Authors Note (A/N) ZAK 194:Dear readers, I've tried to protect you from this for a while...I'm Sorry in advance for what's to come...I already smacked Taz for it... but this story is her 'gift' so what she says goes...
Authors Note (A/N) TAZ: Hi! Just letting you know that ZAK194 fought valiantly for a Hollywood ending...she's distanced herself from this chapter to work on Martyr...now...onto the story
Chapter 18: The throes of Tragedy
Aria's POV
Hanna: "I love you! I love you...please! Please don't leave me!"
Hanna's heartbreaking pleas filled the air, causing Aria to look up at the blond beside her. The girl was distraught, broken and ultimately scared but she tried to keep a brave face on for the brunette whose life they were currently trying to save. Aria glanced quickly over to Spencer and choked back a sob when she caught the weak adoring smile that Spencer was giving Hanna disappear.
'Don't die...you're not dying today Spencer...you need to live for Hanna...for your baby...I know how much you love them Spencer so fight...fight for them...'
Hanna kept declaring her love for Spencer causing both Mona and Aria to gaze at her with identical heartbroken looks. Suddenly Aria couldn't bear to look at her friend falling to pieces in front of her, so she momentarily glanced at Spencer.
Something was wrong, but Aria could not figure out what it was. Spencer was still smiling up at Hanna but it seemed frozen, it was cold as opposed to the usual warmth Spencer's smiles usually held for the blonde.
'her eyes...they seem vacant...dim somehow...like the life drai-'
The ambient sounds around her faded, she could no longer hear Hanna's pleas, Alison's screams or Emily's attempts to subdue and calm the other blonde. Curious, the artist looked closer and gasped loudly when realisation dawned on her. She immediately pulled her hand away from the wound she was covering and pressed two fingers against Spencer's trachea. The motion had went unnoticed by Hanna, who was still declaring her love for the brunette beneath them however, Mona had watched the movement curiously and expectantly stared at Aria, her expression silently asking one question, 'Anything?'
Mona's answer came in the form of a small tear rolling down Aria's cheek. That one tear caused the young Hawaiian's heart to sink. It was confirmed, on the 13th of September 2012 at 18:46 pm, Spencer Hastings had breathed her last.
Suddenly the silence had shattered, the ambient noise had returned as Aria stared at the lifeless form of her best friend, her world turning on its' head with the weight and grief of her loss. A quick glance at Mona revealed that the other girl was battling to process the loss of their friend and it was Hanna's voice that pulled Aria from her momentary trance.
Hanna: "...I love you! You hear me Spencer?... I love you!"
Mona and Aria exchanged a glance as both had come to the same realisation
'Hanna doesn't know...'
It was a combination of being caught up in supporting Hanna and distracted by Alison's rant that lead to the pit of guilt-ridden sadness settling in the chests of both Aria and Mona. Their focus had shifted from Spencer and they had literally let her life slip through their fingers. Suddenly, Hanna's tone changed from one of passionate yet panicked begging to one of sad curiosity.
Hanna: "Spencer?"
The questioning hitch accompanying Hanna's tone as she spoke her lover's name caused Aria and Mona to choke back their respective Sobs. Hanna's question had also drawn the attention of Emily, Paige and Alison and the three stilled their movements as they awaited a response from Spencer.
Aria turned to look at Mona, and her expression wordlessly stated her realisation to the other brunette 'Hanna's figuring it out...'
Aria and Mona slowly withdrew their hands from the wounds they had been respectively covering, wiped the accumulated blood on their clothes and gently held Hanna by the shoulder closest to them.
Hanna began shaking Spencer's body, her motions were gentle at first but they became desperately violent as the seconds ticked by.
Hanna: "Spencer? Spence?"
Hanna bent down and kissed Spencer's forehead and straightened herself immediately, her actions showing that she expected some reaction from the brunette. The loud wailing of sirens disrupted the silent dusk but no one had paid heed to the new arrivals.
Hanna: "Spence? Baby? Can you hear me? SPENCER!?"
A sobbing Mona and weeping Aria were still holding Hanna, but the blonde continued to violently shake the body beneath her as she wailed bitterly; her body slowly came to the realisation of her loss.
Hanna: "No...NO! NO! YOU CAN'T DIE! I WON'T ALLOW IT!"
Paige and Emily both had tears streaming down their faces as they held a now docile Alison in place. Alison was the only person yet to react to the death of the youngest Hastings. The Dilaurentis girl shed no tear, made no sound and conveyed no expression. Her face was blank of all emotion as she forlornly stared at the lifeless from of the girl she loved. Even Hanna's broken shrieks could not stir a rise out of Alison.
Hanna: "Come Back! COME BACK SPENCER!PLEASE! COME BACK TO ME BABY...please...please..."
Flashing, blue and red lights filled the evening as paramedics and cops alike rushed towards the group of girls gathered beside the forest.
