INSIDE BROOKE'S ROOM

"Right I need everyone to please leave the room, as I need to ask Brooke a few questions" the doctor addressed everyone

"Can Peyton please stay with me? I need her with me?" Brooke asked. She didn't know what was going on and was uncomfortable with the idea of being alone. She wanted her best friend by her side.

"Ok that is fine, but everyone needs to please leave the room"

Peyton looked at Lucas and could see the hurt in his eyes. Although she was happy that Brooke wanted her to stay, she knew how much Lucas wanted to be by her side and how hurt he must have felt when she said she didn't know him. However, she needed to concentrate on Brooke and what she wanted, that was the most important thing at the moment. She would talk to Lucas later.

Lucas and the others looked at Brooke in confusion and worry. He looked at her but she wouldn't even look at him. He felt dejected and walked out of the room with the others.

"Ok Brooke. I am going to ask you some questions and I need you to answer them as accurately as you can" the doctor addressed

"Ok doctor" as she called for Peyton to hold her hand.

"What year is it Brooke?"

"Well that's a stupid question. It's 2005 of course"

"And how old are you?"

"16 of course!" she didn't understand why she was being asked such basic questions, wasn't all this obvious she was thinking.

"What year are you in high school Brooke?"

"Junior year. We just started a few months ago actually didn't we P.Sawyer?"

"Ummm…something like that" Peyton didn't know what was going on and didn't really know what to say, but she thought it was better just to agree with Brooke for the time being.

"Now the final question, and please answer this as best you can. What's the last thing you remember Brooke?" the doctor

Brooke thought for a moment and then answered. "Last night we were at a party, me and Peyton. Oh and her boyfriend Nathan of course. It was one of Nathans friends who he knew and we all went there. It was a really good night actually, until Peyton and Nathan got into a fight as usual and we had to leave. I remember vaguely stumbling into Peyton's house and falling asleep on the bed. I was a bit drunk I think. It was quite funny actually." Peyton just couldn't believe what she was hearing, she was in shock. Could this really be happening? Did Brooke really think she was back in junior year? What was she going to do, how was she going to tell Brooke the truth?

"Ok that enough questions Brooke. Now I think its best that you get some rest, and I'll be back to check on you in a little while" the doctor spoke. "Miss Sawyer I think its best that you let Brooke have some rest. You can visit her later on"

"Ok doctor. Brooke I'll come and see you in a bit ok?"

"Yeah ok, I am feeling really tired anyway and just need some rest" She closed her eyes and went to sleep.

OUTSIDE BROOKE'S ROOM

"What the hell is going on, I don't understand how she can't recognise me but she can Peyton?" Lucas asked with concern and bewilderment.

"Calm down Lucas, the doctor will be here any minute to explain everything" approached Nathan, who was just as bemused as him.

"How can I calm down?" he responded pacing up and down, "I mean I just don't understand what's going on. She remembers you and Peyton, but not me and Haley? It doesn't make any sense."

Just then the doctor walked in, with Peyton, and addressed the group and everyone turned around and faced him

"Please doctor can you explain what has happened to Brooke. I mean how can she only remember a few of us?"

"Brooke received a head injury when she was involved in the crash, and it has affected the part of the brain which deals with memory. Brooke has a type of memory loss in which it has taken her back one and half years. She still thinks she is 16 and doesn't remember anything after that particular time. The reason she doesn't recognise some of you is, I am presuming, because you did not know her at 16 and were not part of her life"

"Oh my god. Is this permanent or will everything come back to her in a few days" asked a concerned Rachel

"I can't say I'm afraid. Sometimes it is very temporary and patients get their memory back in days, but sometimes it can take longer. In very rare cases they never do"

"Peyton is this true? What was she saying in there?" asked Haley

"Yeah it's true. She still thinks we are juniors and we only stared school back a few months ago. She still thinks that me and Nathan are together and her last memory is that we to your friends Johns party, were we had that argument"

"Oh my god. She still thinks we are together?? Now all this makes sense, why she only recognised me and you and not the others. She hadn't met anyone by then, so in her mind she doesn't know you. This is crazy" Nathan spoke in shock

"But there is still a good chance that she will remember right? I mean you said there was." The blonde boy asked, with his hands in his hair. How could this be happening he was thinking, it had to be some sick joke? How could Brooke not remember him, he was her Broody.

