The ambulance arrived before Lorelai and took Luke to the county hospital. Jess anxiously waited for Lorelai to arrive. She was no more than five minutes behind the ambulance, but for Jess it felt like eternity.
"Jess!" Lorelai exclaimed as she rushed in. "What happened? Where's Luke?"
"The ambulance came," Jess replied, his voice shaky and uneven. "I don't know what happened. I was going to bed when I heard a thud so I started getting into my chair to check. Then, I'm not sure but I think I heard him call my name. When I found him..." Jess couldn't finish. It was too hard to remember.
'What hospital did they take him to, Sweetie?" Lorelai asked. She was struggling too but she had to be strong for Jess.
"County," he managed.
"Come on then," Lorelai urged. "I borrowed Babette's car. It's nice and low."
Jess nods and moves his wheelchair to the waiting car in silence, his stomach in knots. His mind is whirring with a thousand worries. He could not bear to lose Luke, who'd become so important to him since he moved to Stars Hollow, but seeing him on that stretcher with oxygen in his nose and EKG strips on his chest made that possibility very real.
Lorelai is quiet as well, fear for Luke gripping her heart. Jess was so unglued at the sight, his hands were shaking and his voice was hitched. Lorelai could not lose Luke, not now that she'd found him. She should have seen the signs, and now that this happened the signals connected in her head; the pallor, the exhaustion, the pain in his arm. If only she'd seen it before.
They arrived at the hospital in record time. Lorelai parked the car and helped Jess into his wheelchair. Together they approached the admitting nurse.
"Hello, I'm Lorelai Gilmore. This is Jess Mariano. We're her with Luke Danes. He came in by ambulance." As Lorelai talked with the nurse her fear started to show. Her voice began to crack and her steady gaze faltered.The nurse looked in the computer the asked, "Are you a relative?"
"I'm his nephew," Jess spoke up. "She's his girlfriend."
"Mr. Danes is awaiting admission to the CCU. His doctor will be out shortly. They may need some family history from you, Mr. Mariano. For now, you can wait by the yellow chairs."
Lorelai and Jess moved to the waiting area, and Lorelai sat down heavily. "I can't believe this. I should have seen it," Lorelai accosted herself.
"You couldn't have, Lorelai. Luke didn't want you to," Jess soothed. "If anyone should have, I should have. I live with him."
Sadly, Lorelai shook her head. "We won't help anyone if we do this," Lorelai sighed. "There's no fault here."
Jess thought about that a moment. There was fault here; it just didn't rest with him or Lorelai. "Oh yes, there is," Jess scowled. "This is all Taylor's doing. If he didn't start..."
"Jess, please, don't get upset. It won't help Luke," Lorelai comforted. "Or you."
They lapsed into silence again, Lorelai taking Jess' hand in a maternal gesture while they waited for the doctor. Finally after nearly an hour the doctor emerged and called out, "Relative of Lucas Danes. I'm looking for the relatives of Lucas Danes."
"Right here," Lorelai called out, raising her hand. "He and I."
The doctor came over to them and introduced himself. "Hello, I'm Dr. Hagan. I'm an ER attending physician. If you'll follow me to my office..."
The doctor led Lorelai and Jess behind the nurses' desk to a small cubicle that couldn't really be called an office and sat behind the desk. "Miss Gilmore, Mr. Mariano..." he began. "Let me begin by saying that Mr. Danes is still with us. He had a very serious myocardial infarction."
"Excuse me? A what?" Jess asked. The medical jargon was lost on him.
"It's a fancy way of saying heart attack," the doctor clarified.
"Heart attack?" Lorelai was shocked. "Luke? Luke's like the healthiest eater I know."
"These attacks don't necessarily have to do with eating habits," the doctor said. "There are numerous causes. We suspect Mr. Danes' attack was caused by high blood pressure and stress.
