Cherubin

“Yooooooooong!!” Seohyun’s scream echoed from the bathroom throughout the whole house or maybe the whole neighborhood like a fire truck serine after she heard a strange pop and a sudden gush of clear warm liquid ran past her legs and onto the floor. She felt an odd sensation cramping from her stomach radiating to her back. Her doctor has instructed them that if the BOW ruptures, they should give her a call immediately. She attempted to call Yonghwa again but it got caught in her throat, she curled and she had to clutch the toilet bowl beside her to keep from screaming her lungs out. A cramp had struck her so brutally that she could hardly breathe. It seemed hours before the pain ebbed and there was already a damp veil of sweat on her forehead

Yonghwa looked up, startled. The second time he heard Seohyun scream was the time he stood making the guitar he was tuning slide off his lap. It fell on the floor with a hollow thud, he ignored it and stormed to her direction swiftly “Hyun?!!” his eyes wide after he saw his lovely wife dressed in white, his eyes flew from her obvious baby bump to her terrified eyes. "Oh my god, Hyun what happened?" She was so pale and in such obvious pain that he felt his knees tremble. He instinctively reached for her hand and felt its coldness

“My water just broke! We’re having the baby NOW!!” Seohyun yelled loudly. They were expecting their first born a week from now.

Yonghwa’s mouth fell open as he assessed the slimy sticky clear fluid underneath Seohyun’s feet. He touched her inner thigh to make sure it was coming from her.

Seohyun’s face distorted from pain “Yah! I’ve packed the things needed, it’s inside the nursery.” She struggled as words came out her mouth

Upon confirmation, Yonghwa felt at lost. He watched his wife’s face as it contorts in pain that he winced. With his panic stricken face he paced from Seohyun to the nursery and back, not knowing what to do.

She looked at her husband’s expression “GET ME TO THE HOSPITAL!! PALI!!” she saw him fumbled with the car keys and she knew he was not fit to drive “Call an ambulance for pete’s sake and don’t forget the OB!” her nice self has been abandoned due to pain

Inside the ambulance, Yonghwa didn’t know where to place his hands to comfort Seohyun. His hands traveled from her distorted face to her baby bump. He tapped a towel on Seohyun’s sweaty face with shaky cold and clammy hand. In contrast to it he whispered to her ear with much conviction “We can do this Juhyun” his right hand has become limp because of her tight grasp. “Hyun, purse-lip breathing!” his clouded and worried mind remembered the Lamaze Class they enrolled for the past months of her pregnancy “HEE HEE HOO, HEE HEE HOO!” he started in which she followed through until they reached the hospital.

The nurses struggled to transfer her to the waiting stretcher. They heard the medic’s frantic endorsement as they make their way inside the ER. “Jung Juhyun, 26 y.o. Gravida 1. Vital signs Temperature: 37.2 degrees Celsius, Pulse: 98, Respiration: 22bpm, BP: 120/90 mmHg. Active phase of labor, 7-8 cm cervical opening, 0 fetal station. Her contraction interval was getting shorter, it’s duration longer and the intensity of pain increased.”

Seohyun tried to speak but another pain struck her breathless, enabling her to speak another word. Her OB approached her after donning gloves and did an internal examination. “8-9 cm guys! Direct to Delivery room!”

Yonghwa placed his hands on her shoulder to ease her pain but she screamed. "Don't touch me. You will never lay a finger on me ever again. This is all your fault!"

He froze “Please bear with it Hyun” he tried consoling her. Seohyun tried breathing in and out but the pain was getting stronger and stronger making it harder for her to take a quick breathe. She groaned and moaned in pain when the nurses brought her towards the DR. She tightly gripped her husband’s hand as she fought the strong urge to cry and curse everyone for the pain that she had to experience. “Don’t leave me”

Yonghwa was instructed to change into a sterile gown, DR slippers and a bonnet.

"Hyun I'm here. Breathe." Yonghwa coed and wiped the perspiration off her face as soon as he came back to her side. He breathed in and out urging his wife to do the same. “Hee Hee Hoo, Hee Hee Hoo!”

On the delivery table, nurses guided her legs for the stirrups, did a perineal preparation, and draped her. Seohyun felt her insides were ripping, she held Yonghwa’s hand tighter and tighter as she started pushing.

Yonghwa never felt s terrified his entire life. For a moment he felt afraid for Seohyun’s life, he have never seen anyone in so much pain. And it killed him that he has to witness his wife suffer.

The moment the OB went inside fully prepared for the delivery, donned her sterile glove, Yonghwa felt slightly relieved. He saw her inspect Seohyun perineum and said “I can see, Mrs. Jung! The baby’s crowning! Listen well to instructions okay. Grip the rails attached on the DR table” the nurse assisted her hand to the rails “Yes that’s it. Your chin on your chest and remember to rest in between contractions. Make your pushes long and hard, when the pain starts take a deep breath, purse your lip and push it down” The OB put her hand over her stomach and tried to stimulate contractions by massaging it. “Okay, it’s starting! Take a deep breath!” she yelled as soon as she felt her stomach started to hardened

Seohyun’s face turned bright red, she never worked this hard in her entire life and she groaned with effort. It seemed to take forever but the doctor finally grinned and held up a hand. "The baby's crowning..come on Mrs.Jung.PUSH!"

She tried again, a lot harder this time and the baby moved another inch or so. Yonghwa felt tears welling in his eyes. They're finally having his first baby with the woman he deeply loves.

"Come on Hyun, you can do it..Aa few more push." He urged on, gently squeezing her hands. She was pushing as though her life, their life depended on it. And with a final strong push the head finally came free, the OB expertly maneuvered the baby’s body and guided it outside the elastic cervics, she put the baby on the nurse’s waiting hands, just above Seohyun draped stomach. “Baby out! Time is…” the OB looked at the wall clock just above Hyun’s head “1:11 PM” A loud wail filled the whole room.

The OB clamped the baby’s cord and called Yonghwa “Mr.Jung, please do the honor” she said her eyes smiling while looking at him. She handed him the sterile bandage scissors and with trembling hands he cut the cord.

The nurse then transferred the baby to a crib for immediate newborn care.

The doctor grinned, the nurses laughed. Seohyun and Yonghwa cried in happiness. Smiling and laughing through their tears.

“What is it?” She whispered, exhaustion and happiness shown on her face. She could see her baby’s angry, red and crunched up face.

“It’s a girl!” the nurse called out, her hands still full in taking care of the newborn. After dressing the newborn up, she handed it to the proud father “7.3 pounds and a very healthy baby girl. Good job Mrs. Jung!” she patted Hyun’s shoulder.

Yonghwa smiled brightly as he looked at his daughter’s face. He faced his eager wife and handed her their baby “Latch-on to promote mother-son bond” the nurse said as she cleaned Seohyun pinkish nipple with a wet cotton. Seohyun’s tears once again fell freely on her cheeks as they watch their daughter tried to feed herself some mother’s milk. "Our angel, mom and dad love you." She smiled and looked at her husband with love filled eyes

Truly their Jung Ji Hyun is an angel in human form.