Author's Note: So, a lot of you were more than confused last chapter. Don't worry, it's supposed to be that way. Things will start to make sense at some point, but not too soon. Hehe.

I'm really glad a lot of you enjoyed the prologue. I was afraid people would find it a little bland, and plus, there's that whole, cliché "memory loss" thing. But trust me, for those of you that aren't fans of the cliché, you'll see that this story is going to be different.

I hope everyone enjoys, and I'd love reviews. Who wouldn't? Hehe. Enjoy.

Non-Photo Blue

Chapter One: Crossword Filled in Non-Photo Blue

He struggled to open his eyes. The world was quickly fading to black.

The blurry man before him grabbed his hand. "Hey. Don't worry, okay? I'm going to take you on a little ride. You're going to be just fine, buddy."

The faint traces of another voice could be heard. It was a woman. "How are the others?"

-

As Keith Scott rolled him out onto the hospital's large garden, Nathan frowned. He didn't understand why he had to be in a wheelchair. It's not like he couldn't stand if we wanted to.

He observed the gardens. There was a long pathway, in which they were traveling, that would lead them to a gazebo, and then continue on. On either side of the pathway was lush landscape. Grass that could not have possibly been a more perfect shade of green, laced with beautiful multi-colored flowers. It was almost blindingly beautiful.

Nathan looked up at his doctor. "Say, doc. What kind of hospital is this, exactly?"

Keith laughed a hearty laugh, shaking his head. "What? Have you never been to this hospital before?"

"Uh, twice, that I can remember. Once when I was seven, and I broke my arm. And I was also here when my father died. And I think I swallowed a stick or something when I was four, so my parents brought me here. It has been a while." He shrugged.

"It's a normal hospital. We do have some residents, and it's nice to be able to look out here to all this. For some people, it's the last thing they ever see."

"That's so sad." Nathan frowned. "Couldn't have opened up at a beach or something?"

Keith attempted a smile as he and Nathan reached the gazebo. He took a seat, looking Nathan over.

"Nathan, I think that it's best if we focus on you. And getting your memory back."

"This is so lame. Can't my memory just slowly get back to me after a while?"

"I'm afraid not," Keith patted his knee. "I told you. It's like-"

"A puzzle that needs to be pieced together. Trust me, I get it." He rolled his eyes, crossing his arms stubbornly over his chest.

Both were silent for about a minute or so, staring out at the luscious gardens. Keith sighed deeply. "Nathan, would you like to meet your wife?"

He waved a hand dismissively. "Yeah, whatever."

-

Nathan stood slowly as he looked around at his hospital room. He'd been lucky enough to get his own. He wasn't sure he'd be able to bear being stuck in a room with some psycho with a stab wound.

This gown thing made him feel gay. He felt like he was wearing a dress; a loose dress, at that. Did these people have a policy against underwear or something?

He made his way towards the sink. A mirror hung above it, and he looked into it. He looked the same as he remembered himself looking two years before. His hair was maybe a little longer.

Shaking his head, he washed his face off with water. "This has got to be some sort of fucked up dream." He reasoned.

"Nathan?"

He jumped, looking back up in the mirror. Looking past his reflection, he saw a woman. She looked to be short. Maybe 5'4", or something to that effect. Her hair was a soft brown, and was wavy and mid-length. Her eyes were a deep shade of chocolate brown. Through the mirror, he felt his own cobalt eyes connect with hers. She was no doubt, beautiful.

He turned hesitantly. So, this was his wife.

"Brooke?"

"It's me, Nate. Haley."

She ran towards him, and he found himself looking over the shape of her body in the knee-length, flowered dress. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him as close as she could.

She kissed his ear, and then his nose, and followed by placing a soft kiss on his lips. "I couldn't believe it when I found out you'd gotten into an accident. I was so worried."

She kissed him again, more passionately this time. Nathan pulled away, pulling her arms away from him, and allowing them to drop at her sides like limp rag dolls.

"What's wrong?" Haley frowned.

"Didn't Doctor Roe tell you?"

"No. He didn't tell me anything."

Frankly, Nathan found himself a little upset with the guy. First, he doesn't tell his wife of his "short term memory loss" issues, and then he can't even get her name right? Haley and Brooke were nothing alike.

"I don't remember you. I don't remember anything, really. I mean, nothing past the last two years, I guess."

Hurt filled her eyes. "Why are you saying this, Nathan? Why are you making this up?"

"It's true! Ask Doctor Roe."

She began to back out of the room, tears falling from her eyes as she shook her head. He followed after her.

"Haley, wait! I'm not making this up. I'm not trying to hurt you. I really don't remember you!"

But she was already gone. Out the door, into the hallway. He pushed the door open, fully prepared to follow her, but as he looked out into the hallway, she was nowhere to be found. In fact, the hallways were pretty deserted.

He saw a nurse, looking over a clipboard. Nathan ran towards her. "Have you seen my wife? She's short. And uh, she was wearing a dress?"

The nurse shook her head, frowning as she walked away. "I haven't seen anyone here, Sir."

A hand grasped his shoulder, and Keith Roe soon appeared before him. "Nathan, there you are. Why aren't you in your room?"

Nathan wanted to rip the guy's cheery little beard off. "Why didn't you tell my wife that I had this stupid short term memory loss problem?" He seethed.

"He did tell me, Sweetie."

He froze. That voice was certainly not the soft one he'd heard earlier. It was a little deeper, huskier. Turning slowly, he faced his supposed wife.

Her shoulder length hair was a deep shade of brown, with a tint of red. That was the first thing he noticed. His eyes traveled over the rest of her; her hazel eyes, her nicely shaped nose, the tight leather jacket and matching short, leather skirt.

