Tuesdays not the kind of day you expect your life to change for ever. That feels like a job for Friday, Saturday - a flashier, shinier day that has surprise sprinkled over its surface like hundreds and thousands. This is by the far the most fucked up Tuesday Peyton Sawyer has ever encountered, she follows after the man in uniform a shell of herself and quite literally in her very own custom made hell.
If she can pinched herself to wake up she would've done it a long time ago, but she knows that the situation she is in right now is way beyond her understanding, as well as way beyond her control. It is like she was living a day in the life of Sam Wheat from Ghost, yeah that is exactly it. Minus the being dead part she is experiencing everything that Sam went through which means maybe she will be able to reconnect with her body again soon enough.
"If" the word taunts her making her loose more hope with the passing of every second, she finds herself squinting once she is met with the blinding beam of light from the outside world. Which is weird considering her current situation, she hears the screams before she sees the scene. The sounds of police sirens, a second joining the first then a third.
When her hazy vision finally comes to, she catches sight of her surroundings and it appalls and shocks her all at the same time.
Never in her life has she came across such a scene as devasting, and as horrible as the one she is witnessing now. It is as though the events before her have slowed down to an excruciating pace and is now moving in slow motion. Her hand flies to her chest and she is in a state of paralysis, eyes round with shock. She prays she can wake up.
There is nothing more she wants to do in that moment than turn her head away from the awful chaos that is unfolding before her eyes.
To make all the crying and the wailing stop. To turn it off, but it wasn't going to go away this is something all of them will carry with them for the rest of their lives. She roams her eyes around for a familiar face, anyone and her breath hitches when they settle on the ones she knows are closest to her.
They haven't caught sight of the commotion yet, all too wrapped up in their relief that their friends and family are safe.
Raising their heads to try and get a look at what has the crowd so riled up but not being able to get a good look. It is Nathan who grasped her attention, she can see him trying to tell the others something, that something is involving her. But he is to worked up to get a good sentence out and all that was coming from his mouth is harsh sobs, Haley is trying in vain to try and soothe her distressed husband but her attempts were futile. Her eyes begin to well again, she has never seen Nathan like this, his always been so strong.
His always be the matyr.
Rachel sits on the concrete, her normally gleaming eyes far off and haunted, her hands are shaking like she is having crack withdrawal or something major like that (only instrument this bitch ever played was the skinflute, Peyton thought) and Mouth and Skills are no where to be seen, no doubt nestled safely into the arms of their own parents.
Another terrified shriek rips through the cloudy air and this time she recognises who it belongs to because it belongs to her best friend.
Brooke.
Almost on cue tears spring to her eyes and that is when she hears the shout of the voice that she has wanted to hear from the moment her body hit that hard hallway floor. He cries out her name over and over again like some sort of prayer and before she knows it he has tore from the embrace of his mother and is hurtling like a man posessed towards where she dangles lifelessly from the S.W.A.T members arms. "LUCAS STOP!" she hears Keith cry who is hot on his heels. But he is frantic, "Lucas it's ok i''m gonna be fine" she tries to pipe up momentarily forgetting that it falls on deaf ears.
"PEYTON!" he blubbers somewhat in a trance as he extends an arm so that he can touch her but another S.W.A.T member steps into his line of vision, pushing him a safe distance away from her and that's when he loses it. She doesn't think she had ever seen Lucas so in pain his full, sensual lips open, his expression a cross between fury and grief.
Beads of water erupts from his electric blue eyes and once they start they don't stop, she is almost certain he is just about ready to fight his way to get to her or just about ready to crack up all together. It is torture to see him like this, she wasn't aware of how much he cared about her so much. When he was with her he only ever spoke about Brooke and as much as it sucked she'd listen because she just wanted to spend time with him.
But on the other hand the sight of her in itself is enough to fuck up anyone who witnesses it. Blood, lots of it practically staining a trail on the floor from where they have carried her from, melting into the concrete like drying hot tar.
Peyton finds herself looking back over to her friends who are all watching the exchange between the S.W.A.T member and Lucas and then to Brooke who seems to be having her own heated battle with a police officer who is no doubt telling her to stay behind the yellow tape. She watches as Brooke flails her arms wildly pointing over to the ambulance which is where she resides.
