Chapter two: living and working in Croatia during the war part two
Luka Kovac pulls the medical van up in front of the police station, which is three stories. Luka, Jennifer and Robert, who hold onto the back of the front seats see that the left side of the police station has collapse. Simultaneously Luka puts the van into the park position and then he turns the van off. A short time later Luka, Jennifer and Robert are standing outside the medical van. Robert is getting the back boards and neck braces out of the van. Luka has got the emergency trauma bags out of the back of the van. Once the back boards and neck braces are out of the van Luka puts neck braces onto the shoulder straps of the emergency trauma bags. Then the three doors start walking toward the police station and when the three doctors reaches the police station Robert set the back boards down for the time being. The reason he set the back boards down is that the doctors are not ready for the back boards yet. Jennifer sees a male police officer that trap under the collapse section of the building. The police office is laying half in the building and half out of the building. The male police officer body from the waist down would be inside the building if the side of the building was still there. In addition from above the waist is outside the building. Also, the police officer legs from the knee down have been pin under the collapse floors. Also, a large metal safe is on top of the leg from the knee down. Jennifer goes over to the police officer who legs is pin under the collapse floor and metal safe. Luka follows Jennifer over to the police officer and set one of the emergency trauma bags down by the police officer head. Jennifer kneels on her right leg beside the police officer right side with her left leg out straight. Luka takes a neck brace off the bag, which he set down by the police off head. He then puts the neck brace onto the police officer neck, who start talking to Jennifer in Croatian.
"Mislim da su mi obje noge slomljene od koljena prema dolje i da me jako boli. (I think both of my legs are broken from the knees down and I am in severe pain.)
"Boli li vas još nešto osim nogu? (Does anything else beside your legs hurt?)"
"Malo me bole leđa i vrat? (My back and neck hurt a little?)"
"Dat ću vam nešto protiv boli. (I am going to give you something for the pain.)"
Jennifer open the emergency trauma bag by the police office head and get out a morphine vial and syringe. She takes the cap of the syringe and stick the syringe needle into the morphine vial. Jennifer then starts to fill the syringe with 5mg. Simultaneously Luka set the second and third emergency trauma bags down. Then Luka gets supplies for iv out of the emergency trauma bag by the police officer head. A short time later Luka starts to put an iv into the police left hand. Once the iv is in the police office hand, Luka starts a bag of iv fluids. Then Jennifer gives the give the police of the injection of Morphine through the iv port. Simultaneously Robert walks over to Luka, Jennifer and the police officer. Luka stands up and then Luka and Robert walk over to the large metal safe. Luka goes over to the right side of the metal safe and Robert goes over to the left side of the metal safe. Then the two male doctors take hold of the side end of the metal safe and start to lift the metal safe. Robert and Luka can only lift the metal safe a few inches. However, it high enough for Jennifer to check the pluses in the police officer legs, which is weak in both legs. In addition the police officer has open leg fractures in both of the legs too. The metal safe becomes too heavy to hold onto and Luka and Robert have to set the safe down. Robert looks at Jennifer and start talking to Jennifer.
"I will go see if I can find something that will help get the metal safe off the police officer legs."
Robert walks away from Luka, Jennifer and the police officer. Simultaneously Jennifer starts to check the police officers' vitals and the police officer pulse is stable. Robert walks back over to Jennifer, Luka and the police officer with the trap legs a few minutes later. He then kneels down on Jennifer right side and he is talking to her.
"The police and army do not have anything to lift the metal safe. In addition they said it could be five hours before any equipment can get here that can lift the metal safe. The reason for this is that the fighting really heavy in the area that the equipment is."
"Then we have to do above the knee amputation on both legs. I will do the right leg and you will do the left leg, Robert."
"I am fine with that Jennifer. Luka can go tend to the rest of the injury for the time being."
Robert stands up and walks over to the police officer's left side, as Luka grabs one of the emergency trauma bags. He then walks away from Robert, Jennifer and the police officer. Jennifer and Robert have got a surgical instrument kit out of the two emergency trauma bags and then the two doctors open the surgical instrument kits. Then Jennifer and Robert take scalpels out of the kits and Jennifer start talking to the police officer in Croatian.
"Doktor Romano i ja moramo obaviti amputaciju koljena na obje vaše noge. (Doctor Romano and I have to do above the knee amputation on both of your legs.)
Simultaneously Robert Romano is giving injection into the right leg of the police office, which is a local anesthesia to numb the leg from the knee down to the toes. Two minutes later Jennifer has starts to cut the posterior incision into the right leg. Simultaneously Robert gives an injection in the left leg too numb the leg from the knee down. Two minutes later Robert is doing a posterior incision on the left leg above the knee, as Jennifer's isolate the right leg superficial femoral artery and isolates the veins too. That way she can clamp and divided the superficial femoral artery and the veins.
Elsewhere, still outside the police station, but on the right side of the building, Luka has just put a splint onto a police office right arm. The police office is sitting on a stool and Luka is standing in front of him. He is now warping a light brown wrap around the long arm splint that bent at the elbow. The police office has dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. In addition he is five feet nine inches tall with square shaped face. Luka stop wrapping the bandage wrap and looks over the shoulder of the police officer he is working. He looks over at Robert and Jennifer who are busy doing above the knee amputations. Luka sees a non injury police officer is hold up the iv bag of fluids and is keeping his co-worker calm, as Robert and Jennifer amputating the lower legs. He stops looking at Robert and Jennifer and goes back to wrapping the light brown wrap around the long arm splint. Non injury police officers and army soldiers are working to free the trap police officers that are bury under loose rubble. Luka finishes wrapping the wrap around the long arm splint and start talking to the police officer in Croatian.
"Krenite u bolnicu i uzmite x-zrake i MRI snimke ruke. (Head to the hospital and get x-rays and MRI images of your arm.)"
"Hoću nakon što se svi oslobode ruševina. (I will after everyone is free from the rubble.)"
"Ne, moraš odmah u bolnicu. (No, you need to head to the hospital right now.)"
"Dobro, odmah idem u bolnicu. (Fine I will go to the hospital right now.)"
The police office stands up from the stool that he is sitting on and then he walks away from Luka. Two police officers are helping a police officer and the police office right ankle is injury. The three officers reach the stool and the injury police officer takes a seat on the stool. Luka kneels down in front of the police officer that has black hair and dark brown eyes. In addition the police office has olive skin tone and is six feet tall. Luka starts to look at the police officer right ankle.
"Morat ću vam staviti kratku stražnju udlagu nogu na desni gležanj. (I am going to have to put a short posterior leg splint on your right ankle.)"
"Mislila sam da ono što ćeš reći. (I thought that what you were going to say.)"
Luka walks over to the medical van and gets a posterior leg splint and another light brown wrap from the van. Posterior leg splints and wraps are two of the supplies that Antun Radić and Gordana Horvat put in the medical van for him, Robert and Jennifer to uses. Luka starts to walk over to the hurt police office and an explosion and gun fire goes off in the distance. When Luka reaches the injury police officer, he kneels down in front of him and puts the posterior leg splint onto the right lower leg, ankle and foot. He then starts to wrap the light brown wrap around the splint.
Meanwhile, over on the left side of the police station, Robert and Jennifer have cut through the muscles nerve, ligaments and tendons. The two doctors are about to starting cutting the bones of the right and left leg. Jennifer takes a moment to check the police officers' vitals, which are still stable. Robert starts to cut through the bone of the left leg above the knee. Jennifer notices two police officers move an injury police officer who is laying on a back board and has a neck brace on. A short time later Jennifer starts to cut through the bone of the right leg above the knee. It takes sixteen and half minutes for Jennifer and Robert to cut through the bone and remove the legs. Then two doctors makes sure that the superficial femoral artery and veins that they sutured off are not bleeding. After that the two doctors get to work close the posterior incisions, simultaneously, in front of the police station Luka is reducing a dislocated elbow. Two army officers walk over to the injury police officer, Jennifer and Robert. The army officers are carrying a back board and two Army officers knee down beside Jennifer, as the two doctors finish close the posterior incisions. Jennifer stands up and grabs her crutches that are laying on the ground, as the two army officers put the injury police office onto the back board. A few minutes later Jennifer and Robert are watching an army truck pull away taking injury police officers to the hospital. Luka walks over to Jennifer and Robert and starts talking to them.
"That all of the injury police officers. However, we have to head to the section of the city with the detached house. In addition we have to go to a house that was either hit by a bomb or hit with mortar shells. Once at the house we have to help treat the family members that are injury."
