Lucas heard the buzzing of his phone; he opened his sleepy eyes and glanced at the caller id. He didn't recognize the number, "Whoever is calling me at 6am better have a damn good reason, otherwise I think I'm gonna kill you."
"Lucas," He sat up hearing the shaky voice, "I'm sorry for calling so early. It's Alexa."
Hew knitted his eyebrows, "What's up?" With his other hand he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
She flipped her hair and glanced back towards the emergency room, "Haley needs you."
He stood up and began pulling on a pair of jeans, "What's happened?"
"Well…we are at the hospital…there was a terrible accident," She stuttered.
"Is Haley ok?" He stopped scarred for his best friend, afraid about what was coming next.
"I don't know."
His knees let out and he fell onto the bed, "How bad is she?"
"She wasn't involved. Her father and Nathan were in a car wreck and have both been in surgery since one am."
He grabbed his keys, "Tell me she's not sitting in the orange chair shutting herself off."
"I'm afraid so and I'm not sure what to do."
"I'll be there in about ten minutes." She hung up and spun around determined to help somehow.
"Move," A man's frantic voice behind her said forcing her out of the way.
"Rude much?" She replied angrily
He sent her one last glacial look in Alexa's direction, "Deb!" He called. Alexa raised her eyebrows assuming that he was the infamous Dan Scott and everything she had been told fit him to a T.
"Any news?" Dan asked his ex wife, who looked up at him with a tear streaked face and jumped into his arms.
"Where have you been?" She cried, "I've been calling you all night."
"Shhh," He said rocking her back and fourth, "I came as soon as I got your message."
"He's still in surgery." She uttered almost inaudibly.
Peyton opened her eyes and groaned, "I need a sleeping pill." Brooke glanced at her threw the mirror she was currently standing in front of, and smiled brightly, "How can you possibly be so freaking cheery?"
"It's Christmas!" Brooke exclaimed her smile never faltering, she spun around and placed her hands on her hips, "No one can be truly unhappy on Christmas. I mean all anger disappears until tomorrow right?" Peyton knitted her eyebrows and looked at her as if she had lost her mind, "Ok so it really doesn't happen that way, but…" She paused for emphasis, "I'm trying to move passed all of this…this," She waved her hands around her head, "drama. And for starters I'm giving my best friend another chance."
"Really…" Peyton began sitting up in the bed, "What about Haley and Nathan?"
Brooke closed her eyes and Peyton could tell she was forcing herself to keep the smile plastered, she let out a deep breath and opened her eyes, "All in due time," Peyton raised her eyebrows, "That's all I can say."
"What does this mean?" Jake asked stepping back and letting the doctor step in and take over, the crying didn't stop, he laughed at the sound of her cry, "It's music to my ears." He was on the verge of tears.
The doctor turned and smiled warmly, "Her lungs seem to be working on their own. It's amazing." She glanced back at the baby girl, "Your daughter is going to be healthy and happy with you and Nikki."
Jake stopped laughing, and rolled his eyes, "Jenny and I don't need Nikki in our lives, especially since she doesn't want to be in ours."
"Jenny, is that what you've decided to name her?" The doctor said not replying to his comment.
"Jennifer Marie."
"That's beautiful," She stepped up to him and placed a hand on his arm, "Can I have a little time to examine her?"
He nodded, "I'll go tell my parents she's going to be fine." He left the doctor with his little girl, practically skipping to his parents, "She's crying, Jenny's crying." He called before he reached them. They both looked up at him shocked, and confused not expecting to hear this, "Dr. Jones said that Jenny's going to be happy and healthy."
"Jenny?" Her mother asked standing up.
"That's great son." He's dad said realizing what he was talking about.
"My daughter, Jennifer Marie. She's crying at the top of her strong healthy lungs."
His mother began crying happily and let her fingers linger on her lips, "Jennifer Marie." She repeated.
He nodded, "If that's ok."
"I would be honored to share my name with her." His mother enveloped him in her arms.
