The Priors... EPISODE TWENTY

5.27 am 14th February

 The nurse arrives at Sarah's room and Neal helps Sarah into a wheelchair.  He can't help but laugh at Sarah's sexy socks!

 Then they make there way up to SCBU.

 As they approached SCBU the nurse explains that the baby will have a lot of machines around her and these are mostly just a precaution

When they arrive at the door to SCBU they are met by Dr Peter's. The nurse introduces him "This Dr Peter's he will be looking after your daughter, now if I can leave you in his safe hands I will see you later"

 On entering the room they are still a little taken aback by the amount of machines and the bleep, bleep bleeps all around there little girl.

 "If you can just put on these gowns and wash your hands...It's for the babies safety, to keep as many germs as we can away!" As the doctor is talking he puts on a gown and hands two to Neal and Sarah

There in her incubator covered in bubble wrap with tubes from every orifice is there daughter. Sarah's hand finds itself being clasped tightly by Neal's. Both are lost for words. In the end Neal manages to ask...

 "Bubble wrap? Can't the hospital afford blankets?"
(OK, so he's a man, not the sharpest tool in the box)

The doctor smiles " We find it keeps the babies warmer and when they are this small they don't have a lot of fat on them, plus quite often the have not developed the ability to shiver!"

 "Oh!" Neal looks more confused."And the blue light? And why are her eyes covered????
"She will be linked to monitors to continuously check her condition and given oxygen or light therapy as needed exposure to blue light breaks down bilirubin in the blood, which causes jaundice!" The doctor replies
They move in closer and Sarah turns to the doctor "Can we touch her?"

 "Yes, of course it's very important that she knows you are here." The doctor opens a little flap at the side of the incubator and Sarah hesitantly puts her hand in.
She places it gently on her daughters hand. Sarah looks up first at Neal who is looking totally gob smacked and then at the doctor "She's so very tiny? I don't even know her weight? Can to tell us more about what's happening? How long she will be in here? When can I pick her up? What about breast feeding?" Sarah's questions come tumbling out

"Well she weighs 4lb 10oz which is about 2.25kg so while a little under the 5lb rule she is doing well. As I said we are monitoring her heart and breathing so far she is doing very well. Try to express breast milk so that she receives her nutrients and protective antibodies and you can establish your milk supply, we can arrange for you to have a breast pump for now."

 Looking at the heart monitor "I seams very fast?" says Sarah 
"Yes, babies heart rates are faster but she is doing fine" Dr Peters says reassuringly
"What about picking her up? When will she be out of here and how long does she need all this for?" Neal motions around the room

 "Well, we hope you will be able to hold her tomorrow. As I said, contact is important so as soon as possible. We don't know how long exactly, it all depends on how she progresses!"
They all stand there for a while then Neal asks how often they can visit?
"Oh, you are welcome any time we have no time limits in here! I'll leave you for now and let you get to know your daughter, by the way do you have a name for her?"
They look at each other "No, not yet!"
The doctor looks at Sarah who is now looking totally exhausted "May I suggest that you get some sleep soon Mrs Hage?"

 "Yes, come on Sarah lets get you back to your room we can come back later!" Neal can see how exhausted Sarah looks too! Sarah smiles and nods her head

As they are leaving the room they look out of the window. It's dawn and the sun is just rising the dawn chorus can just be heard through the triple glazed window

 They both look at each other big cheesy grins on there faces
"I've thought of a name!"
"So have I!"

"Dawn!" they say together....... "a new day... a new beginning.....a new life" Sarah says turning to Neal
(very profound for someone who's just gone through the weirdest 12 hours of her life)

The Priors.... EPISODE NINETEEN

4:59am 14th February 
Eventually Neal composes himself to ask Sarah about the baby

  "We have a daughter, and she's going to be fine. The nurse came in just before you arrived and said a doctor will be in to see us soon?" she smiles at him

 "God! I don't know what to say? How?... I mean .... what? ....I mean...." Neal looks into Sarah's eyes holding both her hands

  "I don't know?" Sarah replies shaking her head a slight shrug of the shoulders

 Neal brightens he thinks of something there CAN sort out "What are we going to call her?"


