Hell to the Uh Oh

Rachel

Rachel heaved in the bathroom. She was welcomed on the fifth floor north wing bathroom so it was the one she went to when she had to aside from the nurse's. She wished she could stop throwing up but she couldn't quite stop. Every since she heard Tina's hoarse voice say that Marcy was hurt, she felt the vomit rise but at the time she'd needed to help. So she had. But after lunch; everyone was split up, Jesse was gone and she felt the bile coming back with force. She'd just given in rather than fight it. What was the point?

She leaned over the toilet again. She was simply dry heaving now. She really didn't have much in her stomach. She heard the door open just as she leaned again.

"Uh oh!" A joyous tone cracked. "Sounds like someone has a bun in the oven!"

A second voice chuckled. "Can you believe Marcy Jones though? I'm telling you: karma."

"I'm telling you; she's dead."

The second voice chuckled again as Rachel paled. "The devil doesn't want her in his domain."

The first voice chimed in. "Maybe not but I heard she fell a hundred feet. She might have evil running through her veins but nobody can survive that!"

"Maybe if she died, we'd get some peace."

"No way. There's still Fabray and Lopez. Now if all three died, we'd have a chance!"

"Quinn might leave though." The second voice was hopeful. "She's like her sister. She might not want to stay after this."

"But she'd take Mercedes and Mike with her. Mercedes is nice and Mike is fine!"

The second voice giggled. "He really is! And she is, too. I guess if my sister died, I wouldn't want to come back to the school either."

The door opened and closed. Rachel slid to the floor, completely drained from what she'd overheard. What would happen if Marcy didn't make it? She'd never thought the mean girl wouldn't. Jesse had promised she would.

She wasn't even used to thinking of Marcy as being hurt, let alone dead. Was it that serious? Santana and Brittany wouldn't speak on it and Tina and Kurt couldn't. Was it so serious that her life was in danger? Rachel couldn't stomach the thought and promptly vomited again.

Only it was air. She couldn't take throwing up nothing so she dragged herself to her feet and slunk to the sink to wash her face and mouth out. Leaning against the wall, she called Leroy.

The callous way those girls were talking about Marcy made her physically ill. How could her life mean so little to people? Yes, she was mean and rude and insensitive but she was a human being with talent, drive and was honestly trying. Didn't that mean anything?!

"Hello?"

"Daddy?" Rachel knew she sounded like a child but she'd never felt more like one.

"Rachel? Honey, what's wrong?" Leroy was remembering the last time he'd received a midday call from his daughter.

"It's Marcy."

The call was sounding like déjà vu to the man. "What about her? Is she still sad about dance class?"

She shook her head even though she knew he couldn't see her. "No. She had an accident. I think. It could have been on purpose. Some people are saying it's on purpose."

Though she spoke slowly, Leroy couldn't understand her. "What are you talking about?"

"At cheerleading practice. She fell from the top of the pyramid. I assume. They were all shaking and crying too hard to tell us all of it. She was taken to the hospital but none of us could go see her. We don't even know if she's still alive!"

Her choked sob destroyed her father. "Rachel? I want you to hang in there, okay? Can you do that for me?"

She nodded again. He didn't say anything further then she remembered she had to speak. "Yes."

"Okay. Get through the rest of the day and I'll call your daddy. When school is over, hopefully there'll be more news and we'll go see her. Okay? Can you do that?"

"Yes."

"Everything will be okay."

"Yes." She wasn't sure if she believed him. It was a first for her and she didn't like it. "What about-?"

"I'll see to it. Don't you worry about anything but yourself and your friends." He said firmly. "Go to class. I love you, Rachel. You're my star."

"I love you, Daddy." She whispered softly before hanging up. She wiped her face again but decided to skip fourth period. She'd missed most of it anyway. She went to the choir room instead.

Even though she wasn't sure of Marcy's place in the New Directions in the beginning, she liked her well enough now. She wasn't sure Marcy liked her back, which was unsettling but they were sort of friends. The girl had even stopped her from getting slushied a few times.

She looked around the room slowly. Would Marcy actually never set foot in it again? Would she never hit another high note or arch into another dance move? Would her voice fade from the rafters as if she were never there? Would her unimpressed eyes never sweep over the chairs and piano? Would she never bare her soul in song again?

Rachel felt guilt then. She fell into a chair and wrapped her arms around her body to cry. She should have been more welcoming to her. She should have made her feel more at ease. She knew how it was to be misunderstood. Why hadn't she rolled out the welcome mat the way she had done for Finn? The way Finn had done for Marcy?

With that guilt came the soul crushing one that said she was thinking of her pain. How she felt about Marcy. What about the girl's family? Mike, Quinn and Mercedes would be devastated. Those three would probably never want to sing again.

How can we ever go on?