The Dance We Shared

16

June 17, 1998

Stevie was fifty, and thirty-eight weeks pregnant and she felt it. She was the size of a house and these last few concerts she was wearing platform high top tennis shoes because she just couldn't stand the boots anymore. She was starting to nest and she just wanted to be home so as soon as her concert was over they'll be right on their way to the airport. Stand Back was her opening song and she felt great as she made her way onto the stage and she danced and played it up to the crowd, but she felt a large movement within her after the song finished and there was a slight twinge of pain, nothing too alarming because she had been feeling pains for about four weeks now, but she decided as the lights went down that maybe she should tone herself down. 

***

At one in the morning, on the eighteenth, they were an hour into their six hours non-stop flight. And she was trying to get comfortable in her plane seat when she felt her Uterus tighten and her mouth fell open and she let a soft "ah" out, her hand falling to the underside of her stomach. 

"Stevie, you okay?" Karen asks.

"I'm f-fine...just a really hard kick is all." She states, but it happened again fifteen minutes later and Stevie bit it back this time, biting her lip. and rolling her head back into the chair. As she was bracing through it she thought back to when she was on stage and then the realization hit her. She had a contraction after Stand Back.  They didn't last that long, about a minute at most but they were painful and Stevie doesn't like pain at all.  

"Are you sure?" Karen asks.

"I'm sure...I um...I think I'm going to go lay in the back on one of the couches, I just can't get comfortable." Stevie explains.

She shouldn't even be flying, as usual, you can't fly after twenty-five weeks hence why she had an OBGYN and a midwife with her on the plane. 

"Alright, but if something feels off, you let us know," Karen states going back to her magazine. 

Stevie nods but she makes her way to the back and she just lays on the couch, her travel blanket thrown over her shoulders. 

"Sweet Pea, you can't come. Not yet. You're two weeks too early." Stevie whispered when she was sure no one was going to hear her. She thought back to her concert again noting that she didn't only feel the pain after Stand Back she felt after Gold Dust Woman, I need to know, and Edge of Seventeen.

But the response the baby gave was another contraction. 

By hour three of their six-hour flight, Stevie was crying, the contractions had picked up immensely and she was in so much pain. She wanted to scream but she didn't want anyone to know. She just wanted to get home and she just wanted Lindsey. So she settled for Rocking back and forth on the couch her hand clutching at her stomach under the blanket. 

Come hour five and she knew she was almost home she just had to last another hour. But she also knew that she really had to pee. So she eased herself up and as soon as she stood a contraction overcame her and she quickly turned around and leaned her head against the wall of the plane above the couch. She bit her lip and whimpered slightly one fist balled up against the wall and the other clutching her stomach. When the contraction seized she went into the bathroom and emptied her bladder, but as she was going to stand up she felt a gush of fluid and she closed her eyes biting back a cry because her water broke. She wanted Lindsey...Maybe he was right, she was irresponsible. She just wiped her eyes and flushed the toilet and washed her hands before exiting like nothing was wrong and then the seatbelt signs came on and she thanked God. She hurridly grabbed her stuff and then sat down in her seat and buckled.

***
"So Stevie, this car'll take you to Brentwood, I'd come with, but it's late and I want to sleep in my own bed so I'll come by tomorrow morning and help you get everything unpacked and we'll talk about the next steps." Karen smiles as the driver loads Stevie's luggage into her trunk. 

"Not necessary Karen, wait a couple of days please, I just want to nest for a little bit and spend some time with Lindsey." She lies. She doesn't want Karen to know she's in labor.

"Are you sure?" 

"I'm sure. Go take a couple of days off, you deserve it." Steve nods plopping down in the car and slamming the door before curling in around herself slightly until the driver climbs in and she sits up and buckles herself where she quickly decides that she can't sit because it's too uncomfortable.

"So to Brentwood around San Francisco?" The drive asks.

"NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT! The subdivision in Los Angeles." She grits out.

"Yes ma'am." he nods.

"Please drive fast, I'm very uncomfortable right now." She begs.

"I'll do my best." He states.

"No, you don't understand, I need to get home because I'm in labor and this hurts like hell." 

"Well, shouldn't I take you to the Hospital?" He questions.

"NO! My husband, my husband will just get me to my husband in Brentwood." She states as he merges onto the highway. 

***

Once Stevie gets into the house and she shuts the door, she finally lets it go.

"OH MY GOD!" She groans bracing herself on the banquet table. Her contractions had surged to about five minutes apart and they were lasting for about three minutes. 

Once it passed she quickly went up the stairs and seeing as it was about six in the morning, Lindsey was snoring softly laying on his stomach and she just eased herself down on the bed by his hip and she grabbed his shoulder and squeezed it tightly causing him to jump.

"What, what's going on?" He asks.

"I need you to take me to the hospital." She whimpers.

"What, what time is it?" Lindsey asks suddenly more alert.

"After six, please Lindsey hurry." She sobs.

"What's wrong are you in pain?" He questions his hand finding her stomach.

"I'm in labor, my water broke about two hours ago on the plane." Stevie sniffles and then screeches as another contraction encompasses her and she latches onto Lindsey.

"Okay breathe, breathe baby deep breaths. It's okay, we'll get you to the hospital." Lindsey coaches her through it. He times it and then once it's over he crawls out of bed.

"Do you have a hospital bag ready?" He asks.

"No, I was going to pack it this week." She sniffles.

"Alright, I'll make one." He nods.

"We don't have time." She whimpers.

"Steph, we have to have a hospital bag, it'll take us five minutes okay. I'm going to put some sweatpants and a teeshirt on and then we'll figure it out, are your pillow and blanket downstairs?" He asks

"Yeah." She nods.

"Okay, go into the nursery and get a couple of outfits and a handful of diapers. Then come back in here, get some pajamas and a change of clothes and we'll be on the way alright." 

She just nods and he helps her off the bed and she does as she's told before they hit the road and head to the hospital.