Protection

xxxx

"I can't, Seth."

"Come on, man!" Seth's voice cracked in frustration. "You gotta go!"

"Seth, I can't. I already told Marissa I couldn't make it. I've got to get this paper done." Ryan tried to be patient, but it wasn't easy. He was way behind on the paper, and it was due on Monday.

Seth threw himself down on the bed. "Fine."

"No one's stopping you from going. Go, if you want."

"I'm not going by myself. You remember what happened last time?" Seth rolled his head over so he was looking at Ryan. "Luke's been having a hard enough time. I'd hate for him to get shot again."

Ryan rolled his eyes. "You weren't by yourself – you were with Donnie. You're not planning on hooking up with another psycho are you?"

"I just won't go."

Ryan shrugged and went back to his paper.

"Hey, is Marissa going?"

Ryan sighed. "She said something about going with Summer."

Seth chewed on his lip. "I guess that wouldn't work." Pensive, Seth stared at the ceiling. He'd give almost anything if he could go back to the time when Summer just ignored him or snapped at him. The icy, wounded way she avoided him now made his heart hurt. He couldn't figure out how to make it better.

Ryan saw the sadness on Seth's face, and relented a little.

"She didn't say for sure that they were going together. You could call her and see."

"You think?"

Ryan lifted a shoulder in response.

"You don't mind?"

Now, Ryan raised an eyebrow at him.

"Right."

Seth jumped off the bed. "I'll go call."

Ten minutes later he was back, bounding through the door.

"Marissa's going."

"Cool."

Seth flopped onto the bed again.

"Do you think Summer will be there?"

Ryan let his head fall back and put his hands over his face.

"Seth."

"Sorry." Seth sat up. "You work. I'll go."

Ryan inclined his head. "Thank you."

Ryan was still sitting at his desk, with his head in his hands, fingers clutching spasmodically at his hair. There was so much information. He couldn't figure out how to get it on paper. Scrubbing his hands roughly over his head, he jumped and turned around when Marissa flew through the door into the pool house.

"Heeeeey."

"Hey," he smiled as she kissed him.

"How's it going?"

He turned to look sadly at the books on the table.

"Not good."

"So, no chance you can go?"

"Sorry."

"Come on," she smiled, kissing him again and pressing up against him. "Just for a little while."

Ryan kissed her back, pulling her close. "I can't."

"Pleeease," she continued to kiss him, moving her mouth from his lips, across his jaw, to his neck.

Ryan angled his chin up to give her better access. "Mmmmmm. I can't, Marissa, I've got to work on this paper."

"It's not due till Monday! You've got all weekend. We'll just go for awhile."

"Marissa." Ryan pulled away slightly. "You know I'm having a hard time in this class. I have to do well on this assignment, and I just can't...."

Marissa started to kiss him again, more insistently, rubbing her hands up his chest. "Come onnnnnn." Kiss. "Just." Kiss. "For." Kiss. "A." Kiss. "Little." Kiss. "Bit."

"Marissa, stop." Ryan was smiling as he drew back. She followed him, kissing him harder. Suddenly uncomfortable, Ryan took her shoulders in his hands and pushed her away gently. "What's going on?"

Marissa jerked out of his grasp. "Nothing. I just can't believe you're ditching me for some stupid paper."

"I'm not ditching you. I told you I couldn't go tonight." Ryan stared at her, confused. "I don't understand why you're mad – you knew I wasn't going."

Flouncing away from him, Marissa pouted. "I thought when Seth called he was covering for you." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm not going to go without you."

Ryan gritted his teeth. "You told Seth you'd go."

"Well, I thought I was agreeing to go with you. I changed plans with Summer so I could go with you." She pondered. "Maybe I'll see if Summer wants to go now."

"But Seth...."

"Seth will be OK."

"You told him he could go with you!" Ryan was starting to get angry.

Marissa frowned at him. "So? Seth's not going to care if I change plans."

Ryan looked at her incredulously. "Are you serious? Marissa...."

But Marissa was ignoring him, turning her back as she put her cell phone to her ear.

"Hey, Summer!" Marissa chirped into the phone. "Turns out Ryan isn't going to the party, so I'm free again."

Ryan could hear the tone of Summer's voice across the room, and it was clear she wasn't happy.

"What are you so mad about?"

There were more angry words from the other end of the line.

"Summer, he's my boyfriend! Of course, I'm going with him if he's going."

