I don't own McFly.
I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe that that one night – that was the biggest mistake of my entire life, was the reason for all the throwing up, and the weight gain and why I was sat in a doctor's office, watching his lips move, although I was oblivious to what he was saying, after that one word I heard her say I was gone.
I was pregnant, and that egotistical prat was the father. The guy I hated; the guy who ruined my relationship with my long-term boyfriend. Not only that, but he was one of my brother's best friends.
God, what on earth was I thinking that night?
3 months ago
I hated the fact that my brother dragged me here. I mean, I loved Harry, he was like another brother to me, and I wanted to celebrate his birthday, but this place was full of people I had never seen before, and it couldn't get any more awkward for me. I was sat drinking what was my fifth glass of wine, wishing that the drink would make me feel like less of a twat, but it didn't succeed. Instead I was tipsy and lonely – good combination, that.
That's when I caught his eye. The guy I had loathed for two years. The guy I would go out of my way to avoid. But no, not this time, this time he walked over to me with a smirk on his face.
"Feeling lonely, Fletcher?" He sat next to me. He was obviously drunk – maybe more than I.
"I prefer loneliness to your company." I muttered, wishing he'd leave me alone.
"Ah, likewise, but I needed an escape from Crystal." He sighed. Crystal was his whore of an off-again-on-again girlfriend. I took from his tone that they were currently off-again.
"Oh, really?" I smirked, then quickly scanned the crowd for the bitch in the LBD, and found her, I tried to get her attention, "Hey, Crystal!" suddenly there was a hand covering my mouth. I decided to be childish and licked it, and it quickly retracted.
"Oh, you bitch!" he exclaimed staring at his saliva-covered hand. Frowning he wiped it on my arm. I shrugged – it was my spit after all.
"That's what you get for being a pussy." I told him sweetly.
We were silent for a while, just quietly sipping our drinks. I quite liked the silence between us; it was nice when we weren't at each other's throats. It reminded me of the good old days where we used to be good friends.
"Libby? Why did we let something so stupid ruin everything?" he suddenly asked out of nowhere, his voice quiet as he stared at the now empty bottle in his hand. He was obviously fucked, and to be honest, so was I.
"I don't know. We were stupid, and now we can't go back." I sighed.
"I want to go back though." He mumbled, looking up from his drink at me – and I don't know why, but that made everything change. Suddenly I saw him in a different light, and I really, really missed him. I missed the times when we played pranks on my brother, when we would joke about and make fun of all the other band members. We were best friends. I remembered our good times, even that time when we accidentally kissed – not properly, just a peck, so quick it couldn't even count; even so we never ever mentioned it because we were both in a relationship at the time, and God my brother would've killed him.
And I let my nostalgia control me. Because not two seconds later we were kissing – and neither of us knew who kissed who first. Only thing I knew was that I missed him so much, and I wanted to get him back; which was the only defence I had when I woke up the next morning in his bed.
Of course, just like that ghost of a peck a few years before, we never, ever mentioned it again, and everything went back to normal afterwards – the only thing that changed was that we hated each other just a little bit more.
My stomach did backflips as I drove towards the street where my brother and his friends lived. I was trying to work out who I should tell first - my brother, or Him? But it looked like fate made my decision for me as I saw my brother talking to Him on the street. Hey, time to kill two birds with one stone. I quickly parked and walked out of the car to be greeted by my lovely brother.
"Hello Libby, what are you doing here?" he hugged me. Oh, God, I didn't know which one of them would take it worse. Him – because let's face it, that night was a mistake; or my brother, because he had a tendency to over-react.
"T-There's s-something I need to t-tell you." I said shakily.
He looked between me and my brother and put his hands in his pockets, "Ok, I'll just go then." He muttered, looking at the floor. We never argued in front of my brother, we both had a silent agreement that it was unfair on him.
"No, it concerns you as well." I bit my lip. His head snapped up, looking at me puzzled.
"Huh?" he frowned.
"I'm pregnant." I breathed. Both of their jaws dropped to the floor. My brother's eyes were full of surprise – His were full of dread.
"I'm going to be an uncle?" Tom gasped.
"Yeah," I smiled weakly. He just watched me, and I had a feeling he knew what was coming.
"Wait, what has-?"
"H-How far along are you?" He interrupted my brother's question with his own. I looked up to his blue eyes.
"Three months." I said, barely audible. I watched as he covered his face with his hands.
