Any and all disclaimers apply; the usual ones, the unusual ones and some
you've never even heard of. Dr. Campbell is borrowed from Keesha's story
Trust. Thanks for all the reviews. It's been fun. Words such as
neighbour, favour, harbour and colour all have extra vowels in them. I
didn't spell them wrong. Oh yes, grey is spelled with an 'e'.
Chapter 6
Sandy was stunned.
"Harold Campbell...? Dr....our neighbour...? Are you sure...?"
Kirsten took Sandy's hand and gently pulled him back to his seat.
Officer Riley asked if she could sit down. Kirsten nodded. Sandy was still trying to process the information he was given.
Officer Riley continued.
"The truck was reported stolen around 5pm on New Years Day..."
"Stolen..." Sandy interrupted, not hiding his disbelief.
"However, our investigation is leading us in another direction. That is all I'm inclined to say at this time, but I wanted you both to know where the investigation stands.
Kirsten held on to Sandy's hand.
"Is there anything else...You've had confirmation of Ryan's blood work..?"
Officer Riley looked through her note pad.
"Yes...Ryan's blood work was confirmed.....There was no alcohol or drugs in his system. Your other son Seth and his friend Ms Cooper were both over the legal limit...which brings us to the next problem..."
Sandy closed his eyes.
"They're underage..."
Officer Riley nodded.
"I've spoken to the ADA and she's agreed that in light of Ryan's condition there may be more of a life lesson for Seth and his friend if they see the aftermath of drinking and driving first hand...I understand Ryan still has a long recovery ahead of him..?"
Kirsten squeezed Sandy's hand and spoke.
"He still hasn't woken up yet..but the doctor's are cautiously optimistic that will get better.."
Officer Riley stood up.
"I'll keep you informed of any new developments Mr. and Mrs. Cohen...Take care..."
Kirsten and Sandy watched as the police officer left the cafeteria. Sandy let go of Kirsten's hand and clenched his fists.
"Harold Campbell...! That pompous ass clown who said Ryan would ruin us.? That he'll amount to no good...? He was telling me a few weeks ago that he got a sweet deal on a new pick-up truck for Brad..They were going to give it to him for Christmas. That little son of a bitch was driving and Harold is trying to cover it up...Reporting the truck stolen...does he really think he'll get away with it..?"
Seth had read 2 chapters of "A Prayer for Owen Meany" before he closed the book. While he could see why his mom liked the book, he thought it was a little too heavy and in depth for right now. He was about to resume his monologue on the intricacies of hockey when his parents came back into the room. His dad looked flushed and agitated, while his mom was doing her best to calm him down. Seth looked at his parents.
"Dad..are you okay? What did officer.."
Kirsten shook her head.
"Seth honey...we'll talk about this on the way home, okay.."
Kirsten gave Sandy a hug, whispering quietly in his ear. Sandy nodded and seemed to relax a little. She leaned over and gave Ryan a kiss on his forehead and told him she'd be back in the morning. Seth hugged his dad and told him to call later that evening.
Sandy sat down and put his head in his hands. Any thought of looking at his case files was long gone. He looked up at Ryan. It could just have easily been Seth lying there or in the morgue..Ryan could be in the morgue..He could still end up there...Sandy fought to push those images out of his head. Leaning in closer to Ryan, he started to speak.
"Hey buddy..it's time to wake up now. This little beauty rest of yours has gone on for too long and I gotta tell you Ryan..you're not getting any prettier, so you need to open your eyes and face the world..."
A nurse came in and smiled at Sandy.
"I'm here to check your son's vital signs and give him his pain meds.."
Sandy nodded and watched her work. She took Ryan's temperature and blood pressure. The beeping of the heart monitor was steady. She changed the I.V. bag and then took a needle out of her pocket and injected it into the I.V. . She made some notations on Ryan's chart and then looked at Sandy.
"His temperature is a little elevated, but that's to be expected. Everything else seems good..I'll be back to check on him..."
"In half an hour..." Sandy finished for her.
The nurse smiled
"I think I need to change my routine a little.
Sandy smiled back
"Thank you for looking after Ryan.."
Caleb glanced at the clock in his Jaguar.9:30pm. Julie Cooper had called him and asked him to come over. He had been avoiding her calls for the last couple of days.
