In An Instant (Paralyzed!Ryan Universe)
Mar. 27th, 2008 09:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Takes place during the first 24 hours after the 'accident' that lead to Ryan's paralysis in my fic A Million Little Pieces. Rotates points of view through out, going through pretty much all the main players, though Marissa doesn't even appear and only gets a one line mention... wonder why? lol
In An Instant
The moment Seth Cohen saw Ryan go flying through the windshield, he sobered up. He couldn't move as he stared straight ahead at where the headlights of the rover, or rather the one headlight that wasn't smashed from the impact, illuminated Ryan's crumpled body as it lay on the asphalt. He barely registered the screams coming from behind him, but saw the blur of movement as Summer appeared, running past the rover and dropping to her knees with enough force to tear through her jeans, and reached out to check Ryan's pulse while screaming for someone to call 911.
He saw her gently peel Ryan's eyelid upwards, and saw one hand glide over Ryan's body, carefully checking for injuries. He saw Ryan's body spasm and cough up blood that got all over Summer's shirt, and saw how she reacted by steadying him and yelling for someone to help her. It was only when two guys ran over, helping her hold Ryan steady on his side, that Summer looked up, right at Seth, and shook her head at him before focusing on Ryan again.
~~~~
Malcolm Overman had been a cop until he got tired of shooting people and decided to be a paramedic and try saving them instead. But when he got to the scene and saw the victim was just as kid, being helped by a bunch of other kids who didn't know what they were doing but were trying, for a moment he'd wished he was still a cop so he could focus on arresting whoever was to blame instead of trying to help a kid who was dying.
They got the kid's name from the girl who was covered in his blood but had still managed to stabilize his neck with her hands while directing the two other boys to stabilize the injured boy's back and legs, keeping them as still as possible, even though they were twisted at an odd angle. Malcolm carefully slipped a c-collar onto Ryan, letting the girl scramble back away, then he and his partner, Emily, got a backboard in place and let the two boys move back to stand with the other kids who were watching with a mix of horror and fascination on their faces.
Malcolm had Emily stay with Ryan, trying to comfort him when he started to come around, while he himself ran for the rig to radio in a request to give the kid something for the pain. He was relieved when the doctor who came on was Sarah. He needed to hear her voice right about then so he could steady himself. He relayed the important info and got a go ahead to administer a mild painkiller, then paused before ending the call. "This one's bad, Sarah," he said quietly. "You might want to get the surgical team on standby."
~~~~
Ryan Atwood came to with lights flashing blue and red around him and people yelling. There was a light rain falling at he stared up into the dark sky, trying to figure out what was happening and why he couldn't move, who he felt like a tight band was around his chest... why he couldn't breathe
"Ryan?" a woman's voice said, and when she came into his field of view he recognized the paramedics uniform and felt a hand grip one of his reassuringly. "You need to try to relax, Ryan," the woman said soothingly. "I know you're scared and it hurts, but you need to try and calm down, okay?"
Ryan opened his mouth to say something, but even that small movement sent a jolt of pain through his body that made him whimper. How could he relax when he felt like he was on fire, like every nerve ending in his body was about to explode in pain.
The paramedic made soothing sounds and squeezed Ryan's hand again. "I know, honey, but you need to try," she said as though she could tell what he was thinking.
Another paramedic appeared, a man with spiky dark hair this time, and he offered a tight smile to Ryan. "I'm gonna give you something for the pain, alright? Then we're gonna load you up and take you to the hospital to get checked out. Don't worry, we'll take good care of you, and the docs will take even better care."
"His pulse is getting thready, Mal," the female paramedic said.
"Alright, let's roll," 'Mal', the male paramedic, said.
Ryan gasped in pain as the stretcher he was on jolted upwards then started rolling along towards the ambulance. As they lifted him inside, it jolted again but by then the pain meds had kicked in and he didn't feel it as much. What he did feel was another stab of fear when he caught sight of Summer, her hair hanging limply around her face and her clothes soaked with both rain and blood, staring at him as the doors to the ambulance closed.
