Hello and thank you once again for your awesome reviews. It's you that keep me going :) Once again thank you to Misty for the wonderful beta reading. I appreciate this so very very much :) Here comes another chapter, hope you'll like it! swenglish

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to OC. This is purely fiction and not intended to hurt anyone.

Chapter 8

Seth was brooding.

The evening appeared to have no end to it and he was bored out of his skull. After eating, or more like picking at his Thai food, he'd sat down in front of the TV to watch the Valley and not even that had excited him enough to concentrate for more than a few minutes.

What annoyed him was that the last time he'd talked to Ryan, his foster brother had yelled at him. Wanting him to get out off his face when all he'd done was to be nice and try to cheer him up. He knew that Ryan most feel like hell, he both looked and acted like it, even if he could see his friend trying to act like it was nothing. What Seth however didn't want to admit was that it hurt the way Ryan had yelled to him. It made him feel useless and alone.

What also made him feel a bit upset was the way his parents seemed to spend all their time in the pool house. They were taking turns being with Ryan and even though one part of Seth thought that was good and his brother needed it the other part made him feel jealous over the attention his friend was being given. It didn't help either that every time he tried talking with his mom or dad they said "not now Seth" or "I have to go check on Ryan," and then they were out of his vision. After the third time he'd given up and watched TV instead.

With a sigh he picked up the remote controller, flipping between channels.

"Hey, what are you doing?" His dad asked as he sank down next to him on the couch. He'd just come back in from the pool house and had that tired, worried expression on like he always did when there were something troubling him.

"Nothing." Seth glared at his dad. Part of him wanted to ask how Ryan was doing while the other part wanted to mope and feel sorry for himself. He wasn't used to being yelled at and especially not by Ryan. "Really? I thought you were watching TV?" Sandy stuck his hand inside the big bowl of popcorn and grabbed a handful.

"Nah, not really. It's nothing interesting."

"Oh, isn't the Valley on? Did they change day?"

"No it's on." Seth moved uncomfortable. "It's just that I'm fed up with watching that teenybopper show. Dad I've moved on."

"Okay." That last comment must have caught his dad by surprise because next thing he knew there was a rough hand feeling his forehead. "Son, everything all right? I mean you're not coming down with what Ryan's got, are you?"

'Why would you care?' Seth thought darkly, yet he said, "No, can't a guy sulk without it being a big deal?" "Sure." Sandy looked at him. "Is that why you're eating comfort food?" He gestured with his hand towards the bowl of popcorn. When Seth had been little he'd named popcorn comfort food because that was what his mother usually ate when she was upset or mad at someone. That title had stuck in the Cohen family and now even Ryan used it.

"Maybe" Seth flipped over to another channel. He could tell that his dad wouldn't let the subject drop until he got to the bottom what was troubling his son so therefore he just waited for the inevitable question to come.

"Is it about that talk we had about Summer?" Sandy looked at him. "You know maybe we were a bit hard on you but you know we don't like it when you tell lies and let's face it you did actually ditched school."

"I know." Seth looked down, "But it's not that."

"It's not?" His father thought for a while. "Then what is it? Is it about Ryan?"

You didn't have to be professional trained to figure out the answer on that one. Seth shrugged and mumbled sullenly "Sort of."

"Is it because we're spending so much time with him?"

"No!" Seth looked horrified at his father.

Did they think that he was brooding just because they spent some time with his sick brother?

What kind of person did they think they had raised? The worst part was that he knew deep down that his dad had hit the nail on the head.

"Then what is it? " When Seth didn't answer immediately he went on, "You know Ryan is our son too now and when he is sick we want to help him out, just like we do with you when you're feeling under the weather. "

"I know dad." Seth felt annoyed. Why did he have to bring up that subject?

"Then I don't see what's bothering you?" Sandy frowned. "As a matter of fact I don't think it would kill you if you spent some time with your brother instead of sitting here moping and flicking channels."

Seth dropped his chin. "You want me to spend time with Ryan? Dad, that's what I've been doing all day." He knew he sounded whiny but that couldn't be helped. The last thing he wanted, he needed, was to get his head bitten off when all he was trying to do was be nice.

"Yes, is that too much to ask?" His dad looked surprised. "Seth this isn't like you."

"I doubt he wants to see me." Seth muttered. Turning off the TV he crawled up in the sofa, his chin resting on his knees just like he did when he was a small kid.

"Why? What happened?"

"Oh nothing," Seth fidgeted with the seem in his pants when Sandy put his hand over his in an attempt to calm his son down.

