A/N: I really can't leave this fic alone! lol I will continue on with Home Is Where You Are soon, as well as The Runaways and What Might've Been. I always intend to update in some kind of order but lately it just kind of doesn't happen, sorry folks! Anyway, thank you sooo much for all the feedback. Here is a chapter of decent length and somewhat more happy than previous chapters!
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)
Chapter 4
"He said my name. He looked right at me and... It has to be a good sign, right?" Rory asked her mother desperately. "I mean, I know he was out cold again pretty fast, but the fact he was awake at all, it has to be good, right?"
"I guess," Lorelai shrugged. "I'm sorry, honey, I really don't know. They don't teach you much about concussions and comas in business class."
This was awful. They were back to the not knowing again and that was the worst. Plus Luke had no idea Jess had even been awake yet. Lorelai needed to call and tell him, but there were no cell phones allowed inside the hospital and there was no way she could leave Rory while she was in such a state of shock. She wasn't even supposed to be here, and to show up right when Jess started convulsing and screaming, it was the worst possible timing. The Gilmore girls had been ushered out of the room in a moment as nurses checked Jess' vitals and called for a doctor to come in also. Lorelai sat in the hall, hugging her daughter, trying to think of anything comforting to say. The truth was, she was pretty shaken by the turn of events herself.
"Sweets, I know you're freaked out right now, but I really, really have to go call Luke and let him know what happened," she told her daughter gently. "I'll be as fast as I can but..."
She got no further in what she was saying when the door to Jess' room swung open and one of the nurses came out wearing a smile.
"You're Jess Mariano's family?" she checked.
"Yes," Lorelai answered like a reflex and though Rory was surprised she didn't make a peep about it. "Is he okay?"
"He should be," the nurse explained. "The shock and the concussion caused some bad reactions, he potentially woke from a nightmare or a flashback to the accident which is why he was so distressed," she told them. "However, the doctor has done his checks, and it seems that Jess is no longer unconscious, just sleeping."
"Oh my God, that's such good news," said Lorelai, hugging Rory to her as her baby girl cried with evident relief.
"Can I... Can I sit with him?" Rory asked the nurse a second later.
"Of course, honey. Right this way," she ushered her across the corridor.
Lorelai held her daughters hand to the last second, then nodded and smiled encouragingly that she should go on in. The moment Rory was through the door, her mother leaned back in the chair and let out a long breath. The relief was incredible. When Jess had started convulsing and yelling, she had panicked, wondering if this was really him waking up or just slipping away entirely. Now it seemed he was going to be okay, and that was such a weight off her mind. Luke wasn't going to lose the kid. Rory wasn't going to have to live with that much guilt and pain. Lorelai forced herself to her feet and made a literal run for the doors so she could call Luke. She realised she didn't need her cell to talk to him when she barrelled straight into his chest a few feet from the main entrance.
"Lorelai?" he gasped, catching her by the shoulders and holding her at arm's length to see her face which was streaked with tears. "Oh God, what's happened? Is he...?"
"He's fine," she tried to explain, only realising now how hard she was crying when her words wouldn't form properly. "Luke, he woke up, just a second or two, but the doctor checked and he say it's a good thing. Jess is not unconscious anymore, just sleeping. He's okay, Luke, he's okay."
"He's okay," he repeated her words, grabbing Lorelai up in his arms to hug her so tightly. "Thank you" he said into her hair, which made her laugh through the happy tears.
"I really didn't do anything, just sat there and watched him wake up," she explained as she pulled back just enough to see his face. "He's sleeping again now, but real sleeping, not the unconscious kind. It's all good signs, Luke."
He looked down into her eyes then, arms still around her, and if Lorelai hadn't known better she could've sworn he was going to kiss her. What bothered her more was the strange feeling of disappointment when it didn't happen. Luke let her go and started down the corridor.
"Is he alone now?"
"No, no. Rory is with him," she confirmed, hurrying after him. "He actually called her name when he woke up. The nurse said maybe he was dreaming or having a flashback. He wasn't too happy about something and then he was out again. I was pretty freaked until he doctor said it was all good."
"It's all good," Luke echoed, feeling the relief wash over him in another great wave.
He had been so worried about Jess, genuinely scared that the kid might not realise he had a life and a family worth fighting for. Now the worst was over. He had been awake, the whole potential coma thing was no longer a fear they had to carry. Sure, he still had a head injury and a fractured wrist, but things were looking better. Luke didn't have to call Liz and tell her the worst had happened because that had been avoided. Jess was going to be okay.
"Hey," he smiled at Rory as he stepped into the room.
"Luke, he was awake," she grinned back at him, her hand holding Jess' own as he slept on.
