Fee Fi Fo Fum

Jack listened to the howler and stood quiet " wow, some one shoud give that woman decaf." he said " I'll come with, blood never bothered me anyway" he said pushing his hands into his pocket. then he chuckled " might be good practice for when or if Jess and I have any kids."

He stood waiting for Robert to change into his scrubs wondering if too should change or if he should just wait outside the theater for when he would be done.

"Come along, then," Robert said. He went to the obstetrics floor, and the staff was immediately relieved at seeing him. They all wanted to talk to him at once, and he simply raised up a hand to stop them. He went to check on Hazel Blackwing. It didn't take him a moment to see the problem. It wasn't quite the issue that the apprentice thought it was. The apprentice had thought the baby was in distress because of the abnormal heartbeat he was hearing. What Robert clearly heard, though, was not an abnormal heartbeat but two separate heartbeats. Hazel had an undetected twin. She had been in labor too long, though, and was tiring. Robert decided to do a cesarean anyway to protect Hazel and her children.

Robert had Hazel taken to surgery, and he motioned for Jack to follow. He took him to the healers' locker room and opened a cabinet and got out a set of scrubs and gave them to Jack.

"Largest size we have. You might have to use a resizing spell, I don't know. We've had some larger size guys, so its probably close," Robert said. "Changing rooms are through there. Each changing room has a locker. Lock your clothes inside and bring the key out with you." He pointed to the door on the right. He got a set of scrubs for himself and went in to the changing rooms and changed into scrubs, locked his clothes inside and brought out the key to his changing room locker.

He was concerned about Hazel but not for the reason the charge nurse presumed. Hazel had very limited income, and her husband had passed not two months ago from a splinching accident. Ronnie Blackwing had not ever been good at apparating, and Robert had tried for years to get him to use floo powder instead. Ronnie wouldn't listen, and now Hazel was a new widow. She could care for one baby, but she had neither the financial means or the wherewithal to care for twins. She had considered making an adoption plan for the one she was carrying, but she was not going to see twins as any sort of blessing. He was positive about that.

Jack took the scrubs and headed to the changing room and lockers " so you do this a lot, I mean the birthing stuff?" he asked as he changed, " oh by the way, the scrubs, they fit perfect." he said walking out and placing his clothes into a locker, taking the key he slipped it into his pocket.

"Does the hospital have some sort of insurance for those who can't pay or is it only for those with insurance?" he asked just out of curiosity as he waited for Robert by the doors that lead to the theater. He wasn't nervous but he was curious as to what Jess and the others did when at the hospital.

"I deliver a good portion of the babies here," Robert said, "and most of the high risk pregnancies. That's why I get so darned many middle of the night calls from here. I'm glad your scrubs fit. We try to keep a variety of sizes. We go this way. We need to wash our hands really well. There's a technique to it. I'll show you." He took Jack through a set of double doors into a wash room where a man was just leaving through some other doors.

"That's John Newman," Robert said. "He's a good man to have alongside. He specializes in pain relief spells and potions. He makes sure patients are comfortable while I'm working. He's going ahead of us to make sure Hazel is calm and pain free so I can work. Here. Watch and do what I do."

Scrubbing one's hands for surgery was a technique all its own, and he took his time so Jack could watch and learn and follow. He didn't anticipate Jack would have to participate, but he wanted the operating room to be as germ free as possible.

When his hands were clean and dry and he felt Jack was ready, he motioned Jack to follow him into a middle room to put on gowns and masks and gloves.

"When you're ready, follow me inside. Use your back to open the push door." Robert showed him how to stand with his back against the operating room door and then back up to open the door and enter the operating room. He went inside and watched John and Liz, the surgery nurse, preparing Hazel and the necessary equipment. They were almost ready for him.

Jack followed Robert listening to what he said and nodded at his explanations. He looked at the other people in the room especially John Newman giving him a nod. He watched Robert wash his hands under the water and followed his technique once done he slid on the gloves and mask and moved to the doors, turning his back he pushed the doors open and swiftly turned to walk further in finding a spot out of the way but close to Robert in the room.

He stood and watched every one move around doing their assigned jobs. The smell of disinfectant tickled his nose but he stayed stood quiet in a corner. He knew it would take a while for the operation.

Robert checked Hazel and found she was asleep. He frowned, not expecting to find her asleep.

"John,..." Robert began.

"She'll come around in a few minutes," John told him. "That's your new anxiety potion. She was worked up, so I tried it, and it knocked her out."