"I hate to break this up, but we should go share this happy news with Nicole and her mother." His father said when his mother pulled out of the hug.
"Why should I?" Jake said loudly, but lowered his voice to continue, "She hasn't even wanted to see her." He said bitterly, he felt like he was the only one with invested interest in their daughter.
His father put a strong arm on his shoulder, "It's the right thing to do."
"Your father's right." His mother spoke up.
"I know."
Lucas ran threw the door, and without looking around the waiting room he went straight towards his best friend, "Hales," She looked up and blinked a couple of times, barely registering him, "Have you heard anything yet?" She didn't respond, so he did what he felt she need and pulled her into a tight hug.
"Is Nathan Scott's Family here?" A young Dr. came out and announced. Deb, Dan, Haley, Lucas, and Alexa all jumped up to find out what happened.
"That's us," Dan replied pointing to himself and Deb, "How's my boy?"
"Well he's out of surgery but he hasn't woken up yet. There was a lot of damage, but we've been able to repair everything. Don't expect him to wake up too quickly."
"Can we see him?" Deb asked desperately.
"The nurse will come and get you when he's ready," Looking past Deb and Dan he noticed the other three anxiously listening, "But I'm limiting his visitors to two at a time."
Haley stepped forward, "What about my father?"
"I'm sorry, he's still in surgery." She shook her head still feeling helpless. Lucas watched the doctor walk away.
"Are you happy?" Dan asked Lucas bitterly.
"What?"
"My son won't be able to play in the finals now."
Lucas shook his head, "So let me see if I get this right, moments ago you find out that your son is going to live and all you can do is worry about what I'm feeling? Get a life Dan."
"You shouldn't be here." Dan said stepping closer to his oldest son.
Lucas rolled his eyes and shook his head again. "He has every right to be here!" Haley said loudly.
Dan's angry glare flashed towards her, "I wasn't talking to you little girl," He told her condescendingly.
Lucas grabbed her arm to pull her away but she brushed him off and narrowed her eyes and told the older man, "At least he's here because he cares about everyone, you only care that the Scott name will live on. Stop being such a bastard!" She yelled.
Dan smiled somewhat evilly, "I think your calling the wrong Scott a bastard."
"Come on Hales, he's never gonna change. I've come to terms with that," Lucas said trying to pull her away.
"Yea, listen to your boyfriend Hales," Dan said waving, with the same smile on his face.
"Go to Hell!" Haley yelled as Lucas and Alexa pulled her away, "He's such an ass." She said under her breath.
Dan grinned and turned back to Deb, she pulled her hand back and slapped him hard, "Don't talk to her like that!" Deb said angry and quiet.
He gently held her from moving, "What's wrong with you?"
"Her father is in surgery and she and Nathan are getting really close, the last thing she needs is you in her face being…being…being you!" She pulled away and walked towards Haley.
"Haley, you know I can handle Dan. I've been doing it for 16 years," Lucas told her.
She looked at him with the same helpless and empty look, "I was just trying to help."
"I know, but your just making things worse…"
"Maybe the apple didn't fall as far from the tree as we thought," She began towards the door, she suddenly needed air, Lucas realized what he had said and felt horrible. He grabbed her arm and she pulled away, "Leave me alone Lucas." She said threw gritted teeth.
Jake took a deep breath and turned back towards his parents, "I don't want to."
His mother knitted her eyebrows and glanced through the open door, "You may not have too." The three both stepped into the door and watched as the nurse folded up the bed linen, "Excuse me," His mother said grabbing the woman's attention, "Has Nicole Turner been moved to another room?"
The gray haired woman smiled warmly at them, "No, the young woman was discharged today."
"She's just left?" Jake asked shocked.
"She left this note," She picked up the note from the counter, "Jake I presume?"
He nodded and took the note:
Jake,
I'm sorry, but I can't be a mom right now. Hopefully she will make it, and one day I will be ready to be her mother, but that day is not today. I'm not going back to graduate, so I guess this is goodbye. At least until I'm ready to be a family.
Yours Truly,
Nikki