Yes I'm still writing this. Thank you if you're still hanging on and reading!
Today was Rachel's final day in LA. Santana flew out to help her wrap up any loose ends with her apartment and get her schedule squared away with the movie for the next few months.
Tomorrow was her birthday, and it was also the day she goes back to New York for three entire weeks. Finn had promised he was going to lock her away for a few days and she was forbidden to leave the bed. It's all she could think about.
"HELLO! Earth to Rachel! Can you stop thinking about your boyfriend for like five seconds and focus. You'll literally see him in less than 24 hours." Santana rolled her yes as Rachel looked up at her. "Oh hey! Yes its me and I'm two feet from you. Pay attention!"
"GEEZ lighten up! It's my birthday!" Rachel sighed as she checked her phone again to see if she had a text from Finn.
"Are you on crack? Your birthday is tomorrow, therefore I will be nice to you tomorrow." Santana flipped the pages of her calendar to look into January.
"But you won't even see me tomorrow, " Rachel replied.
"Awesome, so I won't have to be nice to you at all!" Santana snickered.
"Moving on, you leave from NY to fly to Tennessee on January 4th. I have your lodging set up and you'll have transportation to and from set each day. You do have a little more flexibility from January to March, so if you want to plan any trips home, fly your boy toy out, etc, let me know by the 4th so I can get that blocked off. Any other questions?"
Rachel stood up to stretch her legs and glance at Santana's schedule. "Nope!
It will be nice not to be so tightly scheduled so I can visit Finn more often. Also just to take a breather would be nice. These three weeks off are much needed. I'm so exhausted."
Santana had taken the red eye back, which meant Rachel was on her flight back to New York alone. She had an early 7 am flight to make sure she would land around 4 pm. Finn was getting off work at 3, so he was picking her up right from the airport. He said he had a surprise planned for her birthday and she could not wait.
After she walked through security and sat down at her gate ,her phone rang.
She smiled widely as she saw who it was. "Hey baby, good morning."
Finn could hear her excitement through the phone. "Happy Birthday Rach. I can't wait to see you. I feel like Thanksgiving was ages ago but it's only been a few weeks."
"I know. So, what's my birthday surprise?" Rachel hated being surprised and it was killing her.
"Well if I told you than it wouldn't be a surprise now would it. OH by the way, why am I not allowed in your apartment? Santana forbid me to go in and I know the renovations finished two days ago. I really wanted to crash in bed last night!" Finn had missed the convenience of being able to pop over to Rachel's to shower or sleep whenever he wanted. It really made his commute back to his house in Brooklyn seem like a giant pain in comparison.
"Well maybe I have a surprise for you too mister!" The announcement was made for her flight to board. "Oh that's me babe! Gotta run! I can't wait to see you at baggage claim this afternoon! I love you!"
"I love you too Rachel! Be safe!" Finn hung up and went back to eat a quick snack in the kitchen of the firehouse. He had a lot of phone calls to make today to make sure Rachel's party tonight went off without a hitch. He had rented out a room at Rachel's favorite Italian place and invited both of their families , Puck and Abby and their kids, and Santana of course. It was a combo welcome home/its your birthday party and he wanted it to be perfect.'
Rachel slept most of the flight, her exhaustion from the past few months catching up with her. She landed right on time at 4pm, and raced down to baggage claim. She retrieved her bags and still hadn't seen Finn. He wasn't hard to miss and he'd most likely still be in his uniform if he came straight from work. Rachel found a bench just inside the doors to put all of her stuff down and tried to find her phone in her monstrosity of a bag. She turned it back on to call Finn, but was interrupted by text messages flooding her phone.
"Rachel!" she heard a woman's voice calling before she could see who it was.
"Santana?" Rachel asked, confused as to what she was doing here. "Santana, where is Finn? Is this part of my surprise?" She smiled until she saw the panic on Santana's face.
"You are really hard to find in this crowd," Santana panted as she hunched over to catch her breath. "Rachel you need to come with me. Finn... Finn was in an accident this afternoon during a call."
Rachel felt all of the blood rush out of her head. "W...what? What are you talking about? Is this some kind of joke? Where is Finn Santana? It's my birthday.." she said quietly, pleading with Santana to tell her it wasn't true.
"Come on, he's at New York Presbyterian. I don't know anything more than that. Kurt called me an hour ago knowing Finn was getting you and asked me to pick you up. He didn't want you to think Finn forgot you or make you take a cab over there and be upset." Santana reached out and gave Rachel a hug. "Come on, I'll help you with your bags and we can try to get there as fast as we can."
Rachel was in shock as she walked to Santana's car. The air was brisk and the sun was setting. She didn't let herself cry until she got in the car. Santana remained quiet, she wasn't the best at comforting Rachel when she was upset.
She went through her text messages that had come through when she turned her phone on. Three were from Finn.
10K: Hey baby, you're in the air now but I love you and I can't wait to see you tonight.
