Title: Ward Bound

Rating: PG

Genre: LLR

Spoilers: A House Is Not A Home (season 5 finale)

Summary: following the events in Home…

Disclaimer: lalala… not mine… lalala… never were… lalala have no money…. lalala do not sue 

Chapter 17

Ward Bound

(Hospital Waiting Room)

"Sookie, Oh my God!" Rory burst through the swinging doors of the maternity ward at the hospital and greeted her friend in the waiting room. "Is she? Are they?" Unable to get it right, Rory took a deep breath and tried again, "Is everyone ok?"

"Fine, fine – everything's fine!" Sookie bounced on her heels a moment before squeezing Rory in a huge hug. "Fine," she repeated, making Rory all the more certain that things were not 'fine' at all. Sookie released her grip.

"Where's mom… where's Luke?" Rory's eyes grew wider with every second.

"Really sweetie, it's ok. Everything is under control, don't panic." But Sookie was panicking and her words spilled out of her so fast that panic was the only possible outcome at the moment. She took a huge deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Ok kiddo – here's what I know." Rory squared her shoulders and took a seat in an uncomfortable chair, Sookie followed her lead. "Luke and your mom and me got here about 2 hours ago,"

"That's about when I got the baby page."

"Right. So we got here and your mom's contractions were right on top of each other… poor thing could hardly catch her breath!" Sookie looked her bet friend's daughter in the eye and continued. "They were able to administer an epidural and they got her into the birthing room right away, guess twins give you 'front of the line' access. Luke's been in with your mom the whole time but he sent a nurse out, maybe five minutes ago, to let me know that they have to do an emergency C-section."

"Emergency? Wha" Before Rory could force another question from her lips, she began to tremble. Sookie could literally see the younger Lorelai's resolve crumble.

"Listen to me Rory… It'll be just fine, ok? C-sections are the most common way twins come into the world these days! I swear!" She reached out and brought Rory's head to her shoulder just as the swinging doors shot open again… this time it was Luke.

"Rory. Good… Rory's here." He mumbled to no one in particular.

"Luke is mom? Are you?" she rushed from her seat and wrapped herself around her step-father. Luke didn't register anything for a moment until he felt the warmth of Rory's arms around him. He quickly gathered her to him and kissed her forehead, pausing to close his eyes.

"You're mom is going to be fine. I promise." The words came out but his eyes betrayed his roiling inner fears. "The babies went into distress."

"Distress? What does that mean?" tears were already streaming down her open face.

"It means something's not right I guess… there was some speculation that the umbilical cord might be wrapped around…" he couldn't finish the sentence and behind them Sookie too, began to cry.

Seeing the state everyone was in, Rory silently guided Luke away from the waiting room and into the silence of the hallway.

"Luke… Sookie tells me that a C-section is very normal." Rory tried her best to sound convincing and strong.

"I know, I know… I've read about it and we even discussed it with Dr. Espenson." His eyes were welled with tears. "I just don't like not knowing."

"Right there with ya coach!" She gave him a small sideways grin, attempting to diffuse some tension.

"Your mom's blood pressure spiked and the baby monitor lit up and then there were Doctors and nurses running in and telling me they had to get her into surgery right away. I'm supposed to go back." He looked so lost and weary.

Rory wasn't sure how to keep her own fears under wraps but she had to try.

"Ok Luke. Here's what we're doing… I'm gonna walk you back to the obstetrics ward and hand you off to someone who can help you get scrubbed and ready. Then, you are going in there to see your babies born and to be there with mom, 'cause she's gonna be freaked, I just know it." They had already started down the hallway.

At the threshold of the scrubbing room Luke turned back.

"I can't live with out her Rory… what if?"

"Me neither Luke… try not to think about ok?"

He stepped back up to her and hugged her again, tightly but briefly.

"Go get 'em tiger," she offered as he disappeared behind closed doors. "Go get 'em tiger?" she shook her head at her lameness then sat down for a good cry.

(Hospital Waiting Room)

"How long has it been" Sookie paced.

"Seventeen minutes since the surgery started." Rory confirmed, looking at the clock on the wall.

"Seventeen minutes? That's all?"

"Yup. 'Fraid so." Rory's eyes were red but the tears had stopped. She kept glancing from the clock to the doorway and back, waiting for either inanimate object to bring her news or comfort. "I hate waiting," it was a plain and simple fact.

As she glanced back at the doors for the millionth time, they opened, and Logan walked in. Rory shot out of her chair and straight into her boyfriend's embrace. He held her tight, one arm around her body and the other cradling her head to him. They sat down and Rory explained the situation all over again.

