Okay, so I know this took a while to put up, but fan fic was all screwed up and lately, I've had like no time! So I'm writing this super late....and it will still probably take forever since my parents could so hear. But, I must say that no one has noticed my hints. I would've thought someone would've noticed, but no one has. Too bad, maybe this chap will help. It doesn't say it, but maybe you'll finally notice.....

Seth and Marissa walked into Summer's room the next day. It was pouring outside, and again, Summer was watching t.v., staring blankly at the screen. Seth had brought in his Playstation, ready to plug it in.

"Hey Summer." The two greeted her and she looked over.

"Do you think I'm anorexic?" Summer asked.

"Um...." Marissa didn't know what to say, neither did Seth. Summer did look anorexic, so people could say she was.

"Because I'm not. It was just, I didn't eat a lot during that month. And I can't eat a lot now 'cause my stomach is smaller or something. But everyone thinks I'm anorexic. Do you guys?" Summer said this all very quickly. She was getting adjusted to the hospital, though she didn't want to be there.

"We believe you." Seth announced and she smiled. "And look what I brought. My Playstation. It plays games, CDs, DVDs..." Seth showed Summer the game system.

"It plays DVDs? Can you guys bring in my Valley DVDs?" Summer still looked like a little girl, even more now with her eyes glowing.

"Sure, Sum." Marissa agreed and they sat down, Marissa on the bed, Seth in a chair. "So, how was today?"

"Well, everyone thinks I'm anorexic. Or bulimic, since I threw up." Summer told them.

"Why?" Marissa asked.

"Because my stomach is all small and everything. And I ate too much. Plus, the food is gag-worthy." Summer joked.

"Well, how about I hook up the Playstation so we can play?" Seth changed the subject.

"Sure. What games do you have? Pirates and ninjas?" Summer asked.

"Well, which one is cooler?" Seth began to hook up the Playstation.

"Pirates, definitely. They're way cooler. I mean, Jack Sparrow and Will Turner are the coolest pirates ever." Summer commented happily.

"Who?" Seth glanced over for a moment to find Summer's answer. He wasn't up to date with that stuff.

"Hello? Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom?" Seth looked back, still lost. "Pirates of the Caribbean?" Still nothing. "The third highest grossing movie of 2003? Do you know nothing?"

"Obviously not. Switch the channel to 3." Summer changed the channel and Seth turned on the game system. The tv screen changed to the video game. "Got it."

"Good. Now teach me to play." Summer demanded as Seth threw her a controller.

"Seth, um, are you gonna stay here longer?" Marissa asked him.

"Yeah.....why?" Seth answered, grabbing the other controller and sitting on the bed next to Summer.

"Well, I was gonna go home, and maybe pick up Ryan. It's raining pretty hard." Marissa looked outside to see the storm. She felt a little uncomfortable with Seth and Summer.

"How about you pick up Ryan and come back? My parents are fighting so being at home sucks." Seth proposed.

"Okay. Cool. See you in a bit." Marissa left the hospital and ran to her car. It was pouring down hard and Marissa was already soaked to the bone when she reached her car. She drove as it grew darker and by the time she reached the school, it was pitch black. She reached there just in time, Ryan was just walking out. He didn't notice Marissa's car, he was looking down. He walked in the rain, reaching the car. "Ryan." Marissa put the window down and called out to Ryan. He looked up, startled to see her. "Get in." She ordered him and he obeyed.

"How'd you know I got out now?" Ryan asked.

"Just a hunch." Marissa drove them to the Cohens.

"Where's Seth?" Ryan checked the back seat.

"At the hospital." Marissa answered as she turned into the Cohens.

"Then why are we at the Cohens when Seth is at the hospital?" Ryan was really confused.

"Well, Seth just hooked up the Playstation. And also, Kirsten and Sandy are fighting, so you call him, ask him what to get for tonight, and grab stuff for yourself. Then we'll go to 1313 Mockingbird Lane and I'll grab some stuff. How does that sound?" Marissa suggested.

"All right. Be back." Ryan pulled out his cell phone and left the car. Marissa watched as he ran up the rest of the driveway and went inside. Ten minutes later, he appeared carrying two bags. He threw the two bags in the backseat, and rested his head on the seat.

