Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter twelve of "Not Here III: Going Around." Ashley suffers her health issue with her pregnancy in this chapter. I will not say how bad it will be. You will have to see for yourself. Kai will make his first appearance in the next chapter. Stay tuned for chapter thirteen.

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Chapter 12: Shocks and Sirens

The early evening moon beamed its light on the Hammond residence. Ashton, Anna, Raylene, Andros, Ashley, Zhane, Karone, Ben, and Gerald were gathered in the living room. They were engaged in lively chatter. Andros sprawled on the couch. Ashley nestled beside him. Zhane lounged in an armchair with his legs hanging over one side while holding a breadstick in his hand. Karone was perched on the armrest beside him. Ashton and Anna sat on the floor. Raylene leaned against the wall near the doorway. Ben and Gerald occupied two chairs.

"So, Adelle outdid herself with those sliders," Zhane said, popping the breadstick into his mouth and biting into it. He emitted a mischievous chuckle. "I swear, I saw Bulk eyeing the tray like he was about to arm-wrestle Skull for the last one."

"You're not wrong," Karone said, laughing as she nudged him with her elbow. "Skull tried to sneak an extra one, but Adelle swatted his hand with a spatula. I think she's got Ranger reflexes of her own."

"I'm just glad the punch didn't run out," Ashley commented, her voice warm but tinged with fatigue. She shifted slightly, wincing somewhat. "The twins were demanding it. I must've had three cups."

Andros smiled while slipping an arm around her shoulders. "Three? I lost count after you started hoarding the cheesy breadsticks. I thought I'd have to fight you for one."

"They're my weakness," Ashley admitted, giggling softly. She patted her stomach gently. "These two agree. They kicked every time I took a bite."

"The whole night was perfect," Anna said, smiling widely. She rubbed her hands together fast. "It was great seeing you all up there dancing after the food. Zhane, that spin you did with Karone was priceless."

Zhane smirked, brushing imaginary dust off his shoulder. "What can I say? I've got moves. KO-35 might not do parties, but I adapt fast."

"It was a sight," Ashton agreed, chuckling to himself. He moved his arms forward slowly. He did the same backward at a faster pace. "Even TJ got in on it, and that guy's usually too cool to dance. Cassie dragged him out there, though."

"Oh, and Leo trying to teach Kendrix that goofy two-step?" Raylene said, her arms uncrossing. She clicked her tongue twice before forming a big smirk on her face. "She stepped on his toes so many times that I thought he'd limp home. The Surf Spot hasn't seen a party like that in years."

"The best part was no interruptions," Karone added, sighing in great content. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "No monsters, no grandmas. It was just us, good food, and music."

"After everything, it felt good to just… be," Andros commented. "No chaos, no fighting. It was just us celebrating."

Anna pumped her fist. "Amen."

The entire group laughed with the exception of Ben and Gerald. Ben crossed his right ankle over his left one. He clasped his together tightly, his knuckles whitening. His jaw tightened as he cleared his throat loudly. This caused the laughter to die down.

"I've got something to say," Ben said in a low yet firm way. He looked at Gerald for ten seconds before turn back to the others. He swallowed herd. "It's about Kayla."

Raylene groaned annoyingly, rolling her eyes as she pushed off the wall. She clenched her teeth so tightly that it seemed she was about to break them. She curled her hands into fists.

"Seriously, Dad? Can't we have one night without her ruining it? Even when she's not here, she's still the topic?" Raylene snapped.

"I'm with Raylene," Ashton grumbled, his brow furrowing as he sat up straighter. His hands balled into fists on his knees. "She's done enough damage today."

Ben held up a hand, his expression unyielding. "I get it, believe me. However, it's time you all knew. This isn't about ruining anything. It's about the truth."

Gerald sighed heavily while rubbing his temple. He ran his hands over his face twice. He licked his lips, his body shaking somewhat.

"He's right. It's been buried too long," Gerald said seriously.

"What truth?" Anna asked in suspicion. She leaned forward, her eyes narrowing at Ben. "What's going on?"

Ben took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling as if bracing for impact. He sat up straight and made eye contact with everyone.

"Kayla's got a gambling habit," Ben said bluntly. His body started shaking quite a bit. "It's out of control. It started small with little bets here and there. It was nothing big. Then it exploded. She drained our retirement fund dry. After that, she started stealing from Gerald. She was forging checks and dipping into his accounts. She even asked friends for loans by promising to pay them back, but she blew it all on slots and cards."

The group stared at Ben in silence. Ashley stopped her hands on her stomach, her breath catching as her eyes widened in shock. Andros tightened his arm around her, his jaw dropping slightly. Zhane sat up quickly, the breadstick forgotten in his hand. Karone formed a stunned frown on her face. Anna opened and closed her mouth without forming any words. Ashton's fists trembled, rage bubbling beneath his skin. Raylene blinked rapidly, her annoyance morphing into disbelief.

