I have finally finished the next chapter which means this one is going up. And it's about time. This is kind of short, but I felt like it was a good place to end the chapter. (Some people will be very happy with the Spencer in this chapter. I hope.) There is a certain part of this chapter where I compare anger to fire. I was wondering if it sticks out oddly. I sometimes like to write in a flowery dramatic way, but I don't know if it fits well with the tone of the story.

Also, I posted a poem/story yesterday so you should check that out too. It's called The Heretic Bard and its the Spashlified and greatly revised version of my favorite love ballad. (It's the only love ballad I know.)

You know how sometimes you see something, so you act on that, but it turns out you missed the important part so it was all for nothing? That sucks doesn't it?

Spencer's PoV

At the sound of Ashley screaming I jerked off the couch and onto the floor. My skull cracked against the coffee table. I lay dazed on the ground, head pounding, until Ashley groaned in pain.

I groped through the darkness for her.

"Spencer... hospital," she gasped out between painfully rushed breaths. There was agony etched in her voice which drove me to outright panic.

Desperately I scrabbled for my cell phone. I punched in the numbers 9-1-1 as quickly as possible cooing softly to Ashley.

Finally, after an eternity of cries, moans, and shudders on Ashley's part, and unadulterated fear on mine, the ambulance arrived, ten minutes later.

I was a mess of nerves, horror, and shock by the time I got to the hospital. Trembling, I collapsed into the nearest chair when I was shuffled to the waiting room.

Please, God. Let it be anything if it's not life-threatening, I prayed. It had been a long time since I'd prayed. And here I was praying for the first time in months for my lesbian girlfriend. I wondered what my mother would think of that.

I was relieved that at least my mother wasn't here and working that night. If she had ended up with Ashley I couldn't imagine how awkward that would have been.

"Ma'am?" It was a doctor. He was in a white lab coat and he looked at me concernedly. I guessed he must have been trying to get my attention for a while.

"Sorry, just stressed," I replied. "How's Ashley?" What happened? What could have happened?

"Your friend is fine. She seems stable. She just had a miscarriage, which is unsurprising given her medical history. Although phy-"

"What?" I nearly screamed, startling the doctor. Then in a quieter voice, "She was pregnant?" fearing the answer.

The doctor realized what an awkward situation he had just entered. He continued more weakly, "Yes, she had a miscarriage, her uterus is incapable of supporting . . .".

I couldn't hear him. Ashley. Ashley. Ashley.

How could you?

She had slept with someone else. Not only that, a guy. How else would she get pregnant? No wonder she had been so distant, trying to hide what was happening to her, preparing to end it with me.

I felt my fury upon her homecoming, dampened by waves on concern, return tenfold, blazing into irrepressible inferno, fed on the wood of righteous anger. Because I had loved her, and defended her, and reached out to her after she had thrown me away to go on her happy little trip, and all I got in return was a broken heart. My brother died and she left and disappeared without a word. Nothing. How could she possibly justify that? And, God, I didn't even know what Aiden had been up to last summer either. The thought of them sneaking off in Europe made me sick.

At some point the doctor probably left because when I awoke from my anger he was gone. However a few minutes later, a nurse came and asked if I wanted to see my friend. I nodded mutely.

Ashley must have been the first person in the ward because no one else was there. The nurse disappeared after a moment. There were doubtless better things for her to do with her time than waich me stare wordlessly at Ashley.

"Why?" I managed to spit out the word between gritted teeth. Her face had closed off again, but for a moment I registered dread, pain, and resignation.

"Why are you pregnant? Did you and Aiden have a nice little honeymoon in Europe? You know, while I was grieving for my dead brother and my vanishing girlfriend," I continued with venom. "Don't worry it'll only be for a week, Spence," I mocked her with a phony cheerfulness. "So, what happened? Did you get so busy fucking your ex that you just failed to call every night. You must think I'm an idiot. And you know what you're right."

I stepped closer, fists clenched, and got into her face, snarling angrily.

"I ignored what everyone told me you were going to do. I forgave after you broke my heart. I just let you stomp all over it again. You're a slut Ashley Davies. I hate you and I can't believe I ever loved you. You're exactly what everyone says you are, and you deserve every horrible, unlucky thing that happens to you."

I stormed out of the hospital.

Then I sat on the curb and cried.