Thank you to all my wonderful friends who have read-and reviewed-and waited- :o -I'm afraid this is a =rather poor attempt at getting back to the story, but it has been a while and it might take me a few chapters to get back in stride-thanks for understanding.
Chapter.21
Spinning. Not the crazy, downward spiral of an autumn leaf; slowly, gently...
"Mr. Scott?"
Strange female voice. What, was Dan there? Maybe it was Keith...
He opened his eyes. One after the other.
Concentrated on the blurry shadow that tapped his wrist.
"Mr. Scott."
Stifling the urge to mumble "Go away," Lucas sighed and concentrated on bringing the hazy form toward some recognizable shape.
"About time."
She gripped his arm unpleasantly, he turned, easing from her grasp and blinked.
"What am I doing here?"
"Don't worry. Just spent the night for a little observation. Doctor gave you a light sedative so you'd rest easy. You'll probably be leaving in a few hours."
"Comfortable."
They must have slipped him something. Sleep had never felt quite this delightful before.
"I feel fine," he grumbled. "G'way."
He was starting to remember. And he preferred to forget Dan, forget Nathan, not wade into the troubled Scott Family Waters.
Water. Wonder why the thought seemed to-
"Ugh."
"Mr. Scott?"
Fidgeting with something, still there. Hovering over him...
"Mr. Scott, are you feeling worse? Would you like a drink of water?"
Lucas feebly squashed a pillow against his ear and relaxed. []
"Wake up, sleepy head!"
Lucas felt the narrow mattress give, no, bounce. He didn't bother to open his eyes this time.
"Haley-"
"Time to get up in the morning!"
"It can't be morning, it was morning last time I looked."
"It's afternoon."
Haughty pose. "My, aren't we grouchy!"
"I guess artificial sleep has an effect upon me."
"I'll say. Come on, time to take you home!"
Abruptly, a thought sprung to mind.
"Where's my mom?"
"At the cafe."
"Is she okay?"
Lucas sat up so abruptly he knocked a water glass from her grasp.
"Luke-"
"Sorry." He swung his legs out of bed.
"Um, take it slow, alright?"
"I feel weird."
"Karen's fine. Fine Luke." She punctuated the words with a sweep of her free hand. "Now, lie back. You going to go running through the streets in that?"
He glanced down wards, half embarrassed.
"I admit, it's a cute outfit, but-no." She tugged the bow behind his neck and grinned. "Nice gown."
"Hales..."
"What is it, Luke?" Something about the way he looked at her.
"I-"
"What?"
"Nothing. These dang pills." He flashed a smile that would have been comical if his face wasn't so drawn and shadowed.
Haley tapped a light finger on his brow. "H-m-m. No sign of fever. Let's get you home."
"Sure." The corner's of his mouth curved upward, this time in genuine amusement.
"You going to help me get dressed?"
"Lucas Scott!" Mock anger. Haley dove for the door, flung her head back to chirp,"If you need someone, the code phrase is 'I've fallen and I can't get up.' "
Threw his pillow. It ricocheted off the door-frame and landed on Haley's toes. Laughed at her indignant squeal of protest. Hale's was definitely trying to keep things light. As if she read Lucas' mind, the unconscious need to avoid Scott Family History. For now.
Those pills really worked. Lucas yawned and curled up under the blanket. Just one more minute...[]
If Lucas needed to avoid "Scott's" for the next few days...he couldn't possibly hope for more than a week of unadulterated bliss...then now was not his lucky day.
Haley grabbed Luke's elbow, tried to steer him around the corner behind that pitifully stocked vending machine...
But she wasn't on Fate's Buddies List.
"Darn!"
Luke shook his head; it was obvious he was still slightly out of it.
"You hungry?
"Um-ya. Thought I'd get one of those horrid sandwiches everyone's always talking about..."
He nodded encouragingly. "Okay."
"What to eat, what to eat..." Haley stepped around him, cleared her throat loudly. "Hum. Ahm."
Lucas heard raised voices floating down the hall; turned his head in casual interest-
"Ooh, look at that one. Luke. Luke!"
"Yah. That one looks good." Privately thinking "My mom could give you something that didn't resemble damp sawdust and pink tuna fish for free.."
Haley punched him in the arm. "Excuse me? Hello? Are you paying attention?"
Lucas sighed and touched her wrist. "Hales-"
"What about that one over there? I don't know, maybe the little one in the corner-"
"Hales." Lucas let his tone drop an octave. Then, "it's alright," more gently.
"He's coming this way."
"I know."
"Was I that bad?"
"Well-" Lucas cocked his head-"sort of a Kate-Hudson-How-to-Lose-a-Guy Impersonation-"
Haley involuntarily shuddered.
Dan Scott's perpetually red, usually excited visage appeared around the corridor.
His eyes caught Lucas' and held them. Nathan, that same groggy look, Dan's arm around his shoulders.....
The blond almost stepped back-wards, but held his ground at the last second. He wasn't up to this. He wasn't up to this now..
It took effort, passion, anger and rejection to face Dan Scott with some semblance of respectability. At least in Lucas' mind. And his father's. He couldn't appear weak, he couldn't.
Haley felt Lucas tense, unconsciously press her hand. He was still slightly spaced, almost wild eyed.
She thrust out her chin, resolving to keep her promise to Karen and get Lucas home peacefully.
