*1/2 later—Rory has just arrived at the hospital.
Running frantically towards the emergency room nurses station, Rory is stopped by a concerned nurse.
"Ma'am, can I help you?" The petite nurse asks.
"I just got a call…my husband…J-jess Mar—
The nurse nods in understanding; she looks towards the hall and then calls out, "Doctor Thatcher?"
"Yes, Marla?"
"This is Mrs. Mariano."
"Oh, yes hello. I'm sorry about the phone call, I know it must have been upsetting."
"...T-they wouldn't tell me on the phone. I-is he alright?"
"Well…he's a very lucky man."
"He is?"
"You can see him in a little while if you want to. Trust me. It sounds a lot worse than it is."
"W-what happened?"
"The man who brought him in said he was crossing the street and some guy in a truck served and hit him."
"When can he come home?"
"In a few days. He was very lucky in the fact that the drive was intoxicated and not driving at a high speed. The x-rays have revealed that your husband has broken his left arm, we're going to have to do some surgery on his right knee, and well there's a little swelling in his head where he hit the pavement." Rory makes a small nose before covering her mouth, "He'll be alright, were waiting for the swelling to go down, and then we'll do a cat scan probably later tonight, he could be prepped for surgery by tomorrow morning. It would have been a lot worse if that professor hadn't been there to drive him here."
"Professor?"
"Yes, well he was coming out of the store just as it happened. He may still be in the waiting room."
"What about Jess? When can I see him?"
"In about an hour, stay in the waiting room I'll have one of the nurses get you some of the good coffee."
"Thank you doctor." Rory says watching silently as Doctor Thatcher enters another room.
Rory walks into the waiting room, determined to find the man who had possibly saved Jess' life. She immediately spots a gentleman sitting alone in the corner, his head in his lap. Maneuvers her way towards him, still shaking. "E-excuse me, I know that I don't know you but I just wanted to thank you…for helping my husband." Rory stops herself; unable to continue. She observes the man intuitively as the muscles in his neck seem to tighten. His head leaves his hands suddenly revealing deep blue eyes and scattered brown hair. Rory's eyes widen, she gropes the space around her feeling her way to a chair..
"Dean."
"Rory?!" the man replies looking her up and down.
"Y-you, you saved Jess."
"No, I didn't. I was just there."
Tears flow freely down Rory's face; unsure of what to do next she pulls Dean into a hug. "Thank you."
"Is he--, is he going to be ok?"
Rory face goes cold, "The doctor says so. He might even be out by the weekend." Rory says biting her trembling lip. "Dean, he said…he said Jess might not have been ok if you hadn't—
Dean takes Rory's hand and squeezes it, "Don't. I didn't do it to save anyone's life, I did it because it was the right thing…I didn't even know who it was until the Doctor came out with his wallet."
"...But you're still here."
"Yea, I know. I missed dinner, but I just had this picture of a delicate women walking in, looking for answers, and you know, I was there."
"I'm glad you were…" Rory trails off. Awkward Silence consumes her suddenly; unsure of how to proceed.
Dean breaks the silence, "So…you married Jess."
"I did."
"You're a professor." Rory smiles.
"Well, I couldn't be a stock boy forever could I?"
"Are you happy?" Rory asks quietly.
"I am, I'm married…I have a daughter."
"You do?"
"Desiree Ann Lorelei."
"Lorelei?"
"Well, if it wasn't for you I wouldn't have left Stars Hollow, and I wouldn't have gone back to Chicago…and I wouldn't have met Kayte…you made me go out and make something of myself." Dean smiles taking out a picture of his family. "So, he takes good care of you?"
"The best." Rory begins to cry again unable to control herself, she starts to speak again but is cut off by Doctor Thatcher's return.
"Mrs. Mariano, You can see your husband now."
"Thank you." Rory gets up to leave, "Dean, can you stick around?"
"I'll be here."
Running frantically towards the emergency room nurses station, Rory is stopped by a concerned nurse.
"Ma'am, can I help you?" The petite nurse asks.
"I just got a call…my husband…J-jess Mar—
The nurse nods in understanding; she looks towards the hall and then calls out, "Doctor Thatcher?"
"Yes, Marla?"
"This is Mrs. Mariano."
"Oh, yes hello. I'm sorry about the phone call, I know it must have been upsetting."
"...T-they wouldn't tell me on the phone. I-is he alright?"
"Well…he's a very lucky man."
"He is?"
"You can see him in a little while if you want to. Trust me. It sounds a lot worse than it is."
"W-what happened?"
"The man who brought him in said he was crossing the street and some guy in a truck served and hit him."
"When can he come home?"
"In a few days. He was very lucky in the fact that the drive was intoxicated and not driving at a high speed. The x-rays have revealed that your husband has broken his left arm, we're going to have to do some surgery on his right knee, and well there's a little swelling in his head where he hit the pavement." Rory makes a small nose before covering her mouth, "He'll be alright, were waiting for the swelling to go down, and then we'll do a cat scan probably later tonight, he could be prepped for surgery by tomorrow morning. It would have been a lot worse if that professor hadn't been there to drive him here."
"Professor?"
"Yes, well he was coming out of the store just as it happened. He may still be in the waiting room."
"What about Jess? When can I see him?"
"In about an hour, stay in the waiting room I'll have one of the nurses get you some of the good coffee."
"Thank you doctor." Rory says watching silently as Doctor Thatcher enters another room.
Rory walks into the waiting room, determined to find the man who had possibly saved Jess' life. She immediately spots a gentleman sitting alone in the corner, his head in his lap. Maneuvers her way towards him, still shaking. "E-excuse me, I know that I don't know you but I just wanted to thank you…for helping my husband." Rory stops herself; unable to continue. She observes the man intuitively as the muscles in his neck seem to tighten. His head leaves his hands suddenly revealing deep blue eyes and scattered brown hair. Rory's eyes widen, she gropes the space around her feeling her way to a chair..
"Dean."
"Rory?!" the man replies looking her up and down.
"Y-you, you saved Jess."
"No, I didn't. I was just there."
Tears flow freely down Rory's face; unsure of what to do next she pulls Dean into a hug. "Thank you."
"Is he--, is he going to be ok?"
Rory face goes cold, "The doctor says so. He might even be out by the weekend." Rory says biting her trembling lip. "Dean, he said…he said Jess might not have been ok if you hadn't—
Dean takes Rory's hand and squeezes it, "Don't. I didn't do it to save anyone's life, I did it because it was the right thing…I didn't even know who it was until the Doctor came out with his wallet."
"...But you're still here."
"Yea, I know. I missed dinner, but I just had this picture of a delicate women walking in, looking for answers, and you know, I was there."
"I'm glad you were…" Rory trails off. Awkward Silence consumes her suddenly; unsure of how to proceed.
Dean breaks the silence, "So…you married Jess."
"I did."
"You're a professor." Rory smiles.
"Well, I couldn't be a stock boy forever could I?"
"Are you happy?" Rory asks quietly.
"I am, I'm married…I have a daughter."
"You do?"
"Desiree Ann Lorelei."
"Lorelei?"
"Well, if it wasn't for you I wouldn't have left Stars Hollow, and I wouldn't have gone back to Chicago…and I wouldn't have met Kayte…you made me go out and make something of myself." Dean smiles taking out a picture of his family. "So, he takes good care of you?"
"The best." Rory begins to cry again unable to control herself, she starts to speak again but is cut off by Doctor Thatcher's return.
"Mrs. Mariano, You can see your husband now."
"Thank you." Rory gets up to leave, "Dean, can you stick around?"
"I'll be here."
