*****
*****
*****
Seth is shaking as he sits on the bed in the poolhouse waiting for his mother to return with Ryan. Marissa is talking quietly with Sandy. Seth didn't know that Ryan was so sick. He has been so caught up in his grief that he didn't notice Ryan's lapse into sickness.
"Seth?" Ryan sits down beside him on the bed as Kirsten joins Sandy and Marissa's quiet conference.
"Man, you should have said something," Seth says quietly.
"I'm sorry. You've been so upset and I really thought that I'd be over this by now," Ryan replies.
"You look awful, dude," Seth states honestly.
"I know. Are you going to be all right while I go with your mom to the doctor?" Ryan asks quietly.
Seth hesitates. He hasn't thought about Ryan having to leave.
"Man, it should only be a little while and Marissa's going to hang out with you, okay?" Ryan adds. Seth looks at Ryan again and realizes that if he tells Ryan to stay that Ryan won't get well. He could lose Ryan, too.
"Go. I'll be fine. Dad's here, too, now and you really need to let someone take a look at you…" Seth says, steeling himself.
"I'll be back as soon as I can, okay?" Ryan says quietly. Seth embraces him.
"Go get better. Go."
"Come on, Ryan. Let's get you in the car," Kirsten says, taking his arm.
*****
Marissa sits with Seth while Kirsten takes Ryan to the doctor. Sandy is in the kitchen, talking on the phone.
"Are you going to be okay?" She asks Seth, holding his hand.
"Yeah. I just lost it for a while there," Seth replies. "Thank you for hanging around."
"Summer's worried about you."
"I don't want to see her…" Seth replies instantly.
"Seth…"
"I mean…my feelings for Summer kept me from being with Anna…and even though…she's gone now…I can't stop feeling guilty for thinking of Summer at a time like this," He explains.
Marissa nods and hugs him impulsively. He returns her embrace, grateful for her acceptance.
"You'll be okay," She says.
"You think?" He whispers.
"Ryan and I will be there for you," Marissa promises. The phone rings. Marissa answers it.
"Cohens."
"Marissa? It's Kirsten."
"Is everything okay?" Marissa asks immediately.
"They need to keep Ryan overnight because he's so dehydrated…" Kirsten explains as Marissa leaves Seth to walk into the kitchen to find Sandy.
"Well, Seth's okay right now, but he's not going to like Ryan having to stay away," Marissa tells Kirsten.
"Ryan says the same thing but until he stops throwing up, he has to stay," Kirsten sighs.
"I'll talk to Seth. Here's Sandy." Marissa hands the phone to Sandy and hurries back to Seth.
"Who was that?" Seth asks.
"Listen, Seth. Do you trust me?"
"Marissa…"
"Seth?"
"Yeah. I do."
"And you trust Ryan, too, right? You want him to be okay…"
"Of course, Marissa, what…" Seth starts.
Marissa takes his trembling hand. "They need to keep Ryan overnight."
"Why?" He demands, panicking.
"Hey. It's okay. He's just dehydrated, okay? So they have to give him fluids and try to get him to stop throwing up…"
Seth considers her words. "Why is he sick?"
"I don't know. I haven't seen him eat anything since the accident and he wouldn't take his prescriptions…" Marissa says.
"Why?"
"He has this thing about drugs," She replies.
Seth sighs. "I forgot about that."
"Well, you've had a lot on your mind," Marissa smiles as Sandy steps into the room.
"They're keeping him overnight. They gave him a sedative so he could get some rest…" Sandy starts.
"Who's going to stay with him?" Seth asks.
"Kirsten," Sandy answers.
"Mom should come home. Marissa should go," Seth starts.
"Actually, Seth, I can't," Marissa interrupts. "I promised Ryan that I'd stay with you. And we have to sleep."
"Together?" Seth asks seriously. "Damn, he's a good friend…"
"No, Seth," Marissa laughs.
Sandy seems relieved. "Rosa has made up all the beds."
"You tired?" Marissa asks.
"Yeah," Seth answers honestly.
"The pool house is stocked with food. Ryan said you might want to sleep there," Sandy says.
"Thanks, Dad," Seth replies.
*****
*****
"I hear sound echo in the emptiness
All around but you can't change this loneliness
Look what you've found, I've fallen down"
--Something Corporate
"Kirsten?" Ryan's voice is hoarse.
She leans over, taking his hand. "I'm here."
"Shouldn't I feel better?" He asks. She puts her hand against his forehead. He's sweating and feverish.
"I'll get the doctor," She says, pushing the nurse's call button. A nurse arrives within seconds. "I think you should take his temperature…"
The nurse examines Ryan's monitors and takes his temperature. She leaves to get the doctor.
"You're going to be okay, Ryan…" Kirsten says, going to his side again.
"I'm going to take your word on that. How's Seth?" Ryan asks weakly.
"Sandy says that he's sleeping. He's in the poolhouse and Marissa's with him. I'm glad you took care of him."
"Well…Anna was a cool girl. Seth really liked her. It's not his fault that he didn't love her."
Kirsten looks at him curiously.
Ryan meets her gaze. "She said she loved him before she died. And he was just…sprung."
"Poor Seth," Kirsten gasps.
"But he's better…" Ryan says. "I'm going to be sick…can you…"
She is already helping him to his feet. She takes the saline he's connected to and follows him to the bathroom. When the nurse returns with the doctor, Ryan is still vomiting. They help him back to the bed and the nurse takes Kirsten outside.
"His fever is dangerously high, Mrs. Cohen but the doctor thinks that he should get better in the next 3 hours…"
"What's wrong with him?" Kirsten asks.
"We think it's a viral infection. The doctor is using stronger antibiotics now…"
The doctor steps out. "He's sleeping again, Mrs. Cohen. You can go back in."
Ryan's fever finally spikes during a series of nightmares that Kirsten and the nurses cannot wake him from. He's settled as the sun rises and she dozes off. When she wakes up, Ryan is sitting on the edge of the bed, his hand over his face.
"Ryan."
"Good morning," Ryan sighs, hoarse.
"You, too. Why are you up?" She asks.
"I went to the bathroom," He replies.
"Feeling better?"
"Yeah. I feel like I didn't sleep at all, though…" He confesses.
"You had some bad dreams."
"Did I talk in my sleep?" He asks.
Kirsten hesitates. She had heard things that she knew he would never tell anyone. "No. You mumbled a little…"
He nods solemnly. "It was pretty trippy…have you talked to Seth?"
"Why don't you call them while I talk to the doctor?" She suggests. Ryan nods.
*****
