Again, I am here with more of this story. Damn, it took forever to type this. I have the next few chaps planned. Thank you all for the reviews, I feel so loved! This chap includes everyone! Isn't that special? Okay, here it is.....

Thursday was here, the day of the trial. Kirsten had a meeting that day, so she was rushing around like a mad woman. Ryan sat there, watching her run around and Sandy walked in.

"Good morning," Sandy greeted them and poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Can't talk. Running late. Meeting," Kirsten said in between visits to the kitchen. "You should be going soon. And the boys too. Where's Seth?" She continued to grab random papers.

"I'm on it," Ryan raced out of the Kirsten, he had seen enough of Kirsten's madness.

"Shouldn't you be rushing around or something?" Kirsten asked, finally stopping rampage and began to organize her papers.

"Nope. Got everything in here," Sandy lifted his briefcase. "And I packed last night."

"Smart. Unlike me," Kirsten commented as Ryan came back down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"He's sick. Can't go to school," Ryan told Kirsten and went back to his cereal.

"No. He is going to school. Go tell him that," Kirsten ordered Ryan and he began to get up.

"Come on. Let him stay home," Sandy tried to convince Kirsten.

"No. He has missed a whole month of school already. He is too far behind. He can't miss another day," Kirsten complained.

"Well, he did say he has a project.... That might be why he's staying home," Sandy thought about the talk he had with Seth last night.

"That's not the reason," Ryan said.

"Then what is? Is it because of Summer's trial? He's not going to it. No," Kirsten was almost finished with organizing her papers.

"No, it's not that," Ryan sat back down.

"Then what?" Kirsten shut her briefcase and poured more coffee.

"Well, when you've been out for a month and your girlfriend just had a public outburst and is the talk of the week, you're not too keen on going to school," Ryan explained.

"Really?" Kirsten asked sadly, not knowing what was really going on with her son.

"Yeah. Tons of stares and whispers," Ryan used to get those, when he had first come to Newport.

"Well, I have to go. You should be going too," Kirsten said to Sandy. "I can't drive you, Ryan. Can you drive him, Sandy? Or will you be late?"

"Nah. The trial's at ten. No worries," Sandy replied.

"All right, I have to go, and say bye to Seth. You two should be going. I want one of my boys to graduate this year. Bye Ryan, bye Sandy," Kirsten left the kitchen to say goodbye to Seth. When she said bye to him, he hardly had any emotion. Back downstairs, Sandy checked his watch as Kirsten yelled bye to them again.

"Oh, we should go. Come on," Ryan went to grab his bag and they heard Kirsten drive away. Then, Ryan came back into the kitchen. "Let's go," Sandy led Ryan to the stairs. "See ya, Seth!"

"Bye!" Seth screamed back. Sandy and Ryan went outside to the car. They got in, and Sandy pulled out of the driveway.

"So.....how's school been going for you?" Sandy tried to start a conversation with Ryan.

"It's been good," Ryan answered, looking out of the car.

"Haven't seen Marissa in a while. Since Thanksgiving in fact. How are you two?" Sandy didn't know what was happening with Ryan. He always took the back seat in conversations and such, letting Kirsten and Sandy talk about Seth, and occasionally Summer.

"Complicated. Very complicated," Ryan answered, not used to the attention.

"Ah, I see. So there's no one else...." Sandy really had no clue what was going on with Ryan.

"No."

"How about Theresa? She should be due soon, right?" Sandy thought about last summer.

"Yeah, I don't know. She moved to Atlanta a while ago," Ryan answered. He missed Theresa, he had known her all his life. They helped each other through everything.

"Atlanta? You never said anything," Sandy pointed out. The fact really was, that Ryan never had a chance to say anything. Seth had woken up, so Ryan practically became invisible. Only Seth mattered, he got all the attention, Ryan was used to it. He had dealt with that most of the time in Chino.

"Yeah, sorry about that," Sandy pulled in front of the school.

"Oh, it's fine. Here we are. Have a good day," Ryan got out and of car and looked back.

