A Season in Purgatory

Chapter 74

Haley stepped uneasily into the boat, taking an uncertain look back at the security of the dock. "Are you sure that you know how to drive this thing?" she hesitantly asked.

Staring over the wheel of the boat, Nathan appreciated how nice she looked illuminated by the rising sun behind her curvy form. "I've been driving boats since I was a kid," he reassured her as he pulled the boat out of the slip.

He stifled a yawn, mentally calculating the precious few hours of sleep he'd gotten that night. Haley insisted they be out on the water at first light before most people were out of bed.

"Just think, you are up early enough for Black Friday," he joked, knowing that his practical girlfriend was not the type to stand in line for shopping bargains on the biggest shopping day of the season.

Haley wrinkled her nose at the idea of shopping mass hysteria. "We've got something much more important to do."

She'd racked her brain for hours about how to accomplish her goal. She was lucky that Dan owned a state of the art boat that he kept at the marina and that Nathan had access to the keys.

"Did anyone see you leave?" she asked. Her parents were staying with her oldest sister for the holiday. There had been no one to question her leaving the house at 5:30 in the morning.

Nathan squinted at the horizon, mentally plotting their course. "My grandparents were already up. I told them I was getting my morning run in," he explained, knowing that his grandfather approved of any insane behavior as long as it was related to basketball.

Frowning, Haley considered his words. "What freak gets up at 5:30 in the morning to run?" she asked, an incredulous look on her face.

"My dad," he solemnly replied, then laughed at this crazy family. "I'll be shocked if he doesn't try to feed the baby while he runs." Nate had not seen Karen or Dan and he assumed they were still sleeping.

Not having an athletic gene in her body, Haley was constantly amazed at how Dan, Nathan, and Lucas lived basketball. Lucas had even managed the art of simultaneously watching basketball games on TV while reading books, a habit which annoyed Haley to no end.

"What will Dan do if this new baby doesn't want to play basketball?" she asked. "Or worse, what if it's a girl?"

Nathan laughed at the ridiculous idea of a non-basketball playing child in the family. "I'm sure Dan will use that as an excuse to invade and dominate another sport." He could image his father standing on a soccer field yelling at the girls for not playing harder. Frowning, Nathan wondered if Dan showed his affection and love for his children through sports. Maybe there was a better way, but at least he cared what Nate did with his life.

The boat passed the three mile out buoy and Nathan killed the engine. "Are we out far enough?" he uncertainly asked. Haley was in charge of this party and he just hoped that her love of CSI novels proved useful.

She nodded at him and glanced around. "Do you think we're alone?" she asked. Nathan took in the rising sun and the deserted water, he nodded. "I think we're the only people insane enough to go out on a boat on the day after Thanksgiving."

Haley slipped on a pair of gloves and surreptitiously pulled a plain plastic bag from the floor of the boat. Lacking any descriptive logo, the bag had been pulled from a community recycle bin. Weighed down with rocks and a sparkling clean gun, Haley gently dropped the bag into the ocean water.

Leaning over the side of the boat, Nathan watched as the bag and its contents slipped beneath the water.

"We're about three miles out. The chances of someone finding the gun is remote," he calmly stated, mentally calculating the number of laws they'd broken the last twenty-four hours. They were past the shoreline far enough that the gun shouldn't wash up on shore.

Haley moved over and wrapped her arm around his waist. "I know it's a small thing, but at least I feel like I'm helping Brooke in some small way."

Looking down at her shiny hair, Nate inhaled the scent he associated with her. She was so beautiful that he some times lost his train of thought when she was this close to him.

"I'm sure Brooke appreciates it. I just hope she's okay and that Luke is sober enough to support her." Nathan was going to have to address the drinking issue. Sure, he liked to get wasted at parties, but he never got falling down drunk. Based on tonight, Nate had to admit that Karen's concerns about his brother's drinking were legitimate.

Haley thought about her life long friend for a moment. She understood that Luke was in pain due to his parent's actions but she didn't understand how such a rational, logical person could turn to alcohol. "The main thing is to make sure Brooke doesn't go back to that house." She wasn't sure she could help Luke at this point, but she damn sure could stop Brooke from walking back into that house.

Nathan considered her words. "Her mom usually travels to the Caribbean for the holidays. I doubt she'll be home until after New Year's."

Frowning, Haley thought about Brooke being alone every holiday. When she spent time alone it was because she had to work or did not want to travel. The idea that Brooke's parents never wanted to spend time with her made Haley sad.

"I think we need help, Nate. We're in over our heads. If anything happens to her, we'll never get over it." Truth told, Haley already felt enormously guilty for not trying to do more for Brooke. Things were spinning out of control and for once, Haley did not know the right thing to do.

Nate starred at the rising sun a moment before commenting. "I think the only hope we have is that Brooke tells Anna." They stared out at the water, relishing the tranquility they found there and wondered how long it could last.

Dan rushed into the emergency room and looked around for anyone in charge. He found a nurse at the intake desk. "I was told my son was here," he said.

"Name," she barked out, not bothering to look up from her computer screen.

