Summary: There's an accident, and Seth is not okay.

Disclaimer: Own nada.

AN: Set in season 2, Zach and Summer are together, Marissa is into chicks, but Lindsay does not exist, oh and Kirsten and Sandy have no problems!

Broken Seatbelts

Chapter 1: The News Will Hurt More Than the Result

He had zigged when he should have zagged. And now he was paying for it. His sons were in the hospital. Paying for what he did to them. He knew it wasn't his fault, he had been told that countless times, and he knew it was the drunk drivers fault and he knew he could get millions out of this. But the one thing he didn't know was if his boys were going to be okay.

They were driving home from another one of the O.C.'s infamous charity events that Kirsten was hosting. They had two cars, so Sandy took the exhausted boys in his beamer, and Kirsten took the Rover because she had to bring a few things back home with her. Now, Sandy wished they had all taken the Rover.

Ryan was in the passenger seat and Seth was passed out in the back. He didn't see the black SUV driving head on, going at least a hundred miles per hour. No, he didn't see it because he was too busy taking a sip of his coffee. It wasn't even warm.

Seth had convinced him to let him off on the seatbelt issue because he was "oh, so tired," but Ryan, being the good son wore his seatbelt. So, when the black SUV swerved along the road and Ryan yelled out to Sandy, Sandy zigged, making the beamer collide with the black SUV. The truck, being much larger then the BMW had a large impact on the car's passenger side, leaving Sandy virtually fine, just a few cuts and bruises, with some stitches. He felt somewhat guilty that he had gotten away with such minor injuries.

Ryan was conscious when they took him in. He was messed up bad; he had a few cuts and scrapes and he had blood all over his face, it wasn't even wet anymore, it was dry. He had said that he couldn't move or feel his right leg and his left leg 'hurt like a bitch.' He also had an enormous gash running from the right side of his forehead down to his neck. He had probably got cut on the shattered window when he jerked forward due to the collision. He would have gone through the windshield if he hadn't been wearing his seatbelt. He had been in the OR for over an hour and there was still no word from the doctors.

Seth had been unconscious and had looked much worse than Ryan, probably wouldn't have looked so bad if he had been wearing his seatbelt. Seth had cuts and scrapes also, but more. He had gashes all over him; some were going to need stitches. When they cut his shirt open, Sandy could only see black and blue. Sandy knew less on Seth's condition, which only worried him more. He was nervous for his sons, and his wife. He had called her as soon as he got to the hospital and she had arrived within minutes. But she wouldn't talk to him.

Kirsten was sitting beside him, staring into oblivion. She had gone into a state of catatonia since she heard. She also felt as though it were her fault; she should have taken the boys. Or maybe if she hadn't forced them to go to the stupid charity event, maybe then she wouldn't be here. She knows she should do something, anything other than sit here and stare at the no smoking sign across from her seat beside Sandy. But she can't bring herself to do anything but that, because that would require her to think.

Sandy's sitting next to her, but he's not in a state of catatonia, instead he's jittery, and it's bothering her. He keeps fidgeting and she would like nothing more than to slap him until he stops. That and to know her boys are alright. She's confused, lost and worried out of her mind, literally. But one wouldn't see that by looking at her.

She feels Sandy's hand on her shoulder and, even though she doesn't want to, she looks towards him. He's pointing in front of him to the doctor who has blood splattered on his scrubs. If she wasn't about to hear of her sons conditions she would have been ready to puke. He looked calm, which he was probably taught in whatever school you go to become a doctor; she really didn't care.

"Your son, Ryan, has a concussion, his right leg is broken and his left leg has a serious wound that will require stitches as will the gash on his face and he has two broken ribs. Ryan, in a few months of rest and some physical therapy should be fine…"

The only words either parent wanted to hear were 'he's going to be fine.' After those words left the doctor's mouth, neither Sandy nor Kirsten listened to what the doctor had to say, even though it could be important and vital for Ryan's well being, they figured they would find out later. All that matter was that Ryan was fine.