"No you don't understand that's..." She turns her attention back to Luke. And she doesn't miss the way his words get caught in his throat from the excruciating emotions twisting inside of him and Peyton practically feels her heart rip quite torturously in her chest. She watches on in horror as they lay her on an awaiting gurney and the paper white sheets start soaking up the blood almost immediately, just like toilet paper, the blood is amazing against it. Her eyes flitter from a emotionally broken down Lucas to her body not quite sure where to look anymore. God she wishes he doesn't have to see her like this, she never wanted this for this for him, god she never wanted this for anyone.
"I'M NOT LEAVING HER!" Lucas roars over the commotion still struggling in Keith's persistent grip. He looks just about ready to turn around and spark his uncle one in the face.
"Look son we are gonna need you step back and calm down. This girl is in desperate need of medical attention she's critical. If we don't get her to the hospital she is going to die, we can't let you in the ambulance unless you are immediate family" she watches with baited breath waiting to see what Lucas will do next but just as he opened his mouth to speak, his Uncle Keith beats him to the punch.
"She's my god daughter I'm the only legal guardian for her for the time being, both her mothers are dead and her father is away working on a dredging boat. We are all she has" Lucas looked to his uncle with brief awe and adoration.
But everyone's attention is garnered by her body, Peyton thought she was out, no doubt all of them did but she is shivering all over, her hands tremble as though she is about to play something complex on the piano.
Then her legs begin to crash up and down, and her arms follow suit. It looks like she is trying to swim away from them or something. She is having a goddamn seizure, for Christ sakes her body is dying. Its not the dramatic type either, but simply trembling and its scary to watch.
She wants to be sick.
This isn't happening, this can't be happening.
"PEYTON!" Lucas sqwuaks his normally cool and collected voice breaking much like her heart as he pitches forward trying to get to her. But is once again grabbes back by Keith, he fights with everything then. Blinded by rage and pain. Then as she voids herself: "LET ME GO KEITH!" He half chokes half shouts out, thrashing violently. In any other situation he could've laid his Uncle out by now but he is to weak to try anything of the sort.
"What's happening? Is she ok? Tell me what's happening dammit!" Her head is bobbing up and down. Repeatedly smacking the cushioned surface of the gurney, like one of those camel jockeys saluting Allah.
She begins to make a growling noise. It is surprisingly loud. "SHE'S CODING! WE NEED TO GET HER TO THE HOSPITAL, NOW LET US DO OUR JOBS SIR!" a paramedic that seems to come out of no where catawaulls, she watches as Lucas looks on long since having stopped fretting, the fight seeming to have left him high and dry.
The look in his eyes is something she has never seen before and will probably be going no where in a hurry. His eyes look delirious, almost like he has gone into complete utter denial and shock but yet he just can't tear his eyes away. And the gravity of the situation she can tell is hitting it home very hard. "I'm gonna go with her Lucas, I'll will make sure to call you as soon as they have her at the hospital" Keith said finally letting go off Lucas but he stands motionless his gaze still lingering on her trembling form.
She watches them wheel her towards the ambulance and begin loading her in and just as Keith is about to follow that is when Lucas grips his Uncles arm. His eyes wide with what she can only describe as crippling horror and utter determination.
"Make sure they keep her alive Keith because if she...please just make them do something" He cuts himself of not able to finish the sentence if he wants to. She watches Keith put a hand on Lucas's shoulder in attempt to soothe the terrified teenager before him. But nothing helps.
Unbeknown to him Peyton stands next to him watching along with him as the ambulance drives off, no doubt the same thought shooting through both their minds.
She is not ready for what he does next, his legs give out and he quite literally drops to the floor like a stack of knocked over cards. But he doesn't cry, even though he looks like he wants too. She can hear Brooke shouting his name and she is sure he can too but he just chooses to ignore it.
Peyton wishes she can hold his hand, hug him, hell even kiss him anything to make his pain stop.
But she can't. And she's not sure she'll ever be able to again.
They both know that if she dies, then Lucas won't come back from it. And she most definitely won't either. Maybe she was right before, maybe this is a dream.
A long awful, surreal dream. But if it is why can't she wake up?
Author Note: Thank you for all previous reviews! I have updated chapter 3 sorry if its a little short. I've just started college and things have been rather hectic. You can expect an update for With Wreaths of Withered Flowers somete this week. Also I promise there will be much longer chapters in the future.
Thank you.