He knew that Julie's interest in him was strictly monetary. She wanted...needed to keep up her social status in Newport and latching on to him was one way she could maintain her lifestyle. She hadn't been an unpleasant diversion, but that was all she was..a warm body....
Caleb would have been content with the relationship...hell..they were using each other but Julie crossed the line when she went after Ryan..she went after family...His family, and that was the beginning of her downfall.
Julie was in top form that night, purring and draping herself all over Caleb. Marissa and Caitlyn were spending a few days at their father's apartment so Julie had the whole seduction scene kicked up to a new level.
The sex was quick and unemotional. Caleb lay back on the pillows. Julie put her head on his shoulder and started to absently play with the hair on his chest.
"Caleb, darling...I was wondering if you would be able to do me a favour.."
This ought to be good, Caleb thought to himself.
"Hmmmm?"
Julie continued to entwine her fingers around his chest hair.
"The mortgage on the house was due on the 2nd and Jimmy has not been taking care of the bills....I hate to ask , but could you help me out.I'm already a couple of months behind and like I said, Jimmy has been no help at all...I do need a safe and secure home for my girls...They would be devastated if we.. if we lost this house..."
Caleb closed his eyes as he processed Julie's request. Her supposed lack of funds hadn't stopped her from her shopping sprees and the girls...well...Marissa didn't seem very happy here and Caitlyn was a spoiled brat....a miniature Julie who needed to learn that the world didn't revolve around her.
He opened his eyes and smiled at Julie.
"I'd be happy to take care of it..I'll call the bank in the morning."
Sandy woke up with a start. Something didn't feel right. As his eyes focused, he saw a nurse leaning over Ryan. What was her name...Dianne..Doreen....Denise...? The fog evaporated from his brain as he heard her speak softly to Ryan.
"Hey sweetie...it's about time you opened those baby blues..you've got a lot of people waiting for you to wake up..."
Ryan was awake...?!
Denise slowly raised the top of the bed and stepped back to get some ice chips. Sandy moved in closer.
Ryan lay there, his eyes open, unblinking.
Seth took Ryan's hand.
"Hey Ryan..It's Sandy..."
Sandy looked closely at Ryan's eyes. In the dim light he could see the blank look in the boy's eyes, but what startled him most was that the whites of Ryan's eyes were a dark shade of crimson. Sandy swallowed and continued speaking.
"We've been waiting for you to wake up...Ryan..can you look at me..?"
Ryan slowly moved his head towards Sandy.
"Where's ...where's..Tr-Tr-Trey..?
Ryan's voice was hoarse and scratchy sounding.
Sandy tried to keep his voice low and soothing, not betraying the confusion he was feeling.
"Ryan...Trey's not here..You and Seth had an accident...You're going to be okay now.."
Denise came back with a cup of ice chips and spooned a few into Ryan's mouth. Ryan closed his eyes for a few seconds as the ice melted and then opened them again.
"Trey..jail..? S-S-Seth okay...? M-m-m-mom gone..?
Sandy studied Ryan's face.
"Ryan..do you know who I am..?"
Ryan's eyes started to close.
"Law---yer...Trey..jail...Sandy home..Seth.."
His voice trailed off and he fell asleep again.
Dr. Michaels entered the room.
Sandy stood up, not letting go of Ryan's hand.
"I heard your son has woken up.."
Sandy nodded his head.
"He was confused..I know I should have expected this but it was like his past and his present were.."
Dr. Michaels gently cut Sandy off.
"With a head injury this severe, there is going to be some ambiguity in his memories. Ryan won't know what is past and what is present. His short term memory could be affected but I believe it will be temporary..I'm going to check him over...Why don't you get a cup of coffee and call your wife..let her know Ryan woke up. I'll come and see you when I'm finished."
Sandy let go of Ryan's hand and left the unit. As he walked down the corridor towards the elevator, he prayed that Dr. Michaels was right and that Ryan's present memories would return.
