Chapter Two
Seth had never felt so helpless in his entire life. He could only sit by idly as he watched his dad hold the now bloodied jacket to Ryan's stomach, all the while telling his foster brother in a strong, convincing tone that he was going to be all right. He watched as his mom cradled Ryan's head, stroking his pale forehead softly. Blood had started to trickle from the corners of Ryan's mouth and at the sight, Seth felt sick. But he wouldn't look away, he wouldn't show weakness now when Ryan needed him the most.
Ryan was his foster brother. No, not even. Ryan was his brother, his best friend, his strength, his weakness, he was everything. Ryan had saved him from himself by coming to Newport. That morning when he'd seen him walk into the house, looking nervous and confused, he'd never imagined that the blonde boy would have such an impact on his life. Ryan was the reason he'd met Summer, the reason he'd gotten to know Marissa, the reason he didn't feel so alone. He had always been there for Seth when he needed him. And now, Ryan lay on the grass, his eyes shut tightly, choking on his own blood. Seth didn't know what to do.
Sirens sounded in the distance and Seth leaned forward, touching Ryan's clenched fist. "Hang on, man," he said. "The ambulance is on the way." Ryan didn't react more than turning his head slightly towards Seth's voice. Seth felt tears well up in his eyes and suddenly two hands were on either of his shoulders. He turned his head and saw Anna to one side and Summer to the other. He smiled gratefully at them before lifting his head to look at Eddie, who was still being detained by Jimmy and a few other of the men in the crowd. Theresa looked stricken and pale as she watched from a distance, in obvious shock. Marissa stood behind Kirsten, restraining herself from pushing his mom out of the way and cradling Ryan's head herself.
Ryan suddenly bucked, arching his back and letting out a small cry. Kirsten placed her hands firmly on his shoulders to hold him down. Seth held his hand as Ryan's strong grip threatened to crush his fingers. Sandy rubbed his arm while trying to hold the jacket in place. Seth saw the blood that was now staining his father's hands and arms.
"Ryan, kid, hang on," Sandy coaxed Ryan to calm down and relax again. Seth had never seen Ryan so out of control over himself. But he'd also never seen anyone as badly hurt as Ryan was now. Ryan's eyes opened slowly and he looked up at Kirsten. Seth was pained to see tears fall from the corners of Ryan's eyes.
"It's going to be okay," Kirsten whispered to him, brushing his hair away from his sweaty forehead. "You're going to be okay."
Ryan shook his head slightly, his face crumpling in pain and sadness. Seth was shocked to see the guilt that flashed across Ryan's face. Why would Ryan feel guilty about this? It wasn't his fault. Nothing was ever truly Ryan's fault. Ryan took the fall for most of the things that went wrong around him, but when he took a step back to look at it all, what had Ryan ever done wrong except take the blame for stuff he had no control over? Seth vowed that if Ryan made it through this, he'd do everything in his power to make him believe that this wasn't his fault.
The paramedics came in swiftly and took Sandy and Kirsten's place at Ryan's side. Seth was pulled away from his foster brother and when Ryan's hand slipped from his, Seth felt a sob well up in his throat, but he refused to let it out. He wouldn't cry, not when Ryan's needed him like this. He'd cry later, but for now, he needed to be strong. Summer slung an arm through his and buried her face in his shoulder before turning to watch them again. He rubbed her hand reassuringly. Anna stood alone, her arms folded over her stomach. Seth was distantly aware that her plane would be leaving soon. He wondered if she'd leave now or if she'd wait for Ryan to recover…or not recover. Seth didn't want to think about that.
It was a long ride to the hospital, one that seemed to last sixteen years as Seth reflected back on his life before Ryan. He couldn't go back to that, he wouldn't. He couldn't handle being bullied without anyone to back him up. He couldn't handle sitting in his room alone for hours on end or playing Playstation alone with out anyone to annihilate all the other ninjas with. He wouldn't be the little boy in the back of the room that no one noticed. He couldn't live in this place without Ryan. If Ryan wasn't here, Seth couldn't be either. He would do whatever it took to not be alone again.
