Among The Shadows

The Hospital Visit

Brooke entered the hospital, pausing to take a deep breath. She had requested Skills to accompany her to avoid causing further concern to her friends.

Understanding that Haley would fret if she learned of the incident, Brooke opted to ask Skills to meet her at the hospital.

'Hello, B-Davis, is everything well?' inquired Skills as he approached Brooke at the entrance. 'Yes, I simply wished for someone to accompany me during my time here,' she replied, gazing away.

Despite her awareness of the necessity to confide in Skills about the situation, Brooke contemplated fabricating the truth, but acknowledged its repercussions due to her need for medical attention.

'What occurred?' questioned Skills as he noticed her bruised face. 'Did someone harm you?' he further inquired, showing concern. Brooke steadied herself, shifting her robe, and shared, 'I was attacked at my store last night,' while walking towards the reception desk, where a young man with brown hair asked, 'Can I assist you?'

Skills followed her and frowned, inquiring, 'Do you know who it was?' He spoke quietly to ensure their conversation remained private. 'No, not really, he had a mask on,' Brooke said nonchalantly, gesturing towards the brown-haired male. 'Yes, I would like to get checked out,' she added, shaking off the dizziness.

Gripping the counter for support, Brooke took a breath as Skills asked, 'Brooke, are you alright?' He wrapped his arm around her to prevent her from falling and assured her, 'Let me get a nurse real quick.' Calling for help, the man informed, 'We have a patient here who looks like she's about to faint any second now.'

Brooke nodded weakly as she leaned against Skills and replied, 'I'm fine, just feeling a little sick, and my whole body is throbbing.' Concerned, Skills asked, 'Did he touch you in any way?' Despite feeling a surge of rage, he made a conscious effort to stay calm and collected for the brunette.

Brooke relayed, 'I am uncertain of what occurred after he finished, as everything went black.' Stuttering slightly, she attempted to shrink away from the male doctor who came out with a wheelchair for her to sit in.

Observing her discomfort, Skills requested, 'Could we have a female doctor instead?' Expressing understanding, the male doctor responded, 'Certainly, I will escort you to a room and arrange for one of our female doctors.'

Allowing Skills to take control of the wheelchair, Brooke nodded in relief knowing a familiar person was now pushing it. Once situated in a room, Brooke drifted into a daze, barely acknowledging Skills until he addressed her, 'You will need to inform the others about what happened,' he advised, capturing the attention of the brunette.

Brooke expressed her reluctance to worry her friends, particularly with Peyton and Lucas preparing for their wedding. She admitted that Peyton was already aware of the situation and had offered to accompany her to the hospital.

Despite only sharing a partial truth about not wanting to burden Peyton due to the wedding preparations, Brooke found herself puzzled by Peyton's unexpected kiss.

She explained to Skills that she had initially intended to have Haley accompany her to the hospital, but decided against it considering Haley's son Jamie. Fearing Nathan's potentially intense reaction, she opted for Skills' presence instead, recognizing his calm demeanor compared to Nathan's.

Skills acknowledged her concerns and inquired about her current well-being, to which Brooke replied, 'I'm okay,' while standing in close proximity to him.

Brooke began to feel more unwell than she already was. 'Skills...can you please hand me the trash bin?' she attempted to ask, but ended up leaning over the bed and getting sick. Skills promptly retrieved the trash bin just in time to prevent any mess on the floor or on Brooke.

He comforted her by rubbing her back gently and reassured her with a calming 'Easy.' After Brooke laid back on the bed, Skills placed the bin next to her and inquired about her well-being with 'Are you okay?' Brooke simply nodded in response.

As the door opened, a female doctor entered announcing, 'Hello, I am here for Brooke Davis.' Brooke weakly raised her hand, indicating her inability to speak due to her recent sickness. Skills explained the situation to the doctor while holding Brooke's hand.

'That's quite alright. I am Doctor Molly Liverwood,' the doctor introduced herself with a gentle smile as she approached Brooke's bedside. 'Would you like to explain what brought you in today?' she asked, extending her support to Brooke.

Brooke expressed her need for a medical check-up following an attack she endured the previous night and her current illness. She conveyed her concern to Molly while attempting to control her nausea.

Molly suggested conducting tests and a kit for Brooke's reassurance, followed by checking her vitals before proceeding with any procedures.

Brooke confirmed her consent to have someone with her during the examination. Molly then examined Brooke's vitals and confirmed her well-being before briefly stepping out to gather necessary items for the examination. Brooke apologized to Skills for bringing him along but expressed her gratitude for his presence.

 The brunette smiled and nodded as she gazed at the ceiling, contemplating if the upcoming wedding would unfold as expected or perhaps take an unexpected turn, like a runaway bride scenario. She couldn't help but envision Peyton and Lucas tying the knot, a thought that stirred conflicting emotions within her.

'Let us hope for a conventional event. Nevertheless, where is the excitement in predictability?' Skills remarked with a chuckle, to which Brooke simply agreed with a nonchalant 'True,' although secretly harboring a desire for a more dramatic occurrence.

Molly reentered the room with an x-ray machine and the necessary kit, prompting Brooke to prepare for the upcoming procedure. Upon completion of the examination after an hour, Molly inquired about scheduling a follow-up appointment, to which Brooke questioned, 'Why?' 

"Ensuring proper healing of your ribs and bruises is crucial, and I believe waiting for another week or two will provide us with more information to work with," Molly stated, receiving a nod of understanding from Brooke. "Very well," Brooke replied.

After the hospital visit, Brooke expressed her gratitude, saying, "Thank you, Skills, for accompanying me. Please refrain from informing others about the attack until I feel ready to do so." Skills assured her, "Do not worry, B-Davis. I will keep it confidential, but it is advisable to disclose the information sooner rather than later," as they went their separate ways.

As Brooke drove home, she pondered aloud, her hand gripping the steering wheel tightly, "I wonder if Peyton is at home or with Lucas."

Upon arriving home, Brooke searched for her blonde friend in the kitchen and living room but did not find her.

" Peyton?" Brooke called as she set her keys and bag down" Are you here?" She asked walking down the hallway.

Following a five-minute search, Brooke was unable to locate Peyton. 'I assume you went to speak with Lucas about the wedding,' she remarked with a melancholic smile.

Despite her growling stomach, she shrugged and retired to her room to rest. Once settled in her room, Brooke glanced at her phone and noticed a text from Peyton inquiring about the hospital visit.

'How did the hospital visit turn out?' the message read. Brooke responded, 'It went fine, just some cracked ribs and bruises - nothing too serious.' She then placed her phone on the nightstand and lay down on the bed.