"Tired?" Marissa asked. For once, they felt like friends. At least to Marissa. Ryan was warming up, but not very much. He still felt a tiny bit strange with Marissa.

"Yeah. Kirsten and Sandy are still fighting, and Seth is too meticulous." Marissa began to drive down the driveway.

"How so?" Marissa wondered, pulling onto the road. She drove by her old house, now filled with strangers. Strangers were sleeping in her room.

"He has three toothbrushes. A different one for after each meal. It's nuts." Ryan shut his eyes, not being able to sleep much.

"Three? Can't he deal with just one?" Marissa joked, but Ryan had drifted off to sleep. "Okay then." She continued to drive and she glanced over. Ryan was out, so she slipped her hand into her purse and grabbed the bottle out of it. She took the cap off and took a sip. She pulled into her house.

Marissa didn't want to wake him, so she quietly got out of the car and ran up to her house. She noticed her bottle was almost empty, she would have to fill it up. She got into the house, and it seemed empty. Nothing stirred. She rushed up the stairs to her room. Grabbing a duffel bag, she stuffed some clothes in it. Marissa saw some of The Valley DVDs Summer lent her and put them in the bag. She also saw her Share Bear on her bed, she grabbed that also. Taking some hair products from her bathroom, she ran out of her room.

Marissa went to the kitchen, and opened her mother and Caleb's alcohol cabinet. She poured some vodka into her smaller bottle. She heard a shuffle and turned around. Kaitlin stood there, looking almost practically like a younger Marissa.

"Hey Kaitlin." Marissa greeted her sister and stared as Kaitlin looked at her, emptiness in her eyes. She walked off, confusing Marissa. She took a swig of the vodka before leaving her house.

Ryan was wide awake when Marissa came back. She didn't say a word, and they drove off in silence. Marissa was still a little buzzed as she drove, praying Ryan wouldn't notice. Luckily, he didn't. She kept her mouth closed, afraid that Ryan would smell the alcohol. She knew she wouldn't be out of the danger drinking zone until maybe school the next day.

After about ten minutes or more, Marissa drove into the hospital parking lot. Ryan got out first and grabbed his and Seth's bags, while Marissa took her time. Ryan was dead tired, insomnia sucked. Something was bothering him, but he could not place his finger on it. The two eventually made it to the elevator and waited, it felt almost as if Seth was back in the hospital. Marissa still found it strange sometimes that he was awake.

"You okay?" Ryan asked Marissa as they rode up the only elevator going to the psych floor. The elevator was empty, other than them.

"I'm fine. What about you?" Marissa said to him, acting as sober as she could.

"I'm all right." Ryan didn't look over at Marissa. The elevator stopped and Marissa took the lead to Summer's room.

"Cohen! Help me!" They heard Summer scream from her room. Marissa and Ryan walked in to find Summer and Seth playing a video game.

"I can't if you're trying to kill me!" Seth screamed back at her, frantically hitting buttons.

"That's you? I thought that was me." Summer calmed down a bit. She hated video games. She sucked at them.

"No, you're that person." Seth paused the game and pointed to a pirate. "And that's me." He pointed to another.

"Oh." Summer commented.

"Hey guys." Marissa said as they entered.

"Hey." Seth said back, eyes glued to the un-paused game. Summer and him were just hitting buttons, they were killing each other.

"Here's your stuff." Ryan threw Seth's bag at him, screwing Seth up and making him lose the game.

"I won!" Summer yelled excitedly.

"Thanks a whole lot, man." Seth said sarcastically to Ryan.

"No problem, bro." Ryan went to a chair, and Marissa sat on the bed.

They stayed there for a while, Ryan had loosened up, and the buzz had sadly left Marissa. It had grown completely dark, not a light outside. Food had been given to Summer, but she ate only an apple. It was about nine thirty, and none of them made a move to leave. The nurses strangely didn't mind them. It might have had something to do with Summer begging her dad to let them stay.

At about ten o'clock, when Marissa was playing against the reigning champion, Seth, his phone rang.

"Seth. Phone." Ryan mumbled, half asleep.

