- Chapter 1-
Christmas Day Birth
"Jesus!" Mary screamed as the nurse wrapped the baby in the blanket and walked out of the delivery room. "His name is Jesus!"
"You need to rest, ma'am. You've lost a lot of blood." One of the doctors said, his voice muffled by the mask that covered his mouth. He spoke gibberish with another doctor then walked back to Mary. She noticed he was holding a syringe.
"No, please. I just want to hold my son" Mary was pleading with them, struggling against their firm grips. She kicked and screamed ignoring the pain that pulsed down her legs. One of the doctors held her arms down as the other came down with the syringe. Mary felt the prick, felt the liquid coarsing through her veins, felt her world shrink around her until it vanished into blackness.
Joseph Murphy was pacing up and down the bright white corridor, biting away at the skin around his nails. Malcom and Martin we're talking togheter near the vending machine. Joseph was just about to join them when he felt a hand rest on his shoulder. It was Michael. He was holding two cups of warm coffee and handed one to Joseph. He declined.
"How is she?" Michael asked, somewhat remorsefully.
"I don't know. I'm still waiting for the doctor."
A man dressed as Santa Clause was attending to the patients, cheering them up with Ho Ho Ho's. They stood there in silence for a few minutes. None had anything to say to the other yet their presence was comforting. Michael had his hands in his pockets and Joseph remained stiff, the skin around his eyes irritated. He had never cried this much in his life. He had returned home to get some spare clothing and fell to the floor in tears when he saw the blood-smeared wall.
"I'll be over there" Michael said, indicating the vending machine where his brothers stood.
Joseph nodded and continued pacing. People were walking past him, some staff some patients, and his thoughts were the only thing distracting him from the sterile smell of Nazareth Hospital. Soft Christmas carols were lost in the background. He was so deep in his mind that he didn't hear Doctor Amasa calling his name.
"Mr. Murphy?"
Joseph snapped out of his thoughts and asked the doctor how Mary was doing; was she okay, what about the baby, is the baby okay, is Mary okay? His eyes expressed his desperation. Doctor Amasa's thick eyebrows frowned and sunk towards his eyes as he lowered his head and sighed.
"I'm sorry. Your wife didn't survive the childbirth."
"I'll be over there" Michael said, indicating the vending machine where his brothers stood.
Joseph nodded and continued pacing. People were walking past him, some staff some patients, and his thoughts were the only thing distracting him from the sterile smell of Nazareth Hospital. Soft Christmas carols were lost in the background. He was so deep in his mind that he didn't hear Doctor Amasa calling his name.
"Mr. Murphy?"
Joseph snapped out of his thoughts and asked the doctor how Mary was doing; was she okay, what about the baby, is the baby okay, is Mary okay? His eyes expressed his desperation. Doctor Amasa's thick eyebrows frowned and sunk towards his eyes as he lowered his head and sighed.
"I'm sorry. Your wife didn't survive the childbirth."
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