Disclaimer: OTH and its characters do not belong to me. Neither does the song quoted in this chapter. Its 'Lesson Learned' by Ray Lamontagne.
Please take the time to let me know what you think. This story will contain multiple flashbacks which will be in italics! Xx
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This Wasn't Supposed to Happen
Chapter Fifteen – Lesson Learned
Brooke dug her manicured nail into her leg a little as she dragged her index finger slowly, intently along her thigh. Her eyes transfixed on the movement, she sat swaying a little, oblivious to anyone or anything around her.
"Helllloooo?"
Haley laughed a little as she instantly recognised the voice that came from behind the door, quickly accompanied by long wavy dark brown hair, and a very familiar smile.
"Hello!" Brooke repeated, now setting her eyes upon Haley, who was sat up in her bed, her hair twisted high into a bun.
"Hey" Haley whispered, bringing her finger to her lips, signalling her friend to quieten down. "He's asleep"
Brooke fully entered the room, a large bouquet of roses in one hand. Laying the flowers down on the end of the bed, she leant into the hospital crib, acknowledging Nathan and Haley's newborn son.
Brooke choked a little, catching breath in her throat. "He's amazing Haley" she blurted out, pulling her hair round to one shoulder, reaching a finger into the crib to run along a tiny hand. "He's perfect"
Haley blushed. "Thank you" she whispered, tilting her head to the side to take in the view of her son.
"Have you decided on a name?" Brooke asked, barely able to pull her eyes from the sleeping baby.
"Tyler" Haley smiled, watching her best friend and her son. "Tyler Nathan Scott"
"Nathan?" Brooke laughed, "Why his daddy's name too?"
Haley smiled. "Just you wait till he opens those eyes again. Turns out I've got two sets of those to deal with now."
Brooke laughed, and turned to Haley, suddenly conscious of the flowers she had brought. Picking them up, she laid them in Haley's arms. "For you" she beamed.
"Roses" Haley smiled, pausing for a moment. "Thirteen roses?" she questioned, staring at Brooke.
"A dozen, for having a baby" Brooke began, "And because I love you. And an extra one" Brooke paused again, her eyes brightening, obviously pleased with herself. "And an extra one, because you're H. James, and deserve better than the norm"
Haley closed her eyes as she couldn't help but laugh. "Brooke, you're crazy, you know that don't you?"
Brooke looked from her friend, to Tyler and back again. "That's why you love me" she laughed, before stepping forward and leaning into the crib again.
"Hello little man" she whispered, "I'm Brooke, I'm your Auntie"
"And Godmother" Haley interrupted.
"What?" Brooke shouted, turning to face Haley.
"Shhh!" Haley giggled softly. "Nathan and I would like you to be Tyler's godmother"
Brooke continued to stare at Haley, unable to speak. Her eyes filling with water, she bit down on her lower lip. "Thank you" she whispered.
"Thank you."
"Miss Davis?" an approaching doctor, shook Brooke from her thoughts.
"Yes, yes. What's happening?" she urged.
"Miss Davis, did you find Miss James? Is that correct?"
"Yes, I did, in the house. On the floor…" Brooke's words trailed off as she began to look downward, the recent memory already haunting her.
"Lucas!" Brooke called from her position on the front porch. Banging her fist against the glass of the door, she shouted again. "Lucas Scott, you in there?"
Undeterred by the lack of response, Brooke reached for the door handle. "Well, I did live here at one point." Turning it easily, she pushed the door ajar, her eyes meeting with the totally unexpected and her worst nightmare.
"Haley!" she screamed, getting to her knees, beside her friend's bleeding, fragile body.
"Miss Davis? Miss Davis?" Again the doctor's words brought Brooke back to earth. "Haley has suffered some serious injuries; she has several broken ribs, severe bruising and cuts. We've ran several tests, but everything seems to be ok. It may be a difficult road, but she is sure to make a full recovery."
Brooke breathed a sigh of relief, as she ran a hand through her thick hair.
"Miss Davis, does Haley have family you can call?"
Brooke looked up at the doctor as reality seemed to set in. Nathan didn't know yet.
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As the phone fell from Nathan's hand to the floor, time seemed to stand still. Seconds, which under any other circumstance would have ticked by unnoticed, stretched themselves out, as though to strengthen the pain he felt. Brooke's words echoed through his mind, over and over again.
Haley was in the hospital.
Well the truth it fell so heavy
Like a hammer through the room
That I could choose another over her
You always said I was an actor, baby
Guess in truth you thought me just amateur
"Dearly beloved, we gather here today to celebrate the life of Haley James. Sadly, Haley was taken from us, but not before she had given the world, and those in this room, so much."