  Sarah smiles "I have no idea! I guess we had better think of a name? maybe we should wait until we see her and see if a name comes to us?"

Neal nods and just then the door opens and Dr Walsh enters. She smiles at Sarah and puts out her hand to shake Neal's hand "Mr Hage?"

 "Yes!" Neal replies getting up from Sarah's bed and shaking the doctors hand

 "Well, first let me tell you that your daughter is doing well, she is premature we think you reached about 33 weeks. We think she was a twin and that when you had your miscarriage you  only lost one of the twins!"

 "But why? How did you not know Sarah was still carrying another baby?" Neal asks the doctor

  Dr Walsh holds up her hand and smiles at Neal then she turns to Sarah "Well, we need to do a couple more tests and a scan but we think you might have Uterus Didelphys.  That means you have two wombs! We did have our suspicions when you had the miscarriage but you left before we could complete our tests"

  Sarah and Neal look at the doctor as if she has two heads!

"I know! It's a lot to take in and I think we need to do more tests then we can explain it all properly. Also I think you need to absorb what's been happening, this must be so overwhelming for you both?"the doctor tells them.

Neal laughs  "Your not wrong there!"

 Then the doctor says the magic words "Would you like to see your daughter?"

 In unison they both say "Oh, yes! Yes please!"
"I'll get a nurse to take you up to SCBU" (Special Care Baby Unit)Dr Walsh replies as she leaves the room

The Priors... EPISODE EIGHTEEN

4.47 am 14th February
Arriving on the second floor Neal steps from the lift (elevator). He looks around and sees a closed door marked maternity. He strides across the hall and presses the buzzer
 BEEEEP ....Crackle crackle "Hello, can I help you?" comes the disembodied voice

 "Amm yes, I think you have my wife? Sarah Hage!"

 Brief pulse BEEEEEP click and the door opens

 On entering the large open room he sees a nurse at the nurses station who smiles at him and beckons for him to follow her

She knocks on a door and Kandy calls out "come in"
The nurse opens the door and steps aside so Neal can enter.
Suddenly he feels overwhelmed by all that's happening around him and his feet feel like led. He stands in the doorway not able to move. Sarah and Kandy both look over at him. Then he sees the mix of love and fear in Sarah's eyes, the look that must be mirrored in his own eyes?

 Pulling himself together he takes a step towards Sarah's bed. Two strides and he's at her side and she is in his arms. Kandy looks on and can't decide who's crying the most? "Amm... I think I'll just go and see if Chris is on his way?" she gets up a leaves

 No response from Neal or Sarah, not that she expected one! As she reaches the door she sees Chris getting out of the lift  (elevator)

 "I think it's time to go home now, I'll come back later!" she tells them.

Looking at her watch it's nearly 5 o'clock it will soon be morning! Boy, what a night!!!

The Priors.... EPISODE SEVENTEEN

4.45 am 14th February

Chris pulls up at the hospital doors and Neal jumps out "I'll park the car and be right in" Chris calls out to Neal's departing body

 Entering the hospital Neal looks at the sign board 'Ward One, Two, Three, ICU, Outpatients, Theatre, Maternity?'
'Well I guess it must be maternity?' Then he sees the receptionist at her desk

 "Excuse me, I'm looking for my wife, Mrs Hage she...we just had a baby?"he tell the receptionist

"Congratulation's!" She looks on her in-patient list

 "Oh, yes, she's just been moved to room three in the maternity suit. That's on the second floor. The lift (elevator) is just over there!" she points

Neal rushes to the lift (elevator) and presses the button "Come on, come on"

 A young woman stands next to him and smiles "Patience is a virtue" she tells him

 "Not when your wife has just had a baby and you miss the birth! Actually I missed the pregnancy too!" Neal tells her.

 Just then the lift (elevator) doors open and they both step inside. The woman gives Neal a strange look but politeness stops her from asking what he means. Instead she asks him what floor does he want?

 "Second, please" Neal grins "Maternity"