Bittersweet

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Stevie's throat started to close, "W-what do you mean Kristen's gone?"

He barely got the words out. "She's gone Stevie. She's dead." Stevie's hand flew to her mouth as she gasped, "Lindsey I'm so sorry! Baby, I'm sorry! H-how did this happen? Did the baby make it?"

"Y-yeah he's alive but-they aren't sure for how long"She began to cry right along with him through the phone.
"...But Steph-she's gone. She's dead and it's all my fault."

"No. No, Lindsey. This is not your fault at all. This is just a horrible tragedy. I am so sorry. I am rooting for your little guy. I can come to you?" Stevie offered, she was one of the very few things that could comfort him in this state.  "Stevie you can't, y-you have to rest..." He sniffled. "I want to be there for you," Stevie told him. He sighed. "I know Steph, I know..." His voice still shaking from the tears.  "Please let me," she spoke softly to him. "I'll come."

"Be careful. I couldn't stand it if something happened to you two too," starting to cry again. "We will be, I'm sure there's somewhere I could sit down," Stevie said, "I wouldn't come if I didn't think we could handle this."
He nodded to himself as he attempted to hold back another sob. "Alright...hurry."

"I'm on my way," she hung up and called for her mother to come to her.

"Mom!" Barbara hurried to her side worriedly. "Tee what's wrong??"
"Mama you gotta drive me back to the hospital!" Barbara looked as if she might faint. "Why??"
Stevie's tears unsettled her even more. "L-Lindsey needs me. Kirsten's d-dead. The baby's okay right now, but he might not make it." Barbara took all of the information in and shook her head sadly. "Tee, he doesn't need to worry about you being there too. I admire you wanting to be there for him, but he needs to focus on his son," Barbra said. "Mama please! We already talked about it, I need to be there for him!" Barbra sighed and nodded, "Well I can't stop you. I'll go get your brother." She left the room to go get Chris, Stevie was still in her clothes from the hospital so she didn't see the point in changing just to go back.
Soon enough after Chris had tried his best to stop her they all headed back towards the hospital.

"You guys can go home, I'll find Lindsey and he'll take care of me," Stevie told Chris and her mother as she unbuckled her seatbelt. They looked at each other uneasily and finally agreed but stayed long enough to watch her head into the building.

Once inside, Stevie got a visitors ID at the front desk and made her way up to NICU to find Lindsey.

As she got inside she elevator she started to feel a little out of breath, but leaned against the rail knowing that she's be able to sit down soon. When the doors opened she began to scan the hall for Lindsey, finding him standing outside of the special nursery for the micro-premie babies.

"Lindsey?" She slowly shuffled to him, not wanting to strain herself. Staying close to and using the the rail on the wall. "I'm here baby." He didn't say a word but gently pulled her by the arm into his embrace, quietly crying into her neck.

Her arms went around him tightly, "It's okay, I'm here now." Stevie knew that he just couldn't be strong right now, and she didn't blame him or think any less of him; she'd just have to be the strong one for him.

He held her so tightly if she had been showing properly she'd be worried about squishing the baby. "Hey, let's go sit down for a minute and then you can show me your son," she managed to give him a small smile, feeling slightly faint from being up and supporting some of his weight as he cried. Lindsey only nodded as she led him over to sit. "So...what happened? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, I just thought that she was doing fine?" Stevie asked, placing her hand on his leg and rubbing it gently. "I...... I don't know... The doctors told me a lot of stuff... I didn't really hear much of it..."

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