A/N: Thanks for the reviews, but please, can I get some more? I don't want to have to resort to needing 10 per chapter, but I would really appreciate the reviews. This should be a longer chapter than the rest.

On with the chapter!

Oh, and it skips around a little bit between Lorelai and Rory.



"Oh god, Jess, how long do you think he was there?" Rory shudders when she asks Jess the painful question. Both of them are sitting in the Hartford General Hospital waiting room, and have been for a few hours. Rory actually missed school, something she would only do under dire circumstances, so Jess wouldn't have to be alone. Luke had been such a major part of her life, and they weren't even related. ~Jess must being dying~ she thought.

A long pause overcame them as Rory waited for Jess to answer. "I don't know, Ror, but it must have happened early morning, earlier than us. I was near the dinner for about an hour before I met you there. I wonder why no one heard anything or noticed. I feel so bad, you know, being there and all and not noticing."

"God, don't beat yourself up there, Dodger." Rory says, while rubbing his back, "We DID find him and he Will be ok, understand?" Rory tried desperately to convince herself of this, more than she was Jess.

"Hey, Ror, Why haven't you called your mom yet. You didn't leave a note, and your skipping school, she is probably freaking out, since she hasn't had her coffee this morning."

"My mom? Heh, Do I need to call her? Really? Because, I don't want to, let me hold out just a LITTLE bit longer."

"Rory, you held out for 6 hours. It's noon, already."

Rory sighed as she walked to the pay phone. She looked back at Jess before putting money in and dialing.

(PHONE CALL)

"ring… Ring… Ring…"

~Ah, she must not be home. Oh well, I'll try again…~

"Hello?"

Rory froze, she didn't want to make her mad. She JUST got over her argument with Luke, she can't start one up with her.

"Hi mom."

"Who is this? Is this my only daughter that disappeared this morning, who didn't show up at school, and didn't even bother to call until lunch?"

"I believe that would be me."

"Rory, this is the second time! Are you in New York again, if you are…"

"I'm at the Hartford General Hospital." Rory burst, she didn't want the 3rd degree, and she was feeling really guilty.

"Lorelai Gilmore! Are you ok? What's wrong? Oh god, please tell me your ok!"

"I'm ok, I promise, I'm fine."

Audible Sigh and gasp is heard over the phone.

"What? Are you on some sole field trip or something, because I've been home all day, worrying about you, and you had better tell me everything. I skipped going to Luke's, because I was so worried. I haven't had my coffee!" Lorelai whined.

"You couldn't get your coffee anyway. Luke's isn't open today."

"How would my darling only daughter know this?"

Rory resists and doesn't say anything for a few seconds.

"Rory? What's wrong? What is Luke's not open?"

Another pause from Rory, and she finally decides she needs to tell her mother what happened to Luke.

"Mom, I'm at the hospital.. Because…"

"BECAUSE WHY? You said you weren't hurt!"

"I'm not! But, mom… Luke is."

There is silence over the phone, and Rory isn't sure if her mom is still there.



"Mom?"

"I'll be there in 45 minutes."

"No, you need to stay there."

"No, I need to. You can't stop me."

"Ok. I love you mom."

"I love you, too, I'll be there soon."



Rory hangs up the phone, and goes back and sits with Jess.

"She is coming."

"I know."



A/N: Lorelai is talking to herself in the car. I thought it would be easier for it to be dialog, than thought.



Lorelai lept into her car, with tears streaming down her face. As she peeled out of the driveway, she started thinking to herself, not normal things, but deep things. She needed to calm down, but she knew she wouldn't be able to do that until she knew that Luke, her best friend would be Ok.

"Oh god, I can't believe this. What happened? Why didn't I ask Rory?"

Lorelai was crying harder than before, as it started to rain. She needed to slow down, she was already going double the speed limit. She finally reached the sign saying, 'You are now leaning Stars Hollow! Come back soon!'. It seemed to take forever to get to that point.



Lorelai's mind was bickering back and forth between each other. The left and the right. Logic over imagination. Rationality and feeling.

"Oh god, what happens if he doesn't make it by the time I get there? Why didn't I ask Rory what happened to him, instead of blindingly jumping into the car?"

"Luke will still be there when you get to him, Lorelai. If he were in bad shape, then Rory would have called sooner. Note to self; kill daughter when get home."

"I don't know, Rory wouldn't have skipped school for a toaster burn. Hmm, I wonder how she found him there, it's not like she said to herself 'I wonder if Luke is ok? Maybe I should go and check.' At 6 in the morning. She never gets up that early."

"Luke is a father figure to Rory, she would do pretty much anything for him. Maybe she just went for a walk around town or something. Why are you so worried about Luke? Were you this worried about Rory?"

Lorelai stopped thinking for a moment (well, with her brain that is.) ~Why AM I so worried? I know I wasn't this worried about Rory, and she is my daughter!~

She heart stopped as she pulled over on the side of the road, perplexed over her thoughts. She got out of the car, and impulsively walked around it, and sat back in it.

"What is going on here?" Was the only thing she could think of.

All of a sudden, It hits her like a ton of bricks. "Oh my god… It can't be. No."

She starts the car, but doesn't pull out, yet.

"Oh god, it is. I can't believe it! I'm In love with Luke my best friend. I'm totally in love with Luke Dane."

This was Lorelai's final thought on her long drive to the hospital.

A/N:Whatcha think?