Once again, all disclaimers apply. I am merely toying with the characters.
Chapter Ten
Seth had just finished getting washed and dressed when the doorbell rang. He opened the door and saw his grandfather.
"Grandpa..Hey.....How are you....?"
Caleb smiled and pulled Seth into a hug.
"I'm doing well....You're looking better. Is your mom or dad around?"
Seth stepped back to let his grandfather in the house.
"Dad's in his office making some calls...He should be down in a little while and Mom spent the night with Ryan."
Caleb faltered for a second.
"How...How's Ryan?" His eyes clouded as he remembered his last visit with the boy.
"Ryan's...uh.....Ryan's uh.....getting...he, uh...got a hair cut...actually... he.. he has no hair on his head at this time....He's uh..going for the whole "fast and furious" look....Can't really say it suits him...You have more hair than he does, so I'm sure he's gonna let his hair grow back..."
Seth's voice sped up.
"And...and he's walking..Well, not by himself yet, but he took a couple steps and....and chess...yes....he beat dad in about a minute and a half..nailed him good....I was much more of a challenge..okay, not....he won all seven games, but that's mom's fault and..and...and then he fell asleep and dad and I came home...."
Caleb deduced from Seth's frantic babbling that something other than Ryan's shaved head and an example of his chess prowess took place, but Seth was not the one to ask.
"Hey Seth...Has your mom called yet?" Sandy yelled from his office.
"Not yet dad.." Seth yelled back. "Grandpa's here..."
Sandy came downstairs, trying to hide the sarcasm in his voice.
"Caleb....Always a pleasure....What can I do for you?"
"Can't a man come by a see his grandson, his daughter or even his favourite son in law?"
Sandy smirked
"I'm your only son in law..."
*******
Ryan slowly opened his eyes. As the world slowly came back into focus, he became aware of Kirsten holding his hand. He carefully moved his head to look at her and saw she was sleeping. Gently taking his hand from hers, he slowly eased himself into a seated position, wincing in pain as he moved. His fingers found the controls for the bed on the side rail. He raised the head of the bed and leaned back. He looked over and watched Kirsten sleep. While he couldn't remember all of the words she spoke in the dark, he did know that he felt safer and more secure than he had in a long time. He noticed his breakfast tray on the bedside table. Holding his rib cage with his left hand, he reached over with his right and pulled the table beside his bed. Lifting the lid of the tray he saw the three small glasses of 'yuck' and three straws. Sighing quietly, he tried to steady his shaking hands and unwrap a straw.
Ryan had just finished his 'breakfast' when Dr. Michaels came in. He seemed surprised to find Ryan sitting up in bed. After reading the notations Dr. Meyers wrote in Ryan's chart the previous evening, he thought the boy would still be sleeping, but Ryan's eyes were clear and sharp. The red in his eyes caused by the broken blood vessels behind them had started to fade. The bruising on his face had now settled into a mottled greenish purple. The long jagged scar looked dark and painful as it wound its way across the top of Ryan's skull.
"Nice hair cut..." Dr. Michael said softly, not wanting to wake Kirsten up.
Ryan pointed to the black bandana on the nightstand.
"Doc....Doctor..B-Berg make me pirate..."
Dr. Michaels smiled.
"Okay, how about first things first...I need to look at the drain site on your head and see how that's healing...."
Ryan turned his head so the doctor could look under the bandage.
"Looks good...those stitches can come out in a couple of days. How about you try to relax and I can look at your chest.."
Ryan rolled up his t-shirt and tried not to show his pain as Dr. Michaels hands brushed against his ribs.
"Sorry buddy..We couldn't tape your ribs because the incision here needed to remain accessible...I'll give you something for the pain in a minute...Can you hang on?"
Ryan nodded slowly.
"Alright...Let's have a look."
Dr. Michaels gently removed the dressing, carefully pressing down around the 22cm (10") incision. Ryan hissed in pain at the touch.
"I know...Sorry Ryan....I need you to tell me if it hurt where I touched you or is the pain in your ribs?"
Ryan hesitated for a second.
"Ribs.." He said in a small voice.
Dr. Michaels smiled.
