I Miss You
Chapter 13: I Smell Your Skin
She lays in her bed thinking. Her family members are in the hallway harassing the doctor while the orderly prepares to move her to a new room. She yawns, amazed that she can still be tired after sleeping for nearly a whole day. Aside from that, she feels alright. Her head aches a little and her shoulder is beginning to turn a disgusting shade of green where she landed on it. There are a few scrapes on the side of her face, but nothing permanently disfiguring. She feels extremely lucky to be alive at all.
She waves and smiles reassuringly at her family as she is wheeled past them on her bed. Her smiles grows larger when she sees Luke, staring straight down at his shoes, trying not to notice the other patients. Her grandmother is still harassing the doctor while her grandfather reclines in a chair reading the paper. Her mother and father are in deep discussion about something, but turn their attention to her as she passes. Yup, everything as it should be.
***
Her mother is the first one to enter her room. "Hey, babe!"
"Someone's awfully cheery for two in the morning," Rory grumbles good-naturedly.
Lorelai shrugs. "That's because my little girl is going to be just fine."
"Glad to hear it. Where's everyone else?"
"Your doctor sent them home. They have to wait until tomorrow morning to see you, when regular visiting hours start. I don't, though, because they acknowledge my birthright as Queen of the Universe."
"Oh mighty Queen of the Universe, how about pulling some strings and getting me out of here."
"Sorry, lowly Princess of the Universe. The Royal Doctor has decreed that you must be kept in this Fortress of Solitude until Superman flies in to rescue you."
Rory blinks. "You just mixed well known pop culture with your own delusional tendencies."
Lorelai dismisses the charge with a wave of her hand. "You know," she says, adopting a more serious tone, "Tristin was here earlier."
"Oh, really?" she asks, feigning a disinterested tone.
"Uh huh," she responds eloquently.
"That's nice."
"Isn't it?"
"Mom!" she says exasperatedly.
"What?"
"Is there something else? Did he have anything to say? How did he look?"
"He looked pretty shaken. He stayed outside your room all day until just before you woke up. Not a lot to say, really, he just wanted to see that you were okay."
"Oh," she says, disappointed. She quickly changes the subject. "So what did the doctor really say?"
"He said that he wants to keep you overnight for observation before he sends you home. He just wants to be sure you're okay before he lets you leave."
"Okay," she says, letting out another huge yawn.
"Alright, I'm going to go. I'll be back tomorrow morning. I love you, sweetie."
"Love you too."
Lorelai walks out of the room, gently pulling the door closed behind her. Luke is waiting for her in the hallway. "Did you get a hold of Tristin?" she asks.
"He hasn't been home since he left the hospital, but I left a voice mail on his cell phone a little while ago," he responds.
"I wonder where we went," she says, her forehead crinkling with worry.
"I'm sure he's fine. He's just got some issues to work through."
"I hope you're right."
***
Rory lets her heavy eyelids slide closed. So tired. It has been wonderful to wake and see her father sitting there. He had been whispering something as she woke up, but she doesn't remember the exact words. Oh well. She will ask him tomorrow.
Outside in the parking lot, Tristin sits in his car, in the exact same parking space he has been in since leaving the hospital two hours ago. He has spent the last few hours thinking about what Christopher had said. He realizes that it is probably very late and he should go home and get some sleep. He pulls out his cell phone to check the time and sees he has missed a call.
"Hey Tristin, it's Luke. Lorelai just wanted me to call and tell you that Rory woke up about an hour ago. She's fine and everything so they moved her out of the ICU...uh, I guess we'll talk to you tomorrow."
Tristin immediately opens his car door, needing to see for himself. He jogs in the entrance and immediately approaches the nurses station. "Rory Gilmore, she's been moved out of the ICU, what room is she in?"
"I'm sorry, visiting hours are over. You'll have to come back in the morning."
"Please," he whispers.
Something in his eyes stops her from saying the harsh words on the tip of her tongue. "Room 206. Five minutes," she says finally. She hands him a visitor's pass with a prim smile on her face.
"Thank you," he says, smiling at her gratefully. He runs up the stairwell, not having the patience to wait for an elevator. As he approaches her room, he slows his pace, almost to a halt. Just a quick peek, he promises himself.
He cracks the door a few inches, opening it as quietly as the squeaky hinges will allow. He slips inside her room, his eyes gradually adjusting to the dark. She is sleeping peacefully, looking much the same as she did when he saw her last. Only this time, no glass between them. He walks closer to her bed, examining the damage from the accident. A few scrapes, a couple bruises. No broken bones or internal damage. He breathes a sigh of relief. She will be just fine.
He turns his back to go, but discovers that he can't bring himself to leave, not yet. He lifts a chair in the corner, setting it down soundlessly next to her bed. He settles himself into the chair. He comforts himself, watching the steady rise and fall of her chest. Hesitantly, he reaches an unsteady hand toward her hair. He smoothes the tangled locks away from her face. She stirs a little, leaning her face into his touch. It's almost as if she can sense his presence. Gently, he intertwines his fingers with hers. Placing a kiss on the palm of her hand, he lays his head on the side of her bed. He doesn't sleep, but keeps a silent vigil all through the night.
***
When she wakes the next morning, it is very early. Something has woken her, but she doesn't know what. The sun has not yet risen, so it can't be that. She breathes deeply, and a familiar smell assaults her nose. She looks around the room sleepily, but no one is there. Then she looks down. There, in the standard sterile hospital sheets, is the soft imprint of his head.
