Disclaimer: I own Nada. Except what I make up.
Not Your Fault
When Sandy stepped into Ryan's hospital room, seeing he was awake, every thought possible ran through his head in that one or two seconds before he collapsed. At first he thought it was a dream. But then he knew it was real. When he was unconscious, he went back to the day that he had seen Ryan for the first time since the accident….
He walked into Ryan's room in the ICU. When he got there, Kirsten, who was with him, quickly looked at Ryan, then turning her head back, burying her face in his chest. He consoled her telling her that everything would be fine, but even he wasn't so sure about that.
Ryan looked horrible. His face didn't look the same. He had bandages on his head and his leg was in a full cast. There were tubes coming out of every possible place in his body. He had a tube down his throat, one hooked up to his chest and arm. The only thing you could hear was the sound of the respirator breathing for Ryan, and the beeping of the machines.
Sandy let Kirsten go, and she walked out of the room saying she needed some air. There she met Marissa, and Marissa and her went outside together. Sandy looked at Ryan's face. His bruised and battered face. He walked closer and closer towards Ryan until he was hovering over him. He felt the tears welling up in his eye as one dropped on Ryan's arm. Though by blood Ryan wasn't Sandy's son, he loved him like he was.
Sandy finally sat down next to Ryan and just started talking.
"Hey Ryan. Um, I just can't believe this is all happening. I just want you to know how much you mean to all of us. We want nothing more for you to get better and come back to us. I'm sorry if I ever did anything to make you feel unwanted or hurt in anyway." Sandy paused, but continued again, "Marissa and Kirsten are here to see you! I know you would want them to be here, so they are. We all care about you so much Ryan. Me, Kirsten, Marissa, and Seth, we all want you to get better; scratch that, we all need you to get better. I know you don't agree with this necessarily, but you are the rock that has always held us together, and without you, I'm not sure if everybody will be able to survive. So you need to promise me one thing Ryan. You need to promise me that you will get better. We need you so much, and I just want you to know that I love you like a son. We all love you Ryan, don't leave us."…..
BACK TO TODAY.
Sandy's dream left his head when he smelled some awful smell. He opened his eyes and looked around to see two nurses standing around him with smelling salts in there hands.
"Hey Mr. Cohen. I see you are awake. You fainted there for a minute. Do you want us to leave you along with Ryan?" one of the two nurses asked...
"Yes please, thank you."
The nurses walked out leaving Ryan and Sandy in the same room together, neither really knowing how to have this conversation. Sandy had been waiting for this day to happen for so long, but now that it was time, the words didn't want to come out.
"Ryan." Sandy cried.
"Hey Sandy, been a while." Ryan said with tears in his eyes.
"Yes it has. Do you know how much I missed you?"
"I know."
"No, you have no idea."
"I'm sorry for any pain I have caused you and everybody else. I know it isn't really my fault, and you are going to tell me to stop blaming myself, but I know it must have been hard for you guys with my accident and all, and I am sorry." Ryan said sincerely.
"You are right, I will say it. You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for, so don't even waste your breath on an apology to me. I just want to enjoy the fact that you are back in our lives."
Sandy paused and didn't really no where to continue. He just sat there taking in the fact that he was awake again, when Dr. Brown, Ryan's physician came marching into the room.
"Ryan! You are awake! That is great. Hey Sandy! This is great news!" The doctor exclaimed, being a little too happy. But that was only because Dr. Brown really liked Ryan. He had treated him and been his regular doctor since Ryan came to Newport. He thought that Ryan was a really down to earth kid who was really mature and was one of the nicest people he had ever met.
"Hey Dr. Brown. How is it going? What has life been like for the past three years?" Ryan questioned, letting everybody know he could still have a sense of humor after all these times and troubles.
"Still the sense of humor as always! But these three years have eliminated the dryness from it. What happened?" He joked back.
"I guess this accident had brought out my true funniness. If that is even a word."
"Well it is good to see you Ryan. I just wanted to check up on you to make sure you were okay, and to see how you were feeling. It's good to have you back."
"It's good to be back." Ryan sighed as he slouched back down in the bed. If only Ryan knew how things really were, he wouldn't be in such a happy and relaxed state. But Sandy wasn't sure how he would tell him of everything that went on while he was away. It seemed that after these past three years, Ryan has awoken a happier person. He didn't want to take away all that happiness.
"So Sandy what has been going on for the past three years?" Ryan asked, trying to find out what had been going on all this time while he wasn't exactly what you would call here.
"Oh a lot of change I guess you could say. Many things are different than they were before. Some things are the same as always." Sandy said rather vaguely.
This answer came as a surprise to Ryan. Sandy was hiding something, and Ryan wanted to know what it was. He wasn't giving Ryan a straight answer and he could tell. He made it his job to find out what was going on.
"So how is Seth..."
"Sandy knew how this was going to end, and it wasn't going to be good.
"Seth is good. He is in college. He goes to USC. He missed you like hell you know. For awhile, we thought that he would leave us again like he did when you left with Theresa and the baby. Luckily he wasn't that stupid this time."
"Good, that is good to hear. What ever happened with him and Summer."
Sandy knew where this was leading and decided to change directions when he answered the question.
"They got together again, and are still together, but Ryan I just want to know, are you feeling alright."
"Yea, I am. I feel a little out of it, but overall, I do feel good. I mean I am just so glad that I am alive. I have another question Sandy."
"Ask Away."
"So where is Kirsten."
Sandy felt his heart twist as this question.
"She is in New York."
"Why is she in New York."
Well now he couldn't get out of it, "Because Kirsten and I are no longer together. We got a divorce."
