***Chapter 43***

**Aria's POV**

The world was a jumble of confusion. Everything had done a 180 flip within moments and I wasn't completely sure what had happened. The police had arrived at the arcade, and Charles had responded with violence. Games started going haywire, lights flashed, and the yells of police created a cacophony of sound when mixed with the sounds of the games playing on their own. I shut my eyes to block it all out. Shut it down, focus only on what you need to get through this. Worry about the rest later.

"Jason?" I asked, ensuring it was him on top of me and making sure that I had his attention despite the overwhelming noise. "Don't say anything… Please." I begged him.

I cracked my eyes open, looking at his shocked and confused face. His eyes were wide and mouth tight. He didn't seem to understand what was going on either. There was too much noise.

"Tonight?" he asked, and I gave him a nod.

An officer came over then, making sure that we were alive and okay. I shrunk back into Jason, mind shutting down and just focusing on the warmth and safety that he gave me. I could feel tears burning at my eyes and shut them to keep them back. Jason's warmth pulled away from me and my eyes popped open. I reached out for him, needing him back with me. He couldn't leave me alone, not right now. He bent down, lifting me up into his arms and I buried myself against him. I couldn't get close enough to Jason to block out everything else going on. He grunted slightly, probably in pain from the impact of those baseballs. My shoulder ached from where the one had hit me. From what I had heard and how tightly he had been pressed against me, I'm sure more than just one had hit him.

I think I saw the girls on our way to the ambulance. But I wasn't actually certain. They must have taken out their chips if Charles didn't know that they were on their way here. I closed my eyes, burying my face in Jason's neck. My head hurt, my back hurt, my shoulder hurt. And all I wanted to do was cry. Today had been beyond too long.

Jason was talking to one of the cops as we stood near the ambulance when Spencer came up to us. I tapped his shoulder to let me down, and he winced. He really must have been more hurt than I had thought. He lowered my feet to the ground, but kept his arm wrapped around me. Keeping me safely caged in his warmth.

"Aria, what happened? Are you okay?" she asked. "Why weren't you answering your phone? How did you get here?"

"Spence we can't talk about it now. They're sending Jason and I to the hospital and are going to take our statements there." I responded, hoping that she would accept that. "Wait, how did he not know you were here? Did you take them out?"

Her eyes widened slightly, before she leaned in. "We took them out this afternoon. You're the only one left."

"Can I have them take it out at the hospital then?" I asked eyeing her neck and seeing a large gauze pad there. I wanted the chip out of my neck, but was a little squeamish about the at home surgery they had done.

"Miss Hastings, I need your statement." An officer called, walking towards Spencer.

"They may as well know, I guess." She answered before heading over to meet the officer.

I wasn't sure how much of that Jason heard since he was dealing with the officer. But suddenly, I was more nervous than before. I curled back into him, needing the security of his warmth right now. I could feel the tears brimming in my eyes again. I felt myself lifted up, so that I was cradled against Jason again. He maneuvered himself into the ambulance and I could feel him settle down. I shifted against him as he moved me to sitting in his lap with his arms still wrapped around me.

"Mr. DiLaurentis, I do need to get a look at you both." The EMT tried to convince him.

"You can look at her." He accepted, loosening his grip on me slightly so that the EMT could examine me. Though I instinctively recoiled back into him, not wanting to deal with strangers touching me. Jason was safe, random people weren't.

At some point during the examination the ambulance started moving, ferrying us to the hospital where we could get x-rays and properly looked at. My head hurt so much, it felt better to just shut my eyes and bury my face in Jason's neck so I wouldn't have to deal with the world. Tears finally poured down my face as the EMT carefully poked and prodded at me. Jason kept whispering to me that it was okay, his voice becoming a mantra. I knew I was shivering against him, but I couldn't stop it.

Finally, we made it to the hospital and I was carried down and in through the emergency doors. The EMTs had walked in with us, briefing the nurses on our conditions so far, though I guess it was really more mine, since Jason refused to be examined in the ambulance.

