"Tristan?" Rory peered over him as he lay on the sterile hospital bed in a coma. "Can he hear me?" she asked the doctor.
"It's possible," the young doctor replied. "Let him hear your voice. I'll leave you alone."
"Rory, sweetie," said Lorelai coming from behind her to give her daughter a hug. "I'm going to go call grandma. You stay here with Tristan." Rory nodded. "Can I call his parents? Do you have the number?"
"His parents are away. The hospital already called his grandfather," Rory replied, her eyes still fixed on Tristan's unconscious body. Her mom squeezed her hand and gave her a kiss on the cheek before leaving the ward to find a working phone.
Rory pulled up a chair and sat beside Tristan's bed, taking his hand in her own.
"Tris, I'm so sorry this happened to you. I can't believe this is happening." Rory felt an immense amount of guilt. She saw Tristan lying lifeless before her, where she herself had only tiny scratches on her arms and forehead. "If I hadn't made you come over tonight…you were right, we should have left it til Saturday. I was just being stupid, trying to get it all done before Paris…" She used the hand that held Tristan's to wipe away the tears that were now falling down her face. "Please, please wake up. Please," she begged. She rested her forehead on their intertwined hands and wept. "Please."
Rory was woken up a few moments later by her grandfather.
"Come on, Rory. You're staying at our house tonight," he said as he helped her stand.
"No, I want to stay here with Tristan," she replied, not letting go of his hand.
"The hospital won't permit it. Visiting hours are over. You can come back tomorrow," he said gently.
Rory nodded. "Okay, just let me say goodnight."
Her grandpa smiled at her, "I'll wait in the corridor."
"Tris, I have to go now but I'm coming back tomorrow. Try to wake up before then, okay?" Rory joked leaning over to kiss his forehead. At the last moment, she changed her mind and lightly kissed his lips.
Just as she was leaving his room she heard his voice.
"Mary?"