Lorelai rode in the ambulance with Rory to the hospital, but they made her wait in the waiting room once they got there. Emily arrived not long after the ambulance and Richard soon after her. Emily had called her husband while she was driving to the hospital.
Lorelai borrowed her mother's cell phone and called Christopher, Rory's father. He was out in California and told Lorelai that he would be on the next flight out to Hartford. She insisted that it wasn't necessary because she knew he had just secured a good job that he had worked hard to get. She told him she would call as soon as she had more information and he could decide what to do then. Her next call was to Luke in Stars Hollow. They had been friends for years, though everyone in town insisted it was more. Lorelai loved his coffee and tried to think of him as only a friend. Luke was like a father to Rory and Lorelai knew if she called him she would only have to make one call. She gave him instructions to tell Sookie and Miss Patty before he came to the hospital. The whole town would know before Luke could get everyone out of the Diner.
Luke arrived at the hospital first, followed not far behind by Sookie. Lorelai was trying to be strong for everyone, but she was falling apart inside. When were they going to tell her something? Luke gave her the coffee he had brought with him and Sookie enveloped her in a supporting hug.
Two hours passed and Lorelai couldn't take the waiting anymore. "What is taking so long? I have to go back there," she said in a determined tone. But as she said it, a doctor approached the group carrying Rory's riding helmet.
"Ms. Gilmore. I have some good news. Your daughter received no injury to her neck or back." Lorelai sighed an audible sigh of relief and Sookie squeezed her hand. "She did, however, dislocate her right shoulder and suffered a minor concussion," the doctor continued. "The brunt of the force of the fall was taken by her shoulder and this," he said handing the helmet to Lorelai. He pointed out where it had cracked when her head hit the ground. "Thank God she was wearing that." Lorelai choked back tears as she thought of how hard Rory's head must have hit the ground to crack the helmet like that.
"We've set her arm and given her some pain medicine. Her arm will be in a cast for eight to ten weeks. She is sleeping comfortably right now. She'll probably be sleeping for a while because of the pain medicine. We're going to keep her overnight for observation and providing she has a good night, she can go home some time tomorrow."
"Thank you. Can I go see her now?" Lorelai asked.
"Yes, but only you. We don't want to fill her room with people and noise. She's going to need a lot of rest."
The doctor waited while everyone said their goodbyes to Lorelai. They all promised to be there in the morning and Lorelai assured everyone that she would call them if she needed them. She then left with the doctor so he could show her to Rory's room.
Lorelai followed the doctor down the quiet hallway. He stopped in front of a room and pushed the door open to let Lorelai in. He left her to be with her daughter.
Lorelai stood in the doorway and stared at her sleeping daughter, her baby. She stepped in and closed the door and walked over to Rory's bedside. She could see the bruises on the right side of Rory's face from where she had hit the ground. Her arm was in a cast that went from her shoulder to her fingers. Rory's arm was bent in the cast and resting on her stomach. They had not put the sling yet because they wanted her to be able to rest more comfortably.
"Oh, Rory," Lorelai said as she pulled a chair close to the bed. Lorelai took Rory's left hand and held it as she talked to her.
"So horseback riding's not your thing, huh?" she quipped. Her eyes showed no amusement, only concern and love for her daughter. "Maybe you should stick to the carousel."
Rory's eyes fluttered when she heard her mother talking to her.
"Mom," she said in a true almost-teenage exasperated tone. She was groggy, but she tried to force a smile for her mom.
"Hey, Honey," Lorelai said, her eyes glistening with unshed tears as she stood up and kissed her daughter on her forehead. "You should be sleeping."
"But you were talking," Rory reminded her mom.
"Oh, right," Lorelai laughed. "I'll be quiet now. Get some rest. I'll be right here."
Rory closed her eyes and Lorelai sat back down in the chair. She stroked her daughter's hand and eventually put her head down on the bed and fell asleep herself.