A/N: Tenth chapter, oh yeah!! I know it has been forever and I am so sorry! Many thanks to my beta, Melody, she handed me a rope out of the pit that is writer's block. I also have been re-reading Hemingway's 'Old Man and the Sea', that helped the update take longer. Anyway, it's here now and although I know it is a shorter chapter than I usually do, Mel and I agreed it was a good place to stop.
I crave your reviews! I won't update without at least seven reviews! I can't wait to hear what you think!
Brianne
Dedication: This chapter is dedicated to my awesome reviews, without whom this story would not have been the story it is today.
Rory ran out of the house, two steps behind her mother, who was supporting Dani. "Mom, what happened?" She finally caught up with her.
"Give me the phone!" Lorelai snapped, genuinely concerned for the young girl. She dialed Luke's number having learned it by heart years ago. "Luke!" She screamed in frustration, when she got his answering machine. She turned to Rory, frantic with fright. "Rory. I need you to go to Luke's and tell him that Dani is coughing up blood and I'm taking her to Hartford Medical ER. Catch a ride with Luke and Jess. Okay?" Without waiting for an answer, she kissed her daughter swiftly and after helping Dani into the car, she drove off, probably breaking every traffic law in Stars Hollow.
Rory began to run to Luke's, the wind going right through her clothes. She reached Luke's and found it locked, groaning in annoyance she found the spare key. Unlocking the door she went inside. "Luke? Jess?" She called, knowing the diner was empty she went upstairs and found the door closed and locked. She banged on it loudly. "Open the freaking door!" She banged harder.
Jess pulled the door open, hair mussed from sleep. "What the-" Jess broke off noticing Rory's disheveled appearance. "What are you doing here?"
"Dani's in the emergency room." Rory explained. "She was coughing up blood and Mom took her, I need a ride with you guys." Luke came out pulling on a jacket and Jess stumbled out behind him, looking terrified.
Rory hurried after the two men, sliding into the truck, between Jess and Luke. "Which hospital?" Luke asked tersely.
"Hartford Medical." Rory replied, watching Jess float into his own little world. "You alright?" She asked Jess gently, he didn't respond. She leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes and wondered what could possibly be happening as she drifted into sleep.
Dani was leaning against the sheets, her face as white as the bedclothes. Jess was leaning against the bed rail, holding her hand and sobbing quietly.
"There's nothing we could have done for her." The doctor entered, instead of arms, he had long tentacles. He poked Dani she lay motionless. "I'm sorry, she's dead." His frown became Jess's smirk the smirk turned into a laugh, so evil Rory couldn't stand it.
"How dare you!" She shrieked, launching herself at him staring as his teeth grew longer and more pointed. He lowered his fangs to her neck, preparing to draw blood. Jess stopped crying and threw himself at the doctor.
"Don't touch her!" He yelled.
The monster looked at him. "Why?" His face twisted, turning into Lorelai's. "If you love her, well, suck it up, she has Dean and will never leave him for you. You are nothing, worthless!"
"He's not worthless." Rory screamed, holding onto Jess. "He's everything! Dean is nothing!" She looked at Jess, and taking a deep breath, she kissed him.
"Rory." Someone was shaking her. Jess. "Rory wake up, we're here." Rory opened her eyes from her dream and shuddered. She had kissed Jess, granted, it was in her dream, but it was close enough. When she realized what she had thought, she mentally slapped herself. She had a loving, faithful boyfriend, she hoped.They were parked in a dim parking deck outside the hospital. She unbuckled her seat belt and followed the two men into the hospital her thoughts clouded. Lorelai was sitting in the waiting room, without Dani wringing her hands, a stack of paperwork beside her. She rushed over to them, when they walked in the door.
"Where's Dani?" Jess asked instantly.
"They just took her back to run some tests. She passed out on the way here, so they accepted her immediately." Lorelai said, leading them to a batch of seats she had staked out. Jess sat down numbly, not noticing when Rory timidly took his hand. Lorelai and Luke however, did. "Jess." Lorelai said softly.
