Chapter 3

She stood outside the tall cream colored building fighting with her conscious and trying to figure out if she should go inside. Although she wanted to see her best friend desperately she wasn't ready to face his family and the emotional turmoil that surrounding them, not yet. She couldn't look them eye knowing that she was partially to blame for Lucas's current state. She couldn't bring herself to sit there and grieve with Karen, Nathan and Brooke when she knew of his condition the whole time and was fully aware of what could happen to him if his heart chose to give out on him. Seeing her face would only remind them of her betrayal and anger the boy's mother more then the current dilemma already had and upsetting Karen further was not an option. So for now she would have to settle for standing outside and waiting for someone to come out and give her a quick update before heading home where she would grieve alone.

Finding a small bench the girl sat her full weight upon it as her eyes searched the surrounding area for a familiar face yet she found none. She did however notice a boy and girl playing together happily as they ran circles around each other obviously enjoying one another's company, reminding her so much of Luke and herself. A tender smile appeared as she thought back to when the two of them were that age and remembered how things were so simple and easy back then. There were no worries, anger, fear cliques, or medical conditions to think about. There was no problem that ice cream or candy couldn't fix and most of all it was just the two of them. Life was so uncomplicated during that stage of their lives and if given the chance she would give anything to experience it again and have her best friend back without all the issues and ciaos that have become a part of their everyday lives.

The sound of their laughter caused her to giggle as well, something that she hadn't done in two days and it felt good. She just wished that this feeling would last forever but she knew that it won't. In fact nothing will ever be ok again until Lucas received a new heart and decided to awaken and as it stood now there wasn't going to be any laughter in her world for a very long time. Actually things were not only looking bleak as far as her friend's health was concerned but for the state of her marriage as well.

Nathan had flipped out the second he learned that she knew about his brother's condition and given the fact that he had barely forgiven her for leaving him to go on tour only caused him to cut her off completely. The night before had been a painful one indeed and along with the look he had given her and the sharpness of his voice made her wonder if there was even still the slightest chance for them. Even though she was hurt by his words and his anger she still loved him and hoped that he would forgive her in time. But that would have to start with the recovery of his sibling and since that wasn't looking too well she had to find another way to his heart and to make him see how much she loved and needed him and how sorry she was for her part in all this.

"Hi" a small voice called out to her forcing the young woman to break from her thoughts and focus on the source.

Standing before her were the two children she had previously been watching. The boy was a blond with big hazel eyes and a shy grin while the girl was cutesy with long brown peg tails and had her hands placed firmly on her hips, patiently waiting for her to respond. It was funny looking at the two friends. It was almost as if she had been sent back in time to face the younger versions of herself and Lucas.

"Yes" she replied with a smile that longed for the good ole days.

"Can you please tell my soon to be ex-best friend that girls do not like to be called chicks?" the girl politely asked before punching the boy playfully in the arm.

"Hey watch it! Besides my brother said that girls love being called chicks and my brother is always right"

"Oh please you brother's an air head with a pimple face" the girl replied as she folded her arms across her chest.

The scene was just too cute for words.

"Well" she began. "All girls are different. Some like to be called young ladies or young women, some like to be called girl and others…" she trailed off. "Actually like to be called chicks but they're the really flakey kind so they don't count"

The comment earned her a huge smile from the younger version of herself before the girl replied "See most girls with a brain don't like to called chick, see I told you so"

"Whatever" the boy said with a roll of the eyes before slapping the girl on the arm. "It doesn't matter anyway because I just tagged you so you're it…CHICK!" the boy shouted before running off with his friend hot on his trail.

Seeing it, seeing them proved to be too much for the young woman to bare. That life, that world seemed so far away along with the happiness that it held.

At that moment she never felt more alone.

She didn't have her parents, Lucas, Karen or Nathan to save her from the pain she was feeling right now. There was an incredibly large whole in her heart that only two people could fill and with them both so far out of her reach it looked as though nothing was ever going to be alright again.

So she sat there with her face in her hands and her heart full of sorrow and wept for what was, what is and what will never be again.

Meanwhile in Lucas's hospital room

"Damn it Nathan, what are you trying to do scare me to death?" the man yelled as he held a hand to his rapidly beating heart.

"Me?" the boy shot back "What about you? You're the one sitting her all mummified like something out of a really bad horror movie"

The man chuckled slightly at the boy's comment before continuing "Gees Nate since when did you become the easily scared and edgy type?"