From the shrill sound now piercing Ryan's eardrums and apparently Marissa's, that hadn't been the response Summer was hoping for.

"Summ...."

Individual words were now distinguishable – "inconsiderate," "Chino," "second choice."

"Fine!" Marissa yelled into the phone and snapped it shut.

She glared at Ryan, and stormed out the door.

"Marissa!" Ryan started after her. Just as he reached the door, he saw Seth burst out of the back door of the house.

"Hey!"

"Come on, Seth." Marissa cast another angry glance over her shoulder at Ryan. "Let's go."

Sensing the tension, Seth glanced at Ryan. "Okaaaay. Ry...."

"Seth!" Marissa snapped.

Eyes darting from one to the other, Seth raised a hesitant hand at Ryan, waving slightly, then darted after his ride. Before he disappeared around the corner, he turned, walking backwards as he gestured from his eyes to Marissa's retreating back. "I'll keep an eye on her," he mouthed.

Ryan had decided that a different locale might help get the creative juices flowing, so he'd packed up his laptop and books, and camped out in the den. Easy access to the kitchen and the quiet hum of the television in the background seemed to have helped and he was engrossed in his writing when the phone rang. Finishing his thought, Ryan reached for the phone.

"Chino, are Cooper and Cohen there?"

"What?" Ryan looked up at the clock on the VCR – 1:10. He'd lost track of time. With the parental units gone for the evening, there wasn't an enforceable time Seth needed to be home, but it surprised Ryan he was out this late. "They're not here."

"They're not?" Summer's voice was unhappy. "You haven't seen them?"

"Not since they left for the party." Ryan eased the computer off his lap. "Why?"

Miserably, Summer sighed. "They were pretty wasted. I told Marissa to come find me before they left, but ...."

"Wasted? Marissa's not supposed to be...."

"You think I don't know that! I tried to get her to ease up, but she wouldn't listen." Summer was starting to get angry. "I thought Seth would be able to keep her under control, but the next thing I knew, he was acting as loaded as she was."

"Did you look for the car? Maybe they're walking home."

"Of course I looked for the car! It wasn't there." Ryan heard a horn scream over the phone as Summer cursed loudly. Ryan raised an eyebrow.

"Where are you?"

"In the car trying to find them, what do you think?" Her voice was a snap, but Ryan could hear the worry underneath it. "They'd head home, wouldn't they?"

"Yeah. I think." He was on his way to the kitchen for the keys to the Range Rover. "I'll start from here. Where are you?"

He had just reached the front door, when it swung open, almost knocking him down. He staggered back as Marissa stumbled through the door.

"Heeeeeeeey," she lisped as she moved in for a kiss.

"Marissa," Ryan head snapped back away from her, the smell of alcohol almost making him gag. "Did you drive?" He steadied her even as he tried to move past her. "Where's Seth?"

Marissa giggled. "Seth is soooooo wasted." Ryan scowled at her, propping her against the doorjamb. He brought the momentarily forgotten phone back to his ear. "Summer, they're..." Before he could finish, there was a squeal of tires as Summer pulled up the drive. Ryan eased Marissa to the ground before she could fall down, and ran quickly down the front steps.

"God damn it, Coop!" Summer scream of rage could be heard through the closed car door. Flinging open the door, Summer stormed up the drive. "What the hell were you thinking?

Ryan peered through the window of the Cherokee to see Seth sprawled across the back seat. Shaking his head with relief and frustration, Ryan pulled the door open.

"Come on, man, you gotta get up." Ryan shook Seth. No response. Ryan grunted in annoyance, and climbed into the Jeep. "Seth." He gave his friend a shove. "Get up." Still no movement. Ryan looked over his shoulder to see if he could get any help from Summer, but she was mid-harangue with Marissa, who was grinning stupidly at her friend.

Knowing he couldn't expect anything from Summer, Ryan eased back out of the car, grabbing Seth by the arms to pull him clear. Seth was a dead weight and Ryan overbalanced as he tugged. Still hanging onto Seth's arms, Ryan toppled over, unceremoniously jerking Seth on top of him. Ryan's breath left him abruptly as he landed hard on the pavement, and he lay breathless, Seth's inert form pressing against his chest.

"Get off!" he panted, pushing hard.

He rolled Seth to one side. Seth landed on his back, limbs splayed.

Unconsciously, Ryan mimicked Seth's position, arms akimbo, as he tried to catch his breath.

