Luna

22

July 5, 1977

Four days, it's been four days since she got the call that Lindsey was in a coma with four broken ribs. Dr. Harris told her that he was in a coma so his wolf could heal which means he could be in a coma until his ribs are healed which could be about six weeks and that stresses her out because in six weeks she'll be on the cusp of twelve weeks pregnant. And she didn't like it because she couldn't find the words or the right way to tell Ella that her daddy was sick. The only good thing about the whole situation was that his vitals were looking good. But he hit his head and that alarms her because he's in a coma and they don't know if his mind is fully okay because he hit his head pretty hard. 

"Stevie, why don't you go see Eli." Barbara sighs walking into the pack hospital room that Lindsey is currently occupying. The pack hospital is solely for checkups, surgeries, and recoveries after battles. It's set up that way because most of the expectant mothers who would also use the pack hospital to give birth hate it because their homes are their dens and they feel safer there. 

"I can't leave him, mom." Stevie shakes her head.

"Baby, he's not going to get better with you staring at him. He's going to get better on his own time. Ella's itching to go see her brother. She really wants to go see him." Barbara tells her.

"Mom, I can't lose him." Stevie sniffles. 

"Oh honey, he's not going anywhere." Barbara wraps her in her arms.

"But you don't know that. They don't know how his memory is and I...I need him to be okay because I can't raise two kids by myself." She sobs.

"Two kids? Stevie, what are you talking about?" Barbara questions.

"I'm pregnant." She bites her lip.

Barbara then smacks her upside the head. "You fought while you were pregnant!" 

"He was threatening my pack what was I supposed to do." Stevie defends herself.

"Stevie, go take Ella to see her brother. Maybe it'll do you some good too. I'll stay here with Lindsey. Take Ruth with you she's just as mopey." Barbara pulls her daughter up and pushes her out of the room. 

"Mom I need to be here I..." She starts.

"No, Stephanie go." Barbara kicks her out of the room completely and shuts the door on her.

***

With Ruth, Ella, and a picnic basket in hand, they make their way to the grave. They go as often as they can. A few hours on Christmas, their birthday, and they try to at least go every other week.

Ella goes straight to the grave and she sits down cross-legged and she talks to her brother the only way she can talk to her twin brother and Stevie watches on. 

"What are you thinking about?" Ruth questions.

"I'm hoping and praying that Lindsey gets better. I know that I can't do this alone. Raising two babies is a lot." Stevie sighs. 

"Lindsey is going to be fine. But you'll never be raising these two babies alone. I promise you that. You have a whole pack backing you. I'm sure your new-found friend Lori'll help you. Your parents and I are here to help you. You'll never be alone." Ruth grabs her hands and gives them a squeeze. 

"Mama, why did Eli have to die?" Ella asks.

That question smacks Stevie in the face because she's asked herself that question and cried over that questions for years. 

"Oh Baby, come here." Stevie sighs patting her lap. 

"Why did he die?" Ella asks.

"Well. Everyone is put on the earth for a reason. And I've asked myself that question too all of the time. He died when he had only been in my belly for twenty-five weeks and I honestly don't know why he had to die. But I wish every day that he hadn't. But do you know what daddy told me? He told me that maybe Eli's job on Earth had been done. But we'll never know what that job is will we?" Stevie questions playing with her daughter's blonde wavy ponytail. 

"How many weeks has this baby been in your belly?" Ella questions. 

"Well, this baby has been in my belly for about six weeks," Stevie explains. 

"How long was I in your belly for?" She questions. 

"Oh man, you were in my belly for oh about...36 weeks. But even though your brother wasn't alive he was still in my belly for that long too." Stevie explains.

"So how much longer until I get to meet her?" Ella inquires.

"it depends on the baby It could be 30 more weeks, or 34 more weeks it's just going to depend on her," Stevie tells her.

"I can't wait to meet her." Ella smiles. 

"Well, I'm glad that you can't wait to meet her." Stevie chuckles. 

"I'm going to tell her all about Eli." Ella starts bouncing on her mother's lap. 

"I hope you do. She's going to need to know all about her big brother." Stevie kisses her head. 

"And we can bring her here all of the time. And when we get older I can bring her here by myself." Ella states.

"Well,  we'll think about that. But it's getting late so why don't we start heading back to the house huh. I'll make you some dinner and nana is going to spend the night with you. Does that seem fun?" Stevie asks.

"Yay!!! Nana." Ella jumps over to Ruth's lap.

"That means we can make cupcakes tonight," Ruth tells her.

"I like it when you stay the night. But when is daddy going to get home?" Ella questions.

"Oh, Pumpkin. I don't know when daddy is going to get home. But I miss him so much." Stevie takes her daughter back into her arms and rocks with her. 

"I miss him too." She looks down sadly. 

"Alright, come on say goodbye to Papa Morris and Eli." Ruth says after a moment and Ella nods before making her way over to the graves. They say their goodbyes and then Stevie makes her way over to the grave herself. 

After dinner, Stevie makes her way over to the pack hospital and Dr. Harris meets her there.

"There's Still no change Luna." He pats her shoulder. 

All she does is slump down and crawl into the bed with him.