"You should sit down and relax now, you look exhausted." Emily ordered.

Logan stared at her for a moment, then he did as he had been ordered to.

Emily opened his suitcase and started putting his personal belongings back into the small wardrobe behind his bed. She found some t-shirts, pyjamas and underwear, and that was all.

Actually, this was pretty unusual. Patients usually brought with them a lot of stuff which made them feel like home as much as possible, which made them feel less alone and ill. She was wondering about this when she saw a frame on the bottom of the case. A beautiful girl with big, blue eyes was smiling from the photo. She looked happy and satisfied.

"Definitely, he isn't alone." she thought.

"Is she your wife?"

"No, she isn't" he answered.

"Oh… I'm sorry, Sir."

"Don't worry. And I am Logan, please. I can ensure you I'm not a Sir."

"Ok. The fact is that I'm not used to call my patients using their first name. Anyway, now you should put your pyjamas on and have a rest. Doctor Moery's going to run some tests on you this evening. Your surgery is scheduled at 11 o'clock tomorrow morning. Have you got any question about it?"

"No questions."

This was also quite unusual. He didn't seem to be scared or worried, just … well, exhausted was the right term to describe him, exhausted and dazed.

"Let me check your temperature now, then I'll go away to let you sleep. Would you like me to provide some sedative for you?"

"No, thanks, I don't need sleeping draught."

Emily took a thermometer and put it into his ear.

"Your temperature is 105. It's a little higher then It's supposed to be. I'm going to give you an aspirin."

"Fine."

"Any pain?"

"Just headache and stomachache, but it's bearable."

"Do you need something else? Maybe a hot tea?"

"I'm ok."

"Then have a good rest. I'm going to wake you up in a couple of hours."

"Ok. Than you Emily, thanks a lot."

"You're welcome." she answered, and with a huge smile she went out.

Logan laid down and covered himself. He was cold and his head was aching badly but he didn't want to sleep. He was in need to think clearly.

Rory was probably crying now, she was probably moving from their apartment, coming back to Stars Hollow, to her mother and her life.

Rory probably hated him now, and she was right.

He had been diagnosed with lymphoma two weeks ago. It was at third stadium and there were metastasis in different organs. This was not common between 23 years old boys.

His father would have paid for the best surgeon, the best hospital, the best therapies, but he knew there was little hope for him to survive for more than six months.

He loved Rory more then his own life and didn't want her to go through this ordeal with him. If he really had to die there was no need for her to have her life destroyed. So, he decided to disappear.

He started behaving as bad as possible, cheating, shouting and he was even unfaithful to her and made her discover it. Finally, he left her. He knew that if she had loathed him, she would not have tried to find him.

During the first few days he was worried because he was sure Rory would have found out the truth, he was sure there love was such a certain point in their life that she couldn't have believed this was his real behaviour. However, he was wrong. Rory thought he was behaving like that because he was frightened of responsibility, frightened of being an adult, and she thought he wanted his freedom back. Remembering his past was easier than looking at his present.

"I'm a good actor." he thought. "You won't suffer, Ace, I promise you won't."

He hoped his family would have helped him, but his father had been frank and honest. They had no time for him. Since he had refused to become their heir, they didn't seem to be interested in having any kind of relationship with him.

Logan sighed. He would have got over this by his own efforts. He would have survived and taken his Rory back.

He closed his eyes and tried to sleep, but he didn't manage to. It was too cold in there.

At the same time Emily was observing his new patient behind the glass. A week ago she had been employed by Mr. Huntzberger senior to nurse his son who was ill with cancer. The hospital was one of the best of USA and there was obviously a professional staff but he wanted someone to be there for his son 24/7. She thought Mr. Huntzberger was grieved and anguished and that he desired his son to be cured carefully. This was what she expected from a father who can afford a private nurse, but where was he?

Logan had arrived using his own car, and he had said that nobody was going to stay here with him. Why was he so lonely? Why wasn't his family coming? Hasn't he got a girlfriend or simply friends?

She couldn't imagine what kind of person she was working for, he could be arrogant, selfish and rude, but he looked kind, and it was odd for any sick person to be completely alone.

