A song yet unsung
Nathan Scott walked into the familiar cafeteria and headed towards the coffee machine. He picked a paper cup and put it under the machine and watched as coffee poured into his cup. When his cup was full he stared at it and wondered how many cups he'd had within the past 24 hours. He let out a sigh, picked up his cup and walked towards the cash register. He looked down and noticed he hadn't taken a cover, too lazy to walk back to the machine he figured he could just drink it like that. He paid for his drink while the cashier greeted him. He was a regular here, spending most of his time in this hospital.
"How are you doing?" She asked nicely.
"Better than yesterday, we had a rough night." He shrugged and the cashier gave him his change back. "Thanks."
"Have a good day and tell her I say hi." Nathan nodded and picked up his coffee, leaving the cashier take the rest of the orders.
He took a sip and cursed when he burnt his tongue. "Damn, that's warm." He decided to wait a bit while it cooled down before taking another sip. He walked towards the exit and focused on the new television they had installed in the cafeteria when he felt a body colliding with his own.
"Ow." He heard the woman in front of him hiss.
"I'm so sorry, I wasn't paying attention." He looked down at her and saw that his coffee had spilled all over her, staining her white shirt.
"It's alright, I'm so clumsy that I'm totally the kind of girl who would do this, just run into someone who just so happened to be holding a cup of very hot coffee and manage to get it spilled on me. It's not the first time that it happens, well actually it is. But I'm so sorry and I-"
"- You're rambling."
"Right, sorry." She looked up at the man she'd run into for the first time and blushed because he certainly was hot. Much much hotter than the coffee that socked her shirt.
"No need to be sorry I wasn't looking." She nodded and nobody spoke for a short while. "I'm really sorry about your shirt."
"And I'm really sorry about your coffee." He chuckled, while she blushed. What the hell, she thought why can't I stop blushing.
"I'm Nathan, Nathan Scott by the way." She smiled and put her hand out. "I'm Haley, Haley James."
He was about to take her hand but paused when he noticed his hand was sticky with coffee. He thought about his possibilities, thinking it would be rude not to shake her hand yet it would be weird to shake her hand while his was dirty. He thought about it but he figured what the hell her shirt was socked in coffee, it couldn't be much worse.
"Nice to meet you Haley." He took her hand and they shook briefly. Neither ignored the sparks that travelled their body as their hands met. Haley pulled back quickly and nodded her head and neither spoke. Nathan was trying to figure out what to say, if her should offer her something or make a casual conversation. But then again, he thought maybe she was busy and didn't have time to talk.
"I can give you money, for the shirt. So you can, you know, replace it." Haley looked down and shrugged, "its fine I have some clothes upstairs in a hospital room. I'll just change then."
"Are you a patient here?" He asked a little too quickly fearing that this beautiful woman might have something wrong. Then he thought what a stupid question that was because she didn't have any hospital bracelets and looked in perfect shape.
"Oh no, my friend just had twins. I'm just visiting." Nathan thought about it for a moment, kids. How he loved that moment of having a baby. How amazing it was. He wanted to feel happy for them, for Haley's friends but a part of him felt bad, because of what he went through.
"Then why do you have clothes here if she's the one in the hospital?"
"Long story." She shrugged and smiled.
Nathan looked at his watched, "It was lovely meeting you Haley and I really am sorry about your clothes. Are you sure you don't want anything?"
She shook her head and he continued, "Well I need to get going, we're waiting for me. I said I was going to be gone for just a moment and Melody's waiting for me."
Haley couldn't help but feel her heart fall in her chest, Melody. He was with a woman, he wasn't alone. She cursed to herself for feeling that way for a stranger she just met but there was just something about that man that she couldn't fight. How she fell for those blue eyes of his and the touch of his hand on hers felt so amazing. The butterflies she had felt and the sparks, those sparks she'd never had that with anyone but him.
"Goodbye Nathan." She smiled and he smiled back. He passed by her and threw his cup out and went towards the elevators.
Melody she repeated. Why did she feel jealous of a woman who was with a man who'd just spilled his coffee on her? "Haley, get yourself together."
She turned around, after watching him get into the elevator and walked to the food court, where she bought food for Brooke. Brooke had yelled at Julian begging for a muffin but had gotten mad when he made a move to leave and get her one. That's when Haley had decided she would go and everyone would be happy. The twins had been born hours ago and Brooke had noticed how hungry she actually was.
She bought a muffin and ignored people staring at her stained shirt and figured she should go back to the room quickly and change.
