AN: I was totally overwhelmed with the reviews. Thank you SO much for listening and giving me your thoughts as much as everyone did, I was totally floored with your input! Beachtree, as always, you're my star. You ask all the right questions. Wait for your answers. Marissa fans, hang in there. We're going through a tunnel. But I promise there is light on the other side. It'll just take a while to get there.
FADING – Chapter Thirteen
Wednesday Evening
Seth's fingers expertly jabbed at the X and Y buttons on his game console, watching transfixed as his sword-wielding player charged at its opponent on the television screen. "Oh, oh! Your ninja thinks he has the upper hand, is that right? Well, sorry to say my friend, you're sorely mistaken!" Seth gently nudged Ryan's arm with his elbow. His ninja swung its sword. "You didn't need that leg, did you?"
Dropping his controller in a huff, Ryan laid his head back against the couch, shifting on the floor. "Sometimes I worry that maybe we've played this game a little too much." He said softly. "And when I say 'we', I really mean 'you', Seth." He smirked at the other boy.
With a roll of his eyes, Seth sat up onto his knees and began rummaging through his wide assortment of games. "Fine, have it your way. You choose to forfeit to the Ninja master, we'll play something else…" He looked up when Summer entered the room with Kirsten, both holding plates full of Chinese food. "Why thank you, ladies." He put on his most charming grin.
Summer handed him a plate with a glower. "Don't get used to it, Cohen."
Ryan eyed the food wearily that Kirsten had set before him. His portion mostly contained rice and other bland foods which she had no doubt put into careful consideration, and even though he was feeling slightly better since that afternoon, eating was still the farthest thing on his list of things to do. He looked up at her watchful, concerned gaze and forced a smile. "Thanks."
Kirsten smiled and ran a hand through his hair. "I know. Just try, sweetie." She whispered softly.
As promised, Kirsten had returned from the office just after five to discover Ryan still passed out on the couch, Sandy still not home, and a clearly agitated Seth pacing the floors. When he had relayed the day's events to his mother, Kirsten had been just as angry and confused as her son. 'KirstenMothering' had resumed at full force and she hadn't yet Ryan out of her sight yet.
Lifting his fork to his plate, Ryan sat up and winced in obvious pain for the hundredth time, and it didn't go unnoticed by Seth. He had been watching his brother battle with pain all evening and wanted desperately to ask is he could offer a painkiller. He knew it had been a long time since the last on his brother had consumed and managed to keep one down, and also realized that Ryan's back and head had to be killing him. Yet each time Seth had offered, Ryan had turned the offer down, her response angrier than intended.
"You're watching me eat, Seth." Ryan's slightly annoyed voice announced, snapping Seth out of his daydream.
"Oh, um, sorry." Seth stumbled over words, embarrassed, as he gave his head a firm shake and focused on his own meal.
Summer glanced between the two boys. "Actually, no, Chino." She said around bites of chicken. "That would require you to actually be eating the food, not pushing it around the plate. You know…fork to mouth…chewing action…give it a try." She said encouragingly, motioning dramatically with her own utensils.
With the barest hint of a smile and a small sigh, Ryan hesitantly lifted a forkful of rice from his plate and put it in his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. Amazed, Seth shook his head and smiled at his girlfriend gratefully. If the sarcastic comment had come from anyone else, say, him for example, Ryan would have leveled him with a glare and perhaps more than a few choice words. But when it came from Summer, she somehow managed to get away with it.
Everyone stopped when they heard the front door open and close in the foyer, followed by Sandy's footsteps as he wandered into the kitchen, looking for his family. "I'm home, and I smell dumplings!" He called. "Where is everybody?"
Exchanging a glance over Ryan's head, Kirsten looked directly into Seth's eyes and wordlessly begged him to stay out of this one. Then she gave Ryan's shoulder a squeeze. "Eat your dinner." She instructed distractedly. Then she trotted out of the room to the kitchen.
His jaw set, Seth's eyes followed his mother's retreating form out into the hall. Immediately he heard their hushed voices and wrestled with the need to get up and follow, adding in a few of his own rehearsed lines that he had prepared for his father's homecoming. But he looked at Ryan and watched as his pale and slightly green foster brother slowly ate his food, oblivious to the tension around him. He didn't want to leave him alone.
