Peyton stared numbly at the door in front of her, the doctor's words echoing through her tangled mind…
Some damage repaired…bullet…blood loss…stable…ICU…waiting…second stage of surgery…50-50
50-50. A coin toss. It was a coin toss over her boyfriend's life. Heads he lives, tails he doesn't.
How could this be happening? Everything was supposed to be okay, he was supposed to get to the hospital and he was supposed to pull through. That was the way things were supposed to happen, but then why was everything going so wrong?
She was still staring at the door, unsure whether she could bring herself to open it and step in…Why was she so scared of seeing him? Maybe it was because she knew seeing him like this would make everything real, seeing him lying there would mean she couldn't pretend this was all a nightmare and that she would wake up the next morning with Lucas by her side.
She sniffed and drew in a shaky breath, she was being stupid. She had to see him, he needed her. She knew if the situation was reversed he wouldn't leave her side and he didn't deserve to be left in there alone.
Shoving her trembling hands into her pockets she walked forwards, pushing the door open. As the door opened she stood still in the threshold, staring down at him. She tried to swallow but her mouth had suddenly gone dry, her throat feeling like sandpaper.
It didn't look like Lucas, it wasn't the Lucas she knew…this Lucas looked so pale and weak. She edged slowly forward, the steady beeping, humming and buzzing of the various machines and monitors boring into her head as her gaze followed the numerous tubes and wires surrounding him.
She blinked back tears as she looked at him lying there, how could this be happening? Why was he in this mess? He didn't deserve this. He had to be okay, she couldn't lose the only two people she had in the space of a month.
She stood by his bedside, looking down into his pale face…his eyes were closed and his face expressionless. Bruises had started to form, standing out harshly against his complexion. She lowered herself shakily into the chair by his bed and stared at him.
She should be laying there rather than him, it should be her in his place. He didn't deserve any of this, he hadn't done anything wrong. She had been the one pushing him away, hurting him when he was trying to help her. It should be her.
Peyton delicately slipped her hand into his and squeezed it, her thumb brushing against the soft skin on the palm of his hand. Being careful of the IV in the back of his hand, she planted a soft kiss on his skin.
"Hey" She whispered.
She paused, the resounding silence that greeted her caused her to swallow and look down at her hands.
"I'm getting De Ja vu." She whispered with a weak smile, remembering the last time she had been sat in a hospital room with him.
Peyton walked into the room and sighed, looking down at him lying there in the bed. She drew closer and sat by his side. She knew it would be awkward her being here with Brooke around, she hated the guilt but she couldn't stay away any longer, she had to see him.
"Hey it's me…can you hear me?" She asked, leaning forward and studying his face for any sign of recognition.
She picked up his hand, slipping hers into his.
"Squeeze me hand if you can hear me." She said, waiting for something. She paused but it soon became obvious he wasn't going to respond.
"Never mind."
"I…I just came around to tell you that I'm probably not going to be around very much, with Brooke here it's just kind of weird." She said, still looking into still, expressionless face. She sighed.
"But I'm with you Lucas, you know that."
"And I'll wait forever if I have to."
She would wait forever, she had. She had waited the whole time he was with Brooke, with Anna, she had waited and she would still carry on waiting if it meant she would be with him in the end.
She suddenly felt hot tears welling in her eyes and she looked down at her lap, trying to blink them away.
"You can't leave me Lucas. I love you." She cried, tears spilling down her cheeks.
"I love you more than anyone and I was wrong to push you away, I know you were trying to help."
She wiped away the tears but they were soon replaced by fresh ones as she rubbed his hand softly.
"I need you Luke. You're the only person who has always been there; the person that always saves me." She cried, breaking down into desperate sobs that wracked her entire chest and throat, tears flowing rapidly.
She curled up into a ball on the chair, hugging her knees and crying.
She sat there for a while; gradually her sobs were reduced to silent tears and sniffles when she felt something brush against her hand. Startled she jumped and let out a gasp as she looked down and found Lucas' hand touching hers.
She watched as his eyelids fluttered but failed to open and she could hear wheezing and gasping. Suddenly her relief was replaced by fear as she watched him struggle to breathe. She quickly hit the call button by the bed and squeezed his hand.
"It's okay Luke…it's okay I'm here."
He groaned and wheezed again, trying to tug at the tube in his mouth. She looked down at him helplessly, waiting for the doctors to come.
------------------------------------------------------
Peyton leant against the wall and looked up at the ceiling. She could hear Nathan and Haley talking to each other in hushed voices from next to her as she waited for the doctors to re-appear with news about Lucas.
After being shoved out of the room a nurse had told her that it wasn't anything serious, Lucas was just waking up so they needed to remove the ventilator. She was told he was still unstable and in a critical condition but they just needed to see what was going to happen in the next 24 hours.
But it still wasn't good news, she still hadn't heard that Lucas was going to be okay, she still hadn't been told that he was going to pull through which meant she couldn't relax.
