Graceful| Grace Helbig-Sequel #Wattys2017

Chapter 10

I get pushed out of theatre as the hospital staff wheel out my little sister in an incubator.

I walk out in a complete daze, my eyes all blurry. Mamrie and Hannah bring their heads up from their knees. They stare at me, salty tears fall from my eyes to the floor. I can't do this.

"Hartley. Hartley what happened? Is everything ok?" Mamrie asks rushing over to me followed by Hannah. They both embrace me, I feel like a penguin trying to keep warm in the winter. My eyes still blurry fell to the floor. I try so hard to make out the words but nothing happens.

"Hart. Please tell us." Hannah begs, removing the whisps of hair from my forehead.

"I...I..hav...I have to go." I say in a daze. I break away from the girls embrace and let my legs walk. I don't know where they are taking me, I just let them take me away. I hear Mamrie and Hannah shouting after me. I make my way through the hospital doors till I can not hear their voices anymore. My legs carry me away from Mamrie, away from Hannah and away from mom. I walk up and down stairs, not knowing where my legs are taking me. All of a sudden my legs stop me. I look up at the sign above the door, it's blurry, from where I am crying, but i can make out Intensive Care Unit.

I hover over the intercom, then gently press the buzzer.

A voice comes from the buzzer "Can I help you?"

"um...yea..yeah...yes please." I reply.

"Who are you here for?" She asks.

"My...my sister, she was just born. I don't know her name...I guess it's baby Helbig." I explain.

"Oh baby girl Helbig. Yes she is here come on in." the nurse replies, opening the door for me. The receptionist shows me the way to my sister. She shows me, my sisters incubator and introduces me to my sibling.

I stare at her, a small fragile thing. Skinny as a bone, they have provided a small white hat to keep her head warm and a nappy to keep her dry. Numerous amounts of wires hooked up to her everywhere, her nose, her stomach, her hand, her feet. I don't know how she can cope. Tears com streaming down my face. No 15 year old should be dealing with this alone. I get snapped out of my daydream by a nurse.

"Hey sweetheart, sit down. You can hold her if you want." The nurse questions.

"Yeah, I will please." I reply, sitting down on my seat. The nurse carefully takes baby girl Helbig, being careful of all the wires coming out of her, from her incubator and places her on me.

"She have a name yet?" the nurse asks.

"Um...I ws thinking Hope but that was two cheesy, so I went along with my name, and came up with Everley. the same ending as mine 'ley'. Everley Aidia Bae Helbig. I mean I will have to wait for mom." I explain.

"That's ok...for now we will call her baby girl Helbig." The nurse replies.

She walks away leaving me to hold my newborn sister close to me. She is asleep,peacefully and quietly.

"Hey I'm going to call you Everley, It's nicer to have a name. No one should live without a name, however old you are. Baby girl if your in pain, don't feel like you have to fight, but if you fight you could have a good life. I'm not good at this, I'm only 15. Just remember that we love you, with all our hearts. But you do what you feel is right. You can let go, sweetie. Don't be afraid. I won't be mad." I say tears falling from my eyes to the body of my sweet innocent little sister.

I feel the nurse take Everley from me to her incubator. I slowly stead myself as I get up off the chair. I place my hand onto her bony little hand, she takes my pinky and wraps it around her whole hand. I feel it tense up, then relax, just as a noise comes blaring through the machine. Nurses crowd around her, trying to make her breather, just for a few more hours, minutes, seconds if she has to.

"Stop it, she's made her desicion. The right desicion." I reply, pushing the nurses who crowd around the incubator off her. The nurses nod agreeging.

"I love you Everley. That's her name, Everley Aidia Bae Helbig." I explain. I leave the hospital room which holds my dead sister and my mom who doesn't what is happening. I then leave the hospital all together, leaving Mamrie and Hannah left with loads of unanswered questions, that i really don't want to answer.

I walk away, just to get this whole situation off my shoulder's. I go and sit down on a park bench, tears still streaming out of my eyes and snot still running from my nose. I place my hands on my stomach, crying.

"Baby. I'm sorry but you don't need to live in a world like this. where all your aunties are gone. The world where your grandpa, beats the crap out of you, me and grandma. I can't let you live in a world like this. We are running away but he will probably find us and he will hurt us and if i still have you i know that he will hurt you to. I'm sorry baby but this is the best thing for you. I promise. Just remember that I loved and I do love you. But now you get to live up in heaven with your aunties. It's better that way." I say rubbing my stomach. I brush myself off and get off to the bench, and make my way back to the hospital. I find Mamrie and Hannah arguing with the receptionist.

They turn their heads when I arrive back into the hospital.

"Hart where were you we were worried sick? WHat happened in there?" Hannah asks guiding me andn Mamrie to the waiting room seats.

"Come on little bean, you can tell us everything remember." Mamrie replies.

with a single tear falling from my eye I reply.

"She's gone."