mentioned a 'Latina woman, aged 25-35, with long dark hair and a wedding ring'… And I just… God, I really got scared it was her…" I say in a trembling voice, my tears flowing uncontrollably. "And when I opened the record to see the picture, and realized it was not Santana, I felt… so relieved…" I admit in shame. "What kind of monster feels relieved when an innocent young woman has lost her life?" I sob, feeling guilty. "Her spouse is going to be devastated! And what if she had children?" I add, shaking my head.
"You're not a monster." Asher immediately says. "What happened to that woman is tragic and unfair, but if she's not Santana, there is still hope. It's only natural to feel relieved in such circumstances… It's human." He shrugs.
"You should take a break…" He advises. "You've been looking at records of deceased people for hours, it's not healthy."
"No… I… I need to keep checking." I argue. "I feel so helpless because I don't even know where to go to find her… But if I stay here, at least I can find out if she's among the deceased or not…"
"You still can take a short break, and get some fresh…" He trails off when my phone suddenly rings, much to my surprise. Since when do phones work again?!
I hurry to my bag to grab my phone, hoping with all my being that it's Santana calling me from somewhere.
"Hello…?" I pick up.
LATER – AT THE "SAN FRANCISCO GRAND HOTEL"
Unfortunately, it was not Santana calling me earlier. It was the "Grand Hotel" reception, informing me that she had not checked in in days. When they asked what they should do with her stuff, I asked them to extend her reservation so that I could stay in her room.
"Here you go, ma'am…" The bellhop says, opening the room for me.
"Thank you…" I reply as he hands me the keycard, before going back to the elevators.
I enter the room and take time to look around: the bed is made and there is a book on the nightstand, the same one Santana started reading before she left for the promo tour. I take a few more steps, to open the wardrobe, and I can't help but run my hand over her clothes that are hanging. I'm more heartbroken that anyone could even imagine but being surrounded by her stuff is strangely comforting…
As I make my way to the bathroom, I spot her make-up products above the sink, as well as a small bottle of her perfume. I close my eyes as I bring it to my nose, to inhale her scent.
I miss her so much…
LATER THAT NIGHT – AT THE HOTEL
"Before I forget, would you mind planning a videocall for the kids and Santana's mom?" I ask Mercedes over the phone. "Obviously, this situation is really hard on her but I think talking to her grandchildren would do her some good…"
"Of course! I'll call her tomorrow." She says.
"Thanks… So, are the kids okay?"
"Yeah, they're good." Mercedes says. "Sofia asked about you and Santana a couple of times but… she's playing in the garden with Sam and the boys right now, and she seems to be having fun." She adds. "Do you want me to go get her so you can talk to her?"
"That would be great, yes…"
"Okay, hold on… I'll put her on the phone."
I hear Mercedes walking and eventually tell Sofia that I'm on the phone.
"Hi mommy!" My little girl says, clearly happy to finally talk to me.
"Hi peanut! How are you? I hear you're having fun at Uncle Sam and Auntie 'Cedes'?"
"Yes! We are playing hide and seek in the garden!" She replies in an excited voice. "Did you find mama?"
"Not yet, baby… Regular phones still don't work." I lie, pretending that I'm calling from the Red Cross "magic phones", like I told her before I left. "So, what else did you guys do today?" I'm quick to ask, trying to change the topic.
"Uncle Sam dressed up as a cowboy, it was so funny!" She chuckles and it feels so good to hear her laugh that I can't help but smile.
LATER – AT THE HOTEL
"Please tell me you've eaten today…" Quinn says over the phone, in a worried voice.
"I'm not hungry, Q…"
"But you have to eat, Britt! You won't be able to help Santana if you don't stay healthy! So, please, promise me you'll eat something."
"Fine, I'll order room service." I sigh in defeat.
"And when is the last time you slept?" She asks and I remain silent, because the truth is I haven't been able to sleep since Santana went missing.
"I put some sleeping pills in your bag before you left." Quinn eventually says. "You should take one tonight."
"I don't know, Q…" I sigh again. "I don't want to take pills…"
"But you need to catch some sleep, Brittany. Otherwise, you won't be able to function…"
"Okay, okay… I'm not sure it's gonna help but… I'll take one tonight."
EVEN LATER THAT NIGHT – AT THE HOTEL
I took the sleeping pill and got into bed a while ago but I am still awake. Desperate, I decide to listen to a couple of old vocal messages I got from Santana when she was in New York, for her recent Glee promo tour.
"Hey babe! How are you? I guess you're in the middle of rehearsals for the dance recital, but I thought I would leave you a message now in case we don't manage to catch each other later. Berry, Jesse, the gays and I just…"
"Do you really have to constantly refer to us as 'the gays'?" Kurt suddenly complains in the background.
"Yes, I do." Santana immediately confirms. "What else should I call you?"
"I don't know, what about 'Kurt and Blaine'?" He suggests as if that was obvious.
"That's way too long." She argues, and I can tell that he's starting to get on her nerves.
"It's barely longer! But fine, if you want the short version, just call us 'Klaine'."
"There's no way I'm gonna say that!" Santana objects, and I can easily imagine the frown on her beautiful face. "So 'the gays' will have to do."