Kirsten sat on the patio watching the sun come up. It was 4:30am when Sandy called. Three simple words... "He woke up..." filled her with such happiness it was all she could do to keep from screaming into the phone. Sandy didn't have a lot more information for her, just that Dr. Michaels was with Ryan now and Sandy would be returning to the CCU shortly. Kirsten promised that she would be there at 8. She told her husband how much she loved him and hung up the phone. The kid in her wanted to go wake Seth up and tell him the news, but the responsible mother in her told her to wait a few hours yet, so Kirsten got up and made a pot of coffee and sat outside.
Tuesday, January 6
When Seth and Kirsten arrived at the hospital they found Sandy waiting for them at the entrance. Kirsten ran into her husbands arms and before she had a chance to say anything Sandy spoke.
"It's okay, hon...they're moving Ryan out of CCU and into a regular room. We can see him in about 20 minutes. Kirsten let go of Sandy and stepped back, studying her exhausted husband.
"I'm going to check in on Ryan when he's settled in...Then I'm bringing you home and taking care of you..."
"Ah...uh...mom..not appreciating the visual here..."
Kirsten turned to her son.
"The upside is, you get to stay and hang out with Ryan until I get back..no restrictions in a regular room."
Seth grinned as the family went to the waiting room. Sandy filled Kirsten and Seth in on what Dr. Michaels said about Ryan's recovery.
It was noon before Sandy and Kirsten left the hospital. Seth was warned that Ryan might be confused and not recognize Seth, but Dr. Michaels said it was normal and shouldn't last too long. He made himself comfortable and opened up his knapsack, pulling out a pile of comic books.
"Okay Ryan..I've got Legion...Titans and Justice League..What's that..Justice League is a little minty...? To true dude, but your knowledge of the graphic novel genre is still lacking despite my best attempts to educate you, so we're going back a little bit."
Seth was half way through the second comic when he noticed Ryan's eyes were open. The red eyes freaked Seth out for a second but he recovered quickly.
"Ryan...you're...you're..cool...let me call a nurse."
Seth reached over and pressed the call button.
"Yeah, uh...Sleeping Beauty's awake..."
Seth pulled the chair closer to the bed and sat back down. He noticed the partially melted container of ice chips. He spooned up a few and held them out to Ryan.
"Here...These might help a little.."
Ryan obediently opened his mouth like a toddler being fed his favourite food. He sucked on the ice and swallowed.
"..Seth..."
"Yeah dude....I'm here with you...you're okay..."
Ryan blinked
"Seth...friend..comics.."
"Graphic novels, bro..but I'll let that slide."
A nurse came in and identified himself as Paul. He quickly took Ryan's temperature and blood pressure as Ryan looked on.
"You're starting to run a fever...nothing major yet, but the doctor prescribed some anti-biotics for you..This might sting a little.."
Paul's actions were to fast for Ryan to follow so he closed his eyes and waited for him to leave.
"Ry...are you okay..."
"'m'okay..feel ..dopey.."
"That's 'cuz they've got you on the finest pharmaceutical grade pain relief they have...guaranteed to make you feel no pain and render you powerless to escape my manic monologues, especially since you seem to have reverted to the time before you used complete sentences."
"...Pound...sand..."
Seth rolled his eyes.
"Is that the best you've got..."
Seth is stopped by the look on Ryan's face..Fear..Fear of what ever was behind him in the door way. Seth turned to see what Ryan was looking at.
...Caleb..
Seth turned back to Ryan.
"It's okay Ryan...it's my Grandpa..."
'NO...!" Ryan shouted as loud as his raw throat would let him.
"GO'WAY...!"
Caleb looked shocked as he took a step into the room.
"Ryan..."
"NO...!" Ryan screamed again.
"GET..YOUR....MONEY BACK....FROM....D-D-D-DAWN...I'M NOT....I'M NOT.."
Seth quickly pressed the call bell and grabbed Ryan's shoulders.
"Calm down Ryan...It's just ....My grandpa's not going to hurt you..."
Ryan's eyes had glazed over, screaming at the demons from his past that had now ventured into the present.
"TAKE...YOUR MONEY BACK....YOU'RE NOT GOING TO...DO IT..DO.. ME..ANY- ANYMORE! GET ...MONEY...BACK..NO! STOP....!!!"
As several of the nursing staff pushed past Caleb, Ryan ripped out the central I.V. and gathering strength from an untapped reserve, hurled himself over the side rails of the bed, crashing on the floor and sending the heart monitor downward, smashing on the cold linoleum. Still screaming, Ryan crawled to the corner, curling into a tight ball, screams turning into sobs...
