Fighting for Survival

By Samantha Tragedy

Chapter 8 Beeping

A/N Yeah, It's been forever. And I'm sorry. But I'm back and you now know is he alive or dead? Hmm... read and find out.

Also I want to dedicate this entire story to the March 2 victims from my school. Your memories will live with all of us forever. We miss you. RIP

Seth was getting on Sandy's nerves more and more by the minute. He knew the kid was just worried about Ryan, but still he just wouldn't shut up. And right now Sandy was so worried himself that Seth's ever-present babble was not helping.

"SETH!" Sandy shouted at him, "Stop talking."

Seth looked at his dad with the face of someone who just lost their best friend. And yet he had just lost his best friend. Ryan ran away and now he was hurt and their was absolutely nothing he could do about it.

Seth didn't like the feeling of being helpless and that's exactly how he felt right now. He turned away from his dad and stared out the window.

"Seth, I'm sorry. I'm just a little-" Sandy started to apologize but Seth interrupted.

"Don't worry about it Dad. I understand." He never took his eyes off the window. They drove to the hospital in silence the rest of the way. They had gotten the call from Kirsten just outside of Chino. She told them that the Chino Hospital had called and said to get there as soon as possible. Seth wasn't a doctor but he knew that couldn't be good.

Sandy parked the car and both him and Seth sprinted to the emergency room doors.

"My-My brother." Seth wheezed out of breath from running and worry. "Ryan Atwood. Is he okay?"

"Just a second sir." The lady behind the desk moved to the computer to type in the name. Sandy ran in just in time to hear her next sentence. "Yes, I'll page his doctor for you. Please have a seat in the waiting room."

Even though the answer was not what either had wanted to hear, they went in the direction the lady had pointed and did their best to keep from thinking about the 'what if's' in the situation. After what felt like hours but was really only a few minutes, a middle aged man in a white coat came out and asked for the family of Ryan Atwood. Sandy was in front of the doctor in seconds and Seth wasn't far behind.

"Yes? I'm his legal guardian, is he going to be okay?"

The doctor looked at him for a few painful seconds before he finally told them the words they had been desperate to hear since this whole ordeal began. "He's stable."

Both Seth and Sandy let out an audible sigh before Sandy told Seth to go call his mother and let her know what was going on before turning his attention back to the doctor.

"However you should know, on the way here, while in the ambulance, we lost him for a few moments." Sandy's heart dropped at these words, he couldn't believe how close they had come to actually losing their son. Because that's exactly what Ryan had become to them. Another son.

"The EMTs were able to revive him. However the internal bleeding proved to be a major problem once he got here. He lost a lot of blood and we had to give him several transfusions. The blow to the head didn't help either. He definitely has a concussion and most undeniably a nasty headache when he wakes up. He broke several ribs and punctured a lung, which luckily, we were able to repair. Along with a broken left ankle, he had a sprained left wrist, which we're both set and placed in casts. Mr. Cohen, he is stable for the moment, but he is not out of the woods yet. The next 24 hours will be crucial. But if all goes well, he should be fine."

"Can I see him?" After hearing all of Ryan's horrible injuries, all Sandy wanted to do was comfort him from all the pain.

"He's not awake, but you can sit with him. Room 306." By this time Seth was back and anxious to see his friend as well.

"Thank you doctor."

"Mom's on her way." Seth said as they walked over to the elevators. "She said she'd be here as soon as she could." Sandy nodded and as the elevator came to a stop, they got out and found Ryan's room almost immediately.

They stood outside the door for a few moments, Sandy trying to prepare himself for seeing his son hooked up to too many machine and in too much pain, and Seth preparing himself to see his best friend and brother, who had always been so strong, laying in a hospital bed, fighting back from death.

But no amount of preparing could have readied them for the sight they saw. Ryan lay on the bed, bruised on every inch of visible skin. Bandages covered every other part of him. An IV with what looked like 10 bags hooked to it, was slowly dripping. The heart monitor beeped with a persistent rhythm.