Jennifer head to the van, as Robert and Luka gather up the unused back boards and the three emergency trauma bags. When Robert and Luka reach the van, Jennifer is already sitting on the front passenger seat. Robert and Luka put the back boards and emergency trauma bags into the back of the van. Then Robert gets into the back of the van. Luka closes the double doors and then goes to the driver side of the van. Luka gets into the van and closes the door. Once he and Jennifer have put on their seat belts, Luka starts the van. A short time later Luka is pulling the van away from the police station. Robert is holding onto the back of the front seats and Jennifer is looking out the passengers' window. Luka is driving to the home that was maybe bombed or hit with mortar shells. Then Luka drives through the section of city that has the bombed out apartment building and into the section of the city with the detached houses. Luka's pulls up in front of a two-story house. The house is brick with white plaster over the brick and Jennifer knows the house, because it was her grandparent's house. In addition the front and right side of the house is gone. The three doctors see the staircase to the first floor (second in USA) that in the center of the house. Jennifer sees fragments of mortar shells in front and right side of the house. Luka puts the van into the park position and then the three doctors get out of the van. Simultaneously a nine-year-old boy comes running out of the house and over the three doctors. The boy has an oversized blue backpack on his back and has dark brown hair, dark brown eyes and a round face with a small hero shape nose. When the doctors are looking at the boy, he starts yelling in Croatian to Jennifer.
"Molim vas, pođite sa mnom i pomozite mojoj udomiteljici, bratu i dvije sestre. Njih četvorica zarobljeni su ispod ruševina s prednjeg zida, bočne stijenke i dijela prvog kata. (Please come with me and help mine foster mother, brother and two sisters. The four of them are trapped under the rubble from the front wall, side wall and part of the first floor."
"Jeste li povrijeđeni negdje? (Are you hurt anywhere?)"
"Ne (No)."
Luka grabs the three emergency trauma bags out of the van and Robert grabs four back boards out of the van. Then Jennifer, Luka and Robert follow the boy through the open front of the house. Jennifer hops over to the two girls that looks to be eight and seven and are on the right side of the house, which side is missing. Jennifer reaches the two girls and set the crutches onto to the floor. Then Jennifer kneels down between the girls. Luka walks over and set an emergency trauma bag down beside Jennifer. Jennifer stands to remove rubble from the younger of the two girls first, as Robert walks over to the boy. Luka set an emergency trauma bag down beside the boy. Once Robert reaches the boy, he puts a neck brace on the boy and then start to remove the rubble that trap the boy. Simultaneously Jennifer stops remove rubble and puts a neck brace on each of the girl to be on the safe side, since both of them keep saying their necks hurt. Then Jennifer goes back to removing the rubble. In addition Luka has gone over to the mother and stop in shock because the woman is Ana Novak, who look like an older version of Jennifer. Luka kneels down beside Ana and start to talk to her.
"Ana li nešto boli? (Ana does anything hurt?)
"Vrat me malo boli i ne osjećam ništa od struka prema dolje. (My neck hurts a little and I cannot feel anything from the waist down.)
Ana's neck has no rubble cover it, so he puts a neck brace onto her neck. He then gets to work moving the rubble that trap Ana. The nine-year-old boy is help Jennifer, by remove small pieces of rubble off his sisters. Robert finish removes the rubble from the boy and put him on a back board and the start to fasten the straps around the boy. He then goes to help Jennifer and the nine-year-old boy removing the rubble from the girls. Jennifer free the youngest looking girl and Robert help Jennifer put the little girl onto a back board and strap her in. Then Robert, Jennifer and the nine-year-old boy get to work on removing the last piece of rubble off the older girl. Four minutes later Robert is sliding a back board under the girl. Jennifer fastens the back board straps, as Robert goes to help Luka. Simultaneously Luka looks to his right and over at Jennifer. Then Luka starts talking to Jennifer.
"Come over here, the person I just finished freeing from under the rubble is someone you have been looking for since arriving in Croatia."
Jennifer stands up and then grabs her crutches off the ground. A short time later Jennifer is hopping over to Luka and when Jennifer reaches Luka, Robert and the foster mothers of the children, she looks down and sees her mother. Ana Novak smiles at her daughter that she has not see since 1990, as Jennifer gets a look of shock on her face. In addition Jennifer lets the crutches drop to the floor and then kneels down on her right knee, by her mother head. Jennifer left leg is out straight and she is looking at her mother, as Luka and Robert remove the last of the rubble that trapped her. Jennifer and Luka then careful lift Ana and Robert slide the last back board under Ana. Ten minutes later, the four children and Ana are in the back of the van with Robert. Luka is drive the van and Jennifer is sitting on the front passenger seat of the van, looking out of the passengers' window of the van.
Twenty minutes later at the hospital, doctor Marković is giving Ana Novak an MRI scan. The two girls and one boy are waiting in the hallway, along with a long line of police officers that are waiting to be giving MRI scans. However, the children have gone to the front of the MRI line ahead of the police officers because the children's injuries could be more serious. Jennifer, Luka and Robert have gone back to work. Luka is giving the nine-year-old boy a physical to make sure he has no injury to be on a safe side despite the boy saying that he had no injuries. Jennifer is discharging the new mothers and babies. However, her mind is on her mother and the children that were in the house with her. Robert is in trauma room one and during surgery on one of the injury police office to fix an unstable tibia fracture.
Forty minutes later a nurse and Antun Radić come into the main trauma center and the two of them are carrying a back board with Ana Novak on it. Jennifer walks over to the nurse, Antun Radić and her mother and notices that the neck brace Luka put on has been taking off. However, a white cervical collar is now on Ana's neck and a cervical collar is attaching to a metal T-bar that connected to a rigid Thoracic
Lumbar Sacral Orthosis (TSLO) brace. The brace has a white shell with two adjustable shoulder straps for the T-bar that is in black. In addition six adjustable straps are on the abdominal of section of the brace, three on each side that are black. Simultaneously Jennifer starts to talk in Croatian.
"Što je MRI rekao doktoru Radiću? (What did the MRI say Doctor Radić?)
"Ima prijelom leđa i T9 potpunu ozljedu leđne moždine, Ana više nikada neće hodati. Međutim, i dalje će imati pune pokrete glave, vrata i gornjih ekstremiteta. Osim toga, vaša će se majka moći prebaciti s kreveta na svoja invalidska kolica ili invalidska kolica na stolac, kauč ili WC. Uz presjedanje iz invalidskih kolica na autosjedalicu i imati normalne komunikacijske vještine i disanje. Njezin invaliditet bit će potpuna paraliza donjeg dijela tijela od struka prema dolje i mogla bi imati spastičnost zbog ozljede leđne moždine. (She has a fracture back and has a T9 Complete Spinal Cord Injury too, Ana will never walk again. However, she will still have full head, neck and upper extremity movement. In addition your mother is going to be able to transfer from a bed to her wheelchair or wheelchair to a chair, couch or toilet. Along with transfer from wheelchair to a car seat and have normal communication skills and breathing. Her disabilities will be complete lower body paralysis from the waist down and could have spasticity because of the spinal cord injury.)"
"Može li ovdje dobiti medicinsku njegu koja joj je potrebna ili bi trebala otići u SAD po medicinsku njegu?(Can she get the medical care she needs here or should she go to USA to get medical care?)"
"Imala bi veće šanse za terapije oporavka i rehabilitacije u SAD-u. Mislim da bi bilo najbolje da se ona 16. ožujka vrati s vama u SAD, budući da ima dvobojno državljanstvo. Ja ću se pobrinuti za dogovore o odvozu vaše majke na let za SAD 16. ožujka preko liječnika bez granica i organizacije savezničkih lijekova. Ovdje će ostati do 16. ožujka, a ja ću je jednim od naših hitnih vozila odvesti do zračne luke Zagreb na let u dva sata. Također ću imati liječnika bez granica, a organizacija Alliance lijekova dogovorit će da vaša majka dobije bolničku sobu u Županijskoj općoj bolnici. (She would have a better chance of recovery and rehabilitation therapies in USA. I think it would be best if she goes back to USA with you on March 16, since she has duel citizenship. I will take care of arraignments for getting your mother on the flight to USA on March 16 through doctor without border and organization of Alliance medicines. She will stay here until March 16 and I will use one of our emergency vehicles to drive her to the Zagreb airport for the two o'clock flight. I will also have doctor without border and organization of Alliance medicines arrange for your mother to get a hospital room at County General Hospital. )
Ana Novak reaches out with her right hand and take a hold of her daughter left arm. Jennifer turns her head away from Antun Radić and looks at her mother. In addition Jennifer leans onto her crutches, as the two of them look at each other. After a few minutes of Ana looking at her daughter and Jennifer looking at her mother, Ana breaks the silent by starting talking rapidly in Croatian to Jennifer.
"Moj dom je ovdje i ne želim napustiti Hrvatsku ni djecu koju odgajam od 1991. godine. (My home is here and I do not want to leave Croatia or the children that I have been raises since 1991.)