10K: Oh and we're going to have the hottest birthday sex ever.
10K: Going on a call but I can't wait to see you in a few hours!
His last text was sent at 2:12 pm his time.
"Santana, is he alive? I mean, no one told you anything different right?" Rachel began to panic thinking maybe they were hiding something from her. "Why didn't anyone text me what had happened?"
Santana never let her eyes leave the road. She knew Finn was alive but didn't want to lead Rachel on. "Well no one wanted you to land and get a ton of messages about him. The information we were getting was spotty at best, and its your birthday and-"
"I don't care that its my birthday! He's my boyfriend and I had ever right to know what was going on. I landed and looked for him," her speech tapered off into sobs. "I just need to see him. Drive faster."
The drive to the hospital was painfully slow in rush hour traffic. Rachel was on the verge of a panic attack by the time they arrived. Rachel and Santana rushed up to the sixth floor where Finn's room was, being intercepted by Kurt and Blaine. Security was tight since the Mayor's son was involved, so Kurt had made sure Rachel and Santana were on the clearance list.
"Thank god you made it. Mom and Dad are in with him now." Kurt hugged Rachel who was trying to look over his shoulder into his room. "He's not awake Rachel. He's been unconscious since he came in. We do know he has a concussion, two cracked ribs, and a broken wrist."
Rachel gasped as she threw her hands over her mouth. "Oh my god. What happened? He sent a text right before he went out on that call."
Blaine stepped in once he saw Kurt becoming upset. "Well what we know is that there was a roof collapse and Finn used his body to protect a woman from the debris. She's fine, but he was found unconscious in the blaze."
Rachel felt like she was going to faint. Blaine and Santana moved her to a chair located outside of Finn's room as she collapsed. "He got hurt saving someone? What if he doesn't wake up? In need to see him!"
She stood up too fast and almost lost her footing. Kurt and Blaine walked her to the door and Rachel knocked softly on the solid wood door. Burt appeared quickly, opening the door slowly. Rachel wasn't prepared for what she saw behind him.
Finn was laying on the bed, a large bandage covered his forehead and she could see some blood seeping through. His arm was in a sling, and he had oxygen tubes in his nose. His face was slightly swollen and his lips were pale. Very pale. His good arm was tied up in an IV and monitors hooked to a pole behind him.
Before Rachel could move, Carole rushed to her side, embracing her as they both cried. "Oh Sweetie I'm so sorry your birthday is ending like this. Finn will be so mad when he realizes he ruined it."
Rachel pulled away suddenly. "I don't care about my birthday. I just want him to be okay. He's going to be okay right?"
Carole pulled her to the chairs lined up next to Finn's bed. Rachel grabbed Finn's left hand and kissed the top of it softly, feeling how cold and rough his skin was. She knows this is Finn, but this is a surreal experience. Her Finn had never looked this weak. Her Finn was never pale and cold. Her Finn was currently unresponsive.
Carole rubbed Rachel's back in circles. "Yes he will be okay. He's just taking longer to wake up that's all."
Rachel squeezed Finn's hand again, hoping for some type of reaction. She stared at his fingers wrapped in hers, but they remained still. Burt had gone out in the hallway to talk to Blaine and Kurt. She could hear Santana on the phone with someone. "How are you so calm? I should be the one comforting you. Your son is injured and I'm being so selfish. God I'm so sorry Carole."
"Sweetie, don't worry. He'll be up soon. Let's go out in the hallway and let the boys come in for a bit. Grab some coffee with me?"
Rachel stood up and kissed Finn gently on the cheek and whispered 'I love you" in his ear before exiting the room.
Carole sat down next to Rachel, offering her a cup of coffee. "Here. It's going to be a long night." Carole handed over the warm cup into Rachel's hands. The two huddled together on a small couch not far from Finn's room, giving Kurt, Blaine, and Burt time to sit with him. Santana had called Rachel's dads who were on their way over. Puck was on duty but would be heading over at midnight to check in.
"Does this ever get hard for you? Worrying about him all of the time?" Rachel sighed trying not to cry again.
"I've lived through this before many times. I've lived through the worst of it clearly." Rachel felt a twinge of guilt at this statement, not realizing what she had asked would stir these emotions up. "Plus, there's no stopping Finn from being a Fireman."
Carole took a deep breathe and scanned the hallway as she spoke. "The thing with Finn is, he feels everything so deeply. He's all in 100% of the time. He's the nicest, kindest, sweetest man, even sweeter than his dad was. Yes, I'm biased because he's my son, but there's not a day that goes by that I'm not proud of him. He never half asses something. His passion for firefighting is something instilled deep within. This carries over to all aspects of his life. Sometimes this causes him to miss the big picture, and other times it gets him to exactly where he needs to be. He will always be the first one to run into the fire, and the last one to leave. When he wants something he goes for it. "
Rachel sipped the coffee slowly fighting back more tears. " I'd rather him not be so committed if he's going to be hurt. I'm so far away and I wasn't here when he was injured and-"
Carole cut her off. "No Rachel, I meant that's how he is now with you. You're all he thinks about and all he talks about. Yes, his job is dangerous. He knows that and I know that. His dad paid the ultimate price. There were years where I spent so much time wishing Chris had been anything but a Fireman, but that's who he was. That's what made him to be the great man he was, and its why Finn is the way he is. I can't promise you this is the last time this will ever happen. Most likely you'll be sitting here one day again. No one knows. But Finn, he's been really happy since you came into his life. You just have to know that ok?'
