whispered: peyton is seven months pregnant…
-x—x-
The crossing guard waved her across the street and she darted, digging her heels into the pavement.
It was worse than she imagined. The back right corner of the Mustang had been completely pushed in, and the car itself, shaped like a U, wrapped driver side around a telephone pole. But the car had been left standing, with one tow truck attempting to pull in out of the road, while the rest of the attention was brought to the back of the open ambulance which had been barricaded off by police men.
She threw herself at the chaos, jumping high to see over the mess.
"Excuse me ma'am that's unacceptable. Please return to your car" One of the policemen shouted as she braced herself against his shoulder. It was the lift she needed, her line of sight made contact with his untouched face, but his eyes were closed. Her eyes quickly skimmed down his body.
There was blood, tons and tons of blood, covering the white dress shirt that he had looked so attractive in just over twenty minutes ago.
"That's my husband" She whispered, and the man who had been supporting her weight, moved back and she lost her balance, falling onto her rear.
"God you're pregnant?" The same men got to his knees to help her up. "I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to knock you to the floor, I was just doing my job.
Peyton Scott remained there, sitting on the side walk, the line of police men and EMT's blocking her from the most important man in her life.
"That's my husband" She told the man directly, looking up at him with her tearstained face.
"Oh" He blinked. "Oh…" The man's face fell and her heart stopped momentarily."
"What!?" She took his hands and stood facing him. "He's okay, right? He has to be okay. What's wrong, what happened?"
He held her shoulders. "He was hit from the back by a green SUV. Someone took down the license plate number; we're running in through our files as we speak. Anyway, he got thrown across the divider and slide right into the pole."
She bit her lip as she willed her tears to stop. But the information was too much, she sobbed. "Is he okay?" The police man pulled her through towards the ambulance doors. She was only a foot or so away from Lucas' feet, but her sight was cut off, but the dozens on EMT setting her husband tight in the stretcher. The police office was speaking to one of the EMTs', who was then appointed to Peyton.
He walked to her side. "He's stable now; we have to get him into surgery right away. Then we'll know the extent of the situation. There shouldn't be any major head trauma. The air bag over the door may have saved his life." Lucas was lifted into the air at her head level. She watched, hoping to catch one last glance at his face, but she missed it. "Will you be ridding with us?" He asked and Peyton's heart enlarged.
"Yes" She whispered, and was helped into the back of the ambulance shortly before it pulled away from the scene.
"You can sit here," The same EMT directed her to the seat by her husband's head. Instead of sitting, she got onto her knees and placed her lips next to his ear.
"Luke, I'm right here, okay. Don't you dare leave me, I didn't leave you and you sure as hell can't leave me." She pressed her lips to his cheek and then moved back to sit on the bench. She reached forward to hold his right arm and watched while her husband was hooked up to all sorts of machines. They were checking his vitals, and the beep of the machine calmed her overworked heart.
"Excuse me Ms," Peyton looked up. There was a woman who offered her a small smile before sitting down besides her. "I'm Laura"
She held out her hand and Peyton gently shook it, only releasing her hold on Lucas' arm momentarily. "Peyton"
"I was wondering if you wouldn't mind answering a few questions for me?" The curly blonde nodded. "What's your husband's full name?"
"Lucas Eugene Scott" She whispered, rubbing her fingers over the fabric of his shirt.
"His birth date?"
"March 3rd 1988"
"You're clearly his wife and pregnant, but any other children as of date?"
"A daughter, she's five"
Laura dropped her gaze and continued to fill out her questionnaire. "Is Lucas on any sort of medication we should know about or does he have any allergies to medications?"
"He has HCM, a heart disease, and he takes medication that won't allow him to be over worked."
"But no allergies?" Peyton shook her head. "When we get to the hospital your husband will be transported right to the ER where the doctors have been prepped on his injuries and are on standby to perform the necessary surgeries. He'll probably be in the operating room for an hour and a half before being taken back to a room to recover. But with every surgery, there are the risks. The staff that pulled your husband from the wreck believes that he lost a lot of blood, so opening him up further could be dangerous, but it has to be done. Also the anesthetics he'll be put on are very risky, but again, necessary."