Summer squeezed his hand and he looked up to see her looking at him knowingly. Then she nodded towards the kitchen. "Go." She mouthed, glancing at Ryan. "I'll stay with him."
Kissing her cheek in thanks, Seth stood up and patted his brother's shoulder affectionately. "Dude, I need more pork. I'll be back." He announced, looking down at Ryan. "How are you handling the food…you need anything?"
"Not really." Ryan muttered, closing his eyes and resting his head back against the couch, eyes closed and swallowing hard. "Not unless you've got a gun back you can use to put me out of my misery." He joked weakly.
"I'm not sure about that, but I'll bring you some ginger ale." Seth said sympathetically as he sauntered towards the kitchen, listening absently to his friend's conversation behind him
"What?" Ryan asked innocently.
"That wasn't funny, Chino."
"Lighten up, I was kidding."
Summer sounded offended. "Lighten up?" She repeated, mouth agape. "Now that's funny, coming from you…"
As Seth approached the kitchen his parent's voices became more pronounced. He stepped lightly, being extremely stealth as possible as he crept up to the corner and glanced into the room. His mother was standing by the refrigerator, her hands on hips and a frown of anger and confusion lined her eyes and mouth. She glared coldly towards her husband, who stood loosening his tie, his dark, messy hair falling into his eyes as he shifted from foot to foot, his posture nervous and defensive.
"Kirsten, I don't understand what the big deal is." Sandy was saying as he unbuttoned his collar, shaking his head. "I knew that Seth was here with Summer, Luke and Marissa had shown up…I didn't think it was necessary to come parading in, hovering incessantly and worrying about whether he could last a couple hours with out us, and take away what little normality Ryan had gained by being with his friends. Is that so wrong?"
Seth saw his mother advance a step. "It's not up to you to make that kind of decision, Sandy." She snapped, her voice low and accusing. "They are only sixteen, for crying out loud! They are kids! Seth is a levelheaded teenager, yes, but he is not a good enough substitute for a parent if you should decide to leave the house unannounced!"
"Oh, come on, Kirsten! Let's not blow this out of proportion." Sandy shot back, his voice level rising to match that of his wife's. "Everything turned out okay, didn't it? The kids are fine – Ryan is fine. Nothing happened…"
"That's where you're wrong, Sandy." Kirsten's voice was quiet and dark, as her blue eyes burned into his. She sighed, and her hands fell from her hips. Then she crossed her arms tightly across her chest. "Ryan got really sick this afternoon. He collapsed."
Seth saw the color drain from his father's face as his eyes paled and widened. "…Is he…I mean what…" He stammered, his voice filled with panic. Sandy swallowed hard. "Is he okay?" He demanded to know, moving to walk past his wife.
Kirsten stopped him with a firm hand on his arm. "He's alright, Sandy. He was dehydrated. The boys knew what to do. They took care of him, and he's much better now. He's in the living room eating dinner."
Sandy let out a huge breath of relief, gripping the island and the counter tightly as he stared at the floor, closing his eyes. "Thank God." He said under his breath.
Arms still crossed, Kirsten watched her husband regain his composure. "No, thank Seth and Luke. And that it was something minor. I don't want to think about what could have happened if it were something worse…I can't think about it…" her voice trailed off and caught in her throat. She stared at her husband's face. "What were you thinking, Sandy?" Her voice had dropped to a near whisper.
"I…" Sandy's voice dissipated as well and the blaze from his eyes died instantly and he shook his head. He looked lost. "I…don't know."
Seth squared his shoulders and walked purposely around the corner. Both his parents looked up at his entrance, and Seth met his father's eyes with a hard, angry glare of his own. "Good to see you, dad." He said sarcastically. "Nice that you found the time to fit us into your schedule."
"Seth…" Sandy began, unsure of what to say. "I…I don't know what to say."
Opening the fridge and sticking his head inside, Seth stared at rows of food and waited for the cool air to get rid of the red hot anger pouring through his veins. "You could start with 'I'm sorry', maybe." He suggested bitterly.
"Seth, I am sorry." Sandy said instantly, his voice unsteady. "I didn't make the right decision…I know. And I put you in a horrible position today. Your mother told me what happened and I-I want to thank you for the way you handled the situation. You used your head, and you behaved like an adult…"
With a snort, Seth tried to locate the can of soda he was looking for. "Yeah, well, someone had to." He retorted.
"Seth," His mother's voice warned strictly. "I'm handling the situation."