"What's going on?" Tom asked shakily, making me aware that he knew exactly what was going on, he just didn't want it to be true.
"D-Dougie's the father." I bit my lip. That's when my usually calm, level-headed brother lost his cool.
"YOU SLEPT WITH MY SISTER?!" he shouted, making Dougie and I flinch.
"I was drunk! We both were! I didn't know what I was doing!" Dougie held his hands up defensively.
"OH, THAT'S YOUR EXCUSE FOR KNOCKING HER UP? I THOUGHT YOU HATED EACH OTHER!" he was outraged.
"We do!" Dougie and I said in unison, and then glanced at each other in surprise.
"W- When -?" Tom looked at us, utterly shocked and confused.
"At Harry's birthday party." Dougie mumbled, burying his hands in his pockets.
"Well you sure know how to keep a secret." Tom mumbled.
"What, like I'd brag about sleeping with that?!" Dougie and I said, once again in unison.
"Look, Tom, I'm sorry." Dougie sighed after a moment of a rather awkward silence.
"I-I… you got my little sister pregnant!" Tom looked at Dougie, shaking his head.
"Tom, he's the same age as me, so it's not that bad." I mumbled.
"Shut up, Libby!" Tom muttered, "It's not just about that it's… you… I don't even know! I-I need time to think." Tom mumbled walking away.
Dougie and I stood there awkwardly, looking everywhere except each other. Dougie eventually broke the uncomfortable silence.
"I hope you're not expecting some bloody marriage proposal from me." He muttered, making me snort.
"From you? Ha! Funny, Poynter." I rolled my eyes.
"Look, I got you pregnant; I'll take care of the kid alright… well… if you're keeping it." Dougie shrugged. He sounded casual, but his body language screamed 'I'm scared'. The way he'd shuffle, look at the floor, his hands in his pockets.
"You don't have to. I don't expect anything from you, Poynter." I muttered, turning to leave. Before I got to the car he stopped me, grabbing my forearm.
"I may be a prat to you, Fletcher, but I'm not that much of a dick. I want to know my child." He said, shocking me. I honestly thought that once he'd find out he'd yell at me for ruining his life and say that it was no child of his.
"Really?" was all my genius brain could come up with.
"Yeah," he said, letting go of my forearm that I had forgotten he was holding.
"You aren't just going to be an arse about it?" I raised my eyebrows.
"I can be serious about some things, this being one of them… and my girlfriend… who is going to flip at this news." Oh, yeah, I forgot about Crystal; they were now officially on-again.
"Be sure to record the reaction, I might need something to cheer me up in the future." I smirked, opening my car door, "See ya, Poynter."
I then drove off. It was time to tell the parents and Carrie.
They took the news better than Tom… slightly. Carrie was thrilled at this prospect of being an aunt, and ordered me not to have an abortion. I told her not to worry; I wouldn't dare to do that, even though the father was Pratty Poynter.
Months flew by, and Dougie was surprisingly supportive, going with me to my scans. He was a bit pissed at first though, because Crystal broke up with him after he told her, but she came crawling back to his arms after a mere week. Tom still wasn't happy Dougie was the father, but he soon came 'round.
I was six months along and Carrie and I were having a girls' night in my flat. We were painting our nails and Carrie was doing my feet seeing that I couldn't quite reach them anymore.
"Have you thought of any baby names yet?" Carrie asked me.
"No not yet." I confessed. I hadn't a clue.
"Are you going to let Dougie help choose?" she asked.
"No." I muttered.
"Why not? It's his baby as much as it is yours." Carrie pointed out.
"I know, but he's an ass!" I said, frustrated.
"If he's such an ass, why did you sleep with him?!" Carrie asked.
"I don't know, I was drunk!" I lied. I knew exactly why.
"That's a pathetic excuse!" Carrie said standing up from the floor and sat next to me on the bed, "You know… they say a drunken man's words are a sober man's thoughts." She mused.
"What has that got do with the situation? Carrie, there were no feelings that night; we were both drunk and sex-deprived." I sighed. Carrie just shrugged.
"Whatever you say." I knew she didn't believe me, but I didn't have the energy to argue.
"Why the hatred between you two anyway?" Carrie asked out of the blue. Oh no, I knew this would come up someday. The topic Dougie and I wordlessly agreed to never mention.
"You don't want to know, Carrie." I sighed.
