Coming home from work at the café, Karen Scott was tired. Karen couldn't believe how lucky she was. She had a beautiful daughter, Lily, with Keith, Lucas was a successful basketball player and married to Brooke. Everything was perfect. "I am so proud to call Tree Hill home." Karen said out loud. "Glad to hear you say that." said a voice behind her. She turned and saw Keith standing there. "Keith!" she exclaimed. "I wasn't expecting you for another couple of hours." Keith Scott, always the thoughtful one, responded, "I got out of work so I could spend time with my beautiful wife." It's been a while since the two of them spent quality time together. "Where's Lily?" Keith asked. "She called at work and said that she was going to Lucas' house. Something about a Rock Band battle."
Keith and Karen's daughter was a teenager, so naturally she would get along with her older brother. "That's wonderful. We actually have time to spend together, I missed you." Keith whispered to his beautiful wife. Just then the phone rang. "I spoke too soon." It was Brooke. "Mom, I have to tell you something." Karen froze, Brooke rarely calls her mom. "What is it Brooke?" Keith looked at his wife questioningly. "It's Lily, she's been in an accident." Karen was in shock. "What happened Brooke? What happened?" Keith saw the look on Karen's face and grabbed the phone from his wife. "Brooke?" he asked. "Oh, Keith. We're at Tree Hill hospital. Hurry. The doctors say it doesn't look good." Keith hung up the phone and grabbed the keys to his car. "C'mon Karen. Let's go." Barely breathing, Karen followed Keith to the car.
Tree Hill hospital isn't that big but it's got all the modern technology. Karen and Keith enter through the double doors and find Brooke, Lucas and Kelly, Brooke and Lucas's daughter, sitting in the waiting room. "Lucas! Brooke! What happened?" Karen exclaimed. "She was riding in the car with Andrea, they were both coming from Haley's bakery, when they were blindsided by a drunk driver. Andrea is in critical condition and Lily is in intensive care." Lucas looked somber as he told his mom the bad news. Kelly leaned over and stroked her dad's arm in a comforting gesture.
Karen slumped over at the news her son just told her. 'This can't be happening', she thought. Lily was only 17, she hadn't given life what she had to offer yet. Karen was in shock and couldn't believe that she had to play the waiting game, it just wasn't supposed to be like this. Something struck Karen as odd though. "Lucas, why did the police call you? Why didn't they call us?" Lucas turned to Brooke unsure of what he was supposed to say. "The accident happened right outside the house, they didn't call us, we were there." Brooke looked at her mother-in-law and saw the hurt and anger in her eyes. "I'm sorry, mom. I'm so, so sorry." Just then Nathan, Haley and Jamie entered. "Aunt Karen! Uncle Keith!" Jamie ran over to them and squeezed his aunt and uncle. Jamie and Lily are really close because their birthdays are two days apart. "How is she doing?" Haley asked. "The doctors say it doesn't look promising." Brooke responded to her best friend. "Hi Aunt Haley. Uncle Nathan. Did you guys want something to drink?" Kelly asked her aunt and uncle.
Kelly is three years older than Lily and Jamie. Her parents, always the statistics. They had her their sophomore year of high school. "Excuse me." Dr. Gerald cleared his throat. Karen stood up and looked at him. "Mr. and Mrs. Scott. I have some bad news." Karen screamed and screamed. She knew what the doctor was going to say. Her seventeen year old daughter didn't make it. Her beautiful Lily Rose. "Lily didn't make it. I'm sorry for your loss."
Keith clutched his wife in his arms and buried his face in her hair.
"Karen, you need to wake up. Karen?" Karen blinked and saw Andy standing in front of her. Where did Keith go? She looked around but only saw Andy staring back at her. "I'm sorry for waking you but you were screaming and I've been saying your name for a while." Andy stared at his wife and noticed tears in her eyes. "What's the matter Karen?" Karen looked at him and glanced around the room. "Where's Lily?" Karen had to know that her daughter was okay. "She's in her bed. Like she says, she's seven so she can take care of herself. You've got to stop worrying so much about her or she'll start resenting you."
Karen had a hard time doing that. Her daughter was the spitting image of her late father. Nothing will keep her from worrying.