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 hope you like this chapter! 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 TWELVE
"You're awake." Rory said, her voice soft and full of a mixture of hope and fear. She squeezed her mom's hand tightly, trying to be brave.
"Of course. Sleeping Beauty woke up eventually." Lorelai said, reaching out to cup Rory's face.
Rory placed a hand on her mom's, and then reached out to press the call button, "I'm going to get Dr. Magnant."
Lorelai breathed a deep sigh, "Dr. Magnant? Cute?"
Rory giggled, "Only if you're a lesbian."
Lorelai furrowed her brow, "I don't know if Luke would like that."
Rory smiled, "Nah, he's partial to straight women, I think." Dr. Magnant strode into the room then, and Rory looked up, "She's awake!" she announced.
Dr. Magnant smiled, "I see that. How are you doing, Lorelai?"
"It's a bit floaty, but I got a nap, so things are looking up." Lorelai said, putting a smile on.
Dr. Magnant chuckled, "Well, the floaty feeling is just the painkillers working. Let me just do a neural check, okay? Can you squeeze my hand? Good, now push down on my hand with your foot, like you're pushing down on the gas pedal. Now the other foot. Good."
"Is she okay?" Rory asked, her voice hopeful. She felt her mom squeeze her hand reassuringly.
"Her motor functions are intact, and the EEG looks fairly normal. I say we'll keep an eye on her for a couple days, a head injury and surgery like this needs constant monitoring in the first days, but she looks good to me." Dr. Magnant said.
Lorelai breathed in a sleepy sigh, "Surgery?"
"We had to make a small incision in your skull and drain a buildup of fluid between your skull and your brain." Dr. Magnant explained.
Lorelai nodded sleepily, keeping the fear out of her voice, "It's all good now?"
"I am very optimistic at this point. The surgery went well. Do you remember what happened?" Dr. Magnant asked.
"I remember…I had to clean the gutters. Rory came out…she was mad at me. She went back inside, and I remember tumbling…but after that, it's all a little fuzzy." Lorelai said, her brow crinkled, "Did I fall off?"
"Yeah. You did." Rory said, in a small voice.
Lorelai focused on her daughter, "Hey…babe. Mommy's falling asleep, and you look exhausted. What do you say, we have a nap?"
Dr. Magnant smiled, "You two rest up. I'll be back later to check on you, and I'll let Sookie know."
"Thanks, Dr. Magnant." Lorelai felt herself being drawn slowly back into dreamland. She'd been fighting it for the past two minutes. "Come here, baby." Lorelai said, her arms open.
"I was so scared." Rory's voice quivered, tears slowly slipping down her cheeks. She crawled carefully onto the bed, laying her head down on her mother's chest.
"I know, baby. Go to sleep. I'm here now." Lorelai's voice was no more than a whisper, as she held her daughter close. Kissing the top of her head, she let herself slowly be pulled back into sleep. Rory was right there besides her, and that's how Sookie found them an hour later. She smiled, backing out of the room quietly. She positioned herself in a chair across the hallway, not wanting to disturb mother and daughter as they slept.
Lorelai found herself awake again. She'd been drifting in and out of sleep all night, but was fully aware of when she was awake. That had to be a good sign. Her head felt like it was stuffed full of big, balloon-like marshmallows, and her mouth had the distinct feeling of a mouth full of cotton fibers. She was in no pain, which was probably a good thing, considering what a weeble she was when she was in pain. She didn't want to scare Rory any more than she already had—which was a lot. Lorelai tilted her head to look down at her daughter. Rory was sleeping peacefully, curled around her mom. She looked relaxed, and Lorelai was glad. She felt so bad for scaring her baby girl, even though she didn't exactly plan to fall off the roof. She didn't even remember how she fell off the roof.
Lorelai ran her fingers through her daughter's curly brown hair. She glanced over at the window then, and noticed rays of morning light showing through the curtains. They shined over her daughter's head, turning the brown locks a deep gold color. She smiled, continuing to smooth her hand over her daughter's head, "I love you, baby."
Rory stirred, her eyes fluttering, "I love you, Mom." She managed to mumble, before falling back into a light slumber.
The door opened then, revealing Dr. Magnant and Sookie. Sookie was twisting her head around, clearly trying to get the kinks out, "Hey, doctor. Hey, Sookie, did you sleep here all night?"
"Yeah. I didn't want you and Rory to be alone." Sookie said, smiling as she took Lorelai's free hand. Lorelai smiled up at her best friend for a few moments, before focusing on the doctor.
"How am I, Dr. Magnant?" Lorelai asked, glancing down at Rory to make sure she was still asleep. Part of her was afraid that the doctor had played down her condition earlier because she'd been so out of it, and Rory had been there.
Dr. Magnant smiled, "You should be fine. We operated soon enough to prevent any irreversible damage. We're going to keep you here for a few days, because there are some complications from this type of injury that could present. You're not completely out of the woods, but the worst part is over."
Lorelai smiled, "Thanks, Doctor."
Rory stirred, "Thanks, Dr. Magnant." Her voice sounded so young and sleepy, Lorelai had to smile.
"You're both welcome. Get some rest, and your friends can come and visit you later." Dr. Magnant said, as she left gracefully. Sookie followed suit to get some breakfast.
Lorelai looked down at Rory and smiled, "What's cooking, babe?"
"I don't know, but I have an urge for some pudding." Rory smiled up at her mom, "Especially chocolate."
Lorelai sighed dramatically, "Oh, chocolate sounds so good right now."
Rory giggled, and Lorelai opened her mouth to speak again but was overcome by a wave of dizziness. She closed her eyes, blinking rapidly, but every time she opened them, the room spun.
"Mom?" Rory asked, sitting up and looking at her mom, worried.
"It's okay. I'm just…whoa." Lorelai put a shaky hand over her face as she tried to steady herself. She closed her eyes, and her arms dropped to the side. Before Rory could react, her mom began jerking violently. The alarm on the EEG machine began beeping wildly, as Rory began to scream. Her mom was flopping around on the bed, and Rory was terrified. She screamed for Dr. Magnant, wanting her to come and make her mom better.