"Oh, come on Libby!" Carrie groaned, "Everyone wants to know. I promise I won't tell anyone." She begged.
"No, I'm not mentioning it." I said, but I knew she would force it out of me.
"Libby!" she groaned, "What was so bad to make you hate who used to be your best friend? Not to mention he's one of the nicest guys I've ever met!"
I snapped.
"What was so bad? He's the reason Jason and I broke up! He was the best thing to ever happen to me, Carrie!" I shouted, making Carrie jump. "H-He was the only guy I ever loved, will ever love, and Dougie's the reason I made him leave." I broke down and Carrie wordlessly put her arms around me.
"Libby, you'll find someone better than Jason, we both know that." She murmured.
"But I won't though." I sniffed.
"What exactly happened that night?" Carrie asked softly.
I sighed, and after two years, decided to finally tell someone exactly what happened that night.
2 years ago
"Come on, Libby! Love, we'll be late for your brother's birthday party!" Jason wrapped his arms around me from behind as I put on my favourite pair of earrings.
"I'll only be two seconds, Jase." I murmured and finished putting them on, "See!" I turned around and pecked his lips.
We made our way to the car and Jason drove us to the club. When we entered we were greeted by an already drunk Tom.
"Guys! I'm twenty today! You know, that number with a two and a zero behind it!" oh God, drunk Tom was like a three year old who had had too much sugar.
"Good for you, Tommy-boy!" Jason laughed, patting his head.
"Happy birthday, bro." I giggled, handing him his present.
"Want a drink, babe?" Jason asked. I asked for wine and made my way to Giovanna, my brother's long-term girlfriend.
"Why is your brother such a stupid drunk?" she sighed watching Tom as he conversed with his band mates.
"I don't know. It's annoying, but you have to admit it's rather funny." I giggled.
"You got that right." She smiled at me and took a sip of her drink. Jason then returned with my glass of wine.
"Thanks love," I smiled at him, and took a sip.
"You alright, Gi?" Jason smiled at Giovanna.
"I'm good, thank you Jason." Giovanna said politely. For some reason she never liked him.
"I'm going to go and talk to the guys, ok?" Jason said, looking at me for any objections.
"Go ahead." I pushed him lightly and he went.
"For teenagers, you guys sure act like a married couple." Giovanna laughed.
My phone started to ring and I apologised to Giovanna and made my way outside to answer it. It was my best friend Jody.
"Hey Jody, what's up?" I asked her.
"Nothing much, bored. Having fun at your brother's birthday party which I wasn't invited to?" Jody made such a big deal over everything. She was a drama queen through and through, and it was one of the many things that made me love her.
"It would be better with you, Jodes." I laughed.
"Obviously!"
I heard the back door open and close and turned around to see Dougie grab a packet of cigarettes from his pocket. He noticed me and smiled and waved, which I returned.
"Look, Jody, I'd love to talk to you all night, but I want to party." I told Jody.
"Fine! Leave me!" she cried dramatically which made me roll my eyes.
"Call Charlotte or Kim." I laughed.
"But they're not my bestie, you are." I could hear the pout.
"Oh, Jodes," I rolled my eyes as she began a dramatic rant which I tuned out on. I noticed the club doors open and close again and I smiled to see Jason exit the club. He didn't see me, though, and made his way to Dougie who was leaning against the club door, smoking.
"Hey dude," he greeted Jason.
"Hey, Dougs." Jason smirked. Huh? I watched, confused as Jason walked up to Dougie until he was right next to him. Dougie tried to back up but failed miserably seeing as he was against a wall. Jason closed up on him, making Dougie looked beyond uncomfortable. What was going on?
"Uh… what're you doing, mate?" Dougie asked shakily as he dropped his cigarette to the floor.
"I've wanted you for a long time, Dougie." Jason murmured, pressing his lips against Dougie's, making me nearly drop my phone in shock.
"Hey, Libby! You there?!" Jody's voice shouted down my phone, but I ignored her, watching as my boyfriend molested my best friend who was trying desperately to break free. Eventually Dougie pushed him away.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Dougie shouted at him, and let me tell you, it's not often you hear that guy shout.
"Showing you how much I need you." Jason said huskily, leaning towards Dougie again, but Dougie pushed him – quite hard seeing as Jason tumbled to the floor.
"Sorry mate, but I'm not gay, and you have a girlfriend who happens to be my best friend and standing right there!" Dougie hissed, pointing at me.
