So this website really hates me! haha Everytime I try and sign in some error comes up! Its quite depressing. Anyway! Here's chapter 17. I think I am going to only take this story to maybe 25 or 30 chapters... just because I've started a new one. It takes place right where the season finale ended and I am kinda in love with that story. So I'll get this one finished up and let you know when I start posting the other one! Enjoy this chapter!
"Brooke, Lucas… no need to be alarmed" A tall blonde woman said meeting Brooke and Lucas at the door. She didn't look worried so it gave Brooke some piece of mind. She'd been worried the whole way here. All they had told her on the phone was that Ella was in the hospital, not to bother coming by tomorrow.
"What's wrong with her?"
"After you brought her back, she spiked a fever… they think its pneumonia, there was no need to come down. I just thought I would tell you"
"What? Of course we'd come… is she going to be ok?" Brooke asked gripping Lucas's hand harder and harder by the second… she didn't do well at all in situations like this. She wasn't built for it…
"After a few days here she should be ok, I've got to get back…"
"You're just leaving her here?" Lucas asked, he sounded really mad which surprised Brooke. Usually Lucas was really laid back… even during rough times. But he did love Ella, and Brooke figured this was getting to him just as bad as it was her.
"She has nurses"
"What room?"
"They're starting an IV right now" The blonde said, ignoring Lucas's question, which seemed to piss him off even more.
"What room…"
"That one… right there"
The whole place smelled like a hospital, obviously… but it made Lucas's stomach churn. At least the room Ella was in was painted with some kind of fish and colors… but it still looked so sad. Even sadder than she did, laying there coughing and crying as they tried to get an IV in. Her face lit up a little when she saw Lucas and Brooke, until they tried to get the IV in again.
"Hey… god, Lucas look at her" Brooke whispered standing closer to Lucas. This whole place was breaking her heart.
"We're working on an IV right now, but she's squirming, sit still honey"
"You're poking her with the needles?"
"We have to get her hydrated… this happens a lot with orphans, there's so many there they cant keep them all well" The nurse said trying to hold Ella's little arm down while she cried and squirmed.
"Wait…Brooke go tell Peyton where we are" Lucas whispered seeing that this was too much for Brooke to handle right now. He walked over to the bed and picked up Ella. He knew first hand how much IV's hurt. He sat back with little Ella against his chest while she coughed and cried. He didn't really know what else to other than just pat her back and tell her how brave she was. It seemed to calm her down a little… her coughing eased up and crying stopped after a few minutes. He couldn't imagine how someone could actually leave her there alone like that… she was so small and seemed so lonely laying against his chest, playing with his fingers. Once she was completely calm, the nurse decided it was time to try for an IV again. Lucas hated the thought of watching, but he hated the thought of making her do it alone even more.
"I bet Brooke went to buy you some presents" Lucas whispered rubbing the little girls back as the nurse looked around for a vein. She was too sick to even care they were messing around with her arm.
"Ok we're going to do it on the count of 3… keep her looking away"
"So you want a bear?"
"1" The nurse said loudly. Lucas wanted more than anything to tell her just to shut up and do it already, get it over with.
"Nowa"
"No? What about… a bunny?" Lucas whispered making sure to keep her looking the other way.
"2"
"Nowa… doggie"
"A doggie? When you get better will you come help me take care of mine?" Lucas asked figuring she's like to come play with the puppy.
"Yeaya"
"3" The nurse said sticking the needle in, making Ella cry and cough all over again.
"Shh…"
"You're all finished…"
"Lucas!" Brooke shrieked running into the hospital room. This was one of the few times Lucas had ever actually seen Brooke run, so he knew it had to be important.
"What took you so long… what?"
"Your moms here! Having the baby!"
"What?" Lucas asked trying to yell and upset Ella again.
"Yea… well they said it would still be a few hours… you should go see her"
"Yea… wow" Lucas said starting to put Ella back on the bed, but the second she started to move her the crying and coughing started back.
