A/N - Some rough language in this chapter.
~ Lies-9 ~
It was quiet. Seth swore he could hear the ticking of a clock that was four rooms away. He felt acutely ill and just wanted to take it all back, turn back time and erase everything he'd done since Friday afternoon, starting with going to that party. He was even willing to lose the maybe-reconciliation with Summer, if turning the clock back would take that haunted look out of Ryan's eyes. He wasn't really focusing on anything, and Seth had an uneasy feeling, really more of a psychic intuition that Ryan was reliving a lifetime of betrayals and abandonment. And tacking a fresh ending onto his mental film clip.
Summer squeezed his hand, and they glanced at each other. Her eyes were misting, and just then Ryan leaned back against the wall and slid down it.
Summer knelt next to him, and he let her hold him. "Oh, sweetie, I'm so sorry. Come here, baby. Come here." Ryan's eyes focused on the here and now finally, and he hesitantly wrapped his arms around her waist. She hugged him and he swallowed hard, then embraced her tightly.
Seth was shocked that he'd accept any comfort, but glad to see it happen. Maybe it meant something since it was coming from Marissa's best friend. After a long moment, Ryan gently pushed Summer away and stood up. Seth put a hand on his arm. "Are you ok? I know, outrageously stupid question, but for now anyway?"
Ryan shook his head slowly. Seth looked down and saw his shaking hands clench into fists. Not good. He started talking fast. "You know, I'm not sure - um, Ryan, you know Marissa hasn't been making such good decisions lately. Maybe, maybe this doesn't really have a whole lot to do with you. You know what I mean? Like, she loves you but she's kinda messed up in the head right now?"
"Seth. Don't. Bad decisions and fucking around are very different things." His voice was low and flat, and Seth could see the muscle in his jaw clenching.
"Just try to calm down, ok? Ryan? Ryan. Listen to me. Shoplifting and vodka as the newest handbag accessory were bad decisions. That's probably what this was, too. In the sense that she's, she's just kinda losing it, you know? " Ryan had the same expression on his face as right before he hit Luke the last 6 times, and Seth was getting that sinking feeling that things were about to get ugly.
"All the other shit she's done has been to get her parents attention, and I've been there for her. Every time. This? Is directed at me." Ryan's voice broke in the last sentence and he struggled for control again, running a hand through his light hair.
Ryan was right, in Seth's opinion. Cheating on the person that saved you time and time again, put up with your crap and still loved you made a very different statement than the other stunts she'd pulled. And from what Seth had seen and heard, she knew exactly what she was doing in that bedroom at Neelander's house. He wasn't sure what to say next. "Maybe not, dude. Look, I'm just trying to keep you from swinging. Ok? You're not gonna, like - "
"I'm not hitting anyone. Or anything." He breathed in deeply. "I need some air." He turned and walked up the hall.
Summer hugged Seth as they watched him turn the corner. "Oh my God, this is so awful. He'll be ok, won't he?"
Seth held on to her tight, still feeling guilty for causing his friend even more pain. "Someday. He's dying inside, but that minute there was probably all we'll see of it. On the plus side, he's getting better at controlling his anger. Three months ago he would have used his fists to ventilate the wall by now. I did the right thing, didn't I? Telling him, I mean? They're not together now, anyway, maybe I shouldn't have. The look on his face; I might as well have Buffy'ed a stake through his heart. I feel so bad."
"Wait. They broke up? Just now? She told him about Jake?"
Seth let out a bitter laugh. "No. I thought that too, but he ended it for other reasons. That's what set her off. Ryan thought she was well enough to handle it. Obviously, she's not."
"Oh my God." She reached up and placed a hand on the side of his face. His head angled slightly and he pressed his cheek into her fingers, then kissed her palm. "Coop caused this, Seth, not you. You had to tell him; he had a right to know. Put yourself in his position. Wouldn't you feel worse if your best friend knew and didn't tell you?"
"Yes. And definitely yes. " He sighed heavily. "Let's go see if Marissa will come out." They walked down the hall toward the bathroom, breaking into a run as they saw the open door.