"Sorry, Britt… As I was saying before Lady Hummel's interruption, we just went for drinks and…"
"Oh, is that Brittany?" I overhear Rachel's voice.
"No, it's the Pope!" Santana says sarcastically. "Can I please talk to my wife?" She asks our friends in an impatient voice.
"I just wanted to say hi, but fine…" Rachel replies and given the fact that she can barely articulate, it's quite obvious that she's drunk. "You know, sometimes, I really wonder how you got Brittany to marry you."
"Yeah, you and me both, dwarf." Santana replies. "But it doesn't change the fact that she is married to me, and I really would like to talk to her without being disturbed every 10 seconds! Is that too much to ask?!"
"Sorry again, Britt… As I was saying… while we were at the pub, I ran into Alice and she asked me to say hi! We talked a few minutes and everything is going great for her. And guess what? I was showing her some pictures of the kids, and she said – and I quote – that 'they were absolutely beautiful.' Obviously, I told her that I couldn't agree more but then, she even said that they…"
"Are you coming, Santana?" Rachel asks, interrupting her once more.
"Oh my God, you're even more annoying when you're drunk, if that's possible!" Santana complains. "Can't you go bother Quinn instead?"
"But come on, you're finally here for once, we should catch up!" Rachel argues. "We spend most of the year with a whole country between us!"
"I'm aware, that's what prevents me from killing you in your sleep!" Santana says in an angry voice.
"Okay, Britt, I'm really sorry but clearly, I picked the wrong time to record a message. I'll try to call you later, okay? I hope you guys are doing well, I love you all!"
THE NEXT MORNING (DAY 5) – AT THE HOTEL
It's still very early when I wake up but at least, I slept a few hours, for the first time in days. I guess Quinn was right to insist that I take a sleeping pill.
I rub my eyes as I sit up in bed and that's when I notice that the safe is closed. I didn't pay attention to it last night but if it's closed, it means that Santana must have put something in it.
As I get out of bed to move closer to it, I notice that it requires a three-digit code to open. Fortunately, I know Santana uses our wedding date for anything that requires a code and I easily manage to open it.
I carefully take the contents out of the safe: her reading glasses, her watch, a pair of earrings and what appears to be wrapped presents. Given the names on the tags, most of them are for the kids, but I eventually notice the word "wifey" written on one of them.
I hesitate for a moment but eventually decide to open it. I normally wouldn't, as I suppose Santana would want me to open it in front of her, but God knows if I will ever see my wife again… As I tear off the wrapping and open the box, I discover an elegant silver bracelet, exactly the kind I like… It figures that Santana would manage to find me a great gift… I immediately put it on, jumping on any opportunity I get to feel closer to her.
As I'm about to put the other items back in the safe, I notice that there are some leaflets in there, under her Glee notes. I take out the leaflets to check them and see that Santana circled one of them: "Adelita bakery". Apparently, it's a place that serves old fashion coffee and traditional Spanish cakes, and I immediately recognize Santana's favorite pastry on the picture. I don't remember what it's called but I know it's something that her Abuela used to make for her when she was little.
I run to my phone as soon as the realization hits me and call Asher.
"Hi, Brittany." He replies, picking up almost instantly despite the early hour.
"Asher, what if Santana was not at KNTV at the time of the earthquake?"
"What?" He asks in confusion. "But I thought she was recording a morning talk show there?"
"Yes, but she was the very first guest to be interviewed that day. I remember it because she complained about having to get up very early… She's not really a morning person…" I say. "So, it's possible that she was done and had already left the building by the time it collapsed."
"Well, I guess it's possible but it means she could be anywhere."
"I think I know where she was…" I say, looking at the "Adelita Bakery" leaflet in my hands.
LATER THAT DAY – IN THE DISASTER MOBILE COMMAND CENTER
"Well, that bakery is not far from here. But I was not the one coordinating the rescue searches in that neighborhood." Ivy says.
"Who was, then?" I ask and she remains silent for a while, checking on her computer.
"Apparently, it was Vincent. He's a retired fireman that regularly volunteers to help us out."
"Okay… Where can I find him?" I ask. "I really have to speak to him."
LATER THAT DAY – IN THE DISASTER MOBILE COMMAND CENTER
"I'm desperate…" I admit, after telling Vincent that we haven't heard from Santana in days. "So, please… could you just tell me if you've seen her?" I ask, handing him her picture.
He remains silent for a moment as his blue eyes study the picture.
"Oh, yeah… I remember her." He suddenly says, making my eyes widen in surprise.
"You do?!" I ask in disbelief.
"Yes! She didn't have her ID or her phone on her – I suppose she lost them when the bakery crumbled – but I definitely remember her because I pulled her out of the rubble myself." He says, locking eyes with me. "She had been trapped for two days and had apparently been protected by a beam…"
"So, she was alive?" I ask in a hopeful voice.
"Yes, she was still alive, but… she was barely breathing…" He says, sending a shiver down my spine. "She was unconscious when I found her and there were clear indications of internal bleeding. But all the hospitals here were full and unwilling to accept any more trauma cases, so… she was evacuated by helicopter to a hospital in another area."