"Because Mr. Danes was unconscious when he came in we don't have an accurate medical history. Do either of you know if anyone in the family had a heart condition or had high blood pressure?"
Lorelai sighed. "Both of Luke's parents died young and of cancer," she told the doctor. "If they'd lived later on who knows."
"My mom took Lipitor. And didn't Uncle Louie die of a heart attack?" Jess provided.
"Yes!" Lorelai snapped her fingers. "Good!" She blushed at her outburst.
"So, it is safe to assume Mr. Danes has a genetic predisposition to heart trouble," Dr. Hagan stated.
"I suppose so," Jess replied a bit sarcastically.
"Well, Dr. Hagan," Lorelai began. "How is her? Is he out of danger? Does he need surgery?"
"I never like to intervene surgically unless necessary," Dr. Hagan stated. "We used drug therapy to correct the issue that was causing the problem. Now, the attack was very serious and he has a long road ahead of him. He's still very weak and has not regained full consciousness. It's not likely he will until his body rests and recoups the oxygen it lost. Everything I've seen does indicate recovery."
Lorelai and Jess both breathed sighs of relief at the positive prognosis.
"When can we see him?" Jess asked.
Dr. Hagan was sympathetic. This young man was obviously upset by the events as was the woman at his side. "You can sit with him. He's in the CCU unit, cubicle three."
Lorelai thanked the doctor and she and Jess went to the cardiac unit. The man in the bed looked nothing like Luke. He was pale, nearly as white as the sheet, and he had a dozen tubes and wires around him. The heart monitor he was attached to beat steadily now that the strong medicine was correcting the malfunctions of his heart.
Jess froze at the doorway, not prepared for the sigh. "That was how I must have looked," he thought. Then asked, "Lorelai you want coffee or water or Pez?"
Lorelai knew this dance; she did it when her Dad was in the hospital. Hell, she even did it when jess was in after the accident. Rory was the Florence Nightingale. Rory, she had to call Rory.
"Um, no I'm good," Lorelai replied. "But Jess..."
"Don't okay. I know we have to call Rory. She's like his daughter or something. She has to know," Jess said. "You should call her."
Lorelai nodded. "I'll do that. Why don't you..." She nodded in Luke's direction.
"Um, yeah. Why don't I?" Then Jess moved to Luke's side without further hesitation.
Rory had been bummed since she arrived at school. She didn't want to be her; she wanted to be with Jess in Stars Hollow. Only he didn't want her there and know that and seeing him everyday hurt too much.
When Rory's cell phone ran, she contemplated not answering it. She didn't feel like talking and it was getting late. In fact, the late hour was the only reason she chose to answer her phone.
"Hello," she sighed.
"Rory," Lorelai's voice was husky with tears.
"Mom? Mom, what's the matter? You sound awful." Immediately Rory's mind listed reasons her mom would call her upset. She came up with only three, something happened to her Dad, to her grandparents, or to Jess. "Is it Dad? Grandma or Grandpa? Jess? What?"
"No, um, Rory, are you sitting...um, I'm at the hospital, the county hospital," Lorelai stuttered.
"Mom, what happened? Are you all right?" Rory was starting to panic.
"I will be, Sweetie. I'm calling because Luke..."
"You're called for Luke?" Rory assumed it was for Luke, not about Luke. Nothing could ever happen to Luke. "Then its Jess isn't it? Did he fall? Is he sick? Tell me, what?"
"Rory, Jess if fine. He's a little upset, but he'd fine," Lorelai assured her. "Luke had a heart attack."
"Mom, that is not funny!" Rory harshly scolded.
Lorelai's voice cracked at Rory's comment. "Rory, I'm not kidding. I'm at the county hospital right now. Luke is in CCU right now."
"Oh my God!" Rory exclaimed. She still could not believe it. "Oh my God! I'm coming home. Should I come straight to the hospital?"
"Um, yeah. Jess and I will probably be here all night," Lorelai responded.
"Mom, Jess can't stay up that long. He needs..."
