Sandy knocked on the bedroom door quietly a few hours later. The doctors had arrived, along with Caleb and Jimmy for Ryan's evaluation. Once they found out about Ryan's migraine, the discussion had turned to his pain management. Summer had volunteered that Ryan's residual pain was a source of his unhappiness and the doctors were going over his medical files more thoroughly.
Kirsten opened the door and stepped out.
"How is he?"
"He's sleeping right now. He asked me to stay with him…"
"He asked you to stay?"
"I was just as surprised as you. I don't think he wanted to be alone…how's it going with the doctors?"
"Loud. It's a good thing he's in here," Sandy replied. The gathered people were on the patio having discussions.
"I think he should try and eat something. But I don't want to wake him. Could you ask Rosa to make up something light?"
"Of course. You think he's going to be able to keep anything down?"
"He's not as sick as he has been in the past, like, he's not throwing up as much…"
"Good."
"I'm going to keep sitting with him," Kirsten said. She stepped back into the room.
---------------/---------------/--------------/---------------/--------------------/----------/
Ryan was still in the same position that she had left him, but his breathing was rapid and irregular. He was awake.
"Honey, are you all right?"
"I don't think so…"
"What's wrong?"
"I'll do anything to make this pain stop…anything…" He whispered.
"How can I help, Ryan? What do you need?" She asked, sitting down and pulling him across her lap. Her motherly instincts were kicking into overdrive and she would do anything to make him better.
He was shaking and his entire body was tense. "I don't…"
"Stay right here…" She went into the bathroom and got a washcloth. She cooled it under the tap and returned to the dark room. She laid the cool cloth across his eyes and began to massage his head.
"Is that any better?" She asked after a pause.
"A little…thanks…"
"Do you want to try and eat something?"
"Do you think it will help?"
"Maybe. It shouldn't hurt," She replied. "But just lie here a while, okay? Let's try this…"
-------------/---------------/------------/-------------/----------/-------------/-------------/--------/
"How is he?" Summer asked Sandy as he walked back into the kitchen.
"Kirsten said he was sleeping. How are you doing?"
"I…I wish I could talk to him. I wish I could do something for him."
Sandy put his arm around the smaller girl. "He knows you're here for him. That's all you can do right now."
"I know…"
Seth and Luke walked in. "What's up?"
"Why don't you guys go out for some dinner? You guys all need a break," Sandy suggested.
"I don't want to leave…" Summer started.
"He's having a migraine, right? He's not going to be mobile for a while, Summer. They're pretty brutal. Come on, you need to work on your tan," Luke said, putting an arm around her. "And afterwards, we can go down to Sylvia's to unwind."
"You'll call us if he…" Summer started.
"Of course. I'll call you if he gets up or anything."
-------------/---------------/--------------/-----------------/--------------------/------------/
"Hey. How do you feel?" Kirsten asked.
Ryan sat up. "Better. How long have you been here?"
She was curled up on the loveseat beside the bed. "I stayed with you. You've been asleep a few hours."
"Thank you. My head's better."
"Good. I want you to take something anyway."
He nodded. "Okay. I'll get a shower and try to eat something." Kirsten walked over and handed him some pills and he swallowed them obediently.
"There are clothes for you in the bathroom."
Ryan showered and dressed. His migraine had faded into a pounding ache and a nagging nausea but he could see and tolerate light again.
He stepped into the kitchen and joined Sandy and Kirsten.
"Where is everyone?"
"The kids are out," Sandy started.
"That's good. I don't mean for my depression to be contagious," Ryan smiled.
"Caleb's doctors came by today."
"What's the verdict?"
"We want you to stay here awhile. Be with your family. Not like a prison, you'll have the same amount of freedom that you've always had but…you'll have a support system and you can keep working things out with Seth…" Kirsten began.
"And we want you to talk to someone. Someone outside the family so you won't be worried about our reactions to what you say. A fresh perspective," Sandy added.
"I'm listening," Ryan nodded.
"What do you think?"
