Nathan hobbles up to the door of his old house and rings the bell. Moments later Deb answers. She had been back in Tree Hill, back in the house for about six months now and Nathan had visited a few times when he knew Haley wasn't in town
Karen had dropped Deb off at a rehab facility the night of the state championship game, the night of the accident. She got clean and returned to the house but with everything that had happened since, the accident, Haley leaving Nathan again, Nathan blaming himself, Dan still threatening her, she started using again. Then the truth about Dan shooting Keith came out and Deb went to visit him in prison.
"You sick bastard," Deb said to Dan as she slapped him across the face. She had convinced the guard to put them in an open room with Dan handcuffed to the table.
"Ouch Deb, poor you and if only I had known before I killed Keith, then I surely would have killed YOU," Dan yelled.
It was that moment that she realized she can't feel guilty, she had a second chance free of Dan, and Keith would want her to take it. If he were here he would tell her to. Deb rose to her feet as Dan was giving his woe is me speech.
"Deb if I had known… besides I tried to make up for it with Karen, Lucas, and Kaitlyn, and Nathan with Daunte—."
"Oh shut up Dan," she said turning around, "Nathan didn't kill that man and you knew it, the car hitting the barrier did and the police proved it. Nathan is nothing like you Dan and he never will be." She stormed out of the prison and drove to an extended care rehab facility.
"Nathan, what happened," Deb asked as she opened the door and saw her son on crutches with a cast on his left foot.
"Last practice before I was supposed to leave, I jump up for a rebound and come down on one of the guy's foot. I didn't just roll it I broke two bones in the ankle. I'm in a cast for six weeks then rehab so I will be ready for next season. No Europe, No NBA draft this year," Nathan answered. "I'm sorry I didn't call. I almost didn't come home."
"Its ok honey its good to see you. Why wouldn't you come home," Deb asked.
"Haley's home."
"Oh, Nate," she said as she hugged her son. "Maybe that's a good thing. Maybe I'll finally be able to meet my grandson."
Nathan smiled, "That would be nice." Deb, with the all the drama, drugs and rehab stints as well as Haley and the tours and avoiding Nathan had never met Keith. Nathan had shown her pictures of the two of them though.
"Well mom, I need to get a hold of Luke give him a heads up that I'm in town," Nathan said hobbling in.
Deb grabbed his bags for him seeing as he would have a hard time with the crutches and headed for his old room, "ok Hon, good luck."
The phone rang about six times before the machine picked up, "Hey, its Luke, I'm not here so leave a message or try the cell." Then it beeped.
Nathan hung up and tried his cell it went straight to voice mail, "Luke where the hell are you I'm in town wanted to let you know, guess I'll try the café."
Nathan dialed the café. Karen answered on the second ring, "Karen's café, Karen speaking," she said sounding out of breath.
"Ms. Roe, its Nathan is Lucas there?"
"Yeah, but we're a little busy can I have him call you," she asked.
"No, I'll just come see him," Nathan said.
"Ok, but—," she started to say but Nathan had hung up.