The subsequent days and nights felt like death row. On the third, I managed half a meal so that my mother would agree to bring the children to me. Mostly, I sat with them in silence as we hugged, me having to tell them Lindsey would be just fine and that he had to rest after such an important operation; knowing even Leia wouldn't believe a word of it. They agreed to let me keep Sara for the night though, the breast milk we kept in the fridge having ran out anyhow. The new surroundings were not to her liking, and it took me hours to coax her to sleep in the miniature apartment I was staying in, a few floors above Lindsey. When she was finally down, I placed Karen in charge of staying with her in the room, unable to use her baby monitor due to the hospital's complex network of signals and such.
Much the same as every time I opened the door to his room in that dark place, I held my breath in anticipation when I returned to him exhausted, my fingers trembling at the prospect of his consciousness. Instead, he was as passive as ever, not even twitching as I rubbed some Vaseline onto his dry lips as he slept away. Time passed as I watched, and I dropped off too, my head in pieces as I was woken prematurely by shrill beeping, looking up to see his eyes open as he gasped for air.
"LINDSEY, you're awake! Lindsey please. You can't leave me, not now!"
"St-Steph, baby."
"I'm here, I'm here."
"It's OK, you'll be OK...I..."
He choked as a doctor and nurse rushed in, checking him over as the beeping subsided.
"I'm sorry for the things I've d-done, I was a bad husband."
"NO!"
"I...I gave up, I..."
"That was a long time ago Linds, we got through it, and we're stronger for it."
"I always l-loved you."
"I know baby, I know."
"We could've m-made it...In LA...I was selfish."
"We did make it Lindsey, we did, you made all my dreams come true, you did what was best for us."
"Mr. Buckingham your condition is stable for now, please keep your talking to a minimum as you are still weak from the operation."
"You know who did this baby?" I asked as I held him against me, both of us in tears. "I'll kill them Linds, I will."
"I...I don't know but...You know how my job is. You were right about me finding something else."
"Lindsey promise me you will stay. These past few days have been the worst in my life. I don't know what I would've done if you'd..."
"Ssh, ssh, I'm here Angel, I always will be," he held me against him now, various cables digging into my flesh but I didn't care. I needed him close, to feel him, smell him; to know he was real and alive, and that we had a future that could be free from tragedy.
YOU ARE READING
The Years Disappeared
FanfictionStevie had always wanted the best for Lindsey, and she knew he was capable of attaining it. She'd just never have imagined that this was the type of success he'd wanted.