"What?" Seth wasn't paying attention, he was slaughtering Marissa at the game.

"Phone." Ryan reiterated to him. Seth grabbed his phone and checked it.

"Oh shit. It's Mom and Dad." Seth looked over to Ryan. He had just noticed that Seth was meaning his and Ryan's parents. They weren't just Seth's parents. They were their parents. "Hey." Seth sadly answered it.

"Seth, where the hell are you?" Kirsten screamed at her son.

"Um, the hospital. But we're fine, we're probably gonna stay here for the night." Seth was afraid of Kirsten when she was pissed. He did it to get before, and it wasn't very pleasant.

"Seth Cohen, get you ass home." Kirsten was almost in tears, she felt like she was losing her son again.

"What's the big deal? I'm fine, you know where we are, I'll go to school, it's all fine." Seth didn't want to have this conversation.

"Seth......." Kirsten warned.

"Mom, I gotta go. Summer's about to take over my spot in the game. I love you. Bye." Seth hung up. Kirsten stood stunned in the kitchen. She was losing every battle she was in. Her son kept leaving her. She was afraid of the day that he'd never come back. Kirsten was afraid that that day might come too soon.

"Little harsh, wasn't that?" Summer asked.

"No. She doesn't understand. She doesn't want me to see you. They were fighting like mad last night. Everyone was mention in that fight. Except for Ryan. Lucky him." Seth explained to Summer.

"Right." Ryan agreed, now fully awake.

"So, what are you guys gonna do? If I go, you know, to a mental facility? Like, will you, I don't know, run away or something? Because you do do that, you know." Summer worried that Seth might leave again. And it would be her fault.

"I doubt it. I'll probably come home and They'll have a leash ready for me." Seth joked. He had a knack for leaving them when the going got rough. They laughed at his joke and Seth and Marissa went back to their game. Summer laid on the bed, and looked over to Ryan.

"Thanks." She told him.

"For what?" Ryan asked her, now looking at Summer.

"For punching John out. That was really cool." She smiled.

"It was nothing. He was pissing me off." Ryan said.

"Well, thanks." Summer yawned and turned on her other side. Ryan watched Marissa attempt to stay alive while Seth played at ease. Seth tried to ignore how bad he felt because of what he said to his mom. Given, she was being protective, and scared, but maybe she was being too protective.

Summer was the first one to fall asleep, then Marissa dosed off, and finally Seth. Ryan couldn't sleep, he was officially an insomniac. He was dead tired but he couldn't sleep. What the hell was wrong with him? No one else was having problems sleeping. Marissa was curled up in a chair, holding Share Bear, while Seth sat in another chair, his head resting by Summer's on the bed. Captain Oats was in his hand. Summer was in a fetal position, as close as she could get to Seth without falling off. Ryan looked at them with envy, wanting to be able to sleep so badly.

He tried to close his eyes, but something always made him open them. It came by too quickly to let him register what it was, but it freaked him out. Good thing Marissa drove.

Ryan stared at the other three, peacefully sleeping. How they slept while this was happening was beyond him. He looked into his bag and was happy to discover the book he packed. He'd be in for a long night.

000000000000000

The day was Sunday, Summer's last day at the hospital. Seth and Marissa visited every day, Ryan on Saturday and Sunday. Kirsten was still mad at Seth and Ryan, for their "little impromptu sleepover." sandy wasn't quite happy either, but not near as mad as Kirsten. She didn't talk to the boys a whole lot, they had been grounded. Seth actually lied saying he got detention so that he could see Summer. It took Kirsten two days to figure out the lie. His grounding would be more pushed. Seth deifed it again, and that was when Kirsten gave up.

Seth, Marissa, and Ryan walked into the hospital room to find Summer curled up, crying her eyes out. Her small body was shaking, her hair a mess.

"Summer?" Seth asked, horrified at what he saw.

"It's official. I heard them." Summer looked up for a moment. She had been crying for an hour, hearing her father take about it in her room while she was sleeping sixty minutes ago.

"Oh Summer...." Seth knew what she meant and he ran to hold her. She didn't hold him, just let him hold her as she cried.