As they rushed into the hospital, they were greeted by a nurse who was too happy for Seth's liking. She smiled at them. What did she know? Why could she smile? Didn't she know that his brother was lying on his death bed just down the hall? Seth glowered at her, trying not to reach out and choke that smile off her face.
"We're here for Ryan Atwood," Sandy blurted, his arm around Kirsten's shoulders. Summer had come with them, while Anna was driving Marissa and Theresa. Jimmy had stayed back to help the police, but Seth knew that they'd have to end up giving their testimonies sooner or later. Seth just knew he couldn't do it now. If he did, he'd break.
"The doctors are in with him now," the nurse said. "He's up in surgery. He was unconscious when they brought him in. The doctors are doing everything they can, why don't you take a seat in the waiting room. It's going to be a while."
Sandy led Kirsten to a chair while Summer held onto Seth's arm when he didn't move. "We should have gone with him," Seth mumbled, going to the seat.
"Cohen, they said there was no room in the ambulance," Summer whispered back, stroking his back gently. "He'll pull through, he's Chino, he's stronger than superman."
"But he's not," Seth sobbed, falling into a chair. Summer sat next to him, holding his hand. Kirsten sat, stricken, while Sandy paced the floor, not able to sit still. Seth shook his head. "None of this should have happened. Theresa should have stayed in Chino where she belongs." He knew the words were harsh, and so did Summer, but they both knew he had to get them out. "And Marissa…if it hadn't been for that stupid Oliver thing, none of this would have happened."
"You can't blame either of them," Summer said. "No one is to blame except for Eddie."
"Yeah, well if Ryan dies, then we'll see whose to blame," Seth sat back and ran his hands over his face. Summer leaned her head on his shoulder just as Anna, Marissa, and Theresa came into the waiting room. Sandy shook his head at them, telling them there was no news. Seth glared at Theresa openly, and the black haired girl looked away, falling into a seat. Anna came to sit on the other side of Seth while Marissa sat by Summer. They held hands, both needing the comfort.
It was a few hours before anyone said anything more. Sandy had stopped his pacing and sat next to Kirsten, leaning forward while she leaned against him. She had long since gone to the bathroom to wipe her smeared mascara away. Seth was focusing on a spot on the far wall, urging the doctors to hurry up and come out to tell them that Ryan was all right, that it wasn't as bad as it seemed. But the longer they took, the more Seth knew this was serious, that he could possibly not see his brother again.
Finally, Sandy stood up with a groan of anger. He started to pace again but then turned to look at the kids. "Why don't you guys go home," he suggested. "It's going to be a while and we can call you if we hear anything."
Seth raised his hands in a shrug. "Dad," he said, as though his Dad already knew the answer, which he did. "I'm not going anywhere. What would we do? Go home and stress? There's no way I'm leaving."
"Same here, Mr. Cohen," Anna announced. None of the other kids stood to leave and Sandy nodded, admiring their loyalty to his foster son.
Just as they had settled back into their seats, a doctor came out and the room burst into movement and activity. Seth found his feet quickly, bumping off Summer and Anna. Sandy was the first to greet the doctor. "Doc, how is he?" He asked rapidly, looking for any sign on the doctors face to tell them whether or not Ryan had made it.
The doctor smiled warmly, cautiously, knowing he was dealing with distressed family, and friends by the number of people in the waiting room. "Are you Ryan's father?" The doctor asked to Sandy.
"He's my son, my foster son…yes," Sandy answered, for once tripping over his words.
The doctor smiled again. "Well, Ryan has made it through surgery," the doctor announced and the room visibly relaxed. Seth shoved his hands in his pockets, licking his lips as he urged the doctor to go on. "He had some extensive eternal damage. The bullet was lodged up against his hip bone. It was a challenge to get it out, but we managed to do so. He had a small, hairline fracture, so we had to put in a few pins. It's going to be very painful when he wakes up and he probably won't be able to move that well for a couple of weeks, but he should make a full recovery with is hip."
