Author's Note: Hey guys! I'm finally back with Chapter 5! Sorry for such a long wait! To make up for it though it's a pretty long chapter. For those of you who read my other story, In the Presence of an Angel, I'm trying to update that one as quick as I can. I've have some busy things going on in my life like college stuff, orientations, finals for some of my classes. I will try to update ITPOAA as soon as I can. Anyways, this chapter has LOTS of drama! I hope you all like it! As always, please read and review!
Disclaimer: I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.
Rating: PG to PG-13
P.S. – OMG! This week's episode was REALLY great, but it SOOOO pissed me off! Lucas has HCM and he's moving in with Dan? Haley left? Keith's getting married to Jules! Gah! And poor Karen! Everyone's leaving her! First Keith, now Lucas! And did you all see the previews for next week about Nathan? I just gotta say, watch out for him! Okay done ranting, for now.
The Sweetest Sin
Chapter 5
The next morning around six a.m. at Lucas' house, Krissy woke up, startled and crying from a nightmare. She tried to shake Lucas awake, "Daddy wake up! Daddy, Daddy! Please wake up!" Lucas rolled over, careful not to crush her as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, "What's the matter sweetie?" Krissy responded with a terrified look in her eyes, "Something's wrong with Mommy! Mommy's gone!" He rubbed her back to comfort her, "No she's not baby. Mommy's back at home. She didn't spend the night here like she usually does." Kris shook her head vigorously from side to side in protest. "No! That's not what I mean," she touches her heart with one of her small index fingers, "She's not here anymore. I can't feel her."
Lucas became alarmed at her words and he placed his hands on the sides of her arms, "Kris, what happened last night? Was Mommy sad then too? What did she say to you?" Krissy nodded as tears rolled down her cheeks in waterfalls, "Mommy was crying a lot and she came over and kissed me a lot, all over my face. She said that she loved me over and over again. Then she said that I was going to go visit you." As Krissy talked, Lucas' eyes grew wider as he pieced together what Krissy was saying and what Haley had said last night, 'Take good care of her for me. Goodbye Lucas…'
He quickly stood from the bed, "Stay here, okay? I'll be right back." He rushed to his mother's bedroom and swings the door open as he shouts, "Mom!" He was too worried about Haley to even give a thought to the sight of his mother and Keith in bed together. Thankfully though, they were covered. "Lucas," Karen screeched, pulling the covers tighter over herself as she awoke to his screaming. "Mom, I need you to watch Kris for awhile. I have to go do something." He didn't want to worry his mother until he knew for sure something really was wrong. "Sure honey, but would you get out of my bedroom? And knock next time, would you please," she yelled as he retreated from the room and closed the door behind him.
Lucas went back into his room, where Krissy was still lying on the bed, clutching her stuffed dog tightly in her arms as she continued to cry. "Kris sweetie, I want you to stay here with Grandma Karen, okay?" She nodded solemnly then looked up at him with a confused expression on her face, "But what about Mommy?" He stroked her hair as he replied, "I'm sure Mommy is fine. I'll see you in a little while, okay?" Krissy nodded and he kissed her cheek before grabbing his jacket and running out of the house.
On his way to Haley's house, he dialed her number but received no answer. He became even more worried as he sped through the streets. Lucas arrived at her house and raced up her front steps, jiggling the handle of the door but finding it locked. He dug through his pockets and realized that in his haste, he'd forgotten his other set of keys, of which it contained his key to Haley's house. He also tried the back door but that was locked as well. He went back to the front of the house and searched for a way in. Her bedroom window was closed and locked so he couldn't get in that way. He found a large rock and threw it at one of the windows on the first floor then carefully cleared the glass and climbed in.