"Nowa"
"Maybe after she's asleep?"
"Ella… what did they do to you? I got you a present" Brooke smiled laying down on the bed beside Lucas and pulling Ella's prize out of the giftshop bag.
"What did I tell you?"
"Look! It looks like Gucci!"
"His name is not Gucci" Lucas whispered shaking his head at her. There was no way in hell they were naming that puppy Gucci.
"Yea it is… are you going to let Lucas get up and go see his mommy?" Brooke asked wiping Ella's hair away from her face. She looked so sad and sick laying there on Lucas's chest.
"Nowa"
"She didn't look this sick earlier… she was fine. I shouldn't have taken her out anywhere"
"Brooke it's not your fault" Lucas promised, after all he'd been there this morning before they started moving and other than being a little whiney and coughing… she'd seemed fine.
"She kept coughing…"
"She's probably better of sick here than she is there… at least she has us here"
"Haley's right Lucas" Brooke sighed hating to admit this. But seeing Lucas laying there with Ella just proved Haley's point further.
"About what?"
"We're getting too attached, I mean before I wanted someone nice to come and adopt her more than anything…and now, now I don't want anyone to have her. Am I the most selfish person ever to think that?"
"Brooke, my mother is having my brother or sister tonight, and I'm laying here with her, if you're selfish… I am too" Lucas half laughed but he saw what she was saying.
"I wish we were older, and married and ready for kids… ok that's a lie I don't want to be old… but we can still me married and ready for kids"
"Money might help too"
"Money… right" Brooke sighed. This was really making her feel bad for Peyton… at least Brooke had Lucas if something like this were going to happen. Peyton was completely alone until she found out whose baby it was.
"And time…"
"Yea… I guess kids need that too huh?"
"Kids and us… its not like we have the most free time in the world" Lucas laughed thinking of how much time they spent apart as it was now.
"I know… but what would be the difference, if say I got pregnant totally by accident now? We'd make time and money and we'd have to be ready right?"
"I guess… but"
"But what? With her she's like already trained…I just don't want anything bad for her" Brooke smiled looking at the tiny little girl in Lucas's arms.
"If you got pregnant right now, like Peyton, we wouldn't have a choice, we'd be forced into something, and I don't want us forced into anything…I want us to get married when we want, and have kids when we want… not because we have too"
"I know, me too… and I kinda don't want to be 19 we get married and have kids either. Ella just makes my heart hurt, in a good way… but it still hurts"
"I know… mine too" Lucas sighed taking Brooke's hand. At least they could have a mature conversation and admit they were both being selfish. In his eyes that had to at least be a start.
"Lucas Scott!"
"What? Keith… shh"
"You're mother has been trying to call you for 30 minutes! What are you doing?" Keith asked, not quieting down at all. He seemed really nervous, and pissed…
"Getting Ella to sleep"
"Why don't you leave the kid and come see your mother… both of you? She needs hands to hold"
"I don't want to be there for that…" Lucas cringed. Brooke found it funny how he turned from the serious mature Lucas, to the 'whiney please don't make me do that' Lucas in a matter of seconds.
"Lucas doesn't do well with the whole pain thing"
"But you can sit here with a sick kid while she coughs all over you?" Keith asked not buying it for a second. He could at least be there for his mom.
"Mom has you Keith… go sit with her, I'll be up later"
"I'm not supposed to go back up until I have you and or Brooke"
"Go… come here Ella Bella, we'll play while Lucas is gone…don't cry… I've got you…wave bye bye" Brooke whispered taking into her arms. It was obvious she didn't want to leave Lucas, or do anything but cry and whine for that matter. Brooke felt so bad for her.
"I'll be back"
Up a few floors Lucas walked with Keith to go see his mom. He was really dreading this. The screaming, the pain… the blood, it just wasn't his thing. Especially when it was happening to his mother. When he had Brooke had kids one day, fine… he'd be there holding her hand or whatever he needed to do, of course. But his mother… this wasn't his job, he was supposed to be in like the waiting room, with Brooke… talking and calling people… not actually in there.