She sighed deeply, walking over to him, and pulling him tightly into a hug.

He frowned, not fully reciprocating the hug.

What was going on?

-

Nathan rested his chin glumly on his hand. Doctor Roe had forced him back into the wheelchair, claiming it was "for his own good".

Brooke pushed his wheelchair, heels clicking as they walked beside Doctor Roe.

"So," He explained to Brooke, "basically we've been trying to help Nathan remember everything. It could take a few weeks, but I'm sure with your help, we'll get him back on track."

"I'm glad. I'll help in anyway I can." She rubbed her husband's shoulder affectionately, and he winced as he felt her mahogany nails dig in.

"Let's just go into the lounge." Doctor Roe gestured towards a relatively large room, filled with large windows filtering in sunlight. There were a few couches scattered around, and tables on nearly every square inch that wasn't already covered.

Brooke pushed Nathan's wheelchair so that he was right beside a table. Doctor Roe took a seat beside Nathan, and Brooke remained standing, digging through her purse in the desperate pursuit of a cigarette.

Doctor Roe frowned as he watched her light up. He found it to be a most disgusting habit. "Mrs. Scott, I'm aware that you and Nathan don't live here. Where exactly do you live?"

"We live in Charlotte. Nathan was just in town to do some closing up on his father's estate. It's a wonderful house. Really beautiful. It just needs some work, and then we're selling it."

Nathan frowned, sitting up. "My parents' house. That's the last place I remember. Last night."

"You were at your parents' house?" Doctor Roe flipped through his notepad quickly, scribbling furiously as Nathan spoke.

"Yeah. With Lucas. We were talking about who got what and everything."

Brooke coughed. She made a face. "Nathan, what are you talking about?"

He ignored her. "I told you about Lucas, doc. By the way, why hasn't he visited yet?"

"Sweetie," Brooke cast her eyes up regretfully. "Lucas is dead."

"What? No. I just saw him last night." Nathan looked towards Doctor Roe for support, but the man seemed at a loss for words. He'd heard nothing of Nathan's brother, except for when Nathan had briefly spoken of him.

"How long as he been dead?"

She quickly calculated. "Just a little over two years."

The doctor nodded. Nathan looked down at his hands, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. "Lucas." He whispered sadly. The name sounded almost unfamiliar on his tongue. There was no way the only man he'd ever managed to love was gone.

"What'd he die of?" He looked up at his wife, this having been one of the first times he'd actually spoken to her.

"A car accident," She shrugged. "I don't really know the details. It was shortly before Nathan and I met."

"I'm sorry, Nathan." Doctor Roe looked over at his patient, sympathy filling his eyes at the thought of him having lost a brother. He'd lost a brother once as well, years ago.

The dark haired man stared down at the ground, silent.

"Nathan, are you okay?"

He looked up, meeting his doctor's eyes. "I'd actually like to go back to my room. I think we've solved enough of the puzzle today."

-

"Okay, Nathan. We've gotten some of your tests back, and we've found that there is some sort of poison that was in your blood. This may be the cause for your memory loss."

He frowned. "So, you're saying someone tried to kill me?"

Brooke's eyes instantly widened, and she looked expectantly towards the doctor.

"Not necessarily. From what we can understand, you were driving from your father's house back home. So, you crashed somewhere in between. Your father's house is beautiful, as your wife said, but is in pretty bad shape. That's why you were there; to get some stuff patched up. We're thinking that there was some sort of black mold, or maybe a chemical in the walls, and the natural poison from that somehow affected you."

"So it wasn't the crash?"

"No. The crash wasn't the cause of your memory loss."

Nathan nodded. Doctor Roe found a smile forming on his lips. He turned towards Brooke. "You're very lucky, Mrs. Scott. We lost him for a solid two minutes yesterday, and now he's on the path to being just fine."

A solitary tear ran down Brooke's cheek, and she looked towards the window, shivering. She hugged herself, surveying the surroundings.

Doctor Roe nodded, patting Nathan's shoulder. "I think I'll leave you two alone for a little while."

Nathan watched the doctor go, and turned his gaze towards his wife. She was certainly different from the other woman he'd met. Haley had seemed softer, in a way. Brooke, with her leather and smoking, seemed tougher.

And yet here she was, crying.

Although he could not remember her, Nathan felt sympathy for his wife. It would probably suck to be in her position. Sighing, he stood, walking slowly towards the window of his room.

He places a hand on his wife's shoulder, rubbing it affectionately.

She turned violently, looking up at him.

"Hey, look," Nathan began. "I think everything's going to be-"

Her hand made contact with his face. The sound of the slap echoed throughout the room. All signs of tears had left her face, as if she hadn't been crying to begin with.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" She hissed.

He took a step back. "Brooke, I really-"

"Was this her idea? Is she here?"

"Who?" He threw his arms up in the air. Didn't she understand he couldn't remember anything?

"Don't play dumb with me, Nathan Scott. I know what you're trying to do, and it's not going to work."

"Are you serious? I have no idea what you're talking about!"

She laughed, her eyes glinting. "Don't fuck with me, Nathan."

He stood speechless. What was going on? Seconds ago, she'd been this sad, loving wife, and now she was Super Bitch? Slapping and yelling her way inside him?

Brooke stood close to him now. "Don't forget. This is my fucking game, Nathan, and we're going to play by my rules."

Nathan watched as she tossed her hair over her shoulder, walking towards the door.

"I'll see you later, Honey." She spoke in a fake voice, throwing open the door, and walking about.

Nathan stared after her.

What the fuck was going on?