The ride to the hospital was silent, only the dull lulling of the car's engine penetrating the tension filled air. The both sat facing forward, Lucas' keeping his focus on the road ahead of him…Brooke trying and failing miserably to keep her tears at bay.

Flashback

"What happened" she managed to choke out the words, not sure whether or not she really wanted the answer. Lucas forced himself to meet her tear filled eyes, but he couldn't seem to find the words. Brooke was already falling apart. How was he supposed to tell her that Peyton was back in the hospital…that things weren't looking good…that Peyton had just been given a serious dilemma…and on top of all that…they were waiting to find out if Peyton had cancer?

That's when it hit him for the first time…when he couldn't find a way to avoid that thought anymore…Peyton could die. She might never make it out of the hospital…and there's nothing he can do to prevent it.

"Lucas…" He blinked hard and looked down at Brooke's hand resting gently on his forearm.

"She's in the hospital again. But it's not the same this time, everything's up in the air and…she's in trouble Brooke" he met her worried gaze and immediately noticed the fresh set of tears spring to her eyes.

"What do you mean?" Her voice was small and hesitant. She was uncertain before about wanting to know why Lucas was looking for her, now she was positive that she didn't want to know.

"The doctor thinks that things might have gotten worse."

"How much worse?"

"They…she's being tested for Leukemia" he watched as the brunette tried to take the new information in, watched as she tried to form some kind of response but all she came up with was more tears and a look of pain etched in her features.

"I have to see her" the words came after a few minutes of silence, and she startled him when she jumped up off the floor and started towards the front door. He hung his head for a moment as he inhaled sharply.

"Brooke…" his voice was barley above a whisper and he wasn't sure whether she hadn't heard him, or if she had just ignored him.

"Please take me to her" she turned to look at him for a second before spinning on her heel again and moving toward the door.

"She's pregnant Brooke" Her fingers stayed loosely wrapped around the door knob, her lips parted slightly. Silence had overtaken them again until the overwhelming light headedness forced the brunette the inhale sharply.

End Flashback

"Thanks…" he glanced sideways as the mumbled word left the brunette's mouth.

"For what…" he looked back at the road, his eyes darting back to the abnormally girl next to him.

"For coming to get me, you didn't have to do that…you could've stayed with Peyton. She's means a lot to me Luke and I know that the two of us haven't really been on good terms lately, so you really didn't have to come find me, you could've just said screw you Brooke, and I guess I deserve that after the way I've treated you…it's just that…she's always been there for me and I felt like I had to protect her, like I owed her at least that…I still shouldn't have taken everything out on you though, it wasn't fair…" she stopped when she felt his hand laying gently on top of hers.

"It's okay. Granted I didn't know she was sick at first, but I still treated her badly when she came back. I'm glad she has someone like you Brooke, you're a good friend to her." He watched her smile lightly.

"Thanks for listening to me rant too. You didn't have to do that either and I guess I just really appreciate that you did anyway." She looked down again, that feeling of loneliness seeping into her stomach again.

"No problem…that's what friends are for right" she met his gaze and smiled again as he gave her hand a small squeeze before placing his back on the wheel.

"Yeah…" she fidgeted with her hands in her lap as she saw the hospital come into view. "You're good for Luke, and I'm glad she has you" he caught her gaze one more time and smiled to himself as he pulled into the parking lot. Neither of them was sure whether this actually meant they were friends again, or it just meant that they were through fighting, that they were a small step past being just acquaintances. It didn't really matter though, so long as the fighting was done, Peyton didn't need the stress and if either of them had learned anything over the past couple of months it was that life's too short to hold petty grudges, too short to be fighting with the people you care about it.

They both stepped out of the car and made their way into the hospital, the comforting feeling they had just found vanishing as soon as they passed though the doors. Brooke was both scared and anxious to see her best friend. She wasn't sure how to approach Peyton, but she knew she desperately needed to see her, need to make sure with her own eyes that Peyton was okay for now. Tension filled the air as they rode the elevator up to the ICU. Brooke had been so used to seeing Peyton on regular floors and when Lucas pushed the button for the ICU she had been ready to ask why they were going there, but she regretfully remembered why Peyton was suddenly in the hospital again.

The two of them stepped through the metal doors as soon as they opened. Brooke followed Lucas as he led her down the hall. They stopped and watched as Peyton lay in bed talking to Nathan, Haley not in there with them. The blonde had a small smile on her face as she spoke, she looked as though she wanted to laugh but couldn't. Lucas knocked lightly as he opened the door. The two of them watched as Lucas step threw, Peyton's smile noticeably brightening when Brooke walked in behind him.

"I see how it is…I'm not good enough for you anymore" Nathan put his hand to his chest in mock hurt.

"Hate to break it to you hotshot, but you never have been" Brooke quipped and she made her way over to Peyton's bed. Lucas chuckled lightly as Nathan scowled playfully at the other brunette. "Neither have you" She cocked her head to the side as she glanced back at Lucas who could only purse his lips together and raise a brow in response.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night" Brooke rolled her eyes as she sat on the edge of Peyton's bed.

"I haven't seen the two of you like this since…ever actually" Peyton wrinkled her brows. The closet they had come was in high school and even that was always overly flirtatious, never just playful banter.

"Would you prefer them fighting" Nathan glanced between Brooke and Lucas before settling his gaze back on Peyton.

"Definitely not." Her answer wasn't the least bit hesitant, but Nathan could hear her voice fading and knew she would be out again in a few minutes.

"Didn't think so." The younger Scott stood up from his chair and leaned down to drop a kiss on the blonde's forehead. "I'm going down to the café, then probably out to get edible food, but I'll be back later."

"Okay…" she suppressed a yawn as she smiled up at him.