"Your Mom told me," he said as he grabbed a second chair and sat down beside her. "He was calling for you apparently."
"He was," Rory nodded, feeling oddly embarrassed. "I just hope he knows that what happened was an accident. I'd hate for him to be mad at me, I never..."
"Rory, I told you, Jess wouldn't blame you for what happened, nobody would," Luke promised her. "Accidents happen all the time, and yeah, this one was pretty serious for a while, but you're okay, and Jess is going to be okay. You don't have to keep on beating yourself up."
She nodded that she understood, and yet the niggling feeling in her stomach just wouldn't quit. Rory was a guilty person, she worried about doing anything that led to suffering or badness. She liked to think she was a good person, and the knowledge that she had caused Jess to be here and in such a state made her feel so sick. She hoped he forgave her when he woke up, though she wondered if she would feel any better when he did.
"Patty!" Babette called, hurrying across the street to where the dance tutor was outside her studio, smoking a cigarette from the holder. "Any news from the hospital yet?"
"Why, yes. Didn't you hear?" her friend told her with a grin, glad to share the gossip with anyone who cared to listen. "Y'know that East Side Tilly was in Weston's this morning when Mrs Brown came in, well, her niece is a nurse up at St Judes, and she was telling Fran how Jess woke up, apparently screaming our Rory's name!"
"No! Really?" asked Babette, looking stunned. "Well, I guess it's only a good thing that he's awake. Y'know I felt so bad for Rory when she got all upset. I never meant to imply that I wanted anything to happen to the kid. I mean, he's pulled some tricks, but he's just a boy and Luke kinda dotes on him, y'know?
"He must be awfully relieved to know he's out of the woods," Patty considered, blowing out a stream of smoke. "But then Rory will be too. You know as much as she and Dean are supposed to be in love, I see a little something between her and Mariano."
"I didn't tell ya, did I? I saw Dean storm out of there the day before, and there was screamin' and yellin'!" Babette explained. "I mean, I don't like to eavesdrop of the neighbours, but it kinda sounded like murder was bein' committed!"
"You think they broke up?" asked Patty curiously. "I mean that car he built for her? A complete wreck! Even Gypsy doesn't think she can salvage anything to speak of."
"I dunno if it was so much the car wreck as the Jess wreck, if you know what I mean," her friend said out of the side of her mouth, checking all around to see if anyone else was listening in.
"Come on inside, darling," Patty gestured for Babette to follow her. "I got a bottle in here with our name on it. Just give me five minutes to dismiss the kids."
"Y'know, your Mom is still out in the hall somewhere," said Luke as the thought suddenly occurred to him. "If you wanted to go home..."
"Oh. Okay," replied Rory, shifting awkwardly in her seat. "I'm sorry, I... I can go if you want me to."
"No, no. I'm sorry, I didn't mean that you should go," he immediately back-pedalled. "Just if you wanted to, but if you wanna stay, that's fine too," he smiled.
Rory let out a sigh of relief. She really didn't want to leave at all. Even though Jess was out of danger, she so wanted to stay and see him wake up for real, tell him she was sorry for what happened, see for herself that he was going to be okay. She would hate to be chased out, forced to sit at home waiting for the phone to ring to get her news. She just wanted to be here.
"I'll stay," she told Luke. "Thank you."
"Okay, then I'll just let Lorelai know that you're going to do that and I guess you'll call her when you wanna go home?"
"Yes, thank you, Luke."
He got up and left then, lightly touching Rory's shoulder as he did so. It was a gesture that ought to have meant something and nothing, but it made Rory smile. Luke wasn't what you might call a touchy feely person, and yet in the last couple of days since the accident he had hugged both Rory and Lorelai and been altogether more tactile with not just them but with Jess too, holding his hand and pushing his hair back whilst he lie unconscious in the hospital bed. It was strange how dramatic events could affect a person, to the point where the littlest things started to matter.
"Come on, Jess," said Rory then as she turned her attention back to his sleeping form. "I know teenage boys are famous for sleeping in, but this is getting a little silly now, mister!"
Rory thought she was imagining it when she felt her hand move of its own accord. It could only be the fingers she was holding in her own twitching as Jess woke. Maybe he had heard her speak, she really hoped so. Though this was supposedly just sleep and not a coma-type state anymore, she had a hard time believing it until she saw his eyes open for more than a second.
"Jess?" she tried, leaning over him. "Jess, it's Rory."
"I know that," he mumbled as he finally woke, eyes flickering open and looking up into her own. "Hi," he smiled.
"Hey," she replied, smiling back, at least at first.
It fast became clear that Jess was confused. When he woke, he was just happy to see her, but now he was wondering why she was in his room, and why this actually wasn't his room at all.
