“You okay?” Were the next words out of Ashley’s mouth, her body shifting a bit so she could turn slightly to the side and get a better look at her. Other than a few scrapes on her arm Spencer looked alright. She knew her back was tender at best, and being shoved to the ground could not be good for it. Of course, neither would being hit by a car.

Spencer was taken aback by Ashley’s concern for her, her head shaking slowly a bit as she smiled softly, “Why did you have to do that?” She spoke. Smile fading as she looked back up at Ashley’s face. She had been so close to moving on from Ashley, then she had to pull a stunt like this, get herself hurt, all for her. Self consciously her hand lifted to her scratched arm, running over the bumpy scars absentmindedly as she watched Ashley.

Smiling groggily Ashley watched Spencer, her brown eyes soft and a tad bit glossy from the morphine in her system, “Because, that is what you do when you love someone… You protect them…” She watched Spencer cast her gaze to the ground, clearly touched by what she had said but still reluctant to let her broken heart mend enough to accept her love.

With her blue eyes staring at the ugly tiled floor of the hospital as if they were going to open up and swallow her problems away, Spencer contemplated her response. The silence that filled the room felt enormous, weighing down on her shoulders like lead weights. She loved Ashley, and she knew that, but once she admitted it out loud it all became so painfully real. Finally her mouth opened and she said the three words that had been lingering on the tip of her tounge for so long now, “I love you too…”

But, when Spencer looked up, she found Ashley’s eyes had shut and that she had fallen into yet another deep sleep. She chuckled softly, a smile lifting the edge of her lips as she brushed the hair gently from Ashley’s face. It felt warm and terrifying all at the same time to be admitting how she felt once again. But, her peace and contemplation was interrupted by the sound of someone knocking on the open door that lead into the hospital room.