Author's Note: Hey guys! Sorry there haven't been any updates for a few days. I just needed a break and had some other things to get done. To make up for the wait, here's a longer chapter for you all. Next I will be working on TSS so keep a look out for an update soon. I hope you guys like this chapter! 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 23 – The Line In Between
"Hey Hales, you want your usual? Coffee and apple Danish," Karen asked when Haley entered and sat at the counter. Haley sneezed and wiped her nose with a tissue, "No, I think I'm going to go for a tall glass of orange juice and some toast. I need to keep my Vitamin C up in this cold weather. I hate being sick." She plopped down onto a stool after removing her jacket, wrapping her button down sweater tighter around her, trying to get warm. "You're still sick," she asked concernedly as she poured her some orange juice, "You're taking antibiotics, aren't you? They're not helping?" Haley shrugged, "Yeah, I'm taking antibiotics but I've been taking them for so long now that they're not as effective; they're losing their kick." "You should go see your doctor Hales. Ask him for a stronger antibiotic," Karen replied. "I will," Haley responded, "it's flu season so I'm sure he's up to his ears in appointments." "You should do it soon though, no use being miserable when you can feel better," Karen reasoned. "I know," Haley responded as she took a bite of her toast then looked at her watch, "Oh, I have to get going. Can't be late to work." Haley stood and put on her jacket then grabbed her work bag. "You don't want your toast? You hardly ate anything," Karen replied concernedly. Haley wrinkled her nose, "I'm just not hungry today, I guess. My stomach's a little queasy. I think it's these antibiotics the doctor's got me on. I've been sick and throwing up ever since I started taking them." Karen rubbed her shoulder, "I'm sorry honey. You should really get that medicine changed if it's making you so sick like this." Haley nodded and looked at her watch again, "Okay, I really have to go now. See you later Karen." "Bye honey," Karen waved as Haley walked out of the café.
As Haley walked down the hallway of the school, Lucas spotted her and caught up, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Hey babe," he greeted her with a kiss on her forehead then gazed at her worriedly, "you look a little green and pale. You feeling alright? The antibiotics making you sick again?" She nodded and rested her head on his shoulder but only for a moment because she had to get to class. "Love you. I'll see you later," she gave him a light kiss on the lips.
"Okay class, since we have all finished the book, we will begin a series of small projects related to the book and what we have read. These projects will last us until about two or three weeks from now, where you will all write your essays on heroism. They may be done in groups or individually. I will give you guys a few minutes to get into your groups and then I will explain what you have to do for the first project," Haley told her second hour Advanced English students. While she waited, she replied back to a few emails some of the other teachers had sent her and graded some papers from her first hour English class. After about ten minutes, she stood from her desk to address her class. As she stood from her chair, Haley felt a little dizzy. She placed one hand on the edge of her desk to steady herself and the other hand to her forehead. "You alright Ms. James," Laura asked concernedly. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just give me a moment," Haley replied as she thought, 'Enough time to get the room to stop spinning.'
She finally walked to the front of the room a few minutes later to explain the instructions and what the project was to her class. "Now that you're all into groups, what we are going to do is each group will receive a piece of white poster board. First, I want you all to think of all the books you've read in this class so far, but more so this book than the others, and brainstorm what you think makes up a good hero; this includes traits and characteristics that demonstrate and explain how he or she is a hero. You may draw pictures or I have magazines if you want to cut out stuff to add to the poster because if you're like me, I can't draw worth my life. I will have markers and colored pencils out so you can make it colorful. Also, on the back of your posters, I want you each to put your name and who your hero is. It can be whoever you want it to be, but they have to be real; no cartoon characters or superman or anybody like that. You will have today and tomorrow to complete the project and we will present them on Wednesday. Okay guys, now start discussing and brainstorming your ideas," Haley instructed as she went back to sit at her desk.
Haley nibbled on a few crackers as she resumed grading papers from her first hour. Her stomach felt queasy again. Maybe it was because she was hungry; she hadn't had anything to eat all day except that bite or two of toast and the orange juice at the café. She pulled out a small bowl of mixed fruit from her lunch bag and pried the lid open. She began to eat and a few minutes later, just as she was about to bite into a strawberry, Haley felt the food coming back up at her. She quickly covered her hand over her mouth and rushed out of the classroom. Luckily for her, a staff bathroom was just across the hall.
