Margaret was thrilled to find out that she was expecting twins. She was in a happy relationship with her husband and they couldn’t wait to start a family together.
The twins seemed to be very healthy when they were born, but the doctor doesn’t wait long to share the bad news with the couple. As soon as the doctor walks in, Margaret knows he has bad news to share…
Happy And Healthy Boys
After months of stress and endless hours of pain, Margaret finally got to welcome her twin boys into the world. She was so relieved to be done with the stress of pregnancy and she was thrilled to begin her life as a mother. But all of her joy disappeared when the doctor walked back in the room with a frown on his face.
The Doctor Was Embarrassed
Margaret was shocked to see her doctor looked so bewildered. He could hardly hold eye contact with Margaret or her husband Timothy and when he tried to speak he started to stutter. What was going on? They hadn’t seem him act like this before. He spoke up again and said, “I’m so sorry…”
The Doctor’s Mistake
Margaret felt the sting of her doctor’s words the moment he said them. He came into the room with a stern expression on his face and began to say, “I have made a big mistake…”
What was the doctor’s mistake? Would Margaret’s health be effected? Would the twins be okay?
A Miracle
Margaret and her husband Tommy expected to hear that they weren’t expecting a child again. They had been let down so many times before and they both thought it might not be in the cards for them to have children. When they found out that Margaret was expecting, they considered it a miracle.
No Good Reason
The couple had spend months undergoing tests that would tell them why it wasn’t possible for them to conceive. They hoped to find out a reason why months of trying didn’t lead to any pregnancies. Luckily, they were told that they were both perfectly healthy. The doctor looked forward to sharing this good news with the couple.
Too Good to Be True
The doctor greeted the couple and said, “Margaret you're not having one child, you're having twins.” She and Timothy just couldn't believe it. They had never given up hope, of course, but they were prepared to receive the same old bad news. “Tim, tell me this is not a dream,” said Margaret, squeezing her husband's hand. It just seemed too good to be true. And it probably was.
Pain
Getting pregnant was not the only difficulty the couple would face. One month before giving birth to her twins, Margaret was watching TV when suddenly she started to experience painful stomach cramps. At least, that was how she could best describe it since she had no actual idea what was wrong with her.
Hoping for the Best
Nervous that something might be wrong with her babies, she called Timothy and told him she was feeling the worst abdominal pain she has ever had. He rushed to their home to pick her up. They had decided to pay the doctor an extra visit so Margaret could describe her symptoms, hoping that he knew what was going on. They just prayed it was nothing serious.
Busy Day at the Hospital
As they approached the hospital, they saw the long queue to enter the parking lot. Timothy decided to leave Margaret by the entrance while he managed to find a spot. It was a bad time. The small hospital was swamped and their doctor had to see Margaret at his lunch break due to his busy schedule.
Nothing to Worry About
The doctor was a bit agitated and in a rush. Margaret described all her symptoms and worries while he was listening to her abdomen with a stethoscope. After pressing some parts of her abdomen with his fingers, the doctor concluded that there was nothing to worry about. He was quite certain that the stomach cramps may have been caused by stress.
Are you Even Listening?
The doctor excused himself and left in a hurry. He was determined to get something to eat in the last ten minutes he still had for lunch. Margaret and Timothy were left feeling worried. The doctor's rush made them feel uneasy as they thought he wasn't even paying attention to Margaret when she was describing her symptoms.
Doubtful
Of course, he was her doctor and she wanted to trust him, but it felt as if he was more concerned about his lunch than her almost unbearable abdominal cramps. How could he have possibly made a good assessment of her situation in just a few minutes? Could he have actually known if there was something wrong with the babies just by pressing her abdomen and listening through his stethoscope?
Time to Think
Knowing there was not much they could do, they decided to go home and trust the doctor. Timothy went to get the car while Margaret waited for him just a few steps away from the door she had entered before. He had parked the car on a nearby street, so he would be back soon. During all this time Timothy started to feel better about the doctor's diagnosis.
Doubtful
There was no reason at all to doubt the doctor's words. He knew the doctor was well respected as an obstetrician. He was particularly busy that day because women from neighboring cities always come to see him. On top of that, Timothy knew their doctor would never take the risk of making a wrong diagnosis just because he was too busy or in a hurry to have lunch.
Stomach Pains Again
Timothy stopped the car and Margaret got in. On their way back home, he tried to calm her down using all the reasons he had just thought of in the car. However, his words would’t help Margaret. Over the following weeks, the pain continued to shoot up her stomach. As the days passed, the frequency and intensity just increased. At this point, both Margaret and Timothy were really worried.
Try to Relax
Margaret decided that she would not go to the hospital this time. She would try to reach her doctor on the phone. She did not have to wait for that long. When the doctor picked up and heard the woman's symptoms, he tried to calm her down. He insisted on stress being the cause of all her pains. But the day Margaret was expected to give birth, the pains suddenly stopped.
