Baby

28

October 2, 1991

Stevie was still sleeping but she wasn't naked anymore, there had been one point where she got up in the middle of the night and she went to the bathroom and not to mention the doctors had been in and out all night, attaching a bag of medicine to stop milk production to her IV, but she was sleeping as was Lindsey when the phone in the hospital room rang. Stevie startled slightly as did the sleeping baby, Stevie had him laying on her sternum. She had him on her nightgown which she had pulled down as far as it could go so they could have a little bit of skin to skin contact, but he was also wrapped up in her bathrobe.  Stevie and William both settled back down and Lindsey answered the phone. 

"There's a Karen Johnston here to see you and since you guys are in a private room, we have to screen all visitors and callers so is it okay if we send her up?" The nurse questions.

"I'll come down and get her just to make sure it actually is our Karen Johnston." Lindsey explains. 

"Yes sir." 

Lindsey sighed and made his way out of the hospital room and sure enough when he made his way down to the lobby he saw Karen and the girls and Cordelia ran right to Lindsey's arms. 

"Daddy, why did you and mama sleep here last night?" 

"We slept here because your mom had your baby brother last night." 

"A baby brother? Does that mean it's a boy?" 

"Yes, I'm sorry Delia but that means it's a little boy." Lindsey nods wrapping his arms around her and squeezing her tightly. 

"What's his name?" She asks.

"Well his name is William Gregory Buckingham." Lindsey explains kissing her little cheek. 

"Oh, Otay..." She nods as Lindsey takes Misty from Karen and takes Cordelia's hand leading them up to Stevie's room. 

Stevie was still sleeping soundly in the hospital bed when Lindsey, Karen, and the Girls walked in and Cordelia started freaking out. Clutching onto Lindsey. 

"Delia what's wrong?" Lindsey asks.

"Momma..." She starts crying causing Stevie to wake up and look at her.

"Cordelia what's wrong?" Stevie asks seeing the distressed little girl.

"Momma gone. Momma gone." She repeats.

"Cordelia, I'm not gone I'm talking to you." Stevie tries to sit up and go to her but she was strapped to her IV and she didn't want to disturb William. 

"Momma Gone." She cries into Lindsey's leg and that's when it clicked and his mouth fell open.

"What Lindsey?" Stevie asks.

"Steph her biological mother died during childbirth you were sleeping when we walked in here...maybe she's associating it." Lindsey explains.

"They wouldn't let a little girl see her dead mother would they?" Stevie asks concern written on her face.

"I don't know..." Lindsey shakes his head.

"Well I can't, I can't go to her bring her to me." Stevie demands.

Lindsey just bites his lip and takes her into his arms and he goes bringing her over to Stevie and Cordelia shrieks and fights against him but he drops her in Stevie's arm anyway and Stevie just starts rocking with to the best of her ability cradling her head to her shoulder kissing it repeatedly.

"It's alright, I'm okay. I'm okay baby." She coos into Cordelia's ear and she calms hearing her mother's voice.

"Momma." She looks at her.

"Yeah, it's okay. I'm okay. I'm not leaving you any time soon." She states. 

It was then that Cordelia registered her baby brother also on her mother's chest and she moved Stevie's bathrobe aside and looked at him intently.

"Illiam." 

"Well, yes...his name is William. Did daddy tell you?" Stevie nods.

"Yeah daddy said his name was Illiam." 

"Can you say William though...Will--Liam." 

"Will-Liam." 

"Yeah there you go. William. I think daddy and I are going to call him Will for short like how we call you Delia." Stevie smiles rubbing Cordelia's back. 

"Can I hold him?'" She inquires.

"Well sure. Sit up baby." Stevie removes her arm from around Cordelia and she shifts to an upright position. Stevie smiles at Lindsey as she helps Cordelia hold him and then he just smirks taking Misty from Karen and sitting her on the bed as well before snapping a picture of Stevie and the kids. 

"Lindsey, you get in there too." Karen demands 

***

October 3, 1991

It was their second day in the hospital, they had one more to go because god forbid they send a woman home after a baby is born even though she's physically fine and is wearing a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt just sitting on the bed watching trashy reality television. She was alone with her baby. Lindsey and gone home to take a shower and to pick the girls up but she gasped when she looked over at the chart on the wall and she quickly dialed Karen's number 

"Hey, Lindsey just got here how are you feeling?" Karen asks.

"I'm fine...I need you to bring a cake to the hospital." Stevie sighs.

"Why, you don't usually eat cake so I can't imagine you wanting a welcome baby cake." Karen states.

"Birthday cake. It's Lindsey's birthday." She explains.

"Oh yeah, it's October 3rd...maybe you should've given birth today." Karen laughs lightly.

"I didn't choose when I gave birth. William chose when I gave birth." She states looking down at the baby laying on his back in a plain light blue onesie on the bed between her legs. 

"Alright, well I'll be by later tonight. Is Lindsey bringing the girls by?" Karen asks.

"He is...aren't you at my house?" Stevie questions.

"I am but he just yelled that he was taking a shower." Karen explains.

"The girls will be fine just set them in front of the TV and get me a cake now. I want it here when he gets here." Stevie demands.

Karen makes good on the cake and she beats Lindsey to the hospital and when he walks in with the girls Stevie cheers. "SURPRISE!" holding her arms up and he laughs seeing the cake on the little rolly table.

"Thanks Steph." He smiles.

"Happy Birthday Honey." She coos when he walks over and kisses her.

"So are we going to have two cakes and parties from here on out?" Lindsey questions.

"Well two cakes. I'm not throwing you a party for your birthday ever again." Stevie explains.

"Alright Angel." He sits Misty on the bed, Cordelia climbs up and then he joins his family up there.