fic - falling free
fandom: The OC
title: falling free
word count: ~ 1,622
disclaimer: I don't own anything OC related. Lyrics belond to Placebo, songs may vary.
rating: R for offensive language, drug use, violence and sex.
author's note: AU for everything.
- prologue - one - two -
- three - four - five -
One last thing before I shuffle off the planet,
I will be the one to make you crawl,
So I came down to wish you an unhappy birthday.
Summer knew that Taylor was oddly attached to her, but the weird thing was, she was getting attached to Taylor, too.
She knew all kinds of oddball information and despite her obsessive tics, she didn't talk to herself as much when she was distracted.
"All right, girls, it's your turn for the phone. Who wants to go first?" Gretchen asked from the doorway.
Summer glanced at Taylor. "Can we go together? I don't want to stay in here alone."
Gretchen nodded. "Sure. Come on."
Taylor took her box of Clorox wipes and followed them out.
"You can go first, Taylor," Summer said.
"I'll disinfect the phone for you when I'm done," Taylor said, going into the cubicle.
"You want some coffee? They're bringing breakfast in a little while," Gretchen offered.
Summer nodded. "Thanks," she said, sitting down in the lounge.
There was a killer in this place.
She hadn't slept all night, wondering if Oliver was coming for her or Taylor. Or Seth. Or his horse.
That wasn't the only reason she hadn't slept.
She knew Ryan hadn't slept.
For the first time since getting put in this place, she was looking forward to hearing her father's voice.
Gretchen bought her a cup of coffee, smiling at her kindly as her pager started to buzz. "I have to get this, I'll be over there," she said, pointing to the desk in the corner.
Summer nodded her gratitude, sipping the coffee.
Dr. Jenk appeared with Ryan - not in a straitjacket - and looking exhausted.
"Stay right here while I get your meds and some juice," Dr. Jenk told him.
Ryan shifted on his heels and finally met her gaze.
She didn't hesitate, standing up and hurrying over to him and embracing him.
Even if they weren't friends, not exactly, - she was too glad to see him free to question her instincts.
After a long moment, she felt him put his hands lightly on her back, returning her hug.
"Thanks," he whispered.
She laughed despite herself. "Is that the only word you can say?" she asked, stepping back so she could look at him.
He shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets.
"Are you okay?" she asked, aware of Dr. Jenk and Gretchen watching with interest from across the room. She sat down, putting some distance between them to hopefully lose their attention.
He shrugged again.
"We were really worried. Seth, mostly, but me, too. I feel safer with you out here instead of wherever they put you,” Summer said.
His bright blue eyes flickered toward Dr. Jenk and Gretchen and then back to her. “You don’t even know me,” he said, painfully soft.
“I know you didn’t kill that girl. And you were nice to me when I was awful to you. And you're nice to Seth. You're not a killer," she said.
He'd talked to her. With words and everything...she felt lighter, like she had just taken a hit of sunshine.
As much as she'd deny it later, she was kind of glad her father decided to send her here. Otherwise, she'd still believe that Marissa was actually her best friend and that she had to be fucked up to make friends.
She hoped she could remember that those things weren't true when she got out.
-----------
"He locked himself in the bathroom? How long?" James asked.
Kevin had called the nurses station and said that Oliver was hogging the bathroom.
It may not have been more than an annoyance to Volchek, but 'locked in bathroom' rarely boded well in mental hospitals.
"I woke up around nine, and he was in there, I went to bed before he did," Kevin said. "I, kind of, need to take a dump."
James fought his disgusted glare and walked into the hallway and called an orderly. "Steve, can you take Kevin to the bathroom in 421?"
Steve nodded and escorted Kevin from the room.
That guy gave him the creeps. He pulled out his master key and knocked on the door. "Oliver? Oliver, I'm coming in," he said, unlocking the door and turning the knob slowly.
He hated this part.
"Oliver?"
Then he saw the puddles of blood beside the tub. And the slashes up Oliver's wrists all the way to his elbow.
His breakfast tumbled in his stomach but he managed to keep it down.
Oliver had been dead a while.
It wasn't until he looked at the words scrawled on the wall that he doubted the suicide. "Nataly Foreva."
Something wasn't right about that.
James took the patient mail to the post office every morning and he realized that wasn't how Oliver spelled his obsession's name.
He needed to get Dr. Jenk. Now.
-----------
"Hailey? I need your help," Caleb said, calling his younger daughter into his office.
"I already came home to help, what now?" she asked, smiling to show she was joking.
