Ch.12
"I think he's waking up!"
Seth felt a blinding light shine in his eyes. He squinted.
"Sandy look..."
Seth opened his eyes slowly. Looking around, he tried to focus.
Where was he?
"Honey?"
He looked over and saw Kirsten, holding his hand.
"Seth, can you hear me?"
He blinked.
"I'm going to go get the doctor," Sandy said leaving.
Kirsten sniffled.
"Oh honey, we've been so worried about you. We knew you'd come back to us."
Seth closed his eyes.
"What's going on? He asked hoarsely, his voice scratchy and burning.
"Shh don't talk," Kirsten said. "Just wait for the doctor."
Suddenly, Seth had a flashback.
Shhh don't talk. Just keep looking at me."
He gasped.
"Honey, what's wrong?" Kirsten asked.
Seth felt like he couldn't breath.
"Seth, look at me. Come on, just stay focused. I'm right here."
He gasped for air.
"SETH?"Kirsten jumped up yelling.
Sandy and the doctor ran in.
"What happened?" Sandy asked.
"I don't know, he looked like he couldn't breath..." Kirsten covered her mouth.
The doctor ran over.
"Seth, just try to relax. Take deep breaths."
Seth tried, but the images kept replaying through his mind.
"You like it rough, don't ya?"
"I swear to God I'll shoot...let her go."
"I'm ...sorry Summer."
Summer...Summer...
"Summer," he gasped trying to breath. "Where's Summer?"
The doctor messed around with his IV..
"This should help you relax Seth," he said.
Seth felt his breathing returning to normal, his eyelids starting to feel heavy.
"Mom," he cried out. "Where is she?"
Kirsten didn't say anything. She leaned into Sandy, burying her head in his shoulder.
Seth felt the tears fall down his cheeks.
"Where is she?" he sobbed.
Sandy closed his eyes.
Maybe if he pretended he didn't hear his son crying, he wouldn't have to tell him the truth...
"Why won't you answer me?"
Kirsten walked out, the tears pouring down her pale face.
Seth made eye contact with Sandy.
"Dad..."
Sandy just shook his head.
Seth felt his body relax.
"Just tell me," he said defeated.
"Just tell me where she is."
"I can't," Sandy whispered.
"Why?"
His eyes closed shut , drifting him off into a drug induced sleep.
"Because no one knows,." Sandy said sadly, before leaving to find his wife.
Ryan and Marissa sat in the waiting room.
"We've been here way to many times this year," Ryan said. "First Summer, now Seth..."
Marissa wiped her eyes.
"They're never going to find her Ryan. I just know they wont."
"Hey, don't say that," Ryan said. "They will find her Marissa, I know they will."
She shook her head.
"It's been too long..almost 3 weeks. They think she's dead, I know they do."
Ryan didn't say anything. He knew she was right.
He had overheard the cops talking the night before, about missing people, if they're not found within 48 hours, the more than likely never will be...
But he refused to believe that.
"She's not dead," Ryan said matter-of-factly.
"How do you know that?"
He sighed.
"Because none of us deserve that kind of pain..."
Summer looked out the window of the cheap motel. Her body was exhausted, beaten and bruised. She tried to close her eyes, but every time she did, she went back to that night.
Every time her eyes closed, she saw Seth there, bleeding...
Dying.
She doesn't remember a lot after that. Sean had used her cell phone to call Sara and tell her what happened. Sara came and picked them up. The next thing she knew, they were at this motel.
She had no idea what happened to Seth once she was gone. All she could was pray that he was alright.
She knew deep down he was. She felt it in her soul.
She looked over her shoulder at Sara sitting in the corner of the room, eyeing her. She had tried to escape too many times...now she was on constant watch.
"Whatcha thinking about?
Summer didn't answer her.
She scoffed.
"That stupid boyfriend of yours?"
Summer tried not to cry.
"That's what you're always thinkin about, whenever you gaze out that window...I can see it in your eyes."
"Well is that a crime?" Summer questioned.
"I just don't get it, that's all...I mean, your daddy was nice and rich, so it's not like you need the money."
Summer glared at her.
"Don't talk about my dad."
"I just don't see why you are so wrapped up in this guy," she siad defending herself. "I never saw the appeal. I met him once and I thought he was a class a loser..."
"Well you don't know him at all," Summer said hastily. "Because if you did know him, you would know that he is the nicest, sweetest, most caring guy in the world. Any girl would be lucky to have him, and he chose me. And it wasnt because I was pretty, or popular, or had nice things. It was because he truly loved me."
Sara laughed.
"You don't know the first thing about love. Look at you, you're just a child."
"I know that Seth I the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning, and the last thing I think about when im falling asleep at night...thats enough."
Sara sighed.
"Suit yourself. If you want to waste your time with a loser like him, go for it."
Summer looked at her.
"Sara...I need to be with him."
She rolled her eyes.
"Don't start with me Summer. You know I'm not letting you go until I get the money."
"Then take the money and just leave us alone...please. I need to make sure he's ok."
Sara walked over to Summer and slapped her.
"You ungrateful little witch," she said. "I'm sending Sean out there right now to check on him and make sure he's doing ok...and this is the thanks I get?"
Summer stood up, holding her stinging cheek.
"You want me to thank you! After all you've done, you think you deserve my thanks?"
"YES!"
Summer grinded her teeth.
"You don't deserve shit," she yelled, before lifting her fist and knocking her down.
Sara fell to the ground.
Summer took off, running out of the room.
She needed to find help, anybody to get her out of there.
She saw someone in the distance.
"Help me!"
She ran towards him.
"Please, help me!"
The man turned around. She stopped dead in her tracks.
"Where do you think you're going?"
It was Sean.
Summer fell to the ground.
"No..."
Sean lifted her up.
"I don't know why you keep trying...you know you're not going to escape us."
Summer looked at him.
"I just want to go home..."
Sean sighed.
"Give us a little more time. Once we get the money, we're out of your life."
She closed her eyes.
"How is he?"
Sean grabbed her arm and began dragging her back to the room.
"He's awake," he siad.
Summer stopped.
"Awake?"
"He woke up this morning...now that we know he's going to be fine, I'd say it's time to make a call to mommy and daddy, don't you?"
Summer smiled.
Seth was alive, he was awake...
They were going to call the Cohens...
She was almost free.