I know I've been lacking on updates lately, but I plan on updating everything at some point this week, this one being the first update of the week of course :D. It's a little shorter than the other chapters but felt it was a perfect ending spot. I'm closing in on the end of this one, only one or two more chapters and it should be wrapped up.

Chapter Four

Lucas paced the small walkway in between the chairs. His hands ruffled his hair, and tears streaked his face. His blazing blue eyes, were slightly dimmed with fear and pain. The thought that the woman he loved could very well be dying in a hospital bed and there was absolutely nothing he could do.

"Lucas, I beg you to please sit down," Brooke suddenly said, his nervous pacing finally starting to get to her.

"I can't...I just...God Brooke, she's dying, I mean, she could be. What if she dies, and I don't get to tell her how much she means to me. That she's the one I want, and that I'm a stupid, stupid man, and that I don't deserve her," Lucas paused as he slid back down into his chair.

"Because I don't, I mean everyone knew that I loved her. Except me, and god Brooke I was so mean to her. I don't deserve to be with her, to have her in my life, but at the same time I know if she's not then my life will never be complete. She..." Lucas paused momentarily trying to ready himself for the words that were about to escape his lips. "She completes me."

Brooke choked back the sob that wanted to come out. She felt horrible for Lucas. Yeah he had been so oblivious to his own feelings that he was pushing away the woman he loved. In his defense, Peyton had hurt him once, and Brooke thought that him pushing her away had more to do with the fact that he didn't want to get hurt again. She had only seen Lucas break down like this one other time, after he had proposed to Peyton. It had hurt her to see him like this then, but now it was just heartbreaking because he could very well be right. Peyton could very well be dying in that hospital bed, and he might not get to tell her, what he was tell Brooke.

"She's a fighter Luke, she doesn't give up easily," Brooke said, trying hard to show that she actually believed that Peyton would make it through this alive.

Lucas raised his head and looked at Brooke. All the trying in the world couldn't hide the truth in her eyes. Sad and watery from the unshed tears in them. He shook his head, knowing that Brooke didn't actually believe what she was saying. She might have wanted too, but she didn't. He opened his mouth to say something when the door leading to Peyton's room squeaked open. Their eyes automatically came to rest on the doctor standing in front of the doorway. He looked somewhat defeated, which Lucas decided immediately wasn't a good sign.

"Please, please tell me she's alive," Lucas asked, his voice cracking under the stress of the words coming out.

"She is, but we almost lost her. She flat lined, but only for a little while. We were able to get her heart starting to beat again. I've checked her over, and it doesn't appear that she has started to bleed internally again. We're going to watch her closely for the next 24 to 48 hours. If she hasn't had another incident by then, we will down grade her from critical to fair, but not before," The doctor explained.

"Can we go in and see her?" Brooke asked, while Lucas took in the fact that she was indeed still alive.

"Yes, but only one at a time, and not for long. She needs her rest," He explained.

Brooke shook her head towards Peyton's door, as she locked eyes with Lucas, telling him to go in and see her. He shook his head letting her know that he got what she was saying. He stood up, and wobbled a bit, his legs sore from sitting and standing for prolonged periods of time. He steadied himself, and slowly made his way toward the door, trying to ready himself for what he was about to see. His hand firmly held the door handle, as he started to twist it. He pushed the door open and walked inside, letting the door come to a slow close behind him. He crept up toward the bed, and let out a breath that he didn't know he had been holding.

She looked almost the same as always. She was slightly paler than usual, but besides that you wouldn't have been able to tell that she had been shot. He slowly sat down in the chair next to her bed, grabbing hold of one of her hands, and bringing it to his lips.

"Peyt..." he paused, as a sob caught in his throat. He slowed hard, trying to stop it from coming out. He waited a minute before trying to talk again.

"Peyt, you need to pull through this. We need you, all of us do. Most of all, I need you, and I don't think I can live life without you. I've been such an idiot Peyton, I've just been hiding with Lindsay. I just...god, I've just been trying to make sure I don't get hurt again, but all I've really been doing is hurting you and stringing Lindsay along. It's not fair of me to do that, for me to hurt two people just to keep myself from getting hurt. This...all of this is my fault, and I swear Peyton, if you come back to me. If you just open those beautiful green eyes of yours, and come back, then it'll be me and you. I love you so much Peyton, please I need you to wake up, please Peyton, please," Lucas begged over and over, unknowing to him that someone was watching the whole thing.