Apr 26, 2009 14:58
Disclaimer: I don´t own the characters in this story. I write only for fun.
He just stood in the middle of the chaos Luke´s Diner had become. He couldn´t believe what had happened yesterday. He felt numb, tired, worn-out. His mind wents to the incidents which concluded in - him having the toughest night of his life.
27. April 12 o´clock am
It was a usual day in Stars Hollow, Rory and Lorelai were at Luke´s and had ordered their lunch. The banter between Luke and Lorelai was on highlevel that day. A few empty tables were left when the two stranger men entered.
“Nobody moves! This is a robbery!” One of the two said, when the other one pulled out a gun.
Dead silence filled the room. Everybody saw the panic and crazy look in the men´s eyes.
Luke opened the cash register and took all of his money out of it.
“Give it to me!” the man screamed again. Luke didn´t want to put anyone of his guests in even more danger and so he stretched his arm when a noise behind the curtain startled him and everyone else.
“Hey, here you are.” Lorelai spoke to him with soft voice. “I know it is hard for you and I know how much you care, but please come with me, so you can take a much needed rest.”
“Let me alone… please!” he answered, his voice was barely above a whisper.
From this point on everything happened really fast. Rory appeared at the point where the noise came from. One of the man saw her and pointed his gun in her direction. Luke noticed it and made a movement to her. Then a bullet crossed the room…Lorelai was screaming “NO!”…and it hit Luke in the back. In the aftermath the two man grabbed the money and escaped. Lorelai run to her daughter and hugged her. Then she kneeled down and looked after Luke.
“I can´t do that Jess and you know it! Luke would never forgive me if I let you here by youself.” Lorelai spoke softly again. She took a few steps to get near him. “Why?” was all Jess was able to say before he started shaking. Lorelai put her arms around him and run a comforting hand on his back. A couple of minutes went by where they hold that position. When Jess had calm down a little, Lorelai began talking again. Carefully she pointed out that he couldn´t stay in the mess the diner had become. But that he needed a point to rest and sleep. “Please come home with me…pause…we can call the hospital to reach us there. You are not in a condition where I let you alone. I know, that we had problems before but please let me help you now.”
Jess was really exhausted and didn´t had the strength to fight with Lorelai at this point. But there was no way that he could go with her. His voice was tired and sorrowful when he told her: “Thanks for the offer but I can´t.”
“What´s the problem?” Lorelai responded.
Jess sighed deeply and continued: “It has nothing to do with you - so can we please put this to an end?!”
“No way” she said determined. “Do you have any other options?”
She saw his defeated look. She looked at him closely and felt a pain in her heart. Sure they never were close or even on friendly terms but to see him broken like this, broke her Motherheart. She never thought, that Jess cared so deeply about Luke.
Jess interrupted her thoughts with his question. “Can I stay at the hotel, please?”
“Okay” she said unassertive. Her mind was working on high speed.
“Good!” Jess whispered.
Lorelai was never a person who gave in so easily so she had to asked again.
“What is the difference? Why are you so against my help?” Why do you want to go through this a alone?”
Jess was totally outspend and wanted this conversation to end. He hadn´t enough energie to come up with some fake explanation. All he wanted now was his peace, a little sleep and get back to Luke as quickly as possible. So he told her the truth. “Because of Rory!”
Jess had moved into the hotel and laid on the bed. He had tried to sleep but had failed miserable. To much thoughts were running in his head. He toss and turned and then gave up and made is way back to the hospital. He could sleep later when Luke would be ok.
At the hospital - intensive care
He wasn´t aloud to enter the room but he could watch him through the window. So he just stand there. Never in his life he was so scared. Maybe when he had the accident with Rory but this time it was different. Luke was the closest thing he got to a parent. He was there whenever he needed him. He always was solid as a rock and to see him now so weak and fighting for his life almost killed him. He would never admit it, how much Luke meant to him but he was one of the most important persons in his life. The other one was Rory and that was the Problem. But he couldn´t deal with it right now. So he watched Luke and made sure that he continued breathing.
At Lorelai´s house
“Is Jess ok? And where is he?” Rory asked her mother.
“No, sweetie, he is pretty messed up. But he is now in the hotel and rest a little. This will do him good.” Lorelai answered.
“Why did you not invite him to stay with us? We could be there for him.” Rory said concerned.