Lucas ran to her bedroom and swung the door open. He gasped sharply at the sight before him. Haley was on the floor with blood around her as she lay amidst broken glass. She was a sickly pale white and her lips had a light blue tint to them. He rushed to her side and placed his fingers against her neck, trying to feel for a pulse. He finally found it after several minutes. It was weak and slow, barely even there. Lucas quickly called an ambulance then cradled her head in his lap. He gently slapped her face, pleading with her as hot tears cascaded down his cheeks, "Hales baby, please wake up! Open those brown eyes I love so much…" He broke out into more sobs, "Please sweetie…" He stroked her cheek and flinched at how cold she felt. He carefully picked her up and laid her on the bed, covering her with the blankets. Lucas noticed that on her back, her shirt was torn in some places, small cuts on her skin from falling on the glass. He then ran to the bathroom and soaked some towels in hot water then draped them over her body. While he waited for the paramedics to arrive, he rocked back and forth with his arms wrapped tightly around his legs, quietly praying over and over, "Please God, don't let her die. Please, don't let her die…"
Lucas paced the waiting room of the hospital feverishly, both worried and confused. He was worried about Haley; she had felt so cold, as if she were seconds away from death coming and taking her away from him forever. He was confused and angry at Haley too. How could she try to do that to herself? How could she try to commit suicide? He had seen the large, deep cuts in her hands and knew that it was not from just cleaning up the broken glass alone; she had to have cut herself intentionally.
He was interrupted by the doctor entering and clearing her throat to get Lucas' attention. Lucas turned to face her and saw that she was young for a doctor, probably not even older then twenty-eight. She extended her hand and he took it, "Hello Mr. Scott, my name is Dr. Lockhart and I am treating your friend, Haley." "Lucas, please," he replied as he nodded for her to continue. "Ms. James has lost a lot of blood and she needs a transfusion quickly. The only problem is that she has a rare blood type, AB Negative. We have a low supply, not enough to give her, and the Blood Bank hasn't sent any over to us yet. Do you know anybody in her family that has that blood type?" "I'm not blood related to her, but I do have AB Negative blood type. Would I be able to give her my blood," he asked, hope sparking within him.
Haley's parents were out of the question and Lucas wouldn't subject Krissy to that kind of operation at so young an age even if she were the same blood type. "Yes, it should work, but we have to test it first for a match. If it matches, then we can go ahead and do the transfusion. Please come with me and I'll get a sample of your blood to test," Dr. Lockhart replied, leading him to a small lab room. She took a little of his blood and told him with a smile, "I will be back in a few minutes with the results. All these new-fangled machines and technological advancements allow us to get our results back faster which helps us treat our patients quicker." The doctor came back, it seemed, as soon as she had left. She smiled at him again, "You're a match. Let's get you ready for the procedure. We need to work as quickly as possible."
She led him to a hospital room and opened the door, gesturing for him to step inside. He set one foot inside the room and stopped short. Haley lay on a bed on the right side of the room, her frail body looking so small and weak. If it were possible, she appeared even more whiter than he had last seen her, but her lips had lost their blue color, which was a good sign. Her hands were bandaged and some cuts on her arms had been cleaned and band-aids put on as well.
Another bed was positioned next to hers and the doctor motioned for him to lie down. He slid on and scooted to the top of the bed and leaned back as he looked over to Haley. Dr. Lockhart rolled up his left sleeve, tied the rubber tourniquet around his upper arm then prepared him for the transfusion before doing the same to Haley. She then connected a tube to Lucas and Haley, connecting them together, and opened the tube vents to allow Lucas' blood to flow into Haley. Lucas grabbed Haley's hand in his own as tears fell down his face. He stared at her throughout the whole procedure, his thumb rubbing small circles over the back of her hand and softly stroking her hair with his free arm. "I love you Hales," he whispered.
After the transfusion, Dr. Lockhart replied, "I will need to put you on IV fluids to help your blood circulate and recover from the procedure. You will only need it for an hour or two, so it is best you get some sleep during that time. I will come check on you and Ms. James periodically to make sure everything is alright." He asked slowly, gazing at Haley for a moment before turning his attention back to the older woman, "How bad is she?" "Like I said before, she lost of blood from the gashes on her hands and she has some minor cuts on her back as well as one or two on her arms. That's pretty much the extent of her injuries. It is a good thing you got her here when you did. Any longer and she might not have survived," she explained solemnly. Lucas choked up at her words and his body began to shake. The doctor then replied, "As her doctor, I have a duty to call a psych consult on all attempted suicides and to call a social worker whenever injuries have been inflicted on a minor, no matter whether it was the person themselves or someone else. Do you have a number where I can reach her parents?"
