The bright January sun was shining through the sleepy darkness in Rory's hospital room to find Lorelai resting her head on Rory's bed, asleep.  Rory was sleeping off the effects of the pain medicine she had been given the day before.  The sun hit Lorelai's face and woke her up just as the doctor came into the room to check on his patient. 

            Lorelai looked around the room to find flowers, get well balloons, and an arrangement of stuffed animals.

            "People have been bringing stuff by all morning," the doctor explained to her.  "There's quite a group waiting out there to see this little girl."

            Lorelai smiled, her heart warmed by the kindness of the town she and Rory loved.  "What time is it?" Lorelai asked.  

            "9:30," the doctor answered.  "I was stopping by to see if Rory was up.  We need to get her up and moving.  Here are some pajamas for her.  Your friend Sookie brought them by."

            "Thanks.  I'll get her up."

            "Okay.  Take a walk around to see how she's feeling and I'll check out her arm and if everything's fine you two can go home in a couple of hours."

            "Great," Lorelai said as the doctor left the room.  "Hey, Honey," Lorelai said as she brushed some hair back from Rory's face.  "You have to get up now, doctor's orders."

            Rory opened her eyes and saw her mother.  She blinked as her eyes adjusted to the light.

            "How long was I asleep?"

            "You were out all night.  Slept like a baby.  Which is an untrue statement if you think about it.  You never slept like a baby as a baby.  You were up every few hours wanting to be fed or changed or one of those other annoying things babies cry for.  And just when I thought you were going back to sleep, you would wake and start crying all over again.  I swear I didn't sleep through the night until you were five."

            "Well sorry I kept you up," Rory said with a mischievous smile.

            "Yeah well, I'm over it.  Look, Sookie brought you some pj's.  And look at all the stuff you've gotten," Lorelai gestured to all the presents around the room.

            Rory's face showed amazement at all the stuff as she looked around the room.

            "Who brought all this?"

            "Apparently the whole town is out there waiting to see you.  Now let's get you up and changed.  The doctor wants you to take a few laps around the hospital before you can go home.

            Lorelai helped Rory get up and get changed.  Rory knew she was going to need a lot of help for a while.  She was going to be left handed for a few months.  Lorelai brushed her daughter's hair as Rory really examined her cast for the first time.  "This is some cast," she commented.  "When can I take it off?"

            "The doctor said in eight or ten weeks.  And they're going to bring you a sling to wear. 

            Rory sighed.  "How am I supposed to write for school?  I won't even be able to tie my shoes."

            "That's what I'm here for," Lorelai said.  "Don't worry, Honey.  We'll work it out."

            As the two were talking a nurse came in carrying another delivery of flowers.  She was also carrying the sling that Rory would have to wear.  She set the flowers down on one of the remaining open spots on the bedside table.

            "Okay, Rory," the nurse said.  "This is your sling.  You need to wear this all the time except when you're sleeping and showering and such."  She slipped the sling over Rory's head and fit it under arm and then adjusted it so it was tight enough so that it fit snuggly under her arm.  "There.  How's that?"

            "Fine," Rory answered with a sigh.  She didn't want to have to be in the sling.  Stupid horse. 

            Once the nurse left, Rory took the card from the most recent delivery of flowers. 

            "It's from Dad," she said with a smile.  "'Dear Rory, I hope you feel better soon.  I'll be there if you need me.  Love, Dad.'" She read the card to her mother. 

            "Aww, that's nice," Lorelai said, her voice sincere.  "He told me yesterday on the phone that he would come out.  I told him to wait and see how you are."

            "He doesn't need to come all the way here just for this," Rory said.  She would love to see her father, but he was just starting to get somewhere in his job and Rory understood how important that was. 

            "We can call him later and you can tell him that you're okay."  Rory nodded in agreement.

            Following the doctor's orders, Lorelai and Rory walked around the hospital.  Lorelai kept a supporting hand on Rory's back the entire time in case she needed someone to lean on.  By the end Rory felt a little woozy and tired and was ready to go back to sleep.  The girls returned to the hospital room and the doctor came by soon after saying he was releasing Rory. 

            "Here is a prescription for some pain medicine," the doctor handed the paper to Lorelai.  "Only give it to her if she really needs it because it will make her very drowsy."

            Lorelai took the prescription.  "Will do, Doc."

            "And," the doctor continued, "Rory should stay home from school for the next three days.  That will give her the rest of this week and the weekend to rest.  Just lay around, sleep, watch TV.  It'll be good for your arm and give your head a chance to heal all the way."

            "But," Rory immediately started to protest.  She couldn't miss that much school!

            "Relax," Lorelai cut her off.  "I'll talk to the school and Lane will pick up your work.  It'll be fine."

            Rory sighed, resigned to having to miss school.  She had never missed three days of school in her life!

            The nurse brought in a wheelchair for Rory to take her out to the car.

            "You just need to sign some papers, Ms. Gilmore, and you guys can get out of here," the doctor said.

            "I can walk," Rory eyed the wheelchair. 

            "Honey, just sit down.  I'll take you out to talk to everyone and then I'll come back here and sign the papers and clear the room out and then we can get you home."

            "Okay," Rory said and sat down.  Lorelai wheeled her out to the waiting room.  Many of the townsfolk, and her grandparents, were there, ready to give Rory all the sympathy they could.  Lorelai left her and went back to sign Rory out.  After a few trips, Lorelai, with the help of Luke, loaded her Jeep and Luke's truck full of flowers, balloons, and stuffed animals.  It wouldn't all fit in the Jeep, not if they wanted to get Rory in there too.

            Lorelai went back in for Rory and the town started filing out promising to visit her later.  Emily and Richard were still talking to Rory when Lorelai came up. 

            "Lorelai," Emily said.  "You need to talk to her about when she's going to go riding again."

            "What?!" Rory exclaimed  "Riding again?  I'm never getting on a horse again!"

            "Mom," Lorelai said, exasperated.  "Now is not the time.  Can we talk about this later?"  Lorelai understood what her mother was trying to say.  She knew that it was important for Rory to ride a horse again, even just one more time, so she wouldn't be afraid of them for the rest of her life.  But Emily had terrible timing and Rory didn't want to hear anything about it.

            "Later?" Rory asked.  "We won't need to talk about it later because I can tell you right now that I'm not riding a horse again."

            "Rory," Emily started, but Lorelai cut her off. 

            "Not now, Mother!"

            "Fine, but you better talk about it soon."

            Lorelai let out a frustrated sigh and changed the subject. 

            "Come on, Sweets, let's get you home."  She and Rory said goodbye to Emily and Richard and walked out to the Jeep.