TITLE: The rainy day women- The flu-struck men
AUTHOR: Anika I own nothing!
FEEDBACK: Wanted.
CATEGORY: S/S, Kandy, R/M friendship/UST
TIMELINE/SPOILERS: Right after 02x14 'The rainy day women'
SUMMARY: Standing in the rain and the consequences...
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This idea struck me when my extremly whiny dog dragged me out into the rain for over an hour and I was completely soaked. Also, I missed the first ten minutes of The O.C. now because of that -.- Ok, I already know the episode and in german it's kinda crappy anyway (the way they translated the yarmuclaus, it's just disgusting). This is just a tiny little story. Please read and don't forget the review that makes my day!
As Kirsten opened the blinds, she was reliefed to see the sun filling the bedroom. The rainy days were finally over. She hoped it had washed away all the problems. Like Rebecca Bloom. She shook off the thoughts of the woman that had almost ended her marriage with Sandy and went to the kitchen. Sandy wasn't in bed anymore, so she figured he had already made coffee. But the kitchen lacked all her men. Neither Seth, Ryan nor Sandy could be found with a cup of the hot liquid and a bagel or the daily bowl of cereal. Wondering what was wrong, Kirsten worked the coffee machine herself. It was unusal that no one was there. She figured that Sandy might be still surfing, Seth might have overslept but Ryan... he was always there early morning. It worried her a bit. Lately, ever since Lindsay had left, he had just not been himself. She decided, as the coffee was done, to bring him a cup and see what the matter was.
As Kirsten entered the pool house with a light knock, she was surprised to see Ryan still in bed. His blanket was put over his head.
"Ryan, sweetie, you gotta get up." She told him softly. After a moment, he moved a little. His head popped up and Kirsten was shocked at how awful he looked. His nose was red, his eyes puffy.
"I'm not sure I can." He told her hoarsly.
"Do you have fever?" Kirsten feeled his forehead; he seemed to be burning up.
"I don't know... maybe I could stay home today?" he asked rather shyly.
"There is no way you're leaving the pool house today." Kirsten let him know. She went into 'concerned-mother-mode' immediately.
"When did this start? How do you feel; do you have a sore throat, earache, anything?"
"Ah, my throat is sore," Ryan began but a coughing attack interrupted him, "and a headache. My nose is kinda icky" He finally finished. "Slightly nauseaous." He added after a moment.
"I'll make you some tea and bring you some Kleenex, sweetie. If you're not any better later, I'll call the doctor." Kirsten left the pool house, leaving a sniffing Ryan.
While the water for the tea boiled, Kirsten searched for anything she could Ryan offer for breakfast that wouldn't trouble his stomach. She heard Sandy approaching rather than she saw him. Deep coughs was announced him. She stared at him and knew immdiately he was just as bad as their foster son.
"You look like hell." She told him with a sympathic smile.
"I don't look like hell," Sandy said and sat at the counter, "I am in hell."
"Just like Ryan, he's caught the flu. I was just looking for something I could give him to eat. Do you think his stomach will take a bagel?"
"If he's got the same I got, then definitely no. I've already tried it." Sandy informed her. Kirsten felt with her husband.
"You should stay home today, too. It's no use to go to work like that." She walked over to him and checked his forehead. Although less warm than Ryan's, he seemed to be fevery also.
"I hadn't planned on working." Sandy admitted.
Just as the water for the tea was done, Kirsten and Sandy heard even more coughing and a slurping noise. Seth entered the kitchen dramatically.
"Not you, too!" Kirsten said. Except for her, they had all caught the flu.
"Nice, mother. I am dieing and you yell at me!" Seth complained croaky, slumbing down in the chair next to his father.
"How did you all three catch the flu?" she asked, more to herself.
"Because we were deceived by that damn song 'It never rains in southern california'. A pure lie." Seth replied.
"What were you doing in the rain then?" Although knowing that Seth and Summer were back together, neither Sandy nor Kirsten knew about Seth's spiderman-stunt.
"Well, I had to save the world by fixing the TV antenna. It seems like my dear partner, Spiderman, let me down though." Seth explained, coughing to prove his point.
"I'll buy you an umbrella." Kirsten promised, smiling at her son.
"It's too late now, and my Spiderman mask will be returned."
"I bet if you'd used Superman's cape, you wouldn't have caught the flu." Sandy said.
