A Brother's Love
She sighed as she sat down in the hospital room. She hated this place. It was her nightmare for the past five months; slowly watching her husband fade away. It was almost impossible for her to be happy anymore. She vaguely remembered a time when she was.
"You're getting big." he whispered to her. She jerked her head up and tried her best to smile at him.
"You should rest."
"Are you ever going to bring them to see me?" he asked as she cringed.
"Brian and Lily?"
"No, Oscar and Coco." he replied sarcastically referring to their dogs. She, of course, knew he was talking about their children. "I think I deserve to see my children."
"I know you do. It's just…I don't want to…"
"Scare them." he finished for her. He was well aware of his deteriorating condition. A condition that left his seven year old son and four year old daughter having nightmares. Their father was dying. Why wouldn't they have nightmares?
"I'll bring them later on today." she conceded. She wondered to herself how her happy and nearly perfect life had become this disaster. She knew it all began that night a few months ago. Well, technically, it all began the day her husband was born.
It was that night, five months ago, that led her here. She spent her days functioning in between caring for her two children, tending to her dying husband, and trying to take care of her own self at six months pregnant.
That morning at been relatively simple. Well, what morning wasn't simple when by the time night fall, it was anything but? She had gotten up more early than she desired due to Lily's nightmare at five in the morning. Brian was up shortly after her wanting to help his mommy cook breakfast. Then it was Nathan's turn to come stumbling in.
"Morning." he grumbled rubbing his eyes. She rolled her eyes at him. He never was a morning person.
"Daddy are you gonna help Mommy cook breakfast?" Lily asked him. He smiled at her and went to pick her up.
"Well if you want to eat then I wouldn't suggest Daddy cooking anything." he laughed as she looked on confused. She shrugged and let it go.
"Your silly." she said after a few moments and hopped down.
"Dad are we going to your game tonight?" Brian asked.
"You know to ask your mother these things."
"Mom please!" he begged.
"We'll see how good the two of you are today." she replied.
Twenty minutes later, Nathan's rushing out the house, hair still wet to get to work. Well as much work as meeting with snotty endorsement dealers all morning. He almost forgets to kiss me goodbye. I stop him and give him a pouting look.
"Two things Mr. Scott. One, I better get a good morning kiss from my handsome husband." I smile and I feel his own smile against my lips as he kisses me. "Ok so two, I'll see you later? Oh, and you better score the most points so I can brag to all those stuck up player wives." He smirked. Never a good thing.
"So if I score for you tonight at the game does that mean I get to score WITH you later on?" I playfully smack in him in the back of the head.
"Maybe." I conceded. "Now go. I love you."
"Love you too. Later babe."
The rest of the day consisted of a few errands to run with the kids and a stopover at Lucas' and Peyton's place to visit. They weren't dating but they were close now and they got along enough to live together. It was one of the rare occasions both of them were actually there at the same time. Peyton ran all over the country most days booking music. Lucas actually had conceded that basketball was too much for him to handle and something he didn't really want to do so he ended up becoming a sports manager. More specifically, his brother's manager.
At six, she got the kids home and ready to go to the game. They ate a quick dinner before heading out to the arena. They quickly found their courtside seats and Haley looked on concern as Nathan looked more pale than usual. She chalked it up to the fact that he didn't get that much sleep. He stopped, waving at the kids and blowing a kiss at her. Everything would be ok.
She couldn't have been more wrong.
It was nearing the end of the fourth quarter and true to his word, Nathan had scored the majority of the points. Haley wondered if it was more to show off or to get lucky later now. She decided it was a little bit of the two. She and Brooke, who in some weird twist of fate married Jake, were talking animatedly and didn't even notice Nathan collapse. It wasn't until four year old Lily screamed, followed by Jenny and Brian jumping up that they saw.
Haley's heart dropped.
As much as Haley hated to admit now, she was sure Nathan had taken drugs again. But as she thought for the few seconds it took her to register that her husband was lying on the floor, she quickly shook it out of her brain as she rushed over to him. Brooke was struggling to hold on to Brian, as Jenny held Lily back. Haley couldn't even think of her children right now. She gave a nod to Brooke who knew to watch them as she followed the EMTS into the ambulance.
It was nearly an hour later that Brooke should up with Jake, followed by Peyton shortly after. Lucas was already there, pacing, and it was driving Haley bonkers.
"Lucas! Give a rest will ya?" Haley said just as Brooke walked in. "Brooke, my kids?"
"I dropped them off at Karen's. I called Deb and told her what happened. I'm pretty sure that Dan saw on the television. He'll probably be here soon." Brooke warned.
"Lucas…" Haley called out. He went over and knelt down in front of her giving her a questioning look. "Walk with me ok?" He simply nodded and followed her to the outside.
"Hales…look, I know your worried about him and all…" Lucas started.
"It's not just that. I can't lose him Luke. Brian, Lily; they need their father." she paused taking a deep breath and continued. "I'm pregnant. He doesn't even know. I was going to tell him tonight. "
"Hales, you'll still be able to. He'll be ok." Lucas assured her, pulling her into his arms. "I promise you that he'll live to see that child born and watch he or she grow up with their brother and sister."
"Haley, the doctor wants to talk to you." she heard Brooke saw from the entrance. Lucas released her, giving her a small squeeze and held her hand as the walked into the hospital.
"Mrs. Scott, I'm Dr. Shepard. I want you to know first of all your husband is alive and stable." Dr. Shepard started.
"Oh thank God. What happened?"
"Well basically it breaks down into a heart attack. I know he's fairly young to have a one and he's an athlete so generally it's not common. Unless…he's has a condition known as HCM. It's a genetic heart defect…"
"Most common in athletes. I realize this. His father has it. Why wasn't this caught sooner?" Haley asked.
