Part 35 (1/2)
”Okay,” he said He went into the bedrooan to undress He folded his pants neatly over the back of a chair and placed his shi+rt over it He placed his wristwatch and money on the dresser next to the vase of roses that he had brought hoht of the roo in the air He sat on the edge of the bed and unlaced his shoes and pulled off his socks Then, still in his underwear, he stretched out on the bed
Slowly he let his eyes wander around the rooed Everything had changed Orshe had never pretended to understand what he was doing And she still didn't
It came to him, the moment before he closed his eyes and fell asleep That he had realized it all along but had never aders And alould be
'There's no point in waiting,” the doctor said ”She won't stop eating, and every day that passes she just puts on ht”
''Did you tell her?” Daniel asked
The doctor nodded ”She said she couldn't help it She had nothing else to do but listen to the radio and eat Without you home, she was just bored”
”When do you want to do it?”
”To her into the hospital tonight I've reserved a sereed?”
”Yes,” the doctor said ”Matter of fact, she says she feels better now that she knows it's going to be over”
Daniel was silent
”There's nothing to be alarmed about,” the doctor said ”We do caesarians every day Many woh the pain of normal childbirth Afterward, she'll be perfectly nore”
”We don't have any choice, do we?”
The doctor shook his head ”I'm afraid not Not with this kind of breech”
”Okay,” Daniel said
”My nurse will give you an admission card to the hospital,” the doctor said ”Have her there by five o'clock And don't worry, we'll take good care of her”
The Sunnyside Maternity Hospital was on Pico Boulevard near Fairfax, a pink stucco three-story building, surrounded by a pleasant lawn and garden Daniel drove the car into the parking lot just behind the building and into the section ot out of the car and he took the sot out of the car 'I feel funny I never been in a hospital before”
'This place looks real nice,” he said as they walked toward the entrance ”Not like the hospitals I've been in They were all gray and dirty”
''Still a hospital,” she said
”A special kind of hospital,” he said ”A place for kids to be bom in That h the entrance The halls were soft pink and there were pleasant paintings and pictures on the walls The receptionist in a white unifor office is straight down the hall”
The ad office was as pleasantly decorated as the entrance There were several desks with chairs behind and in front of them Comfortable couches lined the walls
A nurse in white came into the office froestured them to the seats in front of her ”Welcoins?”
”Yes,” Daniel answered
”We've been expecting you We have a nice room all reserved for you,” she said ”But first, there are some forms to be filled out”
The forms took about twenty minutes When she had completed them, she excused herself and went into the next roo see several papers across the desk to then each of the us perins and do whatever is necessary to ensure her well-being”
They signed She picked up the papers and checked the signatures, then clipped them to the file in which the other forins,” she said ”A deposit check of two hundred dollars is required in advance This covers the roo room, anesthetist and other hospital services Of course, when you leave you will receive an exact accounting, and any refund due you will be made immediately”
Daniel took out his wallet He counted out two hundred dollars in twenty-dollar bills She counted the bills and placed them in the folder, then pressed a button on the desk
''A nurse will be down in a moment to take you to your room,” she said She looked at theirl?”
''Daniel says it will be a boy,” Tess said
”I'irl,” she said
They laughed just as a nurse ca a wheelchair Tess looked at it for a moment ”There's no need for that I kin walk”
”Hospital rules, Mrs Huggins,” the ad nurse said ”You're our patient now and we're responsible for you Soot into the chair ”Kin Daniel co nurse said She s the wheelchair and carrying the small valise ”Good luck I hope it's a boy”
They took the elevator to the second floor The nurse stopped in the corridor outside the roo rooive us just a few ins comfy”
Daniel nodded, and the nurse took Tess into the roo roo cards, the third sitting back in his chair, a bored, weary expression on his face The cardplayers didn't even look up
Daniel sank into a chair He felt like a cigar, but decided against it The nurse had said only a few ns
After a moment, the thirdyour wife in?”
Daniel nodded
''I been here since last night,” the man said ”I hope you have better luck”
Daniel didn't answer
”Doctors are full of shi+t,” the man said ”Every time they tell me it'll only be a few hours, an' each time I wind up spendin' two days here”
”Been here before?” Daniel asked
”Three tiusted voice ”This is our fourth kid I got to be a glutton for punishment But this one is the last, I promise you”
One of the cardplayers let out a hoarse laugh ”Only if they cut his pecker off first”
”shi+t,” the man said He looked at Daniel ”When did the doctor tell you yours would co”
”You sound sure”