"No...don't..." over and over again .
Seth and Caleb were ushered out as DR. Meyers rushed in, the door closing behind them.
Seth was shaking uncontrollably, unable to process the scene he had just witnessed. Caleb took his grandson to a nearby waiting room and called Kirsten. After he hung up the phone, he held Seth, rocking him gently as he tried to calm him down.
After Kirsten and Sandy arrived, Caleb furiously pulled his son-in-law out into the hallway.
"What do you know about that boy's past...!
Before Sandy had a chance to answer, Caleb raged on.
"He thought I was there to..that I wanted to..."
Caleb couldn't even say the words out loud.
"Did his mother really..pimp him out...?"
Caleb felt the bile rise in his throat.Just the thought of what Ryan had gone through with his mother...
"Cal.." Sandy broke in.
"I don't have all the details of his past. There's not a lot in his file. I do know he's been physically abused...There was also some possible sexual abuse, but he's never talked about it. Kirsten and I wanted to make sure he felt safe and stable in our house before we pushed the idea of a counselor on him. He's still afraid we're going to dump him into foster care if he's anything but the perfect kid.."
Sandy drew a shaking breath, not knowing what else to say.
Caleb turned and walked back to the waiting room. He sat stone-faced, not saying anything to Kirsten. Sandy paced just outside the waiting room. Kirsten knew that now was not the best time to talk to him. She touched her husband on the shoulder, and gently led him back inside.
Dr. Meyers came out of Ryan's room. It was now quiet inside. He sat down on a chair facing Kirsten and Sandy.
"We've got him calmed down...actually we had to sedate him..."
Kirsten spoke.
"Why did this happen..?"
Dr. Meyers shook his head.
"Something must have triggered an old memory for Ryan. Because of his head injury, he was unable to distinguish the past from the present. It's not that unusual for that to happen with a head trauma as severe as his. He should sleep for a few hours. We did..We did have to put him in soft restraints for his own safety..we'll be taking him downstairs in a few minutes for another MRI and CAT scan, just to make sure he didn't cause any further damage when he fell from the bed."
Dr Meyers got up to leave.
"It's just a precaution..you can go in and see him now."
Chapter 6
Sandy was stunned.
"Harold Campbell...? Dr....our neighbour...? Are you sure...?"
Kirsten took Sandy's hand and gently pulled him back to his seat.
Officer Riley asked if she could sit down. Kirsten nodded. Sandy was still trying to process the information he was given.
Officer Riley continued.
"The truck was reported stolen around 5pm on New Years Day..."
"Stolen..." Sandy interrupted, not hiding his disbelief.
"However, our investigation is leading us in another direction. That is all I'm inclined to say at this time, but I wanted you both to know where the investigation stands.
Kirsten held on to Sandy's hand.
"Is there anything else...You've had confirmation of Ryan's blood work..?"
Officer Riley looked through her note pad.
"Yes...Ryan's blood work was confirmed.....There was no alcohol or drugs in his system. Your other son Seth and his friend Ms Cooper were both over the legal limit...which brings us to the next problem..."
Sandy closed his eyes.
"They're underage..."
Officer Riley nodded.
"I've spoken to the ADA and she's agreed that in light of Ryan's condition there may be more of a life lesson for Seth and his friend if they see the aftermath of drinking and driving first hand...I understand Ryan still has a long recovery ahead of him..?"
Kirsten squeezed Sandy's hand and spoke.
"He still hasn't woken up yet..but the doctor's are cautiously optimistic that will get better.."
Officer Riley stood up.
"I'll keep you informed of any new developments Mr. and Mrs. Cohen...Take care..."
Kirsten and Sandy watched as the police officer left the cafeteria. Sandy let go of Kirsten's hand and clenched his fists.
"Harold Campbell...! That pompous ass clown who said Ryan would ruin us.? That he'll amount to no good...? He was telling me a few weeks ago that he got a sweet deal on a new pick-up truck for Brad..They were going to give it to him for Christmas. That little son of a bitch was driving and Harold is trying to cover it up...Reporting the truck stolen...does he really think he'll get away with it..?"
