The doctor leaned back in the chair behind his desk a week later. "If you feel confident that you can provide the proper care for your nephew, then by all means keep him at home. Just know that the option to hospitalize him is always open."
Luke nodded. "Thank you." He glanced at Jess, who had been silent for the entire evaluation. He was staring at a spot on the desk.
"Jess?" the doctor said gently. "How do you feel?"
"There's a roach on your desk," Jess replied. He smacked a hand down on the wooden surface, but there was nothing there.
"I think you got it," Luke nodded. "Good job."
Jess smiled a little.
"I'm glad this recent medication seems to be working better," the doctor commented. "He seems much calmer, though I think that maybe in a few weeks we should try something a little stronger to see if it helps even more."
Lorelai nodded and pushed some hair away from Jess's eyes.
The doctor sighed. "Alright. Well, I think that's it. I'll see you in two weeks."
"I still can't believe you bought every psychology book Andrew had," Lane grumbled as she helped Rory carry her purchases out of the book store.
Rory shrugged. "I'm interested. Maybe if I know more, I can help."
Lane sighed. "It's so weird how he is now. No eye rolls, no verbal sparring..."
"He'll get better," Rory replied, her voice slightly hollow.
"Are you okay?"
Rory stopped walking and sighed. "I think I'm having problems differentiating guilt and affection."
Lane nodded slowly. "You don't know if you still care because you still care or if you still care because you feel bad for what happened to him."
Rory shook her head. "When did I turn into a bad person?"
"You're not," Lane frowned. "Now come on, these books are heavy."
Lorelai smiled. "That... is just amazing."
Jess concentrated on slowly tying his shoes as he walked down Main Street with Lorelai. Tie shoes.
Tie, tie, tie. Say, Say, Say. Bad song.
When he got to his feet, he seemed slightly disoriented but seeing the woman in front of him seemed to pull him back a little. He smiled at her a little. "Hi."
"Hey, there," she replied. "Good job on those shoes. You're a shoe master! A shoe black belt! A shoe..."
"Finger," Jess supplied.
Lorelai nodded slowly. "Okay. Shoe Finger works. Are you ready to go to the market?"
Jess nodded and let her take his hand. He held hers loosely and looked around.
"I like trees."
Lorelai smiled a little and nodded. "I know."
"Can we go to the bookstore?"
Lorelai gave another nod. "Sure."
They walked into the market and she picked up the basket.
"Ah, Lorelai," Taylor nodded. He frowned at Jess. "Keep an eye on him."
Lorelai rolled her eyes. "You know he can't do anything, Taylor. He just tied his own shoes for the first time since he got back here."
"Did I hear that somebody tied his shoe?" Patty asked excitedly, rushing over. "Jess, honey, that's wonderful!"
Jess cringed and took a step back.
Lorelai frowned. "He didn't get much sleep last night."
"Oh, the poor dear," Patty said.
Jess glared.
Lorelai sighed. "We should get our groceries." She walked with Jess to the back of the store, and he wrenched his hand away from hers.
She sighed. "Jess..."
"Don't want their pity," he spat out, trying to be quiet.
Lorelai nodded. "I know... Patty is just trying to be nice."
Jess nodded but didn't look at her.
"Come on," Lorelai said, trying to take his hand. "Let's get what we need, and then we'll go."
Jess shook his head profusely and stormed away from her and out of the market.
Lorelai rushed out after him. "Jess!" She looked around the sidewalk but he was nowhere to be found.
She sighed and headed toward Luke's.
Water.
Cathartic.
He wanted to leave.
He wanted to get into his car and go away, but he couldn't remember where he put it, and he couldn't for the life of him remember where his feet were supposed to go.
Left foot, right foot, left foot right foot.
He shook out his head.
"Not fair," he snapped at the water beneath him. If he could just... jump in from the bridge and never come up, this wouldn't have to happen. Things wouldn't be bad anymore.
But he didn't want to go. But he did. But he didn't. Didn't he did. He didn't.
He looked down at his reflection in the water and sighed, annoyed. He looked like him, but he didn't look like him, and there were fish.
Where did he go?
"You lost him?!"
Lorelai sighed in frustration. "He ran off on me! I...I didn't know which way he went, and I am so, so sorry."
Luke sighed and slapped his bleach rag down on the counter. "Well, let's go find him."
Rory cleared her throat and both adults stared at her.
"I think I know where he went."
"You were right."
Rory nodded as they stood at the edge of the bridge, watching Jess look down at the lake beneath him. He was so still. It almost felt like looking at a real-life painting. Crazy Boy on Bridge. Rory scolded herself for thinking it.
"We can't all go over there at once," Lorelai said. "He'll freak out."
Luke nodded. "I'll go."
Both Gilmores watched Luke walk slowly onto the bridge and sit next to Jess, who showed no sign of acknowledgement of his uncle's presence. He just kept staring.
"I have to go home," Rory told her mother softly. "I have books to read."