"There is something on your mind. What is it? Talk to me."

"It's nothing really…" Seth stared but when he saw that his father wouldn't let the subject drop he decided to spill his beans. "It's just that Ryan always tries to act like he can do everything on his own." Sandy frowned when he went on, "All day I've tried being nice to him and all he's done is snap at me and tell me that he is used to handling stuff like this on his own. And as if that wasn't enough, the last time I went to the pool house, when I just went to show my concern, you know be nice; he yelled at me to get out. To get lost." Seth was talking fast and the words were spat out with venom and he was surprised how hurt he actually felt.

"He did, did he?" Sandy sighed heavily, "When did all this happen?"

"Today!" Seth felt irritated at his dad's lack of concern.

"Yes but I mean when? Was it before or after Dr Green left?"

"After! But what does that have to do with anything? Does that give him the right to act like I don't matter at all? Just because he isn't used to attention?

"Seth!" Now Sandy looked even more tired than before. "Ryan is running a temp close to 104. Sometimes you say things that you don't mean, especially when you're not feeling well. Just because Ryan feels so bad and wants to be left alone you shouldn't get upset. And you said it yourself; Ryan isn't used to this kind of attention and he is used handling it all by his own so maybe he doesn't know how to act. Son, give the kid some slack. I'm sure he meant nothing by it and once he feels better again you can talk it over, meanwhile I suggest that you keep being his friend."

Seth felt like an ass. "You said he has a temp of 104?" No wonder that he was so cranky.

"Yes and we're worried that it keeps rising all the time. Pneumonia isn't something to take lightly and Doctor Green told us that this might just be the beginning. Hopefully the antibiotic will start kicking in soon and the infection can be fought in time."

His dad had just ended his speech when the phone gave out a loud signal. "I'll get it!" Seth said quickly, happy to be out of his father's vision. Jumping off the sofa he ran into the kitchen and grabbed the phone. Summer had told him that she would call since they needed to talk about what had went on earlier today and part of why he was brooding was also because she hadn't called. Not until now at least…

His dreams were quickly shattered when he heard who was on the other end.

"Hi Seth, it's me; Lindsay. Can I speak to Ryan?"

"Lindsay?" Seth had a hard time hiding his surprise. "I've thought you left for Chicago?"

"No, not yet…"

"No?" He interrupted her. "So you decided to stay?"

"Yes or I mean no..."

'Make up your mind," Seth wanted to yell. He'd never liked Lindsay that much and he had a hard time seeing what Ryan had thought so infatuating about her. For some strange reason he blamed her for Ryan's condition right now. If it wasn't for her, pulling the stunt like she had then his brother wouldn't be suffering from Pneumonia. Ryan had told him earlier on in the day about how she had refused to let him in, even if it was pouring rain and that he was frozen stiff by the time she'd opened the window. He'd also told him that Marissa had come to his rescue and that they had spent the whole evening talking and how he wanted Lindsay to change her mind. How much he wanted her to stay.

Ryan wasn't someone that brought up his love life that easily and Seth guessed it had to be with the fever he was running and the fact that he had no one other than Seth to talk to.

"So you're staying then?"

"No, we're leaving tomorrow but I thought that I would have a word with Ryan if that is okay. You know before I left?"

'Don't you think you've done enough damage as it is?' Seth had to hold his anger in check. From what Ryan had told him about Lindsay's actions and how hurt he was over her leaving so soon he thought it would be better if they didn't see each other, but then who was he to judge? He had a stormy enough relationship with Summer.

"Seth do you think you can put him on for me? I want to say good bye."

"No." He felt like a grumpy kid.

"Huh?" Lindsay sounded very surprised. "Why? Is he studying?"

"No. He's busy." For some strange reason Seth didn't want to reveal the truth to Lindsay. Maybe it was the fact that if she heard that he was sick that she would change her mind about going to Chicago? Maybe it was that dream he had, together with Summer, that one day Ryan and Marissa would be a couple again, even though Marissa right now had her eyes on Alex and Ryan on Lindsay. He didn't know what possessed him to say the following words, "He told me that he doesn't want to talk to you, so I suggest that you stop calling."

"He did?" Seth could hear the disappointment in her voice and that made him feel bad. Like a liar, which he was by the way.

"Yes."

There was a brief silence and then Lindsay said, "All right I won't take up your time then. Tell Ryan that I've called."

"Okay." Seth had no intention of doing such a thing, especially not with the condition his foster brother was in.

