High Priestess

3.5

After a brief two day stint in training and a few surprisingly successful sedation injections on her part she was sent out on her own, and she watched as the woman that she came to know as Stephanie Fleetwood was electrocuted and she hurt for the poor girl who would clutch at her stomach as the shock was filtering through her system. So once Christine got a minute alone, about two hours later, she dug around and came across the file of Stephanie Fleetwood

Name: Stephanie Nicks-Fleetwood

Birthdate: May 26, 1948

Age: 29

Admittance Date: February 20, 1978

Discharge Date: TBD by Micheal Fleetwood (Husband)

Diagnosis: Mental instability, Cocaine dependency, Admittance of Extramarital Affairs

Treatment: Electroshock therapy once daily, and detoxification

Last use of Cocaine: February 20, 1978

Christine closed her eyes and then looked at the room code-Stevie was in a locked private room, only Joe knowing the code. She vaguely remembers during her "training"  that if Stephanie wishes to walk the halls, she can but the door stays open and she had to check out with the circulation desk nurse. 

She punched the numbers in and Stevie was now back in the hospital bed, she was awake and aware, her hair a knotted mess. She was curled in around her stomach and she was just staring off into space, not even blinking. Christine's heart sank and she slowly made her way over to the bed and placed her hand on Stevie's cheek sitting onto the mattress with her. As Christine's hand met her cheek she startled and practically jumped away from her and she started to breathe heavily and flail back and forth.

"No, I just had electroshock...no, no, no." She shrinks against the railing of the bed.

"Stop, stop, stop Stevie. Stevie, I'm not going to hurt you. My name is Christine McVie, not Annie Shackvie, I'm with Lindsey." She starts.

"Lindsey?" Stevie asks.

"Yes, yes...I'm working for Lindsey...I'm going to get you out of here." Christine soothes.

"He's looking for me?" Stevie asks.

"He is looking for you, he's looking hard for you. I promised him I was going to get you out and I'm going to find a way to get you out of here, I promise you."  Christine assures.

"C-can I tell you something?" She asks.

"Of course, what is it?" Christine asks concern filling her voice. 

"You can't tell Dr. Walsh or nurse Rat." Stevie shakes her head.

"Nurse Rat, you mean Nurse. Rashad?" She tries to clarify.

"Yes, she's got that pinched face like a rat..anyway, you can't tell them or anyone for that matter," Stevie warns.

"I won't I promise." Christine nods.

"I'm pregnant. It's Lindsey's...oh that felt so good to say, I've held it in for two weeks now and it was eating me alive." She explains her hands rubbing her stomach, and that's when it made sense to Christine. 

Christine had witnessed four electroshock patients since she's been at Crossley, and three of the four would push up against the restraints and arch their backs. Stevie would contort her hands and they'd grasp at the sides of her stomach and she'd curl inward to the best of her ability while she was convulsing. 

"Stevie, you really need to tell someone because Electroshock could kill that baby," Christine warns.

"It won't...I know it won't. But we can't tell anyone because they'll take it from me." Stevie shakes her head. 

"Stevie, they're going to notice eventually." Christine sighs.

"Oh, I knew I shouldn't have told you." She huffs in defeat falling against the pillow.

"I'm not going to tell them...but could I at least, could I tell Lindsey or is it not his, is it Mick's?" Christine asks.

"You know..." She trails off.

"I do, He was married to my best friend Jenny, but he was abusive towards her, damn near killed her several times, but what broke the Camel's back is when she found out that he was cheating on her so she left and she moved back to England. I know what he's capable of and that's why I'm working so hard with Lindsey to get you out of here." Christine explains.

"Well, she's Lindsey's...not Micks. We hadn't had sex the month that she was conceived in." Stevie shrugs.

"She?" Christine asks.

"It's just a gut feeling," Stevie smiles.

"Can I tell him?" Christine questions.

"Yeah, you can tell him...only him though." Stevie states.

"I need to tell my husband too." Christine states.

"Why?" 

"My husband is in Family Law, he deals with domestic violence, sexual abuse, divorce, and custody. John's going to have to know eventually and I'd rather tell them together. John's going to handle your divorce when we get you out of here." Christine explains.

"Okay, but only them," Stevie replies.

"Right, only them...I have to go, but just know I'm here for you and know that I am working to get you out of here." She takes Stevie's hands.

***

When she enters John's smoke-filled office, she can see him and Lindsey in a heated discussion about sports and she clears her throat dreading the words that are going to come out of her mouth.

"So did you find her at Crossley?" Lindsey rushes out.

"I did find her at Crossley, they made me watch her electrocution." Christine rolls her eyes.

"Electrocution?" Lindsey's heart races.

"They are giving her electroshock therapy daily...but that's not the worst news." Christine sighs.

"What?" John urges standing up and going over to rub his wife's biceps.

"Lindsey they're not only giving her electric shock therapy...um, What momma feels...baby feels too." Christine sighs.

"What?" John gasps.

"They don't know she's pregnant. She's hiding it, she just found out two weeks ago. She says the baby is yours Lindsey...but I'm worried that it's not going to make it. Stevie's convinced it will, but when you're getting shocked with 120 volts of electricity it can do a lot to a full-grown woman, can you imagine what it's doing to a little tiny fetus." Christine sits down at the desk.

"We've gotta get her out of there." John sighs taking his seat, back. 

Lindsey takes that moment and he just cries. He lays his head in his hands and he cries. He cries for Stevie but most importantly he cries for his child. The part of him that will die if that baby doesn't make it, his legacy. He's always wanted kids and kids with Stevie would be lovely, but knowing that there's a slim chance the baby may not make it weighs heavy.