She arrived at the busy hospital after a day of exhausting travel. Still shaken up by her dream and an encounter with a certain bus stop waitress, a tired Haley, bags in hand, wandered up to a reception desk.

"May I help you, ma'am?"

"Nathan Scott", she blurted out.

"I'm sorry?"

"I'm looking for Nathan Scott. Can you tell me what room he's in?"

The woman typed a few keys on the computer keyboard.

"He's on the eighth floor…"

"Thank you", she started walking off.

"No visitors are allowed just yet, Miss. He's in recovery after surgery."

"Is he okay?"

"I'm sorry. The doctors will only talk to immediate family."

Haley sighed.

"I…I'm his wife."

The receptionist nodded sympathetically and pointed her in the right direction. A quick elevator ride later, she found herself on the right floor, and face to face with her father in law.

"Well, well", Dan folded his arms. "So nice of you to join us."

Haley was in no mood.

"How's Nathan?" she asked, getting straight to the point, ignoring him.

"Not so good…but you're his wife so I'm sure you already know that."

"Look…"

She was stopped mid sentence when Deb approached them. Just great, Haley thought as the older blonde gave her a hard stare.

"Haley…"

"Mrs. Scott, where's Nathan? How is he?"

Deb took a deep breath.

"He's recovering. The operation went as well as expected. The doctors aren't releasing any information to Dan or me because of the emancipation but they're talking to Lucas. Nathan's still resting but he hasn't woke up yet. I was able to sit with him for a few minutes earlier."

"I need to see him."

Deb simply nodded. What else could she do? It wasn't like she could stop her anyway. Haley was his legal next of kin. Besides, Deb had bigger worries. She was concerned about her child…and still reeling from the shock and shame as her darkest secret had just been exposed.

"Room 817."

Haley dropped her things in the lobby and dashed to be at his bedside. The lights had been dimmed and the door was slightly ajar. In the massive bed surrounded by machines and tubes inserted everywhere, there he was. There was her Nathan.

Haley gasped. In her eyes he had always been so strong. He had such a presence, at times he seemed almost invincible. He had been her friend, her lover, her provider and protector. Now he looked so small and vulnerable lying in that bed. Seeing him that way unnerved her.

She carefully approached his bedside and pulled up a nearby chair. Immediately tears spilled from her eyes. What had happened? Would he be okay? She could have kicked herself for not being there for him. Taking his hand in hers, she stroked it. No response. No stir or movement.

"Nathan", she whispered, stroking his palm.

The only sound was that of the monitors beeping and her occasional sniffle. She scooted up and gingerly removed the bedding rail so she could lay her head next to him. Suddenly their whole life together flashed before her eyes. It was overwhelming…what had really already happened and what the future might bring.

"Hales…"

Haley lifted her head. Lucas.

"Luke…"

She hadn't seen him in months, not since she had left for the tour. They had barely kept in touch by phone or e-mail. He was her best friend but she hadn't even bothered to say good bye. That night at Tric ended up a night like any other night when she and Nathan had left for the apartment after watching Chris and the Wreckers performed. But his invitation had turned out to be an offer she couldn't and didn't refuse. Without even considering Lucas' feelings, Haley had gotten on that bus without even a good bye.

"You okay?" he asked quietly, slowly walking to her.

She stood and practically ran, throwing herself into his arms as she sobbed. He held her close and tight, smoothing her hair and telling her it would all be okay. She was his little Buddy and he had welcomed her back with open arms.

"I'm so sorry", she sobbed.

"It's okay…"

"No! No, it's not okay! Look at him!"

Lucas stroked her hand as he glanced at his little brother.

"He's gonna be okay, Hales. Nathan is strong…he's a fighter. He'll get through this. Right now just let him sleep and when he's ready, he'll wake up on his own terms."

"I should have been here. What did the doctors say?"

"There was some chest trauma. Um, he hit that wall pretty hard and fast. They had to operate right away. His right lung collapsed and he lost a lot of blood."

"Oh my God…"

"He has a rare blood antigen so they needed a donor."

"Did they get one in time? What about Dan? Deb?"

Lucas sighed.

"Um, Deb was a match but her blood was unusable. I don't know really know what's going on."

Haley felt a cold shill on her spine.

"Pills…"

"What?" Lucas asked.

It must have been the pills. Maybe another eerie premonition from her "dream" had come true.

"Nothing", Haley shook her head.

"They did the transfusion anyway with another donor and the surgery went okay. Now it's a waiting game to see when he'll wake up. They think he's going to be fine, it just might be a long and painful recovery."

"I'm gonna be here with him. I promise you that, Luke…even if he doesn't want me around."

Her voice trailed off sadly.

"It's not that, Haley. It's complicated. He's hurting. Nathan has been through so much…"

"I know. And I know it's all my fault."

