Chapter .7

"Okay, honey. Are you sure you'll be alright? I guess we can stand to lose another day at the cafe.. "

"Mom." The slender young man cast her an affectionate, chiding glance. "It's a hospital. I'll be safe."

"I'm worried about you because you are in a hospital." Karen shook her head, took his face in her hands. "Are you sure?"

"I can handle him."

"I know, but I feel like I'm running out on you. Nathan will be here, and Dan, and I don't want you to have to face all this alone."

"Well, I've been in a room with Nathan for two days now-"

"And over half of that time was spent unconscious or asleep. What?"

Haley frowned, concentrated on each in turn, then shrugged. "I'm just saying..."

Karen crossed her arms suggestively. "Haley...shouldn't you be sitting down somewhere?"

"Right." The brunette pointed down the hall. "On my way."

She'd almost reached the elevator when...

"Hey." Lucas caught up to her, out of breath. Haley reached out, halted his skid.

"Advice from someone who found out the hard way: these things don't stop when you want them to."

He glanced down at the wheelchair and laughed. "Exactly when did you learn that?"

"You don't want to know. Besides, he's okay. I really didn't hit him that hard." She blew into her styrofoam cup, grimaced. "Did you notice anything weird in the cappuccinos?"

"Yes." Lucas tapped his chin. There was this very, very subtle hint of coffee. Now that you mention it."

"Oh, you."

"Wait." He caught her arm; Haley turned around, careful not to shake off his hold.

"Yes?" It was so hard. So hard. She never knew what was going on when Lucas acted like this, looked at her the way he was looking now. If she reacted like a friend, he would treat her as one. But if she showed how she felt, then her cards would be on the table, and if he didn't mean anything by it...their friendship might be lost forever.

This was the one area of her life where Haley Jones was cautious, uncertain.

"Are you going to be alright?"

She wrinkled her nose. "I'm fine."

Lucas opened his mouth, then hesitated. "Okay. Okay."

He nodded at her, smiled. "Take it easy."

Haley watched him wheel around the corner. The cappuccino tasted bitter. She threw it into a trash bin, curling her fingers inside her sleeves, wrapping them around herself, blinking back repressed tears.

"I'm so stupid. Haley Jones, if this was it, you've lost him."

The elevator doors began to slide shut; she watched the deserted hallway until cold metal shut out her view. Physically and emotionally, down to the bottom.

"But how can you lose something you've never had?"[]

Lucas stole a glance at his two companions. The solarium was practically deserted. He'd moved into the farthest corner before Dan came; easier, avoiding the awkwardness .Or outright hostility. It was hard, not having his mom there with him; it was bearable, however, because he knew she would've come, Dan or no Dan. They just could't afford to lose another day of business.

Nathan flipped through the thousandth issue of "Basket Ball"; his dad had been annoying the heck out of all the doctors. Dan was constantly demanding better care, medical time-frames, hassling, threatening. The bastard was in the same room with him; 'sorry, we're up to are ears and then some. Medical conditions: similar. Blood type: similar. DNA: similar. Names: similar. What is all this about?'

Basically, they hadn't heard his complaints. Or ignored them.

The sunshine filtered in through smudged glass, easing the ache in Lucas's chest. He tried to relax, fidgeted. The book he'd been reading was next to his bed, up in number 42.

"You know, you don't even look like me."

Lucas slowly raised his head, eyes widening. Dan laughed in a way that made him seem younger. Like all the petulant comments flung at Lucas by his team mates; self assured, snotty, downright narrow minded.

Nathan looked up, his interest in the landscape renewed.

"Now, Nathan here, he looks just like me."

Lucas raised an eyebrow.

"I can tell what you're thinking. All those petty little stories Karen told you, trying to turn you against me."

"She didn't need to. I made that decision on my own."

Nathan laughed. "Watch it, Dad, I think he's going to cry."

"No, son. He's too much of a man for that. He'll take all his troubles home to mom."

Lucas looked away, his jaw tight. Glad Karen hadn't come. "You know, I'm not scared of you. I've never been scared of you. And I don't hate you. Not anymore."

Dan stood up; he sauntered over toward Lucas and smirked. "What else you have to tell me?"

"Nothing." Lucas faced him, eyes narrowed, calm. "I don't know you. And you know nothing about me. We don't have much to talk about."

"But that's where you're wrong. We have a lot to talk about."

"And that being?"

"You're on my son's team."

If he meant that as a barb, it didn't hit home.

"Something that's not going to change."

