-1Haley ran outside of Brooke's room and right into Nathan. Who stumbled back from the force of their collision. "Whoa Hales you ok?"
"Where's Lucas" Haley questioned her voice shaking with fear.
"He went to call home to check on Hannah" Nathan
"Go and get him!" Haley pleaded.
"Wha…why?…what's wrong?" Nathan asked his eyes searching those of his almost panicking wife.
"Brooke's water just broke…go and get him please Nathan"
Nathan nodded and took off jogging down the hall to the payphones to find Lucas.
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
Brooke laid still, in the hospital bed, clutching Lucas's hand tightly she'd been in labor now for over 24 hours. They both watched the fetal monitor hooked up to Brooke's stomach. Lucas wanted to be calm but truth be told he was so terrified for Brooke and his unborn son He had called Deb, asking him to keep Hannah overnight and had left a message for Millie to pick her up tomorrow. He had called an equally upset Peyton, telling her that Brooke's water had indeed broken and he said he'd try his best to keep her updated. Lucas took Peyton up on her offer to call their friends and let them know what was going on, which made Lucas able to devote his full attention to Brooke. A neo-natal nurse had come in and given Brooke an IV of something to help slow the contractions, and a steroid drip to help develop the baby boy's lungs since she had to deliver. It was almost midnight now and neither of them could even consider sleeping. Lucas turned his head swiftly as the door opened, expecting to see Andrea. Instead he saw a teary eyed Rachel, wearing her Family Guy pajamas. He smiled sadly, turning back to Brooke, who was entranced by the beating of her baby's' heart. Rachel moved to the other side of the bed and took her hand, breaking her attention. Brooke took one look at her friend and the two began sobbing, falling into each other's arms. Lucas stood up from his chair, and walked into the hall, unable to hold on any longer. He slipped out the door and slid down the wall, and put his face in his hands.
Mouth walked over to Lucas and handed him a cup of coffee. He placed a gentle hand on Lucas's shoulder. "It's going to be ok Luke"
"I don't think so man…this is my fault" Lucas said looking blankly down at the coffee in his hands.
Mouth slid down the wall next to Lucas "This isn't your fault Lucas…babies come early all of the time…I mean sure I won't lie he's going to be tiny…and it might be hard for him to do a few things on his own…but he's going to be ok"
Lucas stood up and shook his head "Yeah but I was the one that was pressuring Brooke into having another baby…I knew she wasn't ready…but I just kept on and kept on…what am I going to do man?"
Mouth stood up and grabbed Lucas by the arm pulling him into an embrace "This is NOT your fault…things like this happen sometimes"
Lucas relaxed in Mouth's embrace and finally let go of the tears that he'd held in for the last 24 hours. "What am I going to do man?"
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
Rachel lied in Brooke's oversized hospital bed curled up next to her friend the two laid together in silence until Rachel finally spoke up. "Have you thought of a name yet?"
Brooke shook her head "No…I'm afraid to name him because if he doesn't make it…I don't even know what I'd do"
"He's going to be ok Brooke…besides the only reason that he's in such a hurry to come out is because he knows how hot his Aunt Rachel is" Rachel turned her head and looked at Brooke who'd finally smiled.
"You're too much Rachel"
"Yeah, but you love me"
"You bug me"
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
"How are you feeling Brooke?" Andrea asked walking into Brooke's room.
"It just really hurts" Brooke said looking out the window at the nighttime sky.
"Well, let's see how far along that you are" Andrea put on some gloves and took a seat at the end of the bed and examined Brooke.
"Well you're 6 centimeters…it should only be a few more hours" Andrea slipped off her gloves and disposed of them.
"I don't think I can take it much longer" Brooke whimpered her eyes welling with tears.
"Brooke why don't you do an epidural?" Andrea offered writing something on Brooke's chart.
"No…" Brooke shook her head and panted through a small contraction "I don't want the baby born drugged out"
"Brooke I assure you that the baby won't be drugged out…the epidural will help you to get the rest that you need to deliver" Andrea assured
"No…I'll be fine" Brooke stammered through gritted teeth.
"Brooke come on…let her get the anesthesiologist" Rachel said taking hold of Brooke's shoulder.
"No…It's my fault my son's coming early…I'll sit here and take this pain for him…Oh God" Brooke cried out and sat up panting as she tried to breathe though the contraction.
"Brooke," Lucas's voice was angry. "You listen to me and you listen good. None of this is your fault. Things happen for a reason, this is meant to happen. Andrea told you that you might not make it to term, she told us that a long time ago. This is nature, not some divine intervention to punish you."
Brooke's eyes were sad. "I'm afraid Lucas." Lucas's face softened and he leaned his head down to rest beside hers.
"I'm afraid too Baby. But I really believe, with everything in me that our son is going to be okay. They're half Davis and you know how they are stubborn as hell and stronger than anyone." Brooke forced a smile and reached out to stroke his cheek.
