After hours

Chapter 37

I meet Alyssa in one of the empty examining rooms.

"Okay, I'm sorry. This is going to be really uncomfortable. Just bare with me." I tell her.

I have to give her a tubogram. I hate doing this. I have to insert a wand into her pelvis.

She winces. "I know I'm sorry."

I look at the screen. She hasn't ovulated in I don't know how long. You have to ovulate to get pregnant.

"What? What's wrong?" She asks.

"Um, you haven't exactly ovulated."

"Oh no. So I can't ever get pregnant?"

"No, no. You can, it's just going to be hard. You'll need to take injections once a week, in your hip and come back for examinations every two weeks."

"Okay," she sighs.

"I'm sorry Alyssa, but it's going to be okay. Do you want me to call Justin for you?"

"Yeah, I've got to get back to work." I see her wipe a tear from under her eyes.

I feel horrible.

"Okay so what does that mean?" Justin asks over the phone.

"Well, that means she will have to have weekly injections to the hip, that will increase the chances of her ovulating, which will increase the chances of her getting pregnant." I explain.

I hear him sigh. "Okay, thank you."

"You're welcome. Are you free at lunch? I think Alyssa is taking this really hard. She hasn't been herself."

"Yeah, I'll come up there. Thank you, for everything Evi." He says and hangs up.

~

"Hi, I'm Doctor West. Are you feeling any discomfort today Mrs. Henrie?" I ask my patient. She is having quints and is currently 30 weeks pregnant.

"No, I'm feeling pretty good." She replies.

"Okay this is going to be cold." I tell her putting the gel on her huge stomach.

There's five strong heart beats. "Looking good." I smile. "Have you had any stomach pains in the past couple of days?"

"Yes, every now and then, but I don't think they are contractions. They can't be contractions. I'm not ready. They aren't ready to come out. They are too little."

"Relax. I'm sure it's nothing. I'm going to need to check if you are dilated."

Oh no. She's dilated. This is not good.

"You in fact are dilated three centimeters. I'm going to admit you to the hospital. I'll get a nurse to show you to your room. Would you like me to contact your husband?"

"Oh... Yes, please. This can't be happening they're too small!"

"It's going to be okay I'm going to get a surgical team ready. I will have a cardio, neuro and ortho, surgical team in the room prepared for anything that might go wrong. We will do everything in our power to make sure your babies will grow up to be healthy and happy."

I page Jacob, Dr. Montgomery, and Dr. Allen. Then I get all the extra help I can get, interns, residents, anybody.

I get nurses to wheel five incubators down to OR two.

Everyone is prepared and in the OR, and the anesthesiologist is about to numb Mrs. Henrie's stomach for the c-section.

"Are you ready?" I ask her. She nods. "Scalpel." I say and the nurse hands it to me. "Baby A is out." I say handing her to the nurse.