CHAPTER 20

Rory hoped Tristin would stop by for a visit. She even combed her hair and put a little make-up to make herself look presentable. When the hospital overhead pager announced the end of visiting hours, she was disappointed that he didn't come to see her again.

"I guess it's time for me to scoot on out of here," Lorelai announced.

"I guess so," Rory nodded sadly.

"Hey," Lorelai said as she picked up her Coach baguette, "Why don't you give him a ring?"

"Who?" Rory asked innocently.

"Chad Michael Murray," Lorelai sarcastically responded, "Tristin, you ninny. And don't deny it. You were thinking of him the whole time I was standing here."

"I'm sorry. I was thinking about school work," Rory fibbed. "And seriously, mom, you did not go see a Hilary Duff movie, did you?"

"Don't change the subject here!" Lorelai said. "And no, I didn't watch the movie. I saw a Dawson's Creek rerun. Bad plot but good-looking kid. I wonder what he's doing now?" she pondered. "I digress. Tristin is schoolwork?" Lorelai teased. "I think I need to go back to school."

"Mom!" Rory chastised. "Just drop it, okay. And Chad Michael Murray's going to be in a horror flick and is getting married. Anyway, he's too young for you."

"Bummer!" she thought out loud. "Alright, alright," Lorelai gave it a rest. "I don't want you to give up on him, though."

Rory blushed. "You know you're rooting for Bible Boy."

"So what? He's canonized in my book," Lorelai continued her jab.

"Wow, rooting for the enemy," Rory snorted at her mother. "It's the downfall of civilization." Rory was secretly happy that her mother has pretty much given her approval on her choice of soon-to-be boyfriend.

"Hey, cut me some slack," Lorelai hit her daughter's shoulder with the back of her hand. "I haven't had any Luke action."

"Oh, mom, do you have to tell me that?" Rory was incensed.

"Yes, because I'm not the only bad girl anymore," Lorelai said. "Anyway, I'm going. You're going to be okay?"

"Yeah," Rory said. "Can't wait to go home."

"Me, too," Lorelai said. She kissed her on her forehead. "Be ready to be out of here bright and early tomorrow. The clothes I got for you are in the closet."

"Thanks, mom," Rory said, a plastic smile on her face.

"Ms. Gilmore?" the nurse at the door asked.

"I'm gone," Lorelai said, excusing herself out of the room.

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"So, Ms. Gilmore, how'd you meet your man?" the nurse who was drawing her blood asked.

"Aw, he's not my man," she nervously giggled trying to avoid looking at the sharp point buried into her arm. "He's his own man. But I met him in school."

"He's a handsome specimen of manhood. You're lucky," she said again as she put a band-aid on the punctured site. "He was here for the longest time."

She blushed again. "Yeah, he's a good guy."

"Ms. Gilmore!" Dr. Bennett greeted as she came into the room. "I see you're looking better." The nurse excused herself as soon as Dr. Bennett got to her bedside.

"I feel better," Rory admitted.

Dr. Bennett flipped through her clipboard and looked at Rory's chart. "Well, you're temperature's down and your blood pressure's normal... When are you going back to school?"

"I was hoping this Monday," Rory said looking at Dr. Bennett with a quizzical look.

The doctor looked over the clipboard. "Do you want me to set up an appointment with a grief counselor at Yale for you?"

Rory pondered her words for a moment. "I-I don't think that's necessary."

"Are you sure? There's no shame in asking for guidance. Losing a child is not an easy thing to get over. Hormones are going to be off..." she tried explaining.

"I'll be fine, Dr. Bennett," she snapped. "I'm sorry," she said immediately. "I know you're just trying to help."

"That's okay," Dr. Bennett said. "I understand that this is a stressful time. However, I am giving you this," she continued on, flashing her a weak smile. "This is a counselor's name and number that you might be willing to help you out... That is if you want it."

Rory gingerly took the card that her doctor handed her.

"If your white blood cell count comes down by the morning, you can get released," she said before hanging up the clipboard. "Do you have any questions for me?"

Rory looked at her and shook her head 'no'.

"Alright. Have a good rest. I'll check up on you tomorrow and get you released," she ended.

"Rory waited until Dr. Bennett left the room. She looked at the card Dr. Bennett handed her. A pain in her heart seared through her. She put her hand on her mouth to muffle a strangled cry. 'Goodbye, little angel.' She mourned her baby in silence. Her cries lulled her to sleep.

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Night passed and the daylight came quickly. Rory had strange dreams of meeting Tristin at Chapman Falls and it took her a long time to shake those thoughts. She was glad for the distraction Lorelai brought her when she knocked on her hospital room door.

