Walking through the door before her son, Karen let a quiet sigh escape her lips.

"You were right," she said over her shoulder. She stepped further into the room to let Lucas in.

"I told you," he said lightly. They were referring to Brooke, who was knocked out at Peyton's bedside. She somehow had lowered the guard rail on that side of the bed so that she could lay awkwardly forward, her head buried in Peyton's neck. She, like Peyton, was out cold.

Karen's eyebrows knitted together as she noticed the bloodied bandages around Peyton's wrists. She didn't know what to think or what to feel… It wouldn't compute.

"Did… did Brooke find Peyton this way?" she asked, her voice just above a light murmur. Lucas nodded, looking down.

"She said she'd been trying to get a hold of Peyton all day and finally she just drove over there and…" Karen's heart ached for the blonde girl unconscious in the hospital bed, but it also went out to Brooke, and Lucas. She leaned into his shoulder.

"Is it because of Ellie?" she asked, peeking at Peyton. Lucas nodded, assuming he was right. He obviously hadn't been there and wasn't in Peyton's head… But he figured that that was the case. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, her eyes misting over. Lucas rested his chin on his mom's head and the two were silent for a long time. He watched Peyton and Brooke, unable to imagine the magnitude of feeling whirling around in her heart. He blinked slowly.

"She'll be okay," he said finally. And while this statement too seemed feasible, it was another he couldn't back with guarantee. And the weight of this reality settled deep in his heart as he looked at Peyton, unconscious, hooked up to 10 plus wires and tubes and a machine or two, monitoring her blood flow and heart rate, her brain activity and her breathing pattern. But he wanted to believe that it would be okay, that Peyton would pull through this just like everything else. "I know she'll be okay."

* * *

"Should we wake her?" Haley asked, turning to Lucas. The blue-eyed boy jumped, looking around the room groggily. "Aw, Luke, maybe you should go home," Haley offered, seeing how tired Lucas was. It was nearing 2 in the morning, countless hours since they had first arrived.

"I can't," Lucas said, exhaustion obvious in the tone of his voice. He blinked hard, rubbing his face. "What if something happens?" Haley looked down at Lucas, really feeling for him. She knew, even now, that there was still love for Peyton in his heart and was sure that there always would be, despite Brooke. That said, she also could imagine what this was doing to him, her own feelings of grief aside. Haley reached a hand out, resting it on Lucas' shoulder. She rubbed it gently, trying to soothe her friend.

"You need sleep," she said to him. She looked over to Peyton and Brooke, both of whom were still out. Brooke's arm had snaked protectively around the limp blonde beside her in her sleep. "She'll be okay, Luke," Haley said. Lucas looked up at her. "Plus," she added, "Brooke's got her. You couldn't ask for a better guardian than that." Haley offered Lucas her other hand. "C'mon," she said. Lucas took his friend's hand in his own and used it to help pull himself up, and he walked over to Peyton's bed. Haley followed him.

Lucas looked down at Peyton's face and really saw it for the first time in days. Her make-up was streamed and dried on her skin and there were marks on her neck. He blinked slowly, swallowing hard.

"I understand what she's feeling," he said. Haley flinched unnoticeably, knowing what Lucas meant by his words. The topic of Keith was still a large open wound for many. "But suicide… I-" Haley bit her lip, the emotions hitting her hard. She fought back tears, wanting to stay strong for Lucas. She rested her head against his shoulder, exhaustion hitting her now too. Lucas put an arm around her, hugging her, and she sighed.

"How did everything get like this?"

* * *

Brooke work up the next day alone in the room with Peyton. She sat up, a jolt of pain splitting through her neck and back as she straightened out; she had been in the same unnatural sleeping position all night.

Rubbing her eyes and yawning, the brunette stretched.

"Good morning, Miss Davis," an over-cheerful nurse said upon entering the room. It was in that moment that she finally understood why Peyton had always hated extremely happy people. "I'm just here to check up on Peyton and make sure everything's running correctly. I'll be out of your way shortly." Brooke stood up.

How in hell did I let this happen? She wondered. Ellie died- I should've been with Peyton every single day. I never should have left her alone… Brooke felt a pain welling up in her chest and she knew the tears weren't far behind. She wanted Peyton to wake up. She wanted to see those big green eyes and watch the blonde's lips curl into a happy smile. She wanted to hear Peyton's voice, to hear her laugh…

"She'll wake up, right?" Brooke asked suddenly, not quite making eye contact with the nurse. The older woman looked at Brooke, sympathizing for her. She nodded slowly, unsure.

"She'll be fine," she said. "The doctors tell me she'll probably wake up today, maybe tomorrow." Brooke nodded quickly, the tears finally winning.

"Thank you," she whimpered, before turning away.