Slamming the fridge door shut and spinning around to face her, Seth squeezed the can of ginger ale in his hand fiercely, his temper flaring. "No, you're not, mom. Because you weren't here, you don't know what it was like today. And do you know why not? Because you were at work, too." He shook his head, pinned under the guilty eyes of his parents. "Maybe I should be the one with cancer…would that make you stay home?"
He turned to leave the room, but his father's startled, angry voice caught up with him. "Seth!" he shouted at his son's retreating form. "Get back here! You do not get to walk away."
Stopping dead in his tracks, Seth spun around slowly, staring at his father with a look that harbored his feelings of despair, fear, and betrayal. "Why not, dad? You did." He said soft enough for both of them to hear. He watched as Sandy froze, his face fell. Then Seth turned back around and left the room, leaving his parents to stand stunned in the silence of the kitchen.
Seth wandered back into the living room with his eyes glued to the floor, his hand unconsciously gripping the can still in his hand. As he got nearer to where his friends were he made a conscious effort to put the conversation with his parents out of his head for the time being. Ryan would pick up on his mood immediately, and the last thing his brother needed was something else to worry about.
He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't notice the new person in the room until he stood in front of the couch and reached out to hand his brother the ginger ale. "Here you go, man. No gun, but this will have to do…" His voice trailed off when he caught sight of the girl sitting beside Ryan, smiling goofily. "Oh…"
"Look who stopped by." Ryan said with a grim smile. Marissa wrapped a slender arm around his shoulders and pressed a sloppy kiss to his cheek.
Seth tensed instantly. Shit. What the hell was she doing here now? "Marissa…sup?" He said nervously, scrutinizing her up and down. For a girl that'd had a meltdown hours previously, she was looking much too upbeat for Seth's liking. Turning to Summer, Seth locked eyes with his girlfriend and exchanged a look of unease. "Summer…Marissa is here!" He said, feigning joy.
Summer nodded. "I see that, Cohen." She said through tightly clenched teeth.
Seth forced himself to sit down, hovering on the edge of the sofa. He looked at Marissa suspiciously. "Did you come to get your purse?" He asked, an edge of warning in his voice.
Marissa missed the reference completely and shook her head, grinning widely. "Nope. It's like I told Ryan, I came to apologize…I was a total bitch this afternoon." She said with a pronounced pout. Then she smiled brightly again and threw her arms around her boyfriend. "But Ryan said its ok. So I'm happy now!"
"So I see." Seth hoped he was wrong, but he could hear the barely audible slur in her words. His worry mounted when he glanced at Ryan. His brother was looking at Marissa with the same expression of muted anger and hurt. Just as Seth began to wonder if Ryan had the same suspicions, he realized that he could smell the alcohol on the girl's breath from where he was sitting. When Ryan looked up and their eyes met, it was obvious: Ryan knew as well.
Marissa was peppering kisses on his face while Ryan struggled to push her away. "Marissa…what's going on?" He asked, gripping her shoulders and holding her at arm's length.
Her smile wavered. "What do you mean? Nothing is going on." She said, pushing his arms away and kissing him again. "I came to visit you…I thought it would make you happy." When he said nothing and went stiff in her arms, Marissa pulled away and stared at his face with her wide blue eyes. "You're not happy?"
"What does it look like?" Ryan said softly as he struggled to detangle her arms from around his neck again, pushing away. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and stared at the floor. Seth saw him shudder. "Why are you doing this?" He asked, his voice rough. His expression was hurt and confused.
Marissa inched closer. "I don't know what you mean…"
"You've been drinking." Ryan interrupted her angrily, tearing his gaze off the floor long enough to glare at her with clouded blue eyes. Seth saw the despair there and blamed himself for letting Marissa come over in the first place that afternoon. He had known that this would happen. He had seen all the signs. Yet he had allowed Summer to persuade him that it would be okay, that maybe this time Marissa wouldn't drag Ryan down with her. But she had proven him right.
Eyes flashing with guilt, Marissa blushed and struggled to keep the tears at bay that threatened to fill her eyes and spill down her cheeks. "No, I…
"Great, now you're going to lie to me, too?" Ryan growled, wrapping his arms tighter around himself.
