Blood Stains on Her Wedding Dress
Lucas pressed his fingertips against the cold, thin layer of glass that separated him from Peyton. He longed to touch her, to hold her, to whisper in her ear that everything would be alright, as he had previously believed. But now, looking down on her laid out on the operating table, he wasn't so sure. Within seconds the happiest day of his life had turned into his worst nightmare, and he was face to face with the chilling possibility that he could lose Peyton, and maybe even the baby as well.
A slow movement behind him ripped his attention from his wife; he turned to see Haley standing there. She walked closer and brushed up against him, not saying anything, her presence there was for silent support. They were soon joined by Nathan who took hold of Haley's hand, then Brooke and finally Julian, the latter of which placed a comforting hand on Brooke's shoulder. He wanted her to know he was here for her, here to stay.
The five stood unmoving, their faces fixed into a permanent expression of anxiety and sadness, until the scene below them suddenly took a drastic turn of events when the baby was taken away to be checked over. As Lucas's eyes widened in horror, he watched Peyton, the love of his life, slowly fade away.
*
Lucas stared blindly out at the operating theatre, watching numbly as doctors rushed about hurriedly, ever since the rhythmic beat of the heart monitor suddenly plummeted and the chief surgeon yelled, "She's hemorrhaging!" After several minutes of this, the commotion ceased, and the doctors looked at one another and shook their heads sadly. "Time of death 18:53."
Lucas's world came crashing down around him, crushing him under its incredible force and forcing him to his knees. "No," he whispered. He wanted to scream it, but his throat was constricted from the sobs that racked his body. He could barely breathe. Around him, Brooke and Haley were having similar reactions, falling into the arms of their men, Nathan and Julian, who tried to stay strong, when really all they wanted to do was fall with them.
Eventually the chief surgeon entered the viewing room, apologizing, offering meaningless condolences, and assuring them that they did everything they possibly could to save her. The last part of his speech enraged Lucas. He jumped to his feet, leaping towards the surgeon and shoving him into the wall. "Did everything you possibly could? If you'd done everything you possibly could, she'd still be alive now!! My Peyton is dead, and you couldn't save her!"
"Lucas! It's not his fault," Nathan cried as he and Julian tried to wrestle their friend off the squirming surgeon. "Just let him go man, let him go."
Lucas's grip on the surgeon loosened, and he allowed himself to be pulled away as he once more broke down, tears flooding his cheeks as he stared down at his wedding ring. We were married only a few hours ago…and now she's gone. Gone forever.