Finally where we should be

Hush little baby

"I'm such a terrible mother," Rory felt the words slippering out of her mouth, as warm tears started to roll down her face to fully depict her state of misery.

The young Gilmore repeated the words to no one in particular, since it was impossible to even hear her own voice with Ellie's loud crying resonating inside the only drugstore in Stars Hollow.

It was the first time Rory was all alone with her daughter in almost two months. The weeks passed by like a blur after Logan went back to London in the beginning of June. Since then, while the new daddy paid the baby short in house visits, Lorelai has always been around to assist with the chaotic newborn stage and Luke has stepped in regularly to make sure the girls were properly fed.

Lorelai hadn't complained about the heavy routine, neither had Luke. However, with their own business to manage and the baby duties, signs of exhaustion became evident at some point. On top of that, Rory was still feeling responsible for the last minute cancellation of their honeymoon.

So, a few days before, the young Gilmore convinced the couple to go away for the weekend. She presented a compelling case to prove there was nothing to worry about because she was totally prepared for the experience. That's how Rory ended up alone with the baby at home.

In fact, the new mom was truly confident she had already gotten the hang of things. For a newborn, Ellie wasn't necessarily difficult to deal with. The girl was fussy sometimes, but never in an impossible way to handle. So, it was hard to believe any major setback could happen.

The illusion of a peaceful weekend remained for the first hours after Lorelai and Luke's departure. But trouble began when Ellie woke up from her nap around 8 pm. Rory checked her diaper, turned on a white noise sound, held her close and even gave the baby a soothing massage. Nothing worked. The crying only got worse and worse. So, the only thing left to do was to call the pediatrician.

What the young Gilmore didn't expect was that the call would go straight to voicemail because the doctor was out of town due to a family emergency. As Ellie's screams were getting louder, Rory remembered her mother's advice to look for a backup pediatrician in case a situation like this ever unfolded. If only she had gone through with it. The task got lost in the pile of daily urgent things to do. Now, she regretted not giving it much attention.

Trying to collect her thoughts, Rory listed every person she could seek for help. Lane was not an option today. The band had a gig in a town nearby and her friend was on stage at the moment. In agony, knocking on Mrs Kim's door was considered too, but the alternative was quickly discarded because the woman was at a religious retreat where no phones were allowed. Paris also came up in her mind, however she knew the lawyer would only give her a long disapproving speech for not having a plan B. Out of resources, the girl dialed Emily and anxiously waited to listen to her grandmother's voice. Unfortunately, no one seemed to be on the other end of the line to pick up the phone.

Embarrassed, Rory admitted defeat and proceeded to call Lorelai. The young Gilmore didn't want to disturb the romantic trip, but the extenuating circumstances - aka Ellie's higher by the minute crying - demanded desperate measures.

Things didn't go as expected though. Instead of a ringback tone, all the journalist heard was a message announcing the phone was off or disconnected. Apparently, the battery died along the drive to Vermont. Trying Luke's cell was pointless either, because the girl discovered he left it near the stove at home. She continued watching the device vibrating, as the last ounce of chill left her body and a sinking feeling took over her.

The panic made it impossible to think straight and Rory moved towards the door with no clear plan in her head. Flustered by Ellie's intense vocals, she took the baby to the jeep and drove until she passed by the drugstore. The only great idea that crossed her mind was getting in there and pleading with the pharmacist for anything that could help ease the mystery condition of the baby, ignoring the fact she didn't have a prescription for any meds. Of course, the little improv didn't work and that's why she wound up sitting hopeless in the corner of the store earlier.