"I know it doesn't feel like it, but it's actually a good thing you feel the pain around your ribs. Your liver is healing well and we can probably take out the staples in a few days as well. The stitches from your central I.V. are still going to need a week..."
Dr. Michaels rolled down Ryan's t-shirt.
"You seem to be doing okay with the liquid diet, so we're going to add some soft solids..."
Ryan looked at Dr. Michaels.
"No..more bay..baby for...for...formula..?"
At that point Kirsten snickered.
"I told Seth you'd figure out what they were feeding you....Good morning sweetie..Good morning Dr. Michaels.."
Dr. Michaels smiled and looked at Kirsten.
"Would you like me to go over what I told Ryan?"
Kirsten brought the chair back to a seated position.
"No, its okay...I woke up right after Ryan did...I just didn't let him know it."
She turned to Ryan.
"It's in the mom handbook..chapter 2, paragraph 7, under the heading "How to get information out of your kids when they won't talk to you"..."
Ryan turned to Kirsten. As he did, she noticed the flash of pain on his face caused by the movement.
"Now I...know secret...won't fool again...."
"Ah, but chapter 3 covers that scenario and I'll never tell you what it says..."
They were interrupted by Paul. He handed a needle to Dr. Michaels. A momentary look of fear took hold of Ryan. It didn't go unnoticed by the doctor.
"It's okay...Relax Ryan...It's the pain meds I said I'd give you..."
He injected the Demerol into Ryan's I.V. port.
"There...that will make you more comfortable.."
He then looked at Kirsten.
"I'd like to talk with you and your husband about Ryan's pain management and a time line for his going home."
Kirsten became serious and stood up and walked the doctor to the door. She spoke quietly so Ryan wouldn't hear her.
"Sandy and I would like to meet with you and Dr. Meyers this afternoon if possible. We have some things we need to discuss regarding Ryan's ongoing care.."
Dr. Michaels nodded and told Kirsten he would see if there was a time later they could all get together. Kirsten thanked him and went back to Ryan, stifling a laugh when she saw a doctors green surgical cap on Ryan's head, courtesy of Paul.
"I'd have to say the 'surgeon look' suits you much better than the 'pirate look' does."
"Don'....Don't tell Dr...Dr. Berg.."
Paul smiled, lowering the bed rail and maneuvering Ryan into a wheelchair.
"Where...we go-going..?" Ryan asked, watching Paul move the I.V. bag to a pole on the back of the chair. Paul released the breaks on the chair and told Ryan they were going downstairs for physio therapy. Kirsten told Ryan she'd be down in a few minutes.
"I'm going to call Sandy..Do you feel up for some company this afternoon, because I'm sure Seth wants to come by.."
Ryan shook his head, trying to ignore the pain it caused.
"He need see Summer...go board skating or some-something else....don't always need be here.."
Kirsten inwardly winced at Ryan's transposition of the word skateboarding, but she reminded herself how much his speech had improved over the last couple of days....Hell...he was even trying to use complete sentences unlike the mono- syllabic phrases he would utter when he first came into their lives.
"Are you sure Ryan?"
"You home go too...I want...need think about what you say morning you think I sleep.....chapter one...k-k-kids handbook..."
Kirsten bent down and gave him a hug.
"Smart ass..."
***********
Kirsten took a cab home from the hospital. She was going to call Sandy and Seth but thought that the three of them should have a family meeting on how to get ready for Ryan's homecoming. Dr. Meyers had briefly seen her before she left to let her know that both he and Dr. Michaels would be available at 4pm to meet with her and Sandy. As the taxi pulled in the driveway, Kirsten saw her dad's jag parked beside the BMW. She paid the driver and took in a deep breath. She slowly exhaled and walked in the front door and went to the kitchen. Three quarters of the men in her life were seated at the granite breakfast bar.
"Hey guys....Are you having a meeting and you didn't invite me?"
Sandy quickly got out of his seat and hugged his wife and gave her a tender kiss.
"I missed you..How's Ryan doing?"
Seth handed his mom a cup of coffee. Kirsten took it from him, gave him a kiss on the forehead and squeezed his hand. She took a sip of coffee and sat down.
