Sorry it took so long to update. Silly things like family and work got in
the way. Christmas does not, however count as a silly thing....Neither
does family, but work? It's a good thing I love my job. Thanks again for
your reviews and input.
I don't own them, Fox and Josh Schwartz won't sell them, but they don't seem to mind us playing with them as long as we give characters back. All the usual and unusual disclaimers apply and if the powers that be come after me, I will claim a mental defect.
Chapter Fourteen.
"I be here....." Ryan said softly.
Paul leaned over and checked Ryan's pupils again. This time they were responsive. Paul shook his head.
"I'm going to call Dr. Meyers just to be on the safe side...."
Paul left, leaving a concerned Kirsten and Seth. Ryan looked at them.
"Why look you.....look.....m-m-m-e ...l-l-l-like...."
Ryan stopped himself, inwardly screaming "Shit....shit.....SHIT!........."
"retard,...headcase....retard....." whispered from inside the vault.
Kirsten waited for Ryan to finish his sentence. Instead, Ryan drew his knees up to his chest and brought his head down, ignoring the growing pain from that position. Kirsten gently rubbed his back.
"It's okay sweetie....It'll get better.....Your words will come back...."
"I want alone...."
Ryan's voice was barely audible.
"Need be alone....."
Kirsten shook her head.
"I can't do that Ryan....Dr. Meyers is coming to see you. Why don't you eat something while we're waiting...."
Ryan shook his head.
"No hungry......need alone......."
With that, Ryan lay back on the bed and curled over to his side, wincing as he did. The pain shot through his chest, his ribs protesting the shift in position. He closed his eyes tightly to keep the tears from escaping. As much as he wanted to be alone, he was relieved when he felt Kirsten's hand gently rubbing small circles on his back. Ryan forced his way through the curtain separating the darkness from the light and hid in a corner, retreating further into the shadows.
Kirsten listened as Ryan's breathing slowed. She watched as his face relaxed. Seth took a few steps closer to the bed and stared down at his sleeping brother.
"I wish I knew how to help him Mom...."
"So do I sweetie, so do I..."
* * *
Kirsten decided to wait in the hallway for Dr. Meyers. Seth wanted to stay with Ryan. Kirsten smiled sadly as she watched Seth step into the "protector" role...a role Ryan had taken upon himself soon after meeting Seth. She had been amazed at how quickly the two of them had bonded. They were so different. Seth was gregarious and eccentric. Ryan was introverted and quiet. Seth was confident in his abilities, except when it came to girls. He had decided at an early age if his peers didn't like him that was their problem. He would stay true to himself. Ryan, on the other hand, wore a mask.. He seemed to be whomever someone wanted him to be. His emotions were closely guarded. Seth wore his like one of his beloved graphic t- shirts. It had only been in the last couple of months that glimpses of the real Ryan were allowed to peek through his armour. He had a dry, sarcastic sense of humour and a quick wit. Kirsten frowned when she realized why those traits had been buried. Any type of comment or remark had probably been met with a backhand across the mouth or worse, so silence and downcast eyes became his method of survival...
"Mrs. Cohen....?"
Kirsten looked up and saw Dr. Meyers.
"Paul paged me and told me what happened with Ryan. I'm going to check him over."
Kirsten nodded and followed the doctor into Ryan's room. He walked over to Ryan's bed to wake him up.
"Ryan.....It's me, Dr. Meyers.....I need you to wake up for a few minutes, okay.....C'mon buddy.....open your eyes......"
Ryan opened his eyes. Dr. Meyers smiled at him.
"Okay Ryan...I'll make this quick, alright?"
Ryan nodded.
"I'll need you to roll over on your back...."
Ryan moved onto his back. Dr. Meyers saw the unmistakable look of pain on the boy's face.
"When was the last time you had pain meds Ryan?"
Ryan closed his eyes for a second and then answered.
"M-m-m-m-morning......"
Dr. Meyers quickly confirmed this with the medical chart at the end of the bed. He then reached over and pressed the call button, asking for the pain medication to be brought to the room. He then took out his pen light and shone it in Ryan's eyes.
"Are you having any dizziness or sudden pain in your head?"
Ryan hesitated before nodding.
"P-p-p-p-ain....eyes...."
Paul came in and handed a syringe to Dr. Meyers. He then spoke softly to Ryan.
"Okay buddy.....I'll help you onto your side...same as before..."
