*****
Kirsten held open the door to the poolhouse for Ryan and he slowly made his way inside. "Did the doctors give you anything for pain?"
"I'm okay. They gave me a shot and I think Sandy got some prescriptions for me," Ryan replied quietly.
"You don't want to talk about what happened?" She asked gently.
"I can't.," Ryan replied.
"Why not?" She asked.
He looked at her with pained blue eyes. "Because I can't."
"Lie down, honey. Did you want to get cleaned up first?"
"I'm too tired right now," Ryan admitted. "I just need to lie down."
"Okay, honey," She replied immediately. She couldn't stand to see him in such pain.
Ryan sat down heavily on the bed. He gingerly pulled the sling from around his neck and set it beside the bed.
"Can I get you anything, Ryan?" She asked.
"I'll be okay. Thanks," He answered.
"I'll leave you alone, honey. We'll be out to check on you in a little while, okay? Are you sure you don't want to lie down in the house?"
Sandy stepped into the poolhouse. Kirsten noticed how Ryan tensed up immediately at his presence. "Sandy, I think he should rest," She said suddenly.
"I have to talk to him," Sandy replied quietly.
"It can wait…" Kirsten said.
"She told you," Ryan stated flatly. His gaze was locked on Sandy.
"Yes. You should have told me," Sandy replied.
"I made a promise," Ryan said.
"What are you talking about?" Kirsten demanded. Before Sandy could answer her, Ryan got to his feet and rushed past them both, hurrying into the main house.
"Why are you being like this? He just got out of the ER and you're interrogating him," Kirsten started. Sandy turned to follow Ryan but she grabbed his arm. "Tell me, Sandy."
"Come on, we have to go inside," Sandy said.
"No. Not until you tell me what's going on between you two," Kirsten insisted.
"It's a family matter. Everyone is involved now…" Sandy replied, pulling her inside.
Ryan was leaning against the counter, pale and out of breath. He gave Sandy a chilling glare. "You wanted us to come to you? So you could handle it? Well congratulations. She's gone and you know damned well where she's gone. She didn't come to you because she knew how'd you react and you proved her right."
"Ryan…" Sandy started.
"Don't. I don't know what you said to her but it obviously made an impact," Ryan sighed. Seth appeared.
"You ready?" Seth asked.
"Yeah," Ryan replied.
"Hold it right there," Sandy snapped.
"No," Seth snapped in return. "You're so pissed at us for not coming to you that you're making everything worse. We're going to find Aunt Hailey."
"Wait. Hailey? What does Hailey have to do with any of this?" Kirsten asked, stricken.
"Sandy can explain it to you. We have to go now," Ryan remarked. He led Seth out of the kitchen.
*****
Sandy met his wife's worried gaze with a weary sigh.
"What? Sandy…"
"Sit down, Kirsten." Sandy sat down beside her at the counter.
"What the hell is going on? What does Hailey have to do with any of this?"
"I'm not going to tell you all the lies that I had to wade through to find out the truth, Kirsten, so just forget everything that's happened over the past couple of days and listen," He said slowly. He waited until she nodded. "Remember when Hailey told us that her boyfriend had beaten her up and Ryan came to her rescue? It wasn't her boyfriend. It was her dealer. She's been using drugs. Ryan found out and offered to help her. Seth knows too. Ryan helped her get enrolled in rehab and took her to an NA meeting."
"Are you serious, Sandy?" Kirsten asked, pale.
"Yes. This morning, Seth went to your father and borrowed 25 hundred dollars. Caleb called me and told me that he was suspicious. Before I could investigate, Seth called about Ryan's accident."
"Oh god…"
"Ryan was paying off Hailey's dealer when he was hurt," Sandy finished.
"I had no idea…she'd been doing so well, I had no idea she was on drugs…oh god…"
"I'm so angry at her for getting the boys involved in something like this…" Sandy said quietly. "But I shouldn't have scolded Hailey the way I did. I lost my temper…"
Kirsten was crying when Sandy looked at her. He wrapped his arms around her and she cried in his arms.
*****
"Get in this fucking truck right now," Seth said as he pulled the Rover up beside Hailey's car. Ryan was slumped in the passenger side, pale and exhausted. He had spotted her car at the convenience store a few blocks from the Cohen's house.
"Seth…" Hailey gasped in surprise when she recognized him.
"Where do you think you're going to go?" Ryan asked through Seth's window.
"You shouldn't be out, you should be in bed…" Hailey said to Ryan.
"He can get to bed once he makes sure you're okay. You can't run away from this, Aunt Hailey. You have to come back…" Seth said.
"Guys…" She started.
"You want to go to a meeting?" Ryan asked quietly.
Hailey hesitated.
"You can't take her to a meeting, man, you're about to collapse," Seth said, stunned that Ryan would even mention it.
"I can go by myself…" Hailey protested.
"Hailey," Ryan said her name quietly and she stopped. "Get in."
She got into the Rover obediently.
"Someone can come back for your car," Ryan said.
"Okay," She replied.
"Dad's being an ass, Hailey…"
"No, Sandy's right. I fucked up. I shouldn't have let you help me…"
"Oh stop it, Hailey. We're all in huge fucking trouble here. If we keep slinging blame around it's just going to make everyone feel worse and it's not going to help anything," Ryan said seriously. "You needed help. Who cares who helped you as long as you got help?"
