Author's Note: I'm sorry - I never intended on taking this long to update. I've actually spent most of January in and out of the hospital myself. Ironically enough, I needed abdominal surgery (don't listen to xerus - it was NOT liposuction!) Anyway - I hope you're still interested, and aren't too disappointed. I do have to say - anything that may seem strange, well, it probably happened to me or I saw it happen to someone in the hospital. The next chapter is coming soon. I promise.

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Kirsten woke up stiff, sore and even more tired than when she finally fell asleep the night before. Actually, Kirsten briefly thought, it may have been early morning when it no longer mattered how uncomfortable that chair was. She couldn't remember, and honestly she really didn't care at that point. It was Monday, the day the doctor was 'hopeful' Ryan would wake up. She knew she should probably go home, shower and try to take a nap, but Kirsten wasn't going anywhere. No, it was Monday. She looked over at Ryan. No change. He still lay motionless in that bed, looking so frail, so small, so young, so… hurt.

She reached over and began to lightly stroke his arm. "Morning, sweetie. It's Monday. You heard the doctor. Time for you to open your eyes. Come on, Ryan. Time to wake up. It's Monday. This has gone on long enough."

But Ryan didn't move. Kirsten sighed as she stood up and stretched. She heard her back crack as she looked down at her chair. It looked so nice and cushiony, but after sleeping in it the past two nights, Kirsten really didn't like that chair at all. She wanted to be home, sleeping in her bed with Sandy, with Seth sleeping upstairs and Ryan sleeping in the pool house. Sandy and Seth. She really needed to call them, but since she didn't want to leave Ryan, she decided to wait until the nurse came in to check on him. Then she would call Sandy and tell him to bring her a change of clothes and some other necessities. She'd also say good morning to Seth and tell him to have a good day at school. Kirsten also remembered they still had to notify Dr. Kim about the accident. She decided to ask Sandy to do it. She didn't want to discuss it, especially with Dr. Kim.

The nurse smiled at Kirsten as she entered the room, pushing that cart of supplies to do her "check of the patient, as she called it. Kirsten knew she was being silly, but she thought it was more like torture. She knew if Ryan were awake, he would not like having that needle stuck in his arm. "Drawing blood." Sounded like a damn vampire.

"Good Morning, Mrs. Cohen. Did you get any sleep?"

Kirsten gave her fake smile. She was willing to continue the small talk while Cathy took Ryan's temperature and checked his pulse and blood pressure. "Yes, thank you, and how are you this morning?"

As Cathy wrapped that elastic around Ryan's arm, Kirsten quickly added, "I'm going to just step outside a minute," not giving Cathy a chance to say anything. Hell, they both knew it was rhetorical anyway. Kirsten really didn't care how she was, and Cathy knew it. "Are you sure? I won't be long."

Kirsten bolted for the door as she saw her pick up the syringe. "No, I've got to call my husband. I'll be right back." She felt a little guilty leaving Ryan in Cathy's hands, but she knew after drawing the blood, she was going to push her fist into the middle of Ryan's chest to "check the patient's reaction to painful stimuli." Cruel, just cruel and Kirsten just couldn't watch it again. She closed her eyes for a moment and tried to shake the images out of her mind before picking up her phone. She really just needed to talk to Sandy.

Just when I thought I couldn't love him anymore, Kirsten thought as she snapped her phone shut. Sandy already packed her bag. Sandy already talked to Dr. Kim, and he already talked to Seth. Everything Kirsten should have handled, but just didn't want to.

She re-entered Ryan's room just as the nurse was smoothing out the blankets around him. "Everything's okay," Kirsten said as she returned to the side of the bed.

The nurse smiled at Kirsten's statement. It wasn't a question. No, it was most definitely a statement. "Ryan's doing as well as can be expected."

"Meaning what exactly?" Kirsten didn't mean for it to sound so short, but she was really getting tired of that phrase. The boy hadn't moved in almost two full days, how was that 'well' in any way?

"Mrs. Cohen," Cathy began patiently, "Ryan is doing fine. He is improving. Even if you can't see it, he is. But you have to be patient. Give his body a chance to start healing itself. He'll come to when he's ready."

