Chapter 76*

Jason's POV*

Aria walked away from me as the announcement began, moving forward to get a better look. I could feel the excitement radiating off of her, the energy building in the room. For just a moment, I wanted to ask Spencer and Hanna about what had happened with their meeting. But it could wait. This was the moment that this was all about. The happiness that Aria exuded was the most important thing to focus on, the rest could wait for another time. Tonight wasn't about hunting for Charles, or focusing on the negative. She had worked hard for this, and as she moved to the front of the crowd, anticipation building, I just wanted to see her hard work pay off. It might have been naive or biased of me, but I was sure that she was going to win. Even though she had deflected any time that I had expressed interest in seeing her work. She had a unique eye for detail and I knew it would translate to her photography. Ali had always talked about how Aria was the artsy one, and it had been apparent in everything about her, from her clothing and hair to the way she moved and spoke. It wasn't just that she was an old soul, more that she had a different perspective on the world, making connections I didn't see at first.

The woman at the podium was speaking, pulling my attention towards the front of the gallery, while I stayed a little ways back from Aria and her mom. Like the girls, I was letting them have this moment. Her posture was rigid with anticipation as the speaker moved to the side and an attendant moved the velvet barriers currently blocking the shadowed display area. It was like everyone in the gallery was holding their collective breath, the moment we had been waiting for finally coming to pass.

As the lights came up, I spotted it immediately. Aria's name was centered directly in front and the moment I saw the images below I knew that something was wrong. Dread instantly pooling in my stomach before I could put the feeling into words. Aria never would have put a display of only her and the girls. No matter how much she loved her friends. I didn't think she had even taken a self-portrait since the bunker, she had been shy about showing her face, not wanting to be seen any time that we went out. To put herself on the wall that large just wasn't like her. Immediately, my attention pulled to the dark haired girl in front of me. Shock roiling off her in waves like panic. This wasn't right.

"Oh my god." I heard Hanna's voice to my left, surprise at seeing the pictures no doubt.

They had to be pictures from the bunker, but at least it wasn't enough that most people would understand what it was. I was just guessing, after all. The images were unsettling but would seem posed to most people. There were some mumbles behind me, commenting on the displays of various finalists, but nothing out of the ordinary. I didn't want to draw unnecessary attention to the fact that those weren't the right pictures on display, staying quiet and just being here to support Aria was the best move. And then the images in the large black frame under Aria's name changed. I heard gasps at that. It wasn't supposed to happen. The expectation of only 4 photos, blown up large enough for a detailed view of what the artist had intended was the clear standard. One that had just been broken. And suddenly, what had only been impacting Aria and her friends was now spreading to others, as the attention of everyone in the gallery was suddenly riveted to those frames.

The images were hard to look at, the raw pain and anguish which dripped from each photo turned my stomach and made me want to puke. The color of Aria's blood was too intense as she hauled herself across broken glass, body seemingly wrapped in a torn white sheet, that was slick with her blood where it poured from cuts where she had come into contact with the glass, dotted with glistening spots that could only be glass buried in her skin. On the other side of the photos, Spencer looked terrified at the prospect of the blood that was covering her skin and clothes. Her wide eyed gaze and rigid tension screaming out from the silent image, more haunted than I had ever seen my sister. I winced at the sight of the stress position that Emily had been forced into, hadn't Spencer mentioned that she had a bad shoulder? That pose was bad enough if you didn't have any injuries, but that had to have done long term damage to her joints. And the disgust and despair that showed in Hanna's eyes was a sucker punch to the gut. Ali hadn't ever been subtle in her digs at the girl when she had been heavier. It was another of those things that somehow lingered in my memory when everything else had been washed away, the way that Ali had mocked the girl for her weight and eating habits. Every photo laid bare their pain for the world to see, peering into the torment that they had suffered through.

It felt like the gallery was still in shock when the images all changed again. Every photo held a picture of Aria now. Her porcelain skin bared to the world and covered in nothing but bruises in two of the photos. I looked away, turning my attention to Aria who was shaking where she stood. I watched her back for her breathing, but her ribs weren't expanding in the usual rise and fall of breath, she was too still, the only movement discernable beneath her leather jacket was in time with the shaking of the dark curls against her neck.