Lorelai knew that the truth would hurt Rory deeply and that she wasn´t fine enough after everything that happened yesterday. So she only told her that Jess prefer to stay in the hotel but not why.
“Oh, ok I guess that is typical for Jess.” Rory said a little disappointed.
“Enough of this! You need to rest a little now, too.” Lorelai told her insistently.
“Maybe you are right, but after that we should go back to Luke. Rory spoke and couldn´t hide a yawning.
A few hours later at the hospital
A nurse had seen Jess standing there for quiet some time now. He looked so exhausted and that he would broke down any minute, that she went to talk to him.He should go home, take a rest and that they would call him when anything changed. But he had adamantly refused to do so. The nurse gave in and brought him a chair, so that he could at least sit there.
When Lorelai and Rory later arrived at the hospital, they found him in exact that position.
“Hey” both woman greeted him.
He startled, turn away from Luke and looked up to the two woman and nodded shortly. Lorelai was shocked how bad Jess was looking. “How long have you been here?” she asked softly.
“I don´t know, quiet some time.” Jess answered with a low voice.
“Sleeping didn´t work out, I guess?” Lorelai replied.
“Not really.” Jess answered with the same low voice.
Rory who hadn´t said anything until this point, laid her hand on Jess back to comfort him, but he flinch from it.
“Please, don´t”…Jess spoke barely audiable.
Rory nodded confused and took her hand away. “How is he?” she asked then.
“Nothing changed” Jess whispered.
He had feared this moment, from the point he knew what had happened. He didn´t know what do do or feel or say. He was completely overwhelmed by it. Luke, his beloved uncle, on the other side of the window fighting for his life. Pale, weak and completely vulnerable. Rory, his love of his life, on his side of the window, although a bit pale but other then that completely healthy. But this only because of Luke. His mind began spinning again. Luke could die because of Rory. Rory could have died when Luke hadn´t sacrifice himself. These thoughts were running in his head until he couldn´t take it any longer. Everything around him disappeared, he hit the floor pretty hard and let the unconsciousness come over him.
At the hospital
“Jess?” he heard a woman voice far away calling his name.
“Jess, please wake up” again the voice - a little bit scared but so full of love - he heard her but he hadn´t the strength to answer her. Everything around him had disappeared the only thing he realised was this voice - but it got quieter and quieter and then it disappeared, too.
It was Rory´s voice. She kneeled beside him and tried to get through to him - reach him through the unconsciousness. But no reaction from him. The nurse and the doctor brought him to the treatment room.
Now Rory and Lorelai were waiting outside for news.
“Mum, what is wrong with him” Rory asked concerned.
“It is all to much for him, honey. You know with all the stuff that happens lately…” Lorelai answered.
“I know that, but it is something else, he flinched when I touched him. He never did that before.” Rory told her anxious.
The doctor interrupted the conversation at that point. “Are you family?”
Lorelai explained the situation and then the doctor continued.
“We gave him a medication which should stabilize his circulation. He will wake up when his body is ready.” All he needs is a little rest.” All the events were a bit much for him, but that is something you already knew, I guess.” The doctor stated.
“Can I see him?” Rory asked.
“Sure, but be quiet, and no more aggravation!” The doctor spoke and left them behind.
Lorelai went back to Luke and Rory walks in the room and took the place besides Jess.
A few hours later
His eyelid slowly trembled, he opened his eyes and then he saw her beautiful face.
“Jess…a tiny pause…I am so glad that you woke up.” Rory spoke with her soft voice.
He smiled a little before he tried to get up. But it was to quick for his body. He felt the dizzyness again, so he had to lay down .
“How is Luke?” Jess asked after a few moments.
“No changes there, Lorelai is with him.! Rory answered directly.
“What about you? It was all a bit much the last days.”
Jess didn´t feel ready to talk about this. And especially with Rory, so he tried to avoid it.
“I should go to Luke!”
“Are you sure you are ready for it?” Rory asked concerned. “You still look a bit shaken and pale. And it is no wonder after everything that happened…
“Rory please stop, I can´t handle this all right now.” Jess pleaded her.
“That’s all I ´ve been saying. Maybe you should stay I little bit longer and rest?”
“I can´t rest here, ok?” So please let me get up and see Luke…Jess continued. He didn´t had the strength to fight with Rory anymore. He just hoped that she would let this subject go for now. But Rory was a Gilmore so it wasn´t in her gene to let him of so easily.
“Why?”
