Carry Me

© Hay 1

Steam rose from the round blood red mug and she could feel the heat as she leant over the table and peered into the cup. The liquid had a strong familiar odour, yet it seemed to turn her stomach as she inhaled. She pushed the mug slightly away from her as she closed her eyes briefly and drew in a deep breath. She was tired. Too many hours spent at the Inn and too many late nights perusing the accounts and problem solving anything that was thrown her way. And currently, any spare minute was spent trying to figure out where she had gone wrong in her personal life. Or rather, she spent time trying to avoid thinking about it at all. Chris was gone again and she knew that this time he wouldn't be back, even though this scenario had been played out numerous times before. And Luke, well, she didn't know if she could ever find a way to fix what she had done. She couldn't take back the split second decisions or her ridiculous impulsivity and reactions. He still served her coffee every day and asked her how she was and how her day had been. And he listened, intensively even, but he still looked at her as if he were defeated. It was like he didn't know how to cross the massive chasm that grew overnight.

Leaning over from behind the counter, Luke lifted the coffee pot to refill her cup. His eyebrows rose in surprise, "Usually you're looking for your IV infusion by now. Finally decided to increase your life expectancy?"

Lorelai smiled slightly, her jovial wink doing nothing to hide her pale cheeks. "What? So I can live to enjoy the realms of dementia and forgetting every Tom Cruise movie ever made? Never!" She wrapped her hands around the cooling mug and pressed her lips to the edge. The tiny sip of coffee made her head spin slightly but she shrugged it away. "Just too tired for an upper this morning I think." She conceded with a forced laugh.

"You don't look so good, are you sick? Because you look sick." Luke stated strongly, removing the coffee from her sight. "How about a bowl of fruit?"

Lorelai rolled her eyes and gasped, "Fruit? Are you trying to kill me?"

"Not today." Luke muttered with a slight grin. "No really, are you sick? You should see a doctor."

Lorelai shook her head. "I'm fine. I don't get sick, you know that."

"Ah, invincible." Luke smiled, "I forgot."

He watched somewhat helplessly as Lorelai slipped off the stool and walked slowly to the exit of the diner. As she pulled on the door, she paused momentarily, noticeably swaying ever so slightly before walking down the steps and to the jeep, parked just across the road.

The Inn was it's usual chaotic self, there always seemed to be small insignificant dramas that took up countless hours of valuable time. Today's issue was Michel, although physically presence at work he was spending most of the day spontaneously erupting into tears and cowering behind the desk. It was almost comical, his desperate grief at being at work whilst one of his precious dogs was recuperating at the vet after a minor surgical procedure. Lorelai covered his workload, politely greeting each guest as they arrived, checking them in and managing any questions or requests they had. She answered the phone, calmly and patiently, taking bookings and logging them on the computer. But her patience was wearing thin, gradually throughout the day she began to snap at Michel, criticising his presence and lack of professionalism. Her head was now pounding and the two Advil she had did nothing to numb the throbbing.

When finally she had a small break and Michel appeared as emotionally stable as one could hope, she drifted into the kitchen and with a tall glass of iced water, sat for the first time since that morning. Suki, who appeared from the walk in fridge in a flurry of excitement over the state of this week's cauliflower, froze mid-sentence with her hands motionless, still in the air from her wild gestures. "Lorelai." She gasped, "You look terrible."

Lorelai laughed lightly, "And you, Suki; are the second person to say that to me today. It's not the way to make a girl feel special you know."

Suki's face quickly warped into an expression of sympathy and concern. "But really Lorelai, are you alright? What's wrong? You look like Davey does after he's eaten fairy floss."

"I'm fine." Lorelai groaned. "Just a little tired, that's all." She was as convincing to Suki as she had been to Luke that morning. Lorelai smiled, trying to persuade Suki into believing her. "I just haven't had coffee this morning and I didn't feel like anything for breakfast, so I'm a little tired. That's all."

