Just as I Begin to Fade

Forty Nine. Good and Bad

Even later that evening, close to midnight was Gwen discharged from her stay in the hospital and she was told to take things slow and easy because the lower region of her body needed desperately to heal from the vile attack.

"Bobby, can you take her home with you?" Lindsey asked, as the two of them were out in the hall, waiting for Gwen to get ready to go. "I'll be staying the night here with Stevie."

"Sure... Don't you wanna chill out and rest maybe? Between the two of them, you have been pretty back and forth today..." the teen offered. "Unless, you want me to come back tomorrow morning and I can chill with her mom while you go home and change?"

"No, that's okay... I'm gonna call her sister in-law and from there, hopefully word gets around between her friends and brother," he semi sighed. "I don't want you to have to leave Gwen for any reason, I'll settle some notes and further paperwork for you guys, so it's okay that you miss. She needs to rest and heal, with her mom, there's a lot of stress on all of us."

"I understand," he nodded.

"Thank you for being here with Gwen."

"Don't thank me. I wanted to be here," he shrugged. "I like Gwen a lot, Lindsey, maybe I even love her. After seeing that Derek didn't give leaving a second thought, I feel bad. She was still hoping to fix things with him. But he cowered. I owe her my dependability and attention."

"Y'know, the two of you are like my kids and I want to look out for the both of you and help you guys make the better decisions. I feel like I failed her and her mother last night..." he paused. "If you really like her... or love her, then I fully condone you going forward with wherever it is you two might be headed. It's much needed, more than ever right now."

"Thanks, Lindsey, means a lot that your trusting me with something like this. I want to take care of her and be there and I can."

He nodded. "But if you make her suffer, you are a dead man because I will kill you," he patted his shoulder firmly as he brought him into a hug.

The teen chuckled, patting his back gently only because he knew the man was all for having his back.

Just as they pulled away, Lindsey ruffled his hair.

"Oh, come on," the teen groaned as he had it slicked back in the front.

"You still look beautiful," he rolled his eyes.

"I better," he smoothed his hair back.

The door to Gwen's room opened and the two gals entered into the hallway, Donna holding her friend's bag for her.

"I wanna see my mom before I go," the teen commented, holding herself up with the door frame.

"Are you sure?" Lindsey asked.

"Yeah, I don't know when I'll get the chance to see her. My body hurts so bad and I just want to take a sleeping pill, so that it can all go away for a little while."

He nodded and gently guided her in front of him so that he could lead her there.

When the four reached Stevie's room, Donna and Bobby stayed out in the hallway while Lindsey and Gwen went inside.

"Good Lord, mom..." the girl mumbled as soon as she met her mother's side. "Can you hear me, mama?" she whispered, swiping the side of her face, moving her blonde tresses back.

The woman had a tube in her nose in which was providing her oxygen, she had a blood pressure cup on her left arm, an oximeter on her right index finger, an IV line in her inner right arm and a few bracelets in which identified her on the left wrist.