I got inspired last night so here's an update more quickly than I expected. Enjoy and review xxx.
"Wake up," Nathan said quietly to Haley's unconscious face, his thumb stroking the back of her hand. "All that stupid wasted time between us. I shouldn't have been so mad at you. I should have let you back into my life again. You have no idea how much I'll hate myself if I never get to take any of it back." There was a knock on the door and Peyton appeared.
"Is it okay if I come in?" she asked quietly. Nathan nodded and then returned his gaze to his wife. "How is she?"
"I don't really know," Nathan said in a sigh. "Just waiting for her to wake up. How's Brooke?"
"Still in surgery," Peyton said. "They say its taking longer than expected. More damage than they thought." Peyton sniffed lightly and Nathan could see how hard she was trying to hold herself together.
"How's Luke?"
"Devastated," Peyton said. "He's going to burn a hole in the floor from the amount he's pacing." Nathan smiled without any humour.
"You should go and wait for Brooke," Nathan said. "I really appreciate you seeing how Haley is but it could be hours or even days until she wakes up."
"She will wake up Nathan," Peyton said. She put a hand on his shoulder and left him to his bedside vigil.
Peyton walked into the corridor and found Lucas missing. Starting to panic she ran through the hospital looking for him, scanning the rooms. She didn't find him. Eventually she gave up and thought that going to the reception desk was probably a smarter move.
"How is she?" Lucas demanded of the orderly who was wheeling Brooke to her hospital room.
"I have no idea, I'm just the transport guy. You'll have to ask the doctor or the surgeon."
"That's completely incompetent!" Lucas shouted. The orderly raised his eyebrows and Luke apologised. "I'm sorry. Its just this is a really stressful time for me. I won't lose her. I can't."
"That's okay," he said with a smile. "If I had a penny for every time someone shouted at me…" Lucas followed Brooke into her waiting hospital room and was sitting quietly next to her until the doctor came in.
"She's going to be okay," the doctor said immediately. Luke closed his eyes in relief. "We've had to remove one of her kidneys but it shouldn't affect her quality of life. There was too much damage to save it."
"And when will she wake up?" Lucas asked, his eyes searching the doctors face.
"…Now…" Brooke's hoarse voice said. Luke spun around and looked into Brooke's beautiful open eyes, flickering slightly.
"Thank God," Lucas said with relief. He urgently kissed her lips, reassuring himself that she was in fact still here.
"Let me breathe…" she whispered in a broken voice.
"How do you feel?" Luke asked, a hand going through her hair wonderfully.
"Like I've been thrown into oncoming traffic," she whispered, her attempt at a joke failing miserably. "How is everyone else?"
"Only one other injury," Lucas said quietly. "It was Haley. She still hasn't woken up yet."
"Oh," Brooke said, her hand finding his blindly.
"I have some more news for you. Your mothers flying back here."
"What!" Brooke said in a high pitched squeal. She sat up in bed and winced as it hurt her. "Why? Why is my mother coming here?"
"Because her daughter was shot," Lucas said, kissing the top of her head. "It was hard tracking her down to get her to sign the consent forms for your surgery. It was touch and go for a while. It looked like…" Lucas couldn't bring himself to finish that sentence.
"I'm not going anywhere," Brooke said with a tiny smile. "Is Peyton okay?"
"She's worried about you," Luke said. "I should go and find her actually."
"No, don't," Brooke said her hand touching his face lovingly. They both turned as the door flew open and Peyton stood there, her mouth hanging open. "She'll find me," Brooke said.
"I'm going to go and see Haley," Lucas said. "As long as you're okay," he said with a hint of a question in his voice.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I love you."
"I love you too pretty girl," he said, kissing the top of her head once more. He took one last look at her and left her in Peyton's capable hands. Before going to find his best friend he braced himself against the wall. That had been far too close a call. He brushed the tears away impatiently. He still had someone else to focus on. Haley.