Seth had read 2 chapters of "A Prayer for Owen Meany" before he closed the book. While he could see why his mom liked the book, he thought it was a little too heavy and in depth for right now. He was about to resume his monologue on the intricacies of hockey when his parents came back into the room. His dad looked flushed and agitated, while his mom was doing her best to calm him down. Seth looked at his parents.
"Dad..are you okay? What did officer.."
Kirsten shook her head.
"Seth honey...we'll talk about this on the way home, okay.."
Kirsten gave Sandy a hug, whispering quietly in his ear. Sandy nodded and seemed to relax a little. She leaned over and gave Ryan a kiss on his forehead and told him she'd be back in the morning. Seth hugged his dad and told him to call later that evening.
Sandy sat down and put his head in his hands. Any thought of looking at his case files was long gone. He looked up at Ryan. It could just have easily been Seth lying there or in the morgue..Ryan could be in the morgue..He could still end up there...Sandy fought to push those images out of his head. Leaning in closer to Ryan, he started to speak.
"Hey buddy..it's time to wake up now. This little beauty rest of yours has gone on for too long and I gotta tell you Ryan..you're not getting any prettier, so you need to open your eyes and face the world..."
A nurse came in and smiled at Sandy.
"I'm here to check your son's vital signs and give him his pain meds.."
Sandy nodded and watched her work. She took Ryan's temperature and blood pressure. The beeping of the heart monitor was steady. She changed the I.V. bag and then took a needle out of her pocket and injected it into the I.V. . She made some notations on Ryan's chart and then looked at Sandy.
"His temperature is a little elevated, but that's to be expected. Everything else seems good..I'll be back to check on him..."
"In half an hour..." Sandy finished for her.
The nurse smiled
"I think I need to change my routine a little.
Sandy smiled back
"Thank you for looking after Ryan.."
Caleb glanced at the clock in his Jaguar.9:30pm. Julie Cooper had called him and asked him to come over. He had been avoiding her calls for the last couple of days.
He knew that Julie's interest in him was strictly monetary. She wanted...needed to keep up her social status in Newport and latching on to him was one way she could maintain her lifestyle. She hadn't been an unpleasant diversion, but that was all she was..a warm body....
Caleb would have been content with the relationship...hell..they were using each other but Julie crossed the line when she went after Ryan..she went after family...His family, and that was the beginning of her downfall.
Julie was in top form that night, purring and draping herself all over Caleb. Marissa and Caitlyn were spending a few days at their father's apartment so Julie had the whole seduction scene kicked up to a new level.
The sex was quick and unemotional. Caleb lay back on the pillows. Julie put her head on his shoulder and started to absently play with the hair on his chest.
"Caleb, darling...I was wondering if you would be able to do me a favour.."
This ought to be good, Caleb thought to himself.
"Hmmmm?"
Julie continued to entwine her fingers around his chest hair.
"The mortgage on the house was due on the 2nd and Jimmy has not been taking care of the bills....I hate to ask , but could you help me out.I'm already a couple of months behind and like I said, Jimmy has been no help at all...I do need a safe and secure home for my girls...They would be devastated if we.. if we lost this house..."
Caleb closed his eyes as he processed Julie's request. Her supposed lack of funds hadn't stopped her from her shopping sprees and the girls...well...Marissa didn't seem very happy here and Caitlyn was a spoiled brat....a miniature Julie who needed to learn that the world didn't revolve around her.
He opened his eyes and smiled at Julie.
"I'd be happy to take care of it..I'll call the bank in the morning."
Sandy woke up with a start. Something didn't feel right. As his eyes focused, he saw a nurse leaning over Ryan. What was her name...Dianne..Doreen....Denise...? The fog evaporated from his brain as he heard her speak softly to Ryan.
"Hey sweetie...it's about time you opened those baby blues..you've got a lot of people waiting for you to wake up..."
Ryan was awake...?!
Denise slowly raised the top of the bed and stepped back to get some ice chips. Sandy moved in closer.
Ryan lay there, his eyes open, unblinking.
Seth took Ryan's hand.
"Hey Ryan..It's Sandy..."
Sandy looked closely at Ryan's eyes. In the dim light he could see the blank look in the boy's eyes, but what startled him most was that the whites of Ryan's eyes were a dark shade of crimson. Sandy swallowed and continued speaking.