"God." He looked over at Seth.

In the porchlight, Seth's face was pasty. Frowning, Ryan crawled toward his friend.

"Seth?" More gently now, Ryan shook Seth's shoulder. He put a hand on Seth's cheek. He was clammy and Ryan felt Seth start to shake. "Seth?" Ryan felt the fear begin to well up, as he tried to rouse his brother. "Wake up!" There was no response except an agonized groan. Ryan pulled Seth toward him, shaking him. "Wake up!"

Summer suddenly became aware of the rising urgency in Ryan's voice. She turned from Marissa and met Ryan's frightened eyes.

"Summer, this isn't right. It isn't right." Summer ran down the steps and dropped to her knees beside Ryan.

"What is it?" Summer looked uncertainly at Ryan. "He's drunk."

"No. No! This is different. It isn't right." Ryan moved toward Seth's feet. "Get his arms." He hooked his own arms underneath Seth's knees.

"What?!"

"Help me."

"What? What are you doing?" Summer grabbed Seth under his arms.

"We're going to the hospital."

"The hospital?! Chino, he's just drunk." She staggered slightly under Seth's weight.

"No, he's not. There's something wrong." Ryan backed into the Range Rover, settling Seth.

"Go get Marissa. We can't leave her here."

"What did he take?" The doctor examining Seth moved quickly around the gurney, nurses and orderlies swirling around him. He was barking orders, and he had turned sharply to Ryan, rapping out the question.

Ryan blinked. His eyes went from Seth to the doctor and back again. "I...."

"What did he take?" The doctor took Ryan's arm, giving him a little shake.

Ryan looked at the doctor.

"I don't.... Nothing! He wouldn't have taken anything. He doesn't ...."

"Were you with him?"

"No, but...."

"Who was with him?" He turned to Summer. "Were you? Did he take anything?"

Summer shook her head. "No! I saw him with a drink. I didn't see him take anything!" She had started to cry. "He wouldn't."

"Look. I'm not trying to bust any of you, do you understand that? But I have to know what he's on to be able to treat him." He blew out a breath in frustration. "Who was with him?"

Summer and Ryan turned to Marissa, who slumped, almost unconscious, on one of the waiting room chairs.

xxxx

"He was being such a drag, following me around, watching me, talking to me." Marissa started to cry. "I only wanted him to leave me alone. Blake said it would just make him happy!"

Ryan stared at her in disbelief. "Seth took drugs?"

Marissa's swiped at her tears, eyes shifting to Summer. "He..."

"You put it in his drink," the dark headed girl said, realization dawning.

"I..." Marissa opened her mouth, but was unable to find the right words.

"You drugged him?" Ryan's voice was incredulous.

The doctor intervened, quickly.

"What did it look like? Can you describe it?" Taking Marissa by the shoulders, he shook her. "What was it?"

"I don't know!" She looked at Ryan. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean anything!" She reached for Ryan. "Please!" She was sobbing, twisting away from the doctor.

The doctor struggled to get her attention, taking her chin in his hand and turning her face to him. "You have to tell me what you gave him."

Marissa refused to be distracted. "Ryan," she pleaded. "Don't be mad at me. I just wanted him to leave me alone." Her breath was hitching. "Please, don't be mad! Please!"

Frustrated, the man turned to Ryan. "Help me."

The doctor's urgency finally penetrated Ryan's numbness over the shock of Marissa's behavior, and he dropped to knees beside Marissa. "Marissa, what did you give him?" Still crying, Marissa sniffed, "I'm sorry, Ryan, please...."

Ryan shook his head, giving her a strained smile. "It doesn't matter," he said. "It doesn't matter."

"Please don't be mad," she reached out to stroke his cheek. Ryan resisted the urge to cringe away from her touch.

"I'm not mad, but you have to tell us what you put in Seth's drink, OK?" Ryan looked at the doctor. "Was it a pill? Or a powder?" The doctor nodded his head encouragingly. He was struggling not to slap the girl, but it looked like the boy had finally gotten through to her.

Marissa put her head on Ryan's shoulder. "A pill. It was little and blue." She sighed. "I'm glad you're not mad. I love you. Seth was being such a pain."

xxxx

The doctor had rushed back to Seth once he realized he'd gotten all the information out of Marissa he could. Ryan and Summer had stared after him.

Marissa had passed out almost immediately, and Ryan had gotten away from her as quickly as possible. Summer, confusion and hurt in her eyes, had followed Ryan across the waiting room.

