Chapter 15

Finally, the number I had on the piece of paper flashed on the screen. I stood up almost immediately. "Right, let's go." I said.

"Honey, didn't I tell you to just relax? Everything's going to be alright." Asuka giggled. I took Asuka to the front desk. Fubuki followed us. I showed the front desk nurse our number.

"Follow me." The nurse said, standing up from her seat.

It didn't take long for her to finally show us a room. "Here you go. Make yourself at home. The doctor will accommodate you in a few minutes."

"A few minutes?" I repeated. Not now?

When the nurse left, I asked Asuka if she was alright. She just glared at me. Then I remembered what she told me at the car. I sighed. "Don't slap me that hard…" I whimpered.

But she did. And boy was it painful. "Yup, you're fine." I muttered, rubbing my arm.

Fubuki and I helped Asuka to get on the bed. Then we patiently waited for the doctor to arrive. When she finally did, she asked Asuka if she was fine and how frequent were her contractions. When Asuka said that she was doing good and that her contractions were at least 4-5 minutes apart, the doctor told her to relax and checked how dilated her cervix was. Then, she told her to call her if the contractions were more frequent, at least about a minute apart.

When the doctor left, Asuka took the remote and began flipping the channels, looking for something interesting on television. "Oh!" she exclaimed, stopping at a certain channel. "Edo! They're playing our song!"

My attention shifted to the TV. Asuka turned up the volume.

"Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes,

Five hundred twenty-five thousand moments so dear,

Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes,

How do you measure, measure a year?"

I smiled as I saw Asuka singing along. "In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights in cups of coffee…"

I sang along with her, "In inches, in miles in laughter and strife. In five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes, how do you measure a year in the life?"

"How about love? How about love? How about love? Measure in love… Seasons of love!"

Asuka and I burst in shy laughter. Fubuki stared at us blankly. "That's your song?" he asked us. Asuka looked at me, then to her brother. She nodded sheepishly. "It made us realize how much we still love each other, despite the odds… right Edo?"

I didn't want to sound cheesy, so instead of agreeing, I said, "Whatever you say, honey."

Fubuki smirked. "Right."

- - -

It wasn't long before Asuka's contractions began to be more frequent. She uttered a little whimper of pain. Fubuki called for the doctor immediately. When the doctor arrived, she asked about the contractions.

"It feels like every minute now," Asuka said, clenching the sheets tightly.

"Alright," the doctor said, "would you like to deliver naturally, or with medication?"

"Pain relief, please," Asuka pleaded. The nurse came in. The doctor told her to get the medication. Asuka looked at me. I took her hand and tried to reassure her with an 'it's alright' smile. Asuka faced her brother. "Oniisan, I want this moment to be only for me and my husband… I hope you understand."

Fubuki smiled. "Of course, sis. I understand. I agree with you, too." Fubuki turned to me and gave me another pat on the back. "Good luck, bro." he told me. Then, he left the room.

- - -

"Wow," Asuka said, "this pain relief thing is amazing! I feel so much better now!"

"Okay, ma'am," the doctor said, spreading Asuka's legs wide apart, "When the next contraction arrives, I want you to push."

Asuka nodded.

"We'll continue to do this until the baby comes out," the doctor explained, "then you guys will be parents!" She paused, then continued, "Oh yes, let's not forget that the amniotic band would still be a threat; once the baby is out, the nurse and I will check if it has indeed attached. We'll do everything we can to help your baby if he does have ABS."

Asuka and I nodded. "Thank you, doctor." I said. Asuka turned to me. "Edo," she began, "I can't believe this is happening. We're finally going to be parents!"

"Yes," I said, kissing her forehead. "And when all of this ends, we'll be a happy family- with our David."

She smiled. "I love you, Edo."

"I love you too, Asuka."

"Get ready, Mrs. Phoenix." The doctor warned, staring at the monitor.

"Edo…" she muttered, squeezing my hand tightly. She wore a frightened expression on her face. I kissed her. "You can do this," I whispered. She still looked frightened.

"Edo, promise me you won't let go," she said. I brought her hand up to my lips and kissed it. "I promise."

"Alright," the doctor said, "push!"

Asuka groaned as she pushed. She shut her eyes tight, gritted her teeth, and squeezed my hand tighter as she pushed harder. I felt the pain of her grip.

"Okay. Relax." The doctor said. Asuka let out a huge sigh. "Inhale from your nose, exhale from your mouth. Slowly, slowly… yes, that's it. Breathe. Breathe." The doctor kept her eyes on the monitor, trying her best to detect the next contraction. "Okay. Let's do this again, honey. Push!"

This time, Asuka pushed harder. She shouted as she did. Seeing her like this made me wonder if I was going to faint in the next minute.

The doctor stopped her. "Alright, relax, dear. You're doing great. Relax. Inhale… exhale."

I wiped away the sweat on her forehead. "Heard that?" I whispered, "You're doing great."

Asuka ignored me, focusing instead on her breathing. I figured it was best if I just kept silent.

"Here comes another one," the doctor said, "Get ready… and… push!"

"Aaargh!" Asuka exclaimed, pushing once more. She groaned and writhed as she continued to push.

