A/N: Wasn't expecting to write more for this fic, but people seemed to
like it, so I figured why not. It's a great way to make English class go
by faster. I have no professional understanding of the medical workings
and after effects of excessive pain meds and drinking. I'm making all of
this up as I go.
Disclaimer: Still not mine...
Several days later, Marissa woke up to a beeping sound. She blinked several times before her vision cleared. The room was void of people, inhabited only by a bed, several monitors, and tacky wall paper. Everything was white save the the random splashes of color on the wall. A clock on the wall and the lack of light from the window told her that it was 3AM. She couldn't remember anything before that morning she woke up in Ryan's arms. Feeling around the pillow behind her head, she found the button to call the nurse. Within five minutes, a short, stocky woman opened the door.
"Good morning, dear," she said.
"Where am I?" Marissa asked, her voice raspy from unuse.
"Pacific Heght's Hospital, honey. You were airlifted here two nights ago."
Marissa sat in silence processing the information. The nurse interrupted her thoughts. "There's a young man in the waiting room that's been asking for you since you were brought here. Would you like for me to bring him in?"
Marissa nodded. "He'll be here in a mintue, honey. Maybe he can help you make sense of some things."
Five minutes passed before there was a light knock on the door, followed by the door opening to reveal a very relieved looking Ryan.
"Hey," he whispered.
She tried to smile.
Several minutes passed in silence.
"What happened?" she asked, breaking the deafening silence.
"You don't remember?"
She shook her head.
He took a deep, ragged breath.
"You tried to kill yourself, Marissa," he said. "We went to a club the night after you found out about your parents divorce and saw Luke with Holly. He's been cheating on you. You ran out and Summer found you at the hotel. When she left the room, you grabbed the pain meds she got for her mother and ran out again. By the time we found you, you were unconcious and barely breathing."
Somewhere in the middle of his explanation, she had begun to study the floor. When he paused, she looked back up at him. Tears were glistening in his eyes.
"You almost suceeded, Marissa. You almost got what you wanted."
The memories came flooding back. The voice telling her that everything was her fault, making the decision to listen to the voice, discovering that the voice had lied to her. Tears welled up in her eyes and were soon pouring down her face.
"I'm sorry, Ryan. I'm so sorry. It hurt so bad, I couldn't take it. It hurt too much."
He walked forward and stood by her bed. "I know it hurt, but you could have come to me. We could have dealt with it together. I know how much it hurts to find someone you care about betray you." The tears were falling down his face now also. "I don't think I could have taken it if you had gone away, Marissa. You're the only person other than the Cohen's that treats me like a real person here."
Marissa looked at the sheet and the thin blanet. "I couldn't think straight, Ryan. There was a-" she broke off, unwilling to tell anyone of the voice that was constantly invading her mind. "Everything was collapsing around me. My parents, Luke, even you. I just thought that I might as well fall too."
Ryan didn't say anything.
She took a deep breath to try and steady her voice "Could you," she paused, trying to swallow the lump that had grown in her throat, "Could you hold me? Just for a little while?"
"Of course," he replied, a smile tugged at one corner of his mouth. He laid down beside her and placed his arm around her waist.
She closed her eyes, and for the first time in her memory, silence prevailed.
A/N: Okay, not what I started out meaning to write, but what can you do? Let me know what you thought.
Disclaimer: Still not mine...
Several days later, Marissa woke up to a beeping sound. She blinked several times before her vision cleared. The room was void of people, inhabited only by a bed, several monitors, and tacky wall paper. Everything was white save the the random splashes of color on the wall. A clock on the wall and the lack of light from the window told her that it was 3AM. She couldn't remember anything before that morning she woke up in Ryan's arms. Feeling around the pillow behind her head, she found the button to call the nurse. Within five minutes, a short, stocky woman opened the door.
"Good morning, dear," she said.
"Where am I?" Marissa asked, her voice raspy from unuse.
"Pacific Heght's Hospital, honey. You were airlifted here two nights ago."
Marissa sat in silence processing the information. The nurse interrupted her thoughts. "There's a young man in the waiting room that's been asking for you since you were brought here. Would you like for me to bring him in?"
Marissa nodded. "He'll be here in a mintue, honey. Maybe he can help you make sense of some things."
Five minutes passed before there was a light knock on the door, followed by the door opening to reveal a very relieved looking Ryan.
"Hey," he whispered.
She tried to smile.
Several minutes passed in silence.
"What happened?" she asked, breaking the deafening silence.
"You don't remember?"
She shook her head.
He took a deep, ragged breath.
"You tried to kill yourself, Marissa," he said. "We went to a club the night after you found out about your parents divorce and saw Luke with Holly. He's been cheating on you. You ran out and Summer found you at the hotel. When she left the room, you grabbed the pain meds she got for her mother and ran out again. By the time we found you, you were unconcious and barely breathing."
Somewhere in the middle of his explanation, she had begun to study the floor. When he paused, she looked back up at him. Tears were glistening in his eyes.
"You almost suceeded, Marissa. You almost got what you wanted."
The memories came flooding back. The voice telling her that everything was her fault, making the decision to listen to the voice, discovering that the voice had lied to her. Tears welled up in her eyes and were soon pouring down her face.
"I'm sorry, Ryan. I'm so sorry. It hurt so bad, I couldn't take it. It hurt too much."
He walked forward and stood by her bed. "I know it hurt, but you could have come to me. We could have dealt with it together. I know how much it hurts to find someone you care about betray you." The tears were falling down his face now also. "I don't think I could have taken it if you had gone away, Marissa. You're the only person other than the Cohen's that treats me like a real person here."
Marissa looked at the sheet and the thin blanet. "I couldn't think straight, Ryan. There was a-" she broke off, unwilling to tell anyone of the voice that was constantly invading her mind. "Everything was collapsing around me. My parents, Luke, even you. I just thought that I might as well fall too."
Ryan didn't say anything.
She took a deep breath to try and steady her voice "Could you," she paused, trying to swallow the lump that had grown in her throat, "Could you hold me? Just for a little while?"
"Of course," he replied, a smile tugged at one corner of his mouth. He laid down beside her and placed his arm around her waist.
She closed her eyes, and for the first time in her memory, silence prevailed.
A/N: Okay, not what I started out meaning to write, but what can you do? Let me know what you thought.