Love You Enough

Mama Bear

"I could kill her with my bare hands!" She tells Lindsey, attempting to swing her legs over the side of the bed.

"Whoa, whoa. Hold on, mama bear." He touches her, stopping her from getting down. "You just got out of a medically induced sleep and we have plenty of things we need to discuss. No one will be killing anyone"

"That little bitch took my child and you expect me to just sit here and take it? No fucking way! Hold my baby, Chris" She doesn't feel strong enough to hoist herself and her son up off the bed but she has adrenaline pumping through her veins.

"Stevie, knock it off. Get back in bed"

"No, I'm going to that police station and I'm going to--"

"To do what?" Lindsey challenged.

"I, I don't know. I'll come up with something on the way there"

Lindsey can't help but laugh. "As adorable as you are, you need to take it easy. We have Leo home and you're pregnant. You don't need to be stressing yourself out. That baby has been through enough and so have you"

"Please, Lindsey"

"I'm not changing my mind. Especially when I was told what you've done"

"What I've done?"

"You overdosed"

"I don't know how. I didn't do a lot"

"Coke was bad enough but Tuinal? Jesus..."

"Wait, what? I would never, ever!"

"But you did"

"Who said?"

"The doctor"

"That can't be. Oh my god" she says, letting it sink in. "That's impossible"

"Rainbows?" Christine asks. "Stevie..."

"I didn't, I swear. I wouldn't do that. They terrify me"

"Do you buy coke from the same person?"

"Usually"

"I can't believe I have to ask my pregnant wife where she scores her drugs"

"Can you stop saying it like that? I feel bad enough."

"You should" he says without thinking.

"Not now Lindsey" Christine warns. Stevie instantly began sobbing, and the more she thought about his words, the less she was able to keep herself calm enough to breathe. She clung to her friend, and Christine rubbed her back the best she could with Leo on her hip. She's expressed guilt before and she knows she's to blame but she didn't expect her own husband to say it to her that way.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it, I'm just upset" Lindsey tells her.

"Lindsey, take it easy on her. She's fragile right now" Christine says.

"I'm sorry, Stevie" he says again, trying to touch her and comfort his wife.

"You hate me"

"No I don't. I thought you were dead when I found you, you didn't have a pulse. You scared me. When I was told you took the powder made from a blue tip and snorted it like blow..."

"I didn't!" She protests once more, letting go of Christine to sit upright. Lindsey is quiet for a moment and Stevie stares at him. "You're thinking about something." She says, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "I see those wheels turning. What is it?"

"Carol is the one told me to go look for you. I...I think she has connections to who you buy from and they gave you bad shit" he says. "That bitch is going to pay for what she did to us"

"Where is she being placed?"

"Baby, I won't know. She's still in a holding cell, I'm sure"

"When I get out of here, I want to see her"

"No way. I'm not letting this happen"

"I need closure" she says and the wheels are turning again for Lindsey.

"Fine but I'm coming with you"

Christine hands Leo back to Stevie and yanks him into the hall by the jacket suddenly.

"Lindsey, what the hell are you thinking? Is that a good idea?" Christine asks. "Don't you want to ask why she went back for more after we spoke to her about in-home rehab services? She seemed on board. What about the stress? What is she thinking she would accomplish with Carol?"

"I'm sure she has her reasons. If she feels she needs to see her, maybe it will give her peace enough to truly kick all drugs. This could save her life"

"Or it could destroy any progress she makes here"

"You can't change my mind. I believe they may release her in the morning and I'm going to take her there after a shower and breakfast at home"

"Okay" Christine says, yielding to Lindsey. "I guess I will just have to be supportive of you and of Stevie. There is nothing more I can do"

"Thank you"

When they enter back into the room, Stevie is by the window with Leo, watching the rain fall and talking to him. They are quiet, listening.

"You, little man, have such a special job now" she says, swaying with him on her hip. Her boy is almost 8 months old. His little fingers are stroking her back, gasping lightly at her long hair. He lays his head down and she kisses him. "You are a big brother. It doesn't seem real, does it? It doesn't to me either. You two mean everything to me. Mama hasn't been so nice to the baby with you gone but I promise things will get better for all of us" She looks down noticing her son is asleep and turns to lay him down on the bed. Her friend and her husband were smiling at her from the doorway and she smiles back. "Eavesdropping, are we? Tsk tsk" she says.

"What you said was beautiful." Lindsey says, kissing her.

"Only truthful. I feel so bad about all of this. I risked our baby, our son's well being...I jeopardized our marriage, Linds and our friendship, Chris, just for a high"

"You were in pain. It hurt that you couldn't cope but it wasn't your fault. Your child was taken from you." Christine says.

"You are a great mama. You got lost but you're coming back. Leo is home and now we can make sure our second little one is safe" Lindsey chimes in.

"Do you think our life will be beautiful again?"

"I know it will be" Lindsey says, wrapping her in his arms.

The doctor comes in to discuss discharge and they will let her go home tonight if she feels well enough. In the morning, Stevie will come face to face with her son's abductor and it will be anything but pretty.