New Beginnings

Act 4 ch 5

The next morning Rory's asleep curled on a chair in Victoria's hospital room while Lorelai's sitting next to Victoria holding her hand, wide awake just staring at her daughter and the marks on her face.

Victoria's eyes slightly flutter open, Lorelai notices instantly. "Hi, baby. You're okay" Lorelai brushes a piece of hair out of Victoria's face.

"I don't know how much you remember, you were awake a couple times last night but even then you were pretty out of it. The doctor said you're gonna be okay though, just a little concussion broken leg" Lorelai explains in a soft voice. "Where's Summer?" Victoria asks sitting up. "We can talk about that later, for now just lay back down I don't want you exerting yourself" Lorelai tells her.

"Mom" Victoria says.

"Do you want any water? Your voice soun-" Lorelai tries. "Mom" Victoria says again.

"I'm sorry, honey I'm so sorry. She just lost too much blood too quick, by time they got you guys here there wasn't much they could do for her" Lorelai finally admits.

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Lorelai reluctantly agrees do let Victoria go back to her dorm after Paris went into heavy detail about how she's pre med and swears she'll take excellent around the clock care of Victoria, which of course is unnecessary but it's Paris and Lorelai being overbearing is kinda their thing.

"I could heat up my own ramen Paris" Victoria insists. "No, you're my practice patient. I take care of you" Paris tells her.

"You know I really don't think microwaving ramen is necessary medical training" Victoria points out. "Will it make you feel better?" Paris asks her. "Yes" Victoria sighs.

"Then I'm on it" Paris says before hearing a knock on the door.

"Actually I'm on that, then soup" Paris runs to open the door. "No" she instantly closes it.

"Paris!" Tristan yells from the other side of the door. "What?!" Paris slightly opens the door, leaving the chain locked though so he still can't get in. "Let me see her" Tristan tells her.

"No" Paris declines.

"What do you mean no?" Tristan asks. "She's upset, I can't have you stressing her out even more" Paris answers.

"I'm not gonna stress her out" Tristan scoffs. "I'm not risking it" Paris shakes her head. "Come on, you just became friends what a month ago? We've been together since sophomore year, she needs me right now" Tristan tells her.

"No, you were together since sophomore year. Then you broke up with her over the damn phone" Paris reminds him.

"Well when should I have done it, our whole relationship lately's been phone calls and voice mails" Tristan defends himself. "Exactly, and that's her fault too but she's hurt right now so I can't yell at her now can I?" Paris replies.

"I'm not doing this with you, I'll come back when you're gone" Tristan starts to walk away. "Good luck cause I'm not leaving!" Paris calls after him. "You have to go to class sometime!" Tristan yells back.

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A few days had passed and it was the day of Summer's wake.

"You sure you're alright to go alone?" Rory asks while straightening her sister's hair. "Yeah, this is something I have to do" Victoria tells her.

"You don't have to, if it's too much we can do anything else" Rory says. "No, no we can't. I need to do this" Victoria insists. "Okay" Rory nods.

"You can still drive me though right?" Victoria asks her.

"Obviously. I mean, you can't exactly drive yourself" Rory gestures down to the giant cast on Victoria's leg.

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On her crutches Victoria manages to walk over to the casket, closed casket which you would think would make things easier but she knows that the reason it's closed is because of how mangled the body is.

Sure the casket might be closed but there are pictures of Summer all over the room, pictures that Victoria's eyes just keep going back to. That night plays on her head in repeat.

Come on, let me drive you. I need you in my life. Look out!

It was her fault.

They were in the car because of her, Summer didn't see the other car because she was looking at her. They never would've been in that situation in the first place if it wasn't for her.

Feeling her chest start to tighten up Victoria quickly leaves the room not wanting to have a panic attack in front of Summer's family, not after what she's already put them through. She goes out of the building and sits on a bench. Ten minutes Victoria sits there with her face in her hands before she feels a hand on her shoulder.

she looks up to see Tristan next to her.

"What are you doing here?" Victoria asks trying to wipe her tears away. "You're forgetting I've known her since kindergarten" Tristan replies.

"Right" Victoria whispers. "Are you okay?" Tristan asks her. "No" Victoria answers honestly.

"Do you want me to take you home?" Tristan offers.

"No, Rory's in the neighborhood she said to call her when I'm ready" Victoria declines. "I can take you, I mean we're going to the same place anyway" Tristan insists.

"I can't be stuck in a car alone with you right now" Victoria tells him. The look on his face tells her that might've come out a little hard. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry it's just too hard. Even sitting next to you here when I can get up and leave at any moment hurts" Victoria explains.

"We have to talk" Tristan says.

"About what?" Victoria asks him. "About us" Tristan answers.

"What us? The only thing that's changed is that now you feel bad for me, I don't want you to take me back out of pity" Victoria tells him. "It's not pity, when Rory called and told me that you were in an accident and in the hospital that was the scariest moment of my life. Nothing's worth losing you" Tristan insists. "That doesn't change the fact that you said yourself that we don't work anymore" Victoria replies.

"Then we'll make it work" Tristan says.

"I don't think that I can, I can barely even think straight right now. I can't be adding more stress" Victoria tells him. "Okay, okay yeah. It's fine, just take some time and we'll figure it out later" Tristan nods.

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What's the longest slow burn you'd read? (Don't worry not for them, for a different book)