Author's Notes:

I don't know about everyone else, but I'm going crazy with anticipation between waiting for the DVDs to come out and the many, many promos that Fox keeps playing. I've waited all summer, but these last two weeks are by far the worst.

Storymom—I am such a huge fan of yours, and I got giddy when I read your review. I love your stories an unhealthy amount. And when are you updating Chicken Pox?

HateToSayIToldYouSo—Ditto with you and Don't Let Go. That's one of my favorite OC fanfics, and it makes me happy that you like my story.

OCLover1 (Ally)—Thanks for your faithful reviews. I love your comments.

Misty-Kid—I love Ryan/Sandy interaction like whoa. I started watching the show for Peter Gallagher and got totally sucked in, and the relationship between those two is my favorite part of the show.

Sara—Ryan tied to the bed is always a good thing. Or even just Ryan in bed. ;)

AgnesSophia—I agree with everything. Ryan as a father would be adorable, but when he's older and can legally drink alcohol.

Becca—Thanks, and I hope this is updating soon enough for you.

"Sandy?" Kirsten mumbled, resting her head against her husband's shoulder.

Sandy smoothed her hair back and rested his cheek against her forehead. "It's going to be okay," he tried to assure her. "We're going to make it through this."

"God, will you guys quit it?" Seth exclaimed. "This is all just a big mistake! There's no way Ryan would try to kill himself!"

"Maybe it is, Seth," Kirsten told him gently, "but from everything we know, it was a suicide attempt, and if it was, remaining in denial about it isn't going to help Ryan."

Seth shook his head. "This is bullshit. Ryan's not suicidal."

He spun around and walked away swiftly down the hospital corridor. Kirsten moved to go after him, but Sandy touched her arm gently.

"Let him go," he told her. "He just needs some time to come to terms with this. He'll come back when he's ready."

"Do you think this is my fault?" Kirsten asked softly. "For not wanting him when he first came home with you?"

Sandy hugged her to him. "Don't ever say that, Kirsten. Ryan loves you. And he knows that you love him."

"Then why didn't he come to us?" Sandy could hear the tears in her voice. "Why didn't he trust us to be there for him?"

"I don't know," Sandy admitted. "Ryan's had a rough life. There are some incidents in his file that should never happen to any child. Two years with us wouldn't be enough to erase everything that happened before."

"His doctor wants to keep him in here for at least a week longer," Kirsten told her husband. "I told him I'd have to talk about it with you."

Sandy frowned. "Were his injuries that serious?"

Kirsten shook her head. "They think that if they can stabilize him a bit more here before we take him home, he won't be as likely to try again."

Sandy winced. It was hard enough to think about Ryan attempting suicide once, let alone trying it again. "What do you think?"

"I hate to keep Ryan here any longer than he has to be," Kirsten answered, "but I think the doctor might be right."

Sandy closed his eyes and remembered the flatness in Ryan's voice, the look of defeat in his eyes. Ryan wouldn't be happy about having to stay in the hospital for an extra week, but then again, Ryan wasn't exactly the best judge right now of what he needed. "Will they let us visit him while he's here?"

Kirsten nodded. "Six to nine on weekdays, ten till two on weekends."

"All right," Sandy gave in. "It's only a week, and if it helps Ryan, then that's what we need to do."

"Ryan's not going to be happy," Kirsten warned. "Neither will Seth, I'm afraid."

"That's the hard part about being parents," Sandy sighed. "We have to make all the unpopular decisions."

"Just as long as Ryan will be okay," Kirsten agreed.

Sandy hugged her again. "He will be."

It was a long, long night for Ryan. He would frequently bolt awake from nightmares that he couldn't remember, gasping and sweating, unable to remember what had frightened him so badly. A nurse came by at seven o'clock to give him some pills, which he accepted obediently without questioning what they were. She undid his restraints and let him get up to pee while she stood guard outside the bathroom door. It would have been humiliating if he didn't feel so empty. He had no energy left to fight. He just didn't care anymore.