Caleb had always regretted asking Kirsten to come home to help when her mother had cancer, and he never thought he'd end up calling his youngest daughter home from her travels to help in a different capacity.
But with Seth's attempted suicide and Kirsten's spiralling alcoholism, he needed help. And he didn't trust anyone else.
And Hailey had come home when he told her about what she'd missed. She hadn't been able to get Kirsten to stop drinking, yet, but having her around was helping him put everything into perspective.
"What's up, Dad?" she asked, snapping him out of his daze.
"Seth called, someone was murdered at the clinic, I'm going to drive up there, but he sounded..."
"Sounded what?" Hailey urged.
"Better. He made a friend in there, God, who else do you know that has to go to a mental health clinic to make friends? Just like his father to pick a stray looney," Caleb muttered.
"Isn't that a good thing? Making friends and getting better?"
"He said he'd do anything I asked if I found out his friend's history. He said he wants to help him, that this kid was helping him," Caleb said. "He wasn't depressed and he actually asked me for help..."
"What about the murder?"
"He said they were blaming his friend for the murder," Caleb said.
Hailey was watching him. "What did you find out about his looney?"
Caleb sighed, holding out the printed articles his friend had sent him. "I called my IT guy and he hacked into some files for me. The kid's name is Ryan Atwood. His brother killed their mom in front of him. He was locked up for a few weeks until they cleared him of the crime. He hasn't spoken since the murder, that's why he's in the clinic. Post-traumatic stress suspected."
"Poor kid," Hailey winced. "And the cops are trying to pin another murder on him even though he didn't do the first one?"
"According to Seth. He's depressed, he's not crazy," Caleb said. "What do you think I should do? Should I tell Seth about it?"
Hailey sat down, flipping through the pages. "Where's he going to go when he gets better if his mom's dead?"
"His father's in jail, got about ten more years to serve, if he's lucky. Foster care, or a group home from the looks of it," Caleb said.
Hailey paused on a page and let the rest of the papers fall out of her hands.
"What is it?" he asked.
She put the page down on his desk and put her finger down beside one of the lines on the page. "Look."
Social Services was alerted of the abuse by child's public defender, Sandford Cohen.
"Jesus, do you think Seth knows?" Caleb asked, taking the page so he could read the excerpt more carefully.
"If the kid doesn't talk, how would he? What are the odds he'd meet one of Sandy's clients in there? It's like...divine intervention," Hailey said. "Sandy couldn't save the kid, so now it's Seth's turn."
"Nonsense," Caleb said. "Seth needs help, he's in no condition..."
"Dad," Hailey interrupted. "You have to help Seth help this kid. You have to."
Rosa, the housekeeper he'd rehired after Kirsten went off the rails, stepped in with his lawyer. "Caleb, I'm glad you're here, I have the papers."
"What papers?" Hailey asked.
"Did you get Kirsten to sign where she was supposed to?" Caleb asked, avoiding her eyes.
"Yes sir, but I can't promise she read the fine print. She's on board," the lawyer said.
Caleb looked at Hailey. "I'm assuming guardianship of Seth until she's more...stable," he said.
Hailey held his gaze, finally nodding solemnly. "Probably a good idea."
"You didn't think I just asked you back to help me shop for groceries, did you? I'm going to need you around here," Caleb said.
Hailey smiled, almost like she was flattered.
Caleb reconsidered the boy's face on the paper in front of him. "Dennis, out of curiosity, what would happen to a kid that was institutionalized and then released into foster care?"
"That's, vague," the lawyer replied. "You're not talking about Seth, I take it...but, is that all I get?"
"Run with it," Hailey said, picking up the papers and handing them to Dennis.
"Age 16, so adoption's not really likely," he said, skimming the bio page. "And if you say he's in an institution, he probably wouldn't be placed with a normal foster family. From Chino, too? Ouch, he'll probably go to one of the group homes for mentally disabled kids unless a spot opens up in one of the foster families that specialize in emotionally disturbed kids," Dennis said.
"He's 16, couldn't he get emancipated?" Hailey asked.
"Not with a history of mental illness, even if they fix him, it'll be in his medical records forever," Dennis said. "Who is this kid?"
"My grandson's new friend. Can you ask around for me, Dennis? See what you can find out about his options," Caleb said.
"I'll get on it. Now, before you give me another task, can you sign those papers so I can drop them off downtown?" Dennis said, tucking the articles into his briefcase.
He signed his name and passed them to Dennis.
"I'll be in touch."