"He looked better than when you left. Dr. Michaels came in this morning and examined him. Physically he's doing well. He's in physio right now. Ryan wanted some time alone this afternoon."
She reached for Sandy's hand.
"You and I have a meeting with Dr. Michaels and Dr. Meyers at the hospital this afternoon."
Sandy nodded.
"I called the psychiatrists Dr. Meyers recommended and we're meeting with Dr. Ynat Rodriquez tomorrow morning. She'll meet us at HOAG..she wanted to meet Ryan first..."
Caleb cut in.
"What do you know about this doctor.....Is she qualified to deal with Ryan's....issues?"
"Dad!"
Caleb shook his head.
"Look Kiki...I now have a vested interest in that boy and I want what's best for him..."
Just then, Caleb's pager went off. He picked it up and looked at it.
"I have to go....keep me informed."
He nodded to Sandy, kissed Kirsten, hugged Seth again and quickly made his way to the front door.
Seth had a grin on his face.
"I think Grandpa likes Ryan...."
****** By the time Ryan was wheeled back into his room he was exhausted. His legs ached and his chest felt like it was on fire. Paul helped Ryan into bed and left to get his lunch tray. Ryan was asleep before Paul returned.
Seth decided he'd give Ryan a couple of hours alone. He'd grab a ride with his parents when they left for the hospital. Seth didn't want to be anywhere else until Ryan was back home. He threw a few things in his knapsack and waited until it was time to leave. On a whim he picked up the phone and called Summer.
"Hey beautiful....How's my favourite girl?"
"Jason..." Summer's voice purred. "I've missed you...It's about time you called me...Maybe you can help me get rid of this guy who absolutely worships me and won't leave me alone..."
Seth is silent.
"Cohen...joke...!"
He thought quickly.
"Ah....ha ha.....First Ryan and now you...I guess everyone's funny now..."
"Lighten up Cohen....It's about time you called me. All I ever get is voice mail at your house...Don't you guys return messages? How's Chino?"
Seth rolled his eyes.
"No and getting better. Which leads me to my next question...You want to come see him with me this afternoon?"
Summer hesitated.
"Um, yeah....okay....Is he up for having visitors? Coop mentioned he was still a little uh, ...off."
"He um, his speech aphasia scared her...I know he'd like to see you."
There was no answer on the other end.
"Summer..Are you still there?"
"Yeah, Cohen....um....uh...What's aphasia?"
Seth shifted the phone to his other hand.
"He kind of jumbles up his words. He sort of sounds like a 182 cm (5'9") three year old, but the grey matter between his ears works fine. It was just a little scrambled when the Rover flipped. He's getting better..The doctors don't think it's permanent. Don't worry it'll be fine...."
Summer answered quietly.
"What if I say something stupid?"
Seth spoke gently.
"You'll be fine..just be yourself...It's all good...Hey, can you pick me up...We need to go to the mall first."
Summer laughed.
"Cohen you are a man after my own heart..."
Kirsten and Sandy arrive at the hospital around 3:30. They made their way up to Ryan's room before their meeting. They quietly walked in and saw that Ryan was sleeping. Kirsten leaned in and gave Ryan a kiss. Sandy leaned over and looked at Ryan.
"He looks really peaceful...What did you say to him earlier?"
Kirsten gently ran her fingers down the side of Ryan's face.
"Just some things he needed to hear....Things I needed to say. He's still grieving the loss of his family and I wanted him to know that's okay. He's not betraying his mom by being with us. Dawn wanted him to have this life. She was willing to walk out of his world so she couldn't hurt him anymore...So he wouldn't have to look after her anymore.."
Sandy pulled Kirsten into an embrace.
"I know I've said it before, but you're such a good mom..."
Kirsten gave Sandy a passionate kiss.
"Maybe after our meeting I'll take you home and be a really naughty wife...."
"Hey...not in front of Ryan...."
Kirsten glanced at her foster son.
"Sandy...he's asleep...He's doing that little twitching thing with his lip...He only does that when he's out like a light..."
"Ch-chapter one....kid's hand-handbook.." replied a quiet voice from the bed.