Wetness trailing down her cheeks, Marissa reached out to touch his arm. "Ryan, I'm sorry." She sobbed, ducking her head when he pulled away again, refusing to look at her. Then she sniffed, wiping the tears from her face and narrowing her eyes at him accusingly. "What do you expect me to do? Be strong like you? Bottle everything up and pretend that everything is fine? I can't do that, Ryan! You have cancer." She staggered to her feet and stood over Ryan, her tear-filled eyes flashing as she advanced towards him.
Seth saw Ryan wince at her words, hurt contorting his features briefly as if he had been slapped. Anger again coursing through his veins, Seth moved to push himself up from the couch when he heard Summer's sharp intake of breath from beside him, and she pushed him back. Then she stood up and gently took her friend's arm. "Coop, maybe we should go get some coffee." She suggested helpfully.
"No. I don't want coffee. I don't want Ryan to be mad at me." Marissa sobbed, her face crumpling again as collapsed back down onto the couch and tried to gather Ryan into her arms.
"I think that ship has sailed." Seth growled at her.
Summer glared at her boyfriend. "Cohen, shut up." She warned. Then she held Marissa's arm more firmly in her grip and tried to pull her up and away from Ryan. "Coop, come on. Let's go for a walk."
"I don't want to." Marissa wailed, trying to wrench her arm free. Summer managed to haul her to her feet, where Marissa staggered and tried to push her friend away. "Let go of me, Summer!" She cried, outraged, arms flailing.
Her outstretched arm clipped the lamp standing on the side table, sending it sprawling to the floor where the expensive ceramic base crashed and broke in half. Seth watched as Ryan paled and shut his eyes, flinching at the noise and curling in on himself a little more, his expression pained. Embarrassed. Seth wasn't surprised to see his parents rounding the corner in record time, taking in the scene before them in surprise.
Seth got to his feet as Summer struggled to pull her sobbing friend away from the broken lamp. He met his parents halfway and locked eyes with his mother. All of his previous anger towards them disappeared for a moment. He needed them right now.. "She's drunk, mom." Seth sighed softly, desperately.
Kirsten seemed to take it all in stride as she walked towards Marissa and a struggling Summer. "Marissa, sweetie, let's get you into the kitchen." She said, putting a hand at the girl's back and directing her out of the room. "I'll call you a cab. It's time to go home."
"No." Marissa sobbed, still struggling out of their grips. "I don't want to go home. I want to stay. I need to stay with Ryan. We have to be together, he can't leave me…I need him."
"He's not leaving you, Coop." Summer said softly.
Marissa shook her head sadly. "Yes he is. He has cancer." She sobbed, her chin dropping to her chest as tears steamed down her cheeks. "I need him. He can't leave me." She repeated, quieter.
Kirsten's eyes widened, and then hardened as she pushed Marissa more firmly out of the room. "That's enough, now." She scolded. "You have to go now, Marissa. You've said enough." After a bit more cajoling, Summer and Kirsten managed to get the distraught girl down the hall to the kitchen.
Seth's heart hammered in his chest, and he turned to look at Ryan. His brother's eyes were glazed with tears, his breathing rapid. He didn't look up at them, he just stared at the floor. Seth had to do something, say something to make it better.
Just as he had opened his mouth to speak, Sandy strode purposely across the room and sat down beside his foster son, wrapping a comforting arm around his shivering shoulders. "Ryan, kid let's get you upstairs, how about?" He suggested, rubbing the teenager's arm. "It's been a long day, I'm sure you could use the rest."
"I'm fine, Sandy." Ryan said quietly, pulling away slightly from the embrace. "Could you just…make sure Marissa gets home ok? Please?" He asked quietly.
Sandy shook his head. "Kirsten is taking care of that, kid." He told the boy softly. "Don't worry about her anymore tonight. It's not your problem."
Ryan's face twisted as he struggled with his emotions, glaring hard at his foster father with a look that demanded he be left alone. "That's not what it sounded like." He said lowly. "To me it sounded like it's exactly my problem. She's upset because I'm sick, isn't she? That's why she's drunk, right? If it's not my problem, please tell me, Sandy, whose is it exactly?" With those words, he pushed up from the couch onto unsteady feet and left the room.
Seth watched him go, wondering why suddenly he couldn't even force a single word past his tight throat. Staring down at the carpet, he felt his father's dark eyes boring down on the back of his head, but didn't look up. He was still mad, after all.