Rachel cried again, this time from the sweet words Carole was saying to her.
"Sweetie, Finn tries to see the good in everything. He's so optimistic, even to a fault. He wasn't like this after his dad died. He had many years where I was so worried about his mental health. But with time, he pulled through. I know he's told you about Quinn and how he felt blindsided, but the truth is we all saw things way before he did. He just held onto that marriage so tight, but in reality it was probably over right after the marriage ceremony."
Finn hadn't told her a ton about Quinn, but she hadn't exactly asked for great detail about it all. Rachel remained silent, afraid of what to ask next.
Carole continued without her asking. "Quinn didn't fully love Finn for who he was. Maybe at first she was drawn to him, but she was never satisfied. It might have been a money issues, or her not wanting to start a family at the time, but I think she was just unhappy overall and Finn didn't know how to fix it. He was trying to grasp onto the life his dad and I had, wanting to replicate it. He's finally realized he can be happy even if his life doesn't turn out exactly the way his dad's did you know?"
Rachel wrung her hands together in her lap, feeling an overwhelming sense of anxiety. "That's what I love about him you know? How sentimental he is. How much he loves his job, and his house, and me." Rachel grabbed a Kleenex from the table nearby to wipe her eyes. "You know I didn't want to date him when we first met? I thought it was embarrassing that I bought him at an auction but he persisted. He didn't have to do that. I'm not the easiest person to love sometimes. He just makes it easy for me. The last few months have been so hard, but I always knew he was back here waiting for me."
Rachel heard her dads come past security and stood to greet them. Hiram and Leroy pulled her into an embrace. "Happy Birthday sweetheart," Leroy whispered in her ear. "How's Finn?" Hiram asked as he pulled away.
Rachel wiped her eyes as her dads hugged Carole. "Well he's unconscious and has a broken wrist and some cracked ribs." Rachel felt the tears fall again as she spoked. Turning to Carole she pleaded "Can I go back in and see him? I feel better when I'm in the room".
"Of course. I was going to send Burt and the boys out to grab some food anyways. It's no good with all of us sitting around here. We need some positive energy." Carole walked into Finn's room, giving Kurt, Blaine, and Burt orders to go get some food, or at least have someone bring it in for them. Hiram and Leroy stayed out of the room, talking to Santana about what they could do for Rachel. She was going to be home for three weeks, but now those three weeks might look very different than what they had all imagined.
Back inside Finn's room, Rachel sat vigil by his bedside. Carole sat near the window, making phone calls and coordinating dinner. She also heard Carole take a call from a restaurant saying something was cancelled. She could only assume Finn had planned something for her birthday that was no longer happening.
"So what did Finn have up his sleeve for tonight? I overheard you on the phone." Rachel spoke to Carole but kept her eyes on Finn's hand that she was holding.
"I'm so sorry I was the backup contact. He did have a little party planned for you tonight with all of us. He was so excited to surprise you. I'm sure when he wakes up he will make it up to you."
Rachel couldn't help but cry again. Finn was so sweet to her. Of course he had something planned for her. The perfect intimate dinner with their family and friends. "He is the sweetest isn't he?"
The late afternoon turned into evening. Rachel now refused to leave the room. She didn't want Finn to wake up and think she wasn't here. The rest of the crowd rotated in and out of the room in shifts. Her dads eventually took her luggage back to her apartment and went home, asking to be notified if there was any change. Burt's PR people were hard at work generating a statement, as well as Santana for Rachel once the news broke. Rachel hated how complicated this had become sometimes. Doctors came in and out every hour, checking on Finn's vitals. They didn't say much, which Rachel decided was a good thing.
By 11pm it was just her and Carole left. The day of traveling, plus the excitement of coming back to NY was hitting Rachel like a truck. She curled onto the chair beside Finn's bed and draped a sweatshirt over her body. Carole set up shop over by the window, feverishly texting what Rachel assumed to be Burt and the PR team. Rachel tried to fight her eyes closing, but her body took over. She could hear the traffic from the streets below, reminding her that everyone else was going on with their lives while she sat waiting for her life to wake back up. She decided just to close her eyes but not fall asleep and just listen to the sounds of the room. For now all that she could hear was the beeping of Finn's monitors and Carole stirring in her chair.
