The time came quickly for our son to move into his little incubator; he would have to live there for a short while.  After some time had passed the rest of the family was allowed to see him, now that he was safe in his warm and mostly transparent box.

On the third day after our child was born, Hemma was released to return home but our son of course had to remain another week or so (depended upon expected progress) in the incubator and under the watchful eye of the medical staff.

Naturally the parents are invited to return and spend everyday with the child [mother is] nursing, loving and just being with him, leaving at night to return the next day and so on until the baby is strong, healthy and released.

Hemma did return to the hospital during the day to be with our son while I was at work.  Once off duty I’d go straight to the hospital and join them.  She and I would return home together in the evenings.

This next scene is only two or three days time past; something was going on while I was at work;  it would seem, very important decisions were being taken without my involvement.  I recall something about ‘family persuasion’ —

I was suddenly faced with a reality where my wife had been coaxed by her parents to take our son +out from his incubator and away from the hospital.

What?!

Only sixteen, still a child in reality and certainly not to say that I was not too young myself but regardless, somehow she was convinced that she should talk to the doctors and persuade them to release our baby.

I suppose promising to take extra good care and exceptional precautions was enough to dispel the doctor’s doubts just enough and it was agreed.  Or perhaps the law was no different then, that no one can be held against their will.

And not unlike today’s set of rules at any hospital, the formality to document that they [hospital & staff] could not be held accountable should anything, God forbid, happen with the child, took its place and they allowed the release.  Hemma signed the paperwork.

Her parents wanted to take our baby and their daughter to their house; I had to put my foot down where I could.  ‘If this child leaves the hospital, wife or no wife, my son comes home with me!’  At this time there wasn’t any more argument about it.

I most hesitantly obliged my wife’s actions then and took him from the safety of the hospital.  We went to our home; Hemma, our son and myself.  I remember going around the bedroom, *sealing it off any way I could, trying to create an incubator atmosphere.

I cannot help to wonder how this scenario would have played out in today’s world.

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+out      Why?  In spite of the facts I guess I will never know exactly how this came to be, always two or more sides right?   And try as I might to understand the logic here, if no explanation is ever offered, well what else can I think about it?

*sealing      This was the most desirable room in the house; an all wood room which created the best insulation from air-leaks and what have you