A/N: Thanks for the reviews; they're what keep me going so keep them
coming...
Chapter 4: Here is Gone
You and I got something But it's all and then it's nothing to me And I got my defenses When it comes to your intentions for me And we wake up in the breakdown Of the things we never thought we could be
Brooke turned the corner, saw the headlights coming towards her...
I'm not the one who broke you I'm not the one you should fear What do you got to move you darling I thought I lost you somewhere But you were never really ever there at all
She slammed on the brakes, knowing it was too late...
And I don't need the fallout of all the past That's here between us And I'm not holding on And all your lies weren't enough to keep me here
She didn't even hear the impact; she just saw the lights coming towards her and then nothing. Nothing at all.
"Oh my god!" Peyton said in disbelief. She was on the phone with Brooke's grandma, who had called to tell her that Brooke was in the hospital. "I'll be right there." Turning to Jake, still asleep on her couch, she gently shook his shoulder. "Jake...Jake, wake up," she murmured urgently in his ear.
"What...where...oh, hi Peyton," Jake said sleepily, "What's wrong?" he asked, seeing the desperation in her expressive eyes.
"Brooke's in the hospital, she was in an accident. I'm going over there, I didn't want to leave without telling you where I was. You can stay here if you want, but I probably won't be back for a while," Peyton filled him in as she grabbed her coat and keys. "Jenny's still asleep," she added, opening the door and walking out. Jake looked to where Jenny lay and decided that a little more sleep wouldn't hurt...
Lucas walked in to the hospital to find Peyton pacing nervously across the waiting room. An elderly woman sat quietly in the corner, staring at nothing. "What's going on?" he asked, stopping her with a firm hand on her shoulder. She looked at him absently for a moment before she came back to reality.
"Oh, Lucas...Brooke's in surgery, they don't know if she'll make it," Peyton told him, starting to cry again. He pulled her close to him and started to stroke her curly blonde hair.
"Shhhh....she'll be fine, everything will be fine," he comforted her as she cried into his shoulder. Haley walked in but noticing Peyton and Lucas together, walked back out without saying a word; hoping neither had noticed her presence. She ran into Nathan in the hall. Not now, she thought with an inward groan. I can't possibly face him now, not after everything that's happened... Nathan gave her a reassuring smile and a hug, but when he tried to kiss her, she pulled away.
"Hales, what's going on?" he asked, knowing that it wasn't just Brooke that had upset her.
"This isn't the time or place, Nathan. I can't tell you now." He accepted that and they sat down outside the waiting room to wait for whatever the night would bring.
The next morning Haley opened her eyes to find that she had fallen asleep on Nathan's shoulder sometime during the long night. Feeling eyes on her, she looked across the room to find Lucas watching her. She smiled and her heart did a peculiar little leap when he smiled back. Then she remembered that she still had to talk to Nathan, that Peyton was using Lucas as a pillow, and that Brooke was still in critical condition. Her smile disappeared, to be replaced by a frown. She sat up and stretched, trying not to wake up Nathan. Just then the doctor walked in and looked around. The woman who had been introduced to her as Brooke's grandmother stood up and walked across to talk to him. They murmured quietly for a few minutes and then the woman nodded and they walked out of the room. Haley and Lucas exchanged looks; they couldn't tell if it had been good news or bad. They waited for what seemed like forever until Brooke's grandmother came back in and, noticing that Lucas and Haley were awake, made a quiet announcement.
"They say she'll recover, but she's in pretty bad shape and it could take a while," the elderly woman said with a small smile. "She's awake now, you can go visit, Peyton," the woman addressed Peyton as she opened her eyes at the sound of a voice. Peyton nodded, her red, swollen eyes showing none of the emotion that had been coursing through her just a few short hours ago. The two walked out of the room together as Nathan finally stirred. He smiled, seeing Haley next to him and she tried to give him a reassuring smile back but, catching Lucas's eyes on her, failed. Nathan remembered their hurried conversation the night before, remembered the look in her eyes and the moment when he had known that bad news was coming.
In Brooke's room, Peyton struggled to hold back her tears for her friend's sorry state. She smiled encouragingly and squeezed Brooke's hand. "Grams, where's Kylie? Is she okay?" Brooke asked her grandmother, desperately needing answers.
"She's fine, Brooke, just rest. Everything will be okay. The doctors say that Kylie just had the flu and her fever's gone down. Now you need to get better so you can see for yourself."
"Who's Kylie?" Peyton asked the two women, completely confused.
"My daughter," Brooke answered shortly before she drifted back to sleep. Peyton looked at Brooke's grandma for more information. The old woman just shook her head.
"She'll tell you when she's ready." Haley walked in with Nathan and Lucas and then they were all told they had to leave by one of the doctors.
