The Fight (Republished)

Chapter 13: Just Like You

The day on which your first born will be delivered should be a joyous one. It starts out in a panic of course as you rush to the hospital because your wife's water just broke. Once you're there, the doctors and nurses take over, suiting you up as well so you can be there in the delivery room.

I never thought I'd be able to stomach the sight of my wife's vagina being stretched to the limits as my son's head came out, but I took a peek and didn't toss up my lunch thankfully. If it had been any more than a split second I think I'd have had a much harder time getting the image out of my head.

My wife was on pain medication like most women during childbirth, but her situation was complicated as you probably know. She suffered from anemia for many years and also had numerous surgeries due to the stage one cancer. Her intestines were whittled down to less than half their original lengths now and she took a lot of supplements because her body wasn't able to absorb as many nutrients as it was supposed to.

We never worried though because the doctor who was going to help us get pregnant through artificial insemination assured us with regular visits that everything was looking fine. Complications during childbirth are always a possibility, but when you've had a rough life like my wife has, a lot more can go wrong. A lot more.

My son had finally been pushed all the way out and was now wrapped in a blanket and settled down from his initial crying. The nurse handed him to me as I side-stepped over to my wife so she could have a look at him.

"He looks just like you," I whispered to her as I stared into his big brown eyes.

As I was about to hand him over to her, she mumbled, "I'm thirsty."

"Nurse, could we get some water? My wife is thirsty."

The look on the nurse's face wasn't very assuring as she stepped back from where they had my wife's lower half curtained off.

"What is it?" I queried as my mouth hung open slightly.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I looked back at my wife as her eyelashes fluttered and her head rolled limp to one side.

"What's going on?" I asked with a trembling voice. "What- what's going on?" I asked again through a stutter.

"I'm sorry sir, but you will have to step back," the nurse directed as others rushed to where the doctor was. "There seems to be some hemorrhaging, but we need to deal with it right away. Please go with the other nurse. She'll take you to the maternity ward."

My mouth felt stuffed as if every question wanted out at the same time. I looked at my wife's face once more before being guided out of the room and down the hall of the hospital.

It had been over an hour since they placed my son in the room with the other newborns and I had been told to leave my wife's room. Her mother was still on her way and my parents were visiting family out west, so I was left sitting alone in the waiting area until further notice. My mouth hung open and dry for the most part as I stared at the tiled floor. My eyes were beginning to burn, so I blinked several times in an effort to stop the pain.

I put my hands to my face and rubbed my eyes to spread moisture around. Looking out between my fingers, I saw a nurse walking toward me with a doctor I didn't recognize. I stood up as they came up to me and the doctor explained what had happened. She had bled a lot during labour and the surgery stabilized her, but not for long. They couldn't tell just how much damage had been done before they got her hooked up to a blood transfusion.

"It's now up to her," the doctor explained. "She has to fight. There is nothing more we can do. I'm sorry."

I slumped back down in the chair as the nurse quickly told me what room my wife was now in and how to get there. My wife was definitely a fighter, but there was no way to tell if she had met her match. After all that she had been through, all she ever wanted was to have a son that looked just like her. Replaying the moment from the delivery room in my head, I wasn't even sure if she saw his face before passing out.

As I gathered myself to make the walk to her room, her mother came running over to me. I stood up and she wrapped her arms tightly around me.

"How is she?" she asked as she took a step back.

"Not"-I choked-"not good."

Tears began to stream down my cheeks as her mother then put her arms around me once more. She rubbed my back and I hugged her the best I could with what little strength I had left in me.

"Don't worry, she'll pull through," she mumbled into my chest. "She always does."