"Lucas please, this is ridiculous! You need to tell Whitey!" Haley pleaded jogging to catch up with Lucas's fast walking pace as he headed up to the gym, his bag slung over his shoulder casually whilst he looked straight ahead, trying to block out Haley's pleading comments. He knew she was right but he just couldn't do it, he needed to get her to understand!
"Or at least tell your Mom Luke, she deserves to know. You can't keep this a secret forever!" She said catching up with him and standing in front of him, forcing him to stop walking. He sighed and looked down into her desperate hazel eyes and his frown softened slightly as he looked away and up at the night sky.
"Hales…I can't burden her with this. Do you know how much this medication costs? She doesn't have that kind of money and I don't want her to worry more than she has to, especially with everything she has going on at the moment." He said bringing his gaze reluctantly back to his best friend's face as she shook her head.
"Luke listen to me okay, your mom should be worried. You have a heart condition, if she can't afford the medication how can you? You have a part time job at the café; you're at school most of the time. This is ridiculous; just tell her, she needs to know. She's your Mom Luke." She finished with a sigh, tears burning in the backs of her eyes. Lucas looked away guiltily unable to hold his friends gaze. She was right but…this was just so hard for him, she needed to understand. He had to put this in a way she would understand
"If I tell my mom, she'll tell Whitey. If Whitey knows about this I won't be able to play. I worked so hard to get onto this team and to fit in and it will all be gone over nothing. Basketball is my life Hales, it's my passion and I can't give it up. It's like asking you to never sing again…could you do it?" He asked seriously looking her in the eyes. She hesitated looking away defeatedly before turning back to him.
"You could die Luke." She whispered her voice cracking with emotion. She needed to get him to understand, to understand all of this wasn't worth losing him forever. He was her best friend and she needed him, she couldn't lose him. She had to make him understand.
Lucas swallowed hard blinking back tears of frustration as his heart hammered with anticipation. He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked down at his shoes. He couldn't do this now, he would play this game and talk about this later.
"I'm not gonna die Haley. I'll play this game and I'll talk about this afterwards okay? I promise." He said taking her hand. She nodded numbly willing tears back as she watched him walk away from her and towards the gym…she just prayed that he would be okay.
Luke pushed the door to the changing rooms open and stepped inside, the familiar smell of sweat and anticipation greeting him as he looked around. Nathan was in the corner with Tim and a few of the guys laughing, he looked up meeting Lucas' gaze with a cold glare which Lucas ignored, slinging his bag down and shrugging his jacket off his shoulders ignoring the snide comments he could hear Nathan making in the background. He sighed and pulled on his jersey ignoring the dull ache in his chest and the laughter from behind him. He felt someone shove into his shoulder and he stumbled into the lockers, banging his elbow hard against the metal. He spun around angrily to find Nathan standing there with a smirk on his face as Luke rubbed his elbow.
"What's your problem?" Lucas spat angrily squaring up to Nathan. Nathan paused before sneering at him.
"You are dumbass. I don't even know why you bothered showing up tonight, it's not like you'll be putting any points on the board is it?"
Lucas smiled slightly at his brother's comments showing he wasn't affected but he knew it was true, his game has suffered as a result of his medication, it made him sluggish and exhausted but that was why he hadn't taken any before tonight's game. He'd show Nathan how to play basketball.
"We'll see about that won't we?" Lucas said complacently whilst putting his jacket in his locker. Nathan scowled.
"Probably not, I wouldn't surprised if Whitey benched you after five minutes the way you've been playing. In fact the only reason you're still on this team is because you're his favourite. You wouldn't last 30 seconds if he wasn't coach."
"Well he is coach so shut up and get out of my face." Luke said angrily, usually he wouldn't bait Nathan he would just ignore him but he had had enough. Nathan grinned and took a step closer to Lucas.