Kirsten unconsciously held Seth tighter as she watched Ryan flinch and tense up as Dr. Meyers lowered his pajama pants. Ryan squeezed his eyes shut as he fought to keep his breathing steady.
"Okay...done...."
Dr. Meyers announced as he pulled up Ryan's pajamas and disposed of the syringe in the yellow container on the wall. He then looked at Kirsten.
"I'm going to go ahead and schedule another CT scan for tomorrow morning. I'll let you know the time. He turned back to Ryan.
"I want you to eat your dinner before you go back to sleep. I'll have a warm tray brought up for you..."
Ryan shook his head.
" 'S'okay...."
Seth busied himself with the dinner tray. He handed Ryan the first of his two glasses of liquid tofu, baby formula, meal in a glass or whatever it was that had become the staple of Ryan's meals. He finished both glasses and tried to swallow a few bites of his unidentifiable entrée. He could feel his stomach start to rebel.
"D-d-done...."
Kirsten shook her head.
"Ryan...you need to eat if you're going to get stronger..."
Ryan rolled onto his side and tried to sit up.
"What's wrong Ryan....?"
He held out his hand to Kirsten.
"N-n-n-need...w-wash...wash--------room..."
Seth quickly reached out for Ryan's other arm. The guided him to the washroom. He shook off any further attempts to help him as he closed the washroom door. He tried to take as deep breaths as his ribs would allow. He waited for his stomach to settle. Once it did, he made his way to the toilet and relieved himself. With slow, halting steps he made his way back to the sink. He washed his hands and face. He avoided looking in the mirror as he reached for a disposable toothbrush. When he was done he rinsed his face and hands once more and opened the door. Kirsten and Seth were standing there, both looking worried.
"I okay..."
They got him settled back into bed. Ryan curled over once again, much more comfortable thanks to the Demerol. He closed his eyes and searched for his dark, safe corner. Drawing himself tighter into himself he murmured.
"I need alone....."
* * *
The Cohen's spent a quiet evening at home. Seth had retreated to his room, turned on his stereo and flopped on his bed, drifting off to sleep within minutes. Kirsten was unsure about leaving Ryan, ultimately deciding to give the boy some space. Maybe he felt uncomfortable with all the hovering and attention, but it's what they would have done for Seth if the roles were reversed. Maybe Ryan didn't feel as strongly about his place in their family as they did. It was something they'd all have to work on to get him to feel like he was an intrinsic part of their family. His family.
Sandy and Kirsten lingered on the patio over a glass of merlot. They held hands as they listened to the ocean. It wasn't long before they went to bed as well.
Sunday, January 11
Seth was the first one up. He padded into the kitchen and started the coffee. He opened up the fridge and pulled out a package of turkey bacon and a carton of eggs. He opened the bacon and lay the strips in a cold pan as he had watched Ryan do most Sunday mornings. He turned the burner on and waited for the familiar sizzling sound. Grabbing a bowl he cracked some eggs, adding worcestershire and tabasco to them before he whisked the mixture. Once the bacon was finished, he removed it onto a paper towel covered plate. He then dumped the eggs into the frying pan. He placed four pieces of bread into the toaster. Moving quickly, he stirred the eggs as they started to set. His parents entered the kitchen just as Seth removed the pan from the burner. They watched him, amused as he spoke to himself.
"Okay..pour coffee....plate breakfast...call Mom and Dad....See....not so hard...."
"Smells great" Sandy said, startling Seth.
"Yeah...um....w-we haven't done this for a while..." he stammered.
* *
Ryan slowly made his way from his safety zone and opened his eyes. He blinked as his eyes adjusted to the daylight.
"Good morning Sugar..."
Maggie came into focus.
"I'm going to take you down for your CT scan....Do you need to make a pit stop first?"
Ryan nodded and he allowed Maggie to guide him to the washroom. As awkward as it was to move around and do his business, this was much better than the catheter he had to deal with before he became mobile enough to use the facilities. He washed his hands and brushed his teeth. Holding on to the sink for dear life with one hand, Ryan opened the door. Maggie was waiting with a wheelchair. She held onto him as he lowered himself into it. He gave her a shy smile.
"You ready Sugar...?"
Ryan nodded.
"Okay, let's go...."
* * * *
The Cohens arrived just as Ryan was being brought back into his room. He looked even paler than he had the last couple of days. Maggie helped him get settled back into bed. She smiled at the Cohens.
"Dr. Meyers will be up soon to talk to you about the results..." She looked down at Ryan. "Sugar, you make sure you eat your breakfast or else I'm going to have to come back and spoon feed you like one of my grandbabies..."