-----------
title: falling free
word count: ~ 1,622
disclaimer: I don't own anything OC related. Lyrics belond to Placebo, songs may vary.
rating: R for offensive language, drug use, violence and sex.
author's note: AU for everything.
- prologue - one - two -
- three - four - five -
One last thing before I shuffle off the planet,
I will be the one to make you crawl,
So I came down to wish you an unhappy birthday.
Summer knew that Taylor was oddly attached to her, but the weird thing was, she was getting attached to Taylor, too.
She knew all kinds of oddball information and despite her obsessive tics, she didn't talk to herself as much when she was distracted.
"All right, girls, it's your turn for the phone. Who wants to go first?" Gretchen asked from the doorway.
Summer glanced at Taylor. "Can we go together? I don't want to stay in here alone."
Gretchen nodded. "Sure. Come on."
Taylor took her box of Clorox wipes and followed them out.
"You can go first, Taylor," Summer said.
"I'll disinfect the phone for you when I'm done," Taylor said, going into the cubicle.
"You want some coffee? They're bringing breakfast in a little while," Gretchen offered.
Summer nodded. "Thanks," she said, sitting down in the lounge.
There was a killer in this place.
She hadn't slept all night, wondering if Oliver was coming for her or Taylor. Or Seth. Or his horse.
That wasn't the only reason she hadn't slept.
She knew Ryan hadn't slept.
For the first time since getting put in this place, she was looking forward to hearing her father's voice.
Gretchen bought her a cup of coffee, smiling at her kindly as her pager started to buzz. "I have to get this, I'll be over there," she said, pointing to the desk in the corner.
Summer nodded her gratitude, sipping the coffee.
Dr. Jenk appeared with Ryan - not in a straitjacket - and looking exhausted.
"Stay right here while I get your meds and some juice," Dr. Jenk told him.
Ryan shifted on his heels and finally met her gaze.
She didn't hesitate, standing up and hurrying over to him and embracing him.
Even if they weren't friends, not exactly, - she was too glad to see him free to question her instincts.
After a long moment, she felt him put his hands lightly on her back, returning her hug.
"Thanks," he whispered.
She laughed despite herself. "Is that the only word you can say?" she asked, stepping back so she could look at him.
He shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets.
"Are you okay?" she asked, aware of Dr. Jenk and Gretchen watching with interest from across the room. She sat down, putting some distance between them to hopefully lose their attention.
He shrugged again.
"We were really worried. Seth, mostly, but me, too. I feel safer with you out here instead of wherever they put you,” Summer said.
His bright blue eyes flickered toward Dr. Jenk and Gretchen and then back to her. “You don’t even know me,” he said, painfully soft.
“I know you didn’t kill that girl. And you were nice to me when I was awful to you. And you're nice to Seth. You're not a killer," she said.
He'd talked to her. With words and everything...she felt lighter, like she had just taken a hit of sunshine.
As much as she'd deny it later, she was kind of glad her father decided to send her here. Otherwise, she'd still believe that Marissa was actually her best friend and that she had to be fucked up to make friends.
She hoped she could remember that those things weren't true when she got out.
-----------
"He locked himself in the bathroom? How long?" James asked.
Kevin had called the nurses station and said that Oliver was hogging the bathroom.
It may not have been more than an annoyance to Volchek, but 'locked in bathroom' rarely boded well in mental hospitals.
"I woke up around nine, and he was in there, I went to bed before he did," Kevin said. "I, kind of, need to take a dump."
James fought his disgusted glare and walked into the hallway and called an orderly. "Steve, can you take Kevin to the bathroom in 421?"
Steve nodded and escorted Kevin from the room.
That guy gave him the creeps. He pulled out his master key and knocked on the door. "Oliver? Oliver, I'm coming in," he said, unlocking the door and turning the knob slowly.
He hated this part.
"Oliver?"
Then he saw the puddles of blood beside the tub. And the slashes up Oliver's wrists all the way to his elbow.
His breakfast tumbled in his stomach but he managed to keep it down.
Oliver had been dead a while.
It wasn't until he looked at the words scrawled on the wall that he doubted the suicide. "Nataly Foreva."
Something wasn't right about that.
James took the patient mail to the post office every morning and he realized that wasn't how Oliver spelled his obsession's name.
He needed to get Dr. Jenk. Now.
-----------
"Hailey? I need your help," Caleb said, calling his younger daughter into his office.
"I already came home to help, what now?" she asked, smiling to show she was joking.
