Breaking in Pieces

"Part-Suspense, Part-Fear"

   Ali decides not to alert Dec, as he had just fallen asleep and had enough on his mind. 'It'll all blow over by tomorrow, I know.' she thought to herself, but almost more for her sake than for Dec's, though she knew this would affect him more. She flips her phone over so the screen is facing down, and rolls back over. She attempts to sleep but can't because her thoughts refuse to quiet. As she lay awake, she thought of what Dec would do when he woke up in the morning and saw the notification. 'I have to do something.' she thinks to herself, her thoughts all of a sudden becoming loud as a herd of elephants.
Slowly, gently, barely trying to make a movement she crawls out of bed. Dec rolls over. "Honey, what're you doing?" Ali blushes, "uh, nothing. Just using the bathroom." "What, what is it? Is it the baby? Are you okay?" Dec says, fear rising in his voice. "No, honey, I'm okay. Really. You go back to sleep." Dec rolls onto his back, the sheets up to his waist.
He lays awake, and Ali just stands. "What time is it?" asks Dec, reaching for his phone. "No honey, don't!" She almost screams it. "What? Why?" Dec asks, dumbfounded. "Uhhh, because..." Ali closed up, just like a little girl. "Because... uh..." She couldn't lie. At least, not on the fly like that. And not to Dec, not about this. "Because, listen..." Dec sits up in part suspense, part fear. "Honey, just tell me. It's alright." Dec says soothingly. "Okay. Dec, listen." She takes a deep breath before blurting out, "there'saconspiracytheoryrisingaboutyouandIdon'tknowwhyorwhoorwhenor." Dec interrupts. "Whoa, baby, slow down. Take a deep breath and start all over again. It's okay." Dec sounding like a patient father, which was good because little Isla was going to be born in a few days. Ali takes a deep breath and closes her eyes. "There's a conspiracy theory about you. I don't know what it is, who wrote it, or why, but I got up because I wanted to clear it off your phone before you woke up so you wouldn't see it and break down again. I'm sorry." She says it relieved, glad to finally get it off her chest.
Dec stares ahead in silence. "Should we get up?" He doesn't even wait for a response before throwing back the sheets and standing up. "I'm going to the bathroom." he mutters under his breath as he walks down the short, carpeted hallway. Ali, still standing in the exact same position, sits down on the edge of the bed. She stares at the floor in utter silence- barely remembering to breathe- when she feels it. Her heart flurries in excited little half-beats. "Dec," she screams, "Dec, come here!" He runs out of the bathroom. "What, what is it?!" Dec's scared for Ali, and you can tell by his voice. "Dec, I need to go to the hospital."