Suki stumbled back, dramatically throwing her hands out and reaching to steady herself on the bench. "You haven't had coffee?" Lorelai was weakening, she felt dangerously close to tears but swallowed heavily and simply shrugged her shoulders. "You need to go home Lorelai. You shouldn't be spreading germs around this place."

"I can't." Lorelai stated simply. "The angel of death is out there on reception."

Suki grinned, "You leave Michel to me. He'll toughen up in no time." Lorelai looked sceptical, shaking her head from left to right slowly. "Seriously, go home now. I'll bring you some soup later."

"Suki, really…I'm okay." But her argument was weak, her sheet white face and dull eyes betrayed her every word.

"Blah!" Suki interrupted, reaching for Lorelai's hand and guiding her off the chair. "You need to go home and get some sleep. Go via Luke's and actually get something nutritious to eat, he has that killer fruit platter. Get some vitamins in you and then rest. Got that?" Lorelai nodded finally. "That means rest, you hear me? Do nothing."

"Okay Okay. I'll just let Michel know that I'm going home."

"Nope Nope Nope." Suki insisted, "I'm all over it! Like Jackson on a vegetable!" She added, laughing to herself.

Lorelai held her hands up in defeat and left without further discussion, stopping only to grab her handbag. For some reason, Luke and Suki's insistence that she have some fruit was bugging her. Was her lifestyle really so horrific that two people would bring it up as soon as she didn't look well. Was that really why she felt so badly and if she was being honest to herself, she really didn't feel well. She just wanted to curl up in a ball on her bed and sleep, preferably with Rory busying herself downstairs, just someone to make sure that she didn't decompose. So she stopped willingly at Luke's, dragging herself through the door and to the same stool she had sat on earlier that morning. It was a quiet afternoon, just Kirk sitting in the corner who appeared to be sorting a box fill of playing cards. Who knows why. Who knows why Kirk does anything really.

Luke emerged from the storeroom at the sound of the doorbell, checking his watch as Lorelai sat down. "It's a little late for lunch and a little early for dinner; even for you." He stated, leaning across from her.

Lorelai smiled and shrugged, "Apparently, according to Stars Hollow, I need some of that fruit stuff."

"Fruit stuff?" Luke questioned. "As in fruit?" She nodded in agreement and appeared so overwhelmed that Luke disappeared, emerging minutes later with a dinner plate filled with varying pieces of fruit. "Have you eaten anything today?" He asked, his concern beginning to rise.

She shook her head slowly, "No. I hate being sick."

"I thought you weren't sick." Luke challenged with a sly smile.

Lorelai couldn't help but offer a soft laugh. "Yeah well, I'm not." She met Luke's eyes momentarily. "Alright, maybe a little." Glancing down at her plate, fork poised midair she gave narrowed her eyebrows. "I'm concerned, only half of this food is even familiar. I could name even less."

"There's nothing wrong with your sarcasm then?" Luke casually bantered with her, leaning back to watch that she actually put some of it in her mouth, chewed and swallowed. She managed only a few bites; a small piece of apple, a grape and a tiny cube of melon before resting her fork against the plate. She had begun to slump over the table, drawing in deep breaths as she held her head in her hands. She audibly groaned; her voice cracking as she exhaled. "You need to lie down." Luke leant across the bench and shadowed her hands, his fingertips burning as they touched her radiating cheeks. "You have a fever." He added. Lorelai nodded weakly this time, pushing herself upright and preparing to slide off the stool and to her feet. But her head spun at the movement, her neck muscles weakening and allowing her head to tip slightly backwards, turning a ghastly shade of grey. Luke rushed around the counter and even Kirk looked up in interest, watching in shock as Lorelai lost consciousness and slumped to the ground, her fall broken ever so slightly by Luke as he slid to the floor and protected her head and shoulders from smashing against the wooden floor.

Part Two to be posted very shortly. All feedback encouraged and welcomed...constructive and positive.

Cheers