Author's Note: Thank you for the reviews! Although no one wished me a happy b-day! Which was kind of depressing but oh well. I'm psyched for tonight Boston University's playing UNH tonight…. in the final hockey east game. That's all for now in this author's note. I hope you enjoy…this chapter is slightly depressing I almost cried! Hope you like it.

Back to You

Chapter Seven: Wake up

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Wake me up.
Wake me up inside.
I can't wake up.
Wake me up inside.
Save me.
Call my name and save me from the dark.
Wake me up.

~ Bring me to Life, Evanscene

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It was one in the morning when he had finally arrived at the hospital. The whole plane flight back to Connecticut was full of him just staring off into space remembering all the times they had shared together, he hadn't paid any attention to the in-flight movie nor did he want anything to eat. His leg bounced up and down as the taxi slowly made it's way down on of the Hartford streets. Finally it pulls up to the hospital. Handing the driver a twenty-dollar bill he ran into the hospital.

"Rory Gilmore," he says breathlessly when he stops in front of the receptionist desk.

The nurse behind the desk looks at him. "Relationship with the patient?"

Not wasting any time he hastily says "boyfriend," her expression softens at the poor boy. "She's in the ICU first door on your left," she says gently.

"Thank you," he says hurrying down the hall to see everyone. Lorelai's standing pacing up and down the hall, looking at the window in which he assumed was to Rory's room every other second. He sees Luke bending over pretending he's not in a hospital and Christopher leaning against the wall. Out of the corner of his eye he sees both Emily and Richard Gilmore looking worried.

"How is she?" he spoke up suddenly and Lorelai whirled around. "You're here!" she says sounding surprised coming over to hug him.

"Of course I am,"

"It's not that I didn't think you'd show up Tristan," she says hastily. "You have school and everything,"

"I don't care, school isn't important. Can I see her?"

"It's not pretty," Lorelai, says softly tears coming to her eyes. "She's in a comatose state… They don't know when she'll wake up. Tristan, she could die.,"  

"She's not going to," Christopher speaks up as Lorelai begins to sob uncontrollably. "It's Rory in there, looking so helpless. God, if anything happens…" Lorelai chokes on her words and walks away from everyone in search of some coffee. Tristan sighs not knowing what to expect. He pauses in front of her doorway, he can feel his hands shaking but he opens it nonetheless. He enters the room the only sound a beep of the heart monitor. He sits in one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs and watches her from the corner of his room. If he listened really hard he could hear her breathing but if it weren't for that…along with the machine's incessant beeping he would think she was dead. He closed his eyes wondering how they had gotten into this mess. Quietly he moved his chair over to her bed and took her hand.

"Hey Rory…it's me Tristan. Look I'm so sorry…it's my entire fault you're here…if I hadn't been such a jerk you wouldn't be in this coma. I'm an idiot I know that…I let this go to waste. Please wake up soon…" his voice cracks as he continues to speak. "I love you…you have to wake up," soon after he got up not being able to stand watching Rory like this…he slipped out the door of the room and returned to the waiting room. He was just lulling off to sleep after finding a some-what comfortable position on the couch. He heard a few familiar females whisper along with a squeal of "Tristan's here," he sat up and looked behind him. There was the all too familiar trio of Paris Gellar, Louise Grant and Madeline Lynn.

"Hey," Paris says sitting down next to him. "Don't you guys have school?"

"We do…but we had to see if Rory's okay. What are you doing here?"

"It's all my fault she's in a coma,"

"How can it be your fault?"

"I hadn't called her, e-mailed her or even written her within two weeks. She called last night, and told me it was over. She wouldn't listen to my excuses. Then she decided without my knowing to drive down to North Carolina. She got into the accident on the way,"

"Tristan, it's not your fault," and as Paris said these words he began to cry. Not the quiet crying but the soul wrenching sobbing that Lorelai had done earlier this morning. Paris shot a worried glance to the other girls who just shrugged in response. Madeline looked kind of green for being in a hospital so Paris whispered instructions for Louise to go to school and that she'd get a ride later.

"Listen to me Tristan. Rory…she was happy for the past two months. I'll admit I was jealous because I didn't know what was going on. I saw the two of you at her Grandparent's Christmas party and then your grandparent's you looked so happy…it's not your fault,"

"But I can't help but feel guilty," he murmurs embarrassed that he's crying.

"I know you can't but Rory wouldn't blame you, you know that,"

"Thanks Paris,"

"Anytime…now how is she?"

"Not good. She's still in a coma. The doctors don't know when she'll wake up,"

"She'll make it. She is Rory Gilmore isn't she?" despite the sadness Tristan had to smile.

"Yes she is,"

"I'm sorry Tristan but I do have to go to school,"

"I know you do. Thanks Paris,"

"Anytime DuGrey…I just want to see you happy," and with that last comment said she left the hospital and headed to school, where she would have to tell everyone the news of Rory Gilmore.

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"Go home Tristan," Luke says coming over to him.

"I can't," comes his response staring at his hands.

"Why not?"

"I'm not leaving Rory. I screwed up enough all ready,"

"You've been here since one in the morning. It's one in the afternoon. Nothing's going to change okay, kid?"

"Look Luke I can't go home. My parents, won't understand why I ditched military school to come back for this,"

"You're going to have to go home soon,"

"I know just let me stay…she needs me," Luke relents not wanting to upset Tristan anymore. He heads back into her room just to watch her. Every time he looks at her he can feel his heart breaking a little more. He knows Rory will forgive him; it's just the fact that she's still mad at him that hurts the most. A single tear rolls down his cheek again…he loves her so much, he just can't tell her. 

- End Chapter Seven

A/N 2: HELP!! I have no idea where to go from this…suggestions are welcome and appreciated.