"Trebate više njege nego što možete dobiti u ovoj bolnici. Pored toga, bolju njegu možete dobiti u županijskoj općoj bolnici. Zatim idite u rehabilitirani centar po fizikalnu terapiju, radnu terapiju i savjetovanje, koje ovdje ne možete dobiti. (You need more care then you can get at this hospital. In addition you can get better care at County General Hospital. Then go to a rehabilitated center to get physical therapy, occupational therapy and counseling, which you cannot get here.)"
"Jennifer je što s djecom o kojoj se brinem, tko će se brinuti o njima i što je s medicinskom skrbi za djecu? (Jennifer's what about the children I have been caring for, who is going to take care of them and what about the children medical care?)"
"Ovdje će liječnik učiniti sve kako bi liječio djecu i ponovno ih ozdravio. Jednom kada djeca mogu napustiti bolnicu, pridružit će se drugoj siročadi u izbjegličkim kampovima. (The doctor here will do everything they can to treat the children and make them well again. Once the children can leave the hospital, they will join the other orphan at refugee camps.)
"Možete li dovesti četvero djece o kojima se brinem u SAD radi medicinske njege? (Can you get the four children that I have been taking care into the USA for medical care?)"
"Imate dvobojno državljanstvo, pa ćete odlazak u SAD na medicinsku njegu biti lak. Međutim, djeca su hrvatski državljani. Vrijeme koje mi je ostalo u Hrvatskoj nije dovoljno vremena za podnošenje zahtjeva za medicinske vize i odobrenje papira prije 16. ožujka. Neka vas doktor Antun Radić i medicinska sestra odvedu u krevet. (You have duel citizenship, so getting you into the USA for medical care will be easy. However, the children are Croatian citizens. The time that I have left in Croatia is not enough time to apply for medical visas and get the paperwork to be approving before March 16. Now let Doctor Antun Radić and the nurse take you to a bed.)"
The nurse and Antun Radić start to carry the back board Ana on over to the curtain area. Once in the curtain area, two nurses transfer Ana from the back board onto the tenth bed in the curtain area. The tenth bed is free because the new mother and baby that were using the bed early in the day have gone home. Jennifer goes over to her mother's bedside and takes a seat on the left side of the bed, if standing at the end of the hospital bed. Antun Radić walks over to Luka who is checking Marijo vital. Antun looks at Luka and start talking to him in English.
"Let give Jennifer an hour and a half to be with her mother and it will be good idea for Jennifer to get off her left leg too."
Luka does not say anything because he is writing notes onto Marijo's chart. Antun Radić walks away from Luka and head to the door of the basement, to go check on the children that are waiting for MRI scans. Simultaneously Luka puts Marijo's chart back on the end of his bed. Then Luka goes to check the vital of the Magdalena who still in the second bed. A short time later, Luka is check on Iva Anja Marković vital, which are stable. Iva looks up at doctor Kovac and start talking in Croatian.
"Kada mogu napustiti bolnicu i otići kući s obitelji? (When can I leave the hospital and go home with my family?)"
"Imali ste tešku operaciju i bit ćete u bolnici najmanje tjedan dana. Međutim, možda ćete morati biti u bolnici dva tjedna, to ovisi o tome kako reagirate na iv antibiotik kojem trenutno dajete prvu dozu. IV antibiotici sprečavaju infekcije, a iv antibiotik morate uzimati dva puta dnevno, započnite sutra. Razlog tome je što je vaša prva doza iv antibiotika tako kasna u danu i ima dovoljno vremena da unesete jednu dozu.
(You had major surgery and will be in the hospital for at least a week. However, you might have to be in the hospital for two weeks, it depends on how you respond to the iv antibiotic of which you currently doing your first dose. The iv antibiotics are to prevent infections and you have to take the iv antibiotic twice a day, start tomorrow. The reason for this is that your first dose of iv antibiotic is so late in the day and there only enough time to get one dose in.)
"Moj otac je liječnik. Može se brinuti za mene kod kuće? (My father is a doctor. He can take care of me at home?)"
"Zasad morate ostati u bolnici. (You need to stay in the hospital for the time being.)"
Iva turns her head away from Doctor Kovac and start to watch Jennifer Kovac and Ana Novak. Luka takes Iva's chart off the end of the bed and looks up at the monitor. He then starts to makes notes on Iva's chart and after several minutes' Luka hooks the chart back onto the end of the bed. Luka then goes to check on the next patient in the curtain area, which is a boy named Marko. Meanwhile over at Ana Novak's bedside, Jennifer is still sitting beside her mother bed and the two of them are talking in English.
"I miss you so much Jennifer. When the war started, I write you once a week. All the letters are in the backpack Tomislav is carrying."
"I miss you too."
Tomislav walks over to Jennifer and Ana. He has a large stack of letters in his hands. Tomislav hands the letters to Jennifer. He then takes a seat on the end of Ana's hospital bed and set the backpack onto the floor. Tomislav looks at Ana and then looks at Jennifer. In addition he starts talking in Croatian to Jennifer.
"Jennifer je sjajno što te mogu osobno upoznati i upoznati. Vaša majka ispričala nam je priče o vašem djetinjstvu odrastanju u SAD-u. Vaša majka nam je pokazala i VHS kasetu vaših gimnastičkih natjecanja od vašeg prvog natjecanja do natjecanja iz 1990. godine, koja svi volimo. (Jennifer's it great to be able to meet you in person and get to know you. Your mother told us stories about your childhood growing up in the USA. Your mother also showed us VHS tape of your gymnastics competitions from your first competition through 1990 competitions, which we all love.)"
"Jennifer's, ne brinite, djeci nisam ispričala nijednu priču koja je bila neugodna. (Jennifer's do not worry I did not tell the children any stories that were embarrass.)
"Nisam se brinula što govoriš djeci neugodne priče o meni, majko. (I was not worried about you tell the children embarrass stories about me, mother.)"
"da jesi (Yes you were.)
"Ok, možda i jesam. (Ok, maybe I was.)"
The three of them start laughing and when the three of them stop laughing. Ana notices the engagement ring and wedding band that is on her daughter left ring finger for the first time. Ana points to the engagement ring and wedding band on Jennifer's left ring finger and starts talking in Croatian.
"Udaješ se, tko je čovjek sreće? (You get married, who the luck man?)"
"Da i zove se Niko Kovač. (Yes and his name is Niko Kovac.)"
"Oženio si brata Luku Kovača? (You married Luka Kovac brother?)"
"Da. (Yes)"
Jennifer holds her left arm out and puts her hand closed to her mother, so Ana can get a good look at the engagement ring and wedding band. Luka Kovac stop checking patient vitals and he look over at Jennifer, Ana and Tomislav. He sees that Ana and Tomislav are looking at Jennifer's engagement ring and wedding band. Luka smiles, because it is enjoyable seeing Jennifer and Ana getting caught up on each other life and looking happy.
Luka goes to the stuff break room and a few minutes later Luka walks over to Ana, Jennifer and Tomislav carry several Polaroid pictures. He then hands the Polaroid pictures to Ana, who see writing on the white bottom of the Polaroid pictures. The writing says Sunday, February 20, 1994 and Ana see that the pictures are from Jennifer and Niko wedding. The top picture is Jennifer and Niko is standing in front of the staircase that in the sitting room of Mr. and Mrs. Kovac's house. In addition an Orthodox Catholic Priest is standing in front of Niko and Jennifer. Niko is on the priest right-hand side and Jennifer is on the priest left-hand side. Then Ana sees that her daughter is wearing a stain floor length vintage ivory wedding gown that has a high collar v-neckline and a Basque waistline. Also, under the center of the collar is a small diamond shape keyhole. In addition the wedding gown has a chapel train and has three-quarter puff sleeves. Ana then notices that Jennifer hair is in a herringbone (fishtail) braid bun. A string of pearls is set on the front, sides of head and wrapped around the bun. She also wearing the same earing that she is wearing today, Ana then notices that her son-in-lay is wearing a vintage black tuxedo. Ana hands the first pictures to Tomislav and looks at the second picture. Ana then sees that Jennifer and Niko are kissing each other on the lips and their arms are wraps under each other waist. Then Ana notices the back of the wedding dress has satin cover bottons that go from the collar to the waistline of the wedding gown. Ana puts the second picture behind the third. In the third and last pictures Ana sees Mr. and Mrs. Kovac and Luka is in the picture too and everyone in the picture is smiling. In addition everyone is standing in front of the staircase. Mr. Kovac is standing beside his son Niko and wearing a charcoal gray suit with a white long dress shirt under the suit jacket, which he borrowed from Luka. Standing next to Mr. Kovac is Luka and he wearing a light black suit with a white long sleeve dress shirt under the suit jacket. However, Ana notices that Luka's wife Danijela, daughter Jasna and son Marko are not in the picture. Ana looks at Mrs. Kovac, who is standing next to Jennifer and she is wearing a plum colored velvet dress that is past the ankles in length. In addition the dress has a light purple floral pattern that is wove into the dress. The dress has long puff sleeves with three buttons at each wrist, natural waist line and a scooped neckline. Ana stops looking at the pictures and then hands the pictures to Tomislav. Then Ana starts to talk to Luka in Croatian.
