Spencer waited in the hospital waiting room. Her eyes are puffy and bloodshot from crying all night. She spotted someone she thought looked familiar. "Oh my god, thank you for flying in so soon Kyla." Spencer ran over and gave Kyla a long embracing hug.
Tears began rolling down Kyla's cheek, "Where is she? How is she doing, Spencer?"
Spencer sat down on the chair and made Kyla sit in the one next to her. Spencer grabbed a hold of Kyla's hand, "Kyla, they won't let us in right now. They are doing some more work on her. Last night, Ashley ran a red light and an oncoming semi-truck smashed into the passenger side of the car. She wasn't wearing her seatbelt, so we are so lucky she is alive. She was thrown out of the vehicle and the doctors say she has severe brain swelling and she has numerous broken bones and fractures...and the worst news Kyla; she is in a coma, and the doctors say it isn't likely for her to come out anytime soon."
Kyla's eyes begin to melt and she sobs loudly in her hands. "No, Spencer. I can't loose her."
"They are running more tests on her now and said that we can visit in about an hour." Spencer tries to hold it together for the both of them. Spencer cannot seem to hold in her tears and feelings of guilt that she did this to Ashley. Spencer breaks down in tears in Kyla's arms.
"This is all my fault, Kyla. We had a huge fight and she demanded that we either be girlfriends or nothing," Spencer sobs and tries to catch her breath, the thought of the fight breaks her up inside, "I told her we couldn't be girlfriends. I told her we were nothing Kyla! I drove her to driving, and I probably upset her and she missed the red light. Kyla, if she never wakes up, I will never be able to live with myself."
Spencer continues to sob and Kyla holds her in her arms. "Spencer, it isn't your fault. Don't blame yourself like that. Ashley is one strong bitch," Spencer and Kyla both chuckle through their tears, "And she is going to make it through this."
"It's just heart wrenching to think that if she never wakes up the last thought she had was that me and her aren't together. That I told her that we were nothing." Spencer grabs a tissue and blows her nose.
The doctor enters the room, "Ms. Carlin? You can see her now. I will give you some time with her and come back with the updates."
Kyla and Spencer both got up to walk into the room. "One visitor at a time right now. She is fragile, so one of you at a time."
"Kyla, you go first. I was in there earlier, go ahead, and take your time." Spencer held Kyla's hand as she spoke.
Kyla walks into the room and more tears rolled down her cheek. She saw a neck brace around Ashley, a cast on her arm, a cast on her leg, and she saw cuts and bruises all over Ashley's body.
"Oh my god Ashley." Kyla put a hand over her mouth surprised at what she saw. She talks aloud to Ashley, "I know you can't answer me, but I know you can hear. Ashley, you are going to get through this. You are one tough bitch, I should know. I love you, Ash. You better make it through this, or I am going to beat you up." Kyla chucked and grabbed a hold of Ashley's hand as she spoke, "Come on, Ash. Wake up; I know you can do it. I am going to stay here in Toronto until you wake your ass up." Kyla sat next to Ashley and held her hand as she continued to talk to her.
Kyla walks out of the room and grabs Spencer, "Hey Spence, go ahead I just had my time with her. Take your time." Kyla smiled and gave Spencer a hug before she went in.
"Hey, Ash, again. I miss you. I made a huge mistake with us. You better wake your ass up. I want to tell you how much I love you and how much I have missed you. I made a mistake..." Spencer started to cry again and she let go of Ashley's hand to wipe away her tears, "I made a mistake, when I told you I wanted to be just friends...I lied. I wanted to be with you, I just wanted you to suffer. I never meant for this to happen. I love you Ashley." Spencer sat next to her holding her hand. Spencer was crying in her lap when the doctor came in and startled her.
"Hello, Ms. Carlin. I am here to give you some updates. I am aware a family member has flown in, we would like to talk with her first."
"I am family to this girl and whatever has to be said to Kyla can me said in front of me too." Spencer goes out in the hall and grabs Kyla. "Kyla, the doctors want to speak to us."
"Hi. Uh Ms. Davies? Well, do you mind Ms. Carlin receiving the information also?"
"Actually, my last name is Woods. We are step sisters and yes Ms. Carlin is family." Kyla looped her arm through Spencer's and awaited the news.
