Sorry I haven't updated in awhile. I am trying to get out of this hugfe writers block. It's kinda hard, can you tell? lol, anyway I think that this chapter turned out decent enough, and I am going to try to update Bohemian Rhapsody by monday for all who read that as well, if you don't check it out, it's pretty awesome. R&R
xoxo Jules
Chapter 13: "Can steal the earth from right beneath you"
The next morning there was a beautiful sunrise. The irony was sickening as two teens lie in bed trying to put the pieces of their shattered lives back together.
Jimmy and Kirsten both sat in the waiting room pale and tired looking. Neither of them had slept a wink that night. Sandy sat beside them. Concerned not only both for Marissa and Ryan, but his wife as well.
--- Summer woke up beside Jace. After they found Marissa that night after much coaxing Jimmy persuaded Summer to go home with Seth and Jace. She came home with no more tears left to cry and fell right to sleep.
"Hey." Summer said yawning and walking down the stairs to her kitchen where Seth was fussing with a bowl of cereal. "Any news?" She asked
"They haven't been allowed to see either of them yet. Ryan came out of surgery. The doctors say that he should make a full recovery. Something happened with the shot and the bullet ended up in his liver or something, I don't quite know." Seth said
"And Marissa?" Summer asked
"Well that's the part of the story that nobody has filled me in on yet."
--- Back at the hospital the doctor entered the waiting room.
"Mr. Cooper and Ms. Cohen? May I speak to you for a moment?" The doctor said
Kirsten looked over at Sandy who nodded before she followed Jimmy and the Doctor out of the waiting room to the hall.
"You can see your daughter now." The Doctor informed them
"Is she alright?" Jimmy asked
The doctor checked over his charts again.
"She got six stitches in her arm, and three in her foot, she also has a pretty nasty black eye. Last night as you know we completed the rape kit, and attempted to get the entire story from her. She was going in and out of consciousness. It seems that she was in a poor physical state before the incident last night and had fainted last night on the beach due to minor head trauma and exhaustion. That is why we waited until this morning for her to have visitors. We also, as you requested, have hooked her up to feeding tubes."
"Thank you." Kirsten said her voice an inaudible whisper. She wanted to go see Marissa, she really did, but she was afraid of what she would see when she opened the door.
Reassuring her Jimmy took light hold of Kirstens hand and led her into the room. Marissa lay in the middle of the bed with tubes coming from her forearms.
"She's going to be okay." Jimmy said as they approached the bed where Marissa was asleep.
"Oh my god." Kirsten said covering her mouth as she looked at her battered child. She silently collapsed in Jimmy's arms in tears.
"It's okay." He tried to once again reassure her.
The two were quickly broken from their embrace when they heard a soft moaning from the bed. Marissa's paper white lips slightly parted and then pursed themselves together again.
"Hey sweetie." Kirsten said going to her daughters bedside and kneeling at her level. She lightly took hold of Marissa hand. Unconsciously Marissa flinched.
"Do you need anything?" Jimmy asked from across the room where he was standing. He didn't want Marissa to feel as if though they were crowding her.
She shook her head no, her eyes still closed. Finally they fluttered open to reveal pools of misty blue.
"When can I go home?" Marissa asked
"Soon I hope." Kirsten said "As soon as you get fixed up."
Neither adult was sure how to comfort the girl. Usually parents got the hang of it after the first time that their child fell off of their bike, or when they broke their arm roller skating, but with Marissa it was all new.
"Ryan?" She asked "'s he okay?"
"He's going to be fine." Jimmy said
Kirsten hesitated before she spoke.
"It's important that you talk to the police Marissa." Kirsten said
Marissa kept her eyes fixed on the ceiling and said nothing.
--- Sandy entered Ryan's hospital room.
"Hey." Sandy said pulling up a chair beside the bed. "How are you holding up?"
"Alright." Ryan said
"Good." Sandy said with an enthusiastic smile
"How's Marissa?" He asked
"She's going to be fine."
"Did they find Luis yet?" Ryan asked his attempting to mask his worry
"No yet. But the cops have some good leads so it shouldn't be much longer." Sandy told him.
Ryan nodded
"You know Ryan, you're welcome to stay as long as you like." Sandy said "Our door is always open."
"I couldn't do that Mr. Cohen." Ryan said
"I told you already, call me Sandy."
"It's just that I wouldn't want to intrude."
"Hey, I offered. You're Marissa's friend, and you've been the best guy friend that Seth's ever had. The house is big enough for us all. Me, Kirsten, you, Seth, Marissa, Jace." Sandy said
Ryan gave a weak half smile.
"I'll think about it, thanks Sandy."
--- Jace jumped up and down
"Is she here yet, is she here yet, is she here yet?!" He asked as her bounced around the kitchen
"Jesus Summer how many cupcakes did you give that boy?" Seth asked grabbing the child up by one arm and tossing him onto the couch.
"Look at that face!" She said pulling on the young boys cheeks, "how can you say no to that face? He's almost as cute as me!"
"They're here!" Jace said jumping off of the couch and running to the door to greet Sandy, Kirsten, Jimmy, Ryan, and Marissa.
"We're home!" Sandy yelled sitting down Ryan and Marissa's bags.
"Marissa!" Jace yelled jumping up into his sisters arms.
"Hey Jacie!" She said giving him a tight hug and a kiss. "Were you good for Seth and Summer?"
"Yeah!" Jace said climbing down from Marissa's arms. His dark brown curls were getting lighter because of the sun, and his skin was getting even darker.
"Did someone give him a lot of sugar or something?" Marissa asked
"'course not." Summer said looking away.
Marissa raised her eyebrow at her friend skeptically.
Sandy walked across the kitchen and poured three glasses of champagne and tossed the kids juice boxes from the refrigerator.
"May I propose a toast to our new and very extended family!"