Chapter 1
Haley watched in horror as the air bubbles became fewer, "Nathan, Nathan!" she screamed. As her eyes fell on the slowly resurfacing plastic bracelet she had just placed on her renewed husband's wrist, she began to rip the wedding dress Brooke had created for her from her body.
Lucas pulled up just as Haley was about to leap into the murky water after her husband. "Haley, wait!" he yelled leaping from the barely stopped car as his mother frantically reached over to throw the car in park. Haley was able to catch his eye as she leaped into the water. Before he could really think Lucas began stripping to leap after her.
"Wait!" Karen yelled, running from the car, "take this." She handed him a tire iron and kissed him tearfully before watching him repeat Haley's actions.
Under the water, he sees the overturned limo and Haley struggling to pry open the doors. Her face became blue at the lack of oxygen. She mouthed 'Nathan' and began to look faint Lucas pushed her back towards the surface and commenced to breaking the windshield. The glass shattered and shards floated around him, cutting him as they passed. Haley, having renewed her breath returned to his side and was able to grab a hold of Rachel's dress and Coop's jacket pulling them to the surface. She was met by a fire and rescue team that helped pull all three on shore. Haley coughed and gasped for air as she was engulfed by Karen's embrace. Karen hugged her tight and pushed back the wet hair from her face. Searching her face desperately her concerns boiled down to one word, "Lucas?"
Lucas had now entered the Limo that was perched on an embankment. He swam in the dark car that had only the dimming interior lights to help him. He searched the cabin and found Nathan at the very back of the Limo in a small air pocket. He swam to him quickly as they both bobbed in the air pocket.
"Lucas, not that I'm not glad to see you man, but what are you doing here?"
"Saving your crazy butt as usual. C'mon, let's get out of here. Coop and Rachel are already out." Before he could finish speaking the car broke loose from the embankment and began sinking further, completely filling with water. They hurriedly inhaled a last deep breath and swam to the skylight where Lucas and Nathan took turns bashing at it until it broke free from the roof.
They swam through the hole both getting snagged and cut by the broken glass, but they swam with all their might. The rescue drivers had come in and met them with oxygen masks while pulling both exhausted teens to the surface.
Haley and Karen ran over at breakneck speed to embrace their boys. It seemed they both talked at once. "How could you be so stupid and selfish! I can't loose you too. I love you."
"Nathan, don't ever scare me like that again! I was so afraid I was going to lose you both," she slapped their arms for emphasis. Both weekly chuckled as the EMTs struggled to get to them for medical attention. Haley kissed Nathan, but halfway through noticed he was not responding. Panicked she stepped back and realized he had blacked out and his shirt was all bloodied. His lung had collapsed again from the pressure of being underwater so long. The EMTs quickly pushed her aside to attend to him and get him on a stretcher. For the first time that day the world slowed for Haley and she could hear the loud thud of her heart in her ears, drowning out the world around her.
A crowd had gathered around the bridge where the police had the area blocked off. Many of the onlookers were wedding attendees, one of which, upon seeing Rachel sprawled across the ground tore down the sloped shore of the riverbed. Mouth had broken through before the police could restrain him. He watched in horror as the medics struggled to stabilize her wavering life lines. Her beautiful dress ripped from her chest as they attempted to restart her stilled heart.
A few feet away, Coop lay on a stretcher taking oxygen, but conscious. "Hey Steve! How is she doing man?" Coop yelled out over his oxygen mask. Mouth looked at Rachel's barely alive body and back at Coop. Before he could think he ran over to Coop. Mouth closed the distance in a matter of seconds and with all the force he could muster he punched Coop square across the jaw, knocking him out.
The police were closed behind him and restrained him on the scene. The ambulances loaded up the injured and affected and took them to Tree Hill Memorial Hospital.
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Phones all over the city ran almost simultaneously. Karen called Deb from the ambulance bay as they pushed Lucas through the double-doors to 'Emergency'.
"Deb, relax honey, but I have some news for you. Coop was in a serious accident. He was stable at the scene but, the limo overturned in the river…"
"Oh My God! I'm on my way!"
"Wait, Nathan went in after them. His wound from the car crash reopened. They've rushed him to emergency surgery," all she could hear was a crash before the line died. Deb had run out the door, dropping her phone to grab up her keys.