"Bye then, "He could tell that she didn't want to end the conversation and he decided to call it the quits.

"Bye and have fun in Chicago." Seth hung up. Man was he a jerk or what? He knew what he'd done was wrong; still he did it to spare Ryan from anymore pain. Lindsay had made up her mind, she would leave, and talking to her right now would only make his brother feel sicker…that was one thing he was sure of. He also doubted that Ryan was in any shape or form to take a phone call, at least not from what his parents had told him.

"Who was that?" Sandy had walked into the kitchen and he was pouring himself a cup of coffee. "You want one?" He gestured towards the green ceramic cup

"What? Huh? Nah I'm fine."

"Okay," his dad studied him. "Was it Summer?"

"Summer? " Seth asked a bit confused, and then he suddenly remembered. "Oh you mean the phone call?"

"Yes?" Sandy took another swig from his coffee cup.

"That was..That was one of Ryan's school mates wondering about a physics test. You know to ask what pages they were suppose to read for tomorrow." He could've slapped himself. That was how stupid the comment was.

"And that person decided to call now? When Ryan was home sick?" The suspicion that his father held in his eyes couldn't be mistaken.

"Aha," Seth nodded quickly, "I'll guess they thought that Ryan would be at school tomorrow and…" He was interrupted.

"And that person didn't happen to be Lindsay?"

"Lindsay? No why would you say that? I mean come on she is probably on her way to Chicago by now." Seth did his best to act offended but it didn't do much for his reputation, which was already shot to pieces.

"Seth. How many times have I told you that it's no use in lying to us? I'm a federal case attorney, one that can smell a lie hundreds of miles away, not to mention that I raised you you're my own flesh and blood. So why did you tell Lindsay that Ryan didn't want to see her?"

"I didn't…" Seth stopped when he saw his father's unimpressed glare at him. "Okay, okay," he put his hands up in defence. "I confess. It was Lindsay and the reason that I told her Ryan didn't want to talk with her was because I don't want to see him more hurt than he already is. The girl is leaving, why can't she just let it be?"

"Son, sometimes love can be pretty complicated and even if you did what you thought was right you should've told the truth and not make up a story about Ryan not wanting to see her." Shaking his head he went on, "If I know Ryan, which I think I do fairy well, he will be rather upset when he is well enough to realise what you've done. And that," he put his arm around Seth's shoulder, "that is something you will have to face sooner or later." Seth sighed. His dad was right. Ryan would be one pissed guy.

Sandy had just ended the conversation with Seth when Kirsten suddenly came barging through the door, her hands full with blue linen and sheets.

"Mom don't you think it's a bit late to be doing laundry?" Seth asked pointing to the load of fabric she held in her arms.

"Ryan had an accident and I need to change the sheets."

Sandy frowned. It wasn't like Ryan not to make it. Instead the kid had an almost over controlling way of dealing with things. He recognized it from other kids that had grown up in socially deprived homes and part of Ryan's caring nature as well as wanting to do the right things came from living with his alcoholic parents.

"An accident? He wet the bed?"

"No Seth!" Kirsten looked annoyed. "I was giving him his antibiotic, the liquid one since Dr Green thought it would be more gentle on him, when he suddenly started to cough and he didn't make it to the bucket or the bathroom and it came up all over the bed and over him…"

Seth scrunched up his nose. "Ewww mom that is so gross…yuck!"

Ignoring their son's comment Sandy went on, "Where is he now?"

"He said he was going to take a shower." Kirsten sighed, suddenly looking very tired. "Sandy I didn't want to leave him alone, but he kept insisting that he would be fine…"

"Oh boy that's one comment I've never heard being uttered before. And not by Ryan either." There was major sarcasm in Seth's voice.

"Seth that is no way to talk," Kirsten reprimanded.

"Oh yeah, but it's the truth isn't it? Ryan always manages by his own." "Maybe so," Sandy sighed, "but remember what we've just talked about. Ryan isn't used to this kind of attention and it's important we cut him some slack." Turning to his wife he went on, "So now you want me to go and talk to him?" "Yes please. He got so upset when he didn't make it and Sandy I don't want him to stay in the pool house tonight. His fever is still high and he can't hold any liquid down. I think it would be better if he slept in the guestroom, at least until he feels better. That way we'll be closer to him."

"Sounds fine to me. I'll go and talk to him right away."

"Good. Then I'll go and make the bed up in the guestroom," Kirsten put a hand on Seth's shoulder, "And you come and help me with the laundry."

