It was a mild day of June. The sun shined playfully, smiling at the flowers and the butterflies… A delicate wind slightly moved the leaves on the trees… There were children running through the gardens of the hospital, busy people coming and going, always on the run… She was staring out of the window of the 415th room, a light breeze messing with her hair… She was so lost in her train of thoughts that she didn't notice that the door opened, to let a tensed man step in…
-"Hello"- He suddenly said taken aback from the view of the young woman.
She, as well, had almost had a heart attack… for a moment the thought that the voice could belong to Tristan caused her to jump on herself: -"Oh God"- She managed to get out…
-"Sorry, I didn't mean to scary you… I'm Jordan"- He smiled and politely offered his hand
-"Rory"- She said shaking his hand…
-"Are you his…"-
-"Oh! No, no! We were… just friends… in High School…"- She said with a tip of awkwardness
-"Oh, okay. Anyway, I didn't mean that, I was asking you if you were his sister, or a relative…"- He promptly said.
-"Sorry, I just supposed…"- Replied her in embarrassment… -
-"Don't worry… I'm his best friend… I know everything about him, you couldn't have known it… You know, we met in Iraq… We were playing football, well a sort of, in pairs, and we were paired together…and we won…What a victory!" - He said smiling, remembering the glorious moments- "Anyway, that's how our friendship started. We went to a couple of missions together… I came back home yesterday… they wouldn't let me leave earlier… God, how's he? They just told me he was shot, there had been an explosion, he was seriously injured… but I couldn't even see him… you know, they transferred him immediately… Is that bad?"-
-"Yeah…"- She responded almost tongue-tied…
His face dropped. All he managed say was:
-"Damned it"-
-"Do you wanna sit down? You look tired..."- She said noticing his fatigued look –"You know, there's a saying that goes: the best way to recover is a Huge cup of coffee!" -
-"I just can't imagine who made it up…- He said gesturing to the cup of coffee she held in her hands…-"Thanks for the advice, though. I'll keep it in mind! Don't worry about me, I'll be fine...I drove all night from Boston…You said you were friends in High School?"-
-"Yep, actually I casually spotted him here… and you know, all alone, I thought he would have liked some company… some friendliness… that sense of warmth…you got it?"-
-"Yeah, I do. I'm sure he would appreciate it…" -
He said nothing more, but intently looked at her. The blue of their eyes melted together... They stared at each other for a bunch of minutes. It seemed as if he was trying to say with his eyes what his mouth refused to say… Then he unlocked their eye-connection, softly smiled and, finally, spoke up: -"How much serious is this thing?"-
-"It's very, very serious… you may want to sit…"-
Hence, as Stacy did almost 2 weeks before, she told him what had happened, what she knew and what she'd heard from the doctors' private speeches…
You could see that the guy was completely shaken… He sat on the bed, and his eyes got watery every time he looked at his friend. He was a tall, well-built man; he could have been no older than twenty-three but, in his eyes, you could see the war had left its scars.
He had short messy hair -the colour of chocolate, she observed- and deep blue eyes…
He was very attractive –She had to admit it! – His eyes were tender and shrewd and his smile was eye-catching. His face was youthful but you could be aware of his being much more grown-up than he seemed to be.
A new had come for Stars Hollow inhabitants and at the Gilmore's it was just another day of bubbling, stress, revelations and… surprises…
-"Honey I remind you of…"-
-"Yes mum! You've been talking for ages of this thing! I know you want that everything's perfect for the big opening day of the Dragon fly Inn, and I'm sure it is gonna be, but don't be overanxious, okay? Everything is going to be all right! Just keep repeating that…You'll get used to it!"-
-"You know…I've dreamed… Sookie and I have dreamed of having the chance of opening an Inn for so long! I didn't even think it would come true one day… but it did eventually! We're opening an Inn! Our Inn! This can't be true…"-
-"It is… you worked so hard and now you can have what you wanted!" -
-"But if..."-
-"Hey! I don't wanna hear the prologue of what might go wrong!"-
-"But if"-
-"No buts! It's gonna be the most beautiful weekend our friends will have spent!"-
-"I hope so…"-
-"Inviting them to thee Inn and greeting everybody: Hey! Welcome to my Inn… It sounds good, uh?"-
-"It sounds perfect!"-
-"Where are you going so early in the morning, anyway? It's eleven o'clock! Haven't I taught you anything??"-
-"I wanted to go see Tristan…"-
-"Honey, we have to talk about this"-
-"Mum! I told you! He's just a friend who needs some help, some… consideration…"-
-"And you're going to be his Angel, right? There are people we have to let go, whether we like it or not, Rory… it's right to feel sorry about it… it's right to be sympathetic, to concern about his health but you can't save anyone…"-
-"Mum! No one needs to be saved!-
-"Ror, can't you see that? This is one of that no-return situation… you're going to get affectionate to that guy, and all you're going to get for will be sorrow and trouble and pain!"-
-"He's not like he's dying!"-
-"Sweetie, I'm not saying that, but you have to be prepared to the eventuality…"-
-"He can't… he…"-
-"Just… try not to get too much involved in this…"-
-"I'm afraid I am already…"-
Rory sat on the familiar "coffee" chair, rethinking about the conversation with her mum she had that morning…
Am I into this too much? Am I wasting my time?
