Fifteen minutes later I was seated next to Shelby on the airplane. They had just gone through all the safety briefing and we were taxing the runway about to take off. I hated planes, they always made me nervous. Shelby picked up on my tenseness and grabbed my hand comfortingly as we lifted off the ground.
"I didn't realize planes made you nervous, I guess I really don't know you at all." Shelby sighed. I nodded.
"That's okay. Don't beat yourself up too much. My dad's wouldn't let you see me." I told her softly. Shelby nodded.
"I used to be so angry at them, but when I look at how well you turned out, I can't be mad." Shelby replied. I smiled slightly.
"I used to be mad at them too. When I first met you, I was so angry at them. They hadn't even given me a choice to know you or not. Now with daddy gone I can't believe I was ever mad at them ever." I choked out and tried to keep the tears at bay. Shelby sighed and wrapped her arm around my shoulders and pulled me in close.
"Well, if you want me around I promise to never leave you again." Shelby told me. I nodded and closed my eyes. It was nice to have Shelby here, I was glad that she seemed to be helping the situation and not making it worse. Finn was a few rows back to us sitting next to a woman in her late forties and every time I turned to look at him he would give me an encouraging smile. I was so happy that Carol and Burt had decided to let him come. I was going to need my rock this week. I fell asleep with my head on Shelby's shoulder an hour into the flight. We were beginning our descent into San Francisco when Shelby shook me awake. "Rachel, baby. We're landing soon." She told me gently. I nodded and yawned. Outside the window the lights of San Francisco could be seen down below.
"It looks so pretty. I've always wanted to come here. I just wish I was here under better circumstances." I sighed. Shelby gave a small smile in response. I glanced out the window and saw the runway. My heart started pounding in my chest. I really hated flying. Landing and taking off sent my heart into a frenzy. Shelby picked up on my distress and grabbed my hand encouragingly again.
"Just take deep breaths." She encouraged. I nodded. Next thing I knew we were on the ground. I let out a sigh of relief and released my death grip on Shelby's hand. She smiled.
"Maybe we should take a train back to Ohio. Would that be better?" Shelby asked. I nodded.
"Much better. I hate planes." I said. I instantly felt dumb for stating the obvious. Twenty minutes later we were standing near the luggage corral in baggage claim waiting for Finn's suitcase. Shelby and I had already found ours because they weren't black; but Finn just couldn't seem to find his. Finally after the corral went around three times, Finn spotted his. He snatched it up and sat it down next to mine and Shelby's. We were just about to walk over to pick up our rental car when Shelby's phone went off. She sighed and dug through her purse to pull it out.
"I'm sorry. I have to take this, it's my mom she's watching Beth." Shelby told me. I nodded in understanding and Shelby hit the accept button on her iPhone. She put the phone up to her ear and listened for a few seconds before responding. "Well how high is it?" Shelby asked, her voice was full of concern. She started pacing and nodded to something her mom was saying. "Okay well give her some Children's Motrin and tell her I love her. I wish I could be there, but right now it's much more important for me to be with my other daughter. Keep me updated on her fever though." Shelby told her mother. "Okay great. I'll keep you posted. Tell Beth I love her and I hope she feels better soon. Thanks mom, love you bye." Shelby said and hung up the phone.
"What's wrong with Beth?" I asked as we walked over to the car rental desk.
"She's got the stomach virus." Shelby sighed.
"That's horrible. I'm sorry you can't be there with her." Finn said. Shelby shook her head.
"In a way; but my other daughter needs me more right now, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else." Shelby told me and pulled me into a side hug. I smiled slightly. The drive to the hospital was one of the most awkward experiences of my life and also one of the worst. I knew that when I got there I wouldn't see daddy alive anymore, and I knew that dad would be in critical condition. Seeing that was going to make it undeniably real, and that horrified me. I wasn't ready to accept the fact that Hiram, my daddy was actually gone. Some part of my mind still wanted to believe that this was all just some horrible nightmare and any minute I would wake up and find that they had decided to not go to San Francisco and instead they were in the kitchen making Saturday pancakes. No one said a word the whole way to the hospital; and if they had I didn't notice. I was too lost in my own thoughts. Shelby had to shake me gently to get me to snap out of my trance when we arrived at the hospital. I followed her and Finn into the hospital in a trance, almost as if I were a zombie. Finn held my hand the whole time and kept whispering how much he loved me in my ear. It was sweet, but I found it almost degrading. He meant well but it wasn't going to bring daddy back. We meet Dr. Arwell in the ICU at the nurse's station.
"Hi, you must be Shelby Corcoran and you must be Rachel Berry. Who is this fine gentleman?" Dr. Arwell asked and shook each of our hands.
"I'm Finn Hudson. Rachel is my girlfriend." Finn answered. Dr. Arwell nodded.
"Rachel, I'm so sorry for your loss. Leroy is in critical condition but he's stable if you'd like to go see him. Or we can take you down to see Hiram." Dr. Arwell told me. I swallowed hard and gripped Finn's hand tight.
"I'd like to go see Leroy first." I told him. Dr. Arwell nodded.
"Follow me Mrs. Berry." Dr. Arwell told me and turned to walk down the hall way just to the right of the nurse's station. I took a deep breath and followed him. When my eyes fell on Leroy lying in a hospital bed with a giant tube in his throat and several monitors attached to him I instantly started crying. I turned away from looking at him and buried my face into Finn's shirt as my shoulder's shook and my body racked with sobs.
"Shh. Babe, he's stable for now. It's okay." Finn comforted. I nodded and pulled my face out of his shirt. I dried my eyes and turned to look at Dr. Arwell.
"Can I go in the room?" I asked. He nodded.
"Absolutely. I'll discuss the extent of his injuries with Shelby while you talk to him." Dr. Arwell told me. I nodded and slipped into dad's room. I sat down in a chair by his bed and grabbed his hand tightly.
"Dad please be okay. I can't go from having two dad's to having none. I'm not ready." I whispered earnestly. I closed my eyes tight and let a tear slip out from my eyes. I decided to sing a song, and maybe that would help dad. I don't know why I thought it would; but I had to try. After all dad always loved it when I sang. I took a deep breath and started singing Because You Loved Me. "For all those times you stood by me. For all the truth that you made me see. For all the joy you brought to my life. For all the wrong that you made right. For every dream you made come true. For all the love I found in you. I'll be forever thankful daddy, you're the one who held me up; never let me fall. You're the one who saw me through, through it all." I couldn't sing any further because I was crying so hard. I had to stop. I let go of dad's hand and put my head in my hands. I was full on crying right now. I heard the door open and close and soon I was wrapped in Shelby's embrace.
"Rach, I know this is hard, but you have to stop crying. I don't want you to dehydrate." Shelby warned calmly and soothingly. I nodded and tried to suppress the tears. It took several minutes but I finally stopped crying.
"I'm ready to go say goodbye to daddy." I told her bravely. She nodded and led me out of Leroy's room. Finn took hold of my left hand and mom took hold of my right as we walked after Dr. Arwell down the hall to the Morgue. When we got to the door Dr. Arwell stopped with his hand on the door handle.
"I need you to be prepared. His body was damaged badly in the car accident." Dr. Arwell warned. I nodded and took a deep breath. Dr. Arwell smiled sadly and opened the morgue door.