"Oh, but it is. You see, I'm pretty used to getting my way in this town."

"Well then maybe it's time someone said no."

"You little-"

Lucas stared quietly up at him, "bastard?" he offered. "Don't shock me."

"See how it is with him?" Nathan shrugged. "I told you, Dad."

"Let me tell you something." Dan leaned over Lucas, hands gripping the wheelchair. "No one, least of all Karen's kid, is going to get in my way. In Nathan's way. We've worked for this our whole life. Worked **** hard. And some kid from downtown isn't going to change all that. So, Whitie's backing you. Whitie doesn't give a crap about you. He's only using you to get back at me. No one in this town cares about some poor, fatherless little orphan whose daddy doesn't love him."

Lucas, forced back, stared past him.

Nathan pushed his chair over and reached out with his good arm. "Dad-"

"Shut up! You didn't accomplish anything."

Dan's miniature froze. His face hardened, and he nodded tightly. "Yeah. So that's the way it is. You go ahead. Fix everything. Make it all better. So Lucas leaves the team. So I get my old position back. So Peyton and I spend one date without yelling at each other. So mom comes back and gives a ****. You'll never change. Maybe I don't want what you never had. "

Slowly, Dan straightened. He took a step forward, then paused. "So that's the way you feel about things?"

Nathan hesitated, eyes downcast. "Dad-"

"No, no. Was it another joke? Tell me, Nathan, was it this time?"

"If you would only stop pushing, maybe-"

"Maybe I'd let you go dancing to your grave. Your miserable future, your failure. Something I could be proud of. My son, Tree Hill's biggest loser."

Nathan had lost all of his arrogant carelessness. It bothered Lucas, somehow, to see that both of them were Dan's victims...

"You push everyone away."

"What?" Dan shifted his focus angrily.

"Everyone. Anybody that cared about you...mom. Nathan. Your wife. Your world is so full of hate you can't see the way you treat the people you claim to love."

"And you?"

"I don't count. I never knew my dad."

"And if you had?"

Lucas moved away, headed for the door. He was angry, but more sad. Not because his father acted like he didn't give a darn about him. He expected that. Sad, because it seemed that all the people around Dan were messed up, in some way or another. One person's hatred and selfishness could toss so many lives aside.

"Don't run away from me."

Lucas felt his chair whip around. The sun glinted off the windows. Nathan was silent, weakened under his father's scorn. Lucas saw tears shining; felt his own throat tighten.

Dan slammed his wheelchair against the wall. Lucas saw all the guilt and selfish pride reflected in the man's eyes. He stared up, into the wrath, the anger.

Dan saw Lucas's lips move, but the blinding rage that gripped him blotted out all sound, save the harsh rasp of his breathing. He lent forward, heart pounding, one hand clenched the front of Lucas's gown.

Lucas didn't resist. He sat, still, eye to eye with the man he had avoided for so many years. Looked into him. Recognized the fear he'd carried all his life: the fear of becoming this man. And knew that it could never happen. He saw Dan for what he was; he looked into his own heart. He'd faced his fear and conquered it.

"Dad-" it was Nathan, his voice broke through the deep fog that shrouded Lucas's mind.

"Get your hands off him! Get away from him!"

As if in a dream, Lucas saw Keith approach, wearing a look he had never before seen on the mild features.

Dan fell back, as suddenly as if he'd been struck by a train. The sunshine faded, then broke into view; Lucas felt arms encircling him. The fierce beating of Keith's heart, close to his. Heard a waver in the always-sure tones-,"Lucas?"

His father stood, a large, unsettled shadow. He clenched his fists. "What do you think you're doing? I-"

"Save it. Little brother, I don't want to see you near Lucas again. Is that clear? Because, if I do.. so help me God, I won't be held accountable." Keith turned his attention to Nathan.

"That goes for you, too."

Someone touched his shoulder. "Lucas?"

"I'm okay." His chest ached under the tight tape, but his vision had cleared and the warmth of the arms around him was as healing as any medicine.

Keith eased his hold, frowned. "Sorry."

"No." Lucas shook his head. "I'm alright."

Keith took a deep breath. "Then let's get you upstairs."

Pass Nathan, silent, that hurt look still lingering; Dan, head held high, mouth a grim line. Lucas resisted the urge to stare back; instead, he relaxed, let his uncle guide him into the elevator; help him into bed.

And watch him as he slept......[]

Voice over:

You have to look beyond a name. Because the truth can be standing right beside you. And people aren't tied by blood alone...I realized one day..I had more of a father's love than those who had one...[]