I'm thinking this story takes place sometime during season 2. Ryan is a little more confident is his place within the Cohen household, trusting Sandy and Kirsten a little more, although his insecurities at time seem to surface.

Sandy's cell phone rings, and he sees Ryan's number on the display. He answers it, a little perturbed that neither he nor Seth has been answering their phones. "Ryan, what's been going on back there?! I've been calling you for the last 20 minutes!"

Ryan replies, a little guiltily, "Oh, sorry, Sandy. We must have had our phones set on vibrate and we didn't hear them ring. Um, Sandy…"

Seemingly satisfied with that answer, Sandy cuts Ryan off to tell him the reason he was so eager to talk to them. "Oh, ok. Well, we heard about an accident behind us and we pulled off at exit #9; there's a roadside stop there. When you get up here, pull off and we'll regroup. Do you know if you're in front of or behind the accident?"

Ryan hesitates momentarily. He really doesn't know how to say this. Finally, he quietly says, "Um, Sandy, we kind of were the accident."

Sandy had stepped out of the car to stretch his legs, and to call the boys again. When Sandy hears that his kids were in an accident, his heart skips a beat. He straightens his posture, and even while still sitting in the car, Kirsten can tell something's up by the change in her husband's posture. Stepping out of the car, she moves closer to Sandy, takes his hand and asks quietly, "What's wrong with the boys?"

Sandy squeezes her hand, but doesn't answer her question; forging ahead to get more information from Ryan. "Are you alright?"

Ryan was quick to respond, "Yeah, I'm fine. But…" Again, Ryan was cut off by Sandy.

"Ryan!" Sandy knows Ryan at times downplays his injuries and has to force the kid to admit when he's in pain. He hates to raise his voice at Ryan, especially when he can plainly tell that he's a little shaken up, but he needs the kid to be honest about the injuries he may have.

Ryan finally responds, hesitantly, "Sorry. I think I banged up my arm a little bit. But…"

Again, Sandy interrupts Ryan. "Ok, better. Where are you guys? Kirsten and I are getting in the car right now. We're going to come and meet up with you."

Ryan had wanted to tell Sandy this bit of news for the last 5 minutes, but now that the time had come, he didn't know how to tell him. The growing silence on the phone, however, tells him that he has to tell Sandy something. "Ah, we're sort of in, um, an ambulance."

Sandy's stomach starts to get very queasy; something doesn't sound quite right. "Ryan, why are you in an ambulance if your arms just hurt?" Suddenly, realization hits Sandy and knocks the wind out of him. "Ryan, where's Seth? Let me talk to him."

Ryan took a deep breath; he hoped the nightmares wouldn't come true. This was always something that he feared: Seth would be hurt badly, he would be relatively fine, but the damage would be done and he would be forced to leave. However, he's going to have to tell him something and let the chips fall where they may.

Kirsten can only hear one side of the conversation, despite straining to hear Ryan's side. She does however know her husband, and she knows something is terribly wrong. She squeezes his hand and asks, "Sandy, what's wrong with my boys?!"

Sandy can hear a definite shake in the boy's voice as Ryan answers him. "Sandy, that's kind of the problem. Seth's unconscious."

Sandy literally feels the wind being knocked out of him again at the news that one of his sons isn't awake after an accident. His face must have lost all of its color, because Kirsten becomes all the more urgent to hear something. "Sandy, how bad is it?"

Sandy takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly as he takes the mouth piece away from his mouth to pass the news along to Kirsten. "Ryan's arm is hurt, and Seth is unconscious. They are in an ambulance on the way to the hospital." He can tell he's gone into lawyer mode and pretty much running on automatic as a part of him listens to himself explain the situation somewhat calmly to his wife.

Kirsten takes a sharp intake of breath and covers her mouth with her free hand and she whispers something quiet under her breath.

Ryan is eager for some reaction or acknowledgement or something from someone. "Sandy…?"

"Give me a second, kid." Sandy is still trying to catch his breath and figure out what to do.

"Sandy, I am so sorry! I just don't know what to do." Sandy is taken aback by how young and vulnerable Ryan sounds over the phone. As afraid as he is for Seth, he suddenly realizes that he has another son who needs him almost as much.

That knowledge helps to bring Sandy back to reality: his son needs him! "Alright, kid, everything is going to be ok. This is what you're going to do. You're going to stay with your brother for as long as you can. You're going to listen to the medical staff, in the ambulance and at the hospital. Oh, and the police may want to get your statement about the accident, but…"

Ryan for once cuts Sandy off, "I know, don't say anything until you get here." Ryan heard Sandy tell him to stay with "his brother"; not your friend, or my one son, or anything like that. He was amazed at the relief brought by those two words. He suddenly realizes that he had been holding Seth's hand during the ride to the hospital, not knowing what else to do for his friend—no, his brother. He squeezes it a little bit, even for silent affirmation of that new bond that he is so eager to have.

Sandy smiled at Ryan's quick response. "Good boy. Now, what hospital are they taking you guys to?"

"Hold on, let me check." Moving the phone away from his mouth, Ryan turns towards one of the paramedics. "Hey, it's my dad. He wants to know what hospital we're going to."

The paramedic monitoring Seth tells him, "We're heading to HOAG. We should be there in about 15 minutes. Your parents, of course, will want to go to Emergency when they get there."

Ryan brings the phone back to his mouth, "Sandy, we're about 15 minutes away from HOAG."

Sandy fights the sting in his eyes, knowing that his sons were going to the hospital with somewhat major injuries and he wasn't going to be able to be there right away for them. "Alright, kid. We're on our way. We're getting in the car and we will be there as soon as possible. Everything's going to be ok. Oh, and Ryan, we love both you guys." Suddenly, Sandy is very urgent that Ryan know how much he and Kirsten love them.

When Sandy doesn't immediately get a response, he starts to get a little worried. "Ryan…?!"

Ryan's pulled out of whatever trance he had suddenly fallen into. "Sorry, Sandy. What?"

Again, Sandy urgently tells him, "Your mother and I love you, ok?" That is all that matters in the world for those 30 seconds; that Ryan knows that he has parents that love him.

Quietly, Ryan responded, "I know. Thanks, Sandy." Again, some of the tension eases from Ryan with those words of assurance.

Ryan's quiet, yet solid, acknowledgement makes Sandy smile a bit as he and Kirsten move to get back in the car. "All right. Everything's going to be ok."

Suddenly, Ryan reciprocates Sandy's urgency. "Hey, Sandy?"

Sandy stops, one leg still out of the car and gives him his full attention. "Yeah, kid?"

Sandy doesn't have to strain much to hear his next words, "I love you guys, too."

Sandy tries hard to fight the sudden rush of emotion at those words and he grabs Kirsten's hand and squeezes it. He smiles warmly, sure that Ryan can feel his love even over the phone, "We know, kid, but it's still great to hear. We'll be there soon." After hanging up, he pretty much floors it to HOAG to be with his sons.

I have very little knowledge of the workings of medical personnel, either attached to an ambulance unit or otherwise. I'm sure that I misrepresented something, and for that I apologize.

PLEASE NOTE: The following is not a ploy to receive more reviews. I do have something in mind for the hospital scene. If anyone is interested in it, I might be persuaded, coaxed, and cajoled into developing it into a second chapter.

That being said, please leave reviews to help me improve. Thank you!