Disclaimer – I own nothing in regards to the Gilmore Girls.
Chapter Ten
Hours later, the activity in the hospital's hallway is interrupted by the slam of the delivery room door. TJ emerges; arms outstretched in an embrace of the world, on his face a grin from ear to ear.
"It's a girl!" He shouts to anyone and everyone susceptible to sound waves. TJ struts like a peacock in dire need of Ritalin down the hallway, his hospital scrubs swishing excitedly at his sides.
"It's a girl. I'm a father." He says pumping the hand of an orderly. "She's beautiful, just like her mother and I know how to pick'em." He informs the receptionists as he passes by their station. TJ glows with pride, in his growing exuberance he hugs one doctor, three nurses and a couple patients on gurneys.
"I'm a father!" He exclaims ignoring the protesting grunt of the man in the full body cast. TJ dances around the corner, practically clicking his heels, into the waiting room, narrowly escaping hospital security.
Lorelai stands outside the doors to Liz's room; she had watched TJ's antics with a smile, a shake of her head, a cringe, there going to need to up that poor man's morphine and another smile. The latter smile, of innocence, directed at the burly man in the security uniform.
She takes her time following him. Maybe, to maintain her innocence, the security guard still watched her though not out of suspicion. Maybe it was because she was tired, cheerleading the birth of an 8 pound 12 ounce baby girl can take a lot out of a person, especially if they never really got the whole cheerleading concept, having never been a big fan of the jumping up and down. Maybe, but most likely it was because of Luke, Luke was waiting in that waiting room and she just didn't know how to be around him.
Lorelai pulls off her scrubs and straightens her sweater; she lifts her hands to her head and shakes her hair free of a haphazard ponytail, then reaches into the pocket of her jeans, pulling out her cell and speed dialing Rory. She was undeterred by the answering service, because for Lorelai it wasn't really a necessity to have someone on the other line to have a conversation.
"Hey kid." She says into the phone as she ambles down the hallway. "So, I was walking through town minding my own business when who should I see but Liz . . ." Lorelai continues her monologue past a flirting security guard, past the nurse's station and past the man in the full body cast, whom she recognizes with a sympathetic nod. "…the streets aren't safe, Rory. I am telling you, stay in your apartment and board up the windows, unless you have an overwhelming desire to play mid-wife. Seen Dean's little sister recently? How old is she now? . ."
A minute or two later, she's still chatting when she rounds the corner into the waiting room. The chatting stops when Lorelai sees TJ wrapped around Luke in a giant bear hug, she stifles a grin and looks away, concentrating on her solo rap session.
" . .well you know how I've always wanted to explore a career in medicine or was that Patrick Dempsey I can never remember . . ."
TJ frees Luke only to trampoline happily on the chair next to him. He's mid-bounce when he notices Lorelai, TJ changes his trajectory, lands on the floor and rushes to her.
"You are the best!" He gushes, scooping her up in a big hug and spinning her around. Lorelai squeals with surprise.
"I don't know what me and Lizzy would have done without you! Thank you!" He bursts, returning her feet to the ground and planting a fat kiss on her cheek.
Luke pales, an acute, though admittedly ridiculous, jealousy coursing through him. He knows the pleasures of this kiss, the silky softness of her cheek, its warmth, the subtle twitch of her skin against his lips as she smiles, he can remember it all so clearly that he can nearly feel her, but more importantly, he can't, for the life of him, forget it. Shake it off, man! Shake it off! Damn TJ!
Jovial TJ, however, is immune to these pleasures.
"I am excited about my life!" He hollers releasing her and running off down the hall in the direction of his new family.
Lorelai stands in a daze, one hand on the phone, the other on her cheek where he smooched.
"Um." She says into the phone when she remembers she was mid-message. "I'll explain later. Call me. Bye, hon."
"I'm sorry, we're looking into medicating him." Luke mumbles lifting his hat and running a hand through his hair before returning the hat to its place. His face etched with embarrassment, more from his own thoughts than from his brother in-law's behavior. How is she still able to do this to him?
"Ah, don't worry about it. Couch jumping is old news, just ask Oprah." Lorelai quips nonchalantly, the nonchalance a sharp contrast to her tentative hovering near the exit.
"Oprah?" Luke asks, returning to his seat.
"Never mind." Lorelai wraps her arms around herself and glances into the hallway. Luke follows her eyes in the direction of the parking lot, he doesn't know a lot at this moment but he knows he doesn't want her to leave. He clears his throat and motions to the seat next to him. We were friends first. We can be friends again.