Chapter Ten
Seth had just finished getting washed and dressed when the doorbell rang. He opened the door and saw his grandfather.
"Grandpa..Hey.....How are you....?"
Caleb smiled and pulled Seth into a hug.
"I'm doing well....You're looking better. Is your mom or dad around?"
Seth stepped back to let his grandfather in the house.
"Dad's in his office making some calls...He should be down in a little while and Mom spent the night with Ryan."
Caleb faltered for a second.
"How...How's Ryan?" His eyes clouded as he remembered his last visit with the boy.
"Ryan's...uh.....Ryan's uh.....getting...he, uh...got a hair cut...actually... he.. he has no hair on his head at this time....He's uh..going for the whole "fast and furious" look....Can't really say it suits him...You have more hair than he does, so I'm sure he's gonna let his hair grow back..."
Seth's voice sped up.
"And...and he's walking..Well, not by himself yet, but he took a couple steps and....and chess...yes....he beat dad in about a minute and a half..nailed him good....I was much more of a challenge..okay, not....he won all seven games, but that's mom's fault and..and...and then he fell asleep and dad and I came home...."
Caleb deduced from Seth's frantic babbling that something other than Ryan's shaved head and an example of his chess prowess took place, but Seth was not the one to ask.
"Hey Seth...Has your mom called yet?" Sandy yelled from his office.
"Not yet dad.." Seth yelled back. "Grandpa's here..."
Sandy came downstairs, trying to hide the sarcasm in his voice.
"Caleb....Always a pleasure....What can I do for you?"
"Can't a man come by a see his grandson, his daughter or even his favourite son in law?"
Sandy smirked
"I'm your only son in law..."
*******
Ryan slowly opened his eyes. As the world slowly came back into focus, he became aware of Kirsten holding his hand. He carefully moved his head to look at her and saw she was sleeping. Gently taking his hand from hers, he slowly eased himself into a seated position, wincing in pain as he moved. His fingers found the controls for the bed on the side rail. He raised the head of the bed and leaned back. He looked over and watched Kirsten sleep. While he couldn't remember all of the words she spoke in the dark, he did know that he felt safer and more secure than he had in a long time. He noticed his breakfast tray on the bedside table. Holding his rib cage with his left hand, he reached over with his right and pulled the table beside his bed. Lifting the lid of the tray he saw the three small glasses of 'yuck' and three straws. Sighing quietly, he tried to steady his shaking hands and unwrap a straw.
Ryan had just finished his 'breakfast' when Dr. Michaels came in. He seemed surprised to find Ryan sitting up in bed. After reading the notations Dr. Meyers wrote in Ryan's chart the previous evening, he thought the boy would still be sleeping, but Ryan's eyes were clear and sharp. The red in his eyes caused by the broken blood vessels behind them had started to fade. The bruising on his face had now settled into a mottled greenish purple. The long jagged scar looked dark and painful as it wound its way across the top of Ryan's skull.
"Nice hair cut..." Dr. Michael said softly, not wanting to wake Kirsten up.
Ryan pointed to the black bandana on the nightstand.
"Doc....Doctor..B-Berg make me pirate..."
Dr. Michaels smiled.
"Okay, how about first things first...I need to look at the drain site on your head and see how that's healing...."
Ryan turned his head so the doctor could look under the bandage.
"Looks good...those stitches can come out in a couple of days. How about you try to relax and I can look at your chest.."
Ryan rolled up his t-shirt and tried not to show his pain as Dr. Michaels hands brushed against his ribs.
"Sorry buddy..We couldn't tape your ribs because the incision here needed to remain accessible...I'll give you something for the pain in a minute...Can you hang on?"
Ryan nodded slowly.
"Alright...Let's have a look."
Dr. Michaels gently removed the dressing, carefully pressing down around the 22cm (10") incision. Ryan hissed in pain at the touch.
"I know...Sorry Ryan....I need you to tell me if it hurt where I touched you or is the pain in your ribs?"
Ryan hesitated for a second.
"Ribs.." He said in a small voice.
Dr. Michaels smiled.
