It seemed that it had been forever before Rory realized that she couldn't cry anymore. She felt dry again, but strangely relaxed. She felt her old self beginning to come back, the self that she was now realizing she had left at home with Lorelai.
She looked up to Luke, who was squirming in his seat. She sniffed, wiping under her eyes for traces of mascara, and then, thinking better of it, wiping each eye with the back of her hand, smearing, she was sure, the eye makeup she had applied so carefully that morning.
No... no... it's fine, he said, but Rory knew that he was glad that she had finally stopped crying.
Rory trailed off.
Luke squirmed again, and then he began to speak. So. Well... uh... I guess I'll start that day. The day she came back from New York.
*~*Flashback*~*
Lorelai walked into the diner, as she always did around this time of day. Luke knew that she had gone, again, to visit Rory in the city. It had been so long since any of them had seen her, besides Lorelai. But Lorelai was still proud. She always told everyone. Rory was climbing the ladder of the corporate world faster than anyone before her had, and Lorelai made sure that everyone knew it.
Lorelai sat at a table by the window. Something was different. Something was wrong. Luke could sense it. He chose one of the larger coffee mugs, against his better judgement, and took the coffee pot off its heater before walking over to her.
How was the city? he asked.
Lorelai didn't answer. She just stared out the window without even taking the cup of coffee he had just poured.
She didn' t answer.
He reached out to touch her shoulder. She shrunk at his touch and then she grabbed his hand. He could feel his bones crunching against each other. She whirled around and grabbed his flannel shirt with her other hand. She stared at his face, searching for something. Reason. An answer to a question Luke didn't know. He wanted to answer it so badly, but he couldn't. Not if she didn't tell him what it was.
He watched as her blue eyes overflowed with blue. Blue. Blue pouring out over the edges and cascading down her cheeks. She made no noise. Her expression did not change. He just watched as the blue poured out of her eyes. He reached out to her, pulled her up slightly. She flew into his arms, hugging him, holding him close to her. She released his hand and instead grabbed his shirt from across his back, holding it so tightly that he wasn't sure if he would ever get it back. He gently rubbed her back, trying to calm her down. Trying to stop the silent yet violent sobs that were taking over her small, delicate body.
He reached for her back and then slowly guided her up the stairs to the apartment and let her cry and cry and cry for at least an hour before, sobbing, she recounted the entire story of the terrible fight she had just had with her best friend in the world.
*~*
Dr. Spencer to room 306. Dr. Spencer to room 306.
306? Why was that number so familiar. The pensive look that Luke had been wearing suddenly turned to one of panic. He was trying not to show his fear, but she could see it in his eyes.
The two jumped up simultaneously and bolted down the hall, the clicking of Rory's heels on the tile matching the pace of the long strides Luke was taking back to room 306.