Summer slid around the doorjamb into the room. "Coop? Coop!" She pulled the shower curtain back and looked behind it, feeling like she was in a horror movie. "Seth, she's gone!"
"She must have run out the other way while we were talking to Ryan." Seth saw Summer was very near panic and tried to calm her. "Look, maybe she calmed down. She could be just fine now. She can't leave anyway; your car is blocking hers."
They faintly heard a car start up and looked at each other, wide-eyed. "Summer, that sounds like -" " - My car! Seth, she knows where the hide-a-key is!" They both took off at a dead run for the front of the house.
Summer fell out the door directly behind Seth, and ran into him when he suddenly slid to a halt in front of her. They both caught their balance and she followed his gaze. "Oh no. Oh God. OhGodohGodohGod!! Seth!?!" She started to run and he just managed to catch her arm.
"Stay here! Summer wait a minute!" Absolute panic DID seem like the most appropriate response right now, but he had to stay calm for her sake. Ryan was at the end of the driveway, directly behind Summer's car. Marissa was gunning the motor and shrieking out the driver's side window at him, and he couldn't understand much of it through her sobs. All he caught was "out of the way!" and something about Jake. Ryan was shouting that he wasn't letting her leave while she was so upset, and to get out of the car.
"We can't just STAND here!" Summer kept fighting to get away from him.
"Calm. Down. I know we can't." He pulled her back against his chest and spoke evenly in her ear. "But we can't go jetting out there, either. It might freak her out even more. Take a deep breath for me... One more. Good girl. Ok. Walk up to the car and try to talk to her, but do NOT get too close. Don't get anywhere near the front or the back of the car. I don't want you hurt. You understand? Can you do that?" She nodded quickly and walked toward the end of the driveway. Seth wanted to follow but thought his presence might confuse Marissa even more. Summer had a better chance of getting through to her by herself.
Summer had no idea what to say to the out-of-control girl. What DID one say to your best friend who was completely losing her shit in front of your eyes? Yo Coop! Got my nails done. New color with sparklies, wanna see? Or maybe this. Hey Coop! Guess what? I really really really like Seth, but my head is so messed up I'm terrified to be with him. Uh huh. Either of THOSE would convince Marissa to not flatten Ryan like a pancake. Right. And SO not the best time for messed-up-in-the-head conversations. "Coop! Hey what's going on, sweetie? Look over here and talk to me for a minute." The passenger side window was up and Summer wasn't sure if she'd heard her.
Marissa started backing up in short bursts, causing Ryan to jump back to avoid being hit each time.
"Coop! Hey! Come on now. You don't want to do that! You might hurt him! Now isn't the best time for a drive. Turn the car off and we'll talk about stuff!" Ryan and the back bumper of the car were almost to the stone pillars at the end of the driveway now.
Seth had begun yelling at Ryan, telling him to get out of the way. Summer crossed in front of the Corvette. She needed to get to the driver's side to make sure Coop could hear her, but not make any sudden moves near the window. Her friend was crying and talking to herself, wiping away tears. She was clearly not all there anymore. "Hey Coop. You don't want to leave. You really don't. Just turn the car off and we'll go somewhere quiet. Come on, Marissa. That's it. Look at me. We should go talk. I really need to tell you something. I need a girl-to- girl talk and you're the only one I can do it with."
Seth was about to have a heart attack, fidgeting around, not knowing what to do. He had a horrible feeling of impending disaster. Ryan was behind the car, and now Summer was way too close on the other side. She kept talking to the distressed girl, and finally Marissa looked up and seemed to see her. She didn't appear to answer, he couldn't hear, but Summer smiled and talked some more, slowly inching closer to the driver's side.
Ryan took action while Marissa was distracted by Summer, running to the driver's side window and reaching across her to grab the key out of the ignition. He fumbled, couldn't find it and Marissa bit his arm viciously and floored the gas pedal. The car shot back into the street and she turned the wheel just in time to avoid the ditch on the other side. Summer and Ryan both sprinted after it in a panic as Seth stood frozen, watching in horror. Marissa shifted from reverse into first gear, popped the clutch and killed the motor. Ryan sped to the passenger side and ripped open the door just as she got the car started again. Summer got to the driver's window and hysterically pleaded with her friend to stop as Ryan slid into the seat, trying again to reach the key in the ignition.
