Touch of Hellfire (Original Version)

☕️119☕️

Claire dropped me off at the hospital and I found Rory there, crying her eyes out.

I hugged my sister tightly, tears falling from my eyes. "What happened?" I asked her.

"We..we were starting the lecture and...it happened so fast," she sobbed.

I sat down beside her and the two of us sat there.

Mom came in about five minutes later and hugged us both. "They're doing tests," Rory explained to her. "An EKG and blood tests, it was a myocardial infarction, which is a heart attack. The EKG tells them how bad the blockage of his arteries is and the degree of coronary artery disease he has or CAD."

I wrapped my arms around Rory. "It was awful," she murmured. "Maybe text the boys let them know you're here," Mom suggested.

I called Jess but I got his voicemail. "Hey, my grandfather had a heart attack so I'm at the CICU at John Skinner Medical Centre, first floor, red stripe, can you get here soon please?"

I hung up and Rory was buying as much soda as she could, tossing me a can. "Grandma's on her way," Mom told us. "And Dad?" Rory asked her.

"En route..probably," she said. "Gilmore?" a doctor came over to us. "I'm Dr Goldstein, are you Richard Gilmore's family?"

Mom nodded. "Is he okay?"

"He's conscious and cogent, not in any significant pain right now, we sent him down for an angiogram and after that we should be able to get a better sense of what kind of blockage is around his heart," he explained. "I'll let you know of the results, I'll see you in a little bit."

***

Grandma burst into the waiting room. "Where is he? I want to see him."

"Cath lab, angiogram," I explained. She stormed over to the front desk. "I'm Emily Gilmore and I would like to see my husband."

"What's your husband's name?" the receptionist asked her. "Gilmore!" Grandma exclaimed. "Richard Gilmore! I'm his wife and I would like to see him now!"

"He's getting an angiogram," she told him. "You'll have to wait."

"Incompetent!" she exclaimed. "And it took those idiots at the club forty minutes to tell me! They took my phone too! Now they're charging extra for the food and they hardly serve fish!"

I looked up to see Jess there, followed by Logan. "Hey," I tapped Rory and the two of us got up.

I hugged Jess and he kept a tight hold on me. "You okay?"

"Yeah," I told him. I let him go and we walked over to Mom and Grandma.

"Logan, Jess, it's good of you to come," Grandma said. "Would you like tea?" Logan asked her. "Yes please," she nodded. "We're going on the coffee and tea hunt then," Jess mumbled and he and Logan walked off.

"You two chose good," Grandma said to us. "They're very considerate."

"They're getting along," Rory whispered to me. "I know," I gave her a small smile, both of us happy our boyfriends were getting along.

"Where's Christopher?" Grandma asked Mom. She just shrugged as Dr Goldstein came back. "I'm afraid the blockage is worse than we thought, the only course of action is to do an emergency bypass surgery, as soon as possible, if you want to visit, now's the time to do it."

We went in to visit him and he was awake but weak. "I'm sorry I gave you a scare in class today Rory," he mumbled. "I'm just glad you're okay," Rory told him.

"Are you okay Dad?" Mom asked him. "I will be Lorelai, I'd rather be in Tuscon," he told her.

"Not Philly?" I wondered. "I'd prefer Tuscon Heather," he told me. "Or that place you went to film your movie in France, Cannes."

***

"You're getting a history degree?" Jess asked me as we had coffee. "Yeah along with my film major," I told him.

"Uh, I did not know my uncle was coming," Jess mumbled, pointing at reception.

"Oh no," Grandma complained. Me and Jess looked at each other as Grandma practically forced Luke to go to New Haven and bring the car back to Hartford.

"I need someone to pay the fish delivery," Grandma sighed. "I can do it," Jess offered. Grandma gave him the list of where the fish would go. "Thank you Jess," she muttered.

"We'll go too," Logan offered and the four of us left. "I have my car on level four so," Jess told us.

He has improved his vehicle. "The rust bucket is gone," he told us. "I have a confession to make," Rory mumbled. "Remember when your car got devil egged? That was me."

"What?" Jess looked at her. "We were bored," Rory shrugged. I started laughing, as did Logan while Jess shook his head.

We drove to the house and waited for the fish man while Rory and Logan took care of getting Grandpa's things.

***

"Did you sort the fish?" Rory called to us. "Yeah, we're coming!" Jess called back and we shut the freezer.

"I don't want to look at another fish again," Jess sighed.

Once we got back to the hospital, we learned that the surgery was a success and Grandma left to visit.

"You got Grandma hooked on Milk Duds?" I looked at Mom.

She gave me a small wink.

We went to visit Grandpa, who was quite groggy. "Forget Tuscon," he mumbled. "Maybe New Haven."

He soon fell asleep. "I'm glad you two are doing okay with boys," Mom told us.

"Why isn't Dad here?" I asked her. "Because he's a dick," Mom murmured.