Jason looked up at me with wide eyes. He quickly stumbled to his feet and walked clumsily up to me.
"Libby, babe, please. I-it wasn't what it looked like." He tried desperately and pathetically, making me bitch-slap him into tomorrow.
"I saw it all, Jason. Don't even try. We're over, the end." I said coldly, walking briskly to the club. I heard Dougie follow me. Once we were inside, Dougie grabbed my arm.
"I'm sorry, Libby." He said.
"For what, making my boyfriend, who I thought to be perfectly straight, turn gay?" I snapped.
"Hey, don't snap at me! I didn't do anything!" Dougie frowned.
"You turned my boyfriend gay!" I exclaimed.
"I didn't bloody try to!" Dougie exclaimed back.
"Are you sure about that?" I was emotionally vulnerable and started making outrageous scenarios up in my head, "For all I know, if I weren't there you two could be at it right now!"
"What the fuck?!" Dougie looked at me with disbelief.
"You could be on your way back to yours right this second!"
"If I fucking wanted that from him, I would've taken up on his first offer!" Dougie snapped.
"F-First offer?" I felt my heart break just that little bit more.
"Oh, yeah, and the one after that, and after that!" Dougie smirked.
"H-How long?" I stuttered.
"Since Halloween last year." That long?!
"Why didn't you say anything?" I felt the tears come. I had been able to hold them back that long, but now they were breaking through my barrier. Not only did I feel betrayed by my boyfriend, but my best friend.
"Because I didn't want to hurt you." Dougie sighed.
"So what, you wait until I find out for myself and be heartbroken? Fuck you, Dougie Poynter!"
"And that's how it all began." I sighed.
"Whoa!" Carrie blinked, "Jason was gay for Dougie?"
"Yeah," I sighed.
"Ok, I understand that you're angry, but you really shouldn't blame Dougie for that! He didn't make Jason fancy him!" Carrie pointed out.
"I know," I sighed, "It's just that he didn't tell me, he just let it be."
"I know, he should've told you. But seriously, a two year feud over this?" Carrie raised her eyebrows.
"It's not just that! He's a complete dick to me now!" I said defensively.
"And you're a complete bitch to him too!" Carrie countered, "Now I know this is hard, but I don't think the baby would like his or her's parents to be at each other's throats all the time. I don't mean for you two to be together, but try to be civilised, yeah?" Carrie suggested and I nodded.
"For the baby." I sighed.
The day after Carrie left I was waiting for Dougie to pick me up for my six month scan when the doorbell rang. I frowned, looking up at the clock. It wasn't like Dougie to be ten minutes early – ten minutes late maybe, but never early. I got up off the sofa and put my glass of water on the coffee table and made my way to the front door. I opened it and was completely shocked at the sight. There stood someone I never thought I'd see outside my home.
Dougie's girlfriend, Crystal.
"Crystal!" I blinked in shock.
"D-Dougie's in the hospital!" she sniffed.
"What?" I gasped. This couldn't be good.
"H-He's been s-stabbed. B-By Jason!" Crystal managed before sobbing uncontrollably.
My heart stopped at the mention of Jason. I couldn't believe it. Jason was so infatuated with Dougie that he… killed him? That… That was beyond sick! I stared at the blonde, orange blubbering mess in front of me and I felt like joining in with her sobbing. I didn't know what to do, Dougie could die, and I would spend forever… doing what? Being a single mother to his kid, regretting ever being involved with Jason… regretting never making up with him?
I blamed hormones for the tear that trailed down my cheek.
"Come on, let's go to the hospital." I sighed and pulled the distraught Crystal to my car.
I sped to the hospital, my heart racing. For some reason I had to make sure Dougie was ok. I shrugged it off as the fact that I didn't want my child to grow up fatherless. We arrived the hospital and rushed to the front desk.
"D-Dougie Poynter." Crystal gasped out to the small woman who stared at us for a moment, blinking at the suddenness of our appearance, before checking her computer.
"Room 330." She said and Crystal ran before me in the general direction of the room, leaving me to waddle after her, cursing the fact that being six months pregnant meant I couldn't run.
I eventually reached the room and walked inside. The scene in front of me broke my heart. Dougie was lying unconscious on the hospital bed, looking pale, looking weak… looking dead. There was a big bandage on his chest, marking where my bastard of an ex had struck. Crystal was stood by the doorway, looking at him blankly, as if she couldn't quite comprehend what was going on in front of her. Doctors were surrounding him, monitoring him, hooking him up to machines.