"She put something in his drink? I don't...." She stumbled to a halt. "I don't understand how she could...." She stopped and looked back at Marissa, lost. Summer's whisper was broken with tears.

"When did she become this person?"

xxxx

Ryan talked to Sandy after the doctor had. Sandy had been deadly calm – in lawyer mode, clipped, to the point – Are you OK? Are the girls OK? We'll be there soon. Ryan had hung up feeling a sharp ache of loneliness, disconnected himself.

Summer was hunched in the corner of one of the couches, knees drawn up, eyes tracking with Ryan's every movement. He sat down gingerly next to her, perched on the edge of the sofa.

"They're coming."

When the Cohens entered the waiting room, they saw Summer and Ryan on one side of the room, both tucked into the end of one of the couches, sharing a single cushion – Summer was curled into a ball in the corner, Ryan ramrod stiff next to her. They were so close they were almost touching. Almost, but not quite. It was an odd tableau. They gave the appearance of togetherness, but their isolation was palpable. On the other side of the room, sprawled on a couch was Marissa. Both Summer and Ryan had their eyes fixed on Marissa's inert form when the Cohens came into the room, but their heads snapped around when Sandy and Kirsten walked through the door.

The two teenagers stood uncertainly as the adults hurried across the room. Kirsten had thought her only concern was Seth until she saw Ryan's pale face. Without hesitation, she reached for him, impulsively pulling him into her arms. Ryan responded with an involuntary desperation, wrapping his arms tightly around her, pressing his face into her neck. Kirsten almost smiled, in spite of herself, at the feel of Ryan's cold nose against her collar bone, but was sobered by the tremors that shook the boy's sturdy frame. The fingers that clutched at the back of her blouse were icy through its thin silk.

He's frightened, Kirsten realized with a jerk in her heart. She reached a hand up and smoothed it over Ryan's head. "Shhhh, sweetie. Shhhhh." She rocked gently back and forth as she held him. "We're here."

Ryan had felt an odd numbness as he'd waited with Summer for the Cohens. A familiar sense of aloneness had settled into his bones. He'd been here before. Different hospital, but.... Same waiting, same emptiness, same fear. That time it had been his mother rushed to the hospital, whisked away into the unknown bowels of the building, and Trey sitting next to him, both boys frightened and on their own.

An odd feeling of déjà vu almost overwhelmed him, and he'd stared across the room at Marissa. How had she gotten him back to this place again? He tried to remember what he'd ever felt for her. But he couldn't get a hold of it. It was gone and all he felt was the cold.

His mother had died that night, they'd told him, but they'd brought her back to life. He tried to think what he'd do if Seth died, but it was incomprehensible to him. So he didn't think at all.

And he hadn't felt anything but the cold until Kirsten and Sandy had come through the door. He hadn't been prepared for the relief that had washed over him when he saw his foster parents, and was barely conscious of falling into Kirsten's arms as she'd drawn him close. He'd only recognized that she was there, that Sandy was there, and that they would take care of everything. This time the burden would not be his.

Kirsten turned slightly, never loosening her hold on Ryan, catching Sandy's eyes over Summer's head. The girl had burrowed into Sandy's chest, crying as Sandy ran a hand up and down her back. He, too, was doing his best to comfort the child that clung to him. "Have you talked to the doctor?" Sandy asked it softly, looking down at Summer and then over at Ryan. Summer shook her head, never lifting her face from Sandy's shirt front. Ryan shook his head, too, but managed disentangle himself enough from Kirsten to meet Sandy's eyes.

"Not since he talked to you."

Sandy reached out and put a comforting hand to Ryan's cheek.

"I'm going to see what I can find out." Smoothly, Sandy shifted Summer into Kirsten's care. Without letting go of Ryan, Kirsten wrapped an arm around Summer, and guided both kids to the couch. They sat, silently, in a row, SummerKirstenRyan. Tears streaked down Summer's cheeks, while Kirsten, arm around Summer's shoulders, skimmed a hand up and down the girl's arm. On Kirsten's other side, there were no tears, but Ryan continued to shake, holding her hand tightly.

xxxxx

When Sandy walked back into the waiting room, his eyes went involuntarily to Marissa's unconscious form before he focused again on his family.

Kirsten had stood when Sandy came in; Summer and Ryan following her up.

"He's going to be fine."

