Lima General Hospital

...


Thankfully the man who had hit Rachel hadn't been the type of person to abandon the scene. He rushed out of his truck and over to her car, which was on its side. He scrambled up on top of the car and worked to pry open her door, which was practically stuck to the metal of her car. He heard screams from behind him and frantic calls being made to 911. At least there was one less thing for him to worry about. He wrenched the door open and took in the sight before him briefly. The seat belt the girl had been wearing had done it's job and probably saved her life, but then it was cutting into her as gravity tried to pull her down to the opposite side of the car. The man leaned over her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders so she didn't fall when he undid the seat belt, which was also stuck. He managed to undo it and bring her out of the wrecked car just as the ambulance and police came up. The paramedics took her immediately from him as the police swarmed him and other various witnesses, intent on discovering what had happened.

Rachel was rushed to the hospital and was admitted to the ER. She had numerous cuts all over her body, plus a large gash on her head where a rather big piece of glass cut her. Her face was burned from the air bag inflating, and she had three broken ribs her left side, her left leg was broken, and she had a concussion. That, combined with the head gash made her condition extremely precarious and she didn't seem to be getting enough oxygen, so she had to be put on oxygen by the hospital. Of course, she was still out cold.

Kurt Hummel wrote:Kurt appreciated Blaine's words and support, but he couldn't seem to make himself get out of the car. He looked up at the Emergency sign, blinking rapidly to stop the tears. He took a few deep breaths, trying to convince himself that what Blaine said was right. Everything would be fine. He'd spent so many unhappy hours at this hospital, though. He wasn't ready to face this. They shouldn't have come, he decided. He was tempted to call out to Blaine and ask him to take them back to Dalton where they could wait for the good news.

He was being a complete coward, he realized with a sigh. He took a few more deep breaths and folded the passenger seat's visor down so that he could check himself out in the mirror. His eyes were a little bit red rimmed, but not too bad. He quickly wiped the remnants of the tears from his cheeks. Rachel was going to be fine. If she was hurt, she'd need him to be strong, not a blubbering mess. And if she...well, Finn would need him to be strong as well. He squared his shoulders and jutted his chin up to show his confidence.

As ready as he'd ever be to enter this building, he got out of the car and strolled to meet Blaine. "Thank you so much for coming with me," he murmured, kissing Blaine's cheek as he linked his arm with Blaine's. Once again he found it difficult to move forward, dreading walking through those doors. "She's fine," he repeated to himself, smiling bravely.

Blaine smiled sadly at Kurt as he walked with him toward the hospital, keeping close to Kurt as they made their way through the doors and up to the front desk, where he pushed his emotions aside and went straight into dapper mode.

“Excuse me,” he began in a clear, confident voice to get the hospital’s front desk clerk’s attention. “I’m Blaine Anderson and this is my boyfriend, Kurt Hummel. If I’m not mistaken, there should have been a Rachel Berry checked into this hospital not too long ago; within the last hour, give or take. Is there any way we’d be able to see her? We’re willing to wait until she’s ready for visitors,” he explained calmly, keeping a firm, comforting grip on Kurt as the young desk clerk explained that Rachel was in Intensive Care and wasn’t allowed any visitors just yet.

Blaine turned and offered a half smile at Kurt, before thanking the young woman and leading his boyfriend over to a couple of seats where they could sit and wait to see Rachel. He looked over at Kurt and gently cupped his chin in his hand, his thumb slightly brushing against Kurt’s cheek before he pulled back and put on a hopeful smile for Kurt’s sake. “See? She’s going to be fine. I doubt they’ll keep us waiting long. Do you want me to get you a water?” he asked with concern as he continued stroking the back of his boyfriend’s hand with his thumb.