"I'm afraid to tell you, that Ashley is in a coma and she is non-responsive. This means, her likelihood of waking up is slim at this moment. Once her brain swelling goes down there is a better chance of her being responsive. I must say in other cases with brain damage and brain swelling, when the patient has woke up," the doctor pauses briefly, "...this may be hard to hear. When other patients have woken up from similar injuries, most had to learn how to walk and talk again. There is a slight chance Ashley will not. Visiting coma patients frequently and talking to them has shown to improved the response rate in patients. If you two have any questions feel free to contact me and ask me anything."
Kyla and Spencer stood staring at each other stunned at what the doctor just told them. Spencer thought to herself If she has to learn how to walk and talk again...I would never be able to live with myself. Spencer started breaking down in tears.
Kyla hits Spencer on the shoulder, "Spencer! Snap out of it. We have to be strong. We have to be strong, Spencer, not just for us but for Ashley. She is depending on us."
"I've been so out there lately, Kyla. I don't know why, but I kissed another girl. I don't know what I have wanted lately. This has finally put things into perspective; I just hope Ashley takes me back this time. We have been through the ringer, just nothing like this before. I thought college would be easier on our relationship instead it has torn us apart." Spencer began crying in Kyla's lap.
"Everything will be fine, Spencer. The most important thing to focus on right now is getting Ashley awake and out of this coma. So hold it together, all right? For Ashley." Kyla consoled Spencer by stroking her hair.
"Thanks Kyla. Visiting hours are almost over. They are going to kick us out of this room soon. We can either wait in the lobby room area or we can go back to my dorm."
"Let's go back to the dorm. We need to sleep; this hospital air is making me feel sick. Plus, Ashley is going to stay the same. We will come first thing tomorrow morning."
By the time, they get back to the dorm it was around ten o'clock at night. "Hey, we gotta be quiet when we get in the dorm. Paige usually goes to bed early when she sleeps in our room. We can share my bed if she's home." Spencer grabs Kyla by the hand and drags her up the flights of stairs to the dorm room.
"Spencer, remind me again why are we taking the stairs when there is an elevator?"
"The stupid dorm security doesn't like visitors coming in past ten. So I have to sneak you up these stairs, they don't check the stairwell. Come to think of it, I don't know why." Spencer pauses for a second, "Plus, walking clears my head."
"Hey, here we are finally at my door. I may warn you, it's small." Spencer grabbed for her key and unlocked the door. She peeked into the room and notices the light is on. "Paige? You're up?"
"Hell yes, I am up. You didn't think I was worried about you. You took my car keys and darted out of The Dot two days ago...without a word. I mean, all you had to do was ask, Hun. You could have called to let me know Ashley was all right and you for that matter. Btw, who is that girl now?"
"Well, you should sit down for this. I don't want to get into details because that will just upset me right now." Spencer paused and looked at Kyla before she told Paige the horrible news, "Ashley is in a coma, she ran a red light, a semi-truck smashed into the passenger side of the car, and she was ejected from the vehicle."
Paige's mouth dropped and she was speechless for a couple minutes. "Spencer, how are you holding up? Is Ashley going to be okay?"
"I'm hanging in there; we have to be strong for her. Ash, the doctor said with time...she might wake up. It's all up in the air right now. But this is Kyla, Ashley's stepsister from home. She flew in this morning and she is going to stay here tonight with us."
Kyla reached out her arm for a handshake, "Hi, I'm Kyla. I'm sorry if I am making the room situation cramped. I can get a hotel while I stay here."
"Kyla don't be silly." Spencer remarks.
"Yeah, Kyla. You are welcomed here. Actually, since you are staying here Kyla until Ashley recovers and since Ashley isn't in her dorm...I will just bunk with Cheyenne and I will give you my bed Kyla."
"Paige, you don't have to do that." Kyla said.
"But I want to. It's going to be hard enough you out here in Toronto not knowing anyone so stay here. It's no big deal."
"All right, but you have to stay here for tonight. I'll just sleep in Spencer's bed with her. It's no big deal, not like I am going to be sleeping anyways with all this stuff on my mind." Kyla hopped in Spencer's bed.
The next day Kyla and Spencer woke up early. "Hey Kyla, did you even get any sleep?"
"Barely. I may have dozed off, but I didn't sleep at all. I am too worried." Kyla sighed.
