"Can you get up or do you need some help?" Luke asked as he kneeled down next to where Lorelai was laying on the floor.
"I just need a hand to steady myself," she answered as she sat up slowly. Luke gave her his hand and Lorelai made the first attempt to stand that she had made in several hours. She immediately collapsed against Luke. "Okay, so maybe I need more than just a hand."
"I'd say so. Here, I'll just…" and without another word, he put one hand under her knees and the other around her back and under her arms and lifted her up as she clutched his neck. He walked her over to her bed and gently laid her down on the nice clean sheets. Lorelai smiled softly as he tucked the blankets in around her.
"Better?" Luke asked.
"Much. Thank you, Luke." She said and he smiled at her. "Why are you doing here anyway? How did you know I was sick?"
"Rory. She was worried about you and didn't want to go to school to take her test so I promised her I would check in on you so that she could concentrate on her test."
"Well, I'm okay now. You really don't have to stay." Lorelai said.
"You want me to go?" Luke asked, trying to hide the disappointment in his voice.
"No, I don't…I just figured you had better things to do than clean up after me. Actually, I'd like for you to stay. I get pretty bored without other adults to talk to and I don't have a TV in here so I can't even watch sappy Lifetime movies. Stay. Keep me company." She smiled.
"Okay. I will then. How about I bring the tv up here and we can watch sappy Lifetime movies together?"
"Perfect." Lorelai said as Luke smiled and headed downstairs to get the TV. He spent the rest of the morning discussing the character flaws of movies he never before dreamed of watching with his friend, bringing her popsicles and handing her the bucket then holding her hair back when the popsicles made her stomach queasy. Finally, he noticed she had stopped responding to his movie comments and looked over to find her sound asleep. He quietly nestled back into the chair in her room and grinned. He liked taking care of her and he liked that this fiercely independent woman let him. He was so lost in thought that he didn't even hear Rory come into the house until she was in the room.
"Luke…I'm surprised you're still here," Rory said when she saw him.
"Yeah, well, I wanted to see how this movie ended…it's over now so I guess I'll be heading back to the diner now. There's chicken noodle soup in the fridge if she feels up to it later. Let me know if she…or you…needs anything else." He said as he grabbed his jacket and headed towards the hall.
"Thank you for checking on her, Luke."
"You're welcome." And with that, Luke walked down the stairs and out of the house.