"Lucas… thank god… can I go home now?" Peyton begged meeting Lucas at the doorway to Karen's room. She looked petrified and pale… like she'd seen a ghost or something.
"Yea… you ok?"
"Pregnant women don't need to see women in labor… I'm going now"
"Yea…" Lucas laughed. He had forgotten that Peyton was pregnant… and there was no telling the things she and heard in there with his mom.
"Lucas… where's Brooke"
"With Ella… are you ok?"
"Ella? She needs to be up here… I need a girl" Karen said hitting the corner of the bed with her fist. She looked like she was in a lot of pain and Lucas sure as hell wasn't bringing Brooke up here to this… she'd probably cry or throw up.
"Oh no… I am not letting you scare her out of having kids"
"It's a beautiful thing"
"You see beautiful… Brooke sees pain and yelling and… no she's not coming up here… we'll be a childless couple" Lucas laughed sitting down in the chair by his moms bed. She seemed like she was in a little bit less pain now… but none the less he was really glad he was a guy right now.
"Which is exactly what you should be for the next 10 years… maybe it will scare her out of having sex"
"Another reason she's not coming up here… how are you feeling? Did they give you pain medicine?"
"I don't believe in pain medicine… it might hurt the baby" Karen whispered doing some kind of creepy breathing thing. Lucas wasn't sure he ever wanted to see Brooke like this, in this much pain…maybe she was right when she said they should just adopt kids.
"Right…is she ok?"
"Contraction… you're a sheltered child Lucas"
"No kidding…" Lucas laughed nervously looking at his watch. It was 9:15… and apparently going to be a really long night.
"Oh is this your older son? Are you excited about watching your sister or brother get born?" The nurse asked bringing in a whole armful of stuff that Lucas didn't even want to ask what it was.
"What… I'm not watching"
"Lucas! We need someone to video tape it"
"No! No… I came, I saw you, I am not watching it happen" Lucas said putting his foot down. There was no way in hell he was watching this happen… much less videotape it.
"What about when you and Brooke have children"
"Well then I will be up near her head… holding her hand away from the blood… plus she'll be my wife… not my mother"
"Ok Karen… I am going to check you" The nurse smiled. That was Lucas's cue to get out of there as fast as he could.
"I… I'm gonna go now, I don't need to see any of this… call me after its born, and clean and I will come hang out with my little brother or sister? Ok? I love you"
"Bye… I think Brooke's having a negative affect on him"
Downstairs on the children's floor Brooke laid with Ella watching bad Spanish Soaps. The nurse came in a few times, to check on Ella… but for the most part it was just Brooke and Ella for a while. Ella finally woke up after a while and seemed to be feeling a lot better… she was talking to Brooke and giggling, but Brooke could tell that she probably still felt terrible. And whenever Brooke sat up or made a sudden move Ella started to cry and cough saying "Nowa go" and clung to Brooke's arm. From the looks of things she and Lucas were going to be there all night. And they were… when Lucas finally got back to the room with some decent food, and ice cream for Ella, they ate, talked and the next thing Brooke knew Lucas's cell phone was ringing and she was hanging off the bed.
"Lucas… get the phone" Brooke whined not wanting to get up.
"Hello?
"It's a girl!"
"Really? We'll be there in a second…" Lucas yawned hanging up the phone and waking Brooke up.
"I so knew it was a girl… just someone else for me to compete with"
"She's asleep… we'll be back before she wakes up right?"
"Yea… whatever they gave her put her out…"
When they got up upstairs to the room, Karen was holding the baby and Keith was taking pictures galore. It was the cutest thing Brooke had ever seen. They all seemed so happy… even Lucas who had been against this the whole time was smiling. Lucas walked towards the bed holding Brooke's hand until Karen started to hand him the baby.
"You want to hold her?" Karen asked, basically not giving Lucas a choice in the matter. Because by the time she got the word 'her' out of her mouth the little baby was already being forced into Lucas's arms.
