Wow! I had a bunch of reviews before I finished checking my email last night! I'm glad everyone is enjoying the story. Thanks so much for the reviews – I love to know if you all like the story's progression and what you think of the different situations. I know that the turn of events was sudden, but it was either that or end the story… and I think this way will be much more interesting. Here is the next part (I completed this while I should have been studying finance, so cross your fingers for me that I don't fail the midterm on Thursday -) Anyway, here is the next part – enjoy!

Chapter 18 I Have Some Things to Say

When Lucas's eyes finally flickered open, the first thing he saw was Peyton, sitting next to him on the hospital bed, flipping agitatedly through a magazine. He attempted to speak but realized that his throat was terribly dry. Peyton must have sensed he was awake because she poured a glass of water and helped him sip from it. "Better?" He nodded. "Good," she said calmly before smacking him with her magazine.

"Hey! What was that for?" He grimaced as he raised his voice for the first time in days.

"Having a heart attack, you ass! When were you going to tell us you had Dan's disease? Thank God you lived. Because otherwise I would have had to kill you."

"That doesn't make any sense," Lucas said weakly.

"I know," Peyton said more calmly, her reserve slowly returning. She turned so that she could face him and leaned down to give him a careful, awkward hug. "I was so scared," she said in a tremulous voice. "I can't lose you." She pulled away but continued to sit on the edge of the bed, sitting as close as she could while still facing him.

"You didn't," Lucas whispered back.

"But I could have. And it's going to be hard to forget that."

"I'm sorry."

"You should be," she whispered hoarsely, the tears welling in her eyes now completely visible.

"I am sorry," he stressed again.

"Prove it," she challenged tearfully.

"Peyton, please don't cry, I'm okay now. And what do you mean?"

"No more basketball."

"Peyton—"

"It could kill you," she said harshly. "And I'm not willing to live with that risk. So you're done."

"Do you know what you're asking me to give up?"

"Compared to family, friends, and life? It's really not that much."

"You're overreacting," he said weakly.

"Overreacting?" She was livid and her expression and voice gave it away. "You had a heart attack Lucas. People die from heart attacks. Besides the fact that 18 year olds aren't supposed to have them." Her voice was getting louder as her temper increased; she was still running on the pure fear she had felt when she's first seen Lucas lying on the gymnasium floor.

A nurse must have heard them arguing because she and Lucas's doctor appeared in the room just moments after he awoke. "Hello Mr. Scott. It's good to see you awake. How do you feel?"

"Sore."

"That's no surprise," the doctor said with a good-natured smile. "You're lucky you're still with us." Peyton glared at Lucas as the doctor mentioned that small fact. He avoided her blazing glare and instead focused his attention on the doctor.

"When can I go home?"

"Not for a few days. You just had heart surgery. Give it at least a few days," the doctor said with a good-natured laugh. "And then you'll need to follow up with your primary care doctor."

"He doesn't have one," Peyton said irritably.

"I would be happy to keep you on as a primary patient," Dr. Parker said, "And it will be important that you have regular visits, at least in the beginning. Have you been taking your prescriptions?"

"I was," Lucas said weakly.

"What?" Peyton was aghast that he had stopped taking something so important.

"They ran out," Lucas said in a voice that bordered on pathetic.

"Well, it's a clean slate," the nurse said in a chipper tone. "You have a new beginning. And you'll need to take those pills regularly."

"He will," Peyton said warningly. She reached for Lucas's hand and squeezed it lightly, conveying her support but also her presence. He wasn't getting away with secrets and lies any longer. The doctor left after offering a few more words of encouragement.

"Mr. Scott needs rest," the nurse said kindly.

"I'll leave him alone. But I'm not leaving," Peyton said firmly. She moved to a nearby chair and scooted it closer to the bed so that she could once again pick up his hand. The nurse smiled, relenting to the young blond, and once again vacated the room.

"You didn't call my mom, did you?"

"Lucas, we flew her in. Of course we called her! She's your mother."

"She's gonna kill me—"

"She'll have to wait her turn. She should be here any time now." The talked idly about Nathan and Haley for a few minutes before Lucas began to get drowsy again from the multitude of drugs that were being pumped into his system.

"Peyton?"

"Yeah?" She leaned closer and laid her other hand on his arm as she gave him her full attention. "What is it?"

"I love you," he said gruffly. I'm sorry I scared you—"

"Shush," she ordered as she leaned over to kiss him lightly on the lips. "Don't worry about it. But try it again," she warned playfully. "And your PlayStation is gone."

"You wouldn't," he said tiredly.

"Oh, but I would," she promised softly. His eyelids were beginning to droop and she could almost hear his breathing evening out as he sank into a drug-induced sleep.

"I love you too, Luke," she said just as he fell back into his dreams. "I love you too." He was asleep before she finished the last word but a tiny, content smile played across his features as he lay among the blue hospital sheets and the fleece blanket Haley had brought from their apartment. By the time Karen arrived after dinner that night, she found Peyton asleep, half-lying across an also sleeping Lucas. She and Haley entered the room together and the younger girl assumed a guilty expression when the older woman looked at her questioningly.

"They seem to be getting along better lately," Haley said dryly, knowing that was the least informative answer she could offer the concerned mother.

"I can see that," Peyton said with a gently smile. "It's okay, Haley. I like Peyton."

"Me too," Haley said with a warm smile. "It nice, knowing that there's someone who loves Lucas as much as we do."

"Certainly helps to spread the worry. The boy certainly gives us enough to worry about," she said dryly.

"I don't think they're going to wake up any time soon. Why don't you come and have dinner with me and Nathan."

"That sounds nice," Karen said with as much as smile as she could offer while her son was lying in a hospital bed. Haley put her arm around the older woman and they walked slowly down the hallway toward the exit, leaving Peyton and Lucas to each other for a few hours more.

The title for this chapter comes from Maroon 5's "Sweetest Goodbye:"

"Pushing forward and arching back
Bring me closer to heart attack
Say goodbye and just fly away
When you comeback
I have some things to say"