How to Disappear Completely
Birth.
We watch them leave, hoping they come back safe. None of us here, Colligan, Crawford, Deleon, Johnson, nor I, would ever wish death on our mentors. We respect them; never could we want something horrible to happen. They are our parents, our family.
To be quite frank, we love them.
Miss Durden's stomach expands as she sits in bed, gripping Colligan's hand. Crawford injects the painkiller, causing her to settle down. She screams for "Andy", or Mister Mrotek, but he has gone along with the others. "They'll be back soon, Miss Durden," Colligan says, his knuckles turning white. She may have broken his hand.
"Miss Durden, your water has broken," Johnson alerts, the sheets now soaked with clear liquid. She starts to panic, but Crawford assures her that's normal. "It's part of the birthing process, Miss Durden. Everything is running smoothly. Now we just need to wait a few hours in order for the baby to have enough room to navigate out of your body," Johnson states. A few hours is not enough time.
"Miss Durden, you don't have allergies to latex, do you?" Crawford asks, holding out the gloves, all of us ready to reach in and grab a pair. She shakes her head, and we all slip on the gloves.
The five of us gather outside her room to regroup. All of us are afraid; we do not know how to help give birth to a baby. Never has this been done before in years. Generations, even. All of a sudden, we are dealing with something that ceases to exist. In simpler terms, this is a miracle.
"We're kids! How could we do this right? So many women have died giving birth because of the unsanitary conditions," Colligan reports, his hand limp. We all stare. "It's not broken, I'll be okay. It's a little painful, though."
"We'll just have to try our best and wheel her into Mister Carden's laboratory," Deleon declares. "That may be the safest place for her to give birth."
"The safest? How about the scariest!" Crawford replies. "She can give birth in the pool--the jacuzzi. Johnson can lower the temperature to 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, and the baby and Miss Durden will be comfortable with the birth." He grins. "I hope it's a girl. We have too many guys here."
"Why do I have to lower the temperature?" Johnson whines, frowning. "Marshall's the youngest; make him do it."
"He's the doctor, and we need him for the procedure. He knows what's going on. Now you go fix the temperature so it's okay for Miss Durden and her baby. Now go!" Deleon demands, pointing to the library.
Johnson pouts and exits, stomping up the stairs to the large oak doors. "I hate you guys!" he shouts, disappearing into the gigantic library.
The four of us step back into the room, and Miss Durden's sweaty face peers out at us. "Where did Johnson go?" she asks quietly, her voice full of panic. She shrieks, and we cringe. "Gosh, this is so painful!" she cries, tears streaming down her face. I hastily grab some tissues and dab her cheeks. "Oh, Marshall, you're the sweetest," she whispers, giving me a small hug.
"It's no problem, ma'am." I smile, watching the other three back out of the room to prepare the other utensils necessary for the birth. She screams again, but this time, I cover my ears. I sit down next to her, dabbing her forehead and keeping her company. "Miss Durden, everything will be fine, I promise." Deleon takes my place as I exit to meet with Colligan.
We jump into Mister Carden's laboratory and check to see where they are. So far, we spot six red dots at the front desk of Big Brother's building. We are sure that Mister Beckett is charming the young lady at the desk, because we have heard stories of her watching Mister Beckett whenever he came by to speak with Big Brother.
Colligan puts on the headset. "Are you in?" he asks, and we hear faint replies from Mister Chislett and Mister Siska. "Hurry; Big Brother is nearby; snip the purple and yellow wires, not the red and black ones. Tell Mister Mrotek that everything is running smoothly so far."
We hear a quiet "affirmative" from Mister Carden, and we exit out, making sure no one can get back to this screen. Deleon checks up on Miss Durden, and Johnson and I scurry into the library to read what to do next. The worst part is the wait as Miss Durden shrieks from the pain of her expanding cervix. We do give her painkillers occasionally, but we know to not give her too much.
