Standard disclaimers apply. Thanks for all the super reviews!
Chapter 2
The waiting room at HOAG was eerily quiet, not at all like the ones on TV. Of course, it was the hospital of the rich and the snobby, accidents were not common. The whole place was cold, sterile, and eerily quiet.
Seth sat slumped in one of the blue chairs, his arms crossed, and an unhappy frown on his face. He maintained that he was fine, but Sandy would hear nothing of it. His dad sure was one stubborn Jew.
Sandy sat filling out all the forms that the nurse at the front desk had given him. He sighed wearily, running a hand through his hair. He was more nervous than he'd care to admit. He'd always been like that when it came to his son though. He hated being so overprotective and paranoid, but he couldn't help it. He loved the kid more than life itself.
"You still dizzy?" Sandy asked, not looking up from his forms.
"I'm fine," Seth replied crossly.
"You've been saying that since yesterday and, funny, I don't believe it." Sandy paused. "Are you on drugs?"
"What? No!" Seth shook his head emphatically. "No possible way. Never. I'd never touch that shit."
"Don't cuss," Sandy said. "And I trust that you wouldn't do drugs, but I'm a parent; I have to ask."
"Whatever," Seth mumbled. He shivered. "Can't they turn the heat on in here?"
Sandy gave him an appraising look. He seemed to be on the verge of saying something, but he held back. Instead, he got up and handed the completed forms to the nurse.
"By the way," he said, sitting down, "if anyone asks your last tetanus shot was two years ago. Polio, three years."
"You mean you don't have these meaningless facts committed to memory?" Seth asked, with mock surprise.
"Slips my mind every now and again," Sandy said. He grinned. He liked being able to joke around with Seth; it was nice. He'd never had any connection with his father at all.
Seth sighed tiredly. His head felt heavy, and he wanted to just close his eyes and sleep the day away. He stretched his legs out slightly, which were annoyingly stiff. He glanced at his watch, wanting to get the whole damn thing over with. He felt a stinging pain in his head, and, seeing nowhere else to lean, gently leaned his head on his father's shoulder. He closed his eyes, exhausted.
Sandy was surprised at the sudden weight that plopped onto his shoulder. He smiled faintly at his son. They'd become much closer after Ryan started living with him. It seemed to him that Seth was so grateful that he let Ryan live with them that he was nicer to his father, more compassionate. Seth had certainly never let Sandy be so close to him voluntarily before Ryan got there, in the physical and emotional sense.
Sandy's fingers danced lightly over Seth's curls, occasionally winding his fingers around one, then releasing it, smiling as it bounced back into its previous position. He could feel some of the worry slowly start to drain away as he got caught up in the moment.
"Seth Cohen," the nurse called a few minutes later.
And all the worry returned.
"The one and only," Seth mumbled, standing up. Sandy stood up as well. "Where are you going?" Seth asked.
"I'm going in there with you," Sandy explained, placing a hand on Seth's back.
"I'm not a little kid; I'll be fine on my own."
"No arguments."
"But-"
"No. Arguments."
Seth sighed, his head drooping, defeated and annoyed. "Fine. Let's go."
"I love being the parent," Sandy chirped cheerfully. "I get to win every argument."
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After stepping on the scale and getting weighed, and a few other regular procedures, Seth hopped up on the examination table, his legs dangling off of the side. Sandy sat in a chair across from the table, his arms crossed, biting his lip. The doctor, Dr. Pearson, stood in front of Seth. He was a tall, good-looking man with a heavy British accent. He introduced himself, and stated that he normally worked exclusively on the oncology floor.
"So, Seth, what seems to be the problem?" Doctor Pearson asked.
Sandy answered for him. "He's been looking pretty bad for the past few days. Today he almost fainted, so I brought him here."
Dr. Pearson nodded, looking thoughtful. "Seth?"
Seth shrugged. "I dunno. I've been tired all the time, I guess."
"Stomach pains?"
Seth nodded reluctantly.
"Headaches?"
Seth nodded again, avoiding Sandy's eyes.
"Fever?" Dr. Pearson pressed a few spots on Seth's neck gently, checking for swelling.
"Yes," Sandy piped up. Seth shot him a dirty look.
"Any sleep disturbances? Night sweats?"
"Yes," Sandy said, nodding emphatically. "Last night especially."
Seth frowned. He didn't remember that.
"You went down a few pounds, I see," Dr. Pearson said, glancing down at Seth's charts. "Ten pounds since our last visit. You haven't been trying to lose weight have you?"
Seth shook his head. "However, I'm wearing very light clothing. That can be an important factor to consider."
Dr. Pearson snickered. "Seth, I'm going to ask you to remove your shirt please."
"Not without at least dinner and a movie," Seth replied, arching an eyebrow.
"Seth!"
"Sorry, Dad."