" 'kay...."
It was the first word Ryan had spoken all morning.
Kirsten leaned over and kissed Ryan on his forehead. She gently ran her fingers over the stubble growing on Ryan's head.
"It didn't take long for your hair to start growing again....."
Ryan put his hand up and felt his scalp. He smiled up at Kirsten but didn't say anything. His smile quickly left his face. Sandy moved the breakfast tray closer to Ryan. Ryan shook his head and pushed it away. Before anyone could react, Ryan once again curled over to his left and closed his eyes, huddling in his safe dark corner.
A few minutes later Dr. Meyers came up looking for the Cohens. He seemed surprised to see Ryan sleeping again.
"Mr. and Mrs. Cohen.....Seth....Good morning....I was going to call you before we took Ryan down for his scan but we had an emergency to take care of.....I've got the results of his scan.....everything looks okay.....It doesn't look like he had a seizure yesterday..."
"What about the pain he's been having behind his eyes?" Kirsten asked.
Dr. Meyers shook his head.
"As far as we can tell it's residual pain from his skull fracture. We'll keep an eye on it, but Ryan has to let us know when it happens. ....Yesterday was the first time he told us about it....."
Kirsten looked down at Ryan and then back at the doctor.
"He seems....he's.....Ryan's not speaking very much. He seems to be withdrawing from us....."
Sandy reached for Kirsten's hand and squeezed it gently.
"We don't know what to do for him..."
Dr. Meyers sighed.
"Unfortunately, depression is fairly common after a major trauma. Ryan's speech aphasia has probably intensified those feelings. The only thing I can suggest right now is not to give in to him. Make him speak to you. Don't allow him to communicate non-verbally. A speech therapist will be in to see him tomorrow before he's discharged..."
"Discharged...!" Seth interrupted. "You mean he's coming home?"
Dr. Meyers smiled.
"His scan was clear, Dr. Michaels will be taking out the staples in his chest later this afternoon and then we can tape his ribs. That should make him more comfortable. We'll give him a script for Demerol in pill form.....he'll probably need something for nausea as well and some vitamins..."
Kirsten stopped Dr. Meyers.
"Ryan still has trouble swallowing....Are the pills going to be okay?"
The doctor nodded.
"If he has any difficulty swallowing then, put the pills in a spoonful of apple sauce....Have you made an appointment for him with Dr. Rodriguez?"
"She's going to call us to set up a date and time...." Sandy stated.
"I wouldn't be surprised if you hear from her later today. Once she decides she's going to take a patient, she works quickly...."
Dr. Meyers' pager went off.
"I have to go....."
As he turned to leave Sandy had a couple of quick questions for him.
"Why did you recommend Dr. Rodriguez .....She seems a little uh, unorthodox....Just how long have you known her?"
Dr. Meyers gave a boyish grin.
"She's the best in her field....unorthodox is a good word to describe her and I've known her all my life.....She's my mother...."
Sandy watched him as he left the room.
"Well that explains why Dr. Rodriguez kept referring to him as Joshua....I'm still not sure about her though...."
Seth cut in.
"Well she didn't screw up her own kid, so that has to be a good sign."
* * *
Kirsten and Sandy stayed the rest of the morning. Ryan woke up again just as his lunch tray was brought up. This time Maggie stayed to make sure Ryan finished it. As she cleared the tray she warned Ryan and Seth to stay out of trouble. Kirsten and Sandy left to get things ready for Ryan's homecoming. Seth tried to sit still in the chair as his conversation, actually his monologue became more animated.
"It'll be so great having you home again...The only thing that sucks is that school starts tomorrow.....I don't think I can get Mom and Dad to let me stay home....would they believe a relapse?...............No.....it'd scare them into dragging me to a doctor.....Maybe I can go for just a half day....."
Seth noticed Ryan staring into space again.
"Ryan.....Ry...?"
Ryan blinked a couple of times and then looked at Seth.
"Are you okay..?" Seth asked quietly.
Ryan nodded.
"Come again...I didn't catch that...."
Ryan looked puzzled, nodding again.
"Sorry...I didn't understand you.....Are you okay?" Seth spoke a little louder this time.
"Y-y-yes..." Ryan said slowly, the anger evident in his voice.
"Okay...that I understood..."
Seth watched as Ryan closed his eyes, turning and wrapping his arms tightly around his chest. He sighed and picked up the book on Architecture and Design. Opening it he read the inscription.
