Seth walked down the corridor only to stop as he saw a police officer step
out of Ryan's room.
A nurse and Dr. Food entered immediately after the officer stepped out.
Seth rushed forward and stopped just short of the cop. He could see the flash of guilt in the man's eyes. Seth recognized him as one of the cops that had taken Sandy's statement at the house. Seth didn't remember much of that night, but this man stuck out. He had snorted at Sandy's claim that him hitting Dawn had been an accident. The man had snorted and Seth had flashed him a glare.
Now here was that man standing outside of Ryan's room with his note pad out with notes scribbled in it.
"You.." Seth cast him the evil eye before heading into Ryan's room.
Dr. Foor and the nurse were checking Ryan's vitals and the various machines surrounding him.
"Seth! Your brother just woke! I was just going to call your parents back in." Dr. Foor trailed off seeing Seth just staring at Ryan who was glaring back at him.
"Come one Nancy. The boys need to catch up. Ryan, take it easy. I'll be back in a few and here is the call button for the nurse's station. Rest." Ryan nodded and the two left.
"Hey man, good to see you awake. We were worried for a while there. I should probably call mom and dad. Mom's been here ever since you were brought in, I just got her to go home. She'll be mad she missed you waking up." Seth stopped rambling. He didn't like the look in Ryan's eyes; they were cold, hard. Seth cut to the chase.
"Ryan, what do you know? What did that police officer say? Do you remember anything?
Ryan didn't answer, he was still trying to sort the details out in his jumbled brain.
Seth watched Ryan as blinked a few times at him but made no move to initiate conversation.
Unable to take the silence, Seth stood and started to pace with Ryan's eyes watching him go back and forth.
"Okay, I can't do this. You have to say something. We have been so worried and." Seth stopped and stared at Ryan who kept staring back.
"What do you want me to say?" Ryan finally said, his voice hoarse.
"Anything! Hi, it's a nice day out, my head hurts-take your pick! Just talk to me." Seth pleaded.
Ryan's eyes narrowed and Seth took an involuntary step back at the hate he saw there.
"Fine, your dad killed my mom. There happy?" Ryan shifted and closed his eyes giving in to the exhaustion.
Seth stood rooted to the spot with his mouth gaping open.
"We have a problem." He muttered and left Ryan's room with his cell phone already in his palm.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
After 10 minutes of pacing outside Ryan's door Seth took a deep breath and re-entered. Ryan was passed out, oblivious to the world. Seth let out the breath he had been holding and collapsed into the chair near Ryan's head.
He flipped his cell phone shut and re-pocketed it. He would call his parents when Ryan woke again. No sense worrying them yet.
Maybe, Seth mused, Ryan would wake and not remember any of this. Maybe he would think it was all a bad dream. Then again they would just have to tell him all over again.
Seth leaned back in his chair letting scenarios flood his mind as he drifted off with Ryan.
Ryan was still in shock. His mother was dead. Killed by the one person he trusted the most. What was he going to do now?
As he relaxed more memories of the night pieced together. His mother coming at him with her purse, obviously drunk and high.
Why didn't he fight back? He asked himself.
Because he never did, came the answer.
As long as he could remember he always took his beatings, he deserved them. If his mother saw fit that he should receive them then he should. He never fought back.
As he saw his mother's leg swinging out to kick him one last time Ryan bolted out of sleep straight up in the bed ignoring the pain shooting through his leg, abdomen, and chest.
Next to him Seth nearly toppled out of his chair.
"Whoa." Seth muttered before looking up to see what woke him.
Ryan was sitting straight up in his bed gasping for air.
"Ryan, you okay?" Seth asked quietly as he touched Ryan's good leg. Ryan flinched and Seth drew back.
Ryan flinched again. He didn't want to cause Seth pain, none of this was his fault.
"I remember." Ryan whispered.
Seth sighed. "Good," but he saw in Ryan's eyes maybe it wasn't good, he still held an accusatory glare.
"Your dad hit my mom."
At least he didn't say that Dad killed his mom, like last time, Seth thought.
"Yeah but to stop her from hurting you. She pushed you out the window! She was going to hurt you again! She's why you're here!" Seth said practically yelling. He couldn't hold it in any longer.
Ryan just shook his head and laid back down wincing.
Seth stepped forward and helped adjust his pillows.
Before Ryan drifted off he whispered so quietly that Seth had to lean down to hear him.