Dr. Pearson chuckled. "No problem. I just need to use my stethoscope here, check the old ticker. Then there's the scoliosis test. It says here that you have a slight curvature of the spine. I'd like to check up on that."
Seth peeled off of his sweatshirt. Goosebumps instantly popped up on his skin, and he shivered.
"Where'd you get that?" Dr. Pearson asked curiously.
"Get what? The nipples? I was born with them," Seth replied flippantly.
"Seth!"
"No, that bruise on your shoulder." Dr. Pearson put a hand on his shoulder, squinting at the large black and blue bruise. "How long have you had it?"
Seth glanced over at it. "I dunno." He shrugged. "Never even knew I had it."
"There's one on your back too." Dr. Pearson frowned. He place the stethoscope over Seth's heart, listening attentively. After placing it on a few more spots, he took it off and turned to face Sandy. "I'll need to draw some blood, take a chest x-ray, and a biopsy. Then I think we'll get a clear idea of what exactly the problem is."
Sandy nodded gravely. Dr. Pearson looked apprehensive, which was enough to make him nervous. Sandy knew next to nothing about medical related stuff, but the look on Pearson's face worried him.
"Is there any history of illness in your family, or your wife's family? Heart problems, cancer, disease, psychological disorders?" Dr. Pearson asked.
"Heart attacks on my wife's side," Sandy told him, twisting his wedding ring around on his finger. "Panic attacks on my side. Seth's gotten a few of those. My grandfather died of colon cancer. Kirsten..my wife..her mother died of ovarian cancer."
Dr. Pearson nodded, scribbling a few notes onto his charts. Seth sat on the table, looking upset.
"How soon after you draw the blood can we find out the test results?" Sandy asked.
"We have some wonderful equipment here. We can have the results by tonight. I'd like to get Seth checked in. It's just a precautionary measure, but given what you told me about him almost fainting, it seems like the best idea to have him stay over night. I'll go make the arrangements for the x-ray and the biopsy, then come back to draw the blood." He gave Seth a reassuring smile. "I'll be right back." And with that, he disappeared out the door.
Sandy studied Seth carefully. He was trying to appear nonchalant about the whole thing, but Sandy saw that he was trying to hide his fear.
"Seth, I'm sure it's probably nothing."
"Yeah." Seth wasn't in his usual talkative mood.
"Do you need me to get you anything?" Sandy paused. "Are you going to have an anxiety attack?"
Seth shook his head. "I haven't gotten one of those since Ryan got here."
Sandy nodded. "Just don't worry about it. You'll be okay."
Seth nodded, but he didn't look convinced. Sandy tried to quell the nervousness that was attacking his gut. He looked down at his hands to find them shaking. 'It's probably nothing,' he said to himself. It didn't help.
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It was only after Seth's biopsy, blood test and x-ray had been taken, and he'd been set up in his very own hospital room, that Sandy remembered something important he'd forgotten.
"Ryan," he said, smacking his forehead.
"Hmm?" Seth looked up from the People magazine he'd been thumbing through. He was exhausted. The biopsy had been especially painful, even though he'd been put under anesthesia. They'd shoved an enormous needle into his hipbone, and the spot where he'd been stuck throbbed. He had the creeping suspicion that there was something Dr. Pearson wasn't telling him.
"Nothing, kiddo. I'd just better call Ryan, let him know what's up." Sandy shoved his hands into his pockets.
"Are you gonna call Mom too? And Grandpa? Is this like, a serious kinda thing?" Seth asked, shutting the magazine. "I mean, I'm wearing this hideous hospital gown, and nobody's told me any useful bit of information whatsoever. Does that mean something's wrong?"
"I don't know," Sandy replied. He rubbed Seth's back gently with one hand. "I'll call your mom, just because she'd kill me if I didn't. I'm sure it's nothing, but she'll want to be told anyway. And Caleb will be there, so he'll find out too."
Seth nodded. "But, you're right. It's probably nothing. Just stress..and stuff."
Sandy nodded. "I'll be back in a flash."
He gave Seth a tiny wave before leaving the room. He found a pay phone at the end of the hall. The first call would have to go to Ryan. He didn't want him to be worrying about where they were.
"Hello?" Ryan picked up on the first ring.
"Hey, Ryan. It's Sandy."
"Hey, where are you? Is Seth okay?" Ryan sounded very concerned. "I just got home ten minutes ago and there was no note or anything."
"Yeah, sorry about that. We're at HOAG."
Dead silence on the other end.
"It's probably nothing, but Seth almost fainted this morning, and they want to run some tests. Precautionary stuff. No big deal."
Dead silence.
"Ryan?"
"Yeah, uh, can I come down there? I'd like to see him, you know." Ryan's voice sounded severely choked.
"Yeah, that'd be good, I think," Sandy replied. "You don't have to though..and I'm not sure how much time you'll have. Visitor's hours only last another hour or so, I think."