It was nearly fifteen to twenty minutes later when she was finally able to raise her head from the toilet and not throw up. She had never felt so sick before, even with all the coughing and other symptoms she had had in the past couple months because of the Bronchitis and the flu. It was even worse because she had hardly anything in her stomach and the retching just made her throat even more sore from the acidic bile rising from her throat. She cleaned herself up and tried to look at least semi-presentable again then she trudged from the bathroom. She knew she couldn't go on teaching like this, feeling so horrible, so she headed up to the front office to tell the receptionist she needed to go home. "Hey Sandy," Haley greeted the woman in a hoarse voice from the soreness. Sandy looked up from her papers and her smile faded slightly as she took in Haley's state. She stated concernedly, "You feeling okay Haley?" Haley shook her head and decided that wasn't the best thing to do; her head pounded even more and she felt dizzy again. "No, I'm really not feeling well. I've felt really bad all day. I just spent like twenty minutes throwing up in the bathroom and I've been dizzy too. I probably shouldn't have even come to work today. I just wanted to let you know that I need to go home and to get one of the English teachers on prep to supervise the rest of my classes or call in a sub." "Okay Haley, go home and get some rest. I hope you feel better," Sandy replied with a sympathetic smile. "Me too," Haley replied as she walked out of the front office and returned to her classroom.
"Are you alright Ms. James," Heather asked concernedly as Haley reentered the room. "No, I'm not feeling very well so I'm going to go home and rest. I want you all to continue working on your poster projects for the rest of today and tomorrow as well since it looks like I might not be here tomorrow. I will have you all present the projects on Thursday. Okay, I will see all of you on Thursday. Bye guys," Haley replied as she waved to the class. "I hope you feel better Ms. James," Heather replied and many of the other students voiced the same sentiments.
Lucas blew his whistle and called the team over for a talk. "Okay guys, we have a game coming up and I've noticed that some of you tire a bit early so we're going to work on our stamina a little bit. You all know what that means," Lucas replied as he nodded towards the line bordering the court. "Suicides," they groaned as they jogged to the line and stood side by side to each other. Lucas had hated suicides back when Whitey had been coaching, but he had to admit, it did help him in his game and he was able to last longer without getting tired as fast. The boys did that for about thirty minutes until Lucas finally blew his whistle again and told them to cool down slowly by walking it off and jogging so as not to hurt their muscles by cramping up. He then told them to hit the showers and they were allowed to go home. Lucas stayed in his office for another hour and a half, going over plays for the upcoming game and watching video tapes of past games to see what else needed to be worked on. He sighed as he shut off the television and rubbed his eyes; he was dog tired. He just wanted to go home and hold Haley in his arms, kiss her, and go to sleep. Maybe this bug Haley had, had gotten to him as well. He hoped not; he needed to stay well for the game next week. He gathered his things and locked the door to the office and headed out to his car.
Lucas unlocked the front door to the apartment and pushed it open, calling out as he entered, "Haley? Hey Hales, you home?" There came no answer so he deduced that she wasn't home yet. Probably still at the school grading papers. He grabbed a towel from the linen closet and went to the bathroom to take a shower. He flicked on the light and was he saw concerned and worried him greatly. Haley was huddled on the floor with her legs pulled close to her chest and her head resting on her knees with her back against the side of the bathtub. She was crying, no, sobbing. "Hales? What's wrong," Lucas asked gently as he crouched down beside her and stroked her hair. She flinched at his touch but otherwise did not move a muscle and her sobs only seemed to get louder. "Haley sweetie, tell me what's wrong, please," Lucas begged, becoming more worried by the second as he lightly touched her arm and she quickly moved it away from him.
"I don't want to talk about it right now," she snapped in a trembling voice, her head still buried in her thighs. He sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. What could have Haley so upset, he wondered. "But you'll tell me later, right," he questioned. She nodded slowly then responded, her voice wavering, "C-Can you please just go? I-I want to be alone right now." "Sure," he replied uncertainly. He wanted to stay with her and comfort her, find out what was wrong, but he knew it would be in his best interest if he left her alone for a little while so she could sort things out. He looked at his watch; it was almost time to go pick the kids up from Kyla's place. He might as well get them early and bring them home, he decided. He picked up his keys and headed out to his car.
When Lucas arrived home from picking up the kids, Katie and Derek went to play in their room while he fixed dinner. In the kitchen he found a note on the counter. Went for a drive. Lucas sighed; ever since he had found Haley in the bathroom, he had been worried about what was bothering her, why she had been sobbing so forcefully when he found her. 'Maybe a drive will clear her head,' he thought to himself. Once Katie and Derek were fed and they had run off back to their room to play before bedtime, Lucas remembered that trash pickup was tomorrow and it had yet to be taken out. So he went around tall all the different rooms, gathering cans and garbage to take out.
Lucas went into the bathroom and picked up the trash can to take out to the big garbage can for tomorrow. His eyes widened as they fell on a box in the bag and, reading the label, he gasped. He quickly set the can down and snatched the box from it. He cautiously tilted the box in his hand and a stick slid onto his palm. He looked at it closely as he gulped and tried hard to swallow the solid lump in his throat. Clear as day, there was a thin blue line in between the edges of the screen of the stick.