"I understand" Peyton whispered. "But he can pull through right, you think? You all sound so positive, like it's possible"
"Honestly Mrs. Scott, time will tell. He's experienced a lot of trauma and most of his injuries are life treating, and if he does make it, could affect how he manages the rest of his life."
Peyton help up her hand. "Please, stop, leave it at time will tell" She reached down to her shoe where her cell phone had been clipped on. "May I make a call in here?"
Laura nodded solemnly. "Go right ahead"
She hit the third speed dial and after one ring, heard her best friend's very frantic voice. "Peyton, god, we saw you go down and then the ambulance pulled away! Was it Lucas? Are you with him?"
"He's being taking to the hospital for surgery, and yes I'm with him" She dragged in a breath. "It's bad Brooke and I'm afraid he won't make it"
"Relax sweetie, we'll meet you at the hospital"
"You should call Karen and Andy; they should get to say goodbye" Peyton sobbed.
"Peyton, do not talk like that. I'll see you soon" Brooke hung up and turned to Sawyer who had been listening in on the conversation.
"Why would Karen and Andy say goodbye?" Her green eyes widened, as they pulled away from the side walk in which they had stopped at. "I don't want to say goodbye to my Dad. Where's my mom?"
"SoSo, relax, we are going to figure out what happened and then you can see your mom"
"But we're going to the hospital, and Grandma died in a car accident and don't want my Dad to die too!"
"Sweetie" Haley cooed from the front seat. "Don't worry about that, we're going to go talk to your mom and see what's going on. I need you to be calm so I can drive us there safely."
"Are we going to die too!?" Sawyer cried.
Brooke reached across Anthony to hold Sawyer's hand. "Relax baby"
"Brooke, why don't you call the boys and fill them in. Tell them to meet us at the hospital" Haley locked eyes with Brooke in the rearview . The dark brunette nodded and lifted the cell phone out of her lap, with her left hand, as she continued to sooth Sawyer with her right.
"Hey babe" Julian answered his cell. "You almost here?"
"Julian" Brooke sighed. "Lucas was in an accident" Sawyer began to sob as the words were spoken out loud.
"An accident?" He repeated, confused.
"Haley and I don't know much, but I'm going to need you and Nathan to meet us at the hospital."
"Not a problem; how are Peyton and Sawyer?" He asked, and his endearment made Brooke smile.
"Peyton rode over in the ambulance and you can only imagine how the other one is"
"Is it bad?" He whispered.
"Peyton said it was"
"I'll see you as soon as we can; I love you"
"I love you too" She shut her phone and turned her head to block her tears from the five year old whose life was changing right next to her. She looked up at the sky, willing her tears to stop, but it just wasn't fair. How could so many problems be forced upon this one family?
By the time they made it to the hospital, Sawyer was falling apart. Brooke had to carry her godchild on her hip while Haley held Anthony in the car seat. Both were directed to wait in the waiting room, but Peyton was nowhere in sight and Sawyer kept screaming.
"Honey, you need to calm down" Brooke lulled the child, running her hand down the girl's back.
"I need my mommy Aunt Brooke!" She cried harder.
Haley and Brooke worked their hardest to calm the child and just as she was settling down, Nathan and Julian came in with the boys, and the questions were thrown around again. "Where was Lucas? And would he be okay? Where was Peyton?"
Sawyer had never experienced a pain in her chest so horrifying, and in her mind, the only one to take that pain away, or at least numb it, was her mother, who was nowhere to be found.
"Lucas Scott's family?" A nurse entered the waiting room through the infamous double doors. Nathan stood up and made his way over to the woman.
"I'm Nathan Scott, Lucas' brother."
"It would be lovely to meet my son's favorite NBA star, under any other circumstances. " She frowned, but took his hand gently in her own momentarily. "Lucas is in surgery as we speak and his wife is waiting in his recovery room, if it's necessary."
"What do you mean "if it's necessary"?" Nathan asked, crossing his arms.
"With the extent of his injuries, we're not even sure if he'll pull through, but only time will tell. If you've not been briefed on the situation, his left knee, hip bone, shoulder and ribcage were crushed in the accident. The doctors are working to correct the bones and pump blood back into him." Nathan winced. "He'll be under for about an hour or so. His room, were Mrs. Scott resides, is a single and has a limit of four, but for now, I'd say only one other person allowed."
