The Nuclear Catastrophe (a fiction novel of survival) (55 page)

“
Something happened? Hmm, what could go wrong with you? Why would you be worried about your pregnancy? Or, isn
’
t that what bothers you?
”
he asked.

“
Not really,
”
she replied slowly. Then,
“
Well, maybe. You see, I have a terrible feeling about it, as if something is not quite right.
”

“
You shouldn
’
t worry. Obstetrics is a very modern, up-to-date science. Even the most difficult pregnancies are handled routinely.
”

“
The feeling, though, I can
’
t get away from it, Dr. Parsons.
”

“
Ah. Then it wasn
’
t the desire for your husband
’
s papers but something else that caused you to return.
”

“
I suppose so. Subconsciously, I must have wanted to be here when the baby is delivered. That doesn
’
t make much sense, does it?
”

“
I
’
ve heard of stranger things in pregnant women,
”
he answered without any sign of the humor that would ordinarily have accompanied such a statement.

“
Beckman is the place for radiation victims, though.
”

“
True, but....
”

“
And you
’
re in charge,
”
said Sara.

He searched her face for the underlying meaning to this conversation. Her pink-hued lips were replete with invitation, but that was unknown to the woman, who felt in her face nothing more than a warm flush as occasional contractions occurred. Her slender fingers lay across the white sheet, their nails burnished with a lacquer of identical color to the natural tone of her lips.

In seriousness he asked,
“
What bothers you about this pregnancy?
”

She searched for the explanation and then admitted,
“
It
’
s hard to say. When I told my physician, he wanted to take x-rays. And, it
’
s ridiculous, but I just can
’
t allow any more radiation to enter my body. Stupid, isn
’
t it?
”

“
Refusing the x-rays? Not really. No, I don
’
t blame you, but that would be the only way to see what the fetus is like. This feeling you have...?
”

“
The kicking, for instance. I had always been told that the baby will do a lot of moving about—kicking motions—felt by the mother. I haven
’
t noticed anything like that. In all these months, I haven
’
t felt a thing that was like that.
”

“
Did you tell Dr. Archer?
”

“
Well, I haven
’
t talked with him all that much,
”
she answered.
“
Sara, would you mind if I listened to the heartbeat?
”
he asked.

He was a surgeon with a better than average record at problem-solving. Still, what could he hope to learn by hearing a fetal heartbeat when in a few hours he
’
d see the baby?

Receiving her permission, he applied the stethoscope and listened intently for a couple minutes. Finally he stepped back from the mound of flesh and smiled reassuringly.
“
It sounds fine to me, Sara. There
’
s nothing at all unusual about the fetal heartbeat.
”

“
Then why don
’
t I get the same kind of jolts I
’
ve heard other women describe in their pregnancies?
”
she asked with concern.

“
You have felt some motion, haven
’
t you?
”

“
Yes, but very slight—nothing like I expected,
”
she said.

“
Well, Sara, I don
’
t know. But I
’
m sure everything will be all right. And it won
’
t be too much longer until you
’
ll be a mother with a trimmer figure than you have now,
”
he said with a lightness that he did not feel.

She seemed unconvinced that there was no cause for concern.
“
I wish I could be sure.
”

“
You
’
re borrowing trouble when there
’
s no need to. Let
’
s just wait and see what happens, okay?
”

“
There
’
s not much choice for me, is there, Dr. Parsons?
”

“
Oh, I remember you as a fighter. I say you struggling against insurmountable odds, while lesser people gave up. This thing won
’
t get you—not you.
”

“
Dr. Parsons...
”
Sara began.

“
Bernard.
”

“
Bernard, what thoughts did you have after I stole that whole bottle of morphine from you?
”

“
Hmm, as I recollect, I was past the point of having thoughts. I was a robot, going about my tasks as mechanically as though I was remotely controlled by some unknown being.
”

“
By taking the entire bottle, did I leave you....did I cause anyone to suffer?
”

“
Everybody was suffering, Sara. One unit of morphine wouldn
’
t have made much difference.
”

“
It helped Ben. It made him unaware of the pain so that he... he...
”
she faltered, unable to continue.

