The adventure of Jack

Okay, it’s Thursday night, 11.30, SAAK, as he is want to do on nights that end in y is enjoying a bottle of Merlot, watching Buffy. Phone rings, that’s unexpected, but hey. It’s SAAK’s mum, the news is SAAK’s little sister has gone into labour 7 weeks early, looks like she will need to be taken to either Sydney or Canberra…. Small country town can’t deal with premature babies.

Nothing, nothing, nothing….. okay will call older sister, see what is going on…. "why are you answering the phone mum" "we’re at the hospital" "what, the hospital across the road from my house? I’ll be there in 6 minutes".

The news is Sydney is the destination, SAAK’s cousin, the midwife says "you’re about to be an uncle"…. It hits home, things are very serious. Plane is leaving at 2.30, it’s now 1am… okay …. Road trip. SAAK mum and brother inlaw take 4 minutes to pack and jump in the car and off we go.

It’s a long trip from the middle of nowhere to Sydney at 1 in the morning… things look good, all the right turns take…. Right up to the last one…. Should have turned right there… bugger…. Get to Westmead about 5ish… long night… but will get longer.

Park the car…. Don’t care if we get a fine… more important things to worry about now… find the right wing …. Sign "STRICTLY NO VISITORS", fuck that, we’ve just driven 4 hours in the middle of the night, we have to sit by her side.. she’s in a great deal of pain.

Little sister grimacing, can feel her pain just sitting next to her… what can we do to help…. Nothing, just have to sit there, be there….. morning, still feels like Thursday…. Little sister sleeps, wish SAAK could… really wish brother inlaw would.

Friday, or so they say, still feels like Thursday to SAAK…. Long night… tired, not as much as SAAK little sister though, mum’s has managed to sleep on the damn uncomfortable chairs.
It’s all a bit surreal…. A little normality as another of SAAK’s cousins collects us from the hospital… some food and a shower… feeling a little better now…. Walk to find a paper (and some cigarettes, SAAK has not bought a pack for a few months now, but it seems like a good idea…. Ah, that’s better).

Back to the hospital, arrange a room in a near by motel and back to the wards… sister still in a great deal of pain… overwhelmingly helpless feeling….father and big sister here now…. Little sister feels a little better. Dinner? Sure why not, little sis needs a sleep anyway and they are going to kick us out as visiting time quickly comes to an end.

Dodgey pub, no one cares, surprisingly good food and very welcome beer…. BED ahhh, hot night, 5 adults, small room, very noisy air conditioner and a snoring father… no one cares.. two days… no sleep… dead tired. PHONE, WHOSE PHONE IS THAT….. no one answers it…. PHONE… brother inlaw answers it, cloths on away… something is happening.

SAAK’s phone was going flat, it was off….. turn it on…. Message "swear word, swear word, swear word, swear word, this hurts" FUCK… she’s in pain and my phone is turned off… what kind of brother am I.
Arrive back to hospital 7.30… what day is it? No one knows… it does not matter. Maternity ward, "how’s our girl doing?" nurse "sorry, I’ll have to send someone out to talk to you"…..NO.. FUCK… SOMETHING IS WRONG. Mum’s face goes ashen.

Noise…. Good noise… bother inlaw running down a hallway…. Jumping, clapping, clicking heals….good news? Has to be… IT’S A BOY. What… sorry… what…
4 pounds, 43.5 cms…. ALIVE.

Okay can’t see sister for a while…. Fill in time…vote.. another story, kind of funny… she’s back, we can see her and the baby…. Let’s go… he is tiny, gorgeous, breathing and alive.. RELEIF. No name yet.

His name is Jack… SAAK did not hear that part, all he heard has Jack’s middle name… little sister has named her first born after SAKK, he still tingles every time he hear the name….

That was Jack’s adventure… time to meet him.