Title: Unbalancing the Equation
By: SethCohenFan
Summary: Ryan is getting sick, but he doesn't admit it, and a family tragedy sends the entire Cohen family into a downward spiral. What will it take to get things back to normal? SS RM
Rating: PG-13 for now, because of language
Disclaimer: See previous
A/n: Now, there are two paths I could go with this chapter. I could be a bitch and follow the planned course of events that would lead this chapter to being one from Seth's POV. Or I could be nice me, and twist the "structure" of the story around. Hmmmmmm... ha ha. If you know me, I don't have a bit of bitchiness in me (unless you count the later MAJOR plot that has a lot to do with Seth), so...
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Chapter 5: Can History Repeat?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A million things ran through my head at the same moment. What the hell? Why were we here? A spasm of nervousness ran through me. "Kirsten, why are we here?"
She didn't respond. "Kirsten?"
Once again she didn't respond, she just continued to get out of the car and heading towards the door. I was confused. Sure I knew I had an appointment, but why at a Blood Center of all places?
At first, I didn't get out. Why? There was no reason to get out. I didn't need to be here. I was fine. Bullshit, what was I thinking? I woke up in the hospital last time, maybe I should go in.
Kirsten had stopped and turned around to look at me. Slowly, still pondering on whether or not to go in, I unbuckled the seat belt and got out. I walked, normal pace and caught up with Kirsten.
"Are you alright Ryan?" she asked me.
"Yeah. Fine." I said, heading in front of her and opening the door, waiting for her to go in before I went in. She smiled and went in ahead of me. I followed.
Damn. Why was it always so cold in the buildings? It wasn't like it was so hot out that the AC needed to be on full blast.
Kirsten walked over towards the counter, "Checking in for Ryan Atwood." Meanwhile, I walked over towards one of those uncomfortable plastic chairs against the wall and sat down.
"Did you say Ryan Atwood?" asked the girl at the desk. Shit. I couldn't believe my ears. I looked up at the girl and was proven wrong. Thank god it wasn't here.
"Yes," said Kirsten, "Why?"
"I think I know him. Ryan. It's Nikki, remember me?" Shit. Why the hell was she here? Hadn't she died?
~~~***~~~FLASHBACK~~~***~~~
"I'm finally leaving this fricking hell hole," Nikki said happily, "And I wont have to go to that place that people call a 'high school.'
"And I would care?" I asked coolly. Her leaving was probably one of the best things to have happened for a while, if she actually was leaving.
"Oh come on Atwood. You know that you like me," she said with a giggle.
"Bullshit." I cursed. If she really was leaving, good riddance to her.
"Don't deny what you really are," she snapped. Then suddenly, as if by a switch of personality her voice was smooth and sweet, "See ya 'round Ry."
"Yeah," I responded, secretly hoping that that day would NEVER come.
~~~***~~~End of Flashback~~~***~~~
"Ryan?" she asked. I locked eyes with her. Yeah, it was her.
"Hello Nikki," I said tonelessly. I didn't get up, I didn't move, I just continued to look at her. She had changed a lot since the end of eighth grade. She pushed a strand of long brown hair behind her ear, her finger getting snagged slightly on the glasses that now framed her green eyes. She had definitely matured physically, but had she matured the same way mentally?
"You two know each other?" asked Kirsten, looking between the two of us.
"Unfortunately," I said coolly, not taking my eyes off of Nikki. For some reason, I couldn't believe the hatred I was feeling. I hadn't seen her in a while, she could have changed.
"You're still an ass I see," Nikki said, her voice no longer sweet one that I had heard since entering, but the nasty one I remember from grade school.
"And I see you're still a bitch," I rebutted, somewhat mockingly. Moving my eyes from Nikki to Kirsten, I begged her for help. Yet, she seemed caught in the crossfire of the two of us.
"I'll just sit over here," she said, sitting down at one of the far corners of the room. Sure, she bailed exactly when I needed her.
"Candance, I'm taking a break..." said Nikki, disappearing from my sight for a second, before reappearing right to my left and sitting down.
"Why don't you leave me alone?" I asked coolly, turning away from her. This was great. I was probably getting sick again, and one of the biggest bitches in the world was trying to have a conversation with me.
When I didn't respond, she just started talking again. How Sethlike was that? Did she ever shut up? "Ryan... what are you doing here... with her?" she asked, the nastiness now gone from her voice again. "She's not your girlfriend is she? If she is that would be just... wrong Ryan."
