I slammed the door to the truck and headed towards the hospitals main doors. Carlisle called me here, he needed a favor. Nodding at the hospital staff sitting behind the main desk I headed towards the elevator, and the fifth floor. Sighing, i thought of the many possible things that Carlisle could need my help with. My Bella point of view, a blood sample for a study he was working on, or many other possiblities. The elevator dinged on the fifth floor and i got off, stopping dead in my tracks as i did. Neonatal Intensive Care Unit ( NICU) was plastered over the wall directly in front of me. What could Carlisle need me for in the NICU?
"Bella. Thank you for meeting me here," Carlisle said as I came into his view.
"No problem. Wanna let me in on this secret you need help with?" I replied, following Carlisle as he started heading towards the NICU.
"We need some help with out Kangaroo program. I was hoping you'd be willing to help us. At the very least give it a try?"
"Alright, i'll give it a try, but i do not promise to keep going on with this, whatever it is."
"Thank you, Bella." Carlisle said, just before opening the first set of double doors we came to that let us into the NICU.
Upon entering the NICU, we stopped to wash our hands and hang up our coats. Carlisle then led the way to a locker room, where a nurse, whoms name i learned later is Aynsley, was waiting for us, a hospital gown in her hands. I looked over to Carlisle questioningly.
"This is probably the least fun part. You need to take off your sweater and t-shirt, and put on the hospital gown. Opening to the front." Carlisle explained.
"Is this nessicary?" I asked, a pout on my face.
"I'm afraid so. You'll understand in just a bit." Carlisle said, leaving the room to give me some privacy.
"Don't worry dear, I'm sure you'll love it. Most people do after they first try it." Nurse Aynsley said, holding up the hospital gown as i took off my shirts and then helping me into it.
"I'm sure i'll love it, i just, I'm not big on surprises." I responded.
After i was dressed in the hospital gown and properly covered up, i followed Aynsley. We walked past many hospital room, and each baby's situation got worse the farther we went. I started to notice a pattern almost. The first of the rooms had babies that were just born and didn't need much assistance other than a normal baby would need. From there it went on to the babies with feeding tubes, to the babies with breathing tubes and then to the babies with so many wires on them you'd swear they were born with the wires already attached.
"This is the room where, should you choose to continue, your ward will be. You'll be in here everyday, or every other day, depending on when you want to come in." Aynsley said as she opened the door and led me inside.
Inside the room sat an incubator and a rocking chair. Inside the incubator sat an infant, barely bigger than a teddy bear. I didn't know babies could be that tiny. Aynsley led me over to the rocking chair and waited until i sat down. Carlisle came into the room as I was sitting down and he walked over to the incubator. Reaching inside he pulled out the tiny baby and then brought her over to me. Aynsley helped me open my gown so nothing was showing, and then helped Carlisle place the baby against my chest. After helping me get my hands situated to hold her right, Aynsley covered the baby with my hospital gown and left the room. Carlisle was watching me.
"So? You think you could handle doing this?" Carlisle asked, motioning towards the little girl held close to my chest.
"I could, what's her name?"
"She doesn't have one. Her mom left the day she was born, we tried to find her, but she'd used a different name than was hers."
"Poor thing..."
"Did you want to give her a designated name?"
"I can do that?"
"Yes, it'll give us something to identify her with."
"Hmmm. How about Ava?"
"Ava?"
"Yes, Ava."
I sat in that room with little Ava held close to me for nearly 12 hours, Carlisle coming in to check on me every hour, and Aynsley checking on Ava every 15 minutes. Carlisle came in as visiting hours were ending, and he put Ava back in her incubator for the third time that day. Aynsley came in and checked on her, then walked with me back to the locker room.
"You did good today, and her stats are already improving." Aynsley commented, a smile on her face.
"I was kind of iffy on feeding her, but after you showed me i got it. I think I'll come in every other day to start with. After a couple weeks I'll probably start doing every day."
"That's good to hear. We don't like having to watch the babies suffer because they don't get enough human contact."
"Thank you for the help. I'll see you in a few days."
"Have a good Day Bella."
I walked down to Carlisle's office, figuring i'd stop by and let him know my decision, but he was busy. As I was leaving the hospital I waved to the desk clerks and smiled. My heart was taken by an infant, a tiny little infant, who i barely knew.
I hope you enjoyed this Chapter, though I really only wished to make this a one-shot, it's of course evolved into something else. Oh my mind! Don't forget to get those Title suggestions in and help me out! xoxoxox Kisses ;P
