In the previous episode of Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale, Guardians shot Ofmatthew when June’s bullying pushed her over the edge. In The Handmaid’s Tale Season 3 Episode 9, doctors kept Ofmatthew’s body alive to save her baby, and June was forced to stay in the hospital with her.
Hazardous Thoughts
For thirty-two days, June stayed with Ofmatthew in the hospital as punishment for the way she treated her. All day, she knelt in “prayer” while in isolation or as doctors tended to Ofmatthew. June was slowly losing her mind in isolation. When the other Handmaids joined the vigil, Ofmatthew started seizing. Everyone left except June. After an emergency procedure where the doctors cut into Ofmatthew to get more fluids to the baby, June watched as one of them disposed of a scalpel in a hazardous sharps disposal box in the room.
Later that night, June reached into the box to retrieve the scalpel. As she approached Ofmatthew’s bed, Janine walked in. She was staying in the hospital because her injured eye socket from Ofmatthew’s beating became infected. June insisted to Janine that they needed to kill Ofmatthew and the baby. Janine talked June down, but June wouldn’t give Janine the scalpel.
Do No Harm
Serena arrived at the hospital to pray with Mrs. Calhoun. June asked if she could speak with her in private. When she sliced at Serena with the scalpel, Serena could
tell that June’s resolve had weakened. Serena told the doctor that June cut herself. He stitched her up and told June that she had advised keeping her in the room was a bad idea. June told him that her mother was a doctor before. Dr. Maddox had viewed the mother as the patient, while this doctor worked like the unborn baby was. He had known Holly. June admitted she didn’t know if Holly was alive or dead.
Save the Children
In the night, Ofmatthew started bleeding. The doctors performed surgery on her to get the baby out. While he was premature, the baby was alive. They stitched up Ofmatthew, but her body would soon be dead. June was free to go home.
While June had been at the hospital, she saw older girls visit the hospital. They had recently gotten their first periods and were there for examinations. As June left the hospital, one girl talked to her and unconvincingly told her she wanted children someday. When June saw Aunt Lydia waiting for her outside, she asked to go back and stay with Ofmatthew. As Ofmatthew’s body was dying, June apologized and promised to help get as many children out of Gilead as she could.
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