Chapter Twenty-Three

"Finished in a day"

Cornered with my back against the wall
the lights are dimming by the minute
can someone call my other self
let them know ill be just fine

Lucas looked up and saw Haley sitting next to his hospital bed. "Hey you," he smiled at her.

"Hi," she whispered. She looked down at him. He was so helpless. She wanted to jump in the bed next to him and hug him forever. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay," he whispered. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you,"

Haley nodded. She wanted to be strong for him. She was extremely upset that she found out from Brooke. Brooke knew before his best friend. They hadn't even been talking a few weeks ago. They agreed to one stupid lunch together and all of the sudden he calls her first? She smiled at him. She knew it was a fake smile. She did it anyway. "When do you get out?"

"Couple hours," he told her. He reached over and held her hand. "I called to tell Brooke I was canceling our lunch plans." He practically read her mind. "I told her I wasn't feeling well. She rushed over like a bat out of hell." He explained.

"I'm not mad," Haley somewhat lied. She was mad, but his explanation was logical. "I'm not mad that you told Brooke, I'm mad that you didn't tell anyone else sooner."

"I was scared,"

"Are you scared now?" he nodded his head. "Good. You should be. This is a serious matter Luke. We have to get you help."

"Andy is paying for my medication." He told her. "It's going to be fine. The doctor said we probably caught it soon enough."

Haley smiled and hugged him. She couldn't bear to loose her best friend.

ITLTLTLTLTLTLTLTI

A single drop of water fell down Peyton's back as she climbed out of the shower. She wrapped herself in a towel and looked in the mirror. Her eyes looked sunken in and her face was red. "Thanks Brooke," she said aloud. She bent down and set her head on the toilet. She was going to be sick again.

It wasn't Brooke's fault she got so drunk. Technically it was Nathan's fault. Brooke just dragged her to the party in the first place. She had woken up in a pile of sweat in her bed. She didn't even know how she got to her bed.

A loud crash came from downstairs and Peyton jumped. "Daddy?" she called peaking out the door with the towel wrapped around her body. She walked into her closet and threw a pair of cotton shorts and a t shirt on. She tip toed down the stairs with wet hair.

When she stepped into the kitchen she saw broken glass all over the floor. Jake was sitting at the kitchen table eating a bowl of cereal and her father was sweeping up the glass. "I'm sorry," he said looking up at her. "I broke a plate."

Peyton smiled and sat down at the table. "What are you doing here?" she asked Jake nervously. Jake had met her father briefly when he came home, but they had never really spent time with him together.

Jake looked at her and smiled. He could tell she didn't remember him taking care of her. "I just stopped by to tell you I'm back. I went into your room, you were sleeping. When I came down your dad was making breakfast and he asked me to stay." He explained lying. He winked at her and smiled.

Peyton laughed a little bit and winked back at him. Why was he winking at her anyway? She stood up and hugged him. "I'm glad your back," she said happily.

ITLTLTLTLTLTLTLTI

Brooke rolled over causing her head to hit the wall. "What the hell?" she muttered. She opened her eyes and saw the tile floor beneath her. "Owe," she covered her eyes. She sat up and saw Nathan slumped against the door watching her. "Oh no." she whispered understanding that she must have gotten sick.

Her jeans were stained with red juice and there was a large whole in the knee. Her hair was matted to her face and she guessed she must have been crying. "Hi," Nathan smiled.

"Hi," she half smiled back. "Do you mind leaving me alone for a couple minuets?"

Nathan shook his head and left the bathroom. Brooke stood up and splashed some water on her face. She wondered why Nathan hadn't taken her home, but just left her in Tim's bathroom. At least he had stayed with her. "Okay," she whispered coming out of the bathroom.

Nathan took her hand but didn't speak. He held onto it tightly as they walked down the stairs of Tim's house.

The living room was covered with random beer bottles and keg cups. A few people were asleep on the floor and people covered the couches. Nathan noticed Tim staring out the window. "Hey," he called to him. "What are you doing awake?"

Tim turned around and looked at Nathan helping Brooke down the stairs. "Wow, if I would have known you looked like that when you woke up I would have never tried to get on you." He said laughing.

Brooke rolled her eyes and gave him the finger. She was just about to the door when she felt herself starting to get sick again. She ran out the door and fell into the grass.

Nathan and Tim stood from the door watching her. "Do you need help?" he called as she hurled over a bush.

"You're going to clean that up!" Tim yelled.

Nathan rolled his eyes. "Tim, why are you up?" he asked again.

"I don't know," he shrugged. "Something just told me that I should get up."

"You're so weird man," Nathan said walking out the door to help Brooke to his car. He looked at the driveway and saw a police officer walking toward them. "Shit!" he muttered.

"I told you," Tim said nervously. "See-ya" he pushed him out the door and locked it.

Nathan stood facing the police officer as he walked over to Brooke's side and put his hand on her arm. "Are you okay miss?" he asked kneeling down next to her.

Brooke looked up at him with tears in her eyes and nodded. "I'm fine," she lied.

The officer stood up and walked over to Nathan. "Do you live here?" he asked.

"No," Nathan told him.

"I have a report there was a party here last night, and someone has alcohol poisoning." He told him. "Is this your girlfriend?"

Nathan looked at the officer confused. "Yeah,"

"What's her name?"

"Brooke Davis," he told him.

The officer looked down at his notebook and nodded. "Brooke Davis, that's the name I have here."

Nathan didn't understand what was going on. He spent the entire night in the bathroom with Brooke. Nobody even knew she was sick. How could someone have reported she had alcohol poisoning? "I don't understand," he told him. "I've been with her all night. Nobody reported poisoning."

The officer shook his head. "Erica Marsh," he said watching Nathan's face to see if he recognized her name. "Peyton Sawyer?"

The only two girls playing the game with them last night. "Wait, they said Brooke had alcohol poisoning?"

"No, Erica Marsh was hospitalized this morning for alcohol poisoning." He explained. "She told us that Brooke Davis and Peyton Sawyer were drinking the same alcohol. Her blood showed traces of ecstasy."

Someone put Ecstasy in the bottle before they poured the shots. Nathan suddenly became very nervous. He had been the one giving all the shots to Peyton and Brooke. What if he was accused of drugging them?

"We're going to need to bring Brooke in and test her. Is Peyton inside?"

Nathan shook his head no. He hadn't seen her when they were leaving. "I think she went home with her boyfriend last night," he explained.

The officer nodded. "My partner Officer Woodrow will give the two of you a ride to the hospital."

Nathan watched the officer helping Brooke up from the grass. Brooke was protesting but went along with him anyway. Nathan followed him to the car and climbed in the backseat with Brooke. She laid her head on his shoulder and fell asleep. Nathan stared out the window with confusion.

Lyrics-"Finished in a day"-Halifax