Finn could barely focus on the road ahead of him as he sped through the streets of Lima. Screw traffic laws, screw mailmen, screw speed limits! His girl was hurt and he needed to be with her. When Kurt had called him and told him that there had been an accident, Finn's heart had nearly stopped beating. Dozens of awful scenarios played in his head of what could be wrong with her, each one terrifying him more than the last. After what seemed like forever he came to an screeching halt in the hospital parking lot. Barely taking the time to remove the keys from the ignition he didn't bother with locking the doors. He sprinted inside the hospital and up to the front desk, panting. "I need to see my wife. She was in a car accident. Her name is Rachel Berry. I mean, Rachel Berry-Hudson. Rachel Barbara Berry Hudson. I'm her husband, Finn. I need to see her now." he said as fast as he could.

Blaine Anderson wrote:
Blaine turned and offered a half smile at Kurt, before thanking the young woman and leading his boyfriend over to a couple of seats where they could sit and wait to see Rachel. He looked over at Kurt and gently cupped his chin in his hand, his thumb slightly brushing against Kurt’s cheek before he pulled back and put on a hopeful smile for Kurt’s sake. “See? She’s going to be fine. I doubt they’ll keep us waiting long. Do you want me to get you a water?” he asked with concern as he continued stroking the back of his boyfriend’s hand with his thumb.

Kurt shook his head, sort of wanting the water, but not really wanting to be alone even for the short time it would take Blaine to go get one. He glanced at the chairs, but chose instead to stay standing, leaning against Blaine. He wondered if Finn had gotten here yet, and if Carole had gotten his message. Why hadn't either of them called him yet? He clutched Blaine's hand harder. "What if she's not okay?" he asked in a very tiny voice.

Blaine frowned and wrapped both his arms around Kurt, holding him close as he tried to come up with some sort of answer to his question. He wanted to be able to promise his boyfriend that everything would be fine, but knew he very well couldn’t. “I…I don’t know, Kurt,” he admitted sadly as he failed to say something comforting.

He set his chin on Kurt’s shoulder, his eyes widening slightly as he noticed someone who looked very much like Finn standing at the front desk. “Isn’t that Finn?” he asked, standing up a bit straighter, while keeping an arm around Kurt.

Kurt pressed into Blaine's embrace, needing the comfort. Now that there was nothing to do but wait he was having trouble keeping it together. Too many negative ideas were going through his head. What would happen to Finn? Who would tell her dads?

Speaking of telling people, he should really try calling Carole again. And his dad. And Mercedes. Maybe all of New Directions. Sure, several of them found Rachel completely annoying (as had he for a long time) but...they were practically family now. All of them.

He realized Blaine was talking to him. Finn was there? He looked up and realized Blaine was right. He quickly shook off all the negativity. He couldn't stop the worry, but he needed to be the strong one for Finn. He ran a hand through his hair to make sure it was all in place and gave Blaine a brave smile.

"Finn!" he called out, pulling away from the embrace. He reached down to grab Blaine's arm to pull him along as he hurried down the hall to catch up to his brother. "Have you heard anything yet?" he asked.

Finn had never been so happy to hear Kurt's voice before in his entire life. "Kurt!" turning around from the desk Finn came face to face with his step-brother and Blaine. "They haven't told you anything? Why is nobody answering me?" he pounded his fists on the front desk. "Someone tell me where my wife is!" he shouted angrily. "I need to see her. She gets scared when she's alone and I need to be with her. Someone just tell me what the hell is going on!"

Kurt grimaced at Finn's anger. Not, of course, that he blamed Finn in the slightest for his outrage. He couldn't imagine if it were Blaine that he was waiting for words on and no one would tell him anything or let him see Blaine. He pulled Finn away from the desk, giving him a quick hug before turning to the desk himself. "You'll have to excuse my brother. His blood sugar is clearly quite low and you know he won't be able to eat anything until he knows that his wife is okay. So if you don't want to see him enact a scene from Attack of the 50 ft Man where the giant goes on a rampage causing mass destruction in your waiting room, you best get the man some information about his wife or let him in to see her. Quickly." He smiled excessively sweetly, as though he weren't threatening them a little bit.

[I suppose that I should post as the lady. XD]

The woman at the desk looked up, unfazed, as a tall boy began shouting angrily about his wife. It didn't bother her in the slightest--she dealt with such things all the time and she couldn't help feeling sympathetic for the poor people whose loved ones had been brought there. She held up a finger, asking for one minute, and she pulled up Rachel Berry's file on the computer.