I gulped. I felt myself sweating too. It was so hard for me to accept that all I could do to help was to wipe away the sweat off her forehead.

"I see the baby's head," the doctor informed, "he's almost out, Mrs. Phoenix. You're doing very well."

She heaved a big sigh. "He's almost out?" she asked, panting.

"Yes ma'am. One more push, dear. Give it all you've got."

Asuka nodded. I tightened my grip on her. "Just one more, sweetheart." I reassured, "Then it'll be over."

"Okay, here it comes," the doctor reminded, "On my signal… push!"

Asuka inhaled all the breath she could take, then gave a big, painful push.

"Yes, yes! The baby's almost out, keep pushing!" the doctor said, now keeping her eyes on the baby.

Asuka shouted and pushed with everything she's got. My hand felt like it was being squeezed by a crab's claw. When I heard the cry of a baby, I instinctively looked and saw the baby- my baby, for the first time.

When I heard Asuka sigh and felt her grip on me loosen, I took my hand away and slowly walked towards the baby, hypnotized and amazed. The doctor and the nurse surrounded the baby, checking if the amniotic band attached. I watched in anticipation.

"Check the limbs…" I heard them say. "Is it there? No, it's not in the arms… not in the neck nor the legs…"

As I watched, I heard Asuka let out a short gasp. "They're almost done checking, hon. It's gonna be alright." I said without giving her a glance. I was too preoccupied with the baby's condition. After a few more seconds, the doctor finally stood up to face me.

"I see no signs of the band having attached. Your baby is fine." the doctor declared.

"And healthy?" I asked, making sure.

"Yes, Mr. Phoenix. No complications, nothing. Congratulations, sir. You've got one healthy baby."

I smiled, relieved and excited. I turned to face Asuka. "Did you hear that? David's alright!" At first, I was puzzled to see Asuka not being excited at all, not craning her head and looking around for the baby. Then the doctor saw her… and shouted a command to her nurse, told her some kind of emergency code and what not, and rushed over to Asuka's side. My throat tightened, "What's going on?" I said, trying my best to stay calm, "Why isn't she moving?"

"Mr. Phoenix, you have to leave. Now." The doctor demanded.

"WHY?" I cried, feeling a surge of panic. A dozen doctors began entering the room and surrounded Asuka. I felt someone grabbing my arms and pulling me back. "NO!" I exclaimed, tears gushing out of my eyes. "Let me go!"

"Please, sir! You have to get out of here!" the nurse pleaded, pulling me out of the room.

"Get your bloody hands off me!" I exclaimed, trying my best to rush over to the bed again. Two security guards suddenly walked over to me, grabbed each of my arms, and pulled me away. I squirmed and shouted and cried. "NO!" I exclaimed. "ASUKA!"

I watched helplessly as the vision of my wife grew smaller and smaller. "NO!" I shouted. The nurse shut the door. "NO!" I shouted, crying.

This isn't happening. This couldn't be happening. It can't. It can't! Everything was so fast, so instant! What happened back there?

I tried to remember every detail, every scene in my mind. I replayed the memories over and over again. What had gone wrong? Did she push too much? Was I holding her too tight? Did the baby come out too soon? I've never felt so terrified in my life.

The guards took me to another room, not the waiting area, but a special room. When the guards left me, I slumped to a chair, tired and scared.

Seconds felt like minutes. Minutes felt like hours. And hours felt like forever. The more time passed, the more I felt lonely, helpless, and frightened. She's going to be alright. I told myself. She's a strong woman. She's not the type to give up so easily. And besides, she won't leave me; we promised we'll be together when this is all over. She promised me. She told me we'll be a happy family. She promised.

I sat on the chair and thought about things more thoroughly. She's alright. I told myself. She's got to be. Hasn't she been talking to me just a minute ago? She was just fine a minute ago! She told me that a thousand times! She even slapped me! And we were singing… and laughing…

She's got to be alright… The doctor would come in and tell me that she will be. I'm sure of it. "Asuka, god damn it!" I exclaimed, "Don't scare me like this!" I banged my fist on the wall so hard that I thought it made the whole hospital shake. "You'll be alright… I just know you will…"

The doctor finally came. I stood up and looked at her, desperate for an answer.

Instead of the usual smile that doctors present when they've got good news, the doctor wore a serious face, as if about to deliver such a terrible news that she'd wished she didn't have to say it. "Mr. Phoenix, I'm sorry, but your wife couldn't make it."

I just stared at her, lifeless and dazed. I felt my heart breaking.

"It seems that your wife took in what we call 'amniotic fluid'. It's naturally harmless, but in your wife's case, it seems that the fluid traveled through her bloodstream and eventually reached her heart…"

"She's…" I paused, fighting back my tears, "She's gone?"

"…I'm really very sorry… but the baby's fine, though."

For a good long moment, we just stood there in silence, facing each other. I just stared at her blankly. The doctor didn't know what else to do. That bitch. Of course she didn't. Her job was to deliver the news and explain what happened. She wasn't there to empathize with me. Besides, she couldn't even if she tried. She wasn't the one who just lost a spouse.

"My wife…" I said, feeling my throat tighten. "Can I see her… one last time?"