Chapter Text
Hospitals.
Those were never good places to be for Peyton.
And tonight might be the worst visit of them all.
She felt strangely calm as she parked her Comet, pulled up the zipper of her leather jacket, and walked the distance to those emergency doors.
Peyton made her way towards the receptionist when she spotted Nathan walking down a hallway. She followed after him, turning a corner and having to start checking open doors when he disappeared from sight.
“Nathan?” She called out.
Nathan came into the corridor and spotted her. His expression when they made eye contact told her enough to know her whole world was hanging by a thread.
“How is she?” Peyton asked, eyeing Nathan.
Nathan tried to put his hand on Peyton’s shoulder but she stepped back out of his way. Her own hand going up to stop him getting closer.
“Nate?” She asked in a whisper.
“It’s bad Peyton.” He told her sadly.
Haley came over and put her arm around Nathan. “She’s in surgery, that’s all we know so far Peyton, they haven’t come out to talk to us since that.”
“How…who?” Peyton’s thoughts were going a mile a minute, she’d raced here as soon as Haley called her. She felt incredibly guilty, she’d been at the studio late with Mia, laying down some vocals.
She’d just lost track of time.
Peyton had told Brooke to call her when she was ready to be picked up from her store.
Only the first call Peyton had received had come from Haley telling her Brooke was in the hospital.
Peyton wrapped her arms around herself as tears blurred her vision.
“We don’t know, we were driving back from dinner with Lucas and Lindsey, we saw the lights on and the door open.” Haley explained.
“The place was trashed and we found Brooke on the floor near the back room.” Nathan added.
Peyton swallowed and nodded her head. She still didn’t understand why anyone would hurt Brooke, but now she just needed to know she was okay.
Haley watched her friend and when the tears started, she reached out and guided Peyton over onto a seat in the room they’d been escorted to.
“The cops are going to find them.” Nathan offered, though he’d wished the person had still been there when he’d arrived. Because if he had then there would be two people in the hospital tonight and not just Brooke.
“Is there anyone we should call?” Haley asked, careful not to say Victoria’s name but Brooke’s mother was in town and had been pestering Brooke for the last few days, trying to get her back up to New York.
Peyton shook her head, but then she remembered that Brooke hadn’t been alone in the store tonight. “Is Millicent okay?” Peyton finally asked, looking around but not spotting Brooke’s assistant anywhere.
Nathan scowled. “She wasn’t there tonight Peyton, we only found Brooke.”
Peyton’s eyes widened.
Haley felt her stomach tighten, she gave Peyton’s arms a squeeze as she stood. “I’ll try calling her.”
Peyton looked at her hands and ignored Nathan as he moved over to Haley and they started talking together. She let their voices fade as she continued to stare at the rings on her fingers and the bracelets on her wrists.
Most of them given to her by her best friend. Every visit Brooke had made to L.A. would be accompanied by a gift. And every time Peyton headed to New York to visit Brooke, even when it was Peyton’s turn to bring something nice, Brooke always found a way to send her back home with something.
Tokens of love and friendship, that told each of them that even if they weren’t in the same city, they were still connected. It had worked, and maybe for Brooke it could have continued to work, but Peyton had needed it to end. She couldn’t take more lousy jobs scouting bands, and the after parties and the drinking and drugs she’d been surrounded by every day.
It was Brooke’s idea to come home to Tree Hill because they both knew Peyton would have had the same problem relocating to New York.
Tree Hill was supposed to have been their safe space. It was meant to be home.
Peyton had no idea if Brooke was going to be okay.
They’d only been back in Tree Hill for two months, but Brooke had been busy making it their home opening her store and funding Peyton’s new record label. It had been such a whirlwind to be back in this place again after four years.
She wasn’t ready for both of their dreams to come crashing down so quickly.
For this to happen to Brooke of all people, it just wasn’t fair.
Peyton started to bite at a finger nail and her foot tapped at the floor.
All she could do was wait and she wasn’t good at waiting.
Nothing else mattered as of right now, not her jewellery, not the pill bottle she was clutching in her jacket pocket, and not the sudden desire for a drink.
People always leave.
But Brooke had promised to stay.
xxxxxx
“Where’d Peyton go?”
“Restroom.” Haley informed her husband. But she did glance at the time.
“Again?”
Haley shrugged. Brooke, their very good friend was in surgery after being attacked. She didn’t blame Peyton for wanting some time alone to deal with those emotions.
“Did you get a hold of Lucas?” Haley asks. They’d already called Deb when they first started on their way to the hospital behind the ambulance carrying Brooke from the store. She’d been more than happy to keep an eye on Jamie, she’d even promised to take car of breakfast and school if they didn’t make it back by morning.
