Sounds of Tragedy

By: Sari

Summary: One shot. Lucas doesn't have to go through this alone. Post 3x18.

Disclaimer: No, I do not own One Tree Hill. Wish I did, but I don't.

Lucas smiled ruefully as he sat down by River Court. This was going to be his last day on the court. It was too painful now that he couldn't play. He had finally divulged his secret and with it Karen had laid down the ground rules.

But, he had to be glad for the HCM because it did one thing. It brought his mom out of the emotional coma she had put herself into. She was feeling something again. If only it was anger towards him and worry, she was feeling something and she was responding to him again. For those moments when he cried into her arms he felt like he had his mom back and that was a feeling he wouldn't ever let go of. He had been missing her, and it may have been selfish to put her through the pain in order to feel it, but in his mind it was worth it.

Lucas bounced the ball idly, standing up. Cooper's words had helped. Basketball had been the one that got him through the hard times in his life and that he was grateful for, but now he knew he could live without it. It might be hard, watching Nathan eventually build a career out of it or see Skills and Jake on the TV (because he knew he would see them up there one day) but his health, his life, he realized now was more important.

It took Keith dying to realize that, but if any good came out of his death that was certainly one good reason.

"Hey, Luke?" Brooke called walking up to the court.

He smiled easily; he knew he had to tell Brooke. He honestly didn't know how she would react; he'd been out of it for so long he barely knew his own friends anymore. "Hey" he repeated softly. "How was the game?"

Brooke rolled her eyes. "Not as good as it could have been if you were playing."

"About that…"

"You are going to play next game right? Nate can't carry the whole team by himself. He's good, but he's not that good."

"I'm not going to be playing again Brooke." Luke said carefully, accepted decision or not, it was still hard to stomach never playing again.

"What?" Brooke exclaimed eyebrows disappearing into her hair. "Luke, Keith wouldn't want you…"

Lucas cut her off eyes welling with tears. "Keith wouldn't want me to slowly kill myself either. I have a heart condition Brooke, I have HCM."

Brooke stared at him. "What does that mean?"

"It means that I could possibly have a heart attack from stress, from working too hard, or from too much physical activity." Lucas explained. "It means that for the rest of my life I have a death sentence hanging over my head."

Tears broke through his hard earned barrier and Lucas recoiled from her touch. "It means that whatever chance I had at making basketball more than a hobby is gone." He said.

"Oh my god…Luke…" Brooke's brown eyes were filled with compassion. "When did you…have you known all this time?"

"It's hard you know." He said instead, not answering her question. "It's hard living with the fact that you're lying to you're friends and family. And, I know it was selfish. I've thought about telling you guys so many times, but I was just scared because basketball…it's my life. Basketball brought me closer to you, it brought me Nathan, and it gave me a link to Dan no matter how badly he didn't want one. Basketball has been there for me when people haven't." Lucas said. "I just, I was scared."

His voice broke.

"I'm so sorry Brooke" He finally said looking down at her.

Brooke shook her head and sighed. "Luke, I'm here for you because I love you. Haley, Nate, Peyton, Skills, Mouth, Bevin, god even Rachel are here for you. Luke maybe basketball is gone but you still have us, you still have your family."

Brooke and Lucas broke apart at the clearing of a throat. Nathan and Haley as well as Mouth and Rachel waved meekly.

"Yo we didn't mean to break up the moment." Nathan said smiling.

"Like it or not, believe it or not, you don't have to go through this alone." Brooke said gesturing at their friends. "Keith's gone, the game is gone, but you still have us, and maybe right now it might not be enough but it will be. Sooner or later it will be. And when the time comes and you realize that all you need is family. We'll be here waiting, because we'll never leave you alone."