He shook his head, "Her parents are out of town for awhile, but my mom is practically her mother. And Haley and I are together almost two-thirds of every day, except for lately. We uh, we've been kind of busy with school and extracurricular activities and work so we haven't seen that much of each other the past two weeks." "Well, I will need to speak with your mother. What is her name," she asked, pulling out a writing pad and pen. "Karen Roe. I will call her, I haven't told her what happened to Haley yet, so she's probably worried about me because I haven't come home." She nodded and brought a phone over to his bed then quietly left the room.
He dialed his home number and waited for his mother to pick up. "Hello," Karen's voice came over the line. "Hey Mom, it's me." "Lucas, where have you been? I've been worried sick about you and Krissy's been hysterical ever since you left, saying some things about Haley like she wasn't here anymore and that she couldn't feel her. She won't stop crying…" Karen replied. Screaming could be heard in the background. "Mom, I'm at the hospital with Haley… she-she tried to kill herself…" he choked up again. Karen gasped, "Oh my god…" "Mom, I need you to come down here. The doctor wants to ask you some questions since we can't get a hold of Haley's parents and you're practically her mother anyway. Can you leave Krissy with Keith for a little bit? I don't want her down here." "I'm sorry honey, but Keith already left for work. I'll have to bring her with me. Maybe they can put her in the family room or the children's play room," Karen suggested. "Okay, I'll ask. Please get down here fast." "I'm on my way sweetie. I'll be there soon," she replied.
Lucas was allowed to stand and walk around for a little bit, but he was still hooked to an IV bag that went around with him on a rolling stand. He waited in the lobby for his mother and Krissy and they arrived half an hour later. As soon as Krissy spotted him, she let go of Karen's hand and bolted for him, "Daddy!" "Careful baby," he responded as he gently picked her up, mindful of the IV line in his arm. "Daddy, you're hurt," Krissy stated when she saw it. "I'm okay sweetie," he stroked her hair and kissed her forehead. "Luke, why are you hooked up to an IV? You didn't get hurt, did you," Karen asked concernedly. He shook his head no and mouthed to her so Krissy wouldn't hear, "I'll tell you later." The doctor approached them and extended her hand out to Karen, "Hello Ms. Roe, I'm Dr. Lockhart. Would you come with me for a few minutes please? We have some questions about Haley." Karen nodded then Lucas spoke up, "Could you show me to the family room or a play room where I can take her? I don't want her to see Haley right now." He pointed to the little girl in his arms, who had laid her head against his chest. "Certainly, right this way," she led them to a room filled with two couches, a table, and off to the side was a little kids center with toys and dolls, puzzles and games, and a small kiddie table and chairs.
"Daddy, where's Mommy," Krissy asked, lifting her head and looking up at him with watery eyes. He hugged her tightly and rubbed her back, gently pressing her head into his chest with his hand at the back of her head, "Sh baby, Mommy's going to be okay sweetie." Her murmured into her ear for a few moments then set her down and she went over to play with some of the toys. "Your daughter is so cute. How old is she," Dr. Lockhart asked, smiling as she gazed at the little girl. "She's three and a half years old, but Krissy isn't my daughter, she's Haley's sister. Krissy just calls us mommy and daddy because we're the only real parents she's ever known. Her and Haley's parents aren't around much. Their jobs cause them to travel around a lot, but I'm usually with Haley and Krissy almost all day except for when we have school or work. There's a daycare program at our school that allows Krissy to be near us just in case an emergency happens. Haley works at my mom's café and Haley sometimes takes Krissy with her. Sometimes I'll take her to the auto shop with me, where I work for my uncle. She likes to sweep the garage and 'help' me with the paperwork. All three of us spend most of our weekends together too. We're like a family; Haley, Krissy, and I." He smiled as he looked back on all their memories together while he gazed lovingly at Krissy.
