Chapter Four

Nathan sat in the back so Jimmy and Haley could continue to play catch up. Instead, Jimmy wanted to know more about him. Nathan tried not to laugh. "Come on, Mr. James. I'm sure my parents told you all about the high school graduate who had a chance to attend Harvard, but he chose not to because he was tired of living up to his parents' expectations."

"Please call me 'Jimmy'," Jimmy told him with a smile. "I've heard nothing but praises from your mother and brother." Nathan noticed he didn't mention his father and he wasn't surprised. His father was probably still angry at him for not choosing to attend his alma mater and taking off to parts unknown. "I heard you were quite the basketball player in high school."

Nathan let out a heavy sigh. "Yeah, those days are long over," he said quietly. He didn't even want to think about his high school days with playing basketball. "Look, can we not talk about me?"

Jimmy laughed. "You two are two peas in a pod. Haley here doesn't want to talk about herself either," he said, gesturing to Haley. She turned red from embarrassment. "What shall we talk about? I suppose you want to know about Quinn and Taylor. Well, I don't want to speak for Quinn since I'm sure you'll see her while you're here." Haley nodded. "As for Taylor, she dropped out of college." Haley wasn't surprised to hear that. Taylor was never a good student. "She's doing well though. She works as a waitress in downtown Wilmington."

"Wilmington? Let me guess, she is still living at home with you?" Haley guessed. She shook her head in amusement. "Why am I not surprised? Dad, you should be an empty nester by now."

"Hey, she's paying rent so I'm not complaining," Jimmy defended. Haley had a feeling there was more to the story. Taylor never acted so responsible before. "Does this mean you're not moving home?" he asked, trying to hide his disappointment. "I was hoping this visit would help you realize that you need to be home with your family."

Haley was quiet for a moment. She didn't want to get his hopes up. "Dad, I never said I was coming home. I wanted to come back to North Carolina because Nathan needed some support from a friend." She didn't want to talk for Nathan, but she had to help her dad understand the reason why she was there. "Like me, he didn't leave his family on friendly terms."

Jimmy nodded understandingly. "I see. Well, there's plenty of time to change your mind. And you're always welcome to stay with me and Taylor if you don't feel comfortable with Nathan's parents. Nathan, that offer stands for you too."

Nathan smiled at him gratefully. "Thank you, Jimmy. We might take you up on that offer." He didn't want to admit it, but he wasn't looking forward to the reunion with his dad. Dan Scott certainly could hold a grudge and there was no doubt that he was still unhappy with his son for ruining his future. But Nathan didn't have that desire to attend Harvard. His heart was set on Duke University, but his parents were firm. Especially his dad.

Nathan wished time would stop just for a little while. He was nervous about seeing his family again. Although, his mother did seem thrilled when she heard he was coming home. Even if it was for Lucas.

Lucas. He hoped his brother was still holding on. He didn't want anything to happen to him. Coming home was hard enough. Knowing that he grew worse before he had a chance to see him would devastate him. As far as he knew, he was still in stable condition and Nathan hoped it would stay that way.

When they arrived at the house, they saw a woman standing on the front porch, waiting for them. Haley assumed it was Nathan's mother. She could see where Nathan got his dark hair. The woman was giving them a welcoming smile as they came out of the vehicle. She embraced her son in a tight hug before turning to the newcomer. "You must be Haley. I'm Karen, Nathan's mother. Welcome to Tree Hill."

Haley smiled in return. "It's nice to meet you too. Thank you for letting us stay here. I hope we're not any trouble."

Nathan was about to grab the suitcases when Jimmy beat him to it. Karen spoke up again. "It's no trouble at all. Any friend of Nathan's is certainly a friend of mine. Come on in. I'm sure you two must be exhausted after your long flight. Let me show you where you are staying and you can settle in. And we'll get you something to eat. You must be starving." She didn't even let Haley answer as she took her arm and led her towards the house. Nathan was right behind them and Jimmy was bringing the rear.

Karen showed Haley the guestroom while she told Nathan that he was going to sleep in his old bedroom. After both were settled in their rooms, they joined Jimmy and Karen in the kitchen for a cup of coffee and turkey sandwiches. "Where's Dad?" Nathan asked, noticing his dad never came to greet them. "Is he at the hospital?"

Karen shook her head. "No, he's at the dealership. But don't worry. Your brother is in good company. Brooke hasn't left his side since the accident. I told her I would be happy to take a shift, but she's determined to stay with him until he wakes up." There was a short pause. "And he will wake up, Nathan. I know it." She gave him a comforting smile. Nathan was amazed how his mother could always stay positive, no matter what the situation. He wished he had her belief. "I know you're anxious to get to the hospital to go and see Lucas. So go ahead and go see your brother."

