Author's Note: I am really new to this writing stuff. But I have been a lurker at TWOP, especially the Ryan thread and like some of them I wished for more P,D,P, so I wrote it myself. I don't have a Beta, so I hope I have not made any glaring mistakes. Thanks for all of the kind reviews.

Oh, and I don't own any thing of value. So don't sue me Josh.

Kisses

Ryan smelled something bad. He shook his head and blinked his eyes. He left hand and wrist were throbbing. People were talking to him and someone was waving something in front of his nose and it stunk.

"Atwood, come on, buddy."

"Hey, Ryan."

But one voice, soft and trembling was calling to him,

"Ryan, sweetie, wake-up. Ryan wake-up, you're scaring us."

He felt a hand stroking his cheek and then his forehead and turned in the direction of the person speaking and stroking his face. As his vision cleared, he saw Kirsten gazing into his eyes trying to see some sign of consciousness. He blinked again and looked around, Kirsten, Coach, teammates and paramedics from the always present ambulance were all around him. The paramedics were moving the most, touching him and checking out his possible injuries. Kirsten was on his left, stoking his forehead and talking to him gently.

"It's okay. You're fine."

It really sounded like she was trying to convince herself as well as Ryan. Ryan moved to sit up but was held down by hands he could not see. Kirsten hand pushed back on his forehead.

"Oh, no you don't; you're going to the hospital."

"Hospital, ..uh, no.. I don't .."

Kirsten cut him off, "No discussion, you're going."

Ryan did not argue. His eyelids were very heavy, and his injured body just wanted to rest. He heard a distant voice say:

"Keep him awake, Ma'am."

Kirsten rubbed his forehead. "Ryan, …Ryan, you can't go to sleep. Look at me. That's good. Tell me about, about, .. um .. , Let's talk about… Okay, what is your favorite type of food?"

"Mexi….oh, ow, ow," Ryan gasped. Someone or something had just knocked his injured hand. "My hand, it hurts. Leave it alone." And why was Kirsten asking him silly questions?

"Hey, his left hand over here is hurt. One of you guys look at it," Kirsten instructed the paramedics. "Everyone else move back, please. I'm talking to you. Move back. Now," Kirsten demanded. She shifted into her "take charge" and "do what I say" mode that Seth, Sandy and now even Ryan knew so well.

Suddenly, everyone moved away quickly. A gurney rolled up next to him and was collapsed.

Ryan shook his head. "No, I don't .., not going.., I'm good," he protested.

Kirsten put her hand on his forehead and stopped the shaking.

"Ryan, you need to go. You are going. Just to make sure you didn't knock anything loose in that hard head of yours."

Ryan struggled with the paramedics as they started to lift him on to the gurney.

"That's enough, Ryan. You're hurt and you are going to the hospital", Sandy said sternly. He softened his voice as he added, "We'll be right behind you kid. Right there when they take you into the ER." He patted Ryan's leg and stood up. "He's ready to go guys."

He froze when he heard Sandy's voice. He had not seen Sandy. Had he been there the whole time?

"Don't worry, we've got your back," shouted Seth from a short distance away.

"Hey, Chino I totally did the wave for you, now get your ass to the hospital!" Summer
ordered.

Ryan's will to fight was gone. The paramedics lifted him on to the gurney and strapped him in. Kirsten leaned in, hesitated and then kissed his forehead. Ryan closed his eyes and accepted the kiss, letting its tenderness comfort him, as her sweet scent filled his mind with peacefulness.

"We'll see you there. They won't let me ride with you. You'll be all right. You're strong and brave."

He and the gurney were lifted into the ambulance and the gurney was locked into place. The doors shut and the ambulance took off.

"Your son should be fine. I would like to keep him overnight for observation. His sprained wrist and broken fingers have been set but it's the concussion I want to keep an eye on." Dr. Yaden said.

Sandy, Kirsten and the Doctor glanced in Ryan's direction from the corner of the room they had moved to for more privacy. They moved towards Ryan lying on propped up pillows in a hospital bed.

Dr. Yaden started, "Ryan we are going to keep you overni…."

