Gilmore Girls: More in the Life

Chapter 92

The next couple hours contained a flurry of activity. Luke drove at breakneck speeds to get to the hospital, all the while calling Logan to let him know what had happened. He stressed that it was not necessary for either him or Rory to come back to the hospital, that he would update them as soon as he knew anything. Luke asked Logan to get a hold of Emily for him so that he could concentrate on driving.

Once at the hospital, Luke was not allowed to see Lorelai due to the doctor's working to assess her and the twins' injuries. Luke sat in a waiting room, head in his hands, worrying and praying that everything would be all right.

Forty minutes into his taking up residence in the waiting room chair, Luke looked up to see Emily charging toward him. He stood as she neared.

"How is she? What happened?"

Luke took a deep breath. "I haven't been updated since I got here. I didn't want to disturb anyone who caring for her."

Emily nodded. Luke thought she would speak her mind, ordering him to demand an update but she didn't. "I understand. Given the seriousness, it is probably best to sit and wait. Even though it's very hard."

"I'll say," Luke remarked.

Emily took a seat beside him, worry creasing her forehead. "Luke, have you talked to Lorelai about the way you've been feeling?" When Luke shook his head, Emily continued. "Why? Don't you think that's the kind of thing she deserves to know?"

Anger filled Luke. "I should tell my wife who is currently pregnant with twins that I feel too overwhelmed at the prospect of raising children and have been wondering if she is better off handling everything alone? I mean, she's done it before, right? So it should be a piece of cake for her to master again?"

Emily sat silently, letting Luke spit his words at her without interruption.

"No, this is not something I want to talk to her about. I had hoped that the feeling would pass if I spent time with Lora and was able to see how my expectations were entirely out of whack with the reality. But now I may never get the chance to see if I can be a father because my wife and children could be dying behind those doors and there is nothing I can do to stop it."

Luke wasn't sure when during his tirade that his cheeks became wet. Embarrassment replaced the anger. He didn't want Emily to see how much everything was affecting him. But the truth of the matter was that he had no idea what was happening. He had no idea what caused the accident or what types of injuries Lorelai had sustained. No one told him whether his babies would be okay or if they had been injured too.

Fear gripped his heart. The thought of losing any of the three made his stomach burn.

The doors Luke had referenced opened and a tall man dressed in dark blue scrubs looked into the waiting room. Seeing that only Luke and Emily sat, he began walking toward them. "Are you Lorelai Danes' family?"

Emily stood, extending her hand to the man. "Yes, I'm Lorelai's mother, Emily. This is Lorelai's husband, Luke. Are you the doctor who has been treating her?"

"Yes, I'm Dr. Lashbrook. From what the paramedics gathered at the scene of the accident, Lorelai was heading north on Washington Street and had a green light when approaching Capitol Avenue. A minivan traveling west failed to stop at the red light on Capital and t-boned Lorelai's vehicle, only braking right before impact."

Emily gasped audibly. Luke's only reaction was the fear that grew in his eyes.

"She was found unconscious and had to be extricated. She has a substantial cut on her forehead that was embedded with broken glass. Cleaning that wound alone was lengthy due to the size and depth but we are satisfied that we removed all of the glass. In addition, Lorelai has a broken right clavicle. I thought she had a punctured a lung but, thankfully, that isn't the case."

"Has she regained consciousness?" Emily asked.

The doctor cleared his throat. "She has. I suspect that the head injury is causing some fogginess— which is common— but we will be monitoring her to make sure there aren't any lasting effects. Now, I'm sure you're wondering about the babies." Luke and Emily both nodded. "The stress of the accident put Lorelai in labor. We've been able to stop the contractions for the time being. We called in her obstetrician who has recommended Lorelai be placed on bed rest until the babies arrive which she is concerned may happen sooner than later."

Luke spoke, his voice barely a whisper. "If the babies are born soon, will they have a chance at surviving?"

"I'm not going to sugar coat it; there are risks for Lorelai to deliver the twins at thirty-one weeks. The longer the babies can stay in, obviously, the better. Hopefully, bed rest will prevent labor but there aren't any guarantees."

Luke asked another question. "Do you think the babies suffered any injuries?"

"It's hard to say at this point. The ultrasound that Dr. Whitley performed didn't give any indication of injuries but we won't know for sure until the babies are born."

Emily mentioned a worry that Luke, too, wondered about. "Is there a risk for her to continue with the pregnancy?"

Sighing, Dr. Lashbrook struggled to answer. "Dr. Whitley is more qualified to answer that but I suppose that there could be. If the babies have been injured, the extent wouldn't be visible until they're here and they can be examined."

Seeing the emotion playing on their faces, the doctor finished. "I know this a lot to take. Lorelai is awake, though, so if you'd both like to visit with her, I can take you to her room. Just prepare yourself because she is groggy and is pretty banged up."

Luke and Emily nodded and followed the doctor through the bustling halls to Lorelai's room. When Luke's eyes fell upon Lorelai, lying hurt and broken in the bed, his heart shattered.

Why did he ever think he could willingly leave her?