"Ready to bust out this joint?" Lorelai asked.

"Am I ever," Rory sighed as she put her hair up on a ponytail. "Hey, what's that?"

"This?" Lorelai feigned innocence as she stared at the bouquet of flowers on her hand. "Oh, nothing."

"Mom, you didn't have to!" Rory said smiling.

Lorelai scoffed at her daughter. "What made you think these were for you?"

"Oh, I forgot," Rory responded, knocking her forehead with the palm of her hand. "It's for the old man next door you bumped uglies with so you didn't have to get a hotel room."

"I liked you better when you were sick," Lorelai gloated. "If you must know, it's for Tristin."

"Tristin?" Rory inquired emphatically. "He's a tulip and daffodil kind of guy? Where'd you get them? I know tulips are not in season."

"He'll get the inside joke," Lorelai responded coolly. "Cinnamon trees were a little harder to get. Plus, he won't have a place to plant it."

Rory just shot her mother an odd look. She had been given the thumbs up earlier by Dr. Bennett to check out of the hospital. That Saturday morning felt like her Independence Day. She was free of all commitments and ready to start anew.

Rory was forced to ride in a wheelchair. She was not pleased that she was being treated like an invalid but her mother told her to milk it for what it's worth. Before they left the hospital, her mother told her to wait by the nurses' station.

"Uhm, excuse me," Lorelai disturbed a nurse whose nose is buried in a chart. "Where do we get our bill?"

"And the name please?" she asked without emotion.

"Lorelai Gilmore?" she indicated.

The nurse flipped through the other clipboards until she found Rory's name. "According to the chart, her bill has been settled."

Lorelai's eyebrow creased. "I know she has insurance but..."

"Weren't you informed? Her husband, Mr. DuGrey, settled the bill yesterday morning. Here's a copy of the receipt," the nurse informed her.

Lorelai took the yellow copy and studied it. "Husband, huh? Tristin, I think you've just reached God status." She huffed and looked at the unsuspecting Rory.

"Lucy, you have some explaining to do," Lorelai told her daughter in her worst Ricky Ricardo imitation.

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"Unbelievable!" Rory yelled out as she tossed her keys on the side table as she entered the crap shack.

"Tell me about it!" Lorelai agreed.

The mother-daughter team sat on the sofa in unison. Both of them remained in silence.

Before Lorelai and Rory left the Garden State, the couple visited Tristin's dorm once more to say goodbye. Bouquet at hand and a swagger to match, hoots and hollers were heard down the hall.

"Maybe I should go back to college again," Lorelai told her daughter. "Remember when we visited Harvard?"

"Mom!' she chided her mother. "What is it with you and jailbait? These people are my age!"

"Aw, don't be a prude!" she eyed her daughter. "I just want to know that my caboose still gets a little attention every now and then!" she said emphasizing her point by giving her rear a resounding smack.

"We're here," Rory mumbled, giving the door a resounding knock. Shortly after that, Matt met them at the door.

"Oh hi!" Matt greeted. "Rory, are you doing better?"

"Much, thanks again," she greeted. "Matt, my mom."

"Oh hi. Pleasure meeting you!" Lorelai exchanged the greeting, extending a hand. Rory felt uncomfortable that she caught Matt eyeing her mother.

"Uh, is Tristin here?" Rory asked.

"Uh, no," Matt stuttered, focusing back on Rory. "I- he left a note saying he went to Devil's Hopyard State Park. I don't know when he'll be back."

"Where the heck is that?" Lorelai snorted.

"Hartford," Rory said absentmindedly... Where he goes to get away and think of it all.

"Well, thanks again, Matt," Rory extended her gratitude. "Mom, we have to go."

"Now?" Lorelai seemed confused.

"Yes. Be nice now and say goodbye to the nice man," Rory placated her mother.

"Oh, okay," Lorelai said. "Oh, before anything else," Lorelai turned around and faced Matt. "These are now for you." She handed Matt the flowers.

"Thanks, Mrs. Gilmore," Matt said, confusion written all over his face.

"It's MIZ Gilmore. The missus is my mother!" Lorelai called out as her daughter drugged her out.

"I can't believe that Tristin didn't say goodbye to me before leaving," Rory muttered.

"Well you seem acquainted with Devil's Hopyard State Park," Lorelai reminded her.

"That's his sanctuary. I can't visit him there," Rory grumbled.

Lorelai looked at her moping daughter. "I bet he has his reasons."

"I hope so," she added.

"Ice cream?" Lorelai asked.

"Coffee," Rory responded.

"My girl's back," Lorelai whooped as she helped her daughter off of her couch.