"Okay, where so?"
"Fourth floor, room 289"
"Thank you for the help" They parted and Nathan made his way back over toward the eager eyes. "Hey Brooke, why don't you take Sawyer upstairs to see Peyton; fourth floor, room 289"
Brooke nodded, enthused. "Of course" She held Sawyer against her chest and moved for the elevator.
"We can see mommy now?" Sawyer whispered.
"Yes baby, we can"
"What about Daddy?" She asked again.
"Soon SoSo" The girl sighed and it broke Brooke's heart. Every time her goddaughter cried or moaned or screamed for her parents, Brooke fell apart, wishing there was something she could do.
On the fourth floor, they turned right and entered the third room on the left. There was immediate chaos. Peyton stood up from the chair she had been sitting in, parallel to the door. "Get Sawyer out!" She yelled.
"But," Brooke stuttered and watched as Peyton turned her back on them, placing her hand against the window.
"Please Brooke."
She stepped back out into the hall and set Sawyer down on the floor. "Wait right here baby"
"But I want my mom!" The five year old began to cry again. "She told me to leave"
"Sweetie, just wait right here" Brooke reentered the hospital room and crossed the floor to place a hand on her best friends back. "Peyton, she needs you"
"Sawyer cannot see me like this and she cannot be here when they bring Lucas back in…if, they bring Lucas back in. He did it Brooke." Her voice was cold.
"Who, did what?"
"Ian, he hit Lucas car from behind." She clenched her fist and Brooke removed her hand from off her shoulder. "Someone took down the license plate. He is the reason we are in here. He's the reason the love-" She stopped to whip her tears.
"Peyton, I'm so-"
"I'm a mess" She cut her off. "And I cannot let Sawyer see me like this"
Brooke turned Peyton to face her and held both of her hands in her own. "Sweetie Sawyer needs her mother. She is just as afraid as you"
"But Lucas and I are supposed to be her heroes, and I can't be there for her when I can barely keep myself together."
"You're still her hero. And she should see you like this, rather than not at all. I'm not going to say it again Peyton, Saw is scared and needs her mother. Just explain it to her like you would to anyone else. She'll understand, she's smart" Peyton bowed her head and walked to the door. Once outside, she knelt in front of her daughter and hugged her tightly, before lifting her up and carrying her back to the chair. "I'll leave you two alone." She placed her hand on the door handle. "Keep me updated."
"Hi mommy" Sawyer whispered into her mother's hair.
"Hi baby" Sawyer pressed her head under Peyton's chin, feeling secure in the embrace.
"Are you crying?" Sawyer asked, and Peyton nodded briefly before kissing the top of Sawyer's head. "The baby's really kicking." Sawyer noticed, having felt the movement against her side. "Is she worried about daddy too?"
"Probably" Peyton let her tears fall onto Sawyer's dress, mascara running down both of their cheeks.
"Is daddy going to be okay?" Sawyer asked, gripping her mother's dress tightly.
"I really hope so Sawyer" Peyton's voice cracked and the two continued to hold each other.
"Me too Mommy"
And there the broken family waited for the news of better days, or for worse.
Around seven pm, after a little over an hour of waiting, Brooke came by to steal Sawyer so she could eat something in the café, before it closed. She did not go willingly, but Peyton said it would be for the best.
-x—x-
"Mrs. Scott" Peyton's head shot up. There was a woman standing in the doorway dressed in scrubs. "They're moving your husband here as we speak"
"He's okay?" Peyton cried.
The woman nodded. "And Awake. As soon as the anesthetic wore off he was looking for you and a miss Sawyer, who I am assuming is your daughter"
"He's awake…" Peyton continued to ball while receiving the good news.
"Yes, and on his way here to see you." She took a step closer to the blonde, pulling her clip board to the front of her body. "Just briefly, before we leave you alone. He's been given heavy pain killers, so he'll probably sleep the night away."
"And the surgery, how bad?"
