Peyton knocked softly on the door and cracked it open. She quietly stepped inside and peeked around the corner. She saw a nurse talking softly to Nathan and the both looked up when they heard her come in. The nurse smiled at Nathan and brushed past Peyton on her way out the door. Peyton walked over and sat down beside Nathan who was sitting up in bed, breathing hard.

"Hey Nate. You okay?"

"Hey. Yeah." He answered, still breathing heavily.

"Uh…where's Haley? Didn't she stay here with you last night?"

"Yeah she did. She left awhile ago. Went back home to take a shower, get something to eat. Left right after they took me in for therapy."

"So, that explains the nurse and the reason you sound like you just ran a marathon."

He smiled and laughed slightly.

"How long were you in there anyways? You want some water?" She got up and went to the sink on the other side of the room.

"Only a half an hour. Supposed to still be in there. Doc made me quit early."

Peyton nodded as she filled the cup and turned off the faucet. She walked back and handed the cup to Nathan. He reached for the cup slowly with a shaky hand.

"I came to see you right after the accident. You were still out though."

"Thanks Peyton. Where's Luke today?"

"At home…should be by here later. He's uh…with Brooke right now."

Nathan looked at Peyton and almost spit out the water he was drinking. He laughed for a second or two, but stopped and sat up holding his side. Peyton took the water from him and put it on the table, sitting back down. Peyton watched as Nathan sat back, holding his side, his eyes closed.

"When…did she…?" he managed to say.

"Came back yesterday. Still don't know if her parents have noticed yet. She came back by herself."

"Her and Luke…?"

"Yeah, I think they're on the same page now. Taking things slow."

Nathan smiled and opened his eyes, hearing the door open again. Peyton looked up to see Lucas coming around the corner.

"Hey Nate. Hey Peyton. Peyton uh…your dad's at the house. He and Brooke are waiting on you there."

Peyton sighed and got up. She leaned over and hugged Nate slightly. She walked over to the doorway and smiled at Lucas before leaving. Peyton shut the door and Lucas walked over to Nathan.

"Whoa, man. What's up, little brother?" Lucas asked him, concerned.

"I'm fine." Nathan said, still laying back, eyes closed, holding his side.

"No, really, Nate. What's wrong?"

"The plan's not working, man." Nathan said, still not moving.

"What?"

"The plan to show the doc I should be gone in three days…it's not working Luke."

Lucas looked at his brother who was obviously trying to hide the pain he was in, still confused.

"Went to therapy today. Couldn't even go the whole time Luke. Doc made me stop after half a session."

Lucas didn't know what to say. He watched as his brother laid there breathing heavy, trying to be strong.

"Nate, it's okay. The people at High Flyers will understand. First couple days down there are probably nothing but orientation anyway. Being a few days late can't hurt. Besides, the first couple days of therapy are the worst. You're gonna bounce back, Nate."

Nathan opened his eyes and turned toward Lucas.

"Thanks, Luke."

Nathan closed his eyes again and Lucas quietly got up from his chair and left the room. Nate needed to sleep, he'd be okay. He walked through the halls and found himself walking towards Dan's room. Why was he going to see Dan? Dan didn't even want to see him anymore. Sliently he opened the door to Dan's room and turned the corner. The room was empty. He ran out of the room to the desk outside in the hallway.

"When was Dan Scott released?" he asked quickly.

"Um…this morning. Can I help you contact him?"

"No, no, nevermind, thank you."

Lucas walked back into the hallway and saw Deb walking towards him.

---

Haley and Brooke sat on Lucas's bed, talking quietly about what they were hearing in the other room. Peyton and her dad were talking about Elizabeth.

"Anna is my mom, dad. This woman, she didn't love me. Mom loved me."

"I know. And I never expected Elizabeth to come back. She left a long time ago and from how she talked, she didn't want anyone to know about me or you, baby. She wanted to have a different life sweetie. If I had expected her to come back I would've told you sooner."

"Well, if no one expected her to ever come back, why the hell is she here?"

"I don't know, Peyton. We're supposed to meet her at the café in half an hour and we'll get all the answers. But, right now, I want to talk to you first. Do you want Elizabeth to be a part of your life, sweetie?"

"Dad, I don't think I can. Elizabeth is a complete stranger and yes, at times, I do need a mother figure in my life, but I have other people who would be glad to be that for me. Karen is like a mother to me, more than Elizabeth will ever be. I don't want to have a relationship with her."

"Okay, I know, it's okay."

"I think they're leaving now." Haley said to Brooke softly.

She backed away from the door where she had been standing and flopped onto the bed next to Brooke.

"So, Tigger. What's up with you?"

"I'm just so glad to be home. My parents called this morning. They left a message on my cell. They know where I am now and they're okay with it, so that's a huge relief."

"That's great! So you can stay! How are you and Lucas?"

"Um, we're taking things slow, for my sake. I just don't want to get hurt again. He's my boyfriend now though…sounds so weird to me."

"Lucas cares for you Brooke. You're both different people now. It would really surprise me if you two couldn't work things out."

"Thanks, Haley. Speaking of working things out, how are you and Nathan doing?"

"It's been tough these last two days. When I came back, he didn't even think twice before he forgave me. And even though, deep down, I think he still hasn't fully gotten over the fact that I left him, it was nice to be taken back so quickly. I love him, Brooke. And I couldn't stand hurting him any longer."

"So…are you and Nathan still going to Florida?"

"I don't know Brooke. After his accident, he bounced back…quicker than the doctors expected him to. But…now…everything's so much worse now, Brooke. He tries so hard to put on a brave face for me, and Lucas, and everybody. But last night, it really hit me. I climbed into bed beside him and with the slightest movement he was in pain. I don't know what to do. I don't know how to help him, Brooke."

The tears fell freely from both girls' eyes as Brooke scooted over towards Haley and took the girl in her arms.

"Aw. Hales, it'll all be okay. Nathan's gonna be okay."

Haley sat back on the bed and wiped the tears from her face.

"C'mon Haley. Let's go see Nathan."