Marissa jammed the gearshift into first and floored it again. Tires squealed and the car fishtailed; the rear end shooting off to one side and striking Summer. She was thrown back to the side of the road and slammed into one of the stone pillars, bouncing off of it and dropping like a rag doll. Marissa corrected the slide and just barely got the car under control, roaring off down the street.
Seth was suddenly running in slow motion. It was only a short distance to the end of the drive, but it felt like miles. That couldn't have just happened. No. Not possible. But yet she was crumpled in a heap near the base of the pillar. Motionless. So still and pale. It was eerily quiet right here, in this spot at the edge of the road. He wondered idly if there was a little circle of silence around Summer, and the birds were still singing everywhere else in the world. No, that didn't seem right. The birds were heartbroken and wouldn't sing anymore. That's why it was so silent here. He couldn't breathe, and everything was shimmering around him; he could see waves and ripples in the air as a slight breeze touched him and danced by. All he could do was stare at her through the wavering air; she was so beautiful and broken. He told himself to wake up. This had to be a nightmare. He shut his eyes tightly, and opened them again hoping to God that he'd be in his room and it was Sunday morning and time to call Summer. No bedroom. Still at the side of the road. Not a dream. Phone. Need to call for help. His brain clicked back into gear. He reached for his cell phone, swearing as he remembered he hadn't picked it up off his nightstand before they came downstairs. It seemed like a lifetime ago he'd been holding her in the kitchen feeling her warm body pressed against his, soft curves under his fingers; his heart filled with hope by her sweet response to his kisses. He kneeled and reached out to brush long dark strands of hair out of her face, then felt carefully for a pulse, releasing a breath he didn't know he was holding when he found she had one. He hated to leave her there, but moving her was out of the question and he had to get to the phone now. He apologized to her and promised he'd be right back.
He ran inside and dialed 911 in the kitchen. It seemed to take forever as he blankly gave them details of Summer's condition and the address, and then remembered to give them a head's up on Marissa's state of mind and the car she was driving. God, Ryan was in the car. Seth started praying that the cops could stop them before another disaster happened. The entire time he was on the phone his stomach was churning, picturing Summer outside all alone and hurt. What if she woke up while he was in here? She'd be so frightened. He didn't even want to try to picture where Ryan might be. Could Marissa drive safely while having a breakdown? Rodney Road Ranger would say the outlook was grim. Was Ryan all right? Could he talk sense into Marissa? The dispatcher finally let him off the phone and he raced into the living room, grabbed the throw off the back of the couch, then sprinted back outside to Summer.
She wasn't awake. She looked paler. He made sure she had a pulse again, covered her with the blanket and lay down next to her in the street, trying desperately to remember if there was something else he could do for her. He knew he could hurt her worse if he moved any part of her body. From what he could see, there weren't any obvious cuts or heavy bleeding, so he thought maybe that was a good thing. She was lying partly on her side, and one of her arms seemed to be twisted unnaturally beneath her, so it was a safe bet it was broken. He was mostly worried about internal bleeding and head trauma. He realized he was going to make himself crazy going down the let's-pretend-I'm-a- doctor road, and vowed to never watch ER again. She could be fine, just - knocked out. That happened to football players all the time, right? No big deal. A little concussion, three days off and all's right with the world. She'll be fine. Ryan's fine. The two people he cared about most in the world besides his parents were fine.
What time was it? Why wasn't the ambulance here yet? He checked his watch. He'd called three minutes ago. Why did it feel like three hours? It HAD to be longer than three minutes. His mom and dad should be home any time now. They'd probably think he was insane laying in the street. No matter, he wasn't moving. She was in the street, so he would be too. He was protecting her from passing cars and he needed to be there with her, at her level. He wanted so badly to hold her, or at least cradle her head on his leg. His beautiful girl should not be lying on a warm asphalt road; the sight was obscene to him. The urge to touch her overwhelmed him and he very gently stroked her cheek. Her skin was so soft. He'd read that many people heard doctors and family members talking to them while unconscious. And didn't Emily hear Nikolas talking to her while she was in a coma on General Hospital? Maybe he should talk to Summer, in case she was scared and thought she was all alone.