She didn't have an answer for all her questions… She had always believed that every question has its answer… and if you hadn't find it, it meant that you were asking the wrong question.
She needed a sign, a signal from destiny, case, however you want to call it… she needed to know she wasn't the only one to hope… Then, unexpectedly, here it was! She couldn't believe it… her hand froze; She felt it, she was sure, but was afraid to move herself. Then, when she realized she could have been mistaken, she felt it again… but not just felt it, this time she saw it! It was a light, almost imperceptible movement of his hand, tangled in hers.
-"Oh my god…Tristan, can you hear me?"- She said, giving voice to all her hopes and fears… unfortunately, there was no sign of an answer…
-"Tris… Please, if you hear me… just, squeeze my hand…"-
Please, please, please! She murmured, half in her mind, half whispering…
Then, when she thought everything was lost, she felt it, the squeeze.
Can it be true? She needed to check…
-"Do you… do you know who I am… Just squeeze once for yes, twice for no…"-
And, again, she had the answer she was looking for… he squeezed, once… She burst in tears… she couldn't help it…
-"Okay, I'm going to call the doctor just… don't move… "- "What a moron! You can't!"- She was about to let go his hand, when she felt a little pressure…
-"What's now? Don't you want me to call the doctor?"- No answer – "Okay, it's all about giving the right answer… you… Oh! I got it! You don't want me to leave! Right?" - One squeeze.
-"One squeeze…Yes! It's a yes… ehmm… okay, well, Do you know where you are? Ok, you know, and… Do you remember how you got here? Another single squeeze, okay… Do you manage to move any other muscle? No? Okay, so… You remember of me… right?"–
This time not only his hand moved, but even his arm, even if lightly…
-"Can you open your eyes? Did you fell asleep again?? Tris…Tris!"-
For a time that to her seemed closer to ages, he didn't respond but, all of a sudden, she saw a faint move of his eyelids… and, suddenly, she found herself facing the blue of his eyes…
How much she missed those eyes, that look…
Speaking of looks, he was staring at her as he was trying to communicate with her, to thank her, to say he appreciated it. How much they were beautiful… how much they wanted to tell…
-"Wait, Stacy! Stacy!! Stacy!!"- She kept on calling her name out-loud, almost screaming it, without moving her eyes from his… She heard, then, the sound quick footsteps and as she saw Stacy's head pop out of the door, he weakly closed his eyes.
-"No, No, No!"-
-"What's wrong?"- She said worried
-"He... he… he squeezed my hand! "
-"He did?"
-"He did!"
-"Are you sure?"
-"As hell…"
-"Ok, let me check…"
-"No, he, doesn't want me to leave his hand…"
-"And he told you that?"- She said in confusion
-"No I asked"
-"And he answered?"- replied throwing a look at the tube in his throat
-"He squeezed!"
-"What?"
-"My hand! He squeezed my hand!"
-"Oh... ok... ehmm... I… Wait a minute I'm going call Dr. Jameston"-
-"We're going no where!"
-"Right… Be right back!"
A few days had passed since the boy miraculously awakened and, unfortunately, Rory wasn't able to see him ever since, because of all the various examinations he was subjected to…
It was a chilly afternoon, the day she was finally allowed to see him and that time, walking past the so familiar halls of the hospital, she discovered herself a little nervous. It was with a deep breath that she opened the door.
-"Hey you…"- She kindly greeted him
-"Hi…"- She was relived to discover he could talk by that time -How are you? - She asked then, noticing that the best majority of the machines that fulfil the room were gone.