~~~~
By the time Sandy and Kirsten got to the hospital, Summer Roberts had gotten cleaned up and changed into the extra shirt her dad kept in his office, the sleeves rolled up so they wouldn't cover her hands, and her hair pulled back in a ponytail using a borrowed holder from one of the surgical nurse's who knew her from their work with her dad. She was sitting on the floor outside the trauma room they had Ryan in, her legs pulled up against her chest and her head in her hands, when she heard running footsteps and looked up to see the Cohens. "Last I heard, he was stabilized, but they're trying to get his blood pressure up enough for surgery," she explained as she got up, trying to use the trick her dad had talked about, shut off all emotions and just give facts. "They said his breath sounds are good, and the bleeding is under control, they just need to get more blood in him to compensate for what he did lose."
"What happened?" Kirsten asked.
"The rover... I guess Seth hit the gas instead of the break, and the rover... it went into the street... a truck hit the passenger side," Summer said, stumbling over the words as she remembered what she'd seen happen. "Seth's fine, just needed a couple stitches," she added, trying to keep the bitter anger out of her voice. "I'll get one of the nurses or doctors," she continued, getting up to stick her head into the trauma room and trying to keep her emotions turned off as she saw the blood and how it stood out against Ryan's pale skin. "His family's here," she said when one of the doctors looked up.
~~~~
Dr. Sarah Julian always hated this part, having to tell families the bad news about their kids. "Mr. and Mrs. Cohen?" she said as she stepped out of the trauma room. "I'm Dr. Julian, I've been treating your son..."
"Is he going to be okay?" Sandy asked.
"Why don't we..." she began.
"Please?" Summer asked. "I..."
"It's okay," Kirsten said, putting an arm around Summer's shoulders.
"Ryan's injuries are severe, and he needs surgery as soon as he's stabilized," Sarah began. "X-Rays show... there are three fractures to his spinal column, but we can't be sure of how much damage there is until swelling goes down."
"How bad could it be?" Sandy asked.
Sarah really hated this part. "He could be paralyzed."
~~~~
Kirsten Cohen tried to rationalize to herself that she was staying with Ryan just so that he wouldn't wake up alone and think they'd abandoned him. That it made sense for Sandy to be the one who stayed with Seth while he talked to the police about the accident, because Sandy would know if Seth should stop talking better than she would.
Kirsten tried to convince herself that she didn't blame her son for the accident, though she wasn't hesitant to admit she was furious that he'd been drinking and once again put Ryan in a position of trying to help and ending up getting hurt, but she couldn't help not wanting to see Seth, fine except for a few stitches on his forehead and a couple bruises on one side of his face. Seth who'd caused the accident barely had a mark on him, while Ryan who'd tried to stop it would probably never walk again.
~~~~
It took all he ahd for Sandy Cohen to sit there and listen to Seth go over what had happened with the police. An accident. A mistake. A drunk kid putting his foot on the gas instead of the brake. Ryan hadn't put on a seatbelt because he didn't think they would be moving. Ryan had gone through the windshield. Ryan had been broken and bleeding in the street. And Seth had caused it.
God knows, Sandy didn't hate his son for it. It had been an accident, a mistake, Seth would never intentially hurt Ryan, they were best friend friends, brothers. At least that's what he told himself as he heard the slight tremor in Seth's voice whenever he said he'd 'accidentally' his the gas by 'mistake'. It was the one way Sandy had ever been able to recognize that his son was lying, and only on big stuff. Ryan had bigger tells, like the guilty eyes at even the little fibs, but Seth had always been a frighteningly good liar.
But he was telling a hell of a lot mroe than he was saying with that tremor.
Sandy told himself, over and over again until he believed it, that it was only Seth's only sense of guilt that caused the tremor. Seth would never intentially hurt Ryan. Never.
~~~~
Luke Ward found out when Summer called him in tears at 4 in the morning, telling him that she'd tried to wait, but Marissa was too busy with her surfer boyfriend to give a shit, and it was Seth's fault, and she had to talk to someone who gave a damn. It had taken a few minutes for Luke to understand exactly what Summer was saying, but finally he'd slumped down to the floor as he understood.
"Is Chino gonna be okay?" he asked, looking up as his dad came into the room, eyes questioning the early call.
"I don't know," Summer said quietly, her voice breaking again. "He's bad, Luke. He's really bad, and I'm really scared. I know it's stupid to call you when you can't do anything but worry and not be here, but you guys are friends, and I... I thought you'd want to know."
"No, you're... you're right. Thanks for calling, Summer."
"I'll call again when there's news, okay?"
"Yeah, thanks," Luke said, hanging up.
