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Part 12: Pulling the plug

Removing her Clog sandals, Stevie could walk better, still stumbling but not feeling the need to collapse. She made way down Lindsey's floor and to his room, his children and Kristen surrounding him, Stevie filled with so much rage that she pulled Kristen by the hair. "HOW DARE YOU!" shoving her in to the air conditioner. "THIS MAN IS THE FATHER OF YOUR CHILDREN AND YOUR HUSBAND! YOU'RE JUST GOING TO LET HIM DIE?! YOU'RE JUST GOING TO PULL THE PLUG LIKE IT DOESN'T MATTER?!" all the while her voice cracked, screeched, tears covering her glasses.

"Who said that it doesn't matter?!" Kristen responded, trying to fix her blouse that ruffled. "And how dare me? How dare me?!"  pointing to herself. "Lindsey would never want this for himself! He would never want to let a machine keep him alive! Are you that selfish?! Do you think that this doesn't affect me and my children? Do you think that I am not hurting?! Are you actually serious?!"

Will placed his hands to Stevie's shoulders, it keeping Stevie calm, still not at all happy with the younger woman in front of her. It was supposed to be her  to judge when and if Lindsey's life could end, not this fake wife! She'd known Lindsey all her life but the fact that he had married another woman, everything now was signed in her name. Even his life.

"No - no - no," Stevie slumped to the floor, crying so hard that she couldn't even breathe. "You can't do this! Please, don't let them pull that plug!" she begged at Kristen's feet.

"What is going on in here?" Lindsey's doctor entered, seeing Stevie on the floor while Will helped her back up.

"Please, you have got to inform Ms. Nicks of my husband's condition. I cannot allow him to live like this any longer," pleaded Kristen.

"Surely," nodded his doctor, handing Stevie a tissue. "What Mr. Buckingham is going through is not in any form what any of us wanted to witness; he's not breathing at all on his own and his heart is too weak to ever regain strength. I spoke with his family for hours and this is never an easy decision but it's come to the realization that it's time, time to allow this man to leave in peace."

His words caused Stevie to vomit, literally covering her mouth with her hand as she staggered to the sink, hurling. The scene was heartbreaking, witnessing a woman fall apart in front of their eyes.

Sipping on the tap water, Stevie grabbed a couple towels, embarrassed to turn around as she dabbed her face clean. No one said a word as she headed for Lindsey, feeling that uneasy feeling of collapse again, gripping the bedrail and laying her face against his. He stood inches from her, watching how she took his face in to her hands, knowing that they were never going to be together - knowing that whatever plan was in the universe, it was not this. It was never for them to have their happy ending, to bring their love affair back full bloom.

"I will never, ever love anyone else as much as I've loved you,"  Lindsey spoke. "I have lived my whole life for you, for us. You were supposed to be the mother of my children, the woman with my ring on your hand, no one else. Now I don't know what will happen to my soul once that plug is pulled but I will always be there; I will always be at your side to watch over you - I will guard you and guide you, check in to make sure you are safe. I'll never leave you, Stephanie, never."

Not caring that his wife and children were in the room, Stevie caressed his face, kissing along his jawline and snuggling him close. She pushed down the bedrail to be closer, one hand slipping in to his gown to feel his chest, all her love out in the open. "I love you," whispering softly, her tears dropping down on to his face, across his neck. "I don't know what I did wrong but I tried, tried so hard to bring you back to me," saying against his lips, the need to kiss them strong. "If I could switch places with you, I would, because I cannot live in a world with out you; I cannot live knowing you're no longer a call away, no longer in my arms to hold, no longer capable of watching you do what you do best. Music would no longer be the same with out you in it. All I have ever done is let you down."