"I love you." Becky said as the nurses proceeded to take her to the operating room.
"I love you too. I'll be in the waiting room and as soon as they let me, I'll be in to see you."
"Kay. I gotta take care of our son."
And with that, the two were separated. Becky took in a deep breath when she saw how many doctors and nurses were surrounding her. "You understand what we're doing today?"
"Yes."
"Any questions?"
"No. I'm just nervous."
"Just relax." The doctor said, as the anesthesia was administered.
Flashback
"He has a heart condition. He's sick, Mark. So what happens next?"
"My recommendation is to do a fetal cardiac intervention."
"What is that?"
"It's basically surgery before the baby is born."
"How do you do that?" Becky asked.
"First, we need to make an incision through you to reach the baby. Like a c-section, but we won't deliver the baby. We insert a needle into the baby's heart and inflate the valve using a balloon catheter."
"You're going to cut my wife open? There's no way you're gonna do that." Mark said.
"Hold on Mark." Becky said. "What's the success rate? Will the baby still need surgery after birth? What are the risks?"
"Well, the biggest risk is bleeding or preterm labor. The baby may need surgery after birth, we can't say for certain until the birth. Most babies respond very well to this procedure."
"We need to do it Mark."
"I don't want them doing major surgery on you."
"I don't want our baby to be sick or to suffer."
"So you don't mind the procedure?"
"I'm sure it won't be comfortable but I will do anything for him. It's about him Mark. It's not about me. Let's have the procedure."
End Flashback
Becky remembered nothing else until she woke up, surrounded by doctors.
"Mrs. Healy?"
"Yeah?"
"How are you feeling?"
"Really sore." Becky moaned.
"Well, the surgery was successful. We'll monitor you for a couple of days. We want to ensure that you feel the baby move within the next twenty four hours. If you're not feeling the baby move, there could be some serious complications."
Becky nodded.
"Any questions for me?"
"Is there anything I should be watching for besides waiting for him to move?"
"We'll be monitoring you for bleeding. You'll have an ultrasound before you're discharged."
Becky nodded.
Mark walked in and stood at her side, "Hey. You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm just sore. And I'm waiting for him to move. They said that I need to feel him move in the next twenty four hours." Becky said, gently touching her belly, "Come on little guy."
Eight hours later…
"Still not moving?"
Becky shook her head. "I'm terrified, Mark. He's normally pretty active. I don't know why he's not moving."
"Well, they said that the anesthesia could make him sleepy. Also, the procedure itself was a lot, it took a lot out of him to go through that."
"Come on buddy. Please. I need you to move around for just a little bit."
"Please." Becky said, moving onto her side. "I need to know you're alive right now."
"Please." Becky repeated. "You're always moving around in there. This is scaring me."
"He's fine. With you and I as parents, we know he's a strong boy."
Becky looked up at Mark with tears pouring down her face.
"Don't cry, babe."
"For every minute that he doesn't move, I just keep thinking that he's not okay, Mark."
"He's just tired from the anesthesia."
"I hope that's all it is Mark. Come on little guy…."
"My belly hurts. I can feel where the incision is. If I can feel it, I can't even imagine how sore he is. He's just a tiny baby…"
"I know."
"Come on little guy. I'm scared Mark. They inserted a balloon into his heart. You don't think he had a heart attack…?"
"Stop that."
"Why isn't he moving?"
"They said it could be up to twenty four hours. Babe, you're freaking out when it hasn't been twenty four hours."
Becky sighed, gently holding one hand to her stomach. "Mark and I tried for almost three years before this pregnancy."
"When they told us you were sick and you'd need surgery...they said I needed to see a specialist. They offered to terminate the pregnancy."
"It's not your fault that you're sick. You deserve a chance to live life. I couldn't terminate. Please wake up soon."
"Let me try." Mark said. "Hey little buddy. I've never seen your mom so worried. Just a quick little kick to show her you're okay?"
"I'm not as worried about you as mom is. They said twenty four hours. I know you're strong."
"It sucks that we can't make him move." Becky said, disappointed.
"You're right, we can't force him."
"Can you hand me an extra pillow? This bed is so uncomfortable."
Mark handed over the pillow. Becky placed it under her side.
Suddenly, Becky gasped, "Oh my god…."
"What?"
"He's moving, Mark."
"Told you he's fine."
"Hey buddy. That was a hard recovery, huh? Especially for a tiny baby."
Becky continued, "You have no idea how happy I am right now to feel you moving. You needed that procedure, baby."
"Hey pal." Mark said, laying a hand over his wife. "Glad you woke up. Maybe mom will finally sleep, she's been freaked out waiting to feel you move."
"Sleep sounds amazing now that I know he's still alive."
"Of course he's alive. I told you, he's a strong boy. Good genes."
"He's not doing somersaults but he is moving."
"I love you." Mark replied, pulling her into a kiss. "Thanks for taking care of our baby."