"I'll go talk to him." Sandy said softly, his voice resigned as he put his hands on his knees and pushed up from the couch.
Looking up with a bitter shake of his head, Seth got to his feet quickly and stood in front of his father looking him directly in the eye. "Don't bother." He leered, turning his back and walking towards the hallway. "You were doing so well at not getting involved, why start now?"
He felt his father's shock as he walked away. After a moment, Sandy found his voice. "Look, I am sorry, Seth! I made a mistake, I know that. What more do you want me to say?" When Seth didn't turn around, didn't give any reason to believe that he would stop, or say anything, Sandy threw his hands up in defeat. "Is this how it's going to be? Is it, Seth? Are we just going to let this family fall apart?" He got no answer as his son disappeared around the corner.
Feeling more lost and alone than ever, Sandy stood silently beside the coffee table, his gaze flitting around the living room, his hands shaking. A warm presence came up behind him, and a gentle hand soothed across his back. Sandy sighed.
Kirsten reached for his hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "Just give him time. Both of them." She whispered softly. "Everything is going to work out. I promise." Her voice told him that most of her previous anger towards him had melted away and was left with an air of defeat, similar to his own.
"I'm holding you to that, honey." Sandy said softly.
Ryan was sitting on the low bed in the pool house, running his hands across the familiar smooth linens. The soothing, deafening quiet of this room always astounded him as he closed his eyes and breathed deeply for several moments. He had missed the solitude here.
He tried to concentrate on nothing, to wipe every thought from his mind. But a stab of pain caught him by surprise between his shoulder blades, the dull ache throbbing up his back and into the base of his skull. And before he had realized it, thoughts of Marissa, the Cohens, and cancer filled his head, making it hard to breathe.
"Dammit." He whispered, hands clenching the sheets as he felt the unwanted sting of tears in his eyes. Blinking several times and taking deep breaths, he waited for the pain to recede. After a while the moment passed, and Ryan sighed, staring out at the rising moon as it reflected off the pool. He didn't want to think about Marissa. It didn't matter what Sandy had said, there was no way around it. He was the reason why Marissa was drinking again. They had finally been happy, really, actually happy, and then he had gotten sick. And this time he didn't have the energy to save her. He wasn't even sure if he wanted to.
The doorknob turned and opened, revealing Seth and Summer standing hesitantly in the frame. "Hey, man." Seth said gently, entering the room slowly. "Had a feeling I'd find you in here."
Ryan nodded numbly. "Marissa got home ok?" He directed his question towards Summer without looking up.
"Yeah." Summer replied quietly. "We got her into a cab…she had sobered up a lot as soon as she left the scene of the crime. I guess she just needed a break." She gave him a small, hesitant smile.
Ryan tried to smile back, but couldn't. So he gave up. "Thanks." He murmured, staring at the carpet. He hoped they would take the hint and leave him alone. He just wanted to go to sleep and pretend that the whole day had never happened.
"So, anyway dude, Summer and I are bored, and we know that you've got to be climbing the walls as well." Seth said conversationally, crossing the room and flopping down onto the bed beside his brother. "So I figured we could watch a movie? Something gory with mass destruction. We could watch it in here if you like, away from the parentals. I think we all could use a break from them." He sighed dramatically.
With a shake of his head, Ryan continued looking at the floor. "No thanks, Seth. I'm pretty tired." He said softly.
Seth looked disappointed. "What? It's only eight thirty, dude. Plenty of night left." When he didn't get an answer, Seth nodded in understanding and struggled to remain optimistic. "Okay, that's cool. Hey, if you want you can just crash in the living room with us and Summer and I will veg and watch one ourselves…"
"Actually, I was thinking why don't you two go out?" Ryan suggested, meeting Seth's eyes for the first time. "You've been stuck with me all week either in the house or at the hospital, you need to get out of here. It's summer vacation. Go to the Bait Shop, drink, dance. Do what you're supposed to be doing." The pain in his muscles and joints was building and his head was beginning to pound. What he really wanted was some real privacy for a few hours.
Although he looked surprised, Seth bobbed his head. "Uh…okay, man. But…are you sure?" he asked hesitantly, cocking his head to one side. Then he smiled. "Why don't you come with us? Don't worry about the parents, I've guilted them to the point where they'd just about let us do anything we want right now. What do you say?" He asked excitedly.
