The ambulance that carried Jen sped through the crowded streets with its sirens blasting and lights flashing. The traffic parted, and people watched as the vehicle made its way to the hospital.
“My water had to break right in the middle of a meeting.”
“Don’t worry, Jen. I’m sure they understand.”
Her husband, Dave, was trying to comfort her, but then, true to form, he said something wrong. “Anyway, it’ll give them something to talk about around the coffee machine.”
Jen thought how lucky she was that her husband worked in the same office, but she didn’t like the idea of being the topic of office gossip. She was beginning to feel motion sickness from lying on a stretcher in a moving vehicle. Just then the ambulance stopped, its doors opened, and she was being wheeled down a long corridor.
Finally, the stretcher turned a corner and she felt Dave leave her side as she entered a delivery room. She felt the sting of a needle in her left hand. Then she felt Dave’s hand slip into hers and saw his eyes like slits between the cap and the surgical mask he had put on.
Jen felt a needle go into her back and almost immediately the lower half of her body felt numb; the epidural had taken effect. She looked up into the mirror and saw the surgeon with a child in his hands. The noise of first one crying baby and then another filled the room.
Jen held the babies and everyone, except Dave and the nurse, left the room. The babies were passed between the two of them as the nurse performed various tests.
“I came as quickly as I could,” Jim said as he entered the room like a hurricane.
Jen thought that he had been late for almost everything in his life, but she would forgive him this time. Jim kissed his sister, smiled at his brother-in-law, and then went over to the nurse. Jen and Dave could hear them talking softly.
“No problem, doctor.”
Jim came over to the new parents. “So, one of each. Any names picked out?”
“Brianna and Christopher,” said Jen.
“OK, Doc.” Dave smiled because he knew that Jim hated being called Doc. “Why were they blue when they were born?”
“That’s quite normal, but they should have changed to pink a minute or so after they were born.”
“So why does Brianna still have blue finger tips and lips?” asked Jen.
“It’s called cyanosis; it’s not uncommon. Don’t worry. One advantage of being related to a doctor is that all three of you will get first-class treatment.”
“I hope so, because Chris has pink lips, and he’s breathing at a much slower rate than his sister.”
Originally published at http://www.sciencecases.org/fetal_heart/fetal_heart2.asp
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