*****
Back at the house, Marissa goes to the poolhouse to change while Seth and Ryan sit down in the den.
"Seth, I think it's time we called your parents…" Ryan says slowly.
"I can't believe you let me get away with it for this long," Seth sighs.
"You aren't going to fight me on this?" Ryan asks, surprised.
"No. It's time. With Grandpa and Jimmy at the funeral…they're going to find out shortly anyway," Seth admits.
Ryan nods. "Okay. I'm going to call them. You want to talk to them?"
"No…I…"
"It's okay. You've had a long day…" Ryan says before Seth explains.
"So have you. You look tired, dude," Seth starts.
"I'm fine. I'm worried about you. You're being entirely too okay about all of this," Ryan says quietly.
"I'm dealing. I have to deal, right? I mean…I'm still shaky…I still don't want this to be real…but I know that it is real," Seth says quietly. "Go call mom and dad. Time to face the music."
Ryan steps into the kitchen and calls Sandy's cell phone. Kirsten answers on the second ring.
"Hello?"
"Kirsten?"
"Hey, Ryan. How are you doing?" Kirsten smiles.
"Okay. I…I have some news."
"Is everything okay?"
"Not really…" Ryan hadn't anticipated talking to Kirsten. He is more comfortable with Sandy and isn't sure how Kirsten is going to react.
"What's going on?" Kirsten asks.
"Remember Anna from Thanksgiving?" Ryan asks quietly.
"Sure, one of Seth's women…"
"She died two days ago…" Ryan states.
Kirsten gasps. "My god…what happened?"
"There was this accident on the freeway and she didn't make it…" Ryan sighs.
"Is Seth okay?"
"He's pretty upset…shit, he's devastated…but he's dealing."
"Ryan, why didn't you call us?"
"He was in a weird place, Kirsten, I mean…he wanted you guys to enjoy your time together…" Ryan starts.
"What?"
"He didn't want you guys to rush back because of him and still be arguing," Ryan admits quietly.
"Ryan, this is serious…"
"I know. But things have been serious here, too and it was a judgment call. I'm sorry…" Ryan apologizes.
"You guys are okay, though, right? You weren't in the accident?"
"Technically, we were in the accident…"
Kristen gasps again.
"But we're fine. The hospital just checked us out…"
"You went to the hospital?" Kirsten's voice is a whisper.
"Yeah. Seth was pretty bruised and they gave him some painkillers and some stuff to help him relax…he was pretty out of it at the hospital…"
"What about you?"
"I broke some ribs, but nothing serious…"
"We're on our way, Ryan…" Kirsten says. "Where's Seth?"
"He's…"
"Don't lie to me. I want to talk to him."
"He's not ready, Kirsten. He's exhausted. We just got back from the funeral and he's barely holding it together. Can you just come home?" Ryan asks.
Kirsten pauses. "We're coming home, Ryan."
"I'm taking care of him. The only way I know how," Ryan replies.
"Are you taking care of yourself, too?" She asks before he hangs up.
"I'm fine. We'll see you soon," Ryan sighs, hanging up.
*****
*****
"…I'm willing to break myself
To shake this hell from everything I touch
I'm willing to bleed for days more reds and grays
So you don't hurt so much…"
--Something Corporate
Seth wakes up with her name on his lips. Ryan is standing over him, his face drawn with concern and exhaustion.
"It's okay, Seth, you're okay…" Ryan is saying.
"Dude…I'm sorry…" Seth recognizes the pool house. He hasn't been able to sleep in his room since the accident. Ryan and Rosa have made up the extra bed in the pool house for him so Ryan can watch over him.
"Hey, it's cool. It was just a bad dream…" Ryan says, immediately.
Seth realizes suddenly that Ryan looks awful. "I'm keeping you awake…what's going on?" He sits up. Marissa is sitting up across the room in Ryan's bed wearing some of his sweats.
"Nothing, it's like three a.m. You have the dream again?" Ryan asks, visibly relaxing at Seth's lucidity.