On a sob, Kirsten stepped into Sandy's arms.

"They pumped his stomach, and he'll need to stay overnight," Sandy said it into Kirsten's neck. "But he'll be OK." Reaching out, Sandy drew Ryan and Summer into the hug with Kirsten. "He's going to be all right."

"Where's Marissa?!" Julie Cooper's voice rang through the room. "Where's my daughter?" Her eyes found the unconscious form on the couch, and, with an anguished cry, she threw herself at the couch where Marissa was passed out. She tucked a strand of hair behind Marissa's ear. "Baby?" She stroked her daughter's face, but the girl was unresponsive. Turning, Julie saw the huddle of the Cohens and Summer start to break apart. Her eyes settled on Ryan.

"What have you done to her?" She screamed it, hurtling across the room, hand raised to strike him.

Unprepared for an attack, Ryan could only brace himself for the blow, eyes closing in anticipation of the slap. But it never came.

"Don't you dare." Kirsten's cold voice made Ryan's eyes blink open and shift from Julie's enraged face, just inches in front of him, to Kirsten's hand, gripped tightly around Julie Cooper's wrist.

Ryan's eyes widened in surprise, and he took an uncertain step back, away from the two women. Kirsten stepped into the gap.

"If you ever lay a hand on him...."

Ryan stared at Kirsten, unsure what to do, what to say, but Sandy was there and moved forward, laying a reassuring hand on Ryan's back and then a calming one on Kirsten's. But his voice was hard as he now put himself between Julie Cooper and his wife. And Ryan.

"She's drunk."

"Wha...?" Julie started to sputter.

"And she put drugs in Seth's drink. He's the reason the kids are here." Sandy looked across the room at Marissa. "The doctor said Ryan may have saved Seth's life."

"That's a lie!" Julie spit out. "Marissa would never...."

"She did." Summer said it softly, but clearly.

All eyes turned to her.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Cooper, but she did." Summer's eyes welled up and over. "She told us that she did."

Julie's stony demeanor crumpled slightly, but she soldiered on.

"If you...." She pointed an accusatory finger at Ryan.

"No." Kirsten stepped around Sandy. "This is not Ryan's fault."

Julie rounded on Kirsten. "If he'd...." But Kirsten wasn't having any of it.

"Ryan." Ryan jumped at Kirsten's voice. She turned toward him, ignoring Julie.

"Why don't you and Summer go sit with Seth?" Her expression softened at Ryan's startled, wide-eyed gaze. She ached to be with Seth, but Sandy said he was going to be fine, and this needed to be dealt with. Now. Sandy met her eyes. He knew she wanted Ryan out of Julie's line of fire.

"He's in room 312." Sandy nodded at Ryan and Summer, indicating his agreement with Kirsten's suggestion.

Hesitantly Ryan moved away from the adults, Summer beside him.

He watched Sandy and Kirsten carefully, "O.K."

"We'll be right there."

xxxx

"How's he doing?"

Ryan and Summer turned from Seth's bedside.

Kirsten pushed past the two awkward teenagers, putting her arms around her son.

"Sweetie?"

Still unconscious, Seth made a plaintive sound, and turned toward his mother.

Ryan backed away from the bed, gravitating toward Sandy. Summer moved away, too, but stayed close.

"Is everything OK?" Ryan's voice was quiet, not sure what might have happened after he and Summer had left.

Sandy put an arm around Ryan's shoulders and pulled him to his side.

"Everything's fine."

Sandy was surprised that Ryan didn't pull away immediately. And, in fact, Sandy felt the boy relax slightly against him. He took a risk and kissed Ryan softly on the temple.

"The doctor said your quick reaction kept things from getting too bad." He pulled back slightly to look at Ryan. "Bringing Seth in, getting Marissa to talk."

Ryan wouldn't look him in the face. "I never would've thought...."

Sandy tightened his embrace. "None of us would have, Ryan. It's not your fault." Almost imperceptibly, Ryan leaned a little more into Sandy.

"I'm sorry about Julie Cooper," Sandy said softly, shaking his head. "I can't believe she tried to hit you."

"Kirsten didn't let her." Ryan's voice was a whisper, and Sandy turned to him. But Ryan's eyes were on Kirsten. The look on Ryan's face was an expression of such awe, such wonder, that it took Sandy's breath away, and he had to work to get the words past the lump in his throat.

"No," he said gently, his own eyes fixed on his wife. "She didn't."