Author's Note: Hey guys! Here's another chapter! It's really short and kind of dull and boring and not much happens, but I was kind of tired so I really wasn't inspired that much to write a more upbeat chapter. Anyways, I hope you like it! As always, please read and review!
Disclaimer: I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.
Rating: K+ to T
Finding Our Way Back
Chapter 15 – I Just Want To Take Care Of You
Haley felt miserable. This flu bug was really hitting her hard. After she called in sick to work, she called Kyla to take the kids to school then curled up on the couch wrapped in her comforter and a box of tissues in hand. The flu season was already in full swing and it was only the beginning of October. She coughed a few minutes straight and felt a little short of breath, her throat sore. Maybe she was coming down with Bronchitis. She'd had it as a kid and it had never been a fun thing to experience. She drank some NyQuil then laid her head in the crook of her arm, closing her eyes.
Haley woke up several hours later, finding Lucas leaning over her as he stroked her hair. "Hey, how are you feeling? I didn't see you at the school and then I heard you'd called in sick…" he gazed at her concernedly. "I'll be okay. Just stay away from me, I don't want to get you sick too," she replied as she wiped her nose with a tissue. "Oh, but that's all the better because then I could stay home with you," he smiled as he sat down on the edge of the couch beside her. "That's very sweet of you Luke, but no. I don't want to get you sick," she replied as she placed her hand on his chest and lightly pushed him back. "I made some soup for you," he said as he gestured to a tray with a bowl of soup and some crackers. "Thank you," she responded and started to wrap her arms around him, but she dropped them to her sides, "I would hug you, but I'm contagious." "That's alright," he said then picked up the tray and positioned it in Haley's lap.
She sipped the warm soup and it felt good running down her sore throat. The juice wasn't too thick or too runny and it stuck to your insides like a good homemade soup. "You got this from the café, didn't you," she asked. "No. It's mom's recipe but I made it," he replied. "It's really good," Haley responded as she took another bite. Suddenly she felt nauseous and she quickly moved the tray to the coffee table and sprinted down the hallway to the bathroom. Lucas followed and held her hair for her as she coughed up the contents of her stomach. When Haley was done and she had cleaned up her face and brushed her teeth, Lucas replied with a chuckle, "Guess it wasn't that great." "No, it's just that I've hardly been able to keep anything down. I wish this bug would just go away," she responded as she sighed. Lucas wrapped his arms around her in a hug and she tried to push him away but he held her closer, "I don't care if I get sick. I just want to take care of you." Haley rested her head on his chest and hugged him back.
"Hey, feeling any better," Lucas asked a few days later, placing his hand on her back. "A little," she replied as she grabbed some orange juice out of the fridge in the teachers lounge and poured herself a cup. They walked along the hallways towards Haley's classroom. By now, almost everyone had read the article in People magazine and they were all ecstatic about the news, especially the girls. They all kept asking questions even though it was so obvious that they were together. They even asked about the kids too.
"Hi Ms. James," Heather, one of Haley's students in her second hour English class, said then nodded to Lucas, "Hello Mr. Scott." "Good morning, Heather," Haley greeted her with a smile. "Morning," Lucas replied. He then leaned in and whispered in her ear before lightly kissing her temple and patting her back, "I'll catch ya later. I've gotta get ready for the gym class."
Heather was a shy person, one of those girls who sat in the front and dedicated to her studies but kept quiet unless called on. Much like she herself had been when she was younger. Haley had tried to get her to come out of her shell, making her participate in class more and talking to her before and after class. She was always one of the first ones to arrive to her class and they'd talk a lot, realizing they had many things in common, mostly to what Haley had been like in high school. They were both avid book readers and loved watching movies; they had similar tastes in music as well. She was a very bright student and she'd often lend her books to read outside of class.
"I finished the book you gave me, Ms. James," Heather replied as she pulled the book out of her backpack and handed it to her. "Really? Wow, that was fast," Haley responded as she took it from her. "Yeah, I really liked it and it was interesting so I read it faster. I couldn't put the book down," the young woman answered. Haley nodded her head towards the door and smiled, "Come on, let's go into my classroom and we can talk about it." Heather nodded her head then followed her inside.
Lucas entered Haley's apartment later that afternoon to check on her. She hadn't eaten anything at lunch and he'd heard that she'd gotten sick and went home early. He found Haley conked out on the couch as she occasionally let out a series of small coughs. It was amazing how she could do that; sleep through all that coughing, but she did. He carefully gathered her in his arms and carried her to the bedroom, pulling back the covers and placing her on the bed. He gently kissed her on the lips, not wanting to wake her, then slipped in on the other side. He wrapped his arms around her and nestled his face in her hair, inhaling her scent, and closed his eyes.