"You're in the hospital," she said, hoping he might remember something just so she didn't have to explain in full, because it still hurt way too much. "Your arm is fractured and you hurt your head, but you're gonna be fine, I swear," she promised him.
Jess looked around, brown eyes taking in the whole room and then his own body in the bed, arm in a cast, everything. Then his gaze returned to Rory and his expression was no more calm than before. There was a terrifying moment when she thought he didn't know her or himself or something equally as horrible.
"Are you okay?" he asked then.
Rory smiled.
"I'm fine. Just worried about you."
That made Jess smile too. He loved that she cared. He acted like they were just friends, like nothing she said or did really mattered to him. Man, that was a hell of an act he was putting on for her lately. Jess was wondering now why he even bothered to pretend. When he opened his mouth to speak again, his throat seemed to go dry of it's own accord and then the coughing started.
Rory immediately reached for the water jug and glass. She poured out a drink for Jess and helped him take a few sips. He muttered a thanks as his breath came back and he let his body sag back against the pillows.
"We crashed."
"We did. I mean, I did," said Rory guiltily, looking at her hands in her lap a moment before making herself meet his gaze all over again. "Jess, I am so sorry."
"For what?"
"For crashing the car, for being the reason you're lying here like this."
Jess couldn't believe she was beating herself up about it. Actually, on consideration, he really could. This was Rory Gilmore, more good and pure than anybody Jess ever met his whole life. Of course she would blame herself, even though she really shouldn't.
"Pretty sure the furry thing in the road was the blame," he told her. "What was that anyway?"
"I have no idea," she shook her head. "But Jess, I was so scared when you... there was blood and you wouldn't wake up," she cried, knowing she should be all out of tears right now and yet somehow finding more.
"Hey, it's okay," he told her, reaching for her hand and holding on tight.
She really was very upset and Jess hated that he was partly the cause. She was blaming herself, and he could easily do the same. If he hadn't insisted on going out for ice-cream, if he hadn't let her drive back, maybe they would never have had that accident at all.
When Luke walked in, he found Rory with her head practically on Jess' chest. His fingers ran through her hair as he tried to get her to stop crying. It was an odd little scene, but sweet in its way. Luke almost felt like he was intruding, and yet he couldn't leave. Jess was awake.
"Jess," he smiled as he greeted his nephew. "Good to have you back."
"Good to be back... I think," he changed his mind when just nodding his head in greeting to his uncle made it ache all over again. "After we crashed, did a Mack truck run over my head, repeatedly?" he asked Rory but she was too busy being embarrassed and cleaning up her face to answer.
"Don't mess with that!" Luke admonished Jess the moment he even tried to touch the bandage around his head.
"Well, you should be happy. I don't think I can do much with my hair right now," his nephew smirked annoyingly.
"I'm just happy you're awake," said Luke, sitting down on the edge of the bed near Rory's chair.
"Me too," she agreed with a smile.
"Yeah, well," Jess tried to make light of their concern, since he was so not used to these things. "Make the most of it. I don't know what drugs they have me on but things are a little too comfy right here," he admitted, shifting in the bed and feeling a yawn bubbling up before he could stop it.
"Get lots of rest while you can, Jess. You need it," Rory insisted. "And when you come home, I'm going to help out. Cover your shifts in the diner if you want, help with your homework, anything."
"Hey, this is all it takes to get my own personal slave?" he replied, smirking wickedly, his eyes sparkling with fun. "Wow, head injuries are cool."
"Not funny," Luke told him, looking as if he would quite happily smack the kid upside his head if he wasn't already hurt.
Rory smiled a little and got up from her seat.
"I should go tell Mom that you're awake. Be back soon," she promised, and then she was gone.
Luke watched her until she was completely out of the room and the swing door came back into place. His attention went back to a very sleepy Jess then and he sighed.
"She's been really worried about you."
"Yeah?" asked Jess, looking perhaps a little too pleased about that.
"But she's still dating Dean," his uncle confirmed, not surprised to see his nephew's face drop at the news.
"I know."
Another yawn came next and Luke couldn't help but be reminded of Jess as a much younger child. He hadn't seen him much then, but lying in this bed so quiet and much less cocky for the most part, he could see that little boy.
"Oh, Jess, you gave us a scare," he sighed, reaching out to fix his messed up hair as much as he could.
For once, Jess didn't flinch away or make a big deal, just let it happen.
"I'm sorry," he said, as genuinely as Luke ever heard him say anything. "For once, it wasn't intentional."
His uncle smiled at that.
"Get some more rest, kid," he encouraged him, switching from the bed to the chair and making himself as comfortable as he could. "We'll be here when you wake up," he promised.
"Cool," Jess muttered right before he let sleep claim him one more time.
To Be Continued...