"Yeah. Dude, you look awful, are you sick?" Seth questions.
Seth catches a warning glance between Ryan and Marissa.
"Nah, I'm fine. Don't worry about it. Get some rest…" Ryan slowly walks back across the room and sits down beside Marissa.
"Marissa? Is he sick?"
Marissa looks at Ryan and then back at Seth. "He's worried sick about you," She says quietly.
"You were puking all day yesterday, weren't you? That's why you kept disappearing at the funeral yesterday…" Seth realizes.
"It's fine…" Ryan mutters.
"It must hurt like a motherfucker with those broken ribs," Seth replies. Marissa glances at Ryan in surprise.
"Broken ribs?" Marissa asks immediately.
"Hey. I am fine. Let's just go back to sleep," Ryan urges, eager to shift the attention from him.
Seth's eyelids are heavy from the painkillers and he can't argue anymore. He lies down again.
"You didn't tell me…" Marissa whispers.
"Shh. Let's go to sleep. You can yell at me tomorrow," Ryan whispers back. Seth drifts to sleep as the pool house is silent.
*****
"Seth? Ryan?" Kirsten's voice wakes him the next day.
"Mom." Seth sits up in bed and his mother sits down beside him, embracing him. She rocks him gently as he clings to her. Sandy enters, joining his wife on the bed and putting a hand on Seth's shoulder.
"I'm so sorry we weren't here…" Kirsten whispers.
"There was nothing you could do…" Seth replies. "I wanted you to have fun. You guys deserved it and there was nothing that you could do."
Kirsten brushes his hair back, looking at the stitches and bruise on his head. "You okay?"
"I'm getting there. I've been a little…out of it…Ryan's been taking care of me…where is Ryan?" Seth glances around.
Sandy leaves them on the bed and walks down the hall to the bathroom.
"Ryan, you have to go to a doctor, I can stay with Seth, but this isn't normal…" Marissa's voice is quiet from inside the bathroom. Sandy hears the sound of retching through the crack in the door. He gently pushes the door open.
"Mr. Cohen…" Marissa seems relieved to see him.
"Hey, Marissa. Ryan…" Sandy is immediately concerned, seeing Marissa's intense worry and the pallor of his skin.
Ryan waves his hand, not letting Sandy see his face. He continues to vomit. Marissa squeezes his shoulder and pulls Sandy outside.
"He's been throwing up for two days. He's running a fever but he…he won't leave Seth and he won't listen to me…" Marissa sighs, worried.
"Thank you for staying with him, Marissa. Now that we're back, we'll take care of him," Sandy promises. Seth and Kirsten appear in the hallway.
"What's going on?" Seth asks, confused.
"Ryan's sick, Seth," Marissa says. "He…he didn't want you to worry, but he's still sick…"
Kirsten pushes through the crowd and pushes open the bathroom door. She closes it behind her. Ryan is leaning against the wall as he sits in the floor. He is deathly pale and shivering. His eyes are glazed when he glances at her.
"Not much of a welcome for you, is it?" Ryan asks, his voice hoarse.
"You're going to the doctor, Ryan…" Kirsten starts.
"Fine. Whatever. It doesn't matter. How's Seth?" Ryan asks, waving off her concern for him.
"He's not throwing up…" Kirsten starts.
"He's not dealing with this, either. He's really upset…he's not sleeping and you have to make sure he takes his medicine. He's really upset…" Ryan repeats.
Kirsten is touched by Ryan's concern for her son. She knew that they were close but had no idea that they were bonded to this level. "We'll take care of him, Ryan." She puts a hand against his clammy forehead.
"I couldn't leave him when he's like this…" Ryan whispers.
"Okay, Ryan. Let's get you ready to go to the doctor, okay? The sooner we go, the sooner we can get you back…" Kirsten says, gently, helping him to his feet. She had been angry all the way home because Ryan hadn't called her but seeing his intense concern for Seth, all her anger has turned to pride and worry.