A few minutes later, Karen entered and the doctor left to give them some alone time. She hugged him, "I'm so sorry Luke." "I know Mom, I am too. I wish I had been there for her. Maybe I would have seen some signs to let me know that something was wrong or something like this would happen…" He began to sob as quietly as he could so Krissy wouldn't hear then responded in a choked up voice, "you should have seen her, Mom. She's so pale and weak… When I found her, she was surrounded in blood and she was as white as a sheet and her lips were blue… God Mom, I thought she was dead…" He buried his head in her chest and cried.
Half an hour passed and Lucas had finally calmed down a little bit. Karen still held him in her arms as she continually rubbed his back. "Why do you have that IV in your arm honey," she finally asked, stroking his head. "Haley lost a lot of blood so she needed a transfusion. She has a rare blood type, AB Negative, and so do I; so I gave her my blood. They put me on IV fluids to help replenish my blood supply and keep me hydrated," Lucas replied. She nodded and kissed his forehead, "You're such a good guy, Luke." He squeezed her hand, "Thanks Mom."
The doctor entered the room with a woman holding a clipboard by her side. She wore thick, black glasses with her hair up in a tight bun. She must have been forty or older. "Lucas, we need to speak with you. Could you come with us please," Dr. Lockhart gave him a small smile to try and ease his worries. He followed them into a small room with only a table and a few chairs. It resembled an interrogation room that he had seen many times on his favorite cop show, Law Order, more than anything. The doctor went to go check on Haley and some of her patients and he was left with this older woman who was making him feel very uncomfortable.
She gestured for him to sit in one of the chairs then sat in one across for him and placed one leg over her knee. "Lucas, my name is Leanne Carter and I'm a psychiatrist at this hospital. I would like to ask you a few questions about Haley, if that's alright with you," she replied and he nodded for her to continue, "Did you ever notice if Haley was feeling sad or depressed?" Lucas shook his head and looked down at his hands, which lay clasped on the table, "No. Like I told Dr. Lockhart, Haley and I are usually really close and spend a lot of time together, but in the last two weeks we've been really busy with school, work, and extracurricular activities that we haven't really seen each other much. But Krissy did tell me that Haley had been crying a lot lately and locking herself in her room. So maybe she could have been depressed."
"Did you ever see or did she give you any signs of being sad or depressed before those two weeks," Leanne asked as she jotted down some notes on her clipboard. "No I didn't. She's usually always happy and very spirited," he responded. "Did Haley ever have bouts of sadness and crying spells before just recently, like months or years ago? It helps us determine if she's been depressed before." "Well of course she has, but not more than any normal teenager," he answered. "Okay, that is all the questions I have about Haley, but now I would like to talk about you. How did you feel when you discovered Haley at her house?" Lucas shuddered at her words, the scene playing in his mind; finding her on the floor, unconscious with blood surrounding her, pale, and cold. He then responded unsteadily, "I-I thought she was dead; I was devastated. Then I found a pulse and called the ambulance. I was beside myself with worry and I was confused of why she would try to commit suicide. It's not like her to think about that sort of thing, much less act on it."
"Okay, that is all the questions I have at this moment. Now I must go talk to Krissy," she stood and he did as well. "You're going to ask her about Haley's suicide attempt? She doesn't even know what happened. She's three years old for Christ sakes," he yelled in disbelief. She raised her hand in front of her, "Calm down Lucas. We're just going to ask her a few questions, similar to yours, in a children's tongue so that she understands. You can be in the room with us if you would like." He nodded, "Thank you."