"Same here." Spencer got up and started looking for clean clothes to change into. "Kyla, I am going to go grab a shower down the hall. You are welcome to borrow anything you need of mine."
"Thanks, Spencer. I brought some stuff I could think of. I only brought a carry on; I didn't know how long I was going to be staying. I would love to take a shower after you though."
"Of course, I'll be back in thirty." Spencer walked out of the room grabbed her shower caddy, a towel, and a change of clothes.
Spencer walked down the hall to the communal showers. Inside the shower area, Spencer bumped into Mackenzie. "Hey, Spencer! I have been so worried about you. What happened, you dashed off when we were at The Dot."
"Before I answer that, what are you doing on this floor showering?"
"Oh, the showers on the second floor are under repairs. Some weird water over flow or something. I have no idea, all I saw was a sign that said, temporarily out of order use another floors showers. Since I knew you lived on this floor, I figured the showers were safe. So what happened?"
"Oh, Ashley got into an accident and she is in a coma." Spencer felt her eyes filling up with tears, "That's all I can say, any more and I will break down again."
"Oh my gosh, Spencer. Are you all right? If you need anything, I am only a couple of floors away. Just call or stop by if you need anything. Do you want me to go to the hospital with you for support?"
"Thanks for offering to go with me but I am going with Kyla, Ashley's sister. She flew in this morning but if I ever need someone to go with, you will be the first one to know." Spencer smiled and hopped into the shower.
Mackenzie yelled from her shower stall, "Hey, call me later if you want to hang out, Spence."
Spencer nodded but then realized she could not see her, "Will do."
Once Spencer was done with her shower, she walked down the hall and showed Kyla where the showers were. After they were done showering and getting dressed, they headed to the hospital. Spencer cried on the way to the hospital. She continued to have recurring thoughts about the fight between them and how it drove her through that red light. Once they got to the hospital, Spencer shaped up and put on her game face.
"Spence, go ahead and go first. I know they will probably let us both in there, but I will let you have your private time with her."
"Thanks Kyla." Spencer leaned in and gave her a peck on the cheek and she walked into Ashley's hospital room.
"Hey, Ashley. I love you. Your bruises look better...a little." Spencer pushed a stray hair out of Ashley's face. "I brought some pictures of us; I am going to set them on the stand over here. Your mom sent a bunch of flowers and a card. She couldn't make it; she's over seas with her new boy toy."
Ashley's hand twitches as Spencer talks to her. "Oh my god! Kyla get in here!" Spencer runs to the door of the hospital room, "Hurry."
"What, what? Spencer?" Kyla looks around the room and looks at Ashley in the same condition.
"Her...hand...it moved when I was holding it."
Kyla has a surprised look on her face, "Should we call the doctor in?
"I think we should, maybe it means something." Spencer hoped it meant she was waking up and responding to her.
Kyla left the room and grabbed the doctor. "Doc, so does it mean anything?" Spencer crossed her fingers in suspense. The doctor walked over to Ashley, looked at the monitor, and looked to see if her swelling went away.
"Well..." the doctor said as he rubbed his chin, "her vitals have not changed. Her swelling looked like it has gone down some but only a miniscule amount. If you felt a hand switch or you see other body parts twitch or move on her body it is likely an involuntary muscle spasm." The doctor was paged and started heading out of the room. "Sorry, girls. Any more questions come and find me."
"Damnit. I was really hoping for something, Kyla." Spencer sat down in the chair in dismay. "Hey I will let you two alone. I am going to grab something from the vending machine, you want anything Kyla?"
Kyla shakes her head.
"I'll get you something anyways." Spencer smiled and took her time walking to the vending machine.
"Hey Ashley, why did you scare us like that? You go twitching your hand and make us think you are waking up. Just get better, Ash, take time and heal your wounds but at least wake up. You're scaring all of us." Kyla sat in silence as she held Ashley's hand.
About an hour later, Spencer showed up in the hospital room. "Spencer, where have you been?"
"I figured I would give you time with Ashley so I just sat in the cafeteria and read magazines and ate some soup."
"Oh...well thanks Spencer. Come in, sit down. She needs both of us here now."
Spencer gave Kyla a half smile and sat in the chair on the other side of Ashley. They each were holding one of Ashley's hands as they sat in silence staring at Ashley.