"Luke?"
"You remember my friend Ryan?"
"The one who came to get Seth?" Carson asked.
"Yeah, him," Luke agreed, nodding. "He was in an accident last night, a bad one. He hasn't woken up yet, and the doctors are saying he'll probably be paralyzed."
"Oh man," Carson said, sliding down to sit beside his son. "If half of what you've said about this kid is true, though, he'll pull through. He'll be okay," he offered.
"I hope so," Luke said.
The End
In An Instant
The moment Seth Cohen saw Ryan go flying through the windshield, he sobered up. He couldn't move as he stared straight ahead at where the headlights of the rover, or rather the one headlight that wasn't smashed from the impact, illuminated Ryan's crumpled body as it lay on the asphalt. He barely registered the screams coming from behind him, but saw the blur of movement as Summer appeared, running past the rover and dropping to her knees with enough force to tear through her jeans, and reached out to check Ryan's pulse while screaming for someone to call 911.
He saw her gently peel Ryan's eyelid upwards, and saw one hand glide over Ryan's body, carefully checking for injuries. He saw Ryan's body spasm and cough up blood that got all over Summer's shirt, and saw how she reacted by steadying him and yelling for someone to help her. It was only when two guys ran over, helping her hold Ryan steady on his side, that Summer looked up, right at Seth, and shook her head at him before focusing on Ryan again.
~~~~
Malcolm Overman had been a cop until he got tired of shooting people and decided to be a paramedic and try saving them instead. But when he got to the scene and saw the victim was just as kid, being helped by a bunch of other kids who didn't know what they were doing but were trying, for a moment he'd wished he was still a cop so he could focus on arresting whoever was to blame instead of trying to help a kid who was dying.
They got the kid's name from the girl who was covered in his blood but had still managed to stabilize his neck with her hands while directing the two other boys to stabilize the injured boy's back and legs, keeping them as still as possible, even though they were twisted at an odd angle. Malcolm carefully slipped a c-collar onto Ryan, letting the girl scramble back away, then he and his partner, Emily, got a backboard in place and let the two boys move back to stand with the other kids who were watching with a mix of horror and fascination on their faces.
Malcolm had Emily stay with Ryan, trying to comfort him when he started to come around, while he himself ran for the rig to radio in a request to give the kid something for the pain. He was relieved when the doctor who came on was Sarah. He needed to hear her voice right about then so he could steady himself. He relayed the important info and got a go ahead to administer a mild painkiller, then paused before ending the call. "This one's bad, Sarah," he said quietly. "You might want to get the surgical team on standby."
~~~~
Ryan Atwood came to with lights flashing blue and red around him and people yelling. There was a light rain falling at he stared up into the dark sky, trying to figure out what was happening and why he couldn't move, who he felt like a tight band was around his chest... why he couldn't breathe
"Ryan?" a woman's voice said, and when she came into his field of view he recognized the paramedics uniform and felt a hand grip one of his reassuringly. "You need to try to relax, Ryan," the woman said soothingly. "I know you're scared and it hurts, but you need to try and calm down, okay?"
Ryan opened his mouth to say something, but even that small movement sent a jolt of pain through his body that made him whimper. How could he relax when he felt like he was on fire, like every nerve ending in his body was about to explode in pain.
The paramedic made soothing sounds and squeezed Ryan's hand again. "I know, honey, but you need to try," she said as though she could tell what he was thinking.
Another paramedic appeared, a man with spiky dark hair this time, and he offered a tight smile to Ryan. "I'm gonna give you something for the pain, alright? Then we're gonna load you up and take you to the hospital to get checked out. Don't worry, we'll take good care of you, and the docs will take even better care."
"His pulse is getting thready, Mal," the female paramedic said.
"Alright, let's roll," 'Mal', the male paramedic, said.
Ryan gasped in pain as the stretcher he was on jolted upwards then started rolling along towards the ambulance. As they lifted him inside, it jolted again but by then the pain meds had kicked in and he didn't feel it as much. What he did feel was another stab of fear when he caught sight of Summer, her hair hanging limply around her face and her clothes soaked with both rain and blood, staring at him as the doors to the ambulance closed.
