"Lucas, wait! What happened?!" Haley called down the hospital corridor after her best friend who had just stormed out his girlfriend's room. He stopped, and turned to look at her with a deeply pained expression on his face.
"I messed up Hales," his hands flailed at his side and ran through his hair in exasperation, "I told her I love her for the first time and she didn't wanna know. I'm going home, just leave it." Haley moved to go after him but let Nathan stop her by placing his hand on her shoulder.
"His mom'll look after him," Nathan explained simply as Haley turned and put her face in his chest, they wrapped their arms around each other supportively. After a moment, Nathan asked, "I'm going to check on Peyton, if that's ok?" Haley nodded, she understood there would still be an element of care between the two, and she also wanted to know how Peyton was. However, she decided it was better if she stayed outside the room.
"Hey Sawyer," Nathan greeted the upset blonde as he entered the room, "I see you're still causing drama wherever you go," he told her playfully.
"I'd say I see you're still the assier brother, but that's debatable right now," she mumbled sadly. Nathan stood at the end of the bed, not awkwardly, this was not too odd a situation for them. During their romantic relationship Nathan had spent much time stood next to Peyton's bed while she mumbled at him and avoided eye contact, of course then it was because they were arguing, and he really hoped they wouldn't argue this time.
"Well I see passing out didn't take your sarcasm."
"No, just my baby," Peyton told him straight, she was clearly suffering intensely.
"Yours and Lucas' baby," Nathan corrected her cautiously.
"Are you seriously defending him right now?! You don't even know what happened! You don't even like him!" Peyton was raging.
"Come on! I only said it was your baby and his to make you realise that he's hurting too and he probably didn't mean to upset you," Nathan informed, "I'm still definitely the assier brother," he joked, causing Peyton's first smile since her cheer performance.
"No, but you've never told a girl you love just cos she killed your baby." It hurt Nathan to hear Peyton say such incorrect and negative things with such conviction.
"No, I've just married one while two of my friends were in hospital having passed out…" Nathan couldn't help but smile at that fact.
"What?! Nathan! You can't just…" Peyton was definitely distracted from her own situation, and in complete and utter disbelief. She was shaking her head aggressively, but Nathan knew there was a smile brewing on her lips.
"You can it turns out," he told her proudly, "There was a cancellation in the hospital chapel here so Haley and I got married when we were supposed to be looking for your doctor. Well, we found, and he said he'd be half an hour so we entertained ourselves…"
"Nathan Scott, a married man," Peyton mused, "Don't hurt her Nate, she deserves better than that," she warned him seriously.
"You really are the girl version of Lucas aren't you?" Nathan mused back, returning Peyton to her current least favourite subject.
"Shut up," Peyton returned to glaring at him.
"No Peyton I won't, you're being an idiot and you know it," Nathan retorted.
"Says the guy who just married a girl he's known 5 minutes at the age of 16."
"Says the guy who's learned a hell of a lot about love in 5 minutes at the age of 16," he was refusing to be judged for his recent action, he loved Haley so he married her, it was that simple in his eyes. "Lucas adores you Peyton, and treats you better than I ever did. I know you're hurting, but the two of you need each other to get through this, shut everyone out if have to, like you always do, but don't shut Lucas out." Her glare softened slightly, so he continued in his former joking manner, "Who knows? Maybe one day you'll be my sister-in-law."
"Ha! Ew. Get out you jerk," Peyton swatted him away. Nathan left her with a smile, a wave and a lot to ponder in the darkening hospital room. It had been a long day, but she had another visitor that was going to make this day even longer.
"Hey P. Sawyer," a familiar voice rasped in the dark from the direction of the door, "Am I ok to come in?"
"Sure…" Peyton answered cautiously, she and Brooke had definitely grown apart recently, but Peyton had no idea why she sounded so cautious. Brooke slowly made her way to Peyton's bad before standing at the end of it.
"We need to talk," Brooke finally informed her friend who replied with a whispered 'ok', "I don't know if you saw, but I passed out too."
"Sorry, I didn't know, are you ok?" Peyton enquired kindly.
"I'm healthy enough to be sent home tonight, but there's something else," Brooke took a deep breath and closed her eyes before announcing, "Peyton, I'm pregnant. It happened at Nathan's party, when I took those three guys home. I don't know who the father is, and I've wanted to lean on you but I'm so scared and ashamed that I've just been pushing you away, and I'm so sorry," Brooke was crying now. Peyton reached her hand out to her friend, who took it and came closer.
"Thank you for telling me," Peyton smiled appreciatively, waiting a moment before asking, "Do you know what you're going to do? I'm here to help you anyway I can."
"Thank you, that means a lot," Brooke assured her sincerely, "I honestly have no idea. I found out I was pregnant really early on, and I've made so many appointments at the abortion clinic but I just can't go through with it. I'm not ready to be a mom though."
"Brooke, I was pregnant too," Peyton began, Brooke's eyes widened at the confession, Peyton continued before Brooke could interrupt, "When I passed out on the mat was because of pregnancy too, then I miscarried in the ambulance, that's why I'm staying here overnight. I'm not going to tell you what to do, and I understand about not being ready to be a mother, but please don't kill your baby." Brooke looked carefully at Peyton's face, holding her hand tightly.
"Whatever happens from now on, we'll do it together, yeah?"
"Yeah," Peyton agreed sincerely. It calmed her to know what had been going on with Brooke, and she was grateful that their friendship looked to being back on track, she only hoped that the same could be said for hers and Lucas' relationship.