Lucas had a couple of days to spare before he went back to school. Still not ready to face Peyton and Brooke, he rarely went out since he returned to make sure they don't bump into him. He spent most of his time reading, watching movies and reruns on TV, and helping his mom out with chores.
Haley and Nathan have dropped by everyday ever since he came back. Even the guys from the River Court and some guys from the team dropped in once in a while. Keith on the other hand, has only visited him and his mom once. Lucas knew that things between his mother and uncle aren't the same as before.
During the times when he was left alone at home, Lucas tried to picture the scene once Peyton and Brooke see him and find out that he was back. He tried to think of the right words to say to Brooke, but most of all, to Peyton. He was ashamed of himself. Although Peyton said that it would be better if they didn't get together, they both knew in their hearts that they would have the chance to get together someday if both of them waited for the right time.
Then, Nikki happened.
Lucas, nursing a broken heart back then after the "break up" with Peyton, and also feeling a little resentment towards Peyton, hooked up with Nikki who turned out to be the mother of Jake's daughter. Lucas was too distraught and drunk to think back then. He took the chance to feel better.
And it cost him Peyton.
Peyton was so disappointed at him. He couldn't look at her in the eyes.
On the day before he had to go back to school, Lucas was in front of the turned on TV, not really watching but brooding.
Karen has noticed her son's mood swings for the past few days. He seemed happy when someone came in to visit him but he spent the rest of the time with his face looking so sad and worried.
She sat down beside him, took the remote from his hands and turned off the TV.
"We're supposed to conserve energy you know. You shouldn't turn on the TV and not watch," she said, smiling at him.
Lucas smiled back sheepishly. "Sorry"
Karen stared at her son for a while.
She touched his shoulder, "You do know that if you need or want to talk I'm ready to listen, right?"
"Yeah, thanks mom." he replied, embracing her. "Sorry if I haven't really been available for you. How have you been?"
"I've been better." Karen smiled at his son.
Lucas smiled back, knowing that his mother has been very troubled with things concerning her relationship with Keith. "You do know that if you need or want to talk I'm ready to listen, right?"
"Yeah, I know." Karen chuckled at his son. "At least I have you back."
"I'm glad to be back." Lucas replied as he kissed his mother's forehead.
"Okay then," Karen face suddenly turned from smiling to serious. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you," Karen paused, not sure of how to say what she was about to say, "Deb called earlier, when you were still asleep. She told me that… that Dan's condition is not getting better. It's actually getting worse. She said you might want to know."
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The decision to finally see Dan Scott didn't come easy for Lucas. Although he was one of the reasons that made Lucas and Keith go back to Tree Hill, Lucas didn't have any plans to visit him at the hospital. At first he was reluctant to go. Then his mother told him "He may have been not good to us, but he is still your father. You don't have to like him. Just check how he's doing."
As he walked through the hospital hallways on the way to Dan's room he kept telling himself that he was doing this, visiting Dan, for his mother. After all, she was the one who urged him to go.
As Lucas reached the door of the room he breathed in deeply, trying to clear his mind. And then, he opened the door.
Dan Scott, the man who abandoned him and his mother was lying on a bed and unconscious. He was hooked up on several machines. A burst of pity surged through Lucas' chest, but there were more.
Compassion.
Love.
And for those feelings, Lucas hated himself.
He didn't want to feel anything for this man, yet he knew that he should feel something, and at that moment, he was definitely feeling something.
Confused, Lucas turned to leave. As he opened the door, Deb was standing there, surprised to see him.
"Lucas, how nice of you to drop by."
He didn't know what to do then. He didn't want anyone to know that he visited Dan. He didn't want to let people know that he was feeling pity for Dan. So he did what he thought was the best thing to do, at least for now.
Run.
"I was leaving, actually. Umm, see ya."
With that, Lucas took off, leaving Deb with a confused and sad look on her face.
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"So, I heard you visited Dan." Nathan looked at him while they were eating cookies Karen served at the living room.
"Yeah."
"Why?"
Lucas sighed, "I don't know. I kept telling myself I was going 'coz my mom told me but somehow I knew that I wanted to see him, check if he was alright." Lucas replied as he smiled a little at Nathan.
They ate quietly for a while.
"I have visited him only once," Nathan said, breaking the silence, "I guess I found it hard to see the man who was so powerful, he bossed people around, lying like that in a hospital bed. The man I hated for pushing me too hard."
Another moment of silence.
"He is still our father." Nathan said trying to reason out his and his brother's feelings for the man.
And with that, Lucas nodded.