"Summer? You're going to be ok. Help is on the way. Some things might hurt when you wake up, but it'll be all right cuz they'll give you drugs that will make your step-mom green with envy. But I promise you're going to be fine. I'm going to stay right here with you. Everything's going to be good. Can you hear me? Maybe you can. God, how did this happen?!. I never want to see you hurt again, you hear that, missy? I - I can't take it, seeing you like this. Next time let ME get hit by the car, ok? It's my turn and I insist. God, I don't know where Ryan is or if he and Marissa are ok." Surely it wouldn't hurt to take her hand as long as he didn't move her arm. He sat up and gently held her free hand in both of his. "I'm right here with you, Summer. I'm not going anywhere." His voice broke and dropped to a whisper. "Please wake up. I need you." He was quiet for a moment as he dried tears on the shoulders of his shirt. "You have to wake up because we have to finish our conversation. Remember on the couch? We were in the middle of getting back together when this happened. I'm pretty sure. You said you did, but - something. You were letting me kiss you, and I'm taking that as an immensely positive sign. Anyway, you have to know that I lied to you when I said I just wanted to be friends. If you don't know, then I'm telling you right now. I want so much more than friendship with you. And in case you're wondering, only you. Please forgive me? I know I've hurt you, but I swear it won't happen again. Wake up. Please wake up. Even if you just want to be friends. We'll argue and bicker, all right? You can call me a dork and I'll call you a princess. You have to be ok. Please? I'm so scared, Summer." He raised his head and searched the blue sky above. "God, please let her be ok. Please let Ryan be ok, and Marissa."
The ambulance finally rolled to a stop beside them and he got to his feet. A police car followed a minute later. The police questioned him about the accident while the EMT's checked Summer over. The cop had no information about the red Corvette. They transferred Summer into the ambulance and made Seth get in the front next to the driver. He spent the ride to the hospital twisting to look back between the two front seats, watching anxiously as the medic took care of her.
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~ Lies-9 ~
It was quiet. Seth swore he could hear the ticking of a clock that was four rooms away. He felt acutely ill and just wanted to take it all back, turn back time and erase everything he'd done since Friday afternoon, starting with going to that party. He was even willing to lose the maybe-reconciliation with Summer, if turning the clock back would take that haunted look out of Ryan's eyes. He wasn't really focusing on anything, and Seth had an uneasy feeling, really more of a psychic intuition that Ryan was reliving a lifetime of betrayals and abandonment. And tacking a fresh ending onto his mental film clip.
Summer squeezed his hand, and they glanced at each other. Her eyes were misting, and just then Ryan leaned back against the wall and slid down it.
Summer knelt next to him, and he let her hold him. "Oh, sweetie, I'm so sorry. Come here, baby. Come here." Ryan's eyes focused on the here and now finally, and he hesitantly wrapped his arms around her waist. She hugged him and he swallowed hard, then embraced her tightly.
Seth was shocked that he'd accept any comfort, but glad to see it happen. Maybe it meant something since it was coming from Marissa's best friend. After a long moment, Ryan gently pushed Summer away and stood up. Seth put a hand on his arm. "Are you ok? I know, outrageously stupid question, but for now anyway?"
Ryan shook his head slowly. Seth looked down and saw his shaking hands clench into fists. Not good. He started talking fast. "You know, I'm not sure - um, Ryan, you know Marissa hasn't been making such good decisions lately. Maybe, maybe this doesn't really have a whole lot to do with you. You know what I mean? Like, she loves you but she's kinda messed up in the head right now?"
"Seth. Don't. Bad decisions and fucking around are very different things." His voice was low and flat, and Seth could see the muscle in his jaw clenching.
"Just try to calm down, ok? Ryan? Ryan. Listen to me. Shoplifting and vodka as the newest handbag accessory were bad decisions. That's probably what this was, too. In the sense that she's, she's just kinda losing it, you know? " Ryan had the same expression on his face as right before he hit Luke the last 6 times, and Seth was getting that sinking feeling that things were about to get ugly.
