I apologize for the long wait, but I have returned to college, and it's been a rough semester. I have not forgotten about my stories, it's just hard to find time to write and do my school work! Thank you for all the continued support and love, keep it up : ) So without further ado...

Chapter 35

The Broken clock is a comfort
It helps me sleep tonight
Maybe it can stop tomorrow
From stealing all my time

Brooke stumbled through the doorway of the café as she skipped toward her blonde best friend. "It's a girl!" she practically screamed.

"Huh?" Peyton questioned.

Brooke eyed her for a second. Dark circles lingered underneath her eyes. Her hair stuck out in all directions of her loosely put up pony tail. And she was pretty sure she had been wearing that outfit yesterday. "Peyton are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine." Peyton gathered herself to look at her bubbling friend, who was now very obviously six months pregnant. "Back to your news…"

"Yes," Brooke continued. "It's a girl. The baby, she's a girl."

"Brooke that's so exciting." Peyton smiled as she pulled Brooke into a hug. Brooke smiled in return as she held her best friend, who was so far from fine it was unbelievable.

And I am here still waiting
Though I still have my doubts
I am damaged at best
Like you've already figured out

"Nathan I found them," Haley screamed into their apartment as she walked through the front door.

"Found what?" he asked from the couch as he continued to play some type of video game.

"My bride's maid dresses," she exclaimed. "I was walking down the pier when I noticed a little vintage store. I walked in, and there they were. Two perfect green dresses."

Nathan let out of huff of relief. "Thank goodness. I was sick of fretting over what color would go best with my eyes," he mocked her. She smacked him across his right shoulder. "I'm just kidding. I know this was very important to you," he smiled as he pulled her on top of him and kissed her gently.

"How's Dan doing?"

"Um, okay I guess. He's still not awake, but all his vitals are still good."

"What do the doctors have to say?"

"They're not as optimistic. Since he's been in a coma for so long, they're predicting lots of brain damage."

"What do they recommend?"

Nathan paused. Although Dan was not the greatest, it was still hard to agree with the doctors. "They recommend that we take him off life support."

"Oh Nathan," Haley sighed as she leaned in against him. Nathan pulled her in closer.

"I just don't want to be the one responsible to make the decision."

"What does Lucas think?"

"He feels the same way."

"Well maybe you guys can decide together," Haley reasoned.

"Maybe."

I'm falling apart
I'm barely breathing
With a broken heart
That's still beating
In the pain
There is healing
In your name
I find meaning
So I'm holding on

Brooke walked into her bathroom and pulled open the medicine cabinet. She pulled out the prescriptions the doctor had given her. Since he first prescribed the antibiotics, she had begun to feel better. But last month the symptoms got worse. Not only was she coughing up a storm, but she also began to get severe headaches. She took two Advils to ease the pain of the headache and walked back into her room.

"Hey baby," Lucas smiled as he laid across her bed.

"Broody what are you doing here?"

"Oh my bad, I thought this was the home of my baby's momma, but I guess I got the wrong house," he said sarcastically as he pretended to get up to leave.

"You're so not funny," Brooke smiled as she walked toward him. He placed a sweet kiss on her forehead. "Have you talked to Peyton recently?" she asked as they settled back onto the bed.

"No, why?"

"At the café today, and well I guess it's been going on for quite some time now, but she looked a little rough."

"What do you mean?" he questioned as he began to draw invisible circles on her arm.

"She had dark circles under her eyes, like she hadn't slept in weeks. And I'm pretty sure she was wearing the same outfit as yesterday. I'm just worried about her, you know with Jake gone and everything," she sighed into his chest.

"I can check on her if you want."

"No it's okay. She'll come around when she's ready I guess." As Brooke got up to turn on the tv, the room began to spin. She clutched her head in a desperate maneuver to steady herself, but it was too late.

"Brooke are you okay?" Lucas called as she began to sway back in forth. But before he could get to her in time, she fell to the ground. "Brooke!" he screamed, fumbling off the bed toward her lying body. "Brooke," he called again, shaking her body back and forth. When she didn't respond, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed 911.

The broken locks were a warning
You got inside my head
I tried my best to be guarded
I'm an open book instead

"Davis," the doctor called into the waiting room. Lucas separated himself from his friends to speak with him. "Are you related to a Miss Brooke Davis?" the doctor asked.

"She's the mother of my child," Lucas answered, knowing full well that they are prevented from speaking with people who aren't related. "What's going on with her?"

