Author's Notes: Sorry about the wait (again)! We keep having problems with our internet service and connection and all, so here I am (finally). I hope you enjoy this chapter and thank you to everyone who reviewed, I appreciated every one of those reviews I got! Thank you so much! Enjoy and please review again!

Chapter Ten

"Okay, everyone! Let's take this from the beginning of breakfast!" Mark Kilarski ordered as he clapped his hands loudly together.

Summer turned to look at Mark, the director, and the two shared a frustrated look. Summer sighed as she moved to her first cue. This was the ninth time they had tried to shoot the breakfast scene from this camera angle. She watched as Mark gathered up her TV daughters and sons again. The five kids scattered onto the set and all took their positions.

"Take ten," one of the young interns said in an exhausted voice.

"Mom, who's picking me up from school today?" a blonde thirteen year old named Michelle Cox asked.

"Your grandmother. Do me a favor and don't give her any fashion advice today, alright, Sarah?" Summer replied as she poured five glasses of milk.

"What?!" Michelle shot Summer a innocent look. "It's not my fault she dresses like she does. I'm just trying to help."

Summer held her breath. This was the part the cast had been having trouble with today. Well, not the entire cast. Just one part of it. The little dark brunette who played Summer's character's youngest daughter. She was the problem today and no one else.

The set was quiet for a good two minutes before Melyssa Shirmer spoke. "I forgot my line!" Melyssa said grinning so that she was showing everyone all her teeth, minus her two front ones that she had lost. Melyssa started giggling as if she thought that forgetting her line was the funniest thing that ever happened to her. In Melyssa's case, Summer thought grimly, it probably was.

There were scattered groans and moans from all over the set and a few muttered irritably, "Melyssa!" Melyssa, however, paid no attention and kept grinning and giggling, seemingly uncontrollably.

Summer could tell Mark was trying not to lose his temper and she completely understood how he felt. "Will someone please take Melyssa and go over her lines again?" Mark asked with his hands clasped tightly together.

Kayla, one of the interns, rushed forwards. "I'll take her," Kayla offered as she thrusted her hand out to Melyssa. Melyssa gladly took Kayla's hand in hers.

As they walked off the set, Melyssa started skipping and asked Kayla hopefully, "Are we done now? Do I get to go outside?" The set door slammed shut behind them and no one on the set could hear Melyssa anymore (and everyone seemed extremely grateful).

Summer sighed as she rubbed her forehead. She could feel a huge headache coming on. She turned around and sat down on a comfy chair just off the set. "Are you okay, Mrs. Cohen? You look like you don't feel well, if I may say so," Eliza Weber asked Summer timidly.

Summer fought the urge to roll her eyes and, instead, forced a smile on to her face. Eliza Weber was Summer's new personal assistant. Her old assistant had unfortunately quit because she was moving to another city to live with her boyfriend. It wasn't that Summer didn't like Eliza-she was really nice and sweet, but she was always so nervous. Besides being nervous, she was always scared of everyone! Summer didn't understand how someone could be afraid of everyone. A few select people, sure. But not everyone.

"You can call me Summer and, no, I'm not really feeling that well. Do you think you could get me some water?" Summer asked shooting Eliza a small smile.

"Yes, Mrs. Cohen," Eliza answered, her face turning red before she scampered off in the opposite direction to get Summer her water. Summer didn't both to correct her on the Summer/Mrs. Cohen thing.

By the time Eliza came back, Summer was feeling very weak and dizzy. Her stomach felt as if she had been punched repeatedly. Her head felt like someone had been pounding on her brain with a hammer. Overall, she didn't feel so swell. Eliza handed Summer the glass of water. Summer raised the glass to her lips, which seemed to use a lot of Summer's strength, if not all. She took a sip quickly, hoping it would make her feel better.

Summer was sure all she needed was a little water to make herself feel better, but she had been way wrong today. The water had had the opposite effect on her, making her feel sicker than she had felt minutes before. She felt herself starting to shake slightly and wondered if anyone else could tell she was shaking. She went to hand the glass back to Eliza and realized that she could no longer see Eliza. In fact, she couldn't really see anything at all-all she could see was a bunch of colors, dark and light, swirling around her into one mess of color, an ugly color. She couldn't hear anything either. Her throat seemed to be clamping up and she was having a hard time breathing. Summer was almost positive that this was what drowning felt like. The next thing she knew, the glass she had been holding fell to the ground and shattered-loudly, that was the only thing she could hear-and she felt a burning pain in her left arm as she felt her entire body hit something hard and cold. Then everything went black.

