Thanks for the reviews on chapter nine: ShaolinQueen, x3loveleebee, gilmorefanforever, swimmerluver, DiehardJavaJunkie14, I-luv-jess-mariano, Literati44, LorLukealways, lovetaker101, Loridhhp, Curley-Q, gilmoreintraining, mizskitles220, and Polly.
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A Crack in the Wall
Jess knocked on Rory's door and waited patiently for her to answer. Not bothering to knock again, he opened the door and looked around her room. "Hey," he said gently, rubbing his hand over the lump in the blankets.
She murmured something he couldn't understand and buried herself deeper in the bedclothes. Jess waited a moment before pulling the comforter back and sliding in bed with Rory.
"Hey," he said once more. "What's the matter?" Smoothing his hands over her now exposed shoulders and back, Jess kissed the top of Rory's ear. "You going to talk to me?" he asked softly in her ear.
Rory threw her arms around his neck and snuggled her body closer to his. "I keep getting rejected. What's wrong with me? Am I just not good enough to find a job around here?" she questioned, her red eyes peering up at him expectantly.
Jess smoothed back her wild brown hair. "Hey, that's not a way for you to think." He kissed her nose and ran his fingers through her hair again. "You're going to find a great job and you're going to be extremely happy with what you do in life," he said encouragingly. "You're an amazing journalist." He stroked her cheek softly with her thumb, wiping away tears in the process.
"Thank you," she mumbled, burying her face in his sweatshirt. "I just want to know my plans for next year." She looked solemnly back in his eyes, frowning at the thought.
"I know," he whispered, continuing to stroke her cheek. "It's going to be fine."
"Promise?" she asked tearfully.
"Promise." Jess wrapped his arms around Rory and held her tightly. "Everything will work out." He felt her nod against his body. "Now, what do say we get out of here? Luke and your mom wanted us to help with the wedding plans."
"Okay," she said weakly, pulling her body in a sitting position. Rory continued to cling to Jess while she worked her way out of the bed she had been buried in for three hours. "I'm just going to grab some clothes so I can stay the weekend." Jess watched as Rory pulled out her blue overnight bag from under her bed and started filling it with clothes.
He dangled his legs over the side of her bed and smiled when she glanced at him from the closet. "They're planning the wedding pretty quick, aren't they?"
"It's not too fast," Rory responded as she zipped up the overnight bag. "They've been waiting a long time for this." She grabbed her hairbrush from the desk and started straightening out her knotted hair.
"I'm glad they're finally getting married," Jess said. "They both deserve to be happy." Grabbing Rory's wrist, he pulled her back on the bed with him.
"I thought we were going to Stars Hollow." Rory kissed Jess on the cheek and snuggled close to him. "I like this," she said finally.
"We should live together," Jess blurted out. Immediately, Rory sat up in bed.
"What?"
"You and me. We should live together. Buy an apartment after graduation and move in together. Just the two of us. What do you think?"
"Well, I." Rory rubbed her hand over her face and ran her fingers through her hair. "I guess so."
Jess looked up at her innocently. "You don't want to live with me?"
"No, I do." Rory played with the short hairs at the nape of his neck. "It's just sudden. That's all. You caught me off guard."
Jess nodded. "We should probably get on the road soon."
"Something small and cozy," Rory said as she stood up.
"What?"
"A small, cozy apartment. Something just right for the two of us, but with enough room for bookcases."
"You want to live with me?" Jess asked tentatively.
"I already said I did. I just needed to think about it for a minute." Rory gripped his hand before grabbing the overnight bag off the floor. "Let's go before we get distracted."
"How have you been for the past couple of weeks?" Dr. Altman asked. Jess boosted himself on the stool in the office to face his physician.
"I feel pretty good," Jess said. "My jeans fit better and I have more energy. You think you'll finally allow me to renew my gym membership?"
"We'll see." Dr. Altman tucked his pencil behind his ear and grabbed the manila folder that contained Jess's file. "Why don't you step up on the scale and see what I can do for you?" He reset the numbers on the scale and rubbed the eraser on the end of his pencil.
