Have you heard...?

The Abortion

Gage stood in the green scrubs- a medical face mask hanging from the bottom ties around his neck as a nurse tied a yellow mesh isolation gown on him.

  " Thanks." Gage muttered to the nurse as she stepped back from him and Gage lifted his hands to tie the upper ties of the mask. He looked at the nurse beside him. " Ready, Lin?"

She nodded and entered the O.R , leaving Gage behind to gather his bearings; he picked up the patient's files again and flipped it open.  He was shaking just the slightest; he knew what he was about to do...he knew what he was...there would be blood..and what he would be expected to do after...and it irked him that the woman had waited this long to come in for the operation; it could've been a whole lot more less bloody and mutilating than it would now have to be.

     The woman was now at 23 weeks pregnant and since she did not want to wait, an injection was out and Gage dreaded this lot...but he couldn't show it- he would be watched...watched by Nash, and a lot of others on the board.

      Hearing footsteps, Gage turned to be greeted by Emily Nash.

Today, she'd switched out her scrubs for a dark, tweed pencil skirt, a white long-sleeve and a pair of heels that looked killer- and to complete the lot, her lab coat flew behind her slightly as she made her way closer and closer to Gage at a brisk pace. Her identification card was pinned to the coat's front pocket under the Hospital's name of which had been woven into the coat.

" Are ready for this?" Was what she greeted him with, coming to a stop before Gage. " because, I can pull some strings and probably have it postponed."

Gage who had been looking down at the files, looked up...and an almost innocent lull appeared on his face as he said almost hopefully. " you can?"

" No." Emily negatived shamelessly.
" The big wigs want it done and over with before spring- and if you're going to get that license early...better now than later."

Gage's shoulders slumped slightly and he sighed. " Gosh, Em...I'm going to have to-"

" We all had to do it, Gage," Nash interrupted, already seeming to know how Gage felt about this particular procedure. " it's our job and until the law forbids it, it will continue to be. Now, put some pep in your step and keep your head."

Gage nodded and closed his eyes and as he opened them, about 3 people in dark suits rounded the corner with clipboards and expressions so grim, Gage turned around and headed straight into the O.R. without the pain of greetings.

The operation room was a place he was familiar with and had been for a while now...yet, not in this condition.

     On an appropriately arranged table was the patient; A woman in her far 20s -as Gage had read- laid there looking quite loopy as an unknown nurse monitored the machines hooked to her.

Lin stood nearby behind the cart that held the equipments and knowing that he was being observed through the observation window and marked for his work...Gage cleared his throat and went into Business mode; pushing away his thoughts and feelings and instead enabling his frontal lobe for memory and focus.

   " Lin, How far out is she?" Gage asked as he rolled the tray out to his left side and looked down upon the polished equipments.

" I just put her under...gave her half of an anesthesia through IV." Lin answered readily and Gage nodded. " She should be out right about-"

" Vital signs slowed, she's under." the nurse monitoring the machines called out.

Gage nodded. " Excellent."