A.N: A lot of medical stuff in this is liable to be crap. Some of the stats come from my brain for dramatic purposes. So… a medical grain of salt would be greatly appreciated.

A.N2: Holy Crap on a cracker guys! The response to this story is insane and I revel in it. I am so happy about the reviews I offer up this chapter like a week before I intended to post. Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed and read.

A.N3: I am not above shameless self promotion so please feel free to read my other Glee story, La Verdad which is… wait for it… Pezberry of all things, eventually that is. It too was updated today. You guys are all seriously awesome.

Chapter Two

The room was silent for one brief moment and then chaos erupted.

"Rachel!" Quinn and Finn shot forward at the same time, with Puck trying to push his way between them.

Kurt's voice was sharper than ever, "What's wrong with her?"

Mr. Schue tried to push Shelby out of the way, "Rach…" Only to be pushed hard in return.

The director of Vocal Adrenaline drew in a breath, "Shut up all of you!" She fell to her knees and placed her hand on Rachel's cheek, "Rachel honey? Rachel! Wake up!" Her eyes started to well as she leaned forward and placed her head to the diva's eerily still chest. "No no no no! Rachel!"

Jesse had finally convinced his fingers to work as the phone finally dial out for 911.

He placed it on speaker and earpiece crackled, "911. What is your emergency?"

Shelby called out frantically, "We need an ambulance at the Marriott Residence Inn, on Telshore, room 617!"

The 911 operator responded, "It's on its way m'am, less than five minutes, we have one just around the corner. Can you tell me what's happening?"

Shelby's voice cracked, "She isn't breathing!"

The operator's tone was no nonsense, "Does she have a pulse m'am?"

Shelby fumbled for Rachel's wrist and searched frantically, "Barely…"

"Does anyone there know CPR?" The speaker popped.

Shelby looked helpless when the most unlikely of people stepped forward, "I do." Kurt was on his knees a second later, for once unconcerned with the wrinkles in his pants. "What do I do?" Kurt's hands hovered over Rachel's chest.

The voice ordered, "You'll need to be her air honey. Breathing and chest compressions in sets of 2 and 30 respectively."

Kurt had already set about positioning Rachel correctly for what he needed to do. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to Rachel's without a moment's hesitation.

The operator began asking questions over the sound of Kurt's CPR, "Can you see what might have caused this, did she overdose?"

Shelby shook her head, "No no, she's been si…"

She was cut off as a voice ordered, "Everyone make a hole!" The room began to clear as people scrambled out of the paramedics' way. A second later the paramedics were on floor on either side of Rachel.

The younger of the two was yanking something out his bag, "We need to bag her." A second later a breathing apparatus had been settled over Rachel's nose and mouth. "Does anyone know what is wrong with her?" The other paramedic was connecting leads to Rachel's chest after summarily cutting open her shirt.

Shelby was shaking as she replied, "She has cardiomyopathy…"

The paramedic nodded, "We need to take her to St. Vincent's then. Up." They rolled Rachel on to a board and strapped her in. The two men stood and lifted her. They had her out the door and on their gurney in less than thirty seconds. One of the paramedics pumped the bag and guided the gurney while the other one continued with the chest compressions that Kurt had started. Shelby, Mr. Schue and all of their students followed after the paramedics. The elevator was already open and waiting. The paramedics gave the group an apologetic look when it became apparent that only they and the gurney would fit. The doors closed and a moment later Shelby was flying towards the stairs with everyone else hot on her heels. Mike, Matt, and Jesse of all people grabbed a hold of Artie's wheelchair and carted him down the stairs. It would later be acknowledged that it was a miracle that no one had broken their neck.

The group poured out of the stairwell and realized that in their haste they had actually beaten the elevator. The doors gave off a soft ping and slid open, revealing the paramedics and the gurney bearing a still unconscious Rachel. The paramedics hustled out of the elevator and made their way through the lobby to the waiting ambulance. In less than a dozen heartbeats Rachel was loaded and one of the men was turning to the group.

"Who's riding along?" He seemed focused on Mr. Schue and Shelby, as they were the two adults.

Mr. Schue stepped forward, "Well I'm her teacher so…"

He was shoved aside by Shelby, "I'm her mother."

The paramedic nodded, "We have a winner, in." Shelby scrambled in and the doors were shut and the ambulance peeled out.

The group stood stunned for a moment before Puck snapped, "What the hell are we waiting for, let's go!" He turned and barreled towards the van the group had driven down. Puck's impatience shook them from their shock. A few minutes later they had piled in and a frantic Puck was hauling down the road, with Quinn shouting directions from the backseat as she peered at the GPS on her phone.

