Ch. 6
The past 48 hours had been a blur of choppy, repetitive scenes for Julian. His mind kept wandering and before he realized it, he was thinking if this was a movie we'd shoot this scene from that angle or how he totally wanted to recast the doctor, but every time he looked at Brooke's unconscious fragile form his mind would shut out that painful image. Instead he pictured her the few minutes before the accident and the photographers: laughing, happy, and in his arms. It was a cruel psychological punch when he would suddenly be reminded of her broken bones and closed eyes.
He was thankful that she was unconscious and receiving a substantial dose of morphine, so she couldn't feel the extent of her injuries. However, that was the only positive he could see in this fucked up situation. The doctors kept insisting it was a miracle she survived, be thankful her injuries weren't more severe, but Julian said a silent Fuck you to anyone and everyone who tried to comfort him with those insufficient words.
Julian was angry. He was angry at the fucking paparazzi, the incompetent fucking doctors, and his own fucking inability to protect her when she needed it the most. He blamed himself as much as he blamed the photographers for Brooke's accident, but blaming people didn't change the situation.
Sitting down next to Brooke's bed, Julian reached out and held her hand. He slowly stroked her hand in the same manner on their date only a few nights ago. He was disappointed when he didn't see the heart monitor pick up speed to acknowledge his touch. It kept the same constant, steady, incessant beating that was at once an infuriating reminder of how precarious her condition was and that by G-d she was still alive. If this were a movie, her heart beat would totally race at my touch and she'd open her eyes, Julian bitterly bit back the tears in his eyes. Moving Brooke's hand to his lips, he carefully kissed the back of her hand and held it between his.
Julian lowered his head and tried to fight off the memories of the past 48 hours. Julian hadn't left the hospital since he arrived with Brooke two days ago in the ambulance. In fact the only time he left her side was when they wheeled her away for tests and procedures. He was still wearing the same clothes he wore on their one and only date, except now they reeked of three days worth of sweat, tears, and Brooke's blood. He promised Brooke he wouldn't leave until she woke up and looked him in the eyes even if, he joked, he had to rouse her with the rancid smell of his body. The entire ordeal seemed to be broken apart as if in different scenes for Julian to process…
Scene 1: The accident. Julian had finally made his way back into the lobby of Brooke's hotel. He couldn't even see her anymore due to the mass of photographers and their lifted cameras above each others' heads. He sarcastically thanked the doorman for the head's up and asked him to phone Brooke's car. He turned back to the window when he heard the squealing breaks and screams. Not the shouting intrusive questions, but horror movie quality screams. He still couldn't see her, but he knew from the reaction of the paparazzi that it was Brooke. That's right, he didn't see it, but he heard the smacking of her body by the truck and then the equally sickening thud onto the pavement. The photographers became even more incensed as they tried to get pictures of her injured body than offer assistance. He yelled to the doorman to dial 911 and ran out the door.
Scene 2: Reaching Brooke. Julian managed to push and punch his way through the paparazzi to see his beautiful Brooke bleeding and unconscious on the city street. A middle-aged delivery man was in shock and tears, apologizing profusely – he didn't see her, she jumped, he didn't have time to stop. Julian knew it was all true, but he couldn't help but hate the man anyway. He didn't want to touch her, afraid he would only make her injuries worse, but he couldn't help himself. He bundled her lifeless form into his arms and cradled her next to him. Julian tried to run his fingers through her hair, but they kept getting stuck in the blood from the gash on her head. He didn't even realize he was sobbing until he tasted the tears nearly drowning him.
Scene 3: Ambulance. The ambulance ride was a death defying experience in itself, more thrill inducing than any roller coaster. He held onto Brooke's hand as he tried to decipher the medical jargon that was tossed around. He recognized a few phrases from Grey's Anatomy, but none of it sounded good. Julian tried to concentrate on the body language of the paramedics, but their intense concentration and rushed movement just scared the shit out of him.
Scene 4: Waiting. Alone. Julian waited for what felt like hours before it occurred to him to call someone. He managed to call Millie who was stuck in the media circus that had formed outside the hospital. Apparently, it took only minutes thanks to the internet before the entire world knew of Brooke's accident. Commentators were speaking out against the dangers of the paparazzi and predicting the future of COB should Brooke die.
G-d bless Millie. Julian must have thanked G-d for Millie a million times. She took care of the insurance and hospital paperwork. She handled the publicity and redirected the intrusive "journalists" preying for a story. She contacted Brooke's friends in Tree Hill and arranged for everyone's accommodations. She lit a candle and prayed with Julian. Millie got him coffee and reminded him to eat. She held Brooke's hand when Julian had to go to the bathroom. She was indispensable.
Scene 5: Meeting the infamous Lucas Scott. Julian had heard about Lucas and Peyton from Brooke their summer together so many years ago. Hell, he had even read about the Bermuda love triangle from Lucas's point of view in his book. But nothing quite prepared him for the sight of Lucas Eugene Scott, Brooke's first and possibly only love, running through the corridor frantically searching for Brooke Davis. His instinctive distrust and jealousy didn't even subside at the sight of his wife, Peyton, pregnant and waddling behind him. Julian remained aloof and distant from the two and he maintained his cool reserve with Haley and Nathan upon their arrival. Julian stayed mostly quiet, stroking Brooke's hand, as the four reminisced about their high school years and urged Brooke to open her eyes for them. However, as the hours passed Julian felt himself becoming a new member of Brooke's inner circle.
Scene 6: Random meetings with doctors. Blah, blah, blah, medical terms, broken leg, blah, blah, MRI, blah, blah, concussion, blah, blah, no internal bleeding, blah, blah, fractured, blah, blah. Everyone seemed fairly optimistic Brooke would regain consciousness and she would survive, but that optimism was cracking the longer Brooke's eyes remained closed.