"Miss Montgomery, you need to come this way with me now. Mr. DiLaurentis is going to go to another exam room now."

"I can stay with her. I'm fine." He dismissed.

The world was moving wrong and I was desperate for whatever comfort I could get, but I knew that Jason had gotten more banged up than I did from the baseballs. "Let me down." I prompted, but he just held onto me tighter.

"I got you, Aria. I'm not going anywhere." He promised, burying his face into my hair.

I could cry at the relief that gave me and if I stayed wrapped up in his arms I probably would, but I stuffed the emotions down. I shifted my legs so that he had to let me down, and slowly he consented lowering my feet gently to the ground. The hand that had held my legs now entwined in my hair, holding me against him. I needed him to get taken care of too, it was bad enough that he had gotten hurt because of me.

"I know you're hurt, Jase. Please let them take care of you. I'll see you after." I encouraged, slowly pulling away even though as I did the cold began creeping back into me.

"Tonight?" he questioned again, pulling slightly away from me so that he could look me over.

"Tonight." I verified, hoping that the doctors wouldn't make me stay here overnight and break that promise.

I wrapped my arms around myself as I followed the nurse back towards the exam room. My head was throbbing as a shiver rolled through me, making my arms tighten slightly. The nurse directed me to take a seat, telling me that someone would be in to see me in a few minutes. I moved onto the exam table, curling up there, not expecting them to get to me too soon. Sure they had given me a room, but I'm sure there were bigger emergencies than me at the moment.

"If you want to see me that much we can just do coffee, hon. No need to come in twice in one day." A voice pulled me from my partly dozing state.

"Annie?" I questioned, confused that she was still working. "I thought your shift would be over?"

" I've got a few more hours left. You wanna tell me what hurts?" she replied, bringing the vitals cart around closer to me so that she could begin recording her info.

"It might be easier to tell you what doesn't hurt." I joked, though I knew it wasn't funny. "Mainly my head, but also my back and left shoulder. There was a ballshooter, one hit me in the shoulder and then Jason tackled me so no more would hit me."

"Wait, is that the cute boy down the hall?" she asked, distracting me as she began prodding at the back of my head, causing me to wince. "That is a nasty looking bump you got there."

"Sure feels like it."

"All right, I'll need to see that shoulder too. Do you want me to leave?" she asked, moving back to the computer to type in a few more things.

"Could you get a couple of those warming blankets?" I requested, hoping that some warmth might make me feel better.

"Go ahead and put this gown on, you can keep your jeans on. I'll be back with a couple warming blankets in a minute." She assured before heading out the door.

I wiped at my eyes after she left, grateful that it was Annie who was working in the hospital today. I don't know how she managed to get me again, but I was relieved that it was someone I knew. I quickly changed into the hospital gown, feeling the cold air against my back left me shivering though. I hiked my knees up to my chest, trying to preserve some heat. Today just couldn't end soon enough.

A minute or so later, Annie came back with a doctor in tow. She placed one of the warming blankets over my still curled knees, and I lowered my legs down.

"Hello, Aria. I'm Dr. Andersen, Annie told me you've got some bruising for me to take a look at." He tried to be encouraging, but it really didn't make me feel better. I looked at Annie, who gave a brief nod of support.

His hands were cold as he looked at my shoulder and the back of my head. When he wasn't looking at my shoulder and back, Annie put the warming blanket around me so I wasn't shivering as much. For the most part, I closed my eyes and tried to just get through it. They didn't want to do many tests on me, so for the most part it was just a visual examination.

"Well, Ms. Montgomery, is there anything else I need to take a look at?" he asked, once he had finished with my back, shoulder, and head.

I hesitated for a moment, looking at Annie. Spencer said it would be okay. And maybe it would even help at this point. Besides, I needed to get it out of me.

"Yes, there is. There's something in my neck."

***End Chapter***

So this was a weird one for me, since it had so much overlap with the last chapter, but I wanted it to cover what they both focus on. Hope you like it.