A/N: Just to answer someone's question - Yes, Cassy is a necessary part of the plot. You'll see why at the end. This is actually an idea I had a long time ago, but could never seem to approach it the right way until now.
A/N2: I forgot to put this at the beginning of the first chapter, but this fic is AU.
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Rory barely heard anything after that last statement. She dropped the phone, and stood in shock for a moment. Then, she went into Cassy's room.
"Cass, wake up," she said gently.
Cassy rubbed her eyes, squinting up at her big sister. "Rory, what's wrong?"
"Get dressed," Rory commanded.
Cassy yawned, and sat up, pulling the covers off. "I am dressed," she pointed out. "I fell asleep during Willy Wonka, remember?"
Rory nodded numbly. Now she remembered that she hadn't changed Cassy into her pajamas before putting her to bed. "Put your shoes on, then."
Cassy did as she was told, while Rory got the little girl's jacket out of the hall closet. Cassy came out of her bedroom clutching her favourite stuffed bear, which Rory had made for her when she was a baby. Wordlessly, she put on her jacket and followed her sister out to the car.
The drive to the hospital was short and quiet. Rory did her best to hide her worry from her baby sister, but Cassy saw how tightly Rory's ghost-white hands were gripping the steering wheel, and held her bear tighter. She didn't say anything for fear of the answer Rory would give, but when they pulled into the hospital parking lot she couldn't help but ask, in a small, quavering voice, "Why are we here?"
Rory leaned over and gave her sister a kiss to reassure her before answering. "Cassy, Mom was in an accident. She's alive, but it's pretty bad."
Cassy stayed quiet, absorbing this. Rory unbuckled and got out of the car, and after a second, Cassy did the same. Rory put an arm around her and led her into the hospital.
Rory made a beeline for the nurses' station. "Can you tell me where Lorelai Gilmore is?" she asked the woman behind the desk.
The nurse typed the name into the computer, and then looked back at Rory. "She's still in surgery, but she should be out soon. She's been in the OR for over an hour. You can wait outside."
Rory thanked the nurse, and led Cassy over to a chair by the pay phone. The younger Gilmore curled up in it while Rory phoned her grandparents.
"Hello?" answered Emily.
"Grandma, it's Rory."
"Rory, what's wrong? You sound awful."
"It's Mom," she replied. She explained about the dinner that Lorelai never showed up for, and not being able to find her, and getting the call about the accident.
"Where are you now? And where's Cassy?" Emily asked.
"We're at the hospital. She's right here next to me."
"I'll be right there," Emily promised.
Rory hung up, and dug around her purse for extra change. Next, she called Sookie and told her what had happened. Finally, she called her father.
By now Rory was crying. She managed to hide it from her little sister, keeping her back to Cassy and wiping the tears away with the back of her hand, but it was still obvious in her voice. "Dad, it's Rory," she said when Christopher picked up.
Christopher, who'd been slouching in his desk chair, bolted upright. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"
Rory swallowed, trying to make herself stop crying. "I'm fine. It's Mom. She's in the hospital, and it's really bad, and Daddy, I need you."
"I'm coming. Which hospital?"
Rory gave him directions, and they hung up. She reached into her purse for a tissue, and dried her face before turning back to her sister. "Hey, let's go get a soda," she suggested.
Cassy nodded, and followed Rory down the hall to the vending machines. Rory bought a Sprite for her sister, and a coffee for herself. Then, noticing how tired Cassy was, she picked her up and carried her back to the nurses' station.
"Excuse me, is Lorelai Gilmore out of surgery yet?" she asked the nurse.
A young doctor who had been standing a few feet away looked up suddenly. "Are you Rory Gilmore, by any chance?"
Rory nodded, balancing Cassy on her hip. "Yes, that's me. Do you know how my mom is doing?"
The doctor took a step toward her. "I'm Dr. Andrews, we spoke on the phone. I'm your mother's doctor."
"Where is she?" Rory asked anxiously.
"In a room down the hall," Dr. Andrews replied. "She's in critical condition. There's a bit of internal bleeding, but as far as we can tell, none of it is near the brain. She did hit her head pretty hard, though. Also, there were a few broken ribs. She was lucky. From what I could tell of the accident, it could have been her neck."
Rory shifted Cassy's weight, processing this. Before she had time to respond, she heard Emily's voice from across the nurses' station.
"Rory, there you are," Emily said, leading Richard over to their granddaughters. "What's going on?"
Rory finally found her voice. "Grandma, Grandpa, this is Dr. Andrews, Mom's doctor."
The doctor shook hands with Richard and Emily, and repeated what he'd told Rory.
"Is she going to be all right?" Richard asked.
Dr. Andrews hesitated before answering, "Probably. Right now, we need someone to fill out paperwork regarding her insurance and such."
"I'll do it," Richard offered.
"When can I see my daughter?" Emily cut in.
"I guess you can see her now, but someone should stay out here," the doctor said. "The police were waiting until we were able to contact a relative, and they want to talk to one of you about the accident."
Rory quickly volunteered. "I'll talk to them."
"Are you sure?" asked Emily.
Rory nodded. She wanted to know what had happened, and besides, she wasn't sure she was ready to see Lorelai just yet. Richard and Emily kissed both of their granddaughters, and then followed the doctor down the hall. Rory, still holding a half-asleep Cassy, sunk down into a chair to wait for the police.
