Don't Let Go

A/N: I'm taking a bit of a hiatus from The Beautiful Dance to concentrate on this story and a new one I've been working on that's pretty angst-ridden and depressing, it's something a little different. But I will be updating BD soon, honestly I'm in a bit of a writer's block.

Chapter 6

Lucas could feel the beginnings of a headache as his temples began to throb. He rubbed in vain at the spot knowing that it wouldn't be enough to stop the aching. He'd spent a very long weekend in Raleigh attending far too many long and tedious staff meetings for the newspaper. Not much had been achieved at the meetings, or at least he thought nothing much had been achieved. Concentrating on changed deadlines and new columns had proven to be difficult for Lucas. He was still thinking about the fight with Peyton and how hurt she was that once again he had left her alone because of his job.

Every free chance he had during the weekend he spent it on the phone with her. She sounded like she was doing better with the situation, all things considered. She'd spent Saturday with Haley and Nathan at the breakfast he was also supposed to have attended. Haley had called him later that morning for the sole purpose of making him feel even worse than he already did about leaving Peyton. After listening to her lecture him about putting family before work, Lucas asked if she would stay with Peyton until he got back. She of course agreed, and it made him feel just a little better that she wouldn't be all alone in that big house.

Before Lucas left for home he did something he knew Peyton would appreciate, he sat down with his boss had let him know of his situation. That he had a pregnant wife at home and he was not going to be able to make it back to Raleigh every weekend to attend every meeting. His boss tried to put up a fight to the young journalist's demands but quickly gave in knowing that Lucas was the best he had. Lucas left the meeting feeling a little more confident about his negotiation skills and a little relieved that he would be taking good news home to his wife.

He left Raleigh early Sunday morning without calling to let Peyton know, figuring she was probably asleep and knowing she needed to rest. His headache started almost as son as he got on the road. He hadn't gotten a healthy amount of sleep over the past days, and the dark circles under his eyes were a reminder of that. He was negotiating with himself over whether or not he should pull over and retrieve the aspirin from his overnight bag which was conveniently located in the back seat. It was only a forty-five minute drive back to Tree Hill, but he wasn't sure he could wait that long. So he pulled his Jeep Cherokee over to the side of the road and dug around in the back for his bag. He found the aspirin and his cell phone which he had mistakenly tossed into the bag while he was packing. Looking at the screen he was alarmed to see that there were over ten missed calls in the last hour.

He checked the number and realized it was Haley's cell phone. Lucas was a little frightened to see that she had called that many times, that could not have meant good thing. He nervously checked his voicemail and felt his heart sink when he heard the first of Haley's messages.

"Lucas, it's Haley. I'm at the hospital with Peyton, she was having early contractions but the doctor thinks there may be something worse going on. Peyton is freaking out, you need to get here now. We're at St. Margaret's Hospital, Maternity Ward. Hurry Lucas."

It was the only message Lucas needed to hear. He threw the phone onto the passenger seat and sped off. His heart raced as he drove down the nearly empty highway. His mind was all over the place, he was lucky to be able to keep his car on the road. Realizing he should try and call Haley, he reached frantically for his cell phone. After a few rings he got her voicemail and hung up the phone.

He drove well above the speed limit and made it to the hospital in twenty minutes. He parked his car in the closest space and ran as fast as he could through the sliding glass doors of the hospital's main entrance. Lucas could hardly breathe as he tried to explain the situation to the older woman sitting at the admission's desk.

"My wife…" he took a few more breaths. "my wife was brought here this morning, she's in the maternity ward. What floor is that on?"

"That's on the fourth floor, the elevators are right around this corner." She motioned to the corner behind her.

"Thank you." He said before running in the direction she had pointed.

The elevator ride seemed to last forever, his impatience only made it worse. He was out into the hall before the elevator doors had finished opening. He had no idea where he was going as he wandered the fourth floor, he would have continued to wander if it hadn't have been for Haley.

She nearly ran him over in the hallway. "Lucas thank god."

"What's going on Haley? Where's Peyton?" Haley could sense the panic in his voice.

"She's down the hall, they were prepping her for surgery when I left the room."

"Why is she going into surgery, I thought she was just having early contractions. Haley I need to see her."

"The doctor can tell you everything, I'll take you to Peyton." She grabbed his hand and led her frantic friend down the hall.

Lucas could feel tears burning at the back of his eyes threatening to fall as he stepped into his wife's room and saw her hooked up to monitors with a few nurses and a doctor hovering over her bed. Peyton looked more frightened than he did, he could tell by her tear-stained cheeks that she had been crying.

He kneeled down next to her bed and held her hand tightly in his. "I'm so sorry it took me so long to get here Peyton, I didn't have my phone on me. I'm sorry Peyton." He could see more tears brimming in her eyes and he didn't want her to cry anymore so he stroked her hair softly and then stood to talk to the doctor. Haley took his place next to her bed.

"What's happening to my wife?" He asked the doctor.

"Mr. Scott your wife was admitted after she came to the emergency room complaining of early contractions and some severe pain around her mid-section. We tried a commonly prescribed drug to attempt to stop her labor, but it had little effect. After we ran a few more tests we discovered that your wife has a placental abruption." The doctor informed him calmly.

"What does that mean?" Lucas interrupted.

"A placental abruption means that the placenta is tearing away from the uterine wall. This is putting both the baby and your wife in danger. We have to perform a c-section immediately in order to save both of them. I've already explained all of this to your wife."

"But the baby is only seven and a half months along, isn't that too soon?" He looked back at his wife who was holding onto Haley's hand as a nurse checked her blood pressure.

"Your baby's chances of surviving are greater if we deliver now, a team will be in the operating room to take care of the baby as soon as it is delivered. I promise you Mr. Scott that we will take care of your family." The doctor gave Lucas a reassuring pat on his shoulder. "We have to take your wife back in a few minutes."

Haley left the room while Lucas spent a few last minutes with her before she was wheeled away for surgery. "Everything is going to be ok." He whispered reassuringly in her ear.

"I'm scared." She admitted tearfully. Lucas wiped away her falling tears with the back of his hand.

"I know you're scared baby, but everything is going to be ok. I promise you it's going to be ok."

"It's too early for the baby Lucas."

"The doctor said they will have a team in the operating room who are going to take care of the baby. It's ok Peyton, don't worry about it please." The doctor came back into the room and told them it was time to take Peyton back. A few nurses rolled a gurney into her room and Lucas stepped back as they transferred Peyton onto the gurney. He kissed her forehead and whispered once more in her ear that everything was going to be ok.

He had never seen her so scared as he watched the nurses wheel her away. In reality he had never been so scared before either, his entire life had just been taken away and placed in the hands of a team of surgeons. He didn't know what to do. Luckily he found Haley sitting in the waiting room with a cup of coffee waiting for him. He sat next to her and buried his face in his hands. He rubbed his back and said the same thing that he had told Peyton earlier, that everything was going to be ok. He hoped it was true.