"What's her name?"
"Erin Roe Scott"
"She's so cute… Lucas I want one" Brooke whined looking down at the little baby… well she didn't actually want one at the moment… but she was really cute.
"No you don't"
"Well one day… She's got big eyes"
"That's you're future sister in law Brooke" Karen laughed, then looked nervous at the thought. Brooke hadn't even thought about that…
"And that's creepy… imagine the things I can teach her though"
"Smile for a picture"
"Did it hurt?" Brooke asked figuring Karen would give her the truth… and it couldn't have hurt but so bad, because she looked fine now.
"You have no idea…"
"No details…" Lucas said quickly really not wanting to know anything at all about any of it.
"You guys should come stay with us for a while… we've got the extra room and I know you wont be ready to drive back"
"Thanks Brooke"
"Ok… everyone let the mom get her rest… visiting hours will start in the morning" The nurse said giving Brooke and Lucas a look. Then again it was 3AM.
"Bye Erin"
"Lucas is she adorable… lets go look at the other babies!"
"No…" Lucas whined wrapping his arms around her waist. She looked so cute standing there though, with her arms around his waist and her forehead against his… just smiling. Standing there like that he could look into her eyes, and see that he loved her, no questions asked.
"Why?"
"Because you're going to want one…"
"I do want one… when we're married and I have a nice big ring on my finger, then I can get totally fat and you're still stuck with me" Brooke giggled kissing his bottom lip.
"Uh huh…"
"And we can have a big house back in North Carolina…with a red door of course"
"Of course" Lucas smiled hugging her tighter. She was so cute when she was tired, the way she rambled on about stuff she probably wouldn't remember in the morning…
"And we can have a swing set in the backyard and a sandbox and have lots of southern babies"
"Southern babies"
"You and I both know those are the best kind" Brooke giggled pointing out that they were both southern babies at one time.
"Lots?"
"Ok not lots… like 2 tops"
"I figured 2 was stretching it for you" Lucas laughed shaking his head at her craziness. But god knows he loved her for every bit of it.
"Well I want them to have someone to play with… I hated being an only child… we'll just have them like back to back… then we wont have to worry about it anymore"
"You're crazy"
"Crazy Beautiful maybe…" Brooke sighed rolling her eyes at him. Nights like this made her wonder what she did before Lucas. How she was ever really happy… but they also made her worry what she'd do if she ever lost him. He was her life as of right now…
"That too"
"We'll always be like this right?"
"Like what? Immature?" Lucas laughed kissing her nose
"Shut up… you know what I mean"
"God I hope so"
"Even when I'm like 30, you'll still kiss me in front of everyone" Brooke asked standing on her tiptoes so her nose could touch his.
"Always"
"And write me letters everyday?"
"Everyday" Lucas whispered kissing her forehead. She looked so sleepy.
"Good"
"Can we sleep now?"
"If we must…"
Back in Ella's room it wasn't as pleasant and happy as they had been upstairs. In fact, they were far from it. Apparently what the doctors had given her to make her sleep through the night, hadn't lasted because by the time Brooke and Lucas got in there she was crying as hard as she could and coughing up a storm looking for them.
"Aww… sweetie! Come here…" Brooke sighed pulling poor little Ella into her arms. Her face was red and streaked with tears.
"We shouldn't have left her…"
"We had too… Luke I don't think I can do this anymore"
"What?" Lucas asked but he had a feeling he knew what she was getting at.
"This… its not fair to us or her…I don't want to want her anymore than I already do… and then have to watch her go to some strangers…"
"Brooke that's all we can do… just be here for her now, and try to be happy if and when she gets adopted"
"Yea but it sucks for us" Brooke sighed rocking Ella back and forth as she calmed down.
"I know… but think how much it would suck for her if she didn't have us"
"As much as it would suck for you if you didn't have me?"
"You have no idea" Lucas whispered laying down in the bed beside her and Ella.
"I love you Lucas"
"I love you too"
