Disclaimer: I do not own Tree Hill or anything else related to the show. Nor do I own the song 'Not a Perfect Day' by Mando Diao.
AN: This is what my mind comes up with when a day at the office turns out to be boring. I thought I'd make myself look busy and started writing this oneshot. It's quite long and I'm still not really sure if I like it, but what the heck, I posted it anyway. It's kind of AU and only involves Brooke, Peyton and Nathan. Brooke and Peyton know each other and are best friends, like on the show, but Nathan... well just read and see. Please let me know what you think though :)
Summary: It definititey isn't a perfect day when Brooke Davis crosses the road without looking. Peyton sees it all and is desperate until someone helps her getting through this difficult day.
She heard the screeching sound of breaks that were being slammed and when she turned her head, she saw the car coming to an abrupt stop and heard the dull sound when the front end of the car hit her best friend.
"Brooke!" Peyton felt herself grasping for air when her mind made the connection of what had happened in front of her and realised the impact of the images she had seen. Peyton rushed over to Brooke and kneeled at her side.
"No, no, no, Brooke, wake up hon." Peyton felt tears coming to her eyes, when she saw the red bloodstain forming on the asphalt and the lifeless body of her friend. Brooke's legs were in an impossible angle, her eyes were closed and her face was without any sign of life.
Bystanders were gathering around the car and looked at Peyton, like they were waiting for her to tell them what they should do. "Call an ambulance!" Peyton looked at the crowd through a mist of tears "Please."
Peyton sat down behind Brooke and carefully lifted Brooke's head and put it in her lap. She lowered her head "Brooke, hon, wake up." Peyton choked on her tears and closed her eyes. "You were just going to get a coffee and now you're lying here. You have to come back, B. Davis, please."
Her soft voice words were barely noticed by the people standing around her, but she felt their eyes burning. "Can someone please call that damn ambulance?!" Peyton looked up at the crowd and was met by the piercing blue eyes of a man in a grey sweater.
"I've already done that, miss," the man gave her a faint smile "They're on their way."
Peyton nodded "Thank you." She was struck by the emotion those blue eyes held. Peyton shook her head and concentrated on Brooke again. She didn't know how long she sat like that before she heard the relieving sound of the sirens approaching quickly. Peyton heard the ambulance stop right beside her and soon felt hands gently pushing her back, but she stood up and hovered around Brooke.
"You have to let us do our job, ma'am." A male nurse grabbed her arm and guided her towards the crowd.
She felt somebody taking her hand, gently pulling her to the side. It was the same man who had called the ambulance earlier. He put his arm around her shoulders and tried to calm her down "She's going to be fine." He knew it sounded weak, but he hoped it would help her somehow.
She clung onto his embrace like there was nothing left in this world and leaned against his chest "It's all my fault. I told her I wanted some coffee and she crossed the road without looking and now she's lying there and-"
"Hey, sssh, it's going to be okay. I promise." He pulled her close.
Both of them watched as the nurses carefully put Brooke on the stretcher. They had put on a neck-collar and a bandage on the wound on her head. Peyton felt a grip tighten around her heart when she saw her best friend on that stretcher.
"She's not going to make it." Peyton mumbled, shaking her head.
"Ma'am?" One of the nurses touched her arm, which made her look up "Do you want to ride to the hospital with us?"
Peyton looked at the nurse and at the man standing behind her, who gave her an encouraging nod "Go."
Peyton gave the man a faint smiled and followed the nurse to the ambulance. She turned around and looked at the man "What's your name?"
"Nathan Scott."
"Thank you, Nathan." Peyton smiled at him before she got in. She sat down next to the stretcher and took Brooke's hand. She gave it a little squeeze "Brooke, hon, hang in there. We're going to the hospital, where they can make you better. Just hang in there, buddy."
--
"Just wait here, ma'am," A doctors directed her to the waiting area "We are prepping her for surgery and we will do whatever we can."
Peyton nodded "Thank you."
She sat down on one of the cold and hard chairs and closed her eyes, leaning her head against the wall. Her heart was still pounding in her chest and she felt tired, like she could sleep forever.