* * * * *

Summer's eyes fluttered slowly open. She gazed at her surroundings. Where was she? Where ever she was, she didn't recognize it at all and was pretty sure she had never been there before in her life. The walls were painted the ugliest, puck-y green color you had ever seen and could ever imagine. There was also a funny smell in the air, but she wasn't sure what that smell was either-wait, now she remembered what that smell was-old people.

Summer wrinkled her nose in confusion as she sniffed the air once more. Summer had started wondering and worrying about where she was again when she suddenly felt as if holding her head up like she was took too much strength, strength that she apparently didn't have anymore. She let her head hit the white pillows behind her. She closed her eyes and prayed that when she opened her eyes she would be back in her big, comfy bed at home with Cohen.

No such luck for her. She opened her eyes and saw that she was still in that ugly room with that disgustingly gross smell. She was now aware that her whole body hurt and ached. She felt a lot of the pain in her left arm and in her head, though. She looked down at her arm as if she was reluctant to do so. She could feel stabbing pains in her arm and was quite scared to look down at her arm. It was bandaged up and, in a few different places, you could even seen where the bandages had been stained by blood.

Oh, my gosh, what has happened to me? Summer asked herself silently as she stared at her wound, feeling more than slightly nauseous

Suddenly, as if she had just remembered the throbbing pains in her head, her hands flew to her head. She quickly patted around her head as she looked for any bandages. She felt something on her forehead and found herself panicking when she felt it. She pushed on whatever wound was on her forehead, which, of course, turned out to be a big mistake. "Owwwwwww!" Summer cried out, dragging out the word as far as she could. She wanted to smack herself. Why on earth would someone push on their own wound like that? Maybe she had lost her mind and any common sense she had when whatever happened to her happened.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," a woman said from Summer's side.

Summer snapped her head in the woman's direction immediately. There stood a tall, thirty something year old nurse, whom, judging by her nametag, was named Hallie. "What happened to me?" Summer asked feebly.

"You passed out at your work and nearly slipped into a coma," Hallie replied. "How are you feeling?" Hallie asked as she handed Summer some ice water in a paper cup.

"A coma? How? Why?" Summer asked. "Am I going to be okay? What happened to my arm?" Summer could feel the panic rising quickly in her.

"Shh, calm down…you must keep calm or you could possibly pass out again," Hallie warned Summer sternly. "So, please, try to be calm…very calm."

"Okay, okay, okay," Summer agreed as she breathed in and out deeply. She was desperate to know what was going on and she was also just as determined to ignore the sharp stabbing pain she was feeling in both her head and her arm.

"You passed out because of the fertility drugs you were taking. Because of your medical history, you were building an addiction to the drugs and you weren't getting enough of them to satisfy the growing addiction. We managed to bring you back to consciousness before you were in a coma by using some counter-attacking drugs," Hallie explained calmly.

"Am I going to be okay? And what happened to my arm?" Summer said. She felt as though her head was spinning and she didn't think it was slowing down anytime soon. If anything, it seemed it was going to start spinning faster.

"When you fell, you dropped a glass, which shattered, and your left arm landed on the glass. You weren't badly cut, just bad enough," Hallie replied in a reassuring tone.

"I remember that!" Summer exclaimed meekly. It seemed as though her strength was coming and going rapidly.

Hallie nodded. "It'll all come back to you soon," Hallie promised. "Now, before you ask me again," a smile appeared on Hallie's lips, "you'll be fine as long as you stop taking those fertility drugs.

"WHAT?" Summer screeched as she bolted straight up and sat up. She couldn't stop taking the fertility drugs-at least, not until they actually worked. "B-but I need t-them!" Summer stuttered angrily.

"Dr. Kincaid is on her way down here as we speak so that she can personally speak with you about the drugs and what's the best plan for you to go with," Hallie explained. "Now-seriously-drink that water and calm down!" Hallie said sternly.

Summer reluctantly nodded because she didn't have the strength to argue back and drank the water. "Thank you," she said as she handed the empty cup to Hallie.

