Seth once again parked the Rover next to his dad's Beamer at the beach. Ryan was now able to get himself out of the car and down to the beach without assistance. He was now mobile on crutches. Seth still followed him down and set out the blanket and propped up Ryan's leg when he sat.

Seth took his time, Sandy had a meeting that morning and wouldn't have time to drive Ryan back to the house, so Seth had to stay behind and wait until Ryan was ready to go.

It had been a week since Ryan had been coming to the beach to visit Sandy. It was obvious to everyone how much the separation was affecting the Cohen's. Kirsten was more listless and was spending more time at work. Seth was quieter then usual which was a stretch. Ryan knew he was the reason for everyone's distress but he was still not completely comfortable with Sandy. He knew he would have to take the next step and invite Sandy back.

It seemed funny to him that he had to invite Sandy back to his house. But it was the only way Sandy said he would come back-if Ryan invited him. So they continued there talking in the early mornings and usually over breakfast if Sandy stayed.

Today Ryan had to wait until Sandy was done surfing, usually they talked before Sandy surfed but Seth had been late getting up so Ryan would wait until Sandy was done.

Ryan curled up in the blanket he was sitting on; he had been cold lately and wondered if he was catching a cold. With his spleen gone he had been warned many, many times that he was more susceptible.

It wasn't long before Sandy noticed Ryan sitting on the beach waiting. He decided to take one more wave then head in to talk to Ryan and then leave early to get to his meeting.

He raised an arm to let Ryan know he had been seen and Ryan waved back.

Just as he was about to turn a wave came up from behind and Sandy was thrown off balance. Unable to stay on he toppled forward. He was close to shore and near the edge of the beach where rocks lined both sides of the beach.

He also surfed in the same spot between two small cliffs lined in rocks because there were always good waves and it was not often occupied. Only a few residents of Newport knew of the place and even fewer bothered to get up so early. So as always the place was deserted.

Ryan waved back at Sandy's raised arm. He knew that meant Sandy planned on coming in soon. Ryan leaned back on his elbows as he watched Sandy get ready to turn. Ryan hoped Sandy knew about the wave coming up behind him.

Ryan laughed slightly as Sandy was caught off guard by the wave and went under. Ryan waited for Sandy's head to reappear but it didn't. Ryan followed the rock edge from the shore out to where Sandy had taken his dive. Right where Sandy fell intersected with the underwater rocks.

Ryan jumped up on his good foot and swept the water with his gaze. He saw Sandy's board drifting near the rocks and Ryan could make out the strap Sandy wore around his ankle so he wouldn't loose his board when he did fall. Ryan waited for what felt like eternity but Sandy never reappeared.

"SETH!" Ryan screamed as he took off for the water. It was more of a hop as he made his was to the water's edge on his good leg. His cast dragging heavily behind him, he didn't give it a second thought as he dove in. Immediately his cast became dead weight behind him. From being in the wheelchair his arms were strong and able to pull his weight as he swam out to the spot where he had last seen Sandy.

Seth, who had been napping on top of the Rover again, jerked awake at hearing his name being screamed.

"Use the phone," he mumbled to Ryan in his head. He glanced down to see why Ryan was screaming anyway but Ryan was not there. The blanket was in a pile half buried in sand. Ryan wasn't anywhere on the beach. Seth glanced at his dad's car and back out to the water.

There was Ryan, swimming! Seth jumped off the car, racing to the ocean searching for his father. Spotting the surfboard he realized why Ryan was in the water.

Ryan swam around the spot trying to see where Sandy had gone. He reached strap attached to the surfboard and followed it down. His lungs burned from the little effort and his eyes stung from the salt. Finally he felt Sandy's foot. He went down a little further more and grabbed Sandy around the middle. Pulling with everything he had left he heaved Sandy up and when he broke the surface he threw him over the board. Still holding Sandy he gulped air as much as he could, but he couldn't stop the blackness that washed over him.

Seth reached the board as Ryan burst up throwing Sandy over the board with strength he never knew Ryan had. He latched onto Sandy so he wouldn't slip either way off the board.