I couldn't help but laugh slightly. Kirsten, my girlfriend? I had to admit, that was a funny thought, "No, she's well...... she's my m-"I stopped myself. How exactly could I explain Kirsten? I had almost called her my mom. She was a bit like a mother to me when I thought about it, but in other ways she wasn't. "She's my uh- guardian." Yeah, smooth move. She was more of a mother to me than my mom was, why couldn't I just say that?
"Wow, I think that is the most I have ever heard out of you in one sentence." she laughed. I turned around to look at her. As usual, she had a smile plastered on her face, but this time, it wasn't the sarcastic one that she used to wear before.
I didn't respond to her. Once again, she started talking, "What are you doing here, like in this area I mean?"
"I live here, in Newport," I responded.
"Damn, you got rich fast," she said sarcastically. Maybe she hadn't changed.
"Not really. I was thrust into it." I responded, not wanting to give too much away. "But how about you? What are you doing here?"
"I live here too, but not in Newport, just outside. I'm not rich," she laughed. 'I'm working here as secretary after school and on weekends. I gotta help my parents make ends meet, ya know."
I nodded. I did understand where she was coming from in some ways. I didn't say anything.
"So what are you doing here?" she asked me. "You're not sick again are you?" she asked, urgentness in her voice.
I shrugged. "Don't know," I said.
"Ryan Atwood," came a voice from an open door. I looked up.
"Ry, that means you have to go in," Nikki said, quietly. What did she think I was, stupid? I stood up and looked over at Kirsten. She got the message and got up and walked over to me.
"Ready sweetie?" she asked. What kind of question was that? Of course I wasn't, but I nodded anyways.
"See ya around Atwood," said Nikki as I walked through the doors as they shut behind me.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
I followed Kirsten, who followed the nurse, into the small room. "Mr. Atwood, are you left handed or right?" she asked.
"Right," I responded.
"Hold out your left arm Mr. Atwood." As much as I didn't want to, I extended my left arm. She wrapped a rubber-band tightly around my bicep. I looked straight forwards, concentrating on the wall, trying not to look at the needle that the nurse was holding. A few moments later, the nurse spoke again.
"Now this wont hurt at all," she said. She was right in someways. It didn't hurt at all. Maybe it was because I wasn't looking at her putting the needle into my arm. Then I felt her pulling it out. "I misjudged," she said. I could almost hear a smile in her voice.
She put the needle in again. This time it hurt more. I could tell right away that she missed again when she pulled the needle out. I looked over at Kirsten with a look of disbelief in my eyes. She laughed.
The nurse put the needle in my arm again and this time I flinched slightly. She missed again. What the hell? How did she get a job here? Did she like to torture people. "Sorry," she said. I sighed.
If she missed one more time I was going to get up and leave. Once again, she pushed the needle into my arm. "Got it," she said with a giggle.
"Finally," I muttered under my breath, rolling my eyes. I continued looking over towards Kirsten. After what seemed like forever, the nurse announced that she was done, and took the rubber-band off of my arm.
Immediately, I recoiled my arm. The nurse walked over to Kirsten and said something to her that I couldn't hear. Kirsten nodded and the nurse left. Kirsten walked over to me.
"They said to wait in here while they run the preliminary tests," she explained. I nodded. "Are you all right?"
"No. I was just poked with a needle four times, I'm just fine." I said, picking up some of Seth's sarcasm.
"Seth is really beginning to rub off on you isn't he?" she asked with a laugh. I glared at her. "Sorry, sorry."
After a few minutes of silence, I spoke up, "Why did we come here?" I asked.
Kirsten took a deep breath. "I talked to Sandy and he thought that you should be tested for Mono or some other blood disease. That is why we're here."
"Like AIDS?" I asked.
Kirsten shook his head. "No. Not like AIDS. We just-"she stopped, not saying anymore.
"You're just..." I asked, as if egging her to answer.
"Nevermind," she said, waving her hand as a dismissal of the topic at hand.
I still wanted to know, but she never did answer me, for a few moments after she spoke, Nikki poked her head in the door. "You alright Ry?" she asked, looking in. Was she still on break?
I nodded.
"No, truly Ryan," she said, entering the small room. There was a look of seriousness in her face. "Are you alright? Are you getting sick again?"
I looked between Kirsten and Nikki. I bit my lower lip and looked back at Nikki. "I'm not sure," I said, before looking away.
Kirsten verbally attacked me there, "This happened before Ryan? Why didn't you tell me?"
"I don't remember what really happened," I said truthfully.
"Of course you don't," said Nikki somewhat angrily. "Do you know how worried you had all of us? You were out for nearly three weeks damn it. Are you sick like that again Ryan? This lady deserves to know," she said motioning towards Kirsten.