"To Ryan, Welcome to the family. Grandpa Caleb
January 10, 2004.
I don't own them, Fox and Josh Schwartz won't sell them, but they don't seem to mind us playing with them as long as we give characters back. All the usual and unusual disclaimers apply and if the powers that be come after me, I will claim a mental defect.
Chapter Fourteen.
"I be here....." Ryan said softly.
Paul leaned over and checked Ryan's pupils again. This time they were responsive. Paul shook his head.
"I'm going to call Dr. Meyers just to be on the safe side...."
Paul left, leaving a concerned Kirsten and Seth. Ryan looked at them.
"Why look you.....look.....m-m-m-e ...l-l-l-like...."
Ryan stopped himself, inwardly screaming "Shit....shit.....SHIT!........."
"retard,...headcase....retard....." whispered from inside the vault.
Kirsten waited for Ryan to finish his sentence. Instead, Ryan drew his knees up to his chest and brought his head down, ignoring the growing pain from that position. Kirsten gently rubbed his back.
"It's okay sweetie....It'll get better.....Your words will come back...."
"I want alone...."
Ryan's voice was barely audible.
"Need be alone....."
Kirsten shook her head.
"I can't do that Ryan....Dr. Meyers is coming to see you. Why don't you eat something while we're waiting...."
Ryan shook his head.
"No hungry......need alone......."
With that, Ryan lay back on the bed and curled over to his side, wincing as he did. The pain shot through his chest, his ribs protesting the shift in position. He closed his eyes tightly to keep the tears from escaping. As much as he wanted to be alone, he was relieved when he felt Kirsten's hand gently rubbing small circles on his back. Ryan forced his way through the curtain separating the darkness from the light and hid in a corner, retreating further into the shadows.
Kirsten listened as Ryan's breathing slowed. She watched as his face relaxed. Seth took a few steps closer to the bed and stared down at his sleeping brother.
"I wish I knew how to help him Mom...."
"So do I sweetie, so do I..."
* * *
Kirsten decided to wait in the hallway for Dr. Meyers. Seth wanted to stay with Ryan. Kirsten smiled sadly as she watched Seth step into the "protector" role...a role Ryan had taken upon himself soon after meeting Seth. She had been amazed at how quickly the two of them had bonded. They were so different. Seth was gregarious and eccentric. Ryan was introverted and quiet. Seth was confident in his abilities, except when it came to girls. He had decided at an early age if his peers didn't like him that was their problem. He would stay true to himself. Ryan, on the other hand, wore a mask.. He seemed to be whomever someone wanted him to be. His emotions were closely guarded. Seth wore his like one of his beloved graphic t- shirts. It had only been in the last couple of months that glimpses of the real Ryan were allowed to peek through his armour. He had a dry, sarcastic sense of humour and a quick wit. Kirsten frowned when she realized why those traits had been buried. Any type of comment or remark had probably been met with a backhand across the mouth or worse, so silence and downcast eyes became his method of survival...
"Mrs. Cohen....?"
Kirsten looked up and saw Dr. Meyers.
"Paul paged me and told me what happened with Ryan. I'm going to check him over."
Kirsten nodded and followed the doctor into Ryan's room. He walked over to Ryan's bed to wake him up.
"Ryan.....It's me, Dr. Meyers.....I need you to wake up for a few minutes, okay.....C'mon buddy.....open your eyes......"
Ryan opened his eyes. Dr. Meyers smiled at him.
"Okay Ryan...I'll make this quick, alright?"
Ryan nodded.
"I'll need you to roll over on your back...."
Ryan moved onto his back. Dr. Meyers saw the unmistakable look of pain on the boy's face.
"When was the last time you had pain meds Ryan?"
Ryan closed his eyes for a second and then answered.
"M-m-m-m-morning......"
Dr. Meyers quickly confirmed this with the medical chart at the end of the bed. He then reached over and pressed the call button, asking for the pain medication to be brought to the room. He then took out his pen light and shone it in Ryan's eyes.
"Are you having any dizziness or sudden pain in your head?"
Ryan hesitated before nodding.
"P-p-p-p-ain....eyes...."
Paul came in and handed a syringe to Dr. Meyers. He then spoke softly to Ryan.
"Okay buddy.....I'll help you onto your side...same as before..."
Kirsten unconsciously held Seth tighter as she watched Ryan flinch and tense up as Dr. Meyers lowered his pajama pants. Ryan squeezed his eyes shut as he fought to keep his breathing steady.