"Ry." Seth trailed off as he made his way to the other side of the board, still holding his dad.

Ryan glanced at him once and then slipped under the water.

"RYAN!" Seth screamed as he dove under.

Grabbing Ryan he pulled him back up and somehow situated him next to Sandy on the board.

"Thank god, you long board, Dad." Seth muttered to himself as he started to paddle the board to shore.

What seemed like hours the board hit ground and couldn't go any further. Seth was exhausted and he still had to get Ryan and Sandy to the Rover, which was over 400 yards away. He lay next to them catching his breath before pulling himself and his dad up. He pulled Sandy onto the sand about 50 yards away from the water before going back and getting Ryan. Just as he dropped Ryan next to Sandy a truck pulled up next to Sandy's Beamer.

'Oh thank god,' Seth thought as he waved his hand to the now parked truck. He dropped it when he saw Luke and his cronies emerge.

To his surprise the threesome made their way quickly down to Seth.

"Cohen, what's going on?" Luke asked as he reached the group looking down at Ryan and Sandy, who were still unconscious.

"Dad, hit his head when he fell off his surfboard and Ryan went in after him and passed out. I need to get them to the hospital." Seth said desperately.

He was surprised when one of the boys knelt down and pushed a napkin to his dad's head, which was sporting a large gash and bleeding profusely.

"Okay, Mark you help me carry Chino to the car. Trevor, hold that there and help Cohen with his Dad." Luke addressed everyone taking charge.

"Thank you." Seth stuttered.

Luke nodded and grabbed Ryan under the shoulders. Mark grabbed his legs being careful with the cast. Trevor and Seth eased Sandy up swinging both his arms around their shoulders. They slowed made their way to the Rover. Seth and Trevor situated Sandy in the front seat while Mark and Luke laid Ryan in the backseat. Luke grabbed Seth's pillow and blanket he left on the hood and laid the blanket over Ryan who had started to shiver and tucked the pillow under his head.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you. I gotta go. Thank you." Seth rambled until Luke pushed him in to the Rover and shut the door. He immediately started the car and pulled out being mindful that Ryan didn't have a seatbelt on in the back. Trevor had secured Sandy in before he had shut him in.

Turning the heat to full blast Seth drove as carefully as he could to HOAG.

Seth raced back outside once he had seen that Ryan and his father were being taken care of. He needed to call his mother. For a while he forgot but when he was given the paperwork he rushed out to call her on his cell.

Kirsten glanced groggily at the phone; she didn't have to go in early today, so she still had another half an hour to sleep. Waiting unsuccessfully for someone else to answer the phone she reached over and grabbed it off its cradle.

"Hello?" She asked annoyed.

"Mom?" She heard Seth crackle over the line.

"Seth? Where are you?" She asked now confused.

"HOAG." Seth answered leaving his answers short. He was still in shock.

Kirsten sat straight up.

"Is Ryan okay?" Was the first thing that came to her mind, "Are you okay?" followed.

"I'm fine; Dad was surfing-"Was all Seth got out.

"Oh, god, Sandy! Is he okay?" Kirsten asked near panicked.

"Mom, Ryan and dad are both in the hospital, you need to come down." Seth spat angrily. He didn't know what to do.

"Both?" Before she could question anymore she stopped herself. "I'll be there in ten minutes. I gotta find a ride." The boys had both cars.

"Okay, I'll be in the lobby." Seth said before he hung up.