"Right, well I am afraid we can't let you see Ms. Berry now," she informed them. "She's about to be taken in for x-rays to make sure the doctors didn't miss anything. It was a very serious accident and the doctors want to be sure there aren't any unforeseen complications." She looked sadly up at the three concerned boys in front of her. "I'm sorry, but you'll need to sit in the waiting area for the doctor. He'll inform you of Rachel's condition when she is out of the x-ray room."

"So she's alive?" Finn checked. Surely if they were doing x-rays this was a good sign. If it was really bad she would be in surgery so they could save her life or something, so x-rays were good, right? "Okay, so, it will be soon. Because I need to see her really soon." he announced, talking more to himself. "Is it hot in here?" he asked, his breaths coming shorter and farther away. His head felt funny and full and the room was starting to spin a little. "I think... it's really warm.... Rachel..." he mumbled incohearantly. "Kurt? Since when is there... two of you?"

Blaine looked over at Kurt, who definitely did not have a twin or a clone next to him, then back to Finn. "Right. Maybe we should sit down while we're waiting," he suggested, keeping one hand intertwined with Kurt's as he used his free hand to gently take Finn by the arm and lead him over towards the chairs again. "Finn, you should probably have something to drink. You don't look so good."

Kurt nodded his agreement. "Sit down, I'll go grab you some water," he encouraged. He felt a whole lot better hearing that Rachel was having x-rays. It meant she was hurt, but hurt was far better than dead. And x-rays, he figured, usually meant that there was nothing going on that was too serious or life threatening or they'd probably have her in surgery...she might not be "fine", but she would recover.

He hurried to the vending machines and purchased some milk for Finn (caffeine would only make him even more anxious) and some coffee for Blaine (with the proper accouterments). He returned to Blaine and Finn, handing them each their drinks before sinking into the seat beside Finn. He placed a comforting hand on Finn's shoulder.

Finn closed his eyes and tried his best to take deep breaths. He wasn't sure what was really happening around him for the next few minutes, but when he opened his eyes the room wasn't spinning and Kurt was handing him a plastic bottle of milk. He accepted the beverage without question and swallowed half of it easily within the first minute before pausing. "Thanks." he mumbled. "I guess I just... lost it for a second." He tried to take another deep breath but instead all he got were tears in his eyes. Normally he would be worried about not acting like a wimp or looking like a pussy, but the fact of the matter was he was too damn scared right now to think about anything else. Turning slightly he let himself fall into Kurt's frame. "She has to be okay, Kurt." he cried. "I can't lose her."

Blaine smiled in thanks as Kurt handed him the coffee cup, then took his seat next to Finn and Kurt. He felt the need to say something to comfort Finn, but after glancing over and seeing the much taller boy leaning against Kurt and crying, he realized that it would be best to just stay quiet and let the two brothers have their time alone. He didn’t know Finn that well and seeing the boy get this emotional made him feel as though he was intruding on a private moment. He frowned at the sad sight before turning away, glancing down at the coffee cup in his hands as he waited quietly for someone to tell them when they’d be able to see Rachel.

Twisting his body in the waiting room chair, Kurt awkwardly hugged Finn, rubbing his stepbrother's back soothingly. "It's okay. You're not losing her," he assured, ignoring his own lingering fear. That she was in x-ray was a really good (relatively, of course) thing. It no longer seemed like they needed to be concerned about the worst. Broken bones would heal. "She's going to be fine. I bet even right now she's in that room coming up with the perfect song for the occasion..." That actually gave him an idea of how to get Finn to calm down and focus a little bit. "They're going to let you in to see her in just a few minutes," he continued to assure, glancing past Finn to the nurse's station, giving them a pointed look. "She'll be fine, but she's going to need her husband to go in there and be strong...and she'll need you to be positive. So...get all of this out of your system now," he gently encouraged, brushing a couple tears from Finn's face. "Once you go into that room, nothing but positive thoughts about her recovery. You'll tell her how much you love her, and how thankful you are that she's going to be fine. And then, I bet she would really love it if you beat her to the proverbial punch and sang her the perfect song for the occasion."