“
I
’
m sure it did,
”
he hastened to complete her thought.
“
You know, I
’
ve read your recent medical history. It must have taken tremendous will power for you to attend those investigations. You probably should have been getting complete bed rest instead.
”

“
Fatigue was my biggest enemy during those first months; and it still is. But I had this compulsion, I guess you
’
d call it, to do my share, to add whatever I could about the conditions here. I often wonder why I was compelled to be there, to talk with the Senator, and the only suitable explanation is that because I have lost so much, I
’
m desperately anxious that the incident at White Water not be repeated.
”

“
Was it worth it, Sara—giving your account to Senator McCauley? Will it cause any changes do you think?
”

“
Until the formal inquiry is over, we won
’
t know what to expect. But one experience like I
’
ve had is enough for a lifetime,
”
she asserted.
“
More than enough, actually.
”

“
Not that anybody ever noticed, but most of the physicians in this region signed a petition protesting the operation of White Water until safety factors could be positively guaranteed. Of course, nobody paid any attention to us,
”
he said sadly.
“
That
’
s always the story—nobody pays attention.
”

“
Bernard, what will happen to Los Angeles?
”
asked Sara.

“
Time is the answer. In time, it
’
ll slowly revert to a normal city—the same gigantic sprawling city of six months ago,
”
he answered.
“
Its scars will disappear. Eventually.
”

“
Do you really believe that?
”
she asked.

“
That it
’
ll regenerate its lost parts? Sure, in that respect a city is more durable than the men who made it. After all, it
’
s not the only city to have been destroyed—it
’
s just unique in the method of its destruction.
”

“
You have great faith,
”
she said matter-of-factly.

“
In mankind. Yes, I do. When people collectively put their brains together, there
’
s no limit to their accomplishments.
”

She looked at him thoughtfully.
“
There
’
s not much recorded history of people collectively putting their brains together, though.
”

“
That
’
s perfectly true, Sara. However, we
’
ve been rudely thrust into an age where the failure to exercise our brainpower could result in our annihilation. We have a choice. Now we simply use our right to make it.
”

They both realized that the subject of exercising rights had been open long before the destruction of White Water.

A visible twinge of discomfort passed through her body.
“
Umm. They
’
re coming more often—the pains.
”

“
Dr. Archer doesn
’
t expect labor to progress this quickly,
”
said Bernie with sudden concern.
“
I
’
m going to give him a buzz.
”

“
Wait!
”
Sara asked as the last of the pain left her.
“
Wait, Bernard.
”

“
Yes?
”
he asked.

She smiled weakly at him.
“
I know this doesn
’
t make much sense, but will you stay with me in the delivery room? It
’
s unusual, but I
’
d like it if you were there.
”

He laid his hand reassuringly on her thin shoulder.
“
I had planned to assist Archer. I
’
ve already seen to it, Sara. I
’
ll be in the delivery room with you.
”
 

Fitting the cap down over his head, Dr. Parsons watched his colleague from the corner of his eye.
“
Why didn
’
t you slow the labor, Archie? For her first, didn
’
t you think it was progressing too rapidly?
”

The obstetrician was tying his gown.
“
Six hours is pretty quick for a first, but the fetal head was showing through the entrance of the vagina—quarter-size—so I figured what-the-hell, we
’
d go on with it.
’’

There was nothing for the surgeon to say. This was out of his domain.

They moved into the delivery room which was being readied for the patient.

“
Isn
’
t she here, yet?
”
Archer asked a nurse.

“
They
’
re bringing her over. It
’
ll be a minute.
”

Anesthesia machines with their tanks of gas were pulled over to the delivery table. The overhead surgical light would not be turned on until the woman
’
s shaved pelvis was scrubbed with antiseptic and covered with a sheet.

Dr. Parsons inspected the large mirror by which the patient could view the proceedings. Its presence, its function, made him uneasy.
“
What kind of anesthesia are you giving her,
”
he asked Dr. Archer as he turned away from the reflector.

“
Meperidine was given up in the room.
”

“
No. I mean during the delivery. Did she have any preference?
”