She opened her eyes again and looked around the room. Rows of seats were placed in front of three of the four walls, which were a pale grey colour, only decorated with racks full of brochures and posters warning her about the early signs of breast cancer and HIV. The room was made even more depressing by the bright strip lighting on the ceiling. There was one big window with a door next to it, but through the window she saw the same pale colour on the corridor walls.
In the far corner was a coffee machine, which looked like it had seen better days and right in front of her there was a low coffee table full of magazines. Magazines that were so old, the pages had curled and they were full of coffee stains.
Peyton sighed and got up, walking around the room, her eyes darting over the brochures, without really reading what they were about. She walked over to the coffee machine and pressed 'regular'. She waited for the cup to come falling down the chute before it was filled with coffee seconds later. The smell of artificial coffee filled the room and Peyton looked at the cup she was holding in her hand, not too sure if she still craved coffee that much.
She sat down again and put the coffee down on the table in front of her. Looking at her watch, she realised she had only been here for fifteen minutes. She felt nervous when she thought about Brooke being in surgery and wished she could fast forward in time.
Peyton leaned back and closed her eyes again, hoping that time would go faster if she did. All of a sudden she felt someone gently touching her arm. She opened her eyes and was met by the same piercing blue eyes that had looked at her earlier today.
"Nathan." Peyton felt tears coming to her eyes, even though she wasn't sure why.
"Hi," Nathan sat down next to her "How are you holding up?"
Peyton shook her head "I… I'm a mess," she looked at Nathan "Why are you here?"
"I figured you could use some company," he nodded "Plus, you haven't told me your name yet."
"It's Peyton. And thank you." She rubbed the back of her head and sighed.
"She's special to you, isn't she?" Nathan leaned back and looked at Peyton.
She nodded "She's my best friend."
Peyton paused for a second when she thought about the day she first met Brooke. "We met when I was in the hospital because my Mom had been in a car accident and I guess Brooke was there because they had taken her tonsils out a few days earlier." She smiled at Nathan "Brooke was about to be released, when she saw me sitting in the corridor, crying because my Mom had died. So she sat down next to me, took my hand and said 'No matter what happens, I'm gonna be your friend'. We've been friends ever since, for almost twenty years now."
"I don't want to lose her, Nathan." Peyton felt tears burning in her eyes and tried to blink them away, but failed. "She's my best friend, she can't die, I need her. She's the only family I have."
"Have you contacted her family already?"
Peyton shook her head "No, she doesn't have any. Her mother and father couldn't be bothered to look after her, they always travelled while Brooke was home alone with a nanny. So by the time she was eighteen she emancipated from her parents and she has lived with me ever since."
"And a boyfriend?"
"I don't know, that's ehm…" Peyton hesitated "They broke up a couple of days ago, so it's kind of.. I don't know. Do you think I should call him?"
Nathan shrugged "I don't know, to be honest. I guess that's your decision, I don't know their history."
Peyton shrugged and for a moment they sat in silence. "What's your history, Nathan?" She leaned back and closed her eyes, waiting for him to share his story.
Nathan cleared his throat "Well, I eh.. I play basketball, professionally and am the small forward for the Lakers. But the season's over now, so that's why I'm in Tree Hill. I grew up here and it's always good to go back to your roots."
"Yeah," Peyton smiled, his low voice made her calm down a bit "Tell me more."
"There's nothing more to say, really. Basketball is my life." Nathan let out a small laugh "It's kind of sad when you think of it."
"Why? You're obviously doing that you're good at and that you love. I can hear the passion in your voice when you talk about basketball and I wish I could have that." Peyton gave him a faint smile.
Nathan got up and walked over to the coffee machine, he was about to press 'regular' when Peyton stopped him.
"I wouldn't do that if I was you."
"Why not?" Nathan raised his eyebrows and looked at Peyton.
"It's hazardous," Peyton handed him her cup "Smell it."
Nathan did "That's bad," he laughed.
"I know."
--
"How long has it been?" Nathan got up and stretched his legs. Even though he liked talking to Peyton, he was anxious to find out if Brooke made it. Judging Peyton's tense expression, she also wanted to get some answers.
"Three hours," Peyton played around with her coffee cup "Three hours."
"I'm sure the doctor will come by soon." Nathan stood in front of the rack with brochures, hands in his pockets, reading what was on them.
