Author's Note: Thanks again so much for the reviews. I still don't own the characters, locations, etc.
Lorelai and Emily managed to get to Hartford Memorial in record time. They rushed into the entrance and to the front desk where they found out that Richard was on the fourth floor. They rode the elevator in stunned silence until they emerged on the fourth floor.
"Excuse me I'm looking for my husband Richard Gilmore. They told me he was on this floor," Emily said robotically.
The nurse consulted clipboard that was hanging from a rack.
"I need to see him," Emily said.
The nurse was still scanning the paper, running her pen down the lines of information.
"Excuse me," Emily said loudly slamming her fist on the desk. "I'm not sure if you heard me, but I need to see my husband Richard Gilmore."
Lorelai quickly put a hand on Emily's shoulder to calm her down.
"I'm sorry," Lorelai interjected. "My mother and I are a little upset. You see we just got a call that my father collapsed at work and we're a little worried. Can you tell us where we can find him?"
"I understand, it can be a scary experience," the nurse replied. "I'll have the doctor come out and speak with you if you'd like to have a seat in those chairs," the nurse said pointing to a bay of chairs in the waiting area.
"Well, if you could just tell us where my Dad is maybe we could go see him and then we wouldn't be nervous?" Lorelai suggested.
"I'm sorry," the nurse said, "you'll have to speak to the doctor." That reply wasn't reassuring and it certainly wasn't what Lorelai or Emily wanted to hear. They obediently wandered over to the waiting area and sat.
"I can't believe this," Emily whispered. "I just can't believe this."
"I know Mom," Lorelai said putting a supportive arm around her mother. Lorelai, like Emily, felt dazed and unsure. They sat there for a moment in silence when they were approached by a doctor.
"Mrs. Gilmore?" the doctor asked.
Emily and Lorelai looked up. "Yes, I'm Mrs. Gilmore," Emily said.
"I'm Dr. Grayson," the doctor said. "I'm the head of cardiology and I was here when they brought your husband in."
"Is he okay? When can I see him?" Emily asked, the tears starting to gather in her eyes.
"I'm afraid that won't be for a while Mrs. Gilmore. Your husband collapsed at work and when he was brought in we did some tests. The results, unfortunately, were not what we'd hoped. We had to take Mr. Gilmore into surgery immediately. He was having chest pains and we determined that he needed to have immediate by-pass surgery." The doctor paused allowing this bit of information to sink in.
Emily, unable to hold it together any longer, started to weep quietly. Lorelai, although shocked, had to keep it together for her mother.
"So, is my Dad going to be okay? How long is the surgery? Is it risky? Please, tell us what's going on," Lorelai asked slightly frantic.
"I understand your concerns. The positive side of this is that he didn't have a heart attack. The downside if of course, that he is currently having a double by-pass. Things are progressing nicely and I see no reason that he shouldn't come out of the surgery all right. I'll keep you posted on his condition," Dr. Grayson said.
"Thank you," Lorelai replied, still holding Emily as she wept. "Please let us know the minute you hear something, or when we can see him," Lorelai said. Dr. Grayson nodded his head and walked away leaving Emily hunched over in Lorelai's lap.
"He'll be okay Mom," Lorelai tried to reassure her. "You heard Dr. Grayson. He said he thinks everything should be fine." Lorelai was trying to convince her mother, as well as herself of this fact.
Emily wiped her eyes and looked up at Lorelai. "A double by-pass Lorelai. Do you have any idea of how serious that is? This is all my fault," Emily said wearily.
"Mom, how is this your fault?" Lorelai asked.
"I wasn't around. I left. I wasn't there to tell your father to eat right or that he should exercise more," Emily said.
"Mom, Dad has had heart trouble before. This could've happened even if you'd been there," Lorelai reasoned.
"No," Emily replied. "It might not have. We could have avoided this. I'm sure the stress of the separation didn't help. If anything happens to Richard I'll never forgive myself," Emily stated plainly.
At that moment a co-worker of Richard's approached Emily to speak with her about what happened. Lorelai used this opportunity to excuse herself. She needed to call Sookie and Michel. She realized that she dashed out of the Dragonfly without telling anyone where she'd gone. She wondered if she should get in touch with Rory. She was all the way in California with Christopher, but Lorelai thought she'd want to know what was happening. Lorelai half wondered if she wanted Rory there so she wouldn't feel so alone. Lorelai walked to a pay phone to call Sookie. This was definitely one of those days that Lorelai wished she had someone in her life to help hold her together. Instead she felt utterly alone.
Luke was wiping down the counter after the lunch rush. He glanced at the table the Emily and Lorelai had occupied only an hour ago. He thought about what he had overheard. Emily was telling Lorelai about Jason. Jason wanted to see her. 'Jason probably wanted to do a lot more than talk,' Luke thought. How could he blame him? Lorelai was a vivacious, funny, beautiful, single woman. Only an idiot would turn that down. 'Only I would be that stupid,' Luke thought to himself.