"That's sick." I heard someone behind me say, a voice I didn't recognize.

I couldn't look at the photos. Hated that they were on display, when I knew that Aria didn't want this shared with the world. She had barely managed to tell her best friends about what had happened to her. I didn't want my memories of her to include the way that Charles had tortured and broken her. The images of the dark hand prints wrapping around her throat was bad enough already, I didn't need to think about the moment that they had happened. Though I knew that the sight of the dead look in her eyes, identical in every photo, would be seared into my memory forever.

I knew the photos changed again when the gallery as a whole seemed to take a collective breath, waiting for what was to come next. I glanced up at the photos again, even as I moved to be closer to Aria, worried by her shaking. They were coming up slowly, one at a time with the same images of the girls like corpses, but with red words written across their chests. I was right behind Aria by the time her photo came back up. Heard the way that her leather jacket moved against her skin while she choked on air, the noise unsettling and unlike anything I had ever heard before. It wasn't sputtering, but not quite hyperventilating either. Her movements as her body spasmed for air without reprieve were horrifying to witness.

"Aria?" I asked, worried that she was spiralling.

She didn't respond, instead she started to collapse and time dilated as I lunged forward, catching her in my arms before she could hit the ground. All the noise from the crowd disappearing into the background. It didn't matter. She was so light in my arms, her frame so small beneath the layers of clothing that I knew she was wearing to keep out the cold and protect her from the world around her.

"Someone call 911." A voice above me said, but I was focused on Aria.

Getting her safely down to the ground, I laid her out. Immediately feeling for her pulse. It was racing, but strong beneath my fingers. A good sign, and enough to quell some of the panic that had threatened to overcome me. I could feel her breath had steadied, the rise and fall of her chest easing to a normal even pattern. I tapped her cheek, trying to get her to wake up. She wasn't responding and I wished that I had learned more than just basic first aid. My mind sped up, or at least the world around me slowed down as my focus dimmed to just Aria. Her face was completely smooth in her unconsciousness, the way it was when she was sleeping peacefully. And it eased some of the terror at the situation. Still I had seen her collapsed on the ground too recently not to be stressed.

"Is she breathing?" a high straining voice asked, panic cascading through the words.

"Yeah, she's breathing. Her pulse is racing." I answered back, letting my fingers return to the thudding beat in her neck, feeling the reassuring beating once again.

There was a rest position that I knew you were supposed to put people into if they were unconscious, at least that had been a critical component of party care. No one wanted to choke to death on their own vomit, and I thought it was the same for if someone had fainted. I cradled her head in my left hand while using my right to grip her hip and roll her onto her side. She was limp, her body completely dead weight but it still wasn't enough to be a challenge to move her. Just how much weight had she lost since she had been taken? She had been taking anti-nausea meds I knew, a half mentioned thought from earlier this week, but it didn't seem like she was able to gain any of the weight back. And I knew from some mornings, that she barely picked at her breakfast, playing with it more than eating. The worry about the cold pressed at my mind, but I pushed it back. Focusing in on the moment instead. I managed to position her to prop herself up with her head resting on her right arm and mouth angled downwards, causing her hair to fall over her face. I brushed it back, needing to watch her breathe to keep the fear that she was about to die at bay.

"The paramedics will be here in just a few minutes." a calm voice sounded from above me and I glanced up to see Lt. Tanner standing there, calm as could be.

I was surprised to see her here, her presence pulling me back into the happenings around me. There was no way she hadn't been at the exhibit, if she hadn't already been here then she wouldn't have been able to get in and work her way past the crowd that quickly. But looking behind her, I realized that the crowd of attendees had been pushed back, by what seemed to be undercover police officers who had been acting as other attendees. My gaze flickered back to Tanner before returning to Aria. What had been going on here? I couldn't make sense of the situation, too much of my attention was still focused on the unconscious girl next to me. This wasn't Tanner's jurisdiction, and it didn't make sense for her to go out of her way to just attend a gallery opening. But it looked like at least half the people in this room were law enforcement.

