Her mouth moved as she muttered things nobody could quite make out. Her brow furrowed and her eyes glassed over as she focused on some internal point and ignored every external stimulus.
She did not look up or break her concentration even when he showed up in the doorway.
She continued to grow louder and more venomous until she shook her head, as if to clear it. She took in a breath and watched, silently, as Toby replaced the semi-wilted flowers on her bedside table with fresh yellow and purple ones.
It hurt him to see her like that. Trembling and weak-looking, unaware and uncaring of what was going on in the world around her. It had been like this since Allison's funeral, when Spencer and her friends had gotten prank messages from someone who called themselves 'A'. The other three had moved on, but it had awakened something deep within Spencer that didn't seem to want to go back to sleep.
She had started saying things that made no sense, running around and accusing people of murdering Allison, breaking into people's houses and constantly claiming she saw a hooded figure in the corner of her eye, or heard someone following her.
Her parents took her to a therapist, and after months of unsuccessful sessions and a million failed methods, the therapist convinced them it would be helpful to have her committed here, to Rosewood's psychiatric hospital. They had visited weekly, as had Toby, Emily, Aria, and Hanna. But as Spencer spiraled farther into madness, they stopped visiting. All except Toby.
Though it pained him to see her like this, so far from her confident, intelligent, witty self, he couldn't bring himself to give up on her.
He visited whenever he could, bringing her flowers and drawings that she, as far as he could tell, didn't notice. He sat and listened to her ramble until his heart couldn't take it anymore, or until she started screaming and sobbing- whichever came first.
Spencer shook her head again, once more falling silent. She turned, acknowledging Toby's presence for the first time.
"Toby."
He blinked in disbelief. She had never spoken so clearly since being there. He collected himself enough to lean closer to her. "Yes?"
Her eyes searched his, unblinking, seeming to struggle to find something within him. He noticed the dark circles under eyes and wondered how long it had been since she'd slept soundly.
She sat back, withdrawing into herself once more. She muttered something, then clutched her head in her hands and shook violently.
Toby knew what was coming next, and braced himself for her weeping. It was always so terrible sounding- so pained and unrestrained. He couldn't bear it.
But she didn't make a sound. He looked at her in confusion. She stopped moving.
He heard a whisper.
"What? Spencer, did you say something?" He wanted badly to go and hold her, but he kept away.
Her head snapped back up. "Toby." Her eyes were filled with tears. She repeated his name, over and over, growing in hysteria. "Toby. Toby. Toby. Toby."
"Spencer, I'm here. You're alright, Spence. It'll be okay."
She kept repeating his name, getting slowly quieter until her voice died out.
She took in a strangled breath. "Stay." The word was said quietly, sadly, sweetly, sincerely, almost like a sob.
He went and sat on the edge of her bed, careful to not startle her. His heart soared with joy and hope. Was she finally coming back to him?
She stared at his hand. They sat there for who knows how long, maybe minutes, maybe hours. He stared at her face and she at his hands, until her eyes closed.
She fell asleep next to him. When he was sure she was out, he gently laid a hand on her back.
He was pretty sure he saw a smile play at her lips.
