Read Online Intervention: A Science Fiction Adventure by J.W. Huemme - Free Book Online Page B

later he was
joined at the car by several of the nurses on duty to help him bring
Mary into the delivery room. Once inside, they wheeled her away and
left him to register with the nurses at the front desk.
    “What’s her
doctor’s name?” asked one of the nurses.
    “Uh, oh, I’ve got
it right here.” Joe said nervously as he reached into his pocket
and produced a small piece of paper containing the needed
information. “It’s Dr. Percell.”
    “Why don’t you have
a seat while I call him, then I’ll take you in to see your wife,”
the nurse said motioning to some chairs as she reached for the
telephone. “Ah, okay, sure. Please hurry. Is she going to be all
right?”
    “She’ll be fine,”
the nurse smiled as she dialed Dr. Percell’s number on the
telephone. Never has there been
a father to be that wasn’t nervous , she thought. She set
the phone down on the hook after speaking with the doctor. “Dr.
Percell said he’d only be a few minutes. He lives just a couple of
blocks from here. Let’s go see how Mary’s doing while we wait.”
    “I don’t know if
the baby’s going to wait much longer,” one of the other nurses
said as Joe arrived in the delivery room.
    “Are you all right,
honey?” Joe asked as he took Mary’s hand.
    “Yes, I’m fine”
Mary responded trying to appear calm.
    “Dr. Percell will be
here in just a couple of minutes. Try to hold on,” Joe said trying
to comfort her.
    “I’ll, oooh! I’ll
try.” Mary was clearly trying to fight delivering before Dr.
Percell’s arrival. “I hope he hurries.”
    “Did I tell you how
proud I am of you?” Joe asked. “I know you’re going to be the
best mother there ever was.”
    Dr. Percell was just
walking into the delivery room when one of the nurses exclaimed,
“Here it comes; I can see the head!”
    Doctor Percell dropped
his little black bag and peeled off his coat. “Here, let me take
that,” he said to the nurse as he cupped his hand under the baby’s
head. “All right now Mary, push, again.” He gently cradled the
baby’s head like the old country doctor he was. “A little more
now, that’s it, you’re doing just fine.” Dr. Percell knew just
to let Mother Nature take her course. “All right, Mary, I’ve
got…” Dr. Percell paused for just a moment, “him! It’s a boy.
Joe, you’ve got a son!” he said turning his head toward the door
where Joe stood.
    Mary raised her head
slightly. “A boy?” she asked.
    The nurse handed a
clamp to Dr. Percell for the umbilical cord. Once it was cut, he
passed the baby to a nurse. The nurse wiped the newborn off and
wrapped him in a small blanket. She then took the baby to Mary so she
could hold him for a few moments. Everyone in the delivery room could
sense the joy they felt.
    “Look at those eyes,”
Mary said. “I’ve never seen a baby with such depth and awareness
in his eyes before.”
    “I see what you mean.
He seems so aware of everything,” Joe responded.
    “Dr. Percell,
shouldn’t he be crying?” Mary inquired.
    “He does seem rather
quiet. Let’s have a look.” Dr. Percell checked the baby’s heart
and lungs with his stethoscope. “He seems perfectly healthy to me,
and amazingly calm. I think you have a very special little miracle
here. I’m happy for the both of you.” Doctor Percell went on,
“You better get some rest now, Mary, and you too, Joe. Why don’t
you go home and get some sleep and come back in the morning.”
    The nurse gingerly took
the newborn from Mary and took him to the nursery. Dr. Percell gave
Mary a quick check and a clean bill of health. “You get some sleep
now and I’ll be back to see you in the morning. Oh, yes, and
congratulations!”
    * * *
    “Good morning, Mary
and Joe. How are our new parents this morning?” asked Dr. Percell
as he entered Mary’s room. “And how’s…?” Dr. Percell
paused.
    “Christopher,” Mary
responded. “We’ve decided to name him Christopher.”
    “Well, how is
Christopher this