Chapter 28: Waiting Room Bingo
Luke sat in the hospital emergency room waiting area with his head in his hands, trying to stay calm. He glanced at his watch, noting that he had been waiting here thirty minutes, which made it approximately an hour since Lorelai had collapsed.
For the hundredth time, Luke replayed the scene in his head, but just like the preceding 99 replays, it played out the same. Luke stood up from his chair while he contemplated how worthless he had been to Lorelai. This was the woman he loved more that anything in the world, and all he could do was sit there, holding her hand, and try and tell her she would be alright.
Luke began to pace as he thought, God, Lorelai can't die, she just can't. It was tough enough losing Rachel, but if he lost Lorelai, he just might die. Just the thought that she might die was unbearable.
Pacing wasn't helping, so Luke once again tried to sit. He rested his forehead in his palms. That lasted for about two minutes before he sat up, looking around. He was sitting next to a table, covered with magazines. He reached out and randomly grabbed one and began paging through it, without paying a lot of attention what he was looking at. After a minute he realized that he was looking at a golfing magazine, and he couldn't stand golf. Disgusted, he stood up once again. He looked at his watch, and saw that another ten minutes had passed. God, the waiting is killing me.
Mostly because he couldn't think of anything else to do, Luke walked across the hall to the main desk. There was a red-haired woman in her forties, dressed as a nurse sitting at the desk. The woman looked up at Luke and asked in a pleasant voice, "What can I do for you?"
"Can you…" was all Luke managed to say before the phone on the desk next to the nurse began to ring.
The nurse smiled at Luke, held up a finger and said, "Just a second, handsome." The nurse picked up the phone and said, "Culpepper, ER admitting."
Nurse Culpepper listened at the phone for a moment, and then she said, "Hello, Clara." Culpepper listened for a moment then said, "Well I was thinking that we might try that new Thai place on Beaumont."
Luke listened to the conversation on the merits of various places to get dinner from for two minutes before he said, "Excuse me?"
Nurse Culpepper looked up at him and smiled. "I got to go, Clara." She hung up the phone, smiled at Luke and asked, "What can I do for you, handsome?"
"I was wondering if you could tell me anything about Lorelai Gilmore?" Luke asked. "She's been back there almost an hour, and I haven't heard anything."
"I'm sorry, sweetie, but I can't tell you anything, you'll have to talk to the doctor," the nurse answered.
"Well, then can you tell me where I can find the doctor?" Luke asked.
"I'm afraid you'll just have to wait for them to come to you."
"But I've been here almost an hour. How long does it take?"
"I'm sorry but I don't know that." Luke started to speak but Nurse Culpepper interrupted, "But if you are real nice, I can see if I can find anyone to speak to you."
Sounding relieved, Luke said, "Could you? That would be great."
"Sure, honey. What was your wife's name again?"
"Gilmore, Lorelai Gilmore. But she's not my wife," Luke replied.
"Not your wife?" Nurse Culpepper asked.
When Luke shook his head, she asked, "Sister?"
"No, she's my fiancée," Luke said.
"Oh, I'm sorry," the nurse said, "We can only give out information to family."
"Didn't you hear me?" Luke asked, trying to remain calm. "I said she's my fiancée. That means we are getting married."
Nurse Culpepper looked apologetic as she said, "I know, but the state of Connecticut doesn't consider a fiancée to have any legal standing."
"I was good enough to fill out all those admission and insurance forms you needed, but now you can't tell me anything. That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard." Luke said, leaning forward.
Nurse Culpepper leaned closer to Luke and in a slightly hushed voice said, "I don't disagree with you, handsome, but I don't make up the rules." Luke started to protest, but stopped when the nurse held up a hand, and in a yet softer voice said, "That's why I suggest that if anyone else asks you, you should fib a little and tell them you're her husband."
Luke stared at the nurse while her statement sank in. He calmed, and said, "Oh, okay. I'll do that."
Nurse Culpepper smiled up at him, and in a normal tone asked, "Now who were you asking about, sir?"
"Oh, yeah," Luke replied, "I'm asking about Lorelai Gilmore." Nurse Culpepper looked up at Luke with a question in her eyes. Luke paused a second then said, "Right. She's my wife."
The nurse nodded and said, "If you'll go sit down, I'll see if I can find someone to talk to you."
"Thanks," Luke replied, then returned to the waiting area.
Five minutes later, Luke looked up to see an oriental woman wearing a white lab coat over green scrubs enter the room. But Luke's hopes were dashed when the woman walked to a young couple on the other side of the waiting room. Trying to fight off the disappointment, Luke sighed and leaned forward to rest his head in hands.
After another five minutes, Luke heard someone say, "Mr. Gilmore." He looked up to see Nurse Culpepper standing at the door. After a second, Luke realized that she was talking to him.
He stood and walked to her asking, "Yes?"
"I'm afraid, I don't have any news for you, but if you would like you can go back and see your wife."
Luke's fear of hospitals caused him to pause a second, but he quickly recovered and said, "Yes, please."
The nurse pointed up the corridor and said, "Go through those doors and it's the third room on the left."
"Thanks," Luke answered. He took a deep breath to steel himself, and then walked towards the doors.