We can barely stay awake as the clock ticks on. Hours upon hours we've waited, hoping Miss Durden does not hurt or shriek anymore. Finally, it is time for her to give birth, but the problem is wheeling her to the pool area. The five of us shove the gurney up the ramp, propping the large doors of the library open as Miss Durden screams incessantly. We give her a shot in her spine, attempting to numb her from the waist down.
Unfortunately, she still screams as we push the gurney down to the pool. Deleon slips on the water on the tiling, landing on his back. He winces, attempting to get up; he seems dazed. "Deleon, you can't help," Johnson states, still helping us push the gurney. "Sit on the sidelines." Deleon glares at us.
Finally, Colligan and Crawford ease her into the jacuzzi, awaiting my orders. "Miss Durden, I want you to push as hard as you can," I say calmly, her eyes watching me, sweat dripping down her forehead. I wade into the jacuzzi as she yells, pushing with all her might. "Push, Miss Durden!" I say over her battle cries. "Push!"
The five of us chant "push, push!" together once we see the small head come out. "Push, Miss Durden!" we say as she purses her lips, neck of the baby emerging. "Push! Push!" The shoulders.
"C'mon, Miss Durden!" Johnson says as the upper arms show along with the torso. Then the elbows, forearms, hands, hips...
"Push, Miss Durden! Push!" they shout, jumping up and down as I hold the small, purple being. "Push, push!" The legs, knees, feet...
They cheer as I lift the baby out of the water. Colligan ties the umbilical cord on Miss Durden's side and the baby's side, and Crawford slices it with sanitized scissors as Johnson suctions out the mucus. The baby screams and struggles as I wrap the soft blanket around it. Miss Durden slips out of the pool, climbing back onto the gurney. I hold out the child to her. She accepts the baby graciously.
I smooth out the baby's light hair. It's just like Mister Mrotek's. I hope he will return to see his beautiful baby girl. I hope all of them, Mister Beckett, Mister Carden, Mister Chislett, Mister Mrotek, Mister Siska, and even Miss Evans, can take care of her and love this little girl. I know we will, and so will Miss Durden."What will you name her?" I ask.
Miss Durden takes in a deep breath. "I'll name her...
"I will name her Hayley."
To be quite frank, we love them.
Miss Durden's stomach expands as she sits in bed, gripping Colligan's hand. Crawford injects the painkiller, causing her to settle down. She screams for "Andy", or Mister Mrotek, but he has gone along with the others. "They'll be back soon, Miss Durden," Colligan says, his knuckles turning white. She may have broken his hand.
"Miss Durden, your water has broken," Johnson alerts, the sheets now soaked with clear liquid. She starts to panic, but Crawford assures her that's normal. "It's part of the birthing process, Miss Durden. Everything is running smoothly. Now we just need to wait a few hours in order for the baby to have enough room to navigate out of your body," Johnson states. A few hours is not enough time.
"Miss Durden, you don't have allergies to latex, do you?" Crawford asks, holding out the gloves, all of us ready to reach in and grab a pair. She shakes her head, and we all slip on the gloves.
The five of us gather outside her room to regroup. All of us are afraid; we do not know how to help give birth to a baby. Never has this been done before in years. Generations, even. All of a sudden, we are dealing with something that ceases to exist. In simpler terms, this is a miracle.
"We're kids! How could we do this right? So many women have died giving birth because of the unsanitary conditions," Colligan reports, his hand limp. We all stare. "It's not broken, I'll be okay. It's a little painful, though."
"We'll just have to try our best and wheel her into Mister Carden's laboratory," Deleon declares. "That may be the safest place for her to give birth."
"The safest? How about the scariest!" Crawford replies. "She can give birth in the pool--the jacuzzi. Johnson can lower the temperature to 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, and the baby and Miss Durden will be comfortable with the birth." He grins. "I hope it's a girl. We have too many guys here."
"Why do I have to lower the temperature?" Johnson whines, frowning. "Marshall's the youngest; make him do it."
"He's the doctor, and we need him for the procedure. He knows what's going on. Now you go fix the temperature so it's okay for Miss Durden and her baby. Now go!" Deleon demands, pointing to the library.
