DISCLAIMER:
I own NOTHING!
~ Thank you to everyone who has been reading and leaving me reviews! I love reading what you have to say. :-)
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~~~ Still Quarantined Day # I don't even know anymore ~~~
* Online summer school week two is in the books
* There is a giant covid outbreak in the city I live in and the numbers here have more than tripled
* Two positive tests from people working in the same building as my husband (probably related to the outbreak across town)
* It's HOT!
* I'm gonna need more caffeine to survive the day with my kids
I hope you are all doing well, and continue to remain healthy and happy. Thank you again to everyone who has read and left me reviews. I absolutely LOVE reading them! It totally makes my day! :-D I hope you all enjoy this chapter. I am really looking forward to finishing the next one. I've been cracking myself up writing it.
"Hello, welcome to Columbia Presbyterian. How can I help you?" a nurse asked as Lorelai approached the registration desk in the emergency room.
"Hi, I'm looking for Doctor Huntzberger."
"I'm sorry Ma'am, but Doctor Huntzberger is with a patient."
"Yes, I know he is. I'm his mother. Would you please let him know that I'm here?"
"You're his mother?" the nurse asked, looking at Lorelai strangely.
"Well, mother in-law. He's married to my daughter. She's a patient here."
"Just one moment, let me find her. First name?"
"Lorelai. I'm not sure if you have her under Lorelai Gilmore or Lorelai Huntzberger."
"And what is your name, Ma'am?"
"Lorelai Gilmore."
"We do have Lorelai Huntzberger. Room twenty three, and it looks like you are on the list. Go ahead and head through the doors behind me, make a right at the nurses station, and the room will be on your left."
"Thank you so much!" Lorelai said in a sing song voice, then headed through the doors to find her family. "Good grief you people have tight security here. I ask for Doctor Huntzberger at the desk, and without even thinking about it, they tell me that you're with a patient."
"Well technically that's true." Logan chuckled.
"Then I tell the girl that I'm your mother, and she gives me this look, like I have got to be joking or something."
"We don't exactly look alike."
"I had to explain who I was, and apparently I'm on some list."
"Sorry, it comes with the Huntzberger name. No one knows that we're here, that I know of. But being who we are, if the media found out, they'd probably be all over us. Rory and I have kept a pretty low profile lately. But you've seen how bad it can get. I'm sure that once we have to make an appearance at some event, and they realize that Rory is pregnant, life will start to really suck again for a while."
"And I'm guessing that not showing up to events is completely out of the question?"
"Pretty much. We've managed to keep things pretty quiet with only close family and friends knowing until recently. But things will be changing very soon."
"How soon?"
"Too soon."
"How soon is too soon?"
"Well, under normal circumstances, I would have said tomorrow night, but there is no way we are going to Finn's party with Rory feeling this miserable. The Morgan annual New Year's Eve bash is a pretty well-known event around here. Honor will probably have to go in our place. I'm going to talk to her about it when I run home. You can definitely go with her, if you want to."
"No thank you. I have Mom duties to attend to. How's my baby doing?"
"We gave her some pain and nausea meds through her IV, and she passed out."
"Have the rest of the tests come back yet?"
"Not that I know of. I can check the computer, if you want to come take my place."
"I would love to!" Lorelai said smiling brightly as she set her purse on the chair next to the bed, and removed her coat.
"No, you're my pillow." Rory protested softly as Logan tried to get up.
"Ace, I need to get up. But your mom is here. She's going to take my place. You can lay on her."
"Ok . . ."
"Come here Honey." Lorelai said as she traded places with Logan.
"Hi Mommy."
"I'm sorry you're feeling so miserable."
"Did you bring food?"
"I can order you some if you think you can keep it down."
"I want a burger."
"She hasn't eaten since lunch yesterday." Logan said as he logged into the computer. "Let me check for the test results, then I'll run home for supplies, and pick up burgers on my way back."
"Is Luke here?" Rory asked.
