Haley suddenly discovered that she still had tears left to cry. And cry she did, as she saw Lucas's eyes roll back, as he yielded to the warm embrace of unconsciousness.
Chapter 6
"You know," Peyton said, "under other circumstances, this would be a really beautiful place. "Look at the view down this road...it looks like it never ends."
"I think that's the problem," Brooke said. "It really doesn't ever end."
"I'm sure it ends eventually," Peyton replied. "But I was kind of hoping we would meet another human being before we reached the end."
"Unlikely," Brooke said. "Very unlikely."
"Nathan," Haley said softly, "is...is he still..." She couldn't bring herself to ask if Lucas was still alive.
"He's still hanging on, Hales," Nathan said, rubbing her back with one hand, the other still pressed firmly against Lucas's wound. "It's going to be alright." Nathan wished that he was as confident as he pretended to be. In reality, he was doubtful that Lucas would live long enough for help to arrive. Even if he did, who knew what kind of problems awaited him? It was a grave situation. Luckily, Nathan's voice betrayed none of his uncertainty. It reminded Nathan of his father's voice, when he was trying to sell a car to someone who was not willing to buy it. Yes, Nathan was now selling the idea that Lucas would survive...
"Peyton, is that what I think it is?" Brooke asked, pointing into the distance.
"Please tell me it's not another crazy driver," Peyton replied, unable to see what Brooke was referring to.
"No, it's not a car," Brooke said. "I think it's a house! And the lights are most definitely on! We just might make it!"
A few minutes later, the girls arrived on the doorstep of the house Brooke had seen. They knocked, and they waited. No answer.