"I am afraid I can't tell you anything more. It's now all up to Brooke."

"But what can we do to help? I mean do we tell her the truth about everything, would that help her get her memory back?"

"Actually in these situations its best to tell her only the minimal of what she needs to know and for her to get her memory back herself. Sometimes it makes it worse if you try and force things onto her that her mind will not be ready to remember. If she asks questions then of course tell her the truth, but try not to bombard her with lots of information at once. Small triggers can work. Nobody knows when or how she will get her full memory back-it could be from the smallest or biggest trigger. But it's best for Brooke to try and remember herself. Ok I have to go and see other patients now, but please contact me if you need any more questions answered" and with that he walked away.

Everyone just sat down in their seats trying to take in the news they received. It was hard for them to imagine that Brooke didn't actually remember some of them and they were complete strangers to them.

"So how are we going to deal with this then? We need to decide on what plan of action to take" Mouth was the first to speak

"I dunno, I suppose we have to just listen to what the doctor told us and tell her only what she needs to know and asks. I don't see any other way" Peyton responded

"I'm sorry but I don't think I can do that" Lucas spoke. "I mean do you honestly think its best not to tell her everything. How do you expect me to act as though I don't know her? Are you guys really just going to ignore the fact that me, Haley, Rachel, Mouth are in her life as well?"

"It's not like that Lucas and you know it, but we have to do what the doctor tells us" Peyton shot back

"Well it's ok for you isn't it? I mean you get to have your best friend back! But what about the rest of us? She doesn't even know who Haley and Mouth are, do you think that's fair? And what about me? I don't think I can pretend not to know her, I am sorry you're asking too much I just can't do it!" Lucas shouted in anger. He thought when Brooke told him she wanted a break from him it was the worst thing that could happen, but her not even knowing him was too much for his heart to take.

"That's not fair Lucas" Nathan shot back. "That is not what we are saying and you know. We know its going to be hard on you, it's going to be hard on all of us, but there is no need to speak to anyone like that. It's not anyone's fault, but we just have to deal with the situation. We have to think about Brooke and put her first in this, and think about how we feel later. We need to get Brooke better and that's the first and only priority. You are not going to be cut out of her life, none of us are, but you have to understand it's going to be a lot for her to take in first."

"Do you really think that this is how I want my best friend back? By lying to her and pretending we are still good friends? Well you are wrong Lucas!" Peyton spoke with tears in her eyes. "I feel like I am betraying her all over again, but I have no choice. She still thinks we are best friends and I have to go along with it to get her better. Don't you think I know when she gets her memory back that she will hate me all over again? But you tell me what choice do I have?"

Lucas looked at the girl crying in front of him and felt horrible. He walked over to her and gave her a hug. "I'm sorry Peyton. I was just being a jerk, and you're right about everything. None of us have any choice in the matter. It's just I can't handle her not knowing me that's all, it hurts too much, but Brooke has to come first. I feel like I am loosing her all over again. I am scared that's all."

"Ok look we need to all decide what we are going to tell her and what we aren't. I think its best that she stays with you Peyton for the time being, she seems to trust you the most." Rachel said and they all agreed. After a long discussion they all decided to tell the basics only. That they were in their senior year now, her parents have moved to California and finally who everyone in the room was. Lucas decided it was best not to tell her about their relationship just yet-they all agreed it would be too much for her to take in and they didn't know how she would react. As far as she knew Lucas was just a friend like Mouth and Nathan. Lucas knew that this was going to be hard for him to handle, but he had no choice in the matter. It was agreed that Peyton would go and explain things to Brooke first and then the rest of them would enter after that. They all knew this was going to be hard on all of them, including Brooke, and didn't really know what to expect.

Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. I don't know how accurate the whole memory loss thing was, but I just went with it. Let me know what you guys think of where I am taking the story-so leave lots of reviews. Thanks.