"It's true," Gerald said, looking down at the floor. His body shook so much that it seemed it wouldn't be able to stop. "I caught her forging checks from my accounts a year ago. She'd been siphoning money for months. It was thousands gone before I noticed. I confronted her, and she swore she'd stop. She said she'd get help. I believed her, or I wanted to. However, she didn't. She kept going and going."

"Why the hell didn't you say anything?" Ashton shouted, jumping to his feet. His face was red with anger as he glared between Ben and Gerald. "You let her keep this up, and we're just finding out now after she humiliated my daughter at her graduation?"

"I didn't want to pile it on," Ben replied in a strained voice. He made eye contact with him. "Today was about Ashley and Andros. I figured we'd deal with Kayla after. We'd let you all have your moment. I didn't expect her to pull that stunt at the ceremony. By then, it was too late to keep it quiet."

"You should've told us months ago!" Ashton snapped, pacing toward the stairs. He ran his hands through his hair. He grabbed fistfuls of it. "We could've stopped her and protected Ashley from this mess!"

Anna stood up as her husband returned to her. She touched his arm in a gentle yet firm way. She pressed her lips together. She felt her heartrate pick up somewhat.

"Ashton, calm down. Yelling won't change it now," Anna whispered. She turned to Ben, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "However, he's right. Why hide it? We're family. This affects us all."

"I was ashamed, Anna," Ben said remorsefully. "I was ashamed I let it get this far. I thought I could fix it by getting her into a program to save what was left. Unfortunately, she kept lying and gambling. All of you moving to Angel Grove was the smartest thing you did. It kept her hands off your money."

"So she's been bleeding you both dry, and we're just collateral damage?" Raylene said, anger lining his voice. She gritted her teeth rather tightly. "I can't believe this. I knew she was controlling, but this?"

"That's… insane. On KO-35, we'd exile someone for that," Zhane said, shaking his head rapidly. "Stealing from family? Unthinkable."

"It's not just stealing," Karone added in much bitterness. She hugged herself, her body beginning to shake. "It's betrayal. She was supposed to be there for Ashley, not this."

Ashley sat frozen, her hands still on her stomach. Her breathing happened to be shallow. Her wide eyes darted between Ben and Gerald. Andros rubbed her back, his concern deepening as he watched her pale. The twins kicked faintly, but she didn't react one bit.

"She drained everything?" Ashley whispered, her voice barely audible. "Our future… the twins… she didn't care?"

"I'm so sorry, Ashley," Ben apologized in great guilt. "I should've stopped her sooner. I—"

Ashley cried out loudly as she doubled over, clutching her abdomen as pain ripped through her. Her face contorted, tears springing to her eyes as she gasped. The room erupted into chaos.

"Ash!" Andros shouted, leaping to her side. He gripped her shoulders very tightly. "What's wrong? Talk to me!"

"It hurts!" Ashley cried, her hands pressing harder against her stomach. Sweat beaded on her forehead. Her breaths came in short, panicked bursts. "It is sharp pains. I think… I think I'm in labor!"

Karone's eyes widened in horror, her voice rising. "She can't be! She's only thirty-two weeks. It's too early!"

Zhane jumped to his feet. "Shut up, Karone! We don't have time for that!"

Zhane raced for the cordless phone on the end table. He turned it on and dialed 911. He pressed the phone to his ear. He listened to it ring and sighed in relief when a click came.

"911. What is your emergency?" a dispatcher asked.

"We need an ambulance at 1427 Oak Drive. My friend's in labor. She is thirty-two weeks along," Zhane said frantically.

"I have the address," the dispatcher said, typing on her keyboard. "We will send an ambulance right away."

"Thank you," Zhane whispered. "Please, hurry."

Zhane turned off the phone and set back on its base. He looked at Ashley, his face becoming filled with worry and uncertain. The same was shown on the faces of the others.

00000

Ashley held Andros's hand while sitting next to her on the couch four minutes later. She inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. She emitted a painful moan. Ashton paced back and forth in front of the window. Ben and Gerald stood by the stairs. Raylene was in the doorway, her fists clenching tightly. Zhane held Karone, who swallowed hard as she stared at her brother and best friend. Anna sat in the armchair.

"Breathe, Ash. Just breathe in and out slowly, okay? I've got you," Andros whispered calmly yet fearfully.

"It's too close… the pains. They're too close," Ashley mumbled weakly. Another contraction hit in which it caused her to cry out in pain. "Ah!"

Anna rose to her feet. She moved closer to Ben, who looked away in shame. She clenched her teeth very tightly.

"You pick now to drop this on her? Are you insane? She's pregnant, Ben. She didn't need this stress!" Anna screeched in anger.

"Not now, Anna!" Ashton barked, glaring at his wife. He turned back to his daughter, who cried out in pain. "We've got bigger problems!"

Gerald raised his hands. "We didn't mean for this to happen. We just wanted you to know—"

Sirens wailed in the distance, growing louder as they neared. The ambulance pulled into the driveway. Two paramedics opened the doors. They grabbed the stretcher and climbed out. Anna went to the front door and opened it. The paramedics rushed in with it. They set it near Ashley. The first paramedic knelt before her.

"Ma'am, how close are the contractions?" the first paramedic asked.

"Too close," Ashley gasped, her voice breaking as she gripped Andros's hand. "Minutes… maybe less…"

The second paramedic slipped a blood pressure cuff onto Ashley's arm. The machine beeped, and she formed a frown on her face.

"Blood pressure is one fifty over ninety," the second paramedic said. "It is rising fast. We need to move. Twins might be in distress."

Andros's heart pounded as the paramedics lifted Ashley onto the stretcher. Her cries tore at him. He let go of her hand, his breathing hard and heavy.

"I'm going with her," Andros declared, his voice unwavering as he followed them.

The paramedics nodded, strapping Ashley in as they wheeled her out. The ambulance's red lights flashed across the dark street. Neighbors peeked from windows. Ashley gripped Andros's hand as they loaded her in. Her face was pale beneath the oxygen mask one paramedic fitted over her mouth. The other prepped an IV.

"I'm so scared," Ashley whispered in great uncertainty.

"It's going to be okay, Ash. I'm right here," Andros said and touched her forehead. "We're in this together."

The doors slammed shut. The driver pulled the ambulance out of the driveway. It raced down the street, its sirens blaring. Ashton, Anna, Zhane, and Karone raced to Ashley's van. Her parents got in the front seats. Her friends took the middle backseat. They buckled up quickly. Ashton started the engine and pulled out of the driveway. He raced after the ambulance.

Raylene and Gerald got into his car. They put on their seatbelts. She started the engine and pulled out of the driveway. She went after her brother. Anna got out her cellphone. She dialed Kai's phone number that happened to be 556-0009. She placed the cellphone to her ear. She listened to two rings before a click came. She sighed in relief.

"Hello?" Kai asked.

"Kai, it's Anna Hammond," Anna said, her voice shaking. "Ashley's in labor at thirty-two weeks. She's in an ambulance with Andros heading to the ER. Please hurry."

"I will meet Andros and Ashley in the ER," Kai announced firmly.

"Good," Anna said, nodding. "We'll see you there."

Anna hung up her cellphone and slipped it into her pocket. Ashton gripped the steering wheel so tightly that it seemed he was about to tear it off. He gritted his teeth.

"Damn my mother," Ashton growled in great anger. "This is her fault. She pushed Ashley over the edge."

"I don't blame you," Anna replied, swallowing hard. "She's torn this family apart."

He snorted. "She is dead to me now."

Raylene increased her speed when Ashton did that. Ben observed the vehicles going out of sight from the porch. He went into the living room and approached the couch. He sat down with a loud grunt. His hands shook as he buried his face in them, tears slipping through his fingers.

"What have I done?" Ben whispered with great guilt. He proceeded to sob rather hysterically.

00000

The ambulance screeched to a halt at Angel Grove Memorial Hospital's emergency entrance six minutes later. Paramedics unloaded Ashley, her stretcher rattling as they rushed her inside. Andros ran beside her, holding her hand as a doctor and nurse met them. The doctor and nurse walked alongside the group.

"What's going on?" the doctor asked.

"The patient is Ashley Hammond. She is pregnant at thirty-two weeks. The contractions are two minutes apart," the first paramedic reported and gritted his teeth.

"Blood pressure is one hundred over fifty. The twins might be in distress," the second paramedic added.

"Please, let me stay with her," Andros pleaded, his voice cracking as he looked at the doctor. "She's my fiancée."

The doctor nodded curtly. "Fine. One person only."

The nurse sighed. "I think that is fair."

Ashton pulled the van up just as the ER doors swung shut. He, Anna, Zhane, and Karone unbuckled their seatbelts. They climbed out and raced for the doors. A pleading expression crossed Ashton's face.

"Please, she's my daughter," Ashton cried, tears stinging his eyes. He and the others skidded to a halt. "Let me in!"

"Waiting room only," the nurse said firmly. "Andros will be with her."

"We'll update you soon," the doctor added and emitted a heavy sigh. "We promise."

The paramedics, doctor, and nurse whisked Ashley and Andros through the doors. Ashton, Anna, Zhane, and Karone stopped in their tracks. Raylene and Gerald joined them.

"Let's go to the waiting room," Ashton said dejectedly.

"We really don't have a choice," Anna commented.

"You are right. Standing here won't help things," Raylene agreed.

The entire group started heading down the hallway. Zhane got out his phone and proceeded to search for Julian's phone number.