"When can we see him?" Sandy asked.

"I'm not positive; I'll inform you when you can. They are still finishing up on him, and he needs his rest."

"What about our other son, Seth? Is he okay?" Kirsten asked, totally interrupting the doctor.

"I, uh, I'm not your other son's doctor. But I'll see what I can find out for you."

"Yes, please, thank you."

As the doctor hesitantly left, Kirsten returned to her catatonic state, only this time she was worried about her son that she gave birth to seventeen years ago. If he… didn't make it, god forbid, she would never be whole again. She had raised him, watched him grow up. While she considered Ryan her son and loved him just as much as she loved Seth, Seth was hers by blood. And she didn't know what she would do without him.

"What about Marissa and Summer, should we call them?" Sandy asked her.

Kirsten hadn't even thought about the girls. They had been at the party when they left, they might even still be there. She supposed she probably should call them, even if they weren't her boys significant others, they had all managed to stay friends. They would want to know, but she didn't feel ready to notify people when she didn't know Seth's condition.

"Kiki? Sanford? Did Julie call you?" Caleb Nichol called from down the hall. He had arrived at the hospital just half an hour ago.

"No, dad, what are you doing here? How did you know?"

"Know about what, Kiki, I'm here because Marissa was in an accident, surely you know, you must have spoken to Julie." When Kirsten didn't answer her father, Caleb turned towards Sandy. "What's wrong with her, Sanford?" Then, noticing the cuts on Sandy's face, "And what happened to your face?"

"We were in a car accident; Seth, Ryan, and I."

"But, you're okay."

"Don't sound too disappointed, Cal. I'm alright; the collision didn't… impact me much. Ryan will be alright, we, uh, we don't know about Seth." Sandy spoke softly, even when taking a jab at his father-in-law.

"Oh. Did you ask the doctors? You can't always expect them to be on top of things! They're slow. I can-"

"We asked. Ryan's doctor is trying to find things out for us." Pause. "Why are you here?"

"Marissa and her friend, Seth's friend there-"

"Summer?"

"Yes, her. Marissa, Summer, and apparently Summer's new boyfriend, Zeff?"

"Zach."

"Right. They were in a car accident a few hours ago-" Sandy dropped on the seat, creating a thud, making Kirsten jump out of her reverie.

"At the intersection of Marble and Kane?"

"Yes, how did-" Realization dawned. "Oh."

"Oh, my god." Kirsten said. "How? The boys…"

"Who was driving?" Sandy asked.

"Zach, apparently he was drunk."

Kirsten was thrown back into her own world. How were the boys going to react when they found out that it was their ex-girlfriends, and current friends, that slammed into them? Right now, Kirsten wanted nothing more than to slam Zach's head repeatedly into the ground. She hoped he died. She wouldn't blame the girls though. She didn't know why they got into the car with him, or let him drive but she was not going to blame them.

"How are the girls? Are they okay?" Kirsten asked, she didn't ask about Zach.

"Marissa is fine, just a broken arm and minor wounds, she'll be fine."

"What about Summer?"

"I don't know, Kiki." Caleb answered impatiently. "I'm not responsible for her."

"Dad! She's just a girl! Are her parents here?"

"I think her father is."

"Sandy, I'm going to go see Neil and Julie, call me if you hear anything, okay?"

"Sure, sweetie." He gave her a kiss on the cheek and a tight hug before she left with a glare directed to her father. "This is… insane. I…ahh!" Sandy yelled and slammed his fist into the wall behind him. "I just… they aren't telling us anything about Seth, and we can't even see Ryan yet!"

Sandy had never shown much emotion in front of Caleb before, other than hate towards him. So when he broke down like that, he was surprised. And clueless as to how to handle it, so he walked away to try and find information on his grandson's condition.

That's it for the first chapter, please review!