"No, but he said he would come up either later today, or tomorrow." Lorelai answered.
"I want a burger from Luke's."
"I'll let him know that. I'm sure he'd be happy to make you one when he gets here."
"We still have all that food in the freezer from when you were here a few days ago." Logan commented.
"Well Luke knows that Rory and I can't cook, and with your crazy schedule, he just wants to make sure that you guys are eating right."
"I kind of feel bad that every time you two are here, Luke spends the whole time cooking and fixing things."
"He actually prefers it that way." Lorelai told him. "Luke wouldn't know what to do with himself if he actually had free time. He's a dad. He likes to take care of his family."
"Thanks for coming Mom. You didn't have to be here." Rory said as she snuggled up to Lorelai, laying her head on her mom's shoulder.
"Yes I did. You're my baby girl. I would never not be here for you."
"You were just here a few days ago."
"You gave me my own room at your house for a reason. I don't even have to pack a bag to come visit you anymore, because I have everything I need right there waiting for me."
"Did you hear that Logan? My mom has officially moved in with us."
"You're just now noticing that?" Logan laughed. "Just yesterday when I was putting laundry away, I asked where you wanted me to put the stack on the bed, and you told me they go to your mother's bedroom."
"Rosalynn normally helps with all of that, but you gave her the week off." Rory told him.
"So my bedding didn't get washed then?" Lorelai asked.
"It was washed, but I haven't made the bed yet. Rosalynn normally comes three days a week to help with the cleaning, but we gave her the holidays off, so she won't be back until Monday."
"That's ok, Mommy is here now, and Mommy can help with all that stuff."
"Thank you Mommy. I'm glad you're here."
"I'm happy to be here." Lorelai said kissing the top of her daughter's head.
"You know, the weirdest part of being part of this family is how much you all actually like each other." Logan told them. "I can't even imagine liking my family. Other than Honor of course."
"Hey, your family puts the fun in dysfunctional." Rory told him.
"No, my family puts the dysfunction in dysfunctional." Logan corrected.
"And the psycho." Lorelai added.
"True story! Babe, your test results came in."
"And?" Lorelai asked.
"Everything looks ok. Your white blood cell count is a little high, but otherwise it looks ok. I'll get Paris to add an antibiotic to your medication list. We still need to run a urine test whenever you decide you need to go."
"When are you moving her upstairs?"
"As soon as the room is ready. I'll call Paris right now."
"Are you feeling any better?" Lorelai asked.
"I'm a little light headed." Rory answered.
"That would be the pain meds." Logan told her.
"Do you think you can use the bathroom for me, so we can get that test in?"
"Mom, will you help me?"
"I can help you." Logan offered.
"No offense, but that's still a little weird."
"What?! We're married! I've seen every inch of your body on multiple occasions, yet you think it's weird if I help you to the bathroom."
"It IS weird!" Rory told him.
"If it makes you feel better, I won't let Luke near the bathroom while I pee either." said with a grin. "And he's lived with me for years."
"I'm allowed to sleep and shower with her, but not allowed to help her pee." Logan said with a roll of his eyes as Lorelai stood up to help Rory out of the bed. "What's next? Are you going to forbid me from watching you get dressed?"
"Do I need to?" Rory asked.
"Hilarious! Here, let me get you unhooked from the machine."
"Thank you."
"Don't worry Logan, childbirth changes everything. You'll be helping her with a lot more than you ever expected to, very soon."
"You know what else is super weird?" Rory asked.
"What's that?"
"Having my best friend as my OB. It's one thing to have my husband all up in my business, but having Paris is a whole different story."
"Yeah, even I won't go for that one!" Lorelai agreed. "Paris has been trying to get me to switch to her for the last couple years, but there is no way in hell that I ever would."
"See, you're lucky because there is no way in hell that Paris would ever allow me to go anywhere else! She tells me to grow up and deal with it, because it's JUST a vagina, and she's seen a million of them!"