"I'm so sorry, Ryan…" Hailey said as Seth pulled the Range Rover onto the highway.
"This isn't your fault, Hailey," Seth said. "Not entirely anyway."
"I knew that fucker today," Ryan said suddenly.
"What?" Seth asked, startled.
"His name is Anthony. I've met him before."
"When?" Seth urged when Ryan didn't continue immediately.
Ryan's eyes were closed and his face was tight with pain. He was breathing shallowly. "Trey tried selling some of Tony's product once. He fucked up and Tony ended up putting him into the hospital for a couple of weeks."
"Shit, Ryan…" Hailey muttered.
"I don't think he recognized me…but I need to call Trey tonight," Ryan said with his eyes still closed.
"Dude, are you okay?" Seth asked.
"Fine," Ryan murmured. "Hailey?"
"Yeah?" She answered.
"Do you need a meeting?" Ryan asked.
"Yeah. But I'm okay now. I'm meeting with Jake tomorrow and I'll be okay until then. My car's back there anyway," Hailey replied.
"You sure? Because I can take you after I drop Ryan off," Seth offered.
"I'm sure. I might change my mind after I face Kirsten," She admitted.
Seth pulled into the driveway. "Everything's going to be fine. Mom loves you."
Hailey and Seth got out but Ryan didn't move. Seth opened Ryan's door.
"Ryan? Dude?" Seth called.
"Yeah?" He opened his eyes. "Oh. Yeah." He stepped out and faltered. Seth grabbed his arm to steady him and Ryan recoiled with a grimace. "Not that arm, man…"
"Sorry, Ryan," Seth gasped, releasing him.
"You need to lie down," Hailey said and gently put her arm around his waist and guided him to the door.
Kirsten opened the door and pulled Hailey into a hug. Hailey started to cry. Kirsten led her inside.
Ryan slowly staggered into the house and Seth went to his side. Ryan put his hand on Seth's shoulder to steady himself.
"Seth, can you help me to the poolhouse?" Ryan asked quietly. "I'm a little dizzy."
"Sure, man," Seth replied. He helped Ryan into the kitchen.
"Ryan, Seth…did you find her?" Sandy asked, standing up as they entered.
"Mom's with her," Seth replied.
"Are you okay, Ryan?"
Ryan faltered suddenly and Sandy saw his blue eyes lose focus and roll back in his head.
Seth tried to catch him before he collapsed but Sandy had to step forward to help Seth support Ryan.
"Ryan…Ryan, man…" Seth gasped. They released his unconscious body into a chair.
"Seth, bring me the phone," Sandy instructed. He shook Ryan gently as Seth went to obey him.
"He said he was dizzy…" Seth said as he went to the phone.
"Ryan, wake up, kid…" Sandy urged.
Ryan's lips moved slightly.
"Ryan?" Sandy called.
Ryan blinked sluggishly and shook himself awake. "Sandy?"
"You collapsed, Ryan, are you all right?" Sandy asked.
"I need to lie down…I'm dizzy," Ryan admitted.
"I'm going to call your doctor…"
"No, it's fine…the doctor told me that I needed to take it easy because I lost so much blood…I just need to rest…" Ryan said quietly.
"I'll stay with him, Dad," Seth said.
Ryan attempted to stand up but lost his strength immediately. Sandy managed to catch him and lower him back in the chair again.
"Can you make it to the poolhouse?" Sandy asked.
"Maybe I should just sit a minute…" Ryan whispered.
"I'm calling the doctor. Just in case," Sandy said. He turned to Seth. "If anything changes…"
"I'll call you," Seth nodded.
Sandy dialed the doctor's pager number as he went to Hailey's room. He knocked softly. Kirsten opened the door.
"What's wrong?" She asked immediately.
"Ryan's not doing so well. I'm calling the doctor but…" Sandy started.
"Okay, I'm coming," Kirsten said as Sandy's phone rang.
Hailey, composed, followed Kirsten into the kitchen.
"Honey, what's wrong?" Kirsten asked, going to Ryan's side.
"I got dizzy," Ryan began.
"And passed out," Seth finished.
"What did the doctor tell you to do? I haven't seen you take anything…"Hailey mentioned.
"I was supposed to come home and drink lots of liquids and sleep…" Ryan replied quietly.
Seth sighed. "Why didn't you say something?"
"I got distracted…" Ryan whispered. Kirsten put an opened bottle of juice in front of him.
Sandy returned with the phone and held it out to Ryan. "It's the doctor. He wants to talk to you."
Ryan accepted the phone and talked to the doctor quietly for a few minutes. Finally, he handed phone back to Sandy.
"Ryan?" Kirsten called.
"He says I should take some pills and go to sleep," Ryan said.
"Sounds like good advice," Seth remarked.
Ryan shakily got to his feet. Kirsten and Hailey each took an arm and gently led him into the den. He sat down on the couch.
"Lie down, Ryan. Just rest here for a little while, okay? We'll get you to your own bed once you've gotten some more energy," Kirsten said.
"Whatever you think…" Ryan murmured. He motioned for Seth.
"Yeah, man?"
"I need to call my brother…" Ryan whispered to Seth.
"You should wait until morning. You're dead on your feet. It'll be fine, okay?" Seth said calmly.
Ryan nodded and stretched out on the couch, too exhausted to be concerned about their worried surveillance.
*****
