I watched Nathan carefully. His chest pushed up and down with every breath, but except that he didn't move at all. I tightened my grip around his hand.
"Come on" I whispered "wake up" I said softly. I remembered the last time I tried to wake him.
"Time to rise and shine" I whispered as I carefully put my hand on his cheek. His skin was all warm and soft. He just moaned in reaction. I stroke his cheek once again, he looked so peaceful that I almost didn't want to wake him, I just wanted to go back to sleep in his arms, but Owen shouldn't have to tidy up by himself, so I decided to change my tactics.
"Nathan Royal Scott" I said more loudly "If you don't get up…" I guessed his mum often used that line to get him out of bed.
"Come on Nathan" I whispered and put my hand on his chest to caress it "get up" I pouted and I saw him grin.
"Ha, it's working" I smiled proudly and he opened his eyes.
It wouldn't work now though, I thought to myself and squeezed his hand once again. The nurse came back and told me that she had to change his duvet cover. I leaned towards him and whispered "I'll be right back".
The nurse smiled at me and I came out in the waiting room just to find Rachel sleep on Owen's shoulder and Cooper with closed eyes, I wasn't sure if he was sleeping though. Owen looked up at me and slowly positioned Rachel's head on Cooper.
"How are you?" he asked and I just shrugged. We walked towards the coffee machine.
"Maybe you should get some rest" Owen said as I pressed the button for a black coffee.
"I couldn't" I whispered.
We waited in silence again and I was lost in my thoughts… after a while I looked up at him again.
"How did he hit the wall?" I asked. Nathan was a great racer, Cooper was always proud of his nephew. Nate started to prepare to race cars since he turned 13, on this very birthday Cooper invited him over and let him practice on a broke down car. Which basically was a piece of dump, but Nathan could learn what buttons to push and how to drive anyway.
"We don't know, he probably lost control of the wheel, he was lost in his thoughts since some weeks already" Owen muttered and I sighed.
"He came to talk to me on the day you guys left" I whispered and Owen tensed.
"So you know why he was acting that weird?" he asked relieved and I shook my head.
"He left before he could tell me" I said and my voice was broken.
"Yeah, I remember" Owen whispered and he looked like he would know so much more than I did.
"What?" I asked and he just looked away.
"It's a thing between the two of you" he said and I sighed. Of course Owen wouldn't explain to me what led to these charming circumstances that I found myself and Nathan in.
"Does Lucas know where you are?" he just asked and I tensed.
"Why should he?" I wondered and Owen tensed as well. He just noticed that he had said too much.
"Owen" I insisted.
"Well, Nathan figured" he whispered and that's when it hit me.
Nathan had seen a half naked Lucas in my apartment and me in his sweater.
"Idiot" I said and Owen looked offended.
"Not you" I waved him off.
"Brooke, what was he supposed to think, he saw the kiss and then he found you guys barely dressed in your apartment" Owen explained and bit his tongue as he noticed that he was saying too much.
"He saw the kiss?" I said and my body shrugged vividly as I pictured Nathan watching us.
"And after what Lucas…" Owen added disappointed.
"What Lucas… What?" I was confused how Lucas was playing a role in this now.
"I mean I am glad if you are happy now" Owen explained and I laughed.
"I'm not with Lucas" I said and he looked surprised.
"This kiss" I tensed again as I remembered it "was a mistake it was…him feeling bad for himself and me…feeling nothing"
Owen and I stood there in silence again and he shook his head.
"You guys should really talk" he stated.
"I guess you might be right, I didn't know" I whispered.
"Damn Brooke, you just get all the information out of me, because I like you a lot and I don't want you to suffer"
I smiled softly at him.
"See I was as messed up as Nathan in High School, and you mean so much to him, I don't want him to ruin it, like I did" he said and I touched his arm with my hand.
"You're such a softy under all this muscles" I laughed.
"Shut up" he said and I took my coffee out.
"You need to eat something" Owen insisted and bought me chips and a chocolate bar and one for Rachel.
"Are you ready to talk to her yet?" I asked and he looked at the sleeping girl and smiled.
"I wish she would just open up some more to me" he said sad and looked at me "She called me when we left and I asked her if she could commit yet, but she said no"
I sighed "give her time".
He sat down again and smiled at me. Owen suffered obviously. I smiled softly as I left him for Nathan.
"Hey you" I said as I sat down beside his bed again.