"I don't want to look away from her. I am afraid she will wake up and she will see that I am not looking." Spencer said as she was holding her hand.
Spencer got up and decided to look out the window.
"What's wrong Spence?"
"I don't know, I just started feeling tired all of a sudden. I just need to stand up so I don't fall asleep."
"Go home, take a nap. I'll be here."
"No, no. I will be fine." Spencer started coughing loudly and violently.
"Hey...are you all right over there?"
Between the coughs Spencer answered, "Yeah, I think the water went down the wrong pipe." After Spencer finished her coughing fit, she noticed some blood on her hand that she coughed up. Spencer quickly dismissed what she saw.
"Are you good now?" Kyla smiled.
"Yeah, I'll be fine." Spencer sat back down and grabbed a hold of Ashley's hand.
Kyla and Spencer sat by Ashley's side throughout the day in into the night. They watched countless nurses come in with their clipboards, check numbers on monitors and check Ashley's IV. Once the night rolled around the nurses kicked out Kyla and Spencer out once it was past visiting hours.
"Kyla, Kyla. Wake up." Spencer nudged Kyla on the chair until she woke up.
"What happened? Where am I?" Kyla was sleepy and rubbing her eyes.
"You fell asleep in the chair. Hey, the nurses are kicking us out. It's past visiting hours, we need to get going." Spencer helped Kyla out of the chair as she coughed into her own shoulder.
"Hey, Spence. Maybe you should get that cough checked out. You have been coughing all day long and it hasn't gotten any better." Kyla said as they were walking out of the hospital room.
"Naw, I'll be fine. I think I am just getting the flu or something. Hospitals always make me sick...with all the illness in the air. I'm just catching a cold, it will pass." Spencer smiled to assure Kyla that she was going to be fine.
Spencer turned on her cell phone once they got into the car and checked her voicemail. Hey Spencer, I assume your phone is off because you are in the hospital. I just called to tell you that the room is all yours and Kyla's. I talked to Cheyenne and she doesn't mind me taking Ashley's bed. So...yeah, give me a call back when you get this. OW! I just ran into a chair and stubbed my toe. Ow, that really hurts. I am going to stop rambling to your voicemail now.
"Kyla you have Paige's bed now. She left me a voicemail saying that she moved into Ashley's room for now."
"All right cool. Now we don't have to cram into your beds tonight." Kyla chuckled.
As Spencer went to sleep, she could not help but wish Ashley were lying next to her.
"Kyla?" Spencer listened for an answer to see if Kyla had fallen asleep. Spencer did not hear a response and shouted her name again, "Kyla, you sleeping?" Spencer did not hear Kyla respond she tipped-toed over to Kyla's bed and checked to make sure she was sleeping.
Spencer went over to her computer desk and went on the computer. She spun around in her computer chair staring up at the ceiling. She thought to herself God, I can't sleep, I can't eat, all I can think about is Ashley. This is tearing me up inside. Spencer tried to get all the worry and pain off her mind by playing with the internet. God, this isn't helping. What am I going to do? This is killing me inside; I feel all this guilt that I somehow made her drive through that red light. Be strong, Spencer...be strong.
Spencer fidgeted with random items on her desk while playing a game of solitaire on the computer. She accidentally knocked over her case of tacks on her desk onto the floor. "Damnit" Spencer said aloud. Spencer bent over and pushed them back into the box but forgot to pick one up and accidentally stepped on it. Spencer thought in her head FUCCCCCCCK! She made a fist and made motions in the air. Spencer tried to keep quiet so she would not wake Kyla up.
Spencer pried the tack out of her foot and quickly grabbed a tissue to wipe the blood off her foot. For the split second the tack punctured Spencer's foot, she felt nothing...no pain, no sign of guilt, no thought of Ashley. She just thought about the pain of the tack in her foot.
The light from Spencer's laptop woke up Kyla. Kyla rubbed her eyes and sat up on her elbows, "Spence? Is that you? What are you doing up?"
"I couldn't sleep, sorry I didn't mean to wake you. Go back to sleep."
"I'm surprised I even fell asleep. I'm glad I did, though. I am usually tossing and turning all night thinking about Ashley and how I wish she would just pull through this." Kyla stared at the ceiling as she talked.