"Lucas Scott," he quietly replied, not wanting to announce his family dysfunction to the entire room.

The nurse flipped through a few folders on the desk for a moment, before pulling one out and reading. "Lucas Scott, 16 year old male, currently having his stomach pumped due to a toxic mix of alcohol and pills." She put the folder down and pointed across the room. "You can wait with her. She brought him in." Before Dan could react, she picked up some files and made her way to a back office. Looking over to where she pointed, he saw Brooke curled up in a plastic chair.

Dan sat next to Brooke in the waiting room, shoulders slumped and defeated. He thought Luke's experimenting with alcohol was over. The kid hadn't had any run-ins with the law and he'd been fairly good about getting home by curfew. Dan was foolish enough to think that the counseling was actually helping his son.

"It's my fault," she quietly said, seeing the fear and tension in the older man's frame. She was tired unto death and just wanted to go some place quiet and pull the covers over her head. The evening had been overwhelming to her and the noise from the ER was driving her crazy.

Dan looked over at her in interest. "Why is it your fault that my son is popping pills and slugging down alcohol like the town drunk?" he asked, realizing that for once someone was offering him valuable information about his kid.

She hesitated for a moment, never sure about what to say to adults and what to keep quiet. "Luke was upset . . . there are a lot of things that are just messed up at my house. He was just trying to help me and things got out of control. He just needed a drink to calm down," she offered, not wanting to tell anyone about the gun and her sleazy stepfather. Brooke would be lucky if Nate didn't confide in his father after the seriousness of the night's events.

"Where did Luke get the pills?" Dan asked, knowing that his son wasn't indulging in some holiday drinking fun. None of this made any sense, he thought. While the family Thanksgiving dinner had been tense, nothing had happened that would drive his son into a full fledge drinking fest. Not unless he was totally unstable, he soberly thought.

"Are you kidding?" Brooke looked away in embarrassment at his question. She hated to disclose her family dysfunction. "My mom has Valium in candy dishes around the house." Katherine was nothing if not a good host.

"And the painkillers?" Dan prompted, amazed that his son had access to so many drugs.

Brooke shrugged. "I twisted my ankle in cheer practice and the doctor gave me a big bottle of it. Luke kind of raided my medicine cabinet," she stated, knowing that this conversation was a big mistake. Admitting that you knew anything was always a mistake. Confiding in adults was a worse mistake.

"This can't go on, Brooke," he softly replied, sad that his boy was so upset about life in general and his family in particular. He turned to face the petite girl. "You aren't drunk, Brooke. If you were as damaging as Karen thinks, you'd be drunk too."

She looked down at the floor, knowing that Karen hated her. She couldn't exactly argue since she had introduced Luke to alcohol and drugs. But she'd never forced them on her boyfriend. She'd always had control over substances. It was something to lose herself in for a few hours. Luke had just started losing himself for days. She'd never gone that far before.

"It's all my fault," she softly admitted. Dan grabbed her small hand and gained her attention. "You didn't pour the stuff down his throat, Brooke. He has to take responsibility for his actions. You can't make him sober." Dan knew from watching Karen's parents that you couldn't excuse away a person's accountability.

"He'll be okay. Trust me when I say that he's reacting to a lot of things that aren't his fault," she argued, knowing that Dan could never understand Trey and J.J. She understood that pressure that Luke was under. Part of her was angry that he'd bailed on her and the support she needed, however, she was loyal to a fault and she felt the need to defend her boyfriend to his father.

Dan stared at her intensely, ignoring the sounds seeping in from the emergency room. "What's going on with your family, Brooke?" he gently asked. "You seem to have a perpetual bag packed and I know you've spent more nights at my house than your own the past year. You look like you've stopped eating …" he trailed off, not sure what to say. It seemed strange that he could read his son's friend so well but he'd known her for years and she seemed a shell of the vibrant girl he'd known.

"All families have problems, Mr. Scott," she quietly replied, giving him a solemn look. "You should know that better than any one."

Dan leaned back in his chair and considered her words. He turned to look at Brooke for a moment before speaking. "I look at you and Luke and I don't see bad kids. I see fucked up kids who are in so much pain that they can't figure out what to do. But it's like you are reinforcing each others pain and driving yourselves toward isolation. You'll never find happiness that way, Brooke," he gently said, watching her face as he spoke. "You are just ensuring that you are both going to be unhappy and alone."

The nurse came out, interrupting their serious conversation. "You can go in and see your son, Mr. Scott," she somberly informed him. "He'll probably sleep for a while. The doctor will be in to see you in a bit."

Brooke picked up her purse and walked in behind the large man. The nurse put her hand out, blocking her progress into the room. "Sorry, honey. Family only," she said.

Dan turned around and saw Brooke's face drop. "She's family," he told the nurse, watching her frown at his words. The nurse silently turned on her heel and walked off, leaving them alone with Lucas.

Thanks for reading and replying. I appreciate all comments, good and bad. Next up: Dan and Lucas and Brooke and Dan and Dan and Anna/Keith. How descriptive is that? Have a great end of Labor Day!