He snapped back to Earth, looking unhappy at the sudden swap of worlds. "What?"
"I need you to do this paperwork, I don't know the answers." Lorelai tried to hand him the stack, he refused, knowing he was too shaken up to write.
"I'll tell you the answers." Jess said firmly.
Sensing his tone, Lorelai gave up. "Full name."
"Kristin Danielle Mariano." Every word was painful.
"Birthday."
"November 17, 1987." He answered numbly.
"Parents."
"Elizabeth Danes and James Mariano."
Three hours later a doctor walked into the waiting room. "Kristin Mariano!" He called.
Jess and Luke walked over to him. "You have news?" Jess asked coolly, wary of the doctor.
"I'm Doctor Shelt. I'm the one on call here, and am overseeing Kristin."
"How is she?" Luke cut in, not caring about his name or what he was doing.
"She's sleeping right now. We've run about six tests on her, including a bone marrow biopsy, so she'll be a little sore for the next couple of days. Her spleen and liver are also pretty swollen, so we are keeping an eye on that. I also need to point out that on your paperwork you missed a question. We would also like to keep her overnight so we can keep an eye on her progress." Doctor Shelt said, handing them the file.
"Which question?" Jess scanned the page quickly, finding the blank answer. 'Has/Had/Does anyone in your family have a history of cancer or leukemia?' He scribbled done the answer after confirming it with Luke. Doctor Shelt glanced at the answer. 'Maternal grandparents and great-grandfather'
"What is a bone marrow biopsy?" Lorelai asked, having come up behind them.
"It is where we take a very thick needle and insert it into the hip bone or some other large bone and remove a sample. We will then examine under a microscope." Doctor Shelt explained.
"You said she'd be sore." Lorelai broke in, glancing at Jess. "How sore are we talking? Unable to move sore, or slight pain?"
"Unable to move sore." Dr Shelt said frankly.
"When can we see her?" Jess interrupted.
"Well, she's asleep right now, but you can see her whenever you want. Room 413." Dr Shelt had barely finished before Jess was out of the room.
Lorelai turned back to the doctor. "What do you think this illness is? Judging by her symptoms."
"I really have no idea." Dr Shelt confessed. "It could be as simple as a stomach bug or as serious as cancer."
"Cancer?" Luke broke in for the first time in several minutes.
"Yes," Dr Shelt's pager started to buzz. "I have to go. I'm sorry."
Lorelai lead Luke back to the chairs. "Luke, I'm sure it's not cancer."
"How do you know?" He snapped, suddenly furious. "What if it is?"
"Then it is." Rory said gently, on the other side of Luke.
"But I can't take care of someone who has cancer." Lorelai wrapped her arm around his shoulders, mouthing to Rory. 'I got it'. Rory nodded and stood up to leave. "I can barely take care of myself and Jess!" Luke started to panic.
"You'll do fine." Lorelai comforted. "No matter what she has."
"You don't understand." Luke laughed dryly. "In high school, after Mom died, I couldn't manage to do the simple task of keeping Liz out of trouble when I wasn't under the bleachers making out with Crazy Carrie!"
"You will do fine." Lorelai held him closer. "I'm always here." She reminded him. "I'm always here."
Jess found the room quickly. Opening the door, he slipped inside. Dani was lying on her back in bed, her skin as white as the sheets. She was breathing with the help of an oxygen machine and an IV was in her arm. There was another machine monitoring her heartbeat. Jess sat down next to her on the bed. He held her hand and brushed the hair away from her forehead. "I'm so sorry." He whispered, afraid he was going to wake her. "I know I shouldn't have ignored you. I was trying to teach you a lesson, I suppose. When you wake up we'll try to convince Rory that Hemingway is not painful." Her hand twitched in his. Jess sighed, pulling out 'The Old Man and the Sea' from his back pocket. Opening it, he began to read. "'The old man looked at him with sunburned, confident loving eyes. 'If you were my boy, I'd take you out and gamble.' He said.'" Jess was unaware of Rory watching from the doorway, tears in her eyes.