"You don't understand."
A nurse and Dr. Food entered immediately after the officer stepped out.
Seth rushed forward and stopped just short of the cop. He could see the flash of guilt in the man's eyes. Seth recognized him as one of the cops that had taken Sandy's statement at the house. Seth didn't remember much of that night, but this man stuck out. He had snorted at Sandy's claim that him hitting Dawn had been an accident. The man had snorted and Seth had flashed him a glare.
Now here was that man standing outside of Ryan's room with his note pad out with notes scribbled in it.
"You.." Seth cast him the evil eye before heading into Ryan's room.
Dr. Foor and the nurse were checking Ryan's vitals and the various machines surrounding him.
"Seth! Your brother just woke! I was just going to call your parents back in." Dr. Foor trailed off seeing Seth just staring at Ryan who was glaring back at him.
"Come one Nancy. The boys need to catch up. Ryan, take it easy. I'll be back in a few and here is the call button for the nurse's station. Rest." Ryan nodded and the two left.
"Hey man, good to see you awake. We were worried for a while there. I should probably call mom and dad. Mom's been here ever since you were brought in, I just got her to go home. She'll be mad she missed you waking up." Seth stopped rambling. He didn't like the look in Ryan's eyes; they were cold, hard. Seth cut to the chase.
"Ryan, what do you know? What did that police officer say? Do you remember anything?
Ryan didn't answer, he was still trying to sort the details out in his jumbled brain.
Seth watched Ryan as blinked a few times at him but made no move to initiate conversation.
Unable to take the silence, Seth stood and started to pace with Ryan's eyes watching him go back and forth.
"Okay, I can't do this. You have to say something. We have been so worried and." Seth stopped and stared at Ryan who kept staring back.
"What do you want me to say?" Ryan finally said, his voice hoarse.
"Anything! Hi, it's a nice day out, my head hurts-take your pick! Just talk to me." Seth pleaded.
Ryan's eyes narrowed and Seth took an involuntary step back at the hate he saw there.
"Fine, your dad killed my mom. There happy?" Ryan shifted and closed his eyes giving in to the exhaustion.
Seth stood rooted to the spot with his mouth gaping open.
"We have a problem." He muttered and left Ryan's room with his cell phone already in his palm.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
After 10 minutes of pacing outside Ryan's door Seth took a deep breath and re-entered. Ryan was passed out, oblivious to the world. Seth let out the breath he had been holding and collapsed into the chair near Ryan's head.
He flipped his cell phone shut and re-pocketed it. He would call his parents when Ryan woke again. No sense worrying them yet.
Maybe, Seth mused, Ryan would wake and not remember any of this. Maybe he would think it was all a bad dream. Then again they would just have to tell him all over again.
Seth leaned back in his chair letting scenarios flood his mind as he drifted off with Ryan.
Ryan was still in shock. His mother was dead. Killed by the one person he trusted the most. What was he going to do now?
As he relaxed more memories of the night pieced together. His mother coming at him with her purse, obviously drunk and high.
Why didn't he fight back? He asked himself.
Because he never did, came the answer.
As long as he could remember he always took his beatings, he deserved them. If his mother saw fit that he should receive them then he should. He never fought back.
As he saw his mother's leg swinging out to kick him one last time Ryan bolted out of sleep straight up in the bed ignoring the pain shooting through his leg, abdomen, and chest.
Next to him Seth nearly toppled out of his chair.
"Whoa." Seth muttered before looking up to see what woke him.
Ryan was sitting straight up in his bed gasping for air.
"Ryan, you okay?" Seth asked quietly as he touched Ryan's good leg. Ryan flinched and Seth drew back.
Ryan flinched again. He didn't want to cause Seth pain, none of this was his fault.
"I remember." Ryan whispered.
Seth sighed. "Good," but he saw in Ryan's eyes maybe it wasn't good, he still held an accusatory glare.
"Your dad hit my mom."
At least he didn't say that Dad killed his mom, like last time, Seth thought.
"Yeah but to stop her from hurting you. She pushed you out the window! She was going to hurt you again! She's why you're here!" Seth said practically yelling. He couldn't hold it in any longer.
Ryan just shook his head and laid back down wincing.
Seth stepped forward and helped adjust his pillows.
Before Ryan drifted off he whispered so quietly that Seth had to lean down to hear him.
"You don't understand."
