The $187B number is most certainly not made up. This just shows that Bethany McLean doesn't know where it comes from. Estimates of future losses were not included (she is wrong on this point).
If you look at this table that FHFA keeps, you see that the total draws that FnF have taken (actual cash that flowed from Treasury to FnF) are $191.5B. Subtract the draws taken in Q1 2018 due to the DTA writedowns and you get right around $187B.
(edit: I now see that her comments were from 2015, so the $187B number was accurate)
It's right there: Treasury really did send $187B of real cash to FnF.
However, some of that cash was sent so that FnF could turn around and send it right back in the form of the 10% cash dividend. This is the source of the "death spiral" narrative (which is false; FnF could have paid 12% in-kind instead).
I don't know the circular draw total off-hand, but I think it was $36B. That would make the actual bailout money $151B, so while the $187B number isn't made up, it is misleading. That might have been the point of what McLean was saying.
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