Seth wanted to hug the doctor, until he noticed how the man suddenly frowned and hesitated. Sandy must have caught on as well. "I hear a but coming," Sandy said.
"Yes," the doctor agreed, looking suddenly very serious. "The bullet did some damage to his liver, which will eventually regenerate over time. What we're worried about now is the graze he has on his stomach. We had to pump his stomach of the blood and we've managed to stitch up as much as we could, but it may be a while before the mucus lining is built back up. Without the mucus lining his stomach, his stomach acid can leak out and create pockets of bile. It can be very painful and it can also be very fatal. We're going to be keeping him in ICU for at least two nights, so we can monitor his progress."
"But," Seth interrupted, having heard enough. "He's going to be okay, right? I mean, he's going to get better?" Seth gestured with his hands, feeling the nervous tension of the room.
The doctor nodded. "We expect a full recovery pending any further complications." Seth stared at the doctor blankly. Why couldn't doctors ever just tell it how it was? The doctor continued. "With injuries such as Ryan's, there are tons of things that can go wrong. But it is possible that in a week or two, he'll be up and about as normal."
Seth let out a breath. Pending any further complications. When were there never further complications with Ryan Atwood? It seemed further complications was what Ryan excelled at. Nothing was every simple with the kid. Ryan had even said it himself, "I don't do nice and easy." He'd been practicing golf at the time, but it was a statement Seth had taken to heart. It was true. Ryan didn't do things the easy way. And nothing easy ever happened to Ryan.
"Thank you doctor," Sandy was saying. "Do you think we can see him?"
"Well, he's resting right now and we need to encourage that he gets as much sleep as possible. So, one at a time and try not to wake him?"
"Of course," Kirsten piped up from where she had remained quiet next to Sandy. "I'd like to see him," she said, turning to Sandy, who nodded. Seth closed his eyes, wishing that he could just run in and see Ryan for himself, but he had already waited for five hours, he could wait a little while longer. Kirsten disappeared with the doctor while Sandy turned back to the kids.
"All right, I don't think we all need to be here," he said once again. "Why don't some of you go home, get some rest, and you can come back in the morning."
Theresa, who had remained quiet the whole time, spoke up finally. "I think I'll stop by the police station. Eddie's parents are probably there."
"Do you have a ride?" Anna asked. Theresa shook her head. "I can take you, if you'd like."
"I guess you missed your flight," Summer noticed.
Anna shrugged. "I didn't think it was right to leave. I'll catch a later flight, I just don't know when."
"You don't have to drive me," Theresa said. "I'll catch a bus."
"No, I insist!" Anna persisted. "Besides, I should stop at home and tell everyone what's going on."
"Yeah," Marissa agreed. "I'm going to go call my Dad, he's been waiting to hear something since we came in."
"Why don't you head home afterwards, Marissa," Sandy suggested. "We'll call you in the morning." Marissa nodded, though it was clear she didn't want to leave. She glanced towards Seth, who could only nod and look away. She looked betrayed but forced a smile for Sandy before she turned and left.
Seth turned to Summer. "I'll call Luke," she suggested. "But I'm not going home."
They all departed towards their different destination, leaving Sandy and Seth to sit in the waiting room while Summer went to use the payphone to call Luke. Seth turned to look at his Dad, whose eyebrows were knit in concentration. "Were you scared?" He asked quietly.
Sandy nodded without hesitation. "Yeah," he said, looking towards his son. "I was."
"Me too," Seth answered and waited for his turn to go in and see Ryan.
Review Responses:
kandy4eva: Thank you! I'm glad that you liked it. I have wanted to write OC fanfic for a while, just have never gotten around to it.
I-Believe-In-The-Butterflies: Thanks! I don't like Theresa either, but she seemed important for this story, so I had to keep her around. But I hate her in the show.