Best Of Both Worlds (Brooke Davis / OC)

Chapter 24

The next day, Peyton tries to convince Haley to go to the hospital, but she is still not ready. I accept to go with Peyton because I know it's hard for her to go back there since her mother died. Let alone the fact Lucas had a car accident just like her mom.

            We walk to Lucas' room and nobody is in here. I let Peyton go first so she can have some privacy. After some minutes, Karen comes back and hugs me tightly.

"Thanks for visiting Taylor. Lucas would be happy to see you." She smiles a bit.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, Karen." I sigh. "Your return wasn't supposed to be like that..."

"As long as he wakes up, I'll be good." Karen says.

"You know, Haley wanted to come but she is not ready yet. She'll be around soon."

"I don't blame her, let her know that okay?" Karen caresses my cheek motherly. "You grew up fast, Taylor."

"A bit too fast." I chuckle sadly.

"Who is in there?" Karen wonders.

"Peyton." I smile.

"Oh, the one and only Peyton?" She wiggles her eyebrows.

"Yes." I laugh. "But it's complicated now. Lucas is with Brooke and all..."

"I understood that, yesterday. I guess he will have to feed me up with his love life."

"Definitely." I chuckle and she enters the room.

            I see Karen and Peyton talking so I sit in the hallway.

"You came." Brooke's voice makes me look up.

"Yeah... Nathan told me what happened." I explain. "How are you?"

"Sad, stressed, worried?" She chuckles sadly. "I don't really know."

"It's okay, Brooke." I stand up. "He's going to make it."

"I hope so." She hugs me tightly. "Thanks for stopping by, he'll be happy to have friends like you."

"Peyton is here too." I inform her. "She is inside with Karen."

"She needed you to come, you know?" Brooke looks at me with a small smile. "You're the only one who truly understands her when it comes to that." She refers to Moms being in hospital.

"I know." I sigh. "You should go, Brooke."

"Yeah..." She whispers and enters the room.

            I look at the scene before my eyes and the tension is so thick, I have to interrupt. I try to find some lies which could be real.

"Peyton? Can we go? I've got some practice to be at?" I smile to Karen who acknowledges how things are tensed.

"Oh, yeah, we have to go..." Peyton nods.

"Okay." Brooke tells us. "I've got him now, but see you later?"

"Sure." Peyton breathes out. "It was really nice to meet you."

"You too." Karen says. "Taylor, feel free to visit, okay?"

"I will." I wave at her and we leave.

"Thanks..." Peyton sighs.

"Karen knows something is up, Peyton." I warn her.

"How?" She worries.

"She's a mother, she knows."

            We drive back and I drop Peyton off. She tells me she will go back to Lucas with Haley after her shift, so I decide to go to see Nathan in case he wants to go too. I find him shooting baskets in his courtyard.

"Worried about your brother?" I ask taking the ball.

"Yeah... and about Haley too." He admits. "I've fucked up once again."

"What did you do?" I wonder.

"I told her at first I was getting close to her to mess with Lucas."

"No wonder why she doesn't want to talk to you." I chuckle.

"Tay!" Nathan growls. "It's the past, I'm being real with her now."

"You know Haley as I do. She wants honesty and you couldn't give her that before. You've changed, prove her."

"How?"

"Go to see Lucas with me tonight." I offer.

"Alright." He agrees and I smile. "What about you, Soccer Star? How's Julie?"

"She is doing fine, searching for college and all."

"I always forgot she is that older." He chuckles. "You've got game, Harrison."

"Shut up." I laugh.

            We play for a little longer before I leave him. I drive to the Park and somehow, I've got an idea. I send a text message to all the people who likes Lucas, I ask them to stop by the Park during the day. I go to the store and buy all sorts of drawing items. I drive back to the Park and see Lucas' River Court friends and Jake already there.

"What is it about, Tay?" Jake asks.

"I thought we could show Lucas how much he means to all of us?" I send him a small smile.

"What's the idea?" Mouth smiles back holding his camera and I send him a stray paint.

"Let your hearts do the work."

            We all go to a spot of the Park and start drawing. As the time passes by, some more people join us and it's actually looking great. At some point, Haley and Peyton stop by and walk to me.

"What is this?" Haley asks me.

"Some love for Lucas." I smile.

"Is that Tim?" Haley looks at the basketball guy drawing. "He's always been such an ass to Lucas."

"Maybe it's his way of saying he's sorry." Peyton smiles.

"Wow... Why am I not surprised Nathan isn't here?" Haley sighs and walks to the court.

            I see Jake walking to us and I leave him alone with Peyton. I let them talk and keep doing my things. Around 6 pm, I receive a text message from Nathan saying he is ready to see Lucas. I pick him up and we go to the hospital.

"I'm glad you're doing it." I smile to him.

"I have to try, right? He is my brother after all."

"True." I chuckle.

"What?" Nathan frowns.

"I'm proud of the man you're becoming, Nate." I say honestly.

"Really?"

"Yeah, you're changing, and I like that. People might finally see how great you are."

"I hope they will."

            Once we arrive in Lucas' room, I spot Karen on a chair sleeping and no one else is around. I let Nathan go first and I sit next to Karen. I listen to Nathan's words and smile, he might not be the greatest with words, but he truly thinks what he is saying.

            That's when Lucas wakes up. He asks for water and Nathan gives him some awkwardly. I decide to wake Karen up while the brothers talk to each other. Once she is awake, Karen goes to Lucas and we leave the room to give them privacy.

"Is that some type of miracle?" Nathan whispers looking kind of lost.

"It might be." I smile and we drive to Karen's Café.

            I let Nathan and Haley talk and once he convinces her to come with us, we drive back to the hospital. I send a text message to Peyton and Brooke, so they'll know for Lucas. We arrive to Lucas' room and Brooke is already there. Haley walks to Lucas and Brooke comes to us. She hugs me tightly clearly relieved to see Lucas being okay. Then, she smiles to Nathan, turns around and leans against me as I put my arm around her neck. We are one big family.