HEY PRETTY PEOPLE! SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG DIDN'T IT? LOVE YOU! :)


23. Sunrise Highway

Haley racked her brains for an explanation. It was her fault? She didn't understand. She didn't come home, when had they asked her to come home?

Then she remembered, all those calls coming from Brooke and Jake. Asking where she was. They never told her about Nathan. As soon as she had heard something was wrong with Nathan she would have come home, but they didn't tell her.

Well, that was a lie; she didn't give them a chance. She did hang up on them every time they called.

Haley sighed; this was obviously all her fault. But, that was then, now she needed to work out what actually happened to Nathan.

Suddenly something caught her eye. A white piece of card was resting on the floor, it had fallen from Nathan's hand as he walked out the apartment. Haley rushed over and picked it up.

'Tree Hill Hospital – Nathan Scott – Check Up – 11.30am'

Oh god. Something must have happened to Nathan so that he got himself injured. Maybe it was his knee? He had had problems with it before, maybe it had got worse. But what did that have to do with Haley? Why did she need to be there for him to start playing again?


'Hi I'm Haley James, Nathan Scott's girlfriend. I found this card in our apartment, and I was wondering if you could tell me where he would be getting checked up?'

Haley thanked the receptionist as she was pointed along the corridor. Her heart started to thump around her chest as she panicked for Nathan. She reached the room and knocked on the door.

It opened and a friendly looking old doctor appeared. 'How can I help you?'

'I was looking for Nathan Scott? He forgot to tell me about his appointment today and I wanted to check how he was progressing.'

'Are you a relative?'

'Not exactly, I'm his girlfriend and we live together, I'm getting really worried about him.'

'You shouldn't be. Everything is progressing nicely.' The doctor smiled, moving to leave the room.

Haley followed him hesitantly. 'Em, what was wrong with him?' She asked as she walked fast to keep up with the doctor.

The doctor turned around confused. 'I thought you were his girlfriend.'

'I am, I, I just don't know what happened to him two years ago that stopped him playing basketball because I wasn't there and now he is blaming it on me and I don't know what's wrong. I'm sorry it's not my business but I'm really worried about him and I want to help now.'

The doctor hesitated, looking at the small brunette in front of him. She looked panicked, and worried out of her mind. The doctor/patient confidentiality sprung to his mind, but he pushed it away and showed the girl into a nearby room.

'When Nathan was playing, he was seriously injured. I'm not going to tell you all the details because that is his place not mine. He was confined to a wheelchair for 7 months. He should have only been using it for three months, but he gave up completely on walking. Said something about Haley, I'm taking it that that is you?' Haley nodded, tears rolling down her cheeks.

'Then one day, he started walking, for no apparent reason. He had to use crutches, but he got there eventually. He could have started playing basketball again, but he refused. He said that he hated the game, and it didn't make sense anymore. Something was missing.'

Me. Haley nodded quietly. She shook her thoughts and smiled up at the doctor. 'Thank you for your time. I really appreciate it.' She shook the doctor's hand and left.


Haley reached her next stop. Carefully knocking on the door, she stepped into the room, her fingers crossed behind her back.

'Hey coach.' She said quietly.

The old man turned round, taking a double take at Haley before realising who she was.

'Why if it isn't Miss James. How are you doing? And it's Whitey now, I was never your coach.' He grinned.

'I'm good, but I came to ask you a favour.'

'Oh really?' The old man smiled and pointed to a seat. 'Sit down and spill girlie.'

'It's quite a big one actually. You have recordings of all of the games don't you?' Whitey nodded. 'Well, I'd like to see the one where Nathan had his accident, if that's not too much trouble. And if you can't find it then it's fine.'

'I would have destroyed that tape if I hadn't known that one day it would come in handy.' Whitey chuckled, standing up and walking over to a filing cabinet. 'I lost my best player that day. We all thought that he could come back, but he never did.'

'I'm sorry…' Haley mumbled, as Whitey handed her the tape.

'I would warn you before you watch that. It's not pretty.' He said seriously.

Haley stood up and nodded. 'Thank you coach, thank you very much.'

Hale pushed the tape into the player and sat on the sofa. Nathan wasn't in, so hopefully she would have time to watch it.

The video was in short clips, and the game was going well. Nathan was completely on fire, and god did he look hot. At one point in time out he had to change his shirt. Haley remembered when she first started to have feelings for Nathan, it was when he was staying at hers and he took off his shirt.

Haley shook her head of the thoughts; she had to focus on this. Nathan's muscles were much bigger now though. Stop it Haley.

The clip shifted to Nathan, he was about to beat his record. He was flying up to dunk the ball. Haley smiled at his talent. The ball sank through the hoop and the buzzer sounded. The team had won, and still no injury. Had Whitey given her the right tape?

