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𝗙𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀
::  xlviii. | til death do us part
( continuation of Day of Wedding:
Reception ( part 2 ) )

Chad continued to observe the conversation between a doctor and Lucas. Once the doctor walked away, Chad made his way over to Lucas.

"Luke, what are you doing here?" Chad felt like he was dying as well. He could barley speak.

Lucas avoided the question, "It's Peyton isn't it?"

Chad slowly nodded and Lucas just hugged him. Whatever he was going through, he set it aside for Chad. He pulled away and told Chad he was going to make some calls as in Haley, Brooke, Ashely and whoever else.

As Chad just stood there like a dying ghost, Peyton's doctor walked up to him. His vision was foggy and he could barley comprehend, but he was pushing through.

"Peyton's stabilized but we have to do an emergency c-section. The baby is killing her from the inside out." The doctor told him.

Chad took a second to respond because he didn't know what to do. He felt a bit nauseous as well, "Do whatever you got to do."

The doctor nodded and went on his way back to Peyton while Chad made his way to the bathroom before tumbling over to the toilet. He began puking and crying at the same time. He didn't think this was how he was supposed to react to someone dying but then again, there is no right or wrong way to react to something like that.

After he flushed the toilet, he just sat on the floor with his back against the stall wall. He was about to have a kid and he felt guilty because he wasn't excited. Not even a little bit. Once again, that brought tears to eyes. He was sniffing and wiping the tears away once he heard the door open. The taps on the floor sounded like heels. He opened the stall door and it was Rachel.

"I don't think you're supposed to be in the boys bathroom." Chad spoke softly.

Rachel shook her head as she went and sat across from him, "I don't really care. Everyone's looking for you— specifically the doctor."

"Why?"

"You had a girl." Rachel slightly smiled, trying to ease his pain.

"I don't want to see her." He sounded so cold. The way his tone just changed, "If it's not about Peyton, I don't want to hear it."

"Chad, your daughter needs you." Rachel couldn't believe how cold-hearted he was being.

"And I need Peyton!" He raised his voice, "I guess sometimes life sucks, doesn't it?"

And with that, Rachel left the bathroom. Chad continued to sit there.

• • •

After Rachel told Ashely what happened, Ashely went and got the baby herself. She thought she would step in as aunt ash and take care of her niece until Chad figured it out. Eventually everyone else showed and all they could do was sit in the waiting room until the doctor said they could see Peyton.

Lucas went off somewhere. It was obvious he was going through something but it had nothing to do with Peyton. Brooke being curious, followed him. He went outside and just stood there with his hands on his hips, breathing in the fresh air.

"Want to tell me what's going on, Luke?" Brooke approached him from behind.

Lucas just sighed, "I didn't want to say anything because of all this but I've been trying to keep it together for Chad's sake.. you may have noticed Teressa never made it to the wedding. . . "

"Yeah, why is that?" Brooke crossed her arms over her chest and furrowed her brows.

Luke sighed once again, "She died Brooke. Apparently there was an accident so she was called on scene. She was collateral damage. Didn't even see it coming. It was a slow death because she drowned." Lucas finally let out the tears he's been holding back since he found out about Peyton.

Brooke immediately wrapped her arms around him, embracing him in a hug. She didn't know what to say, she just cried with him— for many reasons.

While Brooke and Lucas cried together, the doctor finally said Peyton was able to have visitors. Though no one had yet told Chad, he left the bathroom on his own. Once he made his way to the room, his eyes immediately landed on Peyton.

• • •

Hours had passed and Chad was left alone with sleeping Peyton. It was six in the morning. She hasn't woken up since after the c-section. Chad hadn't seen the baby yet either. He's been thinking about it but he still wasn't sure.

All Chad's been doing is talking to Peyton, holding her hand, kissing her hand, and telling her how much he loves her. He realized that if Peyton never wakes up, the only thing he'll have to remind him of her is their baby. Pushing the kid away isn't going to make anything better. It'll just send him down a rabbit hole. So after contemplating with that thought, he finally got up from Peyton's side and went to go get their kid. Not just for him, but for Peyton too. Even though she's sleep, he still wanted her to get to know their little girl.

Once he had her in his arms, he carried her back to the room. He sat in the same exact chair and just began humming for a few. He went and talked to Peyton a little more as he rocked the baby to sleep. As he rocked back and forth, he realized this little girl still didn't have a name.

He chuckled lightly, "I realized we never gave her a name." He thought for a second before continuing, "How does penelope sound? After Brooke's middle name. Then rose after Ashely's middle name? Penelope rose Donovan."

"I like it." Peyton croaked out.

Chad immediately shot his head up then got up to kiss Peyton's forehead. He was a bit shocked. He didn't know what to say really except . . "I'll go get the doctor."

Peyton spoke softly, "Not yet. I just want .  .  .I just want to lay here for a moment with you and penelope."

Chad slowly nodded as he sat back down, handing penelope over to her mom. Chad thought it was a miracle that she woke up. He also thought that the universe was listening so they delivered because it knew he couldn't do it alone.

a/n:
two chapters left )):