"Okay...done...."
Dr. Meyers announced as he pulled up Ryan's pajamas and disposed of the syringe in the yellow container on the wall. He then looked at Kirsten.
"I'm going to go ahead and schedule another CT scan for tomorrow morning. I'll let you know the time. He turned back to Ryan.
"I want you to eat your dinner before you go back to sleep. I'll have a warm tray brought up for you..."
Ryan shook his head.
" 'S'okay...."
Seth busied himself with the dinner tray. He handed Ryan the first of his two glasses of liquid tofu, baby formula, meal in a glass or whatever it was that had become the staple of Ryan's meals. He finished both glasses and tried to swallow a few bites of his unidentifiable entrée. He could feel his stomach start to rebel.
"D-d-done...."
Kirsten shook her head.
"Ryan...you need to eat if you're going to get stronger..."
Ryan rolled onto his side and tried to sit up.
"What's wrong Ryan....?"
He held out his hand to Kirsten.
"N-n-n-need...w-wash...wash--------room..."
Seth quickly reached out for Ryan's other arm. The guided him to the washroom. He shook off any further attempts to help him as he closed the washroom door. He tried to take as deep breaths as his ribs would allow. He waited for his stomach to settle. Once it did, he made his way to the toilet and relieved himself. With slow, halting steps he made his way back to the sink. He washed his hands and face. He avoided looking in the mirror as he reached for a disposable toothbrush. When he was done he rinsed his face and hands once more and opened the door. Kirsten and Seth were standing there, both looking worried.
"I okay..."
They got him settled back into bed. Ryan curled over once again, much more comfortable thanks to the Demerol. He closed his eyes and searched for his dark, safe corner. Drawing himself tighter into himself he murmured.
"I need alone....."
* * *
The Cohen's spent a quiet evening at home. Seth had retreated to his room, turned on his stereo and flopped on his bed, drifting off to sleep within minutes. Kirsten was unsure about leaving Ryan, ultimately deciding to give the boy some space. Maybe he felt uncomfortable with all the hovering and attention, but it's what they would have done for Seth if the roles were reversed. Maybe Ryan didn't feel as strongly about his place in their family as they did. It was something they'd all have to work on to get him to feel like he was an intrinsic part of their family. His family.
Sandy and Kirsten lingered on the patio over a glass of merlot. They held hands as they listened to the ocean. It wasn't long before they went to bed as well.
Sunday, January 11
Seth was the first one up. He padded into the kitchen and started the coffee. He opened up the fridge and pulled out a package of turkey bacon and a carton of eggs. He opened the bacon and lay the strips in a cold pan as he had watched Ryan do most Sunday mornings. He turned the burner on and waited for the familiar sizzling sound. Grabbing a bowl he cracked some eggs, adding worcestershire and tabasco to them before he whisked the mixture. Once the bacon was finished, he removed it onto a paper towel covered plate. He then dumped the eggs into the frying pan. He placed four pieces of bread into the toaster. Moving quickly, he stirred the eggs as they started to set. His parents entered the kitchen just as Seth removed the pan from the burner. They watched him, amused as he spoke to himself.
"Okay..pour coffee....plate breakfast...call Mom and Dad....See....not so hard...."
"Smells great" Sandy said, startling Seth.
"Yeah...um....w-we haven't done this for a while..." he stammered.
* *
Ryan slowly made his way from his safety zone and opened his eyes. He blinked as his eyes adjusted to the daylight.
"Good morning Sugar..."
Maggie came into focus.
"I'm going to take you down for your CT scan....Do you need to make a pit stop first?"
Ryan nodded and he allowed Maggie to guide him to the washroom. As awkward as it was to move around and do his business, this was much better than the catheter he had to deal with before he became mobile enough to use the facilities. He washed his hands and brushed his teeth. Holding on to the sink for dear life with one hand, Ryan opened the door. Maggie was waiting with a wheelchair. She held onto him as he lowered himself into it. He gave her a shy smile.
"You ready Sugar...?"
Ryan nodded.
"Okay, let's go...."
* * * *
The Cohens arrived just as Ryan was being brought back into his room. He looked even paler than he had the last couple of days. Maggie helped him get settled back into bed. She smiled at the Cohens.
"Dr. Meyers will be up soon to talk to you about the results..." She looked down at Ryan. "Sugar, you make sure you eat your breakfast or else I'm going to have to come back and spoon feed you like one of my grandbabies..."
" 'kay...."
