A knock on the door interrupted their crying reverie. They broke
apart, then Luke, Lane and Jess entered, taking in Rory's tearstained face.
Luke opened his mouth to lay into Tristan for whatever it was he did to make Rory cry, but he was cut off.
"Hi," Rory said softly.
"Rory!" Lane cried, running over and pulling her best friend into a gentle hug.
Tristan stood and moved out of the way as Luke and Jess went around to the other side of the bed and both kissed the top of Rory's head.
"Are you feeling better?" Jess asked.
"I think so," Rory smiled.
Tristan looked at the scene before him, Rory surrounded by her friends who were asking her questions and looked ecstatic when they heard Rory's voice answer.
Then the Gilmores came in, followed by Dr. Bryce.
The room was filled with laughter and conversation, everyone taking in Rory's new demeanor.
Tristan stayed to the back of the group, against the wall, his eyes never leaving Rory's face.
The tears that had fallen from her eyes had made them bright and happy again. There was still pain there, Tristan could see it, but it was lesser, not as intense.
The group's enthusiasm eventually trickled down to just elation, and Dr. Bryce said that they should probably just let Rory rest. The group started to leave, but Tristan hung back.
"I'll see you tomorrow." He said to Rory.
"You don't have to," she protested, not wanting to just feel pity for her.
He grinned cockily, "I'll see you tomorrow."
And he did. Every day while Rory was in the hospital, he came to visit her. He brought her books and candy, told her funny stories about people at Chilton, and kept him self from talking to her about the poem he'd given her.
The staff was amazed at Rory's change. She was eating, laughing, and they mostly attributed it to the incredibly attractive and dedicated blonde boy who kept visiting her.
At the end of the fourth week, the doctors said that Rory would be able to go home. She'd gotten back up to her goal weight, Dr. Bryce said that there was almost no chance of a relapse, and she was happy.
Tristan arrived at the hospital that day.
"Hey, Ror," he smiled as he came into the room.
"Tristan," her face lit up. She was dressed in a pair of white sweat pants and a long-sleeved black tee that covered the scars on her arms.
She put the pile of books in front of her into a backpack and zipped it up.
"My grandparents are taking me home in a minute," She said happily.
Tristan grabbed her backpack, marveling at the weight. He slung it over his shoulder and the two of them walked out into the hall.
"I was wondering, Rory," He asked her, the plan he'd been working on for days going into effect, "Would you like to do something tomorrow? With me?"
Rory paused in step, then took a deep breath and said yes.
Tristan smiled, pleased, and the two of them reached Dr. Bryce, Emily and Richard.
"Hello, Tristan, it's nice to see you again," Richard smiled at him. He had grown to like the boy and recognized the devotion he felt towards Rory. Richard trusted him with her.
The Gilmores said goodbye to Tristan and Dr. Bryce, and when Rory hugged Dr. Bryce Tristan mouthed to her "I'll call you." She smiled.
They left, leaving Dr. Bryce and Tristan.
"I wanted to say thank you, again," Dr. Bryce said, grinning at Tristan.
"I-I didn't really do anything," Tristan stuttered, looking at the ground bashfully in a very un-Tristan like way.
"Yes, you did."
Tristan said to her, "Dr. Bryce, I was planning something for tomorrow...."
Luke opened his mouth to lay into Tristan for whatever it was he did to make Rory cry, but he was cut off.
"Hi," Rory said softly.
"Rory!" Lane cried, running over and pulling her best friend into a gentle hug.
Tristan stood and moved out of the way as Luke and Jess went around to the other side of the bed and both kissed the top of Rory's head.
"Are you feeling better?" Jess asked.
"I think so," Rory smiled.
Tristan looked at the scene before him, Rory surrounded by her friends who were asking her questions and looked ecstatic when they heard Rory's voice answer.
Then the Gilmores came in, followed by Dr. Bryce.
The room was filled with laughter and conversation, everyone taking in Rory's new demeanor.
Tristan stayed to the back of the group, against the wall, his eyes never leaving Rory's face.
The tears that had fallen from her eyes had made them bright and happy again. There was still pain there, Tristan could see it, but it was lesser, not as intense.
The group's enthusiasm eventually trickled down to just elation, and Dr. Bryce said that they should probably just let Rory rest. The group started to leave, but Tristan hung back.
"I'll see you tomorrow." He said to Rory.
"You don't have to," she protested, not wanting to just feel pity for her.
He grinned cockily, "I'll see you tomorrow."
And he did. Every day while Rory was in the hospital, he came to visit her. He brought her books and candy, told her funny stories about people at Chilton, and kept him self from talking to her about the poem he'd given her.
The staff was amazed at Rory's change. She was eating, laughing, and they mostly attributed it to the incredibly attractive and dedicated blonde boy who kept visiting her.
At the end of the fourth week, the doctors said that Rory would be able to go home. She'd gotten back up to her goal weight, Dr. Bryce said that there was almost no chance of a relapse, and she was happy.
Tristan arrived at the hospital that day.
"Hey, Ror," he smiled as he came into the room.
"Tristan," her face lit up. She was dressed in a pair of white sweat pants and a long-sleeved black tee that covered the scars on her arms.
She put the pile of books in front of her into a backpack and zipped it up.
"My grandparents are taking me home in a minute," She said happily.
Tristan grabbed her backpack, marveling at the weight. He slung it over his shoulder and the two of them walked out into the hall.
"I was wondering, Rory," He asked her, the plan he'd been working on for days going into effect, "Would you like to do something tomorrow? With me?"
Rory paused in step, then took a deep breath and said yes.
Tristan smiled, pleased, and the two of them reached Dr. Bryce, Emily and Richard.
"Hello, Tristan, it's nice to see you again," Richard smiled at him. He had grown to like the boy and recognized the devotion he felt towards Rory. Richard trusted him with her.
The Gilmores said goodbye to Tristan and Dr. Bryce, and when Rory hugged Dr. Bryce Tristan mouthed to her "I'll call you." She smiled.
They left, leaving Dr. Bryce and Tristan.
"I wanted to say thank you, again," Dr. Bryce said, grinning at Tristan.
"I-I didn't really do anything," Tristan stuttered, looking at the ground bashfully in a very un-Tristan like way.
"Yes, you did."
Tristan said to her, "Dr. Bryce, I was planning something for tomorrow...."