When she got there, Brooke was holding Jude while Julian held Davis. Haley awed at the scene, glad that her best friend could finally have the family she desired. She took out her phone and snapped a picture, feeling like this was a moment worth remembering. Brooke looked up from her baby to her friend and asked, "What the hell happened to you tutor girl?"
"You haven't called me tutor girl in a while." Brooke shrugged.
"Well?" Brooke waited for a reply, wanting to know how her best friend had managed to get socked with coffee.
Haley chuckled at her friend's impatience and told her about her encounter with a mysterious man with the amazing blue eyes.
"Did you get his name?" Brooke asked excited.
"He said his name was Nathan. Nathan Scott." Brooke squealed and Haley frowned. "What was that for?"
"I don't know I still not understanding all these feelings that I have." Haley laughed at Brooke's insanity and picked up a shirt from the bag on the floor.
"Be right back." She excused herself to change and came back out minutes later clean.
"I've heard about him." Brooke and Haley both looked at Julian with intrigued eyes. "Nathan I mean."
"Go own hun." Brooke insisted.
"He coaches for the ravens with his brother, I think." He paused, "But Skills, from work told me something about Nathan not coaching because his daughter was sick or something."
Then it hit her, Melody. Melody was his daughter, not his girlfriend. Haley had been jealous of this stranger's daughter, his sick daughter.
"Oh." She let out.
"What, oh what? Haley why did you just 'oh'?" Brooke asked quickly.
Haley thought for a moment, letting a small laugh out that she had been so stupid. "Before he left he said, Melody's waiting for me and I thought he meant his girlfriend or something but it's his daughter."
They spent the rest of the night talking, getting visited by friends and family before Haley figured it was getting late and that she should go home. She lived just outside of Tree Hill and it took her quite some time by car and she didn't want to get home too late.
Haley had been raised in Tree Hill, with all her siblings but since everyone had moved out and her parents had decided to sell the house to go traveling, Haley figured she could afford this small house right outside of Tree Hill.
Just as she was about to walk out of the room, Brooke begged her to come back tomorrow since Julian had to go to work and she didn't want to be alone. Haley smiled and nodded before walking out. She closed the door and went towards the elevators. A part of her hoped she'd run into Nathan again, maybe without the spilling coffee on her part.
She entered the elevator and couldn't help but feel disappointed when she found it empty. She knew he was probably with his kid and couldn't possibly be roaming around the hospital for fun. She went outside to her car and headed home after another long day.
At home, she climbed into her warm bed and went to sleep dreaming of the man she'd just met.
-LineBreak-
Nathan walked into Melody's room and smiled at the little girl sitting on the bed. "Daddy!" She exclaimed raising her hands.
"Hey sweetie, how are you?"
"I'm fine daddy, Uncle Lucas and I drew butterflies, look." She picked up the piece of paper and proudly gave it to her father.
"Aw, sweetie it's beautiful. You're definitely better than your uncle." Nathan smiled, sitting next to his daughter.
"I know, he isn't really good." Melody chuckled taking the paper back from her dad.
"Hey, I'm right here." Lucas waved his hand at his niece and she laughed.
The three of them sat, chatting and laughing until Peyton walked in. "Hey there Mels, how's my favorite girl?"
Melody, even in her worst state, would always smile brightly and make people's days better. She was such a strong little girl despite her condition and Nathan wondered everyday how his daughter did it. She was 6 yet she acted so much older that her age when it came to important stuff. She didn't quite understand all that she went through but all that she knew what that she was sick and dying and she shouldn't let it define her.
"I'm good; Uncle Lucas was just being silly."
"Isn't he always?" Peyton placed a kiss on Lucas's cheek and went to hug Melody.
"Don't I get a hug?" Nathan said.
"Daddy, don't be silly Peyton is Uncle Lucas's girlfriend not yours." Melody said, seriously. She looked at her father and he laughed then kissed her head.
Then chatted for a while until it got late and Lucas and Peyton left to go home. Melody lay in bed while her father told her a story and a few moments later, she had fallen asleep. Mels had had a long day, spending most of it with her Uncle Lucas. It had tired her out and Nathan wondered how she hadn't complained of being sleepy sooner.
Nathan pulled the covers and make sure she was cozy before placing a soft kiss on her bare head and going to the recliner on the side. He watched her sleep for a little while until his own dreams caught up with him.
The next morning, Melody was up early getting set for a round of chemo. Nathan kissed her goodbye and watched her go like a big girl. He sighed and looked around the room, trying to find something to do. He figured he could go around the hospital, maybe head down to the cafeteria like he normally did.
"Hello Mr. Scott." Mille, the nurse said as he walked past the nurse's office. He smiled, "Hello Millie."