"And that's my cue to excuse myself." Logan chuckled, handing Lorelai a specimen cup. "You two go do your business, and I'm going to step into the hall and call Paris.
"Your face is red." Lorelai chuckled, winking at Logan, then following her daughter into the bathroom. "I think you embarrassed the boy."
"He's fine. Just a little scarred from being a doctor. He's seen some things." Rory told her.
"I probably don't want to know."
"You really don't."
"Has he told you about it?"
"Some of it. There was a girl who was brutally raped last week. Logan took it pretty hard."
"Probably wanted to kill the guy."
"Pretty much. It's hard to keep your cool when it comes to stuff like that. She was pretty young."
"Geez. That's terrifying!"
"There are a lot of down sides to being a doctor."
"I can definitely agree with that. Do you need more help, or can you take it from here?"
"I'm good, thank you Mom."
"No problem. I'll be right outside the door when you're done." Lorelai said as she handed Rory the cup, then left the bathroom.
"Did she kick you out?" Logan asked as he walked back into the room.
"No, I just thought I would give her some privacy."
"Paris is on her way back."
"Were you two bickering earlier?"
"Rory says it's annoying."
"It is!"
"She is incredibly bossy! I tried to start Rory's IV, and I got lectured about whether or now I knew how to do it, even though she is the one who taught me back in medical school, and the fact that I do it every single day. Then, right as I was finally doing it, she stopped me, to have Valerie do it while I looked at the ultrasound with her. I'm not allowed to do my job when Paris is around. She likes to undermine me."
"Sounds about right for Paris."
"She's a great friend, but could definitely ease up a bit."
"Yeah, but she wouldn't be Paris if she did."
"It just sucks to be emasculated in front of my wife. And the other hospital staff."
"Well your wife is used to it, and I'm sure Paris does it to the entire staff, so it's not just you."
"Most of them are completely terrified of her."
"I'm pretty sure that she prefers it that way."
"Who prefers what?" Rory asked as she opened the bathroom door.
"Paris prefers having everyone completely terrified of her." Lorelai answered.
"Oh yeah! Most definitely! Babe, would you like your cup?"
"Just put it on the counter, and I'll have Valerie take it next time she comes in. It looks a little cloudy." Logan told her.
"And he's judging my pee."
"I'm a doctor."
"The man is judging my pee!"
"You're the one who married him." Lorelai told her. "Hey Paris!"
"Hey Lorelai, they'll have Rory's room ready in a few minutes." Paris said as she walked into the room, and went straight to the computer. "Is this fresh urine?"
"Yes it is."
"It looks cloudy."
"See!" Logan said pointing a thumb at Paris.
"I am now glad that I didn't marry a doctor." Lorelai chuckled.
"Come on Ror, let's get you back in bed."
"Rory's WBC is elevated, but otherwise the test results look normal." Logan said as Paris pulled Rory up in the computer.
"Well that urine should tell us something. Flu was negative, which is good news. I'm thinking it's a UTI. Also common in pregnancy, and with kidney stones."
"I had plenty of those with Rory." Lorelai commented.
"Did you have kidney stones too?"
"Oh heck no! That would be the Hayden genes rearing their ugly face. Christopher has had them a few times, and his Dad used to get them too."
"Well at least they got some kind of idea of what it feels like to squeeze a watermelon out through a pea hole."
"I've heard the pain is similar."
"It's supposed to be."
"Well if it feels anything like doing the splits over a crate of dynamite."
"You didn't get drugs?"
"They told me that it was too late."
"That sucks! Rory, I recommend you get the epidural when you go into labor."
"I second that!" Lorelai agreed.
"Me too." Logan spoke up. "I want you comfortable and happy."
"Not that your opinion counts, but I can agree to that." Paris told him.
"See what I mean?" Logan asked, looking toward Lorelai.
"What?" Paris asked.
"Nothing." Lorelai answered. "How much longer until we can move Rory upstairs?"
"They are supposed to send transport when they're ready."
"I need some coffee, I think I'm gonna head down to the cafeteria. Anyone else want anything?"
