Everything I Need

67

    After the nurse drew Lauren's blood and was told to put a rush on it, Dr. Walsh personally wheeled Lauren to the hospital that's connected to the clinics and I quickly walked beside my wife with all kinds of thoughts clouding my mind. As soon as we make it to the room setup for Lauren, Dr. Walsh hands me a hospital gown "help her get the gown on. I will step out into the hallway but let me know as soon as you're done." I nod my head in understanding as the hospital room door closes.

   Immediately, I help Lauren undress and get the gown on. I wipe the stray tears on her cheeks after snapping the gown close. "I'm scared, Kyler." My wife says as she grabs hold of me and fights back more tears. It breaks my heart to see her scared and upset like this and there's nothing I can do but just be here for her.

   "I know, baby me too but I'm right here with you okay. I'm here for you. Let me get the doctor back in here." Lauren nods her head and reluctantly lets go of me. As soon as I open the door, Dr. Walsh walks back into the room and we both help Lauren onto the hospital bed. The doctor pages nurses into the room and as soon as three nurses enter Lauren's room, I am asked to move aside. Two of the nurses get all the machines hooked up to Lauren to monitor her and the other nurse rolls the portable ultrasound machine over to the bed for the doctor.

   Once the two nurses finish hooking Lauren up to all the monitors and machines, I step back beside the bed and grab ahold of Lauren's hand. I watch as the nurse assisting the doctor moves my wife's hospital gown out of the way and spreads gel on her stomach. The ultrasound machine is positioned for Dr. Walsh and the nurse to see which keeps us from being able to see our babies on the screen.

   Dr. Walsh places the probe on Lauren's stomach and starts moving it around. After a few seconds we finally hear a soft, slow heartbeat and a fast one. I glance away from my wife to Dr. Walsh and the look on her face changes as she looks at the screen. Before I can even ask anything, she looks at the nurse, "get me an OR now!" The nurse takes off out of the room and Dr. Walsh looks at Lauren. "I have to get you to an OR immediately for an emergency c-section."

   Lauren starts crying and I quickly ask "why? What's going on? She is only 34 weeks, it's too early." The doctor and nurses grab Laurens bed and rush towards the door with it.

   As the door is being opened and before I can ask anything else Dr Walsh looks at Lauren and I and says "there's no time to stop and talk because one of the babies is in distress. This is our only option and we have to do this now." They take off out the door with the hospital bed and run towards the elevator. I hear Lauren crying and I run after them so I can be there with my wife.

   Before I can step foot in the elevator with them one of the nurses blocks me and another steps back out of the elevator after Dr. Walsh told her to go get the blood work results. As the doors are closing, I hear Lauren calling for me.

   I yell "Wait, I've got to go with my wife. I have to be there for her!" I go to move around the nurse to press the elevator button but she steps in front of me. I push past her but she grabs my arm to stop me. I jerk my arm away but she grabs my arm again. "Let go of me and get out of my damn way. I have to be with my wife.!" I yell at the nurse as I feel my eyes watering.

   "Mrs. James, you can't be in the OR during the emergency c-section. You will have to wait in the OR waiting room and I will personally come find you to let you know what's happening and how everything is going." The nurse calmly explains but that's not what I want to hear.

   I shake my head no as my heart is racing. "N-No, I-I have to be with Lauren, please! She's scared and will want me there. I have to know her and our babies are okay. P-Please!"

   The nurse presses the button on the elevator and says "I will take you to the OR waiting room where you will have to wait. Let us do our jobs to take care of your wife and babies. I promise I will update you as much as I can." As soon as we get in the elevator I feel my eyes watering more because I can't be there with Lauren. As the elevator doors close the nurse says, "I know you're concerned about your wife and want to be there for her. I also know she would want you there too but you can't be in there, not during an emergency c-section. Our main concern right now is her and the babies so once again, let us do our jobs and take care of them."

   After we make it to the OR waiting room, the nurse quickly leaves and makes her way through the doors to the OR. I pull my phone out and with shaky hands and call Mrs. Jessica. After the third ring she answers and I manage to say "L-Lauren a-and t-the babies... w-we're at the h-hospital, p-please get here...." I end the call and basically fall into a chair as my mind is clouded with fear and tears roll down my cheeks.

   About 25 minutes later, I hear fast footsteps and look towards the hallway just as Mr. David and Mrs. Jessica is entering the waiting room. I rush towards her "mom." I mumble and start crying again as she wraps her arms around me, hugging me tight.

   "I'm here Kyler. Calm down sweetie and let's sit so you can explain what's going on." Mom kisses the side of my head and guides me to a chair. The three of us sit down and I take a deep breath to try and calm myself down so I can explain.

   "We... we had Lauren's appointment today and..." I take another deep breath because I'm trying to be strong and not panic or cry more but I am so worried and... scared. "Dr. Walsh told us that Lauren has pre-eclampsia which is why her legs and feet were swollen more. Her blood pressure was really high and the protein in her urine was high too. The doctor used the fetal Doppler to listen to the babies heartbeats and one heartbeat was fast and the other was slow. She was already going to admit Lauren into the hospital but was really concerned by the heartbeats so she rushed her over here to the hospital to do an ultrasound because the one in the clinic was in use.

   As soon as we were in the room, they hooked Lauren up to a lot of monitors and machines and Dr. Walsh started the ultrasound. Again we heard a fast and slow heartbeat then the doctor quickly stopped the ultrasound and ordered a nurse to book an OR for an emergency c-section. All I was told was that one of the babies was in distress. One of the nurses said she would come let me know what was going on when she could."