Marissa opened her eyes and found herself lying against soft silky cotton sheets.    Suddenly a brilliantly white sheet flew up before her eyes blocking the soft radiant sunlight.   The sheet soon floated down only to come to rest upon the tousled hair on the back of a smiling Ryan's head.   Marissa bestowed a beaming smile upon Ryan, which he returned.   He gently leaned down and kissed her.  Her lips pressing back against his smoothed away the smile and replaced it with a serious and loving face.

                "Are you sure?"  Ryan whispered gently into her lips.   Kissing her passionately conveying a undeniable acceptance of whatever she wants to do.   Marissa remembered what was going on.  She seemed to feel his flesh pressed against hers for the first time since she opened her eyes.   His warmth pressed gently and patiently against her from where there shins rested against each other, across where there waists touched waiting to touch deeper to their chests breathing in unison rising and falling one pressing into the other with equal power and then retracting.   

                Marissa was sure she was ready to translate her love for Ryan into physical communication.   "Yes" she whispered as she closed her eyes and pursed her lips ready for him to kiss her again.    Only he didn't kiss her, and suddenly his warmth was replaced with cool glass at the juncture of her legs.  

                Her eyes sprung open and she found herself no longer in bed with Ryan but on a kitchen floor with Trey.  She screamed and screamed kicked at him clawed at him but nothing seemed to phase him.  Nothing stopped him.  She fought but to no avail.

                Ryan Laid in a hospital bed separated from Marissa by a curtain and about twenty hospital employees.   He had tried already to get to her but they would not let him near her.  They were asking him all sorts of questions, interrogating him really but his head was still so fuzzy and the pain in his knee was shattering.    He could hear Marissa moaning.  Crying incoherently into the hollow room, hollow despite the furniture equipment people.  Hollow because of the pain and isolation they both felt.    Every few minutes he heard her call for him and it shattered his already fragile form every time. 

                The doctors were doing their best to take car of both of them.   Ryan had suffered a major concussion a cracked skull, two broken ribs a broken cheekbone and a broken knee.   Marissa had a concussion a dislocated shoulder a few broken ribs and sever bruises on her thighs, hips, and chest.    She also had a collapsed lung from being crushed at Ryan.   But the doctors were a little more abrupt and cold with Ryan.

                Marissa was a beautiful girl and Ryan was a punk they had all seen before.    Marissa had been brutalized and Ryan suffered sever but almost defensive injuries.   The rape kit came up positive but no fluids were found.   Ryan was quickly becoming a suspect in the eyes of the doctors, and police that were swarming the two of them.

                Ryan had refused to talk since he got there.   Police and doctors had all asked him what had happened, what hurt, whom they should call for him, but he didn't answer.   It was Ryan's muteness that led to Julie being the first and only parent to show up at the hospital.   Julie entered the emergency room and tore through it towards Ryan.

                "You bastard!"  She screamed "You did this to my daughter.   You hurt my baby girl."  She screamed getting close enough to spit in Ryan's face as the doctors dragged her out of the emergency room.    Ryan couldn't believe that woman.   Her daughter was unconscious in the curtain area right next to him and she was going after him. 

 Ryan didn't bother to wipe the spit of his face.    He deserved it.  He had hurt Marissa He had hurt her baby.   Soon though a nurse came up with a rag and went to wipe Ryan's face.    Ryan quickly grabbed her hand stilling her movement.  "She's right.   This is all my doing.  I hurt Marissa.  I deserve this." 

The nurse was confused and disgusted all at the same time.   Was this survivor's guilt or a confession?   The damage inflicted on the girl next door was hideous and gruesome.  A monster did that to her, hadn't they found this boy cradling the girl.

Kirsten sat at the kitchen table going through papers and trying not to notice that she had read the same paper for about an hour and still had no idea what it was saying.   Suddenly the phone rang and Kirsten jumped straight out of her chair startled by the intrusion.    She had thought she was alone in her thoughts, alone with her dread.

                Kirsten went to the phone and picked it up.

                "Hello."

                "Hello I'm looking For Kirsten Cohen."   Said the voice on the other line, sounding official and cold.

                "This is Kirsten Cohen.  How may I help you?"

                "Ma'am Do you know where you Car is right now?"   The voice asked.   The questions struck Kirsten as cagey and put her on edge.  She had spent to much time with lawyers.   Her worry escalated, she knew where her car was and knew who had it.