"I'll get a ride. Be there in about twenty minutes."
"Okay." Sandy nodded. "Don't worry about him." He hung up the receiver gently, secretly glad that he'd get to share the worry with Ryan. He wished Kirsten were there.
Kirsten. That call would be pretty tough. Once she heard that Seth was in the hospital, she'd want to be there right away, Caleb in tow. Although for once, Sandy wasn't sure he'd mind seeing Caleb. His pure hatred for the man might help him take his mind off Seth.
Sandy picked up the phone with a heavy sigh, dialing the number Kirsten had written down for him.
"Jamison and Associates, how may I help you?" A cheerful voice asked.
"I need to speak with Kirsten Cohen." Kirsten had said she'd be in meetings with Jamison and Associates pretty much from the time she got off the plane, so it was a pretty safe bet that that was where she was.
"I'm sorry, she's in a very important meeting right now. I can tell her you called, though. Who is this?"
"This is her husband, Sandy, and I need to speak with her now. It's an emergency." Was it an emergency? Oh, God. What if it really was?
There was a pause on the line. "One moment, please. I'll go get her."
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Kirsten sat in the board room, quietly listening to the negotiations that were going on around her, when the door opened and Kristy, the overly perky receptionist, walked in. The room went silent. Kristy gave an embarrassed smile and walked over to Kirsten. Nobody asked what she was doing in there, most just gave her a look of outright contempt.
"Kirsten Cohen?" she asked in a low voice. She was obviously very flustered.
"Yes," Kirsten replied, conscious of the fact that her father was watching and listening to the whole exchange.
"Your husband's on the phone. He says it's an emergency."
Kirsten nodded, swallowing a lump that suddenly appeared in her throat, wondering what it could possibly be, assuming the absolute worst. She opened her mouth to say something, but choked on the words.
"Excuse us, please, James?" Caleb asked. "We need to take a phone call from back home."
"No problem at all, Caleb," James replied, with a friendly smile.
"We won't be more than a minute," Caleb said, returning the smile. He and James were old friends.
Caleb put a hand on Kirsten's shoulder as they made their way to the phone. "I'm sure everything's fine," he whispered into her ear, giving her shoulder an affectionate squeeze.
The smile never quite reached Kirsten's face. She picked up the receiver, taking a deep breath.
"Sandy?"
There was a long pause on the other end.
"Hey, honey." Sandy's voice sounded strained and tired.
"Sandy, what's wrong?" Kirsten closed her eyes, fearing the worst.
"I'm at the hospital with Seth," Sandy replied, his voice barely audible.
"Oh, God, Seth. What happened?" Kirsten felt Caleb wrap his arm around her shoulders, and she was glad to have him beside her.
"He hasn't been feeling well for the past few days. This morning, if I hadn't caught him, he would've fainted. There's nothing to worry about at this point; they're just running some tests right now, but I figured you'd want to know." Sandy sighed. "It's probably nothing.."
"We're coming home," Kirsten said softly.
"You-you don't have to," Sandy said, in a voice that indicated that he needed her to.
"Sandy, are you worried?"
"Kirsten, I-"
"Don't lie to me, Sandy."
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm worried." Sandy sounded on the verge of tears. "We'll get the results in a few hours."
"How's Seth taking it?"
"He's-he's scared," Sandy whispered. "I'm just trying to keep his mind off things."
"Good idea," Kirsten replied. "Dad and I will be there in a few hours. HOAG?"
"Yeah."
"How's Ryan doing?"
"He's on his way," Sandy replied. "Worried, I think."
Kirsten nodded. "I'll see you in a few hours. I love you. Kiss Seth for me."
"Love you too, honey. Please don't worry."
"Goodbye Sandy."
"Bye Kirsten."
Kirsten hung up the phone. She exhaled loudly, trying to fight off the onslaught of emotions that hit her.
Caleb hugged her tightly. "What's wrong, Kikki? What's wrong with Seth?"
Kirsten looked into his eyes, and saw that Caleb was just as scared as she was. He'd always taken to Seth, his only grandchild, no matter how many times he moaned about him not being an athlete. Kirsten told him everything she knew.
"I'll call my jet," Caleb said. "We'll be there in no time." He kissed Kirsten on the side of the head. "Don't worry, Kikki. I'm sure he'll be fine."
"Thanks, Dad," Kirsten said softly, knowing that he was scared too.
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Ryan rushed to Sandy as soon as he caught sight of him, sitting in one of the blue waiting room chairs, looking ten years older, and scared as hell. He looked up, and gave Ryan a weary smile.
"Hey," he greeted him. "Last time I was in there, he was sleeping, but we can go see him. I just came out to wait for you."
Ryan nodded, not knowing what to say.