Puck stopped in at midnight once he got off of his shift. Rachel was sound asleep in her chair beside Finn's bed. Carole pulled Puck out in the hallway, updating him as to what had gone on, or lack there of. Puck called his wife to get her professional nurses opinion, but she too agreed with everything they had been told. It's a waiting game.
Puck knew Finn was in good hands and headed out, promising to return in the morning since he was off. Carole walked quietly back into the room. Finn and Rachel were both in the same positions as when she left. Carole decided to settle herself into her chair and try to get some shut eye as well. No sense in the all being tired and she knows she'll wake the second something happens.
Rachel opened her eyes and is immediately panicked for a second before she realizes where she is. Her neck was killing her and her leg was asleep from the position she'd been sleeping in. She saw Finn, still lying silent with the oxygen tubes in his nose and the wires coming off of his body. Carole was asleep in the chair by the window, her mouth slightly open. She checked the time on her phone to see its 3:12 am. At least she got a few hours of sleep to get her through the day. Rachel stretched her legs out in front of her before standing up and limping around the room to get some circulation back into her legs. She walked a few laps through the tiny hospital room, slowly regaining feeling her in leg. She did a few yoga stretches before retrieving a bottle of water she had stashed in her purse. Rachel tried to be as quiet as possible as she fished through the contents of her giant bag, when she heard a noise behind her.
Finn. Finn was starting to lightly moan as she turned around.
"Carole!" she whispered frantically as she rushed to his side. "Carole wake up!" She placed her hand in Finn's. His eyes remained closed but she could see his entire body starting to stir.
Carole raced over to his other side and pushed the call button. Two nurses rushed in and paged the on call doctor. Rachel and Carole were asked to move to the side as they began checking his vitals. As Rachel backed up, she saw his eyes open and gasped. "Oh my god. Finn! Finn can you hear us?" she said as she tried to move closer to the bed.
"Ms., please scoot back until we get him checked out. He hasn't been conscious since they brought him in." The nurses continued to chart his vitals as the doctor walked in. Finn looked around the room with no expression on his face. His moans just got louder.
"Hi Finn, " the doctor said as he looked over his chart. "You've had quite a day haven't you. You were in an accident and you have some injuries. Do you remember anything that happened today?" Finn glanced around the room seeing his mom and Rachel holding hands at the end of his bed.
"No. No I don't. My head hurts. " He groaned again as he closed his eyes. "My entire body hurts."
"Well Mr. Hudson you have quite a few injuries. We can certainly treat your pain, just tell the nurses about your pain levels. Now can you open your eyes so I can check your pupils?"
Finn slowly opened them, looking into the doctor's light. "Am I in the hospital? Mom?" Finn moved his head away from the light, his eyes searching for his mom at the end of the bed. Carole moved up towards his head, kissing him on the forehead. Rachel stood in shock. He hadn't asked for her.
"You gave us quite a scare Finn. I'm glad you're awake." Carole squeezed his hand as the tears began to spill from her yes. "You're going to be okay."
The doctor ordered scans to be run in a few hours to make sure everything was checking out okay. If those were clear, he didn't see why Finn couldn't be released in a few days with strict orders to rest.
Carole stepped out of the room to call Burt and Kurt, leaving Rachel still standing by his bed with one nurse remaining in the room. She tried not to panic as Finn looked around, when his eyes finally landed on her. Had he forgotten her? Did he not want her here?
"Are you just going to stand there and stare at me?" he asked her, leaving her speechless.
"W...what?" she managed to get out, wiping the tears from her cheeks.
"Don't I at least get a hug? Come here Rachel." He lifted his hand slightly off the bed to motion to her, wincing as he realized how much pain he was in.
She rushed to his side, placing his hand back onto the bed. "Don't move so much Finn. You are pretty banged up." She rubbed his hair out away from his bandage on his head and pulled the sheets up a little higher onto his body.
"Hey," he began, "I'm sorry I ruined your birthday. Is it still your birthday?" He looked at her with guilt in his eyes, then turned his head to see that it was dark outside.
"It's almost 4 am. Don't worry about my birthday Finn. You're okay and that's the best present I could ask for."
The other nurse returned with an IV bag and some medicine. "Mr. Hudson, I'm going to give you something to manage the pain. It might make you feel a little out of it and most likely sleepy. We need your body to rest and for you to stay still while you heal. We will be back in a few hours for your scans." The two nurses went to work putting medicine in his IV and giving him more fluids. Rachel immediately noticed when the medicine hit. She felt Finn's hand relax in hers, and he started to smile. She's never felt so relieved to see that smile again.
Carole returned just as the nurses excused themselves. "How are we doing? Your dad and Kurt and Blaine will be by around 7 to see you. Puck came by last night when he got off so I'll text him in a few."
Finn just smiled widely, his eyes moving between his mom and Rachel.
"They gave Finn some pain meds. He's been smiling like this ever since." Rachel let out a low laugh with Carole as Finn continued to stare.