*Who's Kylie's father? Will Nathan and Haley work things out or will Haley go back to Lucas? And what's going on with Jake and Peyton?*
Chapter 4: Here is Gone
You and I got something But it's all and then it's nothing to me And I got my defenses When it comes to your intentions for me And we wake up in the breakdown Of the things we never thought we could be
Brooke turned the corner, saw the headlights coming towards her...
I'm not the one who broke you I'm not the one you should fear What do you got to move you darling I thought I lost you somewhere But you were never really ever there at all
She slammed on the brakes, knowing it was too late...
And I don't need the fallout of all the past That's here between us And I'm not holding on And all your lies weren't enough to keep me here
She didn't even hear the impact; she just saw the lights coming towards her and then nothing. Nothing at all.
"Oh my god!" Peyton said in disbelief. She was on the phone with Brooke's grandma, who had called to tell her that Brooke was in the hospital. "I'll be right there." Turning to Jake, still asleep on her couch, she gently shook his shoulder. "Jake...Jake, wake up," she murmured urgently in his ear.
"What...where...oh, hi Peyton," Jake said sleepily, "What's wrong?" he asked, seeing the desperation in her expressive eyes.
"Brooke's in the hospital, she was in an accident. I'm going over there, I didn't want to leave without telling you where I was. You can stay here if you want, but I probably won't be back for a while," Peyton filled him in as she grabbed her coat and keys. "Jenny's still asleep," she added, opening the door and walking out. Jake looked to where Jenny lay and decided that a little more sleep wouldn't hurt...
Lucas walked in to the hospital to find Peyton pacing nervously across the waiting room. An elderly woman sat quietly in the corner, staring at nothing. "What's going on?" he asked, stopping her with a firm hand on her shoulder. She looked at him absently for a moment before she came back to reality.
"Oh, Lucas...Brooke's in surgery, they don't know if she'll make it," Peyton told him, starting to cry again. He pulled her close to him and started to stroke her curly blonde hair.
"Shhhh....she'll be fine, everything will be fine," he comforted her as she cried into his shoulder. Haley walked in but noticing Peyton and Lucas together, walked back out without saying a word; hoping neither had noticed her presence. She ran into Nathan in the hall. Not now, she thought with an inward groan. I can't possibly face him now, not after everything that's happened... Nathan gave her a reassuring smile and a hug, but when he tried to kiss her, she pulled away.
"Hales, what's going on?" he asked, knowing that it wasn't just Brooke that had upset her.
"This isn't the time or place, Nathan. I can't tell you now." He accepted that and they sat down outside the waiting room to wait for whatever the night would bring.
The next morning Haley opened her eyes to find that she had fallen asleep on Nathan's shoulder sometime during the long night. Feeling eyes on her, she looked across the room to find Lucas watching her. She smiled and her heart did a peculiar little leap when he smiled back. Then she remembered that she still had to talk to Nathan, that Peyton was using Lucas as a pillow, and that Brooke was still in critical condition. Her smile disappeared, to be replaced by a frown. She sat up and stretched, trying not to wake up Nathan. Just then the doctor walked in and looked around. The woman who had been introduced to her as Brooke's grandmother stood up and walked across to talk to him. They murmured quietly for a few minutes and then the woman nodded and they walked out of the room. Haley and Lucas exchanged looks; they couldn't tell if it had been good news or bad. They waited for what seemed like forever until Brooke's grandmother came back in and, noticing that Lucas and Haley were awake, made a quiet announcement.
"They say she'll recover, but she's in pretty bad shape and it could take a while," the elderly woman said with a small smile. "She's awake now, you can go visit, Peyton," the woman addressed Peyton as she opened her eyes at the sound of a voice. Peyton nodded, her red, swollen eyes showing none of the emotion that had been coursing through her just a few short hours ago. The two walked out of the room together as Nathan finally stirred. He smiled, seeing Haley next to him and she tried to give him a reassuring smile back but, catching Lucas's eyes on her, failed. Nathan remembered their hurried conversation the night before, remembered the look in her eyes and the moment when he had known that bad news was coming.
In Brooke's room, Peyton struggled to hold back her tears for her friend's sorry state. She smiled encouragingly and squeezed Brooke's hand. "Grams, where's Kylie? Is she okay?" Brooke asked her grandmother, desperately needing answers.
"She's fine, Brooke, just rest. Everything will be okay. The doctors say that Kylie just had the flu and her fever's gone down. Now you need to get better so you can see for yourself."
"Who's Kylie?" Peyton asked the two women, completely confused.
"My daughter," Brooke answered shortly before she drifted back to sleep. Peyton looked at Brooke's grandma for more information. The old woman just shook her head.
"She'll tell you when she's ready." Haley walked in with Nathan and Lucas and then they were all told they had to leave by one of the doctors.
*Who's Kylie's father? Will Nathan and Haley work things out or will Haley go back to Lucas? And what's going on with Jake and Peyton?*