"No," Ryan interrupted shaking his head and sitting up in the bed. "No, I'm okay."

Kirsten, Sandy and the Doctor looked into his fearful and pleading eyes.

"I really think we need to leave that up to the good doctor, here. They'll take good care of you, kiddo." Sandy said as he patted Ryan's arm.

Ryan turned to Kirsten to plead, "Really, I'm okay. And, I have a lot of homework. I'll stay in bed, and won't over do it. It's just me and hospitals, uh,…don't mix."

Kirsten's heart melted, she turned towards Sandy her eyes pleading for help from him. Sandy shrugged one shoulder. Kirsten then turned towards the Doctor and asked, "Is it absolutely necessary for him to stay. Can we check on him during the night at our house?"

The room door swung open and Seth, Summer and Marissa entered the room. They stood silently behind the adults as the conversation about Ryan continued. They knew something was up because Ryan did not look happy.

"No, I really think it is best for him to stay. He lost consciousness on the field and suffered a Grade 3 concussion. Although, he was not foggy-headed for an extended period of time, which is a good sign, he really needs to be monitored for any undetected injuries. His brain took quite a bump." The doctor turned towards Ryan, "But if everything checks out you will be out of here by this time tomorrow."

"Woo," Ryan whispered and sarcastically raised a victory fist just to the level of his chin. Why can't they see that he is fine? Hospitals were a place he visited a few times when he was younger and he remembered the fear he had while staying there. Fearful the doctors and nurses would discover how he had really been injured.

Kirsten reached and took his fisted hand in hers. Ryan uncurled his fingers and she intertwined hers in his. He glanced shyly at her than back down at the blanket but he did not remove his hand from hers.

"You know what? I have a project I have to address this evening, and I think this room would be the perfect place to do just that," Kirsten tried to sound convincing. She wasn't sure what she could do to ease his fears but she felt that she needed to be there for him.

"Yeah, no, it's okay, Kirsten." Ryan shook his head, their eyes met for a second and then he dropped his gaze to the blanket covering his legs. She squeezed his hand and the patted it with her other hand.

"Oh, I know you will be okay. I think you might be interested, it's floor plans for our new development. Plus, it will be a lot more quiet around here."

"Yeah, I might want to look at those," Ryan said as he went along with her ploy. Of, course he didn't really need her there. He was a big boy after all but maybe it made her feel good to think he needed her there. She could stay if she needed to.

"Mom, he's not four. Besides I can bring the playstation up here and we can have a friendly competition between the master and the student. I'm willing to take a break from the Man's assimilation program you guys refer to as school. " Seth glanced back and forth between Sandy and Kirsten trying to convince her to let him stay with Ryan overnight and skip school the next.

"Cohen, playstation? My 8 year old cousin has outgrown that." Summer laughed.

Sandy spoke up to backup up Kirsten, "No, Nope, Not going to happen. Ryan needs to rest, not fight evil ninjas all night long. And son, we gave up on assimilating you a long time ago. Your mom will be staying." Turning to Kirsten and patting Ryan's leg he said, "I will bring you some clothes, toothbrush and other sundries. Anything else you can think of?"

While Kirsten and Sandy discussed what other items she would need, Marissa approached Ryan's bed.

"Hey." She said as she reached for his hand.

"Hey. Guess I won't be taking you out tonight."

"Guess you'll just have to make it up to me later." Marissa leaned and kissed his lips softly. "Bye, see ya tomorrow."

Sandy held the room door open and waved Seth, Summer and Marissa out one by one. Then he quickly hopped towards Kirsten, his arms encircled her in a loving hug as they gently kissed. "I'll be back in a little while with all necessities in tow," he said after their kiss. Then he turned quickly towards Ryan, put his hand on the back of Ryan's head and kissed his forehead. When Sandy released him Ryan looked up in surprise, his cheeks flushed red as a grin spread across his face.

Sandy announced with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, "Hey! Just trying to help you heal faster, kiddo. Just ask Kirsten my kisses are extraordinarily magical."

Ryan looked at Sandy, raised his eyebrows and said, "Really?" And he would never tell anyone but he thought they just might be.

They both turned towards the sound of Kirsten's snickering.