Luke realized he was rubbing the counter particularly hard, a nervous habit of his. He couldn't believe Jason might be back in the picture. Jason the jerk in the expensive foreign car who tried to run him off the road. Jason the egotist who thought he could swoop in and drop a lawsuit and Lorelai would take him back. Jason the man who would probably take Lorelai from him. In that moment Luke knew he had to tell Lorelai that he wanted to be with her. All the issues he had with his marriage were over. He hadn't wanted to rock the boat now that they were finally acting normal around each other again. But the thought of Jason trying to win Lorelai back, the thought of her taking him back, was too much for Luke to stomach.
"Caesar, Lane," Luke yelled. "Watch the diner. I'll be back later," Luke yelled as he grabbed his keys and set off for the Dragonfly.
Luke jumped out of his truck and ran into the Dragonfly. He wasn't about to let Jason beat him to the punch. He saw Sookie standing at the front desk, which he thought was odd, but he approached her.
"Sookie, where's Lorelai?" he asked her.
"Luke, hey. Lorelai isn't here. She got a call and her Dad collapsed at work. Lorelai drove Emily to Hartford Memorial and he's in surgery right now," Sookie said glumly.
"Oh my god," Luke said. "That's horrible. Is he gonna be okay?'
"Lorelai said she didn't know. They said the doctors have a positive outlook right now but he's still in surgery and they won't know for a while."
"Does Rory know?" Luke asked.
"Lorelai wasn't sure if she should call her. You know she's with Chris in California, but she's supposed to be home tomorrow. Lorelai doesn't want to worry her when she really can't get home any sooner anyway."
"Right," Luke said contemplating this news. "Is Emily okay? Is Lorelai alright? I know the last time something like this happened they were both pretty freaked out," Luke said remembering his last trip with Lorelai to see Richard in the hospital.
"Oh, that's right," Sookie said. "You were with Lorelai last time her Dad was in the hospital."
"Yeah, unfortunately this sounds a lot worse," Luke replied, still thinking. "Did you say they were at Hartford Memorial?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Nothing," Luke replied. "I'll see you later Sookie. Thanks for the news."
Luke turned around and left the inn. Sookie had a sneaking suspicion that he wasn't headed back to the diner.
TBC
Lorelai and Emily managed to get to Hartford Memorial in record time. They rushed into the entrance and to the front desk where they found out that Richard was on the fourth floor. They rode the elevator in stunned silence until they emerged on the fourth floor.
"Excuse me I'm looking for my husband Richard Gilmore. They told me he was on this floor," Emily said robotically.
The nurse consulted clipboard that was hanging from a rack.
"I need to see him," Emily said.
The nurse was still scanning the paper, running her pen down the lines of information.
"Excuse me," Emily said loudly slamming her fist on the desk. "I'm not sure if you heard me, but I need to see my husband Richard Gilmore."
Lorelai quickly put a hand on Emily's shoulder to calm her down.
"I'm sorry," Lorelai interjected. "My mother and I are a little upset. You see we just got a call that my father collapsed at work and we're a little worried. Can you tell us where we can find him?"
"I understand, it can be a scary experience," the nurse replied. "I'll have the doctor come out and speak with you if you'd like to have a seat in those chairs," the nurse said pointing to a bay of chairs in the waiting area.
"Well, if you could just tell us where my Dad is maybe we could go see him and then we wouldn't be nervous?" Lorelai suggested.
"I'm sorry," the nurse said, "you'll have to speak to the doctor." That reply wasn't reassuring and it certainly wasn't what Lorelai or Emily wanted to hear. They obediently wandered over to the waiting area and sat.
"I can't believe this," Emily whispered. "I just can't believe this."
"I know Mom," Lorelai said putting a supportive arm around her mother. Lorelai, like Emily, felt dazed and unsure. They sat there for a moment in silence when they were approached by a doctor.
"Mrs. Gilmore?" the doctor asked.
Emily and Lorelai looked up. "Yes, I'm Mrs. Gilmore," Emily said.
"I'm Dr. Grayson," the doctor said. "I'm the head of cardiology and I was here when they brought your husband in."
"Is he okay? When can I see him?" Emily asked, the tears starting to gather in her eyes.
"I'm afraid that won't be for a while Mrs. Gilmore. Your husband collapsed at work and when he was brought in we did some tests. The results, unfortunately, were not what we'd hoped. We had to take Mr. Gilmore into surgery immediately. He was having chest pains and we determined that he needed to have immediate by-pass surgery." The doctor paused allowing this bit of information to sink in.