"We've been waiting for you to wake up...Ryan..can you look at me..?"
Ryan slowly moved his head towards Sandy.
"Where's ...where's..Tr-Tr-Trey..?
Ryan's voice was hoarse and scratchy sounding.
Sandy tried to keep his voice low and soothing, not betraying the confusion he was feeling.
"Ryan...Trey's not here..You and Seth had an accident...You're going to be okay now.."
Denise came back with a cup of ice chips and spooned a few into Ryan's mouth. Ryan closed his eyes for a few seconds as the ice melted and then opened them again.
"Trey..jail..? S-S-Seth okay...? M-m-m-mom gone..?
Sandy studied Ryan's face.
"Ryan..do you know who I am..?"
Ryan's eyes started to close.
"Law---yer...Trey..jail...Sandy home..Seth.."
His voice trailed off and he fell asleep again.
Dr. Michaels entered the room.
Sandy stood up, not letting go of Ryan's hand.
"I heard your son has woken up.."
Sandy nodded his head.
"He was confused..I know I should have expected this but it was like his past and his present were.."
Dr. Michaels gently cut Sandy off.
"With a head injury this severe, there is going to be some ambiguity in his memories. Ryan won't know what is past and what is present. His short term memory could be affected but I believe it will be temporary..I'm going to check him over...Why don't you get a cup of coffee and call your wife..let her know Ryan woke up. I'll come and see you when I'm finished."
Sandy let go of Ryan's hand and left the unit. As he walked down the corridor towards the elevator, he prayed that Dr. Michaels was right and that Ryan's present memories would return.
Kirsten sat on the patio watching the sun come up. It was 4:30am when Sandy called. Three simple words... "He woke up..." filled her with such happiness it was all she could do to keep from screaming into the phone. Sandy didn't have a lot more information for her, just that Dr. Michaels was with Ryan now and Sandy would be returning to the CCU shortly. Kirsten promised that she would be there at 8. She told her husband how much she loved him and hung up the phone. The kid in her wanted to go wake Seth up and tell him the news, but the responsible mother in her told her to wait a few hours yet, so Kirsten got up and made a pot of coffee and sat outside.
Tuesday, January 6
When Seth and Kirsten arrived at the hospital they found Sandy waiting for them at the entrance. Kirsten ran into her husbands arms and before she had a chance to say anything Sandy spoke.
"It's okay, hon...they're moving Ryan out of CCU and into a regular room. We can see him in about 20 minutes. Kirsten let go of Sandy and stepped back, studying her exhausted husband.
"I'm going to check in on Ryan when he's settled in...Then I'm bringing you home and taking care of you..."
"Ah...uh...mom..not appreciating the visual here..."
Kirsten turned to her son.
"The upside is, you get to stay and hang out with Ryan until I get back..no restrictions in a regular room."
Seth grinned as the family went to the waiting room. Sandy filled Kirsten and Seth in on what Dr. Michaels said about Ryan's recovery.
It was noon before Sandy and Kirsten left the hospital. Seth was warned that Ryan might be confused and not recognize Seth, but Dr. Michaels said it was normal and shouldn't last too long. He made himself comfortable and opened up his knapsack, pulling out a pile of comic books.
"Okay Ryan..I've got Legion...Titans and Justice League..What's that..Justice League is a little minty...? To true dude, but your knowledge of the graphic novel genre is still lacking despite my best attempts to educate you, so we're going back a little bit."
Seth was half way through the second comic when he noticed Ryan's eyes were open. The red eyes freaked Seth out for a second but he recovered quickly.
"Ryan...you're...you're..cool...let me call a nurse."
Seth reached over and pressed the call button.
"Yeah, uh...Sleeping Beauty's awake..."
Seth pulled the chair closer to the bed and sat back down. He noticed the partially melted container of ice chips. He spooned up a few and held them out to Ryan.
"Here...These might help a little.."
Ryan obediently opened his mouth like a toddler being fed his favourite food. He sucked on the ice and swallowed.
"..Seth..."
"Yeah dude....I'm here with you...you're okay..."
Ryan blinked
"Seth...friend..comics.."
