Chapter Five
Sorry it took so long to update..things have been crazy my move across the country is 8 days an counting and I've actually been doing some prepatory packing that's not the night before hand, yay for me! Anyway, thank so much for all the reviews they mean so much and they are what keeps me updating, whenever I get a review I feel inspired to write...so hopefully if the reviews come fast enough I'll get this done by the day I leave so I don't have to wait until my computer is set up in the house I'm moving into...Anyway here's the chapter you've all been reviewing for...
Seth remains with his arms wrapped around Summer for a long time, but eventually he pulls away and stares at her, "what's wrong? What's happened?"
Swallowing hard Summer responds, "my daughter..."
Seth cuts her off, "you have a daughter?"
Summer nods, she can't tell Seth about Brynn now, all she can think about it getting to Pennsylvania, "my daughter, Brynn, was hit by a car. She's in a hospital in Pennsylvania, I have to go there." Summer breaks down again at the thought of her baby in the hospital, "I don't know what to do. I have to think..." Summer's hands ball into tight fists, "I have to think."
"It's okay." Seth hugs Summer tightly and quickly he pulls away, "I'll take care of everything for you, okay?" Summer nods, her brain doesn't even think to protest as she lets Seth lead her to a taxi that has just pulled up in front of them.
"Hey," Ryan walks into Seth's apartment, he'd heard Seth come in minutes before. "That was a fast dinner, what's going on?"
"I'm going to Pennsylvania." Seth states as he quickly throws some clothes into a duffel bag.
"Seth, what's going on?" Ryan asks.
"Listen, could you ask Marissa to go to Pent House 3 and help Summer get some things together, she's a mess." Seth questions.
"Sure, but what's going on?"
"Just do it, I'll explain afterwards." Seth urges.
Ryan nods sensing the urgency in Seth's voice and he goes off to do what he'd asked and when he comes back Seth is just hanging up the phone, "okay we have a flight leaving as soon as we can get to the airport."
"Seth, what's going on?" Ryan questions, again.
With all the tasks he needed to complete done Seth takes the opportunity to sit down on the couch and Ryan follows suit, "apparently Summer has a daughter."
"You're kidding."
Seth shakes his head, "I don't know anything other than her name is Brynn and she's been hit by a car. I guess she's visiting Summer's mother in Pennsylvania. She completely fell apart, so I told her I'd take care of everything. There's a friend of the family here who has their own plane, we're taking that."
"Do you want us to come with you?" Ryan asks.
Seth shakes his head, "nah, you guys have stuff to take care of here. Besides, I'll probably just fly up with her and then fly back down sometime tomorrow when she's in her mom's hands, you know?"
Sitting on the plane Seth's knee bounces from nervous energy that is practically radiating off of Summer, while she remains completely still with her head against the headrest and her eyes closed Seth can feel how nervous she is. "Are you okay?" Seth asks carefully.
'Alright, yeah I'm just dandy, my daughter was hit by a car but...' Inwardly Summer sighs, she had to stop thinking about it, at least until she got to the hospital. Obsessing about it on the way there wasn't going to help her at all. 'Just tell him, you have to tell him before you get there, Mom and Devin and everyone are going to act weird...just tell him now. And if something happens...oh God if something happens' the thought brings tears to Summer's eyes and Seth watches as a tear slips from the corner of her eye and down her cheek. More firmly in her mind she thinks, 'if something happens he's definitely going to have to know. Besides, he'd figure it out at the hospital, her last name's Cohen.'
"Summer?" Seth asks gently, she must've been quiet after his question for longer than he could stand.
"I have to tell you something," Summer's voice shakes as she speaks.
"Is it about whatever you were going to say at dinner? Because I'm sure it can wait," Seth states slowly.
"It can't," Summer assures, "you have to know now."
Seth nods, "okay, what is it?"
"She's your daughter," the words come out a lot calmer than Summer would have expected them to.
"Ex-excuse me?" Seth stutters.
"She's five-years-old, she was born seven months after I left Newport." Summer's words come out sound more like a text book than anything else. "She's got brown hair that, when it's really humid, it gets so curly that if she had short it would look just like yours. She's got the curve of your lips and the slight slant of your eyes, and she has the ability to make you laugh even when you don't want to, but you can't help but do it because she's just to adorable...And she rambles and she babbles just like you do and everything about her is yours...except it's not, because she's mine, she's all I have in the entire world and I'm might lose her."
"Summ..."
"Please, don't say anymore...anything you say would just be you babbling out of nervousness or confusion and right now I don't know if I can take that."
"Summer!" Julius is waving at them from the street when Summer, and a still very stunned, Seth emerge from the airport.
"Oh my God, Jules," Summer launches herself at her younger step-brother, she'd gotten close to Devin and his kids, and they were more like family and she rarely considered them "step".
"It's not as bad as your mother made it sound on the phone," Julius assures her immediately. "It's just that she saw it all happen and..."
"Jules, please tell me what's wrong." Summer begs.
Jules nods before motioning to the car, barely taking notice of Seth, "she and Deena were playing out in the front yard and their ball rolled into the yard. She was good Summer, she asked your mom if she could go out and get it, then looked both ways, but there was a stupid guy who came flying around that road..."
"Oh God..."
"Now," Julius pats Summer's hand, "she was out for awhile. Everyone was concerned, but it's not a big deal anymore. She's awake."
"Jules, what's wrong with Brynn?" Summer demands.
"She has a concussion," Julius states, "she dislocated her left shoulder and broke her right wrist, she fractured a couple of ribs and lost a lot of blood."
"Oh, my poor baby," Summer mutters.
"She's going to be okay, Summer," Julius assures, "they want to keep her overnight just for observations."
Summer rubs her temples, "so she's going to be alright?"
Julius nods, "she's going to be alright, but she's anxious to see you." After a pause in the conversation Julius questions, "who's your friend?"
"This," Summer half turns in her seat, "is Seth Cohen."
"Oh really," Seth can almost hear the spite in Julius' voice.
"Yeah," Summer sighs, "really."
"Hmm," is Julius' only response for the rest of the ride to the hospital.
"Mom," Summer rushes up to a woman Seth would never guess was related to her. Summer's mother is tall, standing a head taller than Summer, with bright blue eyes and soft red curls.
"Summer," Summer's mother wraps her arms around Summer. "I'm sorry I scared you, there was just so much going on."
"It's okay, how is she?" Summer assures before quickly asking.
"She's kind of scared, but she mostly wants to see you. The doctor gave her pain medication that should be making her sleep but she's been fighting it so she can see you."
Summer nods, "where is she?" Summer's mother points to a room and Summer nods and turning to Seth she asks, "maybe it would be best if you didn't come with me right now."
"Fine," Seth shrugs, "whatever."
"Mommy," Brynn greets mid-yawn when Summer walks into the room.
"Hi baby," Summer gently sits on the edge of Brynn's bed, kissing her forehead. Brushing her daughter's hair out of her face she asks, "so you've had a big day huh?"
"Mm-hmm," Brynn yawns again. "Grandpa Devin called and he's bringing me a present from Spain because I was so good."
"Is he?" Summer asks.
"Mm-hmm, how much longer to I have to stay here?"
"Not much," Summer promises, "just until the doctor says you're a little better."
"I'm sorry," a nurse enters the room, "it's well past visiting hours, you have to leave now."
Summer nods, "I'll be back first thing in the morning, okay baby?"
"Mm-hmm," Brynn is half asleep by now.
The next chapter's going to reveal what exactly Seth feels about Summer keeping this secret from him for 5 years.