Page 35 of Doctor Mile High
Sirens blare, becoming louder the closer they get. The plane has stopped, and the door is open. Everything and everyone is ready for her.
“You’re so close. Please, don’t give up. Don’t give up on me. Don’t give up on him,” I beg of her, hoping she can hear me.
“Sir? We have it from here. We’ll rush her to the hospital.”
“I’m coming with you.”
“You don’t need to do that. We’ll call her family and?—”
“I’m her doctor. That’s my son. I’m fucking going and there’s nothing you’re going to be able to do to stop me.”
The bald paramedic drops his bag and places the board to the side of her. “Fine, but we need to work fast. On the count of three, we place her on the board, and you’ll have to remove your hand.”
“But if I do that, she’ll bleed even more. She’s already lost too much blood.”
“It’s the only way to get her off the plane and in the ambulance. She needs surgery and you know that, Doctor. This is the only option.”
I know that. Of course, I know that, but actually doing it and listening to him is a whole other issue. He’s right. I have to do this for her, or she will die on this airplane.
And no one deserves to die in a metal fucking can.
“I’ll be right behind ya,” Muffin says. “You won’t be alone.”
“You don’t have to do that. You have plans.”
“My friends need me. I’m here. I ain’t going nowhere. Take the baby. Go into the ambulance, Dr. Warrick. Everything will be just fine. You wait and see.” He pats my shoulder.
“One. Two. Three.” They move her to the board, my hand still lodged inside to massage her uterus.
“I’ll walk to the door like this. And then she’ll be yours.”
“That’s fine. Let’s go. We have no time to waste.”
Everything happens so fast and so slow all at the same time. The flight attendants and the pilots step out of the way. Everyone stares at me with worried eyes, and a few flight attendants are crying. I’m sure they’ve never seen anything like this before. They won’t ever forget it. This day will linger in the back of their minds for the rest of their lives. They’ll wonder if the lady who gave birth is alive and they won’t know.
When we get to the door, I remove my hand and allow the medics to go first. The stairs aren’t lowered, but the inflatable slide is, and they rush down in seconds to get her into the ambulance. A streak of blood is left in their wake, ruining the white of the slide.
“Dr. Warrick. Here you are.” Nancy smiles the best she can given the circumstances, placing my son in my arms.
My hands are dripping red with his mother’s blood, and I have to do everything I can to keep it together. I don’t have time to mourn, panic, or grieve. I need to be strong for Dove and my son.
“Thank you for all your help,” I tell them. “Fantastic airline. Amazing service.”
The slight joke eases the seriousness of the situation. A few of them give sad, but small chuckles.
Holding my son to my chest, I slide down, knowing Dove’s blood is now all over my pants and shirt.
She’s lost too much of it. I’d be surprised if she survives the trip to the hospital.
The air is hot. The sun is beaming down onto my face. My son cries. Everything is chaos.
I jump into the back of the ambulance, holding the baby in one arm and taking Dove’s hand with mine.
“She’s going to be okay, right?” I ask, knowing I sound like every other family member.
I should know better. They can’t tell me if she’ll be okay or not. If they do, they’re lying to me because they want to give me hope. They also don’t want to lie to me.
“We’re going to do everything we can, Doctor.”