His doctor came by half an hour later, while Ryan was picking at the breakfast tray his nurse had brought him. He wasn't hungry, but he sensed that it would make things easier for him if he complied without protest. The food was lousy and he had to eat with a plastic spoon, and even then he had to have an aide in the room with him. As if anyone could commit suicide with a plastic spoon.

"Hi, Ryan," the doctor greeted him. "I'm Dr. Brennerman."

Ryan forced down a mouthful of cottage cheese. "Hi."

"The food's awful, isn't it?" Brennerman asked. "I'm afraid the cliché about hospital food is true around here."

Ryan shrugged. "It's all right."

"How are you feeling today, Ryan?" the doctor inquired. "Do you feel up to meeting with me later this morning?"

"I guess," Ryan agreed. He privately didn't see much good it would do, but if he played along, he might be able to get out of here sooner.

"Great!" Brennerman agreed. "And afterwards, your family will be here and I thought we could all meet and talk together for awhile."

Shit. Ryan couldn't think of anything he would enjoy less. He didn't think he could face the Cohens and tell them why he had fucked up so badly. He had taken everything they had given him and thrown it back in their faces. He didn't even know why they were here.

"I know it's scary," the doctor assured him. "Facing the people you love after something like this is never easy. But your family loves you, and all they want is for you to get better."

Ryan recalled the fear and sadness he'd seen in Sandy's eyes the night before, and how hurt he had looked when Ryan had asked him to leave. Sandy and Kirsten and Seth had all given him so much, and the least he could do was see them this morning. "All right," he agreed. "I'll come."

It was nine thirty when Kirsten and her family arrived back at the hospital. She and Sandy had talked with Ryan's doctor the previous night, and Brennerman had suggested that they all meet together the following morning to decide on a treatment plan for Ryan. He still felt that short-term hospitalization would be the best route to take at the moment, but stressed that it was important that Ryan felt he was a part of the process.

Ryan was already in Brennerman's office when they entered. He looked healthier today, but he was curled up at the end of the sofa and her heart beat painfully as she saw how fragile and frightened he looked. Without thinking, she sat down next to him on the sofa and folded her arms around him, feeling his body trembling slightly. Ryan didn't return the embrace, but he didn't pull away either and when she let him go he gave her a small smile.

"Hi, Ryan," Seth offered nervously. "They treating you okay here?"

"It's okay," Ryan shrugged, but the look in his eyes clearly said how happy he was to see his brother. "Better than juvie." He turned his attention to his foster father. "Hi, Sandy."

"Hi," Sandy answered. Kirsten knew her husband wanted to hug Ryan as she had done, but he settled for a light clap on the shoulder. "It's good to see you up and about."

"So..." Ryan began nervously. "When do I get out of here?"

Sandy and Kirsten exchanged anxious glances. They had no idea how Ryan would react to the idea of spending another week in the hospital. Seth had become extremely agitated when they had told him the night before, and he was still giving them the silent treatment this morning. He kept insisting that Ryan was fine, that it was just a mistake and all he needed was to be home with his family. Kirsten wished that she could believe that, but she knew the problem was far more serious.

"Actually," Brennerman began, "it might be most helpful if you remained here at the hospital until next week. Then we can put together a treatment plan for you and you can resume therapy back home in California."

Seth rolled his eyes, but didn't say anything. Ryan looked startled and glanced at Sandy and Kirsten. "Is this what you think?"

"It would only be for a week, Ryan," Kirsten tried to assure him. "And they have an excellent program here."

"We'll still be here for you, Ryan," Sandy added. "Like I told you last night, we're not going anywhere."

"Okay," Ryan agreed, but he shrank back further into the couch and Kirsten could tell that he was only doing this to make them happy.

But it was a start. She didn't care what had to be done as long as Ryan got better.