Emily, unable to hold it together any longer, started to weep quietly. Lorelai, although shocked, had to keep it together for her mother.
"So, is my Dad going to be okay? How long is the surgery? Is it risky? Please, tell us what's going on," Lorelai asked slightly frantic.
"I understand your concerns. The positive side of this is that he didn't have a heart attack. The downside if of course, that he is currently having a double by-pass. Things are progressing nicely and I see no reason that he shouldn't come out of the surgery all right. I'll keep you posted on his condition," Dr. Grayson said.
"Thank you," Lorelai replied, still holding Emily as she wept. "Please let us know the minute you hear something, or when we can see him," Lorelai said. Dr. Grayson nodded his head and walked away leaving Emily hunched over in Lorelai's lap.
"He'll be okay Mom," Lorelai tried to reassure her. "You heard Dr. Grayson. He said he thinks everything should be fine." Lorelai was trying to convince her mother, as well as herself of this fact.
Emily wiped her eyes and looked up at Lorelai. "A double by-pass Lorelai. Do you have any idea of how serious that is? This is all my fault," Emily said wearily.
"Mom, how is this your fault?" Lorelai asked.
"I wasn't around. I left. I wasn't there to tell your father to eat right or that he should exercise more," Emily said.
"Mom, Dad has had heart trouble before. This could've happened even if you'd been there," Lorelai reasoned.
"No," Emily replied. "It might not have. We could have avoided this. I'm sure the stress of the separation didn't help. If anything happens to Richard I'll never forgive myself," Emily stated plainly.
At that moment a co-worker of Richard's approached Emily to speak with her about what happened. Lorelai used this opportunity to excuse herself. She needed to call Sookie and Michel. She realized that she dashed out of the Dragonfly without telling anyone where she'd gone. She wondered if she should get in touch with Rory. She was all the way in California with Christopher, but Lorelai thought she'd want to know what was happening. Lorelai half wondered if she wanted Rory there so she wouldn't feel so alone. Lorelai walked to a pay phone to call Sookie. This was definitely one of those days that Lorelai wished she had someone in her life to help hold her together. Instead she felt utterly alone.
Luke was wiping down the counter after the lunch rush. He glanced at the table the Emily and Lorelai had occupied only an hour ago. He thought about what he had overheard. Emily was telling Lorelai about Jason. Jason wanted to see her. 'Jason probably wanted to do a lot more than talk,' Luke thought. How could he blame him? Lorelai was a vivacious, funny, beautiful, single woman. Only an idiot would turn that down. 'Only I would be that stupid,' Luke thought to himself.
Luke realized he was rubbing the counter particularly hard, a nervous habit of his. He couldn't believe Jason might be back in the picture. Jason the jerk in the expensive foreign car who tried to run him off the road. Jason the egotist who thought he could swoop in and drop a lawsuit and Lorelai would take him back. Jason the man who would probably take Lorelai from him. In that moment Luke knew he had to tell Lorelai that he wanted to be with her. All the issues he had with his marriage were over. He hadn't wanted to rock the boat now that they were finally acting normal around each other again. But the thought of Jason trying to win Lorelai back, the thought of her taking him back, was too much for Luke to stomach.
"Caesar, Lane," Luke yelled. "Watch the diner. I'll be back later," Luke yelled as he grabbed his keys and set off for the Dragonfly.
Luke jumped out of his truck and ran into the Dragonfly. He wasn't about to let Jason beat him to the punch. He saw Sookie standing at the front desk, which he thought was odd, but he approached her.
"Sookie, where's Lorelai?" he asked her.
"Luke, hey. Lorelai isn't here. She got a call and her Dad collapsed at work. Lorelai drove Emily to Hartford Memorial and he's in surgery right now," Sookie said glumly.
"Oh my god," Luke said. "That's horrible. Is he gonna be okay?'
"Lorelai said she didn't know. They said the doctors have a positive outlook right now but he's still in surgery and they won't know for a while."
"Does Rory know?" Luke asked.
"Lorelai wasn't sure if she should call her. You know she's with Chris in California, but she's supposed to be home tomorrow. Lorelai doesn't want to worry her when she really can't get home any sooner anyway."
"Right," Luke said contemplating this news. "Is Emily okay? Is Lorelai alright? I know the last time something like this happened they were both pretty freaked out," Luke said remembering his last trip with Lorelai to see Richard in the hospital.
"Oh, that's right," Sookie said. "You were with Lorelai last time her Dad was in the hospital."
"Yeah, unfortunately this sounds a lot worse," Luke replied, still thinking. "Did you say they were at Hartford Memorial?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Nothing," Luke replied. "I'll see you later Sookie. Thanks for the news."
Luke turned around and left the inn. Sookie had a sneaking suspicion that he wasn't headed back to the diner.
TBC