"It hurts Lucas, it hurts a lot," she whispered, her voice wavering.
"I'm going to have Dr. Greene come in here.," Andrea walked out of the room. She came back a few minutes later with the doctor in tow.
"Hi Mrs. Scott I'm Dr. Greene and I'm going to administer your epidural…now I want you to understand that an epidural will slow down labor a little, but it will buy you some more time for the steroids to kick in. Brooke nodded slightly, setting her hand down on her belly.
After Brooke received her epidural she almost instantly fell asleep once it took effect. Lucas took the opportunity to try and catch some rest of his own but as he reclined in the chair next to a sleeping Brooke the only thing he could think of was his unborn son. It seemed like everything always had to happen to Brooke and him. Non stop fighting, the accident, the Chase drama, and now this. It was just one thing right after the next this baby had to survive though because Lucas knew that if he didn't it would destroy his wife and him to the point where he knew it would be unfixable.
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
It was now 4 o'clock in the morning, Brooke had woken up but was still groggy, Lucas had managed to get a few hours of sleep but not enough to fill fully recharged. Rachel and Mouth were reclining on a small sofa in the room watching their friends go through what no parent should have to go through. Andrea walked into the room and smiled sadly at Brooke
"Okay Brooke, you know the drill," the nurse said softly. "I'm going to see how this is progressing." Brooke nodded and reached for Lucas's hand, leaning her head against his chest as the nurse examined her.
"What is it?" she whispered, already knowing the answer, as she caught Andrea's frown.
"You're ten centimeters Brooke," she sighed sadly. "I'm going to get some stuff set up and then you can start pushing." A tear dripped down Brooke's cheek as the nurse walked to the phone on the wall.
.
"I love you Pretty Girl. Everything's going to be fine." She looked at him and covered her eyes.
"Rachel and I will be out in the waiting room" Mouth stood up and took hold of Rachel's hand. They both walked over and hugged Brooke and Lucas as the nurses from the NICU made their way into Brooke's room and started setting things up.
"Okay Brooke," the doctor smiled reassuringly. "I guess this little guy isn't going to wait any longer." Brooke closed her eyes and nodded as a nurse placed her legs in stirrups and covered her bare legs with a sheet "I know you know how to do this so when you feel a contraction I want you to push ok?" She nodded and looked up at Lucas. Lucas leaned down and nuzzled Brooke's forehead gently. Brooke could feel the familiar tightening in her abdomen and she closed her eyes and pushed as hard as she could.
"You're doing great Brooke," Andrea praised. "I just need a couple more pushes and you'll have your baby boy." Brooke braced herself and pushed as another contraction came on.
"Okay, here it comes," he warned them, reaching for the suction as the baby's head emerged.
"Does it hurt?" Lucas asked, surprised at her silence. She looked at him and smiled slightly.
"Just a little, it's not bad." She turned her head and pushed one last time.
"You've got a son," Andrea declared, cutting the cord quickly.
Silence filled the room as the baby was quickly taken away from his parents and into the arms of the Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit specialists. Brooke felt her heart drop as she listened for any sound that the silent baby might make but she heard nothing.
"Is he ok?" Lucas asked his heart almost stopping in fear of the answer.
"Please God" Brooke begged softly. A moment later the soft sound of a cry echoed through the delivery room. Brooke laid her head back down on the pillows and let go of the sobs that overtook her body.
"We're going to take him to the NICU…I promise you can see him later Brooke" Andrea assured and followed the NICU specialists out the door and down the hall leaving Brooke to be cleaned up. "Go with him Luke…I don't want him to spend his first few minutes alone"
Lucas nodded and kissed her sweat slicked forehead "I'll be right back Brooke"
"Luke" Brooke called.
"Yeah?" Lucas answered before walking out of the room.
"Will you get Rachel for me?"
Lucas nodded and walked out of the room. A few minutes later Rachel walked in and over to Brooke's side careful to stay out of the way as the intern finished working on Brooke. Rachel couldn't help but notice how pale Brooke looked. "You ok?"
Brooke nodded slowly and looked up at Rachel "I'm…just…really…tired"
"Brooke?" Rachel asked as Brooke's eyes started to flutter closed.
The intern stood up from the end of the bed "She's bleeding out her uterus won't stop contracting…go get Andrea now!" the intern ordered to a nurse that was standing by.
"Brooke?" Rachel screamed leaning over her friend.
"Ma'am you're going to have to leave" another nurse told her taking a hold of Rachel by the arm.
"I'm not leaving my friend let go of me" Rachel ordered jerking out of the nurse's grasp.
"I was afraid this was going to happen" Andrea said running into Brooke's room.
"What's happening to her?" Rachel asked with fear in her voice.
"Doctor her BP's 70/50" a nurse said checking Brooke's vitals
"Rachel you're going to have to leave…we've got to work on Brooke…NOW Rachel" Andrea ordered.
Rachel walked out of the room and ran down the hall to find Lucas.