"Mom, isn't Rachel pretty? How did I get such a pretty girlfriend? Mom, why are you smiling at me like that? Rachel you are so pretty. Everyone at the firehouse is soooooo jealous of me." He then began to laugh uncontrollably until the pain in his ribcage stopped him short. "OUCH! Owwwwwww." He grabbed his side with his arm that was free from the sling.
Rachel wanted to stop him before he said something he'd regret later on. "That's very nice of you to say Finn." Rachel rubbed his arm trying to calm him down. "Why don't you get some sleep and we can talk about it when you wake up ok?" Before she finished her sentence, his head had fallen to the side and he was out.
"You should have seen him when he got his wisdom teeth out! Imagine me trying to get this giant 17 year old boy into the car while he was convinced zombies were coming for him because he had blood coming out of his mouth. He doesn't do well with anesthesia or pain medication clearly." Carole laughed as she made her way back to the chair. "I think I'm going to call a car to come get me. He'll be asleep for while and my neck is killing me. Do you want them to give you a ride home too?"
Rachel thought about leaving, but couldn't bring herself to do it. "I think I'll stay until Burt comes later if that's ok? I can head home for a while after that."
"Of course that's okay. You don't have to ask permission to stay. Just make sure you don't wear yourself out too." Carole hugged her goodbye and made her way downstairs, leaving Rachel alone in the room with Finn.
Rachel sat herself in the chair Carole had been in, pulling her legs underneath her for warmth. She stared at Finn sleeping soundly and felt the sobs overcome her. He had woken up and he was going to be okay. She hadn't realized how tense she had been until she felt her body relax with each tear that fell. She watched his chest steadily rise and fall, grateful for the quiet knowing that it was because he was now resting. Rachel wanted to be here when he woke up again. She settled herself back against the cool chair, draped her sweatshirt over her body, and closed her eyes.
When she woke up, Finn was off getting some tests run and Kurt and Burt had just arrived, so she decided to head home for a few hours since Finn would be occupied for a while. Things had been so hectic she hadn't been able to see the new apartment renovations. She was planning on surprising Finn with them when they got home last night.
Rachel had used some of the money from her movie deal to buy the small apartment next to hers, creating two extra bedrooms and a den. She was hoping that Finn would want to move in full time once he saw the mancave of a den she had made for him. Everything looked amazing. It was definitely more "homey" and had a more casual feel. She wanted Finn to feel comfortable here, and not just like he was visiting. She knows he hasn't been staying at his house much besides during the renovation. Rachel wants to spend as much time as possible with him when she's home, so this was the perfect solution.
She took a quick shower, checking her phone every chance she got to see if Finn was back in the room. There was no word, so she decided to lay on her bed and close her eyes. She had forgotten how much she had missed sleeping in her own bed.
Rachel woke up feeling rested. A quick nap these days really feels rejuvenating, she thought to herself. She glanced at her phone, seeing 10 text messages from various people. Then she noticed the time. Two hours had passed and most of the messages and missed calls were from Finn's family telling her he was back in the room and asking for her.
"SHIT!" She didn't bother getting ready, everyone had already seen her last night looking ragged. Her eyes were puffy and swollen from the exhaustion and crying, but none of that mattered. If he was asking for her, she was going to get there as fast as she could.
Luckily traffic was light and she got to the hospital in record time. Security already knew her so she was able to go straight up to Finn's room. It was past lunch time, so she wondered who would still be with him.
When she turned the corner she saw Finn sitting up in his bed, in his room alone. He was staring at a football game playing on TV, trying to keep his eyes from closing and fighting sleep.
"Hey you," she started as she walked through the door. "I'm so sorry. I fell asleep when I went home."
He turned immediately to the sound of her voice, cracking a smile. "I'm glad you got some sleep. I wish you had come earlier because I think I need a nap now. All of the tests took a lot out of me. " Finn yawned widely as he tapped the edge of the bed for her to sit. "Good news is I can go home tomorrow if my tests come back okay. I won't need surgery on my wrist after all, just a cast for six weeks. I've officially ruined your entire time off."
"No no no. You don't get to do that Finn. You haven't ruined anything. I don't care if we are at home, or on a trip, or sitting in a hospital bed. I'm glad I'm here with you for a few weeks, even if you'll be high on drugs most of the time." Rachel nudged his side playfully, forgetting about his sore body.
Finn winced as Rachel mouthed "I'm sorry" to him, kissing his lips softly. "Well if you don't want to spend your break bored my mom offered to take care of me until I'm back on my feet. I'll be out of work for at least two months and then a desk job until I get medical clearance."
Rachel couldn't believe that he would even think he wasn't welcome at her apartment. "Oh no you are staying with me mister! I'm going to be by your side this entire time until I leave again and I'll nurse you back to health."
"Can you wear a nurse outfit if I stay over?" Finn winked at her as he saw the shock on her face.
"Maybe if you're lucky."
