Save Me

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Being over eight months pregnant and not having Lindsey around had Stevie on the edge all day everyday. She could rely on him with so may things and at nearly the end of her pregnancy, she found herself alone, she wasn't at all comfortable with that. Just like they had previously discussed, Stevie asked her mother to come be with her, while Lindsey was away, touring with Fleetwood Mac. He couldn't be sure when he was going to be back home, because those around ten shows, got extended to nearly twenty, which also got Stevie pissed off, so they didn't exactly part on good terms either.

Since the second Barbara walked into Stevie and Lindsey's home, she knew something was off. The timing might not have been perfect, but she knew Stevie always wanted to have kids. She expected to see her daughter overjoyed, especially now that Lindsey put that ring on her finger too. Instead, Stevie was mostly quiet, lying in bed and writing in her journal or drawing, occasionally going into the nursery, to make sure it was all set and perfect. She wasn't unhappy, but she wasn't happy either.

Deciding to try her luck, Barbara knocked on the bedroom door, then opened it, after hearing Stevie allowing her in. With lunch on a tray, she approached the bed and placed it beside Stevie, who basically ignored it.

"You must eat."

"Not hungry."

"Yes, well, you can't be selfish, Stephanie. You have to care for two."

"Mom, please..." Stevie sighed, fighting back a roll of her eyes. "I'll eat it later, okay?"

"Fine. But I will come and check."

"I know you will." She half smiled, knowing how caring her mother was. 

"What is it, Teedee? What's wrong?"

"Nothing is. I'm perfectly fine."

"You are not, I can see it. You should know you better talk to me, because I'll just come in here over and over again until you do open up."

Putting her journal away at last, Stevie shrugged, lifting her eyes up to look at her mother. "It's Lindsey. I hate it that he's gone, that he's left me."

"But he hasn't left you, honey. You knew he would have to leave from time to time."

"I did, but why now? Like, why couldn't he wait until the baby was born. I need him." Stevie admitted, not that it was a big secret. "I need him around, I feel safe when he's with me. What if I didn't have you? What if something bad happened and I was all alone?"

"And I understand that you feel this way, but he didn't leave, because he wanted to, he left, because he had to. Lindsey will be back before you know it, sweetheart. There will be time still for you two to enjoy the last of this pregnancy."

"I really hope so. He promises me every time he calls, that he will be back in time."

"I'm sure he will, you have several weeks left."

Seeing as Stevie became less tense after the two talked some more, Barbara left the room, as Stevie said she'll try to get some shut eye. She fell asleep almost right away, as she was rather emotionally exhausted. 

Stevie woke up a couple of hours later, with a huge urge to go to the bathroom. Being able to breathe easy again, she went downstairs, carefully taking one step at a time. She heard the TV on in the living room, finding her mother there. 

"Feel rested?" Barbara asked and Stevie nodded, yawning.

"Yeah, but I also feel... odd." She shrugged, sitting down on the couch. 

"Odd how?"

"I'm not really sure how to describe it, for one, I just went to the bathroom a minute ago and I could probably go again now."

While it wasn't very unusual, it still caught Barbara's attention. "Do you feel anything else, physically? Does somewhere hurt?"

"Not exactly, but... Why are you looking at me that way?"

"Because I think, your waters might have broken."

"Excuse me? I'm thirty six weeks, it's not time yet! Besides, when waters break, isn't it supposed to be like... like a flood?"

"That's not always the case, no."

"Then what do we do?" Stevie was already getting worried, her eyes wide. 

"We can wait a little while and if you start feeling something else, we'll go to the hospital."

"I think I want to go there now!"

"First of all, you have to keep calm. And second of all, if it's just a small tear and the fluid is only trickling, we'll probably be told to go home. What you should do, is lie down and not stress about it too much."

"What... what if something happens to my baby?" 

"Let's not think that way, okay? You're over eight months pregnant, the baby has a perfect chance of surviving if your waters have indeed broken."

Attempting at not freaking out, Stevie lay down, taking deep breaths in order to stay calm. 

But it only could have been an hour at most, when she was on her way to the hospital, with her mother by her side, holding onto her hand tightly. Once they got there, Stevie was instantly admitted to the delivery ward, once she mentioned it was too early for the baby, yet the waters broke.

Once she was given a hospital gown and told to stay in bed, Barbara came to stand by her bedside, stroking her hair and speaking softly. "It's going to be okay."

"It's too early."

"Yes, it is, but you heard the nurse saying that this happens and most babies do fine."

"Most..."

"Don't say that. Don't concentrate on the negativity. A doctor will come see you shortly and we'll know more. Now, though, we need to call Lindsey."

"No."

"What?" Barbara frowned, as Stevie repeated.

"I don't want him here. He swore to me he's going to come back in time and he hasn't."

"That is not fair, Stephanie. He's the father and he couldn't have possibly know, the baby will come sooner than we all expected. How do you think it will make him feel?"

"He didn't care when he left, I don't care now. I don't need him, I have you. You'll help me get through this."

"That is wrong. Just wrong. You're being unreasonable. Honey, you know you want him here. It's your firstborn and it's so very special."

Wiping angry tears away, Stevie shook her head. "Don't you dare contacting him."

Barbara was unable to make any further argument for Lindsey, as the door opened and in walked the doctor to check on Stevie. 

It took nearly a day until the contractions started. After that the time to deliver the baby came, for Stevie, way too soon, as she claimed not to be prepared, being completely terrified, but the doctor told her, quite frankly, she had no choice. Barbara tried again, saying that Lindsey should know, yet she received the same glare from her daughter.

Once the baby was born, a beautiful little girl, she was under supervision of doctors, who then determined she was absolutely healthy. After staying in the hospital for a few more days, Stevie was released with her daughter in her arms, a pink bundle a little too small, otherwise - perfect.

When they came home, Barbara said she would stay a couple more days, which made Stevie relieved, yet she didn't show that. Of course she was scared, being a new mother, obviously needing help, but she knew that Barbara would only bring up Lindsey again if she said anything. 

In the evening of that same first day at home, Lindsey called himself. Stevie couldn't answer, so Barbara did. After they talked a little, he knew something was up and she couldn't hold it in any longer either.

"Lindsey, you have to come home."

"What, why?"

"Just... you must."