"All the other shit she's done has been to get her parents attention, and I've been there for her. Every time. This? Is directed at me." Ryan's voice broke in the last sentence and he struggled for control again, running a hand through his light hair.
Ryan was right, in Seth's opinion. Cheating on the person that saved you time and time again, put up with your crap and still loved you made a very different statement than the other stunts she'd pulled. And from what Seth had seen and heard, she knew exactly what she was doing in that bedroom at Neelander's house. He wasn't sure what to say next. "Maybe not, dude. Look, I'm just trying to keep you from swinging. Ok? You're not gonna, like - "
"I'm not hitting anyone. Or anything." He breathed in deeply. "I need some air." He turned and walked up the hall.
Summer hugged Seth as they watched him turn the corner. "Oh my God, this is so awful. He'll be ok, won't he?"
Seth held on to her tight, still feeling guilty for causing his friend even more pain. "Someday. He's dying inside, but that minute there was probably all we'll see of it. On the plus side, he's getting better at controlling his anger. Three months ago he would have used his fists to ventilate the wall by now. I did the right thing, didn't I? Telling him, I mean? They're not together now, anyway, maybe I shouldn't have. The look on his face; I might as well have Buffy'ed a stake through his heart. I feel so bad."
"Wait. They broke up? Just now? She told him about Jake?"
Seth let out a bitter laugh. "No. I thought that too, but he ended it for other reasons. That's what set her off. Ryan thought she was well enough to handle it. Obviously, she's not."
"Oh my God." She reached up and placed a hand on the side of his face. His head angled slightly and he pressed his cheek into her fingers, then kissed her palm. "Coop caused this, Seth, not you. You had to tell him; he had a right to know. Put yourself in his position. Wouldn't you feel worse if your best friend knew and didn't tell you?"
"Yes. And definitely yes. " He sighed heavily. "Let's go see if Marissa will come out." They walked down the hall toward the bathroom, breaking into a run as they saw the open door.
Summer slid around the doorjamb into the room. "Coop? Coop!" She pulled the shower curtain back and looked behind it, feeling like she was in a horror movie. "Seth, she's gone!"
"She must have run out the other way while we were talking to Ryan." Seth saw Summer was very near panic and tried to calm her. "Look, maybe she calmed down. She could be just fine now. She can't leave anyway; your car is blocking hers."
They faintly heard a car start up and looked at each other, wide-eyed. "Summer, that sounds like -" " - My car! Seth, she knows where the hide-a-key is!" They both took off at a dead run for the front of the house.
Summer fell out the door directly behind Seth, and ran into him when he suddenly slid to a halt in front of her. They both caught their balance and she followed his gaze. "Oh no. Oh God. OhGodohGodohGod!! Seth!?!" She started to run and he just managed to catch her arm.
"Stay here! Summer wait a minute!" Absolute panic DID seem like the most appropriate response right now, but he had to stay calm for her sake. Ryan was at the end of the driveway, directly behind Summer's car. Marissa was gunning the motor and shrieking out the driver's side window at him, and he couldn't understand much of it through her sobs. All he caught was "out of the way!" and something about Jake. Ryan was shouting that he wasn't letting her leave while she was so upset, and to get out of the car.
"We can't just STAND here!" Summer kept fighting to get away from him.
"Calm. Down. I know we can't." He pulled her back against his chest and spoke evenly in her ear. "But we can't go jetting out there, either. It might freak her out even more. Take a deep breath for me... One more. Good girl. Ok. Walk up to the car and try to talk to her, but do NOT get too close. Don't get anywhere near the front or the back of the car. I don't want you hurt. You understand? Can you do that?" She nodded quickly and walked toward the end of the driveway. Seth wanted to follow but thought his presence might confuse Marissa even more. Summer had a better chance of getting through to her by herself.
