A/N.: Okay, after I was told this chapter contains a lot of mistakes, I reworked it. I hope it's better now. And a very big thank you for letting me know. So have fun and enjoy

Comic Book

"Mum, how can you tell me you don't know whom I have to thank for my life?" Her son asked. He felt much better today and she was relieved. But of course he had wanted to know what had happened and she had told him. She had wanted to leave the part out which contains this boy. But her husband didn't agree to that. He was too much of a social worker for her taste. He should be glad someone had helped them and than forgot about it. Not being imagined what background this boy had. At a glance she realized it was no good one and especially not one, she wanted to expose her son to. If the boy refused anything in return, they should be lucky. Hell, what could have happened, if her husband really had brought him home? This boy smacked of crime. For her share she wasn't delighted about getting him to know.

"Mum, are you listening?" Needless to say her son was amazed, after his Dad told him that another teenager had saved his life. He had no friends at school and in his point of view nobody of his schoolmates would have helped him. He was exaggerating from her point of view.

"Yes, honey. I'm listening, but this boy is no good company for you." She pointed out her concerns.

"Hey, Mum how can someone – who saves the life of a stranger – not be good company? For me, this sounds more like a shining example." She sighed. How could she explain her concerns to him?

"Mum, I only want to meet him and thank him."

"Seth, we've thanked him enough, believe me."

"But I want to thank him myself. What about politeness and all this stuff?"

"Okay, I see what I can do. But don't be disappointed, if this meeting is not happening. Okay?"

"Okay Mum, but as we all know: can make everything possible." But whether she wanted to, was another question. She went out and waited for her husband. She needed a serious conversation. If he was one of these good hearted social workers, she accepted it. This was his business and he was strong and able to defend himself. But she didn't allow him taking Seth into the same boat. Seth needed to be protected and these kids were everything else than protective.

"Hey honey, what are you doing here?" Her husband asked.

"Waiting for you. We need to talk."

"Well okay, then talk."

"Seth wants to meet the boy from yesterday…thank him for his help." Her attitude towards this was clear.

"Wow, I never thought our attempt raising Seth was working. But hey, it did." He didn't get it.

"Sandy, I'm not talking about the fact that he knows how to behave properly. It's…it's…"

"This boy. But where's the problem? I go and get him. He says hello and then we'll see how they get along."

"You…you don't want to understand me, don't you?"

"I do…"

"No, you're ignoring my opinion. You're job is already influencing our family life. And now…this job…your job is in Seth's …body and…it's enough. I've shown my good will by accepting your job and your big heart for criminal street kids. But I'm reluctant to accept anymore of that."

"My job? Kirsten, we don't even know this boy. He's not my job. He's not one of those kids."

"What's making you sure about that? Only because his file hadn't ended up on your desk yet, doesn't mean he's innocent."

"But those kids never would have offered their blood to strangers. They wouldn't even offer it to their family member. And under the cover of rudeness the boy knows how to behave. Another sign he's not one to them." She sighed. Why in hell's name was her husband unable to see, how people really were? They weren't nice, self-sacrificing and altruistic…despite Sandy of course. And although this drove her nuts sometimes, this was what she loved about him. But sometimes he went too far.

"C'mon, the boy will say hello and in less then a minute Seth is bound to realize they have nothing in common."

"And how do we find him?"

"His mother's still here. This should be no problem." Defeated. Okay, she tried to look on the bright side of this. Seth got to know some other people…not only these Newport kids. She only hoped he wasn't going to be hurt noticing this boy was no different from the others

Her husband didn't take long to find the boy. From far he didn't look threatening with his ducked head and in his… too large and worn out cloths.

"So, this is my wife." Sandy introduced her to the boy. He lifted his head and shyly shook hands with her. Yeah, she was a little astonished about so much politeness.

"And you are?" She asked him, trying to hide her distrust.

"Uh…Ryan." He answered. He didn't sound as tough as he looked like. It seemed as if he was a very good actor. But she caught everyone who tried to fool her.

"This looks nasty. How did this happen?" She asked pointing onto the bruise on the boy's cheek. He immediately ducked his head again – no wonder. Having to go under people like that has to be embarrassing. What parent allowed his kid going out like that?

"Accident." He shot. Rather called fight, she thought. She looked at her husband and he had a curious expression up on his face.

"So let's go in." She said and led the boy into the room. The boy shyly followed her.

"Well Seth, this is…uh…" Okay, this was not really nice.

"Ryan." The boy stepped in.

"Right. Uh…Ryan had been…had helped us out with… his blood."

"Cool. I don't know how to thank you for that. Really. Until today I thought the whole teenage world would be glad about losing me. So, why did you this? And don't come up with this usual explanations like: we need more heart in our society or stuff."

"Uhm…dunno. Just did it?" The boy answered. He felt uncomfortable. Maybe in this case her husband was right and this boy was a little different from the rest.