The woman frowned. "We don't see why he shouldn't make a full recovery, but he'll be hospitalized until Christmas Eve and then bed rested until six weeks after." Peyton turned her attention to the floor. "But he is really, very lucky he pulled through. We'll leave you alone for a while, but we'll come back in and run performance checks every three hours or so."
There was a knock on the door. "Well, I'll show myself out"
As soon as she had left, Lucas was being wheeled in on a bed by two doctors, and all Peyton could do was stare. She was completely taken by surprise.
"If you need anything, Mr. Scott, press the help button on our remote." One of the men placed it at his right side. "We'll leave you to get some rest for a while, but be in to check on you within the next two hours."
They were gone as soon as they'd come, but not quick enough. Peyton was at his side as soon as the doctor's were out of the way. She grasped her hands on the rails built up around his bed, tears streaming down her cheeks. He was so pale, as while as the sheet covering all but his face and right arm.
"Hey, don't cry" He reached out and touched her hand. His touch only made her cry harder. "Peyt, don't, I'm okay"
"I was so afraid" She admitted.
"I know; I'm so sorry I put you through that"
"You're sorry? Lucas, it's my fault this happened. It was-"
"Ian," He sighed. "I know, he hit me. I saw his face in the rearview. That's all I remember. He wanted me dead."
Peyton released another sob. "I'm sorry" He rubbed her hand. "Can I kiss you?" She asked weakly.
He was tired, but somehow he supplied her with a very convincing smile. "I'd be angry if you didn't"
Peyton gently leaned down and placed her lips against his. She would have pulled back shortly after, but he reached his good arm out and placed it on her neck, holding her there for a moment.
When she pulled back he could taste her tears. It nearly killed him. "Where's Sawyer?"
"Eating, against her will. She was so worried about her daddy, she didn't want to leave…Is it bad?" She begged with her green eyes.
Lucas bit his lip and nudged the sheet off his body. He was unsuccessful, So Peyton took over. She walked to the other side of the bed and lifted the sheet off his body. But as soon as she had done so, she turned her back on him and placed a hand over her mouth to stifle her cries.
His entire left leg, from the waist down, was in casted. His shoulder and left arm were braced and his rib cage was cover in a large white bandage, with spots of blood poking through. Everything was scratched and bruised. He looked horrible.
"Lay with me?" He asked. She refused to turn around, but shook her head. "Please" He begged.
She turned to face him and was thankful he had fixed the sheet with his good arm. "I don't want to hurt you"
He laughed, but she frowned. "You won't hurt me. Just push the rail down and lie here." Peyton slowly walked back over and released the bars with her hands. She took a step back. "You won't hurt me" She stepped back forward and laid herself down beside his right side, weary not to touch him. He wrapped his good arm around her shoulders and pressed his hand against her back, edging her to move closer. Her face was pressed softly against the side of his chest and she found she couldn't even take comfort in his scent, because he smelt nothing like the Lucas she knew. He smelt like alcohol rub and medicine.
But his touch was soothing and she was content to just be held by him, willing her tears to stop, and her makeup dying the sheets black.
"Peyton" A voice called to her from the doorway. "We're back and we brought you food, I know you're not hungry but it's for the- Lucas!?" Brooke's voice fell short. "You're awake?" She placed her hands on her knees and slouched forward.
Sawyer came in behind Brooke carrying a brown paper bag. "Daddy's back?" She asked confused and watched as her mother slid off the bed. Sawyer couldn't see because she wasn't tall enough, and Lucas couldn't sit up because of his injuries. Peyton reached down and lifted Sawyer into the air and sat her on the edge of the bed.
At first the girl didn't say anything. She wasn't sure what she was expecting, maybe for her father to scoop her up in his arms and hug her to his chest, like always, but he was so lifeless, and so frail. Sawyer had never seen him like this, but he reached out and took her hand in his good one and brought it to his lips.
"You're going to be okay?" Sawyer asked, her bottom lip trembling.
"I'm going to be fine"
"That's really good, because mommy and I were really scared."
He smiled and released her hand to take Peyton's. "You don't have to be afraid anymore." His eyes were locked on Sawyer's but it was really Peyton that the comment was directed too. "There's no getting rid of me"
"Good, because I need you, and mommy needs you, and the new baby will need you"