Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Part 16

Charlotte peeked around the curtain that surrounded Jenny's bed, "How's the chess game?"

Without looking up from the board, Sam replied, "Fine, how was the ultrasound."

"Okay."

Still not looking up. "Just okay?"

Before Charlotte has a chance to answer Lovie with Sarah right behind her, burst into the room. "We got to see the baby," shouted Lovie. "It doesn't really look like a baby, does it mommy."

Charlotte shrugged her shoulders. "When babies are little they don't really look like babies."

"Our baby looks like one of those Martians from daddy's movies."

The girls laughed.

"Sarah," said Sam, "watch your sisters. Mommy and I are going to take a walk."

Sarah settling herself down in the chair by the window said, "Something is wrong, isn't it?"

"We'll find out," was all her dad said before wrapping his arm around his wife and walking her out the door.

Once down the hallway, Sam stopped and leaned his wife up against a bank of windows in an alcove, with the warm sun streaming in. Once they were out of the general stream of hospital pedestrian traffic he asked,"What's wrong?"

"They didn't say," answered Charlotte, staring at the floor. "But judging from past experience, the baby's head is too big." She started to cry.

"Have you seen Dr. Houseman?"

"No, but they said he would be finding me."

Sam gently lifted his wife's head to look into her tears and then wiped them away with his shirt sleeve. "What better place to be but in a hospital. Everything will be fine."

Changing the subject, Charlotte asked, "Did Dr. Reid comeback?"

"Yes, and he was happy to see Jenny sipping on that shake. He'll check in before going off duty around midnight."

"And then what? Are we all staying here?"

"Well the nurses are starting to call Jenny's room Camp Penchot, so unofficially, I'd say yes."

Just then a voice over the PA system said, "Mr. Blue, Mr. Blue Room 657."

Startled, Charlotte screamed, "That's Jenny."

No comments: