Part 3

The trio were lead to Ashley's room but only one of them was allowed in at a time. She was still unconscious. Aiden and Kyla wordlessly gave Spencer a nudged towards the door.

"We'll be right outside." Aiden said reassuringly.

Spencer nodded before walking into the room where Ashley was. As she approached the side of the best she could feel her chest tighten and the lump in her throat rise again.

Ashley just looked so pale and swamped in the hospital bed. She wasn't used to see her girlfriend so vulnerable.

She was searching the brunettes face for any signs of what had happened but other than the IV is her left arm there was nothing visible.

She sat in the chair next to the bed and gently slid her hand under Ashley's. Finally something she felt was familiar. Ashley's skin on her own was warm and safe. But that feeling only lasted a few seconds until she saw the angry red mark on her girlfriends wrist.

She felt the tears burning her eyes again but she couldn't let them fall, she had to be strong for Ashley.

She bowed her head and kissed Ashley's hand then rested the back of Ashley's hand against her cheek. She knew she should say something, talk to her but it was weird to put it bluntly.

"I'm here. Wake up soon, Ash." she begged.

The next few hours were void for Spencer. She'd sat in the same position, Ashley's hand in between her own with her elbows resting on the edge on the bed. Her eyes locked onto her girlfriends face waiting for some kind of movement. Her mind just seemed to have shut down. She was glad because otherwise there would be way to much going on.

Finally she felt Ashley's hand tighter around her own. It only lasted a moment but that was enough.

"Ashley?" she asked softly but no response. "Baby?"

Ashley was trying to open her eyes but it felt like they were stuck together.

Spencer moved in closer to Ashley, she could see her fighting to open her eyes and suddenly she saw little slits of brown she'd missed painfully.

"Hey you."

Ashley was trying hard to focus but everything was fuzzy and far away. She knew Spencer was there, she'd always know that. And she knew what had happened until it cut off.

"Kyla?" she rasped out.

"She's fine, she's right outside."

Her eyes were closed again but her she still had a furrowed brow so Spencer leaned forward gently kissing her then moving close to her she whispered.

"It's ok, baby. Sleep, we're all here."

Ashley let out 1 more barely audible moan before her face relaxed again. Spencer sat with her for another 5 minutes to make sure she was really asleep and then slipped outside to where Aiden and Kyla were sat in the uncomfortable plastic chairs.

Both stood up when they saw her.

"She woke up for a minute. She wasn't very with it she just asked about you." She said signalling to Kyla.

The younger girl let a sad smile cross her face. "Guess she doesn't hate me."

"She never did." Spencer added softly.

"She sleeping again?" Kyla asked changing the subject.

Spencer nodded.

Aiden spoke up. "You should get some sleep too."

"No" she said simply and firmly.

Aiden let out a laugh and held up his hands defensively. "I had to try."

"One of you guys can sit with her if you want?"

"uhh… Can I?" Aiden asked. He hadn't been there for her the last time she was hospital and he was damn sure he would be this time.

"Yeah." Aiden gave her a quick hug and left the two girls in the hall.

"Coffee?" Kyla asked.

"Yeah." Spencer said with a sigh of relief as they headed down the hall to the vending machine.

As Spencer took a sip of her scalding tasteless liquid she realised that Kyla was pretty distant, even under the circumstances.

"You ok?" she asked.

"I should be asking you that."

"No. You've been through a lot today."

She shrugged. "I'm not sure." They sat down outside Ashley's room again. "I've never been as useless as I was today. And she saved me."

"She always would. Ashley's the most protective person I've ever met." Spencer said with a smile.

"But not with me. I'm like this huge walking symbol of everything she hates about her parents."

Spencer put her hand on Kyla's arm. "The whole bitchy thing with you. It's a test. You know she doesn't hate you but she couldn't have just let you in because she's terrified of being hurt and left again."

Kyla was silent. She knew how much Ashley had been hurt. Aiden had filled her in on most stuff and the rest she'd picked up. Well, maybe they'd be able to move on now. Start over as family.

Kyla leaned back in her chair and Spencer followed.

"Your turn. You ok?"

Spencer spontaneously laughed. "You mean since I came out to my dad then found out my girlfriend is in the hospital and came out to my seriously catholic mother in public during a fight?"

Kyla nodded. "Pretty much."

"I have no clue. It doesn't even matter. All that does is Ashley's ok and I'm here for her."

"Good answer."

The two lapsed into silence again.

Aiden came out of the room after a half hour when the nurse went in. He plopped down next to the girls, mimicking their slouching. They all sat in silence. It was like being stuck in limbo - they'd spent all night running on adrenaline and now it seemed like everything was just stuck. No better or worse. They were waiting to be able to get on with things. So, best to be with one another for the wait.

When the nurse had left Ashley's room, Spencer wordlessly got up and went inside. She didn't want her girlfriend to wake up alone. She had soon resumed her previous position at the side of the bed.

A little while after Ashley began to stir. It didn't seem like she was having as much trouble waking up this time.

Brown eyes looked straight into Spencer's.

"Hey baby." she said.

"Hi." Ashley's tone was a little confused.

Spencer instantly began to panic. "Oh my god, Ashley, do you know who I am?"

The brunette scrunched up her nose. "Don't be so 'while you were sleeping', Spence."

The blonde let out an audible breath of relief.

"Did I get a head transplant?" She asked with a grimace and her sad voice.

Spencer felt her heart melt. "Nope. Same pretty head as before."

"I don't think I wanna lift up my head, my brain'll fall out." She said grumpily.

"Don't say that." Spencer said with a frown.

Ashley gave her an apologetic look.

Spencer felt guilty, she knew little jokes were just what Ashley done when she was uncomfortable. She took the cup of water from the bedside table and offered Ashley the straw as a peace offering.

Ashley accepted and took a few good mouthfuls, she hadn't realises just how thirsty she was.

When Ashley was done Spencer put the cup back on the table and turned back to Ashley. She knew she couldn't put off talking about the previous day.

"Ash, what happened?"

Ashley saw just how worried her girlfriend was. The look in her eyes told her everything. Her right hand was still tightly held in Spencer's so she reached across with her left and stroked Spencer's cheek.

"It's ok. It's nothing your thinking. He didn't hurt me." She promised then she gently tugged Spencer towards her and kissed her.

Both were just relieved to get lost in each other for a moment.

When they broke apart Ashley made sure not to let Spencer get far, only enough so she could see her eyes.

"I love you." Then she watched Spencer's eyes flooding with tears. Pushing Spencer's hair out of her hair face she spoke softly. "Hey, it's ok."

Spencer let out a sob.

Ashley opened out her arms and told Spencer to lie beside her. She didn't take much convincing as she was soon in her girlfriend's arms as she cried.

Ashley stroked Spencer's hair and waited for her to calm down. Eventually she heard a small voice apologise although neither of them moved.

"Don't be." She kissed her head.

"I thought… Aiden called me and told me you were hurt and everything just stopped. I thought my insides were going to implode, without you nothing works. I've never felt anything like it, Ash."

She tightened her grip around the blonde ignoring the dull throbbing in her head. Hearing how upset Spencer was made her own discomfort irrelevant.

"You're my life now so you have to be safer. I hate your mansion. I hate your mom for never being there. I hate I wasn't with you."

Ashley cut in. "I'm glad you weren't." She paused and softened her voice. "What happened was… it just was. You can't be scared of living ok? We're both healthy and we have each other most of the time."

She felt Spencer tense a little.

"Spence?"

"Just let me lie with my girlfriend and listen to her heartbeat and be irrational for a while?" Spencer asked as she lay her head farther along Ashley's chest, closer to her heart.

"Deal." Ashley said as she let her eyes close and enjoyed the warmth for Spencer being fused onto her.