Brooke lay on her back in the hospital bed, johnny on and a blanket pulled up to her knees. Her arms were folded, a frown on her face. Haley was sitting on the end of the bed, checking her phone. They were waiting for the nurse Cathy to come back to prep Brooke for the extraction procedure.
"Oh, Hales, I'm sorry. I didn't know it would be such a long appointment."
"It's okay, it's alright."
"...Haley...I'm, ..I'm scared. I don't, I don't like pain."
Haley moved closer, grabbing Brooke's hands in hers. "I know, I'll be right here though okay? And you can squeeze my hands as tight as you want."
"K," Brooke half-smiled. The doctor and two nurses came in.
"Okay Brooke, we'll be placing this into your side to do the extraction," as he held up a 14 inch long needle device. Haley and Brooke both gulped as continued. "We'll give you some pain medication through the I.V. If it becomes too much let me know, but you will feel quiet a bit of tugging and pressure."
Brooke bit her lower lip, as the IV was placed in her hand and taped down. The nurse directed her to roll over on to her right side, positioning her in a curved position, with her legs bent. She opened the side of her johnny and sterilized her left side. Brooke squirmed as the cold liquid was washed onto her side. Haley sat facing Brooke, hold her hands and trying her best to smile.
"Okay, let's begin." Dr. Wesley continued to talk in "doctor" words, discussing with the nurses what was happening.
"Uh." Brooke gasped.
"Brooke?" a scared Haley asked.
"Uh..it's just...uhh.. Pressure,...uh...uh.. I'm okay Hales." as she closed her eyes and her knuckles turned white as she clenched the side of the bed. Haley teared up seeing her friend like this.
"Okay, we're just moving the needle in a bit more. You're doing great."
"Uh.." Brooke could feel it all.
"So um, Lucas said Peyton is driving him nuts with this whole bed rest."
"Uh...I, uh...I bet." She's the worst...uh...worst patient." Brooke tried her best to talk back with her friend. "Ah! Oh what's that?" a startled Brooke asked.
"Sorry, Brooke, we had to clip the cells. Okay, one more time, you're doing great. Keep breathing."
"Ssssss" Brooke hissed as she tried her best not to scream out in pain. She didn't want to scare her friend.
"Okay extraction complete." They pulled the needle out, gave her a couple stitches, some gauze and bandage. Cathy helped Brooke roll back onto her back.
"We'll have you get dressed and we'll call you tomorrow with the results. Go slow moving."
"Go slow Brooke." Haley said as she helped Brooke into her bed. It had taken them 15 minutes to get from the car to her bedroom, as Brooke needed to stop quite a few times to catch her breath and pause from the pain.
"Thank you, uh, Hales for today." Brooke said, sighing as she laid her head back on her pillow that Haley had propped up a bit for her.
"You sure you don't want me to stay?"
"Yea, go home. Your family probably misses you."
"My family includes you Brooke."
Brooke smiled. She always had been so grateful that Haley and Nathan included her in their family.
The doorbell rang and Haley looked surprised, but went to answer.
"How's the patient?"
"Luke, hey"
"Hi Hales," he said, embracing her, letting her put her guard down and cry a few tears. It had been a long day.
"Come on in, come say hi"
Brooke winced, as she tried to sit up in bed.
"Hey, hey! The doctor said to be careful sitting up because of where they did the extraction. You lay down."
"Hi Brooke."
"Hi Luke"
"Brooke, come on, lay down."
"Hales, I'm f-"
No, lay down, come on, come on."
Brooke sighed and Luke helped her lay down. Lucas was doing his best not to hurt her as he helped.
"How's Peyton?"
"Worried about you. She misses you."
"I'll visit her tomorrow."
"Hey take it easy. We'll see how you are."
"You know when I was lying there with that needle in my side, (haley cringed) I kept thinking about how much I want to meet your baby. How much I want to watch Jamie grow up, and celebrate birthdays, see Sam graduate and go to college, and..and I couldn't help but think, what if, ...what if I don't? (she paused) I'm not down, I have confidence in the doctors, I do. And I will fight to get better, but...what if that's not enough?"
Lucas and Haley had let their friend vent, sitting there in silence. Haley teared up, and Lucas was clasping Brooke's hand, while his other arm was around Haley. "You will. You just will."