"Crystal, I think we should wait outside." I said softly, lightly pulling her limp form out of the room to the waiting area outside the ward. She sat down with still a blank expression on her face, and I decided it would be best to call the guys and Dougie's family to inform them of what happened. After I had finished calling everyone, a doctor walked up to me.
"Are you here for Dougie Poynter?" he asked and I nodded in response, "I'm Doctor Newark. It seems that Dougie is in a stable condition, but he's unfortunately in a coma. It is hard to tell when he will wake up, or if he will wake up, but it could take a long time. I'm sorry."
"Oh, ok, thank you." I blinked. 'If he'll wake up', so he might die? I might've hated Dougie at the time, but I didn't want him to die. He was my baby's father, after all… and he did use to be my best friend.
I went to tell Crystal the news and she just burst into another round of tears.
Everyone then arrived and I recited the news to all of them. His mother and sister were allowed to see him. Crystal was as well, but she didn't move. She shut everyone out; you couldn't get any reaction from her. The only people she spoke to were the police, to tell them what she saw.
A month passed, and Dougie was still in a coma. The police still weren't sure what happened, so Jason was still free for the time being. I was starting to get worried about Dougie not being awake for the birth. Crystal was constantly by his side, and the band was beyond distressed, refusing to do anything until Dougie woke up. His mother and sister, Sam and Jazzie stayed in London so they were near and visited nearly as frequently as Crystal did.
Carrie and I were sat in my flat watching the telly, although my mind focused on my worry for Dougie. The thought that he could come out of the coma dead haunted me. I didn't give a shit we had barely spoken except to slay each other with words for two years, he was still my best friend when it came down to it. He was the father of my child. I would be absolutely devastated if he died.
"Are you ok, Libby?" Carrie interrupted my rambling thoughts.
"Yeah… it's just that… I'm worried that Dougie won't be there for the birth." I said, not saying the whole truth, but still.
"He has two months. He'll wake up, I know he will." Carrie assured me… but I still had my doubts.
Two months passed and time was ticking. There was no progress on Dougie, and the baby was due any second. Crystal was still constantly by his side, and the police were still next to clueless. They had decided that the only way to be sure was to ask Dougie himself when he woke up if he remembered.
I decided to go and visit Dougie one evening, when Crystal was home. I never liked visiting when she was there, seeing her stare at Dougie, looking dead. I sat at his bedside, staring down at him; his chest moving up and down and the beeping of his heartbeat were the only indication that he was alive. I don't know why, but I grabbed his hand, feeling an overwhelming need to cry. Damn the hormones.
"Have you tried talking to him?" a nurse I hadn't even noticed asked, making me jump slightly.
"No, I'm not here that often." I confessed.
"Well, you seem a hell of a lot nicer than that girl that's usually here. If you asked me, there was something off about her." The nurse muttered, and then walked off.
I decided that I might as well try to talk to him, even if it did sound ridiculous and cliché. Besides, it gave me a chance to get a lot of things off my chest.
"Hey, Poynter, it's me, Libby." I started, feeling beyond stupid, "You know, ever since you've been gone, everyone's been real miserable, and it's starting to get really annoying. We need your dick face for entertainment, you know." I sighed, "I'm nine months pregnant now, and I feel like I'm going to burst at any second. I still haven't decided on names, because I wanted you to take a part in that… well, I didn't at first, but… but now I do… because even though I've hated your guts for the past two years, well three years now, actually, come to think of it, I need you. I can't do it on my own. "I started crying now, but I still carried on, unable to stop now the gates were open, "I need you to be there with me when he or she is brought to the world, because a baby needs their daddy. And I'm going to need you, because although I've wasted three years hating you, you're still my best friend, no matter what, Dougs. I fucking love you, and I don't know what the fuck I'll do without you." I paused for a minute to dry my eyes, to no avail, as the tears just kept coming, "Please, please wake up, Doug. I need you to be there at the birth, because I know you'll be kicking yourself in the future if you aren't. Yes, in the future because you will wake up, Doug. You will! You won't die, Dougie Lee Poynter, you won't!"
I couldn't carry on then, as I broke down completely, and I felt someone's arms wrap around me. I looked up to see my big brother there, trying to hide the fact that he was crying too. He tightened his hold around me and I buried myself into his chest.