"Nijednoj slici sa vjenčanja nisam vidio Danijelu, Jasnu i Marka, kako su vaša supruga, kćer i sin? (I did not see Danijela, Jasna and Marko in any of the wedding pictures, how are your wife, daughter and son?)"
"Danijela, Jasna i Marko nisu bili na slici jer su njih troje ubijeni 1991. godine kada je minobacačka granata pogodila našu stambenu zgradu (Danijela, Jasna and Marko were not in the picture because the three of them were kill in 1991 when a mortar shell hit our apartment building.)"
"Žao mi je zbog vašeg gubitka. (I am so sorry for your loss.)
Tomislav hands the three pictures back to Ana and Luka starts to turn the wedding band that he still wears on his left ring finger. Luka then walks away from Jennifer, Ana and Tomislav and goes back to work. Ana looks at the pictures again and she gets a huge smile on his face. Ana then starts talking to her daughter Jennifer in Croatian.
"Napravili ste lijepu mladenku, ali odakle vam vjenčanica tijekom ovog rata?(You made a beautiful bride, but where did you get a wedding gown from during this war?)"
"Moja svekrva gospođa Kovač posudila mi je svoju vjenčanicu i posudila mi svoj niz vjenčanih bisera da stavim i ja u kosu. (My mother-in-law Mrs. Kovac lent me her wedding dress and lent me her string of wedding pearls to put in my hair too.)"
"Kako je Niko tražio da se udaš za njega? (How did Niko ask you to marry him?)"
"Kombinirao je tradicionalan hrvatski način korištenja jabuke koja je sa strane pritisnula novčić, a koristi i zaručnički prsten. Zaručnički prsten stavio je oko stabljike jabuke. (He combined the tradition Croatian way of using an apple that had a coin press into the side of the apple and uses an engagement ring too. He put the engagement ring around the stem of the apple.)
"Volio bih da sam mogao biti na vašem vjenčanju, Jennifer. (I wish that I could have been at your wedding Jennifer.)"
"Volio bih da si i ti mogao biti na vjenčanju. Kad rat završi, Niko i ja ćemo obnoviti vjenčane zavjete, a mi ćemo organizirati obnovljeno vjenčanje. Osim toga, ovdje ćemo imati vjenčanje na koji će svi Nikovi i cijela moja obitelj doći. (I wish you could have been at the wedding too. When the war is over Niko and I are going to renew our wedding vows and we are going to throw a renewal wedding. In addition we are going to have a wedding reception over here that way all of Niko's and all of my family can attend.)
"Jeste li vidjeli baku i djeda, tetu i ujaka i svog rođaka otkad ste došli ovdje? (Have you seen your grandparents, aunt and uncle and your cousin since you get here?)"
"Ne, idem ih vidjeti sutra prije nego što se vratim na selo Zagreb. (No, I am going to see them tomorrow before going back to the countryside of Zagreb.)"
"Jennifer kad vidiš moje roditelje, sestru i šogora, javi im što mi se dogodilo. (Jennifer's when you see my parents, sister and brother-in-law let them know what happened to me.)"
"Hoću i sad bih se trebao vratiti na posao. (I will and I should get back to work now.)"
"To je u redu. (That is fine.)"
"Držite mi slike s vjenčanja dok radim, doći ću po sliku od vas prije nego što sutra odem. (Hold onto the wedding pictures for me while I am working, I will come get the picture from you before I leave tomorrow.)
Ana smiles at her daughter, as Jennifer grabs her crutches, which are against the wall beside the hospital bed. Jennifer stands up and puts the crutches under her underarms. A short time later Jennifer is hoping over to the nurse-admit desk, so she can see where she is need at. Simultaneously doctor Antun Radić and Robert Romano who are carrying a stretcher with a younger girl that Luka, Jennifer and Robert brought in with Ana, Tomislav and one other girl. Jennifer looks at the girl that has medium brown hair, hazel eyes that have roundish almond shape and heart shape face. Antun and Robert stop outside the door to trauma room one and Robert starts to talk to Jennifer in English.
"Zlata's has an unstable fracture of the Thoracic vertebral that are on t7, t8, t9, t2o, t11 and t12 have unstable fractures. In addition she has unstable fracture of Lumbar vertebral on l1, l2, l3, l4 and l5. In addition a piece of bone break off l5 and Zlata's has herniated disks among all of the thoracic vertebral and lumbar vertebral that are fractures. In addition a piece of l2 bone has break off and is cut through the Zlata's spinal cord that caused a complete spinal cord injury. You have to do back surgery on Zlata and I will be helping you with the surgery Jennifer."
"Can she feel her waist, hips and legs?"
"Zlata's can feel her waist and both of her hips. However, cannot feel her legs."
"Take her into trauma room one and I will be there shortly."
Robert pushes the doors open with his butt and then he and Antun carry the stretcher into trauma room one. Once in the trauma room the two male doctors lay Zlata onto the table on her left side. Then Antun unstraps Zlata from the stretcher, as Jennifer hops into the trauma room. The nurse gives the Zlata some medication to put her to sleep and a nurse is putting an iv into Zlata's right hand. Once Zlata has gone to sleep from the medication, Doctor Antun Radić intubate her.
"Robert's I want you to start by stabilizing all of the unstable fracture's start at t7, as I remove the bone chip that severed spinal cord. Then I will do a spinal cord reconstruction. Once the spinal cord reconstruction is finished, I will join you in stabilizing the unstable fractures, if you have not finish stabilizing the fractures. After all the unstable fractures have been stabilizing, you or both of us will do the discectomy for the herniated disks."
"Do you want to make the incision or should I?"
"I will make the incision Robert."
Robert walks over to the side of the table Jennifer and walks up on Jennifer right sides. Because he will be working on the Thoracic vertebral and Jennifer is standing near Zlata lower back. A nurse push two metal trays that have sterilize surgical instruments between Jennifer and Robert. Jennifer's pick up a scalpel and then start making the incision on Zlata's back. It takes Jennifer just short of twenty minutes to cut through the skin, muscles, ligaments and tendons. Once the incision is complete, Robert puts the retractor into the incision to hold back the edge of the incision, muscles, ligaments and tendons. Then he adjusts the width of the retractor until the incision is large enough for his and Jennifer hands to fit inside the incision. Jennifer set the scalpel down and then pick up a forceps. Simultaneously Robert picks up the surgical drill that is use to drill hole for screw th hold the rods in place to stabilizing the vertebral. Jennifer sees the piece of bone chip that cut the Zlata's spinal cut and she grabs the bone chip with the forceps, as Robert starts to drill holes into t7.
Meanwhile, in the main area of the trauma center Luka is making notes on Mirna's chart and Mirna's is the fostered sister of Zlata, Tomislav and Viktor. Antun Radić is back in the main area of the trauma center and he is checking on Viktor. Mirna and Viktor do not have any fractures bone from the rubble that pinned the two of them down when the house was mortar. However, the two of them have contusions of the bones, tendons and ligaments from the rubble falling on them. Tomislav is still is sitting on the end of Ana Novak's bed and Ana and Tomislav is watching Luka and Antun checking patients vitals.
At 4:56 in the evening and Jennifer and Robert has been in surgery for six hours and fifty-six minutes. Robert and Jennifer have just finished the last two discectomy for the herniated disks. This means the surgery is nearing the end, Jennifer puts the surgical instrument that she been using down on the tray. Simultaneously a nurse brings a child size thoracolumbosacral orthosis (TLSO) back brace in black. Jennifer then looks at Robert and Robert looks at Jennifer. He notices that Jennifer looks like she in pain and Jennifer starts to talk.
"Will you close the incision, so I can go seat down and put my left leg up?"
"Yes I will close the incision Jennifer. You can scrub out and go seat down."
