Then & Now

Chapter One

Nathan Scott looked around his room that he had lived in so long ago. It felt weird to be back in his parents' house after being away for four years. He had gone to college in New Jersey while playing basketball for the school's team. He saw his many trophies and pictures with his dad and mom and even some with Lucas. He almost choked when he saw one of him and Haley at their wedding on the beach. He sighed. That was a different lifetime. He hadn't talked to Haley since he had his accident and told her not to come home. It still hurt to think about her even after four years. Their marriage would have been annulled when Haley had sent the papers back when Lucas and Brooke went to see her in New York City, but Nathan tore them up. He told Haley that an annulment would make it seem like their marriage never existed in a letter. When he was out of college, he promised to get a divorce, but he never heard back from her. For all he knew, Haley James was still on tour with Michelle, Jessica and Chris. His blood boiled when he thought of Chris Keller. The musician who had come to Tree Hill to take his wife from him. His thoughts were interrupted by someone tapping on his bedroom door.

"Hey, Nate," Lucas said coolly as he came into the room.

"Hi, Luke," he said.

"Wow. This is weird, huh?" Lucas asked. Nathan looked up at him. They had both come home for Uncle Keith's and Karen's wedding. Already his father had started pressuring Nathan about staying in Tree Hill, but Nathan wasn't too sure that he could. Too many things reminded him of her.

"Yeah, it is weird. But I'm happy for Keith and your mom," he said. Luke nodded.

"I always thought that eventually they would get married. I just can't believe it took them this long," he commented.

"Well, if Keith hadn't gone off to find himself after that almost-wedding to Jules, it probably would've happened a lot sooner," Nathan said. Lucas clasped his hands together and started to whistle. He was also moving his feet a lot. "Is there something that you want to tell me or is there some other reason you look like a jittering bug?" Nathan asked impatiently. Lucas sighed.

"I'm not sure if I should," he said.

"Why not?" Nathan asked.

"Because I know you," Lucas said cryptically.

"Just tell me. I think I'm old enough to handle bad news," he said. Lucas sighed.

"My mom talked to her mom on the phone earlier today," he said. Nathan's head snapped at the sentence.

"Who?" he asked coolly but he knew exactly who Lucas was talking about. He looked up to see Lucas giving him a 'duh' look.

"Are you really that immature?" he asked. Nathan sighed. "Her mom called to say that Haley probably won't make it to the wedding," Lucas said. Nathan snorted.

"As if that's a huge surprise," Nathan said.

"There is a real reason, Nathan," Lucas said seriously.

"What? Got her tour dates mixed up?" He asked.

Lucas rolled his eyes as he said, "You can be a real jerk sometimes. Haley's not on tour anymore. She went to college just like you did when she graduated from Tree Hill High," he said.

"You've been talking to her?" Nathan asked.

"No, my mom has," Lucas replied.

"Ok, so what's more pressing than Karen's wedding? Why can't she make it?" Nathan asked.

"She was in a hit-and-run with a drunk driver," Lucas said. Nathan felt like Lucas had just sucker-punched him. All the anger that he had felt when Lucas brought Haley up was replaced with terror.

"Is she ok?" he asked.

Lucas sighed and said, "It's not like you really care, Nathan."

"Don't give me that. Is she ok!" Nathan said. Lucas shook his head.

"No, she's not. She's in a coma, Nate," he replied. Nathan felt as if someone had just pulled his world out from underneath him. Haley was in a coma. It still didn't seem real.

"When did it happen?" Nathan asked.

"It happened when she was on her way here. She was driving from New York and the drunken bastard ran the red light at the intersection just as Haley's car was passing through," Lucas said.

"Is there any brain damage?" he asked.

"No, not that I know of," Lucas replied.

"Why is she in a coma?" he asked.

"Something about blood loss and massive head trauma," Lucas replied.

"What hospital is she at?" Nathan asked.

"I don't know, but my mom does. She said she's going to visit Haley tomorrow," Lucas said. It was Thursday today and the wedding was on Sunday.

THE NEXT DAY

Nathan had asked Karen and Keith if he could come with them to see Haley. Karen had said yes in less than a second. Lucas was coming too and so was Brooke. Peyton said that she and Jake would be there in a few hours as they were still making the trip from New Jersey. They headed to ICU. He went to the front desk and asked which room Haley James was in. The nurse checked the computer. "I'm sorry. There's no one by that name," she said. Nathan looked shocked. He turned to Karen.

"What about Haley Scott?" Karen asked. The nurse typed the name on the computer.

