Tarnished Armor

CHANGES (Chapter Twenty-Two)

[AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is the only actual titled chapter I have at present. I don't usually title them because it takes me a minute to figure out titles. Hope you enjoy the chapter! ~LG~]

I awoke to Joe sitting next to me this time.

"Lindsay, don't scare us anymore."

"Where's Colby?"

"Talking to a nurse."

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know. I'm here with you."

I couldn't laugh cuz it hurt so much. I then saw Colby enter my room.

"Joe, could you excuse us a second?"

"Yeah, I've gotta call Chel anyway. She worried over you something terrible."

Once Joe left, Colby grabbed my hand.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what, exactly?"

"That you were sick."

"It happened suddenly."

"Where was Es?"

"With Tom."

I didn't want to say anything but I had to.

"Well, when did she leave?"
"This morning."
Colby sat next to me silent.
"Are the girls okay?"
He looked at me.
"Yeah, they're fine."
He got up and sat on my bed.
"I love you, Bug. Do you want anything?"
I looked at him.
"A cuddle with you."
He laughed.
"You know you don't have to ask for those, just tell me."
"What, I'm supposed to say 'Colby John, get your ass over here and love on me'?"
He laughed at me.
"Just tell me you want this hot body on you."
Of all the moments for a doctor to come, they picked now.
'Hello, I'm Doctor Garrity. I have news for you."
I looked at her, as did Colby.
"First things first, I can say there's nothing seriously wrong."
"What is wrong?" I asked.
"You have acute appendicitis."
"Really?" I asked.
"Yes."
"We're doing surgery later on today. It'll be alright."
I moved out of pain and half out of comfort.
"There's another thing we're worried about, honestly,"
"What?" I asked.
"Your child's safety."
I looked at him, Colby looked at me.
"What do you mean?"
"You're not that far along which is what will make surgery risky but I'm asking you, do you want us to continue with this surgery?"
I didn't know what else to do. Colby, in shock, sat there and thought a moment.
"Honey, I hate to say this but I'd rather have you here with me." He said.
I hugged him.
"I'd rather stay alive myself. How far along am I?"
"About 3 weeks,"
We looked at each other.
"Then let's do the surgery."
I rubbed my stomach and cringed in pain.
"What's your pain at if you had to give it a number?"
I looked at the doctor.
"An eight."
"Alright. we'll get you something and let you rest."
I looked at Colby.
"Can he stay here with me?"
"If you want him here, yes."
I smiled and kissed his cheek.
"I want him here most definitely."
The doctor smiled.
"We'll get you the pain medicine and talk tomorrow morning."
I never realized it but Colby was my life.
****
Two days later, I felt weird coming out of the hospital. They did the surgery and all was right in my body again, with one exception. I missed the child I wasn't going to have. The doctors told me that would happen. Honestly, I knew it would have. They didn't know what gender it was, or at least they couldn't tell. I don't know how to feel about that. I went back to the house. Colby had Esme, his mother, my stepmother, his aunt and some others there with me to help me when he went on the road. I had Paul call me.
"I'm sorry you won't be a part of the festivities, Lindsay."
"I'll be back up and running before Mania, Paul."
"Don't rush."
"I'm a quick healer."
"You know, Colby misses you."
"I know he does. I miss him like mad too."
"The entire roster misses you and the girls. Having you here with us always makes someone's day. Oh, Steph told Rory that you're not out with us for a while. She asked right away. 'Where are the babies at, Mama?' I have to laugh. She grew attached to them."
Paul and Steph's oldest daughter Aurora always had this way of making someone laugh. Steph sent me gorgeous lillies and sent me a card. I had no idea how much I mattered. Then my phone rang.
"Hello,"
"Lindsay, I want to talk to you."
The voice on the other end was like hearing a ghost.
"What do you want, Phil?"
"I want to talk to you about things."
"What things? I don't feel like talking to you."
"I want to know some things."
"What do you wanna know?"
"First of all, how can you think that I'd marry April and train you?"
"I don't know. If you want her so bad, take her. I don't want anything to do with her."
"Why?"
"She, back in NXT, decided to torment me."
"How'd she do that?"
"She knew about my mother. She wouldn't relent about my mother's addictions. She told me I'd be the same way and go back to the farm. The big leagues don't need a crybaby like me in them. She hates that I'm a prodigy of sorts and honestly, I think between my own father not wanting me in this business, her, and the fact that I love my husband..."
"Yeah, you love him. Okay, I get it."
"I do love him."
"Then, tell me something else."
"What?"
"You were pregnant, weren't you?"
I sat there, in shock.
"No one knew..."
"I knew. Someone told me,"
"Who told you?"
"I have people who work in that hospital, Linds. How far were you?"