"How could you let this happen?" Ella's voice sounded, her anger impressive in the moment.

I hadn't realized that she was crouched down next to me, hovering over Aria's other side and watching for her daughter's breathing. She had reached down to check Aria's pulse herself, hand lingering next to her neck. It was surprising to see, I had been so focused that she had just been in the background and now was in full technicolor as she glanced between Aria and Tanner. Face oscillating between fury and fear.

"You said you could keep her safe." Ella practically hissed out, but I could hear the desperation in her voice. The fear that Aria wasn't okay, that this was her fault for saying yes.

"We don't know yet what happened. It's possible that this is just a result of stress." Tanner dismissed easily, glancing over at Spencer and the other girls. "We'll need to speak with everyone that interacted with Aria tonight, and examine any food she might have eaten. Was Aria ever alone tonight?"

I kept my focus on Aria, watching for changes to her breathing or possibly waking up. It seemed like Tanner had been keeping an eye on things. And suddenly the comment from Emily earlier about keeping Aria company clicked. I had thought she was just looking out for Aria's nerves, knowing that the smaller brunette was feeling overwhelmed with her first gallery display. But as Tanner asked about who had been around Aria tonight, I realized that it had been wanting to keep someone trusted near Aria to keep an eye out for anyone trying to hurt her. I wished that someone had told me that was what I was doing. Now I worried that somehow in the few minutes we were walking alone in the gallery someone had done something to hurt her.

"She only had one of the mini quiches." Ella started, looking up from Aria to Tanner.

"And she was with either Mrs. Montgomery, Jason, or me the whole time." Emily explained, her voice a little strained from what was happening.

Looking at the girls, I was amazed that they were holding it together so well. Hanna was the only one still staring at the wall that held their photos, clearly lost in thought as she watched for anymore changes to the frames, her eyes darting back and forth between the four frames. The other two were studiously avoiding looking at them, instead focusing on Aria and Tanner. They had far too much experience working through emergencies, it was a disturbing adaptation.

"Hey, what's going on? Did anyone see what happened?" a new voice joined the small group, as two paramedics approached us with a stretcher between them. The stretcher hit the ground with a thud along with a heavy med kit. Then they started pulling gloves on.

I moved out of the way hesitantly as the female paramedic moved towards Aria. It was hard to just abandon her on the ground like that, the fear that letting her out of my grasp would hurt her rising up. Her skin was too pale and chalky against the polished white floor and her dark clothing and hair, but they needed access to her. And it was either I move or Ella step away. With a glance over at Ella, I realized I couldn't make her abandon her daughter on the ground so gave up my place, staying close by as though that would make me feel better. It did nothing to soothe the worry.

"She collapsed about three minutes ago, potentially from shock. She seems to be breathing alright now." Tanner explained to the paramedics, taking the lead when the rest of us didn't have the mind to.

I watched as the paramedics rolled Aria back onto her back, her body thudding slightly into the ground and I flinched at the impact. I almost wanted to stop them as they moved her jacket aside, checking her over. Treating her so callously, like it wasn't anything.

"Anyone know if anything happened right before she collapsed?" one asked, looking up and at the group of us standing around them.

"I think she stopped breathing." I spit out, knowing it was probably the most pertinent part. "She started shaking and it sounded like she was choking on nothing."

One of the paramedics immediately opened Aria's mouth, grabbing out her flashlight to check if there was anything in her throat. She had been breathing fine, I could even still see the steady rise and fall of her chest.

"Did she hit her head when she hit the ground?" the other paramedic asked, letting his partner focus on Aria while he tried to get the story from us.

"She didn't hit the ground. Jason caught her." Spencer informed, piping up from where she was holding onto Emily in distress.

Suddenly with a violent sound, Aria regained consciousness. Her body flinched back and I heard the heartbreaking whimper she let out as she caught sight of the people above her. Her chest stilled again, careful not to make any more noise as she curled away from the paramedics. She was panicking.

"Hey, hey. It's alright. You're safe." the female paramedic tried, reaching out to grab Aria again.