"Miss Davis has been having problems with her right lung. She came into visit me about 2 months ago and I prescribed her with some antibiotics. I first diagnosed the problem as a virus, but it seems it is much worse than that."

"How much worse?" Lucas asked, trying to remain calm.

"She needs a transplant. Her lung has completely given out, and if she doesn't get a new one soon, it could cause complications, not only for her but for the baby as well."

"What do we do?"

"Fortunately there is a lot you can do actually." Lucas looked at him very confused. "We found a match for Miss Davis."

And I still see your reflection
Inside of my eyes
That are looking for purpose
They're still looking for life

"What does that have to do with me?" Lucas asked.

"The match is a Mr. Dan Scott. Your father." The doctor concluded.

Lucas let the information process together for a minute. "So what you're saying is to pull the plug on my father so I can save Brooke?" he asked, to make sure he got it correctly.

"Unfortunately I cannot tell you what to do. I am simply presenting you with the facts Mr. Scott."

"What happens if we don't pull the plug?"

"Miss Davis will go on the transplant list, which could take months for her to find a match."

Lucas sighed. "Can I have a minute please?" he asked the doctor.

"Of course."

Lucas walked away and back toward his awaiting friends. "What's going on man?" Nathan asked immediately.

"It seems Brooke's right lung has shut down," Haley and Peyton both gasped in horror. "And she needs a transplant."

"That could take months," Haley retorted.

"Not necessarily," Lucas answered as all of them looked at him with confused expressions. "They already have a match for her."

"That's great Luke," Peyton cried.

Lucas shook his head.

"Luke?" Haley questioned.

"It's Dan. Dan's the match." As he said this he looked at Nathan. "If we pull the plug on Dan, Brooke can have his lung. If we don't, she goes on the waiting list," he concluded as tears began to slide down his cheek. Peyton and Haley were already crying, while Nathan sat there dumbfounded. He didn't know what to do, just as much as Lucas did.

I'm falling apart
I'm barely breathing
With a broken heart
That's still beating
In the pain
Is there healing
In your name
I find meaning
So I'm holding on

Peyton walked outside for some fresh air. The cool breeze stung her tear stained cheeks. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a container of white pills, silently swallowing one of them. As soon as she turned around to walk back inside, she noticed Lucas was standing right behind her.

"Luke, you scared me," she said startled.

"Peyton what was that?" he questioned her, a cold expression on his face.

"What are you talking about?"

"The pill you just swallowed."

"It's called Advil Luke. I had a headache from the horrible news I just heard about my best friend, and wanted to ease the pain."

"Don't lie to me Peyton."

"I'm not. Geez Luke, don't be so paranoid," she said as she tried to walk past him. As she did, Lucas managed to grab the container from her pocket. "Luke don't," she screamed.

Lucas opened the container and could tell easily what they were. "I think these will do a little more than just ease the pain Peyton," he seethed.

"Stop it," she whined.

"No, you stop. Peyton, your best friend you're talking about, she's lying in there with a broken lung. She's fighting for not only her own life, but the life of her baby, my baby. And you, you're taking Ecstasy to ease the pain. Peyton this is stupid."

By now, tears began to form in her eyes. "It helps Luke."

"It doesn't help Peyton. It makes things worse."

"How would you know?" she asked angrily. When he couldn't answer, she snatched the container from his hand. "That's what I thought. Don't tell me what's best for me when you have no clue."

"She's worried about you," he cried. "She's dying, and she's worried about you." He finished before leaving her outside in the freezing cold.

I'm hanging on another day
Just to see what, you will throw my way
And I'm hanging on, to the words you say
You said that I will, will be okay
The broken light on the freeway
Left me here alone
I may have lost my way now
But I haven't forgotten my way home

"Nathan I'm not going to make this decision for obvious reasons. Dan has never been my father, and Brooke means more to me than life. I need you to make the decision." Lucas stated as he sat back down.

"Luke I can't do that either. If I choose wrong…"

Lucas sighed, he was right. If he chose Dan over Brooke, it would be hard for Lucas to forgive him. And if he chose Brooke over Dan, what would that say about him, choosing his brother's girlfriend over his own father. "Then what do we do?" Lucas whispered.

I'm falling apart
I'm barely breathing
With a broken heart
That's still beating
In the pain
There is healing
In your name
I find meaning
So I'm holding on