Meet the Howlters

Help Me

YEAR: 2044

[Winston's POV]

"You're gonna be okay. You're gonna be okay. You're gonna be-"
"Shut up and drive!" Stefanie scolded. "It hurts, Winnie!"
"I know, darling. You'll be fine. We're gonna get you to a hospital and you're gonna be okay,"
"I hate you," she cried.
"Understandable," I sighed. "We're here, we're here," I mumbled as I pulled up to the hospital. "Come on," I said as I helped her out. "You're gonna be fine,"
"Stop talking," she sobbed as she wobbled in.
"Hi, we need a doctor,"
"What's wrong?" the receptionist sighed. She flipped through a fashion magazine as she popped her chewing gum.
"My wife is miscarrying. She's about to go into shock. We need someone,"
"Hold on," she snapped her gum. "Nora, page the O.B."
"On it,"
"Dr. Stevens to the main lobby. Dr. Stevens to the main lobby," she said over the intercom. "Take a seat," she told us.
"I'm sorry, did you just tell me to sit down? Like we'll be waiting for a while?"
"Mhmm," she rolled her eyes.
"My wife is bleeding out. My child is in there, dying. Get us a doctor right now!"
"I'm right here," a woman smiled. "Take a seat 'mam," she said as she pat a wheelchair. "Husband-"
"Winston," Steanie cried.
"Winston, keep up or you get left behind. Let's move people,"

The doctor wheeled her into an ultrasound room and helped her onto the table. Dr. Stevens lifted up her shirt, to expose her stomach, and covered it in the warm gel.

"Is it dead?" I asked.
"Give me a minute Winston," she said. "Uh...it's still there and it's not gonna go away,"
"What do you mean?" Stefanie asked. "The fetus is no longer an embryo, therefore it has nowhere to go. I'm sorry to say that-" Ba bum. Ba bum. Ba bum. "Oh my god," Dr. Stevens whispered. She walked over to the phone and dialed in a few numbers. "Get an O.R. ready. I'm coming in with an immediate c-section,"
"A what!" Stefanie yelled.
"Stefi, Dil went through this and look at her and Fiona. They're fine. You'll be fine. And, hopefully, the baby will be okay,"
"Come on Stefanie," Dr. Stevens said.

She put Stef back in the wheelchair and started racing towards the O.R. with me, not too far behind. They quickly changed Stefanie into her surgery clothes and they handed me a pair of scrubs to wear while I was with her. As she was laid out on the surgical table, they injected her with something that would numb the pain so she wouldn't feel getting cut open.

"Hold my hand, Stefi,"
"I'm scared," she cried. The doctors put up a small divider at her chest so she wouldn't see what the doctors were doing to her.
"I know, honey," I sighed. "I love you,"
"I love you too," she whispered.
"Everybody ready?" Dr. Stevens asked.
"Yes," everyone replied.
"Okay, here we go,"

She made the first incision and started doing the c-section; to her, it seemed like nothing. After a few minutes, they pulled out a little, bloody baby.

"It's a girl," a nurse said.
"Did you hear that Stefi? We had a girl,"
"Why isn't she crying?" she whispered.
"What?"
"Why isn't she crying?" she cried as she started fussing around on the table.
"Winston, get her to stop moving," Dr. Stevens said.
"Stef, stop moving,"
"Why isn't she crying!"
"Winston! There are at least a dozen sharp tools in her! Stop her!"
"Stefanie! Stop moving! You're gonna-"
"Why isn't she crying!" Stefanie continued yelling.
"Shit," a doctor mumbled.
"What?" Dr. Stevens asked. "What's wrong?"
"She jerked up, into my scalpel," he freaked out. "I-I cut something... There is a lot of blood, oh my god,"
"What?" I asked as my voice broke.
"Get out," Dr. Stevens yelled.
"But-"
"Get out!" she scolded. "Someone page the anesthesiologist! Winston, get-" And just like that, the baby started to cry. "Get out!"
"But-"
"Out! Someone will be in the waiting room when we are done. Someone get the baby to an incubator!"
"I love you Stefi," I sobbed as I kissed her hand.
"I love you too..." she barley choked out.
"Get out!"
"I'm going..." I said. I removed my scrubs and started heading for the waiting room.

