Chapter Thirteen
But It's Better If You Do
Nathan
"You jerk!" I yell, punching Lucas. We're in the deep end of the pool and it's a struggle, but I don't care. My jaw is throbbing and the only thing i can feel is red hot anger.
Lucas takes the punch to his nose. blood spurts out but he doesn't seem to feel it. He grabs my arms and I grab his, and we both duck under the water for a second before bobbing back up.
"Haley!" A scream pulls me away from the fight. Peyton is kneeling by the water with a hand to her head. Brooke is holding her back. Suddenly it dawns on me that Haley isn't anwhere to be seen. I vaguely remember pulling someone into the pool, but that wasn't...
A punch to my eye knocks me from my thoughts. Lucas hasn't heard the shouts.
"Haley's at the bottom of the pool!" Brooke shouts in our direction. Finally Lucas seems to snap out of whatever rage he was in. We both back off and look around us. I see a green and brown mess at the bottom of the pool.
Hales.
I take a breath and duck down. It's a long way down but I get there. Her eye's are closed and small bubbles are clinging to her eyelashes. Lucas appears beside me and scoops her up, taking her up to the surface. I follow behind them.
When we get up, Lucas drags Haley up onto the patio and Peyton drops down beside her, cryin and pushing hair off Haley's forehead. I swim over and pull myself out.
"Haley," I say, hoping to God that she's ok. I start pumping her chest as Lucas pulls himself out and kneels down beside me. Nothing's happening. I pump again.
"We need to call for an ambulance," Brooke cries.
"Try CPR," Nose says, appearing at my side. I look over at Lucas but he's in shock. He's just staring at Haley with this really guilty look on his face.
"Lucas!" I yell, pumping Haley's chest again. He looks at me but shakes his head.
"I can't."
I nod. I get it. I lower my mouth to Haley's and give her CPR. Even in a comotose state, Haley is doing weird things to my stomach. I pump her chest again and she coughs out water. She's alive.
Her eyes flutter open gently. She barely says anything, just manages a 'huh' and then closes her eyes again.
"Keep her awake," I order to Brooke. She nods and steps away from a worse-for-wear Peyton. I stand up and shout. "Is anyone here sober?"
"Are you kidding?" Tim asks. "There's free booze here."
"I'm sober," Nose offers.
"Can you drive?" I ask.
Nose nods. "I was going to drive the school bus back tomorrow."
"Right, Lucas help me bring Haley to Dad's car. The keys are in the study, Tim, go and grab them..." Wait, Tim? "Actually, Dave, you get them."
Everyone gets about their jobs. Haley is staring up at the sky while Brooke strokes her forehead and talks about clothes or something. Lucas shakes his head, finally seeming to get his head together and sits Haley up, draping her arms around him. She somehow manages to throw the other one around him so that she's just hugging him. He scoops her up and walks through the beach house, followed by Nose. Brooke starts crying and pulls me into a hug.
I really don't have time to comfort her right now. I start to walk away but Brooke holds onto my arm. "Where are you going?" she asks.
"The hospital."
"Oh. Well, I think Lucas can deal right now Nathan. I mean, you've been great, really great but... I think Lucas has got it from here."
"I guess..." No, I'm going. I am way too worried about Haley to just go back to drinking and dancing. Dave appears at my elbow.
"I got the keys Nate."
I look at Brooke and shrug. "I'm going Brooke. Besides, I need to check my jaw out. Lucas may be weak on the court but he's got a pretty cool right hook."
Brooke nods, but she's giving me a knowing look that I can't quite fathom.
I hate hospitals. All the white, the starkness, the smell.
"Can I help you?" The receptionist asks. Lucas is still holding a sleepy looking Haley, and Nose - who is actually Mouth, apparently - is stood around looking nervous.
"Uh, the girl she... uh she drowned." Damn, I have no idea what to say. The receptionist nods.
"Right..."
Lucas steps forward. "She's been drinking alcohol, she fell in the pool and went straight to the bottom. She was down there for about a minute or maybe more, swallowed some water which we managed to make her cough out, and while I doubt there is any serious brain damage but we wanted to bring her just to be on the safe side."
Well, he's recovered.
The receptionist smiles at him. "Name?"
"Haley James," Lucas answers.
"Well, take a seat, I'll go and get the doctor. Do you want anyone to see your faces?"
Lucas looks confused, but the throbbing in my jaw and the aching in my eye keeps me in the loop. Lucas is sporting a bloody nose and a black eye. We're going to look so cool for tomorrows match.
"Uh, I'm fine," I say. Lucas nods in agreement and we all take a seat as the nurse goes wherever she's going.
Lucas is looking at Haley and biting his lip. "What's up?" I ask.
Lucas looks up at me surprised, like he wasn't expecting my sympathy. Can't say I blame the guy really.
"She should be pretty much fine by now. She shouldn't still be this sleepy," he says, brushing a strand of auburn hair out of her barely open eyes. Her lips are dry and she's staring at the ceiling.
Suddenly her eyes switch to me and she doesn't move them. Lucas notices but doesn't say anything. A muscle in his jaw is twitching though.
"Haley James?"
We all look up to see a blonde doctor carrying a clipboard with the obligatory stethoscope. Lucas nods and me and Mouth get up to join him.
"Uh, we don't need all of you, just one," the doctor says. Mouth sits back down, and I seriously consider grabbing Haley off Lucas and running after the doctor, but that would be stupid. After all, she's his girlfriend.
I hate, hate, HATE hospitals. Especially this part. The waiting. I look up at the clock - half three. W'e've only been her half an hour. Mouth is sprawled out across a row of chairs and seemingly falling asleep. I can't though. I keep looking back to the corridor Haley and Lucas went down.
3:32.
I wonder how everyone is doing back at the party. Everyone was so drunk that Haley falling into the pool would hardly of registered as a buzz kill, but I feel completely sober.
3:33
When I saw her form at he bottom of the pool...
"You BASTARD!"
Mouth jumps up and I turn to see Lucas walk down the corridor, his fists clenched and his eyes sparking with anger.
"What's the mat..." I'm cut off as a fist connects with my jaw for the second time tonight. A sharp pain explodes and rattles my brain. I clutch my jaw and straighten up.
"What the hell?" I yell. I can see security running up towards us.
"What did you give her?" Lucas yells. What is he on?
"I don't know what you're talking about but..."
"Don't bullshit me Nathan. I know you, I know this twisted little plan you have to somehow seduce Haley just to prove you can."
How the hell does he know that.
"I know you Nathan!" He yells, as if reading my mind. "Haley may have fell for your 'I'm a cool guy act' but I sure as hell never. I thought you were bad Nathan but this... this is just sick!"
"I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!" I yell as the security men circle us. They don't seem to want to get involved.
"the drugs Nathan! The drugs that Haley got spiked with!"
3:35
