— Natalie, this morning I mentioned the possibility of a C-section. I think in your case surgery is the safest route. Otherwise there may be risks for both you and the baby. It’s a standard procedure. The only difference is that the baby won’t be delivered vaginally.
Then the doctor went on at length with medical terms and explanations, before adding:
— Honestly, in many places elective C-sections are far more common than they used to be. There’s no reason to take unnecessary chances when the procedure can be controlled and safe. And if you didn’t know, Eddie was delivered by C-section too. Your mother-in-law was one of my first patients.
Natalie looked from her husband to Eleanor. Neither one seemed alarmed. That calmed her too.
— If it’s safer, then I’m fine with it, — she said.
— Good. I’ll examine you again tomorrow and set the exact date and time.
— Should we do the consent forms tonight? — Dr. Miller asked.
— Absolutely, while we’re all here, — Eleanor answered before Natalie could say anything.
Once the paperwork was signed, Eleanor stood up to leave.
— All right, you two, I won’t crowd you. I’ll stop by after work tomorrow.
She turned at the door and gave them a bright little wave.
The doctor allowed Natalie to take a walk in the hospital garden with her husband. They strolled along paths lined with tall linden trees, their leaves lit by the last rays of the August sun. The only sound was the distant hum of traffic from the main road.
— By tomorrow or the next day, there’ll be three of us, — Natalie said dreamily. To her surprise, Edward’s face tightened for a second. Then he recovered and said:
— Yeah. Hard to believe. I may take tomorrow off, just in case you need me.
— Sure, maybe you can hand the surgeon his instruments, — Natalie laughed lightly. — Come on, let’s head back before they send out a search party.
In fact, a nurse was already waiting for her.
— The doctor ordered an IV for tonight. It’ll only take about twenty minutes.
Natalie, suspecting nothing, lay down and held out her arm. Within five minutes her thoughts blurred, and she slipped into a heavy, dark sleep.
Edward was walking toward his car, his mind in knots. On one hand, he felt relieved that everything had been arranged so quietly. On the other, he knew deep down that what he was doing was wrong. He kept trying to push away the thought that he had betrayed his wife — and his child.
— I’m doing this for us, not for me, — he whispered hoarsely, slamming his fist against the hood. The alarm immediately chirped.
Not wanting attention, he shut it off, got in, and started the engine. He had barely left the hospital grounds when his mother called.
— Where are you? — she asked without preamble.
— Just left Natalie. Did something happen? — he asked, alarmed.
— No. Quite the opposite. Everything’s going according to plan. They’re taking Natalie into surgery now. Come pick me up and we’ll go back together. We won’t have to tell Natalie anything ourselves. Dr. Miller will handle the story. Our job is to support her.
Around midnight Edward and Eleanor returned to the ward. Natalie was back in her room but still under the effects of anesthesia. In the haze she thought she heard a baby crying, but she couldn’t see the child. The anesthesiologist came in, checked her blood pressure and pulse, and said everything looked stable. In about forty minutes she’d be fully awake, but they’d give her something to help her sleep.
Then Dr. Miller came in and motioned for Edward and Eleanor to step outside with her.
— The surgery went smoothly. The patient should recover quickly. As for the baby: a girl, six pounds thirteen ounces. All visible signs of the condition are present. Further testing will show what other systems may be affected.
She spoke quickly and crisply, as if she wanted the whole thing over with.
— But everything else will happen the way we discussed? — Eleanor asked.
