Please read previous chapters for the disclaimers. They still apply. Thank you once again for your reviews and comments. They are greatly appreciated!

Chapter 16

Monday January 12

Ryan sat down on the bed and looked around the room. All of his 'things' had been brought into the guest room. Kirsten and Sandy had explained that they wanted him to stay in that room until his recovery was complete.

He kicked off the squeaky white slip on runners and shook off his jacket. He scratched his ribcage for what seemed like the millionth time that day. He wasn't sure what was worse, the pain associated with his broken ribs or the itchy layers of ace bandages that were binding them tightly. He was tired, but going to sleep was the last thing he felt like doing. It seemed like he'd spent the better part of the last 12 days asleep.

He didn't remember the accident. Officer Riley had tried to question him a couple of times about it but all he drew were blanks. He only knew what he'd been told.

Pushing himself off the bed, he moved carefully around the room. Cradling his cane he shuffled over to the desk and re-arranged his books. Shaking fingers lined up the cd racks. He pulled one particular cd out of the rack and fumbled with the case. Finally opening it he slid the disc into the small stereo. Soon the rhythmic sounds of "Afro Celt" filled the room. Turning down the volume slightly he picked up a book from the speech therapist. He slowly made his way back to the bed and lay down, propping himself up with one of the many pillows on it Flipping open the book he started to quietly read the verbal exercises aloud, his voice hidden by the soothingly repetitive music.

Sandy and Kirsten sat in the family room reading over Ryan's home care manifesto. Sandy put his handful of papers down and rubbed his eyes. Kirsten looked at her husband and smiled.

"I told you five months ago we got in over our heads...."

Sandy looked curiously at his wife.

"Would you change anything.....?"

Kirsten leaned over and kissed her husband.

"If I could I'd change New Years Eve. We'd sit at home and watch Sylvester Stallone movies all night....even the one where he sings with Dolly Parton....What was that called? Oh yeah.... "Rhinestone"....definitely a classic..."

Sandy raised his thick eyebrows.

"Hey.....Don't be mocking Stallone" He said in a dead on impersonation of the actor. "Everyone's allowed one bad movie...."

Kirsten laughed and shook her head.

"Only one....? I think I can name quite a few...but I don't care....Next year it's going to be you, me and the boys, all safe and sound."

Seth picked apart his lunch. Summer watched him carefully.

"Cohen....what did that sandwich ever do to you?"

Seth looked down at his mangled sandwich.

"I can't believe it....Brad and Merlin are at school like nothing happened. It's....it's like some big joke to them. No one's asked about Ryan....Nobody's asked if I'm alright...The only thing dumb and dumber over there are worried about is when the next rager is.....Is that all everyone thinks about in this stupid school?"

"Not everyone....."

Seth and Summer looked up and see Luke standing there.

"Can I sit down...?"

"Yeah, uh, okay.." Seth squeaked out.

Summer looked at Luke.

"Where were you over Christmas break?"

Luke stared at his rubber flip flops.

"My parents, uh, were, uh...trying to...you know, figure stuff out...about, uh, you know......I heard about the accident last night...You okay?"

Seth looked carefully at Luke. The same Luke who thought he owned Harbour. The same Luke who had the world on a string. The same Luke who had called him 'queer and fag' since the third grade. The same Luke who now sat with them, looking genuinely concerned.

"Yeah...I'm good"

"How's Chino....?"

"He's okay.....He's coming home today. He should be there by now.."

Luke spoke softly.

"Is he going to be...you know.... 'okay'? I mean I heard some kids talking about him. They said he's pretty messed up and he's got like major brain damage or something..."

Seth shook his head and snorted.

"Man, I hate this place...Why tell the truth when anything you can make up will do.....?"

He looked at Luke.

"Ryan's doing good. 12 days ago no one knew if he was even going to make it through the night....."

Summer reached for Seth's hand.

"He's doing good...You want to come by the house tomorrow...?"

Luke hesitated. His circle of friends had all but disappeared when his dad came out and admitted he was gay. The only ones who stood by him were the ones he'd been the biggest jerk to. The irony didn't escape him.

"You sure it's okay...I mean, if it's... okay if I do come by your place and uh, hang out with you guys...?"

Summer spoke up.

"You know if you hang out with us you've stepped over to the 'dark side'...you'll have crossed the line into 'loserville'..."

Luke looked at Summer and Seth. He waited a few seconds before he spoke.

"Maybe I'll be leaving it behind.."

* * *

Ryan took a break form his verbal exercises and closed his eyes. He needed to make a quick inspection of his mental vault. He wanted to make sure it was solid. He thought he heard the words 'head case' and 'retard' chanting from inside their concrete prison.

