Chapter 11

"What's taking her so long?" Quinn growled and gripped Puck's wrist tighter.

"Nails, Quinn! Nails!"

"Sorry…" Quinn gave up a little pressure, but still held tight onto Puck. "What could your girlfriend possibly be saying to her?"

Puck shrugged at her, he honestly had no idea what they could even be talking about.

"That's it. I'm going in. She's been in there too long. Something's wrong."

Puck held her, preventing her from getting up. "Everything's fine Quinn. Come on, we were all waiting for you."

She looks up at the rest of the room and they all quickly glance away. They all go back to random conversation with each other, acting as if they weren't just listening in on Puck and Quinn.

But she doesn't fail to hear Brittany talking to Santana; she really wasn't the very best at whispering. "She took a really long time." Santana whispered something back to Brittany that she couldn't catch, but she knew it was dirty because Santana had that smirk and Brittany smirked as well before laughing.

Santana then glanced over at her with a glint in her eye. Quinn glared at them and Santana held her gaze, daring her to do something. But she wasn't about to give Santana the pleasure.

Quinn huffed and lowered herself back deeper into her seat than she already was and crossed her arms. "Fine."

Everyone silently stared at her; some of them had their mouths wide open.

"What?" Quinn snapped. Everyone went back to whatever they were doing; some of them even mumbled an apology.

Puck was still turned to her with an eyebrow raised, unafraid of an angry Quinn – poor judgment on his part.

"What?" She asked, specifically to Puck who only smirked back at her.

"You're just acting…weird. Jew-like. A certain Jew to be exact."

She rolled her eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Puck's smirk faded and he looked at her sincerely. "You okay?"

"What do you think Puck? Do I look okay?"

Puck shrugged and sat back in his seat. They stayed quiet for a moment. Puck finally spoke again, not looking towards Quinn. "It's not your fault, you know."

She quickly turns her head to him and snaps, "Then whose fault is it?" There's a tone which would usually make people regress from Quinn, but Puck seems unphased, his shoulders just seem to slightly slump.

"I'm the one who went in..."

Quinn shook her head, turning away from him. "You're not the one who scared her off."

Puck's hand went to her shoulder, but Quinn didn't make any indication to show that she noticed or minded. "Listen Quinn, you-"

"You can go now, Blondie."

Lauren was standing in front of them, glaring at their contact, but Puck didn't move his hand from her shoulder.

Quinn looked at Lauren, glaring slightly, then back to Puck, who gave a sympathetic nod as he simultaneously squeezed her shoulder gently and finally let go of her.

She got up slowly from her seat and avoided looking at anyone while she exited, only one person on her mind. But when she was finally out of the waiting room, she let out a breath.

The air was less stuffy and she no longer felt eyes on her, stealing glances or boring into her skull. And the whispers and the crying, and it really all was just getting to be too much.

She slowly trudged over to Rachel's room, pausing as she had her hand on the handle. She took a deep breath and steadied herself. She felt a strange sense of déjà vu and suddenly felt the need to hurl, but didn't let go of the door. She swallowed loudly and rested her head against the door.

"Hello?"

Quinn sighed and turned and turned the handle, stepping into the cold room. "Hey." Quinn shut the door behind her quietly and let her back rest against the frame of it.

"Hi." Rachel was seated upright and gave Quinn an expression that she couldn't read. "You can sit down." Rachel looked over at the chair still beside the bed; it hadn't been moved at all.

Quinn nodded, but didn't budge. She couldn't be near her.

"Quinn, please." Rachel pleaded with her voice and eyes. Rachel would've pulled the girl and made her sit down, if she could. But she needed Quinn near her, her presence made her go through two extremes, calming her and alerting her at the same time, but the feeling that Quinn provoked seemed to spread the her whole body and so far she was the only one who could do that.

It was the most feeling that her body had since she had woken up. When Quinn touched her.

And Rachel needed to get that feeling again, she needed to feel something. Anything.

Quinn slowly dragged herself over to the chair and sat, keeping as much distance from Rachel as possible, but staying seated. "I'm sorry," Quinn said after a few moments of silence.

"You need to stop apologizing."

"I can't."

"It's not going to make anything better." Rachel replied bluntly.

Quinn looked at her for a moment before casting her eyes down to her lap. "But I'm trying. I'm trying to make it better Rachel. And I'm so sorry, and you have to know that. You were my responsibility; the one thing I had to do was make sure that you made it home safe. And I messed up. I just, I need you to know that I'm sorry."

"I know." Rachel said softly, Quinn's head still looking down at her lap, hiding her face.

"No," Quinn spoke softly, but firmly.

"Quinn, I-"

"No, Rachel, stop, you don't know. You have no idea who guilty and horrible I feel, because I did this to you." Quinn moved her hand to hold Rachel's again, Rachel could see she was doing it, but she couldn't feel Quinn's hand over hers. Rachel stayed quiet, not wanting to scream at Quinn or start crying because she couldn't feel it and it was killing her.

Quinn looked into Rachel's eyes, "Let me do something for you Rachel. Anything, Rachel I'll do anything. Please let me do something for you."

Rachel opened her mouth to speak, wanting to tell her to touch her, touch her face where she could feel if she was touching her and actually feel it.

But it was like Quinn already knew, and she slowly removed her hand from Rachel's and slowly let her hand touch her cheek gently, her fingers just slightly grazing. Rachel closed her eyes and just let herself be overwhelmed by the sensation of actually having some sort of physical feeling.

Quinn only delicately hovered her hand over her face. "I'm so sorry Rachel." Rachel felt Quinn's thumb start to wipe at her tears, but she didn't even realize that she had started crying. They stayed like that, Rachel crying and Quinn taking care of her tears, until Rachel began to slowly pass into unconsciousness. Quinn stayed, remaining quiet until just when Rachel was about to doze off.

"I'm promise you I'll get you to forgive me Rachel." Quinn softly whispered. "Whatever it takes, for however long, I will."