Haley looked around the halls as they passed by. She saw their chemistry class. It looked dark. In fact, now the entire school looked dark. And it wasn't because of Tim. Tim Smith was hardly the first student to express his rage at school. Many students had taken fits outside classroom doors or in the cafeteria or cried alone in the bathroom when they thought no one else was around. Haley had seen a lot of it as a tutor. Tim was just the first one to express his rage with a gun.
"How are you doing?" Nathan asked his blue eyes full of concern. Haley smiled at him wanly.
"I'll live," she replied simply and then rested her head against his shoulder. She could feel sleep pulling at her and she finally succumbed to it.
"Haley," Nathan whispered. He sighed when he realized that she had just slipped into an unconscious state again. He quickened his pace and they were finally outside the main entrance. Brooke and Lucas put their hands on their heads and walked slowly outside. Nathan just stood there while a few armed policemen came to check him out. He remembered the drills. If the school were ever in a hostage situation and you managed to get out, you were to put your hands on your heads and head towards the police. If you couldn't, just follow their instructions. And that's what Nathan did.
"Who is this, son?" An officer asked.
"Her name is Haley James," Nathan replied. He was instructed to go to the ambulance and a few paramedics strapped Haley to a stretcher and put her in the back.
"Do you want to ride with her?" a female paramedic asked. Nathan stopped to think.
"Yes," he replied. After everything they'd been through together, he knew he couldn't leave her alone. He needed to make sure she was actually ok.
"This girl is lucky," the paramedic said as she examined Haley's leg, "you probably saved her life." Nathan smiled on the inside and nodded to her on the outside. He had saved a life. Who would've thought?
Seven hours later…
Haley slowly opened her eyes and looked around. Right away she could see the telltale signs that she was in a hospital. The smell of disinfectant was so strong it was as if someone had put the bottle right up to her nose. She could also hear her heart monitor beeping. It was annoying but she figured she should be thankful. If it wasn't beating, that would mean she was dead and she hated that thought more than the incessant beeping. A door opened and closed.
"You're awake," Nathan Scott said as he came into view. He sat down beside her. His eyes were sparkling as he looked down at her.
"And you're here," she said. It came out harsh but she didn't intend it to. She cleared her throat. "I figured you'd want to spend time with Brooke or even your family." Nathan laughed.
"Brooke is not my problem anymore. I guess, in a way, I should be thanking Lucas," Nathan said.
"What about your parents?" Haley asked.
"Oh, they're here," he replied. Haley's brow furrowed.
"Why?" she asked.
"Well, some dork called them and told them that I had been in an ambulance. They forgot to mention that I was just riding along. So, my parents freaked out. They got in their car and drove all the way over here only to find me in the cafeteria on their way up," Nathan said, laughing. Then the doctor came in and looked at her.
"I have a feeling I'm not going to like this," Haley said. The doctor cracked a smile.
"The surgery was a success. But your knee is never going to be what it used to be," he said.
"Meaning?" Haley asked.
"If you're an athlete, you're not going be much of one anymore. No sports teams," he said. Haley just laughed at him.
"Trust me, that won't be a problem. I'm too much of a klutz to be an athlete," she said in between giggles. The doctor smiled.
"Well, that's the first time I've heard that. It's refreshing," he said. Haley nodded.
"So when can I get out of here?" she asked.
"As soon as your parents give consent," he said. Nathan looked down and Haley shook her head.
"I don't have any," she replied. The doctor looked at her in surprise.
"I can always call Social Services," he suggested. Haley shook her head.
"That won't be necessary. Just give me the forms and I'll sign them," Haley said.
"You're a minor, Ms. James," he said.
"Then contact Social Services. Someone there will tell you that I have the authority to sign," she said. He nodded and got up. A few minutes later, a nurse returned with the forms and a change of clothing for Haley. Nathan left the room while she got ready and came back to find her with a pair of crutches. Haley turned to the nurse. "Do you mind calling a cab for me?" The nurse smiled.
"Don't bother," Nathan called after her. Haley looked at him in shock. "I can give you a ride home. My parents came in separate cars. My dad used mine."
"You don't have to do that," she said. Nathan smiled.
"I know. I want to," he said. Haley needed no more convincing.
"Ok," she said.
They got to her apartment door and Haley fished out her keys. She opened the door and crutched in. "Whoa. This place is nice," he said. When they walked in there was an open space to the left. It was divided into two rooms even though it was a huge room. The first was a dining area since there was a big oak table. Then further down, there was a couch, a chair and an entertainment system which consisted of a television, two VCRs and a DVD player.
When you turned to your right at the front door, you could see the small kitchen. If you walked further into the living room, you'd notice a small hallway. There was the bathroom on the right side and the bedroom on the left. Haley headed into her bedroom and left the door opened a little crack. "You really think so?" she called back.
"Yeah. It's a bit smaller than what I'm used to and probably small for your foster parents," he said. She came out in simple pink pyjamas with a spaghetti strap top.
"I don't have any foster parents. I live here alone," she said. He looked at her in surprise.
"You do? But you're sixteen. How is that possible?" he asked.
"I'm emancipated from the State. I have been for about six months," she replied. He nodded. "I got tired of bouncing around from foster home to foster home. I needed somewhere stable."
"I understand," he said.
"Thanks for the ride. You can go home if you want," she said.
"I'd rather stick around and hang out, if you don't mind," he said.
"I don't. But you do realize that right now I can't do a lot, right?" she asked, gesturing to her cast knee and the crutches she was leaning on. He smiled.
"You can watch television, can't you?" he asked. Haley's eyes brightened.
"And I just got a new digital cable package," she said excitedly.
"Does it include the movie network channels?" he asked.
"Of course. That's why I chose it," she said. Haley came over and sat down on the couch beside him. She leaned her crutches against the wall beside the couch. They picked a movie and watched it.