Johnson pouts and exits, stomping up the stairs to the large oak doors. "I hate you guys!" he shouts, disappearing into the gigantic library.
The four of us step back into the room, and Miss Durden's sweaty face peers out at us. "Where did Johnson go?" she asks quietly, her voice full of panic. She shrieks, and we cringe. "Gosh, this is so painful!" she cries, tears streaming down her face. I hastily grab some tissues and dab her cheeks. "Oh, Marshall, you're the sweetest," she whispers, giving me a small hug.
"It's no problem, ma'am." I smile, watching the other three back out of the room to prepare the other utensils necessary for the birth. She screams again, but this time, I cover my ears. I sit down next to her, dabbing her forehead and keeping her company. "Miss Durden, everything will be fine, I promise." Deleon takes my place as I exit to meet with Colligan.
We jump into Mister Carden's laboratory and check to see where they are. So far, we spot six red dots at the front desk of Big Brother's building. We are sure that Mister Beckett is charming the young lady at the desk, because we have heard stories of her watching Mister Beckett whenever he came by to speak with Big Brother.
Colligan puts on the headset. "Are you in?" he asks, and we hear faint replies from Mister Chislett and Mister Siska. "Hurry; Big Brother is nearby; snip the purple and yellow wires, not the red and black ones. Tell Mister Mrotek that everything is running smoothly so far."
We hear a quiet "affirmative" from Mister Carden, and we exit out, making sure no one can get back to this screen. Deleon checks up on Miss Durden, and Johnson and I scurry into the library to read what to do next. The worst part is the wait as Miss Durden shrieks from the pain of her expanding cervix. We do give her painkillers occasionally, but we know to not give her too much.
We can barely stay awake as the clock ticks on. Hours upon hours we've waited, hoping Miss Durden does not hurt or shriek anymore. Finally, it is time for her to give birth, but the problem is wheeling her to the pool area. The five of us shove the gurney up the ramp, propping the large doors of the library open as Miss Durden screams incessantly. We give her a shot in her spine, attempting to numb her from the waist down.
Unfortunately, she still screams as we push the gurney down to the pool. Deleon slips on the water on the tiling, landing on his back. He winces, attempting to get up; he seems dazed. "Deleon, you can't help," Johnson states, still helping us push the gurney. "Sit on the sidelines." Deleon glares at us.
Finally, Colligan and Crawford ease her into the jacuzzi, awaiting my orders. "Miss Durden, I want you to push as hard as you can," I say calmly, her eyes watching me, sweat dripping down her forehead. I wade into the jacuzzi as she yells, pushing with all her might. "Push, Miss Durden!" I say over her battle cries. "Push!"
The five of us chant "push, push!" together once we see the small head come out. "Push, Miss Durden!" we say as she purses her lips, neck of the baby emerging. "Push! Push!" The shoulders.
"C'mon, Miss Durden!" Johnson says as the upper arms show along with the torso. Then the elbows, forearms, hands, hips...
"Push, Miss Durden! Push!" they shout, jumping up and down as I hold the small, purple being. "Push, push!" The legs, knees, feet...
They cheer as I lift the baby out of the water. Colligan ties the umbilical cord on Miss Durden's side and the baby's side, and Crawford slices it with sanitized scissors as Johnson suctions out the mucus. The baby screams and struggles as I wrap the soft blanket around it. Miss Durden slips out of the pool, climbing back onto the gurney. I hold out the child to her. She accepts the baby graciously.
I smooth out the baby's light hair. It's just like Mister Mrotek's. I hope he will return to see his beautiful baby girl. I hope all of them, Mister Beckett, Mister Carden, Mister Chislett, Mister Mrotek, Mister Siska, and even Miss Evans, can take care of her and love this little girl. I know we will, and so will Miss Durden."What will you name her?" I ask.
Miss Durden takes in a deep breath. "I'll name her...
"I will name her Hayley."