Lorelai cut Rory off. "Rory until Luke wakes up, neither of us is going home. Don't even go there with Jess tonight. I'm going to go sit with Luke. I'm sure Jess would love to see you."
"Tell him I'm coming home," said Rory. "And tell him I...tell Luke and Jess I love them."
"I will. I love you, Sweets," Lorelai said.
"Me too," Rory affirmed before hanging up.
While Lorelai was on the phone, Jess sat by Luke's side. Gentle he touched his uncle's hand. It was cold and clammy.
"Hey, Uncle Luke," Jess said with a hint of awkwardness. "I'm here. They finally let me in."
Luke's eyes fluttered opened at the sound of Jess' voice. He looked around for a moment the slurred, "Lorelai?"
Jess moved his hand up and down Luke's arm. "She's calling Rory. She'll be right in."
"What happened?" Luke's voice was slurred from the medication and weak from the cardiac event. It scared Jess a little.
"You collapsed at home. The doctors are running tests," Jess lied. He wasn't sure if Luke could handle the news.
"My chest hurts. It's hard to breathe," Luke said.
"I know. You just relax," Jess comforted. Luke had been a great comfort to him in the hospital.
Luke didn't' answer. He closed his eyes and fell asleep again.
Lorelai came in a few minutes later. Jess was holding Luke's hand.
"How is he?" Lorelai asked joining Jess.
"He was awake for a few minutes. He seems so weak," Jess told her. "He asked for you."
"Yeah? You asked for Rory," Lorelai reminded him.
"Luke loves you very much," Jess said. "He has for a long time."
Lorelai was quiet for a moment then and studied Luke's face. She loved him too and she hoped their relationship would continue to grow, she hoped they'd have a chance to see where it could take them.
"I know," she replied her voice cracking. "We wasted so much time. I hope...what if we don't..." Lorelai never finished her sentence. The tears started to flow and Lorelai's shoulders shook with sobs, all of her fear for Luke pouring out of her. Jess watched her awkwardly for a moment, the moved closer to Lorelai.
"Lorelai, you can't think like that. You should stay positive," Jess comforted gently touching her hand. "You were the only one who stayed positive after the accident. You believed in me, you still do. You have to believe in Luke, and in yourself."
Lorelai sniffled and squeezed Jess' hand. "I know that, but I'm so scared. I mean this is Luke and he's...and he's never been really sick, not in all these years." She wiped her eyes with her hand. "Look at this, I should be comforting you. I'm the parent."
"I haven't had a parent for a long time," Jess said. "Luke was the closet I got to it since Dad left."
"What about Liz?"
"Liz was drunk or stoned most of my childhood. She never cared what I did or what I needed. I guess that's why I acted up," Jess sighed and ran a comforting had through Lorelai's hair.
Lorelai looked at Luke. "Then why...?"
"Why?" Jess shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I figured once the novelty..."
"You've got to get another word," Lorelai scolded.
"I know," he sighed. "It's just my whole life I've been a novelty, something you play with, get all excited about, then forget about," Jess admitted. "You never really get over that, you know?"
Now it was Lorelai's turn to offer comfort. Gently, she pressed Jess' head against her chest, a pure mothering gesture. "I know. That is like spending your life with everyone waiting for you to screw up. I can sympathize," Lorelai sighed. "But Jess, Luke loves you, he wants you to do well and achieve great things. Rory, oh Jess, as must as I hated to admit it, she loves you. You make her happy. Do what's best for yourself and for her when she comes back. Tell her you love her, Jess. I know you do."
Jess pulled away from Lorelai. "I do," Jess agreed. "But I need her not to see me as broken. Until that happens...and until you can really accept me..."
"I do accept you, Jess. You've grown up. You've matured, but most importantly, you're in love with my daughter. You won't let anything happen to her, I know that now," Lorelai affirmed.
