After parking his car, Dr. Jacob Draiman ran into the emergency room at full speed. He stopped at the nurses’ station to ask about his wife. “I’m looking for a patient named Delilah Draiman”, he told the nurse as he tried to catch his breath.
“And who are you to the patent?”
“NO MOTHER FUCKING BODY, BITCH! I’M JUST HER GOD DAMN HUSBAND!!”
“Sir, I need you to calm down while I find her for you?”
“Would you be calm if you were at work in another city and you had to rush back home because some dumb fucker wasn’t paying attention to whether or not the light was green or red and hit your husband or boyfriend?” he asked her.
“Well, no.”
“THEN DON’T EXPECT ME TO BE CALM WHILE YOU TRY TO FIND THE DOCTOR TREATING MY WIFE WHO’S SEVEN AND A HALF MONTHS PREGNANT!”
A doctor came out of a room. “Are you looking for Delilah Draiman, sir?” the doctor asked.
“Yes, I’m her husband”, he said as he whirled toward doctor.
“Mr. Draiman…”
“It’s Dr. Draiman, thank you. Address me like you’re speaking to someone who’s educated in the medical field, DOCTOR.”
“My apologies, Dr. Draiman. As I was saying, your wife is been taken to the OR for an emergency C- section. The placenta burst from the impact of the wreck. I’m sorry to tell you this, Dr. Draiman, but you’re daughter’s severely premature.”
“You think I don’t already know this, Dr…”
“Dougan.”
“Ok, Dr. Dougan. Do you honestly think I don’t already know that my daughter is dangerously premature? Do you really think I’m an idiot?”
“Of course not. I’m just telling you what’s going on.”
“Then why don’t you tell me something that I don’t already know, like the extent of my wife’s injuries, for starters?”
“From the preliminary exam, we can see that she’s got a few bumps and bruises and a possibly broken femur, but that’s about all I can tell you. We can’t do X-rays or a CT scan while she’s still with child. After your daughter’s been delivered, your wife’s going to be sown up and go straight to radiology so that we can see what her injuries are. And not to worry, your wife’s directive to save the placenta and umbilical cord will be followed.”
Jake blinked. He hadn’t known about that directive. But he played it off. “Thank you. I’m glad something’s going the right way today.”
“You might want to head up to the OR to see her before they put her under. I’m sure she’s asking for you.”
“I’ve got to wait on my parents to arrive. They’re coming for emotional support. I’ll head up in a moment.”
“Ok.”
---------------
After the other doctor walked off, Jake’s knees gave from underneath him. As he fell, he felt an hand on his arm. He looked up to see his father trying to keep him from falling. “What’s going on, Jake? Talk to me”, David said.
“Preliminary exam says she has a few bump and bruises and possibly a broken femur, but they can’t tell anything else without other tests that can’t be run while she’s pregnant. She had to be taken to the OR to have an emergency C- section because the impact ruptured the placenta and sent her into labor. After she’s been sown up they’re taking her straight to radiology for X- rays and a CT scan… maybe an MRI.”
“Then let’s go up to the OR and wait for her to come out, or for the surgeon to come out to update you on what’s going on with Delilah and little Miri”, Brie said to her son calmly. When he finally nodded, Brie looked at her husband and they helped their 24 year old son to his feet and they headed to the ER.
The entire elevator ride Jacob fought to stay calm. “I told her to be careful. I told her that she needed to stay close to home until I got there. I don’t blame her, but I KNEW this was going to happen.”
“Who do you blame, Jacob?” David asked him.
“The SON OF A BITCH that hit my wife. My car’s totaled. He smashed it in with a fucking 4x4 truck. My wife could have DIED in that wreck because he can’t slow the fuck down. And from what I understand, he’s walking out of here with minimal problems. Piece of shit had better hope I don’t catch him here. I swear to you both that I’ll forget who I am and I’ll kill that mother fucker.”
“Calm down, Jacob Micah”, his mother said. She could see what he was doing. He using anger to convey his grief. “We know you’re hurting right now. You need to remain calm and strong for your wife and daughter.”
He looked at his parents, tears filling his eyes. “Dad, Mom, I just don’t know what to do. I can’t believe this happened and I fucking KNEW it would. What could I have done to prevent this? Is there anything at all?” One of the tears fell down his cheek.
Brie pulled her son into her arms as his shoulders racked sobs. She rubbed his back and let him cry. “Shh… it’s ok, Jacob. Just let it out so that you have your shit together your wife and daughter.” She rocked him back and forth until the elevator reached the floor they needed. He stood up straight and wiped his eyes, hugging his mother before the elevator doors opened. “Thank you, Mama.”
