Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill.

Chapter 11

The masked assailant pummeled Brooke. She screamed as he punched, kicked, and threw her around. She tried to curl herself into a ball, hoping to avoid the painful hits. That only enraged the attacker more. After several blows, Brooke passed out.

…

"You've reached Brooke Davis. Please leave a message." Beep!

"Brooke, it's late and you still haven't come home yet. Please call me back." Millie sighed. This was her third message. It was a little after 11pm and she was starting to worry. She fed and put Sebastian to bed an hour ago, after she convinced him that his mom would be here when he woke up. Now she wasn't so sure. Brooke was supposed to be home after she closed the store, and that was three hours ago. Before Millie panicked even more, she called Haley.

Haley was grading papers on the couch when her phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hi Haley, it's Millie. Sorry for calling so late, but have you heard from Brooke?"

Haley sensed the panic in Millie's voice. "I haven't heard from her since we were at the store earlier. Is there something wrong?"

"Brooke never came home. She was supposed to lock up the store and come home, but it's been three hours and I haven't heard from her."

"Where is Sebastian?" Haley asked. The concern was apparent in her voice.

"He's here with me. He's fine."

Haley thought for a few minutes. "Nathan is on his way home from practice. I'll call and have him stop by the store and check on everything. I'll call you back."

"Thanks Haley." Millie replied.

"Sure." Haley said, and then she hung up and called Nathan.

…

After the frantic call he received from Haley, Nathan pulled up to Clothes Over Bro's. As he approached the entrance, he noticed a shoe, which he guessed was Brooke's, laying on the ground. Nathan looked inside the window of the store and he saw clothes and the mannequins haphazardly spread across the floor. All of the lights were off, but he tried the doorknob just in case. To his surprise, it was unlocked. When Nathan walked inside, he turned the light on and that's when he saw. Brooke was laying on the floor with marks and bruises all over her body.

"Oh my god, Brooke!" He rushed to her side. He checked to see if she was breathing, then he called 911.

…

Nathan sat in the waiting area with his head in his hands. He tried to hold back the tears, but he kept picturing Brooke in his head. How could someone hurt her like that?

The elevator dinged! He stood up to meet Haley, Jamie, Millie, and Sebastian. Haley hugged him.

"What happened?" She asked her husband. When he told her to meet him at the hospital, he didn't go into detail about what happened.

Nathan gave her a serious look. Millie caught on and she took the boys over to the chairs. They were still sleepy, so she left them there and went back to where Nathan and Haley stood.

"Brooke was attacked." Nathan said. His voice was full of pain and Haley could detect the anger also.

"What do you mean attacked?" Millie asked.

"It looks like someone robbed the store and they attacked her. They hurt her really bad. She was barely breathing when I got to her."

"Is she going to be okay?" Haley asked as a tear streamed down her face.

"I don't know." Nathan replied. Just then a doctor came to the waiting area.

"Is someone here for Brooke Davis?"

Sebastian sat up in his chair when he heard his mom's name.

"We are." Millie answered.

"Ms. Davis suffered a concussion, broken ribs, and some scarring. She is currently unconscious."

"Will she be okay?" Nathan asked.

"For right now, it's touch and go. We are going to constantly monitor her."

"When can we see her?" Haley asked.

"In a few hours." The doctor said.

After the doctor left, the adults sat there looking sorrowful. Sebastian walked over to them.

"Uncle Nate, what happened to my mommy?"

Nathan looked sadly at his nephew. The little boy's green eyes pierced through his soul. He didn't know what to say. Millie stepped in to help.

"Sebastian, let's go to the vending machine" Millie said, as she took his hand and led him away.

"We have to let everyone else know what's going on." Haley said, breaking Nathan out of his head space.

"We have to tell Lucas, right?" Haley asked a little unsure.

"I'm sure he would want to know." Nathan replied.