Delilah: I'll be there in 10. I swear. How's Stef holding up?
Winston: you're driving! Stop texting!
Delilah: excuse you, I'm at a stop light. How is she?
Winston: I'll tell you when I get here

I slouched in my waiting room chair and dreaded the news that the doctor was going to bring out. After about twelve minutes, Delilah ran into the hospital.

"Hey," she whispered as she gave me a hug. "How is she?"
"I don't know," I sighed.
"You've been crying. Are you okay?"
"Stef is hurt..."
"Why? Cause the baby died?"
"No, no the baby's fine. She um...she had to get an immediate c-section and the baby didn't start cry when it came out. N-Now, that's normally a sign of death...y'know, if they don't cry within the first few minutes. She was freaking out and she started moving around on the table while they were working on her and she rammed right into a scalpel... She's bleeding a lot... I don't..." I trailed off as I cried again. "I don't know if she's gonna live... I could be losing my wife..."
"Everything's gonna be fine," she cooed. "She's gonna get out alive. You're baby is gonna be fine. Everyone's going to live," she said. "By the way, what did you have?"
"We had a girl..." I sniffed.
"What does she look like?"
"I never got a chance to look at her..."
"I'm sorry, Winnie," she sighed.
"Winston," Dr. Stevens said.
"Yeah?"
"I'm so sorry," she teared up. "We did everything we could..."
"No," I cried. "No! She-She can't be-"
"Shhh," Delilah whispered as she gave me a tight hug. "I'm so sorry, Winnie... I am so sorry," she sobbed.
"Would you like to say goodbye?"
"No," I sighed. "No... I wouldn't be able to look at her..."
"Would you like to see your daughter?"
"I-I don't know..."
"Winnie, go see your daughter,"
"I-I don't know if...if I'm gonna keep her..."
"Why wouldn't you?"
"I'm alone, Delilah! I'm not like you where I have Joe, or dad, or bear! I am alone! I live three hours away! I am an emotional mess... Every time I look at her, all I'll see is Stefi... I am not fit to take care of a baby... I don't have anything to take care of a baby... I can't move back home cause your family is taking up the extra room. I just... I don't know what to do. I can't take care of a baby..."
"Go see her..." she whispered.
"Dil, I-"
"Go see your daughter,"
"Fine," I mumbled.
"Follow me, Winston," Dr. Stevens said. "She'right here. You can sit down, if you want. And, if you touch her, please be careful,"
"Okay," I whispered.
"If anything goes wrong, tell a nurse to page me,"
"Okay..." I said as I looked at her. I let out a sigh and pulled up a chair to look at the sleeping baby. "Well...hello there... I'm, um, I'm your father, Winston, but, uh...you call me dad," I mumbled. "Look, kid, if ever there is tomorrow when we're not together... there is something you must always remember. You're braver than you believe and stronger than you seem and smarter than you believe. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart... I'll always be with you. Okay? You are a Howlter," I sighed. "Therefore, you are brave, and strong, and smart... You always will be, no matter what life throws at you. I know your life is really bad right now. Your mum died, you're stuck in here, hanging by a thread but, it will get better... It always does..."
"Excuse me," a nurse said. "Are you her father?"
"Yes, I am,"
"Winston Alexander Howlter?"
"Yes,"
"May I have a license of something to confirm this?"
"Yeah, of course," I mumbled as I pulled out my wallet. "Here," I said as I handed her my license.
"Okay, great," she smiled. "What would you like to name this little angel?"
"Lydia," I whispered.
"Okay. Middle name?"
"Stefanie,"
"Okay," she beamed. "Congratulations Mr. Howlter,"
"Thank you..."

Dad: hey, is dil there yet? Is everything okay?
Winston: stefi died...
Dad: oh my god...I am so so sorry winnie. We'll all be up there for the funereal in a few days.
Winston: thanks dad...
Winston: oh and I had a daughter...
Dad: wow...congrats I guess
Dad: how on earth are you gonna tell Tyler and Troye? Y'know...about stef?

I looked up from my phone and let out a weary sigh.

Shit