What's Next?

I'm So Sorry...

"I have some updates on Jess's condition." The nurse looked down to her papers. "I'm so sorry..."

____

Rory's heart began racing, she tried to talk but her throat felt blocked. It felt as if a boulder was stuck in her windpipe. "Wha-?" Was all she managed to ask.

"Ms. Mariano..." The nurse noticed the fear in her eyes and grabbed her hand. "He could pull through, but he'd most likely be paralyzed from the neck down. See, his vertebrae got damaged by the impact of the crash."

Rory wondered how this woman could sit her and simply list off Jess's injuries as if nothing was wrong. "You said he could pull through?"

"It's a sixty percent chance as of now."

The nurse went on, but Rory's mind jumbled. Jess. She thought. My poor Jess. This is all my fault.

"M'am?"

"Hmm?" Rory's thoughts were interrupted.

"You can go back to your family." The nurse smiled, how could anyone be smiling?

***

Rory walked out to the waiting room, where only Luke sat. Her eyes were wide, her posture arrantly straight.

"Rory," Luke rushed up. "What did they say?"

Rory just stood there, not moving for a solid minute. Her emotions remained intact in till Luke spoke again.

"Is Jess alright?" Her immediate response made him angry at himself for asking.

Rory crumbled. She seemed to devolve into sobs as she was summoned up into Luke's consoling embrace. He'd never see her breakdown this badly before.

"Rory...sweetheart?" Luke tried to get her to talk. "Tell me what happened."

"He's going to hate life," Rory cried. "He's probably going to be paralyzed forever, if he even makes it out." Her tears flooded down her face.

"What do you mean?"

"The nurse said...it's a sixty percent chance..."

"Of?"

"Living, I guess," Rory shrugged and buried her face in her hands. "This is all my fault, I made him go with me to this charity event." Suddenly Rory remembered. "Crap! I need to call Grandma!" Rory's hands were shaking as she pulled her phone out of her purse. She began dialing when she hit a wrong number. "Damn it." She began getting tempered. "Freaking phone. I hate this!"

"Rory, come here." Luke pulled her close again. "You don't have to do that right now."

"Y...yes I do." Rory's trembling fingers couldn't even dial a simple number.

"Hey." Lorelai came back from the bathroom, her eyes pink, presumably from crying. "What's going on?"

"Jess isn't in good shape." Luke answered.

"What happened?"

"It's all my fault." Rory kept repeating.

"It's not-" Luke began but was interrupted but the doctor.

"Are you the Mariano family?" He asked.

"I'm his wife." Rory answered.

"He's my nephew." Luke added.

"Do you want to see him before he take him to surgery?"

"Yes, please." Rory grabbed up the baby carrier.

"I think I'll just stay here." Luke nodded.

Rory turned to him. "Please come, Luke."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

The two went to Jess's room.

"Oh, Jess." Rory kneeled beside the bed and grabbed his hand. "Please be okay. You have to be okay." The tears were falling from her face and she squeezed Jess's hand a little tighter. "You can't leave me, you can't. You've always been here for me and never left my side. What makes you think you can do that now? Jess, you can't leave me!" Rory was loosing control of her emotions. "I love you, I love you so much. I can't imagine life without you." Rory sat back, huddled in a chair.

"Rory, I'm so sorry." Luke sat next to her.

Rory looked up, tears still glistening in her eyes. "I know, Luke."

"Rory?" A muffled, crackly sound came out of the once lifeless man in the hospital bed.

"Jess?" Rory gasped, leaning in.

"I l-love you...t-too." Through almost inaudible rapport, Jess managed to speak.

"So you heard all that?"

"Yes," Jess blinked. "It...w-was beautiful."

Rory smiled. "You're gonna get through this."

"I will for you." Jess reassured. He wanted to talk more, but was overly exhausted and fell to sleep.

***

The waiting was hard. Treacherous, actually. But just imagine the pain and guilt that Rory felt, dragging Jess along to this charity-oh damn it, Emily! Why does she keep forgetting?

***

"Grandma?" Rory held the phone close to her ear, waiting for her grandmother to scream at
her for not informing her on the last two days of events.

"Hello, Rory." A deeming tone...

"Grandma, I'm so sorry we didn't make it yesterday. Jess and I got into an accident, we're at the hospital right now."

Contrary to the prerogative, Emily was completely understanding. "Oh, Rory! Are you guys okay?"

"I am. But, Jess..." Her emotions began peaking and she wished like hell she could control them. "He's possibly getting better."

"I know he will, sweetheart," Emily reassured. "Do you need anything? I can come up there."

Rory sighed, her grandmother was honestly trying to help and she wanted her to feel needed. "I think we're fine, grandma thank you. But if you wanted to come up here, that would be nice."

"I'd love to. Which hospital was it?"

"St. Memorial."

"See you in a bit."

***

Emily drove up and greeted them all in the waiting area. Rory ran up to her and hugged her.

"Thank you."

Emily hugged her back. "You're welcome, Rory."

"We're just waiting for Jess to pull through. He odds didn't look good, but he actually talked a little. Things are slowly looking up."

***