They walked into the family room where Krissy was coloring at a small coffee table on the floor by one of the couches. "Daddy! When do I get to see Mommy? I want to see her," Kris screamed as she abandoned her crayons and ran to him. He picked her up and set her on his lap after he had sat on the couch, "Not for a while baby. I know you want to see Haley, but first this nice lady wants to ask you some questions, okay sweetie?" "Okay," she responded quietly. "Hi Krissy, my name is Leanne Carter, you can call me Leanne. I have to ask you some things about Haley. Please try to answer them as best you can alright," the woman smiled at her. "I'll try," she replied. "Krissy, has Haley been sad lately," Leanne asked. Krissy nodded in response, "Yeah. She locks herself in her room sometimes and I can hear her crying. At night too, when she thinks I'm asleep." She then turned to Lucas, "I'm sorry Daddy. I know I'm not supposed to stay up late without you or Mommy's permission, but I can't sleep. I'm scared about Mommy; she's never been so sad before." He wrapped his arms around her small body, "It's okay Kris." Leanne inquired, "Has Haley been sad before, like before she and Lucas stopped spending so much time together?" "No, she used to be so happy and play with me all the time, with Luke too. Now she just stays in her room and cries. She doesn't play with me a lot anymore," Krissy responded sadly, a few tears marring her baby face.
"Okay, one more question Krissy, then we're done okay?" The little girl nodded, "Okay." "Did Haley ever hurt you," she asked. Lucas abruptly stood with Krissy in his arms, shouting in a loud voice, "That was out of line!" "I'm sorry Lucas, but we have to ask and she must answer the question. We have to make sure Haley will not endanger anyone else." "Haley would never hurt Kris," he yelled. "She has to answer it herself, Lucas," the older woman stated firmly. Lucas looked down at Krissy, "Tell her baby. Has Haley ever hurt you?" Her eyes widened and she gasped, "No! Mommy would never hurt me. She loves me. Sometimes she yells at me but it's because I don't listen to her. She's never ever hurt me." Leanne smiled at her, "Thank you Krissy. You were a very good girl. Would you like a sucker?" Krissy nodded and the woman pulled one from her coat pocket, handing it to her. "Thank you," she replied as she took it from her. "You're very welcome sweetie." Lucas set the little girl down and she ran back to the table, resuming her coloring. "Can you go get my mom, please? I need her to watch Kris," Lucas asked then whispered to her, "I want to see Haley." "Yes, I will go get her," she responded.
Hours later, Lucas rested in a chair at Haley's bedside. She still had not awakened yet. Since he had gotten no sleep because of the psychiatrist's interview, Dr. Lockhart had required that he keep the IV for a couple more hours. After talking with Leanne Carter, Lucas wept for what seemed like hours. He had begun to think that Haley's attempt at committing suicide had been all his fault. She wouldn't be here, in the hospital, if they hadn't created an animosity between them and they wouldn't have been avoiding each other if they hadn't slept together.
He had slept only a little, dozing off a couple times while waiting for Haley to rouse. He was slumped down in the chair, his head near the top of the backrest and his legs extending far out onto the floor because he was so tall. He held his head up with his right arm, the one that didn't have the IV in it, as his eyes began to droop closed again. Suddenly, her heard a faint moan and a hoarse voice, "Where am I?" He stood and gently took her hand in his as she slowly opened her eyes. "You're at the hospital Hales," Lucas responded softly. "Why… oh," she asked confusedly then pulled her hand away from his as she remembered what had happened. She saw him hooked up to the IV and asked, forgetting temporarily of their animosity, "What's wrong? How did you get hurt?" "You lost a lot of blood and I have the same type, so I gave you my blood," he responded, then replied quietly, tears forming in his eyes again, his voice desperate, "why'd you do it, Hales? Why'd you try to kill yourself…" He squeezed his eyes shut tightly as he tried to force the thought of Haley dying far from his mind.
"What? I didn't try to kill myself," Haley asked confusedly, wondering how he had come to that conclusion. "You were nearly dead when I found you Hales! You didn't see your body lying on the floor covered in blood, white as snow and turning blue! You didn't see all the cuts on your back from falling on the glass! You didn't have to soak towels in hot water and lay them over you just to try and keep your body warm! You didn't have to put the towels that I cleaned you up with, soaked in blood, into the washer! You didn't have sit there and hold you as your best friend nearly died in your arms!" He was panting heavily now from his outburst.
