Bad Idea, Right? • shameless uk

017. The Aftermath

THE HOSPITAL HALLWAY BUZZED WITH A CHAOTIC ENERGY... A storm of worry and fear brewing in the air. Veronica and Kevin, faces pale with terror, stood at the reception desk, their voices barely a whisper.

"Where is she? What room is Kodi in?" Kevin's voice cracked, desperation edging into his words.

"Sir, you're gonna have to calm down," the receptionist said, her voice soothing, but not entirely successful.

"Calm down? Our fucking daughter was in a car accident! We need to see her!" Veronica turned, her eyes scanning the crowded waiting area. She spotted Karen and Lip leaning against the wall, their faces drawn and strained.

"Lip, she okay?" She rushed towards them, hope flickering in her eyes. Kev was right behind her.

"She's gone into surgery," Lip said, his voice barely audible.

"And the baby?" Kev asked, the question hanging in the air, heavy with unspoken fears.

"We don't know," Karen said, her voice tight.

Kev and Veronica fell onto the floor, their bodies crumpling under the weight of their anxieties. The rest of the Gallagher family and the Maguires rushed in, a torrent of worry and grief swelling in the small space.

Malakai, Kodi's father, stormed towards Lip, pushing him against the wall with the force of a hurricane. "You were the last one with her, what happened?"

"I didn't do this," Lip protested, his voice strained. Paddy, ever the calming force, pushed his son away.
"Is there a problem here?" A nurse asked, her voice firm.

"No, we're okay" Paddy said, his voice strained. The nurse nodded, her eyes flickering between the two men.

"You two knock it off," Mandy said, her voice cutting through the tension.

"Is she okay?" she asked again, her voice brittle with worry.

"We don't know, we're just waiting," Karen said. The air hung thick with unspoken fears, the silence punctuated by the occasional sob.

•

THREE HOURS PASSED.. Each tick of the clock stretching out like a torment. Fiona had taken the kids to sleep, their innocent faces a stark contrast to the raw despair that filled the atmosphere. Karen Jackson had stayed alongside Mandy, offering a quiet support that was appreciated but scarce. The Maguire's had gone home, leaving Lip and Malakai alone, the storm of emotion brewing between them.

"It's all my fault," Lip said, his voice heavy with guilt. "If I hadn't called her, she would be here."

Malakai looked at him, his own guilt echoing in his eyes. "Mr. Maguire," A doctor said, appearing at the entrance of the waiting area.

"That's me. Is my wife okay? Is the baby okay?" Malakai asked, his voice pleading.

"The baby," the doctor said, his expression serious. "She's in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit."

"She? It's a girl?" Malakai's face lit up, a flicker of hope in his eyes.

"Wait, you said Neonatal Intensive Care Unit," Lip interrupted, his voice sharp with fear. "She's not okay, is she?"

"We're doing the best we can," the doctor said, his voice soothing. "She was only 26 weeks."

"And my wife?" Malakai asked, his voice trembling.

"She's come out of surgery. It's just a matter of waking up," the doctor said. "Do you want to see your daughter, Mr. Maguire?"

Malakai nodded, his eyes locked with Lip's, a shared understanding passing between them. Both men followed the doctor, their steps heavy with apprehension.

They entered the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, a sterile white room filled with beeping machines and incubators. Malakai's daughter, tiny and fragile, lay in a closed bed, wires and tubes snaking out of her tiny body. He broke down, the weight of his emotions too heavy to bear.

"What's her survival rate?" Lip asked the doctor, his voice choked with emotion.

"Eight out of ten babies survive."

Malakai looked at his daughter, his heart breaking. 'I failed her,'

he whispered, his voice barely a whisper. 'I failed her' He sank to his knees, tears streaming down his face, the future of his daughter uncertain, the weight of his guilt crushing him.

•• Millie speaks

Ideas on babies name, if she does survive?