Scene 7: More waiting… hours of waiting that would only wind up on the cutting room floor. Who the hell wants to see people waiting? Julian's mind wandered to a play he had read in high school, Waiting for Godot, and he could unfortunately understand the play in an entirely new way. The four high school friends were quiet in Brooke's hospital room. Peyton was resting in Lucas's arms while Haley and Nathan sat on either side of Brooke, holding her hand and talking to her in hushed tones. Everyone took turns talking and touching Brooke because no one wanted her to open her eyes to loneliness. Julian returned to the room with fresh coffee and swore he would provide an endowment to install coffee makers in every room once Brooke was better. Passing styrofoam cups around the room, Julian leaned against the door and tried to fight through his exhaustion.
Haley turned to look at the man that had been with Brooke at the time of her accident. Despite his (she hoped unusual) odor and haggard fatigue, she could definitely see why Brooke would be attracted to him. Haley's eyes softened towards Julian as she could tell how deeply he felt for one of her closest friends. Despite the initial awkward wary introduction, Julian formed a fast bond with the friends from Tree Hill. Haley tried to convince him to leave several times either reassuring him (Don't worry, we're here, we'll call you.), insulting him (You stink… no seriously, you stink. Go take a shower and change!), or making him feel guilty (Brooke would want you to go home, get some sleep.). None of the strategies worked and the five continued to wait for Brooke with occasional appearances by Millie.
Julian knew that Haley was right, he needed to leave. He had shuffled responsibilities and tasks with the movie and was trying to get as many things done from the hospital as he could. He knew there would come a time he had to leave, if only to shower and change clothes. But he wanted to be here when she did wake up, because leaving her if only to step outside for fresh air and sunshine felt like he was letting go of hope and giving up on her. So Julian continued to wait.
The moment Brooke regained consciousness was pretty anticlimactic. There were no outward signs such as any finger movement or a squeezed hand. There were no audible signs such as a groan, a sigh, or a voice. There were no momentous circumstances from her audience such as declarations of love or whispered confessions that prompted Brooke to open her eyes. It was all pretty fucking mundane. Just simply one second her eyes were closed, the next they were open.
Brooke's eyes opened and then shut repeatedly for a few seconds as she tried to take in her slightly fuzzy surroundings. What the?! Where the hell am I?! She looked around and saw her friends from high school anxiously standing over her, everyone crying and talking over one another. "Am I in Tree Hill?" she weakly asked only to be answered by shaking heads and feeble laughter. The confusion and disorientation only had a moment of her attention before she was consumed with pain from her right side. Her left arm reached out to clutch her leg and she released a small groan. "Shit! I feel like I've been hit by a fucking truck!" she exclaimed as she felt the bandages along her leg. She could hear snickering and a snort of laughter come from her side.
She looked up to see Nathan and Julian smiling and desperately trying to hold back the laughter. Haley smacked Nathan's arm and Lucas smacked Julian on the back of his head, which only caused the two offending men to laugh hysterically harder. Haley and Peyton started to grin and soon were laughing while Lucas looked at them angrily. Brooke stared quizzically at her friends laughing, wanting to be in on the joke. "What is so funny? What the hell happened to my leg?" she demanded of the group.
"Your leg is broken, Brooke." Lucas angrily answered her as the group only laughed harder wiping tears away from their eyes. There was a slight pause as Lucas explained in a calm dead-pan voice. "You were hit by a truck."
Lucas's confirmation of Brooke's description of her pain only fueled the fire. Peyton was doubled over gasping for air as she had to hold on to Nathan to keep from falling. Julian and Haley were both hugging each other for support, crying and laughing, trying in vain to calm down to be able to speak only to erupt into laughter each time they caught the other's eye. Lucas yelled "It isn't fucking funny! She's in the fucking hospital! She could've…" but before he could finish he was interrupted by the sound of Brooke's laughter.
She immediately grimaced in pain that the laughter caused her bruised ribs, but she couldn't help to see the black humor. "Lucas is right… it isn't funny. You're all officially kicked out of the Brooke Fan Club." She smiled as she tried to get more comfortable in the bed. The laughter faded to chuckles and quiet giggles as everyone focused their attention on Brooke. "I'm going to chalk that up to hospital induced hysteria under dire conditions. But seriously, a truck? Julian how the hell did I get hit by a truck?"
Julian gingerly sat next to Brooke on her bed and caressed her cheek and began to tell her what happened. His description of how the paparazzi forced her towards the street and she jumped for safety only to be hit by the delivery truck was almost word for word of his statement to the police. He explained how the police were investigating the incident and arrests were made. Celebrities had been speaking out non-stop since her accident describing similar ordeals with the rabid photographers and were demanding congressional action. He finished his account of the past two days by reading a statement from the President, yes the freaking President of the United States, deploring the actions of the paparazzi vowing to protect others from their intrusive actions and extending his deepest thoughts and prayers towards the family and friends of Brooke Davis.
A slow smile played on Brooke's lips, slightly in awe of the impact her accident seemed to make. She thanked her friends for being there for her and then she turned to Lucas grinning, "Looks like I'm changing the world after all."
** Brooke's ok… so the President thing would seem a little hokey, but President Obama makes public statements about celebrities and their personal lives fairly often. It also seems like an incident of this type would prompt Congress to start hearings or whatever about the proper course of action. So who knows, maybe Brooke will become a political activist now! Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, nothing too exciting – but in many cases waiting in a hospital isn't - I'll try and update soon. Thanks for reading!