"Guys, I don't really want any visitors right now. I mean, I need you, cause, cause, I'm going away, but I just need time to think. Is that all right with you guys?" Summer didn't want to see anyone. She needed to be alone. Seeing the people she would leave was too much. But yet, she didn't want to be alone.

"Yeah, that's cool." Seth said to her disappointingly. He wanted to be with Summer, but she was thinking different. It could be the last time he saw her free. No, he couldn't think that. Summer would get out in three days, like Ryan had mentioned.

"Are you sure Sum? Maybe it might be better if we stayed." Marissa thought back to when she was going to be admitted. That had scared her, and she called Summer. But their roles had been reversed. Marissa was the one looking down at the sickly Summer.

"No don't. I need time to sort everything out. Maybe in a couple of hours. When I've adjusted to the idea." But Summer doubted she would ever adjust to it. She had lost. She was bring sent away.

They all looked at Summer as she tried to put on a brave front. It wasn't working. All three of them could see right through the shield. They wanted to sneak Summer out, but it wasn't such a smart idea.

"Sum, where do you have to go? I mean, it might not be that far so we can visit a ton." Marissa asked cautiously. She wanted to know but it might be hard for Summer.

"Well, I heard my dad say something about Willow Creek...." Summer said to them, it felt easy to talk to them. As much as she didn't want to talk about it, it helped.

"I, uh...I gotta go." Ryan bolted out of the room. The others watched him head to the elevator and disappear inside it. Marissa was horribly confused. What had happened? What was wrong with Ryan? Seth and Summer didn't understand either, but Summer was so preoccupied that she wasn't as worried as Marissa. Marissa wanted to go talk to Ryan, but she didn't feel much like leaving Summer at the moment.

Ryan walked to the door and took a seat outside like before. The smoke calmed him. Though he needed fresh air, smoke-filled air was just as good at that moment. He had to sort through things, just like Summer. All their worlds were falling apart, leaving them to pick up the pieces. Ryan was losing it bit by bit, catching them as fast as they fell from his grasp. But the pieces were falling down too fast, he'd lose eventually.

"Sum, do you want us to leave still?" Marissa asked her, finally breaking the silence after Ryan's unexpected exit.

"I guess not. It might be good for me." Summer answered, the last few tears finding their way down her face.

"You're gonna be okay." Seth sat down next to her on the bed, as did Marissa.

"I'm scared." Summer couldn't express how scared she was. What would happen? Who would be there? What would she do without Newport?

"I know you are, but it'll be okay. You might only be in there for three days." Seth hoped this would bring up Summer's spirits.

"How so?" He saw a glimmer of hope in her eyes, they weren't just dark and dull.

"Well, Ryan told me that after three days there's a trial to see if you have to stay in. Maybe even my dad can be your attorney." Seth told Summer. There might be hope that she would be okay.

"I don't wanna go Seth." Summer felt another batch of tears pour down her face. She buried her head in his chest, getting as close to him as she could.

"I know you don't. But it'll be okay. I'll come over as early as I can tomorrow. How does that sound?" Seth attempted.

"Seth, that doesn't help! I'm still going." Summer complained to him. She was shaking again, Seth held her close.

"Sum, it'll be okay. Just do everything they ask and you'll get out in three days." Marissa tried her luck at cheering Summer up.

"My dad wants me in there. He's gonna fight to keep me in there." Summer stared at Marissa with a look of longing in her eyes. Marissa couldn't do a thing about it.

"We'll fight to keep you out." Seth wasn't going to lose Summer.

"Don't do anything they can use to keep you in." Marissa added.

"I'll try, but I don't know how successful I'll be." Summer told them.

They sat there in silence, dreading what was to come. Ryan still sat outside, the air had grown cold. For being in January, it wasn't so cold. Maybe 55, at most. Other places it would be about ten degrees and snowing. But it never snowed, at least not to Ryan's recollection. It just rained. A lot. Rain fell down practically every day. It had yet to rain today, but eventually it would. It always did.

"Is this seat taken?" Marissa asked. Ryan, looking at him. She remembered the last time she asked this. It had been the first day back to school after the shooting. Summer was in her room, and Seth was still in a coma. A lot had changed since then.