The Cramps Were Gone
As the expected date of delivery approached, the pains had started to disappear. Margaret was certain the cramps would come back when labour started. To her surprise, there were no cramps. However, she did not go into labour on her due date. In fact, she would not go into labour for a while. The doctor again blamed it on the stress and said it may extend the length of a pregnancy.
What's Going On?
Back at home, the couple did what any other couple would; search for information. They found plenty of websites with more information about her symptoms. They felt at ease as they read it was normal for the actual date of birth to differ from the expected one. However, their worries started to increase as they learnt it was definitely uncommon to go past the due date for multiple WEEKS with no signs of going into labour.
Post-term Pregnancy
By this point, Margaret and Timothy were on the phone with the doctor daily and while he had tried to comfort them for the first 2 weeks, he was seemingly starting to worry a bit himself. Of course he knew gestation may extend a couple of days beyond the expected date of delivery, but Margaret had gone past her due date more than three weeks ago.
Concerned
Did he miss anything when Margaret reported those stomach pains? He had followed the standard procedure and found nothing strange. But the woman's prolonged pregnancy was raising serious doubts as to his diagnosis. Had he actually missed something, what were the consequences of his possible mistake? However, there was something he could do.
Nothing Seemed to Work
The doctor was then a bit more worried. With no hesitation, he contacted Margaret to check up on her. The pain hadn't returned so that was a good sign. What was not a good sign was the fact that she hadn't gone into labour, so the doctor gave her some tips on how to induce labour naturally. But when nothing worked, she remembered there was something she hadn't tried yet.
Induced Labor
One of the natural ways to induce labour the doctor mentioned was to make love. But with all the worries Margaret was having, making love was the last thing she wanted to do. Timothy was very supportive and wanted the best for his wife and their twins. They had tried everything but that. But when Timothy finally convinced her, it would turn out to make all the difference.
Did it Work?
Right after their moment, Margaret felt all her worries were soothed away. However, the tranquillity would not last longer as a shooting pain began right in her stomach. Apparently, it had worked. She was going into labour. When Timothy realized what was going on, he immediately put on some clothes and helped Margaret to get in the car. Once in the car, they kissed and left for the hospital.
No Time to Spare
On their way to the hospital, Timothy called the doctor and told him Margaret had gone into labour a few minutes before. When they arrived, the labour and delivery rooms were waiting for her. Luckily he had called in advanced as it would turn out they barely had a second to spare. From there on, things seemed to happen really fast.
Crowning
After being in the room for less than 10 minutes, One of the babies started crowning. They had to do this now and a doctor was called to come help.
Timothy and Margaret had not been in the hospital room for more than ten minutes when it happened. The couple looked each other in the eyes. They both knew that this had to happen now. Luckily, one of the nurses seemed determined and a doctor was called upon to come and help.
That Same Doctor
The doctor came with a fast stride from around the corner, surprising Timothy at first sight. The two of them realized in that moment that they had been in contact before, the moment when this doctor had so rudely brushed Margaret's concerns aside a few months ago. Was this a coincidence? How was this doctor allowed to help them in this critical moment?
Doubts About the Doctor
Even though Timothy had noticed this in an instant, Margaret herself was in too much pain to even look up to greet the doctor, let alone recognize the man. Timothy noticed this. On the one hand, he had half a mind to try and refuse this doctor's help. Yet, he knew that there was little time left and actions needed to be taken with speed. There was probably nobody else that was capable of helping in time.
Timothy's Focus Shifted
Timothy naturally kept a close eye on the doctor in the steps that followed. When everything was set up quickly and professionally, the doctor seemed to be fully engaged in the process. This calmed Timothy down significantly. His focus returned to his wife that was currently in labour. She now needed all the support she could get from him.
Holding His New Child
Things went a little smoother from here. Within half an hour after the doctor had arrived, the first baby was already born. Timothy held the newborn. He could barely believe that he was looking at his own child. They quickly cut the umbilical cord and after he gave the baby to a nurse standing next to him. However, the work here was not yet done.
The Second Twin
Of course, there was the second one that was entering the world now. As is often with twins, the second one is the one that comes with more trouble. At least for another two hours Margaret had to push. Eventually, after this time, they started to make some progress again. Margaret felt like she gave it all the energy she had left in her body.
Margaret Was Exhausted
Margaret really was tired at this point, but she kept her energy going with the thought that she did not want to have a C-section. This kept her going through the end, and finally the second baby starting crowing. A feeling of relief came over her. The fact that this child came to the world headfirst as well made for a bit of relaxation in the hospital room.
Margaret Surrendered to Exhaustion
There was the second child that the couple had brought to this earth. They were born and Margaret had accomplished her mission. She could now finally surrender to her exhaustion. They held the second baby for a brief moment, before it was quickly taken by the nurse as well to do a couple of standard tests. Now, it was Timothy that had an additional request…
Timothy’s Question
The reason for Timothy having another request was the fact that they had been through an abnormal amount of trouble during the pregnancy. Timothy asked the nurses to go with them during the tests to make sure that everything was alright with both of the babies. It was not standard procedure and one of the nurses explained that permission for this was needed from the head doctor. This was a problem for Timothy.