"Did Marissa give you a ride here?" Sandy asked curiously.
Ryan shook his head. "Theresa did."
"Your friend from Chino?"
Ryan nodded. "I figured she'd be cool with it. I wouldn't have to comfort her or anything. Not like with Marissa."
Sandy nodded knowingly. "Well, I guess we can go in to see him now."
"You need anything?" Ryan asked quietly. "You don't look so hot."
"No, I don't need a thing," Sandy replied with a forced smile. He needed to keep up a brave front for the boys, though on the inside he felt like the same scared kid who spent his nights in a Brooklyn alley, closing his eyes, waiting for Fate to stomp him to smithereens.
Ryan walked slowly into Seth's room, not sure what to expect. He'd never visited anyone in the hospital that wasn't there because of getting beaten up or shot. What would Seth look like? Like he was barely hanging onto life?
Seth looked, well, young, much more like ten than sixteen. He was sleeping, his lips parted slightly, the starched white blankets tucked under his chin, his hair matted down on his head. He looked peaceful, happy, Not sick, just little and young.
Sandy shook Seth gently. "Seth, buddy. Ryan's here to see you." Sandy smiled at Ryan. "He made me promise to wake him up if you came."
Seth blinked, groaned, and, processing what his dad had said, sat up, looking excited. "Hey dude!" he greeted him exuberantly.
"Hey Seth," Ryan said, trying not let his nerves show through. He had to be strong for Seth. "I brought you a few things." He reached into his jacket and pulled out a copy of the newest Legion, and the always charming Captain Oats.
Seth's face melted into a smile. "Thanks man." He yawned loudly. "So how was school? Did you see Summer?"
"At lunch, yeah," Ryan replied. "She asked about you."
"Yeah?" Seth asked eagerly.
"She says she hopes you feel better."
"Excellent."
"So, uh, how you feeling?" Ryan asked, instantly feeling stupid. What the hell was he thinking?
"Funny, I'm in a hospital and everybody just starts asking me how I'm feeling," Seth said in mock puzzlement. "I'm good, man. I'll be outta here and creating mayhem and merriment in no time."
Ryan chuckled a little bit. "Cool."
Doctor Pearson poked his head into the door. "I'm sorry, visitor's hours are over. Mr. Cohen, you may opt to stay with Seth overnight, but I'm afraid his friend here has to go."
Seth frowned. "He's my brother."
"Either way."
"It's okay, Seth, it's fine. I'll go." Ryan patted Seth's knee, and turned and walked toward the door. "I'll see ya later…dude."
"Dude…Chino just said dude!" Seth exclaimed.
Ryan just laughed, waved, and left.
"Mr. Cohen, may I speak with you privately?" Doctor Pearson asked.
Sandy nodded, his heart skipping a beat. "Do you have the results?"
Seth's ears perked up at the mention of his test results.
"Not yet, I'm sorry." Dr. Pearson smiled apologetically. "Now, if you'd follow me outside, just for a moment."
Sandy grunted in affirmation, and followed Dr. Pearson out of the room and into the hallway. Sandy spotted Ryan in the waiting room area, pacing back and forth nervously.
"Mr. Cohen, when will Seth's mother be here?" Dr. Pearson asked, cutting right to the chase.
"She was pulled out of a business meeting. She should be here in about two hours. Maybe one if she's on her father's private jet." Sandy crossed his arms, apprehensive. "Why? Is something wrong?"
Dr. Pearson smiled reassuringly. "We don't know if anything's wrong yet. But, when the results do come in, do you want me to tell you even if she's not here?"
Sandy weighed the options in his mind. If he knew beforehand if something was wrong, he could figure out a way to break it to Kirsten gently. On the other hand, if he got bad news with Kirsten by his side, he could go crazy and break stuff, and she could be the calm, rational one. Without her, he would be forced to be the latter, something he wasn't positive he could handle.
"Wait for her," he said, swallowing a lump in his throat. "It'll be better that way."
Dr. Pearson nodded, and turned to walk away, but Sandy grabbed his arm.
"Also, Dr. Pearson…if it's bad…who's gonna tell Seth?"
Dr. Pearson sighed. "Usually that's my job, and trust me, it's not one of my favorites."
"I'll do it, if it it's bad. He could take it better from me. I'd feel better knowing he heard it from me." Sandy wrung his hands nervously.
"That'd be okay," Dr. Pearson agreed, nodding his head slowly, then walking away. Sandy noticed that he no longer ended their little chats by saying that he shouldn't worry, because Seth would be fine.
Sandy caught Ryan's eye, mid-pace. Sandy gave him a tiny wave, and Ryan gave him a nod. Sandy wanted to tell him that he could go home if he wanted to, but he doubted Ryan would listen to him. So he just walked back into Seth's room, trying his best to stay calm. Now was not the time for panic.
