Chewzd

Eric MacLaren paced in the waiting room as he waited to hear about his wife Maeve, who was due to give birth. His mind raced as he thought of his two sons, Daniel, 2 and Mark, 1, who were waiting at home with their aunt, Maeve’s sister Eileen.

Eric stared out the window at the distant trees. Their orange and yellow leaves glistened in the mid-October sun. The sky was clear and the air was cool this early evening in 1957. A gust of wind blew leaves across the hospital parking lot. The sun was setting and clouds of pink and orange streaked across the sky.

Eric sat on the couch and lit a cigarette. He picked up a magazine and scanned it. He took a sip of his coffee, which had grown cold.

“Dammit” he muttered.

He put the cup down and resumed scanning the magazine. The light in the room grew dimmer until it was too dark to read.

“Dammit” he muttered as he turned on a lamp.

A nurse came to the door.

“Mr. MacLaren?”

“Yeah” came his terse reply.

“It’s going to be about three more hours.”

“Thanks” he muttered.

His stomach growled. He went downstairs to the coffee shop to get something to eat.

Some time passed as Eric stared at his half-eaten burger and untouched fries. He took a sip of his soda. The ice had melted and diluted the soda.

“Dammit” he muttered.

He was irritated with himself for letting his burger get cold and his soda get warm. He scarfed down his burger, ordered a cup of coffee to go and paid the bill. He looked up at the clock and noticed it was well after eight.

“Dammit” he muttered as he raced to the elevator.

When he got to it, the door had closed.

“Dammit” he muttered again.

A few minutes later, the elevator returned. Eric got in and pushed the button for the maternity floor.

When he got off, he walked toward the recovery room-no Maeve. He continued to the labor room. He heard a woman scream. He glanced into the room, but did not see Maeve. He returned to the waiting room with his coffee and sat on the couch.

A single lamp made a dim light in the room. Eric walked across the room and flipped on a light switch near the doorway. In a second, fluorescent light bathed the room. Eric went back to the couch and sat down. He glanced at his watch. It was after nine. He picked up a magazine and took a sip of his coffee. It was cold.

“Dammit” he growled.

He threw the cup in a wastebasket and resumed reading the magazine. After a long while, Eric checked his watch.

“Dammit” he muttered, only half-awake and shaking his head.

It was ten-thirty. He got up and dragged himself to the door, his head hanging down. As he approached the door, someone collided into him. It was a nurse.

2/Chewzd

“Oh, I’m sorry!” she exclaimed, as Eric jerked back. “Are you OK?”

Eric mumbled something inaudible.

“Mr. MacLaren?” the nurse asked.

“Yeah” Eric growled.

“You can see your wife now. Congratulations, you have a beautiful baby girl.”

“A-a girl?”

“Yes, a six pound, seven ounce, blonde, blue-eyed baby girl.”

The nurse led Eric to the recovery room. Eric’s face lit up like a Christmas tree when he saw Maeve holding a tiny bundle wrapped in a pink blanket. He moved slowly toward Maeve and the baby. When he got to Maeve’s side, he noticed she was angry. Maeve shoved the baby at Eric.

“Get rid of this!”

Eric cradled the baby in his arms.

“Get that goddamn thing out of here!” Maeve barked.

Eric asked Maeve what was wrong.

All Maeve said was to get rid of the baby in an expletive-spattered tirade.

Eric moved across the room, cradling the baby in his arms. A tear rolled down his cheek as he gazed into the baby’s cerulean blue eyes. He turned to Maeve

“I know you’re tired, sweetheart” Eric said softly. “You’ll feel better after you get some sleep.”

“Sleep? What the hell’s that?” Maeve snapped.

Eric turned to Maeve. He could see the steam coming out of her ears.

“Honey, what’s wrong?” he asked softly.

Maeve glared at him.

Eric looked at the nurse with sadness in his eyes.

“You’re right” the nurse consoled Eric. “She just needs some sleep.”

The nurse took the baby and put her in a bassinet. Another nurse took her to the nursery. Eric looked sadly at Maeve. Maeve glared at Eric then turned away.

A few minutes later, a nurse wheeled Maeve to her room. Once she was in her bed, she rolled onto her side and fell asleep.

As she drifted off, Maeve muttered “dammit.”

On the way out Eric stopped at the nursery and gazed at his new daughter who was now sound asleep.

Early the next morning Maeve heard someone come into her room. It was a nurse wheeling in the baby. Maeve turned toward the nurse, but said nothing. The nurse lifted the baby from the bassinet and turned toward Maeve.

