Twenty-One: Nationals.

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Ashleigh held a thermometer in her hand, seeing that it was 101.2...

"What's going on? How bad is it?" Will asked, running into one of the bedrooms.

"Her temperature's 101 degrees. She's complaining of an upset stomach." Sue said.

"I think I've got food poisoning." Mercedes said.

"We all wanted burritos for lunch, so we went to Chipotle, but Mercedes tried some dive called Señora Salsation." Ashleigh said.

"Will, a word, please." Sue whispered, walking past him, standing by the door.

They looked back at the kids.

"With Mo'Nique down for the count, we are entering the Hunger Games of show choir competition without one of our most powerful voices on the Troubletones. We need to have a plan. I say put Ashleigh and Tina on stage with them." She said.

"Because if New Directions don't win, that means you go back to being co-captains of the Cheerios with Roz Washington."

"Your sniping is as expository as it is wrong. Yes, I have fantasised about handing that prize money to Principal Figgins so I could buy back my sole control of the Cheerios, but my main concern right now is for these kids. I want this win for them, William." She tells him.

"I just don't want everything we've worked for to collapse because of one bad burrito. So here's what's gonna happen. Mercedes, you're on bed rest. Ashleigh and Tina, you're gonna step in."

"What? No. No. No, I can't; I haven't practiced the choreography for that." Said Ashleigh.

"Neither has Tina, Ashleigh. I believe in you. And you're better than you think you are, trust me. I'm just sad; it's my last competition." Mercedes said.

"Mercedes, I'm putting you on a vitamin B12 drip. We're flushing your system with Pedialyte. I'm gonna fill that bathtub with ice and see if we can get that temperature down to normal." Sue tells them.

"All right, we've all got our marching orders. Let's do it." Will tells them.

Later, Will was sitting on the floor leaning against the wall, and Emma walked over to him...

"Hey. You okay?"

"What if we don't win? What's gonna happen with those kids?" He asked.

"It's a competition. They understand everybody can't win."

"They never get to win. And school's almost over forever for most of them. Can you imagine what it would be like for them to have just a couple of days walking the halls as champions? It's something they would carry around with them for the rest of their lives." He says.

"If you're gonna lead them to the promised land, you're gonna have to make an attitude adjustment. Will, they're ready. You've made 'em ready for three years."

"What if it wasn't enough?" He asked.

"Will. You better come downstairs; we've got a problem." Shannon said.

In the room, everyone was shouting and shoving each other.

Ashleigh was shoving Sam back, and Finn was trying to break up the fight.

"He's studying for geography while we're trying to rehearse!" Sam shouted.

"Ashleigh, are you okay?" Will asked.

"I think my nose might be broken." Ashleigh says, pulling her hand away, seeing her hand covered in blood.

"I'm so, so sorry, Ashleigh." Puck said.

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