It was a given that they were staying however long it took to find out news about Brooke.
“No, he didn’t pick up, I left a message.”
“Did you try Lindsey?”
Nathan shook his head. He wasn’t really on Lindsey’s call list. They weren’t close, and while Haley made an effort to include Lucas’ girlfriend, she was away a lot because of her work so they just didn’t have a close bond.
“I’ll give them a try.” Haley offered, pressing a kiss to Nathan’s cheek as she moved out of the room to try and get some cell phone reception.
Nathan scowled and wondered if bringing Lucas and Lindsey here would be what Brooke would want, or Peyton for that matter.
Things between Lucas and Peyton were just weird. Nathan thought they were avoiding each other, but he could also see Lindsey get territorial over Lucas whenever they were together as a large group.
Having a cookout at his house twice now was definitely awkward. Not from Peyton or Brooke, but from the way Lucas tried to reminisce about their high school days with the girls. Neither of them looked comfortable with it and would quickly change the subject or go find Jamie to distract from spending too much time with Lucas.
Haley might not have noticed but Nathan had, and he knew Lindsey had.
He was glad to have both of his friends back in town but he did wonder how this was all going to end if his brother couldn’t get his attention focused back onto his girlfriend.
xxxxxx
It felt like hours had passed as Lucas and Lindsey turned up and even Millicent had arrived to sit and wait on news of Brooke.
“I'm so sorry Peyton, she told me to go and that she was going to call you.” Millicent explained for the second or third time since she’d got to the waiting room.
Peyton shook her head. “It’s not your fault.” She told the younger woman. Of course, Brooke wanted her assistant to get home safe and sound without worrying about herself.
The studio wasn’t that far away from Main Street where Brooke’s store was. If Brooke had called Peyton right away she’d have been there in a few minutes.
“This is all so crazy.” Millicent went on as she sat there in disbelief.
Peyton knew Brooke wouldn’t want Millicent to blame herself. “She let you go home.” Peyton assured. "You didn't know this was going to happen, you did nothing wrong Millie."
Millicent just shook her head and wiped away the occasion tear she could quite stop from falling. “I should have stayed.” But she’d been in Tree Hill for a few weeks now and she’d thought this small town was safe, it was nothing like hustle and bustle of New York where you had to navigate strangers in your apartment complex. Where you could live next to neighbours for years and never know their names.
It hadn’t taken her long to realise why her boss might want to relocate here.
“Well, well, well, it looks like the whole gang is here.”
Peyton looked up to see Victoria Davis stood at the entrance to the waiting room looking like she’d just stepped out of a corporate board meeting despite it being after midnight.
“No one invited you, Victoria.” Peyton said with a scowl, her hand going to her pocket as her jaw clenched at the older woman’s presence. “Brooke told you to go back to New York.”
Victoria looked around the group, most faces she did not recognise, not that she cared. “Isn’t this where family are supposed to wait? You can see yourselves out.” She added with a smirk.
Peyton snorted and stood up, walking over to Victoria and staring her hard in the eyes. “If I find out you had anything to do with this tonight, they’ll never find your body.” She muttered quietly but with complete conviction.
Victoria had been trying to drag Brooke back to Clothes over Bros in New York from the second she’d found out Brooke had bought their home in Tree Hill. They’d barely spent a night in the place before Victoria had walked in and handed Brooke her boarding pass for the next flight out of Tree Hill.
Peyton had been so angry with Brooke’s mom for continuing to interfere in Brooke’s work. Peyton wasn’t stupid, she knew how much Brooke wanted her mother’s approval growing up and now given the success of the business, Victoria wasn’t willing to let Brooke out of her controlling influence.
“I’m surprised my daughter wasn’t injured trying to find you in some drug house or gutter. Wherever she first found you, Peyton dear.” Victoria retorted without keeping her voice down. “Old habits and all that.” She said, smiling sweetly.
Haley’s eyes widened and she wondered if she should get Nathan to separate the two of them.
Millicent stood however. “I’m so sorry Mrs Davis, this is entirely my fault, I was with Brooke at the store just before this all happened.” She tried to explain.
Victoria snorted, eyeing Peyton up and down with disdain. “Oh, I think we all know who is to blame for my daughter’s current state.”
Nathan stood up and grabbed at Peyton’s arm when it looked like things were about to turn physical. “Okay, why don’t we all just sit-“
A throat cleared and everyone turned to the doctor stood in the doorway.
“Brooke Davis?” He asked, wanting to make sure he was in the right room.
Victoria marched the short steps over. “I’m her mother.”
Everyone else shifted out of seats and got closer to hear the news on Brooke.
