4.10 Songs to Live and Die By

Posted on December 6th, 2006 by Amy

Overview:

After a cardiac incident, Lucas has a dream in which the spirit of Keith visits and shows him how much one life can affect the lives of others, with a nod to “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Elsewhere, Haley is the victim of an accident and Dan helps out Nathan.

Recap:

The episode opens by revisiting the last tragic minutes of the previous episode. Lucas is standing alone in the street – in the place where he was earlier sprawled out next to Haley. He looks around and then sees a familiar man walking in the distance. He runs after, and sees that the man is Keith.
Suddenly, we are in a hospital and Lucas is really happy to be with Keith. Keith pulls him near a wall to make space for people bringing injured Haley inside. Lucas starts remembering what happened and then is startled to see people bringing also unconscious Lucas to the hospital.
We cut to Peyton in her room waiting for Lucas to arrive but instead Brooke comes with the news that Haley and Lucas in the hospital and that the situation is dire. They leave and Lucas is sorry that Peyton is hurting – worried that she is going to lose even more.
After that we are back at hospital, where the doctor tells Nathan that Haley is going to have surgery and that their first priority is to save her, even though they are doing their best for the baby too. Lucas is furious that bad things always seem to happen to decent people- like Keith being shot while trying to save others at the school shooting. Keith asks Lucas if he is is wondering if is useless to be a good person and then asks him to follow. Lucas doesn’t yet know it, but Keith is taking him on a journey to show him what life would have been like, if he hadn’t been the "good guy" he’s always tried to be.
We see a gothic girl on the school yard. It’s a darker, less cheerful Brooke. Keith tells Lucas to talk her, but Brooke just yells at him to leave her alone.
Back in the real world, Peyton and Brooke arrive at the hospital and talk to Nathan, who is devastated. He blames himself for everything and later goes to the bridge, where the early season car accident happened. He is furious with Keith for saving him then, but now not answering his questions. Specter Lucas is watching him and blames himself for not letting Nathan lose the final game.
Keith takes Lucas to a record store. Nathan walks in, buys a Haley James vinyl, breaks it and walks away. The meaner Lucas didn’t go to New York and ask Haley to come home to Tree Hill…and when she finally did come back it was too late. She and Nathan were done. Keith also reminds Lucas about the conversation he had with Nathan, convincing him to take Haley back. "Don’t think your acts don’t matter," Keith says. "They do." Lucas asks about gothic Brooke and they leave the record store.
Then we’re back in real life and Peyton is at the record store where a salesman is comforting her. "You’re way too young not to believe everything is going to be okay." Peyton is given an album. "Track 10 gives you an answer." says the salesman. "It’s on me."
Suddenly, Keith and Luke are at the graveyard where Brooke is staring at Peyton’s grave. Mean Lucas didn’t go to school on the day of the shooting and so Peyton died that day. Goth Brooke blames herself for leaving Peyton behind. "Every time you think your doings don’t matter," Keith says, "look into Peyton’s eyes and you’ll see they do."
Meanwhile, real life Nathan visits Dan at jail and thanks him for telling police that he was the one who killed Dante. Dan asks him to let him to be a good father for the first time. Nathan says something about Dan’s mistakes not being so bad that he’d kill someone. Dan goes very quiet and asks about Haley. Nathan reveals that the baby is a boy. Dan smiles and after Nathan tells him he loves him, he hangs up and calls the guard to take him back to his cell.
Peyton is sitting under the bridge and Brooke arrives. Brooke remembers that Peyton was there eight years earlier when her mother died. Brooke comforts her, saying that Peyton isn’t going to lose Lucas and Haley like she lost her mom. "And like I lost you?" Peyton asks sadly.
Brooke and Peyton make up, but realize sadly that they can never reclaim the past. "…before is gone," Brooke says.
Back at the hospital, Keith and Lucas see Karen in the chapel. They start to have a father-son like argument about Lucas’s choice to not take his medication before the game.
Suddenly, they are at Tree Hill High. Lucas walks in and sees two dead bodies from the school shooting. He can’t stand to watch it. He can’t believe Jimmy would kill Keith. "So, why do you?" Keith asks him.
Meanwhile, Peyton is in Lucas’s hospital room, putting headphones on him. "You’re always saving me," she says. "Let me try to find a way to save you."
Nathan is sitting next to Haley’s bed, holding her hand and asking her to give him a sign that she can hear him. Nothing happens.
Specter Lucas and Keith are at the Garage, near Peyton’s car. Keith teases Lucas about the time Peyton’s car broke down and he brought the car in, even though he could have just as easily fixed it on the road. "I just wanted to see her once again," Lucas recalls.
They pick Peyton’s sketch book up from the car, and Keith tells Lucas that because he always tells Peyton how much he believes in her and that her art matters, she has become a better person.
Back in real life, Dan is in jail. Keith visits him, tells him that he forgives him and then scares him in a huge way, bleeding. Keith also leads us to think that Nate didn’t kill Dante.
We find Peyton in Haley’s room and Brooke in Lucas’s room. They have the same message: Please wake up and take care of Brooke/Peyton, cause I can’t anymore."
Nathan is in the chapel asking God to let Hayley live and keep the baby. Keith and Lucas are watching.
Peyton comes to get Nathan. Hayley has awakened! Nathan and Hayley exchange an emotional hug in her hospital room.
Lucas and Keith are back in the graveyard. Lucas sees someone standing there and asks who the older woman is standing on Peyton’s grave. Turns out that it isn’t Peyton’s grave, it’s Lucas’s. Lucas did save her that day in the school, but then died of a heart attack. The old woman turns into Peyton and Keith tells Lucas that Peyton "had a full life, but could never let go of you." Lucas stands alone and watches Peyton standing on his grave.
Real life Peyton has fallen asleep on a chair next to Lucas’s bed. Brooke sees that through the door and smiles. Nathan and Hayley find out that their baby is still alive.
Specter Lucas walks to the garage and tells Keith that he has to go back, because he hasn’t told Peyton that he loves her. Keith hugs him and says "I’ll be with you every day." He gives Lucas an electric shock which brings him back to the street he almost died on.
During the final voice over we see clips from Lucas’s dream. Finally, we are back in the high school where Keith asks him to open his eyes and realize what happened on the day he was shot. "Open your eyes. Open your eyes. Open your eyes."
And then we see Lucas opening his eyes in his hospital bed looking very surprised.