("You're their pet charitable cause....")

Ryan quickly turned around. He saw no one....

("What happens when they get tired of you...?")

Ryan ran behind his vault, checking for imperfections.

("You belong to me....I've bought and paid for you....You're mine...")

Ryan could feel the hands touching, groping, probing. He fell to his knees, trying to crawl away from them. He searched frantically for the source of the words. His breathing quickened, now coming in desperate gasps as he scoured the walls, looking for the breech in his concrete fortress.

"Ryan.....Ryan...."

This voice became his rescue beacon.....He stopped to listen for it again.

"Ryan...Can you hear me...?"

Kirsten came running up the stairs to the guest room after hearing Sandy's voice call out to Ryan. She caught a glimpse of the vacant look on his face before the boy snapped back to reality.

Sandy couldn't hide the concern in his voice.

"Ryan....are you alright...? Take deep breaths....I know it hurts but you've got to slow your breathing down....It's okay.....nice and slow...that's it...."

Sandy sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for Ryan to catch his breath. Kirsten sat on the other side.

Ryan looked at his guardians and smiled weakly.

"S-S-Sorry.....I..f-fine...."

Sandy shook his head

"No...you weren't 'fine' just a minute ago....."

"I...I'm okay n-now..." Ryan said slowly.

Kirsten leaned over and gave him a kiss on the forehead.

"We'll be back in a couple of minutes"

She motioned for Sandy to follow her. Sandy reluctantly followed his wife, gently squeezing Ryan's shoulder before he left the room. He trailed her to the kitchen and watched as she retrieved a can of meal replacement, shook it and poured it into a glass. He opened the pantry and pulled out a straw.

"What happened up there?" He asked Kirsten as he handed her the straw.

"I'm not sure...It happened at the hospital too, but Dr. Meyers said it wasn't a seizure..."

"Did it ever happen before the accident?"

There was silence in the kitchen as they both realized that they had no idea if it, whatever it was, had happened before or even if Ryan had experienced the terrorizing nightmares before. They wouldn't have heard him cry out in the pool house, but it might explain the early morning forays to a deck chair by the pool where on more than one occasion Sandy or Kirsten watched him from the bedroom window until it was time to start the day.

"H-H-Hey....."

Kirsten smiled at Ryan.

"What are you doing out of bed?"

Ryan shook his head.

"T-t-tired of lie d-down...want to...want to sit outside...."

Sandy looked carefully at Ryan.

"Are you sure you're up for it?"

Ryan nodded.

Kirsten raised an eyebrow at Ryan.

"Y-y-yes...."

"That's better..."

Ryan gave her a sideways glance.

"Uh-uh dude...words only." Kirsten laughed as she held up the glass and followed Sandy and Ryan to the patio.

Ryan cautiously lowered himself into a deck chair and placed his cane on the ground, trying not to let the pain he felt show. Sandy caught the look of pain on the boy's pale face.

"Let me get your pills...."

Ryan shook his head.

" 'S'okay...Don't w-w-ant p-pills......make m-m-me sleepy..."

Kirsten put the glass down in front of him.

"We'll hold off on the pills for a little while, but sleeping isn't necessarily a bad thing...I want you to drink this..."

Ryan reluctantly took the glass from Kirsten and took a sip, holding the chalky liquid in his mouth for a moment before swallowing it. He grimaced and then quickly finished the rest of it. Sandy took the glass and put it on the table.

"That's g-gross..."

Ryan closed his eyes and felt the sun on his face.

("I've bought and paid for you...")

His eyes flew open and he looked around. Sandy and Kirsten were talking quietly to each other. Ryan closed his eyes again and was starting to relax.

("You belong to me....")

"NO!!"

Kirsten and Sandy quickly looked at Ryan. Before they could ask the obvious question, he answered them.

"I...I'm g-g-g-ood"

There was an uneasy silence as both Kirsten and Sandy tried to figure out how to question Ryan without upsetting him. They wouldn't get the chance because Seth came bounding through the French doors, grinning from ear to ear.

Seth plopped down in an empty chair. Sandy looked at Kirsten.

"Don't you just feel loved when he's this excited to be home with us?"

Kirsten put her arm around Seth's shoulder.

"Somehow I don't think it's just us he's happy to see.."

She leaned over and kissed her curly haired son on the forehead and then looked at her husband.

"Let's give the boys some time before we have to tuck one of them back into bed...."

Kirsten stood up and kissed Ryan on the top of his head.

"Don't get too wild you guys...."