"Umm let me think about that. Maybe it was after I watched my brother collapse or it could have been when he stared to convulse. I don't really know Keith but you're welcome to take your pick" the boy snapped before quickly asking for forgiveness "Hey listen man I'm sorry I…"

"No it's okay Nate, trust me I understand" sighed the elder Scott. "It must have been pretty tough on you, you know seeing Lucas like that"

"Yeah it's not a night I'd like to remember"

"I can imagine" remarked Keith as he watched Nathan take a seat beside the bed before he returned to a sitting position.

"So when did you get back?"

"About an hour ago, I came back the second I heard about Luke" the blond said as he focused on the boy he helped raise "I can't believe he didn't tell me"

"Yeah join the club"

"I mean Luke has always been so smart and always did the right thing. I just don't understand why he would be dumb enough to put basketball before his own life"

"I must have asked myself that same question a thousand times since it happened. I mean I've been here for almost two whole days and part of me still believes that this is just a nightmare and that I'm going to wake up any minute now"

"I know. Haley must be taking this pretty hard"

"I guess" came the boy's short reply prompting his uncle to continue.

"What do you mean Nate? Haven't you spoken to her? She is after all your wife"

"Yeah a wife who lied to her husband and everyone else about his brother's heart condition"

"What?" the man questioned not quite understanding what his nephew was saying, or rather didn't want to believe them.

"She knew ok. She knew this whole time that Luke was sick and she didn't tell anybody, not even Karen" Nathan said taking a breath as he felt his blood pressure starting to rise.

"You can't be serious Haley would never…"

"But she did Keith. Trust me I didn't want to believe it either but it's true. She knew that Lucas had HCM"

The man wanted to discuss the topic further but chose not to as the boy's mother entered the room.

"Hey there" he said as he rose to his feet to greet her.

"Oh my God Keith, I'm so glad you're here" she replied wrapping her arms around him and holding on to the man tightly.

"So am I. Hey, how are you holding up?"

"As well as can be expected I guess, when did you get here?"

"About an hour ago"

"Good I could really use all the support I can get"

"Hey Karen" interrupted Nathan. "Where's Brooke?" he continued noticing the absence of his brother's girlfriend.

"Oh umm, she's still in the waiting room. She said that she wasn't ready to face Lucas yet"

Nathan was about to reply until he saw his brother's doctor enter the room.

"Hello Ms. Roe, can I talk to you and Nathan for a moment" he said apparently unaware of whom the new comer was.

"Oh I'm sorry doctor Shaw this is Keith, Lucas's uncle"

"A pleasure to meet you doctor" the man said as the pair shook hands.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news" the doctor spoke as the room became painfully silent.

"What…what is it?" questioned the boy's mother as she leaned heavy on her friend for support.

"Luke has just been pushed down on the waiting list"

"What? You can't be serious if he waits any longer he could die. He's already on life support for God's sake" yelled Nathan. He couldn't believe this man. How dare he? How could he hold such total and utter disregard for his brother's life?

"Easy Nate" replied the boy's uncle trying to keep his nephew from saying something that he could later end up regretting.

"I'm afraid that's not all" the man continued. "Your insurance only pays for one week of life support. So in a few days, unless you start paying out of your personal account we're going to have to take Lucas off the machines. I'm sorry"

"Like hell you are!" screamed Nathan as rushed to his feet. "First you tell us you've moved Luke down the list for a heart and now you're telling us that if we don't start paying you thousands of dollars that we don't have that you're going to kill my brother"

"We're not going to kill him…"

"Bullshit! You just stood here and said that you're going to remove him from the machines that are keeping alive. Now I know that I'm not the smartest guy that ever walked the planet but if you're taking away his only means of survival then that means you're going to kill him and there's no way in hell that I'm going to let you do that"

"Nathan please calm down" said a heartbroken Keith as Karen cried in his arms. He didn't know how this was all going to play out but one thing he did know was that he needed to stop his nephew from making a bad situation worse.

"Calm down? Are you for real Keith? This son of a bitch is trying to kill my brother and you want me to calm down?"

"I'm sorry son but…" were the only words the man was able to get out before the taller, younger male landed a hard right hook to his jaw.

"NATHAN!" yelled Keith as he tried to pull his nephew off of the health care professional.

"Security!" the doctor shouted as he quickly stumbled out of the room.

"Screw this I'm out of here" replied Nathan as he made his way out of the door.

"Where are you going?" the boy's uncle called out to him as he hurried down the hallway.

"To save my brother" he screamed back as he headed out the through the double doors with one destination in mind. With one person in mind and for once this person had exactly what he needed.

Money.

That person.

Dan Scott.