"How long?" Sookie repeated.

"Twenty-eight minutes." Rory replied with Logan's arm around her shoulder.

"I'm gonna go check in at home ok? Is there anyone else you want me to call?"

"No Sookie, it's ok. Say hi to Jackson for me." Rory was still in a bit of a daze.

Moments after Sookie exited the room Rory sat up straight.

"Crap. My grandparents… I have to call my grandparents."

"Ok, you can use my cell." Logan offered.

"Can't – hospital. Isn't there some rule about not using cell phones in here?" She jumped to her feet and turned around several times.

"Rory. It's ok. Just take my phone outside if you're worried about it. I can come with you if you want?" Under any other circumstances, his furrowed brow and sincere concern would have melted her heart but right now, she didn't want to leave the waiting room. She shook her head.

"Don't wanna leave… What if there's news? What if something happens to my mom?" Her voice was so small it was almost a squeak. Her tears came more forcibly this time.

"Shhh… babe… it is going to be fine."

"You don't know that! You don't know!" She sniffled. "Luke said her blood pressure spiked! And what if something happens to the twins and,"

"Everything is going to be fine. I swear it!" He placed both hands on her shoulders and forced her to look him in the eye. "Rory. I am telling you it will all be fine. And look- there's a payphone in here and I just happen to have a shiny new quarter in my pocket. Let's call the Gilmores, shall we?"

"Ok," her little voice replied.

(Operating Room)

"Luke?" Lorelai asked weakly.

"I'm here – I'm right here." He crouched down next to his wife's face and found it strangely private on this side of the dividing curtain that bisected Lorelai's body. She was groggy but had removed the oxygen mask from her face long enough to speak.

"What's going on? Are they?"

"Fine, just fine Lorelai." His voice was soft but confidently reassuring. A tear escaped down Lorelai's cheek and disappeared under the surgical cap. "I think this will be over really soon. It's all going just fine though… Your pressure's down and the babies aren't in distress anymore." They both sighed in unison.

"I'm so scared Luke." Her voice was nearly as weak as she looked. Luke clutched her hand and kissed her knuckles.

"I promise you, everything will be alright and we'll be home with our babies sooner than you think." He whispered at her side. "I promise." He pressed the words to her dry lips. "I love you."

"I love you too." She offered in return, but the tears kept seeping into her hairline.

"Mr. Danes, we're ready." Dr. Espenson appeared at his side. "Baby A is ready and Baby B will follow shortly, do you want to cut the cords?"

Luke looked at his worried wife and smiled. "Yah. I'll cut 'em - the cords I mean." He reluctantly let go of Lorelai's hand and, once again, faced the reality of her surgical state. He started to shake at the sight of her blood and but quickly regained his resolve when the doctors cleared a visual path to what was really happening. Dr. Espenson turned around and in her arms, she held his son. Lorelai and Luke's son.

"Is he ok?" Even he was breathy.

"Luke, you're baby is fine and healthy and ready for your magic scissors." He reached out and cut where he was told and by the time the task was done, another baby was being presented. Wordlessly, he cut the second umbilical like an old pro and let the doctor coach him into holding his son while the nurse brought their daughter to meet her new mommy.

As the scene unfolded, happy tears replaced the fearful ones and the new parents' overflowed with declarations of love and devotion; to each other and to their newborns.

Soon enough, Lorelai was stitched and being wheeled back to her room. Safe and sound and sleeping.

(Hospital Waiting Room)

Luke pushed the swing doors open, they felt heavy but he welcomed their heft. In the waiting room, Sookie stood with Davy in her arms, Jackson sat, feeding Katy a bottle. Rory and Logan faced him; their arms around each other and Emily and Richard Gilmore looked on with anticipation.

"Lorelai is fine." It was, to him and everyone waiting, the most important thing to address first. Luke glanced from face to expectant face and was taken aback by the support and love in the room. "The babies are… they're perfect." He said with tears in his bright eyes. "Lena is 6lbs and 4ounces and Liam is 6lbs and 2 ounces – ten fingers, ten toes…" his voice trailed off.

And with that, Rory rushed him practically throwing her arms around the proud new daddy. Richard was right there at his side, one steady hand on Luke's shoulder. Emily held her husband's hand in a vise grip, quiet tears of thanks on her cheeks. Sookie bent down and kissed her husband. The relief in the room was palpable and Luke closed his eyes and let the warmth and love of this family, his family, wash over him. Lorelai and the babies were better than fine and he was as full of love as he'd ever been; it was truly more than he could have ever dreamed of.