Luke sat in the hospital emergency room waiting area with his head in his hands, trying to stay calm. He glanced at his watch, noting that he had been waiting here thirty minutes, which made it approximately an hour since Lorelai had collapsed.
For the hundredth time, Luke replayed the scene in his head, but just like the preceding 99 replays, it played out the same. Luke stood up from his chair while he contemplated how worthless he had been to Lorelai. This was the woman he loved more that anything in the world, and all he could do was sit there, holding her hand, and try and tell her she would be alright.
Luke began to pace as he thought, God, Lorelai can't die, she just can't. It was tough enough losing Rachel, but if he lost Lorelai, he just might die. Just the thought that she might die was unbearable.
Pacing wasn't helping, so Luke once again tried to sit. He rested his forehead in his palms. That lasted for about two minutes before he sat up, looking around. He was sitting next to a table, covered with magazines. He reached out and randomly grabbed one and began paging through it, without paying a lot of attention what he was looking at. After a minute he realized that he was looking at a golfing magazine, and he couldn't stand golf. Disgusted, he stood up once again. He looked at his watch, and saw that another ten minutes had passed. God, the waiting is killing me.
Mostly because he couldn't think of anything else to do, Luke walked across the hall to the main desk. There was a red-haired woman in her forties, dressed as a nurse sitting at the desk. The woman looked up at Luke and asked in a pleasant voice, "What can I do for you?"
"Can you…" was all Luke managed to say before the phone on the desk next to the nurse began to ring.
The nurse smiled at Luke, held up a finger and said, "Just a second, handsome." The nurse picked up the phone and said, "Culpepper, ER admitting."
Nurse Culpepper listened at the phone for a moment, and then she said, "Hello, Clara." Culpepper listened for a moment then said, "Well I was thinking that we might try that new Thai place on Beaumont."
Luke listened to the conversation on the merits of various places to get dinner from for two minutes before he said, "Excuse me?"
Nurse Culpepper looked up at him and smiled. "I got to go, Clara." She hung up the phone, smiled at Luke and asked, "What can I do for you, handsome?"
"I was wondering if you could tell me anything about Lorelai Gilmore?" Luke asked. "She's been back there almost an hour, and I haven't heard anything."
"I'm sorry, sweetie, but I can't tell you anything, you'll have to talk to the doctor," the nurse answered.
"Well, then can you tell me where I can find the doctor?" Luke asked.
"I'm afraid you'll just have to wait for them to come to you."
"But I've been here almost an hour. How long does it take?"
"I'm sorry but I don't know that." Luke started to speak but Nurse Culpepper interrupted, "But if you are real nice, I can see if I can find anyone to speak to you."
Sounding relieved, Luke said, "Could you? That would be great."
"Sure, honey. What was your wife's name again?"
"Gilmore, Lorelai Gilmore. But she's not my wife," Luke replied.
"Not your wife?" Nurse Culpepper asked.
When Luke shook his head, she asked, "Sister?"
"No, she's my fiancée," Luke said.
"Oh, I'm sorry," the nurse said, "We can only give out information to family."
"Didn't you hear me?" Luke asked, trying to remain calm. "I said she's my fiancée. That means we are getting married."
Nurse Culpepper looked apologetic as she said, "I know, but the state of Connecticut doesn't consider a fiancée to have any legal standing."
"I was good enough to fill out all those admission and insurance forms you needed, but now you can't tell me anything. That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard." Luke said, leaning forward.
Nurse Culpepper leaned closer to Luke and in a slightly hushed voice said, "I don't disagree with you, handsome, but I don't make up the rules." Luke started to protest, but stopped when the nurse held up a hand, and in a yet softer voice said, "That's why I suggest that if anyone else asks you, you should fib a little and tell them you're her husband."
Luke stared at the nurse while her statement sank in. He calmed, and said, "Oh, okay. I'll do that."
Nurse Culpepper smiled up at him, and in a normal tone asked, "Now who were you asking about, sir?"
"Oh, yeah," Luke replied, "I'm asking about Lorelai Gilmore." Nurse Culpepper looked up at Luke with a question in her eyes. Luke paused a second then said, "Right. She's my wife."
The nurse nodded and said, "If you'll go sit down, I'll see if I can find someone to talk to you."
"Thanks," Luke replied, then returned to the waiting area.
Five minutes later, Luke looked up to see an oriental woman wearing a white lab coat over green scrubs enter the room. But Luke's hopes were dashed when the woman walked to a young couple on the other side of the waiting room. Trying to fight off the disappointment, Luke sighed and leaned forward to rest his head in hands.
After another five minutes, Luke heard someone say, "Mr. Gilmore." He looked up to see Nurse Culpepper standing at the door. After a second, Luke realized that she was talking to him.
He stood and walked to her asking, "Yes?"
"I'm afraid, I don't have any news for you, but if you would like you can go back and see your wife."
Luke's fear of hospitals caused him to pause a second, but he quickly recovered and said, "Yes, please."
The nurse pointed up the corridor and said, "Go through those doors and it's the third room on the left."
"Thanks," Luke answered. He took a deep breath to steel himself, and then walked towards the doors.