"They did great, you know, Liz and TJ." She says softly, walking over and taking the offered seat.
"Good. That's good." Luke tries to smile but it comes out more like a grimace. He sits back in the chair, feeling uneasy.
"Did the nurse advise you to put your head between your knees? I've heard that helps." Lorelai offers lightly, noticing his color.
"I hate hospitals."
"I remember." She says quietly, her mind drifting.
You don't look so good.
Thanks.
That's not what I meant. You know you always look good.
Yeah?
I mean you always look healthy.
Ok.
But you don't look healthy now. Now you look . . .
Unhealthy.
Yes.
Ok.
Oh, what? So I said you look good. We're not in fifth grade, you look good, big deal. Stop staring at me.
"Lorelai?" Luke calls for the second time.
"You won't hate this hospital when you meet your niece." She says returning from their past and neatly skipping over a reason for her absence.
"Yeah." He agrees. "I thought it would be good to give them time to clean her up. Put everything back where it belongs, you know."
Lorelai smiles at him. "Good thinking."
"Thank you. For Liz. For everything."
"Forget it. I owe you."
"No, you don't." Luke says firmly, looking into her eyes.
"The coffee." Lorelai remembers, finally sure of its meaning. "Thank you for the coffee."
"Your welcome." He murmurs intensely. Too intensely. Luke looks away. "Did the bomb squad leave you any when they were done?" He asks teasingly, a slight smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.
Lorelai blushes. "That Lane, she's such a kidder." She says, waving it off with her hand. Luke raises an eyebrow.
"Surprisingly, yes." She affirms, changing her tactic. "They were very good about the coffee. The danish, however, never had a chance."
Luke laughs. Lorelai grins, she loves the sound of his laughter. Feeling that familiar fluttering in her stomach, her grin fades and Lorelai drops her eyes to her lap, drumming her fingers on her leg nervously.
Luke notices the rhythmical patter of her fingertips and remembers her hand in Liz's vice grip.
"How's your hand?" He asks placing his own over hers gently.
She starts, her breath catching in her throat, she looks at their hands, her heart pounding at a ridiculous volume. How does he still do this to her? We're friends. This is friendly.
"Currently, we're not speaking." She replies shakily, lifting her hand out from under his to stare at it with mock disapproval. Luke's hand falls from hers to her leg where it lingers briefly, his fingers sliding across the fabric of her jeans. Not exactly within the parameters of friendship.
"I'm sorry to hear that." He says, collecting his wayward hand.
"Yeah." She swallows. "Well, we've had worse falling outs than this and survived them." Lorelai finishes bravely.
"So you hold out hope?" Luke asks, letting bits of his heart trickle out onto his sleeve.
Lorelai shrugs as casually as she can manage, desperate to ignore the shades of a double meaning in his question.
"Yeah, well it's not like he has much of a choice, I mean he's kind of attached to you." Luke says quietly, continuing to play within the confines of her bit.
Lorelai stares at him, that one was a little harder to ignore. He can't know what he's doing, right?
"Right. Besides self amputation, which is messy not to mention painful, what's a hand to do? Complain loudly? I mean, despite the whole 'talk to the hand' phase, few people actually do." Lorelai sighs. Of all the stupid things she could say, amputation, talk to the hand, really, she cringes and rolls her eyes, that couldn't have made any sense at all.
"Right." Luke smiles.
"You should go. I mean, I'm sure everything is back where it belongs by now."
"Okay. Let's go."
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TJ sits on the bed, his arm around his wife and one of his fingers in the tiny grasp of their brand new daughter.
". . .and as your father I'll be doing all the really important fatherly stuff." TJ says to Doula. "Protecting and such, cause your little, you'll need lots of protecting. A gorgeous little miracle." His voice cracks. "This is a changing day in our lives!" TJ blubbers. "Ah, geez. She can't see me like this. I need a minute to compose myself." He cries, running out the door. Liz smiles after him, shifting Doula in her arms.
"Lorelai, would you like to hold her?" She asks.
Lorelai looks back from the door. "Oh, I'd love to, but maybe Luke would . . ."
"You go ahead." Luke urges, settling comfortably on the bed near his sisters side.
Lorelai uncrosses her legs and stands from her chair. "Okay." She agrees moving over to Liz. Liz hands the baby girl to Lorelai and settles back into the pillows with the yawn.
