Unconscious Fears

By: Alyson Tierney

Disclaimer: I do not own Lorelai or Rory Gilmore, or any other character associated with Gilmore Girls the way it is seen on television. Those characters and other related things and ideas belong to Amy Sherman-Palladino and the WB Network. However, Alicia and Arielle's characters are figments of my own imagination, so I do own them. Please do not use them without my permission. Thank you.

Author's Note: This story is the sequel to my story "Arielle." Everything that has happened up to the Gilmore Girls episode "Not as Cute as Pushkin" is consistent with this story, but after that, it takes its own path, so relationships and other facts may be different than on the show. I am not a dream doctor, or a medical doctor, nor do I know anything about dreams or medicine, so if the information is way off, please don't shout at me.

I know a lot of you have been anxious for this chapter! I hope you like it! I've finished the entire story already, but I'm finding that a lot of your suggestions are helping make a few changes in future chapters. It's each and every one of yours' feedback, comments, likes, and dislikes that helps this story. Thank you! Enjoy and please review if you wish!

CHAPTER TEN

"…we'll have to watch her closely for awhile, but your mom came through the surgery just fine." Dr. Grant finished, as the pounding noise in Rory's ears began to cease.

"She's okay?" Rory asked, in a hopeful voice.

"She isn't completely out of the woods, but we were able to patch up the bleeding in her skull. She's in recovery right now, and her prognosis is good." Dr. Grant said, smiling reassuringly.

Rory felt an immense sense of relief, "So, she'll wake up?"

"It's likely. Most patients with your mother's type of injury are up within a few hours to a few days." Dr. Grant said, "We're going to move her to a new room soon, so if you wait here, I can have a nurse get you when she's ready to go upstairs."

Rory nodded, "Okay. Thank you, doctor."

Dr. Grant smiled at everyone, and then headed back through the doors she'd come from. Rory turned, letting Lane, Alicia, and Sookie engulf her in hugs, "It'll be okay. You'll see." Sookie said, smiling and rubbing Rory's arm to comfort her.

Rory nodded, "I hope so." She breathed a shaky sigh, twisting her hands together.

"Rory? Sookie? What is going on?" Luke's frantic voice asked, as he rushed towards the group.

"Luke?" Rory asked, confused. Then she remembered Dr. Lockham calling him earlier. He must have gotten Caesar's message.

"Lorelai was in an accident. She took a bad fall off her roof." Sookie explained.

"The roof? I told her to stay off of there, and I'd take care of it on Monday!" Luke said, fuming, "Is she okay?"

"She had surgery to fix broken vessels in her brain. She's in the recovery room, but will go upstairs soon. The doctor says she has a good chance of recovery." Sookie clarified, raising her arms to gesture for him to calm down.

Luke breathed a sigh of relief, "Okay. Good." He put his hands on his head and sat down, trying to catch his breath. Looking up, he caught Rory's eyes, "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Rory shook her head, "No, I'm not hurt." She felt tears sting the back of her eyelids. No, she wasn't hurt, but she wouldn't be okay until she could see her mom and talk to her. She wanted Lorelai to pull her into her arms and tell Rory everything was okay.

"Rory Gilmore?" A new voice asked. Rory looked up to see a redheaded woman walking towards her. She had a nurse's uniform on, and was smiling.

"Yeah?" Rory asked, rushing forward. Luke, Sookie, Lane, and Alicia stood in a line behind her, forming a chain of support.

"I'm Nurse Fridley. I'm going to take your mom upstairs now. If you'd like, you can come with us in the elevator." Nurse Fridley offered.

Rory nodded, "Okay. Did you page Dr. Lockham?" she asked.

The nurse smiled and nodded, "We did. She's finishing with a patient in the ER, and she'll be right up. You and one other person can come with me, we're using the surgical transport elevator. The rest of you can use the main one. Go up to the fifth floor and let the desk know who you are."

Lane immediately slipped her hand into Rory's and squeezed it reassuringly. She said nothing, but the look in her eyes said it so simply, Lane was here for her always.

Luke nodded, and put his hands on Sookie's and Alicia's backs, "We'll be waiting for you upstairs."

Rory swallowed, as she and Lane followed the nurse down the hallway and through a door. A doctor and two nurses were pushing a bed towards the door. Lorelai's very still form lay on the bed. She looked surprisingly pink compared to how pale she had looked earlier. There was a bandage on her forehead, but otherwise she still simply looked asleep. Rory's throat constricted as she approached the bed, and followed the medical personnel into the elevator, Lane at her side.

"Lorelai's daughter?" A nurse asked her, smiling. Rory nodded, looking down at her mom. Lorelai looked so peaceful, like she was just taking a quick nap. Rory had often come home late from a date or hanging out with Lane and Alicia, and her mom would be asleep on the couch, the look on her face matching the one right now.

"I can see the resemblance. You're both beautiful." The nurse said. Rory blushed at the comment. She reached out towards her mom's face. She'd almost expected a respirator or another machine to be breathing for her mom, but the only medical devices she could see were a tiny IV line attached to her mom's hand, and a box with some sort of wire attached to it. The wire snaked down to the bed and disappeared behind the back of Lorelai's pillow.

"Is that her heart?" Rory asked.

"Those are her brain waves." The doctor piped up from the corner, "It's called an EEG, which measures brain activity quickly and painlessly."

Lane scrutinized the machine, "That is sort of cool. It looks all busy like your mom's brain has to be. Must be all that coffee she drinks."

Rory managed a short laugh, "Yeah. She does drink too much. Now we've got pictures to prove it."

The elevator doors opened then. Rory and Lane followed as the others pushed the gurney down the hall and into a small room. They quickly set her up, and then the doctor and one of the nurses left. The nurse who'd spoken to Rory in the elevator stayed, bustling around the room, checking wires and equipment. "I'm Nurse Sayde. I'm just going to get her settled and then you can stay with her until Dr. Lockham comes." Nurse Sayde explained.

Lane pulled a chair up next to the bed, and gently pushed her best friend into it. Rory sighed, grateful for the support for her legs. She felt like she'd been standing for hours. She felt the tears threaten to fall again, as she took her mom's hand gently, "Mommy. I'm here. I'm here, and I won't leave."

She felt Lane's hands on her shoulders, trying to massage the tension away. She was so glad her best friend was there, "Can Luke, Sookie, and Alicia come in?" she asked Nurse Sayde. She was surprised at how young the nurse looked. She had golden brown hair in a braid, green sparkling eyes, and couldn't be more than a few years out of nursing school.

"That's your friends?" Nurse Sayde asked. Rory nodded faintly, and the nurse smiled supportively, "I'd wait until Dr. Lockham comes and see what she says. But—what's your name?" she asked, directing the question at Lane.

"Lane. Lane Kim." Lane answered.

"Lane can stay with you until the doctor comes. She'll be here in a few minutes, but if you need someone, the nurses' call button is right on the table." Nurse Sayde said, waiting for Rory to nod. She smiled and stopped for a moment, "She looks good."

Rory smiled, grateful for the reassurance, even though nothing was going to help unless her mom woke up. She watched the nurse leave, as Lane pulled up another chair next to Rory's. Rory sighed deeply, taking the biggest breath she'd taken since arriving. Tears kept threatening to spill over, but Rory was determined not to let them. She turned back to Lorelai, pulling her mom's hand to her lips. She kissed each finger softly, willing her touch and warmth to her mom, "I love you. Come back to me."