13/21
Chapter 13: I Smell Your Skin
She lays in her bed thinking. Her family members are in the hallway harassing the doctor while the orderly prepares to move her to a new room. She yawns, amazed that she can still be tired after sleeping for nearly a whole day. Aside from that, she feels alright. Her head aches a little and her shoulder is beginning to turn a disgusting shade of green where she landed on it. There are a few scrapes on the side of her face, but nothing permanently disfiguring. She feels extremely lucky to be alive at all.
She waves and smiles reassuringly at her family as she is wheeled past them on her bed. Her smiles grows larger when she sees Luke, staring straight down at his shoes, trying not to notice the other patients. Her grandmother is still harassing the doctor while her grandfather reclines in a chair reading the paper. Her mother and father are in deep discussion about something, but turn their attention to her as she passes. Yup, everything as it should be.
***
Her mother is the first one to enter her room. "Hey, babe!"
"Someone's awfully cheery for two in the morning," Rory grumbles good-naturedly.
Lorelai shrugs. "That's because my little girl is going to be just fine."
"Glad to hear it. Where's everyone else?"
"Your doctor sent them home. They have to wait until tomorrow morning to see you, when regular visiting hours start. I don't, though, because they acknowledge my birthright as Queen of the Universe."
"Oh mighty Queen of the Universe, how about pulling some strings and getting me out of here."
"Sorry, lowly Princess of the Universe. The Royal Doctor has decreed that you must be kept in this Fortress of Solitude until Superman flies in to rescue you."
Rory blinks. "You just mixed well known pop culture with your own delusional tendencies."
Lorelai dismisses the charge with a wave of her hand. "You know," she says, adopting a more serious tone, "Tristin was here earlier."
"Oh, really?" she asks, feigning a disinterested tone.
"Uh huh," she responds eloquently.
"That's nice."
"Isn't it?"
"Mom!" she says exasperatedly.
"What?"
"Is there something else? Did he have anything to say? How did he look?"
"He looked pretty shaken. He stayed outside your room all day until just before you woke up. Not a lot to say, really, he just wanted to see that you were okay."
"Oh," she says, disappointed. She quickly changes the subject. "So what did the doctor really say?"
"He said that he wants to keep you overnight for observation before he sends you home. He just wants to be sure you're okay before he lets you leave."
"Okay," she says, letting out another huge yawn.
"Alright, I'm going to go. I'll be back tomorrow morning. I love you, sweetie."
"Love you too."
Lorelai walks out of the room, gently pulling the door closed behind her. Luke is waiting for her in the hallway. "Did you get a hold of Tristin?" she asks.
"He hasn't been home since he left the hospital, but I left a voice mail on his cell phone a little while ago," he responds.
"I wonder where we went," she says, her forehead crinkling with worry.
"I'm sure he's fine. He's just got some issues to work through."
"I hope you're right."
***
Rory lets her heavy eyelids slide closed. So tired. It has been wonderful to wake and see her father sitting there. He had been whispering something as she woke up, but she doesn't remember the exact words. Oh well. She will ask him tomorrow.
Outside in the parking lot, Tristin sits in his car, in the exact same parking space he has been in since leaving the hospital two hours ago. He has spent the last few hours thinking about what Christopher had said. He realizes that it is probably very late and he should go home and get some sleep. He pulls out his cell phone to check the time and sees he has missed a call.
"Hey Tristin, it's Luke. Lorelai just wanted me to call and tell you that Rory woke up about an hour ago. She's fine and everything so they moved her out of the ICU...uh, I guess we'll talk to you tomorrow."
Tristin immediately opens his car door, needing to see for himself. He jogs in the entrance and immediately approaches the nurses station. "Rory Gilmore, she's been moved out of the ICU, what room is she in?"
"I'm sorry, visiting hours are over. You'll have to come back in the morning."
"Please," he whispers.
Something in his eyes stops her from saying the harsh words on the tip of her tongue. "Room 206. Five minutes," she says finally. She hands him a visitor's pass with a prim smile on her face.
"Thank you," he says, smiling at her gratefully. He runs up the stairwell, not having the patience to wait for an elevator. As he approaches her room, he slows his pace, almost to a halt. Just a quick peek, he promises himself.
He cracks the door a few inches, opening it as quietly as the squeaky hinges will allow. He slips inside her room, his eyes gradually adjusting to the dark. She is sleeping peacefully, looking much the same as she did when he saw her last. Only this time, no glass between them. He walks closer to her bed, examining the damage from the accident. A few scrapes, a couple bruises. No broken bones or internal damage. He breathes a sigh of relief. She will be just fine.
He turns his back to go, but discovers that he can't bring himself to leave, not yet. He lifts a chair in the corner, setting it down soundlessly next to her bed. He settles himself into the chair. He comforts himself, watching the steady rise and fall of her chest. Hesitantly, he reaches an unsteady hand toward her hair. He smoothes the tangled locks away from her face. She stirs a little, leaning her face into his touch. It's almost as if she can sense his presence. Gently, he intertwines his fingers with hers. Placing a kiss on the palm of her hand, he lays his head on the side of her bed. He doesn't sleep, but keeps a silent vigil all through the night.
***
When she wakes the next morning, it is very early. Something has woken her, but she doesn't know what. The sun has not yet risen, so it can't be that. She breathes deeply, and a familiar smell assaults her nose. She looks around the room sleepily, but no one is there. Then she looks down. There, in the standard sterile hospital sheets, is the soft imprint of his head.
13/21