The nurse that brought the back brace into the trauma room and has set the back brace onto a tray at the head of the surgical operation medical table. Now the nurse is pushing a stool over to Jennifer, once the stool is behind her, Jennifer takes a seat on the stool. Then the nurse pushes Jennifer over to the trauma room sink. Once at the sink Jennifer stands up and then turn the water on. Jennifer soap up her hands and then washes off the soap, as drying her hand takes a seat on the stool. The nurse then pushes Jennifer over to where her crutches are. Once in front of her crutches' Jennifer stands up and grab the crutches. Robert watches Jennifer put the crutches under her underarms. A short time later Jennifer leaves the trauma room and head into the main area of the trauma center. Jennifer then goes over to the nurse-admit desk. Once at the nurse-admit desk Jennifer takes a seat on chair use for nurse admitting patients and then puts her left leg up onto the spare chair. Luka walks over to Jennifer and hands her a blue medical ice bag that is full of ice. Jennifer takes the ice bag for Luka and then puts the medical ice bag onto her left knee. Luka then hands Jennifer Ana and Zlata's passports. Jennifer smiles at Luka, as set the two passports on the desk. Luka looks at Jennifer and sees that she pulling out two set of paperwork for USA medical visa approval. This paperwork has to include a valid passport and a valid statement/letter from the home country doctor or doctors. The statement/letter has to proposed medical treatment that not available or hard to get in home country. In addition the paperwork has to have valid document showing the temporary nature of the stay in USA and documents showing permanent ties to your home country. The paperwork has to have proof of the financial arrangements for medical expense's payments meaning who has made the payments or who is going to be paying for the medical expenses. Luka sees Jennifer write down that the medical expenses will be pay for by Jennifer Rose Kovac. In addition the Paperwork for USA medical visa needs wrote confirmation from the medical facility. The confirmation has to say that all of the arrangements are complete for treatment of the individual apply for a medical visa. Also where and from whom the treatment will be receiving from. Luka sees Jennifer picks up the hospital satellite telephone at five o'clock in the evening they time and it is eleven o'clock in the morning Chicago time. Jennifer starts to dial the County General Hospital office number for David Morgenstern who is the Chief of Surgery and Chief of Emergency Medicine of County General Hospital. Luka walks away from Jennifer, as she starts to talk to David Morgenstern. Simultaneously a nurse pushes a hospital bed into trauma one to get Zlata.
Four minutes later Robert Romano pushes the hospital bed Zlata laying through the trauma room doors. He then pushes the hospital bed over to the curtain area, which is full. However, the nurses have spaced out the hospital beds and made room for Zlata on Ana right side. Mirna is on Ana left and Viktor next to Mirna. Ana sees that Zlata has a thoracolumbosacral orthosis (TLSO) back brace and looks steeply from the general anesthesia used during her surgery. Ana clears her throat and then start to talk to Zlata in Croatian.
"Zlata te boli? (Zlata's are you in any pain?)"
"Ne bolujem jer mi je medicinska sestra dala lijekove za bolove u prostoriji za traume. (I am not in any pain because the nurse gave me medicine for pain in the trauma room)."
"Toliko dobro što te ne boli. Trebaš li išta? (That good that you are not in pain. Do you need anything)?"
"Dobro bi mi došlo piće vode. (I could use a drink of water)."
"Luka, hoćeš li Zlati popiti čašu vode? (Luka will you get Zlata's a glass of water)?"
"Da, otići ću donijeti Zlati čašu vode. (Yes, I will go and get Zlata a glass of water)."
Luka walks to the staff break room to get a glass and bottle of water for Zlata. Robert Romano is standing on the left side of the bed still. He then slowly moves the head end of the bed up, so that Zlata's is sitting up. However, Robert just raises the head of Zlata's bed enough, so that she can drink the water and maybe eat something in a little while. Luka walks over to Zlata's bedside pour water into a tan plastic glass. He reaches the bed and then Luka hands Zlata's the glass of water. Zlata's take a drink and Luka set the bottle of water onto the bedside table, since the bottle is still half full of water. After takes several drinks of water and no longer being thirsty, Zlata's set the glass of water on the bedside table. Luka is looking at Zlata and he starts to talk to her in Croatian.
"Idem prstom po vašim prstima, stopalima, potkoljenicama, koljenima, natkoljenicama, bokovima i struku s obje strane. Morate mi reći kad osjetite kako prelazim prstom po vašim prstima, stopalima, potkoljenicama, koljenima, natkoljenicama, bokovima i struku. Zlata's, ako želiš, možeš pričekati da mi kažeš što možeš osjećati dok ne završim s testiranjem obje strane. (I am going to run my finger up your toes, feet, lower legs, knees, upper legs, hips and waist on both sides. I need you to tell me when you can feel me running my finger on up your toes, feet, lower legs, knees, upper legs, hips and waist. Zlata's if you want to you can wait to tell me what you can feel until I have finished testing both sides.)"
"Razumijem doktora Kovača. (I understand Doctor Kovac.)"
Luka walks over to end of the bed and then Luka runs his finger across the toes of her right foot. He looks at Zlata face and she has a blank expression on her face. Luka starts to run his right index finger up Zlata's right ankle. Zlata's expression stays blank, as he slowly moves his index finger up the ring lower leg. Her expression stay blank all the way up the leg and stay that way until Luka finger runs over the right hip and she gives Luka a half smile. Luka runs her finger up Zlata's waist and she is still giving him the half smile.
"Osjećam tvoj kažiprst na bokovima i struku. Osim toga, imam potpuni osjećaj iznad struka. Međutim, ne osjećam ništa ispod kukova kada ih pređete desnim kažiprstom. (I can feel your index finger on my hips and waist. In addition I have full feeling above my waist. However, I cannot feel anything below the hips when you run your right index finger over them. "
Luka moves over to Zlata's left side and he then run his index down Zlata's waist and she is smiling. He runs the index finger down the hip and Zlata is still smiling. However, as he runs his finger over the top of the upper leg Zlata stop smiling and goes back to the blank expression on her face. Zlata keeps the blank expression on her face as Luka runs his finger down the leg. Luka runs his index finger over the last toe on the left, which is the smallest toe. He then looks at Zlata and start to talk.
"S lijeve strane još uvijek imate osjećaj iznad struka, a ispod bokova? (On your left side do you still have full feeling above the waist and no feeling below the hips)?"
"I dalje imam pun osjećaj iznad struka s lijeve strane, baš kao i s desne strane. Međutim, nemam osjećaj ispod kuka s lijeve strane, baš kao ni s desne strane. (I still have full feeling above my waist on the left side, just like on the right side. However, I have no feeling below my hip on the left side, just like on the right side)."
Luka picks up Zlata's chart from the end of the bed. He then takes a pen out of the pocket of his white lab coat pocket. Luka then starts to make notes on Zlata's chart. A few minutes later Robert and Luka go back to work checking patients' vitals.
Ten minutes later Doctor Gordana Horvat, Doctor Marković and Doctor Antun Radić walks over to the nurse-admit desk. Then the three doctors walk up to Jennifer Kovac that has just hang up the satellite telephone. Doctor Antun Radić starts to talk to Jennifer in English.
"What did David Morgenstern say?"
"He said that he would accept Ana Novak and Zlata Lukić as patients' at County General Hospital. In addition David Morgen say to finish the paperwork for Ana and Zlata tonight and write rush delivery this is very importation paperwork on the front of the two envelopes. I am too sent the paperwork out tomorrow morning with the red cross mail carrier."
"(Doctor Gordana Horvat, Doctor Marković and Doctor Antun Radić) that is great, I hope that the two medical visas will be approve."
"I hope that Ana and Zlata medical visas will be approve too. Antun will you go copy the covers and each page of Ana and Zlata's passports?"
"Yes."
Antun picks up the two passports and he walks to the front of the hospital, because the copy machine is at the information/in patient admission desk. Simultaneously Jennifer starts to fill out the medical visa paperwork for Ana. It takes Jennifer a couple hours to fill out all the paperwork for Ana and Zlata medical visas. After finish the medical visas' paperwork Jennifer works the nurse-admit desk and curtain area checking patients. Luka and Robert are working trauma cases that come into the trauma center. Doctor Gordana Horvat, Doctor Marković and Doctor Antun Radić are keeping an eye on patients on the first floor (second floors in America). The rest of Luka and Jennifer shift at Vukovar Hospital goes by fast, since the two of them are kept busy the whole time.
It is now Thursday morning and the medical visa paperwork for Ana and Zlata's were sent out this morning for a rush delivery with the red cross mail carrier. Jennifer is sitting in the front the red cross van and Luka is putting the last box of the medical supplies into the back of the van. A few minutes later Luka is driving away from Vukovar Hospital and he is driving to the countryside of Grabovo. Luka and Jennifer do not talk on the driver to Jennifer grandparents' house.
