Chapter 50: When It Rains It Pours

November – Year 2

On Monday morning I packed up my wives and we headed off to breakfast and then to the OB/GYN and Lynn’s sonogram. Lynn was lying on the exam table while the technician warmed some gel and began moving the probe around Lynn’s little belly.

“Let’s see what you’ve got growing in there.” The tech was a very jovial lady.

She was moving the instrument around and she suddenly made a very confused face before she spoke to me in a firm but calm voice.

“Paul, you better go and get the doctor.”

I froze and looked at her concerned face and then to Lynn and Erin. I got up and hurried out of the exam room to find the doctor. Rather than open every exam room door, I went to the front desk and told them that the sonogram tech really needed to see the doctor now. My serious tone and expression had the nurse at the desk jumping to action immediately.

I delivered my message and then rushed back to the exam room to find my very emotional wives holding each other and before I could ask any questions the doctor came in.

“Teresa, I am told that you really needed to see me.”

“Yes doctor. Please look at this with me. Am I seeing what I think I am?” She turned the screen towards the doctor as she spoke.

“Teresa, you are a great technician and I am sure that you are...” He stopped talking midsentence.

“Go back there. Move over there. Try over there. Yup. You picked out this real fast. Glad you’re still with me after all these years, Teresa.” He patted her on the back and turned the screen to face Lynn and us.

“Lynn, Paul no other way to give you the news.”

“We are having twins!?” Lynn asked.

“No. It seems that you are having triplets.”

Cricket.

Cricket.

Cricket

“Oh shit, I’m gonna die.” That was all I could say.

“Damn you Paul O’Dell!” Lynn looked more than upset.

“Lover you ARE a stud!” Erin was giggling.

“Let’s show you the proof.” The doctor looked at Teresa and nodded.

The lady began to move the tool around Lynn’s belly. She stopped three times to show the image of a head and a small body. My wives and I watched with rapt attention. I was shocked. Erin was ecstatic. Lynn was beginning to cry.

“Sweetie? Are you ok?” I took her hand.

“I’m scared. How am I supposed to carry three babies? I am too small.”

“That is the thing that we will need to look at. You are certainly young enough to carry triplets, but you are a small woman. Let’s do a quick exam and let me do some research. Honestly, I have never had to deal with triplets before. Let me talk to one of the other doctors in our practice. Please relax and be patient. I will be right back.”

The doctor walked out as Teresa began to pack up her equipment. She was smiling the whole time and when she was done she told Lynn that she recorded the whole exam and would have a DVD for her of the sonogram before we left. As she was leaving the exam room Lynn’s doctor returned with another doctor.

“Lynn, this is Doctor Charles Grand. He is a specialist in multiple births.”

“Hi Lynn.”

“Hello Doctor Grand.”

“Is it ok if I do a pelvic exam right now?”

“Yes.”

“Do you mind if these folks remain?”

“No doctor. This is my husband Paul and my wife Erin.”

“Reeeeeally?” He drew out the pronunciation.

“Doctor, we have a legally binding civil union. We can’t marry because of bigamy laws, but we are married.”

“In all of my years, this is a first. I have had mistresses aplenty, but this is new.” He shook his head and washed up.

After he completed the exam, which included measurements of Lynn’s hip dimensions, he sat down and looked at his notes.

“Ok. First, with multiple births we always worry about whether there will be room for all of the babies. I think that this is going to be the biggest issue going forward. Your pelvis is very narrow, even though your records show that you have had a baby. When did you give birth?”

“When I was 14, twenty years ago. I had cancer and I have been told that it would take a miracle to get pregnant, ever!”

“Well you have three miracles growing. And I am very sad to say that I am not sure that there is room for all three. So to put it bluntly, you may have to come to a point where you need to face losing all three babies or aborting one to make room for the other two.”

We sat there stunned. I was racking my brain for questions and only one came out of my mouth.

“How soon before we need to make that decision?”

“Well you are just about three months along, it should be fairly soon. I would like to take care of this within the next 7 to 10 days.”

“Kill my baby?” Lynn softly mumbled.

“In order to save the other two, Mrs. O’Dell.” The doctor looked genuinely concerned and empathetic.

“We need to go home and talk.” Lynn said with a finality that basically announced that the appointment was over.

“On your way out I will have a prescription for vitamins and some instructions of things you need to do to prepare to have multiple babies. I would like to see you in two weeks to see how things are progressing. You have a lot to think about. We can wait for a little while. State law will not allow us to abort after 26 weeks.”

“Multiple pregnancies are more dangerous to both mother and baby and the Department of Health said that about three quarters of the selective reductions were made on medical grounds.”

“The risk of birth defects is about twice as high for multiple pregnancies and the babies are far more likely to be premature. Triplets are four to six times more likely to suffer cerebral palsy. They are also more likely to have impaired sight and heart defects.”

“I will send you as much information as I can in the next few days. I want you to have all of the information we can find in order for you to make a decision. I will see you in two weeks.” Doctor Grand left the room as we stood and held each other.

“Well, let’s go home and have a talk.” I finally spoke, then opened the exam room door and we walked out hand in hand.

The ride home was quiet. I know that I did not know what to say. Abortion, to me, is the greatest tragedy that a woman can face. Regardless of whether you think that it is legal or not, the life of a baby is going to end. It is a tragedy. Now my Lynn may have to decide if she will have to risk all three babies or kill one of them to save the other two.

I parked the car in the garage and we walked in to the house. Erin got on the phone to Marcus and told him that we had a family emergency and that she would not be in today or tonight. He told her not to worry, Mondays were always slow. I did not have practice in the morning so we had no reason to do anything but sit and talk and sleep.