End of chapter 2. Hope you all enjoyed it
Chapter 2
The waiting room at HOAG was eerily quiet, not at all like the ones on TV. Of course, it was the hospital of the rich and the snobby, accidents were not common. The whole place was cold, sterile, and eerily quiet.
Seth sat slumped in one of the blue chairs, his arms crossed, and an unhappy frown on his face. He maintained that he was fine, but Sandy would hear nothing of it. His dad sure was one stubborn Jew.
Sandy sat filling out all the forms that the nurse at the front desk had given him. He sighed wearily, running a hand through his hair. He was more nervous than he'd care to admit. He'd always been like that when it came to his son though. He hated being so overprotective and paranoid, but he couldn't help it. He loved the kid more than life itself.
"You still dizzy?" Sandy asked, not looking up from his forms.
"I'm fine," Seth replied crossly.
"You've been saying that since yesterday and, funny, I don't believe it." Sandy paused. "Are you on drugs?"
"What? No!" Seth shook his head emphatically. "No possible way. Never. I'd never touch that shit."
"Don't cuss," Sandy said. "And I trust that you wouldn't do drugs, but I'm a parent; I have to ask."
"Whatever," Seth mumbled. He shivered. "Can't they turn the heat on in here?"
Sandy gave him an appraising look. He seemed to be on the verge of saying something, but he held back. Instead, he got up and handed the completed forms to the nurse.
"By the way," he said, sitting down, "if anyone asks your last tetanus shot was two years ago. Polio, three years."
"You mean you don't have these meaningless facts committed to memory?" Seth asked, with mock surprise.
"Slips my mind every now and again," Sandy said. He grinned. He liked being able to joke around with Seth; it was nice. He'd never had any connection with his father at all.
Seth sighed tiredly. His head felt heavy, and he wanted to just close his eyes and sleep the day away. He stretched his legs out slightly, which were annoyingly stiff. He glanced at his watch, wanting to get the whole damn thing over with. He felt a stinging pain in his head, and, seeing nowhere else to lean, gently leaned his head on his father's shoulder. He closed his eyes, exhausted.
Sandy was surprised at the sudden weight that plopped onto his shoulder. He smiled faintly at his son. They'd become much closer after Ryan started living with him. It seemed to him that Seth was so grateful that he let Ryan live with them that he was nicer to his father, more compassionate. Seth had certainly never let Sandy be so close to him voluntarily before Ryan got there, in the physical and emotional sense.
Sandy's fingers danced lightly over Seth's curls, occasionally winding his fingers around one, then releasing it, smiling as it bounced back into its previous position. He could feel some of the worry slowly start to drain away as he got caught up in the moment.
"Seth Cohen," the nurse called a few minutes later.
And all the worry returned.
"The one and only," Seth mumbled, standing up. Sandy stood up as well. "Where are you going?" Seth asked.
"I'm going in there with you," Sandy explained, placing a hand on Seth's back.
"I'm not a little kid; I'll be fine on my own."
"No arguments."
"But-"
"No. Arguments."
Seth sighed, his head drooping, defeated and annoyed. "Fine. Let's go."
"I love being the parent," Sandy chirped cheerfully. "I get to win every argument."
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After stepping on the scale and getting weighed, and a few other regular procedures, Seth hopped up on the examination table, his legs dangling off of the side. Sandy sat in a chair across from the table, his arms crossed, biting his lip. The doctor, Dr. Pearson, stood in front of Seth. He was a tall, good-looking man with a heavy British accent. He introduced himself, and stated that he normally worked exclusively on the oncology floor.
"So, Seth, what seems to be the problem?" Doctor Pearson asked.
Sandy answered for him. "He's been looking pretty bad for the past few days. Today he almost fainted, so I brought him here."
Dr. Pearson nodded, looking thoughtful. "Seth?"
Seth shrugged. "I dunno. I've been tired all the time, I guess."
"Stomach pains?"
Seth nodded reluctantly.
"Headaches?"
Seth nodded again, avoiding Sandy's eyes.
"Fever?" Dr. Pearson pressed a few spots on Seth's neck gently, checking for swelling.
"Yes," Sandy piped up. Seth shot him a dirty look.
"Any sleep disturbances? Night sweats?"
"Yes," Sandy said, nodding emphatically. "Last night especially."
Seth frowned. He didn't remember that.
"You went down a few pounds, I see," Dr. Pearson said, glancing down at Seth's charts. "Ten pounds since our last visit. You haven't been trying to lose weight have you?"
Seth shook his head. "However, I'm wearing very light clothing. That can be an important factor to consider."
Dr. Pearson snickered. "Seth, I'm going to ask you to remove your shirt please."
"Not without at least dinner and a movie," Seth replied, arching an eyebrow.
"Seth!"
"Sorry, Dad."