"I'll bring you some more water. Do you have anyone you want me to call? You'll be discharged in about a half hour, maybe a hour-tops," Hallie told Summer.

"Yes, Seth Co-" Summer started before stopping herself. She couldn't let them call Seth. She'd have to explain what happened then. "Um, Marissa Atwood. Her number is 555-8548," Summer told Hallie while placing a smile on her lips as she prayed silently that Hallie wouldn't ask about Seth.

Hallie didn't ask, just returned the same smile to Summer before saying, "Okay, I'll be back in a moment," Hallie told Summer before leaving Summer by herself in the ugly green room with the disgusting smell.

* * * * *

"Summer! I came down as soon as I got the call!" Marissa said as she rushed into the pucky green room. Her face was all flushed and red.

Summer looked at Marissa with concern. "Have you been running? Sit down," Summer ordered in a weak voice.

Marissa, however, wasn't paying any attention to Summer's orders. Her eyes went from Summer's bandaged arm to her bandaged head to her pale face. "WHAT HAPPENED?" Marissa roared again.

"I'll tell you if you sit down!" Summer replied in a shrill voice.

Marissa rolled her eyes and sank into a stiff looking chair across the room. "Okay, I'm sitting, now tell me!" Marissa snapped.

"I fainted at work," Summer said simply.

Marissa's eyes flashed angrily at Summer. "You make it sound so simple," Marissa observed. Suddenly, her eyes grew wide with both anger and concern. "Oh, my gosh, this is a side effect of those stupid drugs that you shouldn't even be taking in the first place!" Marissa accused Summer.

"It is not!" Summer lied, her tone matching Marissa's.

Marissa raised her eyebrows in a disbelieving way at Summer. "Um, let's see, do I believe you? Uh, nope. Sorry, Sum, but I've known you your whole life and I know when you're lying. Now tell the freaking truth. Right now!" Marissa demanded.

"This whole stupid thing was stress related," Summer lied again, waving her hand at Marissa in a dismissing way.

Marissa jumped up from her seat and sprang to Summer's side at once. "I am not even remotely kidding Summer Marie Roberts, you are going to tell me, right now, the entire truth!" Marissa yelled.

"Fine!" Summer snapped as she was suddenly reminded that Marissa could be down right scary when she wanted to be. "It was from the fertility drugs! Are you happy now? I have to stop taking them, because the truth is I was building an addiction to them and if I keep using them, there's a good chance I'll fall unconscious again and slip into a coma! I'm never going to be able to give Seth the one freaking thing he wants! He wants a baby and I'll never be able to do that for him. He's never going to be a father. Do you know what that feels like?" Summer screamed as she started to shake and sob all over again.

Marissa could feel her heart breaking. She hurriedly wrapped her arms around Summer and leaned her head against Summer's. "Everything is going to be fine," Marissa said in a soothing voice while she smoothed down Summer's tangled hair.

"No. He's given me so much, ever since he knew me. I didn't ever do anything for him until our junior year. And you know what I did? I started out by talking to him. Not even saying nice things, no, saying mean things! Horrible things! And, now, the one thing, the only thing, he's ever wanted me to give him was a child. And I can't do that, not now, not ever. He's never going to forgive me for this," Summer whispered.

"Summer, there's nothing to forgive. It isn't your fault you can't have children," Marissa shook her head wildly after this came out of her mouth. "You don't even know for sure that you two can't have a kid. And even if you can't, Seth still loves you. He wants to be with you and he doesn't care about whether or not you two can have biological children. I know Seth would be willing to adopt kids instead," Marissa said reassuringly to Summer.

"Nooo," Summer sobbed. "Sure, he'd be willing, but we both know he'd rather have biological children!" Summer cried out. Her tears kept spilling down her face and she looked sorrowfully at Marissa. Marissa was starting to feel uncomfortable, which never happened when she was with Summer, when Summer said something that made her feel far beyond uncomfortable to be where she was standing. "You wouldn't understand. You can give Ryan everything he wants. You can give him his own biological child. You don't have to adopt. You could if you wanted to, but nothing's forcing you to adopt. You two don't understand this problem, you couldn't possibly. You have your kid. What's that feel like? Hmm? To have your own kid, Ryan's kid, growing this very minute inside of you. Think about that for a minute and then imagine never being able to experience that. I never will with Seth," Summer said in her "and-it-sucks-but-that's-the-way-it-is" voice.

