One // Leigh-Anne Pinnock

Chapter Twenty Nine

Two days later, Leigh stood on the stage staring into the audience of empty rows of seats with Chloe-Marie perched on her hip gazing around. They were in soundcheck.

For the past two days the girls had been trying to get her to talk and open up about the incident. Truth be told there was nothing to talk about. She had an anxiety attack that got a bit out of control and that was it.

They were finishing up the last song when Jade pulled her aside. 

"Leigh...are you okay? I saw the look on your face when you looked-"

"I'm fine, Jade. Really." Leigh said plastering a smile.

"Are you sure because if you need to talk about anything I'm ri-"

"I said I'm fine!" She yelled. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at the two of them. Chloe whimpered and clutched her mother's T-shirt.

"It's fine, it's fine. Mummy's sorry. She didn't mean to raise her voice." She cooed to the four month old.

Jade grabbed her by her arm to pulled her somewhere private but Leigh shrugged her off.

"What are you doing?" She asked curtly, glaring at Jade. "I said I'm fine."

She pulled away from her grasp and strode off stage. She heard footsteps behind her then Jesy's voice.

'Leave her. She'll come around.'

She went to their dressing room and plopped on the couch. She sat Chloe on her knee. She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed.

It didn't take long for the caramel skinned girl to regain consciousness. Peeling her eyes open she was immediately scared and confused. Last thing she remembered was passing out on the bathroom floor. Her eyes flitted upwards only to see a stranger. She tried raising up but her body disallowed her to. Even if she could the stranger held her down. She felt so weak. She tried talking but there was something over her mouth. An oxygen mask. A sudden panic arose in her. She moved her hand to take it off.

"W-where's my baby?" Her voice sounded so soft and broken. Not the usual confident and strong one she possessed.

"Ma'am you need to calm down."

"Where's my daughter?'" She repeated, her voice a bit stronger. She squirmed trying to get out of the man's hold.

"Leigh." A softer voice said holding her hand. 'Chloe's fine. She's with Jess and Pez. They're meeting us at the hospital.'

'Hospital?'

Her body began to involuntarily shake. She could hear her heartbeat in her ears and she could only think of the worse. The heart monitor in the ambulance beeped faster.

"Leigh? Leigh can you hear me?"

She snapped out of her daze and shook her head. She looked down at the infant snuggled in her lap.

'Be strong.' She told herself. 'If not for you do it for Chloe.'

That night long after they finished yet another show, Leigh was curled up on the couch staring out the window. Her long, slender fingers were wrapped around a steaming cup of tea. The bus slightly rocking side to side in a lulling fashion. Leigh rested her head against the top of the couch and closed her eyes.

Opening her eyes once again, Leigh found herself being blinded by the brightness around her. She squinted and waited for her eyes to adjust. When they did, the first thing she saw was the blank, white walls of a room. The muscle in her right calf tightened and her nostrils flared. Then it came rushing back to her. The full blown panic attack. Her blacking out. The ambulance ride. Her blacking out again. So much happened in so little time.