up and turned to José. “I’m afraid it’s too late. La Señora has passed.”
“It can’t be.” José charged at the doctor. “She was alive just a moment ago, before you arrived. Check again!”
The young doctor lowered his voice. “I’m so sorry. There’s nothing that could have been done to save her.”
“If your father were here—”
“If my father were here, there would be nothing he could do either. We are doctors of the living. We cannot bring back the dead.”
José locked eyes with the doctor. The two men stood there, glaring at one another.
Quite suddenly, a loud cry sounded from down the hall.
“Reyna!” José sprinted from the room and shot down the hallway towards her chamber. He found her there sitting up in her bed. Her face was twisted in agony. Her hair was matted to her moist forehead.
“The baby!”
“But it’s not time yet?”
“He’s coming!”
“But the midwives, they’ve all fallen ill with the fever. We don’t have anyone to deliver the baby! It can’t be happening. Not now!”
Reyna grit her teeth and clenched her lids shut.
“I can deliver the baby,” the young doctor stepped in.
“You?” José scoffed at the notion. “No man will deliver my baby.”
“Don José, if you’ll allow me to be blunt, your wife’s life, and the life of the child are at stake. You’ve already lost one member of the family this evening. Let’s not lose another.”
“What did he say?” Reyna shouted out. “Who has been lost?”
“Everything is fine, Reyna.”
“Who is this man?” Her breathing began to quicken.
“This is Doctor Hamon’s son. He can deliver the baby.” He took her hands and brought them to his lips. “He has even treated the Sultan,” José forced himself to say the words. “You have the very best doctor in the city.”
“Doctor Hamon’s son?” Reyna’s voice grew faint. “He’s here? ”
“Yes.” The young doctor cut in. “Don’t worry, Doña Reyna.” He took a few steps forward. “I’ve successfully delivered many babies. You’re going to be fine, and not very long from now, you will hold a baby in your arms.”
“I will?” Reyna’s eyes welled up.
He nodded gently, possessing the kind eyes and measured temperament of his father. “Try to steady your breathing.”
José kissed Reyna on the forehead, then headed towards the door.
“You’re not staying?” The young doctor turned to José.
He lowered his voice so Reyna could not hear. “I’ve been through this enough times. Fetch me when it’s done.”
“Yes, Don José.”
“Oh—and Doctor?”
“Yes?”
“Make sure my boy comes out alive.”
*
In the morning, Don José awoke to the sound of birds chirping. The sun outside was bright and the room was covered in the thick glow of red and orange light cast through the stained glass window. He sat with his body slumped over his desk and his face flat against a map of the empire. After straightening himself up, he found the young doctor sitting in a chair by the door. “Is it done?” His voice was hoarse.
The doctor leaned forward. “Several hours ago. She’s sleeping now.”
“Why didn’t you wake me?” He squinted to shield his eyes from the light.
“I won’t mince words with you, José. When the baby finally did arrive, your wife had already lost a lot of blood. She’ll recover though.”
“Is she in much pain?”
“Not now. The potion I gave her was very effective. It knocked her out quickly.”
“So she’ll be all right?”
“She’ll be fine. We’ll have to just keep an eye on her.”
“And the baby?”
“I was a bit concerned, especially since your wife went into labor as early as she did, but the baby came out healthy, a bit small, but healthy.”
“A healthy boy,” José said to himself.
“A girl,” the doctor corrected.
The two men stared at one another. The quiet tick of the grand clock sounded throughout the room. José was the first to look away. He closed his
“It can’t be.” José charged at the doctor. “She was alive just a moment ago, before you arrived. Check again!”
The young doctor lowered his voice. “I’m so sorry. There’s nothing that could have been done to save her.”
“If your father were here—”
“If my father were here, there would be nothing he could do either. We are doctors of the living. We cannot bring back the dead.”
José locked eyes with the doctor. The two men stood there, glaring at one another.
Quite suddenly, a loud cry sounded from down the hall.
“Reyna!” José sprinted from the room and shot down the hallway towards her chamber. He found her there sitting up in her bed. Her face was twisted in agony. Her hair was matted to her moist forehead.
“The baby!”
“But it’s not time yet?”
“He’s coming!”
“But the midwives, they’ve all fallen ill with the fever. We don’t have anyone to deliver the baby! It can’t be happening. Not now!”
Reyna grit her teeth and clenched her lids shut.
“I can deliver the baby,” the young doctor stepped in.
“You?” José scoffed at the notion. “No man will deliver my baby.”
“Don José, if you’ll allow me to be blunt, your wife’s life, and the life of the child are at stake. You’ve already lost one member of the family this evening. Let’s not lose another.”
“What did he say?” Reyna shouted out. “Who has been lost?”
“Everything is fine, Reyna.”
“Who is this man?” Her breathing began to quicken.
“This is Doctor Hamon’s son. He can deliver the baby.” He took her hands and brought them to his lips. “He has even treated the Sultan,” José forced himself to say the words. “You have the very best doctor in the city.”
“Doctor Hamon’s son?” Reyna’s voice grew faint. “He’s here? ”
“Yes.” The young doctor cut in. “Don’t worry, Doña Reyna.” He took a few steps forward. “I’ve successfully delivered many babies. You’re going to be fine, and not very long from now, you will hold a baby in your arms.”
“I will?” Reyna’s eyes welled up.
He nodded gently, possessing the kind eyes and measured temperament of his father. “Try to steady your breathing.”
José kissed Reyna on the forehead, then headed towards the door.
“You’re not staying?” The young doctor turned to José.
He lowered his voice so Reyna could not hear. “I’ve been through this enough times. Fetch me when it’s done.”
“Yes, Don José.”
“Oh—and Doctor?”
“Yes?”
“Make sure my boy comes out alive.”
*
In the morning, Don José awoke to the sound of birds chirping. The sun outside was bright and the room was covered in the thick glow of red and orange light cast through the stained glass window. He sat with his body slumped over his desk and his face flat against a map of the empire. After straightening himself up, he found the young doctor sitting in a chair by the door. “Is it done?” His voice was hoarse.
The doctor leaned forward. “Several hours ago. She’s sleeping now.”
“Why didn’t you wake me?” He squinted to shield his eyes from the light.
“I won’t mince words with you, José. When the baby finally did arrive, your wife had already lost a lot of blood. She’ll recover though.”
“Is she in much pain?”
“Not now. The potion I gave her was very effective. It knocked her out quickly.”
“So she’ll be all right?”
“She’ll be fine. We’ll have to just keep an eye on her.”
“And the baby?”
“I was a bit concerned, especially since your wife went into labor as early as she did, but the baby came out healthy, a bit small, but healthy.”
“A healthy boy,” José said to himself.
“A girl,” the doctor corrected.
The two men stared at one another. The quiet tick of the grand clock sounded throughout the room. José was the first to look away. He closed his
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