A/N: This is a sequel to 'Patience Still Waiting'. If you haven't read it…then I suggest you do read it before you start reading this. I know, I know…PSW is a long story, but I think you'll be glad you did read it in the end. Also, I had a lot of reviews asking if I was going to split Seth and Summer up. I'm not. Don't worry. All couples are happy, or at least…Try to be happy. Oh, and I love Ryan…So, just because I'm focusing more on Seth, doesn't mean I'm not having Ryan and Marissa in this fic. Ben, Connor and Emily will be in here as well. Okay, enough about the story…Read on and please review. I need to know if I should change the story…continue it, or throw it out of the window.

"Dr. Cohen, your wife is on line two." Grace, the receptionist, informed him. Seth handed Grace his last file of the day.

"Thanks, Grace." Seth thanked her and went to his office. "Hey." He answered the phone, slouching down in his comfy leather chair.

"Hey to you, too!" Summer replied. "When are you going to be home, Cohen? Dinner's ready and you promised Elijah that you two would do something tonight. You haven't forgotten, have you?" She asked. She knew their eight-year-old would be disappointed if Seth had forgotten.

"No, no, no. Of course not." Seth assured her. "I'm leaving now. I'll be home in ten minutes, okay?"

"Fine. Oh, pick up some dinner!"

"Didn't you just say dinner's ready?" Seth questioned. "I thought you made something."

"Cohen! I've been occupied all day by entertaining our son. Apparently, he doesn't believe in any sunshine and would prefer to stay in the house all day. We really need to find him something to do for the summer. And fast, because he's driving me nuts."

"Okay, okay. Gotcha, find something for Eli to do. Okay, I'll pick up some Chinese. I'll be home soon, bye." Seth dropped his phone down on the cradle and grabbed his jacket. He told the receptionists to have a wonderful evening and left the office.

Seth walked over to his car, the only car in the parking lot, and took out his keys. He dropped his keys on the ground by mistake and bent down to pick them up. "Ow." He mumbled to himself, as he stood back up. His back had been killing all day and for some odd reason, this morning he had a hard time lifting his feet over the bathroom tub. Something was wrong, but he wasn't sure what. "Forty isn't old, is it?" He asked himself as he picked up the Chinese food. He shook his head and starting laughing. "Great, I'm talking to myself." He pulled up to his street and drove slowly as he passed Ryan's house. He wondered if he was home right now. They hadn't talked in over two days, which was something new. They were usually inseparable. Much like Marissa and Summer.

"Finally!" Summer hugged Seth and took the Chinese food from him. She unloaded the food on the table and called over Eli.

"So, what did you do today, Eli?" Seth asked, in between bits.

Eli shrugged. "The usual."

"Ah, video games and comic books." Seth laughed.

"And bugging me." Summer added.

"I did not." Elijah shoved some rice into his mouth. "You bugged me, mom. I didn't ask you to play video game with me all afternoon."

Seth shot her a look and Summer blushed. "Hey, I need to practice if you want to beat you two." She quickly said. She grabbed her empty plate and took it to the sink. "So, are you two going to a movie tonight or something…Like the IMac or whatever?"

"IMAX." Seth corrected her.

"Whatever. So, what's playing there?"

"Something about scuba diving." Seth replied, picking up the brochure beside him. "So, are you up to it, Eli?" He asked.

"Are we going with Uncle Ryan?" He asked. They usually all went together.

"If you want."

"Okay, I'll go call Emily." He said, running away from the kitchen table and picking up the phone.

Seth was exhausted. He leaned back in his chair and sighed.

"You okay, Cohen?" Summer asked, rubbing his shoulders.

"Yeah, I'm good. Just tired." He kissed her, tasting her strawberry lip-gloss. "It was just a long day at work, that's all."

"You know what?" She asked. "I think you need to get away from the office. The last time you took time off was when Elijah had the chicken pocks two years ago, and that wasn't even a vacation. We were all miserable."

"Summer, I can't take time off."

"Why not?" She pouted.

"Because I have patients who depend on me."

"Cohen, there are other doctors there besides you. Please, just take a week off? We could get away from Newport and have a family vacation. I know Eli would love it." Summer said. Seth smiled at her and shook his head. "At least think about it?"

"Fine. I'll think about it." He replied. He knew he wasn't going to think about. As much as he wanted to go on a vacation with Summer and Eli, he knew that he had patients depending on him. Also, he loves his job. A week without helping children would crush his poor little heart. Damn, when did he ever get like this? He laughed to himself.

"What's so funny?" Summer asked.

"Nothing. It's nothing."

"Okay." Eli interrupted them. "Uncle Ryan is coming with us and Connor too. Emily won't come because she's afraid of water."

"Right. I forgot about that." Seth said.

