Who Are You?

XII

A month had passed since Stevie moved back to the States from France, leaving David and all that came with him behind her. She was a lot happier having Lindsey around and living in her home in Los Angeles, where she didn't need to fear for her girls having to be witnesses of her screaming matches with their father, once his jealousy got out of hand. She couldn't thank Lindsey enough for finding her and bringing her back. She was also talking to her mother every few days. It didn't mean Stevie remembered Barbara as her mother, but she still felt close to her.

Lindsey was trying his best to keep his emotions bottled up the best he could. Yes, Stevie said she fell in love with him that night, but he didn't want to get too excited and start making plans for their future, knowing how every single time when it seemed they got it together, something bad would eventually happen. This time there was even more at stake - Aria and Mabel. He didn't have his own children, but already looked at those girls as his own. When they would get together again in the past, Lindsey knew that he might lose Stevie, now he could lose his only chance to have a family too. He was silly to think he could fall for another woman and he certainly didn't want any of them to be the mother of his children. 

After having run some errands, Lindsey drove back to Stevie's, as they thought about going out for lunch somewhere with the girls. Stevie wasn't worried about it at all, but he was. She didn't realize what kind of havoc her appearance, especially with him, could cause in the media. But Lindsey didn't want to make her upset and agreed in the end.

"Steph!" He looked around the first floor, but she was nowhere to be seen. He frowned and climbed the stairs, sticking his head into the bedroom and she wasn't in there either.

"I'm in here, Linds." He heard her say weakly from Aria's room.

Lindsey entered and saw the twins playing together, while Stevie lay in bed, with her eyes closed. He knelt by her side, smoothing her hair out with a hand. "Hey, baby. You don't look too well."

"I don't feel well." She wanted to roll onto her back and winced, worrying Lindsey further. "I don't think I can make it out of the house today, I'm sorry."

"It doesn't matter." He waved it off and sat down on the edge of the bed. "You're hurting?"

"I am and I don't know what it is. I feel pain in my side and abdomen. It's like... it's kind of like... cramps, really bad ones." 

"Mommy, are you sick?" Mabel asked.

"No, I'm just fine, sweetie." Stevie managed a smile and then showed Lindsey to help her up and out of the room, so they could talk. She lay down on her bed almost immediately as it hurt standing up. "I can tell you... stuff, right?"

"Stevie, of course. Anything, you hear me? We have to get you better." He said, as she lay her head on his chest.

"When I woke up in the morning, I... the sheets were stained with blood and I did the math, but it's not that time yet." She looked up at him. "You're not disgusted, are you?"

"Just keep talking, I'm a big boy, I think I can handle it."

"Okay. Well, the bleeding stopped, but now it hurts so bad, from my middle downwards. It comes and goes, sometimes it hits so sharply I gasp or it's just there, but very faint."

"How on earth are you so calm about this?! What we should do is take you to the hospital and now!"

"Don't freak out, Lindsey. I'm sure it's nothing. I just need you to get me some painkillers."

"Don't be ridiculous, get changed if you need to, we're going to the hospital." He knew she was about to protest. "And no arguing." 

"We can't leave the twins on their own."

"We'll take them with us, Stevie, this is serious. You don't just start bleeding and feel pain that has you in bed all day."

If Stevie wasn't secretly worried herself, she wouldn't have agreed to go, but she did, explaining to the girls that it's nothing serious, that the doctor would just take her blood and all would be alright, as they gave her some medicine and allowed to go home.

Although, when Stevie told the doctor that was assigned to her the reason why she arrived, he wasn't that optimistic.

"We have to run some tests. I don't want to scare you, but this might be very serious. The nurse will help you put on the hospital gown, then take your blood and I'll return to do an ultrasound."

"Can't you at least give me some information of what you think is wrong with me?"

The doctor, who looked rather young, exhaled deeply, looking sympathetically at Stevie. "I don't want to worry you if it's not what I think it is. I will give you more once I perform the ultrasound."

With that he left and the nurse came in, helping Stevie change and lay down again, so she could take the blood for tests and be ready for the ultrasound, when the doctor returned. 

Once the procedure was finished, the expression across the doctor's face told Stevie that his fear, whatever it might have been, was confirmed. Before he could say anything, she asked. "Can I please have the person that brought me here with me?"

"Is he your spouse? A relative?"

"No, we're... but we're together."

"I, umm..." The doctor seemed to be deciding, but then he nodded and went to ask Lindsey inside, leaving the girls with that same nurse that looked after Stevie. Lindsey looked slightly confused as to why he had to come in, but he took Stevie's hand, when she held it out for him and stood by her side. "You are pregnant. But... we call it an ovarian pregnancy, meaning you cannot deliver the baby. The egg was not released or picked up during ovulation and it happened to be fertilized. Usually, the signs of such pregnancy start showing at around four weeks, when you may start bleeding and having those sharp pains you mentioned."

It took a moment before she spoke, Lindsey complete shocked as well. "What... what happens now? Does it mean I miscarried?"

"Not exactly, those were just symptoms, your body telling you that something was very wrong. Unfortunately, we will have to operate to remove the fetus."

She didn't know what to say and she didn't open her mouth once, while she was being taken to the assigned room, with Lindsey and the girls going with her. She couldn't believe this was happening and when she was so relieved of not having to ever think of Dave again. He did this to her, it was his fault! That night when they got into a huge argument, when she threw him out, but he came back...

"Stevie, honey?" Lindsey pulled up a chair, trying to get her to talk. "Obviously, I'm not leaving you, but the girls can't stay here. I'll call your mother, okay? I'll ask her to get on the next flight and come here to look after Aria and Mabel." She just nodded, looking somewhere past him. "Okay. Maybe those painkillers will help you get some sleep. I'll come back as soon as possible. I love you." He pressed a kiss to her forehead and after the twins said goodbye as well, they headed out.

Once she was left by herself, Stevie dissolved into tears for what could have been and for what might never be again...