Kirsten quickly disconnected and dialed the number of her father.

~~~~~~~~

Seth was not in the lobby when she and Caleb arrived. Upon inquiring at the nurse's station they found he was in his father's room, 205.

Kirsten practically ran to the room but stopped dead when she reached the door. Sandy was in a gown, sleeping on his back with his head to the side so she could see the white dressing covering half his forehead and eye.

She held back a sob as she made her way to Seth who was sitting at Sandy's side staring at the bandage without blinking. He heard her coming up beside him and immediately stood to get a hug.

"They need the paperwork filled out. For Dad and Ryan." Seth mumbled.

Kirsten could tell he was a bit dazed.

"I'll take care of it," she whispered, hugging him again.

Caleb came up behind and slung an arm around Seth's shoulders allowing him to lean into him.

"Do you know where Ryan is?" Kirsten asked softly, as if afraid to wake Sandy.

"They had to recast his leg, since he got it all wet." Kirsten looked puzzled as did Caleb so Seth sat and explained the entire story. By the time he finished the doctor walked in and read off instructions for Sandy's home care. He had a moderate concussion and had to be woken every 2 hours to be questioned. If any confusion ensued, they were to bring him right back in. The doctor assured them that Sandy would probably sleep the next 2 days pretty heavily. It was the best way to heal. They all knew this from Ryan's concussion only a few weeks before.

When Kirsten asked after Ryan the doctor left to get Ryan's doctor.

Kirsten sent Caleb to get the bag out of the car that she had tossed in there. She had brought clothes for all of them, not knowing what had happened. Seth had already changed into scrubs the nurses had given him but was happy to change into his own clothing when they were brought up.

By the time he had changed and dried off thoroughly Ryan's doctor was in Sandy's room, who was now awake.

"Ryan's fine. We made him a new, smaller cast since the other one was beyond salvageable. He aggravated his ribs but not enough to do any damage. We believe he passed out from the effort. His body was not ready for swimming and saving lives but those things happen." The doctor explained smiling. He also gave discharge order for Ryan reiterating the importance of sleep. He also gave some prescriptions for a cold he detected that was developing.

Kirsten went to Ryan's room while Caleb and Seth got Sandy ready to go. She took Ryan's clothes and the scrubs Seth had been wearing. They might be easier to get into, since Kirsten had grabbed jeans and sweatshirt of Sandy's without thinking.

Ryan was lightly sleeping when Kirsten entered he woke once she pushed the door shut. She shushed him before he could speak and helped him sit up. Even though the cast was smaller around his leg, there was no way he could get into jeans. She helped him pull the sweatshirt over his head, which was two times large. She cut one leg off the scrubs and helped him pull those up and tie. Together they eased him into another wheelchair.

"I should have brought yours." Kirsten joked as Ryan smiled back. He still had not spoken.

Caleb assisted in getting Ryan into the front seat where he could stretch out his leg. Kirsten and Seth maneuvered Sandy into the back. Kirsten passed Seth the keys and admonished him to be extra careful then she crawled in back next to Sandy, where he dropped his head on her shoulder and fell asleep. Ryan did the same thing in the front seat.

Caleb hugged Seth and Kirsten goodbye before taking off for work. Someone had to run the family business and Caleb could tell Kirsten wouldn't be into work for a few days.

They laid Sandy down on the living room couch, not wanting to push him up the stairs. It didn't matter anyway; Sandy fell asleep as soon as a pillow was under his head.

They got Ryan's wheelchair and pushed him to the guest bedroom he was staying in. He also passed out as soon as he was on the bed.

Seth also went in search of a bed to nap in. Kirsten retreated to the kitchen to make some coffee and to set a timer to 2 hours to wake Sandy and probably Ryan to check on them.

Seth was up within an hour not being able to get the scene out of his head where he had been to late to save Ryan and his dad from the water.

Kirsten glanced at him sympathetically as he padded into the kitchen. She poured him a cup of coffee before he went to check on Ryan.

Seth entered Ryan's room to find the bed empty.

He quickly retreated to the kitchen.

"Did you move Ryan?" He asked confused.

Kirsten was just as confused.

"No, he should be in the guestroom-"She started.

From the front door they could hear light knocking. Seth shrugged and went to answer the door.

Thinking it was Caleb, because he was the only one who knew to knock-not ring the doorbell and wake everyone up. And who else visited the Cohen's in the middle of the day?

Pulling open the door and leaning on it, Seth glanced up expecting to see his grandfather. He almost missed leaning on the door when he saw Luke standing on his stoop.

Okay everyone I hope you enjoyed. The next chapter should be out after Christmas. Hope everyone has a good holiday and keep writing and reviewing!