Fic: Walking Wounded Part 7 (The O.C Seth/Ryan PG. Ryan POV)
Title: Walking Wounded Part 7 (Ryan)
Author: HYPERFocused
Fandom: The O.C
Pairing: Seth/Ryan
Rating: PG
A/N: Written for thecontrelamontre "healing" challenge in an hour and thirty-five minutes.
Disclaimer: Not my damaged Emo geek.
Previous parts here:
It was like getting to breathe again, after drowning, Ryan thought, when he first felt Seth squeezing his hand, a sure sign his friend was finally waking up. It was a light grip, but it was there. Ryan didn't want to let go. The relief he felt just from that small sign was palpable. But he had to let Kirsten and Sandy know, as well as Seth's doctors and nurses. They'd all been waiting so long. Or at least it seemed like it. Really, it had only been a few days, but even an hour with Seth so unresponsive felt like an eternity.
It only took him a moment to realize how simple the solution was. He kept hold of Seth's hand with one hand, and reached for the call button with the other. "Come quickly," he told the tinny voice on the other end, "Seth's waking up!"
Ryan was impressed at how quickly the nurse appeared, arriving to assess Seth's condition moments after the call went out. After ascertaining what had happened, she pushed Ryan aside to check Seth's vitals. Seth hadn't moved again, but somehow Ryan could tell he was more alert, more present in the room.
"I think you're right," she told him. "But it could be a while yet before he's fully awake. The doctor will be around shortly." An emergency call sent her out of the room before he could ask more questions, like exactly when the doctor would be in, or what he could do to speed things up.
Sandy and Kirsten, who had both been outside making phone calls when an aide came to get them, heard the tail end of the nurse's affirmation. They rushed headlong into the room, passing her as she exited. Ryan could see Kirsten visibly slump when it appeared Seth hadn't moved his position. "I thought you said he was awake, Ryan."
"He was, or at least he was starting to wake up. It might take awhile." He passed on the nurse's call for patience.
"Seth? Sweetheart? Can you hear me?" Kirsten sat in the chair Ryan vacated for her. When he didn't answer, she looked up at Ryan and Sandy, disappointed. "Honey?" Kirsten asked Ryan. "Are you sure he didn't just twitch in his sleep, or something?"
"No, Kirsten. He's really starting to wake up. The nurse confirmed it. I don't know where his doctor is - he should be here - but I'm telling you, he responded to me." Apparently Seth got his impatient nature from his mother. Ryan was feeling a little impatient himself, wondering where the doctor was. Didn't he know that Seth was waking up?
Sandy put a hand on Ryan's shoulder, and said, "I know how much we all want Seth to wake up, son, but I'm afraid I don't see any evidence of it."
"Why don't you tell us what happened?" Kirsten added.
"I was talking to him, and - I don't know - I got upset." Ryan didn't want to admit he'd been crying. "He squeezed my hand." Ryan told them. "Three times."
"I love you!" Kirsten gasped, bursting into tears. Ryan and Sandy both looked at her, Sandy quickly going to hold her in his arms.
"We love you too, honey," Sandy responded. "Don't worry, I'm sure if Ryan thinks Seth is coming out of it, then it must be true.
"No, Sandy. Three squeezes means 'I love you.' I taught him that when he was a little boy, and we were trying to help him over his shyness. Don't you remember?"
"Oh, that's right! You used to call it your signal, and Seth would pretend it gave him super powers." Sandy reminisced.
"And he'd always do it before he tried something new, or had to talk to somebody he didn't know. Still, I've always been a little sorry he picked up that particular name from your mother." Kirsten wiped her eyes, and laughed a little. It was a rusty but welcome sound.
Ryan couldn't help smiling at the image of a shy young Seth, hiding behind Kirsten until he got up the nerve to show everyone the friendly, sweet kid he'd turned into. "What did he call you?"
The response was so quiet, Ryan almost didn't hear it. "Super-Shiksa-Mom."
Later, Ryan wondered if all three of them, Kirsten, Sandy, and himself, would have cricks in their necks from the speed at which they turned their heads. Big brown eyes blinked sleepily up at them, as Seth tried, but failed, to sit up.
"Seth! You're awake." Sandy rushed to his side, Kirsten following. Ryan was struck with a bout of shyness himself, standing a bit behind them to allow better parental access. "Don't try to move, son."
"Oh, sweetheart, we've been so worried." Kirsten leaned down to kiss him, mindful of the tubes and wires.
"Mom? Dad? Why are you all in my room, and when did you paint it yellow?" Seth took in the hospital's bright coloring, but it was clear he didn't quite get what was going on. "Where's Ryan? Is he okay? I think Grampa was yelling at him. He yells a lot."
Ryan moved closer and bent over the bed so Seth could see him. "I'm right here, Seth. You're right, Caleb does yell a lot, but I can handle it."
Seth's face broke out into a wide smile, and Ryan couldn't help returning it. "I was afraid he'd drive you away, and I'd never see you again. I don't remember why he was so mad, though. Do you?" Seth shrugged his shoulders, then winced.
"Yeah, Seth, I remember," Ryan told him, but didn't make any move to fill Seth in. "And there's nothing that old bastard could do or say to make me leave you." He leaned in to kiss Seth, not caring that Kirsten and Sandy were right there.
"Dude! My mom and dad are right there!" Seth sounded scandalized.
"It's all right, they know I love you." Ryan blushed a little, but it felt good to be able to say it openly.
"Oh, well, good then." Seth yawned. "I know I should be more excited about that, or upset, or something... but I can't seem to stay awake. That must have been some party." Seth closed his eyes again, falling asleep before Ryan could tell him just how exciting the party had been, and why he never wanted to experience such excitement again.
