Truth Impacting
AN; Well I did it, I actually wrote another chapter (even though I currently only have three lines of my Philosophy essay written lol).
Oh well here is the next chapter lots of technical jargon in this one – I am not a doctor so please forgive me if any of it is not right. I really enjoyed writing the last part of this chapter – you'll see why!
Once again feel free to R&Rgood or badcomments welcome!
The beeps could be heard long before entering the room, the first sign that their son was not merely sleeping.
Memories flooded back to Kirsten of the similar noises she had heard repeatedly for months on end as her mother's battle with cancer was lost. Even though the doctors had been through the machinery many times with her back then it had never help and it most certainly was not helping now.
She gasped slightly and her body went rigid in the doorway as she looked at Ryan's pale sleeping form. Sandy had approached his bedside and swept the hair from his forehead kissing him lightly just as he had done for Seth moments earlier.
Kirsten still couldn't move from her spot in the doorway, all the things she had seen her mother go through had been bad but looking at her son's injured figure lying desperately still made her want to run screaming from the hospital.
"Kirsten honey?"
She looked up into Sandy's dark eyes and let him guide her over to the bed. Leaning forward slowly she carefully avoided the breathing tube protruding from the boy's ashen blue lips to kiss him soothingly on the cheek bone. She lowered herself gently onto the edge of the bed taking Ryan's hand into her lap her fingers unconsciously intertwining with his.
Only when she felt the resistance did she glance down at his arm, there around his wrist was a tightly buckled black woven restraint. Shifting her glance toward his left arm she was horrified to see the same, twisting slightly see was able to see that his feet were also locked in position by the black belts.
Reaching out a hand Sandy ran his fingers through her hair, "The doctor's said it was for the best honey. He was having nightmares even though they sedated him. Lashing out."
"He wouldn't…"
"I know baby but the drugs they…mixed up his perceptions. He's trapped in a bad place right now."
The three stayed together for what felt like an eternity; Ryan lying motionless the whirring of the respirator the only sound , Kirsten giving him whatever comfort she could while Sandy locked his arms around his wife's shoulders.
They never even heard the doctor enter until he was standing directly in front of them. He had retrieved the chart from the end of Ryan's bed and was now waiting patiently for them to focus their attention on him.
"Dr. this is my wife Kirsten." Sandy spoke first, having mentioned his wife's presence to the doctor on there first meeting.
Dr. Fleming merely nodded in recognition of Kirsten's presence as she herself was far to preoccupied with Ryan's hair than him.
"I'm glad your both here, I can give you a more detailed account of Ryan's condition now than was previously available in the E.R. As you now already Ryan had tested positive for L.S.D but negative for alcohol which is of some help to us as his sense have not been doubly impaired. However Dr. Thomas was concerned that Ryan's reaction to the drug was somewhat…extreme so he sent of a tox screen. The L.S.D had been watered down at the manufacturing stage to that the dealer had more to sell…but it had been watered down with a poisonous substance. Probably some form of household cleaning agent." He paused to flip over a page on the chart catching the hands of both parents silently slip into each others.
"L.S.D generally causes a patient to suffer from dilated pupils, higher body temperature, increased heart rate and blood pressure, sweating, and tremors, all of which have been observed in Ryan. The effects of L.S.D however are more sever on the brain some LSD users experience severe, terrifying thoughts and feelings which can induce a panic. This is why Ryan had to be sedated in the emergency room because he was starting to hallucinate. In the long term Ryan may experience flashbacks, they can occur suddenly, without warning. These flashbacks often relate to traumatic experience in a person's life and can occur within a few days or more than a year after use."
He looked up now at the terrified parents, he knew it was a lot to take in. Parents often felt completely over whelmed by the jargon he had to spout as part of his job. He felt especially sorry for these parents as he had heard through the hospital rumour mill that the boy hadn't actually taken the drugs but been given them.
"At the moment Ryan's condition is stable but as the sedatives wear off he'll become increasingly agitated so it may be necessary to sedate him again if he is still suffering form the delusions. I know this is a lot to take in Mr and Mrs. Cohen but Ryan is a strong boy and this being his first time he should pull through alright. If you have any questions at any time just ask the nurses to direct you to my office."
