Adopted by Dear Evan Hansen: Could we go on For Forever?

People Suck

TW: Mentions of Assault

**Laura's POV**

I was on the set of The Politician when a phone started to ring.

"Whose phone is that?" Zoey asked.

"That's mine," I ran offset and to my phone on a table by craft services.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Is this Laura Dreyfuss?"

"Yes, who is this?"

"My name is Mr. Hunter, I'm the attendance secretary at Charleston High School."

"Hi, Mr. Hunter. Can I ask why you're calling? Has anything happened to Ryder?" I saw Ben perk up and walk over.

"There was a fight. Ryder is now at Carter Children's Hospital."

"What?" I hugged my phone to my ear with my shoulder and scribbled,

Ryder is in the hospital

On a napkin. Ben ran into a dressing room and changed, resurfacing in street clothes. I passed my phone off to him and let Mr. Hunter explain it all again to Ben as I changed.

"Thank you, Mr. Hunter," Ben was saying as I rejoined him.

"Sorry, Brad," I waved at this episode's director and show's creator, "Ben and I have to go."

"What? You can't leave!"

"OUR DAUGHTER IS IN THE HOSPITAL!" Ben shouted, "WE'RE LEAVING!"

"Daughter?!" Some of our castmates and the crew repeated.

I did hear Lucy say, "I thought you were gay."

We did hear one, "Is everything okay?"

"We'll let you know later," I replied to no one in particular.

Ben and I ran to the subway and down the streets of New York City to Carter Children's Hospital.

"We're looking for Ryder Hansen," Ben told the nurse.

"Are you family?" he asked, not looking up from the computer.

"We are. We're two of Ryder's guardians."

"How many guardians does she have?" The nurse looked up.

"Five," I answered, "Do you have a problem with that?"

"No," the nurse looked back down at his computer, "Ryder Hansen, room 225. Second floor, take those elevators over there or the stairs, which are right next to the elevator."

"Thank you."

Ben and I took the stairs because the elevator never came fast enough. We found room 225 and burst in expecting the worst, but found Ryder sitting up in a bed with an IV in her elbow and an oxygen tube in her nose. She already had a black eye and a couple of scratches and bruises over her arms and face. Mike was laying in bed beside her and the two were watching something on Mike's phone, something funny by the amount they were laughing.

"My God, Ryder," I found myself going into what she called my "Mama Bear" mode, "What happened?!"

I ran forward and wrapped my arms around her.

"Mom, can't...see...Dad's...phone," Ryder shrugged around my arms.

"Is that what's important to you right now?" I demanded, pushing back and Ryder shrugged.

"To be fair," Mike began, "It is Animaniacs."

"Not now, Mike," I didn't take my eyes off my daughter, "How come you were in a fight?"

"Some idiot boy asked Brooklyn if she'd go out with him and she politely said no and we started to walk away, but he pulled her back by grabbing her arm, which definitely made me mad. She told him to leave her alone and let go but he didn't, so I punched him in the nose. I then started to walk away with her but he kept trying and I didn't know how else to act."

"Never resort to violence," Ben interjected.

"Ben," I held up my hand, "Ryder, are you okay? Did this boy do anything to you or your friend?"

"No," Ryder shook her head, "That guy thought he was going to beat me in the fight but I kicked his butt. All my years as a foster kid toughened out my edges, not to mention the many fight circles I've been in. I haven't lost a fight since I was nine."

"Get out, Mike," I told him, keeping my eyes on Ryder.

Mike did what he was told and I took his spot beside Ryder. I pulled her against my chest and hugged her tight.

"It was so scary," I felt Ryder's tears on my shirt.

"I know," I kissed her head and rubbed her back.

"What... Just... Happened?" I heard Ben say to Mike.

"No idea," was Mike's reply.

"Ryder," I pushed her back and looked into her green eyes, "He didn't hurt you? I don't need to go and beat some kid up?"

"I did that for you," Ryder laughed through her tears, "I got away with not very much. I gave him some things to remember me by, including a broken nose and a broken wrist."

"You broke a kid's wrist?" Mike and Ben exclaimed at the same time.

"And his nose."

I couldn't help but laugh at the pride in her voice, "That's my girl," I whispered, "Good job."

Okay, so I know that The Politician probably didn't film in New York, but for the sake of the story - it did