Luke was silent in the backseat with Seth. He hadn't meant to get violent but he was so frustrated with Ryan and the alcohol had only fueled his frustration. He'd never seen his friend this twisted up and the fact that he wouldn't talk to him or ask him for help was tearing Luke apart. Luke wanted to help him but he couldn't even read Ryan anymore. He had to do something, he had to make Ryan listen and the only thing that could get through to him was pain. But Luke shouldn't have hit him.

Summer was staring at Ryan as he drove. The alcohol in her system had fueled her emotion as well. She was happy to see him out of bed and functioning but she couldn't get the night's events out of her mind. Those women all asking Luke about him. Touching him. Kissing him.

"What?" Ryan asked, glancing at her. His face was pale and his face was swelling slightly.

"Did you sleep with all those women?"

Seth smiled. "Dude, you're busted."

"Did you?"

"What do you mean, all of them? Who?" Ryan sighed.

"Those bitches at the bar…they kept asking Luke about you and they had their hands on you…"

"Summer…"

"You let them touch you…" Summer whispered.

"What are you talking about? You weren't even here, we weren't even together, we're not even together now…" Ryan replied, defensive. His head was pounding again and the black spots were creeping into his vision as he drove.

"But how could you do that? Sleep with them…doesn't it mean anything to you? Doesn't the sex mean anything?"

"No, it didn't…it meant nothing," Ryan stammered.

"How could you do that? How could you be like that?"

"God, Summer, give the kid a break…" Luke started from the back.

"Don't defend him, you were kicking his ass, like, 2 blocks ago…" Summer snapped.

"I won't let you dog him for that, those women knew what they were getting into, he didn't trick any of them, he was up front about everything…" Luke defended.

"It's just sex…" Ryan muttered.

"Not helping your case," Seth added.

"I just…seeing all those women, all those fucking sluts asking about you, they all are worried about you…they all want you, Ryan and…" Summer was saying.

Ryan pulled the Range Rover into the driveway with a screech of tires. He had his hand covering his face.

"Dude?" Seth called. He could sense that something was wrong.

"Fuck…" Ryan muttered. He pulled his hand away from his face and they could see blood on his hand. His nose was bleeding sluggishly.

"Ryan…" Summer gasped.

"It's nothing," Ryan muttered. He stepped out of the truck and staggered slightly as he closed the door.

"You're bleeding…" Luke said, stepping out.

"Well, you fucking hit me…" Ryan muttered. "You guys better straighten the fuck up before the Cohens figure out how wasted you are…"

"Ryan…" Summer was at his side now but he flinched from her touch.

"Don't touch me…just step back…" Ryan said. The punch from Luke had brought his migraine back in full force. He was going to be sick.

"Don't touch you? You'll let those bitches touch you but you won't let me touch you?" Summer snapped suddenly. Seth grabbed her arms as Ryan staggered away from her voice and fell to his knees.

"Summer, he's in pain, just stop…" Seth urged. He knew she was too drunk to know what she was doing. He pulled her away from him.

Luke was beside Ryan now. He wasn't angry. He wasn't frustrated. He was worried. He'd hit Ryan and made everything worse. "Ryan? Ryan, come on…let's get you inside…" He put his arm around Ryan and lifted him unsteadily to his feet.

"I'm going to be sick…"

"I'm just helping you to the bathroom, buddy, come on…" Luke urged. He staggered to the door and was relieved when Sandy swung open the door.

"What happened? He was fine when he left…" Sandy said immediately, taking Ryan's free arm and helping him into the guest room.

"We kind of got into it…"

"Not his fault," Ryan murmured as he staggered out of their grasp into the bathroom. They could hear him retching.

"Dammit, Luke, are you drunk?"

"Yeah…I'm sorry, Sandy…"

"You called Ryan to come get you because you were drunk? God, Luke, he's in no shape…"

"I know, things just got out of hand…"

"Out of hand?" Sandy snapped.

Summer and Seth joined them in the hallway.

"Things got out of hand, Luke, why don't you explain that to me? Ryan's been so fucking sick that he can't even get out of bed and you still decided that he would be the best person to come and get you out of a bar fight?" Sandy was incensed. Kirsten pushed past him and closed the door to the guest room behind her.

"I called him, Mr. Cohen…" Summer admitted.

"Why?" Sandy demanded.

"Sylvia, she wouldn't let us leave and she wanted to see Ryan…" Seth joined in. They were all in trouble.

"What the hell are you kids thinking? Ryan…" Sandy started.

