Disclaimer: I do not own the OC. I do, however, own a snow globe.
Author's Notes: Thanks to beachtree for betaing.
I usually don't post these short experimental one-shots over here, but why not, right? Besides, I wanted to let everyone know that I have the next chapter of Best done and will be posting in the near future. happy dance
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This Is How It Happens
An episode tag concerning the "The Graduates"
By muchtvs
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This is how it happens.
This is how things play out.
This is how things go forward.
This is how quickly life leaves death behind.
10: 00 p.m.
Sandy receives a phone call from a gentleman who identifies himself as Officer Lantry with the CHP.
10:05 p.m.
Sandy calls Julie.
10:10 p.m.
Ryan is admitted to the ER.
10:15 p.m.
Kirsten calls her son on his cell. "I need you to come home, Seth, bring Summer with you."
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This is how Summer feels when Kirsten tells her that her best friend is dead.
Frightened, like when she was thirteen and her mother left her.
Shocked, like when Luke was shot in the arm.
Confused, like when Seth told her he wasn't going to Brown.
Sad, like whenever she and Marissa would fight and Summer would feel all alone, like a piece of herself was missing.
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This is how Sandy helps Ryan grieve.
He signs him out of the hospital, despite the doctors' recommendations.
He takes him home.
He escorts Ryan through the house, shaking his head 'no' as a warning to keep a hovering Kirsten at bay, holding out his hand to stop Seth from speaking.
He opens the pool house door and keeps the lights off, and when Ryan sits down on the floor next to his bed, not wanting to talk, not wanting to listen, not wanting to be touched or comforted, Sandy joins him in silence.
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This is how Julie buries her firstborn.
In tasteful, basic black.
In sobs and wails and misery.
In a beautiful cemetery.
In a classy neighborhood.
In front of people who loved her daughter.
In a daze from prescription drugs.
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This is how Kirsten thanks God that it wasn't one of her children who died that night.
Touches.
Hugs.
Food.
Undivided attention.
Time.
Sobriety.
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This is how Seth tries to make it better.
Running to the grocery store.
Taking out the trash.
Picking up the dry cleaning.
Pouring milk into Ryan's cereal bowl.
Refraining from rambling.
Concentrating on others.
Brushing Summer's long black hair.
Whispering, "I love you."
Promising her he won't ever die.
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This is how Ryan copes.
With denial.
With withdrawal.
With feelings of helplessness.
With a knowledge that he had a part in Marissa's death.
With guilt.
With regrets.
With frustration.
With anger.
With his punching bag.
With bloody knuckles.
With a moment of pent up, all consuming, uncontrollable rage.
With a chair thrown through the pool house window.
With Sandy's arms around him.
With a second of not being able to remember how to breathe.
With a quiet release of tears he's been holding back since long before he met the Cohens.