Summer had no idea what to say to the out-of-control girl. What DID one say to your best friend who was completely losing her shit in front of your eyes? Yo Coop! Got my nails done. New color with sparklies, wanna see? Or maybe this. Hey Coop! Guess what? I really really really like Seth, but my head is so messed up I'm terrified to be with him. Uh huh. Either of THOSE would convince Marissa to not flatten Ryan like a pancake. Right. And SO not the best time for messed-up-in-the-head conversations. "Coop! Hey what's going on, sweetie? Look over here and talk to me for a minute." The passenger side window was up and Summer wasn't sure if she'd heard her.
Marissa started backing up in short bursts, causing Ryan to jump back to avoid being hit each time.
"Coop! Hey! Come on now. You don't want to do that! You might hurt him! Now isn't the best time for a drive. Turn the car off and we'll talk about stuff!" Ryan and the back bumper of the car were almost to the stone pillars at the end of the driveway now.
Seth had begun yelling at Ryan, telling him to get out of the way. Summer crossed in front of the Corvette. She needed to get to the driver's side to make sure Coop could hear her, but not make any sudden moves near the window. Her friend was crying and talking to herself, wiping away tears. She was clearly not all there anymore. "Hey Coop. You don't want to leave. You really don't. Just turn the car off and we'll go somewhere quiet. Come on, Marissa. That's it. Look at me. We should go talk. I really need to tell you something. I need a girl-to- girl talk and you're the only one I can do it with."
Seth was about to have a heart attack, fidgeting around, not knowing what to do. He had a horrible feeling of impending disaster. Ryan was behind the car, and now Summer was way too close on the other side. She kept talking to the distressed girl, and finally Marissa looked up and seemed to see her. She didn't appear to answer, he couldn't hear, but Summer smiled and talked some more, slowly inching closer to the driver's side.
Ryan took action while Marissa was distracted by Summer, running to the driver's side window and reaching across her to grab the key out of the ignition. He fumbled, couldn't find it and Marissa bit his arm viciously and floored the gas pedal. The car shot back into the street and she turned the wheel just in time to avoid the ditch on the other side. Summer and Ryan both sprinted after it in a panic as Seth stood frozen, watching in horror. Marissa shifted from reverse into first gear, popped the clutch and killed the motor. Ryan sped to the passenger side and ripped open the door just as she got the car started again. Summer got to the driver's window and hysterically pleaded with her friend to stop as Ryan slid into the seat, trying again to reach the key in the ignition.
Marissa jammed the gearshift into first and floored it again. Tires squealed and the car fishtailed; the rear end shooting off to one side and striking Summer. She was thrown back to the side of the road and slammed into one of the stone pillars, bouncing off of it and dropping like a rag doll. Marissa corrected the slide and just barely got the car under control, roaring off down the street.
Seth was suddenly running in slow motion. It was only a short distance to the end of the drive, but it felt like miles. That couldn't have just happened. No. Not possible. But yet she was crumpled in a heap near the base of the pillar. Motionless. So still and pale. It was eerily quiet right here, in this spot at the edge of the road. He wondered idly if there was a little circle of silence around Summer, and the birds were still singing everywhere else in the world. No, that didn't seem right. The birds were heartbroken and wouldn't sing anymore. That's why it was so silent here. He couldn't breathe, and everything was shimmering around him; he could see waves and ripples in the air as a slight breeze touched him and danced by. All he could do was stare at her through the wavering air; she was so beautiful and broken. He told himself to wake up. This had to be a nightmare. He shut his eyes tightly, and opened them again hoping to God that he'd be in his room and it was Sunday morning and time to call Summer. No bedroom. Still at the side of the road. Not a dream. Phone. Need to call for help. His brain clicked back into gear. He reached for his cell phone, swearing as he remembered he hadn't picked it up off his nightstand before they came downstairs. It seemed like a lifetime ago he'd been holding her in the kitchen feeling her warm body pressed against his, soft curves under his fingers; his heart filled with hope by her sweet response to his kisses. He kneeled and reached out to brush long dark strands of hair out of her face, then felt carefully for a pulse, releasing a breath he didn't know he was holding when he found she had one. He hated to leave her there, but moving her was out of the question and he had to get to the phone now. He apologized to her and promised he'd be right back.