"Make me." He whispered
Silence fell upon the dressing room as everyone watched in trepidation waiting to see who would make the first move…
"Or are you still crying over Brooke? You need a tissue?" Nathan sneered. That was it, Luke snapped. He slugged Nathan hard across the face, fire lancing through his knuckles. Nathan quickly responded with a quick punch that sent Luke stumbling back, Luke threw himself forward tackling Nathan to the ground. He managed to throw in a good few punches before Whitey came in yelling. He pulled Lucas off by his jersey and followed suit with Nathan who jerked free angrily, glaring at Lucas and wiping the blood from his mouth.
"What the hell do you two think you're doing? I've had enough of this, after this game you're suspended indefinitely. Don't even think about arguing, now I want none of this on the court or there will be trouble." He yelled gruffly, taking one last look at the pair of them before storming out leaving Nathan and Lucas catching their breath and glaring at each other. Luke felt his chest constricting tightly as he panted but he pushed it to the back of his mind as he concentrated on getting his breath back for the game.
"Nathan…" Lucas began but he was cut off abruptly.
" Don't even think about saying anything to me, we're done. Why don't you just drop dead? It would make everyone's lives easier." He spat before storming off leaving Lucas alone with his thoughts. He slowly sat down on the bench and put his head in his hands, his eye throbbing angrily with pain from the fight. He steadied his breathing and looked up. He tried to act like Nathan's comment didn't mean anything but it did, maybe everyone's lives would be better. Nathan hated him, Brooke obviously didn't want him, his mom was too busy for him…who else did he have? Basketball was the only thing he had left and even that could be taken away from him. He clenched his fists as his hands began to shake and took a deep breath. He would show Nathan, he wouldn't lose his game. He'd push through the pain.
Whitey grinned as Lucas sank another shot clean through the net, boy the kid was playing well tonight. He had been worried about him in practice, he had been lagging but it looked like he was making up for it now. At least him and Nathan weren't fighting on the court again. He didn't understand what had happened between the two of them, before they had been almost best friends and suddenly things had gone back to the way they started…
Luke dribbled quickly up the court avoiding two defenders, faking back quickly before shooting, he watched the ball through the air before it hit nothing but net. He grinned as three more points went up on the board and the crowd screamed and cheered as he shot a smile towards a scowling Nathan. He was finally playing the way he used to, granted he was exhausted and his breathing harder but he put it down to the pills. He would make it through this game and then take them when he got home. He was running low, he only had two left and he didn't get paid until next week but he would manage. He always did. Wiping the sweat from his face with his jersey and struggling for another breath he got back into the game, dodging and weaving across the court skillfully.
Haley chewed on her nails nervously as she watched Lucas dribble up and down the court, he was playing well but still something didn't look right. He had to keep stopping for a breather and he looked exhausted but no one else seemed to notice, they only noticed him scoring points. She sighed, she hoped he would be okay…She glanced across at Karen who was smiling as she watched Lucas, blissfully unaware of what was really happening with her son. She should tell her, she needed to know but she knew that if she did Lucas would probably never talk to her again. She had promised him. She looked down and saw Brooke and Peyton cheering happily waving their pompoms as Nathan scored his second goal of the night. Her smile faded slightly as she watched Brooke. She didn't know how she felt about her right now, after what she did to Luke, she had broken his heart and over Chris of all people. She knew Brooke didn't mean to but still she had done it and she had really hurt Lucas. She sighed, everything was so messed up at the moment. Brooke and Lucas, her and Nathan…She just wanted everything to be okay again. She bought her gaze back to the game where the seconds were counting down to half time. Luke had the ball again and he was dribbling quickly across the court…but something was definitely wrong, even from the stands she could see how pale he was, he was sweating and his movements had become more sluggish. His path was blocked by two defenders and he turned to pass, her blood ran cold and it felt like a block of ice had settled in the pit of her stomach as she watched his legs falter, in slow motion she saw him fall to the ground, legs buckling, the ball slipping from his hand, his head hitting the floor. She leapt from her seat letting out a scream.