"But mom," Seth started when his father interrupted him.

"No buts…Seth, do as your mother tells you. I'll be back soon with Ryan." The older man hurried out in the rain and thunder that had held Newport in its tight grip for the past three days.

Opening the glass doors he was met with a sight that made him understand his wife's urgency for him to talk to their son. There, at the side of the bed, Ryan sat in a hunched over position, trying to mop up the mess he'd created on the mattress with a wet towel. The bed was stripped of the sheets and by the look of it he had one miserable teen to deal with.

"Hi kiddo, what you're doing?" Sandy walked over to him and the boy looked up, eyes glossy from fever.

"I'm so…sorry,"Ryan mumbled while he scrubbed up and down on a spot. "It's destroyed."

"What's destroyed?" Sandy asked a bit confused. Was the boy starting to get delirious?

"The mattress. I tried..to…to make it but I couldn't…it happened so fast."

He could see how devastated Ryan felt and gently he took the towel away from his hand. "It's okay. We'll wash it and it'll be like new again, and if not we'll buy a new one. This mattress was old anyway."

"No!" Ryan shook his head. "Mom won't let us buy a new one. We can't afford it."

Sandy frowned. This was so unlike the Ryan he knew. The boy was clearly delirious and it was like he was back in his childhood. Putting an arm around the shivering teen in an attempt to calm him down, he became alarmed over the amount of heat radiating. It was safe to say that the kid was burning up.

"You know kid you don't look like you're feeling too good. What would you say if we took of that soiled t-shirt and then got you cleaned up before you crawl into a in a nice warm bed? In the guest room." Ryan opened his mouth to object when Sandy cut him short. "I know that you're perfectly capable of handling it all on your own, but it would be better for Kirsten and me if you stayed in the guestroom. At least while you're running this high of a fever.

"I can't." His eyes glazed over once again like he was seeing things that didn't existed. The words surprised Sandy. "You can't. Why not?"

"I just can't." Ryan looked down at the floor, shivering.

"Kid elaborate for me."

"What if I…I have another accident? In that bed too?"

Ryan sounded so lost that Sandy felt his heart ache. What had this kid been through that made him so scared of not doing the right thing? Afraid of failure? Sandy wasn't sure he wanted to know.

"You won't." Sandy said stroking the teen's hair gently. "And if you do then we'll deal with it. Okay?" The teenager shivered in his embrace.

"It wasn't my fault. They made me drink it even if I didn't want to. I tried to make it but I couldn't. I'm so sorry."

Sandy realised that Ryan was still trapped in the monsters of his childhood.

"What did they make you drink?" Sandy asked calmly.

"That yellow stuff, lot's of it."

Ryan was acting so out of character that Sandy feared his temperature had gone up several points. Having studied a unit of psychology at University he knew that regression could come with high fever. "You mean alcohol?"

"Yeah." Ryan nodded and paled. "Yes that was it. I think it was Scotch." For a moment Sandy feared that he would pass out but then the teen went on, "It was so bad but Bob, that guy mom dated at that time, you know when dad was in prison the first time, thought it was quite funny when I got totally smashed. Mom thought I was pretty cute too."

The story Ryan told him scared Sandy but to his relief the kid was only remembering, he wasn't living the situation anymore. "How old were you then?"

"Four, five... I don't know. I don't remember."

The words hit the older man like a jackhammer. This was child abuse. He'd known that Ryan had a hard upbringing but he just couldn't process that the kid had been filled with hard liquor when he was just a child.

"All I know was that I got so sick and mom's boyfriend got so mad at me for being sick on the bed." Ryan shivered at both the memory and the coldness in the room.

Sandy didn't want to know the answer to his next question but he had to ask. "Did he hit you?" The answer was a bit delayed and the seconds felt like hours and when the teen finally answered he already knew what to expect.

"He broke my arm."

"Broke your arm?" This was worse than he'd suspected.

"Yes he told me I was too big not to make it to the bathroom. So he broke it, in more than one place I think, beacuse I had to wear a castallsummer."

Ryan talked like it didn't bother him but Sandy knew better. Hugging the boy tighter he said, "You don't have to be afraid, that won't happened to you again. You hear." His own eyes were filled with tears.

The teen let out a weak smile. "I know."

The older man felt it was best to break the tension. "So kid you gonna take me up on my offer of the guestroom then?" Sandy did his best to act casual but deep inside he was shocked over what the seventeen year old had told him.

The reply he got back was a nod and a silent, but still detectable, "Okay."