A/N: Yes, yes, I'm an awful person. I'm sorry!!!!!! I've just had a really hard term. I'm in finals now, but I figured I've kept you waiting long enough, and I've gotten reviews even over my hiatus asking me to continue. So here you go!

 Rory's mouth was dry as Luke told the story. She almost wanted to cover her ears with her hands and scream like a small girl, but at the same time she had to hear the story. She had to hear what she had caused.

Although in her head her hands were covering her ears, in reality she just stared at them, palms up, as she sat in the hallway, crouched on her knees like a little girl. If the people she knew from home could see her now...

What was that? She started, couldn't believe that thought. The people from home? The term that had seemed so logical, so right a mere few days ago had suddenly been rendered... wrong. These were the people she knew. These were the people from home. They knew her. Lorelai. Luke. Like he'd said, he'd seen her cry, and on more than one occasion. But what about the other people? The others in the town? Where were they? Rory could hardly believe that everyone, Kirk, Lane, Patty, Babette, Taylor... that all of them were really gone.

Luke. He would be able to answer. As unsure she was that she wanted to know the answer, she had to ask him what had happened.

Mr. Danes. The nurse with whom Luke had been speaking before came out of the room, wringing her hands. She's talking again.

Luke pulled the hat he had been wringing in his hands back onto his head and marched into the room with powerful strides. Rory struggled to stand, her limbs refusing to cooperate and help her up. Shakily on her high heels, she followed Luke into the room. She walked up to him and stood by him, turning to look at the bed. Almost at once, she whipped back around and buried her face in the familiar flannel shirt.

It was even worse now, for not only did Lorelai look pale and sickly, but they had hooked various tubes up to her, one up her nose and several different IVs in her arms.

She's stable now, the doctor said,

She was talking, Luke finished.

Rory finally found the strength to look up. There were about three nurses, the doctor, and Luke in the room. Luke was looking right at Lorelai, hope in his eyes. Rory clutched his arm, but looked at the woman in the bed, wanting to reach out and hold her again, or even more, to be held by her again.

And she... she... Rory dug her fingers into Luke's arm. Lorelai was speaking. Softly, strained, but still the most beautiful sound that Rory had ever heard. She was certain she would be crying now if she wasn't dry from all the crying before.

Luke walked forward, unwittingly dragging Rory along with him, who was still clutching his arm, refusing to let go. He reached for her hand, careful not to move the needle, and sat in the chair that was conveniently placed next to her.

Come on Lore. Come on Lorelai, wake up. Please, Lore.

And she... I... we...

Lore, you can do it this time, come on.

She... she... Her voice sounded broken, like she was a child talking in her sleep, talking in the midst of a terrible nightmare. Then suddenly, all movement was lost, and she fell back into the sedated state she had been in when Rory arrived.

Luke sighed and held her hand a moment more before softly kissing her opened palm and running a hand across her forehead. He looked up at the nurse sadly.

Maybe next time. She spoke more this time, the nurse said, looking sadly back at Luke before she filed out with the rest of the nurses and the doctor.

Yeah. Yeah, maybe next time. Luke stood and looked at Lorelai for one more moment before turning back to Rory. You look tired. We can go back to Stars Hollow if you want. You can shower and we can get a bite to eat at the diner.

Will we come back?

In the morning. Nothing more will happen with her for a while.

Rory nodded and followed him out. After a few steps, she asked, What was that? Why was she doing that?



Rory nodded.

She does that from time to time. See.. Luke sighed, They think she's in some sort of coma. It's kind of like the shock war vets go through when they get back... or that's the best metaphor they can come up with. And basically, that is as close as she's gotten in a while to waking up. She'll do it about... once every two weeks or so. And we think that... if we talk to her enough... coax her out of it... she'll wake up.



They were silent again as they arrived at the car and got in. How long? Rory asked.

Luke sighed again. Almost three years. They say that the longer she's out... the worse chance we have of getting her back.

Rory nodded again, barely processing the information. Then she asked the one question that had been lingering for a while. One that seemed to be of lesser importance, but one that she had to ask all the same. Luke? Why are you at the hospital so much?



I mean it seems like you know the people and the protocol very well... so I just assumed...

Yeah, uh... well... you see...

Flashback



Lorelai was sitting by the window again. It was two weeks after Rory's 27th birthday, and she'd been kind of quiet recently. Slowly but surely, for about a year now, she'd been losing some of that Lorelai spark.

Whoa... zoned out a bit there. Lorelai laughed, but it wasn't the same laugh. Not the same one she'd had when Rory had been there.

Are you OK, Lorelai?

Yeah, yeah. Fine.

Luke paused. You know, if you ever need someone to talk to... I'm here.

I know, Luke. Thanks.

Lorelai only stayed a few moments longer, and then she got up to leave. It wasn't until about midnight that he heard from her again.

Luke! Luke!' Her voice startled him out of bed, and he looked at the clock. 12:00. He looked out the window to see Lorelai in pajamas with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, standing in the middle of the street. One sec! He called, and he made his way down the stairs.

He unbolted the diner door and let her in.

Couldn't sleep, she offered as an explaination. Luke ran his hands self-consciously through his bed-hair. Can I make you some coffee?

How about hot chocolate?

He walked behind the counter to prepare it. This whole ordeal seemed kind of surreal. And then suddenly, she was over his shoulder.

He turned around. Looked into his eyes. And before he knew it, her mouth was on his, and then her arms around his neck. They forgot about the hot chocolate.

End Flashback