Something - Quinn Fabray

Chapter 57

6:25 PM

Shelby checked the clock on the wall as she finally finished grading her sophomore class paper. That was a nightmare. It was just past six, she was supposed to be meeting James for dinner in a while. She knew Ryan was going over to see Quinn, that would probably take a while. She stood up, stretching, and was just about to leave her home office when the phone rang. "Hello?"

"Hello, could I speak to Shelby Corcoran?"

"Yes, speaking."

"This is Rhonda Allen, from Lima Memorial Hospital. We have your son Ryan here in the ER, he was admitted a few minutes ago..."

Oh god.

Shelby froze on the spot, unable to process anything. The world spun for a few seconds and she almost dropped the phone. "I'm on my way."

..

"Hi Shelby, we still on for dinner tonight?"

"James, you need to get to the hospital, Ryan's in the hospital."

"What? What happened?"

"I don't know, I just got the call, he's in the ER, I don't know what happened -"

"I'll meet you there."

..

James used the staff entrance to get inside the hospital building, since it was much closer to the parking lot than the visitors' entrance. He quickly strode over to the ER reception desk. "Toni," he called to the nurse who was on duty at the desk.

Toni barely looked up from her work. "I thought your shift was over."

"It is, my son just got admitted here. Ryan Corcoran. Do you know where he is?"

"Your - oh!" the nurse nodded. "Just a sec," she said, pulling up the records. James waited a tad impatiently, spotting Shelby as soon as she entered the ER. "Shelby, over here!"

Shelby hurried toward him. "Did you find him yet?"

"Toni's looking right now," James told her, taking her hand. She looked insanely worried, her face pale. He was worried too, the hospital hadn't given them any details other than the fact that Ryan was in the hospital. They didn't know what happened.

"Okay, Ryan Corcoran is in 1B," Tony finally informed them. "He's not critical. I can get a nurse to take you..."

"It's okay, I know where that is," James answered. "Thanks, Toni."

"No problem."

James led Shelby to a small glass-doored room off the ER, and the two parents let out a breath of relief when they saw their son inside with a doctor. They quickly hurried inside, causing Ryan to look up with a relieved expression. "Mom, Dad!"

"Ryan?" Shelby looked him over, worry spiking as she saw what the doctor was doing. "What happened? Why is there glass in your back? Did you get into a fight again? Who -"

"Mom, I'm fine, I'll be fine. Quinn and her mom are in here too, I don't know if they're okay," Ryan cut in, looking at his parents desperately. "Can you go find them?"

James looked at him intently. There was a bruise on one side of the boy's jaw, and the knuckles on one hand were split. And of course, as Shelby had noticed, a series of glass shards cutting into his lower back. "Ryan, what happened?"

"Quinn's dad was at their house when I got there." He turned to Shelby, who was staring at him. "He was hurting them, Mom, I had to stop him." Shelby looked at James, who looked back at her helplessly. Sure, he was proud that he'd helped Quinn and Judy, but they could also be upset that he'd gotten hurt doing it.