A/N Here's the new chapter. It's not as long as I'd hoped it would be, but I figured that I actually stopped in a decent place this time. I'd like to pose a question. Do you or do you not like the way Sandy's character is acting in this particular story. I'm beginning to dislike his actions myself and I plan on making him more likable as the story goes on, but I'd just like to hear your thoughts. R/R please!

This chapter is dedicated to Steph who suggested that Teresa play a more prominent role in the story. Thanx. ;)

Chapter Twelve

Ryan was seeing the shrink regularly, three times a week. For Sandy's sake, Ryan pretended to be comfortable with therapy; he wasn't. In fact, it pissed him off to no end that the woman thought she knew everything about his life just because she'd read a file on him. She didn't know shit about what his life had been like in Chino and she didn't know shit about how he felt about Janine and the baby.

It made Sandy happy that Ryan was getting something out of the therapy. The boy finally seemed comfortable sharing things about himself with the psychologist. On the third visit, the woman had diagnosed Ryan as clinically depressed. Ryan had laughed at her, but Sandy, though he didn't say anything, agreed with the woman. Ryan had been through too much in his short life to not be depressed. She'd prescribed anti-depressants for the kid. Sandy had secretly been relieved because all he wanted was to see Ryan happy; Ryan, on the other hand was upset.

"You think I'm broken and need to be fixed with drugs?" He'd hissed at the shrink. Sandy had given the boy a sharp look, but being the professional, she'd kept calm.

"Ryan, I think that you're depressed, not broken; the medicine will help you. You'll only take the pills for a few months and by then we'll see how you're doing and probably take you off of them." She explained. Ryan hadn't answered, but the session had been over anyway, so Sandy had taken the prescription from the woman. They'd filled it on the way home. Sandy had supervised Ryan as the boy took the medication, knowing that Ryan would have probably thrown the pill away.

That night, Ryan had voluntarily talked at the dinner table and played video games with Seth after helping to clear the table. Sandy was happy seeing Ryan laugh with Seth. Kirsten was uncomfortable for some reason, but for her husband's sake, she smiled with him.

That weekend, Teresa was in town for work and she stopped by to visit Ryan. He'd laughed happily when he saw her, and when she'd gone to hug him, he'd picked her up and swung her around. That's when she realized that something was wrong. She kept watching him throughout dinner; his carefree smile and unforced small talk just made her more suspicious. The Cohens seemed extraordinarily friendly, but they'd done something to her friend.

It was six pm when Ryan and Sandy had to leave for an appointment with the psychologist Ryan had been seeing. The Cohens had graciously offered Teresa the guestroom for the night, so when Kirsten went to get it ready for her, Teresa offered to help. When they were making the bed, Teresa decided to take advantage of her time with Ryan's new mother.

"What did you do to him?" Teresa asked bluntly. Kirsten was shocked, but quickly regained her composure.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand what you're asking." Kirsten pretended to be oblivious.

"Mrs. Cohen, I know that you and your family took Ryan in when he had nowhere to go." Teresa started, "I know that he cares about you more than he's dared to care about anybody since what happened with Janine. I know that you and your family are good people. I truly respect you, but I've know Ryan longer than you have and I know that you've done something to him."

Kirsten looked down and found that she was nervously twisting the pillowcase in her hands.

"The psychologist prescribed anti-depressants for him. He hasn't complained and he's smiling, so I never said anything, but it feels wrong for some reason." Kirsten confessed to the teenager what she'd refrained from mentioning to her husband. Meeting the girl's eyes, Kirsten was surprised to see fear in them.

"Anti-depressants?" Teresa asked slowly and when Kirsten nodded, Teresa continued. "He can't have anti-depressants… he didn't tell you did he… no, of course he didn't…"

Kirsten was frightened now.

"Tell us what? Teresa, what's wrong with anti-depressants?" The woman asked.

"He disappeared… when the doctors took her body away; he took off and I didn't see him lucid again for weeks. He used so many things to try to make the pain go away… he used everything he could get his hands on. It's a miracle that he didn't overdose. He told me later that nothing worked as well as the anti-depressants… He'd stolen some woman's purse and they were in there, a whole bottle. They made him smile; they made him happy when nothing else could make him happy; they made him forget when nothing else could make him forget. They worked better for him than the pot, and the vodka, and the sex…" Teresa had seen too much in her life to shed tears over the past, but they flowed freely down Kirsten's face.

"Did your husband tell you that Trey had to lock Ryan in the bathroom to keep him away from the drugs. Trey Atwood has always been into the drugs and he recognized that Ryan was going to far. Ryan's going to get addicted to the anti-depressants, just like he did before. He can cope with things better if he does it without pills and without people getting paid to pick apart his brain." Teresa finished.

"But Sandy said that Ryan had no problem with the psychologist… I can't believe that we didn't know about any of this… Thank you." Kirsten hugged the girl. She knew that, despite Teresa's blunt approach to the conversation, the girl was truly offering her help. "What can we do to help him through this… without letting him get drunk or anything like that?"

Teresa thought a moment before she answered.

"Get him a carton of cigarettes and a punching bag and let him know that you're there for him if he needs you; he'll be fine by the time the carton's empty." Kirsten nodded, obviously willing to let Ryan smoke if it would help him.

"He's lucky to have a friend who cares so much about him." Kirsten smiled at Teresa. The girl smiled back.

"He's lucky to have a family who cares about him so much."

The two women finished making the bed together.

That night while they were lying in bed, Kirsten explained Teresa's advice about Ryan to her husband. He, thankfully, didn't say anything until she'd finished, but than, he was full of comments.

"You do realize that she's one of the many girls he slept with after what happened, correct?"

"A carton of cigarettes? We're supposed to be helping him quit, not die of lung cancer."

"She's a teenager, how does she know what's best for him?"

"What if she tries to get him to leave with her?"

Kirsten put up with the rapid fire, rhetorical questions for almost minute before silencing Sandy with a kiss.

"I'm sorry Kirsten, but I'm worried about him."

"I'm worried too Sandy, but I think we should take Teresa's advice; she has known him for years. Plus, as much as I want to see Ryan smiling, I don't want it to be because he's on medication." Kirsten knew she'd won.

"One carton and if it doesn't work, back to therapy." Sandy never had been able to deny his wife anything.

"One carton." Kirsten agreed. Offering up a silent prayer that Teresa's advice would work, Kirsten kissed her husband goodnight and rolled over on her side, promptly falling asleep.

A/N Well there's the new chapter. This one was less involved because I was more concerned with moving the plot along. R/R please!