Marissa felt like she had been punched in the stomach. She knew Summer wasn't trying to be mean or hurt her feelings, but she kind of had. Marissa buried these thoughts in her head and said to her best friend since what seemed like forever, "Summer, I'm sorry. I really am. I would do almost anything for you and Seth to be able to have kids. Again, you don't even know for sure that you two can't. It may take time, sweetie. You know how these things go. It doesn't always go as previously planned or in a perfect way. But I know that one way or another, you and Seth will have a kid. Probably kids. You'll see, you just have to give it some time." Marissa wrapped her arms more tightly around Summer and whispered, "I promise you that you guys will have a kid, Sum. Just wait and see."

Summer nodded as the two continued to softly let their tears fall. Marissa hugged Summer, trying to come up with a way to comfort her. Suddenly, an idea popped into Marissa's head-it wasn't going to comfort Summer right now, but in the long run, this was what was best for her.

"I'm going to go grab myself some ice water. Do you want something?" Marissa offered.

Summer shook her head as she whipped her tears away. "No, no, the nurse is bringing something for me. Thanks though, Marissa. And thanks for being here for me," Summer said gratefully as she smiled sadly at her best friend.

"Where else would I be?" Marissa asked as she grinned at Summer. Summer returned the grin before Marissa walked out of Summer's room and closed the door tightly. "I'm really sorry about this Summer, but it has to be done," Marissa said softly. Marissa walked swiftly to the pay phone, put in her money, and dialed the number she knew by heart. As the phone rang, she prayed that Summer would forgive her and understand why she doing this.

"Hello?" Seth's voice came from the other end of the line.

"Seth, it's Marissa. I have to tell you something, something I promised I wouldn't tell anyone, but you need to know about this. I hope you're not mad at me after I tell you this, but I need you to know that I didn't not tell you because I didn't want to. The only reason I didn't tell you was because I promised Summer," Marissa rambled quickly.

"Marissa, you're rambling," Seth said in a half-joking tone. Suddenly he became very serious and said, "Summer's okay, right?"

"Seth, Summer has been taking fertility drugs. She didn't want you to know because she was doing it against your wishes and she knew you'd be angry with her. And, before you get mad at her, because I understand where you're coming from and I know that you do deserve to be some what mad at her, just think of her for a moment. She did this because she loves you and wanted to give you something you've always wanted. She feels horrible, like she has let you down," Marissa explained.

"MARISSA! You've been letting Summer take these fertility drugs! You know-I KNOW YOU KNOW-about her medical history! She can't be taking drugs like that! It's too dangerous for her, she could die! She told me that she wanted to think about the drugs longer before taking them! We canceled our follow up appointment at Dr. Kincaid's office and told her we'd schedule it again in a few weeks! I can not believe Summer would lie to me!" Seth yelled angrily. He took a deep breath as he prepared to start screaming angrily again when a thought suddenly formed darkly in his mind. "Marissa, why did you change your mind about keeping your promise? What happened? Is she okay? Tell me that she's okay, Riss," Seth said in a fearful voice.

"She's fine," Marissa said quickly.

"You promise?" Seth asked.

"I promise. She's about to be discharged," Marissa told him.

"Discharged? What happened to her, why is she in the hospital?" Seth demanded to know.

"She fainted a work, nearly slipped into a coma, and was taken to the hospital. She had them call me because she knew it from a side effect of the drugs she had been taking. She didn't want you to know and she certainly doesn't know that I'm calling you right now," Marissa told Seth. She was starting to feel very drained and wanted to sit down desperately. "Look, Seth, I'll bring her straight home. You can grill her then. But, please, I know how much she has you worried right now and how much she hurt you and I'm not saying what she did was good or right, but she did it for the right reasons. She really loves you," Marissa told him. "I'm begging you-don't go too hard on her," Marissa pleaded with Seth.

"Thank you for calling me and giving me a heads up. I can't promise I won't go too hard on her, but I will remember that she did it for the right reasons, which should help her case a bit, I guess," Seth said bitterly.

Marissa sighed. "I guess that's all I can ask you to do. I'll bring her home immediately," Marissa promised.