“Anytime, Jacob. Now, let’s go wait to hear about your wife and daughter.” And with that, they went and waited on the doctor to come out and give Jacob a status report.
---------------
He just couldn’t stay still. If he wasn’t up pacing, he was up sitting in a chair and bouncing his leg from the nerves. They hadn’t been up there very long and he was already on edge. “Mom, I’m sorry this is happening on your birthday”, he said as he paced.
“Jacob, stop apologizing, please. It happens. True, I wanted a birthday grandbaby, but I didn’t want it to happen like this. I can’t think of anyone that would want it like this, but this is not your fault, son, nor is it Delilah’s.”
“I know, Mom, but I still feel like shit for you two having to sit up here with me while I wait for news. I know the last place you wanted to be is at the hospital on your birthday.”
“Jacob, stop apologizing”, David said. “If this is where you need us, then this is where we’ll be.”
“But you should have to be here with me for this. I’m not your only child.”
“But, you are one of our children and you asked us to be here. I’m sure your other siblings would like to be here too, for moral support.”
Jake sat in one of the chairs and covered his mouth with his hands and started bouncing his foot. He nodded. “Help me call everyone, please. The more support I have here, the more Delilah and Miriam.” He’d grabbed his phone after parking. He pulled it from his pocket and started pacing again.
Brie stood and put her son in a seat. “You sit. Your father and I will make the calls. You need to settle down, son. I’m sure we’ll be hearing for the doctor soon.”
He nodded, slowly, taking a deep breath. “Ok. I’m going to calm down. Thank you, again, you two. I don’t know what I would do if not for the two of you right now.”
“Just sit down and get a hold of yourself while your father and I call your brothers and sisters.”
---------------
His siblings were all there giving him their support. They were just as afraid as he was. Delilah was family and no one messed with a Draiman. If you messed with one of them, you had to deal with all of them and at last count- including in laws- there were 13 Draiman children. And if you got through them, then you had to deal with Mama and Daddy Draiman and they were the last faces you would see before you met your maker.
When the doctor came out, he was covered in blood. “Dr. Draiman?” he asked.
Jake stood from the cluster of his brothers and sisters so that he could be seen. “Yes?” he said, stepping forward.
“I’m Dr. Gorman, chief surgeon here. I have news on both your wife and daughter. Congratulations, by the way.”
“Thank you. What’s the news?”
“Your daughter, as I’m sure you know, is rather premature. She’s in an incubator in the N-ICU as we speak. After we’re done speaking, you can go visit her with one family member of your choosing as I can see you have a rather big family up here.”
“I needed the moral support. I’ve been a fucking mess.”
“I understand. You might want a to sit down for this next part or they’re going to end up catching you.” Jake sat down and listened to everything else the doctor had to say. “After separating your daughter from the womb, we discovered a massive abdominal hemorrhage. That’s what took so long. We had to sew that up. She’s lost a lot of blood and is getting a blood transfusion. We might need a donor. Does anyone know her blood type?”
Brie took a deep breath. “She and I share a blood type. If you need a donor, I’ll do it.”
“Mom, no. It’s your birthday”, Makayla said. “I’ll do it.”
“Hell, I’m sure any one of us will do it if we match”, Jordan said.
“She’s a Universal receiver”, Jake said over the chaos. “She’s AB-, she can receive from any of us. She’s my wife and I’ll do it.”
“And that’s why you shouldn’t do it, Jacob. She’s your wife. You need your strength to take care of Miri. Let one of us do it for you, Superman. It won’t kill you”, Jordan told her twin.
“You have plenty of time to discuss it, Draiman family”, Dr. Gorman said. “She’s on her way to Radiology as we speak. They’re going to do a series of X- rays and a CT scan to see if there is any trauma to the brain. She was coherent when I got to her, but you never know. Someone will find your family to let you know what’s going on with your wife as I’m sure you want to be with your daughter.”
“You had better believe I do. I’d rather be with my wife right now, but I’d be no good. Might as well go meet my daughter.” He looked at his parents. “Will one of you go with me, please?”
“Sure, Jacob. Who do you want to go?” David said.
“I don’t care. Who wants to meet the newest grandbaby first?”
“Your mother can go, seeing as it’s her birthday”, David said with a sad grin. He leaned into his wife and gave her a kiss. “Happy birthday, love”, he whispered.
“Thanks, honey.” She stood. “You’ll text me if something there should be an update?” she asked her husband.
“Of course.”
“And we’ll be here shortly after”, Jake added as he and his mother headed for the elevator to go meet little Miriam.
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