Title: Red Lights
Author: Aleah
Rating: T, apparently. (PG-13)
Summary: An alternate version of episode 1.05, "Where I End And You Begin." Peyton's reckless driving results in something she didn't want and won't accept. Two chapters, complete.
Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill. This fic pretty much denounces the first season, so, yeah.
Spoilers: All of season one, which this was written after.
After the two cars collided, she had just gotten up and walked away.
Sure, the car belonged to her, but they couldn't prove she'd been driving if she wasn't there. She knew that to be true, because her car had just been through an adventure without her anywhere near it.
She walked around the town, her mind reeling from the sight of Lucas unconscious and bleeding in the passenger seat of her car. He had wanted to help her. And she……
She pushed the images out of her mind. It didn't happen. Lucas Scott was still alive. He had to be. He was the only one who ever bothered to figure out what was going on with her. He was alive and happy and in love with her. And everything would be okay.
Peyton Sawyer kept walking.
Dan Scott was driving home from the dealership when he noticed a car that had clearly been in an accident, parked on the side of the road like nothing had happened. Parking his car, he got out and went to investigate. When he saw the body lying motionless in the car, he froze.
Lucas.
He stared at the son he'd abandoned, his head lolled to one side and blood marring his face. Dan could walk away and pretend he'd never seen this car, but if he did that Lucas would die……that is, if he wasn't dead already. He quickly checked for a pulse, and it was faint, but it was there. Struggling with himself for a moment, Dan finally decided that there was no time to debate, and he lifted Lucas out of the front passenger side of what Dan dimly recognized to be Nathan's ex-girlfriend Peyton's car, carrying the boy back to his own car. If they didn't reach the hospital in time Dan would have yet another regret to add to the long list he had compiled over the years.
When they reached the hospital, Dan removed Lucas from the inside of the car and ran through the emergency room entrance. "I need a doctor!" he yelled, and was relieved to see that a group of hospital workers immediately began hurrying towards him, wheeling a gurney along with them. "I found him unconscious inside a car that had clearly been in an accident. I don't know how long he was there." Dan talked in a rushed tone, unaware of what information they would ask for and wanting to tell them everything he knew so no time would be wasted. They helped him place Lucas onto the gurney.
"He's going to need surgery," one of the hospital workers said to Dan.
"Do whatever you need to do," Dan responded instantaneously. For all the bad things one could say about the way he'd treated and spoken of Lucas, he did not want the boy to die.
"You're his legal guardian?" the same hospital worker asked. His eyes probed Dan's as if he'd sensed that something about him was off.
Unable to voice it in actual words, Dan merely nodded, and watched as the gurney carrying Lucas's prone form sped away.
As soon as they were out of sight, he turned and attempted to calm himself before going to call Karen and tell her what had happened.