"But the doctor said maybe today."

"Maybe. There's a chance. But you have to be prepared for the maybe not. It may just be better if Ryan didn't wake up today."

"Better for who?" Kirsten demanded. Suddenly she really didn't like this nurse all that much. Why would she say such a thing?

But Cathy was very matter of fact. "Better for Ryan. He's going to be in a great deal of pain when he does finally regain consciousness. A few more days of being unaware of the trauma his body sustained may just be a good thing."

"I'm sorry. I suppose you're right. It's just…" Kirsten looked down at Ryan as she tried to remain composed. "It's very hard to see him like this and not be able to help."

Kirsten was shocked by the gentle hand on her shoulder. She wasn't being exactly nice to this nurse, and yet Cathy was still offering her some comfort. "If it was so easy, everyone would be a mom."

As her eyes filled with tears, Kirsten could only offer Cathy a small smile. She didn't trust herself to speak, afraid that all her emotions would finally spill out. Cathy quickly moved her hand and returned to a more business-like tone. "They'll be taking Ryan down to radiology at ten. The CT scan and x-rays should take about an hour, and then they'll bring him back. The doctor will be in to discuss the results as soon as he gets them. I'm on again tonight, so I'll see you then. Take care, and don't worry - everything will be okay."

"Thank you," Kirsten said softly as she sat back down in the chair and grabbed Ryan's hand. All she could do was wait. Hopefully, Sandy would be there soon to wait with her.

Kirsten remembered reading that you should talk to an unconscious person because they just may be able to hear you. She had been talking continuously for almost two days. "Hey, sweetie. The nurse said it might be better if you stayed asleep for a little while longer. So I guess I should tell you to take your time. But, um, would it make me such a bad parent to want you to wake up now? I just want to see you awake and have you tell me everything is fine. Could you just do that for me? Huh? Please?"

When Ryan didn't move, she stroked his cheek lightly. "You know, it's usually Seth who ignores me. I'm not used to you doing it. Okay, well, I guess it's back to the trashy love story. See, I think you secretly love these books as much as I do, but you're just afraid to admit it."

"Where did we leave off?" Kirsten scanned her novelette. "Oh yes, Armando and Sophia were locked in a passionate embrace. Well, I think maybe we'll skip that part. I don't care how asleep you are - there are just some things I should not share with you."

Kirsten yawned as she skimmed past the passionate love parts. Damn, she was tired she thought as she laid her head back, just for a minute.

An hour later, Sandy walked in to find his wife sound asleep, still holding onto Ryan's hand. He gently kissed the top of her head as he pulled another chair up next to the bed. "Hey, kid. How's it going? Seth sends his best. He's going to stop by after school. I think he's hoping to talk."

When Kirsten stirred slightly and Ryan didn't move, Sandy decided to be quiet. He knew Kirsten was tired; he could hear it in her voice. Sandy again began to think about the words of wisdom he would need once Seth got his chance to talk to Ryan.

Ten A.M. on the dot, they came for Ryan. Kirsten jumped when the door first opened, but remained silent until she watched them wheel Ryan away. Even then it was only a quiet prayer.

Sandy gently rubbed Kirsten's back. "Come on. Let's go get something to eat."

Kirsten nodded as she headed for the door. She didn't have anything to say. Not on the way down to the cafeteria, not in the cafeteria, and not on the way back to Ryan's room. Sandy knew his wife well enough to know – she didn't want to talk, so he didn't bother to try. Not until she was ready.

"Seth said he's coming over after school," Kirsten finally announced, after she watched the orderlies bring Ryan back and watched as the nurse did her check.

"I think he's hoping for Ryan to be awake. He really wants to talk to him. I just don't think he knows what to say."

"Makes two of us," Kirsten mumbled.

"It'll be nice."

"What'll be nice?"

"Ryan awake. Isn't that what you're talking about?"

"No," Kirsten said. "I mean, yes. It'll be great when he wakes up, but I'm not sure what to say either. I mean, I'm sorry just doesn't seem like enough."