"Wait, give her some space." I crouched down, getting closer to her. They wouldn't have a chance of getting her calmed back down if they didn't give her some breathing room. Then I turned my attention back to her Aria where she was shaking on the ground, body curled into a tight ball. "Aria, it's okay. You're safe. These are paramedics trying to help you. You passed out."

I explained, hoping that it would be enough. Saying her name had always helped before when she started freaking out. She was still a shaking ball and I worried that she was completely caught in a flashback. Ella reached out to soothe Aria, but it was met with a massive flinch, her body constricting even tighter than it already was.

"Aria, please. I need you to breathe. It's okay. You're safe. It's Jason." I assured again, moving past the paramedic to get closer to her, hoping that maybe she would recognize me in her current state. "You're at the gallery. No one is going to hurt you. Can you breathe for me please? Nice and slow."

I started counting breaths with her, hoping that this would work. My voice was pitched low to stay as soothing as possible, trying to keep it within her hearing and ignoring everyone else who was watching us. As the seconds crawled on, it felt like an eternity. But finally, I saw her body stop it's shaking. That was usually a good sign. It meant she was considering where she was.

"That's it, Aria. You know where you are. You're at the gallery. Your mom is right next to you. You're safe. No one can hurt you." I assured, repeating the info of where she was in hopes that it would help pull her out of whatever memory she had woken up to. "Do you want to sit up? Or do you like the floor for now?"

She shifted slightly on the floor and I could hear her breathing ease again, falling into the smooth steady rhythm it normally took when she wasn't panicking. She moved slowly out of the confines of her ball, pushing herself up as her eyes slowly opened. She swayed a little as she moved and instinctively I moved forward, holding her steady as she blew out a harsh breath.

"You okay?" I asked, once she felt a little more stable and like she could sit up on her own. I wanted to let the paramedics in to take a look at her as soon as possible. But didn't want to risk her freaking out again.

"Yeah, my head's just killing me." her voice was low and rough, the pain and residual panic still coating it.

"I'm gonna move back a bit, to let the paramedics take a look and make sure you're okay, yeah?" I confirmed, not wanting to let go of her.

She turned her large brown eyes at me, the fear transparent in her gaze. She didn't want me to go. It broke my heart to even think about leaving her alone. It was on her lips to ask me to stay, but I knew if I let her she would relent. Submit herself to the examination of the paramedics, just like she had accepted things at the clinic. Doing what they said until it became too much. I offered a tentative smile, knowing that this wasn't going to look good to Tanner or even her friends. But that didn't matter right now, she needed to feel safe.

"Okay, I'm not going anywhere." I promised, shifting to where I was sitting behind her, letting her lean back into me. "The paramedics are going to take a look at you though."

She burrowed into me, holding tight to my hand that wasn't supporting both our weights. Her body was still rigid as she turned her attention back to the paramedic in front of her, apparently missing her mom to her other side. I gave Ella an apologetic look over Aria's head, feeling like I was taking her place. There was a sad nod from the woman, that she couldn't be the support her daughter needed. I felt like I was intruding right now, but trying to force the issue just so Ella wouldn't feel left over wasn't the right move right now. I justified it that way, not wanting to admit that I didn't really want to let Aria out of my reach right now. With her leaning against me, it was almost possible to forget that we were in the gallery and the images of her torture were currently broadcast to the world on the wall behind us.

"Hi there, I'm Casey, I'm going to take care of you today. What's your name?" the female paramedic asked, aiming for friendly with Aria but it was a little closer to coaching a skittish animal.

"Aria Montgomery." she answered.

I tensed as Casey's eyes flashed to the wall directly behind us. Hoping that she wouldn't say anything. There wasn't a lot I could do not to draw attention to it, but she seemed to read the expression of frozen concern on my face, as her eyes dropped back down to look over Aria without acknowledging the sign with her name, nor the photos beneath.

"How are you feeling, Aria?" Casey asked, going back to looking her over for any signs of injury. "I hear you passed out. Is that right?"

