Scream Praises [Cashton mpreg]

Week 32

Calum's working when he gets the call. His shift is almost over, so Liam's just walking in to take over for him when his phone starts vibrating in his pocket.

Ashton's name flashes across the screen, which makes Calum sigh but flick his thumb over the answer button anyway. "Yeah, babe?" He says quietly.

It's quiet on the other end for a few seconds, which makes Calum frown and wonder if Ashton had just buttdialed him. He opens his mouth to say something again, when there's a near silent sniffle from Ashton. "Can you- are you going to be home soon?" He whispers shakily. Calum barely hears it.

"Uh, yeah, is everything alright?" He asks, hurrying to untie his apron and make a vague I'm leaving gesture at Liam.

"Just- just I'm sorry, Cal, I didn't- I'm- please c- come home," Ashton's voice is a pitch too high, something that only happens when he's really upset. He sniffles pitifully again and Calum frowns deeper.

"Give me ten minutes, okay?" Calum replies gently. Ashton makes a mumbling noise in response and hangs up. Calum speeds all the way back to their apartment and frantically unlocks the door. The apartment is dead silent.

"Ash?" Calum calls, setting his keys down and venturing further into the living room. He finds Ashton, curled up in bed, shaking and crying into a pillow. "Ash, what's wrong?" He steps closer and stops dead in his tracks, squinting at the bedsheets underneath Ashton.

Ashton let's out a loud sob and presses his face into the pillow. His light gray boxers are stained with dark red blood, as are the sheets and his upper thighs. Calum stares at him, because he doesn't know what to do.

"What happened?" He asks quickly. "Ashton, what happened?"

Ashton let's out another sob, making his spine twist and his entire body convulse with the force of it. "I don't know!" He cries out, voice muffled against the pillow. "I just- just woke up, a-and- and I was all bloody!"

Calum hurries over and drops to his knees at the edge of the bed. He reaches forward and gently takes Ashton's face into his hands. "Calm down, okay?" He says calmly, even though he's screaming on the inside. "This isn't your fault, everything's going to be okay, love. Just take a few deep breaths and everything will be alright."

Ashton starts gasping for air, keeping his eyes squeezed shut with hot tears streaming down his face. His lips are shaking and shinning with spit and tears.

"It hurts, Cal!" He cries out. His hands are wrapped tightly around his stomach, while his face screws up in pain. "Fuck, what do we do?"

"What hurts?" Calum's heart is twisting and he feels like he's been stabbed in the chest. He thumbs tears off of Ashton's cheeks with shaky hands and bites his lip to avoid crying himself.

"My fucking stomach!" Ashton yells, squirming in an attempt to get Calum's hands off his cheeks. Calum holds him tighter and whispers quietly, trying to get Ashton to calm down a little. Ashton rolls onto his back and cries out in pain, instantly rolling onto his side and curling up into a small ball again. Calum pulls out his phone and calls an ambulance, because he doesn't know what else to do.

----

Calum doesn't even want the baby anymore.

Standing at the end of the hospital bed, staring at Ashton hooked up to what seems like a million machined with a small mask over his mouth and nose, he doesn't want the baby. He wants it to die and leave Ashton the fuck alone.

The doctors don't see it that way, apparently, and try to save them both at the same time. Calum wishes they would focus all their attention on Ashton.