Not expecting any question at this point he returned to the chart to the end of the bed and began to make his way out the door. He was quite surprised to hear his name being called softly, he turned to see Mr. Cohen looking in his direction.
"About these flashbacks, Ryan...Ryan's adopted into our family. He came to us from a…troubled home. His social works case files say that there was …abuse."
'Great' Steve Fleming thought, 'this just keeps getting better and better.'
"Unfortunately only time will tell what Ryan's reaction will be. The best I can do is suggest counselling and giving him your unwavering support and reassurance."
Kristen and Sandy stayed with Ryan for a extensive period of time, to begin with the sat in peace watching Ryan sleep but as the clock ticked on they began to think about there other son still anxiously perched out in the hall.
After a hushed conversation it was decided that the pair would leave Ryan for a short time to talk to Seth and the others, then Sandy would take the three home. If Sandy could convince Seth to stay at home he would grab some clothes and toiletries for himself and Kirsten, leave messages at both their work places informing them of the time off they would be taking and then make a hasty return to the hospital.
Kirsten would go back to the room and set up the two beds one either side of Ryan's. she would sit with him and deal with any legal forms until Sandy could make it back. Neither of them were keen to leave Ryan's side, she knew they were in for a tough couple of weeks or possibly, from what the doctor had said, years.
Upon entering the small waiting room the Cohen's were greeted by three very apprehensive teenagers, although there faces were less fearful than the first time.
"He's okay." The two words they had been longing to hear, Kirsten let them slip before Sandy had a chance to input any of the calm rational explanation they had discussed.
"Well not okay…but he will be… hopefully." Sandy corrected, causing the youngsters to again take on worried expressions. "He's still in intensive care, sedated and hooked up to a ventilator but the doctors are sure he'll make a full recovery with time."
Before any one had time to relax raised voices could be heard from the corridor, everyone knew who it was without having to ask.
"What do you mean I'm not allowed? Do you know who I am?" Julie Copper's screech rang out through the hospital. "I don't care if this a hospital, they're having my daughter arrested and I want to know why!"
Sighing Sandy kissed Kirsten's temple and whispered "I'll go take care of it."
Before he had a chance to leave Kirsten wrapped her arm in his and whispered back, "We'll both go. It was our decision so we should both be there."
"There they are… right there...ask them… this is all just a misunderstanding." Julie had herself placed firmly between a burly police officer and her crying daughter.
"Sir I know this is a difficult time but we really need to get the investigation going if we're going to catch the dealers." The officer spoke over Julies head directly addressing the Cohen's.
"Yeah I know." Sandy answered then looked pitifully over at Marissa, "It was her and she admitted it right to our faces. She was the one to spike our sons drink." Gripping Kristen's tense hand he continued, "We want her charged."
The officer stepped around Julie and proceeded to force Marissa into a standing position, turning her to face the wall he placed the hand cuffs around her wrists.
"How can you do this? Can't you see what's really going on? It's not her fault that little thug got stoned at a party. The delinquent probably engineered the whole thing, invited his juvie friends round to trash your house. Now just because things went wrong you try to lay the blame on her well I'm telling you…"
Before Julie could get any more out she was silenced by an almighty slap to her right cheek. Her head spun to the side as her cheek began to blaze with the heat of the strike and the embarrassment.
"Don't you dare try to turn this around on Ryan." Kirsten's voice was full of hate and defiance. "Your daughter admitted to getting drunk, taking drugs from a total stranger and putting them in our sons drink."
As she turned to leave she added, "If you want to blame someone try looking a little closer to home Julie. Our boys have been raised right and would never pull a stunt like this. Try looking after your own children before you go interfering with other peoples."
Kirsten stormed her way back up the hall not looking at any of the shocked on lookers, she looked up at Seth who quickly retreated back into the relatives room allowing her to slam the door with all her might.
Sandy was in shock, he had never seen his wife that angry not even when he had forgotten their anniversary.
He looked up at Julie, before making his own way back to his family, and simply said, "You'll be hearing from our lawyer."
There you go guys please review now - it's what keeps me going!