"I'm gunna go call my mom and check on Alex." Peyton nodded in response and the two girls watch as the brothers left.

"Why didn't you tell me you weren't feeling good Peyt…I would've stayed with you." Brooke reached for her friend's chilled hand.

"I didn't feel this bad until after you left…I just wanted to sleep. But then I started feeling sick. I don't know how long I was curled up on the bed but before I knew it Alex was home asking me with help on her homework."

"So how are you really doing…I know it's a stupid question and all, but you never give me an honest answer, at least not a complete one"

"That's because you don't wanna know" the blonde sighed as she watched her best friend look down.

"Well I'm asking you now." Brooke tightened her grip on Peyton's hand as she waited for an answer she was sure she didn't want to hear.

"Honestly…I'm just tired Brooke…I'm tired of everything…of treatments that don't work and of everything going wrong. I thought things were bad before, but now they think I have cancer and on top of all that…I'm pregnant with a baby that I can't keep." Tears slipped slowly from her eyes, and she let them fall, too tired to use her free hand to wipe them away. "I'm exhausted, and I'm tired of hurting. I know that I have to get the abortion, but after that…I don't have to continue with the treatments…and I don't want to."

"Peyton…" Brooke's face was filled with shock as she listened to the words leave her friend's mouth.

"I can't do it anymore Brooke. My hair's been thinning for the past two weeks, but it started falling out today, it's coming off on my hands."

"Hair grows back Peyton…that's not reason to just give up" the brunette was almost shouting and the anger was evident on her face, but both girls knew it was only there to mask the pain.

"It's not really about that…it's everything. I spend most of day either in bed or hunched over the toilet. I don't wanna live that way anymore…I don't wanna die that way."

"And maybe the chemo will work and you won't die…"

"And maybe it won't and I will. Brooke without the chemo I'll just be tired, but I won't feel this miserable, I won't be in this much pain, at least not physically. It'll just be easier…I need this to be easier Brooke…please." The tears came harder even after she close her eyes. Brooke let go of her hand and crawled over her body before laying down on the edge of the bed, her head resting on Peyton's shoulder.

"Peyton, please don't do this. How am I supposed to be okay with this? You're asking the impossible of me…I don't know if I can just watch you give up…I don't wanna do that." She closed her eyes tightly as she managed to push herself closer to the blonde.

"Brooke…"

"How do I make this go away…" she was pleading, her voice cracking with each word, the tears falling harder with each jagged breath she took.

"You can't…" Brooke exhaled sharply as she bit her bottom lip, she had expected those words, but she had still hoped to hear something different. They both stayed in the same position for the next half hour, Peyton falling in out of sleep. Lucas had finished talking to him mom awhile ago, but once he saw Brooke lying next to Peyton he stayed sitting outside the room, Haley joining him a few minutes later.

"Brooke…I need you to do me a favor." She waited for the brunette to respond but nothing happened. "Brooke…"

"I'm listening…" her voice was strained and her eyes still burning with tears.

"I never realized how much I hurt Haley when I left Tree Hill…I wanna make it up to her"

"Okay…"

"She said that she never got to do all the girly stuff in high school, and I know it might be kind of late but I was hoping to do that with her now…tonight actually. One person can stay here with me tonight and I was hoping you could go get a few things and bring them back here and I could surprise her. I don't know exactly what you would bring, but I figured you were always good at all that girly stuff like slumber parties, so you would know."

"I'll take care of it."

"Thanks" Once again Brooke didn't respond to her, but Peyton hadn't expected her to. Brooke was hurting so she was finding a way to be distant while remaining as close as possible. Both girls were startled when Lucas came into the room, a small smile on his face. Brooke looked up when he first came in, but otherwise didn't acknowledge him. He walked over and sat in the chair Nathan had occupied earlier. He took her hand in his and squeezed it gently.

"The test came back negative" he said it all in one breath, a few tears glistening in his blue eyes.

"What…" Peyton stared at him disbelievingly, thinking her mind was playing tricks on her and she had heard wrong. She felt Brooke sit up next to her and both of them kept their gaze on the older Scott brother.

"Dr. Collins just called me…he's on his way over here now, but he said he wanted us to know that the test was negative…you don't have leukemia."

"That's the first bit of good news I've had in a while." Peyton breathed a sigh of relief, but good feeling was cut short when Brooke sat up and slipped off the bed.

"Yeah…well what does it matter anyway" She chocked out a sob before shaking her head and walking out the room leaving Peyton feeling guilty and Lucas in shock. The brunette fell back against the wall as soon as she was out of the room, her body slowly sliding down toward the floor. She sat on her heels, her elbows resting on her rent knees, and her tearstained face buried in her shaking hands.

"Brooke…" she looked up to meet Haley's worried eyes. "What happened?" Worry immediately filled Haley's body as she watched Brooke hang her head again. "Brooke…"

"She's giving up Haley…the test was negative but she's giving up anyway…and I don't think I can stop her…I don't think any of us can anymore. She's just done…and I really can't blame her…I can't be mad at her for it, but I don't know how not to be."

"Maybe she'll change her mind Brooke…but you can't change it for her. She's been fighting for along time, but it hasn't been for her, not because she really wanted to…she's been fighting and holding on for all of us, because we all need her. Peyton lost hope a long time ago, maybe good new will give it back to her, but it might not."

"Why are you so okay with this…" Brooke ran her hand through her hair before meeting Haley's gaze again.

"I don't want this for her either, but I won't fight her on it because she's miserable. None of us know how she's feeling, what all these treatments are doing to her…so how is it fair for any of us to ask her to keep going?"

"It's not…" she let her head fall back against the wall, tears slowly leaking down her cheeks.