“Good morning, Mrs. MacLaren” the nurse greeted Maeve softly.

She placed the baby in Maeve’s arms and handed Maeve a bottle. Maeve took it and fed it to the baby.

“Do you have a name for her yet?” the nurse asked.

“Yes” Maeve replied, “Ann Marie”

“Did you sleep well?”

Maeve just grunted.

The nurse turned to leave the room. As she did, Ann Marie started gagging and vomiting.

The nurse took the bottle and turned it upside-down over her wrist. The formula slowly dripped onto the nurse’s wrist.

“I was checking to see if it was coming out too fast” the nurse explained to Maeve.

The nurse gave the bottle back to Maeve. Maeve resumed feeding Ann Marie. The nurse turned to leave the room.

3/Adelie RiverHawk

Ann Marie started vomiting.

“What the hell’s going on here?” Maeve yelled.

“I don’t know” the nurse replied.

“Get this thing outta here!”

The nurse took the crying baby to the nursery. Maeve turned over and grumbled to herself.

Later that day Eileen came to visit.

“I just saw the baby! She’s gorgeous!” Eileen gushed.

“Ah, shut the hell up!” Maeve barked.

“What’s wrong with you?” Eileen asked tersely as she stood next to Maeve’s bed with her hands on her hips.

“Get the hell outta here!”

Eileen turned on her heels.

“Fine, I will!” she snapped as she stomped out.

Eileen stopped at the nursery. She looked sad as she watched the nurse try to feed Ann Marie, who was still gagging and vomiting. After a minute, Eileen poked her head in.

“Excuse me” she said to the nurse. “I’m the baby’s aunt. Is she all right?”

The nurse replied “She seems to have trouble keeping down formula. The doctor will be here soon to check on her.”

Maeve was engrossed in a trashy novel when a voice broke into her thoughts.

“Good morning, Mrs. MacLaren.”

It was Dr. Thomas, who came to see Ann Marie.

“I just examined Ann Marie” he said. “She’s fine except for the formula issue. Here are directions for a formula she can take.”

He handed Maeve a piece of paper. Maeve glared at Dr. Thomas. She put the paper on the table next to the bed.

“Don’t worry, she’ll outgrow it” the doctor said as he left.

Maeve glared at him as he left. She picked up the paper the doctor gave her and tore it up. She slammed the pieces onto the floor.

The next day a nurse called Dr. Thomas about Ann Marie. “Doctor, she keeps turning blue!”

Dr. Thomas rushed to the hospital. When he got to the nursery, he noticed Ann Marie’s lips were blue, but she was fine otherwise. Dr. Thomas examined Ann Marie and concluded that she had an enlarged heart.

When he told Maeve, she growled, “I knew she was defective! Get rid of her!”

Dr. Thomas advised Maeve that Ann Marie would outgrow it.

Ann Marie had to stay a couple of extra days in the hospital after Maeve went home. When the doctor

released Ann Marie, Eileen drove Maeve to the hospital to pick her up.

When the nurse came in with Ann Marie, Maeve snapped, “I’m not taking that thing with me!”

Eileen’s jaw dropped.

Maeve told the nurse to get rid of Ann Marie.

4/Chewzd

The nurse looked questioningly at another nurse. Maeve turned on her heels and stomped out. Eileen

was at a loss as to what to do now. Eileen could not believe Maeve did not want Ann Marie.

As tears rolled down her cheeks, Eileen asked the nurse what would happen to Ann Marie if Maeve

truly did not want her.

The nurse asked Eileen if she could take Ann Marie.

Eileen put her head in her hands.

“Oh, I wish I could take her home” she said, sobbing. “I have four boys and I simply don’t have room.”

The nurse told her Ann Marie could be placed for adoption.

Eileen stopped crying. “I better call Eric.”

“Who’s Eric?” the nurse asked.

“He’s Ann Marie’s father. He loves that little girl. He’ll get through to my sister.”

That night Eileen, Maeve and Eric sat at Maeve and Eric’s kitchen table discussing Ann Marie over coffee.

“I know you love Ann Marie” Eileen said to Eric.

Eric looked at Maeve with sadness in his eyes. Maeve glared at him.

“She’s dead” Maeve growled. “We’ll tell everyone she’s dead.”

They were up late talking and drinking coffee. Eric and Eileen could not understand why Maeve did not want Ann Marie.

Maeve insisted that Ann Marie would be too much trouble and that she would only get worse.

Eric could not believe Maeve could do such a thing. Eileen went home leaving Eric and Maeve to decide Ann Marie’s fate themselves.