Ryan shook his head. "No. Thanks, though." His shoulders slumped and he ran a hand over his face wearily. "I'm just not up for it."
"But Chino, you told me you were feeling so much better earlier." Summer jumped in hopefully. "Are you sure?" She asked.
"Yeah." Ryan nodded, taking in their disappointed expressions. "Go on, you guys. I'll be fine. You don't have to baby sit me every second of the day. Go have some fun. There will be plenty of time for more drama tomorrow, right?" He joked humorlessly.
Seth shook his head. "I don't follow."
Ryan swallowed hard and let his eyes fall to the floor again. "Chemo tomorrow." He said softly. "Remember?" It was a thought that had been plaguing him the whole night. Tomorrow the cycle would start all over again. Back to the hospital, the pain, throwing up, the Cohens hovering…
"Right." Seth said after a heavy pause. Ryan's foster brother had paled in realization, his expression sad.
Ryan couldn't stand to see the sympathetic, remorseful looks on his friends' faces anymore. So feigning happiness, he clapped his hands together and gave his brother a shove. "Well, you guys better get out of here while the night is young." He said mock-enthusiastically.
Seth got to his feet and stood beside Summer, their expressions reluctant. "Are you sure, man?" Seth asked softly. "Because we can easily stay here…"
His patience waning, Ryan shut his eyes. "Seth, go." He growled. When he opened his eyes again, he swallowed and lowered his head guiltily, struggling to smile. "Please. Go. I'll be fine." He promised, locking eyes with his foster brother.
"Okay, man." Seth gave in, shoving his hands into his pockets as they turned to leave. "We'll see you later, then." He gave a small wave, and then he and Summer were gone.
Once again alone, Ryan breathed a sigh of relief, pain, and misery. Slowly he allowed himself to fall back onto the mattress, curling into a tight ball and closing his eyes, burying his head in a pillow. Finally, it was the end to a very long day. Now if he could just go to sleep and not think. Not dream about Marissa's face streaked with tears, a bottle of alcohol in her hand. Seth's dejected look every time Ryan told him to leave him alone, to give him space, or said that he was 'fine'. Or the sympathy and guilt that Sandy and Kirsten seemed to emit every time they got near to him, their eyes filled with needs that they wouldn't voice, like the desperate plea that he hurry up and get better, so that everything could go back to normal.
And no matter how he tried, Ryan wasn't getting there fast enough.
The shrill ringing of a cell phone added to the pounding in his head, bringing him out of a deep, heavy sleep. Disoriented, Ryan blinked in the darkness, squinting as the room came into focus. He was still in the pool house, he realized, and the lights had been turned off, the covers drawn up over him, and his shoes removed. Sandy or Kirsten must have come looking for him and thankfully had decided not to move him.
The ringing still hadn't stopped. Glancing blearily at the clock on the bedside table, Ryan groaned at the reading. It was one in the morning. Who was calling him now? For a moment he thought that it was probably Marissa, still drunk and still trying to make a mess of things. So in that moment he decided not to answer it.
His curiosity got the better of him, and Ryan found himself fumbling for the phone on the nightstand. Blinking at the display in the darkness, he immediately flipped it open and pressed it to his ear. "Seth?" He croaked into the phone, confused.
"Ry, dude, I'm so sorry to wake you up, man." Seth's apologetic voice came from the other end. "You know I wouldn't do this to you unless I was in a jam. And I didn't want to, I swear, but something happened, and you're the only logical one to call, so…"
Rubbing his eyes, Ryan leaned back into the pillows. His back hurt. His head throbbed. He was cold and exhausted. He didn't have time for this. "Seth, spit it out." He snapped into the phone. "What's going on? What do you need?"
"Well, you see, we were just on our way home and we ran out of gas." Seth explained guiltily. Ryan could hear Summer in the background chattering away, her tone irritated. "I thought it would be enough to get us home, but apparently I was wrong. Yes, Summer, wrong! Anyway, I'd call mom and dad, but I'm out past curfew and my head will be on a platter if they find out." He didn't continue, but Ryan could tell where this was going.
Instead of frustration, Ryan felt rush of adrenaline course through his veins as his eyes snapped open, suddenly alert. He pushed out of bed and began scrambling in the darkness, gathering up his shoes and a coat. "Where are you, Seth?" he asked, ignoring the shake in his hands and the headache behind his eyes. "Did you take Summer's car?"