I sighed. "No Nikki. I'm not sick like that." Maybe it was a lie, maybe it wasn't, but they didn't have to know that.
At that moment, the nurse came back. "Mr. Atwood, it seems as though there is nothing wrong with you. The test for mono came back negative as well as the other tests that we administered. While these are only quick tests, they are normally accurate. We will have the final results in three to four days. You're free to go," and with that she left the room before I could question her.
"Can we go now?" I asked annoyidly.
"Yes," said Kirsten, "Let's go." Kirsten left the room and I followed.
"Bye Ryan." said Nikki, I didn't respond to her and left.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
When we got out to the car, I felt tired again. "How much blood did they take from me?" I asked her.
"Not much. Three tubes, which is less than the normal four that they usually take," she explained.
"Oh ok. Then why do I feel do goddamned tired?" I asked.
"Don't worry, it is normal, it happens after blood is drawn." I nodded. There was then silence. It was quite peaceful.
"What did that girl mean by are you sick again?" asked Kirsten after a while of silence.
I really did not want to explain to her what happened, seeing as I didn't know very much of it. "It's a long story," I said, trying to get out of talking.
"We have time," she said, pulling the car over.
Shit.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/n: Where, there are you happy, it was in Ryan's POV. I couldn't be mean, it isn't in my blood. Okies. It wasn't greatly written, but, I think it is good. Now we shall see what happens with Seth next. I know it wasn't as long as before, but I wanted to post this before I went of vacation, which I am leaving on tomorrow. I hopefully will have another chapter when I get back. :D
Now for the thank yous:
benzbabidoll - ha ha. You saw, si?
parisindy - Thank you!
Issi - I don't think I have the heart for that.
Biomess - *laughs evilly* Do you think that I don't have this all planned out. Wait, I don't. I'm just going at the spur of the moment, and there is a plan, but it isn't very, uh what's the word? Structured. I just felt like ending there. So :P
Gator-girl - awwwww. Were you really that sucked in? I have a plan. And thanks for liking the flashbacks. I love writing them. :D
Queen of the Elven City - Okay, maybe Ryan is cool, but Seth is so much better. HA HA!
ally - ha ha. Thanks.
storymom - I hope to update after I get back from vaca.
The House
Caitlin
TeacherTam - Now now, don't jump to conclusions. Just be patient, I have a plan, and hopefully you people wont try to kill me...
Tifftt - I shall try.
By: SethCohenFan
Summary: Ryan is getting sick, but he doesn't admit it, and a family tragedy sends the entire Cohen family into a downward spiral. What will it take to get things back to normal? SS RM
Rating: PG-13 for now, because of language
Disclaimer: See previous
A/n: Now, there are two paths I could go with this chapter. I could be a bitch and follow the planned course of events that would lead this chapter to being one from Seth's POV. Or I could be nice me, and twist the "structure" of the story around. Hmmmmmm... ha ha. If you know me, I don't have a bit of bitchiness in me (unless you count the later MAJOR plot that has a lot to do with Seth), so...
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Chapter 5: Can History Repeat?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A million things ran through my head at the same moment. What the hell? Why were we here? A spasm of nervousness ran through me. "Kirsten, why are we here?"
She didn't respond. "Kirsten?"
Once again she didn't respond, she just continued to get out of the car and heading towards the door. I was confused. Sure I knew I had an appointment, but why at a Blood Center of all places?
At first, I didn't get out. Why? There was no reason to get out. I didn't need to be here. I was fine. Bullshit, what was I thinking? I woke up in the hospital last time, maybe I should go in.
Kirsten had stopped and turned around to look at me. Slowly, still pondering on whether or not to go in, I unbuckled the seat belt and got out. I walked, normal pace and caught up with Kirsten.
"Are you alright Ryan?" she asked me.
"Yeah. Fine." I said, heading in front of her and opening the door, waiting for her to go in before I went in. She smiled and went in ahead of me. I followed.
Damn. Why was it always so cold in the buildings? It wasn't like it was so hot out that the AC needed to be on full blast.
Kirsten walked over towards the counter, "Checking in for Ryan Atwood." Meanwhile, I walked over towards one of those uncomfortable plastic chairs against the wall and sat down.
"Did you say Ryan Atwood?" asked the girl at the desk. Shit. I couldn't believe my ears. I looked up at the girl and was proven wrong. Thank god it wasn't here.
"Yes," said Kirsten, "Why?"
"I think I know him. Ryan. It's Nikki, remember me?" Shit. Why the hell was she here? Hadn't she died?
~~~***~~~FLASHBACK~~~***~~~
"I'm finally leaving this fricking hell hole," Nikki said happily, "And I wont have to go to that place that people call a 'high school.'