"Hello, Doula. It's nice to meet you." Lorelai smiles sweetly at the little girl. "You are a beauty. Good thing, huh? Otherwise that name of yours could have been a problem." She teases winking at Liz. Liz smiles back sleepily, looking from Lorelai to Luke.
"I have to compliment you on your entrance, Doula. I've never seen it from that angle before." Lorelai looks up from the bundle in her arms to Liz, who is fast asleep and snoring.
"Look what you did. We'll let mommy sleep for now, but later, all bets are off the table. Okay?" Lorelai cuddles Doula to her cheek, breathing deep. "I love that smell. Baby smell. Bottle it and we'd make a fortune." She sighs, turning towards Luke to find that he was standing next to her. "She really is beautiful, Luke."
Luke reaches over and strokes the baby's head gently.
"Yeah, beautiful." He whispers huskily.
Luke isn't looking at Doula. His gaze is focused on Lorelai's down turned face. Raising a trembling hand he reaches for her chin, tilting her face up to his, needing the eye contact she was working so hard to avoid. Lorelai's eyes lift to Luke's, questioning him with the furrow of her brow. Luke steps closer, his thumb tracing the soft skin of her cheek. He puts a hand on her arm, so that together they support the infant snuggled safely between them. His eyes never leave hers. "Lorelai." The sound of her name on his lips shakes her. The short, shallow puffs of her breathing depriving her of oxygen. It takes every ounce of her will to hold Doula steadily. Her mind a complete fog, unable to formulate thought, much less question or response.
Luke slips his hand into her hair, his fingers cupping her head, pulling Lorelai towards him. Slowly he leans to her, felling the warm, moist exhale of her breath as his lips near hers. Her eyelids slide shut . . BAM! . . and swing open.
TJ always makes an entrance. The slam of the door reverberates throughout the room. Luke steps swiftly way from Lorelai. He leans into Liz's bed to steady himself, sinking shaking fingers into the folds of the sterile, blue hospital blanket. Just friends?
"I'm good now." TJ announces, unaware of the moment he has just interrupted. Liz, with eyes wide open glares at her husband and when he plops down next to her, she pinches him soundly.
"Ow, what is that for?!"
"Shh!" She admonishes.
Lorelai blinks repeatedly, as if waking from a dream. She robotically returns little Doula to her mother's arms, taking a moment to gather her heart off the floor.
"You guys do good work." Lorelai says, forcing herself to take deep calming breaths. "She's bea . . , she's wonderful." She cast a sidelong glance at Luke, who stares intently at the fabric in his hand. "I am no longer needed here, so I'm going to get going." She says plastering a smile to her face.
"Oh, Lorelai, are you sure?" Liz asks disappointed.
"Yes, I'm sure."
"Okay." Liz accepts sadly. "Thank you so much, Lorelai, really. Thank you." Liz says, taking Lorelai's hand gently. Lorelai nods at Liz solemnly, her eyes glossing over.
"Say goodbye to Aunt Lorelai, Doula." TJ coos at his daughter, he looks up to find three sets of eyes staring at him.
"What? Just because Luke's an idiot doesn't mean the rest of us are."
"TJ!" Liz yells.
"Okay, so on that note. Bye guys. Bye Doula." Lorelai says quickly collecting her coat and retreating out the door without another look in Luke's direction.
Once outside the door, Lorelai breaks into a fast walk, hurrying with her head down through the hallway. She almost flattens her daughter.
"Rory?!"
"Mom, I got your message. I came as soon as I could. I thought you might need some company or at least some protection. Not that you sounded bad, you sounded fine but . .Oh" Lorelai wraps her arms around Rory and squeezes hard. "I guess I thought right."
"How is your schedule?" Lorelai asks when she steps back.
"My schedule? Mom, are you alright?"
"Remember our road trips." Lorelai begins, her voice high and unnatural. "Let's pack up and go, far away. I need to get far away, out of here. Out of town, out of the country, just out. Can you come? Can we go?"
"I graduate in a few weeks. I could only take a couple days at the very most." Rory considers looking at her mother.
"Mom, did something happen, with you and Luke?" She asks, concerned.
Lorelai can only shake her head, tears spilling down her cheeks. She wipes them bitterly. Great, we're back to this again.
"Okay, let's go." GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
So…… Tell me, How does that make you feel? I'm dying to know. Thanks.