I own nothing—thanks for the reviews.
I'm lost without you
Can't help myself
How does it feel?
To know that I love ya baby
I'm lost without you
Can't help myself
How does it feel?
To know that I love ya baby
Lucas woke up the same way he had woken for the past week. One hand intertwined with Peyton's as they rested on her pregnant stomach.
"I lost, Peyton I don't know where she is. She was right there and a shot went off and now she's gone", Brooke's lost voice spoke.
"Wh—whoa, whoa, whoa, Peyton was shot?" he asked in a panic.
"No . . . I don't know. She was right behind me; we were by the library."
This time was different then that first time because he wasn't at home in his bed. He was in a chair that had molded to his body.
"Look, there's blood."
"It could be Peyton", Lucas said in fear.
He wasn't snuggled up against her. He had his head on half of the bed.
"I got cut by some glass", she said as she cried, "I lost Brooke, Lucas, I'm sorry", Lucas held his breath. She didn't know they had broken up.
"She's fine", he brushed it off, "but you're not", he said as he swallowed hard.
He wasn't getting ready to hang out with the guys. He wasn't going to hang out with one of them ever again.
"Luke, it was your friend. The one from the time capsule . . . he had the gun. But he didn't look evil or angry. He just looked scared."
They weren't having some ridiculous conversation. They weren't talking at all actually.
"Tell me about a good day", Lucas needed her to keep talking.
"We had a snow day. Sixth grade, do you remember?" he nodded his head with a small smile, "It was like this whole other world just came in overnight and took ours away. Brooke, she came over and we made a snow fort . . . "with a tunnel", she added dramatically. They both laughed for the moment.
"And we stayed in there all day. It seemed so safe, like everything was okay. Like everything our world was about to become, maybe we could just stop it and stay little kids for one more day. But then it got cold, kinda like now."
He wasn't admiring her legs from afar. He was sure he would never look at her legs the same way again.
"It's not glass is it? In my leg?" she questioned him accusingly.
He swallowed hard before answering. "No . . . it's a bullet."
He was thirsty and hungry. But he wasn't going to leave her side.
"You're always saving me", she said in admiration.
"Somebody's got to", there was so much more he wanted to say, but now wasn't the time.
They weren't working through their feelings. He sat there with everything bottled up.
"If I say I love you, will you hold it against me?—cause I've lost a lot of blood", even on the brink of consciousness she refused to let her guard down.
He wasn't listening to music. He heard the constant beeping that annoyed him, but at the same time it comforted him. She was still alive.
"If I don't get her out of here, she's gunna die", his voice quivered as he held her limp body in his arms.
He wasn't dressed in his flannel pants or his 'Keith Scott Body Shop' sweatshirt. He was dressed in a black suit and tie.
"Keith—"
"Luke, I love you . . . now go."
He sat in a hospital room for the past week, waiting. Waiting for the world to go back to the way it was. Waiting for Peyton to wake up. Waiting for everyone to tell him this was some cruel joke. That this hadn't really happened. Peyton hadn't been shot. She wasn't in and out of consciousness from the loss of blood. His childhood friend hadn't killed his Uncle. The man who was a father to him. The man who would have officially been his father in a few months.
Every once and a while the pressure coming from Peyton's stomach let him know that everything was real.
------------------------------
Brooke Davis swallowed hard as her black heels clicked against the linoleum floors. She hated hospitals. She hated their smell. She hated their bland look. She hated the fact that it seemed so dreary all the time. She stopped walking when she reached the door and took a breath. She really hated the fact that 'Celebration' by Kool & the Gang was playing right now.
"Hey Luke", her raspy voice broke him from his thoughts. He never took his eyes off of Peyton though.
"Whitey's outside, it's time to go", she whispered as she pushed back tears. He refused to move and she took a step forward.
"Lucas, she'll be fine for a few hours. Your mom needs you today", she hoped she wasn't speaking out of term, but he needed to be there. She heard him sigh before leaning over and kissing Peyton's forehead. He brushed past her without as much as a glance. She bit her lip before walking to the other chair and pulling it close to Peyton; nobody dared to touch the chair that had become Lucas's.
"Hey you", she whispered as she grabbed her best friend's hand, "sorry I haven't been around, but things have been crazy. Karen's been a mess; Haley and I are taking turns with cleaning the house and doing laundry", she felt her eyes burn, "Lucas has been here everyday though. He only comes home to shower and change his clothes and that's only because Nathan makes him", she laughed quietly.
"So, Broody and I broke up", she announced.
"Brooke", Lucas thanked the fact that Peyton had left early.
"So, I slept on it", she said getting right to the point, "and we need to break up."
"Brooke—"
"You can only have one forever Lucas. You gave her that spot a long time ago", she said with a sad smile.