The Paramedics had rushed towards Hanna, Aria and Mona. The sight of the pitchfork impaling the girl on the ground caught their attention and quickly they sprang into action. While the cops rushed to Emily and Paige and began apprehending Alison, Mona and Aria gently pulled a severely distraught Hanna away from Spencer so the paramedics had room to work
Paramedic: "Pupils unresponsive...no pulse..."
Hanna: "SPENCER!"
The EMT on the scene cast one look at Hanna and addressed his colleague
EMT: "Is there anything we can do?"
The Paramedic sighed sadly and spoke
Paramedic: "No...she's gone..."
Rigor mortis had not set in thus allowing the paramedic to pull the eyelids closed shutting Spencer's eyes once and for all. Once this had been done Hanna burst into a tears and leant on Aria and Mona for support. Paige and Emily, who had been relieved of subduing Alison, had gathered around the trio and held Hanna as best they could, the five of them drawing strength from each other in their time off loss.
Aria could vaguely hear the cops talking behind her, Alison was currently sitting in the back of a squad car while her arresting officers conversed around the vehicle.
Officer 1: "She looks deranged..."
Officer 2: "we need to take her for a psych eval..."
Officer 1: "Call it in...divert her to Radley and if the doctors think she's mentally stable then we can book her..."
Paige and Emily turned to face the officers and silently broke away from the group embrace. Emily approached the officers and spoke
Emily: "She did this...Alison...Alison killed Spencer...ta-take her to jail..."
The officers gave Emily a sympathetic look before one of them spoke
Officer 1: "It's not that simple ma'am...we need a psychiatrist to evaluate her before we throw her in jail..."
Paige: "Then...we're coming with you to Radley..."
Officer 2: "You have transport or should an officer escort you?"
Emily and Paige glanced back at a weeping Hanna which prompted the officer to speak once more
Officer 2: "I'll drive Miss Dilaurentis here to Radley in the squad car...Officer Gary can drive you to the sanatorium in your vehicle..."
Paige and Emily silently followed Officer Gary to Alison's car. The keys were still in the ignition so once the car roared to life, the trio tailed the squad car to the hospital.
Meanwhile, Aria and Mona tried to calm a hysterical and severely pregnant Hanna while the paramedics removed the pitchfork from Spencer's torso and handed it to a CSI who bagged the item as evidence. Once the object was removed, the EMT began to contain the corpse of their deceased friend in a black body bag. Tears fell freely from Mona and Aria's eyes as Spencer was being taken away from them by the EMTs. Both girls were weeping bitterly alongside Hanna when suddenly a sharp pained cry escaped Hanna's lips and caught the attention of everyone around her.
Hanna: "AH!"
The pregnant blonde clutched her abdomen in pain, causing Mona and Aria to scream in alarm
Mona: "HANNA!"
Aria: "HANNA!"
A nearby paramedic rushed over to the pregnant blonde and began to assist her.
Paramedic: "Ma'am..."
Hanna looked up at the paramedic with wide panicked eyes
Hanna: "The baby..."
The Paramedic, Aria and Mona watched a slow trickle of fluid wet the inner side of Hanna's left calf before the blonde almost doubled over in pain
Paramedic: "We need to get her to the hospital now!"
Mona and Aria sprang into action, helping the Paramedic guide Hanna to a vacant nearby ambulance. The paramedic barked orders at the EMT behind the wheel
Paramedic: "She's in labour! We need to get her to Rosewood Memorial!"
Mona grabbed the Paramedic by the shoulder and spoke
Mona: "Aria and I will take our car and meet you there..."
The paramedic quickly glanced around and found an officer milling about he signalled for the officer to come over and enter the conversation.
Officer: "What's the matter Joe?"
Paramedic: "These ladies need an escort to Rosewood Memorial...I need to get this patient to the Hospital and there's no space in the rig for them, the patient and the stiff..."
Mona, having clearly understood who the Paramedic was referring to with the word 'stiff' grit her teeth and spoke
Mona: "Spencer...Spencer Hastings...she had a name..."
The paramedic had the decency to look chastised but before Mona could bite his head off for his insensitivity, the Officer cut in.
Officer: "Joe, Take the patient and ..."
He turned to look at Mona reassuringly
Officer: "...er...Miss Hastings... I will personally drive these ladies to the hospital..."
Without another word, Joe the paramedic loaded Hanna into the back of the ambulance and once the doors were shut they ambulance sped off in a flashing sight of red and wailing sirens. Mona turned to the officer and read his name tag
Mona: "Officer Bishop?"
The officer turned to face Mona as the girl addressed him as the last squad car left the vicinity.
Mona: "I have Spencer's keys..."
The three of them rushed to Spencer's car and began to follow the exiting ambulance, none of them stopping to appreciate the subtly of the games played by the universe.
A/N TAZ: Gestures to your heart as I quote Sirius Black in Prisoner of Azkaban "The ones who love us never really leave us….you can find them in here" Spencer will return…