Next time I go camping, I want a pool boy. Wait, there are no pools. How about a beach boy? Nah, they're getting kind of old. A trailer boy? A Trailer Park Boy? Hell, no. I'm not that desperate. I must be tired. I think only my fellow Canadians will understand my love for Bubbles.

I'm not too sure what I mean either. It's good to be back though.

I know this chapter's short. My brain stopped working in Bobcaygeon.

Chapter Eighteen.

"Kirsten..." Sandy reached into the cart, pulled out the sheet set she'd just placed in there and put it back on the shelf. "All Seth needs is an air mattress, sleeping bag and a pillow. That's it. Nothing else."

She leaned in behind her husband, retrieved the sheets and put them back in. This time, she added a down filled comforter as well.

"They need linens and towels..." Kirsten wheeled the cart into the next aisle. As she absently dropped oven mitts, tea towels and throw pillows in, Sandy quickly took them out, returning them to their proper places.

"We should pick up a tv..."

"Honey, stop.... Please?" He put his arms around her shoulders, drawing her to him.

"I know you want to make things easier for him, I really do. If I thought it would help matters, I'd buy out the whole store, but Ryan needs to feel like he's doing this on his own. Maybe if he realizes that he can do things himself, it'll make it easier to accept us. Remember 18 years ago? An old mail truck? It made it easier to deal with your dad once we knew we didn't need him..."

Kirsten shook her head and pushed the cart forward.

"Ryan needs us. He's 17 years old. He needs a stable home. He needs parents. He needs to go to school. He needs..."

Sandy stopped the cart and took Kirsten's face in his hands, turning her head gently so she'd look at him. Tears glistened in her eyes. Sandy's voice was soft.

If Ryan does this on his own, it'll make him feel less like a charity case..."

The tears in Kirsten's eyes were replaced by anger.

"Ryan is not a charity case. Why would he think..."

Kirsten noticed the shoppers that stopped to listen to their conversation. She and Sandy were starting to draw a crowd.

"This is just foreplay." Sandy stated loudly. "The real action won't start until we get home..." He openly leered at Kirsten, enjoying watching her face flush. Their audience quickly scattered, leaving them alone again.

He became serious.

"I don't know if it's so much that Ryan thinks that, actually, he called himself "our social experiment", but it's how he believes the community sees him. He told me that here, he's not the kid from Chino whose mother dumped him. He's not the kid who burned down a model home. He's not the kid whose father and brother are in jail. No one looks at him and sees where he came from. They see him. They see what we see. A bright, hardworking young man who has his whole life ahead of him. They get to see the real Ryan Atwood, someone whom we've only seen glimpses of..."

Kirsten processed what Sandy said. He was right. He was right about people's attitude towards Ryan. She had pretended not to hear the comments and the snide remarks. Had they subconsciously made Ryan feel like someone's unwanted pet? A stray they had picked up? She hoped not. Once she took him into her heart, he was her son. The circumstances of his arrival didn't matter to her. Sure, they shaped who he was, but like Sandy said, Ryan was a bright, hardworking young man whose gentle spirit was shrouded by a tough exterior.

Everyone else could go and fuck themselves.

"So, no X-Box..."

Sandy smiled at his wife, once again reminded why he was so in love with her.

"Not if you want him home sooner."

"Okay, no electronics, no linens. But we are stopping at the pharmacy and picking up something for his fever. Something nasty tasting. Something that will teach him not to walk around in the rain..."

Sandy raised a substantial eyebrow. Kirsten laughed and kissed him.

"I want Ryan home as soon as possible.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Ryan... Wait... Come on, man..."

Seth was relieved when he saw Ryan stop at the vending machines in front of the store. He caught up to him just as Ryan was trying to drop coins into the machine. His hands were shaking. Seth gently took the coins from his brother, slid them in and pulled out a bottle of cold water. He opened it and handed it to Ryan. He watched as Ryan drained the contents. Wordlessly, he dug around in his pockets for more money. He opened another bottle of water, holding it out to Ryan before opening his own.

"Thanks..." Ryan mumbled.

Seth nodded and decided to keep his mouth closed as they walked back to the Range Rover. Ryan sat down on the pavement, his back against the car and took another sip of his water. Seth sat down beside him and noticed the shaking had subsided.

"You okay?" He asked casually, trying not to sound worried.

Ryan shrugged.

"Yeah..."

He rolled the bottle between his hands.

"Marissa told you Summer and I were fooling around?"

Seth nodded again, letting Ryan do the talking.

"Shit..." He looked at Seth. "Sorry... I should have called..."

Seth stared straight ahead.

"You shouldn't have left."

Ryan started peeling the label off the Dasani.

"Didn't think I had a choice..."

"Mom and Dad were scared. Dad was a basket case. We've been looking for you ever since you left. Even hired an investigator. Dad took a leave of absence from work to find you..."

"Didn't have to... I'm fine..."

Seth swallowed hard and looked back at Ryan.

"Don't you want to come home?"

Ryan stopped shredding the label, but he didn't look at Seth when he answered.

"I like it here. I have a job. I have my own place..."

"What about school?"

"I can always get my GED."

"What about us..."

Ryan looked at Seth.

"You guys don't need me. I just live in your pool house..."

"Do you really believe that?" Seth retorted. Why the hell couldn't Ryan see he was a Cohen? An Atwood by name but a Cohen in spirit. "You think you're just our pet delinquent? That every home should have one? If we wanted a pet, we would have picked up a Rottweiler or a Shizt-hu... Maybe a couple of hamsters. Come on Ryan, you know the 'rents aren't impulse shoppers..."

Seth let his words sink in. He could almost see the gears turning in Ryan's brain. That was enough for tonight. He still had some time to work on Ryan before school started.

Ryan finished off the last of his water. Despite drinking over a litre of liquid, he was still thirsty. He could feel the sweat running down his back. The heat was stifling. How could Seth just sit there? Oh yeah, his people wandered the desert for 40 years. Heat didn't bother him.

"Hey guys, ready to go?" Sandy was pushing a Wal-Mart buggy and Kirsten had her arm linked in his.

Seth was disappointed not to see an X-Box. Ryan was relieved not to see an X-Box. Or a tv. Or anything else Kirsten thought he might need. He hauled himself up, his face stoic as pain shot up his arm. His hand was burning. His fingers felt stiff. He could barely bend them.

"Yeah, I'm ready..."

Ryan held his good hand out to Seth, pulling him as he got to his feet.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kirsten kissed Ryan's cheek and forehead, surreptitiously checking his fever. He was very warm and looked exhausted.

"Make sure you take the ibuprofen for your fever. The pharmacist said it was okay to have them with your Tylenol.

"I'm fine... really. Just a little tired...."

She gave him one more hug. The heat emitting from his body worried her. She felt uneasy about leaving. She'd be calling tomorrow morning to check up on him.

Blinking back tears, Kirsten turned to Seth and hugged him.

"Watch out for each other." She whispered to him.

"I will." He whispered back. "I'll call you guys tomorrow..."

"Hey... Heads up!" Sandy said loudly, throwing a small box at Ryan. Ryan caught it easily with his right hand. He looked at the package and then back at Sandy.

"It's a battery operated air pump for the mattress. It'll be easier than blowing it up."