Few drops of silver nitrate

It was a regular day except I had my labor pains started. We lived in a village and this happened almost thirty years ago. If my memory is good all prenatal exams went fine except I missed few of the prenatal visits especially towards the end. The main reason for missing the visit to obstetrician was related to shifting the house to new area. It took a while to find a new doctor for prenatal check ups.

There was nothing unusual about my relationship with James since the marriage. He was so busy with his business and used to have above average financial status. All looked at him as a very nice and kind young man. He was different at home especially in our nuclear family. James came home few nights so late and did not even bother to explain to me about where he was. He had one or two outbursts of emotions without any particular reasons. This was all when I was six months pregnant

We have to continue from where I began. Yes I had started labor pains and was taken to the local hospital. The obstetrician showered me with accusations for missing so many appointments and for coming there just when labor pain started. I was thinking if everything goes well why the doctor is accusing now especially it is too late to fix it.

It was a regular labor room, no extravaganza of attached family room with flat TV, mini refrigerator, and other luxuries. Rooming in was not a popular strategy in that time. James was at some meetings which was hard to cancel. I was accompanied by friend Nicole to the hospital. I signed all papers in between the contractions. The doctor examined me quick and her face wrinkled. 

She asked me how I contracted a sexually transmitted disease and why I did not come for treatment. I felt like she was talking in a foreign language. There was no chances as I never cheated James and I believed he did the same.

The labor went fine and we got a healthy newborn with sparkly eyes with mild redness. The nurse instilled few drops of solutions in to the baby's eyes, I asked the nurse what was it. She replied silver nitrate solution to protect baby's eyes.

There were so many questions as black clouds of doubts rumbling so fast in my mind including about silver nitrate eye drops and those days James came too late from his work place. I really wished I had these clouds appeared anywhere except in my labor room

Author's Note

The writing is based on something I heard about someone around thirty years ago

Reviews

[Lydia Shutter]

The imagery is so vivid....I felt as though I was in that Labor Room. Things have changed quite a bit over the past thirty years in the medical field, that's for sure. Well written. Lydi**

[Linda alexander]

Thanks a lot for the visit and the review, I write poetry, only wrote stories since I am in writers cafe