An Unkindness of Ravens
Summary: Peyton reads Lucas's book, while waiting for him to wake up.
My Name is Lucas Scott, I'm a senior at Tree Hill High School. Tree Hill is just a place somewhere in the world, maybe it's a lot like your world, maybe it's nothing like it. But, if you look closer, you might see someone like you. Someone trying to find their way, someone trying to find their place, someone trying to find their self. Sometimes it's easy to feel like you're the only one in the world who's struggling, who's frustrated, or unsatisfied at barely getting by. But, that feeling is a lie and if you just hold on; just find the courage to face it all for another day, someone or something will find the way and make it all okay. Because we all need a little help sometimes, someone to help us hear the music in the world. To remind us that it won't always be this way. That someone is out there, and that someone will find you.
I have a best friend that I couldn't live life without. Haley James Scott is one of the best people I know. She's a great friend, a terrific wife, and she's going to be a wonderful mother. We've been the best of friends since she sat down next to me on the playground, claiming that I looked sad to her. I'd like to say that as great a person she is, that life has been good to her. While it hasn't been the hardest on her, it hasn't been easy either. But, life has always had a way of finding the great ones, and trying to break them. Thank god Haley doesn't break easily.
I also have a brother, that while we have our differences and our share of arguments, we get along fairly well. At least we do considering that just last year we hated each other with a passion. I guess that's something we can thank our father for. Nathan Scott is a good guy. He has a good heart, and he means well, but even the greatest of people have faults and make mistakes. Nathan Scott is no different. I have been a little harder on him than I guess I should have been this year. I myself have made my fair share of mistakes, and while I would love to change some of them, I wouldn't trade them, just because I have grown from them.
Peyton sat in the uncomfortable chair, her knees pulled up to her chest, as she flipped the page, and continued to read. The steady beeps of the machines keeping her mind in place, as she swiped at a tear that formed in the corner of her eye.
She had only been in Los Angeles for a couple of months when she got the call. Well, technically Brooke got the call, but they were still close, and Brooke knew that Peyton should know. Peyton closed her eyes lightly, drifting back a few days earlier.
Peyton swifted through her overly full handbag, before pulling out triumphantly her cell phone. She glanced at the caller ID and saw that it was Brooke. While a part of her was hoping it was Lucas, she was happy it was Brooke. She hadn't talked to Brooke in a few days and missed her best friend badly.
"Hello," Peyton greeted, rather cheerfully.
"Hey...look theres something that I need to tell you..." Brooke trailed off, tears cascading down her face.
"Brooke, what is it?" Peyton asked, hearing the small sniffles that Brooke was trying to hide.
"It's Lucas," Brooke knew that was all she needed to say and Peyton would be on the first flight out.
"What about him?" Peyton asked, her voice slowly getting louder and louder, as the pure fear that something horrible had happened to Lucas.
"I don't know the exact details, but...Karen called me, he's in the hospital...it's bad Peyton," Brooke said, knowing that would get her attention.
"I'm going to catch the first flight out," Peyton said, before hanging up the phone.
Peyton shifted slightly in her seat, her eyes falling upon the still figure lying in the hospital bed in front of her. Tears falling down her face, as she gripped one of his hands in hers.
"Lucas, I don't know if you can hear me...but please wake up. I can't take not knowing any longer..." her sentence trailing off, as she laid her head on the bed, just needing to feel close to him.
She heard the door squeak open, her head lifting only slightly from the bed, her eyes coming in contact with Brooke's.
"How is he?" Brooke asked, looking slightly uncomfortable in the doorway.
"Not good..." Peyton sighed before continuing. "He was out driving, he didn't know that the roads had gotten slick out. Apparently it had rained all day long, and Lucas didn't know that the temperature had dropped that much. He tried to slow down to make the curve, but it only made it worse. His car flipped twice, before landing on it's roof. They had to cut him out...the doctor said that it's a high possibility that he could be in a coma."
"Oh god," Brooke looked on in horror.
Both of Lucas's legs and one of his arms were in a cast. His head had thick white gauze bandage over it, with a rather large spot that was soaked with blood. His chest was the same way, thick gauze bandage wrapped around it, although it wasn't blood soaked, Brooke could only imagine why it was bandaged up. She wasn't sure how Peyton had handled looking at him, when the sight in front of her was making her stomach churn.
"Brooke...I can't lose him, my heart can't take it," Peyton said, tears apparent in her eyes again, as Brooke threw her arms around Peyton hugging her close.
"Don't worry, Lucas is tough, he'll pull through," Brooke said with more confidence than she felt. 'At least I hope he does' she told herself, trying to hold back tears of her own.