Knowing that part of this was to make sure that Aria was remembering everything, I made sure to stay quiet. Aria tensed a little against me, her fingers tightening around my hand. Her breathing froze for a moment, and I almost panicked at the idea that she would stop breathing again. The stress and fear being too much for her. It was almost too much for me right now. But if she did, they would have to take her to the hospital. She couldn't just pass out anytime things were getting to be too much. It wasn't safe. I wasn't going to be there all the time to catch her before anything happened. Realizing that I was spiraling, I took a deep breath. Her skin was warm and accented the light floral perfume that she wore. It wasn't heavy or dusty, like the grandma perfume that I normally expected from women wearing floral perfume. Instead it was light like honeysuckle, and a little crisp with grass, or maybe apple blossom. I concentrated on the hard floor beneath us, already making me regret letting her stay on the ground, as the cold leached up through my pants and I knew it would be worse for Aria. Despite the grounding technique, I couldn't get my thoughts far from her. And tuned back into the conversation that had been happening around me.

"What was the last meal you ate today?" Casey asked, apparently running through a standard gambit of questions.

"I had a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup for lunch, and then some of the hors d'oeuvres here at the gallery about fifteen minutes ago, I think." Aria explained, glancing over at her mom for verification of time.

I watched Ella nod in confirmation, apparently following the same plan as I was to let Aria do the talking. Casey smiled in acknowledgement. "Good, are you taking any medications? Anything that might make you lightheaded or dizzy?"

Aria took a deep breath, then started naming a long list of medications that she was taking. I had thought it was just some vitamins and an anti-nausea. But apparently she was still on a pain killer, and I think some antibiotics. Not to mention an anti-anxiety medication that she mentioned was just for today because of the competition.

"And I just started a new iron supplement." she finished with an embarrassed tuck of her chin.

"Other than the iron, are any of the medications new? Or have you been taking them for a while?"

"The others I've been on for a few weeks, though I don't take the anti-anxiety every day." she explained.

"Are you still feeling dizzy? Or do you want to try standing up?" Casey asked, her attention flitting back to me for a moment.

"I can stand." Aria assured, giving my hand another squeeze, probably for reassurance.

I let her take the lead, rising slowly from the floor, moving slightly away from me. I made sure that I would be able to catch her if she lost her balance again. I was just standing completely up, when she came level only to fall back into me. My hands flashed out, wrapping around her and keeping her stable. Casey also reached out, but once she realized that Aria was staying upright her hands dropped away.

"You okay?" I asked, looking down at her to check that she was still conscious and with me. I couldn't help the fear that she was just going to drop again, stop breathing and not start again.

"Yeah, just a bit shaky." she dismissed the concern, like I couldn't feel almost her entire weight against me still.

"I think it's best you come to the hospital for some tests. We'll take you in the ambulance if that's alright with you. Make sure that nothing else happens." Casey explained, staying close by in case Aria needed any other assistance.

"Yes, thank you." Ella interrupted what was sure to be a denial from Aria, she wasn't very good at taking care of herself, and this was going to be at least the third ambulance trip in the last month.

"Mom, I don't need to go to the hospital." Aria tried to argue, giving a little sigh of annoyance.

"Miss Montgomery, if you'd prefer we can have a conversation down at the station then. I'd like to take down your statement." Tanner offered, and I knew that it was to get Aria to take care of herself. No matter how unkind Tanner had been in the past, she did at least seem to prioritize the girls' safety.

"Please go to the hospital." I was quiet, not wanting to sound too much like I was pleading with her. But I was worried. She clearly wasn't okay. And I worried if tonight was connected to the blood loss from the procedure on Tuesday.

"Alright, I'll go to the hospital." she relented, though I watched her eyes dart over to Spencer and the other girls.

"Can you walk on your own? Or do you need to be carried?" Casey questioned, noting the way that Aria was still being supported by me.

"I can walk."

I didn't let her go, keeping my hand on her waist and arm behind her back as we walked to the ambulance after the paramedics. I was honestly surprised that they let her walk on her own, I wished that they would carry her on the stretcher. When she pitched forward midstep, I turned the catch into a carry, hoisting her up so that she was cradled in my arms.

