Hard and Fast

Chapter 12

Setg woke to someone shining a torch in his eye. He tried to blink but realised his eyelid was being held open.

"He's ok, he's just lost a lot of blood also, hook him up to receive some plasma." The voice was familiar but all he could see were shadows... "Where's my father and Carlee?"

A face came into view and Setg had to blink a few times before he could focus. It was Cha the head medic of the clan ship. "Good to see you alive, Setg. You gave too much blood to your father, but it may have helped save his life... younger blood and all..."

Setg exhaled... trying to sit.... "Am I in bed? Where are my father and Carlee?"

Cha smiled. "Relax. Your father is in surgery now and Carlee is about to operated on. Seems like she has a surprise for you... you should be alright to walk to the room, but we have a chair there for you to sit... you don't want to miss this...."

Setg was amazed and scared... Carlee was about to give birth. Cha helped him cross the room towards the doors of the operating theatre, as he walked, he could see his father in the next room being operated on; the surgical arm working profusely as it inserted mirco stitches in to the deep wound. The medic in attendance checking Ramses's vitals before mopping his brow. Ramses turned his head and saw Carly in the next room. Looking at Cha, "I can do this, I want to walk in there unassisted."

Cha smiled, "of course..." The proud warrior...has to make an entrance... shrugging his shoulders, he went off to check Ramses.

Setg entered the doors and Carly cried out in happiness. Her hair was tied up and her face red and sweaty and all matter of machines were hooked up. She held her arms out to him and Setg stumbled to her side and held her. He saw the three cribs nearby and looked at her confused... Carly sobbed and smiled at the same time..."triplets... we are going to have triplets..." Setg jaw hung open in amazement. The words still had to sink in. Just to see Carlee alive and well was one thing but to have triplets.... Setg felt light again and found the chair Cha had placed there for him.

Cha walked in, now dressed in a surgical robe, "Is she ready? Has the proper anaesthetics been applied?" The healers nodded. Cha took a needle, "checking for numbing... can you feel this?" Cha was poking Carly with the needle in various places along her legs and belly. Carly shook her head. "I can't feel my toes either..." Cha nodded, "Good, apply the oxygen, these babies need to be born now... their vitals are starting to slip. Let's start to drain her of the amniotic fluid." Cha reached down and injected a small needle into her cervix. Soon Carly's cervix popped and her water broke, pouring onto the catch tray beneath. "Excellent...the water colour appears healthy".

Carly had never been so frightened in her life. Here she was now, about to have a caesarean and about to give birth to triplets, but to see their fragile heartbeats gently flicker across the screen next to her, made her sob. Setg was doing his best to comfort her, trilling softly to soothe. She was unable to move and couldn't do anything. Her babies's lives rested in Cha's skilled hands.

Cha moved fast. He had already opened her up and held the skin open with clamps. Moving away part of the placenta he could see the triplets. One was slowly strangling on his own umbilical cord, the other appeared to have its arm trapped and would have broken it if the child birth was natural. Both of the larger babies were almost crushing the smallest, there was no room for even Cha to put his fingers in to extract the baby.

Cha cut all three umbilical cords and worked around the best he could, trying to extract one of the larger babies. Gently pulling by the ankles, he managed to dislodge the choking umbilical cord and extract the baby. He passed it to the waiting healer, who took the baby and placed it into the crib, slowly massaging the baby, allowing it to breathe on its own. The computer ran diagnostics and within moments the baby cried out. Everyone sighed with relief before continuing on with the surgery. The computer cleared the newborn and the healer took the baby to Setg and Carly. Carly cried with joy and Setg just held Carly tighter. The healer held the baby closer and Setg saw it was a boy. A tear escaped Setg.... "My son....." The healer nodded to them both and returned the baby to the crib, it cried a little more before settling with cooing... the warm crib comforting the child.