"I know it doesn't feel like it, but it's actually a good thing you feel the pain around your ribs. Your liver is healing well and we can probably take out the staples in a few days as well. The stitches from your central I.V. are still going to need a week..."
Dr. Michaels rolled down Ryan's t-shirt.
"You seem to be doing okay with the liquid diet, so we're going to add some soft solids..."
Ryan looked at Dr. Michaels.
"No..more bay..baby for...for...formula..?"
At that point Kirsten snickered.
"I told Seth you'd figure out what they were feeding you....Good morning sweetie..Good morning Dr. Michaels.."
Dr. Michaels smiled and looked at Kirsten.
"Would you like me to go over what I told Ryan?"
Kirsten brought the chair back to a seated position.
"No, its okay...I woke up right after Ryan did...I just didn't let him know it."
She turned to Ryan.
"It's in the mom handbook..chapter 2, paragraph 7, under the heading "How to get information out of your kids when they won't talk to you"..."
Ryan turned to Kirsten. As he did, she noticed the flash of pain on his face caused by the movement.
"Now I...know secret...won't fool again...."
"Ah, but chapter 3 covers that scenario and I'll never tell you what it says..."
They were interrupted by Paul. He handed a needle to Dr. Michaels. A momentary look of fear took hold of Ryan. It didn't go unnoticed by the doctor.
"It's okay...Relax Ryan...It's the pain meds I said I'd give you..."
He injected the Demerol into Ryan's I.V. port.
"There...that will make you more comfortable.."
He then looked at Kirsten.
"I'd like to talk with you and your husband about Ryan's pain management and a time line for his going home."
Kirsten became serious and stood up and walked the doctor to the door. She spoke quietly so Ryan wouldn't hear her.
"Sandy and I would like to meet with you and Dr. Meyers this afternoon if possible. We have some things we need to discuss regarding Ryan's ongoing care.."
Dr. Michaels nodded and told Kirsten he would see if there was a time later they could all get together. Kirsten thanked him and went back to Ryan, stifling a laugh when she saw a doctors green surgical cap on Ryan's head, courtesy of Paul.
"I'd have to say the 'surgeon look' suits you much better than the 'pirate look' does."
"Don'....Don't tell Dr...Dr. Berg.."
Paul smiled, lowering the bed rail and maneuvering Ryan into a wheelchair.
"Where...we go-going..?" Ryan asked, watching Paul move the I.V. bag to a pole on the back of the chair. Paul released the breaks on the chair and told Ryan they were going downstairs for physio therapy. Kirsten told Ryan she'd be down in a few minutes.
"I'm going to call Sandy..Do you feel up for some company this afternoon, because I'm sure Seth wants to come by.."
Ryan shook his head, trying to ignore the pain it caused.
"He need see Summer...go board skating or some-something else....don't always need be here.."
Kirsten inwardly winced at Ryan's transposition of the word skateboarding, but she reminded herself how much his speech had improved over the last couple of days....Hell...he was even trying to use complete sentences unlike the mono- syllabic phrases he would utter when he first came into their lives.
"Are you sure Ryan?"
"You home go too...I want...need think about what you say morning you think I sleep.....chapter one...k-k-kids handbook..."
Kirsten bent down and gave him a hug.
"Smart ass..."
***********
Kirsten took a cab home from the hospital. She was going to call Sandy and Seth but thought that the three of them should have a family meeting on how to get ready for Ryan's homecoming. Dr. Meyers had briefly seen her before she left to let her know that both he and Dr. Michaels would be available at 4pm to meet with her and Sandy. As the taxi pulled in the driveway, Kirsten saw her dad's jag parked beside the BMW. She paid the driver and took in a deep breath. She slowly exhaled and walked in the front door and went to the kitchen. Three quarters of the men in her life were seated at the granite breakfast bar.
"Hey guys....Are you having a meeting and you didn't invite me?"
Sandy quickly got out of his seat and hugged his wife and gave her a tender kiss.
"I missed you..How's Ryan doing?"
Seth handed his mom a cup of coffee. Kirsten took it from him, gave him a kiss on the forehead and squeezed his hand. She took a sip of coffee and sat down.