"I just want him to be there." I sobbed.
"He will, he'll be ok." Tom said, but I didn't miss the uncertainty in his voice. "Let's get you home." Tom sighed, pulling me up. He led me out of the room and we entered the lift when I felt a sharp pain in my stomach. I cried out in pain and Tom's eyes went wide.
"Shit your water's broken!" he shouted and stared panicking in the lift.
"Calm down, Tom, we're in a hospital!" I pointed out.
We ended up in the maternity ward, and I was lying in a bed, having the most painful contraction ever. Tears formed in my eyes when I noticed my fear would come true, that Dougie would miss the birth.
My parents and Carrie arrived, and mum started giving me advice that I didn't really take in, I was too distraught to. Dad and Tom left the room, unsurprisingly.
Dougie's POV
The light was so bright and tempting; I reached out for it slowly, thinking that it would mean the end of the numb darkness that consumed me, the end of the unbearable silence? I heard something earlier, though, a faint sad voice that I recognised from somewhere. It could've come from the light. I wanted to hear that voice again, it was the only thing I had heard for so long, and it was so beautiful, to hear something again.
My hand was nearly touching the bright, beautiful light when a sound shocked me, making me pull my hand back, "Doug! Doug! Dougie!" it was faint, but it was there. It was male, this time, and yet again familiar. It wasn't coming from the light… but then… where did it come from? "Dougie, wake up please?! Libby's giving birth!" the voice shocked me. Libby… I knew a Libby… She was giving birth…
My baby, my baby was being born! I had to be there! Wake up… but… how? How? I wanted to wake up, but I didn't know how! I didn't fucking know how! I felt the light going further and further away, and my senses slowly started to sharpen. Suddenly a pain in my chest became prominent and it jerked my eyes open and I groaned. I was blinded by a light so much brighter than the one I saw earlier. The pain was murderous…
Murder – I remembered the look, the eyes, and the knife.
God someone stop the pain. I closed my eyes again, not able to withstand the sharp pain. I barely registered the commotion around me; a nurse rushing to pump what I presumed was morphine into me, checking me up. Voices surrounded me. It was all too much. Too much. I fought the tears in my eyes, but it was useless. The only thing I could do right then was cry.
Seconds was all it took for the morphine to take effect, I felt drowsy, my head getting heavier… but the pain was fading. I couldn't sleep, though. If I went back to sleep, I might miss the birth…
The birth. I opened my eyes once again and instantly they met a familiar pair of brown ones. He was crying, of course he was crying. He was Tom, for crying out loud.
"Doug, oh Doug!" he sniffed. I blinked at him, not yet having control over my body.
"Dougie." A nurse demanded my attention, so I looked at her. "You can hear me, great. Do you think you can control anything else? Can you speak?"
Could I? I groaned earlier, didn't I? I tried to speak, but nothing came out. I attempted to clear my throat and I manage to croak out a yes. They continued fussing over me, asking me to move my arms, my legs, and my head. They asked me to attempt to sit up – I did, with my head spinning and I nearly vomited all over the place from the pain – the morphine wasn't strong enough.
I didn't have any patience, though. I wanted nothing more than to go to Libby to be there for the birth. I wasn't stupid, though, I knew that was near impossible. I couldn't sit up without throwing up, for goodness sake. The nurses eventually left me. I needed to rest, according to them – bloody hell, I had three months of sleep, I didn't need more.
I was soon eating my own words, though.
"How are you feeling?" Tom asked softly.
"I'm fine. Go to Libby." I told him, feeling my eyes grow heavy.
"You… you heard me?" he looked at me amazed, I nodded, no energy left. I quickly fell to sleep.
Libby's' POV
Tom emerged into the room after another painful round of contractions looking as if he'd been crying.
"Dougie…" I braced myself for the worst. "He woke up."
"What?" I gasped. My mood lifting up. He woke up.
"Yes! He woke up. He's in a bad way, though. He… He can't come, Libs. He told me to go before falling asleep – don't worry, he's not back in another coma, just sleeping." Tom said.
"What happened?" Carrie asked.
"I was there, talking to him, and suddenly his eyes flew open and he started crying out in pain. It was awful, his back just arched up and his face scrunched up in pain, and the heart monitor thing went haywire, suddenly nurses were everywhere and they basically pumped him loads of morphine, but he was still crying, then they did a series of check-ups on him before leaving. I asked him how he was and he said that he was fine and that I should come here before he fell asleep." Tom explained.