Finn took a few deep breaths as he allowed Kurt to comfort him. He listened carefully to his brother's words, nodding every now and then to show that he understood. Kurt was right, as usual. Thank god he was there. Finn wasn't sure what he would do if he was alone. "Okay." he said finally, pulling back slightly and wiping his face. "Thanks Kurt. I'm really glad you're here." And then, after a beat, he quickly added, "You too Blaine. It means a lot." He let out a breath and shook his head, focusing on what needed to be done. His meltdown was over, he'd had his moment of weakness. Now he had to be strong for Rachel. "I think I know what song I'll sing." he told the two boys determinedly. "I'm ready."

Blaine smiled fondly at his boyfriend's suggestion, approving of the idea for Finn to sing a song to Rachel. Singing always fixed everything- Well, most things, anyway. He glanced over at the front desk, wondering how much longer it'd be until they could go up to see Rachel, because he knew that if this was Kurt in the hospital, he'd probably be in a worse shape than Finn if he was kept waiting too long.

He turned back to Finn and Kurt as he heard his name, and smiled as he rested a hand on Finn's shoulder. "I'm glad to be here for you, Finn. Anything for a friend." He pulled his hand back and returned it to its previous position, wrapped around the hot coffee cup. "And I'm sure Rachel will love whatever song you end up singing for her," he added, curious as to what song Finn had in mind.

Kurt nodded in agreement with Blaine. "Any time, though preferably we won't ever have to go through something like this ever again." He looked toward the nurses' station, wondering how much longer they'd have to wait. Finn had calmed a lot, but the longer they had to wait, the more likely the panic would seep in again. "Let me check and see how much longer," he offered, squeezing Finn's shoulder as he got up.

He made his way to the station. "Could you please find someone who can give us an update on Rachel Berry? We've been waiting for her doctor and..." he glanced back at Finn, smiling encouragingly, "...and her husband really needs to know at least a little bit about what's going on. Or...if there's any way that he can just go in and see her for a few minutes?" he asked, smiling sweetly and doing his best impression of a lost puppy, hoping to gain a little bit of extra sympathy for their plight.

Finn jumped out of his seat when the doctor walked in, staring at the man trying to listen as best he could. Most of it got mixed up in his brain, but he understood that Rachel broke her leg and some ribs, had a collapsed lung, and a concussion. But she was okay. The doctor said that himself- Rachel was okay. His heart began to return to a somewhat normal pace, only to speed back up again when he was given permission to see her. Without bothering to see if Kurt and Blaine were following him, because they probably were anyway, he followed the doctor down the maze of hallways until they reached Rachel's room. Pushing open the door he walked inside to find Rachel lying in bed, her eyes open but visably tired.

"Thank god." Finn rushed over to her and sat down in one of the chairs by the bed, taking her tiny hands in his own. "Oh my god Rachel, thank god you're okay. I'm here baby. I'm right here and I love you so much." He leaned in to press a gentle kiss to her head, taking a moment to inhale her familiar scent while his heart calmed at the sight of her.

For a long time, all Rachel knew was black and silence. A couple times, bright lights and sound came into existence, but those times were few and all too brief. Eventually, she was coaxed awake by anxious doctors. She blinked blearily up at them, eyes aching and head throbbing at the sudden noise and light. She groaned slightly as she tried to remember where she was and what had happened. She had been talking to someone on the phone...something about a song...She sighed when it seemed she couldn't remember exactly what happened. She tried making sense of the words swirling around her, but none of them were making any sense. That was, until her ears picked up the word 'visitors.'

"I have visitors?" she asked weakly. A doctor hesitated before nodding. "Let them in," Rachel demanded. When they began to protest, Rachel repeated herself more firmly, voice gaining strength. Again, there was brief hesitation, and then another nod before someone left the room.