"Oh. Yeah. That one can do that if you don't cut back the dose. It's a bit more potent," Robert said. "That's fine. I might as well get started while she's out. So you know, she's not going to take this well anyway. She hasn't wanted this baby since Ronnie died, and she's about to find out she's having twins. Someone missed the second baby when they did her follow up appointments. We're going to have to be very gentle with Hazel."

"Then we're doubly glad you're here tonight," John said.

"I almost forgot to answer your question, Jack," Robert said. "We never turn anyone away. If they come here for help, then we provide it. Khaat spends a good portion of her time writing grants and pursuing charities for additional support. Even so, it isn't always enough. For example, Hazel won't pay a single sickle for the help we give her, but that isn't going to help her situation a bit. I'm going to have to find someone to adopt at least one of these babies, or, if she doesn't want either of them, then I'll have to find someone who will take the both of them."

He picked up his equipment and began to work quietly, steadily and efficiently. He had enough experience that he could do cesareans rapidly and safely, and even though Hazel wasn't in a lifethreatening emergency, he still didn't want to prolong it for her or the babies--or for himself, for that matter.

Jack stood and listened to Robert as he told him all that Khaat had done to secure funding for those not so fortunate. He also heard what Robert had said about the baby as well he stood thinking hard. " it would mean foster homes until a family could be found, no way Robert, I'd need to talk to Jess but...." he looked at the woman laid out in front of him then at Robert " we'll adopt one or both of them." he said it was now he thought a nurse walked in a familiar nurse.

Jess had left the main house and headed to the hospital to check on Hazel as she'd been worried about her. On arriving she had found out that she'd been taken in. " Robert , hows she doing?" she asked walking over to Hazel and placing her hand on her forehead. " hum blood pressures dropped a little and Jack I heard what you said." she looked down at the woman then to Robert " would it really help Hazel?" she asked

"Physically, Hazel's alright," Robert said. "She's tired, but she wasn't exactly taking care of herself since Ronnie died. Her grief has taken a real toll on her, poor thing. To make matters worse, she's lost her position in that little bakery she worked for. She told me tonight that she doesn't want this baby, and she doesn't even know she's not got just one. I don't know if I have the heart to tell her. I'm betting she's going to give one or both of them up. Alright, you lot, I'm in. Be ready to take these babies. We're going to move quickly." He reached the first baby and delivered it. "We have a little boy," he smiled. He laid his hand on the baby's forehead both to magically clear it's mouth and start it breathing, and also to do a preliminary check on the baby. "I know this is quick, but so far, he seems good to me. I'll check him more carefully later. Alright. Someone take him for me." He knew they would wash him and weigh and measure him and diaper him and wrap him in a warm blanket while he saw to the second baby and to the mother.

Jess moved to stand beside Robert as he lifted out the first baby. She could not help but smile as she took the little boy from him and passed him to the midwife, glancing at Jack he smiled and she nodded to him and saw him smile as well. " what do we need to do?" she asked " once Hazel is well enough to consent?" Jess asked Robert as she now held a blanket waiting for the second baby.

"I'm sure Abby would love to have some playmates." Jack said watching the midwife with the first baby, walking over he looked inside the incubator and saw him reach his small hand out to him. Jack let him take his finger. " no one will harm you" he said softly then looked to Jess " wouldn't we have to get married first?" Jack asked some what confused as to how magical adoption would work.

"Give me a bit," Robert said. "One thing at a time. Those babies aren't going anywhere, and I still need to have a conversation with their mother before anything else happens." He lifted up the second baby and said, "And we have our young man has a little sister."

The girl was just a little bit smaller, Robert thought, just by looking. He thought she looked a little smaller overall, a little thinner, and shorter. Still, as he laid his hand on her forehead, she felt pretty healthy. For twins, they were in good shape, he believed. The little boy had had some hair, but this little girl had more hair than her brother.

"Alright, someone take this one so I can finish with Hazel," Robert said. He was starting to feel very, very tired now and his headache was swiftly returning--and he knew it was from some severe sleep deprivation. He had no intention of talking to Hazel without coffee first, but for now, he had to close her so that the other healers could tend to her and get her back to her room. He accidently yawned as he worked.

"Robert?" John asked, alert to every move Robert made. "You alright, Mate?"

"Just a little tired," Robert said, not wanting to make an issue of it in front of the rest of the staff.

"Maybe we could get a healer or two for the night shift on loan from the magic hospitals in New York or Paris? Just for a few days," John suggested.

"I'll give that some thought," Robert said, more preoccupied with Hazel than with staffing issues.