Chapter 50

Ashley and Alex struggled with each other, both falling hard onto the floor which allowed the gun that Alex was holding to fall from her grip and slide toward the entrance of the locked bedroom door. They roll back and forth on the floor, feet kicking and arms swinging at the other, each one trying to gain dominance over the other. Alex frantically tried to get free from Ashley's grip so she could retrieve the gun that fell from her grasp. Ashley realizing this held onto Alex even tighter.

Alex looked deep into Ashley's eyes as they struggled in each other's arms and for the first time in their long acquaintance with each other, Alex was frightened of what she saw. Ashley's eyes had turned black as coals, her face flushed and her grip was unrelenting. Ashley was like a woman gone mad.

///

After another desperate call to the police, they finally arrived at the Carlin residence. Glen shows them in and directs them upstairs toward the bedrooms. "This is my dad Arthur Carlin," Glen said to the two officers. "Hello, I'm Officer Green and this is my partner Officer Mason, what's seems to be the problem."

"What seems to be the problem? Don't you here the commotion going on in there?" Glen said angrily pointing to the bedroom door.

"Glen I'll handle the police go help Aiden." Arthur with Wardell Van Der Meir's help, tried to explain the situation as best and as quickly as they could. Everyone outside the door heard the scuffle taking place inside the bedroom than they glance at the officers wishing they would do something besides stand there listening to the scuffle along with everyone else.

"It sounds like a fight has ensued," the officer said nonchalantly. "Can you open the door?" Officer Green asked. "No, it's locked."

"Is there another way into the bedroom? You know like a wall terrace outside near the window or perhaps you have a tall ladder we could use and climb in through the window."

"No," Arthur said again, "besides she would see you coming, I told you she has a gun."

"Hmm, yes I forgot you did say someone had a gun." On my God do we really need these idiots here? Arthur and Wardell thought.

"Officer Green what do you plan on doing?" Paula anxiously asked. "Well…"

At that moment, Aiden began banging on the door. "Ash open up," he yelled.

///

Ashley and Alex were still wrestling on the floor. Ashley healthier than she was the last time she and Alex had a physical confrontation was able to straddle Alex, raising her fist, she hit Alex in the jaw. "Ow, get off me, you're hurting me," Alex yelled.

Ignoring her yells and cries Ashley was now solely focused on ending Alex's life, reaching her hands up to Alex's neck she began choking her. "Ashley you're choking me," she coughed. Ashley was in a trancelike state of mind, the more Alex whined for her life the tighter her grip became. Alex's eyes began to turn red and protrude outward, her breath coming in shallow bursts, "Ashley please, I can't… breathe you can't do… this, you're a doctor," she gasped pleading with Ashley to turn her neck loose while clawing at the fingers on her throat trying to pry them loose. "You took an oath to save lives… not take it. YOU'RE A DOCTOR, ASHLEY," Alex choked out, desperately gasping for air.

Ashley stared at Alex relaxing the tight grip she had on her neck. "You bitch… if Spencer dies I will come after you with every fiber in my body and use my surgical skills to cut your fucking throat." After Ashley spoke those words, she raised her fist and slammed it into Alex's face knocking her out or so she thought. As she was pulling herself off Alex and heading toward the door to unlock it, Alex grabs Ashley's ankle, tripping her. "Bitch… let go of me," Ashley shouts.

"No Ash, you can't leave me, you don't know what you're saying what about us."

"There is no us Alex," Ashley vehemently said as she kicked Alex in the face with her free foot causing her to fall backwards onto her back.

Looking at the door she hears the police trying to break it down and Aiden yelling for Ashley to stand back, "we're going to break the door down." "Aiden I'm coming don't break it down." She unlocks it than runs over to Spencer.

"Spencer," Ashley whispers cradling her in her arms. "Aiden call an ambulance Spencer has a head injury. I think she may have a contusion."

"Right away Ash," he said pulling out his cellphone.

Arthur and Paula rush over to Spencer. Arthur lifts his unconscious daughter off the floor and lays her down on her bed. Ashley cradles Spencer's head in her lap waiting for the ambulance to come. "Oh God… Spencer don't die on me," she said crying.

"Why is she unconscious?" Paula asked Ashley.

"Alex hit her in the head with the butt of her gun. More than once judging by the extent of the wound."

With everyone's attention on Spencer, Alex was able to get up unnoticed and pick up the gun that still laid by the door. "Ashley! Get away from Spencer," she yelled, screaming so loud it startled everyone in the room, including the police. Pointing the gun at Spencer's unconscious body that laid on the bed she pulled the trigger.

Wardell entered the bedroom to make sure his daughter was all right and cooperating with the police. To his surprise he saw his daughter standing with the gun pointed in Spencer's direction. The police were so focused on what had happened in the bedroom they didn't notice Alex's movements. "Alex don't," he yelled. Wardell rushed over and tackled his daughter to the floor, the bullet fired from the gun hit the window, shattering it. The police finally realizing what was happening came to Wardell's aid, having to forcefully restrain Alex just to put the handcuffs on her.

"Please don't hurt my daughter," Wardell said to the police. "She's in a fragile state of mind."

"Well she and her fragile mind are going to jail," Officer Green angrily said.

"Her mother and I are going to follow you down to police headquarters," Wardell informed the police officers.

"That's fine if it floats your boat, but she's not getting out of jail tonight, not with an armed weapon charge and attempted murder, against her. No sir, your daughter's going to be booked than she's going to be arraigned at a bail hearing. You would be better off using your time to finding her a good lawyer. Put her in the squad car," Officer Green said to partner.

