The sound of metal scraping, brakes screeching and a loud bang was the last thing the three occupants of the jeep heard before everything went black. Keith, being on the side with the least amount of impact, managed to pry the crushed door open on his side. He saw a familiar vehicle pull up across the street from where the accident had occurred. He saw his little brother climb out of the black SUV, seemingly in a state of shock. Keith figured Dan must have witnessed the accident.
"Keith, are you ok?" Dan asked running over to his brother who was still on the ground clutching his abdomen and had a large scatch on his forehead that was bleeding. It looked as if he would need stitches. Dan helped his brother up.
"Dan, forget me. Get Lucas and Cassie. Their still in there." Keith screamed as more and more people started gathering around the scene, shocked to see the accident involved one of the Scott brothers.
Dan ran around to the other side of the now totalled jeep and looked in the front passenger window to see Lucas. He head was at an awkward angle, and Dan couldn't tell whether he had a broken neck. But his collarbone was most definitely broken. His right ear looked to be bleeding and he had blood oozing out of his nose as well. That was definitely not a good sign, Lucas probably had some internal bleeding.
Dan looked in the back to see Cassie flung across the seat. Being that Keith's jeep was older, the seatbelts in the backseat only covered the waist line. Cassie's leg looked to be getting crushed by the seat in front of her and she had blood coming from the side of her head. Dan couldn't tell whether she had any internal bleeding or other injuries, but he could tell both Cassie and Lucas needed to get to the hospital and soon.
"I think it will be easier if I get her out of the car first." Dan said to Keith who had come around to see the conditions of his niece and nephew. "Do you think you are strong enough to lift her into the backseat of my SUV?" He asked.
Keith nodded, knowing his ribs were probably broken but seeing that his niece obviously needed him he decided to forget about the pain he was in, for her and her brother's sake. "I can take her, she's not that heavy anyways."
Dan just nodded as he jarred the back passenger side door open and tried pried the mangled seatbelt off of Cassie. In one swift move he picked her up in his arms, and passed her to Keith. He didn't think Cassie had a broken neck, but you could never be to sure. He placed her right arm around her Uncle's neck as Keith took her and placed her in the backseat of Dan's vehicle. He saw Dan gently carry Lucas out of the jeep and hurry over to the other side of his SUV. He opened the door and placed Luke next to his sister in the backseat.
Keith looked at the clock on the way to the hospital. Karen's plane would be landing in a matter of a few minutes. She was going to expect to see her kids there and waiting for her, not in some hospital bed. Keith was terrified about what her reaction would be when he told her. Would she ever trust him with Cassie and Lucas again?
Butt thats not what mattered at the moment. What mattered was getting Cassie and Lucas looked after. Dan arrived at the hospital emergency entrance a few minutes later and stopped the car immediately without even shutting it off. He opened the door of the side Lucas was on and grabbed the kid out of the backseat, shouting at Keith to grab Cassie. Keith did as he was told and together the Scott brothers managed to get the two teens into the hospital.
An orderly noticed then and immediately ran and called for back up. They had one bed that Dan laid Lucas on. Dan then reached over and took Cassie from Keith.
"Keith, go get yourself some help. I've got them." Dan said as Keith nodded and headed down the hallway with one of the nurses.
As another bed was wheeled out for Cassie a doctor approached Dan as he put her down.
"They more then likely will need surgery." The doctor stated as he looked over the two victims.
"Do whatever you have to, doctor." Dan said knowing the situation was out of his hands now.
"Your their legal guardian?" The doctor asked just to be sure.
Dan hesitated before slowly nodding. "I'm their father."
The doctor nodded before Cassie and Lucas were wheeled away into two different cubicles, leaving Dan standing there trying to think of what to do next.
Meanwhile at New Brunswick County Airport...
Karen's flight had pretty much on time with the exception of a few minutes. Karen had gathered her things from the luggage caroussel and was expecting to see her family waiting for her. She grew concerned when she walked out of the large crowd and didn't see her kids or their Uncle.
She turned in all directions hoping to catch some glimpse of them. It wasn't like Keith to be late, and it definitely would not be like him to forget the day she was coming home. Something must have happened.
"Karen Roe, please call the help desk...help desk Karen Roe." Karen was surprised to hear her name over the airport intercom and noticed a telephone in the corner of the terminal.
She walked over to the phone and picked it up, dialing the number for the help desk.
"This is Karen Roe." She said.
"Ms. Roe, this is Dr. Schultz from Tree Hill Memorial Hospital. I'm calling about Keith Scott." Dr. Schultz said.
"Is he ok?" Karen immediately expected the worst hearing the word hospital.
"Yes, but he would like to speak with you. Is that ok?" Dr. Schultz asked.
"Yes, please let me talk to him." Karen said.
"Karen?" Keith's voice came over the line, immediately calming her nerves.
"Keith, are you ok? Why are you at the hospital? I thought you were picking me up with Cass and Luke." Karen said.
Keith took a deep breath, knowing these were probably the hardest words he would ever say to her. "Kare, there's been an accident."
"WHAT!?!" Karen screamed. "Are you ok? What about the kids, are they ok? Keith tell me they are please." Karen said a feeling of dread creeping over her.
"Just come to the hospital, I will explain everything when you get her." Keith said. "I have to go, the Doctor wants me to hang up now." Keith said and with that the line went dead.
Karen looked at the phone for a few seconds before shakily placing it on the receiver. Her eyes teared up and she nearly collapsed.
"Mam, are you ok?" A young guy, who looked to be about 20 approached her.
Karen shook her head. "M...my kids...there was an accident. I have to go to the hospital." She said her voice cracking at the last statement as tears fell out of her eyes.
The boy looked at her slightly shocked. "Well do you need a ride? I can get you there in 10 minutes."
Karen only nodded as the stranger guided her out of the airport and to his car as they made there way to the hospital.
Well thats the end of that chapter, thanks so much for the reviews you guys. I wish I could thank every single one of you personally, but I just don't have the time. It means a lot that you guys appreciate this story. I'm enjoying writing it.
And if you haven't guessed already, yes I am kind of going season by season. Everything that happens during the different seasons, will happen just with Cassie added to the mix, and its the way I would have liked to see things go. Not that I don't like what happens on the show, cause I do. I just want to put fourth some different ideas.
Thanks again.
xoxoxoMiaxoxoxo