[livi]

A couple of hours ago I was called to attend the delivery of pre term twins (15 weeks too early). Standard procedure to have a pediatrician at such risk births. So I come into the delivery room and it strikes me that I can not see the expecting father. On questioning I am told he has been called and is expected any minute as they live just five minutes from the hospital.

Well, this is a rather young mother to be, 24 years old, and not surprisingly the twins are in no hurry coming out of their warm and cosy home. After another twenty minutes it is however pretty surprising the father has yet to turn up!

Ten minutes later he comes barging into the delivery room, out of breath, looking both lost and excited. The mother sees him and demands to know where he has been seeing as it should not take half an hour to transport himself from home!

The poor guy, also in his early twenties, now looks even more lost and guilty and starts to explain. Apparently they had a brake in into their car yesterday, braking the rear window. He had rushed the car to the hospital parking, but as he starts to get out of the car it starts to rain. He ponders the situation a few seconds, then decides he probably has time to run into the next door store and pick up some cardboard paper and tape in order to make sure the otherwise rather new station wagon was not getting all wet in the back seat during delivery!!

Well, if I ever saw a guy feeling more stupid amongst all the midwives, the obstetrician and us from the Neonatal care - and in the middle his wife on the verge of having their pre term twins - mad as hell in all her delivery pain. She tells him to come closer and out of nowhere she lifts her left arm with the IV hanging from it - and wacks the poor guy over the head! Then she pulls him closer and whispers - I love you stupid SOB!

Well, in closing, ten minutes later she gave birth to two little healthy babies - and all was well, with a story to tell their grandchildren.