"Room 4. It's just down the hall. Second door on your left," she said, pointing to the right hallway. Nathan muttered a thank you. When they got to room 4, Nathan stopped at the door. He couldn't explain it, but he felt Haley's presence even from outside the door.

"Are you ok?" Brooke asked. Nathan nodded. He opened the door and saw that Haley's parents were already there. Lydia looked at Nathan in shock.

"Nathan, what are you doing here?" Haley's father, Jimmy, asked.

"I, uh, came to see her," he said quietly. Jimmy was about to say something but Lydia jabbed him in the stomach.

"Now, Jimmy. They are still married. He has the right to be here," she said. Nathan was shocked to learn that they knew about that. He figured Haley would've told them that they got their marriage annulled as to not make them worried that she was still tied to Nathan legally. He mentally shrugged. It didn't matter. Lucas was already beside Haley's bed.

"Hey, Haley. It's Lucas. Can you hear me?" he asked. Nathan didn't need to look to know that there was no response. And he didn't need to look to hear Lucas fighting hard not to cry and slowly losing the battle.

He heard Brooke saying, "Hi, Tutor Girl. It's Brooke." Then, the doctor came in.

"Um, excuse me. Who are you people and what are you doing here?" he asked.

"Dr. Rasgrotra, it's ok. They can stay," Lydia said.

"No, they can't. Visiting hours are over," he said. Everyone looked up at him. Lydia and Jimmy reluctantly told everyone that it was time to leave. Nathan didn't. "Excuse me, young man, only immediate family are allowed to stay after hours. You need to leave," he said.

"I have a right to be here," he said slowly making his way to Haley's bedside.

"And what makes you think that?" Dr. Rasgrotra asked. Nathan didn't answer at first. He just put his hand on Haley's hair. It was matted with blood and dirt. Her skin was dirty. It looked like ash and soot had been sprinkled all over her face.

"Because I'm her husband," he replied. His words were like an unconscious jerk. He barely even realized he was saying them. It's like instinct took over. Apparently his instincts still felt that Haley was his wife. And she was, legally, but they hadn't seen each other in five years. The doctor didn't say anything in response. He just looked to Lydia and Jimmy for approval. Nathan looked at Lydia pleadingly her to let him stay with his eyes. Lydia nodded before Jimmy could say that he didn't approve. "Can I have a moment alone with her?" Nathan asked.

"We'll be right outside," Jimmy said. Nathan sighed and turned his head down to look at Haley. His heart broke as he saw the full extent of the damage that had been done to her small body. Her arms and legs were covered with dirt, but in some places, he could tell that the nurses wiped some of it off. He figured they did that to put her IV in and other medical equipment to help stabilize her. He looked at her face.

Her beautiful and sweet face looked like someone had taken a bat to it. There were numerous scratches on her cheek and chin. There was a huge gash right above her left eye and an even bigger gash on her forehead. He noticed that she was pale. He could see a few bandages on her stomach as the shirt to her pajamas rode up a bit. He guessed Lydia had brought them and the nurses had helped changed Haley. He silently thanked him for that. He knew that he wouldn't want to he stuck in a paper-thin hospital gown that barely qualified as clothing. He was sitting on her bedside now and buried his head into her left shoulder.

"Haley," he said as the tears threatened to come out of his eyes. He reached for her hand and felt something on one of her fingers. He gasped as he saw her wedding ring on her finger. He was so shocked that he dropped her hand. He never expected her to be still wearing it after all this time. He had put his in a box and put it in his dresser along with the bracelet he'd given her that she had left behind. He felt an alarm go off in his head. He was about to lose it and he couldn't lose it here. He didn't want Haley to know that he was crying. He had read somewhere that coma patients could hear everything that surrounded them. He walked away as the tears started to fall. He made it to the door. He opened the door halfway and stopped. He tried to regain his composure, but he failed. Lydia was standing outside the door and noticed that Nathan was about to break down. She didn't know what else to do, so she just offered him a hug. He was about to take her offer, but something stopped him.

"Nathan," Haley whispered in a very weak voice. Nathan went rigid. He was in shock. He turned around and noticed that Haley was still motionless. He shrugged and figured he must have imagined it. Then, he turned his attention back to Lydia. There was a look of shock on her face as Haley spoke again. "Nathan, is that you?" Haley whispered, again in a weak voice. He turned around. He focused his eyes on the form in the bed. Her eyes were slightly open and her hand was on her stomach, not on the bed where Nathan had dropped it.