"How the hell were we supposed to know he'd come running out there?" Luke asked, the alcohol igniting his temper again.

"Ryan would do anything you asked him…" Sandy snapped.

"I know that, and I'd do anything for him…"

"Like punch him in the face?"

"At least I'm doing something!" Luke retorted. "I had to do something…"

Sandy's face twisted in anger. "He's in enough pain…"

"I know that. I know that better than anyone. I've watched him crucify himself for other people as long as I've known him and I promised myself a long time ago that I'd never fucking push him…"

"You think I'm pushing him?" Sandy snapped angrily.

"Goddammit, everybody's got these fucking expectations for him! He's just a man!" Luke yelled.

"Luke…" Seth vainly tried to get Luke to relax. Summer was too stunned to react.

"No, Seth, this is bullshit! Ryan's always so fucking concerned trying to please everyone, he wants to make you proud…"

"I am proud of him," Sandy reacted.

"Does he know that? Does he know that he doesn't have to live up to these expectations that he doesn't even have for himself? God, the kid's mom always told him he was trash, and he still turned out…he turned out okay, he knew that it wasn't true but he's still trying to prove it to everyone else…"

"I have never thought he was trash…" Sandy whispered, red with fury.

"No, he's just a charity case to you, a fucking experiment, to see if you could rescue one of the little delinquents and make him be a good person, well fuck that, Sandy, Ryan's always been a good person, he doesn't need your validation," Luke snapped.

Sandy slapped him impulsively and the sound echoed in the hallway. Luke didn't move.

"Shit…" Summer whispered finally.

The door to the guest room opened and Kirsten stepped out. "If you're going to argue, do it somewhere else. I mean it. Get out of this hallway, take it outside…" She closed the door behind her.

"Luke…" Sandy whispered.

"No. I'm sorry."

"I shouldn't have hit you…"

"I deserved it. I'll leave," Luke turned.

"You can't drive, man…and your car's not here, either," Seth said quietly.

"You should stay in the poolhouse," Sandy whispered.

"I was out of line, I won't…"

"Luke. I think everyone's on edge. Just go get some sleep. We can both apologize tomorrow," Sandy said.

"I get the bed, you get the couch," Summer said to Luke and pulled him into the kitchen. Seth didn't even look at his father as he walked past him up the stairs. Sandy turned to go into the guest room and found that Kirsten had locked the door.

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"Ryan, stop…stop, Ryan…you have to relax…Ryan…" Kirsten was close to panic. Ryan's migraine had returned with double fury and she couldn't get Ryan to respond to her at all. He had staggered out of the bathroom when she'd returned from scolding her husband, but he'd stopped dead in his tracks. He sat down before she could get to him and now was curled up in the corner of the guest room, shaking. He had his hands clasped over his face and despite the darkness in the room, he was suffering. He was rocking himself.

She crouched beside him, pulling at his wrists but he wouldn't remove them from his face, he was fighting her, trying to stay hidden.

Sandy and Luke had finally stopped yelling and it was quiet. They'd started out years ago with only one child, but they'd somehow ended up with Luke, Summer and Ryan under their wing as well. Sandy could yell at Luke because he was a part of the family.

"Ryan, please…"

"Just leave…please…" He murmured finally.

"I just need to make sure you're all right, honey…look at me, let me see your face, okay?"

He lowers his hands slowly and clenches them. He was in so much pain. His eyes weren't even focusing on her, he was distraught.

"Ryan?"

"I can't stay here…they're fighting about me…it doesn't matter what I do…it's never right…"

"Ryan, that's not true, no one's angry at you…"

"Luke, Summer, Sandy…they're all mad…I don't want to hurt anyone anymore…Kirsten…" He whispered as he covered his face again.

"Oh, Ryan…honey, it's not like that…"

"I just want it all to stop…" He whispers.

"Okay, Ryan…what can I do? How can I help you?"

"It hurts…too bright…"

"I'm going to stay with you, okay? Can you get up? Can you get into bed?"

"Hurts…"

Kirsten couldn't let him stay in the floor, she had to get him up. He recoiled at first, but finally accepted her help getting to the bed.

"I'm going to get the washcloth, okay…it helped before…"

"You don't have to…"

"Yes, I do. I'm not leaving you right now…I promise…I'll be right back, okay?"

She knew that he wouldn't be able to talk to her, she doubted that through his pain he even knew how much his words had affected her. She wouldn't leave him. And as soon as he was feeling better, she was going to fix this.