Dr. Pearson chuckled. "No problem. I just need to use my stethoscope here, check the old ticker. Then there's the scoliosis test. It says here that you have a slight curvature of the spine. I'd like to check up on that."
Seth peeled off of his sweatshirt. Goosebumps instantly popped up on his skin, and he shivered.
"Where'd you get that?" Dr. Pearson asked curiously.
"Get what? The nipples? I was born with them," Seth replied flippantly.
"Seth!"
"No, that bruise on your shoulder." Dr. Pearson put a hand on his shoulder, squinting at the large black and blue bruise. "How long have you had it?"
Seth glanced over at it. "I dunno." He shrugged. "Never even knew I had it."
"There's one on your back too." Dr. Pearson frowned. He place the stethoscope over Seth's heart, listening attentively. After placing it on a few more spots, he took it off and turned to face Sandy. "I'll need to draw some blood, take a chest x-ray, and a biopsy. Then I think we'll get a clear idea of what exactly the problem is."
Sandy nodded gravely. Dr. Pearson looked apprehensive, which was enough to make him nervous. Sandy knew next to nothing about medical related stuff, but the look on Pearson's face worried him.
"Is there any history of illness in your family, or your wife's family? Heart problems, cancer, disease, psychological disorders?" Dr. Pearson asked.
"Heart attacks on my wife's side," Sandy told him, twisting his wedding ring around on his finger. "Panic attacks on my side. Seth's gotten a few of those. My grandfather died of colon cancer. Kirsten..my wife..her mother died of ovarian cancer."
Dr. Pearson nodded, scribbling a few notes onto his charts. Seth sat on the table, looking upset.
"How soon after you draw the blood can we find out the test results?" Sandy asked.
"We have some wonderful equipment here. We can have the results by tonight. I'd like to get Seth checked in. It's just a precautionary measure, but given what you told me about him almost fainting, it seems like the best idea to have him stay over night. I'll go make the arrangements for the x-ray and the biopsy, then come back to draw the blood." He gave Seth a reassuring smile. "I'll be right back." And with that, he disappeared out the door.
Sandy studied Seth carefully. He was trying to appear nonchalant about the whole thing, but Sandy saw that he was trying to hide his fear.
"Seth, I'm sure it's probably nothing."
"Yeah." Seth wasn't in his usual talkative mood.
"Do you need me to get you anything?" Sandy paused. "Are you going to have an anxiety attack?"
Seth shook his head. "I haven't gotten one of those since Ryan got here."
Sandy nodded. "Just don't worry about it. You'll be okay."
Seth nodded, but he didn't look convinced. Sandy tried to quell the nervousness that was attacking his gut. He looked down at his hands to find them shaking. 'It's probably nothing,' he said to himself. It didn't help.
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It was only after Seth's biopsy, blood test and x-ray had been taken, and he'd been set up in his very own hospital room, that Sandy remembered something important he'd forgotten.
"Ryan," he said, smacking his forehead.
"Hmm?" Seth looked up from the People magazine he'd been thumbing through. He was exhausted. The biopsy had been especially painful, even though he'd been put under anesthesia. They'd shoved an enormous needle into his hipbone, and the spot where he'd been stuck throbbed. He had the creeping suspicion that there was something Dr. Pearson wasn't telling him.
"Nothing, kiddo. I'd just better call Ryan, let him know what's up." Sandy shoved his hands into his pockets.
"Are you gonna call Mom too? And Grandpa? Is this like, a serious kinda thing?" Seth asked, shutting the magazine. "I mean, I'm wearing this hideous hospital gown, and nobody's told me any useful bit of information whatsoever. Does that mean something's wrong?"
"I don't know," Sandy replied. He rubbed Seth's back gently with one hand. "I'll call your mom, just because she'd kill me if I didn't. I'm sure it's nothing, but she'll want to be told anyway. And Caleb will be there, so he'll find out too."
Seth nodded. "But, you're right. It's probably nothing. Just stress..and stuff."
Sandy nodded. "I'll be back in a flash."
He gave Seth a tiny wave before leaving the room. He found a pay phone at the end of the hall. The first call would have to go to Ryan. He didn't want him to be worrying about where they were.
"Hello?" Ryan picked up on the first ring.
"Hey, Ryan. It's Sandy."
"Hey, where are you? Is Seth okay?" Ryan sounded very concerned. "I just got home ten minutes ago and there was no note or anything."
"Yeah, sorry about that. We're at HOAG."
Dead silence on the other end.
"It's probably nothing, but Seth almost fainted this morning, and they want to run some tests. Precautionary stuff. No big deal."
Dead silence.
"Ryan?"
"Yeah, uh, can I come down there? I'd like to see him, you know." Ryan's voice sounded severely choked.
"Yeah, that'd be good, I think," Sandy replied. "You don't have to though..and I'm not sure how much time you'll have. Visitor's hours only last another hour or so, I think."