The quiet drive to Jennifer grandparents takes about twenty minutes. Luka is pulling the van up in front of a two-story wood house that has a front porch. The front of the house has four windows on the first floor (second in America) that goes the length of the house. On the front of the ground floor is the front door and it is in the center of the house. In addition on each side of the front door are two windows. The back of the house has the same windows and door placement, as the front on the ground floor. At the right and left end of the house are two windows on the ground floor and two windows on the first floor. Luka and Jennifer both notice that Mr. and Mrs. Novak house has a gable roof and walk-in-attic that are above the first floor of the house. One window is on each end of the house on the attic level. In addition Jennifer and Luka notice the trim around the front door and all of the windows have been painting sage green. Luka pulls the van up between the house and the huge barn that is on the right side of the house, if facing the front of the house. He puts the van into the parked position and then turns off the van. Two minutes later Jennifer is standing in front of the front door of the house and she is knocking on the door, Luka is standing behind Jennifer. After the fourth knock, the front door opens and Jennifer sees her grandmother in the door. In addition Jennifer sees her aunt that is pregnant and it looks full term. Biserka is walking toward the staircase carrying Eva and Klara, who are two year olds and will be three on October 1. Biserka stop walking at the base of the staircase that in the center of the house. In addition the staircase is before the doorway to the eat-in-kitchen that on the right end of the house. Biserka turns and sees her niece standing outside. Jennifer grandmother steps away from the door, Luka notices that Jennifer's grandmother, aunt and the twin girls look like Jennifer, as Jennifer walks into the house. Luka walks into the house and Jennifer start talking to her grandmother and aunt in Croatian.
"Mužjak sa mnom je moj šogor Luka Kovač. Udala sam se za njegova brata Niku u nedjelju, 20. veljače. (The male with me is my brother-in-law Luka Kovac. I married his brother Niko on Sunday, February 20.)
Mrs. Novak pulls her granddaughter into a big bear hug and Luka close the front door. Luka walks over to Biserka and takes one of the two sleep girls from her. Then Luka and Biserka walk upstairs and Mrs. Novak is still hugging Jennifer. Upstairs Luka and Biserka are walking down the hallway that run through the center of the house. Biserka walks over to the first bedroom on the right side of the hallway, if walking toward the bedroom. In addition the back of the house and is Klara's bedroom. Klara's bedroom is across from her parent's bedroom. Then Biserka points to the second bedroom at the back of the house and that is next to Klara's bedroom.
"To je Evina spavaća soba. (That is Eva's bedroom.)"
Luka walks over to Eva's bedroom door and then he walks into the bedroom, simultaneously Biserka takes Klara into her bedroom. The twin beds are set up the same with the twin white cast iron beds against the center of the wall across from the bedroom doors. Both Eva and Klara's bedroom walls are lilac. Biserka and Luka walk over to the girls beds and lay then down on the beds. A minute and half later Luka and Biserka walk out of Eva and Klara's bedrooms. Luka sees the bedroom across from Eva room is set up as a nursery with two old cast iron cribs and bedroom walls are white. Biserka starts to talk to Luka, who is looking into the nursery.
"Ne znamo jesu li blizanci s kojima sam trudna dječaci ili djevojčice, pa smo zasad ostavili bijele zidove.
(We do not know if the twin I am pregnant with are boys or girls, so we have left the walls white for the time being.)
"Koliko ste daleko u trudnoći? (How far along in the pregnancy are you?)"
"Imam trideset osam tjedana trudnoće. (I am thirty eight weeks into the pregnancy.)
Luka and Biserka have start walking toward the staircase and Luka notice after the staircase from the ground floor is the staircase to the attic. He also sees at the end of the main hallway is the open door to the bathroom, If your back is to Eva and Klara's bedroom. Luka looks through the open bathroom door and he sees that the bedroom walls are medium square tiles that are pale purple. The floor has large diamonds shape tiles that switching between white and pale purple. The ceiling is white with beams running the length of the ceiling and the beams are stain dark brown. Then Luka notices the cast-iron clawfoot tub is against the far left-hand wall. One end of the tub is in front of the wall on the left side of the door, if standing in the door. The square white porcelain pedestal sink is after the cast iron tub. In addition the white porcelain low-level Cistern toilet is against the center of the far right-hand wall and on the left side of the toilet is a white porcelain bidet. Luka stops looking at the bathroom and to his right sees a small hallway leading to the fifth bedroom that is the grandparent's bedroom. Luka and Biserka walk up to the staircase and start to walk down the stairs.
Two minutes later Luka and Biserka walk into the sitting room and see Jennifer and Mrs. Novak sitting on the brown couch in the center of the sitting room. Jennifer has her left leg up on the couch too. Biserka and Luka walk over to the two armchairs and the backs of the chairs are to the staircase. Biserka takes a seat on the first armchair and Luka takes a seat on the second armchair. Biserka starts to talk to her niece, who is smiling at her.
"Žao nam je što Eva i Klara spavaju, djevojke nisu spavale nekoliko noći zbog tučnjave. (Sorry that Eva and Klara are asleep, the girls did not sleep last few nights because of the fighting.)"
"To je u redu, presretna sam što vas opet vidim. (That is fine, I am just happy to see all of you again)."
"Luka, hoćeš li izaći u staju i pomoći mom suprugu Dariju Božiću i mom ocu da su hvatajući fazane koje uzgajamo ubili, uhvatili su dvojicu. Međutim, budući da ste ti i Jennifer ovdje i morate ostati na kasnom ručku/vrlo ranoj večeri, trebat će nam tri fazana. (Luka will you go out to the barn and help my husband Darijo Božić and my father that catching the pheasants we raise to kill, they were catch two. However, since you and Jennifer are here and have to stay for a late lunch/very early dinner we will need three pheasants.)
"Da, otići ću pomoći tvom mužu i ocu. Osim toga, obavijestit ću ih da su sada potrebna tri fazana. (Yes, I will go help your husband and father. In addition I will let them know that three pheasants are need now.)"
Luka stands up and walks over to the front door and a short time later he is walking outside. Luka grabs the door knob and sees Mrs. Novak and Biserka are looking at the three wedding pictures. When Luka closes the front door of the house, he can hear Jennifer talking to her aunt and grandmother about her wedding to Niko. Luka walks over to the barn and opens the door on the right just enough to walk into the barn. He walks into the barn and closes the door behind him. Then Luka notices a walkway goes down the center of the barm. To his right he sees two enclosures and chickens are in enclosure nearest to the right barn door. The next enclosure has pheasants inside the enclosure. On the far left side the barn is one large enclosure and it has turkey inside the enclosure. Luka walks toward the enclosure that has the pheasants inside it and up to the close door. He sees that Darijo is holding one Pheasant and that Mr. Novak has just catch the second pheasant. Mr. Novak breaks the pheasant neck, as Luka clears his throat. Mr. Novak and Darijo turns they heads and looks at Luka.
"Biserka me poslala da vas dvije pomognem. Osim toga, traži od mene da vas obje obavijestim da su sada potrebna tri fazana. (Biserka sent me to help the two of you. In addition she asks me to let both of you know that three pheasants are need now.)"
Mr. Novak hands Darijo the pheasant and then gets to work catching a third pheasant. Luka and Darijo watch Mr. Novak catch the pheasant. Then Darijo and Luka watch Mr. Novak break the pheasant neck to kill the pheasant. Several minutes later Luka, Darijo and Mr. Novak are walking toward the front door of the house and Darijo is carrying three dead pheasants.
Two minutes later Mrs. Novak walks over to Darijo and takes the three dead pheasants from her son-in-law. She then walks into the kitchen and is following into the kitchen by Biserka, Jennifer and Luka. Simultaneously Mr. Novak and Darijo go upstairs to wash their hands in the bathroom. Back in the kitchen Jennifer has hops over to the table on her crutches. Then Jennifer takes a seat on the L=shape bench on the part against the wall to the right of the kitchen door. Jennifer then slides to the corner and puts her left leg up onto the bench. The table is in front of the wall on the right of the kitchen doorway and far right-hand wall. Against the wall to the right of the kitchen doorway and far-right hand wall is an oak L-shape bench that has a dark strain. At the far left end of the table are a chair and another bench with a back is across from the far-right-hand wall. In addition the table seat eight people. The white wood burning kitchen stove/oven range is against the center of the wall across from the kitchen doorway. The stove top has three burn going left to right. Under the stove top the door for the fire box is on the left and the oven door is on the right. Below the doors for fire box and oven is the ash drawer. On the right of the wood burn stove/oven range is base cabinet with butcher blocks counter top that goes under the corner. After the counter the base cabinets continue and inset into the counter top is a double porcelain farmer sink. In addition on the left of the wood burning stove is a large wood rack and to the left of the wood rack is a large fireplace. Against the far left-hand wall is a white refrigerator that runs off gas and on each side of the refrigerator are base cabinets with butch block counter tops. In addition the base cabinets continue on the wall to the left of the kitchen doorway and above them are upper cabinets with doors.