Rachel wheeled Finn up to her apartment in a wheelchair they rented. He was still weak and couldn't walk long distances without feeling faint. He had strict orders to stay in bed until his surgery in a few days to fix his wrist. His parents were coming in a short while to drop off some of his things and help them get settled.
"You sure you can push me Rachel?" Finn asked as they approached the elevator in the parking garage.
"I think I can manage Finn. It's just up the elevator and into the apartment. I set up the bedroom so you'll be all set to rest."
Finn smiled as she wheeled him forward. He was so lucky to have her, even though he hated feeling completely helpless.
They stayed quiet as the elevator arrived at her floor. Rachel stopped once they reached the entrance of her apartment, She hadn't envisioned the big reveal of the remodel to be like this, but she hoped he loved it nonetheless.
"Okay so I know this isn't how it was supposed to be, but I did a few things around the apartment that I think you'll enjoy. I had you in mind when I designed them, and I hope you love it.
Finn furrowed his brows, unsure of what Rachel meant. He thought she was just redoing the kitchen and maybe the flooring. They hadn't gotten into specifics since she was gone the entire time it was being done.
Rachel opened the door slowly and then pushed Finn in so he could see the apartment fully.
"Wow Rachel this looks great! You really did a great job designing everything." Finn turned and noticed a hallway that didn't used to be there before. "Wait. What's over there? Did you expand this place?""
Rachel pushed Finn towards the new wing of the apartment. "Surprise! I used my pay for the first half of the movie filming to buy the place next door. It wasn't huge, but it gives us some options right? I even made you a mancave!"
She flipped on the light into the den that had a futon, blackout shades, and a tv mounted on the wall. She had some FDNY memorabilia hung on the walls. "I figured this would be a good place for you to nap when you get off shift and had to sleep during the day. That way I won't wake you up if you're here you know? I also made the room next door soundproof so I can do recording and practicing in there and it won't disturb you." Finn just stared back at her looking overwhelmed. "Say something Finn. Do you not like it? I can have it redone a different way but this seemed very you."
Finn readjusted his arm in his sling, feeling a pain in his side as he moved. He really needed some pain meds and a nap. "Rachel, are you asking me to move in with you?"
Rachel couldn't read Finn's face and she was afraid to answer. "Yes?"
"I'm not selling my parents house. I can't."
Rachel was taken aback. "What are you talking about? I'm not asking you to sell your house Finn. I just thought it would be nice to give you your own space to sleep if you've had a long shift. If you don't like it you don't have to use it." She tried to hide the frustration in her voice, but her lack of sleep coupled with the stress of the last few days was severely hindering her acting abilities.
She grew more flustered when he didn't respond. He just stared back at her with a confused look on his face. "Let's get you to bed. It's time for your medicine." She pushed back the tears and hid her disappointment to his reaction.
She began to wheel him back to the bedroom, which looked the same as before. She made sure there were extra pillows on his side of the bed and all of his medications laid out nicely on the nightstand.
"Let me help you up." Rachel had Finn grab onto her arms as he slowly stood next to the bed and then backed up to sit down. A slight moan escaped his mouth as he tried to get into a comfortable position. He shimmied himself up onto the pillows and Rachel pulled the covers up to his waist and propped a pillow up under his wrist. She then popped two pills in his mouth and brought the straw up to his lips to drink some water.
"I'm sorry Rachel. I'm not myself. I'm so out of it." Finn took a deep breathe and leaned slowly back on his pillows. "I know you don't want me to sell my house. Please don't be mad. Are you mad?"
Rachel took a deep breathe in and let it out slowly. She was mad, but she also knew that this was all overwhelming for the both of them. "Let's talk when you wake up ok? Do you need anything before you fall asleep?"
Finn shook his head 'no" as he whispered "I love you" as she walked out the door.
—-
Burt and Carole arrived a half hour later with some clothes and other things for Finn to get him through the next few days until Finn was stronger. He wasn't going back to the Dr. until right after Christmas.
"Rachel this apartment is stunning. Finn was telling us you were doing some renovations on it?" Carole looked wide eyed as she stepped slowly towards the new hallway. "Can we see?"
"Oh of course!" Rachel led them to the sound proof room, the extra bedroom, and finally Finn's den. "I had this room done for Finn, but I don't think he was in the mood to see it right now."
Carole could see Rachel looked concerned. "Honey, I told you that boy doesn't do well on medication or anesthesia. Did he freak out about it?"
Burt folded his arms waiting for Rachel's reply. "Well, he thought by me making a space for him here, I wanted him to sell his house which is NOT the case at all. I just wanted him to be able to rest during the day if he was tired." Rachel's tears began to spill over, her exhaustion from the past few days catching up to her.
Carole pulled Rachel in for a hug, rubbing her back to calm her. "Why don't you go rest honey. I'm sure Finn will apologize because that doesn't sound like him at all. We can get some food cooked for dinner and get things settled before we go. I'll leave it warming in the oven ok? Burt can sit and make some phone calls while I cook. We can lock up before we go. Rachel please call me if you need help. I know this is your vacation time and you need to have some time to relax."