Author: HYPERFocused
Fandom: The O.C
Pairing: Seth/Ryan
Rating: PG
A/N: Written for thecontrelamontre "healing" challenge in an hour and thirty-five minutes.
Disclaimer: Not my damaged Emo geek.
Previous parts here:
It was like getting to breathe again, after drowning, Ryan thought, when he first felt Seth squeezing his hand, a sure sign his friend was finally waking up. It was a light grip, but it was there. Ryan didn't want to let go. The relief he felt just from that small sign was palpable. But he had to let Kirsten and Sandy know, as well as Seth's doctors and nurses. They'd all been waiting so long. Or at least it seemed like it. Really, it had only been a few days, but even an hour with Seth so unresponsive felt like an eternity.
It only took him a moment to realize how simple the solution was. He kept hold of Seth's hand with one hand, and reached for the call button with the other. "Come quickly," he told the tinny voice on the other end, "Seth's waking up!"
Ryan was impressed at how quickly the nurse appeared, arriving to assess Seth's condition moments after the call went out. After ascertaining what had happened, she pushed Ryan aside to check Seth's vitals. Seth hadn't moved again, but somehow Ryan could tell he was more alert, more present in the room.
"I think you're right," she told him. "But it could be a while yet before he's fully awake. The doctor will be around shortly." An emergency call sent her out of the room before he could ask more questions, like exactly when the doctor would be in, or what he could do to speed things up.
Sandy and Kirsten, who had both been outside making phone calls when an aide came to get them, heard the tail end of the nurse's affirmation. They rushed headlong into the room, passing her as she exited. Ryan could see Kirsten visibly slump when it appeared Seth hadn't moved his position. "I thought you said he was awake, Ryan."
"He was, or at least he was starting to wake up. It might take awhile." He passed on the nurse's call for patience.
"Seth? Sweetheart? Can you hear me?" Kirsten sat in the chair Ryan vacated for her. When he didn't answer, she looked up at Ryan and Sandy, disappointed. "Honey?" Kirsten asked Ryan. "Are you sure he didn't just twitch in his sleep, or something?"
"No, Kirsten. He's really starting to wake up. The nurse confirmed it. I don't know where his doctor is - he should be here - but I'm telling you, he responded to me." Apparently Seth got his impatient nature from his mother. Ryan was feeling a little impatient himself, wondering where the doctor was. Didn't he know that Seth was waking up?
Sandy put a hand on Ryan's shoulder, and said, "I know how much we all want Seth to wake up, son, but I'm afraid I don't see any evidence of it."
"Why don't you tell us what happened?" Kirsten added.
"I was talking to him, and - I don't know - I got upset." Ryan didn't want to admit he'd been crying. "He squeezed my hand." Ryan told them. "Three times."
"I love you!" Kirsten gasped, bursting into tears. Ryan and Sandy both looked at her, Sandy quickly going to hold her in his arms.
"We love you too, honey," Sandy responded. "Don't worry, I'm sure if Ryan thinks Seth is coming out of it, then it must be true.
"No, Sandy. Three squeezes means 'I love you.' I taught him that when he was a little boy, and we were trying to help him over his shyness. Don't you remember?"
"Oh, that's right! You used to call it your signal, and Seth would pretend it gave him super powers." Sandy reminisced.
"And he'd always do it before he tried something new, or had to talk to somebody he didn't know. Still, I've always been a little sorry he picked up that particular name from your mother." Kirsten wiped her eyes, and laughed a little. It was a rusty but welcome sound.
Ryan couldn't help smiling at the image of a shy young Seth, hiding behind Kirsten until he got up the nerve to show everyone the friendly, sweet kid he'd turned into. "What did he call you?"
The response was so quiet, Ryan almost didn't hear it. "Super-Shiksa-Mom."
Later, Ryan wondered if all three of them, Kirsten, Sandy, and himself, would have cricks in their necks from the speed at which they turned their heads. Big brown eyes blinked sleepily up at them, as Seth tried, but failed, to sit up.
"Seth! You're awake." Sandy rushed to his side, Kirsten following. Ryan was struck with a bout of shyness himself, standing a bit behind them to allow better parental access. "Don't try to move, son."
"Oh, sweetheart, we've been so worried." Kirsten leaned down to kiss him, mindful of the tubes and wires.
"Mom? Dad? Why are you all in my room, and when did you paint it yellow?" Seth took in the hospital's bright coloring, but it was clear he didn't quite get what was going on. "Where's Ryan? Is he okay? I think Grampa was yelling at him. He yells a lot."
Ryan moved closer and bent over the bed so Seth could see him. "I'm right here, Seth. You're right, Caleb does yell a lot, but I can handle it."
Seth's face broke out into a wide smile, and Ryan couldn't help returning it. "I was afraid he'd drive you away, and I'd never see you again. I don't remember why he was so mad, though. Do you?" Seth shrugged his shoulders, then winced.
"Yeah, Seth, I remember," Ryan told him, but didn't make any move to fill Seth in. "And there's nothing that old bastard could do or say to make me leave you." He leaned in to kiss Seth, not caring that Kirsten and Sandy were right there.
"Dude! My mom and dad are right there!" Seth sounded scandalized.
"It's all right, they know I love you." Ryan blushed a little, but it felt good to be able to say it openly.
"Oh, well, good then." Seth yawned. "I know I should be more excited about that, or upset, or something... but I can't seem to stay awake. That must have been some party." Seth closed his eyes again, falling asleep before Ryan could tell him just how exciting the party had been, and why he never wanted to experience such excitement again.