She covered her face with her bandaged hands, beginning to cry, "I'm sorry Luke, but I didn't try to kill myself." "Then what in the hell were you doing," he screamed, slamming his hands down on the edge of the bed and staring at her angrily. "I-I don't know. I was just so angry, at you and at myself. I threw a glass at my mirror and it broke. I went to pick up some of the pieces and, I don't know, something just came over me and I closed my hands tightly over them, gripping them until blood flowed between my fingers. It was like I couldn't stop from holding them in my hands. After a while, I tried to stop the bleeding on my hands but it wouldn't. Then I felt weak and I guess I fainted," she responded quietly, now staring down at her hands. "You really scared me Hales. If it weren't for Krissy, you'd probably be dead right now…" "What! What do you mean if it weren't for Krissy," she shouted in shock. "I guess since you guys are so close, you have this sixth sense or special connection with each other. She woke me up this morning and told me that you were gone. I thought she meant from the house and I told her that you hadn't slept over at the house last night like you usually do, but then she said that she couldn't feel you anymore. That's when I got scared. Kris told me that you'd been crying a lot and locking yourself in your room. Then I remembered what you had said last night at the rivercourt. You told me to take good care of Kris then you said goodbye. So I raced over to your house but it was locked so I threw a rock through the window. I ran up to your room and that's where I found you."
At a thought, Haley started, sitting up slightly, "If you're here then where's Kris?" "She's with my mom in the family room," Lucas replied. "You brought her here," Haley shouted incredulously, her eyes wide. "No, my mom did. They wanted her to come in so they could ask her some questions and no one else could watch her. I didn't want her to come, but we had no choice. Don't worry though, she hasn't seen you yet. I wanted to wait until you were awake." "Dammit Lucas," Haley screamed, "you are such an idiot! You shouldn't have brought her here! They could take Krissy away from me! Didn't you think of that? They could take her away from me because I'm under eighteen and we live alone with no adult supervision! How could you be so stupid!" He yelled back, "I told you we had no choice! Would you rather we left her home alone to fend for herself for hours while we were here? Yeah, that would have went real well with the social worker, Hales. She would've had someone at my house within three minutes to take her and we'd be slapped with child endangerment charges!"
She folded her arms across her chest and replied with a firm voice and angry expression, "I want to see Kris." "No," Lucas responded. Haley's eyes widened, surprised at his denying her request, then shouted, "She is my sister! Now let me see her!" "I'm not going to let you see her, especially not when you're acting this way. Maybe if you calm down I might let you see her, but not now," he replied in a strong tone then grabbed his IV stand and left the room without another word.
An hour and a half later, Lucas reentered the room, now unhooked from his IV. "Are you calmed down now," he asked. "Does it look like it," Haley responded in a disgruntled tone. "Maybe I'll come see you when you're in a better mood," Lucas responded as he started to walk out. "Lucas wait," Haley began as she sighed. He turned around and looked at her expectantly. "T-Thank you for saving me," she replied quietly, avoiding his gaze. He wasn't sure where they stood now, and he didn't think it was the right time to confess his love to her, so he walked over to her and simply squeezed her hand, responding in a light joking tone, "Couldn't let you die, Hales. I'm older than you so it's only fair that I go first. He gave her a small, slightly crooked grin and she too gave him a smile as she chuckled, "Only by four months Lucas." "That's a long four months Hales. That's about a hundred and twenty days," he answered. Haley shook her head, "No, you forgot about February. There's only twenty-eight days except in a leap year, then there's twenty-nine."
Haley yawned and Lucas asked, "Are you tired? I'll let you get some more sleep. Oh, and I called Nathan to let him know you were at the hospital…" Haley cut him off, abruptly sitting up with her eyes nearly bulging out of her sockets, "YOU DID WHAT?" "I called-" he started. "I heard you the first time! Why in the hell did you call him? I don't want to see him." Her face was turning red with anger and she was trying to curl her hands into fists but couldn't because of the bandages. "Haley, as much as I don't like the guy, he's still your boyfriend and he deserves to see you," Lucas replied. "I don't want to see him," she yelled. "Why," he asked, thinking of any reason why she wouldn't want him there at the hospital with her. "I just don't want to see him," Haley responded still with an angry expression, as she crossed her arms over her chest. "You've gotta give me a better reason than that Hales. Come on, tell me what's going on." "What's going on," Haley repeated loudly in disbelief then glared at him as she went on, "or don't you remember what happened two weeks ago?" "That's not all of the truth, Hales, and you know it. I can see it in your eyes," Lucas responded as he pointed to her face.
