Chapter Twelve

I was the only person I could see who was wearing a tux.

As I sat in a cold, hard chair outside her room I could see many doctors, residents and nurses bustling around, pushing stretchers and wheelchairs, not even noticing me. I began a part of the scenery, melded into the chair, my eyes fast on the closes door.

It had been over an hour since they'd wheeled her in, and they'd warned me that it could take hours. They didn't say that I risked losing my wife and our child, but I knew it was true.

After Nikki had left, I never thought I'd love someone like that again. And I hadn't-looking back, my feelings for Nikki were only bordering on love. What I felt for Peyton was more than I'd ever felt for anyone, more than I'd ever feel for anyone.

She'd been alarmed when she'd found out about the baby, but in some ways I'd been overjoyed. We were in love, we had Jenny, she made us happy-how could another baby not make us happier?

She didn't even mind giving up Duke, though she'd never wanted to go much before. I'd tried to convince her to go to college and take a temporary leave for the baby, but she hadn't gone for it. She wanted to stay home with it and Jenny, be a mom. It surprised me-I never would have expected it of her.

But what I loved about Peyton was that she never did what I expected.

I closed my eyes and immediately the scene sprang back to me-Haley screaming my name, her voice cutting through the excited buzz of chatter of the room. Of me leaving Jenny with Brooke and running from the room, arriving in time to catch her before she reached the floor. Of Haley's panicked expression, of Nathan trying to calm her hysterical sobs, obviously in concern for her as well. I recalled Peyton's brown eyes meeting my own for the barest instant before sliding shut.

In the hour, I'd managed to connect how it had happened-Deb had told me about the phone call that had made Peyton go pale and look her composure. I'd checked the phone-the call had come from a hospital in California. Where Larry was-it was the only thing that made sense. Was he dead, or injured? Was an injury enough to make her pass out, enough for the baby to try to leave?

Haley came running down the corridor. She sank into the chair beside me, her arms around her pregnant stomach.

"What's going on?" she asked, touching my hand gently.

"I don't know. They won't tell me. But I think Larry's dead," I said grimly. She gasped.

"Oh my God. So that's what made her pass out?" she asked in concern.

"Haley you shouldn't be here, you shouldn't get so stressed," I said.

"Nathan said the same thing. But I need to know if something happens to her," she said softly. I nodded.

She sat silently as I began to think back.

"I know we don't exactly roll with the same crowd, but if you need someone to talk to, I'm here."

"Mostly being with you."

"Guess this answers the gay question."

"Come back. We can talk about this. I love you."

"Sounds like it finally stopped raining."

"Don't be stupid."

"Can you stay here tonight? Just to sleep."

"If hopes could bring you home, you and Jenny would be here with me now."

"If hopes could make you better…" I whispered. Haley, stuck in her own reverie, glanced over at me.

"What?" she asked.

"Oh, just something she said. She's got to get better Haley," I said.

"She will. Baby will, too," she said reassuringly.

"I guess you're looking forward to raising your son with her," I said distractedly.

"Yeah. It'll be fun. I hope they're friends when they grow up," she said. She blushed, seeming to realize how inappropriate what she'd said was.

Lucas walked down the hall toward us. I stood up and we awkwardly hugged.

"Thanks for coming," I said.

"Guess you don't hate me any more?" he asked.

"Not at a time like this," I said. As I sat back down, Haley threw herself at Luke in a friendly embrace.

"Hey Loser," she said affectionately.

"Hey Hales," he said. "And by the way, you've got to stop doing that. It could damage the baby," he said severely.

"Shut up. You do realize it's not yours, right?" she responded.

"I just want my nephew to be safe," he said. Glancing over at me, they stopped their banter and sat down silently.

Two more uneventful hours passed. Brooke called my cell and told me about Jenny and volunteered to look after her for as long as she needed, Nathan called to see how I was doing, Mom and Dad volunteered to come down. Karen interrupted her wedding night to see how I was doing. They meant well, but secretly I wished they'd all just shut up.

I glanced sideways and noticed Haley asleep, sprawled across her chair, resting her head on Luke's shoulder. I sighed and dialed Nathan's number-he was already worried about his pregnant wife being down here. I had a secret resentment, being concerned about his wife who wasn't even having difficulty with her child, though I knew it was ridiculous.

The door I'd been staring at all night suddenly opened. A nurse in filthy scrubs exited and quickly moved toward me, a grave expression on her face.

Author's note: This is only a few chapters away from being over. So soon you get to read the third (final?) in the series, currently titled 'Chasing Fate'. Oh, and I've been writing this in almost everyone's different viewpoints. So if there's a character you'd really like to see the point of view of, review with it and maybe I'll write it.