Nathan and Haley had tried to tell her that Lucas would be okay, that he would pull through but she couldn't get rid of the images of the monitor going flat, of him choking, lying unconscious on the floor in his own blood, the sound of the gunshots…
Haley leant against Nathan and sighed, feeling exhausted to her core. When she had seen doctors running into Lucas' room and Peyton had been pushed out crying, she had thought the worst. She had never felt so terrified in her life. She thought she had lost her best friend, she thought she'd never see him again.
Now she just felt numb, she hated not knowing what was going to happen. Not knowing if Lucas was going to pull through, if he was going to be okay. It was supposed to be a fun night out, a good time but now it had ended with them in the hospital waiting for news on their best friend.
They still hadn't got through to Karen. She and Nathan had been to see Lucas once already but all they had done was sat there as he just lay there.
She was glad she had Nathan here with her, but Peyton was alone…
-----------------------------------
Peyton, Nathan and Haley sat by Lucas' bedside as he laid there, the monitors beeping steadily and the machines still humming dauntingly but it was good to see him without the ventilator.
They were told that if he woke up they were to get the doctors straight away but so far nothing had happened.
"Haley did you leave Karen a message?" Nathan asked, looking up. Haley shook her head.
"I couldn't do it, I couldn't tell her over a voice message, it just doesn't seem right." She replied, softly.
The room became silent again, nobody really had the energy to start small-talk or conversation.
A small moan escaped Lucas' lips and everybody looked up.
Peyton jumped to her feet and leant over the bed as Lucas moaned again, the sound muffled by the oxygen mask over his face.
"Luke? Luke honey can you hear me?" She asked.
His eyes fluttered slightly before closing again, frowning against the bright lights above. He felt like his whole body was made of lead, his head was pounding and he couldn't breathe. The pain was unbearable.
Squinting against the bright hospital lights he finally opened his eyes and was met by a familiar beautiful blonde…the lights shining through her hair, she looked like an angel he thought numbly.
"Hey." She whispered.
He tried to swallow but his throat felt like it was burning, where the hell was he?
"..H…hey." He rasped.
Peyton felt a weak smile tug at the corners of her lips.
"I'm going to go and get a doctor." She said softly.
"Don't…don't…go…please, st…stay with me." He whispered, it was taking up all his energy just to form words. He could barely focus, his head felt like it was stuffed with cotton wool…
The desperation in his voice caused Peyton to stop and sit back down, taking his hand and kissing it softly she looked into his tired, pain-filled eyes.
"I'm not going to leave you." She whispered.
She looked across at Haley and Nathan who nodded and left the room, going to find a doctor whilst Peyton sat with Lucas.
"It's okay Luke…" She said softly as she saw tears in his eyes.
"It hurts." He cried, pain written across his pale face. She shushed him softly and kissed his hand again.
"I know I know, but I'm here…"
Lucas gritted his teeth against the overwhelming pain that was pulsing through his chest and his abdomen. He felt so cold, what was wrong with him. He found it hard to focus on her face as she looked down at him, everything was spinning so fast and he couldn't seem to catch his breath.
Peyton chewed on her bottom lip as she heard his rapid and raspy breathing. He was okay, he was awake…he was talking to her. He had to be okay, right?
Lucas swallowed with difficulty, his mouth was so dry. He felt so weak, he looked up into her beautiful hazel eyes and felt his heart fluttering…She was so beautiful.
"I…I love you Peyton." He whispered.
She smiled weakly and brushed his cheek with the back of her hand.
"I love you too Lucas." She said.
He felt his eyelids growing heavier as he fought to keep them open, not wanting to lose sight of her. He could faintly feel her hand gripping his and he tried to squeeze back but all his strength seemed to have disappeared.
God, he loved her so much…why did he feel so god-damned tired…
Peyton watched, her heart beginning to race as he eyelids slid shut before slowly opening again. She could feel his grip slackening in hers and his breathing more laboured. She felt a swell of panic within her…this wasn't happening…
"Lucas? Lucas!" She called as his eyes closed and his hand slipped from hers and the monitors all flatlined.
She stumbled back, hitting the wall as she stared at the monitors in disbelief. The sounds of the machines and her own heartbeat in her ears built into a deafening crescendo as tears tracked down her cheeks and she couldn't breathe…
The door burst open and doctors and nurses rushed in, Nathan and Haley standing clueless in the doorway as Peyton began to sob desperately. She pushed against the nurses as they tried to force her out of the door, battling them in an effort to get closer to Lucas.
"Lucas! LUCAS!" She screamed in-between sobs; her throat feeling like it was going to tear as she was forced from the room, the door closing in her face.
"Lucas…." She sobbed her voice now a whisper as she collapsed down onto the floor in a heap. She could hear Haley crying behind her and Nathan shushing her softly…
She sat against the wall, sobbing as she gripped her hair in handfuls…She couldn't lose him…she couldn't..she couldn't lose him.
A/N Another cliffhanger...sigh, I think I use them too much but oh well. The next chapter is the last chapter of this fic so review for the ending! Will Lucas survive?