~~~~
By the time Sandy and Kirsten got to the hospital, Summer Roberts had gotten cleaned up and changed into the extra shirt her dad kept in his office, the sleeves rolled up so they wouldn't cover her hands, and her hair pulled back in a ponytail using a borrowed holder from one of the surgical nurse's who knew her from their work with her dad. She was sitting on the floor outside the trauma room they had Ryan in, her legs pulled up against her chest and her head in her hands, when she heard running footsteps and looked up to see the Cohens. "Last I heard, he was stabilized, but they're trying to get his blood pressure up enough for surgery," she explained as she got up, trying to use the trick her dad had talked about, shut off all emotions and just give facts. "They said his breath sounds are good, and the bleeding is under control, they just need to get more blood in him to compensate for what he did lose."
"What happened?" Kirsten asked.
"The rover... I guess Seth hit the gas instead of the break, and the rover... it went into the street... a truck hit the passenger side," Summer said, stumbling over the words as she remembered what she'd seen happen. "Seth's fine, just needed a couple stitches," she added, trying to keep the bitter anger out of her voice. "I'll get one of the nurses or doctors," she continued, getting up to stick her head into the trauma room and trying to keep her emotions turned off as she saw the blood and how it stood out against Ryan's pale skin. "His family's here," she said when one of the doctors looked up.
~~~~
Dr. Sarah Julian always hated this part, having to tell families the bad news about their kids. "Mr. and Mrs. Cohen?" she said as she stepped out of the trauma room. "I'm Dr. Julian, I've been treating your son..."
"Is he going to be okay?" Sandy asked.
"Why don't we..." she began.
"Please?" Summer asked. "I..."
"It's okay," Kirsten said, putting an arm around Summer's shoulders.
"Ryan's injuries are severe, and he needs surgery as soon as he's stabilized," Sarah began. "X-Rays show... there are three fractures to his spinal column, but we can't be sure of how much damage there is until swelling goes down."
"How bad could it be?" Sandy asked.
Sarah really hated this part. "He could be paralyzed."
~~~~
Kirsten Cohen tried to rationalize to herself that she was staying with Ryan just so that he wouldn't wake up alone and think they'd abandoned him. That it made sense for Sandy to be the one who stayed with Seth while he talked to the police about the accident, because Sandy would know if Seth should stop talking better than she would.
Kirsten tried to convince herself that she didn't blame her son for the accident, though she wasn't hesitant to admit she was furious that he'd been drinking and once again put Ryan in a position of trying to help and ending up getting hurt, but she couldn't help not wanting to see Seth, fine except for a few stitches on his forehead and a couple bruises on one side of his face. Seth who'd caused the accident barely had a mark on him, while Ryan who'd tried to stop it would probably never walk again.
~~~~
It took all he ahd for Sandy Cohen to sit there and listen to Seth go over what had happened with the police. An accident. A mistake. A drunk kid putting his foot on the gas instead of the brake. Ryan hadn't put on a seatbelt because he didn't think they would be moving. Ryan had gone through the windshield. Ryan had been broken and bleeding in the street. And Seth had caused it.
God knows, Sandy didn't hate his son for it. It had been an accident, a mistake, Seth would never intentially hurt Ryan, they were best friend friends, brothers. At least that's what he told himself as he heard the slight tremor in Seth's voice whenever he said he'd 'accidentally' his the gas by 'mistake'. It was the one way Sandy had ever been able to recognize that his son was lying, and only on big stuff. Ryan had bigger tells, like the guilty eyes at even the little fibs, but Seth had always been a frighteningly good liar.
But he was telling a hell of a lot mroe than he was saying with that tremor.
Sandy told himself, over and over again until he believed it, that it was only Seth's only sense of guilt that caused the tremor. Seth would never intentially hurt Ryan. Never.
~~~~
Luke Ward found out when Summer called him in tears at 4 in the morning, telling him that she'd tried to wait, but Marissa was too busy with her surfer boyfriend to give a shit, and it was Seth's fault, and she had to talk to someone who gave a damn. It had taken a few minutes for Luke to understand exactly what Summer was saying, but finally he'd slumped down to the floor as he understood.
"Is Chino gonna be okay?" he asked, looking up as his dad came into the room, eyes questioning the early call.
"I don't know," Summer said quietly, her voice breaking again. "He's bad, Luke. He's really bad, and I'm really scared. I know it's stupid to call you when you can't do anything but worry and not be here, but you guys are friends, and I... I thought you'd want to know."
