Cal ran through the halls of the hospital, hoping to get all of the help he could find for Sophie, "Someone help! We need a doctor!"
Dr. Samuel ran over to Cal and asked, "Dr. Lightman what's wrong?"
Cal attempted to compose himself before he spoke, "Sophie, she's blue and she's struggling to breath."
"Oh my! Someone call a code!" shouted Dr. Samuel rushing back to Gillian's hospital room.
Cal heard the announcer call a code but he didn't really have any idea what was happening. He rushed back to the room to find Dr. Samuel and a few other doctors examining Sophie. Gillian was sitting on her bed observing everything. Cal walked over to her and sat down next to her. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her temple, "It's okay love. They're helping her right now."
Dr. Samuel listened to Sophie's heartbeat for a few moments before she asked, "Who's the attending pediatric cardiologist on call?"
"Dr. Jackson, Melissa," shouted one of the nurses, "Would you like me to page him?"
"Yes, please. Thank you," said Dr. Samuel. Gillian was sure she stopped breathing when she heard Dr. Samuel say cardiologist. She wasn't a medical expert but she knew enough to know a cardiologist was a heart doctor. The tears started to come again as Gillian began to think about all of the things that could be wrong with her daughter, her baby girl. She hadn't even lived a full day yet. Another doctor entered the room and approached the new parents.
"Hello are you both Cal and Gillian Lightman?" he asked.
"Yes that's us," said Cal confirming for the doctor.
"Hi I'm Dr. Jackson I'm one of the pediatric cardiologists here. and who's this little princess?" asked the doctor approaching Sophie.
"Sophie," Gillian spoke for the first time for a few hours.
"Hi there Sophie, mind if I take a listen?" asked Dr. Jackson attempting to sooth the fussy baby as he listened to her heart as well, "Could you bring my and echocardiogram machine please?" he asked the nurse.
"A what?" asked Cal nervously.
"Don't worry Cal, it's similar to an ultrasound machine only it takes picture of the heart instead of an unborn baby," Dr. Jackson clarified. Dr. Jackson performed the echocardiogram and a few more tests before he spoke again, "Just as we had suspected."
"Okay, what's wrong with my baby?" an agitated Gillian finally shouted.
Dr. Jackson turned around to face the worried couple. He sat down in the chair in the room and took a deep breath and said, "Cal, Gillian I'm sorry to tell you this, but your daughter has Tetralogy of Fallot. It's a heart condition characterized by four abnormalities of the heart: a hole in the two lower chambers, a narrowing of the Pulmonary Valve leading to the lungs, an Aorta that branches off the wrong way, and hypertrophy of the right ventricle. Now I know all of this sounds scary, and I understand. But let me assure you children with Tetralogy of Fallot can lead full, healthy, active lives as long as they do take care of their heart and have yearly appointments with a cardiologist."
Gillian swallowed to choke back the tears forming in her eyes. Cal grabbed her hand and asked the doctor, "Is there any way we could've known this in the womb? And is there any way we can treat this?"
"It is difficult to detect TOF in utero Cal. As for treatment, she'll need surgery soon."
That was the last bit of information Gillian needed to hear to break down in tears. Cal wrapped his arms around her and rocked her soothingly, "It's okay love. She's okay."
Dr. Jackson leaned forward and said, "Gillian, I'm not going to say the surgery is routine but this surgery has a 95-99% success rate. With your permission, we can have the pre-op done tomorrow and the surgery done November 3rd."
Gillian squeezed Cal's hand and he wiped away the tears running down her cheeks. She turned back to the doctor and said, "Anything to help our baby girl."
"Alright," Dr. Jackson said, "For now we're going to put her in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit just so she's closely monitored and we'll put her on some oxygen to help her breath."
"Thank you doctor," said Cal.
Dr. Jackson cradled Sophie and put her in Gillian's arms, "Let me know when you guys are ready and we'll take her to the NICU." He left the room to give the couple some privacy.
Gillian looked down at Sophie. Beautiful Sophie. Despite her bluish color, Sophie was till the prettiest little girl Gillian ever saw. Cal leaned in next to Gillian and stroked Sophie's hair, "She's a fighter Gill. She's going to be a fighter. She defied your 3% odds and she'll be one of the success stories"
Gillian sniffled, "I know," she said rubbing Sophie's body, "I know. We're going to do everything we can baby girl. Mommy and Daddy love you more than anything."
Dr. Jackson reentered the room and asked, "You ready?"
Gillian nodded and passed her baby off to the doctor, "I love you sweetheart."
Dr. Jackson made sure to support her head, "I promise she'll be cared for Gillian. Try to get some rest and you both can come visit her in the morning."
"What about feeding?" asked Gillian?
"We have some bottles to give her but you can also come down and nurse if you want," said Dr. Jackson. Gillian nodded as Dr. Jackson left the room and closed the door behind him. Gillian looked over at Cal and asked, "Are you alright honey?"
Cal continued to stare straight ahead. It's not that he hadn't heard Gillian, he just didn't know how to answer. The more he tried to stop them the more they came. Finally he gave up on trying to be the man and just broke down in tears and leaned into Gillian, "something's wrong with our little girl and we can't do anything about it."
"Ssh Cal," Gillian said, "We can love her. We can care for her. And no matter what she'll always be our little Sophie." Gillian continued to rub Cal's back soothingly as she thought, "I'm not losing this baby. She has to survey. She has to. This baby's not going to be taken from me no matter what I have to do."
I know this chapter was intense but I promise that Cal, Gillian, and Sophie will get their happy ending. Please read and review. :)