Elijah ran upstairs to his bedroom to grab something while Seth waited by the door for him. "So, what are you going to do tonight, without me." He asked Summer.

"The usual."

"Ah, I see. Marissa's coming over?"

"Yup." She replied.

Eli came back downstairs and ran out the door over to his Uncle's house.

"I'll see you later." Seth kissed Summer and left.

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"You okay, Seth?" Ryan asked, as he watched Seth walk over to the car. "You're limping."

"What?" Seth asked. "I'm fine." He took out his keys and they dropped to the ground again. "Crap, second time today." He mumbled to himself, as he bent down. He grabbed his keys and couldn't move.

"Dad, can you unlock the car?" Elijah asked. He was waiting next to Connor at the car door.

"Hey, you plan on getting up soon? Or would you like us to leave you here?" Ryan joked.

Seth winced in pain as he stood back up. He threw the keys over to Ryan. "I think you should drive." He said and then climbed into the passenger seat.

Ryan started the engine and drove out of the parking lot. Connor and Elijah were talking back and forth between each other about the movie in the back seat. Ryan glanced over at Seth. He could tell something was up. "You okay?" Ryan asked.

"What?" Seth asked, looking away from the window.

"You look…Like you're in pain or something."

"Can I blame it on old age?" Seth joked.

"We're not old." Ryan replied, gripping the steering wheel.

"Dad, give it up." Connor said from the back seat. "At the age of forty, you get considered old. Face it." He laughed.

"That's not true. Your Grandma and Grandpa…They're old." Ryan replied, stopping at a red light. "They've retired to a life of golf. So, they're old."

"Old timer's." Connor corrected. "You guys are 'old'. There's a difference."

Seth shook his head and laughed. "I'm fine, Ryan. Really. I'm just tired, that's all."

"Okay." Ryan said, but didn't believe him.

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Elijah woke up the next morning to the sound of his dad's alarm clock. Usually it only lasted a minute or two and then he could hear his dad curse at it and shut it off. This morning was different. The alarm had been buzzing for over five minutes now and all Elijah wanted to do was sleep in. He threw off his covers and walked down the hallway to his parent's bedroom.

"Dad!" Elijah banged on the door. "It's summer, I want sleep."

"Okay." He heard his mom mumble. "Cohen." She slapped his arm. "Turn off the alarm."

Seth mumbled incoherently, as he brought his hand over the alarm clock. It felt like such a huge task to do something so small. He groaned loudly as the buzzer shut off. He was not in the mood to get up at all right now. Just the thought of sitting up in his bed was giving him a headache already.

"Cohen, you're going to be late for work." Summer sat up in the bed and looked down at him.

Seth sighed and brought himself up to a sitting position. He smiled at Summer and leaned in for a kiss.

Summer pulled herself back. "Cohen, you haven't brushed your teeth yet. Your morning breath is deadly. Back off." She warned him, putting her hand to her mouth. Seth kissed her hand and shifted on the bed. Summer could see how much the struggle it was for him to pull his feet over the side of the bed. "You okay? Maybe you're coming down with something. I know the flu going around. Hey, a reason to stay home…with me!"

Seth waved her off. "I'm fine." He said, walking over to the bathroom. Seth shut the bathroom door behind him and went straight over to the medicine cabinet. He grabbed a bottle of back pain medicine and tore it open. He cupped a mouthful of water and swallowed a pill. After checking himself over in the mirror he turned on the shower and tossed his boxer's to the side. He cautiously climbed into the shower stall, wincing in pain as he brought his foot over the edge.

After his shower Seth walked back into the room to find Summer still sitting up in bed. It looked as though she was waiting for him.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay home today? We could do something fun…Without Elijah, if you know what I mean."

Seth laughed at her and leaned in to kiss her, but Summer brought her hand up to her mouth again. "I brushed." He said. Summer removed her hand and they kissed.

"So, not even sex can make you stay home from work now?" Summer questioned.

Seth pulled on his dress pants, looking up at her. "I didn't say that."

"Then stay home." Summer replied.

"I can't. I have patients today that have appointments with me. I promise I'll take some time off later. Just not today, okay?"

"Fine." Summer pouted.

Seth gave her another kiss. "I'll see you later." He said and then left the bedroom. Seth grabbed a bagel on his way out, before he into his car to drive to the office. Throughout the whole drive there, all Seth could think about was the pain he had in his legs, back and arms. He wasn't sure if this was just an old age/back problem. This was something more – he knew it had to be. He was only forty. His dad didn't even show signs of back problems until he was fifty and that was only because Sandy surfed. Seth didn't surf.

Seth pulled up to the lonesome parking lot and parked his car in his respective parking spot. He held his breath as he opened the car door and climbed out. Damn, Seth thought to himself, something was up. The first thing he was going to do today was find out exactly what was wrong with him.

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