Ryan shrugged. "I'll try it. Sounds reasonable."
"That simple?" Sandy asked surprised.
"I don't have anything to lose."
----------------/-------------------------/--------------------/---------------------/--------
Ryan answered the phone so it wouldn't ring by his ear again. "Hello?"
"Ryan?"
He could barely hear Summer over the background noise. "Yeah?"
"Hey, are you better?"
"Yeah, are you drunk?"
"Yeah…by any chance, could you come get us?"
"What's up?"
"Luke picked a fight and Cohen, the dumbass, tried to get his back and now they won't let us drive home…"
"Where are you?" Ryan was amused.
"The regular place. Sylvia says she won't let any of us go anywhere until you show your face. All your little bar sluts are worried about you…"
"Summer…"
"You're all sluts!" She yells in the background.
"I'm on my way."
--------------------/---------------------/-----------------------/--------------------/--------
Ryan parked the car on the curb outside the bar. He got stopped by the bouncer and three different ladies on the way inside, all inquiring about where he'd been.
Finally, he made it to the actual bar. He had three ladies approach him all at once and he couldn't remember any of their names.
"I'm sorry, but I'm looking for my friends…"
"Please don't tell me that little bitch is your girlfriend," The blonde woman with her hand on his ass cooed.
"Who're you calling bitch, whore?" Summer's hand slapped the woman's face hard and Ryan had to physically pull Summer away from the woman. He pulled her into a corner and when he released her, she slapped him across the face.
"You're like a little man-slut, Ryan!" She said, slurring her words.
"Where's Luke and Seth?" Ryan asked, knowing that he had no excuses. He had slept with a lot of these women. The lack of emotional involvement wasn't really something to be proud of either.
"Our fucking hero has arrived," Luke said, walking up and leaning on Ryan. His face was bruised but Seth looked worse. He had a cut lip and two black eyes.
"Damn, man…"
"You never did teach me to fight," Seth muttered.
"He is seriously unskilled in the backup department," Luke agreed.
The three friends were drunk. "You guys ready?" Ryan asked. The music was a little louder than he could tolerate and he'd promised the Cohens that he'd be back within the hour.
"Ryan! Where the hell have you been?" Sylvia threw her arms around him.
"Get your paws off him!" Summer snapped but Luke stopped her from swinging.
"You're little friend's a little jealous. Violent, too."
"Sorry. I'll take them home…"
"Not without an explanation. What's going on? You…you dropped off the world and that's definitely not acceptable…"
"I've been a little under the weather…"
"You do look like hell. Anything I can do?"
"Thanks, but I'm okay."
"He's full of shit, that's what he is," Luke muttered.
Ryan glared at him and took him by the arm. "Thanks for not calling the cops, Sylvia." Seth and Summer helped each other stagger out of the bar behind Luke and Ryan.
Luke shook off Ryan's assistance once they were outside. Ryan could sense his friend's tension. He was in for an argument or a fistfight.
"What?" Luke snapped when he realized that Ryan was watching him.
"You seem like you have something you want to say to me," Ryan replied evenly. He wasn't going to get angry. He didn't have the energy or the emotion left to get angry.
"Yeah. Yeah, I do," Luke snapped immediately. He approached Ryan and towered over him. "You're such a fucking punk…"
"Okay."
Luke was so frustrated by Ryan's emotionless response that he pulled his arm back and punched Ryan in the face. After a second, he realized that unlike their battles in the past, Ryan didn't retaliate. He had been knocked back by the blow and was wiping the blood from his face.
"Dude…I'm sorry…"
"You want another shot?" Ryan held out his arms, offering himself to Luke.
"No…"
"No, man, take another shot. You want to hit me? Go ahead, I won't fight you…" Ryan said.
Luke was stricken. "No, Ryan…I'm sorry…"
"So we're good?" Ryan asked again.
"Yeah…" Luke whispered, too confused by Ryan's mood to respond.
"Let's fucking go." Ryan popped the locks and got into the driver's seat.