The McKinley Glee club barreled into the E.R. of St. Vincent's and cornered a nurse and tried shouting over each other to get information. The nurse looked terrified as she back away from the group, Puck especially was threatening as he swore to start busting heads if he someone didn't tell him what was wrong with 'Berry'.

"Guys!" Mr. Shouted of his students and they quieted, not looking sheepish in the slightest, but rather annoyed to have been interrupted in their quest. He glared and point at the door where Shelby Corcoran had just entered. The Vocal Adrenaline coach was sheet white as she approached.

"What's…"

"How is…"

"Is…"

"Where is…"

"Can we…" The kids started speaking at the same time and then stopped to cast irritated looks at each other.

Shelby addressed them, "They took her strait to the O.R."

Quinn breathed out, "Oh my god."

"I need to call her dads." Shelby turned and pulled out her cell phone.

Mr. Schue grabbed a hold of Shelby's arm, "What's wrong with her?"

Shelby glared pointedly at his hand and he reluctantly released her. She hurried away from the group and pressed her phone to her ear after dialing.

Mr. Schue scowled after her and then stomped towards the admissions window and demanded, "What is the status on Rachel Berry?"

The woman looked up at him and drawled, "What is your relationship to the patient?"

He snapped, "I'm her teacher."

The nurse let out a tiny sigh and typed something into the computer, "It says her that her mother accompanied her to the hospital, as you are not her parent or guardian I am afraid I cannot release any information to you at this time." She closed the window in his face.

Will turned and let out an exasperated breath. His gaze sought out Shelby. She was seated in a corner by herself. He made to approach her but was stopped dead when she gazed up at him. Her gaze was poisonous and Mr. Schue finally saw the resemblance between Shelby and Rachel, they looked eerily similar when their eyes were wet with tears. He sighed and turned to his students.

They were all in varying stages of agitation. Puck paced like a giant mohawked jungle cat. Finn was seated but his leg was bouncing like a jackhammer. Santana was whispering in Brittany's ear, while the sweet blonde shed silent tears. Kurt and Mercedes were doing their best to appear unaffected but every so often they would cast worried glances at the doors that led to the O.R.s. Artie was rolling his chair back and forth, a wheeled version of Puck's pacing while Tina alternated between staring at him and the rest of the group. And Quinn was slightly separate from the group, her arms wrapped tightly around herself.

Mr. Schue cleared his throat and they all looked at him expectantly, "They won't tell me anything so we'll probably have to wait until she is out of surgery and her dads get here."

Mercedes asked tentatively, "How long do you figure she'll be in surgery?"

Mr. Schue shook his head, "I don't know guys. I think our best bet would be to go back to the hotel and come back fresh in the morning." The group exchanged uncomfortable glances and then started to rise.

As they started to trek out Puck, who seemed the most unwilling turned, "Quinn?"

Quinn's head snapped up, "What?"

Gently Puck asked, "Are you coming Baby Mama?"

Quinn shook her head, "You guys can go but I'm staying here."

"Quinn…" Mr. Schue started.

Quinn glared, "I'm staying."

Finn spoke quietly, "We all feel guilty Quinn," The group exchanged a loaded look as he continued, "But just because you feel…"

Quinn was out of her chair in a flash, snarling "You all should feel guilty! I feel guilty because I should have put a stop to what you guys were doing!" She rounded on Mr. Schue, "You should have put a stop to it! So yes I feel guilty but that isn't why I'm staying." She sat back down and waved a hand, "Go! Get a good night's rest while Rachel fights for her life, how is that any different from how it always is?" She turned away from them. The group looked helplessly at each other, not sure what to do. If they stayed it would be interpreted as guilt and the most honest of them knew that in part it would be guilt that made them stay. Slowly they trickled out, quiet and subdued. Quinn shook her head and watched them go, disdain lighting her fair features. She turned her attention to Vocal Adrenaline's coach and felt her heart go out to the woman. She turned to look at the O.R. doors and briefly sent a prayer out.

"Quinn…" Someone shook at her shoulder and Quinn started awake.

"Wha?" She looked blurrily at the man shaking her. Quinn recognized him, one of Rachel's fathers.

"Quinn?" He drew his hand away and rolled back on his heels. As her vision cleared she took in his red rimmed eyes and felt her stomach clench.

She sat up and asked, "Rachel?"

He looked devastated but his words didn't match his face, "She's awake, and she… she wants to talk to you." Quinn was up in less than a second. Rachel was awake, she was ok.

She smiled and looked around the waiting room. The club was back as well as Jesse St. James, who sat with his hand clamped firmly in Shelby's.

Hesitantly she asked, "What about the rest of the club?"

Rachel's dad, his name was George if she remembered correctly, suddenly looked scary, "None of those savages are going near my little girl!" He shook his head, "Rachel thinks you deserve to know and I'll respect that, and hopefully you can tell them." He gestured angrily at the club. Quinn felt an enormous amount of satisfaction at the knowledge that Rachel had not protected the glee kids or Mr. Schue.

