One Tree Hill: Proving a Point
Author: L
Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.
Author's Note: I have given up trying to edit this chapter. The problem lies within the standard of my writing and I hope it doesn't ruin the flow of the story. Thank you for your reviews.
Chapter 8
Brooke wrapped her arms around her body in an attempt to comfort herself as she waited helplessly in the hospital's hard plastic chairs. Sobbing silently, she whispered through her tears, "Please don't take her away from me. Please. You can't take her away from me."
Jack felt a surge of guilt rush through him as he listened to Brooke's pleading voice. He moved away from the wall he was leaning against and stood in front of her. "Ms Davis," Jack murmured softly. "There's something I need to tell you."
Although Brooke remained silent, she glanced up at Jack's nervous expression to indicate she was listening.
Taking a deep breath, Jack dropped his gaze to the floor and mumbled, "It's my fault. Jo invited us to the party this afternoon but Sam told us she wasn't going because she was grounded. We tried to persuade her to change her mind but she wouldn't."
Brooke looked up in surprise and gave him her full attention.
Jack swallowed hard before continuing. "Sam was fast asleep when I came to find her tonight. I asked her to come to the party with me again but she refused. I gave up and I was going to leave but then she suddenly had a change of heart and said she wanted to come."
It left a bittersweet smile on Brooke's face knowing that, even though Sam had broken several rules by sneaking out past curfew to go to a party, she had also tried to handle the situation responsibly.
"Jack Daniels?"
They both looked up at once, curious to see who the voice belonged to. Two police officers were striding down the corridor towards them.
"Yeah, that's me," confirmed Jack in a low murmur. He nervously avoided eye contact with the officers while he fought against the urge to make a run for it.
"We need to ask you a few questions regarding the beach party you attended tonight. You will have to come down to the station with us," the first officer told him.
Brooke stood up and assumed a motherly role. She knew Sam would be devastated if anything happened to Jack. "My name is Brooke Davis. I'm a friend of Jack's. Will he need a guardian or a lawyer with him during the interview?" she asked.
"That won't be necessary, Ms Davis," the officer replied. "It's just a standard procedure. Jack is reported to have come into contact with the teenage male suspected of possessing a date-rape drug. According to witnesses, Jack was seen dancing with a girl who we believe is behind the party. His statement is important to us."
Jack hung his head slightly and started to follow them while Brooke could only stand and watch. She felt useless knowing there was nothing she could do for either of them.
The door to Sam's room opened and the doctor stepped out, searching for Brooke.
"Is she going to be okay?" Brooke asked in a pleading tone. Her heart was thumping furiously against her chest and the tears had returned to her eyes. Brooke was drenched in fear by the time the doctor had started to reply.
"We've managed to stabilise Samantha again," explained the doctor. "It is highly unlikely for a third seizure to occur but we will be keeping a close eye on her."
Brooke nodded and rushed into the room, taking her place by Sam's side again. She kissed her forehead and whispered, "Sam, I'll make you a deal, okay? If you wake up, I'll let you have pizza and ice-cream for dinner every day. I'll even let you throw another party at the store."
She watched Sam for a few minutes, desperately hoping for some kind of response. It wasn't long before her head rested uncomfortably on the side of the bed and she drifted off into anything but a peaceful slumber.
"Brooke?" a voice murmured softly as they gently shook her shoulder. "Brooke?"
Opening her eyes blearily, Brooke found that the pitch-black sky had been replaced by a blinding sunlight streaking through the windows.
"Haley?" mumbled Brooke. She rubbed her eyes wearily with her free hand and lifted her head, feeling confused as she stared at her friend's worried expression. "What are you doing here?" she asked, suppressing a yawn.
The last seven hours came flooding back to Brooke at once and her attention instantly flew towards Sam. The machine monitoring Sam's heartbeat was beeping steadily to Brooke's relief.
Haley wrapped her arm around Brooke's shoulder and replied, "Jack rang me. He was placed in a temporary foster home last night and he wanted me to tell Sam. Why didn't you call me? I would have been here for you."
Brooke gave her a small smile. "It was late and I didn't want to wake Jamie. I don't know what to do. I just want her to wake up. Haley, why won't she wake up?"
She pulled Brooke into a comforting hug and murmured, "Brooke, don't worry. Sam's a fighter. She will get through this but she needs you to be strong for her as well. Why don't you go home and get some rest? I can stay here for a few hours."
"No, no, I'm okay," insisted Brooke. "I want to be here when she wakes up."
"Brooke," Haley said in a firm voice. She knew her friend was going to be stubborn about this. "You need to get some rest. I will stay here with her and I promise I will call you the second there is any change in Sam's condition."
"I'm okay," repeated Brooke but the determination in her voice had faded.
"Brooke, I think a nice long hot shower will help," Haley suggested. "I know you don't want to leave her but you'll only be gone an hour at the most."
Sighing in defeat, Brooke reluctantly relented. "Okay, but please call me if anything happens." She stood up from her seat and moved closer to Sam. "I won't be gone for long. I'll be here when you wake up," she promised.
"You look exhausted," said Haley, drawing her eyebrows together in concern. "Are you going to be able to drive home? I can ring Nathan and ask him to come pick you up."
