Some Things Never Change

Barbara's secret, Part II

It took three more days until Stevie finally opened her eyes for the very first time since her collapse. Jess and Christopher had joined Barbara at the hospital bed as soon as she had called and told them what the doctors had said. Stevie's fettle had been very critical. The amount of drugs and alcohol had totally knocked her small body out and caused a shot down of her whole system. It was actually some kind of miracle that she had survived without any permanent damages.

When Stevie woke up one night, she found herself surrounded by darkness and she could barely see anything in the moonlight that shone through a window on the right side of the room. She moved up into a sitting position and panicked immediately as she felt something holding her back, some kind of tubes shackling her to the bed.

Her sudden movement woke up Barbara who had curled up in a chair beside Stevie's bed. As she opened her eyes and saw her daughter sitting upright in her bed, she felt waves of relief flooding her.

“Oh God, Teedee”, she shrieked, “you're back.”

“Mom?”, Stevie's voice sounded frightened and fragile at she same time, “Is that you?”

“Yeah, it's me, baby. Don't panic!”

Barbara turned around to light up the bedside lamp and grabbed her daughter's hand.

“Mom, where am I? What happened?”

“Shh, baby.. It's good. I'm here.”, Barbara tried to soothe her and hugged her.

Stevie held on to her, happy to see a familiar face.

“Am I.. Am I in a hospital? Mom? What the fuck happened?”

“Baby, calm down. I'll go and find a doctor. You're in a hospital. You collapsed and have been unconscious ever since. You've been here for more than three days..”, she was lovingly stroking her daughter's hair, tears of relief were running down her cheeks, “Stevie, I thought we lost you..”

Stevie couldn't believe her mother's words. She couldn't remember anything.

“Mom, don't cry..”, she whispered and looked worryingly at her mother who was completely losing it.

“Oh, Stephanie.. Don't do this ever again.. You nearly died.. I can't live in a world without you..”

The pain and fear that clanged in Barbara's words made Stevie understand the seriousness of the current situation and now tears were forming in her eyes, as well.

“Mom, I'm so sorry.. I'm so sorry for not calling you, not visiting you for so long.. I didn't wanna hurt you.. I just.. I was so scared you'd be disappointed of me..”

“Stephanie, it's okay.. Shh, stop it.. It's okay.. I love you..”

“What happened to me, Mom? I can't remember anything..”, Stevie was crying desperately.

“It doesn't matter, right now, honey. You'll find out later. I have to go and get a doctor. Just stay here. I'll be back soon.”

Barbara got up and was just about to leave as Stevie grabbed anxiously her mother's hand and held on to it tightly.

“Don't leave me! I'm scared!”

“Stevie, I'll be back in a few! I promise. You need a checkup!”

“Moooom”, Stevie whined and as Barbara looked at her, she saw the little six-year old girl that had once been terrified to death at a dental treatment and had cried her eyes out, screaming desperately after her mother when she had to leave the dentist's room.

And in that very minute, Barbara promised herself that she would do anything, ANYTHING to not make her girl suffer again, to not ever having to see her like that again, in such a horribly fragile condition.