It was the first word Ryan had spoken all morning.
Kirsten leaned over and kissed Ryan on his forehead. She gently ran her fingers over the stubble growing on Ryan's head.
"It didn't take long for your hair to start growing again....."
Ryan put his hand up and felt his scalp. He smiled up at Kirsten but didn't say anything. His smile quickly left his face. Sandy moved the breakfast tray closer to Ryan. Ryan shook his head and pushed it away. Before anyone could react, Ryan once again curled over to his left and closed his eyes, huddling in his safe dark corner.
A few minutes later Dr. Meyers came up looking for the Cohens. He seemed surprised to see Ryan sleeping again.
"Mr. and Mrs. Cohen.....Seth....Good morning....I was going to call you before we took Ryan down for his scan but we had an emergency to take care of.....I've got the results of his scan.....everything looks okay.....It doesn't look like he had a seizure yesterday..."
"What about the pain he's been having behind his eyes?" Kirsten asked.
Dr. Meyers shook his head.
"As far as we can tell it's residual pain from his skull fracture. We'll keep an eye on it, but Ryan has to let us know when it happens. ....Yesterday was the first time he told us about it....."
Kirsten looked down at Ryan and then back at the doctor.
"He seems....he's.....Ryan's not speaking very much. He seems to be withdrawing from us....."
Sandy reached for Kirsten's hand and squeezed it gently.
"We don't know what to do for him..."
Dr. Meyers sighed.
"Unfortunately, depression is fairly common after a major trauma. Ryan's speech aphasia has probably intensified those feelings. The only thing I can suggest right now is not to give in to him. Make him speak to you. Don't allow him to communicate non-verbally. A speech therapist will be in to see him tomorrow before he's discharged..."
"Discharged...!" Seth interrupted. "You mean he's coming home?"
Dr. Meyers smiled.
"His scan was clear, Dr. Michaels will be taking out the staples in his chest later this afternoon and then we can tape his ribs. That should make him more comfortable. We'll give him a script for Demerol in pill form.....he'll probably need something for nausea as well and some vitamins..."
Kirsten stopped Dr. Meyers.
"Ryan still has trouble swallowing....Are the pills going to be okay?"
The doctor nodded.
"If he has any difficulty swallowing then, put the pills in a spoonful of apple sauce....Have you made an appointment for him with Dr. Rodriguez?"
"She's going to call us to set up a date and time...." Sandy stated.
"I wouldn't be surprised if you hear from her later today. Once she decides she's going to take a patient, she works quickly...."
Dr. Meyers' pager went off.
"I have to go....."
As he turned to leave Sandy had a couple of quick questions for him.
"Why did you recommend Dr. Rodriguez .....She seems a little uh, unorthodox....Just how long have you known her?"
Dr. Meyers gave a boyish grin.
"She's the best in her field....unorthodox is a good word to describe her and I've known her all my life.....She's my mother...."
Sandy watched him as he left the room.
"Well that explains why Dr. Rodriguez kept referring to him as Joshua....I'm still not sure about her though...."
Seth cut in.
"Well she didn't screw up her own kid, so that has to be a good sign."
* * *
Kirsten and Sandy stayed the rest of the morning. Ryan woke up again just as his lunch tray was brought up. This time Maggie stayed to make sure Ryan finished it. As she cleared the tray she warned Ryan and Seth to stay out of trouble. Kirsten and Sandy left to get things ready for Ryan's homecoming. Seth tried to sit still in the chair as his conversation, actually his monologue became more animated.
"It'll be so great having you home again...The only thing that sucks is that school starts tomorrow.....I don't think I can get Mom and Dad to let me stay home....would they believe a relapse?...............No.....it'd scare them into dragging me to a doctor.....Maybe I can go for just a half day....."
Seth noticed Ryan staring into space again.
"Ryan.....Ry...?"
Ryan blinked a couple of times and then looked at Seth.
"Are you okay..?" Seth asked quietly.
Ryan nodded.
"Come again...I didn't catch that...."
Ryan looked puzzled, nodding again.
"Sorry...I didn't understand you.....Are you okay?" Seth spoke a little louder this time.
"Y-y-yes..." Ryan said slowly, the anger evident in his voice.
"Okay...that I understood..."
Seth watched as Ryan closed his eyes, turning and wrapping his arms tightly around his chest. He sighed and picked up the book on Architecture and Design. Opening it he read the inscription.
"To Ryan, Welcome to the family. Grandpa Caleb
January 10, 2004.