Nathan opened his eyes to the darkness of the room again, shaking his head from painful thoughts. In his mind he could see Peyton, Brooke, Lucas, Karen…, so many gathered in a room, dressed in black, fear and pain marring their faces.
Sitting up again, Nathan slapped his face before reaching to the light, begging the darkness to fall away.
As the beside lamp illuminated the room, Nathan turned to his right and breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Lying next to him, amongst a thick mass of blonde curls, lay Haley. She was still with him.
It had been a dream.
Lying down again, he pulled himself to her. "I love you" he whispered, softly into her ear, as she groaned in her sleep, turning herself to rest further in his embrace.
That you never saw the signs
That you never lost your grip
Oh, come on now
That's such a childish claim
Now I wear the brand of traitor
Don't it seem a bit absurd
When it's clear I was so obviously framed
When it's clear I was so obviously framed
Nathan couldn't really recall how he'd gotten there, but what did it matter, he was there. Running down the halls, he searched, frantically looking for his girl, the mother of his child.
"Excuse me" he spat out, rushed and disheveled. "I'm looking for Haley James"
The nurse, who Nathan had stopped, eyed him up and down, realizing who he was.
"You're Nathan Scott!" she laughed, "My son loves you. How's the injury? Will you back to play next season?"
Nathan looked at the nurse, confusion all over his face. Shaking his head he began to run again, desperately searching.
"Nathan!" suddenly a voice called out in front of him. Brooke.
"How is she?" he burst out, his eyes bloodshot. "What happened? Where is she?"
Brooke's stomach ached when she saw the love in Nathan's eyes. "Nate" she soothed. "Calm down. She's ok. The doctor's been. She's ok, just broken ribs, bruising cuts…" Brooke's voice trailed off.
"Just?" Nathan questioned, running his hands continually through his thick hair. "Broken ribs? Bruising? Brooke, what happened?"
Brooke shrugged her shoulders. "I found her, on the floor on Lucas'. The police think it may have been a burglar, and she got in the way."
Nathan closed his eyes, pain settling in his stomach. This had been no burglar.
"Where is she?" he demanded, as Brooke led him to her room. Stopping to block him from entering, she placed his hands on his shoulders. "It looks worse than it is" she whispered, as Nathan pushed passed her and to Haley.
Now you act so surprised
To hear what you already know
And all you really had to do was ask
I'd have told you straight away
All those lies were truth
And all that was false was fact
Nathan took a deep breath as his hand rose to his face, covering his mouth. "Oh my god" he mumbled, his eyes scouring the cuts and bruises that lay over so much of Haley's tiny body. "Oh my god" he repeated, as he ran from the room to the bathroom, his body retching as he threw up again and again.
Sliding against the cubicle door he sunk to the ground, tears freely falling down his face.
Now you hold me close and hard
But I was like a statue at most
Refusing to acknowledge you'd been hurt
Now you're clawing at my throat
And you're crying all is lost
But your tears they felt so hot upon my shirt
But your tears they felt so hot upon my shirt
Nathan looked deep into his own eyes as he stood at the mirror in the male bathroom, urging himself to find the courage, the courage he needed to go back to Haley.
Well the truth it fell so heavy
Like a hammer through the room
That I could choose another over her
You always said I was an actor, baby
Guess in truth you thought me just amateur
FinallyNathan stood again at the door to Haley's small, box like hospital room. Silence filled it, except for the soft stilted breaths Haley struggled to take, her chest rising and falling slowly in unison.
Shaking, he walked over to her, reaching to take her hand in his. "You're cold" he whispered. "You hate to be cold."
Sliding his shoes from his feet, he climbed into the bed beside her, pulling himself close to her and draping his arm gently over her lower stomach.
Was it you who told me once
Now looking back it seems surreal
That all our mistakes are merely grist for the mill
So why is it now after I had my fill
would you steal from me the sorrow that I've earned
Nathan traced his finger tip over her mouth a little as he softy traced his index finger slowly, intently over her face. His eyes transfixed on the movement, he sat swaying a little, oblivious to anything but her.
"What did I do?" he whispered softly, as he laid his lips to rest on hers.
Shall we call this a lesson learned
As Nathan closed his eyes, she opened hers, tears falling. Biting her tongue, she chose to feign sleep again, never before having had his touch comfort her so much and too scared to admit what the truth might bring.
Shall we call this a lesson learned?