"Melody's gone down?" He nodded and Nurse Millie smiled at him. He continued to walk and waited for an elevator. It came moments later and he walked into the empty lift. He stared at the numbers change and went in the back of the elevator when they made a stop on a floor. He looked down at his shoes and when he looked up, he was shocked.
"Haley." She turned around and smiled, "Nathan, Hi."
"Well isn't this a coincidence."
"It really is." Haley smiled and tried to hide her blush. She couldn't help but feel shy. She had only just met him but he made her feel a way she never had before.
"Where are you headed?" He asked. He really wanted to know more about her, he was intrigued about her. There was something about her that made him attracted to her. He'd never felt like this since he'd met Melody's mom, years ago.
"I was going to get something in my car. Brooke's sleeping and I'm just waiting around for her to wake up." She said. "And you?"
Nathan waited, "Euh, Melody, my daughter. Well she's in chemo right now so I'm just hanging around, waiting."
"Oh, I'm sorry I don't mean to intrude." Nathan shook his head and told her not to worry about it.
The elevator doors opened and an old couple walked in and suddenly, the elevator fell silent. At some point, Nathan offered Haley to hang out until Brooke woke up or Mels finished chemo. They could keep each other company and get to know each other more.
She agreed and they got off and headed towards the cafeteria, figuring that would be the best place to go. Walking into the cafeteria, Nathan remembered the coffee spilling at the entrance and let out a soft chuckle. Haley heard him and frowned, "Why are you laughing?"
"Oh I was just thinking about the coffee spilling yesterday." She nodded, "Sorry about that, again."
"It's okay; I had forgotten about it no worries." They took a seat at one of the far end tables and sat down.
"Well Haley, tell me something about yourself. Why have I never seen you around Tree Hill before?" He asked.
"Well." She started, "I used to live here but then I moved just outside of Tree Hill a few years back and I come here everyone once in a while to visit my friends. I got a job near where I live and decided to move near there."
Nathan nodded and he wanted her to continue, he wanted to know more about her. "What do you do?"
"As in job?" Nathan nodded. "Well I'm a High School teacher."
"Really? I wouldn't have pictured you for a teacher, more of a model I think." Nathan joked.
Haley laughed, "Ah, no I'm not a model. I'm too clumsy. And I'm too short."
They talked about a few different things, trying to get to know each other until the inevitable subject came up, Nathan's daughter.
"She's 6." He said. "Her name's Melody Skye Scott and she's the sweetest girl anyone could know. She's so strong I look at her everyday and I wonder how she manages it, to smile even though she's hurting. She was diagnosed with Leukemia 3 years ago and she relapses a few months ago after being in remission for a while. The doctor's don't think she has as much chance as she did before. My daughter's dying." He inhaled deeply trying to stay strong. He wouldn't cry, he's told himself not to look week in from of people. He was a man, he had to look strong.
"It's okay, you don't have to tell me anything. And if you do, you don't have to put your brave face on. I know what it's like." Nathan asked how.
"When I was in High School, I had a younger sister. She was 2 years younger and she was the last James. But she was diagnosed with Cancer when she was 10 and she died a few years later. When she passed away my parents sold the house and decided to travel and I was all alone and I didn't know what to do. I took it hard but I got better, I've been better for a few years now."
"I'm sorry." He placed his hand on top of hers and she looked up at his. She stared into his blue eyes and got lost. She didn't understand what he was doing to her. She was falling for him, fast and hard.
The stared at each other for while, no one wanting to break the moment they were having. They broke their look when the sound of a falling tray distracted them. Nathan saw the time and noticed that he'd spent a long time by Haley's side.
"Well Haley James, it was nice to see you again but Melody is out of chemo really soon and I always wait for her."
"I'm pretty sure Brooke's awake and wondering where I am. I promised that I would keep her company today because her husband's not here." She smiled at him and they both got up. She put her hand out at his and he took it. They shook hand for a while before letting go.
"Until next time?"
"Yeah."
She smiled and was about to walk away when she heard her name being called. She turned around and saw him still standing there.
"Would you like to go for a coffee with me some time?" He let out.
"Only if you promise not to spill it on me." She joked.
"I promise."
"Well then, I'd love to."
He smiled and she smiled back and then he waited. He knew he shouldn't do this but everyone told him he should follow him heart and love again. Even his daughter had told him he should be someone's prince charming.
"Like a date?" He asked.
Haley looked into his blue eyes and smiled. She thought for a moment. A Coffee date. She liked the sound of that. Maybe he was what she needed, the glue that would stick her life back together. They could fix each other, neither having a really easy life.
"Like a date."