Then it all started happening at once. Nathan was still hanging from the hoop when it broke off. Nathan dropped to the floor, landing right on his neck. The camera rushed forward to Nathan, and Haley heard Mouth shouting his name. It must have been Mouth that was recording. Jake was at Nathan's side. Nathan was lying at a weird angle, hardly conscious.

'Nathan!' Haley started shouting at the TV along with Jake and Mouth. 'Oh god…' She mumbled.

'I can't feel my legs…' Nathan said before passing out.

Haley gasped in shock and the TV flicked off.

'What are you doing with that?' A dark voice came from behind her.

Haley turned round. 'Nathan I'm sorry I just wanted to-'

'Then you should have waited until I was ready to tell you instead of snooping around behind my back!' Nathan roared.

Haley took a step back as Nathan stormed towards her. 'You little bitch. You just think it's all about you. You have to know everybody's business don't you? That wasn't the case two years ago.'

'Nathan…' Haley whispered, and for the first time she was terrified by her best friend.

'Don't Haley.' He screamed in her face. 'You shouldn't have been snooping around! You don't deserve to know!'

'I have every right to know why you spent 4 months longer in a wheelchair than you should have. Too lazy to walk eh?' She yelled.

Then it happened. Nathan raised his fist to the air, glaring at Haley. Haley stopped breathing. Nathan's fist sailed down swiftly and Haley closed her eyes to brace herself.

But then nothing happened. Haley opened her eyes slowly to see Nathan's fist stopped at her cheek. Nathan looked angry, and upset. Tears started pouring down his face as he stared at his first, horrified about what he was about to do.

Haley leant her back to the wall, breathing heavily. The tears flowed freely as she realised that she was now scared of Nathan.

'Haley…' Nathan croaked.

Haley ducked away from Nathan and grabbed her purse and car keys, a terrified look on her face.

'Haley I'm sorry-'

'No, I'm sorry.' Haley stammered. 'I shouldn't have snooped.' She muttered, running out of the apartment.

Nathan slumped down on the floor. What the hell had just come over him? He would never in his life hit Haley. His personality had completely changed. He couldn't control himself. He hadn't been Nathan there, but Haley wouldn't understand that. The tape just brought everything back and Nathan wasn't ready to have it brought back to him.


Haley buried her hands into the bushes hopefully.

'Thank god…' She muttered as she felt two items. Grabbing them tightly, she pulled them both out.

Walking over to the bench, Haley sat herself down, placing one object on the ground and the other on the table. Lifting the lid off the box carefully, Haley smiled to see that everything was still in place. This was sure to work.

She returned the box to the bush and picked up the basketball that lay on the ground. Bouncing it a few times on the river court she tried to make a free throw, and failed completely. She smirked, another idea floating into her mind.


'Haley?' Nathan asked from the bedroom as someone entered the apartment.

'Brooke.' The brunette corrected, coming into the bedroom and slapping Nathan across the face.

'Ouch!' Nathan's hand flew to his cheek. 'What was that for?'

'Raise your fist to my friend one more time…' Brooke warned through gritted teeth, glaring at Nathan. She turned quickly and walked straight out of the apartment.

Nathan sighed. He needed to find Haley to apologise.

As if luck was on his side, the door opened. 'Nathan?' A small voice asked.

'Oh god Haley.' Nathan walked through to the living room.

Haley spotted Nathan and fear washed over her again, and she couldn't help it. She knew Nathan would never intentionally hurt her, and he was just scared. But now she was. She walked through to the bathroom and locked the door behind her.

'Haley…' Nathan moaned, tapping on the bathroom door. 'I'm sorry, I was scared and angry. Everything just came flooding back. You know I would never hurt you baby. I'm so in love with you. I would never want to throw that away.'

Nothing.

Nathan sighed, resting his head in his hands. 'I crushed two bones in my lower back. I was confined to a wheelchair and was told I would be lucky if I could walk again. But a month later I was told I could start walking in 2 months. But I didn't care by then. We tried to get hold of you Haley, because I knew I could be better than I had ever been. I could have a comeback, just as long as you came to help me. I just needed my best friend to help me walk again. But you never came. Then 6 months later Rachel came round. For once in the time I've known her she cared. She was a little bitch to me, shouting at me and telling me to get up off my ass, because Brooke had given up that role for a while. Rachel made me realise that I wasn't totally dependant on you to walk again, and that maybe if I could walk then I could come and see you, to get you to come home. Look, I know I'm rambling, but I'm scared Haley. I'm scared to play basketball again in case it happens again. I'm scared to be bad, because you know how competitive I am. I'll only get angry if I realise I cannot be the same player I used to be. Seeing that tape today, it just reminded me of what I could have been. God… if I had let go of that hoop a second earlier, then none of this would have happened.'