"I know the feeling." Spencer closed her laptop and made her way to her bed. "Well, I'm going to try and get some rest." Spencer knew she was not going to fall asleep but she did not want to talk to Kyla about how she felt.
The next morning they made their way back to the hospital but today Paige came along. "Thanks for coming Paige; it means a lot to me and to Ashley." Spencer hugged Paige as she spoke. "Go ahead, you can go in alone. Me and Kyla will be waiting outside in the waiting room. Just come out and get us whenever you are ready." Spencer smiled and led Paige into the hospital room.
Paige was stunned to see what Ashley looked like. She saw the bruises and scratches healing along with everything. "Hey, Ashley," Paige sat down on the chair next to her and held her hand as she spoke, "I know you are lying there not awake or anything but I think you can hear me. I miss having you around the dorm all the time. I know it has only been a week or so since you and Spencer haven't been together but I have grown to love ya. No matter how many sarcastic comments you give me, or how many faces you make, I have grown to love them. Spencer wants to be with you, I don't know if she has told you that but she does. She just can't see it right now, but I hope when you get all better...and you will. You better wake up soon, damnit. You are making us all worry and I have to live with that pain in the ass Cheyenne. Who by the way needs to go jump off a building, I don't know how you live with her. I'm rambling now, but back to what I was saying. When you get better and wake up, I hope you will take Spencer back after all this...she really loves you." Paige stops talking and lets go of Ashley's hand. She reaches into her purse and grabs flowers and a card out of her purse, "Hey, I brought these to add to your collection. I'm going to leave these next to your bed for you."
Paige sat in silence just watching Ashley lay still, not one movement. Paige left the room and went out in the hall and got Kyla and Spencer. "Hey guys, I'm going to go now. I have to go." Paige jetted out of the hospital.
Spencer sensed there was something wrong with Paige but ignored it and went in the room to see Ashley.
Spencer and Kyla walked into the room and both smiled at the sight of Ashley. They sat down on each side of her and Spencer started talking. "Hey, Ash I miss you. I miss hearing your voice, your laugh, your stupid facial expressions," Spencer laughed and started to tear up. Kyla walked over to Spencer and rubbed Spencer's back to console her.
"It's all right Spencer."
Spencer cried in her hands and started to sob loudly.
Kyla looked at Spencer after she calmed down, "Spencer, you're not looking so hot."
"I don't feel it either. I am freezing over here." Spencer curled up in a ball on the chair and started to shiver.
Kyla came over and felt her forehead, "Spencer, oh my god, you are burning up." Kyla left the room and went to find a doctor to check on Spencer. When she came back with a doctor, Spencer had fainted and fallen to the floor.
Kyla ran over to check on Spencer. She lifted her head up and nudged her as she spoke, "Spencer! Spencer! Are you all right?"
Spencer slowly came to, "What happened? One minute I tried to stand up and all of a sudden, I felt weak. I didn't mean to scare you. I'm fine."
Kyla smiled and pushed Spencer's hair out of her face, "The doctors are going to come in a check on you."
"Don't be silly, I'm fine. I will be fine." Spencer stood up and leaned against the wall.
"Please, Spencer? If not for yourself, do it for me. I can't have two of my favorite girls sick." Kyla begged Spencer to see a doctor.
Spencer bowed her head and accepted to see a doctor.
Kyla patiently awaited Spencer's return from the doctor. Spencer came through the door, smiled at Kyla, and sat down across the room. "So...so? What happened? Are you sick?"
Spencer smiled, "The doctor said I have pneumonia. I gave him all my symptoms and that's what he said. He said it acts like the flu and I fainted because pneumonia makes me feel fatigued. But I am going to be fine, he said it will clear up in a couple of days, but I will have this nasty cough for awhile."
Kyla put her hand on her chest, "I'm glad. I am so glad it is nothing too serious."
"Me too. I just want to concentrate on getting Ashley better."
"Spencer I am going to run and get something to drink, I will be right back." Kyla dashed out of the room.
Spencer felt a tear roll down her cheek as she held Ashley's hand. "I love you, and I am never going to leave your side Ashley. Just...please wake your fucking ass up. I need you, Ash."
Spencer smiled and rubbed Ashley's hand, "You're going to wake up soon...I can feel it."
