A/N: I'm back! It's been so long since I've written anything. I was re-watching season 1 on DVD the other day and was inspired to pick this back up. It's been awhile so I'm still finding my groove. Does anyone still read OC fics?
Less than an hour after Sandy had made his request they were sitting in the waiting room of Hoag Hospital. The drive there had been quiet. Ryan had wanted to protest when Seth was ordered to stay home, but decided to bite his tongue. He only wished Kirsten had stayed at home too. He didn't see the point in any of this. He already knew what the doctor would say. Ryan had been in this situation too many times before.
And Ryan couldn't take the look in Kirsten's eyes. Every time she looked at him with a mixture of pity and fear, he was reminded of all he had to lose. He hated that he was such a burden to a family that had already given him so much.
"Shouldn't be too much longer now." Sandy interrupted Ryan's thoughts with a quick pat on the knee. "Dr. Chu should be right out." He paused, "I think you'll like him. He helped Seth when he broke his arm skateboarding a few years back."
As if on cue, a young Asian doctor popped his head into the waiting room. "Sandy, Kirsten. Sorry to keep you waiting." He shook each of their hands and then turned to Ryan. "You must be Ryan." He looked Ryan over once. "Why don't we go check out those battle scars?"
Ryan didn't respond, but rose from his chair and followed the doctor. Kirsten and Sandy stood and, despite a desperate plea in Ryan's eyes, followed him into the exam room. Once inside he took a seat on the exam table, the white paper crinkling underneath him, while Sandy and Kirsten took a seat across from him in two plastic chairs. Ryan shifted uncomfortably. As the aspirin and alcohol were wearing off, the pain was really starting to set in. His eye was throbbing, and despite his efforts, he couldn't force himself to take a deep breath. He winced once, but when he noticed Kirsten watching his every move, he held still and tried to pretend he was fine.
Dr. Chu was busy studying Ryan's chart. "Have you had a broken rib before Ryan?"
Ryan broke his downward trance and stole a glance at Sandy and Kirsten. He managed to strangle out a quick "mmhmm" before returning his eyes to his shoes.
"And how long ago was that?" Dr. Chu was jotting down more info.
"Which time?" Ryan voice was so low he could barely be heard. This time he didn't dare to look up. He couldn't bring himself to see that look in Kirsten's eyes again.
Dr. Chu looked up from his chart. "How many times have you broken your ribs?"
Ryan shrugged.
"Twice? Three times?"
Ryan made no attempt to answer at first, but at the sound of Kirsten nervously clearing her throat he figured the faster he got this over with the better. He braved a glance at Sandy and Kirsten, both watching him, waiting for his answer. He hated that his past life continued to haunt him, that he'd never really be "normal" here no matter how hard he pretended. He fidgeted with his wrist cuff. Why did they have to come in here with him?
"Ryan?" Dr. Chu was still staring at him.
He swallowed hard. "Eight." He thought he heard Kirsten let out a small gasp, but he couldn't be sure because Dr. Chu closed Ryan's file and continued talking. If he was put off at all by Ryan's admission, he didn't let on. "Why don't we head over to x-ray and get a look." As Sandy and Kirsten stood to follow, Dr. Chu spoke again. "I think Ryan and I can handle this part. Why don't you grab a cup of coffee downstairs, and I'll keep you posted when we're finished?"
Sandy, understanding that the doctor was trying to retain what small shred of dignity Ryan had left, took Kirsten's hand and nodded. "We'll be right outside in the waiting room if you need us Ryan." Ryan ducked his head and didn't reply. "Okay?" Ryan nodded quickly, just wanting to be done with all of this, and followed Dr. Chu out of the room.
In the quiet of the empty waiting room Kirsten let go of the breath she had been holding. "How does a 16 year old kid break his ribs 8 times," Kirsten whispered, "nine," she added as she closed her eyes and let the full weight of the disclosure hit her. "Dear God Sandy."
Sandy squeezed her hand, but didn't say anything. He had read Ryan's file. He knew that broken ribs were only a small part of Ryan's history. He had wanted to show the file to Kirsten, if not to share his burden, then to show her what she had a right to know, but he wouldn't betray Ryan's trust. Ryan wasn't ready to talk about his past, and if there was one thing Sandy wanted to prove to Ryan it was that he was trustworthy.
The minutes felt like hours as they sat waiting for Dr. Chu and Ryan to return. Kirsten had had one too many cups of cheap, black coffee, making her already jittery nerves even more so. She shifted in her seat for what felt like the hundredth time while Sandy paced the hallways. Finally, Dr. Chu appeared with news.
"Sandy and Kirsten?"
Kirsten stood, joining Sandy as he approached the young doctor. "How is he?"
"He's fine, just getting dressed." He motioned to the empty chairs that Kirsten had just abandoned. "Can we sit?" Once they were all seated he continued. "The x-ray shows two broken ribs here," he gestured to his own left side, indicating where the injury was located. "He has some bad bruising and swelling in the area as well, probably the result of a blunt force."
Sandy could feel his jaw tense, his anger rising at a grown man who would inflict that kind of damage on a child.
Dr. Chu continued. "I put a couple stitches in the cut above his eye, though he asked me not to. I think it will help reduce the scarring." He reached for his prescription pad. "He's otherwise fine, though badly bruised. He's going to be sore for awhile, especially those ribs." He began to scribble something on the pad in his lap. "I'm going to write him a prescription for a painkiller, just in case the pain gets too bad. I've told Ryan to squeeze a pillow if he needs to cough or sneeze and to try to get a few good deep breaths in every hour or so. The pillow will just make it all a bit more comfortable." He handed the prescription to Kirsten's outstretched hand. "He will probably feel better in a couple weeks, though he won't be fully healed for closer to 6-8 weeks. He can come back in a week to have his stitches removed."
Sandy nodded, trying to imagine Ryan, under even the best of circumstances, reducing himself to squeeze pillows around the house. "Can we see him now?"
"Sure, I'll take you back."
Ryan was seething, his shirt in his lap when the Cohens entered the exam room. Despite his best efforts, he simply couldn't get his shirt on because of the pain. He hated this feeling of helplessness.
Kirsten reached forward to help, but hesitated when her eyes fell upon the bruises up and down his ribcage. Her stomach lurched and for a second, Ryan saw rage in her eyes like he had never seen before.
Sandy, however, didn't hesitate and grabbed the shirt from Ryan's hands.
"I don't need your help," Ryan hissed.
Sandy didn't answer, just slid the shirt over Ryan's head and gently guided his arms through the holes. Ryan felt very much like a child at that moment.
"Can we go now?" Ryan wanted to put some distance between himself and the entire day's experience. Dr. Chu nodded, adding that if they had questions they could call him anytime, and then left. Ryan sidled off the table and drew a ragged breath as he reached for his jacket. The pain made him unsteady, and he swayed awkwardly into the doorway on his way out. He winced.
"We'll stop on the way home and fill this prescription." Kirsten rubbed her hand along Ryan's arm. "It will help with the pain."
"I'm fine." He growled through clenched teeth.
"Stop playing the tough guy Ryan, she won't let you win." Sandy grinned, but Ryan didn't return the smile and instead sank his eyes back to the ground and continued walking.
They may have forced him to see a doctor, but they couldn't force him to take the pain meds if he didn't want to. Sandy and Kirsten exchanged a look as Ryan stormed out, then followed their reluctant patient.