LUCAS' POV
"Hey Peyton, how is she doing today?" I asked just like I had every single day of the previous month.
"The same. She hates that her morning sickness isn't getting better even though she is at five months now. She jokes about how she is living it for two kids so she feels it for double the time. Her work is still making her miserable and she still chooses to hide in the room rather than speak to any of us. She has become really responsible with money though," Peyton gave me the updates. "So any progress on the trial? Last I heard they were questioning about where Karen was, right?"
"Yes, I spoke to her and she signed the legal paperwork for it and provided an affidavit endorsing my emancipation. I asked her not to come back. She does not need to face him. She is still on the bend and having to deal with Dan could kill her. My lawyers have all the paperwork. They are saying that I can get my emancipation at the next hearing but getting him to jail is a real long shot. They are suggesting that I don't pursue it. It's only going to cost me money that I don't have with no guarantee of it working out. I love Deb and Keith for helping me out so much, but now it's just too much," I answered truthfully.
"You and Brooke are literally cut out of the same cloth. Just can't take assistance, can you?" she commented.
"God, imagine the kids with those genes!" I continued the banter.
"If it weren't so real, I would have actually found it funny. I pray to God for those poor poor souls!" she laughed as we continued walking to History.
"Luke, do you need us to come to Court with you? We already testified, we can come again. Especially if it is finally ending," I asked.
"Nah, just keep me updated on Brooke," I asked.
"Also, I should tell you one more thing, she has been sneezing and coughing a lot, you know, wheezing and dizziness. We researched some and she can't take an ibuprofen because that can damage the baby's lungs and kidneys, that sent her into a frenzy. So she is just sweating it out. It just sucks to hear her cough all night and do nothing because she won't let me help her and she can't take over the counter meds,," Peyton informed me.
"How long has this been on for? Why hasn't she seen a doctor!" I found myself clenching my fists.
"Since two maybe three weeks actually, but she doesn't sound too bad. I have been trying to get her to a doctor, but she is constantly working. She says that she will ask the doctor at your ultrasound appointment if it hasn't already become better. The ultrasound that depends on the trial ending!" I tried to pass a comment.
"God, why is that girl so stubborn!" I yelled.
"She learns it from her stubborn boyfriend perhaps! Don't worry, she says it's just a pregnancy thing, a bug never harmed anyone," Peyton reassured me.
'Hey, how are you? Do you need anything?' I texted Brooke during class. I had woken up late and had no time to check in on her in the morning.
'Nope, fine," came her generic reply. It really made me wonder why I even bothered with sending them. It was always the same reply. Yet, I knew that it was the right thing to do. Maybe she was just fine and didn't need any assistance and maybe if she really did, I would get a real reply one day. I knew Brooke better than anybody, she had walls higher than Mount Everest, and it would take a while to break through them. I just had to do it slowly and steadily. I still cared about her enough to be patient with her and with it all.
'Just get through the trial, just focus on getting emancipated and that restraining order. That is it!' I said to myself.
It was so hard to get through the day sometimes. Everything was blown out of proportions and amplified. Sometimes all I felt like doing was dropping everything and running off to be an ascetic in the Himalayan mountains in India. Yet, I knew that would be nothing but escapism and I refused to do that. I could not and would not let Brooke go through what she was going through all alone.
— — –
"Hey Lucas, it's good to see you," I heard Dan say to me as we waited for the trial to begin. That man got on my last nerve and he knew it. I never looked up at him and yet I could feel him smirking at me.
"Hey Deb and Boozy," he waved to Keith and Deb who were sitting behind in the gallery.
"Somebody looks confident today," Keith commented.
"Yeah, I do feel great today," he smiled.
"Great that you're probably going to go to jail," Keith continued.
"Yeah, I don't think so," he responded cryptically before taking his seat in the courtroom.
"All rise for the honourable judge," I heard the announcement as we all stood up from our seats.
The rest of the trial was a blur. My lawyer and Dan's lawyer battled it out. I saw all of it, but I just could not engage. I was just so tired and so numb. I just wanted it to be over already. The judge heard what they had to say most of which was in Latin which didn't even make sense to me. A judge was just about to decide whether I got to live my life or not. I hated not having the authority to decide for me. Unfortunately, that is just how the system worked.
