The Stupid Things We Do, chapter 15
Part 15
The news swam in your head. How could something you had met only minutes before, be gone? Beside you Adie was crying, so you sat on the bed and comforted her. You didn't cry, you were beyond that. The only thing you were capable of doing was rubbing Adie's back.
The doctor clears his throat, "I'm sorry to have to interrupt, but you need to name her. And look at the bright side, you still have a son." You glare at him, but have to agree. Adie dries her eyes. "Yes, I suppose you're right, she takes a list of names that you had selected out of her purse, "can we... Can we see her?" The doctor nods. He returns in a while with a little white bundle and hands it to you. You stare down at the pretty pale face of your daughter. Adie is crying again, but quietly and calmly now.
"Alright," she sniffs, "what about... Angela?"
"No." you reply.
"Carrie?"
"No."
"Megan?"
"Uh-uh."
She scans the list. "None of these names seem right for her," she looks on the next page, "how about... Delila?"
"Delila," you look at her little face, it seems to fit her perfectly, "I think we have a winner."
"So it's a Delila Michelle- for my grandmother- Nesser-Armstrong." Says Adie. The doctor nods and writes it down on the birth certificate.
"I'll arrange for Delila to be sent to the morgue. When you feel you are ready, you may go and collect your son."
"Go get him Bill," Adie says after she seems to have cried herself out of tears, "I want to see our little babe."
You walk to the door and take a right, following the same path that the nurse took. You stop at the big window looking into the nursery and look at the babies. Robson, Wright, Pearcey, Nesser-Armstrong. You spot your son and can't help but smile. He has the same beautiful hazel eyes as his sister.
When you get back to Adie's room with the baby and a hospital bed her smile returns. You pick him up out of the crib and sit beside Adie on her bed.
"This one needs a name too then." She pulls her finger out of his hand and reaches for the list of names, but you take her hand.
"When I was watching him in the nursery," you say, "a name came into my head. It depends on what you think, but what about Joseph?"
Adie thinks for a moment, then looks at the baby, "what do you think about Joseph?" he lets out a little gurgle, "that's good enough for me. Joseph it is." She sinks into her pillow.
"And that is it. I can finally take a moment to rest before I have to get up at 4 in the morning and feed th- him."
You ignore the lump in your throat and Adie's now non-existent smile. You know what you have to do can't wait any longer.
The news swam in your head. How could something you had met only minutes before, be gone? Beside you Adie was crying, so you sat on the bed and comforted her. You didn't cry, you were beyond that. The only thing you were capable of doing was rubbing Adie's back.
The doctor clears his throat, "I'm sorry to have to interrupt, but you need to name her. And look at the bright side, you still have a son." You glare at him, but have to agree. Adie dries her eyes. "Yes, I suppose you're right, she takes a list of names that you had selected out of her purse, "can we... Can we see her?" The doctor nods. He returns in a while with a little white bundle and hands it to you. You stare down at the pretty pale face of your daughter. Adie is crying again, but quietly and calmly now.
"Alright," she sniffs, "what about... Angela?"
"No." you reply.
"Carrie?"
"No."
"Megan?"
"Uh-uh."
She scans the list. "None of these names seem right for her," she looks on the next page, "how about... Delila?"
"Delila," you look at her little face, it seems to fit her perfectly, "I think we have a winner."
"So it's a Delila Michelle- for my grandmother- Nesser-Armstrong." Says Adie. The doctor nods and writes it down on the birth certificate.
"I'll arrange for Delila to be sent to the morgue. When you feel you are ready, you may go and collect your son."
"Go get him Bill," Adie says after she seems to have cried herself out of tears, "I want to see our little babe."
You walk to the door and take a right, following the same path that the nurse took. You stop at the big window looking into the nursery and look at the babies. Robson, Wright, Pearcey, Nesser-Armstrong. You spot your son and can't help but smile. He has the same beautiful hazel eyes as his sister.
When you get back to Adie's room with the baby and a hospital bed her smile returns. You pick him up out of the crib and sit beside Adie on her bed.
"This one needs a name too then." She pulls her finger out of his hand and reaches for the list of names, but you take her hand.
"When I was watching him in the nursery," you say, "a name came into my head. It depends on what you think, but what about Joseph?"
Adie thinks for a moment, then looks at the baby, "what do you think about Joseph?" he lets out a little gurgle, "that's good enough for me. Joseph it is." She sinks into her pillow.
"And that is it. I can finally take a moment to rest before I have to get up at 4 in the morning and feed th- him."
You ignore the lump in your throat and Adie's now non-existent smile. You know what you have to do can't wait any longer.