Sandy looked at Kirsten for a moment. "Sorry? Sorry for what?" He had no idea what she was talking about.

Kirsten gestured toward Ryan's lifeless body. "Sorry for this. You don't feel bad?"

"If you mean bad as in 'what happened is awful and I wished it didn't happen', then yes, I feel bad. But if you mean bad as in guilty, then no, I don't feel guilty."

Sandy continued to look at Kirsten for a minute as he tried to figure out what she was getting at. When no answer was forthcoming, he started to get mad. "Why should I feel guilty? Because I asked the boys to do something around the house? It's not like they're asked to do a whole lot, and this was something I thought they could manage. I thought it would make you happy. There is no reason I should feel guilty for that."

Kirsten started to shake her head before she began to speak. "I didn't mean that. It should have been something they could have easily managed. But well, why would Seth do that? Why would he just walk away? What was he thinking?"

Before Sandy had a chance to answer, Kirsten continued, "I mean, Seth has always been, well, Seth. It's always been kind of cute, irreverent, so I never said or did anything. We never tried to correct his behavior, and because of that, this happened."

"He's a good kid," Sandy said quickly.

"He's a great kid, but he does have his faults. This time this one was huge, and it's Ryan who is paying for it. So yes, Sandy, I feel guilty that somehow we're partially responsible for this accident."

Sandy put his arm around his wife and gave her a light kiss on the top of her head. "Remember when Seth had his hernia? How you kept asking the doctors what you did wrong?"

"What are you getting at?"

"This accident is just like Seth's hernia. Ryan's hurt, and there is nothing you can do to help him. And he's hurt because of Seth's carelessness. It's not your fault, and yet you still feel responsible. It's parental guilt, Kirsten."

Kirsten took a step away from Sandy and folded her arms in front of her. "Oh, really? And you don't have this parental guilt?"

"No, I have it, but at least I recognize that I have it."

"And I don't?"

Sandy chuckled. "You still feel the need to apologize to Ryan when he wakes up?"

Kirsten didn't answer as she looked down at Ryan. Yes, she still felt like she should apologize, and at the same time, she just wanted to wrap her arms around him and take away all the pain. "It is going to be really hard when he does finally wake up."

Sandy again could only wrap his arms around his wife. He too wanted to make all the pain go away. Kirsten's pain, Seth's pain and especially Ryan's pain, but he knew that wasn't going to be possible. All he could do was try to comfort them all as best he could. "I know. But he'll be okay. We'll all be okay."

"And if it's not? If he's not? Then what?"

"What do you mean?"

"Sandy, his whole life he's been abandoned and disappointed by everyone around him. What's he going to do when he finds out the kid who's supposed to be his best friend let him down, walked away from him when he needed him?"

"I don't know. Seth asked me the same thing, and I honestly don't know. I guess we'll have to just wait and see. Make sure Ryan knows we're here for him, that physically he'll be fine and try to help them both through this."

"What if he wants to leave?"

"You really sound like Seth now. Think about it, Kirsten. Where would he go? Who would he stay with? If Ryan does want to leave, are you going to let him?"

"No…"

Kirsten didn't continue as Sandy leaned over and gave her another soft kiss, just as the door opened and Ryan's doctor entered. He nodded and smiled at them both before examining Ryan. Both Sandy and Kirsten quietly waited for him to finish, both holding their breath, silently praying for good news.

It didn't take long before the doctor launched into his medical explanations. Kirsten listened to what he was saying, but with the medical jargon and being so tired, she was getting confused. "So all of this is good, is that what you're saying?"

"Yes," the doctor said slowly. "Ryan's abdominal CT and head CT are both clear. The x-rays of his shoulder, ankle and ribs are all good. With the decrease in swelling, it is much easier to confirm that there are no fractures in the shoulder or ribs, and the ankle films show good aliment of the bones. So in layman's terms, I'd say everything was very good."

"Then why isn't he awake?"

"Kirsten…" Sandy started at the same time the doctor began, "Ryan is doing…"

"As well as can be expected," Kirsten finished. "I know. What I want to know is when is he going to wake up? Isn't it true that the longer a person remains unconscious, the more likely it is that he's suffered some sort of permanent brain damage?"