After about an hour, the judge finally said that he had reached a verdict. "I have reviewed the case and I declare Lucas Scott as an emancipated minor. I am also allowing a restraining order to be put as a precautionary measure. I am appointing Keith and Deobrah Scott as temporary guardian ad litem for any emergency purposes, they can help Lucas Scott if he may need any assistance but he is emancipated for all purposes. If Dan Scott violates any of the terms in the agreement which will be drawn up right now, he will be put in jail for a term upto 20 years. I hereby declare this session as closed," the Judge ordered before hitting the gauntlet.
"Congratulations Lucas. He officially has no control over your life!" My lawyer said to me as I signed the agreement which officially declared me as an emancipated minor. "I am sorry that I could not do more and get him to jail."
"It's alright. At least I have my own freedom now!" I smiled.
Keith and Deb walked up to me and gave me a hug as we left the courtroom.
"So, how does it feel to finally have freedom?" Keith asked.
"Great, because now I can finally go help Brooke without having a target on my back," I smiled.
"How about you invite her to dinner? I can make her favourites and the two of you can talk about your futures," Deb offered.
"Nah, you two have done enough. It's time for Brooke to go see an OB, so I will just do that with her and then we can take it a step at a time. I don't want to overwhelm either of us. It's all insane as it is," I said to them.
"Okay, I am going to send you the number of my OBGYN. Do you want me to book you an appointment?" she asked me.
"Oh, thank you so much for that. Let me just talk to Brooke and get back to you. Keith, I will see you at work tomorrow. Right now, I am just going to finally go check out wherever Brooke has been working. I was so afraid Dan would follow me to her that I haven't seen her even once in the last month.
Just then my phone began to ring.
"Hello, is this Lucas Scott?" the lady on the line asked me.
"Heay, this is he," I answered, confused as to who was calling.
"You are listed as the Emergency Contact for Brooke Davis on her phone. We wanted to inform you that she is in the hospital. Can you get here soon?" the lady asked in a calm tone.
"Is she okay? Are the babies fine?" I asked frantically.
"Sir, you will have to get here and ask her doctor," she answered.
I didn't bother responding or explaining myself as I ran towards my car.
"Lucas! What's wrong? What happened?" I heard both Keith and Deb yell towards me, but I didn't care. I just had to get to the hospital for Brooke.
I drove like a mad man, running over red lights. I was grateful that there were no cops out on the road. I just didn't care. I could not let anything happen to her or the twins. I made it there in twelve minutes, which had to be some kind of record I was sure.
"I'm Lucas Scott, I am here for Brooke Davis," I asked the receptionist.
"The doctor is just examining her in that room. You can wait over there," she directed but I didn't even bother. I just ran to the room where she had told me Brooke was.
"Lucas!" Brooke yelled as her eyes fell on me. The doctor had a flashlight in his hand and he was checking her pupils.
"Brooke, are you okay? Are the twins fine? WHat happened?" I asked.
"She had a fall at her workplace. She fainted. We have her on fluids in case it was exhaustion but she also has a nasty cough and she complained about dizziness and eye irritation, am I right?" the doctor spoke calmly.
Brooke nodded her head but looked down as if she had been reprimanded by a teacher for not doing her homework. "We are going to run some tests okay? Just hang in there," the doctor said while drawing some blood and taking a swab test of her saliva.
"Brooke! Are you hurt?" I was by her side in seconds after the doctor left.
"I'm sorry," she whispered out to me, still avoiding all eye contact. That's when I noticed. She was scared too.
"Hey, everything will be fine, okay!" I assured her and kissed her forehead while she played with the white hospital gown that she had on.
"So, I got emancipated today," I said to her after not getting any reaction out of instantly made her look up towards me.
"Luke really!" she screamed ecstatically. "Please tell me he is going to rot in prison for the rest of his life!"
"Uhh, unfortunately not. But, I did get a restraining order so he can't touch me," I answered.
"Fair enough. That's great Luke. Finally you are past it, in a way," she replied.