"No." Ryan glanced up at Marissa, and looked back ahead. Marissa sat down.

"So....what's up?" Marissa tried to start a conversation. She wanted to know why Ryan ran out of the room earlier.

"Nothing." Ryan wanted to be left alone. That's why he left.

"What happened earlier? You just bolted." Marissa commented. She really had been wanting to talk with Ryan. Really talk.

"I needed some air." Ryan didn't want to talk with Marissa. They weren't compatible.

"Oh." Marissa could sense Ryan did not want to talk to her. "It's kinda cold out here." She wasn't letting go.

"Yeah." Ryan wished she would.

"Do you wanna go inside?" Marissa asked.

"No." Ryan wanted Marissa to leave. Marissa didn't understand why he was acting this way around her.

"Look, Ryan, I'm sorry for whatever I did to make you act like this. I don't know what I did, but I'm sorry." Marissa looked at his, but he wouldn't look at her.

"It's not you." Ryan told her.

"Then why do you keep acting like this around me?" Marissa wanted answers.

"Like what?" Ryan didn't get her.

"Like I barely exist! If I did something, tell me! Because I'm sorry." Marissa exclaimed to him.

"The world doesn't revolve around you." Ryan said through gritted teeth. "Listen, I gotta go." He added and got up.

"Where?" She asked, looking longingly at him, as he turned to her.

"Anywhere but here." Ryan paused. "The Cohens, I guess."

"I thought Kirsten and Sandy were still fighting." Marissa didn't want Ryan to leave.

"I can handle fights." Ryan turned again and began to walk. Marissa got up. What had changed? Tuesday, they were friends, but the rest of the week he barely spoke to Marissa.

"How?" Marissa inquired.

"How what?" Yet again, Ryan turned back to Marissa.

"How are you getting home?" She had a good point. She drove. Ryan looked down and back up.

"My legs work." He said sarcastically.

"Why don't I just drive you home?" Marissa didn't really mind.

"No. Stay. You need to be with Summer. You're her best friend. She needs you." Ryan told her.

"You're her friend too." Marissa pointed out.

"I can't be up there." He said.

"Why?" Why the hell couldn't he be?

"Certain things." Ryan didn't want to tell her.

"Like what?" Marissa wanted to know.

"Certain things I don't want you knowing about." With that, Ryan turned his back to Marissa and walked away. She stood there staring sadly as he disappeared.

She went back inside some time later, and her and Seth stayed until nighttime when they finally had to leave. Marissa hugged Summer and never wanted to let go. She was scared, really scared.

"I'm gonna miss you, Sum." Marissa cried to her best friend, the girl who had gone through everything with. They'd done it all, battled everything. Summer and Marissa always had each other to hold and comfort, but now, they were being separated.

"I'm gonna miss you more." Summer told Marissa. She was crying too. Seth just stood to the side for now.

Eventually the girls separated and Summer wished Ryan had been there. So did Marissa and Seth. Summer and Ryan were friends, close friends. At least to Summer. He had watched over her, something so important to her. Seth now walked over to Summer, not ready to say goodbye. But he had to.

"No." Summer shook her head. "Don't hug me."

"Why?" Seth didn't understand.

"Because I know that if we hug, that's it. If we hug, it's over. I'm gone. We lost." Summer stared at Seth.

"I know Summer. But we'll regret not saying goodbye." Seth told her, and she finally nodded. They hugged, knowing that it was over.

"I love you." Summer whispered.

"I love you too." Seth said back to her, then kissing her. He and Marissa had to leave so they broke apart. Seth and Marissa began to walk out the door.

"See you two in four days." Summer called out to them, and they turned to her.

"I'll be counting down." Seth answered, mouthing 'bye.'

And there we have it....the end of the third chapter. I think some of you may already have an inkling of what is up, and I'd love to hear your predictions. Who knows, maybe I'll use one of them. I sometimes do that. I think that my hints went overboard this chapter. But oh well, you'll have to wait and see. All I have to do is type up the next chapter, seeing as I've already finished writing it. I'm that far ahead! So....review, you know I love them.