The doctor cleared his throat and glanced down at his clipboard with notes on it. “Well, I’m sorry it’s been such a long wait, it’s been a busy night. So, the good news is that Ms Davis is going to be absolutely fine, and should be discharged in a day or two.”
“That’s great.” Haley said with relief as she sagged against Nathan.
“Can we see her?” Millicent asked nervously.
“Right now, it’s just immediate family allowed post-surgery, but she should be in a general ward by tomorrow if you’d like to visit.” The doctor said with a smile.
Victoria straightened her shoulders. “Show me where my daughter is.” She commanded.
The doctor cleared his throat again and looked at the notes. “Actually, Ms Davis was asking for someone else.”
“She’s awake?” Lucas asked, still trying to understand everything that was going on tonight.
“She’s in recovery.” The doctor replied, happy to talk with someone other than he imposing woman glaring at him right now.
“Who is she asking for?” Nathan asked.
The doctor looked at Peyton and Millicent. The only two people in the room Ms Davis could be requesting. “Her wife.”
“Which would be me.” Peyton said with a smile as she met Victoria’s eyes as she walked past to follow the doctor.
Lucas sat back down suddenly as his knees gave out at the words.
Haley went back to their seats and Nathan joined her. “I did not see that coming.”
“No kidding.” Nathan replied, watching as Victoria just turned and left the room.
“Married?” Lucas asked, still in shock.
Millicent looked around nervously as eyes started to turn to her.
Surprisingly it was Lindsey that asked the question everyone was thinking. “How long have they been married?”
“It’s really not my place.” Millicent replied with a shake of her head.
Lucas scoffed. “Come on, there’s no way that’s for real.”
“Why would you say that?” Haley asked Lucas. “We’ve barely had time to catch up with them since they moved home.”
“Together.” Lindsey added. She turned and eyed her boyfriend. “They moved in together. Maybe now we know why.”
Lucas wasn’t buying it. “What about Victoria saying all that stuff about Peyton and drugs?” He asked, getting a shrug from Nathan as Haley looked uncomfortable. “Brooke and Victoria don’t get along, this will just be more of the same.” Didn’t he go to Brooke when Peyton had turned down his marriage proposal and she’d played that trick on Victoria that he was asking her?
This was just another joke. A way to keep Victoria from going to see her right now.
Nathan tilted his head. “They did do that at Tric the other night.”
“Do what?” Haley asked. They’d all met up to celebrate Peyton’s records label taking on its first new artist. Mia.
Nathan shrugged as he thought back, he hadn’t been drinking but he’d watched the others enjoy themselves. “Brooke had people hassle her all night looking for photos and autographs.” He explained. “I just remember one of those guys wanting to dance with her and she grabbed Peyton and introduced her as her girlfriend.”
Lucas rolled his eyes. “They’ve been doing that routine since high school.”
“Maybe it’s not a routine anymore?” Lindsey offered. She was an outsider to this little gang from Tree Hill, but she’d been a little surprised by how often Brooke and Peyton touched each other, or even how closely they’d danced together that night.
Lucas frowned then cast his gaze over to Brooke’s assistant. “Millicent?”
“It’s not my place.” Millicent said firmly.
Nathan thought that coming from Millicent, Brooke's assistant, was more of a confirmation than a denial. He felt a grin form on his face. He wasn’t sure about Victoria bringing up Peyton and drug use, but if Peyton and Brooke had somehow become more than just best friends then he was happy for them.
Lindsey stood up when she saw Lucas about to press the other girl further for information. “We’re going home.” She said, tugging Lucas up by the hand with her. “If we can’t visit tonight, we’ll try to stop by tomorrow.”
Haley nodded and went over to give them both a hug. “We’ll stick around until Peyton gets out. I’ll call you with an update in the morning.” She added to Lucas.
Nathan watched the pair leave.
“He took that relatively calmly don’t you think?” Nathan asked Haley as she sat back down beside him.
Haley lifted her eyebrows. “No, not really.” Lucas was the quiet thoughtful type, he’d think, and ponder, and assume, and then overthink some more before he did anything.
“I’m more concerned about Peyton.” Haley confessed.
“The drug thing?” Nathan asked, as he got comfortable for the wait. He had no idea how long Peyton would be but they’d both wait on her and any news she could give them on how Brooke was.
Haley swallowed. Yeah, the drug thing. She was a lot more conservative in her thinking than Nathan was, certainly more than her parents ever were. And she had a child to consider.
“I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about, Hales.” Nathan went on. “Victoria’s never liked Peyton.”
“Hmm, I hope so.” Haley said, but as she glanced at Millicent, the way the woman’s eyes shifted away from her made Haley’s stomach twist.
There was definitely some truth in what Victoria had said.