"So what happened?" I asked.
"I don't know, one minute I was working and Carl was complaining about my coughing and the next thing I knew I was here." she sighed. "The doctor said that I was long overdue for my next check up and we should do it today itself, based on the test results."
"It's going to be fine," I assured her another time. Twenty minutes passed and Brooke was getting just more frantic with each passing moment. It did not help that she was still coughing every couple of minutes even though she promised me that it was a lot better than what it was at work.
When she was reaching hysteria, I gave a loud huff and got onto the bed where she was lying. SHe looked at me and raised an eyebrow asking me silently what I was doing, but I just was tired of the drama. I just went and rubbed her back to try to soothe her coughs and gave her some water to drink. It seemed to do the trick and she began to calm down, still not saying much. Another fifteen minutes later, the doctor finally walked in. Brooke all but pushed me out of the bed as if we had been doing something inappropriate.
"Ms. Davis, I have your test results back. It's not good. It says here that you have been exposed to black mould and you have been in exposure for quite some time given the severity of your symptoms," The Doctor cut to the chase immediately.
"Wait what how! Does it affect the twins!?" She asked, now completely hysterical. Tears were streaming down her face, she was so afraid.
"Ms. Davis, why didn't you come here sooner?" the Doctor asked her sternly. "You fainted and black mould is not a trivial thing to deal with. Exposure to high levels of mycotoxins can lead to neurological problems and, in some cases, death."
"I don't know, I just thought it was a pregnancy symptom," she said sheepishly.
"Sneezing and coughing are in no way pregnancy symptoms. I know, you're a kid, you don't know any better, especially about pregnancies. That is why you need to be even more cautious and come to us when you're not sure about what is going on. I still recommend that we call CPS since your parents are not involved," the doctor said.
I saw Brooke's entire demeanour change. She looked so small and so broken out there lying on the bed. It was moments like this that I realised, we were still adolescents. Brooke was only a child herself! She was so afraid out there. She looked so helpless and scared and alone.
"No, please don't. I am the father of the babies she is carrying and I am legally emancipated. I will take care of her," Lucas said to the doctor.
"I don't think that is wise," the doctor raised his concerns. "You're sixteen yourself, aren't you?"
"I have my aunt and uncle as my guardian ad litems for emergencies and they will be happy to make sure that Brooke is looked after. Sending her to a foster home would be the unwise thing to do," I explained. I could not let her have to go through that.
Brooke didn't partake in any of these conversations, even though they were about her future. All she did was stare and rub at her belly, flicking tears away every few seconds. It truly broke my heart to see her that way. The doctor followed my gaze and instantly softened as he saw the scared child come to the surface since the tough exterior was gone.
"Did I put them in jeopardy?" she finally asked once the Doctor called out to her.
"Prolonged exposures can lead to birth defects. I am not going to sugar coat it, however, there is limited information about exposure to mould in pregnancy. There have been no definite conclusions about how airborne mould can cause risks to a foetus or in your case, foetuses. But, studies in animals have shown birth defects when exposed to large quantities of mould. Do you know where and how long you were exposed for?" he asked.
"I guess at work. That's when it began. Carl's Crab Shack. In that case I have been exposed for two months now," she hiccuped.
"I would like to order an OB consult just so that we know how strong their heartbeats are and things and I am going to prescribe you some nasal sprays and medicines you can take in order to clear your systems. Just relax and somebody from OB will be here shortly. Also, if you feel even mildly out of the ordinary, you come straight to the ER, okay?," he instructed.
"Take care of her," he said to me before exiting the door.
"I am so sorry," Brooke said to me once he was gone. She was blaming herself for all of this. "I didn't know. I didn't intend to put them in any danger. Oh God, I am already such a terrible parent. I don't know what I will do if I hurt them in any way. How could i be so stupid, I hurt them!"
"Brooke, stop. How could you have known that place was infected? You were literally doing your best and I don't blame you. Am I scared, yes, I am terrified out of my mind. But I do not blame you for any of this, okay? Also, it goes without saying that you are quitting that job. I will drop out of school and work with Keith full time to support the four of us," I said to her.