I started crying then; from pain, exhaustion, for the pain Dougie must be feeling, and the fact that he wouldn't be there for the birth. It was just that crying seemed like the only option I had. I just felt completely hopeless.
Suddenly I felt another contraction come along and a nurse inspected how things were going.
"Ok, Libby, you can push now."
I was still crying as I received my baby girl after hours of pushing. I cried because I was beyond exhausted. I was crying because I loved her. I was crying because Dougie didn't know her yet. I was crying because she was the spitting image of him. I felt my mother take her out of my arms as I drifted off to sleep. I refused to name her, not when Dougie wasn't there. One thing I was certain of, she was a Poynter. Right then, she would be known as Baby Girl Poynter.
I woke up to silence. I was alone. I felt numb. I stared at the white furniture and felt like bursting to tears again, but I refused to. I preferred feeling numb. Suddenly Tom entered the room.
"Hey," he breathed.
"Hi." I said quietly.
"The baby's in the nursery for now. I've asked the doctors, they said you could take her to see Dougie."
My head shot up in surprise.
"Well, in about two hours, the police are speaking to him right now… but guess what. He told me that Crystal did it." Tom said seriously. My heart skipped a beat.
"Did what?" I asked faintly.
"She stabbed him. The psycho who's been by his bedside nearly 24/7 for three months stabbed him."
I hesitated as I stood outside His room. I grabbed my baby, held her in my arms. I looked down at her and once again I was shocked to see how much she looked like Dougie. That was what drove me to open the door.
He was sleeping when I entered. I slowly walked up to his bed, careful not to wake him and sat down on the armchair. The baby started to stir and I winced, quickly hushing her, but it was too late. I watched as Dougie blinked to life, and for the first time in three months, my eyes met his blue ones, and I once again started to cry – I had just given birth and was in an emotionally fragile state, in my defence.
His eyes went to the baby in my arms and they widened. I looked down at her and smiled.
"Hey, baby girl, this is your daddy." I murmured. I then looked up at Dougie, who had propped himself up on his elbows and was staring at her in amazement. "Do you want to hold her?" I asked him. He nodded. I slowly handed her to him, he winced as he took her, and I bit my lip, but he didn't complain.
"What's her name?" he asked suddenly.
"Currently she's known as Baby Girl Poynter." I said softly. His head snapped up to me at that.
"Poynter?" he asked surprised.
"She looks so much like you I had to." I breathed, "And since we never got to discuss names, I didn't know what to call her."
He looked back down at our baby and smiled at her, holding her teeny hand and just generally doting on her. It warmed my heart. "I quite like the name Sophia." He eventually said. I smiled; I had actually considered than name myself.
"Sophia Louise Poynter." I suggested. He smiled, and nodded. I didn't miss the flinch of pain he showed when the newly named Sophia shifted slightly and nudged him. I decided to take her from him then.
"Doug… I'm sorry." I said quietly.
"For what?" he frowned.
"I'm sorry for being a bitch; for blaming you… For ruining our friendship." I said quietly.
"I'm sorry for not saying what was going on after the first time it happened. I'm sorry for being a dick to you." He said.
"I'm glad you're awake." I said softly. There was a moment of silence.
"Has Crystal seriously been here every day?" he asked quietly.
"Yes." I murmured. He shivered. God I would've as well. That was beyond disturbing.
"That's fucking sick." He spat.
"She came to my door right after… she did it, probably, and was sobbing that you were at the hospital. She… She looked so distraught… I never… I can't believe." I shook my head.
We were silent as well. Sophie was breathing heavily in my arms.
"Libby, can we just start over?" He asked softly.
"I thought you'd never ask." I smiled, "Hi, I'm Liberty Violet Fletcher; it's nice to meet you."
"I'm Dougie Lee Poynter; and you're one of the prettiest girls I've ever met." He said, and I blushed, remembering that that was the exact line he said when we first met when we were fifteen, and I smiled remembering the warning look Tom shot him. "But… the prettiest by far is the little girl in your arms."
I leant forward and awkwardly hugged him with Sophie still in my arms, "I've missed you, Dougs."
"I missed you too, Libs, and I promise I'll never let a disagreement tear us apart again. That was the biggest mistake I ever made."
Oh my God, this took hours to copy up and edit from my notepad.
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