"Jason, you can put me down. I'm fine." she tried to argue, but I wasn't going to have that.

"Either I can carry you, or you can go on the stretcher. Right, Casey?" I asked the paramedic to my right who was keeping her eyes on Aria, and desperately hoping the woman would be on my side.

"We're happy to carry you on the stretcher. But if you're unsteady on your feet it's better that you don't try and force it."

Aria pouted a little, a small show of annoyance, before she leaned her head against my chest. She breathed out a low 'fine' and then there was a noise, something between a hum and a sigh coming from her, as though in comfort as we exited the gallery and headed out to the ambulance parked on the street below.

I had her settled on the gurney in the ambulance, when I turned and saw that Ella was standing at the doors of the ambulance glancing back at Tanner who was just outside.

"Mom?" Aria asked, her voice small and too vulnerable right now.

"Yeah, sweetie?" Ella turned her full attention to her daughter.

"Are you coming with me?" she sounded like a small child just then, the fear of being left alone coming out too strong. Her fingers tightened on my hand in reflex, and I gently squeezed back to try and comfort her.

"Lt. Tanner was just saying that she needs someone to walk her through the evening." I could see the clear conflict in Ella's face. Not wanting to leave her daughter alone, but not wanting to go with her either. She had seen the photos, finally learned what had happened to Aria during her weeks of torture.

Ella was clearly struggling right now. But looking at Aria, I could see the heartbreak that she was being left behind. Her hands were cold, and it felt wrong to send her off without me. Like this would be saying goodbye. I pushed that thought down.

"Ella, Aria was with Emily the whole time she was with you, right?" I asked, knowing this would seal it. My voice felt heavy with the knowledge of what I was consenting to.

"Yeah, I just stepped away for a few minutes to get food." she spoke without thinking, just accepting the question at face value.

"I'll meet you at the hospital later okay?" I turned back to Aria, seeing the fear on her face. "I'm gonna stay here and talk to the cops. So you and your mom can go to the hospital together and get you checked out."

I didn't want to let her go. And from the expression on her face, she felt the same. I knew that it was either me or Ella that was going to go in the ambulance with her tonight. The way that Ella had been so desperate to help her daughter, only for Aria to pull away in fear at her mother's touch had stung me. Her hand tightened around mine, and she tugged me closer. I crouched down, moving closer to her face so she could whisper to me.

"Tonight, promise?" her voice was quivering as she spoke, her lips trembling. "Don't leave me."

I nodded, swallowing down the lump that had formed in my throat. This was too much like the arcade, only then I was with her at the hospital. I hadn't had to let her out of my arms for the whole ambulance ride, had been able to make sure she was okay despite the pain that we were both in. I had carried her until the nursing staff insisted I put her down and go get checked myself and she had begged me to agree.

"Promise. I'll come over to your house after I finish with Tanner."

I moved to place a kiss on the top of her head, but she caught me by my tie, the pressure pulling around the outside of my neck as she held me in place. Instead she pulled herself up to press a kiss to my cheek, near the corner of my mouth. I wanted to repeat the action, but it felt like a step too far. Too public now to press my lips to hers. Instead, after a moment, I moved back bringing her hand up so I could press my lips into her skin before letting go. The movement decidedly more safe in the moment, and let me keep an eye on her face as she watched me.

Then I moved out of the ambulance, leaving her alone on the gurney, the few steps so much longer now than they had been carrying her inside. I hopped down onto the pavement. Looking between Ella Montgomery and Lt. Tanner.

"Go with Aria, I've got things here." I promised Ella, and seeing her up close I could see the tears starting to form in her eyes. The stress and strain catching up to her.

"Thank you, Jason." she pulled me into a hug, before moving into the back of the ambulance to take the seat next to Aria, taking her hand up and trying to comfort her daughter.

I watched as the ambulance doors swung shut, with Casey in the back, her partner up at the front. Then as it took off down the street, heading to the hospital without sounding its siren or flashing any lights, I turned back to Tanner, resigning myself to getting this part over with. Aria was going to be waiting for me tonight.

"Alright, what do you need to know about tonight?"

End Chapter*