Coming home for a couple of weeks was a dream come true. She was comforted by the familiarity, she craved it. Stevie lay in bed and slept mostly. She felt absolutely awful and Lindsey became increasingly worried. She was losing weight, there were dark circles under her eyes and she was generally not herself.

"I'm taking you to the doctor" Lindsey tells her. "I won't allow for any argument. We are going"

"No, I'm fine. I swear."

"Stevie you haven't been out of bed for over a week. Something is wrong and I'm scared"

"Call Christine"

"I can take you."

"No..."

"Why don't you want me there?" He asks, irritation in his voice. "Come on, Steph"

"That's it, I'm not going" she says, turning over in bed and pulling the blankets up around her.

"Yes you are" He says, feeling rather determined. She buries herself in the covers and he stares down at her then walks out of the room. She drifts back off to sleep but is woken up again by a soft, low voice.

"Stevie, Lindsey has called me in a panic. You're not any better?"

"I'm fine right here. You've wasted a trip" Stevie croaks.

"Come on, love. I'm taking you to the doctor"

"I don't need to go to the doctor" Christine rips back the covers and is shocked by her tiny frame.

"Stevie, what are you down to? You look so frail!" She gasps.

"I can't keep anything down" Stevie explains.

"No wonder Lindsey is worried. Please, let me at the very least bring you in so they can look you over. Maybe they can give you medicine to help with the vomiting"

"Alright"

"You're going?" Lindsey asks, coming back into the room fully as he was standing at the doorway hoping Christine could do her usual magic on his stubborn spouse.

"I'm going just so you guys will finally leave me alone" She says, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. Unsteady on her feet, Christine supports her and walks her to the bathroom to let her take a bath and wash her hair. Stevie emerges feeling slightly refreshed, puts on a simple blouse and skirt and opts for boots without such a tall heel. She applies light makeup with shaky hands and kisses her husband goodbye. "I love you Lindsey"

"I love you too baby. I hope the doctor can give you some answers"

"Me too"

------

The waiting room has quite a few people in it, making Stevie uncomfortable. She puts her head down and places a magazine in front of her face. She is grateful when they call her name and she heads back.

"See you in a bit" Christine says and Stevie nods. She sits in the cold white room, waiting for a knock on the door from the doctor. It feels like an eternity. She has yet another headache, her stomach was unsettled and though she sat perfectly still, its as if she were adrift at sea. The wanted knock comes and she sits a bit straighter by reflex alone.

"Stephanie" the female doctor says. "I'm Doctor Wilson"

"Please, call me Stevie. It's nice to meet you"

"Likewise, Stevie. Tell me about you symptoms"

"I've been so nauseous and tired, achy...I think I've been dealing with stomach flu or something. I've been on the road for months and months. My immunity must be way down"

"Alright." She says, scribbling something on her clipboard. "And when was your last period?"

"I skipped one recently but that's not unusual"

"Why do you say that?"

"Stress is usually the culprit but I'm also on the pill. I've skipped periods before and I was told by my gynecologist that it can be normal for some women"

"So you take the pill consistently, same time everyday."

"Yes. I'm very careful about it"

"Back up protection?"

"Sometimes" Stevie admits, the doctor staring at her with large green eyes.

"Okay then"

"Okay?"

"Stevie, with all that you've told me, you are one of those rare cases of birth control failure. You're pregnant."

"That's not possible." Stevie says, eyes as big as saucers.

"It's very possible. We ran several tests and they were all positive. From what I can tell, you're right in the middle of your second month of pregnancy. Approximately six to seven weeks." Stevie begins to cry and bows her head for privacy. "I will refer you to a fabulous OB, but in the meantime, take a prenatal vitamin once a day. A lot of women prefer to take them in the evening in case they cause nausea. I am also prescribing you a medicine to help with the vomiting so you don't lose any more weight. Eat a healthy diet and take it as easy as you can. You're considered underweight now and I'd like to see you gain a healthy amount of weight by the next time I see you. Your follow up will be in one month with me but after that you will be released to the OB. If you need to reschedule as you're touring again, do not hesitate to call."

"Thank you" Stevie says, looking up at her.

"You're welcome. Congratulations"

"Thank you" Stevie says again and the doctor leaves. She is stuck with her thoughts, letting herself cry. She isn't upset, she's thrilled but also terrified. She was hesitant to start a family, especially worried about spending her first trimester without the comforts of home. She didn't think this could be possible as she considered them to be careful but she can't say she was truly shocked. Since Christine had mentioned it, it played on her mind. Hearing the words made it so real for her and yes, she cried. Gathering her thoughts and wiping her tears, she made her way back out to the waiting room.

"God, what took so long? What did the doctor say?" Christine asked. Stevie stared at her. She blinked, holding prescription slips in her hand. She was frozen, her thoughts flooded every sense and she didn't speak. She noticed they were alone, the waiting room cleared and Christine gave her a curious look. "Are you alright, love? You know you can tell me anything, right?" Stevie managed a nod. "So go on with it. Was it just a stomach bug? Did they give you medicine?"

"I..." Speak Stevie! Stevie continued to stare, barely moving. She thought about the band and what the others would say about her news, and what would Lindsey think? He hadn't brought up having a baby in months- was he over the idea? She thought about the changes her body would endure and the change she already felt going on in her mind. She would be a mother, responsible for a little life. The tour would last until the end of August so she had to deal with the pressures of the road for at least 6 more weeks. Tears sprang to her eyes again and Christine wore a worried expression.

"Should I call Lindsey? Did something happen? Please say something, you're scaring me"

"I...it's nothing." Stevie says, knowing it was a lie. "Stomach flu"

Christine smiled and Stevie tried her best to smile too. "Great, well it's just a matter of time then? I'm glad you've got an answer"

"Yeah, me too."

"And they gave you medicine?"

"Yep"

"We can pick it up on the way home"

"Great, thank you"

"No problem, love." Christine put an arm around her shoulders and walked her friend out to the car. Stevie's hand lay on her stomach, though it was disguised as her securing her shawl around her. "Are you hungry?" Stevie began to shake her head but changed her mind. Think of the baby.

"Yes, actually I am"

"I'm glad you're going to eat. So pharmacy to get your medicine then we will have a little late lunch just you and me afterward. How does that sound?" Stevie isn't listening anymore and Christine touches her shoulder, asking for her attention. "I said, how does that sound?"

"Perfect, it's perfect"