Nathan kissed his mother on the cheek. He turned to Haley. "Do you want to come with me?" he asked. He would understand if she wanted to stay with her dad. Especially since he didn't know how she felt about hospitals. "I don't mind if you stay here with your dad and my mom."

"No, it's fine," Haley said, finding her voice. She had been quiet since she told her dad that she wasn't ready to move home yet. She was only there to support Nathan. Then again, they really hadn't decided where they were moving. They just wanted to leave Los Angeles. She couldn't focus on that now. Nathan needed her. "I would love to come with you."

Karen handed him her car keys and they said their goodbyes. Nathan and Haley were quiet as Nathan drove through the streets. Haley wanted to comfort him, but she didn't know what to say. What could she say? What did people say to her dad when he found about her mother? Nothing people said could comfort the family. This was a different situation though. Lucas was in stable condition. He still had a chance to come out of his coma.

When they arrived at the hospital, Nathan approached the front desk while Haley hung back. The receptionist gave Nathan Lucas's room number. He thanked her before he held out his hand for Haley's and she took her hand into his. He squeezed it gratefully as they headed towards the elevator.

Nathan was anxious as the elevator slowly went up to the next floor. It seemed like forever before they reached the right floor. They hurried past a couple of nurses and patients as they looked for the right room. He took a deep breath as Haley squeezed his hand again. They peeked into the room.

Lucas was lying on a bed while a brunette with hazel eyes was sitting next to him, talking to him softly. She stopped for a moment as she noticed Nathan and Haley. "Nathan, you came," she said in a surprised voice. She got up from the chair and they embraced in a gentle hug. "Your parents didn't want me to call, but I thought you should know."

"I'm glad you did," Nathan said. "How is he doing?"

Brooke let out a heavy sigh. "He's been like this ever since the accident. The doctors are hopeful. It's not like he's in a vegetative state or anything. He still has brain activity. He just hasn't woken up." Her focus turned to Haley. "Who is this?"

"I'm Haley, a friend of Nathan's," Haley told her, introducing herself. "You must be Brooke." Brooke nodded. "I'm sure you need a break. Do you want to get a cup of coffee or something?" she offered, hinting to give Nathan some time alone with Lucas. Brooke looked skeptical and Haley understood it wasn't because of her. It was because she didn't want to leave Lucas.

Nathan knew what she was thinking. "Don't worry. I'll make sure Lucas doesn't wake up before you come back." They exchanged smiles before she followed Haley back into the hall. Nathan turned back to Lucas. Nathan looked at the monitors as realization hit him that his brother was still alive. Breathing. He just needed to wake up.

Nathan let out a heavy sigh before he spoke. "Hey man. I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm really sorry for abandoning you. I just couldn't take the pressure anymore. You know how Dad likes to push us to our limits. Well, I felt like he pushed me too far. I didn't feel like myself anymore and I had to leave so I could do some soul searching. I didn't realize it would lead me so far from home. Or for so long. But I'm glad I did because I met this great girl. One who knew exactly how I felt. I probably mentioned her before. Her name is Haley and she is here with me. We're really great friends. Although, I have to admit that I confessed my true feelings for her right before I got this phone call. I don't know where we stand and I could sure use some brotherly advice right now. In fact, I think we all need you. You have a great girl yourself and I don't know what she will do if she loses you. Please come back to us."

Nathan waited patiently for a sign to show that Lucas was listening. To let his brother know that he was returning. To his surprise and delight, Lucas moved his fingers a little bit. That was enough for Nathan and he rushed to get a doctor or a nurse, hoping it wasn't just a reflex.

Nathan found Brooke and Haley still in the corridor since Brooke didn't feel like wandering too far from Lucas. As Nathan continued his search for a nurse, Brooke returned to Lucas's side. Haley stayed out of the way and Nathan stayed with her once he was able to find a nurse. There was a squeal from Brooke and Nathan and Haley hurried back into the room.

Nathan was relieved to see that Luas had opened his eyes. He was still a little groggy, but he smiled once he realized both his girlfriend and his brother standing over him. Haley quietly slipped out so she wouldn't be in the way of the family reunion. She was happy for Nathan. He had his brother back. She sighed relieved. It was certainly a happy ending and she was glad she was there to witness it.

"Haley?"

Her good thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice. A voice she had not heard in five years. A voice she didn't want to hear. It had to be a mistake. There was no way that her former stepmother was there. She turned to see Deb standing there with a bouquet of flowers. All of her anger came back. The words came flooding out of her mouth before she could even stop them. "Deb, what the hell are you doing here?" she demanded.