"I'll go with you. I need to drop this urine by the lab anyway." Paris offered.
"Logan, do you want anything?" Lorelai asked.
"I'm alright, but thank you. Babe, do you want anything?"
"Maybe some juice." Rory answered.
"We'll be back." Lorelai said reaching for her purse and heading for the door.
"Logan, make sure Rory gets hooked back up to the monitors."
"I'm already taking care of it. This isn't my first rodeo Paris."
"She's my patient Logan. Don't cross me!"
"And she's my wife. I think I know what is best for her."
"Oh you do, do you?" Paris asked stopping in the doorway as she was following Lorelai out, and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Paris, I'm not going to argue with you. I can have Rory transferred to another hospital. I'm her husband, and a doctor. I know what I'm doing. Please stop telling me how to do my job."
"Alright you two, break it up." Lorelai said turning around and reaching for Paris' arm. "Don't make me put you in the naughty chair."
"Logan." Rory said reaching for her husband's arm as he started daggers at Paris. "Babe, let it go. Please."
"Come on Paris." Lorelai said tugging Paris out of the room.
"I really hate her sometimes." Logan said once they were gone and the door was closed.
"Mom will handle her. I promise. And I'll talk to her when I get out of here." Rory said pulling on Logan to turn him to face her.
"I know she's your best friend, but some days I really wonder why you tolerate her. We can take you to another doctor. We don't have to put up Paris. You deserve better than that. I deserve better than that!"
"Logan . . ."
"I'm having another doctor take over today."
"You really think Paris will allow that?"
"Oh she'll throw a massive bitch fit and probably go to HR."
"She won't go to HR, she'll just torment us for the rest of our lives. Doyle is one of our employees. We need him. Do you REALLY want to open that can of worms?"
"I'm considering it."
"Logan . . ."
"I don't appreciate being emasculated by her."
"I know you don't. I'm sorry she's being a pain."
"You know that the only reason I tolerate her crap, is because of you, right?
"I thought she was good to you in medical school?"
"She was tolerable. Probably because she was a couple semesters ahead of me and got to help train everyone."
"She's been decent to you since then, right?"
"As long as I don't have to work with her."
"Well I guess it's a good thing that you work in completely different areas of the hospital then."
"I only had Doyle call her to meet us here because as your OB she would have to be notified anyway. But I would much rather have another Doctor taking care of you. At least anyone else would let me do my job and just run everything by them. It would be so much easier! That was actually my plan all along until Paris decided to be the one to register you, and took full charge. Even if I asked another doctor to take over at this point, they would turn you back over to Paris because you're pregnant."
"I'm sorry Honey."
"We need to move! Far away. Far enough that Paris won't be able to be your doctor anymore."
"You know that we would have to go overseas for that."
"And even that may not be far enough."
"I am so sorry Logan. I feel really bad. You were really looking forward to going to that party tomorrow, and I just had to go and get sick."
"It's fine. I'm happy to stay home with you."
"You should go. My mom is here. She can stay with me, and you can go hang out with the guys."
"Absolutely not! I'm not leaving my wife alone on New Year's Eve."
"Logan . . ." Rory sighed, sitting back down on the bed. "I won't be alone. My mom is here."
"No."
"You should go. Make an appearance for the company."
"No."
"Logan, someone from your family should be there. You said so yourself."
"I'll send Honor. I would offer to send Doyle, but he's married to Paris, and the guys would kill me."
"Logan, don't be ridiculous."
"I'm staying home with you tomorrow. We're having a Gilmore movie night with your Mom."
"Fine. But I would be ok with you going to the party for a while."
"We'll go next year. Let's get you hooked back up so Paris doesn't eat me alive when she gets back."
"I'm sure my Mom is talking to her about being nicer to you, right now. You know Mom doesn't tolerate that behavior."