                "Yes I gave it to my son to visit his brother in Chino."

                "Well ma'am your car has been involved in a crime and we need you to come down to Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow hospital in Chino."

                "What happened?"

                "Ma'am I can not give you any information on the phone.  You need to come down here now."

                "What about my son?"

                "Ma'am we didn't find your son only the perp.   But there is a Marissa Cooper here.   I'm sorry ma'am I don't have much information."

                "Alright I'm on my way."  Kirsten hung up the phone called a cab and grabbed her purse.  She was on her cell phone before she was even at the Driveway.

                "Sandy Cohen's Office."   A secretary answered.

                "I need to speak with my husband NOW!"  Kirsten screamed into the phone.  A bit startled by her own anger and worry.

                "Kirsten?"  Sandy's voice came through.

                "Go to Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow right now.   It's in Chino!  Now."

                "What's going on."

                "The cops called, they have my car and Marissa in the hospital.   Something Happened I don't know where Ryan is."

                "I'm on my way to get you."

                "No just go I called a cab.  I called a cab Just go."

                "I love you."

                "I love you too Sandy."  Kirsten hung up the phone and paced at the bottom of the driveway horrified that Ryan was missing and Marissa was in the hospital.   What had she let happen.  What had she done.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

                "What are you keeping me out here for!"  Julie Cooper screamed at the orderly that was blocking her way to her daughter and the scum that had put her in here.

                "Because your unstable and accosted on of our patients." 

"Patient, that boy is a criminal and a rapist!"  Julie screamed as she backed off of the orderly and took a seat the gravity of the situation setting into her.  Her daughter was raped.   Her daughter was beaten.    Her daughter was in serious danger.

                "Damn that little shit head."   Julie cooper sobbed as she saw Sandy burst through the emergency room door.   She stood up to follow him but he was faster then her grief would allow her to be.  He darted past the waiting area unseen and into the emergency room where the doctors were holding her daughter captive.

                Sandy was the first Cohen to reach the emergency room.   He had been here before, actually quite a few times as a public defender.   He hadn't liked it then and he disliked it now even more.   He went right past the waiting room unseeing and focused on getting into the emergency room and within sight of Marissa.   If anyone could give him information about what had happened it would be Marissa.

                Sandy pushed the swinging glass doors open and stepped into the emergency room.  Everything was bright white and right in front of him was a nurse's station.   Nurse's doctors and police all stood huttled around the small circular desk buried in whatever they were doing and failed to notice he had entered.   Well one person noticed he entered, the orderly stationed at the door to keep Julie out.

                "Sir can I help you?"  The orderly asked trying to be as courteous as his present mood allowed him to be.   That lady had really frustrated him.

                "NO!"  Sandy said being short with him and began looking all around the emergency room.  He didn't really hear the orderly say only family was allowed in the emergency room, or that he would have to state his purpose or leave all Sandy could do was look for Marissa.  There was nothing but open empty curtains to his left and to his right.   

                Sandy saw something that shocked him to his Right.  There in the hospital curtain area closest to him was a boy who looked a lot like Ryan.  He couldn't really see him though to many doctors and nurses running in and out of his view.   He noticed the curtain to the right of the open one was shut tight and nurses darted in and out of it quickly.   Their was loud beeping and loud talking and all Sandy wanted to do was find out who was behind that curtain and if that sandy colored hair that pocked up out of the front bed was Ryan's.  

                Sandy began to walk towards the curtain areas but the orderly put his hand on Sandy's shoulder.   "Sir I need to know who you are?"   The orderly repeated all Courtesy out of his voice.

                Sandy turned and; looked at the orderly for the first time.  He was a large angry man twice Sandy's size and from the looks of him did not suffer from the 'Jewishness' Seth teased him of suffering from.

                "I'm Sandy Cohen my wife called me to come down here my son and his girlfriend are in some sort of trouble.   Marissa cooper and RY-" before Sandy could finish his statement he was interrupted by a cop in uniform.

                "Sir I called your wife we have your car in lock up and your son's girlfriend but the only boy found at the scene was an Atwood, Umm Ryan; he's got a rap sheet about a mile long and he looks good for the rape."

                "NO no Ry- did you say Rape?"

