Ch. 3
Rory stepped out of the cool airport and out into the sticky, hot and humid Hartford air. People who think that Connecticut is always cool because of its Northern location are sorely mistaken, Rory thought grumpily. Rory couldn't really complain, however. She had expected this weather, and dressed accordingly in the small airplane bathrooms. Traveling all over the country for the campaign tour had taught Rory that having a spare set of clothes in her purse was always a good idea.
Rory hailed another cab, and settled into the backseat with her luggage, directing the driver to Bradley International Hospital.
As the cab passed through the familiar city, Rory felt the knot in her stomach grow tighter and twist over and over again. When they pulled up in front of the hospital, Rory threw some money at the driver and grabbed her bag, not even waiting for change.
She attempted to run towards the revolving doors, but was hindered by her large duffel, slowing her run into an awkward jog. She didn't notice. Rory hustled onto the elevator, ignoring the looks she got from other disgruntled people as she took up space with her stuff. She got off as soon as the doors opened on the third floor, and made her way to the nurses station. "Hi, I'm looking for the Gilmore's? I'm their-" Rory was interrupted by the sound of her mother.
"Rory! Oh, honey, I am so glad you're here!" Rory barely had time to turn around before she was assailed by a huge hug from her mother. "Oh kid, you have no idea how much I've missed you. Emails and phone calls just aren't the same."
"Mom, you have no idea… and not that I don't want to talk to you all day and catch up, but how are Grandma and Grandpa?" Rory questioned.
At this, Lorelai pulled away, trying to inconspicuously wipe her teary, red, and puffy eyes with her hand. Rory noticed and grabbed her mother's hands, holding them between hers. Lorelai pulled away and turned to face the wall for a moment. She turned back to Rory after a quiet minute, and then said, "Listen. Babe, I don't… the doctor explained everything to me after Luke called you, but I didn't want to worry you before you got here. He was unconscious when they brought him in, and he has some broken bones and cuts and bruises. Um, Grandpa is in surgery right now. They had to wait for a surgeon to get here and prep, so that took a while. He's in surgery, and we should know soon how he's doing. He has a broken neck, some internal injuries, and um... oh god, Rory." Lorelai broke down, tears spilling from her electric blue eyes. Tears filled Rory's eyes as well, and she guided her sobbing mother towards the hard plastic chairs in the waiting area.
Lorelai composed herself after a large gulp of cold coffee, then continued. "They did an MRI right when he came in, and he has some brain damage. His brain bounced against his skull during the crash, and there is swelling and some broken blood vessels. They can't operate until the swelling goes down a bit, probably in about a week. The doctor said there is a high probability that there will be lasting effects, and that he will probably be handicapped for the rest of his life."
Throughout Lorelai's whole speech, Rory had been sitting next to her mother with one hand over her mouth and the other hand clinging tightly to her mother's. When Lorelai said that Richard would be handicapped for the rest of his life, Rory let out a low moan and covered her face with both of her hands. She couldn't bear the thought of her big, vibrant, and energetic grandfather as some helpless old man. He couldn't be. He was Richard Gilmore, damn it!
After Rory sat for a minute, she steeled herself and asked "And Grandma?"
Lorelai looked away. "Rory, she um," Lorelai grabbed Rory's hands and held tightly. Rory wondered if she was holding on to support Rory or to stop herself from running away. "She passed away about half an hour after Luke called you. It was very peaceful. The doctors said that because of the morphine, she wasn't in pain. I was sitting right there, and I swear, Rory, it looked just like she was sleeping."
Rory was now hunched over, hands still within her mother's grip. The sobs wracking her body were silent, shaking her whole body.
"Sweetie? Oh babe, I know. I know," Lorelai started crying again, and the two remaining Gilmore women just held each other and cried for the one they had lost.
A huge thanks goes out to: mrmp, gilmoregirlsalwaysandforever, fightingillini, molinhas, lorlukealways, Jeremy Shane, Amy, Venni Venti, Nicole Kathrine, LoVe23, Braelyn Rae, and macs ace. Sorry if I missed anyone!
Thanks for all the reviews, they make my day! No joke! It's a bit embarrassing, actually.
I had a few suggestions, and one of them was to make chapters longer. The first few will be short, but hopefully this one is a little longer and more satisfying for you guys. I looked at the next few chapters, and they tend to alternate in length- one is short, the next is long, followed by a short one, and etc. So rest assured that if one chapter is short, the next one will probably be nice and long.
Thanks for all the constructive criticism, I'm really trying to keep it in mind.
Please keep reviewing. The more you review, the faster I update!
