Chapter 3

AN: Hey! I'm sorry I haven't updated this story in so long. I was doing college applications. Senior year sucks so far, if anyone cares. Anyway, on with the story!

Rory slowly walked away from the door, and sat softly on the couch. Maybe Dean was right, maybe she was a bad wife. What was Dean supposed to think? She had come home late every night for the past couple of weeks after working with Tristan. There was nothing more than friendship between them, but to Dean it looked like a lot more

Rory decided that she would ask for another partner at work. Dean was more important to her that anyone in the world, and she didn't want to jeopardize their marriage. Rory was feeling contented with her decision when she realized the implications of asking for a new partner. She would no longer see Tristan's blue eyes every morning laughing at her as she trudged in after a long night. He wouldn't be waiting with coffee at her desk every morning anymore. Tristan had become a good friend of hers over the past three months, and she hated to give him up. But Dean was more important. Dean was the love of her life….. Wasn't he??

Flashback

"Tristan, it's beautiful." Rory said as she looked around the green meadow and walked over to the small wooden bridge that was built over the little brook.

"Yeah, I know, I come here whenever I want to get away from it all, parents, girlfriends, work. The water is so peaceful, it's therapeutic." Tristan said.

"Yeah. I know what you mean. There was this bridge back in Stars Hollow that was my very underpaid therapist for a while."

Tristan reached into the bag he had brought along and took out the sandwiches. He handed one to her, and leaned back against the railing of the bridge.

"So you know comedians?" Rory asked suddenly breaking the silence.

"I've heard of them, yes." Tristan replied haltingly.

"Don't you feel sorry for them?"

"I thought we were supposed to feel sorry for the clowns. There is only so much sympathy in me, and I put my heart and soul into feeling sorry for the clowns since the day I saw the picture of the clown with tears streaming down his cheeks. I don't know if I have enough sympathy left for the comedians." Tristan quipped.

"I've always felt sorry for the comedians, what are hard life they live" Rory sighed.

"Yeah, making people laugh, getting paid to tell jokes. Alert the labor unions, there are some serious human rights violations going on in that profession." Tristan joked.

"Hey, I'm serious. They have to tell jokes to people all day, and they can't laugh at them. They can't laugh at their own jokes! It's like the Trix rabbit. The kids kept taunting him 'Silly rabbit, Trix are for kids' Why couldn't they just give the poor rabbit some damn Trix???" Rory said taking a furious bite out of her sandwich.

"You know, you're right," Tristan chuckled, "They put the poor rabbits face on all the Trix products and they wouldn't even let him taste any. I'm enraged, I'm ...I'm ... I'm.. another word for enraged. Look enraged up in the dictionary and you'll find a picture of me thinking about the injustices committed by the Trix Company."

"I mean, I could never tell a joke without laughing at it. A good one at least. I mean, if it was a bad joke, I probably wouldn't laugh while telling it but that would defeat the purpose of being a comedian. Not only do comedians have to tell good jokes, but they can't laugh at them. It's a double injustice." Rory continued.

"You know, I'm starting to feel sorry for comedians."

"And you can tell they want to laugh at their own jokes because they do that little 'heh' half smile/laugh thing when they finish telling the joke. It's not like they're immune to the funniness of their joke. They have to physically restrain themselves from laughing."

"You know what, screw the clowns. All my sympathy goes to the comedians."

"Ahh good" Rory said rubbing her hands together in excitement, "another convert, I'll have to tell my mother."

End flashback

Rory was shaken out of her flashback by the insistent ringing of the phone. She rushed to answer it thinking it might be Dean.

"Hello," Rory said hesitantly.

"May I speak to Mrs. Lorelai Forester please?"

"This is she, may I know who's calling?"

"Yes, this is the New York Police Department. There's been an accident, and we regret to inform you that your husband, Dean Forrester has been hurt."

"What do you mean 'an accident'? Oh my God, where is he? Is he okay? Oh my God...."

"Actually ma'am, I'm sorry but he's not doing well, he's at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital. We're going to need you to come over and give us a positive ID."

Rory dropped the phone and rushed out of the house, flinging her purse on her shoulder on the way out. She ran to the street corner and flagged down a cab.

"Columbia Presbyterian," She croaked through her tears as she hurried into the cab.

She fidgeted with her hands during the twenty long minutes it took to reach the hospital then tossed the driver a 20-dollar bill and rushed into the hospital.

"Dean Forrester, I'm here to see Dean Forrester." Rory said breathlessly to the lady at the reception desk.

"Are you family?" The receptionist asked sounding bored.

"I'm his wife, damn it. What room is he in??" Rory exclaimed, clenching her fists.

"Room 419. Go down this hallway, take a ..." The receptionist answered, almost mechanically.

Rory was gone before the receptionist finished her sentence. Rory got in the elevator and waited impatiently for it to go up to the fourth floor. The door opened and Rory rushed out in search of room 419.

Rory hesitated when she saw 419 in blue letters on a door then stepped into the room. She was immediately led to the bed where she saw Dean, lying on the bed. She didn't say anything, just stared at him, tears flowing freely down her cheeks. 'It's not real' she told herself, 'Dean will be okay, he loves me, he wouldn't leave, not like this.'

"Ma'am?" The police officer's voice broke into her thoughts. "Ma'am is that your husband?"

Rory broke into tears and nodded softly. "Could I.. could you leave me alone with him for a few minutes?" Rory asked shaking.

The officers nodded and left the room. Rory picked up Dean's hand, which was still warm. Sobs racked her body as she looked upon Dean's pale face. "Don't leave me Dean! I'm sorry about Tristan. I didn't do anything with him I swear" Rory chocked through her tears. 'God, What is wrong with me. I was thinking about Tristan while my HUSBAND was being hit by a car. I'm such a horrible person.' "I'll never talk to him again Dean, I swear it, just please, don't leave me. Come back Dean. Please." Rory gripped Dean's hand tightly between hers trying to infuse some of her strength into him.

Rory laid her head on Dean's arm, her tears wetting his sheets, and heard the irregular beeping of the heart monitor. As she raised her head to look into Dean's face the heart monitor stopped registering a heart beat. Rory looked frantically at the machine, and saw only a flat line where the peaks were supposed to be.