Kicking off his sneakers, Jess stepped on the black platform. "One hundred and thirty nine last time around, wasn't it?" he asked cautiously.
Dr. Altman studied the folder. "Sounds about right. That was about a month ago. You did really well." He placed the folder aside and started moving the numbers on the scale. "That's great, Jess. You can get off now." Twirling the pencil between his fingers, Dr. Altman settled in his rolling chair with the folder. "You're up eleven pounds from the last visit. I'd say it's suitable for you to continue an exercise regimen, as long as it isn't too strenuous." He tapped the pencil against the open folder. "Make sure you're getting enough nutrients, too. I can see from the lab results on your blood work that you're missing some key components in your diet. You may want to try a multivitamin if you're not eating right on your own." He paused to search the blood work up. "There's just something else that concerns me, so I'd like for you to get your blood taken again within the week."
"Something wrong?" Jess asked, fingering the loose ends of his hair that hung in his eyes.
"Just a possible problem. Jess, I'm going to be frank with you." Dr. Altman set down his pencil on the folder. Jess cringed at the serious tone in his voice. "Your blood count is extremely erratic. Your platelets are invading your other cell counts, forcing the white blood cells to shy away." Jess looked at his socks, suddenly wishing to busy his hands with his shoelaces.
"What does that mean?" he asked tentatively.
Dr. Altman grabbed his pencil and tapped it against the folder again. It was hard to break his nervous habit. "It means that your immune system is being seriously depleted at this point. You could get extremely sick if we don't find the cause of your erratic blood count. Since your spleen was taken out, a risk for the platelet count to rise started. It seems to have taken a few months, but it's happening. I'm sure you already knew your immune system was automatically weakened."
Jess nodded slowly. "What now?" he asked nervously. His body had been put through hell during his recovery, and he didn't wish to repeat that process any time soon.
"As of now, there's no reason to panic. However, I do need you get more blood work done for comparative results. I need to know if the cells are duplicating even more or if the counts are just staying at unreasonably high levels." Dr. Altman closed the file and slid it on the wooden desk. "You okay?"
Jess laughed nervously. "I thought I was doing everything right. I thought I was doing everything right," he whispered.
"Sometimes you just can't prevent certain things from happening," Dr. Altman said. "Get your blood drawn downstairs and go home to rest. Please call if you need anything or you feel any symptoms coming on. I'll put a rush on your blood and squeeze an appointment in when the results come back."
Jess nodded and slid of the exam table. Silently, he slipped his feet in his shoes and grabbed his jacket from the door hook. "I'll get that blood drawn right away," he said, opening the door.
Dr. Altman followed Jess to the receptionist desk. "Give Luke my best," he requested.
Jess stirred the soup that was simmering on the stove and wrapped his sweatshirt around his body tighter. The door opened as he was grabbing a bowl, causing Jess to turn around. "Hey, Luke," he said softly.
"You okay?" Luke asked. "It's not often I have to let you sleep past noon anymore." He rested his hands on the back of a kitchen chair and waited for an explanation.
"It's just a cold. Doctor said it would happen eventually." Jess shuffled back to the stove and turned the burner off. Luke watched as Jess poured the soup in his bowl and began to stir it with his spoon.
"Did you take something?" Luke asked.
Jess slurped the soup off his spoon and sat at the kitchen table. "I'm fine."
"You don't look fine," Luke said, taking in the image of his disheveled nephew. His eyes and cheeks were red and his lips were dry and cracked. When he talked, Luke could tell Jess was in discomfort. "Jess," Luke started.
"I'm fine," Jess said, stronger that time, but still not convincing enough. He made a face and coughed raggedly into his elbow.
Luke shot his nephew a look and folded his arms across his chest. "You look like crap."
"Thanks, Uncle Luke. I love you too," Jess said jokingly before hacking into his sweatshirt again.
"Sound like crap, too."
"Only the highest compliments."