"Thanks, see ya," Ryan turned towards the school and began to walk to the doors. Sandy waved goodbye to him. Ryan walked into the school, and saw the memorial. Less people were on the injury board, more people on the casualties board. No one looked at Ryan, he was invisible once again. He didn't mind that. It was okay. Just what he needed. His mind was pretty messed up already and he didn't need people talking to him to confuse his head more.

Ryan thought about Seth, and what had happened. Seth was really out of it, more than usual. He only told Ryan to say he was sick and that was it. Ryan knew Seth was worried about Summer, so was he. But Seth was just out of it. What would happen if Summer stayed in there? Not good, not good at all.

Ryan opened his locker, and put a book in it. He closed it and turned to go to his homeroom. About halfway down the hall, Marissa stood looking at him. Their eyes looked, and she attempted a weak wave and smile. Ryan didn't return them, and rushed off to his homeroom. He still wasn't happy with her after what she said to him. It would've been okay if it had been a joke, but it hadn't been one.

Marissa looked around for Seth, but he was nowhere in the hall. Or the homeroom. Maybe he got off. Maybe he going to see Summer. Lucky ass.

She went to first period alone, Seth didn't come. She did the lab with another girl, who didn't know anything. Marissa ended up doing the lab mostly by herself.

Second period came and Ryan was already sitting in his seat. Marissa didn't sit in her normal seat. She went over to Ryan.

"Hi," She greeted him, smiling. She was hoping he'd forgive her.

"Hi," Ryan wasn't in a good mood, and he definitely showed it.

"How are you?" Marissa needed an ally in school. She couldn't take having no one much longer.

"Fine," Ryan didn't seem all that keen on being her ally. He really didn't want a thing to do with Marissa.

"Where's Seth? Is he going to see Summer?" Marissa asked, wondering. If he was, she wanted to know how everything went. And maybe, she'd hear it from Summer herself.

"He's at home," Ryan really did not want to talk to Marissa. Couldn't she get that hint?

"Lucky," She commented, hoping maybe it would strike up a conversation.

"Yeah," Ryan agreed, looking away from her. He was getting really awkward around her.

"So, I guess I'll go," Marissa hoped Ryan would tell her to stay and then apologize for his behavior and she would apologize and then they could at least be friends.

"Okay." Finally.

"Okay. Bye," Marissa sadly got up. Her wish didn't happen. Whoever wished for things was stupid. They never happened, as much as you try to get it. Even if it so simple as a conversation, you can't get one.

"Bye," Marissa now went to her usual seat, far away from Ryan. Everything was so messed up between them, all the things they said to each other, it was just said in the heat of the moment.

Ryan's mind went back to what Seth was doing, and the reversal. Seth was thinking about how Ryan and Marissa were stuck at school. Losers. He hd gotten out of it, all thanks to Sandy. When Kirsten had come up to say goodbye, she had been upset and hugged Seth, trying to fight back tears. Seth had to admit, he was a little touched by it.

His mind went onto the shooting, amazingly not Summer. He didn't want to think about her because it upset him. So his gaze fell on his computer. He had wanted to read what had happened.

Seth got off his bed, and turned on his computer. He clicked onto the internet, and checked his buddy list once he was signed on. No one was on. Not like he had a while lot of people. Ryan, Marissa, Summer, Luke, and Anna. Wow, five people. Congrats. At least it was better than none.

Seth went on google, and typed in Harbor High. He was getting tons of sources. But someone came online. Anna. Hey, she greeted him and he returned the gesture, also asking why she was on. Snow day. A few seconds later, he say she was typing:

Listen, I heard about the shooting and I meant to call, but I didn't know really if I should, since it was probably hard to deal with. But I did try. Then, not that long ago, I saw that you had been hurt, and I felt horrible. How are you?

So he replied: I woke up from my coma about a two or three weeks ago.

She flipped out: Coma? I'm calling right now. And no sooner than two minutes later, his cell phone rang.

"Hey Anna," He greeted his once girlfriend.

"So what's this I read about a coma?" It was nice to hear Anna's voice. He hadn't talked to her since she left that night. He meant to keep up with her, but everything was too hectic. He had missed her a lot.