"He looked better than when you left. Dr. Michaels came in this morning and examined him. Physically he's doing well. He's in physio right now. Ryan wanted some time alone this afternoon."
She reached for Sandy's hand.
"You and I have a meeting with Dr. Michaels and Dr. Meyers at the hospital this afternoon."
Sandy nodded.
"I called the psychiatrists Dr. Meyers recommended and we're meeting with Dr. Ynat Rodriquez tomorrow morning. She'll meet us at HOAG..she wanted to meet Ryan first..."
Caleb cut in.
"What do you know about this doctor.....Is she qualified to deal with Ryan's....issues?"
"Dad!"
Caleb shook his head.
"Look Kiki...I now have a vested interest in that boy and I want what's best for him..."
Just then, Caleb's pager went off. He picked it up and looked at it.
"I have to go....keep me informed."
He nodded to Sandy, kissed Kirsten, hugged Seth again and quickly made his way to the front door.
Seth had a grin on his face.
"I think Grandpa likes Ryan...."
****** By the time Ryan was wheeled back into his room he was exhausted. His legs ached and his chest felt like it was on fire. Paul helped Ryan into bed and left to get his lunch tray. Ryan was asleep before Paul returned.
Seth decided he'd give Ryan a couple of hours alone. He'd grab a ride with his parents when they left for the hospital. Seth didn't want to be anywhere else until Ryan was back home. He threw a few things in his knapsack and waited until it was time to leave. On a whim he picked up the phone and called Summer.
"Hey beautiful....How's my favourite girl?"
"Jason..." Summer's voice purred. "I've missed you...It's about time you called me...Maybe you can help me get rid of this guy who absolutely worships me and won't leave me alone..."
Seth is silent.
"Cohen...joke...!"
He thought quickly.
"Ah....ha ha.....First Ryan and now you...I guess everyone's funny now..."
"Lighten up Cohen....It's about time you called me. All I ever get is voice mail at your house...Don't you guys return messages? How's Chino?"
Seth rolled his eyes.
"No and getting better. Which leads me to my next question...You want to come see him with me this afternoon?"
Summer hesitated.
"Um, yeah....okay....Is he up for having visitors? Coop mentioned he was still a little uh, ...off."
"He um, his speech aphasia scared her...I know he'd like to see you."
There was no answer on the other end.
"Summer..Are you still there?"
"Yeah, Cohen....um....uh...What's aphasia?"
Seth shifted the phone to his other hand.
"He kind of jumbles up his words. He sort of sounds like a 182 cm (5'9") three year old, but the grey matter between his ears works fine. It was just a little scrambled when the Rover flipped. He's getting better..The doctors don't think it's permanent. Don't worry it'll be fine...."
Summer answered quietly.
"What if I say something stupid?"
Seth spoke gently.
"You'll be fine..just be yourself...It's all good...Hey, can you pick me up...We need to go to the mall first."
Summer laughed.
"Cohen you are a man after my own heart..."
Kirsten and Sandy arrive at the hospital around 3:30. They made their way up to Ryan's room before their meeting. They quietly walked in and saw that Ryan was sleeping. Kirsten leaned in and gave Ryan a kiss. Sandy leaned over and looked at Ryan.
"He looks really peaceful...What did you say to him earlier?"
Kirsten gently ran her fingers down the side of Ryan's face.
"Just some things he needed to hear....Things I needed to say. He's still grieving the loss of his family and I wanted him to know that's okay. He's not betraying his mom by being with us. Dawn wanted him to have this life. She was willing to walk out of his world so she couldn't hurt him anymore...So he wouldn't have to look after her anymore.."
Sandy pulled Kirsten into an embrace.
"I know I've said it before, but you're such a good mom..."
Kirsten gave Sandy a passionate kiss.
"Maybe after our meeting I'll take you home and be a really naughty wife...."
"Hey...not in front of Ryan...."
Kirsten glanced at her foster son.
"Sandy...he's asleep...He's doing that little twitching thing with his lip...He only does that when he's out like a light..."
"Ch-chapter one....kid's hand-handbook.." replied a quiet voice from the bed.