"And I would care?" I asked coolly. Her leaving was probably one of the best things to have happened for a while, if she actually was leaving.
"Oh come on Atwood. You know that you like me," she said with a giggle.
"Bullshit." I cursed. If she really was leaving, good riddance to her.
"Don't deny what you really are," she snapped. Then suddenly, as if by a switch of personality her voice was smooth and sweet, "See ya 'round Ry."
"Yeah," I responded, secretly hoping that that day would NEVER come.
~~~***~~~End of Flashback~~~***~~~
"Ryan?" she asked. I locked eyes with her. Yeah, it was her.
"Hello Nikki," I said tonelessly. I didn't get up, I didn't move, I just continued to look at her. She had changed a lot since the end of eighth grade. She pushed a strand of long brown hair behind her ear, her finger getting snagged slightly on the glasses that now framed her green eyes. She had definitely matured physically, but had she matured the same way mentally?
"You two know each other?" asked Kirsten, looking between the two of us.
"Unfortunately," I said coolly, not taking my eyes off of Nikki. For some reason, I couldn't believe the hatred I was feeling. I hadn't seen her in a while, she could have changed.
"You're still an ass I see," Nikki said, her voice no longer sweet one that I had heard since entering, but the nasty one I remember from grade school.
"And I see you're still a bitch," I rebutted, somewhat mockingly. Moving my eyes from Nikki to Kirsten, I begged her for help. Yet, she seemed caught in the crossfire of the two of us.
"I'll just sit over here," she said, sitting down at one of the far corners of the room. Sure, she bailed exactly when I needed her.
"Candance, I'm taking a break..." said Nikki, disappearing from my sight for a second, before reappearing right to my left and sitting down.
"Why don't you leave me alone?" I asked coolly, turning away from her. This was great. I was probably getting sick again, and one of the biggest bitches in the world was trying to have a conversation with me.
When I didn't respond, she just started talking again. How Sethlike was that? Did she ever shut up? "Ryan... what are you doing here... with her?" she asked, the nastiness now gone from her voice again. "She's not your girlfriend is she? If she is that would be just... wrong Ryan."
I couldn't help but laugh slightly. Kirsten, my girlfriend? I had to admit, that was a funny thought, "No, she's well...... she's my m-"I stopped myself. How exactly could I explain Kirsten? I had almost called her my mom. She was a bit like a mother to me when I thought about it, but in other ways she wasn't. "She's my uh- guardian." Yeah, smooth move. She was more of a mother to me than my mom was, why couldn't I just say that?
"Wow, I think that is the most I have ever heard out of you in one sentence." she laughed. I turned around to look at her. As usual, she had a smile plastered on her face, but this time, it wasn't the sarcastic one that she used to wear before.
I didn't respond to her. Once again, she started talking, "What are you doing here, like in this area I mean?"
"I live here, in Newport," I responded.
"Damn, you got rich fast," she said sarcastically. Maybe she hadn't changed.
"Not really. I was thrust into it." I responded, not wanting to give too much away. "But how about you? What are you doing here?"
"I live here too, but not in Newport, just outside. I'm not rich," she laughed. 'I'm working here as secretary after school and on weekends. I gotta help my parents make ends meet, ya know."
I nodded. I did understand where she was coming from in some ways. I didn't say anything.
"So what are you doing here?" she asked me. "You're not sick again are you?" she asked, urgentness in her voice.
I shrugged. "Don't know," I said.
"Ryan Atwood," came a voice from an open door. I looked up.
"Ry, that means you have to go in," Nikki said, quietly. What did she think I was, stupid? I stood up and looked over at Kirsten. She got the message and got up and walked over to me.
"Ready sweetie?" she asked. What kind of question was that? Of course I wasn't, but I nodded anyways.
"See ya around Atwood," said Nikki as I walked through the doors as they shut behind me.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
I followed Kirsten, who followed the nurse, into the small room. "Mr. Atwood, are you left handed or right?" she asked.
"Right," I responded.
"Hold out your left arm Mr. Atwood." As much as I didn't want to, I extended my left arm. She wrapped a rubber-band tightly around my bicep. I looked straight forwards, concentrating on the wall, trying not to look at the needle that the nurse was holding. A few moments later, the nurse spoke again.
"Now this wont hurt at all," she said. She was right in someways. It didn't hurt at all. Maybe it was because I wasn't looking at her putting the needle into my arm. Then I felt her pulling it out. "I misjudged," she said. I could almost hear a smile in her voice.
She put the needle in again. This time it hurt more. I could tell right away that she missed again when she pulled the needle out. I looked over at Kirsten with a look of disbelief in my eyes. She laughed.