"Yeah, well. I kinda got myself shot. But I'm okay now," He joked about it, but really the thought disturbed him. Yesterday hadn't been fun with the revelations he found.

"How long?" Anna couldn't believe she was talking to Seth Cohen. It had been so long, and so much had changed. Her life was so different, and his was probably too.

"49 days. I got out a couple of days before Christmas," Seth liked talking to Anna. She understood him, since she liked the same kinda stuff as he did. No one could get Death Cab lyrics like her.

"So you didn't miss all of Chrismukkah?" Both thought back to a year ago, when Seth introduced everyone to Chrismukkah, the holiday with twice the resistance of an average holiday. At this time a year ago, Seth and Anna had been dating.

"Nope. Didn't miss all of it," This conversation was helping take Summer and the shooting off Seth's mind.

"Did you give any Seth Cohen Starter Pack away this year?" Anna joked around with him.

"Didn't have time to make any. Why, you want one?" Seth asked her. Anna had always been a good friend. She taught him confidence, and she was his first girlfriend.

"I never got one," Anna and Summer had both given theirs back to Seth, not wanting to be friends with him.

"Well, that was your own fault," Seth said to her.

"I wonder what might've happened if I had taken it," Anna wondered.

"Maybe you'd still be in Newport," Seth commented.

"Maybe I wouldn't be," Every so often, Anna regretted moving back to Pittsburgh.

"You never know," Seth added.

"Maybe I can visit," Anna had thought about visiting a lot, but she didn't know if anyone would want her to visit.

"How so?" Seth didn't get her.

"Seth, my parents still live there. They always visit me and my aunt and uncle, but I never come visit them. Maybe I could next time. See you, Ryan, Marissa, Summer...." Anna explained to Seth.

"Maybe not Summer. Hopefully Summer, but I don't know," Seth's mind returned to Summer and he got disheartened. Damn it.

"Why?" Now it was Anna's turn to be confused.

"Well, Summer kinda, is in, a, um, mental facility," Seth answered quietly.

"Oh my gosh. That's horrible. What happened?" Anna asked with worry. She couldn't believe her ears.

"Well, she kinda tried to kill herself. It was fine, and she was fine, but something happened, and now, she should be having a trial as we speak. Or as I speak. Because you're really not talking right now. I am. Actually, not just talking. More like rambling. So, maybe you could help me out and stop me from rambling because this could go on forever or..."

"Seth. Stop," Anna told him.

"Thanks," Seth appreciated it for stopping his rambling.

"So the trial is to see if she'll get out?" When Anna was ten, her best friends' cousin was in a mental institute.

"Yeah. My dad's her attorney," Seth answered.

"Well, it's better than having an attorney assigned to you. I used to know someone a while ago in a mental institute. She got out after a few months," Anna recalled.

"Oh. Hopefully my dad can get Summer out today," Seth commented.

"Well, your dad is a good attorney. If he can't get her fully out today, then he'll get her a small amount of time in there," Anna tried to lift Seth's spirits up.

"Yeah, I guess so," Seth didn't think his spirits could be lifted when they were talking about Summer.

"Seth.....are you okay?" Anna noticed his sullen attitude.

"Yeah, I'm cool. Just preoccupied," Seth lied to Anna. He didn't want to tell her that he was going insane. Everyday had been hell for him lately, all the people staring. He knew if something more happened, he'd lose it.

"Okay," Anna didn't believe him, but she didn't want to question him. She knew nothing about being shot, or being in a coma, nothing like that. "Well, I guess I should go. My cousin wants me to play a game with him," Anna lied to him now.

"You should play Jenga," Seth joked.

"I should. Haven't played that in a while. But I really never got good. I never had a real competitor. I beat Captain Oats so many times, he would just give up right away," Anna added to the joke. "But yeah, I should go." Anna really didn't want to, but she knew she had to.

"Okay," Seth agreed, not wanting her to hang up.