-"Just like I'd been shot miles away from here…,"- He replied with a feeble voice and a tip of sarcasm, which she didn't recognize.
-"Oh…I didn't mean…it must be hard to…"-
-"Hey! Hey! Relax. Honey I was joking..."- She pretended she hadn't heard the "honey" thing and, sitting next to him, on the bed, replied:
-"You'll never change, will you? - He just smiled… she was even ore beautiful than he remembered...
-"So…You've stand by me for all those days?" –
-"How could I resist?"- She hadn't forgotten their typical conversations – "Actually Jordan gave me the changing, let's say…"
-"He came this morning…Have you met him?"
-"Yeah, some time ago!"
-"He's nice"
-"Yeah..."
-"Not as me though"
-"You're unbelievable!"
-"And you look amazing…"- admitted him, looking at her directly in her eyes…
She couldn't stand his way of being direct; it was something she'd never been able to do.
-"Thanks… "- she said politely, lowering her eyes…
Another thing she couldn't stand was the way he looked at her… he explained himself with his eyes… and the problem was that she couldn't understand… and that drove her crazy…
-"So… How are you feeling, better?"-
-"Yeah, actually I do… they told me that in a matter of days I'll be outta here!"
-"Really?"
-"Yep!"
-"Isn't it…I don't know… Early?"
-"I've been lying in this bed for ages! I deserve freedom, don't I?"-
She should have been happy. He was going to leave the hospital, he was going to be fine… she kept thinking about it but, still, that didn't make her as happy as she thought she would have been…
As soon as he'll get out of here, everything will be over… I might not see him again… - She didn't know how or why, but that thought scared her.
-"What's wrong?"
-"Nothing"
-"I don't think so..."
-"You should"
-"You know, I… you…" - She left her gaze from her hands and directed it towards him – "I really appreciate what you did, I mean… you were here almost every day, you've never left me alone… You were the first person I saw when I woke up… that is supposed to mean something, isn't it?"- She was silent, and he went on –"I... I know I've always been an asshole and everything, I know I don't deserve having an angel like you by my side but I want you to know that I am grateful to you for what you did... for… you know… caring..? Does that make sense?"-
-"It does"- it absolutely does… She answered delicately, her eyes gleaming… and, seeing her look, he pointed out:
-"Hey, I'm here, I'm not going anywhere! Don't act as if we'll never see each other again! We surely will once I get out of here...- Her eyes brightened, just like she had just heard what, deep down, she was hoping to since she stepped in that room the first time.
–"What do you think?"
-"I approve!"- She said weakly
-"I'm glad…"- Some time passed in which none of the two said a word. Then, out of the blue, he came out with: -"We should eat out"
-"What?"- He knees started trembling
-"Yeah, I should invite you to dinner with Jordan and Mel..."
-"Wha..?"
-"Mel, Jordan's girlfriend! Haven't Jordan told you about her? That's basically what he does constantly for months, now! You should meet her … she's cool"
-"Oh… OK"- She was a little bit disappointed, and he perceived it
-"Oh"
-"Oh, what?"
-"Don't you want to?"
-"No, no… I'd like to meet…"
-"You…"-interrupted him, understanding instantly- "You… wanted to have dinner with me?"-
-"Me? No… I was just…I haven't spoken a word!"-
-"Still"- He pointed out matter-of-factly – "You haven't answered my question"-
-"What question?"- She was going round in circles, but he wanted to go to the point
-"Will-You-Have-Dinner-With-Me?"
-"When?"- She quickly responded
-"Obviously not tonight!"- He observed.
She was taken aback, she felt her throat dry and butterflies in her stomach… and the funniest thing was that she couldn't explain herself why… well, she wouldn't…
-"It sounds cool"- she discovered herself answering
-"Great…I owe you that"
-"You do not!"
-"Yes! It's the least I can do!"
-"The least?"
-"Yeah"
-"And what is supposed to be the top?"- She intimated jokingly
-You'll find out…- He answered with the same tone, winking at her
She started laughing, and so did he …Neither of the two knew exactly how, when or why they'd actually became friends. They just started talking and laughing and smiling. It seemed absurd how easy and spontaneous they found talking to each other, telling stories about their lives, how they'd spend all those years, and neither of the two could understand how possibly could have lived without missing the presence of the other.
They looked like two old friends who were catching up, after haven't seen each other in a while.
- Maybe it's true - thought Stacy who casually happened to be there and was peering through the window – love, not time, heals the wounds… -