Almost human moment on the beach or not, if Dan Scott started, he was going down.[]
Chapter.21
Spinning. Not the crazy, downward spiral of an autumn leaf; slowly, gently...
"Mr. Scott?"
Strange female voice. What, was Dan there? Maybe it was Keith...
He opened his eyes. One after the other.
Concentrated on the blurry shadow that tapped his wrist.
"Mr. Scott."
Stifling the urge to mumble "Go away," Lucas sighed and concentrated on bringing the hazy form toward some recognizable shape.
"About time."
She gripped his arm unpleasantly, he turned, easing from her grasp and blinked.
"What am I doing here?"
"Don't worry. Just spent the night for a little observation. Doctor gave you a light sedative so you'd rest easy. You'll probably be leaving in a few hours."
"Comfortable."
They must have slipped him something. Sleep had never felt quite this delightful before.
"I feel fine," he grumbled. "G'way."
He was starting to remember. And he preferred to forget Dan, forget Nathan, not wade into the troubled Scott Family Waters.
Water. Wonder why the thought seemed to-
"Ugh."
"Mr. Scott?"
Fidgeting with something, still there. Hovering over him...
"Mr. Scott, are you feeling worse? Would you like a drink of water?"
Lucas feebly squashed a pillow against his ear and relaxed. []
"Wake up, sleepy head!"
Lucas felt the narrow mattress give, no, bounce. He didn't bother to open his eyes this time.
"Haley-"
"Time to get up in the morning!"
"It can't be morning, it was morning last time I looked."
"It's afternoon."
Haughty pose. "My, aren't we grouchy!"
"I guess artificial sleep has an effect upon me."
"I'll say. Come on, time to take you home!"
Abruptly, a thought sprung to mind.
"Where's my mom?"
"At the cafe."
"Is she okay?"
Lucas sat up so abruptly he knocked a water glass from her grasp.
"Luke-"
"Sorry." He swung his legs out of bed.
"Um, take it slow, alright?"
"I feel weird."
"Karen's fine. Fine Luke." She punctuated the words with a sweep of her free hand. "Now, lie back. You going to go running through the streets in that?"
He glanced down wards, half embarrassed.
"I admit, it's a cute outfit, but-no." She tugged the bow behind his neck and grinned. "Nice gown."
"Hales..."
"What is it, Luke?" Something about the way he looked at her.
"I-"
"What?"
"Nothing. These dang pills." He flashed a smile that would have been comical if his face wasn't so drawn and shadowed.
Haley tapped a light finger on his brow. "H-m-m. No sign of fever. Let's get you home."
"Sure." The corner's of his mouth curved upward, this time in genuine amusement.
"You going to help me get dressed?"
"Lucas Scott!" Mock anger. Haley dove for the door, flung her head back to chirp,"If you need someone, the code phrase is 'I've fallen and I can't get up.' "
Threw his pillow. It ricocheted off the door-frame and landed on Haley's toes. Laughed at her indignant squeal of protest. Hale's was definitely trying to keep things light. As if she read Lucas' mind, the unconscious need to avoid Scott Family History. For now.
Those pills really worked. Lucas yawned and curled up under the blanket. Just one more minute...[]
If Lucas needed to avoid "Scott's" for the next few days...he couldn't possibly hope for more than a week of unadulterated bliss...then now was not his lucky day.
Haley grabbed Luke's elbow, tried to steer him around the corner behind that pitifully stocked vending machine...
But she wasn't on Fate's Buddies List.
"Darn!"
Luke shook his head; it was obvious he was still slightly out of it.
"You hungry?
"Um-ya. Thought I'd get one of those horrid sandwiches everyone's always talking about..."
He nodded encouragingly. "Okay."
"What to eat, what to eat..." Haley stepped around him, cleared her throat loudly. "Hum. Ahm."
Lucas heard raised voices floating down the hall; turned his head in casual interest-
"Ooh, look at that one. Luke. Luke!"
"Yah. That one looks good." Privately thinking "My mom could give you something that didn't resemble damp sawdust and pink tuna fish for free.."
Haley punched him in the arm. "Excuse me? Hello? Are you paying attention?"
Lucas sighed and touched her wrist. "Hales-"
"What about that one over there? I don't know, maybe the little one in the corner-"
"Hales." Lucas let his tone drop an octave. Then, "it's alright," more gently.
"He's coming this way."
"I know."
"Was I that bad?"
"Well-" Lucas cocked his head-"sort of a Kate-Hudson-How-to-Lose-a-Guy Impersonation-"
Haley involuntarily shuddered.
Dan Scott's perpetually red, usually excited visage appeared around the corridor.
His eyes caught Lucas' and held them. Nathan, that same groggy look, Dan's arm around his shoulders.....
The blond almost stepped back-wards, but held his ground at the last second. He wasn't up to this. He wasn't up to this now..
It took effort, passion, anger and rejection to face Dan Scott with some semblance of respectability. At least in Lucas' mind. And his father's. He couldn't appear weak, he couldn't.
Haley felt Lucas tense, unconsciously press her hand. He was still slightly spaced, almost wild eyed.
She thrust out her chin, resolving to keep her promise to Karen and get Lucas home peacefully.
Almost human moment on the beach or not, if Dan Scott started, he was going down.[]