"Bye Seth," Anna hung up. Seth felt alone again. He missed the talk with Anna. He didn't want to go on the internet, he was just left with his thoughts. And his thoughts scared him. All he was left with was thoughts of Summer. Thoughts of Summer not coming home.

He wished he could be with Anna. She was the only connection to a world that wasn't insane. She was somewhere where nothing too serious was happening. Where Seth would've given to be. Because if life got fucked up more, he'd really lose it and go off the deep end.

0000000000000000000000

Sandy checked his directions again. The facility was coming up. He still couldn't believe he was doing this. For Seth. For their whole family.

He pulled into Willow Creek. Sandy was never at an institute. He never took a case like this. A whole new experience for him.

Parking the car, he stepped out and went into the institute. It didn't seem like a place that held "problemed" children. A receptionist directed him where to go. He had to go into a boardroom-type room, where already three people sat.

"Sorry if I'm late. Had to drive my son to school, and you wouldn't believe the traffic," Sandy apologized.

"It's quite all right," A man sitting at the front of the table said.

"Hello, I'm Kelly Walton, Summer's psychiatrist," The only person who hadn't talked to Sandy or he knew greeted him. She walked around the table and shook hands with him."

"Hi, Sandy Cohen," Sandy said back to Kelly.

"We're just about to start, you're actually three minutes early. We just sent someone down to go get Summer so then we can start," Kelly walked back to her side of the table, and sat next to Neil Roberts. Sandy took a seta, and quickly looked through his notes. The door opened, so he turned around to see Summer.

Sandy couldn't believe what Summer looked like. The last time he had really seen her was back on the day of the shooting. Nothing looked the same. She was frail, weak, pale, with bags under her eyes. Her dark auburn hair no longer held its' shine. Sandy felt a little disheartened when he saw her.

"Hi Summer," Sandy greeted her and got up.

"Hi, Mr. Cohen," Neil came over and embraced his daughter. She didn't hug back.

"Oh baby, I've missed you so much. I've been going mad without you," Neil told Summer.

"Then why do you want to keep me in here?" Summer shot back to her father. She never usually defied him. Neil didn't say anything else, letting go of Summer and returning to his seat. Sandy and Summer sat down. "How's Seth?"

"He's good. Stayed home today," Sandy paused. "Misses you."

"I miss him too," She said sadly.

"Now, we can start. We are here to discuss the three day probation period. Now, I've been evaluation her, and I believe that Summer needs to stay with us some more. She doesn't talk very much, and gives me very short answers," Kelly began.

"I have a question," Sandy interrupted.

"Yes, Mr. Cohen?" Kelly wondered.

"Well, if in therapy, you noticed that she does need more, and that's the only problem, couldn't an outpatient therapy be arranged in Newport?" Sandy was going to get Summer out of here.

"Newport...." Kelly commented, as if she never heard that town.

"Yes, Newport," Sandy assured her.

"Normally, I would agree with you Mr. Cohen, but during Art Therapy, she does not paint, or even attempt to paint." Kelly pointed out, looking through Summer's file.

"Maybe Art Therapy isn't best for her. What else might you have?" Sandy asked.

"Mr. Roberts had specifically said Art Therapy is best for his daughter. She doesn't talk very much to her wardmates and there are very many underlying problems that we have to deal with," Kelly argued.

"Can't they be dealt with in Newport?" Sandy could only think of Seth. He had to get Summer out.

Summer didn't pay as much attention as she should have been. But everything was running through her mind like mad. Thoughts of Seth, the girls, therapy, everything. Seeing Sandy made Summer want Seth more. And what if Summer was in here longer? She didn't think she would last much longer with Seth.

"Mr. Cohen, I believe three months here will do Summer good and get her ready for the outside world," Kelly proposed. Three months? Didn't Summer have a say in this at all?

"That's too long. Summer is a strong and relatively open person. Once she knows you and is comfortable with you, she'll open up. If she had to be here for three months, she'll be alienated from her school and only have two months there before she graduates," Sandy based his knowledge of Summer on previous times with her.

"Agreed. But her weight is also another problem. She needs to be okay with herself and gain weight," Kelly paused. "If I have to choose a shorter time period, I would say seven to eight weeks." Sandy thought for a moment, then looked to Summer.