The nurse put the needle in my arm again and this time I flinched slightly. She missed again. What the hell? How did she get a job here? Did she like to torture people. "Sorry," she said. I sighed.
If she missed one more time I was going to get up and leave. Once again, she pushed the needle into my arm. "Got it," she said with a giggle.
"Finally," I muttered under my breath, rolling my eyes. I continued looking over towards Kirsten. After what seemed like forever, the nurse announced that she was done, and took the rubber-band off of my arm.
Immediately, I recoiled my arm. The nurse walked over to Kirsten and said something to her that I couldn't hear. Kirsten nodded and the nurse left. Kirsten walked over to me.
"They said to wait in here while they run the preliminary tests," she explained. I nodded. "Are you all right?"
"No. I was just poked with a needle four times, I'm just fine." I said, picking up some of Seth's sarcasm.
"Seth is really beginning to rub off on you isn't he?" she asked with a laugh. I glared at her. "Sorry, sorry."
After a few minutes of silence, I spoke up, "Why did we come here?" I asked.
Kirsten took a deep breath. "I talked to Sandy and he thought that you should be tested for Mono or some other blood disease. That is why we're here."
"Like AIDS?" I asked.
Kirsten shook his head. "No. Not like AIDS. We just-"she stopped, not saying anymore.
"You're just..." I asked, as if egging her to answer.
"Nevermind," she said, waving her hand as a dismissal of the topic at hand.
I still wanted to know, but she never did answer me, for a few moments after she spoke, Nikki poked her head in the door. "You alright Ry?" she asked, looking in. Was she still on break?
I nodded.
"No, truly Ryan," she said, entering the small room. There was a look of seriousness in her face. "Are you alright? Are you getting sick again?"
I looked between Kirsten and Nikki. I bit my lower lip and looked back at Nikki. "I'm not sure," I said, before looking away.
Kirsten verbally attacked me there, "This happened before Ryan? Why didn't you tell me?"
"I don't remember what really happened," I said truthfully.
"Of course you don't," said Nikki somewhat angrily. "Do you know how worried you had all of us? You were out for nearly three weeks damn it. Are you sick like that again Ryan? This lady deserves to know," she said motioning towards Kirsten.
I sighed. "No Nikki. I'm not sick like that." Maybe it was a lie, maybe it wasn't, but they didn't have to know that.
At that moment, the nurse came back. "Mr. Atwood, it seems as though there is nothing wrong with you. The test for mono came back negative as well as the other tests that we administered. While these are only quick tests, they are normally accurate. We will have the final results in three to four days. You're free to go," and with that she left the room before I could question her.
"Can we go now?" I asked annoyidly.
"Yes," said Kirsten, "Let's go." Kirsten left the room and I followed.
"Bye Ryan." said Nikki, I didn't respond to her and left.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
When we got out to the car, I felt tired again. "How much blood did they take from me?" I asked her.
"Not much. Three tubes, which is less than the normal four that they usually take," she explained.
"Oh ok. Then why do I feel do goddamned tired?" I asked.
"Don't worry, it is normal, it happens after blood is drawn." I nodded. There was then silence. It was quite peaceful.
"What did that girl mean by are you sick again?" asked Kirsten after a while of silence.
I really did not want to explain to her what happened, seeing as I didn't know very much of it. "It's a long story," I said, trying to get out of talking.
"We have time," she said, pulling the car over.
Shit.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/n: Where, there are you happy, it was in Ryan's POV. I couldn't be mean, it isn't in my blood. Okies. It wasn't greatly written, but, I think it is good. Now we shall see what happens with Seth next. I know it wasn't as long as before, but I wanted to post this before I went of vacation, which I am leaving on tomorrow. I hopefully will have another chapter when I get back. :D
Now for the thank yous:
benzbabidoll - ha ha. You saw, si?
parisindy - Thank you!
Issi - I don't think I have the heart for that.
Biomess - *laughs evilly* Do you think that I don't have this all planned out. Wait, I don't. I'm just going at the spur of the moment, and there is a plan, but it isn't very, uh what's the word? Structured. I just felt like ending there. So :P
Gator-girl - awwwww. Were you really that sucked in? I have a plan. And thanks for liking the flashbacks. I love writing them. :D
Queen of the Elven City - Okay, maybe Ryan is cool, but Seth is so much better. HA HA!
ally - ha ha. Thanks.
storymom - I hope to update after I get back from vaca.
The House
Caitlin
TeacherTam - Now now, don't jump to conclusions. Just be patient, I have a plan, and hopefully you people wont try to kill me...
Tifftt - I shall try.