She continued to glare at him intensely, anger burning in her eyes, for several long moments before her eyes softened a little and her shoulders sank as she sighed. "I broke up with him, okay?" Lucas inquired with his brows furrowed, "Why?" She responded softly, avoiding his imploring eyes, "Because he-he hit me…" His eyes grew large as the information sunk in. "What," he asked in a quiet voice, "Hales, how long has this been happening?" "N-Not long, only about two months or so," she replied meekly. "Two months! Two months, Hales," Lucas shouted as he flung his arms out in frustration, "that's almost as long as you've been dating him! Wait… that time you had that big bruise on your arm and you told me you'd walked into the kitchen counter…" She nodded and closed her eyes, a tear on each cheek slowly rolling down her face.
He moved to her side, gently cupping her cheek and wiping them away with his thumb, "Oh Hales…" She felt herself begin to succumb to his tender touch and she pressed her cheek into his hand, but only for a moment, before she realized what she was doing and pulled away. She looked everywhere but at him, her eyes darting every which way as if she were searching for an escape. "How many times has he hurt you," Lucas asked with a low growl, his fists and jaw clenched. "Um, about ten or twelve times I guess. Mostly he just grabbed my arm and left bruises because his grip was so hard, but he's hit me twice before. Once about a month ago, and yesterday he slapped me when I broke up with him. He was so mad… he grabbed my arm and he-he was pulling me towards his house…" Lucas interrupted, his eyes bulged wide with shock, "He d-didn't rape you, did he?" She shook her head no as a choked sob escaped her lips, "No, but I was so scared that he was going to… then Peyton showed up… she-she punched Nathan and we got away…" Lucas' nostrils flared with anger and his chest heaved with fast, labored breaths and fire flickering in his blue eyes, "I'm going to kill him."
At that moment, as if he knew they were speaking about him, Nathan rushed in to Haley's bedside and leaned down to kiss her, "Haley baby, thank god you're alright. I came as soon as Lucas called…" Before he had a chance to kiss her, Lucas raced forward and roughly pulled him away by his shirt. He then grabbed Nathan by the throat and slammed him against the wall. "DON'T YOU TOUCH HER," he screamed. "Lucas," Haley exclaimed with shock. Lucas then said to Nathan in a low, menacing growl, his eyes filled with raging flames, "I swear as long as I live, you will never lay another hand, not even a finger, on her ever again. Now get out of here, I don't ever want to see you near her again or you can bet you'll be dead by my bare hands." All while Lucas talked, he still choked Nathan as his brother tried to squirm from his tight grasp around his throat. Now he finally let go and Nathan fell to the floor on his knees, gasping for air. After several minutes, he finally stood and, giving a glare to both Lucas and Haley, he left without a word.
"Lucas, you could've gotten hurt," Haley replied crossly with a hint of concern in her voice. "Nah, nobody can touch this," Lucas joked as he gestured to his body. "Sure, like Billy Johnson didn't practically plow you over during that football game against Orangewood," she laughed. "That was seventh grade Hales," He responded. "I know, but it was so funny though. He nearly made a grass angel out of you. I swear you were lying on the ground two or three inches below the surface," she laughed. "That was the first game of the season, I didn't have any muscles back then like I do now," he grinned as he flexed an arm. "What, those puny things," she joked. "Hey," he exclaimed in protest.