Jess never to a chance to respond, Luke moaned in the bed, his eyes fluttering opened again. "Lorelai? Lorelai?" His voice held a hint of urgency.
"I'm here, Luke," Lorelai moved into his line of vision. "What is it?"
"What happened? Where am I?" Luke asked.
"You're at the county hospital..." Lorelai was cut off by Luke's moan of pain as he tried to get up.
'No, no hospital. I have to be at the diner," he told her.
"No, you don't. You've had a heart attack. You need to stay in the hospital," Lorelai gently scolded. "I almost lost you today."
"But the mortgage..."
"Don't worry about the mortgage. I'll take care of everything," Lorelai comforted. "You rest now." She caressed his cheek. "Close your eyes."
Luke let Lorelai's touch lull him to sleep. Jess watched them, the tenderness that existed there, and the silent communication that those two shared. Lorelai understood Luke's fears by looking in his eyes. Luke received her message of comfort, assured of her honesty without her spoken words. Jess studied this and felt a pain in his own chest. He had had that with Rory and he missed that. He missed her, terribly. Lorelai was right. As long as he loved, Rory and Rory loved him they could work out the rest.
Jess' thoughts were interrupted by Rory's voice. The sound was beautiful, soft; gentle...He'd missed it. "Mom! Jess! How is he?"
"Hey, Babe," Lorelai greeted. "He's resting. He was just awake."
"Good. That's good." Rory looked at Jess, not sure what to say to him or how to approach him. Lorelai noticed her daughter's uneasiness.
"Rory. Jess. Could you go on a coffee hunt? I need a fix and I don't want to leave Luke," Lorelai asked.
"Um, sure," Rory replied and moved toward the door. "After you."
Jess moved toward the door and left first. Rory followed. They went along in silence for a moment before Rory asked, "What happened?"
"I'm not sure exactly. I heard a thud and I wanted to go check it out. Then I think I heard him call my name, but I'm not sure, the sound was so...By the time I got out to the living area, he was unconscious," Jess replied. He stopped the moved of his chair to reach into his pocket. "I saw this in his hand. I didn't show it to Lorelai. I figured she'd totally freak."
Rory took the page from Jess and read the words. "Jess, this is a foreclosure notice for the diner. This is bad."
I know it's bad, Rory. I think that's what caused..." He let the sentence fall away.
Rory nodded. "Jess...I think we...I think I can fix this." She held up the notice.
"No, Rory. Don't ask your grandparents for the money," Jess told her.
"What else is there to do? We...I can't let Luke lose the diner. And you shouldn't want that either," Rory said. "Pride is what got us here."
Jess didn't reply either way and Rory knew that meant he approved. They started moving again following the signs for the cafeteria. There was an awkward silence between them and Jess knew that he had to be the one to apologize for what had happened between them; after all, it had been his fault. He took a deep breath.
"Rory, listen. The last time we talked...We...I really said a lot of stupid things. I know none of it was true, but I couldn't let you give up Yale..."
Rory cut him off. "I told you. You're more important that Yale. I..."
Jess started again reaching for her hand. "I know, but you are more important than me. I have to put you first. I must put you first. I know what it's like to be pushed in the background," Jess paused for breath. "I realize now that you and Luke won't' do that, I know you aren't' going to do that."
Rory knelt so her tear-filled eyes met Jess' gaze. "I love you, Jess and I'm not going to leave you. You have to trust me on that. Please trust me on that."
"I do," Jess replied touching her cheek. "Can you forgive me for how awful I was? I want this to work. I want us to work."
"I do too," Rory agreed. "So let's make a pact. You try not to doubt me or put yourself down and I'll try not to baby you or quit my school because of you."
Jess smiled at that. That was all he'd wanted. "Deal," he smiled and kissed Rory's lips.
Rory rose to her full height again. "What was that for?"
Jess moved forward and opened the cafeteria door. "Seal it with a kiss, of course."
"We should make deals more often."
