The Playboy's Misfortune

24: Blip

"I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, but I was just kidding myself
Our every moment, I start to replace
'Cause now that they're gone
all I hear are the words that I needed to say"

~-~-~

"I'm very sorry ma'am..."

I overheard a couple of doctors and looked up.

It was around 10 pm and the taxi driver's family, wife, and kids, were asked to wait outside his room.

"... The last seizure was... Too fatal... I'm afraid that Mr.Wilson couldn't make it..." The doctors bowed their heads in sorrow.

"Ma!"

Danny yelled as his mother began losing consciousness. Both the boys tried to hold her steady but she was too heavy for them. I immediately reached for her shoulders, and so did one of the nurses. We placed her on the metal chairs as Danny and his little brother had teary eyes.

"Please, keep the children away..." One of the doctors turned me as he began checking the woman's pulse.

I wrapped my hands around the boys' waist and pulled them back. "Let me go!" The younger one yelled and tried kicking me. "Don't be stupid," I glared at him. They watched as their mother was taken to a different room. Tears rolled down Danny's cheek by now, "Is she going to die too?" He whimpered. This made even his little brother cry.

I sat down on one of the chairs with Lucy tightly clasped against my chest. Slowly, I let the children go, "Nothing will happen to her."

"But my dad...!" Danny burst out crying.

"I want to see Dad!" Even the younger boy was crying loudly now.

The hospital staff stared at the boys in pity.

Pity.

They could have done better.

"Hey, hey... It's going to be okay..." I held their hands and gently tugged them towards me.

Danny wasted no time in wrapping his arms around my neck and sobbing as hard as he could. Not wanting to leave the little brother alone, I pulled him so that he hugged me as well.

Where the fuck was Jim?

He would know exactly how to calm these children down.

I knew nothing about them, and I felt overwhelmed thinking that Lucy might do the same with a stranger if I were to die one day.

I caressed their heads and gulped the lump in my throat.

What would Chelsea do?

"You still have each other, boys. Your parents need you to be strong for them."

They pulled back a little, breathing heavily with moist cheeks. Lucy began making noises as she reached for the colorful watch around Danny's wrist.

"She's pretty," the younger kid whispered.

"Yeah. Now, I'll go get you some water while you have to make sure she doesn't move around much." I placed my baby on the chair, wrapped in her blanket. "Okay," they nodded and wiped their cheeks.

I bought a bottle of water for the children who were busy watching Lucy suck her fingers. Danny even kept her occupied with his watch.

But it did annoy me to think these boys had taken an interest in my daughter.

"Here," I handed them the bottle. Danny sat on the metal chair beside me as I took Lucy into my arms as it was about time she got hungry. The bottle of baby formula was slightly warm in my pocket and I took it out to feed her.