Nathan took the hint of Haley's silence, letting him know that he was going to be the one to call Lucas. He just wished that the two best friends would stop fighting and make up already.

Haley pulled out her cell phone and dialed Skills' number. It rang a few times, and then she heard his groggy voice.

"Hello?"

"Antwon, it's Haley."

Skills sat up in his bed. Haley only used his real name when something serious happened.

"Hales, what's up?" He asked, rubbing sleep out of his eyes.

After Haley hung up, she walked over to Nathan, who was staring out of the window into the darkness of the night. She slipped her arms around his mid-section.

"Skills should be here any minute. I think Mouth is coming too. Did you get ahold of Lucas?"

"Not yet. Do you think I should call Peyton? He might be with her." Nathan asked.

"Lucas and Peyton showing up here? That's going to be messy." Haley said.

"I agree, but they should at least know that Brooke is in the hospital. And Lucas is Sebastian's father. He should be here for his son."

Haley sighed. "Okay, make the call." And with that being said, Nathan called Peyton.

…

Lucas lay in the bed with his arms around Peyton. They had just finished consummating their romantic evening. He didn't intend for their night to go this far, but he needed to keep his fiancé calm and relaxed when he told her about Brooke and Sebastian. Peyton was twirling her finger around her engagement ring when she heard Lucas take a deep breath. She looked up at him and saw the worry etched into his face.

"What's wrong babe?" She asked him.

"Peyton, I have to tell you something."

"Okay, tell me?" Peyton said, not liking the way his voice sounded. Just then, her phone rang. "Hold that thought." She said as she reached for her phone on the night stand. "Hi Nathan."

Lucas had an awkward look on his face. What could his brother possibly be calling about after midnight?

"What?!" He heard Peyton say into the phone. "Is she okay?" Lucas heart started pounding rapidly. He started to think something awful happened to Haley. Why else would Nathan be calling? The guilt he felt viciously attacked his conscience. If something happened to his best friend he would never forgive himself.

After Peyton hung up, Lucas asked what was going on.

"Brooke is in the hospital."

Lucas' heart stopped. Brooke was hurt. That changed his focus immediately. Without a second thought, he jumped out of bed and ran into the bathroom. In five minutes, he showered, dressed, and grabbed his car keys. He left the house without saying a word to Peyton.

…

When Skills and Mouth got off the elevator, they were greeted by Nathan and Haley.

"Is Brooke going to be okay?" Mouth asked.

Nathan filled them in on what happened and what the doctor told them.

"What do we do now? Just sit around and wait?" Skills said answering his own question.

"That's all we can do right now." Haley said.

Mouth nudged Skills arm. "Let's sit around and wait over there." He said, pointing to where Millie was sitting.

"Ha ha, I feel you dawg!" Skills said. They walked over and sat in the chairs.

"Hi Millicent." He said shaking her hand. "It's good to see you again. Well, the situation isn't good. But it's good to see you…your face…in the same room with mine." Mouth rambled nervously.

"Chill out man." Skills whispered to him. "You're scaring her away."

Millie smiled at him. "It's good to see you again too Marvin."

Skills cut in and introduced himself. "I'm Antwon, but you can call me Big Daddy Skills."

"Please don't call him that." Mouth said.

Millie laughed at both of them. They were really entertaining. Sebastian grabbed ahold of her arm, trying to keep her attention on him rather than the two guys sitting there.

"This is Sebastian." Millie introduced him.

"So, this is Little Luke." Skills said as he looked at the boy. He could see Brooke and Lucas in him.

Sebastian gave him a strange look.

"Huh?" Mouth said, not understanding.

"It's a long story." Skills replied.

"Yes, a really long and complicated story." Millie added. She was surprised that Skills knew.

"Well, do you two mind explaining this really long and complicated story to me?" Mouth asked, feeling left out.

The elevator dinged and the doors opened.

"Maybe he will explain it to you." Skills told Mouth as they all watched Lucas walk out of the elevator.

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