Page 33 of Ghetto Heartstrings

“Ouchhhh!” She yelled again as the beads of sweat trickled down the sides of her face. She was patiently waiting for the doctor to arrive as the nurses went into action, they were all prepared to take the baby. The little heart was in distress and being in her wound any longer was too dangerous.

“Try to calm down baby, they about to handle it okay.” Perfect tried to remain calm for her, he always tried to have faith, but he knew this shit here wasn’t looking good.

“Lift the sheet Perfect.” She told him exhausted, “Have them to clean me up.”

She scanned the room looking at everyone looking at her, the nurse beat Perfect to the punch but when she lifted the sheet, she was horrified and had a hint of sympathy in her eyes.

“What’s wrong?” Brook’Lynn asked her. “Tell me!” She snatched the sheet back.

The view in front of her was beyond anything she’d ever seen staring at her lifeless underdeveloped baby no bigger than the size of the palm of her hand laying there lifeless.

Never in a million years would she have imagined her child to look that way, she was so tiny.

It was a mother’s natural reaction to grab the baby, but before she could, the stunned nurse was cutting the cord and was already grabbing her and working to try to revive the little one even with it being very little hope.

“My babyyyy!” She cried watching the nurse cut the cord.

“Brook’Lynn,” another nurse tried to calm her down to get her to give a slight push and get the after birth out of her. “I need you to let them do their jobs, hun. Please…one or two pushes we have to get the afterbirth out of there.”

“Come on baby.” A shaken up Perfect stayed by her side but his eyes were glued on his daughter. He knew she didn’t make it; he felt it, she was just too young and fragile.

Brook’Lynn gave a push and delivered the after birth as they cleaned her up and threw a warm blanket over her. “Please just save my baby.” She tried to use one hand and nudge Perfect. “Go over there Perfect! Don’t let her die…don’t let my baby die.”

Perfect had never felt so fucked up in his life, he could fix a lot of shit, but he couldn’t fix God’s will, he just couldn’t. He was glad when they came over and shot something inside Brook’Lynn’s IV to get her to calm down and in a matter of minutes, she was finally resting.

He stood off to the side watching the staff try their hardest to revive the baby, but after what seemed like forever, it was nothing left for them to do.

That was the hardest shit he’d ever had to do was watch her little lifeless body wrapped up in a blanket.

They agreed to leave her there for a little bit so he and Brook’Lynn could have a little time.

Staring inside of the tiny incubator, he couldn’t help the tears, he wished it was something he could’ve done to save her, but it wasn’t. “Daddy loves you Heaven, continue to watch over mommy and daddy.” He whispered.

He had to prepare himself to break the news to Brook’Lynn when she woke up and he wished that was something he didn’t have to do.

He sat in the corner chair for the next hour waiting for her to wake up and when she did, he had to take a deep breath.

“Where’s my baby?” She asked. “Where’s Heaven?”

Perfect’s eyes shift from her to the baby and her eyes followed right along as he stood up to go grab the baby and bring her to her mommy.

The look in her eyes was one of horror, anger, hurt, and confusion. “Nooooo!” She cried, “How ya’ll let my baby die? How? What did I do so wrong? God whyyyy?” She placed her face in the palm of her hands feeling numb.

Perfect knew she was hurting so he tried not to take it personal.

It took everything in him to pick the tiny baby up and place her in Brook’Lynn’s arms with her warm tears falling on the baby’s sunken in cheeks.

“I loved you so much.” She cried. “I had so many plans for us. I guess God needed his angel back, but I wish he’d known that I needed you a little more. ” She kissed the baby.

Perfect rubbed the crease of her back and stayed by her side, he was fucked up inside and he didn’t know how to express it.

They had their moment with Heaven before Marley walked in with tears running down her face, “I’m so sorry you guys.

” She rushed to her friend’s side, she was in her scrubs and on the clock, but she didn’t give a shit about that, she needed to be there for her friend.

Perfect took that opportunity to step away and go call his boys to let them know what was up. He needed them niggas the most right now, he even called Uncle Maine. When they told him they were on the way, he walked back inside the room only for Brook’Lynn to be looking like a deranged woman.

“Get out.” She told him.

He frowned his face, “What?”

“If you hadn’t let Bugg suck your dick, if she wouldn’t have attacked me because of it, my baby would be here…get out!”