"Probably not." Seth agreed with his father.
"I'll bring Ryan his tea. You two better get back to bed, I am ordering you bedrest as well, Seth."
Ryan had snuggled deep inside his blanket when Kirsten returned. He was obviously shivering.
"Here's your tea, sweetie." Ryan took it greedily.
"Thanks." He said, his voice small and hoarse. Kirsten waited until he set the cup on the drawer and stuffed the thermometer into his mouth. As they both waited for the beep, Kirsten noticed how Ryan looked like a sick puppy. Just like Seth always did.
"102,6°." Kirsten was worried. She had to do something to get the fever down. But she decided to let him sleep first. Sleep could help wonders. She could check on him all the time and if he got worse, she could help him better if he was asleep anyway. Every patient that came from the Cohen household was easier when asleep.
"I'll let you sleep," she told Ryan, getting up," but if you get any worse, we'll have to do something to get the fever down. Also, if you need anything, just call." She put the cell phone on his blanket.
"Alright." He answered weakly, his eyes already closing. Kirsten kissed his warm cheek softly, then left to see the other two patients.
Just as Kirsten was about to climb the stairs to see Seth, the door bell rang.
"Summer?" she was rather surprised to see her son's girlfriend.
"Coh- Seth, he isn't at school and he hasn't called me!" the girl almost shouted, "How dare he? Is he here? I am going to kick his ass!" she suddenly remembered who she was talking to. "Uh, sorry." She blushed. Kirsten smiled at her.
"Seth has actually caught the flu, he's upstairs, sulking probably. I was just about to see him."
"Oh no, he's sick!" Summer felt bad immediately. She had thought of anything but not that.
"Just a little cold." Kirsten assured her. She found her concern sweet though.
"Can I see him?" the girl wanted to know.
"Sure. I have two patients already so I don't mind giving him over to you."
Sitting in bed, Seth was bored. Sure, his throat was a little sore and yes, once in a while he sneezed or coughed but it wasn't that bad. He wanted to do something. Or better, he wanted his mother to do something for him. Ever since he'd been a little kid, he had acted up when he'd been sick. Always playing the serious sick kid when he was feeling better already. His parents would bring him the newest comics, they would hook up the Playstation in his room and make him his favorite dinner. It was wonderful. Usually, his mother treated him like a raw egg but she'd just send him upstairs so far. He wondered what took her so long and was about to get up and look for her, when the door opened and an anxious Summer stormed in.
"Cohen?" she was at his bedside immediately.
"Summer? What are you doing here, you should be in school." Seth said. He was glad she was there though. She was much better than his mother.
"School when you are sick? No way. I'll fix you in no time. I have healing hands." She told him, showing him her hands.
"Yes, yes I see the power in them. You know, your lips look kinda powerful, too." Seth smiled mischievous.
"You're sick, Cohen- in every way. That's just... eww! I'm going to make you some tea now." Summer told him. As she left, Seth rolled his eyes. Sometimes being sick wasn't so great after all.
As Kirsten entered hers and Sandy's bedroom, she spotted Sandy in bed in front of the Laptop. She threw the Kleenex box at him, causing Sandy to look up.
"Uh, thanks. You could have put them on the drawer though." He told her, his attention going back to the small computer screen.
"What exactly are you doing there?" Kirsten walked the short distance and sat next to her husband. She first stared at the screen, then, in disbelief, at her husband.
"You took so long with the tea," he tried to defend himself, "and I was bored."
"It's eBay, Sandy," she shook her head, "and you've bid for... a musical collection!"
"Like I said, I was bored. This costs like nothing! And it's got great songs on it!" Sandy told her.
"Apparently, you feel better." Kirsten sighed.
"I feel fine," Sandy told her with a smile, "now that you're here," he kissed her lightly on the lips, "and my auction ends in 15 minutes."
"At least I came before the auction."
"Always, honey, always," Sandy coughed. Kirsten raised her eyebrows.
"I should probably rest a little," his wife nodded, "but I'll have to see how the auction ends, please?" he looked at her pleadingly. She had to try hard not to laugh out loud.
"Fine, I'll check on Ryan and when I'm back you'll rest!"
"Only if you'll keep me company," Sandy told her with a playful smile "I might need to be cheered up because someone might overbid me."
"We'll see."
Once again, the doorbell rang when Kirsten was about to check on Ryan. This time it was a hysterical Marissa.