A/N2: I forgot to put this at the beginning of the first chapter, but this fic is AU.
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Rory barely heard anything after that last statement. She dropped the phone, and stood in shock for a moment. Then, she went into Cassy's room.
"Cass, wake up," she said gently.
Cassy rubbed her eyes, squinting up at her big sister. "Rory, what's wrong?"
"Get dressed," Rory commanded.
Cassy yawned, and sat up, pulling the covers off. "I am dressed," she pointed out. "I fell asleep during Willy Wonka, remember?"
Rory nodded numbly. Now she remembered that she hadn't changed Cassy into her pajamas before putting her to bed. "Put your shoes on, then."
Cassy did as she was told, while Rory got the little girl's jacket out of the hall closet. Cassy came out of her bedroom clutching her favourite stuffed bear, which Rory had made for her when she was a baby. Wordlessly, she put on her jacket and followed her sister out to the car.
The drive to the hospital was short and quiet. Rory did her best to hide her worry from her baby sister, but Cassy saw how tightly Rory's ghost-white hands were gripping the steering wheel, and held her bear tighter. She didn't say anything for fear of the answer Rory would give, but when they pulled into the hospital parking lot she couldn't help but ask, in a small, quavering voice, "Why are we here?"
Rory leaned over and gave her sister a kiss to reassure her before answering. "Cassy, Mom was in an accident. She's alive, but it's pretty bad."
Cassy stayed quiet, absorbing this. Rory unbuckled and got out of the car, and after a second, Cassy did the same. Rory put an arm around her and led her into the hospital.
Rory made a beeline for the nurses' station. "Can you tell me where Lorelai Gilmore is?" she asked the woman behind the desk.
The nurse typed the name into the computer, and then looked back at Rory. "She's still in surgery, but she should be out soon. She's been in the OR for over an hour. You can wait outside."
Rory thanked the nurse, and led Cassy over to a chair by the pay phone. The younger Gilmore curled up in it while Rory phoned her grandparents.
"Hello?" answered Emily.
"Grandma, it's Rory."
"Rory, what's wrong? You sound awful."
"It's Mom," she replied. She explained about the dinner that Lorelai never showed up for, and not being able to find her, and getting the call about the accident.
"Where are you now? And where's Cassy?" Emily asked.
"We're at the hospital. She's right here next to me."
"I'll be right there," Emily promised.
Rory hung up, and dug around her purse for extra change. Next, she called Sookie and told her what had happened. Finally, she called her father.
By now Rory was crying. She managed to hide it from her little sister, keeping her back to Cassy and wiping the tears away with the back of her hand, but it was still obvious in her voice. "Dad, it's Rory," she said when Christopher picked up.
Christopher, who'd been slouching in his desk chair, bolted upright. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"
Rory swallowed, trying to make herself stop crying. "I'm fine. It's Mom. She's in the hospital, and it's really bad, and Daddy, I need you."
"I'm coming. Which hospital?"
Rory gave him directions, and they hung up. She reached into her purse for a tissue, and dried her face before turning back to her sister. "Hey, let's go get a soda," she suggested.
Cassy nodded, and followed Rory down the hall to the vending machines. Rory bought a Sprite for her sister, and a coffee for herself. Then, noticing how tired Cassy was, she picked her up and carried her back to the nurses' station.
"Excuse me, is Lorelai Gilmore out of surgery yet?" she asked the nurse.
A young doctor who had been standing a few feet away looked up suddenly. "Are you Rory Gilmore, by any chance?"
Rory nodded, balancing Cassy on her hip. "Yes, that's me. Do you know how my mom is doing?"
The doctor took a step toward her. "I'm Dr. Andrews, we spoke on the phone. I'm your mother's doctor."
"Where is she?" Rory asked anxiously.
"In a room down the hall," Dr. Andrews replied. "She's in critical condition. There's a bit of internal bleeding, but as far as we can tell, none of it is near the brain. She did hit her head pretty hard, though. Also, there were a few broken ribs. She was lucky. From what I could tell of the accident, it could have been her neck."
Rory shifted Cassy's weight, processing this. Before she had time to respond, she heard Emily's voice from across the nurses' station.
"Rory, there you are," Emily said, leading Richard over to their granddaughters. "What's going on?"
Rory finally found her voice. "Grandma, Grandpa, this is Dr. Andrews, Mom's doctor."
The doctor shook hands with Richard and Emily, and repeated what he'd told Rory.
"Is she going to be all right?" Richard asked.
Dr. Andrews hesitated before answering, "Probably. Right now, we need someone to fill out paperwork regarding her insurance and such."
"I'll do it," Richard offered.
"When can I see my daughter?" Emily cut in.
"I guess you can see her now, but someone should stay out here," the doctor said. "The police were waiting until we were able to contact a relative, and they want to talk to one of you about the accident."
Rory quickly volunteered. "I'll talk to them."
"Are you sure?" asked Emily.
Rory nodded. She wanted to know what had happened, and besides, she wasn't sure she was ready to see Lorelai just yet. Richard and Emily kissed both of their granddaughters, and then followed the doctor down the hall. Rory, still holding a half-asleep Cassy, sunk down into a chair to wait for the police.