“Wait hold the fuck on Brook’Lynn, that shit aint even fair. I didn’t let that bitch do shit! That bitch was sick, you dead ass wrong for coming at me like that like a nigga ain’t hurting just as bad as you.”

“He’s right Brook’Lynn.” Marley said in her soft voice while still trying to console her friend. “It’s not his fault, that’s not fair.”

Brook’Lynn cradled her face in Marley’s chest soaking her scrubs with her running tears, but Marley didn’t mind. “I just need him away from me right now.”

“I’m not going nowhere.” Perfect sat down in the chair with his face balled up. He had to grind his jaw muscles to stop from going off. “We get through this shit together…period.”

“Leave Perfect…Damn! You didn’t have a problem leaving when it was beneficial for you, now did you? Just go!”

He didn’t know what had gotten into her, but he wanted to slap the shit out of her ass and get that demon off her back, “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

One of the nurses that Brook’Lynn was familiar with walked in with security following behind her, “Is everything okay?” She asked.

Brook’Lynn looked at Perfect and rolled her eyes, “I want him gone.”

Perfect, being a nigga who already had strikes knew that it wasn’t smart for him to be fighting with these people, although he could’ve easily fucked the security guard up, he didn’t want to take a chance of having the police in his fucking face and shit.

This was one of the times he had to be smart, but he couldn’t deny that shit hurt him to the core.

It was fucked up how real niggas had to swallow shit even when they knew the other person was dead ass wrong, especially when it came to their women.

“Ain’t no problems here…I’m out.” He stood up looking at Brook’Lynn one last time before he walked out.

A week later, Brook’Lynn stood in front of her wall mirror examining herself.

She wore a pretty soft pink dress that stopped right past her knees with the matching heels.

Her hair was done up in a nice bun and soft pink lipstick covered her lips.

On the outside, she looked fine, but on the inside, she was heartbroken, and it wasn’t the type of heartbroken that came from a nigga.

It was something she couldn’t even bare to describe, the hurt of losing a child was something she wouldn’t wish on her worst enemy.

In less than two hours, she was getting ready to bury her baby girl.

Everyone insisted that she shouldn’t take herself through that but she wouldn’t have it any other way.

It was set and that’s what was going to happen because she couldn’t physically find the strength the take care of everything, her friends came through like always and went through hell and high waters to get a tiny custom made casket and set everything up.

She didn’t even have to come out of pocket, Perfect paid for everything although she hadn’t seen much of him, she just needed her space until this was over.

Yaya had flown in that same night with no hesitation so for that entire week, she had Yaya, Kema, and Marley by her side just like old times.

Yaya came from the back wearing a different shade of pink since Brook’Lynn requested that everyone wear pink for her baby because the color pink represented love, and although Heaven didn’t make it, she was loved already by everyone.

“You look nice.” Yaya told her friend standing by her side.

“Thanks.” She managed to smile, “You don’t know how much that meant to me for you to fly right in and hop into action.” Brook’Lynn told her.

“You already know what it is Brook’Lynn, we all we got.” She hugged her.

Marley and Kema walked in ready to go, “Here…” Marley gave Brook’Lynn the house phone and then whispered, “It’s your dad, he keeps calling.”

Kema sucked her teeth and walked out before she grabbed the phone her damn self and said some slick ass shit.

Brook’Lynn frowned, she hadn’t seen Brody since she shot his ass and she had no idea how he even knew that she lost her baby because she didn’t tell him, but he’d been calling ever since. He acted like she didn’t even shoot his ass, he didn’t even mention it. “Hey.” She spoke dryly.

“I just wanted to make sure I was on time for the funeral services. I don’t want to miss it,” he said.

“But I didn’t even invite you Brody.” She rolled her eyes upward, and then she thought about it, Rasta was going to be there as well, “You know what, never mind, no…you’re not late it starts in two hours at Antioch.”

“Okay baby girl, see you soon.” He said hanging up.

Brook’Lynn wanted to gag but at this time, it wasn’t even about Brody or Rasta, she needed to get her baby resting peacefully before she even addressed that or thought about them. Since Heaven was his and Rasta’s grandchild, they kind of had a right to be there if they wanted.

“You okay?” Marley asked her.

“I’m cool.”