Luka, Biserka and Mrs. Novak walk over to the double porcelain farmer sink. Mrs. Novak set one pheasant in the left side of the sink the Biserka standing in front of. Then Mrs. Novak set the other two pheasants on the right side of double porcelain farmer sink that she and Luka are standing in front of and are sharing. Luka and Mrs. Novak start to pluck the feathers off the pheasants and Biserka starts to hold her back. The reason she is doing this is because she is having contraction that is cause back pains and abdominal pain, which has been happen on and off all day. When it first started the contractions where every forty minutes that last for several hours, then the contractions started coming every thirty minutes. However, the contractions are now twenty minutes apart. In addition the contractions are getting stronger and are lasting longer too. Biserka stops hold her back and then looks at her mother and Luka.
"Idem provjeriti Evu i Klaru. (I am going to go check on Eva and Klara)."
Before Mrs. Novak, Luka or Jennifer can say anything Biserka turns her back on double porcelain farmer sink and walks out of the kitchen. Mr. Novak has join Jennifer, his wife and Luka in the kitchen and is plucking the feathers off the pheasants. Five minutes later Biserka walks back into the kitchen and over to the fireplace. She then starts to put wood into the fireplace, once she has stock enough wood into the fireplace she lights a fire. Then Biserka puts the large grill rack over the fire. Mrs. Novak has finish plucking the pheasant that she been working on and she is now removing the pheasant guts. Luka is now gutting the pheasant that he working on too. Biserka walks over to the wood burning stove/oven range and then open the fire box. She then starts to put wood into the fire box. Once the fire box is full of wood, Biserka light a fire and then closes the door to the firebox to let the stove top and oven heat up. Meanwhile, down in the cellar Darijo has a basket and he is getting potatoes and green beans. Mr. Novak has finish plucking the pheasant he was working on and he is now gutting the pheasant. Ten minutes later Mrs. Novak is putting the three pheasants onto the grill rack over the fire in the fireplace. The three pheasants need to cook for an hour and then rest for ten or fifteen minutes.
Darijo has come into the kitchen and he is walking over to the double porcelain farmer sink. He then set the basket with the green beans and the bag of potatoes on the counter top and on the right side of the double porcelain farmer sink. Darijo puts the green beans into strainer and then washes the green beans off. Once all the water is out of the strainer, he moves over to the counter top. He then starts prepare the fresh green beans for cooking. Simultaneously Biserka walks up to the double porcelain farmer sink and then open the bag of potatoes. Biserka then starts to washes the potatoes, deposit having a contraction. Once the potatoes have been washes, Biserka goes and open the oven door on the wood burning stove/oven range. She then starts to bring the potatoes over and places them into the oven. Once all of the potatoes are in the oven Biserka's close the oven door. Simultaneously Jennifer is hopping up the stairs on her crutches because Biserka asked her to check on Klara and Eva. Once upstairs Jennifer hops up to Klara's open bedroom door and sees that she is sleep soundly. She then goes over to Eva's open bedroom door and sees that she is sleep soundly too. Jennifer turns and walks to the center of the hallway. Then turns to face the bedrooms and watches her cousins sleep.
An hour and fifteen minutes later everyone is sitting around the kitchen table. Jennifer is sitting on the chair at the far left end of the table. Luka is sitting on Jennifer left and Darijo is sitting next to Luka. Mr. and Mrs. Novak are sitting on the part of the l-shape bench that on the right side of the kitchen door way. In addition Mrs. Novak is sitting on the end of the bench by the kitchen doorway. Eva is sitting on her grandmother left on the bench across from the far right-hand wall. Klara sitting on Eva left and Biserka is sitting between Jennifer and Klara. Mr. Novak is cutting the meat of one of the three pheasants. Once all the meat cut off the bones of the first pheasants, Mr. Novak starts putting pieces of pheasant meat onto the eight plates. Simultaneously Biserka put roast potatoes onto the plates. In addition all the plates already have green beans on them because Luka put them onto the plates. Several minutes later everyone is eating and Biserka is having another contraction. She looks at the wrist watch on the left wrist and sees the contractions are now ten and half minutes apart. Jennifer looks at her aunt and start to talk.
"Imate li kontrakcije Biserku i ako da, koliko minuta su kontrakcije? (Are you having contractions' Biserka and if so how many minutes about are the contractions)?"
"Da, imam kontrakciju, a kontrakcije su udaljene deset i pol minuta. Nakon što vas pojedemo, Luka i ja možemo poći na kat, do Darija i moje spavaće sobe. Onda vas dvoje možete provjeriti koliko sam raširen. (Yes I am having a contraction and the contractions are ten and half minutes apart. After we have finish eating you, Luka and I can go upstairs and to Darijo and my bedroom. Then the two of you can check to see how far dilate I am. )"
Jennifer and Biserka go back to eating. A few minutes later Klara and Eva finish eating what on their plates and look at their grandmothers. In addition the twins start talking simultaneously.
"Možemo li dobiti više mesa od fazana, pečenog krumpira i mahuna? (Can we have more pheasant meat, roast potatoes and green beans?)"
"Da, Eva i Klara, možete li dobiti još malo mesa od fazana, pečeni krumpir i mahune? (Yes Eva and Klara you can have some more pheasant meat, roast potatoes and green beans?)"
Mrs. Novak takes Klara's plate first and puts more pheasant meat, roast potatoes and green beans onto Klara's plate. Then set Klara plate in front of her granddaughter. Eva hands her grandmother her plate and then Mrs. Novak puts more pheasant meat, roast potatoes and green beans onto the plate. A short time later everyone else at the time is help themselves to second of pheasant meat, roast potatoes and green beans. Eva and Klara finish eat first and the twin start to talk at the same time again.
"Mama, mogu li biti izgovor da se igram lutkama? (Mom can I be excuse to go play dolls?)"
"Da (Yes.)"
Biserka pushes the bench back and then Klara and Eva stands up from the bench. The twin girls then run out of the kitchen. Eva and Klara then run over to the staircase and then start to run up the steps of the stairs. Back in the kitchen Biserka has stand up and is push the bench up to the table. Biserka leans over the back of the bench and start to talk.
"Otići ću gore u spavaću sobu Darija i moga muža i presvući se u spavaćicu. Jennifer i Luka dolaze gore kad završite s jelom. (I am going to head upstair to Darijo and my husband bedroom and change into a nightgown. Jennifer and Luka come upstairs when you done eat.)"
Before Jennifer and Luka can say anything Biserka stops lean on the back of the bench and then walks out of the kitchen. She slowly walks over to the staircase rubbing her back because she is having another contraction. Once upstairs Biserka sees Klara and Eva playing dolls in Klara's bedroom. Biserka walks into her and Darijo 's bedroom and closes the door behind her.
Five and half minutes later Darijo, Luka and Jennifer are in the hallway and standing outside Biserka and Darijo's bedroom. Luka has the straps of a black medical bag on his left shoulder and has starts to knock on the closed bedroom door. The door opens after the third knock and Biserka steps away from the door to let Darijo, Jennifer and Luka into the bedroom. Jennifer is the last one into the bedroom and closes the door behind her. Biserka walks over to the wooden queen size bed, which headboard is against the center of the far left-hand door, if your back is to the bedroom door. She seats down on the side of the bed and then slide back to the center of the bed. Biserka does this because she has moved the pillows to the center of the bed before opening the bedroom door. Jennifer takes a seat on Biserka left side and Darijo takes a seat on his wife right side. Simultaneously Luka is putting on a pair of medical gloves that he takes out of the medical bag set on the floor and at the end of the bed. Several moments later Biserka has bent her legs and is now spreading her legs apart. Then Luka lifts the white nightgown up above the knees. He then he checks to see how far dilate Biserka is. Luka finish check Biserka and at the same time her water breaks.
"Vaš prekid vode i cerviks 100% brisanje. Osim toga, proširite se za osam centimetara. Koliko ste sada kontrakcije udaljene? (Your water break and cervix 100% efface. In addition you are eight centimeters dilated. How far apart are you contraction now?)
"Sada me devedeset sekundi dijeli i upravo ih imam. (Ninety second apart now and I am having one right now.")
Biserka stop talking and put her legs down. Then Biserka closes her eyes, as waiting for the contraction to stop. The contraction stops and Biserka opens her eyes. Eight second later Biserka starts to have another contraction and squeeze her husband and Jennifer hands. The contraction ends and Biserka stop squeeze Jennifer and Darijo hands. Biserka looks at Luka and start to talk to him.
"Moram vam reći da mi je susjeda obavila nekoliko ultrazvuka. Naš susjed je obgyn i pomoć vodi lokalnu kliniku na selu, prvi ultrazvuk je učinjen u klinici. Iz ultrazvuka znam da su blizanci monoamnionsko-monokorionski i da imaju jedan korion, jednu plodnu vrećicu i dijele posteljicu. Opsig je dolazio ovamo i pregledavao me svakog petka, budući da je prvi ultrazvuk pokazao da su blizanci jednoamniotski-monokorionski. Slušala je otkucaje srca blizanaca i pregledala bebe prijenosnim ultrazvukom kako bi nadzirala zdravlje bebe, koje su obje zdrave. (I should tell you that I had a few ultrasounds preformed by our neighbor. Our neighbor is an obgyn and help runs the local countryside clinic, the first ultrasound was done at the clinic. I know from the ultrasounds that the twins are Monoamniotic-Monochorionic and have one chorion, one amniotic sac and share placenta too. The obgyn has been coming here and checks me every Friday, since the first ultrasound showed that the twins are Monoamniotic-Monochorionic. She has been listening to the twins heart beats and check the babies with a portable ultrasound to monitor the baby health, which both are health.)"