"Jess, are you sure you don't want to go to the doctor?" Luke asked as he went to smooth Jess's hair back from his forehead.
"What are you doing?" he asked defensively, pulling away.
"Feeling your forehead to see if you're hot."
Jess shook his head and then braced himself from the pressure. "Ugh."
"Why are you fighting me?" Luke reached for Jess's forehead again as Jess shied away. "Jess. You're being irrational."
Jess shook his head and slurped his hot soup. "Just let me be," he mumbled hoarsely, dropping the spoon in the bowl to cough in his elbow again.
"No. I don't think this should be ignored," Luke said. He watched Jess suck the spoon and place it back in the bowl.
"Well, you know best." Jess sighed and pushed the bowl aside.
"Where are you going?" Luke asked as he followed Jess to the other side of the room.
"Just over here."
"You're being stubborn again," Luke pointed out.
Jess shook his head. "Don't feel good, remember?"
"Then why won't you let me take care of you?" Luke asked.
"Because I'm almost twenty four years old. I don't need anyone to take care of me," Jess said hoarsely as he coughed again.
"But you do," Luke said finally. "You don't know how to take care of yourself, whether you have doctor's orders or not."
"What are you talking about?" Jess asked weakly as he looked up at his uncle.
"You, smoking."
"I haven't smoked in months," Jess lied, glancing away from Luke and out the window.
"Sure," Luke said, catching Jess in his bluff.
"Why are giving me the fifth degree?" Jess asked angrily.
"Because you're being irrational!" Luke threw his hands in the air. Jess slumped in the chair and coughed roughly. "Jess, are you okay?"
"Peachy." He ran his hand through his tousled hair and leaned back. He propped his face on his fist and looked at Luke through the strands of hair blocking his eyes. "Think I'll rest now," he said softly, getting to his feet.
"Are you okay, Jess?" Luke asked again.
Jess nodded. "Just tired. Let me sleep for a couple of hours." He shuffled over to the bed and tossed his sneakers aside before throwing himself across the covers. As Jess settled against the pillows, he heard the phone trill across the room. "Ugh. Leave me alone," he mumbled, throwing the sheets off his body. He paused as Luke reached for the phone.
"Go back to sleep," Luke directed and Jess gave in. He tucked his body back under the covers and tried to listen to the phone call. He peered at Luke pacing around the small living room while he held the cordless phone in his hands. "He's in bed. I think he's starting to get to sleep." Luke sat on the couch and listened to the person on the other line. "Blood work?" he asked.
Jess cursed under his breath and tucked himself into a ball under the covers.
"Right now?" Luke asked carefully. "What's wrong?" He paused to stand by the window in thought. "But you're not sure?" he asked hesitantly. "I know he wasn't sick when he came in for the routine check up. What's changed between then and now?"
Jess brushed his sweaty hair away from his face and tried to focus his vision. He was freezing, but at the same time he was sweating. "Luke," he said softly, trying to grab his uncle's attention.
Luke was busying himself with the phone call. "Okay. I can take him down for a chest X-ray."
Jess perked up and looked right at Luke. He was suddenly concerned about the phone call, but couldn't bring himself to leave the bed again.
"Right now. I'll take him down right now." Luke beeped off the phone and flung it on the couch. "Jess?" he asked as he sat on the edge of his nephew's bed. He shook his shoulder lightly and Jess peered up at him with timid eyes. "That was Dr. Altman," he said.
Jess nodded and rolled his eyes back in his head. "Mmhmm," he mumbled lightly.
"I need to take you to Hartford. He wants you to have a chest X-ray." Luke smoothed back Jess's hair and rested the back of his hand on his forehead. "Jess? Are you okay?" Luke asked for the umpteenth time that afternoon.
"Luke," he mumbled, reaching for the hand that was resting on his forehead. "I'm sick."
"I know," Luke said, trying to pull Jess out of bed. "Come on. I need to take you to the hospital."
"Don't want to go. Want to stay here," he murmured, fighting Luke's pull on his arm. He pressed his face back in the pillows and coughed into the soft cotton.
