Chapter 1 Part 7

Very carefully, while avoiding the tube inserted in her arm, I put my arms around Petra as carefully as I could and held her close. I inhaled deeply and smelled her skin. She always had this wonderful scent. I kissed her neck several times.
Petra moaned a little bit and then whispered in my ear, 'Don’t make me horny in the hospital. That’s probably against Finnish law.'
At that time a doctor entered the room and introduced himself in English to me as I had met several doctors through the course of several days, but not this one.
I stepped away from the bed as he began to examine Petra. A few moments later a nurse came into the room and the doctor instructed her to increase the amount of fluid the tube in her arm was feeding her. I assumed the doctor thought Petra might be slightly dehydrated.
After he talked to Petra in the Finnish language for a few minutes he came over to me. He escorted me outside the room so Petra could not hear.
'She needs rest before she can do anything. We want to keep her here and then see if she is strong enough to go home,' the doctor said to me in absolutely perfect English.
I shook his hand firmly and asked, 'Thank you doctor. When will Petra be allowed to go home?'
'We need to do some tests and if those are good she can go home in one or two days or perhaps tomorrow afternoon.'
Petra’s mother approached me and the doctor. She asked the doctor a few questions in the Finnish language. He shook her hand after the questions were answered and then left.
'Robert, I have taken some time away from work. I would like to help you both,' she said to me.
I raised my right hand with three fingers showing.
'There are three of us in our family Anna. There is Petra, myself, and little Anna.
'Yes, I am sorry, all three of you.'
'Anna, can you show me how to change a diaper?'
Anna laughed, 'I have been out of practice for a while, but I am sure I can remember.'

Chapter 1 Part 6

I looked at my watch. It was after nine p.m. so I was asleep for about an hour. The nurse must have come in to give the baby to Petra’s mother while I was asleep.
'She is the most beautiful baby I’ve ever seen,' Anna said while holding her granddaughter, little Anna.
'Well, she has her mother’s smile and your eyes,' I said, 'and I think she has my nose.'
Anna smiled if only briefly.
'Yes, I think you’re right.'
Suddenly we heard a small sigh come from Petra and her eyes flickered. I walked quickly to her side and began to stroke the side of her face.
'Come on Petra, you can do it. Open your eyes Petra. Come on.'
I softly caressed her face some more, 'Come on sweetheart, open your eyes.'
Petra opened her eyes and looked at me. I held her hand and pulled it close to me. I kissed her cheek and her lips.
'Hi sweetheart,' I said softly into her ear.
'Robert...the baby...'
'The baby’s fine Petra, just fine. How do you feel?'
'I feel tired.'
I looked up at Anna and she showed the baby to Petra. Petra was surprised that her mother was present. Petra touched the baby’s face, but Petra could not hold the baby with the tube in her arm. She was also fatigued. The baby responded with a huge yawn and I smiled. It was the first true smile I had in days.
'I am going to get the doctor,' I said.
Before I let go of her hand Petra squeezed my hand tightly.
'Stay,' she said.
Anna bent down and whispered something in Finnish which I couldn’t hear into Petra’s ear. Anna kissed Petra, looked at me for a moment and left the room with the baby. I knew she would go straight to the nurses. More than likely a doctor would arrive soon.
'You look like crap,' Petra said as she stroked my three day old partially gray beard and no doubt saw my bloodshot eyes.
I kissed Petra's right cheek and her mouth.
'That’s the best compliment I’ve had all day,' I replied.
'What happened?' Petra asked.
I did not want to scare her with the trauma that occurred three days before, so I skipped telling her the details.
'You’ve been in a coma for three days.'
'You’ve been here all this time?' She asked me.
'Yes my love. I have never left your side. You know how stubborn I can be.'
Petra smiled and I knew she would be fine. The Finnish doctors had done so much for her, but Petra was a fighter and her inner strength was probably one reason why she was still alive.
'Well good looking woman are you ready to start a family?' I asked her while still holding her hand.
'I’ve been working on that for nine months. Who’s going to change the first diaper?' She asked.
I looked around then raised my left hand like a school kid in a classroom wanting to answer a question from the teacher.
'I volunteer,' I said.
'Liar,' she countered.
'No, really, I am really going to try and attempt it. Of course I’ll need you to supervise,' I said to her as I kissed her cheek again.