Sandy stood up and squeezed both boys' shoulders.

"You heard your mother...Stay out of trouble 'cause she is this close to retiring from Newport Group and start micro-managing all our lives...."

"Sandy....I'm not going to retire....I'm just....I'm just taking a little sabbatical...."

Seth snickered and looked over at Ryan.

"Mom is such a type 'A' personality...Sabbatical isn't in her vocabulary...."

"That's it!" Kirsten announced in mock indignation.

"I'm going to start dinner and it's not going to involve take out menus..."

She smiled as she left the patio. Sandy looked at Seth and Ryan.

"I've got to stop her..."

Seth waited until Sandy left.

"Dude...when did you get home?"

Ryan shrugged.

"L-lunch time.....I-I think..."

"Well, you didn't miss much in school.....Oh shit!........I forgot to tell Mom and Dad that Dr. Kim is going to come by and see you...."

"I make sure I...I 'sleep..."

"RYAN....!!!!!"

Marissa hugged Ryan from behind. He flinched as she brushed up against his ribs. She kissed him and sat down. Marissa motioned for Oliver to sit down in the other chair. He sauntered over and sat down, his phony smile plastered to his face.

"Hey Ryan....Good to see you again man..."

Marissa introduced Oliver to Seth. Seth looked at Oliver carefully, trying to place him. Then it clicked.

"Oh yeah..okay....You're in my world lit class...You're new to Harbour..."

Oliver nodded.

"Yeah....I just transferred from Pacific...Harbour's got a better rep and my school transcripts are going to need all the help they can get if I wanna go Ivy League....."

He turned to Ryan, his eyes flickering.

"Have you thought about what college you're going to?"

Ryan glared at Oliver and shook his head.

("retard")

He looked at Marissa.

"I...I'm tired.... 'm going to...lie d-d-down.."

Ryan bent down and picked up his cane. He pulled himself up and made his way back to the house.

("You scored yourself one sweet deal...")

He closed the door to the guestroom and turned the stereo on again, this time increasing the volume. The heavy bass and drum sounds of the Afro Celt cd filled the room as he curled up on the bed, closed his eyes and stepped into his sanctuary. The repetitive rhythm of the music surrounded him as he crept into his dark corner. Fear and self doubt wouldn't find him there. He was safe again.

* * *

Seth, Marissa and Oliver talked on the patio for a while longer. Seth noticed how Oliver looked at Marissa and touched her hand or her leg when she spoke. Marissa seemed oblivious to the intimate gestures. There was something about Oliver that made Seth uneasy, but he couldn't figure out what it was. Marissa was Ryan's girlfriend wasn't she...? She didn't look at Oliver the same way he looked at her and Oliver wouldn't make a play for somebody's girlfriend while they were recovering from an accident would he? Seth's mental gears were turning as he pondered the questions.

Kirsten stuck her head out of the French doors.

"Marissa....your dad just called. He wants you to go home..."

Marissa looked up at Kirsten and smiled.

"Okay...I'm just going to check in on Ryan before I leave."

"Alright sweetie but don't wake him if he's sleeping..."

Marissa quietly opened the door to the guest bedroom and tip-toed in. She knelt down beside the bed. She folded her arms on the mattress and let her chin rest on her cast. She watched him sleep. Ryan looked so peaceful. It was all she could do to keep herself from climbing into the bed with him. She knew not to touch him while he slept. A few weeks ago the two of them had fallen asleep on Ryan's bed in the pool house after a late night anime marathon that Seth had talked them into watching. She had snuggled closer to Ryan and tried to wrap her arms around him only to have him flail his arms at her touch. He had jumped out of bed so quickly that he sent a lamp flying off the nightstand. He had actually looked scared of her. After he calmed down, Ryan wouldn't tell her what scared him. He still doesn't confide in her, Marissa thought. She knew he had it rough growing up but so did she. Marissa didn't want to hear about Ryan's drunk mother or his incarcerated father anymore. She knew he had other issues, but he just wouldn't talk to her. Oliver always listened. She could tell him about how much of a witch her mom was and how her dad had to declare bankruptcy. He knew just what to say to make her feel better...

Marissa heard a tap on the door. Oliver came in the room and stood beside her, looking down at Ryan. As if sensing Oliver's presence Ryan shifted slightly and opened his eyes, looking straight into Marissa's crystal blue eyes.

"H-h-h-hey...."

She leaned in and kissed his cheek.

"We just came to say 'bye' and we'll see you tomorrow.."

Oliver smiled.

"Yeah dude...we'll come by after 'I' bring Marissa home from school..."