"You should just go home, Nathan." Peyton got up and stood next to him, putting her hand on his arm "You've done more than enough already."
"It's ok, I don't want you to be alone. Not in this place." He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close "It's going to be ok, Peyton, I promise."
Peyton sighed "I hope so."
They stood like that for a while, Peyton focusing her mind on Brooke, Nathan staring at the wall until the different brochures all blurred into one circle full of colours. They didn't even notice that a doctor came in.
"Miss Sawyer?" the doctor cleared his throat.
Peyton turned around "Yes."
"I'm doctor Lewis and I'm just here to tell you that she's going to be ok," the doctor gave her a smile "Miss Davis has multiple fractures in her legs, a severe concussion and a punctured lung, but she's going to be ok."
"Oh god." Peyton walked backwards until she bumped in to the wall, feeling herself grasping for air once more today. Tears came to her eyes "Thank you, doctor Lewis."
"You can see her in half an hour." He gave Peyton a little nod and walked out again.
Peyton put her hands in front of her eyes and slid down against the wall.
Nathan sat down beside Peyton and put his arm around her shoulders, he pulled her in for a hug "She's going to be ok, Peyton."
Peyton nodded "Yeah." Tears kept streaming down her face, but she couldn't be bothered to wipe them away "Thank you."
"For what?" Nathan used his sleeve to carefully dry her eyes.
"For being there for me today, even though you don't know me. Or Brooke." Peyton looked up and smiled at him.
Nathan smiled back at her "No problem." He got up and held out his hand for Peyton to take. He looked at her "I think it's time for me to go though, now that Brooke's going to be ok."
"Yeah." Peyton put a strand of hair behind her hear and looked down "Will I see you again, though?"
Nathan shrugged "Maybe."
He gave her a hug and started walking towards the door.
"What do you mean, 'maybe'?" Peyton walked after him and grabbed his arm, wanting an answer.
"Don't, Peyton." Nathan grabbed her hand so she let go of her hand "I'll be there when times get tough, just remember that. Now, I know this sounds strange, but could you close your eyes for a second?"
Peyton hesitated, but did as he said and waited for Nathan to tell her to open her eyes again. Instead she heard the door open and close and footsteps approaching.
"Miss Sawyer?" Doctor Lewis came in again and touched Peyton shoulder "You can see her now."
Peyton shook her head, opened her eyes and looked around, not seeing any sign of Nathan. She closed her eyes and opened them again, but still she and Doctor Lewis were the only two people in the room. "Excuse me, Doctor Lewis?"
"Yes?"
"Did you see a man walking out when you came in?" Peyton walked over to the door and searched the corridor.
Doctor Lewis shook his head "No, as far as I know you've been here alone all along." He walked through the door, signalling her to follow him "Come on, miss Sawyer, she's waiting for you."
Peyton followed the doctor to Brooke's room, still not knowing what to think of all this. But she forgot all about it when she saw Brooke, hooked to a number of machines, still with little colour on her face. "Brooke!"
She rushed over to the bed and grabbed her best friend's hand "I'm so glad to have you back, hon." Peyton smiled through her tears.
"What happened, P. Sawyer?" Brooke's voice was raw and very weak.
"You've been hit by a car, Brooke. But it's going to be ok. You're going to be ok." Peyton gently kissed her cheek before she sat down again.
Brooke closed her eyes and drifted back to sleep. Peyton held onto her hand as she turned the TV on. Without really looking she heard parts of the news as she was paying attention to Brooke, stroking her hand, checking the lines and beeps of the machine her best friend was hooked up to.
That was until she heard the newscaster say a familiar name:
"L.A. Lakers star, Nathan Scott, has died in a car accident earlier today, not far outside Tree Hill. He was said to return home after the season's end, to spend a quiet summer in his hometown. Scott's car was hit by truck and he died on the scene. The L.A. Lakers have already honoured Scott by stating no other player will ever wear number 23 again-"
Peyton felt her mouth drop when she saw Nathan's picture on the screen, alongside the picture of the car wreck. More tears came to her eyes when she realised what had happened today.
But she smiled and looked up, hoping he would still be able to hear her "Just make sure to say 'hi' to my Mom from me, Nathan."
- FIN -