Seth paused. "Dude, you're gonna come? Thank you so much, man. I'll owe you big time." Ryan could hear the delighted smile in his voice. "Um, we're about two miles from the turnoff to the pier. And yeah, we took Summer's car. The keys to the Rover are in the kitchen." Then he hesitated again. "Ryan? You don't have to do this if you're not up for it, man. I'm calling a tow, anyway." He said softly, gently.
Jerking his arms through the sleeves of his coat, Ryan left the pool house and trotted quietly to the doors of the kitchen. "I'm coming. Don't worry about it. I'll be there in fifteen minutes." Before Seth could say anything more, Ryan flipped the phone shut and stepped into the darkness of the kitchen. Quickly and silently he located the keys and retreated to the driveway. As he got into the front seat of the car, he rubbed his temple and willed away the ache in his head. Nothing was going to keep him from doing this. For the first time in days someone needed him instead of the other way around. He was going to prove to everyone that he could still be the same reliable, dependable Ryan.
Including himself.
"Ryan, dude, you have no idea how good it is to see you." Seth gushed as he and his girlfriend piled into the rover. "Hitch hiking seemed like a really good idea at first, until the only people that slowed down were water polo players that shouted obscenities out the window…then between Summer wining and cursing me, and the fact that it's cold outside, you seemed like our best option." He shrugged, looking out at the road.
Summer rolled her eyes. "Cohen, you deserved it. Be grateful that all you got was cursing." She growled. "First you bitch because you wanted to drive, then you don't even realize that we're out of gas. Well done!" She said sarcastically, smacking the back of his head.
Seth evaded her attack. "At least Ryan could come get us. Thanks again, man." He said, patting his brother's arm in gratitude. When he got no answer and realized that it had been a while since his best friend had said anything at all, he glanced at Ryan's face. He was pale and his eyes were glazed and squinting slightly, as if he were in pain. "You okay, man?" He asked worriedly.
Ryan just swallowed hard, his tightly clenched jaw working. "I'm okay…" He said quietly, his voice strained. He took a hand off the wheel to rub his eyes. "It's just a headache." He said softly.
"You don't look so good, man." Seth noted quietly. When Ryan didn't reply, Seth placed a gentle hand on his forehead and frowned. "You're warm. You've got a fever." He cursed under his breath, shaking his head. "I knew I shouldn't have asked you to come."
"I'll be fine." Ryan said, grimacing. He shivered slightly, his eyes blinking as if her were struggling to stay focused on the road.
Summer was watching the exchange worriedly. "Cohen…maybe you should drive." She suggested softly.
Seth nodded. "That's a good idea." He said, placing a hand on his foster brother's shoulder. "Ryan, why don't you pull over? I'll take over from here. You need to rest, bro." His concern mounting, Seth looked on worriedly as Ryan continued to deal with his pain, his eyes dull and glazed.
"I'm okay, Seth." He ground out. "I…" His voice trailed off and suddenly he slammed his eyes shut, his breathing reduced to pained puffs of air, his hands gripping the steering wheel in a white-knuckled grip.
Seth's panic mounted. "Ryan, pull over, man." He ordered, wrapping his fingers around his brother's wrist, studying his pale face. "Pull to the side of the road and I'll drive. Come on, buddy. You're scaring me."
Suddenly Summer's gasp from the backseat caught his attention. "Seth, look out!" She shouted, pointing out the window.
Seth looked up just in time to see that the Rover had wandered over into the opposite lane. Blinded by the headlights of another car, the blare of a horn hammered through his ears as Seth dove across Ryan and jerked the steering wheel to the right, his heart beating wildly in his chest. Moments later he felt the ground change beneath them as they veered sharply away, the tires squealing across the pavement to the bumpy gravel on the side of the road. With a thump, and a loud crash, they came to a stop, the car tilted awkwardly to the side. The airbags went off, and the lights from the highway receded. As the dust settled, silence rang heavily in Seth's ears.
AN: WAY too long a chapter. But I wanted it all. I have a feeling this length could turn out to be the norm from now on…I'm sure my readers wont complain. Want a brief for next chapter? Someone must save the day, but who? What will Sandy and Kirsten have to say when the boys get home? Ryan's second day of chemo ensues and continues to make life hell on earth. And what the heck is going on with the Cohens and work, anyway? REVIEW as always! Toodles and cheers,
Vancouverite