"No one was at school, I was worried." Marissa explained. Kirsten couldn't help but smile.
"They're all here. Ryan and Seth are sick, Summer is taking care of Seth and I was just about to check on Ryan. If you want, you could keep him some company. He's pretty bad." Marissa nodded.
Ryan looked guiltily as Kirsten entered the pool house. Marissa had stayed in the house to make some more tea for the sick men.
"I wasn't reading." Ryan said quickly. Of course it was lie, that was more than obvious.
"As long as you rest, you can read if you want. It'd be better if you slept though." Kirsten told him, giving him the thermometer.
"I couldn't sleep, it felt like I was choking." He admitted before putting it into his house.
"I have some spray for the nose. I'll get it so you can sleep a while." Ryan nodded.
"101,9° that's still high but less than earlier. I think if you'll sleep, you'll be better in no time."
"Cohen, stop moving!" Summer yelled. Seth's head was under a towel over a bowl with hot water into which Summer had put some camomile.
"It's hot!" Seth complained.
"It's supposed to be! It'll free your sinuses!"
"It'll make me throw up." Seth coughed loudly.
"Don't be such a baby, Cohen."
"I thought you wanted to do something nice for me." He whined from under the towel. His back hurt from the akward position it was in.
"I am! This really helps, I promise. My mom used to do that for me, and it helped." Seth didn't answer. He knew that her mother was a touchy subject for Summer.
"Afterwards I promise to read some comic books with you."
"Do I get a kiss also? Just a tiny, really short, without any tongue kiss?" he asked sheepishly.
"Maybe, if you'll behave."
"Ah, I feel the sinuses opening!" Seth exclaimed. Summer smiled to herself.
"You're still awake." Kirsten stated as she walked into her bedroom. She had expected to see Sandy lay down with eyes closed. The exact opposite was the case though.
"It was a mean and dirty fight," Sandy explained solemnly, "but in the end the better man won."
"You didn't get your CD?" Kirsten asked with a teasing smile.
"I got it!" Sandy told her happily, "Now I want to win my other auction." He said hoarsly. Kirsten wondered if it came from the flu or lust.
"Oh, what did you bid for?" she asked innocently, walking slowly towards him.
"You."
"I'm quite expensive."
"Yeah, but worth it."
"Going once," Sandy whispered as she came nearer still
"Going twice," Kirsten chimed in and sat next to him, their faces close.
"Now you belong to me." Sandy mumbled and closed the distance between them. Kirsten figured with three sick men in the house, she would have caught the flu anywhere. This way it was at least nice.
"Hey." Marissa said softly as she came into the pool house.
"Hi... what are you doing here?" Ryan asked, a little confused.
"I was all alone at school and I was wondering what was up."
"Where was Seth, and Summer?" Ryan was even more confused.
"Seth is as sick as you, as is Sandy. Summer is taking care of Seth."
"Everybody is sick? Kirsten didn't tell me." Ryan said, feeling stupid.
"Yeah, and she thought you could need some care." Marissa smiled. She hoped to distract Ryan a little. She had seen him standing in the rain, heartbroken over Lindsay's departure. She knew how down he was.
"I brought you this spray and new Kleenex." Ryan looked a little worried.
"I don't mind watching you sleep," Marissa blushed a little, knowing it had come out wrong, "I have a book to read for english anyway. Kirsten didn't want to leave you unoccupied but she's gotta take care of Sandy." She handed him the nose spray. Although slightly embarrassed, he sprayed some into each nostril and felt the ease immediately.
"Sleep well." Marissa said softly. Ryan stared at her. Hell, he had eventually been over her, he would get over Lindsay, too. Thoughts about either girl vanished fast and his eyes drifted close. Marissa could hardly take her eyes of Ryan, he was just too cute. His face was still pale and he breathed loudly but she couldn't resist to run her hands through his hair. As she was watching him, Marissa wondered if she'd ever get over him, her first real love. She sighed and opened her book. Time would show each of them their way.
That was the story of the rainy day women and the flu-struck men!
THE END
Alright, I finished this in the middle of the night and decided to leave everything as I wrote in this sleepy state of mind, except for the spelling mistakes. Once again I had to deal with my whiny dog, and I kinda have a writer's block for my other story... so please review! Maybe it'll free my mind!
Written by Anika