"What hospital?" I ask.
"I'm not sure… We evacuated absolute emergency cases like her to three different hospitals, but I don't know where they took her."
"Could you tell me where they are located?"
"Of course…" He nods. "I'll get the names for you."
"Thank you…" I say, before throwing myself at him to hug him tight. "Thank you for getting my wife out of there…" I sob.
A WHILE LATER
"I am not staying here!" I tell Asher again, looking him straight in the eye. "Didn't you hear what Vincent said? When he found her, she was barely alive!"
"Brittany…"
"No!" I shout at him, even though it's not my style. "I have three kids at home waiting for their mama. So, I'm gonna go to each of these hospitals until I find her!" I repeat in a determined voice. "And if you won't fly me there, then at least lend me a car so I can drive!"
"But Vincent already sent Santana's pictures to these hospitals, along with your contact details. So, you don't have to go there, Brittany. They will call you if they know what happened to her. Either way, the army is still blocking the roads and they won't let humanitarian workers on their helicopters, so…"
"Then I'll find another way to get there!" I argue. "She needs me and I…" I trail off when my phone suddenly rings.
"Mrs. Lopez-Pierce?" I hear a lady say, upon picking up.
"Yes, this is she…" I reply in a trembling voice, raising worried eyes towards Asher.
Please, God… Don't let this be a call where they tell me my wife is dead. Please…
"This is the 'Jefferson General hospital', in Nevada."
Oh my God… It's one of the three hospitals mentioned by Vincent.
"I'm um… I'm calling about your wife, Santana Lopez-Pierce…" She adds and I can't tell if she's about to deliver good or bad news…
"Is she still alive…?" I immediately ask in a cracking voice.
THE NEXT DAY (DAY 6) – IN NEVADA – AT THE JEFFERSON GENERAL HOSPITAL
"Cardiac arrest…?" I repeat in despair, in between sobs.
"Mrs. Lopez-Pierce, your wife was brought in here in a critical condition…" Dr Harris says. "It seems her head got hit by debris and she was severely dehydrated, with an erratic and weak pulse…" He adds. "Her spleen was ruptured and her lung capacity was significantly reduced, due to the dust she inhaled during the two days she was trapped under the rubble. That stress on her lungs, coupled with her internal injuries, was simply too much for her body and she went into cardiac arrest." He explains, causing me to cry harder.
"Fortunately, we were able to resuscitate her and repair her spleen." He says. "As you know, she's out of danger now but she will need to stay in the ICU for a while. However, we expect a complete recovery." He adds in a reassuring voice. "And I have even better news for you: she finally woke up, about an hour ago."
"She did?" I ask, feeling more relieved than I could say.
"Yes, and she asked for you."
"Can I see her?"
"I'm afraid visitors are not allowed in the ICU." He says with an apologetic look.
"Please, you have to let me see her…" I plead.
"Mrs. Lopez-Pierce, I don't think you understand the severity of what your wife went through. She literally died, and she's still very weak. She's extremely lucky to be alive!"
"No, you don't understand what I went through! She's the love of my life and I almost lost her!" I say in an emotional voice, getting a lot more agitated. "I have barely slept in the past week, wondering day and night if she was still alive. You don't know how many strings I had to pull to get here. I even had to leave my children behind! And when I got your call yesterday, the army refused to let me go to Nevada from San Francisco. I first had to go back to L.A and travel all night to get here!" I add, raising my hands. "So, I'm not leaving until I finally see my wife." I say, looking him straight in the eye.
A WHILE LATER - AT THE HOSPITAL
"10 minutes, no more." Dr. Harris warns me and I silently nod.
"She's going in and out of sleep due to the morphine, so there is no guarantee she will be awake while you're in the room." He adds, opening the door for me.
I carefully walk into the room and eventually sit on the chair by Santana's bed. Her eyes are closed and she looks so pale…
I remain silent not to wake her up, and only gently take her hand in mine, before placing a soft kiss on the back of it.
As I suddenly feel a barely noticeable squeeze on my hand, I immediately look up, just in time to see her eyes flutter open a few times, until she slowly turns her head towards me.
"Hi…" I whisper with an emotional smile, staring into these soulful brown eyes I love so much.
She lifts her other hand with difficulty, trying to pull down her oxygen mask.
"Wait, let me…" I say, carefully removing it for her.
"Wi-fey…" She whispers slowly, struggling to breathe.
"Hi…" I say again, looking at her as if she was a living miracle. But actually, that's exactly what she is...
"I thought I had lost you…" I eventually add, bursting into tears.
"You won't… get rid of me… that easily, Pierce…" She pants, and I can't stop myself from placing a gentle kiss on her lips.
"I know this… hospital gown… is not… my best look…" She gasps. "… but at least… it gives easy access to the goods…" She winks and I can't help but chuckle because this is so typical of her to say something like that.
"I love you so much…" I say while caressing her hair, tears still running down my face.
A/N: So... Santana is alive, I hope you're reassured! What did you think of this chapter? Please let me know in the reviews! There will be more about her recovery and other plots in the next one. Thanks in advance!