"Jesus. Jess." Luke noticed the blood speckled on the striped pillow case.
"I'm sick, Luke," he murmured again, lighter than previously.
"Shit." Luke yanked the covers aside and tried to heave his nephew out of his bed. It was the first time he regretted that Jess had regained the weight. "Christ. Wish you weren't so heavy."
"Sorry," Jess mumbled as Luke finally lifted him out of the bed and cradled him protectively in his arms. Jess wrapped his arms around Luke's neck as they went downstairs and to the truck waiting outside.
Luke tapped his foot anxiously on the tile floor while he fought the urge to pace around the waiting room. He was waiting for Dr. Altman to return from X-ray. The face of an old friend peered around the corner to the waiting room. "Luke?"
"Jeez. About time," Luke responded as he moved over on the couch. "What's the verdict? It's nothing bad, right?"
"It's Pneumonia," he said finally, sitting on the couch next to Luke. "But it's getting worse."
"Pneumonia?" Luke asked in disbelief. "Why is that so serious?"
Dr. Altman fingered the manila folder. "Jess doesn't have much of an immune system to fight off anything at the moment, which is the problem. You can see from how quickly the illness has hit him that Jess needs immediate care. I've admitted him in the respiratory intensive care unit just as a precaution. He's not hooked up to any machines as of yet, but I've started him on an IV drip medication. What I'm worried about at the moment is his lack of ability to fight off any infections. If the Pneumonia spreads in any way, it's better to keep tabs on Jess."
"Jeez." Luke sunk back in his seat. "Why is this happening?" has asked after hesitating a moment.
"Well, as I mentioned before, Jess's immune system was taxed and weakened after the spleen removal. I'm actually surprised he has been able to fight off bacteria and viruses on his own for the past few months. After this, I'm going to need to up the medications I have Jess on. It may call for something new or a different approach."
Luke grasped his blue hat and tilted his head back to look at the ceiling. "Shit," he swore under his breath. "I thought he was getting better." He paused. "He was getting better. He screwed up a few times and smoked, but he was fine most of the time."
"Cigarettes?" Dr. Altman asked. "I thought Jess was on direct order to stop smoking."
"Scared the shit out of me when he smoked a whole back a few months back. Ever since, he's only smoked here and there. He won't admit it to me, but I know he has."
Dr. Altman sighed. "That's Jess; stubborn as a mule."
Luke shook his head. "Is he going to be okay? I'd really like to not lose him."
"He's just sick right now. Should be up and about in a couple weeks." Dr. Altman said.
"You know, I've cared about that kid more than anything else in my life. Almost twenty four, but he'll always be a teenager in my mind. I know he hates feeling helpless, but I just want to take care of him," Luke said softly.
Dr. Altman nodded and patted Luke's shoulder. "Why don't you I let you see him? He's not really alert, but I'm sure he'll know you're there." Both men stood and Dr. Altman started down the hall with Luke walking next to him. He slid his hospital ID through the card reader and let them in the RICU.
Jess was snuggled against the guard rail with his arms wrapped around the blankets. The IV was running from the bag to the tube in Jess's vein. "I'll leave you two alone," Dr. Altman said, patting Luke on the back before leaving the room.
"Hey, Jess," Luke said softly.
His eyelashes fluttered, but it was the only indication Jess gave Luke that he was aware of his presence.
Luke was unsure whether or not to touch his nephew and stood back to the side. "You really scared me," he said. "I wish this stuff wouldn't happen to you." Luke reached over and moved Jess's hair from his forehead. "I wish I could do something for you. It never seems to be enough." Luke sighed and pulled a chair over to the side of the bed. Luke knew Jess had seen the inside of too many hospital rooms in the last six months. He only wished he could do something more than put him inside those hospital rooms.
Jess moaned contentedly and snuggled deeper under the covers. At least he was comfortable and taking medicine, Luke thought as he touched Jess's cheek gently with his thumb. At least he was still with him.