BEN
Mia held my hand, and I grabbed it intensively. It's been four gruesome hours now, and we haven't heard anything, neither from the doctors, nor from the annoying nurses who kept winking and batting their eyelids at me, hoping to get some attention.
I've never been more scared in my life before when I saw Sonia pass out in the car from exhaustion. If not for Mia, who quickly assisted in carrying Sonia to the van and driving us to the hospital, I don't know how I'd have coped.
We got to the hospital and the doctor in charge said they had to perform a cesarean operation to save both Sonia and the baby. I really wasn't sure what Sonia would have wanted in such a situation, so I just gave my consent. I told them I was the baby's father. I noticed one of the nurses looked at me when I said that.
She seemed as though she were close to Sonia because she'd been up and doing since we entered the hospital.
"Ben, let's go get something to eat from the hospital's cafeteria. It's just down the hallway there. This is 10pm and you haven't eaten anything yet" Mia said in a concerned, but genuine manner.
I wondered why she was even thinking about food. Who thinks about food when there's a loved one or two, in possible danger?
"I'm not hungry now. When I'm hungry I'll go down to eat" I responded, without even looking at her.
"Okay fine. I'll get you a sandwich and whisky. Have you tasted the traditional Scottish whisky. I've heard so much about it and I heard it's available here in his hospital. I'll make sure to bring for the both of us, okay?" She said, and I nodded.
Just then the nurse, who seemed close to Sonia came out, beaming with smiles and extended her hands to me.
"Congratulations Mr...?"
"Ben. Ben Caldwell" I responded immediately so she could let me know the outcome of the surgical operation.
"Sonia has a baby girl" She announced, and I smiled in excitement.
"Oh yeah. Can I go see her now?"
"What really is your relationship with Sonia?" She asked, stopping me dead in my tracks. I wasn't sure what Sonia might have told her beforehand.
"If you really don't know by now, it means Sonia doesn't want you to know" I said,as another nurse directed me to the room where Sonia was in, with the baby. I hesitated for a while before bracing myself and opening he door. She sat in an upright position as soon as I entered.
"Ben!"
"Sonie!!" I said, still maintaining my distance. I didn't know how to react around her, how she'd feel, with the fact that we're siblings.
"How did you find me here?"
"Here at the hospital?, Or here in Aberdeen?" I teased, but she didn't even laugh, nor show sign of humour.
"You know what I mean" She responded with a smirk. Before I could reply, the monitors that our baby was connected started beeping loudly and she let out an unusual scream. A doctor, whose name read Marcel on his tag, rushed into the room, and carried her from her cot, rushing out with her in a haze.
"What's happening?" Both Sonia and I asked at the same time. Mia rushed in at that moment.
Cassie walked in.
"I'm sorry Sonia. The baby's in a bad shape right now..."
"Catherine" Sonia said.
We all turned to look at her.
"Her name's Catherine" Sonia clarified.
"Can someone please just explain to me the reason my daughter was carried out of here?" I yelled, as two other doctors walked into the ward.
"Your high blood pressure apparently wasn't discovered early and it's apparently affecting Catherine. Her lungs collapsed. We noticed from her charts that she was tachychardic,so we reviewed her charts and we're still conducting tests. The doctor will be by shortly to fill you in." Cassie added.
"I have high blood pressure? I didn't even know.... Is that what's affecting Catherine?" Sonia asked so innocently.
"With all due respect Ms Cassie, you're her midwife. How couldn't you have discovered she had high blood pressure and could affect the baby? It could have been controlled, but you didn't find out in time due to your nonchalant attitude and negligence and now you're...."
"Ben!! Benny!!" Mia called out, and I stopped, when I realized I was practically being rude to the nurse and even accusing her of not doing her job well.
Mia dragged me outside for a while and asked me to calm down.
"You yelling isn't changing anything. You're only making matters worse and you're getting Sonia scared"
I sighed and sat down.
SONIA
I'd never seen Ben so angry before. But anyways, now is not the time to sympathize with him or anything.
"I'm really sorry Sonia. I think your hypertension was actually masked. It was showing normal actually but it wasn't. I'm truly sorry"
"So what's going to happen now, to Catherine?"
"I believe she'll be fine. I'll page Dr Marcel soon, and he'll be here. Congratulations once again darling" Cassie said to me, making me sigh in discomfort.
"How soon can I give her up for adoption?" I asked nonchalantly.
"Jesus Christ. I didn't hear you say that Sonie" Ben replied sharply as he walked in, with Mia, his cousin.
Both Cassie and Mia sighed.
"You know I can't keep her Ben. You know the reason why. I just can't. It isn't right" I said, staring deep into how eyes, trying to make him reason with me.
"As the baby's father, do I get a say in the affairs of my child? Or do we have to get a lawyer?" He responded, eliciting a groan and a pinch from Mia. She obviously wasn't expecting him to think towards that level. Judging by the shock on both Cassie's and Mia's faces, they weren't expecting him to say that, neither was I.
A palpable silence enveloped the room, with Ben's question. It left everyone in deep thoughts, and I couldn't care less.
Doctor Marcel walked in shortly with some charts and files. He looked round and sensing the tensed looks on everyone's faces, he asked.
"Is now a good time?"
"Yes " We all chorused in unison.
"Catherine has a congenital heart defect. It's called Coarctation of the Aorta. Her aorta is narrowed, making it difficult for blood to flow properly to her body. We've conducted CT scans, MRI and even an echocardiogram on her to confirm it"
"So what's the way forward?" I asked, as Cassie squeezed my hand gently.
"Normally it would be surgery to replace or repair the damaged part of the aorta, but given the fact that she's young, I'd suggest medications to control her blood pressure and prevent further complications till her body's strong enough to undergo surgery" Dr Marcel explained.
My eyes filled with tears. I really loved my little girl, but the fact that her father is my stepbrother was making it impossible for m to even look at her.
Right now, I had to make a decision for her.
I looked up at Ben, and he was also looking at me.
"What would you have us do?" He asked.
"Let's go with Dr Marcel's suggestion. Let her be placed on medications for now" I replied with a tear-filled voice.
"Okay" Ben responded, looking at me. Then he turned to Dr Marcel. "Can I see her now?"
"Yeah sure. If you're ready. Would you like to come to?" Dr Marcel asked me, and I shook my head.
I watched as Ben and Mia went to the room where Catherine was being taken care of.
"Cassie, I need you to do something for me" I said to her, as soon as the room was empty.
"What's that?"
"I need you to discharge me right now"