What’s The Issue?
Timothy's issue with this was that he did not want the doctor to know about the special request, as he still did not fully trust him. His fear was that the doctor might not take his worries seriously like he did last time. The doctor could brush the additional test to the side as an unnecessary cost or something like that. Timothy told this to the nurses, explaining the previous experience he had with this doctor.
Private Discussion
Timothy's request put the nurses in a difficult position. What was more important here, following procedures or the healthcare itself? The nurses discussed it among themselves and eventually decided to do what Timothy had asked. His worries were after all understandable, even though they could not imagine that the doctor would have the unprofessional reaction that Timothy predicted.
Margaret's Relief
While the nurses went on to do their test, Timothy quickly returned to his wife to comfort her. What a relief this must be for Margaret, she had been through so much over the past nine and a half months and now the most difficult part was finally behind her. Or so they thought for a moment…
Waiting for Results
Margaret looked Timothy in the eyes, exhausted as she was. She made clear to her husband that all she wanted now was to hold her precious babies in her arms. Timothy knew that it could take some time before that was going to happen. He explained to her that he had requested extra tests in order to make sure that both the babies were in good health. Margaret was somewhat confused.
Mixed Feelings
But Margaret could not fully be at ease. She couldn’t really understand why her husband would demand this and rationally she could acknowledge that this was indeed a clever move. Yet, also, she really missed her newborn children that she had carried for so many months. Apart from this, it additionally made Margaret aware that still something could be wrong…
Waiting on the Bed
Time slowly passed, minute by minute, until only after more than two hours someone knocked on the door. The couple was waiting there together on the bed so tensely that neither of them had moved during the waiting period, not even for a bathroom break. Timothy confirmed that they were still there and that the nurse could come in.
An Unexpected Sight
The restless husband and wife surely expected a couple of nurses to walk in, bringing the babies with them and handing them over. Instead, when the door finally opened, this turned out to be false. In fact, Timothy and Margaret were confronted by a sight that they did not expect at all.
The Doctor Appeared
It was not actually a nurse that came in, but a man in a doctor's uniform. The doctor appeared that had helped Margaret before with the delivery, who was the doctor that they knew very well. But the doctor that they did not fully trust was right beside him. He was here now with a sad expression. Timothy and Margaret knew instantly that something was wrong.
No Confidence
He could barely look the couple in the eyes. The doctor seemed stern and confident enough in the times that they had interacted before, but now it was like he was another person. He walked slowly, acted hesitant and held his hands together in front of his chest, shoulders forward. The two in bed had never seen this behavior from him before.
A Moment of Powerlessness
But before Timothy or Margaret could say anything or ask what was going on, the doctor started stuttering, saying “I-I’m so sorry…” No more than these words were needed to make the husband and wife feel their whole world collapsing. The doctor took a long pause before he continued again.
Timothy Was Partially Right
Timothy immediately felt as if something was terribly wrong with the babies. Did they find something during the testing that Timothy recommended? It turned out that Timothy was only partially right. The checkup resulted in the conclusion that the twins had caught a bacteria during Margaret's pregnancy. The doctor announced this with a terribly serious tone.
Close Call
If Timothy would not have had this voice in his head telling him that an extra checkup was necessary, they could have been out of this room by now. If they would have been let go, the situation would have been very problematic. Fortunately, as the nurses had discovered it now, the bacteria could be rather easily treated and the babies should not experience damage for the rest of their lives.
Mistakes Were Made
They came to the conclusion that most likely the bacteria was caught in relation to Margaret's stomach cramps. The doctor was very aware of the fact that he had to a great extent ignored these complaints all these months ago. He truly felt terrible about this. Making such a mistake was unforgivable, so he thought.
Asking Forgiveness
The doctor's attitude from before was very close to causing disastrous consequences. Only because Timothy had had a feeling of distrust towards him, it was avoided. The doctor stood there now, shamefully and with tears in his eyes, asking whether the couple would ever be able to forgive him for his deeds.
A Huge Relief
One might expect that Timothy and Margaret would have a problem forgiving the doctor. Instead, they were just over the moon that their baby twins were healthy and unharmed. As they had waited in extreme tension for so long, now finally the weight of the world fell off their shoulders. A wait also fell off the doctor's shoulders and he promised himself that his attitude would very much change from now on.
Returning Home
The moment finally came that Timothy and Margaret walked out of the hospital's front doors the following week. They were tired, but most of all very happy. In the weeks that came after, it turned out that no further health issues followed from the bacteria. The family was very much looking forward to spend the rest of their lives together.
The events of this story are entirely fictional and are products of the author’s imagination. Images included are meant for illustration purposes only. Any resemblance to actual events, places or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.