Suddenly, the door opened and a police officer entered. Both became scared, hoping he wasn't here to take Krissy away. "Lucas Scott," he asked. "Yes," Lucas replied. He pulled out a pair of cuffs and grabbed his arm, closing one of them over his wrist then the other, "Lucas Scott, you are under arrest for breaking and entering. You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you…" Haley interrupted, yelling, "He didn't do anything!" "Ma'am, he broke into a house. That's against the law so I have to arrest him and take him down to the precinct." "Yeah, he broke into a house, MY house. I was lying unconscious on the floor, nearly dead, and if he hadn't broken into my house, I wouldn't be here right now! So un-cuff him right now," she screamed. Karen entered with wide eyes at seeing the police officer in Haley's hospital room, "What's going on here?" The officer turned to her as he took the handcuffs off of Lucas, "Sorry ma'am, it was just a misunderstanding." He turned to Haley and Lucas, who was rubbing his wrists, and gave them a curt nod before leaving.
"Well that was rude," Haley replied. "Why was he arresting you," Karen asked her son. "Haley's house was locked when I went there so I threw a rock in a window to get in. I guess one of the neighbors saw and reported me," he responded the asked concernedly, "where's Kris? You didn't leave her in the family room alone did you?" "Of course not Lucas. One of the nurses on break is in there with her. God, you're such a parent," she laughed. "You're always worrying with a kid around," he grinned. "Don't I know it," she smiled as she ruffled his hair.
Lucas heard a noise and turned to Haley, noticing for the first time that she had moved to lay on her side, facing away from them, with her hands covering her face as she sobbed quietly. What Haley had said to the police officer had finally sunk in and she realized the seriousness of what could have happened. She could have died. If she had died, she wouldn't have Krissy or Lucas anymore, and Karen too. Krissy wouldn't have a sister, a mother. Lucas wouldn't have his best friend. Karen wouldn't have a daughter.
She choked on a sob and Lucas gathered her in his arms, "Sh Hales, you're okay… you're going to be alright…" "T-Thank you for saving me," she whispered into his ear then lightly kissed the cartilage on edge of his ear. Lucas felt a tingling sensation spread through his body at this act and he hugged her tighter. "Can I see Kris now," she asked as she sniffled and pulled away. He nodded and wiped a few tears from her cheek with his thumb, "You have to stop crying first. I don't want Kris to see you upset. She's already worried enough." After a few minutes, she finally calmed down and Lucas went to go get Krissy.
He returned holding Krissy in his arms and gently lowered her onto the bed beside Haley. She wrapped her small arms around Haley's neck as best she could and laid her head on her chest. "You really scared me, Hay-Hay," she began to cry. "I know, I'm sorry sweetie," Haley replied as she stroked Krissy's hair and kissed the top of her head. "Your hands, what happened to them," she asked at seeing the bandages. "They're okay baby. I just cut them on some glass, that's all." She inquired, "Do they hurt?" "Only a little bit," Haley replied then took one of Krissy's hands, pressed their palms together, and entwined her fingers with Krissy's small ones, "I love you Kris. I love you so much." She then hugged Krissy tight to her chest as she cried while she rubbed the little girl's back and kissed along the crown of her forehead. "I love you too Haley. Don't cry," she responded, touching Haley's cheek where some tears had fallen. "Let's just lie her for a little while baby," she murmured as she leaned back and closed her eyes, resting the child's head on her shoulder.
An hour and a half later, after Lucas came back from having something to eat in the cafeteria on Karen's orders. He gently shook Haley awake after carefully lifting a sleeping Krissy off of her. "Hales, I'm going to take Kris home; it's getting late. I'll come see you tomorrow, okay," He leaned down to kiss her forehead but she moved her head away. "Don't," she said quietly. He looked at her concernedly, "What's wrong?" "Lucas, I appreciate everything you did for me and I can't ever thank you enough for saving my life, but I still need time and space away from you. I don't know who I am anymore Lucas, and I have to be myself before I can be anything else right now. I need to do some deep soul searching right now and nobody can help me with this. I have to do this on my own. So please, stay away from me. I want you to take care of Krissy for me for a little while. I'll call you when I'm ready for her to come home. Now please go," she turned away from him. He stood there for a minute or two with a shocked and hurt expression on his face at her words. Then he carefully picked Krissy up and cradled her in his arms as he walked out of the hospital room, out of Haley's life.
