Love, berrylique.
Thanks kitty15, misty and chocoholic for the critque and comments.
Chapter 1
Snow began falling from the night sky. It was the first snowfall in the year, and Doctor Rees was sitting behind his office table, looking out of the polished window. Heaps of snow piled up on the windowpanes of cars parked at the car park, and angry owners wiped them away. Children were out, on the field with their family, playing with the snow and running on the grounds, grinning widely.
Seeing that made Doctor Rees think about his own son, Samuel, and beautiful wife, Tammie, who were at home, waiting for him to come back home. Samuel was three this year, and he was very obedient-unusual for a boy. When they walked through the streets, people would say that Samuel was a handsome little child, and they always commented on how much he resembled his father but those eyes, those were his mother's oval shaped, deep blue eyes.
Doctor Rees pulled open his drawer and rummaged through it for a picture of the family at the park last month.
When he felt something like a Polaroid, he pulled it out carefully, and instead, it showed his wife, heavily pregnant three years before, in 1967. She was wearing a deep blue cashmere sweater that was the same shade as her striking eyes. Doctor Rees began recalling memories of that night, and he remembered that his wife gave birth to their children on that fateful night…
*-*-*-*-*
Doctor Rees was holding his wife gingerly, and Tammie was smiling at his care. They were walking along the street down their house, and it was a cold December night. The stars were twinkling overhead, and it was a gorgeous night.
Tammie was supporting herself by placing her hand on her waist. As she did so, her hand brushed against the soft deep blue material of her sweater.
“Darling?” She began, looking at her husband. “Do you remember the day we first met?”
“Of course, dear,” replied Doctor Rees, as that day’s memories came flooding back to him.
It was only last October. Doctor Rees was at the mall looking for a nice watch to present to his mother for her birthday. As he walked through the department store, he caught sight of this woman in a pretty, little flowery dress.
She had her back facing to him, and she was quite far away, but Doctor Rees was able to see that she was tall and slender, with a coat of copper brown hair tumbling to her waist. She was at the woman’s section, picking out some blouses. He hurriedly grabbed an ocean blue cashmere sweater and followed her to the cashier.
Doctor Rees stepped abruptly into her path and the cashier glanced at him impatiently.
“I am afraid that Miss McCarthy arrived first,” the cashier, who had a piercing look in her eyes, glared at him.
“Oh, it’s OK, Jane, you can serve him first,” the woman replied.
“I am so sorry, Tamara. It should be your turn,” the cashier insisted.
Doctor Rees cleared his throat. “Sorry, but I am a doctor, and I have to rush back to the hospital,” he lied.
“Oh dear, really, Jane, do take him first,” Tamara turned to him. “Is that sweater for your wife?”
“Erm, no, I am not married yet. It is for my sister,” he said hastily, hoping that he did not give Tamara the wrong impression.
Four months after that little meeting, they got married-she was only twenty-two, while he was twenty-nine.
“Darling, there’s something I cannot understand,” Tammie began, and Doctor Rees looked at her questioningly.
“You said you bought this sweater for your sister, but didn’t your sister pass away before we met?” Tammie asked.
“Sorry, dear, but I had to find a way to get your name,” he replied, looking apologetic.
“Oh, darling, you are so sweet,” Tammie smiled, but her expression changed drastically as she clutched her swollen belly.
“Dear? What’s wrong?” Doctor Rees asked his wife worriedly, and clutched her more tightly. “The baby isn’t due until Christmas, right?”
“I-I don’t know. It’s hurting so-so much-h,” Tammie said, and bent over a little.
“Can you walk? I have to bring you back to the car to send you to the hospital,” Doctor Rees said, and Tammie nodded slightly.
Doctor Rees held his wife as they entered the hospital he worked in. His nurse, Marilyn, came rushing over.
“Marilyn, go and request Doctor Smith to come immediately,” Doctor Rees said. Marilyn nodded and scurried off.
Doctor Rees laid his wife down on the bed in one of the delivery rooms. He held his wife’s hand tightly, and gazed into her deep blue eyes. She was on the verge of crying, and her mouth was twisted in an odd way.
The door swung open, and Marilyn came in. “I can’t find Doctor Smith. I called him repeatedly, but he did not answer the phone,” she licked her lips, looking very worried.
“Marilyn, go and get the gas. We have to deliver the baby,” Doctor Rees ordered Marilyn, and she pushed a trolley in.
“P-Peter,” Tammie said, almost inaudible. She was clutching to Doctor Rees’ arm tightly. “Remember, S-Samuel for a-a b-boy, and S-Serena f-for a g-girl.” She then was given the gas, and soon passed out.
Marilyn set Tammie the delivering position, when prepared to hold the baby and he or she came out. Tammie woke up sometime later, and when she had enough strength, Doctor Rees and Marilyn encouraged her to push. When it was too painful for her to continue, Doctor Rees gave her the gas, and she passed out, leaving the baby to come out on its own. This was repeated a few times, when finally, Marilyn took the baby from the bed, and Doctor Rees cut the baby’s umbilical cord. Marilyn started cleaning the baby.
“It’s a boy!” Marilyn announced.
“My little Samuel!” exclaimed Doctor Rees, and he took the baby from Marilyn, and showed him to Tammie, now conscious.
Tammie smiled and reached out for the baby, but her expression stiffened, and she lay down on the bed again.
“My stomach is hurting again,” she moaned, and she was given the gas again.
“I think it is post-labor contractions,” Marilyn assured Doctor Rees, and headed towards the baby room with Samuel.
Doctor Rees walked over to his wife, and Marilyn came back in.
“Marilyn,” Doctor Rees began when he walked towards the end of the bed. “I think she is having another one.”
“Really! Excuse me, Peter, I have to get the baby out,” she replied.
This baby was much easier to deliver. The baby came out quickly, and this time, it was Doctor Rees who held it first.
“This is Serene!” He said, holding the baby cautiously. He smiled widely, but when he looked at the baby carefully, he smile faded.
The baby had an extra toe on the left foot, and there were white spots on the irises of her hazel, almond-shaped eyes. She had short limbs, unlike her brother. Doctor Rees knew what it was. It was Down syndrome. Marilyn took the baby, sensing something was wrong, and hurried off to the baby room.
He remembered his younger sister, who was out in the garden, playing with her toys. She was clutching the right side of her chest, and she breathed in short, quick breaths. His mother would look out of the kitchen window, and then turn away to cry silently.
When he was ten, he remembered his sister was sent to the hospital. His mother was crying in loud sobs, following the paramedics, while his father placed his hand on his mother’s shoulders.
He would never let Tammie go through what his late mother had gone through. Never. He loved his wife dearly, and he loved her too much to hurt her. He wouldn’t want to see Tammie crying every time. He did not want to be reminded of his sister.
He reached a decision, and stood up, walking towards the baby room. Marilyn was sitting on a chair, feeding the baby with milk from a bottle. She looked up, and gazed at him sadly.
Doctor Rees had once been asleep in his office, because of exhaustion and stress. Marilyn had been standing in the doorway, looking at him, with sweetness in her eyes. When he woke up, she smiled at him, and Marilyn just fell in love with him. Marilyn was devastated when she knew Doctor Rees was engaged. She tried to avoid Doctor Rees during work, but her efforts were in vain. She cried whenever she was alone at home, unable to believe herself for thinking she had a chance with him.
Now, Marilyn was looking at him again, this time with pure sadness. Doctor Rees mustered his courage, but not looking Marilyn in the eye, he spoke.
“Take the baby away.”
What I want to see is you, expanding on your ideas. I want to see you writing with purpose.