He didn't move and his hair was all sticky on his forehead, so I brushed away his hair. I caressed his hair and smiled softly.
"You really need to talk to me as soon as you get up" I whispered and he didn't move. It was hard to keep talking to him and knowing he couldn't hear me or wouldn't answer but I kept going. I told him about his parents and explained why they weren't here. I also told him how proud I was that he managed to get emancipated. After a while I started to tell him which movies he needed to see or which games he couldn't miss.
"And The Pirates is the team with the cheerleader squad that always wins the tournament. I at least could always tell them off, by explaining that I at least cheer for the winning team. And I need you to play, because we can win then and I like to see her eyes all jealous" I whispered unable to move my mouth anymore. My eyes felt heavy and almost felt close. I squeezed his hand in my palms and closed my eyes just for a second. The next time I opened my eyes the sun was up and a nurse tried to change a wire on Nathan's other hand.
"I didn't want to wake you" she whispered and I looked up at the clock. I slept 2 hours straight.
"Did he?" I asked and she shook her head in regret.
"We need you to leave when the doctor comes" she said and we both looked at the door. A handsome doctor walked in and I greeted him, before I walked out with my bag. Rachel was still sleeping on Cooper's shoulder and Owen fell asleep after all. I sneaked into the bath and brushed my teeth and changed my outfit into a jeans and a pink top. I already forgot that I still had my party dress on. I also brushed my hair out and was ready to go back inside.
"He is stable" the doctor said as he walked out of the room and saw me.
"You don't have to worry! He has no further internal bleedings".
I looked up relieved but partly shocked. Nathan had had internal bleedings.
"The surgery went well" the doc said again and I looked up. I already figured that he had a surgery I just wasn't sure why. Now I knew and the doctor smiled softly.
"It's good that you keep him company" he encouraged me and I smiled back. Then he left and I walked back in.
Nathan was moved a bit, because his position changed but his eyes were still closed and his breathing was even. I wondered if his parents would be here soon and put my hand on his. It killed me slowly to see him like this. I noticed a tear roll down my cheek and wiped it again.
"See what you do to me?" I asked him.
"Clever of you not to answer" I said and held his hand with mine as I sat back down and looked at the monitors.
"See your heart frequency is stable and your heart decided to pump more blood in your system" I told him as I watched all the different charts the machine showed.
"And this is good" I whispered "Just promise me to open your beautiful blue eyes"
He still didn't move and I leaned down and placed a kiss on his hand.
"Do it for me, okay?" I asked.
"Brooke" I heard him breathe out. His voice was scratchy and his throat seemed to be dry. I looked up at him and noticed his eyes blink.
"Nathan" I said relieved and put my arms around his body "you're awake" I whispered between sobs.
"Yeah" he winced in pain and I let go of him immediately.
"Sorry" I said and walked two steps away from his bed.
"Water" he said and I turned around to get him a glass. I held it towards his mouth and let him drink it up. As he was finished I put the glass away and looked for the door.
"I check if your parents are…" I stopped "awake now" I lied and he watched me carefully.
"Don't" he whispered and I bit my lip.
"I really should, check on them and call a nurse" he slowly moved his hand to touch mine.
"Don't" he whispered again and I felt his warmth on my hand and shook my head softly.
"We call the nurse and check on your parents and then I promise to stay with you, okay?" I whispered and he nodded softly.
"Promise" he repeated and I nodded once again before I pushed the button to call the nurse and got up as she went in.
"He's…"I started but she noticed.
"awake" she added and started to examine his pulse and his blood pressure.
I walked out and breathed out heavily. I was so glad that he was awake finally, but I wasn't sure if he wanted to see me beside his bed. I hated that we had a fight.
"He is awake" I told Owen, Rachel and Cooper who were sitting up. Deb and Dan walked in and Deb smiled at me and hugged me once again.
"Thank you" she muttered and Dan walked towards the patient room as the rest followed.
"He shouldn't see too many people right now" the nurse said preoccupied and Deb and Dan walked in. The rest of us were standing there and after a while they came back. Deb looked at me.
"He wants to see you" she said kindly and I looked at Owen and Cooper.
"Maybe they should get in first" I suggested and Dan just nodded.
Cooper and Owen walked in and Rachel stayed back with me.
"What's wrong B, why aren't you going in?" she asked and offered me half a chocolate bar.
"I'm afraid" I said and she nodded as she put her arm around me.
"It was easy to talk to him, when he couldn't hear me" I started again.