Rachel practically melted into the sheets. Obviously she was in a hospital. Why else would she be surrounded by doctors and funny beeping machines and what not? How did she get there though? She had no recollection of any incident that could have landed her in the hospital. She didn't have long to dwell, however, because there was a slight commotion outside her door, and Finn suddenly appeared next to her. She smiled weakly at him. "I love you too. And of course I'm alright. Did you really think that...whatever it was that happened to me could keep me down for long?"

Kurt made mental notes as he listened to the doctor explaining Rachel's condition. All in all it didn't sound unmanagable. He had some excellent Vitamin E cremes and lotions that would prevent or at least highly minimize any potential scarring. He knew she'd be upset by the broken leg and ribs because it would prevent her from dancing for a while, but it sounded like they should heal fine, and dancing wasn't going to be her primary concern.

The thing that made him turn paler than usual was the bit about a 'collapsed lung'. Rachel Berry and lung damage did not belong in the same realm of existance. She'd be devastated if it didn't heal with just some 'oxygen and rest'. And getting her to *rest* those lungs would be a difficult process. He only vaguely listened to the part about the concussion; that just seemed a pittance comparitavely speaking.

When the doctor finished his explanation and Finn took off to find Rachel's room, Kurt took a few moments to compose himself. He smiled as he looked toward Blaine. "She's okay," he breathed out his relief, ignoring the conerns he had over the 'collapsed lung'. He stepped closer and pulled Blaine into a brief hug. He knew Blaine didn't know Rachel all that well yet, but that he did think of her as a friend, and had felt horrible having witnessed her accident. He reached down to take Blaine's hand as he turned to follow Finn at a slower pace. As much as he wanted to see Rachel himself (and assess the potential scars for himself so he could feel useful and map out her skin care routine for her recovery...) he knew she and Finn should have at least a couple minutes to themselves before he and Blaine intruded. "Maybe we should give them a few minutes...and head to the gift shop to find some things to brighten up her room," he suggested.

Blaine glanced down at his coffee cup as he listened carefully to everything the doctor had to say. He had expected the broken bones, but he cringed at the idea of Rachel Berry having a collapsed lung. He didn't know her well, but he could already tell that Rachel wasn't weak in the least, and that she'd be up on her feet in no time. But if her lung didn't heal properly...he knew he'd never be able to forgive himself for ruining her future in singing.

He was so distracted by his own thoughts, that he didn't notice that the doctor had stopped talking until he felt Kurt's arms wrapping around him. He smiled as he hugged his boyfriend back, giving his boyfriend's hand a light squeeze as Kurt pulled away and took his hand. It made sense to give Finn and Rachel some time alone. "I like the way you think, Kurt Hummel," he commented, smiling as he kept his hand interlocked with his boyfriend and started walking with him towards the gift shop, which he hoped would provide enough of a distraction to keep him from worrying so much about Rachel's condition.

"You got into a car crash, Rach." Finn explained slowly. Of course she didn't remember, she had a concussion. Duh, he knew that. "You were on the phone with Blaine and you lost control of the wheel. But you're okay now. The doctor said you have a few broken ribs and a broken leg, but those will heal up eventually. And you have a concussion and a collapsed lung, but with oxygen and rest they said you'll be good as new." He tried to make it all sound as nonchalant as possible, hoping that maybe she wouldn't get as upset. "Don't freak out though. You're gonna make a full recovery and everything will be fine. I promise. I'm not going anywhere." Finn leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her lips, sighing once he pulled back. "Sickness and health, remember? I'll be here the entire time."

Rachel's eyes widened and she froze as he kissed her. Broken leg and ribs? No problem, she could learn wheelchair choreography from Artie. But a collapsed lung? That was bad, that was really really bad. What if she couldn't sing in time for Regionals? She'd be letting everybody down! And even worse, what if she couldn't sing for life? She began to panic, completely ignoring his request for her not to freak out, and she stared up at Finn with imploring eyes. "I'll be able to sing in time for Regionals, right? Because even if Mr. Schuester didn't choose me for a solo, which would be a huge mistake might I add, we'd still need a twelfth member and I just couldn't let everyone down, they'd think worse of me than they already do!" she said very fast. She smiled slightly as he promised not to leave her, but she was still upset about the collapsed lung.