here is the next chapter. another one will be up within the next hour or two. please comment!
Nathan
I woke up the following morning on Haley's couch.
"Morning." she said quietly to me, handing me a hot cup of coffee.
"Thanks." I said to her
"So, what are we gonna do?" she asked, sitting down next to me.
Truthfully, I had no clue. And I was scared to death. But at the same time I knew that Tyler needed a father in his life.
"I really don't know Haley." I said truthfully
"Yea, me neither" she said, putting her head in her hands.
"Haley?" I asked
"Yea?"
"Um, I was wondering. Maybe we could talk over dinner tonight?" I surprised myself by asking
"I'd like that." she said standing up as the phone rang.
"Hello?" she answered
Her facial expression immediately changed.
"Brooke, what's wrong?"
She listened for a few seconds "Okay, we'll be right over."
As she hung up, I stood up. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know. It was Brooke, she was crying. She said she wanted you and me to come over." Haley told me
We headed off to Brooke and Lucas'.
Haley
I didn't know what news Brooke was going to tell Nathan and I as we knocked on the door of their house. I guess I was going to find out.
Brooke opened the door and had a tear-stained face.
She fell into my arms.
"Shhhhh." I said, hugging her tight "Brooke, what happened?" I asked, as I led her to the couch.
"It's Lucas." she said, sitting down, me sitting next to her "He's sick."
"What kind of sick?" I asked, unsure of what she meant.
"Luke has cancer Haley." she said, bursting into tears once again.
She put her head against my chest and I stroked her hair.
"I don't want him to die." she said between breathes
"Shhhh, he's not going too." I said, not crying because I knew I had to stay strong for Brooke.
"Where is Lucas?" I asked her after a few minutes.
"In the back yard."
I nodded to Nathan to go find Luke while I stayed with Brooke.
To tell you the truth, it wasn't so I could stay with Brooke, it was because I was scared to talk to Lucas.
Lucas
I was standing on the pavement, looking at the basketball net, thinking that I may not ever get the chance to teach my son or daughter to play basketball.
"Hey." I heard Nathan say.
"I shouldn't have told her." I told him "It was so stupid. With the baby coming and all…."
"Luke, it would've been much worse if you hadn't told her." he told me
"I don't know what to do Nathan." I said, on the verge of tears
"Luke, you're strong, I know that. You're gonna get through this. We all are. Together."
"So, does that mean you're staying for a while?" I asked
"Yea, I guess it does." he said smiling
I walked up to him and he put his arms around me. I missed my brother so much. And was so happy to have him back.
Brooke
Lucas and I are going to the doctor today. I'm so scared. He has to be okay, he just has to be.
"Luke, I'll be in the car!" I called to him
"Coming" he said, walking downstairs and kissing me, before following me into the car.
The drive to the doctor's was silent. Neither of us knew what to say.
"Mr. Scott." we heard the nurse call.
We followed her into a small room where she told us they'd be taking a lot of tests today, and that we had to be patient.
"Um, thanks." Lucas said to the not so friendly nurse.
I was in the room for 3 hours while Lucas had the tests done. Then the two of us sat in the room for almost 2 hours more, until the doctor finally came in.
"Lucas." the doctor said, walking in and shaking Lucas' hand
The doctor turned to me "And this must be your wife."
"Brooke." I told him, shaking his hand.
"So, how did the tests come out?" Lucas asked
"Well Lucas, we don't have great news" he told us
Luke grabbed my hand
"You see, we caught the cancer at a very late stage."
"So, what does that mean?" I asked.
"It mean Mrs. Scott, that with the type of cancer he has, his kidneys will start to fail." he told us
"Can't he get a kidney transplant?" I asked, hoping for a good answer
"Well Mrs. Scott, that isn't all. Not only will his kidneys fail, we can fix that. But his liver will stop working." he told us
I squeezed Lucas' hand.
"What." Lucas asked, stumbling on his words "Are the chances that I will make it?"
"Well Lucas, truthfully, they aren't so good." the doctor said
"Oh god." I cried.
Lucas stroked my hair. I put my head in his chest, muffling my cries
"How long doctor?" I heard Lucas asked
I didn't want to hear the answer.
"Well, you'll start declining in health quickly. But, it could be anywhere from 3 weeks to 3 months." he said before walking out.
"Luke!" I cried.
"Shhhh." he said, but I could hear his quiet cries too.
Haley
Nathan is staying at my house again tonight. Tyler loves playing basketball with him. We still haven't told Tyler that Nathan is his father though. And I'm sort of worried too.
"Haley, are you ready?" Nathan asked, coming into the kitchen where I was helping Tyler finish his homework.