"I'll get a ride. Be there in about twenty minutes."
"Okay." Sandy nodded. "Don't worry about him." He hung up the receiver gently, secretly glad that he'd get to share the worry with Ryan. He wished Kirsten were there.
Kirsten. That call would be pretty tough. Once she heard that Seth was in the hospital, she'd want to be there right away, Caleb in tow. Although for once, Sandy wasn't sure he'd mind seeing Caleb. His pure hatred for the man might help him take his mind off Seth.
Sandy picked up the phone with a heavy sigh, dialing the number Kirsten had written down for him.
"Jamison and Associates, how may I help you?" A cheerful voice asked.
"I need to speak with Kirsten Cohen." Kirsten had said she'd be in meetings with Jamison and Associates pretty much from the time she got off the plane, so it was a pretty safe bet that that was where she was.
"I'm sorry, she's in a very important meeting right now. I can tell her you called, though. Who is this?"
"This is her husband, Sandy, and I need to speak with her now. It's an emergency." Was it an emergency? Oh, God. What if it really was?
There was a pause on the line. "One moment, please. I'll go get her."
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Kirsten sat in the board room, quietly listening to the negotiations that were going on around her, when the door opened and Kristy, the overly perky receptionist, walked in. The room went silent. Kristy gave an embarrassed smile and walked over to Kirsten. Nobody asked what she was doing in there, most just gave her a look of outright contempt.
"Kirsten Cohen?" she asked in a low voice. She was obviously very flustered.
"Yes," Kirsten replied, conscious of the fact that her father was watching and listening to the whole exchange.
"Your husband's on the phone. He says it's an emergency."
Kirsten nodded, swallowing a lump that suddenly appeared in her throat, wondering what it could possibly be, assuming the absolute worst. She opened her mouth to say something, but choked on the words.
"Excuse us, please, James?" Caleb asked. "We need to take a phone call from back home."
"No problem at all, Caleb," James replied, with a friendly smile.
"We won't be more than a minute," Caleb said, returning the smile. He and James were old friends.
Caleb put a hand on Kirsten's shoulder as they made their way to the phone. "I'm sure everything's fine," he whispered into her ear, giving her shoulder an affectionate squeeze.
The smile never quite reached Kirsten's face. She picked up the receiver, taking a deep breath.
"Sandy?"
There was a long pause on the other end.
"Hey, honey." Sandy's voice sounded strained and tired.
"Sandy, what's wrong?" Kirsten closed her eyes, fearing the worst.
"I'm at the hospital with Seth," Sandy replied, his voice barely audible.
"Oh, God, Seth. What happened?" Kirsten felt Caleb wrap his arm around her shoulders, and she was glad to have him beside her.
"He hasn't been feeling well for the past few days. This morning, if I hadn't caught him, he would've fainted. There's nothing to worry about at this point; they're just running some tests right now, but I figured you'd want to know." Sandy sighed. "It's probably nothing.."
"We're coming home," Kirsten said softly.
"You-you don't have to," Sandy said, in a voice that indicated that he needed her to.
"Sandy, are you worried?"
"Kirsten, I-"
"Don't lie to me, Sandy."
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm worried." Sandy sounded on the verge of tears. "We'll get the results in a few hours."
"How's Seth taking it?"
"He's-he's scared," Sandy whispered. "I'm just trying to keep his mind off things."
"Good idea," Kirsten replied. "Dad and I will be there in a few hours. HOAG?"
"Yeah."
"How's Ryan doing?"
"He's on his way," Sandy replied. "Worried, I think."
Kirsten nodded. "I'll see you in a few hours. I love you. Kiss Seth for me."
"Love you too, honey. Please don't worry."
"Goodbye Sandy."
"Bye Kirsten."
Kirsten hung up the phone. She exhaled loudly, trying to fight off the onslaught of emotions that hit her.
Caleb hugged her tightly. "What's wrong, Kikki? What's wrong with Seth?"
Kirsten looked into his eyes, and saw that Caleb was just as scared as she was. He'd always taken to Seth, his only grandchild, no matter how many times he moaned about him not being an athlete. Kirsten told him everything she knew.
"I'll call my jet," Caleb said. "We'll be there in no time." He kissed Kirsten on the side of the head. "Don't worry, Kikki. I'm sure he'll be fine."
"Thanks, Dad," Kirsten said softly, knowing that he was scared too.
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Ryan rushed to Sandy as soon as he caught sight of him, sitting in one of the blue waiting room chairs, looking ten years older, and scared as hell. He looked up, and gave Ryan a weary smile.
"Hey," he greeted him. "Last time I was in there, he was sleeping, but we can go see him. I just came out to wait for you."
Ryan nodded, not knowing what to say.
"Did Marissa give you a ride here?" Sandy asked curiously.