"This can't be how things are." she said to herself. "Someone is surely coming. Maybe he's just afraid and doesn't want me to know it."

He looked at the bed an saw him cherish that photo. She wondered who that girl was again.

OOoOoOo

As soon as he heard footsteps on the floor Logan opened his eyes. He had been awake for the whole time, he hadn't been able to stop thinking about Rory, about her anger, her tears, her pain.

"She doesn't deserve this." he thought.

"Good evening. Did you sleep well?"

"Of course I did."

"You don't look like someone who has just spent two hours peacefully sleeping.

"I have."

"Did you remember not to eat today?"

"I've been fasting since yesterday."

"Very good man. Now I'm going to take a blood sample and Doctor Moery's coming to examine you in ten minutes, then you're going to have an MRI."

"I'm going to be very busy."

"Come on, you're going to sleep all day round tomorrow."

"What a lazy guy I am."

Emily smiled. He was fun and friendly. Most of the people she had taken care of were impossible the day before a major surgery, otherwise he didn't mind to joke, and she was sure he wasn't trying to exorcise his fear; he was just having fun.

"So. Your father employed me just a week ago and I've had no time to learn something about you, so, why don't you tell me something?"

"What do you want to know?"

"How old are you?"

"I'm 23."

"Where do you live?"

"New Haven."

"Oh. Do you attend Yale? You must be clever."

"Believe me, I'm not clever, my father's rich."

"I see. What year do you attend?"

"Third year. I was supposed to graduate in June."

"I'm sure you will. Maybe not in June, but you will."

"Nurses should not lie."

"You should believe you'll get out of this."

"I suppose so, I want to."

"This is the right attitude. Well done."

"What about you, Emily?"

"I'm 29 and I live in New York."

"Have you got a boyfriend?"

"Yes, I have. His name is Nate and he's a nurse too. What about you?"

"I haven't a girlfriend."

"Are you a playboy?"

"No, I'm not." he laughed. "I was, actually."

"Ok, Mr. ex-Playboy, please give me your arm."

"You're welcome."

She took it and insert a needle into his vein.

"Hey, you're wonderful. I've felt no pain."

"Hey, I'm a professionalist, you know."

He laughed again and suddenly he collapsed.

Emily put her fingers on his neck and she noticed weak pulses, too weak pulses. She pressed the alert button and tried to wake him up. A minute later, he came to.

"I'm really sorry."

"Don't worry, this is regular. You must have been in a lot of stress, maybe your blood pressure had fell down."

"I'm really embarrassed too."

"This is silly, you don't have to."

A tall, red-haired man entered the room.

"What's up?"

"A syncope, I suppose. He looks fine now. Good evening. Dr. Moery."

"Good evening, Emily, and good evening to you, Mr. Huntzberger."

"I'm Logan."

"Fine. Now, I'm going to examine you, then you're having an MRI and an extra ECG. After that, Dr. Sears, the surgeon, is going to examine you."

Logan glanced at Rory smiling from his night table.

"I must be strong, I must get over this." he said to himself, although thinking about facing the surgery and the therapy all alone made him felt miserable, desperately miserable.

"That's fine." he answered politely.

"Helen is going to help me know. Emily, you can go home. Please, be back at 6 o'clock tomorrow morning."

Emily was doubtful. She came closer to Logan and said in alow voice: "Would you like me to stay here? I can stay if you need me."

"You're too kind, Emily." he answered, although having someone with him would have been comforting. "Have a good evening and thanks a lot again."

AN This isn't a rehab but I hope you still like it. I'm going to do the best I can to write a good story but I need your advices and criticism, so please go on reading and reviewing. The next chapter will be about Rory's desperation and Jess coming back from New York. This story is going to be really angst but also romantic and somewhere fun I hope. Do you like angst? I hope so. Thanks a lot to CorkyGilmore, Jennyferr, chocoholic4824, Dazzled1, raspberrysorbet34, MAC-and-ACE, ilovegilmoregirls913, dude, lexhuntzberger, Annie, coffeeaddict1515, NeitiX. If you want let me know your opinion about this chapter too. See you soon!