The doctor tried to smile first. He loved his work. He loved helping people. He didn't love dealing with neurotic parents. "As I previously explained, there will be some possible side effects to the head trauma. We won't know the severity until Ryan regains consciousness. But they're side effects, Mrs. Cohen. Not brain damage."

"But he will wake up soon?" Sandy asked.

"If not today, then possibly tomorrow. Or Wednesday. But not before he's ready." The doctor waited a second for any more questions before smiling again at the Cohens.

"Thank you, Dr. Richards." Sandy was polite and shook the doctor's hand. Kirsten just returned the doctor's fake, professional smile with one of her own. She waited until the door closed behind the good doctor before turning to Sandy. "I think we should get a second opinion. Call Neil Roberts and see who he recommends."

"Why? Dr. Richards seems very knowledgeable."

Kirsten snorted. "He doesn't know what he's talking about."

"Excuse me? I'm sorry, but were we listening to the same doctor?"

"Sandy, he doesn't even know when Ryan is going to wake up! First he said today, now maybe tomorrow or even Wednesday. What kind of diagnosis is 'when Ryan's ready?' The guy's not even a neurosurgeon. Do you really think Ryan wants to be in a coma? People get second opinions all the time. Just call Neil Roberts and see who he recommends."

"And if Neil recommends Dr. Richards?"

"Then ask who else he would recommend. A second opinion never hurt anyone."

Sandy didn't argue. Not when Kirsten had that tone to her voice. If she wanted a second opinion, then he'd get a second opinion. Hell, he'd get a third and even a forth if Kirsten wanted him to.

But the funny thing about finding that second opinion was that apparently Dr. Richards had already consulted with the neurosurgeon who was already involved in Ryan's case. He already contacted the orthopedist who had originally seen Ryan. He'd even contacted Neil Roberts about fixing the scars Ryan would have. Apparently, Dr. Richards wasn't just Ryan's surgeon; he was also the spokesperson for all those involved.

It helped Kirsten to know that there were so many people involved in caring for Ryan, but it didn't exactly help that not one of them could tell her when Ryan would wake up. For that, she had to remain patient, something Kirsten quickly realized she wasn't.

She was also not very happy having to spoon feed Seth the same information when he arrived that afternoon. He was even less willing to be patient than she was, and trying to talk to him was difficult to say the least. He wanted specialists called in, numerous tests performed and immediate results. She listened to his apologies and his ramblings of how exactly he would make this all up to Ryan without saying much. She knew it was the right thing to do, spending time with him while Sandy stayed with Ryan, but Kirsten was just too tired, still a little angry with Seth and still very worried about Ryan. She regrettably finally snapped at Seth over dinner when he began making 'stealth' plans to sneak into Ryan's room, despite being told numerous times that only parents were allowed in. Despite some halfhearted apologies from Kirsten, Seth finally fell quiet and left shortly after dinner. He claimed to have a lot of homework and also said he was tired.

Kirsten sighed as she re-entered Ryan's room. She sighed again as she explained what happened between her and Seth to Sandy. She briefly considered taking Sandy up on his offer to stay with Ryan while Kirsten went home and got a decent night's sleep. One look at Ryan's motionless body, and Kirsten knew she wasn't going anywhere. She'd rather Sandy go home and talk to Seth again while she stayed at the hospital. She promised that tomorrow, if Ryan wasn't awake, she'd go home for the night and let Sandy sleep in the uncomfortable chair.

But when tomorrow came, Kirsten made no effort to go home. It wasn't that she wanted to stay; she felt she needed to stay. Ryan didn't need to open his eyes and be alone. It always sent shivers down her spine whenever she allowed herself to think about how many times he must have woken up alone and scared.

When Sandy joined her in Ryan's room, he wasn't very happy to see how tired and worn out she was. He knew she needed to get some decent sleep, in a bed, but convincing her wasn't going to be easy. "Kirsten, honey. You won't be able to help anyone if you get sick. I promise, I won't leave his side. I'll talk to him. I'll read to him. I'll even sing to him, but you need to go home. You need to get some sleep."