Rachel appreciated the offer but she was determined to be the one to take care of Finn. He would absolutely do it for her if the tables were turned. "I think I will take you up on that nap, but I think we will be okay. Maybe you can come back tomorrow while I run out to run some errands?."
Burt took his opportunity to give Rachel a hug too. "You're doing a great job Rachel. Finn adores you and I know he loves that you're the one to take care of him. Trust me he doesn't want us around if you're available."
Rachel made her way to her bedroom to find Finn fast asleep with his mouth slightly open. Even though he's hurt, she's missed having him in her bed, being a part of her daily routine. Yes he came to visit but they spent most of that time having sex and sight seeing when she wasn't working. This right here, the normal boring parts of life, this is what she missed. She slowly climbed under the covers as to not disturb him. As she laid her head down, she could faintly hear Carole in the kitchen opening cabinets to find something. She wished Finn hadn't been hurt and that her revealing of her new addition for him had gone over better.
Finn woke up in Rachel's room, some dim light coming through the curtains. The bed was empty, but the blankets on her side were askew so he knew she must have been in there at some point. He really needed to get up and go to the bathroom, but he knew that getting out of the bed on his own probably wasn't the best idea. The apartment was silent, except for the hum of the baseboard heating coming from the floor. He knows it was light out when he went to sleep and based on the lighting it has to be late afternoon.
"Rachel!" he yelled but quickly realized that taking in a deep breathe to do so hurt his ribs. "Rach!" he yelled a little softer. The door to the bedroom was cracked slightly, so he hoped she could hear him if she was home.
He heard the light sound of her footsteps coming down the hall towards the room. She was still dressed in her clothes from earlier, her hair tossed into a bun on the top of her head. "Hey! You're awake! What do you need?" She rushed over to him, rubbing his hair out of his eyes. He needed a haircut.
"I have to go to the bathroom..." he said as he hesitated to sit up. "Let me see if I can sit up a little on my own and maybe walk with you by my side?" Finn used his left arm to steady himself as he swung his legs off the side of the bed. "I'm lucky I'm tall and my feet can reach the ground easily." Rachel looked tense as he continued to try and get up.
"Are you sure you don't want the wheelchair?" Rachel put her body next to Finn's so he could use her as a brace.
"No, " Finn winced as he continued to move. "I need to move around and my legs aren't hurt." Finn held his breathe as he stood up, but felt a little dizzy. "Let me stand here for a second and get acclimated. I haven't stood up like this in a few days."
The two hobbled over to the bathroom, Rachel not leaving Finn's side for a second. Once they got in there, Finn just sort of stood frozen.
"What's wrong?" Rachel asked as Finn turned toward her.
"Well, I need your help. I can't bend over and I only have one good arm. This is so embarrassing, but can you pull down my pants for me once I'm in there? I can take it from there I promise."
Finn turned a shade of red she didn't know existed and Rachel let out a loud laugh. "Don't be embarrassed. You'd do it for me right? I promise I won't peek." She winked and got him to chuckle lightly. She loved this man with all of her heart and she hoped she can be around to take care of him forever.
After getting him situated back into bed, Rachel served him some dinner and turned on the TV to watch a football game. She set up his tray and made sure he was comfortable before bring her own tray in for herself.
"It's like a date! Dinner in bed." Rachel smiled at Finn as he took a bite. " Your mom made dinner so I could nap earlier. She's a lifesaver. You looked so cozy I had to come and join you."
She could see Finn tense up a bit as he tried to eat. "Rachel I am sorry about what I said earlier, " he said out of the blue. "I feel really bad about how I reacted. You know if I wasn't hurt and all out of it I would have been thrilled. You did something so nice for me and I was an ass about it." Finn paused trying to turn his body towards Rachel before he continued. "I also didn't get to celebrate your birthday and I know we were both looking forward to it."
Rachel rubbed his arm softly to calm him down. "I should have waited to show you. I was a little upset by your reaction, but you're physically hurt and exhausted and we both aren't in the best frame of mind." She kissed his cheek seeing him visibly upset by the events from earlier today. "And we can celebrate my birthday in a few weeks before I leave, or not at all. You're okay and that's all I could have asked for." Rachel got up on her knees and kissed Finn softly on the lips. She had missed him so much.
—-
After dinner Rachel cleaned up and returned to the bedroom to find Finn sitting up in bed with his legs dangling over the edge. He was about to slide off when Rachel walked in.
"What are you doing? Please wait for me to help you!" Rachel scolded him as she rushed to his side.
"I was trying to see if I could go to the bathroom alone. Then I remembered I still can't bend over. I also need a shower. It's been days and I feel disgusting." Finn felt defeated. He wasn't used to relying on someone else to do everything for him. He had to admit though, Rachel had stepped up in every way.
