"Lucas?" Brooke asks as they lay together holding each other.
"Yes cheery?" Lucas replies in a yawning voice.
"Why do you love me?" Brooke asks.
Lucas smiles and looks into her eyes. "For a lot of reasons I love you for your courage, your strength, your absolute inability to give up I love you for the look you make when you're having a hard time on a particular question while doing your homework , but most of all I love you because of your incredible heart……It doesn't hurt that your hot either. Lucas says laughing. A tear came to Brooke's face she had never heard anything so incredible in her entire life.
"Ahh Lucas I Love you so much" She sighs and kisses. She lays her head on his chest and finally falls asleep.
"You know what Keith?" Karen says watching them from the doorway. "This is the happiness I've dreamt for Lucas since he was born" she says as she smiles and heads off to bed.
The next morning Lucas awoke to laughter and the aroma of a fresh Karen Roe breakfast he decided to shower before joining what sounded like three very talkative people. After the shower he quickly got dressed and joined them in the kitchen. Brooke just lit up when she saw Lucas, Karen and Keith both saw the love these two shared and just smiled.
"Hey Broody" Brooke exclaimed as Lucas entered the kitchen.
Lucas smiled wrapping his arms around her and leaned in to kiss her. "Hey Cheery, how bad have you corrupted my mom and Uncle Keith huh?" Lucas asked with a smile.
"Me? Corrupt? Never" she exclaimed as Lucas sat by her and took her hand.
"Did you sleep well, Brooke?" Lucas asked as he leaned in kissing her forehead.
"Yes thanks to you" she replied.
"Me? What did I do?" Lucas asked.
"Broody, when I'm in your arms I feel safe like nothing in this world could possibly hurt me, I feel content and completely at ease" she replied.
Lucas smiled after they had all finished there breakfast Nathan called Lucas for a much needed guys day out. Lucas told everyone goodbye kissed Brooke told he loved her and headed for the rivercourt. The two brothers were in the middle of an intense game of basketball, when it happened.
"Ugh" Lucas groaned.
"Luke man what's wrong?" Nathan asked.
"Ugh can't……breathe." Lucas groaned again, holding his chest.
"I'll call 911" Nathan said just as Lucas collapsed and laid there unconscious.
"Yes hello operator my brother had some kind of chest pain and collapsed, we're at the river court please hurry" Nathan exclaimed.
After calling Karen through Brooke's number he got in the ambulance and went with his brother to the hospital. Karen rushed in Brooke closely behind her.
"NATHAN! NATHAN!" Karen yells. "Please tell me what happened to my baby.
"I…….I don't know one minute we were playing ball the next he was clutching his chest and saying he couldn't breathe then he just collapsed". Nathan responded in a haze. Brooke is crying hysterically as Haley shows up she immediately gathers Brooke to her and tries knowing she'll have no luck to comfort her. Just then the doctor appeared and walked up to the very upset trio.
"Ms. Roe?" he asked.
"Yes?" she responded. "What happened to my son?"
"Your son had a minor heart attack" the doctor calmly responded.
"But how I mean he's only 16 and in great shape" Karen exclaimed.
"Your son has a rare but genetic heart condition called Hypertrophic Cardiomopathy or otherwise known as HCM, it causes the walls of the heart to thicken therefore restricting blood flow.
"What?" she gasps. "Is he…….is he ok?"
"Yes your son is fine we were able to stabilize him and he's on medication, he will have to be on a medication the rest of his life to prevent future episode, I understand your son plays basketball?" he asks.
"Yes why?" she replies.
"Well…..because the medicine he'll be taking is designed to slow the body down he'll still be able to play in a couple months but he won't be able to play at the same level ever again, I'm telling you this because I think when he wakes up it'll be easier to hear from you" he says. He turns to Nathan, "You're his brother right?" he asks.
"Yes, why?" Nathan replies.
"Well as I said this is a genetic condition so therefore we should run some tests on you to make sure you don't have it as well, do you want to do it now?" he asks.
"Since I'm here we probably shouldn't put it off" Nathan replies and takes Haley's hand.
"Ms. Roe you may see him if you like, may I ask who this lovely young very upset lady is?" he asked looking at Brooke who couldn't bring herself to speak.
"This is Lucas' girlfriend Brooke" Karen says.
The doctor turns and gives her a very soft look "he's going to be ok Brooke I promise" he smiles.
Brooke gives a pleading look to Karen and says "I can't do this Karen, I can't I love him too much to see him like that. Karen puts her arm around Brooke.
"Brooke I know this is hard and if it were anyone else I would agree with you, but this is Lucas and if he wakes up and your not there it will devastate him" she replies.
"I guess your right, but if I go in there I'm going to fall apart" she replies.
"Then we'll fall apart together" Karen said as she smiled nervously. When they walked in the room Lucas was asleep and hooked up what seemed to Brooke like a million machines all she could do was go to his side and take his hand.
"Karen I know you're his mother but….if you try to make me leave before he wakes up I might have to hurt you" she said with a half smile.
"Of course you can stay with him Brooke" Karen answered. After everyone had left Brooke just sat there looking at him he looked so frail and weak not the headstrong and determined man she had fallen head over heels in love with. After what seemed like forever she fell asleep holding his hand. After a couple of hours she was awoken by a soft raspy voice.
"Hey Cheery" Lucas said, in a low voice. Brooke looked into his eyes and began to cry. "Cheery don't cry you know I hate it when you cry".
"Luke I thought I was going to lose you, I thought you weren't going to come back to me" Brooke replied.
"You can't get rid of me that easy" Lucas said with a smile, Brooke leaned up and kissed him softly, "I love you cheery".
"I love you to broody now rest get some more sleep, I'll be here in the morning I'm not going anywhere" Brooke said.
The next morning Karen was on her way up to Lucas' room as she opens the door she can see Brooke sleeping curled up in the chair next Lucas' bed he's awake just watching her sleep. She just can't get past how these two could possibly love each other this much in high school, she just smiles.
Lucas had fallen back to sleep but just as he had he was woken up by a very steamy kiss from the one person who could make everything better.
"Hey cheery" Lucas smiles as he wakes up.
"Hey broody" she replies.
"Brooke?" he asks.
"Yes, broody" she replies.
"Can you always wake me up like that?" he asks.
"Absolutely" and with that she kisses him deeply.
"Oh would you two please get a room" Haley said as she and Nathan walk in.
"Well tutorgirl we happen to be in one" Brooke calmly replies causing everyone to laugh.
"How are you buddy?" Haley asks.
"I feel much better now Hales, thanks" he replied.
"You're always welcome Luke" she replied. Karen walked in just she had been preparing herself to tell Lucas about the medication and the restrictions it would put on him.
"Haley could you give us a minute?" she asked.
"Sure" she replied. She and Brooke got up to leave.
"No Brooke you stay please" Karen said.
"Ok" Brooke said looking confused.
"Mom what's this all about?" Lucas questioned. Brooke took Lucas' hand knowing what was coming.
Karen sighed "Lucas the doctor told me that after your rehab and recovery you could return to basketball"
"That's great mom" he replied.
"There's more" she continued. "However the medication you're going to be on will put restrictions on your body in short you won't be able to play at the same level ever again" Brooke squeezed his hand knowing this was going to be a blow.
"Well I guess I have a lot to think about then" he replied.