"I did sleep."

"Sleep in a bed. Take a long, hot shower. Take care of yourself. Ryan's going to need you more when he gets home then he does right now. Okay? And I promise, I will call you if there is any change, no matter how slight."

Kirsten nodded first. She knew Sandy was right, but she didn't like the idea of leaving. Even though it was now Tuesday, Ryan wasn't showing any signs of waking up. She sighed as she looked down at his motionless body, and then noticed something. "Sandy. His hand. Look at Ryan's hand. It's moved. It's not in the same spot as it was before. He moved his hand."

While Sandy looked on, Kirsten leaned close to Ryan. "Ryan. If you can hear me, sweetie, move your hand again. Come on, Ryan. Move your hand."

When Ryan didn't respond, Kirsten hit the call button for the nurse, and then began to shake Ryan's arm. And Sandy began to suspect Kirsten was just seeing what she wanted to see. "Kirsten. Calm down. He didn't move his hand. He hasn't moved at all. You're just tired. You need to get some sleep."

"Don't patronize me. His hand is not in the same location as it was this morning, and I didn't move it. So he obviously moved it himself. I know you can hear me, Ryan. I want you to move your hand again. Or open your eyes. How about that? Can you open your eyes, Ryan?"

Kirsten was bent down close to Ryan's face, and studying it so intently, she never heard the nurse come in. She didn't turn around until she heard Sandy apologize for calling her into the room. "Um, sorry about that. Kirsten thought she saw Ryan's arm move."

"I didn't say I saw his arm move, but his hand is definitely not in the same place it was this morning. And since he and I were the only two in the room, and I certainly didn't move it, he must have moved it himself."

The nurse smiled at the two – the father too afraid to hope for good news, and the mother looking for any sign her child was going to be okay. She had seen it so many times in her job; she was pretty accustomed to it. She moved next to Kirsten and grabbed her hand. "Here. You want a response from Ryan. Make a fist."

Kirsten's look was one of fear and shock as she tried to pull her hand away from the nurse. But the nurse only smiled as she held onto Kirsten's hand tighter, curling it into a fist for her and placing it on Ryan's chest. "The secret is not to press too hard as you move your knuckles back and forth over the center of his breastbone."

As the nurse moved Kirsten's fist firmly over the top of Ryan's chest, Kirsten was shocked to see him not only move his hand but raise it as if he was trying to push away whatever it was bothering him before dropping it back to the bed. "Sandy! Did you seethat? Did you see him move his hand? He raised it up off the bed! Did you see that? Ryan? Come on, Ryan. I saw that. Now open your eyes. Open your eyes, Ryan."

The nurse smiled again as she patted the top of Kirsten's hand. "Small steps, Mrs. Cohen. He's getting there. It shouldn't be too much longer before he does open his eyes, but be patient."

"But he is waking up?" Sandy asked as he moved to the other side of the bed and began to move his knuckles across Ryan's chest. Again Ryan moved his hand, giving Kirsten and Sandy something to finally smile about.

"Yes, Mr. Cohen. Ryan is slowly regaining consciousness." The nurse laid her hand on Sandy's fist. "But I wouldn't recommend continuing to do that."

Sandy's face went almost white as he quickly jerked his hand off Ryan's chest. "Am I hurting him?"

"Hurting? No, you're not hurting him. Irritating him is more like it. And just think how annoyed you'd be if someone kept running his fist over your breastbone."

"So what should we do?" Kirsten asked as she started to softly run her hand up and down Ryan's arm.

"Touching him is good. Continue to do that. Lightly. And talk to him. Let him hear your voice. And be patient. Feel free to buzz the nurse's station with any questions or worries, and please let us know the second Ryan does open his eyes. Okay?"

Neither Kirsten nor Sandy looked up at the nurse. Both just nodded their understanding as they continued to stare down at Ryan. The nurse smiled again as she backed out of the room. She always loved giving the family hope, and the Cohens definitely had reason to be hopeful. She also knew that very soon the Cohens would have reason to be happy as well. Very happy.