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XOXO Jules
Chapter 20: "Well they'll never be the people who we are"
Summer sat on the couch, her hands on her face. What was she going to do? What else could she do? What would happen if Seth decided that he didn't want her to be around Ella… Seth wouldn't do that would he?
Summers cell phone rang over and over again.
"Ugh." She said shuffling through boxes to find it. "Ryan?" She said looking at the caller ID. "Hello?" She said as she picked up the phone.
"Summer." Marissa's voice said from the other line.
"Coop. Are you okay?" Summer said. Marissa sounded like she was crying.
"It's Seth…"
"Is he okay?" Summer said becoming worried
"He was in a car accident." Marissa said, her voice muffled.
"Oh my gosh. I'll be right there. Newport General?" She asked as an after thought
"Yeah." Marissa said
"Alright Coop. I'll be right there!" Summer said hanging up the phone and running out of her apartment grabbing her purse and keys.
The scene in the ER was a tense one. Kirsten sat with sobbing Sandy trying to comfort her. Even Ryan looked as though he had been crying. He had his arms around Noah who looked like a train wreck.
"Sum." Marissa said coming from the vending machines, arms full of coke. She had Ella who was asleep on her hip.
"Where is he? Is he okay?" Summer asked looking around.
"He's going to get out of surgery soon." Marissa informed her friend.
Summer took Ella from Marissas hip so she could balance the drinks.
"So what happened?" Summer asked Marissa as she glanced around the room.
"He was hit head on by a drunk driver." Marissa said crying.
"Do they know who was driving?" Summer asked kissing the top of her daughters head.
"Yeah. He's alright." Marissa said rolling her eyes through the tears. "He is fucking okay while Seth's hanging on by a string."
Summer could only guess that Marissa and Seth had become close in her absence. Marissa helping care for Ella and all.
"Is he going to live?" Summer asked tears streaming down her face.
"We don't know. He's really banged up. The doctors said that he sustained head trauma and has severe internal bleeding. If he wakes up now he will be in a lot of pain. They will most likely keep him in a drug induced coma until they are fully aware of all of the damage and some of the wounds and stuff heal."
Summer listened to Marissa as she spoke. The words hit her like a ton of bricks. What was going to happen to Ella if Seth ended up in a coma?
Seth came out of surgery an hour later. And as expected had to be put in a coma. Noah headed home and Kirsten went home with Ella because there wasn't much more left there that she could do. Summer, Marissa and Ryan left soon thereafter.
The next morning Summer decided to go over to the Cohens, … offer condolences so on and so forth. She hesitated on the step before she knocked. She Kirsten and Sandy had not spoken since before she left. Sure they saw each other at the hospital the night before but they all had other things on their minds… She knocked and took a deep breath as the door swung open.
"Summer." Kirsten said, her mouth opened…
"Hi Mrs. Cohen." Summer said feeling like a twelve year old girl again. She shifted from foot to foot.
"Come in." She said not cold but not exactly inviting either. The two sat down at the kitchen table a cup of coffee between her hands. "What brings you over?" Kirsten asked in a low voice as to not wake up Ella. It was Sunday so she didn't have school.
"I was just visiting to see how you guys were doing." Summer said genuinely
"We are doing fine considering." Kirsten said. "Ella doesn't know yet. She was asleep last night at the hospital. Anyway we are going to tell her when she wakes up."
"Weren't you supposed to be going on a vacation today with Sandy?" Summer asked remembering how Seth had told her that they had been planning that trip for a year…
"Yeah, but we can't possibly go now that Seth is…" Her voice trailed off.
Summer nodded understanding.
"Do they know how long he might be under?" Summer asked
"At least a month." Kirsten said. "He broke his neck, both arms, a leg… he has stitches all over, he fractured his skull… he had all of the internal bleeding…"
"I just want to let you know that I will be here to help with Ella. Whenever you need it." Summer offered. "Even when you don't." She added
Kirsten looked at the girl and then looked away.
"I know it is not my place to ask you where you have been the past six years…" Kirsten said. "But wherever you were what you put my son through wasn't fair."
"I know Ms. Cohen, I came here to try to make things right. I can't change the past but I can be there for my daughter now. Take your trip." Summer suggested
"Excuse me!" Kirsten said.
"OH NO! I am not trying to get rid of you or anything!" Realizing what her words must have sounded like. "I am just saying that Seth is pretty much out of the woods. You will only be gone for two weeks! There is no possibility of Seth waking up for over a month. You have been planning this trip for a long time and Seth would hate you to not go because of him." Summer concluded
Kirsten pondered Summers words for a second. It had been awhile since her son and Summer had been together but she still knew him. She knew that Seth would not have wanted them to postpone their trip on account of him…
"I will think about it." Was all that Kirsten said. They noticed that Ella had appeared in the room.
"Mom, Nana." She said rubbing her eyes. "Where's Dad?" She asked rubbing her eyes.
Kirsten gently sat the little girl on her lap.
"Last night your daddy had a little accident." Kirsten said gently.
"Is he okay?" She asked looking up at her grandmother with worried eyes.
"He is going to be okay. But right now he is in a coma…" She said
"What's a coma?" Ella asked
"It's like a long nap!" Summer explained.
"When will he be up?" Ella asked looking at her mother
"It may be awhile honey." Summer said scooting over to join her daughter.
"When is he coming home?" Ella asked as she began crying
"He has to stay in the hospital for awhile." Kirsten said kissing Ellas forehead.
"But I want him now!" Ella yelled standing up stomping her foot, tears streaming down her face. "I WANT MY DAD!" She yelled giving out a high pitched scream and running out into the backyard. Although at six she didn't exactly know what a coma was she knew that it was bad, … she knew that her life was about to change.
Kirsten looked at Summer and lowered her head.
"This is your first task as a mother. Follow her." Kirsten said simply getting up and leaving the room.
Summer hesitated for a moment. How was she supposed to know what to do with her? She had never comforted anyone before! But she could let a six year old outside alone could she?
"Bam?" Summer said in a quiet gentle voice coming out of the door.
"What?" Ella asked. She was scrunched under the patio table with her knees pulled up to her chest.
"Are you alright honey?" Summer asked. Ella did not respond. Summer then got on her knees and scooted under the table along side her daughter.
"What are you doing!" Ella asked shocked that an adult would follow her childish ways.
"Talking to you." Summer said in the no duh tone.
Ella looked away from her.
"It's going to be alright Ella." Summer said stroking the girls curls
"How do you know?" Ella said shooting Summer a glare that would kill small animals
"Because, when I was little my daddy wasn't there sometimes." Summer explained.
"Was he in a coma too?" Ella asked
"…no. Look I know that it is hard when you can't see someone that you love a lot anymore."
"You mean your dad?" Ella asked squinting in the glare that the sun was making as it reflected off of the table top.
"No. I meant you." Summer said smiling kissing her forehead.
"So wad'da you do?" Ella asked
"Have faith that things will get better."
Now Ella didn't know what faith was but she would try to get some and fast. After all it was faith, whatever it was, that brought her mommy back right?
Sandy and Kirsten watched the two from inside of the kitchen.
"What does this mean?" Sandy asked wrapping his arms around his wife's waist.
"I think that it means we are going on our vacation after all." She then smiled.
Coming up:
What is Marissa ACTUALLY giving birth to?
Will Seth come out of the coma?
What about Noah?
Who will Summer turn to when things get tough having Ella alone? Noah?
Seth/Noah/Summer/Craig