"Daddy, mommy, please don't let them take me away. Ashley… Ashley I love you. ASHLEY!" She screamed as they took her away. Ashley shook her head in disbelief while still cradling Spencer in her arms, wiping away the blood that was still rolling down her face.

Wardell's POV

I couldn't believe my eyes when I walked into the bedroom. My daughter was standing near the wall pointing a gun in Spencer's direction. I would have gone into the bedroom when everyone else had but I couldn't because I had to calm my wife down before going to see about Alexandra. She was on the verge of an emotional collapse. So I stayed with her until she calmed down. Once I was sure she was okay, I focused my attention on my daughter. Walking into the bedroom, I thought the police would be questioning my daughter about why she did what she did. But no, they were just standing around, doing nothing, those incompetent asses. They seemed at a lost as to what to do. I'll make sure I speak to the police commissioner about the way this situation was handled. Those officers were complete idiots from the time they stepped into the house.

I hear my daughter shouting for Ashley to get away from Spencer and to my horror, I see Alex's finger pulling back the trigger on the gun. Oh my God, "Alex don't," I yelled than I rushed over to her, tackling her to the floor. When I snatched the gun out of her hand, I looked into her eyes. She was completely out of it, her eyes were void of any emotions. That is until the police came over to put handcuffs on her. Now they wanted to do something. She started crying not to let the police take her away and screaming Ashley's name repeatedly. I felt sick to my stomach, she's my daughter, I have to help her. I apologized to the Carlin family and took my wife home.

///

"The ambulance is here Ash, Aiden said.

"It's about fucking time. What took them so long to get here?" She complained. "Aiden call ahead to the ER and tell them Spencer is unconscious. We'll need to get an X-ray of her skull and have a surgeon ready. She may need surgery," Ashley said.

"What do you mean she may need surgery Ashley?" Arthur asked.

"She might have a blood clot with some tissue swelling, if so it will need to be surgically removed or repaired to relieve the pressure."

The paramedics put Spencer into the waiting ambulance. "I'm riding with her," Ashley informed them.

"Alright Dr. Davies, let's go."

"Ashley we'll meet you at the hospital," Aiden tells Ashley before they closed the ambulance doors. She nods.

On the ride to the hospital Ashley just stares at Spencer caressing her cheek wishing and hoping she would wake up. "God, Spencer please wake up. What's her pulse rate and blood pressure," she asked the paramedic.

"Her pulse is normal doctor but her blood pressure is low and dropping and her pupils are dilated and unresponsive. She'll probably need surgery."

"Yes but I'm hoping the x-ray will say differently," Ashley said worried and anxious to get to the hospital.

///

"Put Ms. Carlin in treatment room one," Madison said, as the ambulance finally reached the hospital and Spencer is rolled into the emergency room. "Dr. Davies what happened?"

"Alex happened Madison, the bitch went berserk. Is the surgeon ready?"

"I think you should talk to Dr. Phillips when he finishes examining Ms. Carlin or is it Mrs. Davies," Madison asked.

"No… we didn't quite make it to the altar Madison," Ashley said tears falling down her cheeks.

"Dr. Davies why don't you wait with her family while Dr. Phillips exams her," Madison said noticing the torn garment and blood splattering on Ashley's wedding gown. "And I'll get your lab coat to wear over your dress."

Ashley looked down at herself not realizing the condition her attire was in, "thanks Madison."

"Ashley come sit down," Paula said grasping Ashley's hand. "She'll be alright, you'll see." Arthur smiled watching Paula comfort Ashley. Those two have come a long way, he thought.

Dr. Phillips comes out, "is the Carlin family here?" "Yes," Arthur said.

"Dr. Phillips what's happening with Spencer," Ashley asked.

"Dr. Davies your fiancée is in a coma right now. We did an x-ray and a CT scan of the skull. She has a hematoma that's applying pressure and swelling to the brain, it needs to be surgically removed."

"Okay who's going to do the surgery? Are you prepping her now? I'd like to see her before she goes into surgery."

"Dr. Davies there's only three surgeons qualified to do the surgery that your fiancée needs to have. One is on vacation in Europe, he won't be back until tomorrow and we can't wait that long, the other was brought in yesterday with a broken wrist. He fell on it playing ball with his son. The third one Dr. Davies is you, now that you're back on the surgical rotation."

"ME! Oh no I can't operate on Spencer. I'm too emotionally involved."

"Dr. Davies you are the only one left to do the surgery." Ashley just stood there, stunned. "I can't."

"If you don't Dr. Davies she will remain in a coma indefinitely. You know this."

Arthur took Ashley aside, away from everyone to talk to her. "Ashley you have to do this. You are the only one qualified. If you weren't capable of doing surgeries Wardell would not have put you back on the surgical rotation."

"That's not the point Arthur, I am too emotionally attached to Spencer. My judgment is cloudy, my hands are shaking, she's my life. If I make one mistake because I couldn't think right or act fast enough she could be in a coma for the rest of her life, if I don't kill her first."

"Ashley stop thinking like that, you are a brilliant surgeon who knows how to put her emotions aside to save a life. The family trusts you, I trust you and Spencer trusts you."

"Ashley look at me," Arthur said, "we believe in you and your ability to do the surgery on Spencer. It's in yours and God's hand. He will guide you."

Dr. Phillips walks over to Arthur and Ashley, "I'm sorry to interrupt but we're running out of time. You have to get in there and relieve the pressure before it does permanent damage."

"Alright Dr. Phillips get the surgical team ready and I want Dr. Dennison to assist me."

A/N: Well I do believe this story is coming to an end, sorry Simplet77. Maybe one or two more chapters left. I hope you enjoyed this one.