"Absolutely not!" came her firm response. "Of course, I am not going back to that dingy mould infested dungeon, but I disallow you dropping out," she said with such firmness, it made me wonder how the girl could go from being so vulnerable in one moment to such rigidity the next.
"So you can and I can't?" I retaliated.
"Broody, one of us is going to have to take care of them and the other is going to have to do the earning bit. If you drop out now, it's hello minimum wage jobs for life and kids just get more expensive with time. Think about it, we are going to have two college payments to make at the same time! You're obviously better at school and yes feminism and everything is great but the situation we are in, I have to be the one that drops out. Besides, I have said before and I am going to say it again, you have an out! But if you really want to support us, get an education," she said sternly.
Wow, she had really thought about it all. It was insane how Brooke's mind worked sometimes. In one moment she could play the part of the oblivious high school cheer captain and talk something so profound the very next minute. I had to figure out a way to do something for her. There had to be a better way to do things. I would figure it out.
"Hello parents, my name is Dr. Crawfords and I am going to be your doctor. Dr. Phillips updated me about the black mould situation and I would like to do a thorough exam, just to make sure everything is alright," he said coming into the room. Brooke still looked so sullen and so convinced that she had screwed up that she didn't even respond. Brooke hated doctors. This was so out of her comfort zone. I just went beside her and held her hand.
I saw her get on the scales as the doctor noted down her weight and height. Next he asked her to pull down the top of her gown to check her back and breasts. I couldn't help but stare as I got a full view of Brooke's breasts. They had definitely grown bigger since the last time I had seen them, surely due to the pregnancy. It shocked me just how drawn I was towards them.
"Lucas, close your stupid mouth and quit staring or I will throw you out of the room!" Brooke suddenly yelled at me, instantly making the tips of my ears turn red.
"Sorry," I said, but I could not avert my gaze. Brooke just blushed and focused her attention on the doctor instead, letting me enjoy the view. Once he was done, the doctor asked her to get onto the table and parted her feet and put them on the stirrups. I stood by her side and held her hand as the doctor took a seat between her feet to begin examinations. I felt Brooke flinch once or twice, perhaps when the doctor was putting in his finger to check if all was okay.
"Hey it's okay," I whispered to her while I put my hands on her scalp fondly. She just moved her body until her head was cradled in my chest away from the view of the doctor seated between her legs. I just patted her head, knowing she was just terrified to hear what he had to say.
He checked her out some more and then said that it was finally time for the ultrasound. Brooke hissed as the cold jelly made contact with her exposed belly.
"So here are your two babies," he smiled as he showed us the images. Insurmountable love instantly filled me up as I got emotional over the sight. I gripped onto Brooke's hand even more firmly as my eyes were fixated on the screen.
"Your boy and girl look a little on the smaller size for their time, but that is common among twins, especially since you are still underweight. You need to eat healthier and at regular intervals. I want to see you gain some pounds before your next visit," he said before pressing a few buttons on the machine.
Suddenly I heard sounds emitting from the machine.
"Heartbeats are strong! They seem to be okay," he said to us. A partial sense of relief washed over each of our faces. "Although, I can't guarantee much given your continued mould exposure. The initial look makes me feel positive that they are going to be just fine."
"Thank You Doctor," Brooke said as the doctor handed her some paper towels to clear the cold liquid jelly.
"You wait in the car while I go get your prescriptions, then I will drive you home," I said to Brooke as we walked out of the hospital room. I was glad that she just nodded her head and took the car keys from my hand instead of fighting.
"Do you want something to eat before I take you to Peyton's?" I asked her once I was back with her medicines.
"I could go for something hot and spicy," she said after mulling over the idea for a few seconds.
"Chilli at mom's cafe?" I asked her to which she nodded her head.
We met Haley at the cafe who had just completed her shift and was sipping on some coffee at the counter. Soon Brooke and Haley started talking as Brooke filled her in on our rather eventful day.
"Hey, I need to make a call. I will be back in a few minutes," I said to her before entering the back storage room.
"Hi, I think it's time for you to come back to Tree Hill," I said on the phone when the person answered the call. "I really need you, mom."