"You have to be looking for it to find it. Most athletes are tested. There is another problem. Since he's been going so long with treatment it had worn down his heart."
"Meaning…" Haley asked, unsure if she really wanted to hear the answer.
"He's gonna need a new heart."
And was the beginning of her nightmare. Her husband would never come home after that night. He was placed on a list and they patiently waited for a new heart to come. She told him that night that he had to hold on, he had to fight so he could see his new child born.
It was a couple of months later when he had another heart attack that he admitted to her that he knew he had HCM. He had failed to tell her and ignored any treatment for it. Basketball was too much to give up. She had yelled at him saying that although basketball was too much his family was not?
Haley prepared herself for the worse. She wouldn't allow herself to cry, she had to be strong for everyone. She discussed death with Nathan and how he wanted his funeral to take place. They made his will and said a million goodbyes. Neither was sure if the next day Haley would walk into an empty hospital room.
This led her to here and now. They had spent their days telling each other the tiniest and most insignificant details about each other; something they thought they had a lifetime for. Now it seemed like just minutes. He was drifting off to sleep now, something he had been doing a lot more lately. The nurse explained it was just the pain medication. Haley knew it was because he was dying slowly and more each day.
"Hales…" she looked up and watched at Lucas entered the room. She quickly got up and walk to him easily slipping into his arms. It was just to much for her now. He silently led her out of the hospital room as she cried into his chest. She listened as his heart beat and begged God to give that to her husband. Just a strong beating heart.
"He's dying." she said quietly after minutes of silence. They were outside now and Haley let herself feel the cool, harsh air. Lucas went to put his jacket around her but she shrugged it off. It was time for her to feel something. Accept the inevitable.
"They'll find a heart for him Hales." Lucas assured. For a minute, she wanted to bite his head off. How dare he say that. He had no guarantee for that.
"You don't know that. He's not gonna be there when I give birth. He's not going to see any of the special moments in any of our kids lives. If Brian makes it to the NBA; Lil's sweet sixteen birthday. Graduations, weddings, grandchildren. Everything Lucas. I wanted to be mad at him you know? He lied to me this entire time. He knew he had HCM and didn't tell me. His own wife. He knew he was putting his life in danger. He knew all of this. He could left his kids without a father. And yet that stupid game made him think about it. And he chose to push fate. Now fate has him dying in a hospital room. I want to be mad at him but I can't. I don't want my last emotions of him to be of anger. I just want the love."
"I don't know what do say to you to make it better." Lucas said sheepishly.
"You look tired Luke. You should go home and get some rest."
"Yeah I know. I haven't been sleeping a whole lot lately. I'm gonna go in a bit though. I want to spend some time with him for a little while. And you too. I worry about you." he replied.
"He should've gotten treatment."
"He didn't want to give up his dream." Lucas said simply.
"What about our dreams? Those meant nothing huh?" she replied bitterly.
"All the blame shouldn't go on him."
"What is that suppose to mean?"
"You remember when Dan had his heart attack?" Haley nodded and Lucas continued. "So right after you got married we went to Charlotte for that basketball game. We got tested there. Both of us. Nathan told me his test was negative. Mine was too. I figured we both got lucky."
"Why do I feel a 'but' coming in there somewhere?" Haley asked.
"But he lied to me." Lucas finished.
"Yeah that's no newsflash Luke. He lied to everyone." she responded but didn't so much believe it when she saw Lucas holding his head down. "He lied to everyone right Lucas? Lucas Eugene Scott." she commanded.
"He told me when I became his manager." Lucas said quietly and Haley didn't respond. She sucked in her breath and gathered up all her strength.
"So you're his manager, his best friend, and most importantly his brother and you let him play with a defective heart?" she said as calmly as she could muster.
"He wouldn't quit. What was I suppose to do?" Lucas pleaded.
"You could've told me. I could've made him stop. I had the right to know. This is my life too!" Haley cried. Lucas went to her but she stopped him. "Just go Lucas. I don't think I can see you right now." Lucas nodded, understanding, and turned to leave.
"I promise you he'll be ok Hales. I love you both too much." He said before leaving.
Haley went home shortly after him to get her children so they could see their daddy. She was exhausted and asked Brooke and Jake to come along and help her. She thought she was so tired that when she entered an empty room she figured that she had the wrong one. She doubled checked the number and realized she didn't. He husband had passed.
After a few minutes of crying in Brooke's arms, she sobered up and faced the reality of the situation. Luckily, Jake had take the kids downstairs as soon as he realized what was going on so Haley didn't have to deal with that. She was still drying up her tears when the nurse walked in.
"Mrs. Scott? I hope those are happy tears." she smiled all too cheery for her husband to be dead.
"I'm sorry?" Haley responded.
"Oh ma'am, I'm so sorry. I thought they called you. They found a heart. He's in surgery right now."
He had a heart. A living, beating, healthy heart. For a moment she was saddened for the person and their family who had to die for her husband to live. She was just thankful and happy that her husband was alive. They sat in his room and waited for what seemed like an eternity. She called everyone but couldn't get a hold of Lucas or Peyton.
An hour later, they wheeled Nathan in his room and Haley could instantly tell how much healthier he looked. He had more color to him for that, she was truly grateful. The doctor came in right afterwards explaining to them that a heart had come up, from right here in Tree Hill from a car accident and was a perfect match. The doctor explained that that Nathan would be alright.
Peyton stumbled in a few minutes later, looking like a train wreck. Haley rushed up to her and asked her what had happened. It took a little while but finally she formed a coherent sentence.
"Lucas was in an accident. He didn't make it."
Lucas had kept his promise. He had made sure his brother had gotten a new heart.