Sandy couldn't believe that the beeping had actually stopped for Ryan. And that was when he remembered about Theresa. And that for her, the beeping stopped for good. And once again he remembered how hard it was going to be to tell Ryan. He realized he didn't care about the fight anymore, or the fact that Ryan had tried to run from his problems. But he did make a mental note to talk with Ryan about the last one.

All he cared about was that Ryan was going to be okay.

"Our top story tonight is that of Ryan Atwood. The teen missing from Newport, California since late Thursday afternoon. We now know he has been found in Chino, California, not more than 60 miles away from his home in Newport. And although he has been found he is not yet safe. Jenna West, who has been covering this story since it unfolded has more."

"Thanks Allen. New reports show the Mr. Atwood has been severely beaten. By who is still under investigation. Doctors say Ryan is stable but he has many broken bones and suffers from a punctured lung, broken bones, and a severe concussion among his many bruises. Police say they won't know exactly what happened to Ryan until he wakes up, which if all goes as planned should be within the next 12 hours. But the real question is--"

Seth flipped the T.V. off before the reporter could continue. He sat in a chair on one side of the bed, while his parents sat on the other side. His mother reading some sappy romance novel, his father doing paper work from the office. Once Kirsten had gotten there, the two men had gone home to shower and change, and when they came back they all sat, waiting for Ryan to wake up, but at the same time, sacred to tell him about what had happened.

"Anyone want coffee?" Both parents gratefully accepted and Seth left to go get it as well as call the girls. Summer picked up after just the first ring.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's me."

"Hey, did he wake up?"

"No. I was just calling to see how you and Marissa are."

"We're fine. Don't worry about us."

"Is Marissa with you?" Seth asked, ignoring his girlfriends last comment.

Summer rolled her eyes, even though he couldn't see it. "Yes, Cohen. She is and she's anxiously waiting for Ryan to wake up so she can come down their and see him."

"Awww. Is paradise back for our favorite hero-and-damsel-in-distress-duo?"

"Shut up Cohen."

"Oh come on, you know you love them too."

"Actually, I'm waiting for Ryan to wake up so I can come down their and yell at him for being so selfish and scaring us like that." She had a certain seriousness to her voice and Seth was very glad he wasn't Ryan.

"Well then I better go tell him to stay asleep to he doesn't have to deal with one of your rage blackouts."

"Cohen!"

"On second thought better him than me." The two continued their banter until Seth realized he was supposed to be getting coffee for his parents. "Hey Sum, I better go, I'm on coffee duty."

"Okay, call when Ryan wakes up."

"I will. Love you, bye"

"Love you too, bye"

As he disconnected he began to look around for something that might hint to him where he may be able to find some coffee. After wondering around for a good ten minutes he finally went to a nurses station and asked them. He went in the direction they told them, got lost anyway, finally found the coffee, then got lost on his way back to the room.

When he reentered his parents looked up at each other sharing a knowing smile.

"Seth. What took so long?" Sandy asked of the curly haired boy.

"Well, father, with my magnificent good looks and wonderful charm, I just couldn't keep the ladies off of me. Really it's a miracle I'm still alive." After handing his parents their coffee he sat down in his chair and looked back at them with a cocky smile.

"Seth, don't be arrogant." His mother scolded.

"Mother!" Seth feigned hurt. "Are you saying that you don't appreciate my superb witty personality?"

"That's exactly what she's saying." Sandy looked at his son with an amused smile on his face.

"Doesn't anyone appreciate me?" Seth asked with mock tears.

"No." Came a whispered answer from the bed.

All three heads turned immediately to the bruised body on the bed. Two baby blue eyes stared back at them. "Now could someone tell me what happened?"

A/N Yeah, I know you hate me, but you will still review! Please! I also want to thank those who reviewed in the last few weeks, without you this story would still be on hiatus. I'll update soon and this time I really will but only if I get a lot of reviews!

XOXO,

Samantha Tragedy