"Okay well let's get you into the bathroom and showered. I'll help. I bet you'll feel so much better after too. The hospital sent over a chair we can sit in there too so you won't get too tired or strain yourself. Let me set it all up and we'll get you taken care of."
Rachel helped Finn get undressed, wrapping his cast in a plastic sleeve so it wouldn't get wet while he showered. She tried not to gasp when she saw the large amount of bruising that covered his torso. Large portions of his right side were black and blue, the side of his body that took the impact.
Finn felt vulnerable as he sat naked in his girlfriends shower. He trusted her, but it was still an uncomfortable position to be in. "Are you going to get naked too?" he asked trying to break the tension.
"Nope! I don't think we need any of that right now. Doctors orders you are to NOTHING physical until your check up the day after Christmas. The more you rest, the quicker we'll get there ok? Now I'm going to use the detachable shower head to wash your hair and your body. You tell me what you're comfortable with and I'll listen ok?"
Rachel took her time, being as gentle as possible. She massaged Finn's head as she washed his hair, trying to get him to relax. She took a washcloth and gently washed his back and face. Finn remained silent, but grabbed the washcloth to try to wash the more intimate parts of his body. He wanted to keep some dignity in all of this.
"You feeling ok? Let me know if you feel faint or anything." Rachel finished up his shower and grabbed a giant towel out of the cabinet.
"No, I feel okay. Thank you Rachel. I feel much better." Finn allowed Rachel to dry him off and help him get dressed in some sweatpants and a loose t-shirt. "I can go stay at my moms if this is too much. I can see how tired you are and you shouldn't have to spend your vacation like this."
Rachel was getting tired of Finn saying these things. She wanted to be here. She wanted to take care of him. " Please stop this right now. If I didn't want you here, which is absurd, I would tell you. I want to help you and take care of you. I want to spend time with you, even if you're drugged up and sleeping ok?" She smiled and handed him his medication for the night and passed him a glass of water. "Now please lay down and get some rest. I'll leave the door cracked, so yell if you need me ok?"
"I love you. Can I have a kiss please?" Finn stuck his bottom lip out and blinked his eyes like a puppy dog. Rachel laughed and kissed him on the lips before shutting off the light.
She busied herself by putting away dinner and making sure she had enough food for tomorrow. They were forecasting a winter storm, which wasn't a big deal since they clearly wouldn't be leaving the house anyway.
A knock at the door startled her. It was almost 9pm, and she wasn't expecting anyone.
"Berry open up!" she heard Santana yell through the door.
Rachel scurried over and threw open the door before Santana could make any more noise. "Will you be quiet!" she whispered. "Finn is asleep!"
"Calm down I'm pretty sure he's passed out on pain meds. I came to see how you are doing and from the looks of it, not well."
Rachel hadn't even looked in the mirror in hours. Her hair had gotten a little wet and was now a frizzy mess of what was left of a bun. She was in mismatched clothing and the bags under her eyes told the story of how exhausted she was.
Rachel didn't even know she was going to cry until she started. "It's a lot. I love him. I love him so much and I'm so glad he's okay, but he needs a full time nurse practically and I'm so tired. I haven't slept well since before I flew home. You know how I get when I'm tired."
Santana pulled her in for a hug, even though they weren't usually like that. Rachel needed it. "I know how you are when you're tired. Trust me, I've been on the receiving end of your rants when you haven't slept."
Rachel pulled back to wipe her tears. "Finn's mom offered to stay and I told her no but maybe I need her. He can't even go to the bathroom alone and I had to give him a shower and I think he's embarrassed."
"Do you think he wants his mom bathing him? Trust me, he'd rather it be you than his mom washing his boy bits! Did he ask for his mom during his shower?" Santana grew wide eyed trying to make Rachel laugh and it worked.
"No! He didn't say much of anything. This is just weird because I've been gone for months and we haven't even been dating a year and now its like we are married and I'm taking care of him."
Santana could see where this was going. "Rachel you're spiraling. Stop. Go take a shower. I'll sleep in the guest room tonight in case anything goes down that you need help with. I have some work to do with you tomorrow anyways and knew you wouldn't want to leave Finn alone. Ok? I think I still have clothes stashed here somewhere when I was supervising the renovations."
Rachel hugged Santana tightly. "I don't deserve you. You're the best."
"Yeah yeah, go shower before I change my mind and turn into a softie ok? I'll be in the guest room if you need me."
Rachel felt relieved that someone else was in the house to help her. She worried about Finn falling in the night and her not being able to help him up. Her room was quiet when she entered, Finn hadn't moved since she last was in here. His breathing was steady and his arm was still propped up on the pillow she had put under it.
Feeling much better after another good cry in the shower, Rachel crawled into bed next to Finn. He was here and he was alive. The next two weeks she was going to soak him all up before she had to leave him again.
This chapter got away from me and I had to cut it in half. The epilogue is written so I just have to get the next few chapters up to finish it! Please review if you're still around! :)
