A/N: Sorry I didn't have this up sooner. I have been dealing with some family issues so there hasn't been time to post the chapter. It probably isn't as good as the previous chapters but I needed to get this finished, the next chapter will be better I promise. I wanted it to be more light and fun but I'm using some of what I'm going through right now so light and fun kind of flew out the window.

Disclaimer: See Chapter 2

Chapter 3: Is this the end?

She was getting worse. It was what they had expected, but just because you were expecting it didn't make it easier to hear. They had called her parents several times since she had been admitted; Karen finally reached them and filled them in on what happened. She had always assumed Brooke was exaggerating when she talked about her parents, apparently not. They asked to be informed if there was any change; but announced that they had no plans of returning to Tree Hill. Lucas was glad in a way the Brooke wasn't awake, at least this way she wouldn't know that her parents weren't there.

Haley was surprised when her phone rang early in the morning, she checked the ID and a lump formed in her throat when she saw it was the hospital. When she answered she could hear Lucas' laboured breathing, she knew right then that it was bad news. He didn't tell her what was wrong at first, just told her he needed her. She didn't hesitate; she got out of bed and rushed to get dressed. She had asked him what happened but only received a sob for an answer. She would have to find out once she got there, but first she had to call Peyton.

Nathan heard the phone ring and felt Haley's weight shift when she got up to answer it. He knew it was Lucas by the look on her face. He wasn't sure what had happened but from the looks of things neither was Haley. He heard her ask him what happened but he was pretty sure she hadn't received an answer. Whatever it was he could tell it was bad. For one thing Lucas hadn't called anybody since Brooke had been in the hospital and the fact that the phone call came so early was another sign. Obviously something had happened and they had to get over there. He got out of bed, got dressed and grabbed the car keys.

Peyton had been avoiding the hospital. She would call to check on Brooke but she didn't like being in the place where her mom died, the place where she feared her friend would share the same fate.

When Haley called her to tell her that Brooke was worse she swallowed her fear. She had to be there for her best friend, and for Lucas. She got dressed as quickly as she could and rushed outside to meet Haley and Nathan.

When the three of them got to the hospital they found Lucas sitting in the hallway and the door to Brooke's room shut tight. Judging from the look on his face the news wasn't going to be good. Haley leaned against the wall and slid down to sit beside him.

"What happened?"

Lucas continued to stare at the wall across from him. It was as if he was trying to see through it into the room that held the love of his life.

"The doctors say her body is shutting down."

All four of them stayed silent all of them contemplating what this new information meant to them and what it meant for Brooke.

"What does that mean?" Nathan needed to know, everyone did.

"I don't know. They said they would try a blood transfusion, see if it helps."

"But they don't think it will?" Peyton asked not sure if she wanted to know the answer.

Lucas shrugged in response.

The silence returned, all of them lost in their own minds.

Haley couldn't believe what she was hearing. Brooke Davis was dying. She never thought she would hear that. Maybe it was something about being a teenager, you never think about your mortality. You don't wake up every morning wondering when you or your friends are going to get sick or die for that matter. It just wasn't something that crossed her mind, but even if it did she would never have thought about death and Brooke Davis. It just didn't seem possible. Not someone who loved life as much as her, not someone who had just found her way back to her soul mate, who's life was finally perfect. Things like this weren't supposed to happen. Not to someone so young and vibrant; not to her friend.

Nathan wasn't sure how to feel. He hadn't been that close to Brooke, at least until recently. You get closer to a person when they are dating your brother. He didn't think hearing news like this would affect him so much. Of course he would care no matter who it was but he didn't think he would be this upset. Maybe it was seeing his brother, wife and ex-girlfriend all so distraught that made it worse. Or maybe he cared more about Brooke than he ever thought he did. She had always been in his life. They'd known each other when they were younger, she was his girl fiend's best friend so she had always been there been there. It had never occurred to him until now that there would come a time when she wouldn't be there anymore. He realized in that moment that there would come a time when his mom would be gone, and his dad, Lucas and Peyton, and worst of all Haley. They could all be gone at any moment and he didn't want that to happen. If he had his way they wouldn't be going through this right now. Brooke would be okay and the five of them would all be sitting around the café talking or him and Luke would be shooting hoops at the Rivercourt while the girls watched and cheered them on. This wasn't how things were supposed to be.

Peyton hated the feeling of uncertainty that came with being at the hospital. Never knowing if the person you love would live or die. She hadn't felt like this since her mother and she never wanted to feel that again. She never thought that this feeling would accompany thoughts of Brooke. Brooke was always so full of life, she wasn't someone who just gave up, the Brooke Davis she knew was a fighter.

The door to Brooke's room opened and the doctor walked out accompanied by two nurses.

"We will know soon if the transfusion helped at all."

Lucas nodded and walked passed the doctor into Brooke's room. He hadn't been away from her side for more than a few minutes the entire time she had been there. He sat down in his chair the sat at the side of her bed and he resumed his position of holding her hand and starring at her face. He looked like he was trying to see if there was any change in her face, maybe he was hoping that she would all of a sudden open her eyes. He'd heard of miraculous things like that happening. Someone being on death's door one day and all of a sudden they were better. That's what he wanted to happen now. That's what he needed to happen. Losing Brooke was like losing a part of himself and it wasn't a part he was ready to give up. He knew that he had to fight for her, to make sure she stayed strong because he feared that if something were to happen to Brooke no one would be the same, especially not him.

Haley could see that she was losing Lucas, she feared for him and what he would do if he lost Brooke. If the past week had been any indication of what would happen to Lucas if he were to lose Brooke she knew she was going to be in for the fight of her life. She couldn't handle losing two people in her life.

The four friends sat around the hospital bed all lost in thought; all four thinking about the girl that lay in front of them fighting for her life. No matter what happened after this point they all knew that they would need each other to get through it.

A/N 2: I know I promised flashbacks but they didn't fit in with the mood of this chapter. The next chapter will be probably one big flashback that way I can get some more light hearted stuff in here and we can see everyone having fun again which I think is needed after this chapter. So good times to come, but I have to tell you that there are more sad times on the horizon.