Lifetime Piling Up(Season 2, Episode 20)

(Nathan is undergoing surgery for the injuries he sustained during that race car crash. While this happens, Nathan dreams...dreams of an alternate reality!)

Karen* and Dan are married. Lucas is a jerk, Dan's an alcoholic and Karen is a workaholic. Lucas treats his girlfriend Peyton like crap(much like Nathan did at the beginning of Season 1)! 

Nathan plays with his buds(Mouth, Skillz, and those other two) at the riverside basketball court. he lives with Debra, who is a single parent of course. Debra owns a bar, called Deb's den. Haley works at the bar and is best friends with Nathan. Alternate Haley is all sarcastic and wise-cracky, just real life Haley!

Keith runs the car dealership. Dan is his toady. Keith taunts his younger brother about his drinking and refers to him as "boozy." Keith takes pleasure in this. Keithernate is evil! Also, Keith is having an affair with Karen. Crazy!

Dan and Lucas are very upset that Nathan is a contender for that basketball camp. Dan whines to Whitey, because Lucas' dreams are in the balance! But first Whitey must convince Nathan to join the team. Lucas has challenged Nathan to a one on one at the riverside court, and Whitey wants Nathan to spank Lucas!

Brooke introduces herself to Nathan by getting naked and accosting him in the shower. But he's not interested in Brooke at all! He just walks away! That Nathan.

There's a replay of the scene where Nathan gives Haley the Cracker Jack bracelet, only slightly different(she isn't tutoring him this time). During class, Haley pressures Nathan to take Coach's offer. Haley admits she wants to be a singer, but...plot twist! She can't sing at all. I see what they did there.

Peyton warns Haley that Lucas is planning to mug Nathan to keep him from playing the game. He ignores Haley and...surprise! Gets kidnapped by Lucas and friends and dumped in a mud puddle. Peyton breaks op up with Lucas and shows up just in time to drive Nathan to the game. She lets him get in her cool car despite being covered in mud. That's very nice of her.

Nathan and Lucas play basketball! This is the first episode of Season 2 to include any basketball, because of network interference. Something to do with trying to increase female viewers. Since this is an inverse of the first episode, Nathan wins. But then something weird happens...Haley gives Nathan the bracelet, which turns into a wedding ring in his hand. And everyone else has disappeared and then...

Nathan wakes up from his coma or dream or whatever. Lucas is there, and his question about whether or not the crash was intentional goes unanswered. Haley is all ready to come back, but Nathan calls her and tells her to stay on the road singing. She just stands there in the airport, stunned! All this "will Haley come back or not" stuff is working on my last nerve!

Oh, That Brooke!(Bonus Edition)  Brooke has painstakingly put together a document that Dan has shredded. It's a car receipt invoice from the dealership. Hmmm...