Written by Brooke-Lauren Montgomery
Mrs. McKenzie looked over at her light headed husband who sat wringing his hands in the plastic chair up against the wall, only a couple of feet away from the examining bed in which she lay.
Mr. McKenzie’s face slightly twitched as he asked, “A girl?”
Doctor Manes smiled, turning to Mrs. McKenzie. Upon seeing the good doctor’s happy face, a faint smile cracked on the side of her mouth.
Doctor Manes slowly shook his head after returning his gaze to Mr. McKenzie who was beginning to perspire on his forehead.
His grin growing bigger, Doctor Manes said, “You’re having two…two boys, Mr. McKenzie. Congratulations.”
Mr. McKenzie swallowed, the sound of his spit going down his throat filling the silence of the small, clean waiting room.
“Twi…twins…” he whispered, his face growing paler. His gaze turned to his wife who was now grinning from ear to ear. “Kate…”
That was all he could say before he fell forward and rolled onto the ground.
“Dillon!” Mrs. McKenzie exclaimed, sitting up from the examining table.
“Oh, he’ll be quite fine, Mrs. McKenzie,” informed Doctor Manes, stooping down to her husband who lay limp on the floor. “This is definitely not the first time something like this has happened. Nothing new here, I assure you.” He turned her husband over. “Mr. McKenzie…Mr. McKenzie…Can you hear me?”
His eyes moved below his lids.
“Mr. McKenzie….Can you hear me?”
His lips weakly opened and a tiny whisper escaped them, “Yes.”
“Good. Open your eyes. Should I get a wheel chair?”
Mr. McKenzie gently opened his eyes as if he were coming out of anesthesia.
“Should I get a wheelchair?” repeated Doctor Manes.
Sounding more conscious, Mr. McKenzie said, “No, thank you, Doctor, I think I will be fine.” He blinked several times while lying on the cool tile floor. Taking in a few deep breaths, he said, “Kate?”
“Yes, Dillon, Dear?”
“I must have hit the ground before he told us the sex of the baby. What was it? What are we having? Is it a little Isaac or a little Cheyenne?”
“Doctor Manes?” called Mrs. McKenzie.
“Yes, ma’am?” inquired a nurse upon walking into the room.
“Oh, will you please bring in a wheelchair for my husband? He’s going to need it.”
The nurse nodded.
“Kate,” Mr. McKenzie said, sitting up, “I told you I’m fine. Now, what is the sex of our baby?”
“Are you sure you shouldn’t wait for the wheelchair, honey?”
“Kate!” Mr. McKenzie exclaimed in pure excitement, “I’ve waited this long to find out the sex of our baby, and I’m dying to know! The blasted wheelchair can wait!”
“Alright…” Mrs. McKenzie said, uncertainty obvious in her voice. She cleared her throat and then said, “Dillon, honey?”
“Yes, darling?”
“We’re having two little Isaacs.”
“What?”
“It’s two, honey…there are two little ones in my tummy.”
Mr. McKenzie stared into his wife’s eyes for a few seconds, then for the next two or three, he seemed to be staring past her.
“Baby?”
“Baby…” he mumbled, his eyes rolling back as he began to lay down.
The nurse walked in with the wheelchair, and upon seeing the husband on the floor, grinned.
“First child?” she questioned to a very conscious Mrs. McKenzie.
“First children…we are having two,” she stated softly, but with pride.
“Well, congratulations!” she exclaimed. “We will have him up and running in just a minute.”
After Mr. McKenzie was awake with more color in his face, and sitting up in the wheelchair, he looked up at his wife who walked with confidence.
So beautiful, so elegant…so together in this time, this precious and fragile time. How can she be so calm and relaxed? How does she do it? Mr. McKenzie thought to himself as the nurse wheeled him around the corner to the front desk.
“Why, hello, Mrs. McKenzie,” greeted the lady at the front desk. “How does Wednesday, October fourth at three o’clock sound? We should be, pretty much, right on schedule if we book you for that time.
Mrs. McKenzie thought for a moment and looked down at her husband who seemed nearly back to normal.
“Dillon, will that work for you? Wednesday, October fourth at three o’clock?”
Mr. McKenzie appeared to be thinking, but then again, he looked to be trying to keep his consciousness about him.
“Yes…yes, I believe it should work.”
“Alrighty then,” confirmed the lady at the desk. “We shall put you for that date! Here is your card,” she said, handing Mrs. McKenzie a card with the date and time. “And you are all set! You guys have a great afternoon!”
Mr. McKenzie stood to his feet and kissed his wife tenderly.
As they walked to the front doors and stepped into the chilly air, Mrs. McKenzie said, “For a while, there, I thought you weren’t going to be okay.”
Dillon laughed a hearty laugh. “I’m fine. By the way, Honey, what was the sex of the baby?”
Mrs. McKenzie looked at her husband uncomprehendingly. She then sighed, and turned around to go back inside for the wheelchair.
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