"No, you're... you're right. Thanks for calling, Summer."
"I'll call again when there's news, okay?"
"Yeah, thanks," Luke said, hanging up.
"Luke?"
"You remember my friend Ryan?"
"The one who came to get Seth?" Carson asked.
"Yeah, him," Luke agreed, nodding. "He was in an accident last night, a bad one. He hasn't woken up yet, and the doctors are saying he'll probably be paralyzed."
"Oh man," Carson said, sliding down to sit beside his son. "If half of what you've said about this kid is true, though, he'll pull through. He'll be okay," he offered.
"I hope so," Luke said.
The End
no subject
Date: 2008-03-28 05:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-28 07:25 am (UTC)Summer is a great friend in this story.
no subject
Date: 2008-03-28 09:44 pm (UTC)Do you have to do some physical rehab even if you're paralyzed?
I hope you'll wright more from this universe, it has so much potential * off to read eureka!Ryan *
no subject
Date: 2008-03-28 09:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-28 09:52 pm (UTC)It makes me wonder if they (Ryna, Sandy and Kristen) all know, but are too afraid of disappointing the others with the truth to tell...interesting thought.
Anyway, great job. I really enjoyed reading this!
no subject
Date: 2008-03-28 11:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-29 02:27 am (UTC)This prequel really provides a revealing and insightful platform for what is to come. By alternating perspectives, you've provided a more complete context as well. The way you include Kirsten's and Sandy's doubts- and realizations about Seth, even if unspoken or not shared with one another or anyone, sheds light on many of Seth's defining traits and behavior that goes beyond this particular time. It makes me wonder if they're feeling guilty for never addressing so much of his self-absorbed and entitled tendencies sooner rather than indulging, excusing and ignoring them, along with encouraging such an unbalanced dynamic between Ryan and Seth. They can't really deny that they weren't aware of how unequal the relationship between Ryan and Seth has been, or what Ryan has felt obligated or responsible for doing with or for Seth that hasn't been reciprocated.
That epiphany of Kirsten's, while at Ryan's bedside, has to be horribly painful. She's being forced to look at her own child and recognize what he's cost another child she agreed to protect and care for, but who ended up being at risk instead and horribly compromised while almost paying the ultimate price. That makes me wonder what is in store for her relationship with both Ryan and Seth, although the first chapter certainly shows her in a very supportive and comforting role with Ryan.
As for Sandy, he seems to know both boys tells and is in a horrible catch-22 situation. He is programmed to unconditionally love, protect and defend his child, but he can't help but see the signs that chill and sicken him. You raise the question of when he'll finally confront Seth, since Seth doesn't have the integrity or courage to be truthful, and Ryan certainly is too insecure, vulnerable, uncertain, torn and loyal to disrupt the Cohens' lives further or cause them more pain. One of his worst fears, beyond outright abandonment, is being a burden. He has to believe he's already there and any further revelation he might make could lead to him being discarded- or fracturing the family. Nothing he could say would change the road he has to struggle on now anyway. It won't turn back the clock, only unleash more problems for him. At some point, Sandy's own conscience will have to dictate what he does and how he interacts with each boy as a result.
I hadn't thought about Luke, but I really like that you've included him in this way as part of the circle of friends right from the outset. Having Summer call him when she was in such a state, and so soon, is proof of the bonds between the three of them. The way Luke reacts, and Carson's words, only add to the plausibility and add to the atmosphere that feels real in a heartbreaking way. Somehow, it's Carson Ward as a parent who must be recalling his own son's far less serious car accident, that makes the emotional impact hit with full force.
Malcolm's perspective is a wonderful way of showing the personal investment even from someone who doesn't know Ryan intimately, but who is still so moved by what he encounters and has to deal with. It might be a job, but it's also a calling and a choice he made- and regrets when it's this painful. You have both him and Emily (of course!) being so compassionate and attentive to Ryan in a way that goes beyond their basic reponsibilities. In that brief time, they're emotionally involved despite themselves. Something about Malcolm's thoughts about his former role as police officer also hints at the prevailing attitude- now and to come- towards Seth. Some so-called accidents aren't so accidental.
You've touched upon many relevant points here and so much of what's involved in the family and personal dynamics. There are a number of opportunities here, so I really do hope you continue delving into this universe, even if it means lots of Kleenex for each reading.
Thanks!