"I'll be okay," Brooke insisted. "Thank you."
Haley smiled and shook her head softly. "Brooke, you don't need to thank me. After everything you've done for me, Nathan and Jamie, this is the least I can do."
Knowing Haley was going to be here with Sam made Brooke feel slightly more at ease. She watched Sam for a long second before finally forcing herself to leave.
The shower had managed to calm Brooke down for a little while but as she stood in the doorway of Sam's bedroom, she felt a few tears slide down her cheeks. She hastily brushed them away and entered the room.
Sam's notebook was lying on her bed. Brooke respected Sam's privacy when it came to her writing but as she neared it, she realised there was a message waiting for her.
Brooke, I know you're probably really worried and angry right now but I can explain. Jack is going to a party tonight and I don't want to leave him on his own. The details are on the flier so if you want, you can come and drag me home. I'll try to stay out of trouble. I'm really sorry. –Sam
By the time she had finished reading, Brooke was crying silently as she hugged the notebook close to her. Sam had gone from a teenage shoplifter to Brooke's teenage daughter. She was no longer sarcastic and rebellious; she was now sarcastic and responsible.
Setting the notebook back down on the bed, Brooke wiped away her remaining tears. When she had recomposed herself, she picked up her keys and left through the front door. She noticed someone walking towards her as she hurried down the drive. When Brooke realised who it was, she let out a frustrated groan and narrowed her eyes at them.
"What do you want?" snapped Brooke.
"Good morning to you too, Brooke," replied Victoria icily. "I hope you're not going anywhere because we are supposed to have a meeting about the new fall line."
Brooke glared at her. "You may care more about the business than your own daughter but I am not going to make the same mistakes you did. My daughter is waiting for me right now so your Botoxed-ass needs to get the hell out of my way."
"Is Samantha in trouble?" asked Victoria, softening her expression.
At the mention of Sam's name, Brooke felt her anger towards her mother crumble. "Sam..." Brooke trailed off and took a deep breath. "Sam collapsed last night."
Brooke unlocked her car and started to get in. She didn't want to discuss this anymore because she knew she could break down again at any second. To Brooke's bewilderment, Victoria had opened the door and slid into the passenger seat.
"What do you think you're doing?" demanded Brooke.
"I'm going to the hospital with you," Victoria replied calmly.
Brooke glowered at her. "No, you're not."
"Why not?" asked Victoria. She glanced at Brooke with raised eyebrows.
An incredulous look swept across Brooke's face. She couldn't believe Victoria actually needed to ask. "I don't want Sam to wake up and be scared to death by your face," retorted Brooke.
Victoria stared straight ahead and said in a surprisingly sincere tone, "I care about Samantha." Brooke scoffed in response to this statement, prompting Victoria to add in a barely audible whisper, "And contrary to popular belief, I care about you too."
Brooke's mouth dropped open in shock. She stared at Victoria with a stunned expression, wondering if her lack of sleep had altered her hearing.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Victoria asked irritably. "Drive."
Rolling her eyes, Brooke turned on the ignition. They remained silent throughout the journey, although Brooke was amused by how uncomfortable Victoria had become. When they arrived, Brooke dashed through the hospital, eager to see Sam again. (It was also partly because she was trying to lose Victoria.)
As soon as Brooke had entered Sam's room, Haley told her the good news. "The doctor just stopped by. He said Sam's doing great and there's a strong chance she'll wake up today." Haley's smile turned into a confused frown when she noticed Victoria.
"Haley, you remember my mother the vampiress," Brooke muttered.
Disguising her laughter with a small cough, Haley said politely, "Hello Mrs Davis."
Victoria's uninterested gaze landed on Haley for a few seconds before she murmured in a dismissive tone, "Oh yes, Potato Girl."
Haley glanced at Brooke with a puzzled look. She didn't know if she should be offended or amused by the nickname.
"It's Tutor Girl," Brooke corrected in a hard voice. She smiled apologetically at Haley before glaring at Victoria.
"Potato Girl," croaked a hoarse whisper. "I can't wait to use that in school."
Three sets of eyes, filled with a mixture of shock and relief, instantly shot towards Sam. Her face was a ghostly white but a smirk was pulling at the corners of her lips. Brooke broke out into a huge smile and threw her arms around Sam, hugging her tightly.
"And I can't wait to give you a week's detention for calling me that," joked Haley. "I'll go find the doctor," she added.
Sam shifted to the side, creating enough space for Brooke to sit down beside her. "I'm guessing you preferred me unconscious?" Sam smirked, gesturing towards Brooke's tear-stained face.
Shaking her head softly, Brooke smiled. "These are happy tears."
"I'm sorry for sneaking out," Sam whispered.
"Sam, I'm not angry with you. When Jack rang me and told me you had collapsed, I almost had a heart attack. I was really worried about you."
Sam looked around the room slowly. "Where is Jack?"
Brooke hesitated. "He's..." She watched the realisation dawn on Sam's face while the hope in her eyes started to vanish. "After Jack gave his statement to the police last night, he was placed in a temporary foster home. I'm really sorry, Sam." Brooke waited anxiously for her reaction.
Blinking back her tears, Sam rested her head on Brooke's shoulder and mumbled sadly, "I guess he couldn't hide forever."