Lucas rubbed his sister in law's shoulders.

"Look, don't think about that stuff now. It doesn't do anybody any good. You look tired. Maybe we should go…"

"No" she stated emphatically. "I just got here and I don't want to leave his side."

There was a soft knock on the door and one of the nurses entered.

"I need to do a quick post op check", she said. "If you wouldn't mind stepping outside…"

"But…" Haley began to protest.

"It won't take long, then you can stay until visiting hours are over."

"It's okay", Lucas led her out gently by the hand. "Come on, Hales. We have to let them do their job."

They walked out to a waiting room that was filled with all the faces she had left behind in Tree Hill. Karen and Andy, Dan and Deb, Whitey and Brooke, along with a few faces she didn't recognize.

"Hey, Brooke", she said.

"Hey", Brooke replied softly with a hug.

"Are Peyton and Jake here?"

Lucas and Brooke exchanged looks.

"Peyton was here earlier but she had to get back. She probably come back tomorrow. She um, she has some stuff going on. Jake is in jail."

"Jail? What happened?"

"Nikki breezed back into town to claim her Mother of the Year award along with the kid. Jake wouldn't give Jenny up and there's a whole court order and it just got messy."

Haley couldn't believe it. She shook her head in disbelief as the vivid images ran through her head of the smiling, happy, precocious eight year old in her dream.

"Oh honey", Karen ran up and embraced her. "You okay?"

Haley buried her face in the shoulder of the woman that had been her second mother.

"I'm fine", she whispered. "I'll be fine."

Karen guided her to a seat.

"I'm glad you made it back."

"I wanted to. I had to. I know Nathan doesn't want me here but I had to come."

"It's okay. He's going to be fine. Just concentrate on him getting better and everything else will fall into place. Everything will work out."

Haley nodded uneasily as Whitey gave her small hand an affectionate squeeze.

"Hi", a handsome but nervous man walked up to her. "I'm Cooper…Nathan's uncle."

"You were with him at the track?"

Cooper hung his head, his heart already heavy with guilt.

"I'm sorry. It shouldn't have happened. I didn't mean for it to happen."

"It's okay", Haley nodded with a sniffle. "I know it's not your fault."

"Nathan is going to be okay", Whitey said in his booming but comforting way. "No use in sitting around trying to place blame."

"Where's Keith?" Haley asked.

Karen hung her head.

"He…he's not here."

"Where is he? Where's Jules?"

Haley had been seriously out of the loop.

"Um…it didn't work out. They, they didn't get married. Things got complicated and she left and uh…Keith is taking some time to himself."

"Oh no. Is he okay? Where is he?"

"We don't know", Karen said, beginning to get emotional again. "He doesn't even know about Nathan yet. I tried to leave a message on his cell phone but the voicemail box is full."

Haley took a deep breath. So much had changed. No Keith and Jules? Things got complicated? Haley peered over at Dan. It had happened. Just like in her dream, only then, the two had been able to work it out. But it never failed…Dan Scott was the one behind it all.

A doctor walked out from the direction of Nathan's room and everybody stood.

"Any new word, Doc?" Dan asked.

"Mr. Scott, I'm sorry. I already told you, I can't give you any direct information. I have to speak to Lucas…"

"It's okay", Lucas said. "This is Haley Scott, my sister in law…and Nathan's wife."

Haley stepped up.

"Very well. Can we talk for a moment, Mrs. Scott?"

Dan was livid.

"This is ridiculous! That's my son in there for God's sake! We are the people that care about him and who've been there for him today, yesterday and hell, every other day unlike some people. You mean to tell me she can just walk in here and make decisions and take over?"

"She is his wife", the doctor reminded him.

Dan scoffed.

"Someone should try telling her that."

"Not here", Andy interjected as the voice of reason. "Everyone just needs to calm down."

Still irate, Dan backed away, seething as he watched the doctor explain more about Nathan's condition to Haley.

"Is he going to be okay?" she asked hopefully.

"The next 48 hours are critical of course but we have every indication that your husband will make a full recovery."

Haley breathed a huge sigh of relief.

"Thank God. Can I please see him again?"

"Of course."

"What about visiting hours? I don't want to leave him tonight. Is there a way I could sleep in his room?"

The doctor nodded.

"I'll have one of the nurses bring out a cot."

"Thank you", she said tearfully.

She headed back towards the anxious gathered group.

"Well?" Dan demanded impatiently.

Haley dabbed at her eyes.

"He's going to be okay."

The joy and relief was evident on everybody's faces as they could finally release the collective breaths they had been holding. Nathan was going to be okay. That was the good news, no the great news. That was what mattered most. His body would heal but what about his heart? What about their marriage? For the still shaken young wife, it was just the beginning steps of what was to be a long and difficulty painful road of recovering.