Ryan Atwood sat groggily in a hard plastic chair in the hospital waiting room wondering why no one had come out to tell him how his daughter was.
They'd been here for hours, surely there was some news. In fact, if it weren't for the young women next to him, Ryan probably would have found a doctor and demanded some information ages ago.
Marissa had fallen asleep, her head resting on Ryan's shoulder, a little while ago and he didn't want to wake her.
She looked so beautiful and peaceful while she slept, despite her tear stained cheeks and lack of makeup.
Marissa was in her pajamas. She'd told Ryan that she'd been watching TV when he called and she'd been in such a rush to get to Lucy, she hadn't even bothered to change out of her slippers!
"Marissa." He said nudging her gently as a woman with a stethoscope around her neck, carrying a clip board walked into the waiting room. "Marissa wake up, I think this is Lucy's doctor."
"Lucy?" Marissa sat up, rubbing her eyes.
"Hello." The women said, approaching Ryan and Marissa's chairs. "Lucy Cooper's parents?"
"Yes." Ryan rose to his feet.
"My name is Doctor Fisher. I'm Miss Cooper's main physician."
"How is she?" Marissa asked, now fully awake. "Is she okay?"
"Yes." The doctor gave them a sympathetic smile. "Your daughter is going to be fine. You got her here quickly enough that we were able to prevent her throat from closing up completely. You were really lucky this time. In the future, you'll have to be more careful"
"We will be." Ryan said impatiently. "Can we see her now?"
"Of course. Lucy's resting now but she's been asking for her mother. If you would just follow me." She gestured toward a nearby door.
Ryan and Marissa, his arm around her shoulders, we led down a long hall and into a small room labeled 326.
Marissa clutched Ryan's arm tightly as they entered, as though afraid of what she might see.
Lucy lay, small and pale looking, in a large bed, dressed in a hospital gown, her light hair fanned out over her pillow. Her eyelids fluttered open at the sound of footsteps and the creak of the door.
"Mommy!" She called out in a tired voice, raising her head off the pillow slightly, stretching her arms out toward Marissa.
"Oh baby, I'm right here!" Marissa hurried across the room to Lucy's bed and knelt down, kissing her forehead. "Daddy and I are so so happy you're okay!" Her eyes leaked tears of relief as she stroked the little girl's hair.
"How are you feeling princess?" Ryan put in, crouching down next to Marissa and taking his daughter's hand.
Ignoring the question, Lucy began to cry, her large grey-blue eyes never wavering off Marissa's face. "I'm sorry mommy!" She wailed. "I didn't know it had blueberries in it, I really didn't!"
"Shhhh, you don't have to apologize sweetie, this isn't your fault! It was a big accident! The important thing is that you're alright!" Marissa held the little girl close to her chest.
"S-S-so you're not mad at me?" Lucy whimpered with wide eyes.
"Oh baby, of course we're not mad at you!" Marissa was horrified.
"Then why are you crying mommy?" Lucy asked innocently.
"I'm crying because I'm so glad you're okay!" she explained tearfully. "We were so worried about you!"
"But mommy, I'm fine!" Lucy giggled sitting up. "You're silly!"
Marissa gave a watery chuckle and hugged her daughter.
"Can we go home now?" She asked brightly. "I wanna show Natey my Band-Aid!" Lucy pointed to a fluorescent pink bandage on her inside right elbow. "They had to give me a shot and my arm was bleeding after so they gave me a Band-Aid." She told them.
"Sorry Luce but the doctor said that you have to stay a little bit longer to make sure you're okay. We can't go home until tomorrow." Ryan explained sadly. "Mommy's going to go home and get your stuffie and your pajamas so you'll be more comfortable and we'll both stay here with you tonight, okay?"
"Kay." Lucy smiled, looking at Ryan for the first time since they'd gotten here.
"Alright." Marissa stood up. "Will you be okay here with daddy for a little while? I promise I won't be too long."
Lucy frowned but nodded. "I love you mommy."
"I love you too honey. So, sooo much!"
With Marissa gone, Lucy focused her attention on Ryan.
"Read me a story, daddy?" She rubbed her eyes tiredly. "Please."
"I'd love to kid but I didn't bring any books with me. Do you want me to call mommy and tell her to get some from home?"
"No." Lucy said stubbornly. "Tell me a story."
"Tell you a story? Umm I don't really know any kid."