"Lucas!"
She felt Karen stand up next to her as she waited for Lucas to get up, for him to stand up like everything was fine…he just tripped…but he didn't get up. He wasn't moving. People were running over, players shouting to each other, the game grinding to a halt as Haley sprinted down the stands, closely followed by Karen and being met by Brooke and Peyton at the bottom. Haley stopped still when she saw Lucas, lying still, eyes closed and face pale.
This was her fault…she should have told Whitey, she should have told Karen…she shoudn't have listened to Lucas. And now he was lying there…
Karen rushed past her towards Luke and Whitey crouched down next to him. She could see Nathan walking slowly forward his expression blank and numb as he headed towards his brother…she couldn't believe this…
"He's not breathing." She heard someone say, her heart hammered faster and blood rushed in her ears as she gripped onto the bench to support herself. This wasn't happening, it had to be a dream…a nightmare. Her best friend wasn't breathing…he wasn't breathing she had to do something!
Brooke dropped her pompoms to the floor with a rustle as Lucas hit the floor, the sound of his head hitting the wood playing over and over making her feel sick. Tears burned in her eyes as she saw him lying there, still and silent…all she could think about was how much she loved him and how much he probably hated her. She needed him to be okay so she could tell him how much she loved him, she couldn't lose him, not now. Not like this. She needed him to know, he needed to know she feels…she needed him to forgive her. She latched onto Peyton who was watching in sick fascination as Whitey checked for a pulse…she pulled Brooke into a hug, letting her cry in her arms as she kept her gaze fixated on Lucas, the first boy she had ever really loved…she couldn't believe this was happening. What was wrong with him?
Dan watched from the sidelines as someone called 911. He swallowed keeping his face calm and neutral as people around him muttered and craned for a better look. He didn't know how he should feel, the boy was his son he was supposed to be worried but…he had betrayed him. He didn't feel sad or worried or angry just…neutral, numb. He knew Lucas couldn't afford his medication how could he? He wouldn't have told Karen, he knew that much. He wouldn't want to worry her. He should tell someone really, what was really wrong with him, but the boy needed to be taught a lesson. No one messes with Dan Scott and gets away with it. He thought with a smile before walking out of the gym leaving the crowds behind.
The paramedics came soon after and managed to disperse the crowds of players and cheerleaders to get to Lucas. Haley hung back uncertainly, she didn't know what to do. Should she tell the paramedics about his HCM? Would he be angry…better him angry at her than dead, she thought numbly before pushing forward to the paramedic who was strapping a mask to his face whilst the other was consoling a distraught Karen.
"Um Excuse me?" She said to the paramedic nervously, fighting back tears. The medic turned around
"There is something you should know, he uh…he had HCM." She said quietly hoping Karen wouldn't hear. The medic frowned and looked at his partner before nodding.
"Thanks, that should help us." He said with a smile before calling his partner away from Karen, Whitey taking over with comforting her.
"He'll be okay Karen, he's a strong kid. I'm sure whatever is wrong he will be okay." He said reassuringly. Karen nodded weakly, tears falling from her eyes as the paramedics lifted Luke onto a stretcher, still doing chest compressions, trying to get him breathe.
With each compression Nathan replayed his words over and over again Drop dead, how could he have said that. Now they were coming true, the last thing he had said to his brother was that he wanted him to die. He swallowed hard blinking back tears as he watched the medics struggle to get his brother to breathe…how could this have happened? What was wrong with him? When he noticed Luke was getting tired at practice and looking awful he should have said something, done something rather than use it against him, sure they weren't seeing eye to eye but they were still brothers…and he was a bad one. And now Lucas could be dying…
A/n, So what did you think guys? I found this post really hard because of all the POVs so I couldn't put in a lot of detail but the next post will be probably focusing on one or two POVs at a time so that means detail and description! woooh so please review! Press the button! You know you want to
Next Time: Luke is taken to hospital and everyone finds out about his HCM, how will they react?