~ * ~ * ~ * 11:30pm the next night * ~ * ~ * ~ *
"What the hell is going on!?" Lorelai asked as the doorbell suddenly started obsessively ringing, followed by loud banging. "Should we call 9-1-1? This is a gated community."
"I bet you anything it's Collin and Finn." Logan laughed, getting up from the couch.
"Maybe if we ignore them, they'll go away?"
"You obviously don't know them very well." Rory commented as Logan headed for the door as it suddenly burst open, and a drunk Collin and Finn stumbled inside.
"I am so sorry you guys! I tried to stop them!" Honor's voice was head, calling over the ruckus.
"You guys missed the party, so we brought the party to you!" another voice called out.
"You brought the drunks and everything!" Logan laughed seeing all of his friends walking in the door carrying food and drinks.
"I'm so sorry Logan, I would have called, but Josh has my phone, and I was trying to help babysit Finn. I hope you guys weren't sleeping." Honor said giving her brother a quick hug.
"It's fine, we were just watching a movie. Hey Stephanie. Robert, long time, no see!"
"Hey Logan. You remember Kimber?"
"I do. How are you Kimber?"
"I'm very well, thank you. You have a beautiful house!" Robert's date smiled.
"Thank you! Come on in. Rory is in the living room with Lorelai."
"Lorelai is here?!" Finn asked excitedly. "Is she willing to marry me yet?"
"Lorelai is already married, you Goof!" Stephanie said, slugging Finn as she passed him heading to the living room. "Rory! How are you feeling? Honor tells us you were just released from the hospital. Are you doing ok?" she asked, plopping down on the couch next to Rory."
"I'm ok. You look gorgeous!" Rory told her.
"Well thank you! Hey Lorelai! I haven't seen you in months!"
"Hey Stephanie, your dress is beautiful."
"Thank you so much! How are you?"
"I'm doing very well. How are you guys?"
"We are doing great! We couldn't stand the thought of Logan and Rory being alone on New Year's, so we decided to bring the party to them."
"I see that. Wow, you sure brought a lot with you!"
"We raided the bar and buffett." Collin said setting a tray of food down on the coffee table.
"Where's Josh?" Rory asked.
"He's parking the car in the garage, checking on Dad, and sending the nurse home. He'll be over in a few minutes."
"Is Dad in bed?" Logan asked.
"I don't know. He should be. He usually goes to bed by 10:30."
"How was the party?" Lorelai asked.
"It was good." Robert said carrying a couple bar stools into the living room. "Too many parentals though."
"It does suck to party with your parents." Collin agreed. "We are all adults now, why do we still have to go to the same party as our parents?"
"Please, it's not like they'll even notice that we're gone." Rosemarie said as she joined the group. "Hey Rory! You look nice and comfy!"
"Rosemary! Hi! Wow, I haven't seen you in years! You look amazing!" Rory said as her friend leaned over to hug her.
"I know, right?! The boys told me the two of you go back together, and finally got married. It's about time! I'm not even upset that I wasn't invited. I am so happy for you!"
"Don't feel bad, I wasn't invited either." Lorelai told her.
"Rosemary, this is my mom, Lorelai. Mom, this is our friend Rosemary. We went to Yale together."
"Is that Rory?!" Another voice asked. Rory turned her head toward to kitchen to see Juliette walking into the room with a few more people.
"Oh my gosh! Wow, it's like a full college reunion! Hey guys!" Rory smiled.
"Hey Everyone, this is Rory's mother, Lorelai." Logan said holding his arm out toward where Lorelai was lounging on the sofa on the other side of the room from Rory. "Lorelai, you know Collin, Finn and Stephanie."
"I do. Hey guys!" Lorelai greeted them.
"And these are our other friends Juliette, Rosemary, Robert, Kimber, Olivia, and Lucy."
"Rory, your house is amazing!" Lucy said walking over to the couch to hug her friend.
"Lucy! Olivia! I can't believe you guys are here!" Rory told them.
"We ran into Finn at a club last week and he invited us to this great New Year's Eve party under the guise that you would be there, but then you didn't show up, and Logan's sister told everyone that you were home sick with kidney stones or something."