Quietly Quinn asked, "Where is she?"

George Berry turned and replied, "Come with me."

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He led her through a maze of hallways and into a wing that had a placard declaring it the CICU, which Quinn would later learn stood for the Cardiac intensive care unit. They stopped just outside a room and Quinn pulled on a pair of latex gloves and entered behind Rachel's dad. Her other father was already in the room, seated next to the hospital bed, clutching at his daughter's hand.

"Rachel, please honey… there is still…" He looked desperate as he spoke to his child.

Rachel noticed Quinn before her daddy did, "Quinn…"

"Hey Rachel." Quinn tentatively approached the bed, and tried to stamp down her reaction to Rachel's appearance. The girl whose smile had always lit up the room was weak and tired. Her eyes were at least a little sunken and her face was a ghostly white. Then there were the machines. It appeared to Quinn that Rachel was hooked up to every machine known to man, and a few that weren't.

Quietly Rachel spoke to her fathers, "Can I talk to Quinn alone?"

George Berry made to leave but was met by a stubborn snort from Rachel's other dad.

The African American man at Rachel's bedside almost snarled, "I'm not leaving you alone with one of those little barbarians from that club!"

His husband rebuked him, "Mark!"

Rachel sighed, "Quinn wasn't a part of the hazing Daddy. She even helped me get cleaned up a couple of times."

Resentfully the man, Mark demanded, "Did she try to stop it?"

Rachel looked down, "No sir."

Quinn looked down ashamed, "I should have tried, it's just…" She wrapped her arms around her stomach and trailed off, there wasn't an excuse she could offer for not trying to stop the hell that had been visited on Rachel's head.

Rachel's Daddy took in Quinn's condition and softened a little. He stood and pressed a kiss to Rachel's forehead and then exited the room.

Rachel gestured to the chair he had vacated and Quinn sat.

The room was silent for a few moments before Quinn finally spoke, "So are you alright?"

Rachel answered bluntly a second later, "No."

Quinn looked taken aback, "I mean I know you're not ok, but I mean… you're talking and awake and stuff."

Rachel was quiet for a little while before asking in a small voice, "Did my dads or Shelby mention what is wrong with me?"

Quinn shook her head, "No."

Rachel closed her eyes and then flatly recited, "I have acute cardiomyopathy complicated by an advanced case of congestive heart failure. It is why I had to quit Glee." Quinn blinked, the only words she had really understood were heart and failure.

She demanded, "Your heart is messed up?"

Rachel shrugged feebly, "In lay mans terms, yes."

Quinn shot from her chair, "Why didn't you tell us! The club I mean. Do you really think that they would have slushied the crap out of you if they had known!"

Rachel snarled, "I tried!"

Quinn snapped back "The hell you did! I would remember you telling us "Oh by the way guys, my heart isn't working right anymore!" which you didn't!" Rachel's chest was rapidly expanding and contracting, reminding Quinn that the tiny Diva was sick. Quickly she sat and rushed to apologize, "Rachel I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset…"

Rachel cut her off, "I did try to tell you. Remember when I invited all of you to my house about a week before I quit?"

Quinn nodded, "Sure, I had a doctor's appointment."

Rachel closed her eyes and continued, "Guess how many of the others showed?"Quinn shrugged and Rachel spat, "None! Not even Mr. Schue. So excuse me if I didn't want to walk into Glee and announce that I was sick." She scowled, "I don't need pity." Quinn sighed and not for the first time wished that the Glee club would grow a collective brain.

Finally after a long stretch of uncomfortable silence Quinn asked, "But you'll be ok right?"

Rachel shook her head and pointed at one of the machines she was attached to, "See that thing?" Quinn nodded and Rachel explained, "That is a bypass machine. It is pumping my blood."

Quinn gave the machine a double take and then asked a stupid question, "Why."

Rachel huffed tiredly, "Because Quinn, my heart isn't pumping enough anymore."

"What?" Quinn exclaimed, incredulous. Rachel took Quinn's hand, which had been resting on the bed and placed it on her chest. Quinn gaped at what she felt, which is to say, not much at all. Her hand rested on Rachel chest for nearly five minutes and in time with the beeping that Quinn has just noticed, the Diva's heart beat, once maybe twice every minute. Terrified of the answer Quinn asked, "How long can you be on that machine before…?"

Rachel smiled sadly, "Before I die?"

"Yeah." Quinn held her breath.

Rachel's answer was devastating, "Two weeks."

A.N5: So on a separate note, where would one go to find a beta for a Glee AU? Or just a beta really.

Reviews are greatly appreciated!