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May. 17th, 2014 11:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shufti"You are quite sure this is safe?" Shufti asks, tentatively, as she sits on the operating table. There are a lot of people in blue pyjamas around her, one of whom has just told her he's going to put a needle in her back. Shufti is pretty sure that backs aren't meant to be poked with a needle.
"This is the spinal anaesthetic." the anaesthetist says. "After this you'll only feel tugging, not pain."
Shufti glances at CJ, who nods encouragingly. Apparently this is something more routine in America than it is in Borogravia.
After someone pokes around with her back, there's a sudden flurry of activity as they tell her to lie down and make sure the anaesthetic works. Then, they put a sheet up between her head and her belly.
It's the weirdest feeling ever...
They'd warned her that because of the way the twins share a growth sac, they would have to be delivered early this way. There's two teams waiting with little tables and masks.
In what seems to be only a couple of minutes, there's a sudden feeling of pushing on her chest, and the next moment the surgeon hands a tiny baby over to the first team.
"Twin one." she says, turning her attention back to Shufti's belly.
"Carl, go see!" Shufti urges, as CJ looks somewhat terrified at a midwife asking him if he wants to cut the cord.
A squeak the other side of the room is followed by a small cry.
"He's a boy." Carl reports.
"Is he okay?" Shufti asks.
"He's a bit surprised, but he's breathing on his own." the midwife reports.
The surgeon moves again, and delivers the second twin, who goes over to the other team.
The second pause is longer, and Shufti listens as best she can over twin one's crying to hear the second twin. She can just about see, around the curtain, the baby doctor putting a little mask over the baby's face, and pumping air into him. For a moment, she feels like her own heart is stopping...
... and then the second twin clenches his fists, and makes a feeble squeal.
"Is the second twin okay?" Shufti asks again, wishing she could move her arms more easily to wipe the tears out of her eyes.
"He's breathing now, we're going to give him a little bit of oxygen to help him, but he looks fine." the second midwife says. "We're going to take both the twins to the neonatal unit, what surname should I put on their tags?"
"Johnson." Shufti says. They'd talked about this with Jack a few weeks back, who had actually asked if he could shorten it ('Manickle-Johnson is weird, Mom! Why can't we just be Johnson?'.)
It seems to take a lot longer to finish the operation. After, she can't wait to get out of recovery, and she's relieved when the nurse wheels her to the neonatal unit. Carl has nipped to the café to get Jack and Leah from their aunt, and the four of them step into the unit together.
The two incubators are placed side by side, with blue labels indicating 'Twin One Johnson' and 'Twin Two Johnson'. The second twin has a little oxygen tube on his face, but the midwife is able to pick out both twins and put them in her arms.
"Mom?" Jack whispers.
"Yes?" Shufti asks, looking up at him.
"They're like..." Jack bites his lip. "They don't look like me."
"They do look more like Dad, don't they?" Shufti says. "They were never going to be blonde, honey. I think when they get older they'll be a little darker than Leah."
"Will anyone believe they're my brothers?" Jack asks.
"Sure they will." Shufti says. "As long as you do. Every little boy looks up to his big brother, and you'll have two little people looking up to you."
Jack appears satisfied with this, and gently puts his finger in twin two's hand.
"This is the spinal anaesthetic." the anaesthetist says. "After this you'll only feel tugging, not pain."
Shufti glances at CJ, who nods encouragingly. Apparently this is something more routine in America than it is in Borogravia.
After someone pokes around with her back, there's a sudden flurry of activity as they tell her to lie down and make sure the anaesthetic works. Then, they put a sheet up between her head and her belly.
It's the weirdest feeling ever...
They'd warned her that because of the way the twins share a growth sac, they would have to be delivered early this way. There's two teams waiting with little tables and masks.
In what seems to be only a couple of minutes, there's a sudden feeling of pushing on her chest, and the next moment the surgeon hands a tiny baby over to the first team.
"Twin one." she says, turning her attention back to Shufti's belly.
"Carl, go see!" Shufti urges, as CJ looks somewhat terrified at a midwife asking him if he wants to cut the cord.
A squeak the other side of the room is followed by a small cry.
"He's a boy." Carl reports.
"Is he okay?" Shufti asks.
"He's a bit surprised, but he's breathing on his own." the midwife reports.
The surgeon moves again, and delivers the second twin, who goes over to the other team.
The second pause is longer, and Shufti listens as best she can over twin one's crying to hear the second twin. She can just about see, around the curtain, the baby doctor putting a little mask over the baby's face, and pumping air into him. For a moment, she feels like her own heart is stopping...
... and then the second twin clenches his fists, and makes a feeble squeal.
"Is the second twin okay?" Shufti asks again, wishing she could move her arms more easily to wipe the tears out of her eyes.
"He's breathing now, we're going to give him a little bit of oxygen to help him, but he looks fine." the second midwife says. "We're going to take both the twins to the neonatal unit, what surname should I put on their tags?"
"Johnson." Shufti says. They'd talked about this with Jack a few weeks back, who had actually asked if he could shorten it ('Manickle-Johnson is weird, Mom! Why can't we just be Johnson?'.)
It seems to take a lot longer to finish the operation. After, she can't wait to get out of recovery, and she's relieved when the nurse wheels her to the neonatal unit. Carl has nipped to the café to get Jack and Leah from their aunt, and the four of them step into the unit together.
The two incubators are placed side by side, with blue labels indicating 'Twin One Johnson' and 'Twin Two Johnson'. The second twin has a little oxygen tube on his face, but the midwife is able to pick out both twins and put them in her arms.
"Mom?" Jack whispers.
"Yes?" Shufti asks, looking up at him.
"They're like..." Jack bites his lip. "They don't look like me."
"They do look more like Dad, don't they?" Shufti says. "They were never going to be blonde, honey. I think when they get older they'll be a little darker than Leah."
"Will anyone believe they're my brothers?" Jack asks.
"Sure they will." Shufti says. "As long as you do. Every little boy looks up to his big brother, and you'll have two little people looking up to you."
Jack appears satisfied with this, and gently puts his finger in twin two's hand.
