More Than Air In My Lungs

In My Arms To Hold

Five months later

Something was wrong. Far wrong. Gerard had been asleep on the couch when Lindsey padded into the living room and pulled on his arm. She was crying and gripping her stomach, which at 28 weeks was protruding a little more than enough for a stranger to see her baby bump. It was extremely early as far as Gerard knew, and this wasn't normal. He shot up instantly, a hand going to massage the ache in his back and the other to wipe the sleep from his eyes.

"What is it, what's wrong?" He didn't have to like Lindsey even in the slightest, but he tended to her needs for the sake of his baby. "Is it okay?"

She hadn't wanted to know the gender, so Lindsey insisted on referring to the baby as 'it.' Gerard, on the other hand, had wanted to know, and found it ridiculous she wouldn't even give their child a gender-neutral name. He had whined about the matter to Mikey, who sat quietly and nodded his head in agreement. Mikey never said very much when it came to Lindsey. Sometimes Gerard thought his baby brother somehow knew what had happened. As much bitching as Gerard did, Mikey would have to be ignorant to assume that everything was fine.

"Gerard, something's wrong. It hurts so much... and I think, agh, I think my water broke." Impressively white teeth flashed in the dark as Lindsey grit down and wailed.

His mouth fell open, and his stomach dropped. This wasn't supposed to happen yet. Lindsey wasn't due for another two months. The doctor said the chance of premature birth was low, and that there was always the possibility Lindsey would experience false labor. That had to be it. They weren't prepared for their baby to be here yet. Gerard wasn't ready for the baby to be here.

He was secretly working on buying a townhouse, just big enough for him and his child. He planned on taking the baby as soon as it was born and getting far away from the woman who ruined his life. Granted, Gerard didn't know how he'd do that without Lindsey coming after him, but he did know that she would never take his child away, not how she took away his true love.

He hated to even think about it, but deep down, Gerard found himself slightly despising the growing infant. He didn't want it to die or anything of the sort, but damn, why couldn't he have been sterile? Shame always bubbled up in his throat when those words crossed his mind, as he knew many people couldn't conceive a child as they wished, and Gerard was selfish for hating his ability to do so, but if he weren't fertile then Lindsey never would've gotten pregnant, and her devilish plan never would've worked. Things seldom turned out in his favor.

Gerard sighed and kicked his thin blanket back, reaching out into the dark room and gently pushing Lindsey onto the couch once his hands found her waist. He was swift to remove them once he was sure she was secured in the cushions though.

"Oh, fuck, okay. Um, stay here and I'll uh... I'll get a bag together, and then we'll uh, we'll go to the hospital, if that's what you want, at least. Are you having contractions or something?"

"I don't fucking know, Gerard! Why would I know what those are like-"

Lindsey's words were cut off by her releasing a sudden scream of pain, and she immediately grasped at her stomach. Tears pooled in her large eyes when another strike of pain shot through her.

"Gerard, move your ass and get me to the hospital!"

"Don't you need like a bag or something?"

"Gerard!" Lindsey screeched. He nearly jumped out of his skin and immediately bent down and wrapped his arm around her, assisting her to stand and walking her to the passenger side of his car. After helping her in, Gerard ran to the other side of the vehicle and climbed into the driver's side. He twisted the key in the ignition, only to hear the machine groan and sputter in protest. Gerard's heart stuttered in his chest, and a wave of panic made his head go numb. He thought he even heard Lindsey gasp beside him, but couldn't be sure. Gerard exhaled shakily and tried again. The car rumbled to life before dying the next second.