                "Yes sir we found Ryan holding the severely injured girl locked in your car.   He's been know to steal cars before and he has a history of fighting, though this is the first rape he has been involved in."

                "NO you don't understand Ryan is not the perp, he is my son, my adopted son and Marissa is his girlfriend.  He didn't steal our car he was given it to drive down to Chino to see his brother.   He would never hurt his girlfriend Marissa, is she saying he hurt her?"   Sandy was so confused and outraged at the treatment Ryan had obviously been receiving from the police thus far.   What ever happened to innocent till proven guilty and rehabilitation.

                "Umm NO sir sorry he or she hasn't said a word since they arrived here.   Ryan is a wake, Marissa lost consciousness at the scene and has not woken up since."

                "Where are they I want to see my son!"

                "Right over there sir.  Again I'm Sorry."   The officer finished but Sandy didn't hear his apology already having raced toward the bed he had suspected correctly that Ryan laid in.   He stood a few feet behind the medical personal rotating around him and watched with horrified eyes.   Ryan was deathly pale except for the dark bruises that ran up and down his face and arms.   Sandy noticed scratch marks on his neck along with bruises the size of fingerprints.

                A  tear escaped Sandy's eye as he called to Ryan.   The doctors and Nurses noticed the sudden change in Ryan's posture when this man said his name.   Ryan turned his head and let out a sob.   Tears escaping down his eyes he looked at Sandy.   The expression of uninhibited pain was overwhelming to sandy.   He had never seen that much emotion from Ryan and had never hoped to see that much pain in any human being especially a human being he loved as deeply as he loved Ryan.

                "Marissa she's been."

                "Shhh-"
 Sandy interrupted"Jjust relax I know they told me she was . . . hurt.   It's. . Just relax and let the doctors work on you."   Sandy finished his sentence and turned around trying to compose himself but instead he saw a hysterical Kirsten running towards him angry and scared.

                "I just ran into Julie cooper and she-"

                "Where did you run into Julie Cooper?"

                "In the lobby she tried to tell me Ryan raped Marissa.  That's not true Sandy Ryan would never do that I don't care what she thinks is going on they don't even have Ryan here he's missing."

                "No sweetie he's right there, " Sandy said pointing Kirsten to Ryan.   When Kirsten saw Ryan her heart jumped and sank simultaneously.  She was so happy to see him and so scared of how he looked.   Not as courteous as Sandy due to her maternal instincts she plowed past the medical staff still milling less franticly around Ryan and grabbed his hand bringing it to her mouth and kissing it before cradling it next to her check.

                "God Ryan I was so worried!"  Kirsten sobbed tears steaming down her face as freely as they streamed down Ryan's.

                "Julie said  . . . She's right.   It's my fault Marissa got hurt."

                "Stop this Ryan I know you and I know you didn't raaa . . .You would never do that and it's not your fault."   Kirsten couldn't bring herself to actually say the words; they were to permanent to shattering to violent for such a beautiful pure sweet girl like Marissa.   Kirsten felt as though she was an open wound and the word just irritated her further.   That word, rape was too strong for her in her weakened condition to utter.

                She looked down at the boy, pale with pain and grief she had grown to call her son and loved just as deeply and unconditionally as her biological son.   He had shut his eyes and looked as if he was trying to sleep.   His breathing was steady but short his face relaxed but the tears still flowed, though at a lessened pace.   Kirsten kissed Ryan's hand once more before putting it down gently in the bed.

                "Ma'am   How is my Ryan?"   She asked a nurse who was still milling about checking monitors and reading Ryan's chart.

                "The doctor will be by in just a moment to talk with you, but I think he will be just fine."   The nurse said then started to walk away.

                "Wait ma'am Can I see Marissa Cooper?"   Kirsten asked.   "I would hate for her to wake up and be alone."   The nurse smiled sadly then walked over to the curtain separating Ryan from the next bed and pulled it back to revel a version of Marissa none of the Cohen's ever thought they would see.

                She had stitches on her collarbone and a tube in her nose.   She was pale and tight.   He eyes moved wildly under her lids Kirsten noticed as she approached the side of Marissa's bed.   Shattered had been the right word.  Even in her sleep Marissa looked shattered.

                "Nurse is she-"

                "I don't know anything about her condition."  The nurse said softly before retreating.