Chapter 2

At the hospital, the total chaos only seemed to fester. People had flooded the waiting room to wait on any small mews they could get. How could something so tragic occur on what was such a happy day, only hours earlier?

Haley waited pensively for some word on Nathan's surgery, Deb paced back and forth in front of her but neither expressly acknowledged the other. Karen watched the non-interaction, grateful for at least a small distraction from her own worries over Lucas and the newest fatherless Scott she had growing inside of her.

"Mrs. Scott?" a doctor stepped into the waiting room searching the equally anguished faces.

"Yes!" both Haley and Deb jumped up at him to his surprise.

"Uh, I'm looking for Nathan Scott's wife?" he pondered a bit timidly.

"Oh, uh…yes…of course," Deb sighed stepping to the side.

"Argh, no please tell us both. This is his mother, I'm his wife," Haley said as she held Deb's elbow to ask her to stay. The look of gratitude was more evident on Deb's face than her worry as the two Scott women awaited this doctor's report.

"Umhmm," clearing his throat in the awkward moment "his surgery went well. We were able to repair the damage using his first surgery lines so there will be no additional scarring. He is recovering now and should be conscious. We gave him something for the pain as well."

The two women embraced as tears of joy smeared their faces further, each hugged Karen as they went to see their boy. The doctor then took out the other clipboards he was holding and began calling other families' names. Karen approached him, "Excuse me, I was wondering if you could tell me about Lucas Scott. He was rushed in as well, but I don't think it was surgical – I'm his mother."

He thumbed through the tablets and shook his head, "Try 'Admit Desk 1' over there. I'm sorry I don't have any information on that patient, which is usually a good thing." He smiled at her as she walked away. The nurse at the desk sent her to a room where she found Lucas resting.

Haley and Deb flanked Nathan's bed, both holding a hand, kissing a cheek and a side of his forehead. He was still groggy from the anesthesia, but awake.

"Hey, guys!" he called out weakly, "you're smothering me." He smiled at both of them and accepted final pecks from them both. They sat on opposite sides of his bed and both began speaking at once.

"Oh, Nathan, honey I was afraid I'd lost you for good," Deb smoothed his hair from his face as she spoke.

"You really scared me," Haley playfully punched his arm, "thank God you must be part feline."

"I'm sorry to scare you both. How are Uncle Coop and Rachel? How's Lucas" he looked from one to the other.

"Well, I can say I've been better," chuckled Lucas from the doorway.

"He had to come, stubborn boy—boys, rather," followed Karen pointing playfully at Nathan. Haley embraced her long time friend, who had sustained some injuries from the glass he broke to get into the car.

"Hey man, thanks," Nathan sat up some more in the bed, "to both of you for coming to my rescue. But, when we retell the story play me up better okay?"

"Aww, what? You can't handle having your woman come after you?" Haley teased returning to his side.

"Nah, it's not that. That's actually kind of sexy," he teased back and then playfully whined, "But, Lucas always gets to be the hero." The room erupted into some much needed laughter.

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Down the hall, in the 'Intensive Care Unit', Mouth sat in the dark alone by Rachel's bedside stroking her hand. He had tried her parents may times to no answer. The doctors had told him it was touch and go right now because of the oxygen deprivation to her brain. Her blood alcohol level had been too high and had already limited her cells' ability to convert oxygen. It was a waiting game, but she had lost the baby she was carrying.

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Meanwhile, the buzz about the accident was all over town. Peyton and Brooke inadvertently arrived at the hospital at the same time. They shoved past each other through the door to Lucas' room, only to find he was not there. The silence was deafening and the intensity of Brooke's glare was too much to take.

"Brooke, c'mon! Can't we talk about this? I swear there is nothing for you to worry about. He loves you!" Peyton pleaded with Brooke pulling at her sleeve.

"Don't touch me, slut!" Brooke spat venomously snatching her arm away from Peyton, who looked as if she had been slapped again. They both turned to leave when they noticed Karen standing in the door behind them with a pitcher of water. They both blushed to be caught fighting over a boy, whose mother had overheard it.

"Girls…?" Karen posed quizzically as she stepped past them to place the pitcher on the nightstand.

"Uh, Karen…hi, "stuttered Peyton, "we…uh…came to see how everyone was doing."

"Yeah," Brooke rolled her eyes toward Peyton, and then moved to embrace Karen. "How's our boy?" She asked with a genuine look of concern. Karen studied her face for a glimpse of the anger and hurt she had seen moments before and an answer as to why it had been there. She also secretly wondered if the pregnancy test they had found belonged to Brooke.

Before she could speak Lucas entered the room, "Ladies…?"

"Hey boyfriend," Brooke embraced him and gave him a passionate yet relieved kiss that lasted long enough to make everyone else squirm a bit.

"Ahem," Karen coughed to break-up the awkward moment, "I'm glad to see you both. Lucas is doing well and will be released today. Nathan on the other hand will be here a few days. You should both check-in with him."

She led both girls from the room and directed them to Nathan's room before returning.

"Lucas, what was that all about? Are Brooke and Peyton arguing because of you? Again?" She smacked his chest as she asked, pretty much knowing the answer to her second question.

"Argh, mom!" Lucas retorted, "I don't know, but yes. Brooke is afraid things have kicked up for me and Peyton again."

"Why would she think that? What did you do?" she smacked his chest again and he recoiled.

"Geese, mom, nothing!" he rubbed the newly sore spot on his chest, "Peyton told me she loved me, when we were in the school during the…" his voice trailed off as realization washed over both of them.

"Anyway, she thought she was dying and she kissed me. We both kind of haphazardly admitted this to Brooke. Now, she hates Peyton and has me on limited trust."

"Rightly, so" Karen sank into the nearest chair, "poor Brooke, she must feel really insecure."

"I've been trying to show her that I love her only, but it's like she can't hear me."

"What do you expect, son? Especially when you are always there to save Peyton. You have to give her time and maybe even make some sacrifices for love."

He knew exactly what she was getting at.