“Why…jesus…Rory! Do you really wanna know why? Jess said with tears in his eyes and a lot louder then he had wished.
Rory nodded short. She knew she had gone to far with it, but she couldn´t stop it anymore. The doctor had told her no more aggravation. That´s went really well, she thought ironically.
“Because of you!” He saw her shocked face but he couldn´t stop him anymore. All his emotions bursted out of him. “Luke is only here because of you. He tried to rescue you - because thats it what Luke does. He is my uncle and I love him. But I also love you, Rory. You are the love of my life!” He had to paused and swallow hard. “And I don´t know what to feel anymore. If I am happy that you are alive - it´s means also that I am happy that Luke is the one who got hurt. And that is so wrong. But if I am worried about Luke and why he got shot - it means that…” he broke down. Tears running down his face and his whole body start shaking again. Rory kneeled down and put her arms around him. This time he didn´t flinched.
Luke´s hospital room
Lorelai had taken the place from Jess on the window and watched Luke carefully. She didn´t know how long she sat there before it happened. As soon as she noticed it, she went to the nurse.
“Mr. Danes?” Hello? Mr. Danes can you hear me?” the doctor said.
Luke had open his eyes and nodded barely noticeable.
“You are in the hospital, you got shot and lost a lot of blood.” the doctor explained.
“Rory?” Luke aspirated.
“She is fine, thanks to you.” Lorelai told him. She stood at the door with happy tears in her eyes.
“Good” Luke aspirated and closed his eyes.
The doctor and Lorelai left the room. At the moment it seems good, but he needs a lot of sleep and a lot of rest. When there are no complications in the next 48 hours, he should fully recover, the doctor said to her and left.
Lorelai sat down a few minutes to let the spoken words get to her mind. She breathed a sigh of relief. Then she went to Rory and Jess to tell them the good news. She found them sitting on the ground. Rory had put her arms around him and spoke to him softly that everything will be alright again.
“She is right, Jess, Luke had open his eyes.” Lorelai interrupted the scene.
Jess looked up to her and said: “Really?”
“Yes, and he asked about Rory.” Lorelai answered. She repeated what the doctor had told her. Jess was so relieved. He stood up - just to sit on the bed and let the news sink in. Rory and Lorelai hug each other and Rory let the tears finally fall down on her face. Til this point she had to be strong for Jess but now she give vent to her feelings.
Next morning
That night everyone had swept in their own bed. Lorelai and Rory were at their home and gave Jess and Luke some time alone in the hospital. Furthermore Rory needed the rest with all the things happened yesterday. She felt a little exhausted and dizzy but nothing a cup of coffee would resolve. Lorelai had made breakfast for her and now they sat on Rorys bed and eat and talk and started the day really slow.
Jess was in the hospital already and was aloud to enter the room and sit by Lukes side.
“Hey” Luke spoke after he opened his eyes.
“Hey, Uncle Luke” Jess answered. “How are you?”
“Tired and my back hurt” he quietly responsed.
“Glad to here this, a few inches in the other direction and you would have never felt anything in that area, again.” Jess told him with the underton Luke knows so well.
“Your job, I don´t want you to get problems because of me.” Luke said concerned.
“Please, Uncle Luke, you are my family….You know that I am not good in talking about my feelings, but you scared the hell out of me, and I don´t leave you until you are ok.” Jess spoke to him softly.
Luke had tears in his eyes and didn´t know what to say.
“You need to sleep now, I will be here when you wake up.” Jess told him softly. Luke closed his eyes and after a few seconds the sleep came over him.
A few hours later
Rory and Lorelai finally arrived at the hospital. Lorelai had took Jess place at Lukes bed and Jess was outside the room talking to Rory.
“I wanted to thank you for yesterday.” Jess begin to talk.
“You´re welcome” Rory answered.
“I don´t know what…Jess continued.
Rory put her finger on his mouth and told him: “Stop, you don´t need to do this, I understand you and I am glad that I could be there for you.”
Jess looked at her thankfully and nodded. After a few minutes of silence he asked her if she wanted a coffee, too. Rory felt the little dizzyness again, which she had a few times this morning. So she answered with yes, and hoped that it would help her. Jess turned around and made three steps before he noticed out of the corner of his eyes that Rory got pale and slowly collapse to the ground.
Please let me know what you all think about it. A review would be much appreciated.
jess,
fanfiction,
gilmore girls,
luke