"To je dobra informacija koju treba znati. (That good information to know.)"
"Možete li me ponovno provjeriti jer se čini da moram pritisnuti? (Can you check me again because it feels like I have to push?)"
"Da, provjerit ću vas ponovo. (Yes I will check you again.)"
Biserka bents her legs up to her chest and then spread her legs apart. A short time later Luka begins to check Biserka to see how far dilate she is. He sees that Biserka is fully dilate and it is time for her to start to push. Luka looks up at Biserka, Jennifer and Darijo with a huge smile on his face and start to talk.
"Sljedećom kontrakcijom možete početi gurati. (With the next contraction you can start to push.)"
"Počinjem imati kontrakcije. (I am start to have contraction.)
Luka gets two birthing kits out of the medical bag, as Biserka starts to push and after several pushes' baby A is crowning. The contraction ends and she stop pushing, as Luka opens the first of two birthing kit. The birthing kits have medical gloves, sterile gauze sponges, under pad, bulb syringe, disposable scalpel, sterile two umbilical clamps, scissor and an o.b. pad. In addition alcohol preps, drape sheet, plastic bag for placenta, receiving blanket, o.b. towelettes, twist ties and nylon tie off. Luka is putting on a fresh pair of medical gloves from the first birthing kit, as Biserka start having another contraction and she start pushing again, after three push the baby shoulder are out. The contraction ends and Biserka stops pushing and rest until the next contraction start ninety second later. Biserka start pushing and again and Luka set the under pad onto the end of the bed. Biserka keeps pushes and after several pushes the first baby is born. Luka seat the baby onto the under pad that on the end of the bed and then puts the two umbilical clamps on the umbilical cord.
"Darijo, hoćeš li sinu presjeći pupčanu vrpcu? (Darijo do you want to cut your son umbilical cord?)"
"Da (yes)."
Darijo stands up and then walks over to the end of the bed. Luka hands him a pair of scissors and then Darijo cuts the umbilical cord between the two clamps. Luka clean the baby off with the under pad and then he takes off the used medical gloves. He then wraps the baby boy in the light gray receiving blanket. Once Luka has finish wrap the baby in the receiving blanket, Darijo picks up his son. He looks at his son that has a head full of thick black hair. The baby boy starts crying and opens his eyes, which are dark brown like his father eyes. Luka opens the second birthing kit and gets the gloves out. He puts the gloves on, ad Darijo show his wife the baby boy for the first time. Biserka starts to have a contraction and a strong urge to push, as Luka is checking her.
"Ako trebate gurnuti Biserku, idite glavom i gurnite. (If you need to push Biserka, then go head and push.)"
Biserka starts to push and the head of the baby B is start crowning. The contraction ends and Biserka stop pushing. She rests as waiting for the next contraction to start and is looking at her son in her husband arms. Biserka smiles at Darijo and start to talk to Darijo.
"Mislim da bismo trebali nazvati novorođenog sina Luku, po liječniku koji ga je rodio. (I think that we should call our newborn son Luka, after the doctor that delivered him.)"
"Slažem se s tobom. (I agree with you.)"
Biserka starts to have another contraction and start pushing again. After three pushes the head is out, she pushes three more times and the shoulders are just starting to come out when the contraction ends. She stops pushing and rests until the next contraction start, which is eighty second later. Biserka start pushes and after one larger push the shoulders are out. She pushes four more times and the hips are just start coming out, when the contraction end. She stops pushes and rest for eighty second and then start pushing because she having another contraction. After two pushes the second baby is baby and Luka set the baby onto the under pad that on the end of the bed.
"Imaš drugog sina. Darijo, hoćeš li presjeći pupčanu vrpcu? (You have another son. Darijo do you want to cut the umbilical cord?)"
"Da (yes)
Darijo hand baby Luka to his wife and then stands up from the baby, as Doctor Luka Kovac puts the umbilical clamps onto the umbilical cord. Darijo reaches the end of the bed and looks down at his son that is identical t to baby Luka. Then he picks up a pair of scissors from the second birthing kit. He then cuts the umbilical cord between the two clamps. A minute later Darijo is cleaning his son off with the under pad because Luka is delivering the placenta. He puts the used under pad in the plastic bag from the first birthing kit that they are using for trash. Darijo then pulls the receiving blanket out of the second birthing kit. He unfolds the blanket and lies on the left end of the bed. He then picks up his son and set the baby onto the center of the blanket. Darijo then wraps the receiving blanket under the baby. A few minutes later Darijo is sitting beside his wife on the bed and is holding the second baby boy, which does not have a name yet. Darijo looks down at the son in his arms. Biserka looks at the son in her husband arms and then Biserka looks up at her husband and start to talk.
"Mislim da bi se trebao zvati Leon. (I think his name should be Leon.)"
"Slažem se s tobom. (I agree with you.)"
By now Doctor Luka Kovac has finish delivery the placenta and he is cleaning up the used birthing kits. It takes several minutes to clean everything up and then Luka is holding a plastic bag with trash from the birth of the babies and a plastic bag with the placenta inside. He is walking toward the bedroom door, as he is talking.
"Odnijet ću smeće i obavijestit ću gospodina i gospođu Novak, Klaru i Evu da ste imali blizanke Biserku. Osim toga, reći ću im sva četvorica da su i bebe dječaci. (I am going to take the trash out and I will let Mr. and Mrs. Novak, Klara and Eva know that you had the twins Biserka. In addition I will tell all four of them that the babies are boys too.)"
Luka reaches the bedroom door and opens the closed door. He sees Klara, Eva and Mr. and Mrs. Novak standing in the hallway. Klara and Eva run into their mother and fathers' bedroom and Mr. and Mrs. Novak follow their granddaughters into the bedroom. Luka walks away from the bedroom and walks toward the staircase.
Fifteen minutes later Biserka and Darijo are in their bedroom and are spent some alone time with newborn Luka and Leon. Mr. and Mrs. Novak are in the kitchen and Mr. Novak is putting wood into the fire box of the wood burning stove/oven range. He has already started a fire in the kitchen fireplace and has placed the grill rack over the fire. Mrs. Novak is mixing Ingredients into a mixing bowl for a Kuglof (bundt cake) that will go in the oven of the wood burning stove/oven range. Mr. Novak walks over to the kitchen sink and washes his hands. Then he gets another mixes bowl out and the Ingredients to make paprenjaci (black pepper cookies) that will be bake over the fire in the fireplace. Simultaneously Luka and Jennifer are in the living room with Eva and Klara and are playing Barbie dolls with them on the living room floor. Mrs. Novak turns her head and looks into the living room and smiles when she sees Luka and Jennifer playing Barbie dolls with Eva and Klara. She has finishes mixing the Kuglof (bundt cake) and pours the cake batter into the bundt cake pan. She walks over to the wood burning kitchen stove/oven range and opens the door to the oven. Mrs. Novak walks over to the base cabinet on the left right side of the kitchen doorway, if facing the doorway. Then she gets the bundt cake pan and walks back over to the oven. Mrs. Novak put the cake into the oven. After closes the oven door, she goes and helps her husband cutting out the paprenjaci (black pepper cookies).
An hour later everyone is back in the kitchen and sitting around the table, in the same spots as they were sitting at for the late lunch/early dinner. Biserka is hold baby Luka in her left arm and Darijo is hold Leon in his left arm. Everyone is eating a piece of the Kuglof and paprenjaci. In addition Mrs. Novak has put part of the paprenjaci into a white tupperware storage container for Jennifer and Luka to take back to Luka parents. Mr. Novak looks at Luka and start to talk.
"Luka Kovač prije nego što ti i Jennifer odete da se vratimo kući, želite li da odem u staju i ulovim četiri fazana za dvoje da ih ponesemo kući? (Luka Kovac's before you and Jennifer leave to head home, do you want me to go to the barn and catches four pheasants for the two of take home?)"
"Ne, nemamo mjesta u kombiju za fazane. (No, we do not have room in the van for pheasants.)"
Luka and Mr. Novak stop talking and go back to eating the pieces of Kuglof and paprenjaci. A few minutes later everyone is eating a second piece of Kuglof and some more paprenjaci too. In addition Baby Luka and Leon have gone to sleep in their parents arms and everyone is happy.