Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls
It was raining. One of the few times it rained in Stars Hollow. Rory Gilmore couldn't tell if the liquid running down her cheeks was rain or her own salty tears. She hadn't let go of Jess for twenty-six minutes. He had to go. Luke and Lorelai tried to pull her off of him but she just clung tighter. She was sobbing uncontrollably now gasping for breath. Jess moved her chin upwards and kissed her softly. She smiled weakly before the tears started rolling again. The odds of him coming back weren't good. Matt wasn't doing well he wasn't expected to live through the night. Jess was sad when he had heard about his friend but even though he knew it was wrong he was sadder about having to leave Rory. The clock struck 5 if he wanted to get back before tomorrow he had to leave now. Rory released him from her grasp and he left with a wave. As soon as the old car was out of sight Rory fell to the ground. He was gone. He had told her they would still talk but it wouldn't work. It would never work. He was gone for good. She had gotten a taste of what she wanted her life to be like and now it was gone.
Miles and hours away Jess was sitting in a hospital room next to his comatose friend. He had gotten pneumonia just a simple disease that many people get. Too bad Matt had a drug problem a few years ago. Jess couldn't help but think this was partially Matt's fault. I mean he shouldn't have done drugs. He flat lined and the doctors rushed in. It was over. He wished he would've gotten there sooner. He wanted to talk to his best friend before he died. He didn't get the chance. He comforted Matt's mom telling her that it was ok even though he knew it wasn't. He heard the doctors call it and struggled to keep his mother from falling to the ground. His father came up and helped Jess with his wife. Jess told him the bad news and left the family to have some time alone.
Jess sat in his apartment in the middle of the floor. He had pushed all the furniture to the side. He couldn't look at it. Matt had gotten all of it. He picked up the phone and finally dialed the number he had wanted to dial since he first heard that loud continuous beep.
"Hello" her sweet voice rang through his ears.
"He's gone" he whispered.
"I'm on my way" there was a silence and then another long continuous beep. The sound made him shiver. He couldn't seem to hang up though he just listened until he was forwarded to the operator. He looked out the window. It was raining again. Just a light drizzle. Enough to ruin someone's day. Matt's parents had decided to have the funeral as soon as possible. That meant two days apparently. His other partner walked in. He couldn't even remember his name. Matt and he had been friends since they were kids. He wouldn't have had a place to stay in New York if it wasn't for him. He was one of the few constant things in his life growing up. He always knew that in the morning Matt would be in his bathroom throwing up. The guy he conveniently couldn't remember sat next to him and asked him if he was going to be ok. Jess shook his head. He wouldn't be ok until Rory was here. She made it better. She was his raindrops on roses, his whiskers on kittens, his warm woolen mittens, his bright copper kettles, and his brown paper package tied up with string. Sometimes she was just his aspirin.
His door flew open and his favorite thing slid on the floor next to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. As everything finally began to register with him tears started to fall. She rocked him back and forth telling him it was ok.
Rory watched her rock crumble underneath him. He had talked about Matt. When he went back to New York he had no place to stay. He saw Matt at a coffee shop. They hadn't talked in years. They had had a fight before Jess left. When Matt saw Jess with a duffel bag and no money sleeping at a table everything was forgotten and he took him back to his apartment. They had been like brothers as kids and now he was gone. Rory couldn't even begin to imagine what that might feel like. She hadn't lost anyone close to her at least not like that.
Two days later Rory handed Jess a pair of black jeans and a black shirt. She knew that was about as dressy as she was going to get him. He took one look at the clothes then spun around on the floor to face the other way. He hadn't slept, he hadn't eaten. He hadn't even moved from that spot on the floor. With a little help from Luke she got him up and dressed and in the car. Both Luke and Lorelai had come to support Jess. During the funeral Jess had the emptiest stare on his face. A black hole didn't even come close to the emptiness of this stare. When it was over and the four of them were back at the apartment his eyes flashed some form of pain. It went back to the empty stare then another flash this one a little longer. His blank expression twisted to form a frown as he finally let loose. Rory comforted the best she could. He seemed to finally notice she was there. He looked at her and gave her a small smile. A rare occurrence. He wanted her to think he was ok. She didn't want a smile she wanted him to say something. He knew that.
"I can't believe he's gone" he whispered.
That night he slept if you can call it that. He tossed and turned and spoke in his sleep. He wasn't one that talked in his sleep. He seemed to be reliving the fight they had before he left. It seemed to be about Matt's drug problem and his refusal to tell his parents about some kind of sickness. Rory didn't know what it was and Jess's sleep talking was slightly vague. It was almost like he couldn't say it. She wondered if this sickness had anything to do with him dying of pneumonia.
Does anyone know the name of Jess's other friend? I don't think they mentioned it in The Real Paul Anka. If you know it please tell me or I'll have to end up making up a name.