"Two months, Summer. Can you do this? I can fight longer, but I don't know how much shourter I can get it," Sandy stared at Summer.

A huge choice was on her shoulder. Should she have Sandy fight longer or take what he got her? Two months was a long time. It would be March when she could go back to the free world. If nothing happened.

And what about Seth? Summer needed Seth. She would go crazy without him. And Marissa. Her best friend. The girl who battled everything with her. Ryan. One of the strongest guys Summer knew, who made sure she was okay no matter what. Could she leave them for two months? She had left them for a month before, but now, it was different.

"Will I get to see people? Like, from outside?" Summer asked Kelly before making her decision.

"Of course. We have visitation days every Saturday and then two Saturdays after that. Sometimes, we also have a visiting Wednesday. We won't deny you your family," Kelly answered warmly.

"What about friends?" Summer was more concerned about seeing Seth, Marissa, and Ryan than seeing her family.

"Friends definitely," The answer made Summer think harder. Every so often, she would be able to see Seth, and Marissa and Ryan, but not always. What about the time in between? Could she make it to the next visit? She would try.

"You did your best, Mr. Cohen. I have to do this. For two months," Summer looked up at Sandy, tears already welling up behind her eyes.

"Okay," He understood, but he doubted Seth would.

"I'll begin the papers," The unknown, silent man began starting some paperwork and giving it to Kelly. She filled out most of it, finally letting Neil see it. He paused for a moment before signing it, ready to say something.

Summer knew this was it. This was the moment her dad would object and save her. He would do it. She knew she could trust him. Neil loved Summer, he wouldn't do this to his daughter. He couldn't see it happen. He would get Summer out for sure.

Neil signed the papers.

Summer felt the tears fall from her eyes. Her father would let this happen, was letting this happen. She thought he loved her. Why wouldn't he fight for his daughter? What had she done wrong in his eyes?

The world crashed down at that moment. It was over, really over. She was admitted into Willow Creek Treatment Facility for Adolescents for two months. Two whole, long months.

Neil didn't look up at his daughter as she said goodbye to him and Sandy. As a nurse escorted her away. As he knew he was locking her away for two months. Why had he done it? Could he take it back? No, it was in ink. Well, wasn't there erasable ink? Could he erase the mistake he knew he had done?

Sandy felt defeated. He had lost. Seth would lose it. Kirsten would lose it. His family might fall apart again. How had he let this happen? He had been so ready, but when it came to it, he just wasn't good enough. Seth would hate him.

Summer walked with the nurse as she directed Summer back up to her ward for two months. She'd be in there for two months. Stuck in the ward. Not very much outside contact.

Her roommates were all watching the Price is Right when Summer came in. They didn't notice her, and she wiped the tears from her eyes. She could do this. She had to. Every step was one step closer to getting out. Summer had to think positively.

As she walked closer to her roommates, she got scared. Would their personality change once they knew she was in there? Would they even care? Tears fell down again. She dried them quickly before they ran down her face.

Summer was almost there. She wanted to run. Run away from all of this. How had she landed herself in here? She used to be so independent, strong. Now, she was none of those.

The nurse left her now and went to the nurses' station. All seven girls watched as happiness displayed on the people's faces on the t.v. summer wished she could be there. Where everything was a game. Where you always won something. She had lost everything.

Summer rounded the left side of the couch. Nikki was sitting on the chair to the right of the couch, and she noticed Summer. She looked away from the television and looked to Summer. Summer fell into a chair and accepted her fate.

AH! I am so evil, right? Well, I will be. I know you all have that Ryan idea formulated in your head, and well, I kinda will postpone that because me and my friend decided to take a hint from the OC and change it to work in my story. I have two chap written, and I am getting so slow at writing lately. I started writing a story with Rockin' FluteTrumpet or whatever.... so read STRANDED MEMORIES!!!!! Good story, Lost/OC crossover. Read it, or I wont update.... LOL. So, I will go write or waste time online, maybe type. BYE!