"I'm sorry Brooke."
"Don't be, just don't hurt her."
"I was going to tell you that day, but", she stopped her sentence.
She listened as Peyton rambled on. She wasn't really listening actually. She was interested though. Peyton only rambled on like this when she was nervous. What the hell did she have to be nervous about? Finally it was quiet between the two.
"So listen", Brooke began as they turned the corner near the library. Before she could continue they stared at the gun pointed in their direction. She instinctively reached for Peyton's hand.
"I never should have left you", Brooke sobbed.
"Peyton?" she called out as she ran through the quad.
"Peyton . . . Peyton?" she screamed as she ran towards Lucas.
"I should have made sure you were with me. I should have held your hand tighter. God! I should have done something", she said helplessly, "I'm so sorry", the tears continued to flow. She noticed the clock on the wall and took a deep breath.
"You need to come back to Peyton. There's too much going on and we're all lost", she said in a distant voice.
"He needs you to be there P. Sawyer. He can't do this alone", she stood up and kissed her friend's forehead; placing a hand on her belly one last time.
"We all need you", she whispered as she felt the gently thumping.
------------------------------
"Still no sign of Luke?" Nathan asked as he walked into the kitchen.
"No, I think he's still at the cemetery", Haley said softly.
"It's all so uncertain", he said somberly.
"Somebody has a gun inside and they're shooting", Brooke's panicked voice spoke.
"Haley", Nathan yelled out as he ran toward the school.
"I love you", he said as he kissed the back of her head, "and I love you", he whispered as he placed his hands over her stomach.
"We love you too", she said quietly as she intertwined their fingers.
"Nathan, someone has a gun in here", Lucas spoke logically.
"Lucas, I know that. Okay, I know this is stupid, but what if something happens to Peyton or Haley, huh? What if we walk away and something happens to them, are you gunna live with that?" he asked as he held the bat firmly.
"I don't ever wanna come that close to loosing you again."
"Always", she whispered as she placed her ear to the door.
"And Forever", he whispered back.
"You're gunna be safe, okay", he whispered as a plea.
"You shouldn't have come back for me. I love you for doing it, but I wish you were safe", she said as she grabbed his hand.
"I don't want to be safe without you."
"I told you I'm not going anywhere. Neither of us are", she said as she turned in his embrace.
"God, I love you so much", he whispered into her hair.
"Sorry, to interrupt the moment tutor family", Brooke spoke quietly.
"It's okay", a small laughed escaped Haley's lips.
"Karen's sleeping", Brooke said somberly, "I asked her to give it a few more minutes, at least until everyone else left. She didn't really empathize with me", she said as she sat at the kitchen table.
"It's understandable", Nathan said as he sat next to her.
"How was the hospital?" Haley asked as she sat on her husbands lap. Brooke sighed.
"She was sleeping and Lucas was staring at her, so it was the same as it always is when I go."
"She'll wake up soon", Haley said optimistically.
"She needs to stay awake Hales", Brooke said in frustration.
"The doctor's said that everything is up to her. Whenever she finally gets up and stays up for more then ten minutes she can come home", Nathan said.
"And we all know Peyton likes to do things on her own time", Brooke muttered.
"Do you think we should go get Luke?" Haley asked as she noticed that the sun had set.
Nathan shook his head, "He needs some time, besides he'll go over to the hospital when he leaves the cemetery."
"I think I'm gunna start kicking people out", Haley joked as she stood.
"Oh wait!" Brooke stopped her in her tracks, "this is for you guys", she said as she handed over the small trinket.
"Brooke, this is your apartment key", Nathan said as he held it out.
"No, it's your apartment", she said firmly.
"Brooke—"
"Seriously Haley, I'll stay with Peyton, her dad can't get home for a while because of the storm anyway.
"Thank you Brooke", Nathan said sincerely.
"It's nothing", she assured them, "I think I'm gunna go back over to the hospital in a little."
"Brooke, you leave that place more upset then when you walk in."
"Yea, well maybe I'm hoping for a miracle", she whispered.
------------------------------
He stood at the gravesite. Everyone had left nearly an hour ago. But he stayed; holding on to hope. Still hoping that this was a nightmare. Still hoping Keith would walk up behind him and ask him if he wanted to work on a car. Still hoping that Peyton would give him that coy smile. Still hoping that someone would make it all okay. He heard the leaves crunch and the ever so quiet 'thud' against the ground. He felt the person stand beside him. No words were spoken and no words were needed.
Her hand slipped easily into his and she gave it a squeeze. He turned his head to face her and smiled his first real smile all week.
Tell me you depend on me
I need to here it
Okay. I realize it's unrealistic that she would be out on the same day or whatever, but too bad lol. Let me know what you thought.