"Make one up." She persisted. "Please daddy?"
"Okay, fine." He gave in.
"Once upon a time, there was a boy named Ryan." He began.
"You." Lucy remarked.
"Yes, me."
"Ryan lived in a small house with his brother, his mother and her boyfriend in a little town called Chino. One day Ryan got into some trouble."
"What kind of trouble?" Lucy asked curiously.
"Bad trouble." Ryan told her. "Trouble with the police."
"That is bad!" she squealed in delight. "What did you do?"
"It doesn't matter." Ryan told her. "I'll tell you when you're older."
"But daddy.." she protested.
Ryan shook his head. "Do you want to hear the rest of the story or not?"
Lucy nodded eagerly and Ryan continued.
"Anyway, Ryan got in trouble and so a nice man named Sandy came to help him."
"But Sandy is a girl's name!" Lucy couldn't help but shout out. Ryan smiled and shook his head.
"Sandy is short for Sanford. It's his nickname." he explained
"Oh okay. Keep going please." She leaned back on her pillows.
"Sandy knew that Ryan's mother wasn't a very good mommy for Ryan so he took Ryan back to his house in New Port."
"Where's New Port?"
"California, princess. If you keep asking questions we'll never get to the end of the story."
"Oops!" She covered her mouth with her hands. "Sorry daddy!"
"So Ryan went to go live with Sandy and his wife Kirsten and their son Seth in New Port. Seth and Ryan became best friends. They played video games together. One day, Ryan was outside of his new house when he met a girl who lived next door named Marissa Cooper."
"Mommy!" Lucy clapped her hands happily.
Ryan smiled and kept talking. "Marissa was the most beautiful girl Ryan had ever seen. They liked each other right away. Soon, Marissa and Ryan started dating. Their first kiss was at the school carnival, on the Ferris-wheel."
"Ewwww!" Lucy laughed, reminding Ryan very much of Summer.
"Marissa and Ryan were very happy together. She had a best friend named Summer Roberts who fell in love with Ryan's best friend Seth. They were very happy too."
"Uncle Seth and Auntie Summer!" Lucy grinned.
"Yep." Ryan said. "You got it."
"So the four of them, Ryan, Seth, Marissa and Summer became best friends. They called themselves the fantastic four and they did everything together. The fantastic four and lots of adventure together. One time they got trapped in a mall overnight! Another time they tried to run away on a boat! And even though Ryan and Marissa and Seth and Summer broke up sometimes and dated other people, they always found their way back to each other."
Ryan noticed Lucy stifle a yawn. "Do you want me to tell you the rest tomorrow, baby? You look like you're ready for bed."
"No." She said forcefully. "Keep going."
"Okay." Ryan agreed.
"A few weeks before graduation, in their last year of high school, Marissa decided to leave New Port. She had had a very tough year; she had got expelled from school, one of her friends died and she and her mother lost all their money and had to move into a trailer.
Marissa decided to go to New York City. She left with a very big secret. She was going to have a baby! Marissa was so happy when she found out she was going to be a mommy but she didn't tell anybody. Marissa and Ryan were broken up at the time and she decided that he was too young to be a daddy right then. She wanted him to go to college first.
Ryan, Seth and Summer were very sad when she left. Ryan went to a school called Berkley, not far from his home in New Port. Seth and Summer both went to Rhode Island. After they graduated, they moved to New York to help Marissa with her two brand new babies who she had named Nathaniel and Lucy."
"Me and Natey." Lucy mumbled sleepily.
"Nate and Lucy were very good babies and Marissa loved them more then anything in the whole world. Seth and Summer loved them too but Ryan still didn't know about them. One day he went to New York City to start a new job and he ran into Marissa. Ryan was very happy to see her. He met Nate and Lucy and liked them right away. Ryan thought they were great kids. Then Marissa told him that he was their father. Ryan was surprised but very, very, very happy. He got to know Nate and Lucy and soon he loved them too, just as much as Marissa did. Everything in Ryan's life was perfect. The fantastic four was back together and he had two wonderful children. Ryan, Marissa, Seth, Summer, Nate and Lucy all lived happily ever after." Ryan finished quietly, gazing lovingly at his sleeping daughter.
"Goodnight Lucy." He kissed the little girls head, watching her peacefully suck her thumb.
"Sweet dreams." And with that he left the room, wandering out into the hallway to wait for Marissa.