Haley let the tears run down her face. Nathan was only scared, he only needed guidance.


'Staring at it won't make it go in. I've tried.' Haley joked, walking up to the river court.

'Found me again.' Nathan smirked slightly.

'I never thought I'd be jealous of a court.' Haley sighed. 'I've been feeling the bed go cold on your side every night, then I feel you come back at dawn. I know where you go Nathan.'

Nathan looked to the floor and scuffed his foot along the court. 'I'm sorry.'

Haley wanted to hug Nathan, but she held back. It had been a week since their incident, but Haley still wasn't completely comfortable around Nathan.

Nathan walked over to her and took her hands, looking deep into her brown eyes. 'I love you Haley, so much, and I want things back they way they were. You know I will never ever do anything like that again to you.' Haley nodded. 'God… I just want to kiss you…' He muttered.

'I think I can help you with that.' Haley whispered, putting one hand on Nathan's neck and pulling him down into a kiss.

That was all they needed. Nathan picked Haley up as the rain started to pour. He lay her down on the table of the picnic bench and moved on top of her. He started to kiss down her neck as she frantically removed her shirt.

'Hales…' Nathan groaned as she nibbled on his neck.

'Not tonight…' They both whispered softly at the same time.

'But that doesn't mean we can't do other things.' Haley continued, pulling Nathan's shirt over his head.

Nathan smirked, the cold rain hardly affecting his back as he caught Haley's lips in a fiery kiss.


'Together last night, alone this morning.' Nathan mumbled as he approached Haley at the river court. 'You trying to make me feel jealous now?' He smirked.

Haley said nothing. She just bounced the basketball in her hands and tried to make a free throw. She failed miserably, the ball not even reaching half way between her and the net.

Nathan scrunched up his face with laughter.

'I bet you couldn't do better.' Haley teased, sticking out her tongue.

Nathan stopped laughing, and stared at the ground.

'Nathan come on…' Haley pleaded. She walked over to him and took his hand in hers, gently squeezing it as she led him onto the court.

Haley could feel Nathan tense as he stepped up to the free throw line, but she didn't let go.

'Come on Nathan.' She encouraged. Once he was standing still she went to get the basketball, and handed it to Nathan.

Nathan was lost in a moment as he ran his hands over the leather. God he missed it. Gently bouncing the ball on the ground, he aimed ad shot for a free throw. The ball bounced off of the net.

Nathan groaned in frustration and turned away to walk off the court.

'Hey!' Haley ran after him, his long strides making her work hard. 'Hey, Nathan, wait.'

'I can't play anymore Haley!' Nathan sighed.

'Nathan, you missed one free throw. Everyone does that at times!'

'Not be Haley, not me.' Nathan shook his head.

Haley grabbed Nathan's wrist and dragged him back onto the court.

'Nathan you need to grow a pair. Come on, you are Nathan Scott. You're the best, you're unbeatable. You will get this back, if you try. Now come on.' Haley ordered, walking over to the bushes and pulling out another ball.

'We'll go together.'

Nathan looked her unsurely, the ball sitting uncomfortably in his hands.

'One, two three!' Haley counted, on three throwing the ball at the hoop. Nathan followed suit, Haley's landing on the grass under the basket and Nathan's hitting the rim.

'Good!' Haley cheered, as Nathan looked annoyed. She walked over to collect the balls. 'But not as good as me.' She smirked.

'You are kidding right?' Nathan chuckled. Haley shook her head. She faced the net and threw the ball, concentration etched on her face. The ball sailed up and swished gracefully threw the net.

'Ha!' She teased, while Nathan laughed out loud.

'You were never good at basketball!'

'I've been practising!' Haley giggled.

Nathan shook his head in shock. He bounced his basketball and tried another time. The ball bounced off the rim again.

'Hey, it's closer than the river.' Haley shrugged.

Nathan started jogging around the court dribbling the ball. Running up and stopping a few metres from the net Nathan shot a jump shot. The ball once again bounced off the rim. Nathan landed and his face scrunched up in frustration and pain.

'Nathan… you can't push yourself.' Haley soothed, walking over to him.

He sighed into her neck as she pulled him into a hug. 'You'll get it back.'

'Well…' Nathan pulled back. 'Maybe I don't want it back…' He turned and walked quickly away, this time Haley didn't follow.


ok HEY GUYS! sorry it took me ages. and i know nathan nearly hit haley, it's totally not nathan and i'm not quite sure if i like it there but i'm trying to display nathan's pain of losing it all, when it all comes back to him. kind of like lucas with dan in next episode's preview. with everything coming back to him! anyway, haley just forgave him cause she's so amazing, and no, they haven't had sex yet.