He ran inside and dialed 911 in the kitchen. It seemed to take forever as he blankly gave them details of Summer's condition and the address, and then remembered to give them a head's up on Marissa's state of mind and the car she was driving. God, Ryan was in the car. Seth started praying that the cops could stop them before another disaster happened. The entire time he was on the phone his stomach was churning, picturing Summer outside all alone and hurt. What if she woke up while he was in here? She'd be so frightened. He didn't even want to try to picture where Ryan might be. Could Marissa drive safely while having a breakdown? Rodney Road Ranger would say the outlook was grim. Was Ryan all right? Could he talk sense into Marissa? The dispatcher finally let him off the phone and he raced into the living room, grabbed the throw off the back of the couch, then sprinted back outside to Summer.
She wasn't awake. She looked paler. He made sure she had a pulse again, covered her with the blanket and lay down next to her in the street, trying desperately to remember if there was something else he could do for her. He knew he could hurt her worse if he moved any part of her body. From what he could see, there weren't any obvious cuts or heavy bleeding, so he thought maybe that was a good thing. She was lying partly on her side, and one of her arms seemed to be twisted unnaturally beneath her, so it was a safe bet it was broken. He was mostly worried about internal bleeding and head trauma. He realized he was going to make himself crazy going down the let's-pretend-I'm-a- doctor road, and vowed to never watch ER again. She could be fine, just - knocked out. That happened to football players all the time, right? No big deal. A little concussion, three days off and all's right with the world. She'll be fine. Ryan's fine. The two people he cared about most in the world besides his parents were fine.
What time was it? Why wasn't the ambulance here yet? He checked his watch. He'd called three minutes ago. Why did it feel like three hours? It HAD to be longer than three minutes. His mom and dad should be home any time now. They'd probably think he was insane laying in the street. No matter, he wasn't moving. She was in the street, so he would be too. He was protecting her from passing cars and he needed to be there with her, at her level. He wanted so badly to hold her, or at least cradle her head on his leg. His beautiful girl should not be lying on a warm asphalt road; the sight was obscene to him. The urge to touch her overwhelmed him and he very gently stroked her cheek. Her skin was so soft. He'd read that many people heard doctors and family members talking to them while unconscious. And didn't Emily hear Nikolas talking to her while she was in a coma on General Hospital? Maybe he should talk to Summer, in case she was scared and thought she was all alone.
"Summer? You're going to be ok. Help is on the way. Some things might hurt when you wake up, but it'll be all right cuz they'll give you drugs that will make your step-mom green with envy. But I promise you're going to be fine. I'm going to stay right here with you. Everything's going to be good. Can you hear me? Maybe you can. God, how did this happen?!. I never want to see you hurt again, you hear that, missy? I - I can't take it, seeing you like this. Next time let ME get hit by the car, ok? It's my turn and I insist. God, I don't know where Ryan is or if he and Marissa are ok." Surely it wouldn't hurt to take her hand as long as he didn't move her arm. He sat up and gently held her free hand in both of his. "I'm right here with you, Summer. I'm not going anywhere." His voice broke and dropped to a whisper. "Please wake up. I need you." He was quiet for a moment as he dried tears on the shoulders of his shirt. "You have to wake up because we have to finish our conversation. Remember on the couch? We were in the middle of getting back together when this happened. I'm pretty sure. You said you did, but - something. You were letting me kiss you, and I'm taking that as an immensely positive sign. Anyway, you have to know that I lied to you when I said I just wanted to be friends. If you don't know, then I'm telling you right now. I want so much more than friendship with you. And in case you're wondering, only you. Please forgive me? I know I've hurt you, but I swear it won't happen again. Wake up. Please wake up. Even if you just want to be friends. We'll argue and bicker, all right? You can call me a dork and I'll call you a princess. You have to be ok. Please? I'm so scared, Summer." He raised his head and searched the blue sky above. "God, please let her be ok. Please let Ryan be ok, and Marissa."
The ambulance finally rolled to a stop beside them and he got to his feet. A police car followed a minute later. The police questioned him about the accident while the EMT's checked Summer over. The cop had no information about the red Corvette. They transferred Summer into the ambulance and made Seth get in the front next to the driver. He spent the ride to the hospital twisting to look back between the two front seats, watching anxiously as the medic took care of her.
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