Ryan shook his head. "Theresa did."
"Your friend from Chino?"
Ryan nodded. "I figured she'd be cool with it. I wouldn't have to comfort her or anything. Not like with Marissa."
Sandy nodded knowingly. "Well, I guess we can go in to see him now."
"You need anything?" Ryan asked quietly. "You don't look so hot."
"No, I don't need a thing," Sandy replied with a forced smile. He needed to keep up a brave front for the boys, though on the inside he felt like the same scared kid who spent his nights in a Brooklyn alley, closing his eyes, waiting for Fate to stomp him to smithereens.
Ryan walked slowly into Seth's room, not sure what to expect. He'd never visited anyone in the hospital that wasn't there because of getting beaten up or shot. What would Seth look like? Like he was barely hanging onto life?
Seth looked, well, young, much more like ten than sixteen. He was sleeping, his lips parted slightly, the starched white blankets tucked under his chin, his hair matted down on his head. He looked peaceful, happy, Not sick, just little and young.
Sandy shook Seth gently. "Seth, buddy. Ryan's here to see you." Sandy smiled at Ryan. "He made me promise to wake him up if you came."
Seth blinked, groaned, and, processing what his dad had said, sat up, looking excited. "Hey dude!" he greeted him exuberantly.
"Hey Seth," Ryan said, trying not let his nerves show through. He had to be strong for Seth. "I brought you a few things." He reached into his jacket and pulled out a copy of the newest Legion, and the always charming Captain Oats.
Seth's face melted into a smile. "Thanks man." He yawned loudly. "So how was school? Did you see Summer?"
"At lunch, yeah," Ryan replied. "She asked about you."
"Yeah?" Seth asked eagerly.
"She says she hopes you feel better."
"Excellent."
"So, uh, how you feeling?" Ryan asked, instantly feeling stupid. What the hell was he thinking?
"Funny, I'm in a hospital and everybody just starts asking me how I'm feeling," Seth said in mock puzzlement. "I'm good, man. I'll be outta here and creating mayhem and merriment in no time."
Ryan chuckled a little bit. "Cool."
Doctor Pearson poked his head into the door. "I'm sorry, visitor's hours are over. Mr. Cohen, you may opt to stay with Seth overnight, but I'm afraid his friend here has to go."
Seth frowned. "He's my brother."
"Either way."
"It's okay, Seth, it's fine. I'll go." Ryan patted Seth's knee, and turned and walked toward the door. "I'll see ya later…dude."
"Dude…Chino just said dude!" Seth exclaimed.
Ryan just laughed, waved, and left.
"Mr. Cohen, may I speak with you privately?" Doctor Pearson asked.
Sandy nodded, his heart skipping a beat. "Do you have the results?"
Seth's ears perked up at the mention of his test results.
"Not yet, I'm sorry." Dr. Pearson smiled apologetically. "Now, if you'd follow me outside, just for a moment."
Sandy grunted in affirmation, and followed Dr. Pearson out of the room and into the hallway. Sandy spotted Ryan in the waiting room area, pacing back and forth nervously.
"Mr. Cohen, when will Seth's mother be here?" Dr. Pearson asked, cutting right to the chase.
"She was pulled out of a business meeting. She should be here in about two hours. Maybe one if she's on her father's private jet." Sandy crossed his arms, apprehensive. "Why? Is something wrong?"
Dr. Pearson smiled reassuringly. "We don't know if anything's wrong yet. But, when the results do come in, do you want me to tell you even if she's not here?"
Sandy weighed the options in his mind. If he knew beforehand if something was wrong, he could figure out a way to break it to Kirsten gently. On the other hand, if he got bad news with Kirsten by his side, he could go crazy and break stuff, and she could be the calm, rational one. Without her, he would be forced to be the latter, something he wasn't positive he could handle.
"Wait for her," he said, swallowing a lump in his throat. "It'll be better that way."
Dr. Pearson nodded, and turned to walk away, but Sandy grabbed his arm.
"Also, Dr. Pearson…if it's bad…who's gonna tell Seth?"
Dr. Pearson sighed. "Usually that's my job, and trust me, it's not one of my favorites."
"I'll do it, if it it's bad. He could take it better from me. I'd feel better knowing he heard it from me." Sandy wrung his hands nervously.
"That'd be okay," Dr. Pearson agreed, nodding his head slowly, then walking away. Sandy noticed that he no longer ended their little chats by saying that he shouldn't worry, because Seth would be fine.
Sandy caught Ryan's eye, mid-pace. Sandy gave him a tiny wave, and Ryan gave him a nod. Sandy wanted to tell him that he could go home if he wanted to, but he doubted Ryan would listen to him. So he just walked back into Seth's room, trying his best to stay calm. Now was not the time for panic.
End of chapter 2. Hope you all enjoyed it