"C'mon, just did it…this is the explanation Superman gives you."

"Sorry." The boy nearly whispered. She looked at her husband. She didn't understand what was going on.

"We better leave you two alone." Her husband said and then they went out.

"What's going on in there?"

"As far as I can judge the situation, the boy is really shy and just was taken off his guard by Seth's communicative character. But…you shouldn't have mentioned the bruise on his face. I guess this had made everything worse for him."

"What? Why?"

"Because kids like he don't get bruises through accidents."

"I knew he had gotten into a fight." She watched her husband who only shook his head and sighed.

"Huh?"

"His whole behaviour - defensive and shy, agitated and jumpy. For my Mum this was enough reason to drop over at his home." Now she stopped understanding anything.

"What has your Mum to do with this?"

"The boy is alone here, because of his Mum. He appeared here with a bruise, he hadn't had yesterday. He's … on the one hand he's polite. But if you try to be nice he snaps you. Not really making sense, or?" Now her alarm bells were shrilling. This boy was unpredictable, what meant he was dangerous. And he was lying, got into fights…

"You're right. His whole behaviour really doesn't make sense. And you allow him to meet our son? Did you think of what he might do to hm? What if…" This was enough information for her. She stormed into the room and saw Seth laughing. Seth laughing? Huh? He never was laughing around people at the same age.

"Hey Mum, what's wrong?" He asked. Then the boy looked at her.

"Alright, I better go now." He said. Wow, was he able to read minds.

"Hey wait, uh…Mum…is…is it okay if he comes by tomorrow and … you know as long as I'm here?" A mother's heart was fighting. The one part was happy to see Seth being able to make friends. The other part was frightened about what kind of friend they were. She looked at the boy who intensely stared at the floor - only looking at her through the corner of his eye. Then she looked at her husband, whose glance said well-done-super-Mum-now-tear-down-his-hope.

"Well…I dunno…was it okay with you…uh…" Again she had forgotten his name. Nobody had told her she needed it again. The boy shrugged his shoulders.

"If…if you don't mind." He answered. She hated people who were able to read her mind, because they were able to make her feel bad and she hated to feel bad.

"C'mon Mum, he never has read a comic book, what means he had missed a lot of fun in his life. This needs to be changed."

"Well, what else can I say?" She answered.

"Cool, then…we'll see us tomorrow?"

"Yeah." The boy said turned around, shyly waved to them and then left.

"He never had read a comic book?" She asked. This was, what kids grew up with.

"That's what he told me. So can someone of you bring my collection of Legion? That would be cool."

"I take care of that." Her husband said. Something was wrong. Why did she find it curious that a teenager never had read a comic book before? Maybe there was a simple explanation? Why did she care anyway? She didn't even like this boy. He was dark and shady.

She was frustrated. They all wouldn't sit in this mess, if the doctors hadn't made this mistake. Appendicitis is that rare, making it impossible coming to the conclusion it might be the reason for horrible stomach aches. She was Kirsten Cohen, born Nichol and these bastards would learn how to do their job properly. She stormed down the hallway. There she saw it again. This blond, dusty hair. He sat in one of the patient rooms with huge windows, thus everybody could see who was in there. Being sick and forced to recover in a hospital was bad. But being seen by a bunch of strangers must be worst of all. Es…especially when one had a tube in one's throat? She slowed down to get a good look into the room. There was a blond turgid woman, hooked onto machines and this tube. Next to her sat the boy…whose name she had forgotten again. She felt her heart clench. If she had known…she probably would have been a little nicer towards him…at least not that rude. She couldn't change, but stop and watching the scene. The boy was gently rubbing the back of his mother's hand. He was talking to her. The walls surrounding the cheap patient rooms weren't thick. She didn't plan to eavesdrop. Hell…she was a nosey Newport-woman.

"Hey Mum, it's me…uhm I know…you probably don't feel much too well, but…I need you…at least a little awake…I mean…don't worry about the money and stuff. I'm really taking care of it…but school is a little difficult right now…so I need you to sign a form. Uh…and A.J. is a little aggressive, thus be glad you're not home. This way he can't…uh…you know what…his…little. Forget it. Uh…you know I suck at talking, so I just stay a little longer…in silence."

After the boy stopped talking, she immediately went down the hallway. A.J. was this a dog? She always had said: no dog at home, if her son wasn't able to take care of it on his own. And now she had listened to what this could lead to. School is difficult? He should be glad. Being at work with a real job was even harder. On the other hand, the boy never had read a comic book, maybe he - she felt bad for this thought – just wasn't smart enough and then of course school could be hell. She was glad Seth hasn't these problems. And the money? This was her proof the boy was a little delinquent. But no, her husband knew everything better. She only hoped the boys noticed themselves they weren't a match for each other.