"Yea. Karen is walking over now." I told him
"Where are you guys going?" Tyler asked
"Dinner." I told him
Karen opened the door
"Have fun." Tyler said, getting up to greet Karen
We said goodbye to Karen and got in the car.
"So, where are we going?" I asked Nathan
"You'll see." he said smiling
We drove for a few minutes and he pulled up to a very familiar restaurant.
"Nathan. I haven't been here since…..junior year." I said smiling
"Me neither." he said
This was the place where we had our first 'date' that Brooke set up for us.
We sat down and the waiter came over.
"Are you ready to order?" the waiter asked
"I think so." I said, looking at Nathan
Nathan ordered and then looked at me "Macaroni and cheese for her please." he said to the waiter.
"You remember." I said to him. It was the same thing I had our first time here
"Of course." he told me
We talked a while and after we ate we went back to the car.
"Wanna go for a ride?" he asked
"Sure." I said
We drove towards the beach and pulled up to a very familiar house.
"Wow. It looks almost the same." I said, getting out in front of the beach house. Where we lived for a few months.
"Yea, it does." he said. I forgot that Nathan hasn't been here in 10 years.
"We had some good times here." I said
"Yea, like the time you threw up on Dan." Nathan said laughing
I laughed too.
We walked up to the beach and sat down.
It was a beautiful night, the moon was shining right over the ocean.
I looked at Nathan and smiled.
He smiled back. And the next thing I knew, his lips were on mine. I accepted the kiss, and we kissed for a long time. I felt the sand beneath my feet.
I missed this so much.
The next morning, I walked into the living room where Nathan and Tyler were watching Saturday morning cartoons.
"Good morning." I said to them
"Good morning." they both said back
"Mom. Can we go to the River Court?" Tyler asked
"Sure." I told him. Go get ready.
I was watching Nathan and Tyler play basketball. When I caught Nathan's eye, I waved him over. He sat on the bleachers next to me.
"I think it's time to tell him." I said, unsure of what I was saying
"You sure?" he asked
"Yea." I told him. Then I called to Tyler "Tyler, come here. We need to talk to you!"
"What?" he asked, walking over
"Sit down." I told him, patting next to me
After he sat down I looked at Nathan and took a deep breath.
"Here goes nothing" is said under my breath
"Honey, remember when you asked about your father, and I told you that he wasn't here?" I asked Tyler
"Yea." Tyler said
"Well, Nathan and I, we, um, used to be married." I started, Nathan smiled, trying to get me to keep going "And, um, he's your dad."
Nathan and I waited for Tyler's reaction. Both our hearts pounding, not wanting Tyler to be upset.
"Really?" Tyler asked
Nathan and I nodded.
"Cool!" he said, standing up.
I smiled a nervous smile
The next thing I knew, Tyler walked over to Nathan and gave him a hug.
"I always knew my dad would be awesome." Tyler said to him
I tried not to cry. This is exactly the kind of reunion I wanted. And it was actually happening.
Lucas
3 weeks. That's all I have. I thought as I was watching Brooke make breakfast, and watching her big belly.
We haven't talked since yesterday, she has been to torn up about the news.
"Luke, let's go over to Haley's" she said to me
"Um, okay." I said, grabbing my jacket and hers.
We walked down the street a little and knocked on Haley's door.
"Hey!" Haley said smiling "I told Tyler, he is so happy!"
"That's great." I told her, giving my best smile
"Luke, what happened? How did the appointment go?" she asked, as soon as she saw Brooke and I faces
"Let's sit." Brooke said.
Haley sent Tyler out back to play basketball Nathan sat on the couch across from Haley and I, and Brooke was still standing.
"So." Haley said
"Um, I don't have to much time Hales." I told her
"What do you mean Luke?" she asked, tears in her eyes
"Haley, they told me I have 3 weeks to 3 months."
Haley stood up, I could tell she didn't want to cry, she wanted to stay strong.
She walked into the back room
"I got her." Brooke said.
When Brooke followed Haley, I looked at Nathan. I could see he started to cry.
"I am so scared." I told him, sitting down next to him.
"Me too." he said
Brooke
I walked into the back room, where I sat down next to Haley, who had a picture in her hand.
"Haley." I said to her.
"this is me and Luke when we were eight." she told me
I smiled at her, putting on my bravest face
"Brooke, what are we gonna do?" she asked me
"I. I don't know." I told her
"I mean the baby is coming soon and Lucas has to be here." she said
"Now." I said to her
"What?" she asked
"The baby is coming. Now." I said, feeling a sharp contraction in my stomach
"Lucas!" Haley called "You're baby is coming!"
Nathan and Lucas stood up and ran to the back room.
"Well, you'll definitely be here for your baby." Nathan said smiling