Disclaimer: I own nothing but the actions to the characters.
Note: Many thanks for all the reviews and I apologize for all the spelling errors in this chapter, as well as in the first chapter. I wrote that chapter late at night and I don't have an editor (friend). Sorry for my stupidity…now on with chapter two!
"To think I might not see those eyes
Makes it so hard not to cry…"
–Snow Patrol
Chapter Two
Seth Cohen paced the waiting room of the hospital and checked his watch. He had been waiting for thirty minutes now and there was still no word on how his parents and Ryan were doing. He didn't get a chance to see if they were okay when he was outside at home because he was being questioned by a police officer.
He wished that he wasn't alone right now. He was still shocked of the events that had just occurred. Just over an hour ago he at home sitting in the poolhouse writing an essay and thinking about the new comic that was coming out tomorrow. He felt a sudden wave of guilt and slouched down in a chair.
He flipped open his cell phone and dialed Summer's number. She didn't pick up her phone, so he decided to leave a message. "Summer, it's me. Seth. I'm at the hospital right now and my parents and Ryan are…I don't know how it happened, Summer." Seth tried to explain himself. "There was a fire at my place…You're probably sleeping. When you get this message call me back, okay? Bye." Seth flipped his phone closed and walked up to the front desk.
"Excuse me? Is there any word on my family?" He asked the nurse at the front desk.
"The doctor will be coming out shortly." She assured him.
Seth walked back over to the chair he had been sitting in and flipped open his cell phone. He decided to call Marissa.
"Hello?" A sleepy Marissa answered her cell phone.
"Marissa, it's Seth."
"Seth, what are you doing calling me after midnight?" Marissa asked.
"I'm at the hospital. My – "
"Oh my God, is everything okay? Are you okay? Is Ryan okay?" She frantically asked.
"I'm fine. But I don't know about Ryan or my parents. There was a fire at my house. I've been waiting for the doctor to come out and tell me what's going on."
"Seth, I'm on my way, okay?"
"Okay."
Marissa hung up and left her house quickly.
"Is Sandy and Kirsten okay?" Ryan asked, removing his oxygen mask. The doctor was writing something down in Ryan's chart, as two nurses tended to his burns.
"There are other doctor working on them right now. I will find out, as soon as I stitch up your hands." The doctor replied and then put Ryan's oxygen mask back on his face.
Ryan raised his hands up slowly and saw blood all over them.
"W-what? I don't remember…" Ryan was confused.
"The paramedics told me that you had tried to bust open a window." The doctor replied to his confusion.
Suddenly everything came back to Ryan. He had found Sandy and when he went back to the staircase it was full of flames standing four feet tall. That's when he decided to smash Seth's window open.
"Ryan? Dude, are you okay?" Seth asked, as he followed the nurse into an ER room.
"Just some scratches." He replied.
"I called Marissa. She's on her way."
"Thanks." Ryan clenched his jaw as the doctor began to stitch up his hand.
"I broke your window." Ryan informed him.
Seth shook his head. "Dude, that doesn't matter."
The doctor finished stitching up Ryan's hands. "I'll go check on your parents, boys." He said and then left the room.
Ryan was transferred onto another bed and then was wheeled into another room, as Seth followed behind them. Once they were left alone Seth started to cry.
"Oh God…" He hid his face and sat down in a chair next to Ryan's bed. "I can't believe…" He couldn't finished his words.
"They're alright, Seth."
"But what if they're not? What if they're badly hurt or what if they're –"
"Seth, don't." Ryan turned his head away from Seth. "They're fine." Ryan tried to reassure Seth, but he wasn't sure himself if he believed it.
"Ryan?" Marissa walked through the doorway and headed straight to Ryan's bedside. "Oh my God, are you okay?" She brushed a strand of hair from his forehead.
Ryan took off his oxygen mask, "I'm okay. Thanks for coming."
Marissa checked Ryan over and gasped. Ryan's arms and face were covered with burn patches.
"I'm okay, Marissa. It'll heal."
"But you're so pale and burnt." She commented.
Seth shook his head and walked out of the room.
"Is he okay?" She asked.
"I don't know. Can you go check on him?" Ryan asked.
Seth punched the vending machine's button violently and cursed.
"Ate your coins?" Marissa asked.
Seth nodded and Marissa handed him some change.
"Are you okay, Seth?"
"My house just caught on fire and I'm here…Standing, while the rest of my family are in hospital beds." He explained.
"You're lucky, Seth."
"No, I'm not lucky. Lucky would be me sound asleep at home right now, with my parents sleeping two doors down away from me. So, I'm not lucky, am I?" Seth shouted.
Marissa stood there silently, as Seth struggled with his bag of frito's.
"Seth Cohen?" A doctor walked up to him.
"Yeah?"
"I'm Dr. Vincellete. Let's go back to your brother's room and we can talk about your parents." He said.
Seth and Marissa followed the doctor to Ryan's room. Marissa sat down next to Ryan's bed, as Seth stood next to the door.
"When can I see my parents?" Seth asked.
Dr. Vincellete ignored Seth question and started to explain his parents' injuries. "Seth, your mom has suffered moderate third degree burns over her body. She has lost a lot of fluid and is now on IV fluid therapy."
"Is my dad okay?"
"Boy's, your father suffered from severe third degree burns all over his body, damaging muscles and bones. He went into a state of shock on the way to the hospital and the paramedics were unable to save him." Marissa gasp and started to cry, while both Ryan and Seth were speechless. "I'm very sorry for your loss. Is there anyone you would like one of the nurses to call?" He asked.
Seth shook his head.
"If you'd like, I can take you to your mother, Seth." Dr. Vincellete offered.
Seth nodded and followed Dr. Vincellete to his mother's room.
When Seth walked into his mothers' room he couldn't look at her. Anywhere there was skin, there was gauze covering it.
"We gave your mother some pain medication, which is helping her sleep right now. I'll leave you alone for a few minutes." Dr. Vincellete left Kirsten's room.
"Mom…" Seth sat down next to her bed. He wanted to hug his mother so badly right now, but he was afraid to touch her. Seth bent over her and kissed his mother's right cheek. Her left cheek was covered in gauze. "I'm so sorry." He whispered.
Seth woke up the next morning sitting in the chair next to his mothers' bed with a blanket covering him. A nurse was in the room checking up on Kirsten when he opened his eyes.
"How are you doing?" The nurse asked him.
"Okay." He replied. He looked at Kirsten and saw her eyes flicker. "Has she been awake yet?" He asked.
"Not yet." The nurse replied and left the room.
"Mom?" Seth tried to wake her up.
Kirsten eyes slowly opened.
"Hey." His eyes started to water.
Kisten slowly lifted her hands up and cried at the site of them. They were wrapped with gauze and looked like little balls.
"It's okay, mom." Seth said.
"Where's Ryan and your father? Are they okay?" She asked, quietly.
Seth eyes watered. "Ryan's a couple doors down. He's being released today."
"Is he okay?"
Seth nodded. "Just a couple of burns and cuts."
"And your father?"
Seth shook his head. He couldn't bring himself to tell her that Sandy was dead. He didn't want to believe it.
"Seth." Kirsten started crying.
Seth shook his head again.
"Sandy... no. He's fine. Tell me he's fine, Seth." She cried.
"I'm sorry." Seth whispered.
"…And as we say our long goodbye
I nearly do…"