"Kidney stones, severe morning sickness and uti." Rory confirmed.
"Morning sickness? Wait, you're pregnant!?" Olivia asked.
"Just a little bit."
"Oh my gosh! Rory! Congratulations!" Lucy cheered, hugging her friend again.
"Holy crap, we had no idea!" Juliette told her.
"Sorry guys, we've been keeping it a little quiet outside of family." Logan said coming back into the room and rejoining Rory on the couch. "Tonight would have been our first real public outing had Rory not ended up so sick yesterday."
"Rory, how far along are you?" Rosemary asked.
"I'm 15 weeks. Getting close to halfway." Rory answered.
"Do you know what you are having yet?"
"We're having a little girl. Lorelai Ayribella."
"That is such a beautiful name! I bet she is going to look exactly like you!" Juliette told her.
"I hope so." Logan smiled.
"Congratulations you guys!"
"And I'm not the only one who is pregnant right now. Logan's sister Honor is having a little boy a few weeks after me." Rory told them.
"That is so sweet! Honor, have you picked a name yet?" Stephanie asked.
"Maxwell Logan Rothschild." Honor answered, taking a seat next to Lorelai.
"That is so sweet, naming your baby after your little brother! I love that so much!" Juliette told them.
"Hey, what's going on?" a very groggy Luke asked, joining everyone in the living room. "I didn't know that you were having a party."
"Neither did we." Logan told him.
"Everyone, this is my Dad, Luke. Dad, this is the gang. Apparently they bailed on the party they were all at, and decided to come invade our house." Rory explained.
"Invade? We did not invade! You missed the party, so we brought the party to you!" Collin corrected her.
"Hey Luke! You look tired." Josh said walking into the room behind Luke.
"Hey Josh. I just woke up to a bunch of noise. I heard pounding on the door and a bunch of loud voices. I came to see if we were being attacked or something."
"I'm sorry Honey. We had no idea." Loreali said holding out a hand for her husband. "I'm so sorry they woke you."
"No, it's fine." Luke yawned, walking over to join Lorelai and Honor.
"How's Dad doing?" Honor asked as Josh sat on the arm of the couch next to her.
"He's sound asleep. Heather said he went to bed right after we left."
"Did you bring the monitor?"
"It's right here." Josh said pointing to the radio clipped to his belt.
"Wait, you have a baby monitor for your Dad?" Lorelai asked."
"We don't use it unless we're over here at night. We just don't want him to wake up in the middle of the night with us hanging out over hear, and have something happen with us not able to hear it." Honor explained. "He's got the heart monitor and oxygen on. Both of those send alarms to our phones if something happens, but we added the monitor just in case he falls or something. Logan thought it was a good idea."
"Did you guys get a chance to talk to Shira's doctors this week?"
"Logan talked to them yesterday. He didn't tell you?"
"Logan, you have news?"
"Her therapist said its perfectly normal, and that she's always that pleasant."
"Did you die laughing?"
"Just about." Logan laughed. "I'm not sure the therapist appreciated it."
"He spit his coffee out when she said it." Rory commented.
"Wow! That's crazy!"
"Family weekend is coming up, so we'll see how that goes. I tried to explain Mom's permanent ice queen snide attitude to her therapist, but the woman didn't believe me. She said that Mom has been nothing but pleasant."
"Which is completely insane!" Honor told them.
"So how do you think family weekend will go?" Lorelai asked.
"Well, it could definitely be pretty interesting. We can see it going a few different ways. Either A: Mom completely flips and turns back into the woman we all know, and completely shocks her therapist with her acting talents, B: Mom tries to act all sweet and pleasant and then completely flips her lid and goes right back to normal in front of her therapist, or C: Mom somehow manages to remain pleasant the entire time, which none of us see happening."
"How do you guys think it will go?"
"It's hard to say." Logan told her. "Mom can be pretty unpredictable sometimes."