"Graphic novels, bro..but I'll let that slide."
A nurse came in and identified himself as Paul. He quickly took Ryan's temperature and blood pressure as Ryan looked on.
"You're starting to run a fever...nothing major yet, but the doctor prescribed some anti-biotics for you..This might sting a little.."
Paul's actions were to fast for Ryan to follow so he closed his eyes and waited for him to leave.
"Ry...are you okay..."
"'m'okay..feel ..dopey.."
"That's 'cuz they've got you on the finest pharmaceutical grade pain relief they have...guaranteed to make you feel no pain and render you powerless to escape my manic monologues, especially since you seem to have reverted to the time before you used complete sentences."
"...Pound...sand..."
Seth rolled his eyes.
"Is that the best you've got..."
Seth is stopped by the look on Ryan's face..Fear..Fear of what ever was behind him in the door way. Seth turned to see what Ryan was looking at.
...Caleb..
Seth turned back to Ryan.
"It's okay Ryan...it's my Grandpa..."
'NO...!" Ryan shouted as loud as his raw throat would let him.
"GO'WAY...!"
Caleb looked shocked as he took a step into the room.
"Ryan..."
"NO...!" Ryan screamed again.
"GET..YOUR....MONEY BACK....FROM....D-D-D-DAWN...I'M NOT....I'M NOT.."
Seth quickly pressed the call bell and grabbed Ryan's shoulders.
"Calm down Ryan...It's just ....My grandpa's not going to hurt you..."
Ryan's eyes had glazed over, screaming at the demons from his past that had now ventured into the present.
"TAKE...YOUR MONEY BACK....YOU'RE NOT GOING TO...DO IT..DO.. ME..ANY- ANYMORE! GET ...MONEY...BACK..NO! STOP....!!!"
As several of the nursing staff pushed past Caleb, Ryan ripped out the central I.V. and gathering strength from an untapped reserve, hurled himself over the side rails of the bed, crashing on the floor and sending the heart monitor downward, smashing on the cold linoleum. Still screaming, Ryan crawled to the corner, curling into a tight ball, screams turning into sobs...
"No...don't..." over and over again .
Seth and Caleb were ushered out as DR. Meyers rushed in, the door closing behind them.
Seth was shaking uncontrollably, unable to process the scene he had just witnessed. Caleb took his grandson to a nearby waiting room and called Kirsten. After he hung up the phone, he held Seth, rocking him gently as he tried to calm him down.
After Kirsten and Sandy arrived, Caleb furiously pulled his son-in-law out into the hallway.
"What do you know about that boy's past...!
Before Sandy had a chance to answer, Caleb raged on.
"He thought I was there to..that I wanted to..."
Caleb couldn't even say the words out loud.
"Did his mother really..pimp him out...?"
Caleb felt the bile rise in his throat.Just the thought of what Ryan had gone through with his mother...
"Cal.." Sandy broke in.
"I don't have all the details of his past. There's not a lot in his file. I do know he's been physically abused...There was also some possible sexual abuse, but he's never talked about it. Kirsten and I wanted to make sure he felt safe and stable in our house before we pushed the idea of a counselor on him. He's still afraid we're going to dump him into foster care if he's anything but the perfect kid.."
Sandy drew a shaking breath, not knowing what else to say.
Caleb turned and walked back to the waiting room. He sat stone-faced, not saying anything to Kirsten. Sandy paced just outside the waiting room. Kirsten knew that now was not the best time to talk to him. She touched her husband on the shoulder, and gently led him back inside.
Dr. Meyers came out of Ryan's room. It was now quiet inside. He sat down on a chair facing Kirsten and Sandy.
"We've got him calmed down...actually we had to sedate him..."
Kirsten spoke.
"Why did this happen..?"
Dr. Meyers shook his head.
"Something must have triggered an old memory for Ryan. Because of his head injury, he was unable to distinguish the past from the present. It's not that unusual for that to happen with a head trauma as severe as his. He should sleep for a few hours. We did..We did have to put him in soft restraints for his own safety..we'll be taking him downstairs in a few minutes for another MRI and CAT scan, just to make sure he didn't cause any further damage when he fell from the bed."
Dr Meyers got up to leave.
"It's just a precaution..you can go in and see him now."