Caleb had always regretted asking Kirsten to come home to help when her mother had cancer, and he never thought he'd end up calling his youngest daughter home from her travels to help in a different capacity.
But with Seth's attempted suicide and Kirsten's spiralling alcoholism, he needed help. And he didn't trust anyone else.
And Hailey had come home when he told her about what she'd missed. She hadn't been able to get Kirsten to stop drinking, yet, but having her around was helping him put everything into perspective.
"What's up, Dad?" she asked, snapping him out of his daze.
"Seth called, someone was murdered at the clinic, I'm going to drive up there, but he sounded..."
"Sounded what?" Hailey urged.
"Better. He made a friend in there, God, who else do you know that has to go to a mental health clinic to make friends? Just like his father to pick a stray looney," Caleb muttered.
"Isn't that a good thing? Making friends and getting better?"
"He said he'd do anything I asked if I found out his friend's history. He said he wants to help him, that this kid was helping him," Caleb said. "He wasn't depressed and he actually asked me for help..."
"What about the murder?"
"He said they were blaming his friend for the murder," Caleb said.
Hailey was watching him. "What did you find out about his looney?"
Caleb sighed, holding out the printed articles his friend had sent him. "I called my IT guy and he hacked into some files for me. The kid's name is Ryan Atwood. His brother killed their mom in front of him. He was locked up for a few weeks until they cleared him of the crime. He hasn't spoken since the murder, that's why he's in the clinic. Post-traumatic stress suspected."
"Poor kid," Hailey winced. "And the cops are trying to pin another murder on him even though he didn't do the first one?"
"According to Seth. He's depressed, he's not crazy," Caleb said. "What do you think I should do? Should I tell Seth about it?"
Hailey sat down, flipping through the pages. "Where's he going to go when he gets better if his mom's dead?"
"His father's in jail, got about ten more years to serve, if he's lucky. Foster care, or a group home from the looks of it," Caleb said.
Hailey paused on a page and let the rest of the papers fall out of her hands.
"What is it?" he asked.
She put the page down on his desk and put her finger down beside one of the lines on the page. "Look."
Social Services was alerted of the abuse by child's public defender, Sandford Cohen.
"Jesus, do you think Seth knows?" Caleb asked, taking the page so he could read the excerpt more carefully.
"If the kid doesn't talk, how would he? What are the odds he'd meet one of Sandy's clients in there? It's like...divine intervention," Hailey said. "Sandy couldn't save the kid, so now it's Seth's turn."
"Nonsense," Caleb said. "Seth needs help, he's in no condition..."
"Dad," Hailey interrupted. "You have to help Seth help this kid. You have to."
Rosa, the housekeeper he'd rehired after Kirsten went off the rails, stepped in with his lawyer. "Caleb, I'm glad you're here, I have the papers."
"What papers?" Hailey asked.
"Did you get Kirsten to sign where she was supposed to?" Caleb asked, avoiding her eyes.
"Yes sir, but I can't promise she read the fine print. She's on board," the lawyer said.
Caleb looked at Hailey. "I'm assuming guardianship of Seth until she's more...stable," he said.
Hailey held his gaze, finally nodding solemnly. "Probably a good idea."
"You didn't think I just asked you back to help me shop for groceries, did you? I'm going to need you around here," Caleb said.
Hailey smiled, almost like she was flattered.
Caleb reconsidered the boy's face on the paper in front of him. "Dennis, out of curiosity, what would happen to a kid that was institutionalized and then released into foster care?"
"That's, vague," the lawyer replied. "You're not talking about Seth, I take it...but, is that all I get?"
"Run with it," Hailey said, picking up the papers and handing them to Dennis.
"Age 16, so adoption's not really likely," he said, skimming the bio page. "And if you say he's in an institution, he probably wouldn't be placed with a normal foster family. From Chino, too? Ouch, he'll probably go to one of the group homes for mentally disabled kids unless a spot opens up in one of the foster families that specialize in emotionally disturbed kids," Dennis said.
"He's 16, couldn't he get emancipated?" Hailey asked.
"Not with a history of mental illness, even if they fix him, it'll be in his medical records forever," Dennis said. "Who is this kid?"
"My grandson's new friend. Can you ask around for me, Dennis? See what you can find out about his options," Caleb said.
"I'll get on it. Now, before you give me another task, can you sign those papers so I can drop them off downtown?" Dennis said, tucking the articles into his briefcase.
He signed his name and passed them to Dennis.
"I'll be in touch."
-----------