chapter 2

It is almost an hour later when Luke, April, Lorelai and Rory arrive at the hospital in Woodbridge. April has been crying or shaking most of the way there while fretting about her mother while one of the other women calm her down. Once Luke is parked in the hospital lot they all enter the hospital and Luke goes to the reception.

"Hi, welcome to Woodbridge general hospital, how can I help you?" The overly chipper woman says behind the desk while not looking up from the computer screen in front of her.

"Um I'm looking for an Anna Nardini. My daughter got a call to come here."

"And what relation are you to Ms Nardini?" The woman asks while typing onto the computer.

"We have a daughter together," Luke says now impatient.

"Okay Ms Nardini is currently in surgery but there's a waiting room on the third floor near ICU where you can wait. If you take the lift round the corner on the left it will take you near the room. I'll let Ma Nardini's doctor know where you are so he can come talk to you as soon as he is available."

"Um thanks," Luke stammers and the four rush to the waiting room. April is asking a million questions a minute, Rory and Lorelai are trying to calm her down with some help from Luke who still hates hospitals.

It's hours later when Anna's doctor finally comes into the waiting room.

"Family of Anna Nardini?" He calls out while looking at his clipboard.

"Hi, I'm her daughter," Anna says and stands up as well as Luke next to her. The doctor walks over to her and shakes both of their hands.

"Well Ms Nardini got into a very bad car accident. She was going through a green light and it seems like a drunk driver went into her side of the car. Her car flipped probably five to eight times. She has serious head injuries, she had 4 broken ribs and 2 broken legs as well as very bad internal bleeding. We got her into surgery and managed to get her legs in casts and stitch up her head but her lungs were filling with blood and in the last part of the surgery she went into cardiac arrest."

"Oh my god is she okay?" April chokes out but knows deep down what the answer is. She knows that not many people wake up from cardiac arrest. She knows what the answer is. She scream cries as he gives her a sympathetic look and tells her that her mother has died. Luke is in shock too but comforts his daughter as best he can while watching her fall apart in his arms. Lorelai and Rory hug her too while the doctor gives them all his apologies and says that they can see Anna when they are ready and where to find her.

"How can she be dead?! I spoke to her five hours ago! She was fine. She was alive. I was going to see her tonight or tomorrow. She had plans to go to grandma. Oh my god I need to tell Grandma that her daughter has died. How do I even begin to tell someone that? I need to organise a funeral and I have no idea what to do. Who am I going to live with? You? Grandma in New Mexico? What am I going to do with Mom's shop?" April rambles on with sensible questions as she breaks down. Luke has no idea what to do but hug her. Lorelai and Rory hug her too and she is appreciative of them here as she has no idea what she would do if she was on her own. Now she's happier than ever that she found her Dad.

"It'll be okay April, we will sort it all okay?" Lorelai says and squeezes April slightly to give her comfort. "I know it's hard right now but first things first you need to confirm that it is your mother's body then we will take you back to your dads and let you rest for today and start to sort everything else tomorrow."

"O-O-okay." April manages to stutter and wipe some of her tears away.

"Will you come with me to see her? I can't do it on my own. I don't even know what she looks like right now."

"Of course we will come with you," Luke says and rubs her knee. Luke and April stand up together with Luke's arm round April with Lorelai and Rory the other side of her. They walk as a family unit to the room where Anna is and it takes them just five minutes to get there. April puts her hand on the door to push it open but doesn't manage to. Rory rubs her back.

"It's okay, take your time. There's no rush," Rory comforts and rubs April's back trying to sooth her.

"No it's okay, I need to do this now," April says, trying to sound strong and pushes the door open. She walks in together with Luke, Lorelai and Rory and nods to the elderly woman to uncover her mother's face. It is indeed her mother but it doesn't look like it should. April spins around and breaks down into Lorelai's arms. Lorelai feels so sorry for April at this moment; this is a 13 year old girl have to confirm whether or not this is her mother's dead body. No one should have to do this — certainly not someone so young. April nods in Lorelai's arms and murmurs, "it is her, that's Mom".

"That's Anna," Luke confirms in case the woman didn't hear April, "can you cover her over now? It's just upsetting my daughter more".

"Of course," the woman says and exits the room to give them time together.

"Um, can I have a few minutes with her?" April asks softly.

"Of course sweetie, we will be right outside," Luke says and together the three exit the room while April moves the sheet to see her mother's face.

"Hey Mom, it's April. I know you're watching down on me with Grandad but I just want to say that I'll always love you and you'll always be my Mom okay? No one can ever replace you but I know you'd want me to move on and be happy and not to dwell on your death but focus on the life you had. I hate the person who decided to drink drive and I wish I could bring you back. I'll look after Grandma okay? I promise. I'll keep all your possessions that you'd want me to keep. I'll make sure you get the funeral you deserve. I love you, I hope your happy up there," April finishes, strokes her mother's hair out of her eyes, gives her a kiss on the forehead and covers her back over and exits the room.

"Um I want to go home now please," she says to Luke who is sitting outside the room with Lorelai and Rory. The three stand up when they see April come out of the room.

"Of course, let me just find out who we contact about your mom, Lorelai can you take her to the truck? I'll be there soon," Luke asks and Lorelai says "of course" and with Rory the other side, they lead April back to the truck.

the next day*

April finally moves out of her bed in her father's apartment at 10am. She hadn't slept at all but didn't have the energy to move. She blinks a few times and puts her glasses on her face. She walks downstairs to the diner where it is her dad who hugs her first.

"Are you okay sweetie? Is there something you need?"

"Um I need to go pack up mine and Mom's stuff today. Can we go now?"

"Of course we can. Would you like something to eat or drink first?"

"Um just a cup of tea please Dad," she says and Luke leads her to sit on one of the stools. She sits down and stares at her hands. She feels a hand on her back a few moments later and looks to her right. She sees Miss Patty's kind face.

"Hey sweetie, I just wanted to say that I'm so sorry about your Mom. No one deserves to go that young and no ones deserves to lose their mother as young as you have. If you need anything we are all here okay?"

"Thanks Miss Patty," April says quietly and goes back to looking at her hands. Of course the whole town already knew. They knew everything. Especially Miss Patty and Babette. Her dad places a cup of tea in front of her a few minutes later and she takes a sip without even registering the tempature of the drink.

"Dad?"

"Yes Aps?" He answers and stops to face her.

"Can Lorelai and Rory come? It would be nice to have them there. Their nice to me. Their family."

"Of course, I'll call Lorelai now."

"Thanks."

Luke goes to the store room and dials Lorelai's Inn number.

"Hello, Dragonfly Inn, Lorelai speaking."

"Hey Lorelai."

"Oh Luke, hows April?"

"She isn't good but she's asked if you and Rory will come with us to go through Anna's stuff and collect her stuff today."

"Of course, I'll just tell Michel that I'm working from home the rest of the day and I'll be there in ten minutes okay? I'll call Rory on the way and I'm sure she can meet us there."

"Thanks, I love you."

"I love you too, see you soon."

Luke hangs up the phone, takes a deep breath and takes back into the main diner where his daughter is still sitting in the same position.

"Hey Aps, Lorelai is on her way and I'm sure Rory will be soon."

"Okay. Dad can I have some blueberry pancakes with syrup?"

"Of course, I'll do them now for you."

"Thanks," April says quietly and gives a weak smile in her dad's direction of whom she is eternally grateful for right about now.

to be continued*