*****

Davy’s POV

I dragged my feet across the ward, ignoring the nurses trying to get my attention. For once, the roles were reversed. I was now the female bird, and they the male birds trying to get my attention.

But in truth, I was only exhausted.

I had undergone two hectic deliveries, both vaginal births, which were advised against due to the complications. But the women insisted on a ‘natural’ birth, a belief imposed by their religion, and of course because of their annoying husbands, who believed there were only real women if they had to pass through groveling pain.

All of my advice—epidurals and CS—had fallen on deaf ears, and I had no choice but to push through even though they both lost quite a volume of blood.

“Good job you did there, Doctor.” Elsie, the new intern nurse, praised me, and I nodded, giving her a smile before moving to the call room.

I beelined for the washroom, washing my hands thoroughly, the warm water making its way to my head and cooling the chaos in there.

Yet there was a nagging feeling that I was forgetting something.

I searched my brain, chapter by chapter, the systematic way I had always done it, hour by hour, and yet nothing came up, just a flurry of activities.

The perfectionist in me screamed, wanting to comb through all the information I had stored in there, but the weariness was already making my eyelid heavy, and I needed a breather before I collapsed.

I placed his hands under the air vent; the annoying sound finally triggered his brain, and then it clicked.

“My phone!” I breathed as the puzzle finally clicked in place, and I was running back to the ward. I must have left it there, or a kind nurse may have kept it for me.

It was one of the reasons I loved my department. We were a closely knit family, or maybe it had to do with the fact that I was the chief resident, and they were trying to suck up to me. However, I enjoyed working with them and would have wanted it no other way.

I walked to the refrigerator, taking a bottle of water and gulping it before I walked back out, but I was met with chaos.

A woman was wheeled in, her stomach swollen to a point of combustion, and her screams echoed throughout the area.

“Doctor Walton,” the nurse yelled, but I was already running towards them.

“What is wrong with her?”

“She fell on her stomach while trying to get to the hospital.”

“Shit!” I cursed, going to her and holding her hands. “Can you hear me?”

Her screams had lessened to whimpers, her eyes dilated as she drifted in and out of consciousness. I glanced at the intern, who stood rigid, terror clear in his eyes.

“Go get the anesthesiologist to open an OR; we need to operate on her.” And to the nurse. “Get her hooked on IV and message me when it is ready, then get her guardian to sign the consent form.”

“Yes, doctor.” They both chorused, and they ran down to save life while I was fleeing to the scrub room to get ready, my phone forgotten.

***

Minutes later, I was in the OR, my hands buried between layers of flesh as I fought to bring the babies out alive. The mother had never stepped in a hospital, as she believed in a home delivery, so she had no idea just how many she was carrying.

It turned out to be twins, and right now all I could focus on was trying to ensure both mother and babies were alive. I glanced at the monitor, and for now everything was calm and steady, so I tried to focus everything I had on delivering them.

The first baby came out easily; the shrill cry pierced the silence in the room, and I could hear the collective breath of relief from everyone, but I chose to remain focused.

I fixed my eyes on the wall clock. “We’ve got baby one, a healthy boy. Time of birth, 2:25pm.” I announced, and the nurse was quick to take him from my hand before I got ready to bring out the next baby.

It was smaller than the first, all pink and covered with blood and fluid.

“He is not crying.” Gary the intern doctor announced, and my jaw ticked, but I remained silent, ready to tap him, but the little fighter must have heard the doctor and wanted to prove him wrong.

His mouth opened, and a piercing cry filled the room, the sound ringing in my ears.

It was also a boy, and I handed him to the nurse, getting ready for the placenta when the shrill tone of the ringtone filled the air.

“Nurse!” I barked, my eyebrows twitching at the annoying sound. I had a very strict rule: no phones in the ER.

“I am sorry, but you forgot your phone in the last operating room, and I was going to bring it for you.” She explained, her voice trembling. “You have a call.” She held out the phone for me to see.

I would feel the irritation already bubbling in, my concentration shifting in part, and my left foot tapping on the floor. “Who is it?” I asked, breathing out to let out some anger, and she peeped at it, her bleached brows pulling together.

“Anna school.”

“Oh.”

It finally clicked into place, the reason I had felt I was forgetting something. I was supposed to go dress shopping with Anna, my soon-to-be wife.

I had promised and even sworn I would be on time, yet here I was, trying to deliver a placenta.

Right now I had to make a choice, my career or my life, and it wasn’t so hard to make. They needed me here, and I wasn’t just saving one life but three.

She would understand. I whispered underneath my breath before I focused on the task at hand whilst making a decision that would come to bite me later.

“Switch off the phone.”