Writing Roots 2 - The Baby Bomb

During the transition from 9th grade to 10th grade, a freshman at the Columbus North High School, I let the world I knew then that I wanted to be a writer. The Baby Bomb was first published in Write On!, a literary publication at Columbus North High School, on October 6, 1972.

The Baby Bomb

Edward Jackson III was a young man of 25, had a steady job and a wife.
When Edward was a boy, he had a farther and three brothers and sisters, not much else. But through trial and error, he rose from that deep dry well of his past.
As a gift of his great upward lift, Edward became the father of his first child.
“Hi, Dear. How is our new baby? Is it a boy or girl? What a great chance he or she has with us.” said Edward.
Sorrowfully Gina said, “I don’t know the answer to any of those questions darling. As soon as he came, the nurse took him away…”
”Oh, is that bad or good?’ pondered Edward.
“Half and half. It’s normal procedure to take him or her away after birth. But I haven’t seen the baby in three days.” answered Gina
“It isn’t all that bad, dear. If the baby was sick or something, they would have told us before. I’ll ask a nurse or doctor to find out what’s wrong, if there is something wrong. I’ll tell you right away when I find out, dear,” explained Edward.
“Darling?”
“Yes, Dear.”
“I love you, and so does our baby.”
“And I love you and our baby, as much as both of you combined.”
Edward walked out the door Number 98. Soon he was at the nurse s desk asking for the doctor’s room and location of him. She said to wait in the main lounge.
Soon the doctor entered the lounge, and Edward rose to meet him. “Doctor Grant…”
“Yes, I’m Dr. Grant.”
“1 wanted to know what happened to our baby. I mean my wife’s and my baby. You see, she told me she hasn’t seen it in three days, and that made me a little nervous as well as concerned. I mean, after all, I had a little to do with it,” explained Edward.
Dr, Grant replied, “I could help you if I knew the baby’s name.”
“Oh, well, Gina and I weren’t too sure what to name him. I personally thought Scott if it was a boy and Cathy if it was a girl.  Anyway, we decided to see the baby first,” said Edward.
“In that case,” said Dr. Grant, “He will be harder to find. But we will find him.”
“You mean to tell me in this Medical Center of Los Angeles, you lose a baby, just like that?” yelled Edward as he snapped his fingers on “THAT.”
“Don’t get angry. Please, don’t get angry!” insisted Dr. Grant. “I didn’t tell you the truth.”
Edward said calmly,” Then what is the truth, oh, great baby loser, what is the honorable truth?”
Attempting to control himself, Dr. Grant said as calmly as possible,
“Please listen, Mr… “
Jackson. Edward Jackson,” Edward finished.
“Mr. Jackson,’ continued Dr. Grant, “Please let me explain. Follow me to my office. I can’t discuss it here.” said Dr. Grant.
“Okay, Dr. Grant, I will.” Edward followed him to the doctor’s office without any further conversation.
“Please sit down, Edward,” invited the doctor. With a smile, he accepted the invitation. For he wanted to find the truth about his and Gina’s child.
“Please send in Doctor Sell with the files for case No. IOl.50S,” said the doctor to his aide on the opposite end of the phone.
“Who is this Doctor Sell with a computer case number for a file?’ inquired Edward.
“You’ll find out soon,” replied Dr. Grant.
Moments later, a short, thin man appeared in front of Edward as he lifted his head from his hands.
“Edward, this is Doctor Sell, a geneticist to tell you of your child’s problem. Doctor, it’s your turn,” introduced Dr. Grant.
“Glad to meet you, Doctor Sell.” At that, then Edward and Doctor Sell shook hands.
“Edward, your child is a very sick boy. He has a very contagious disease called “plutomiocious….”
“What in the world is pluto whatever? It sounds like a cartoon character who has a bad backache,” said Edward. Both doctors chuckled at his remark about the disease.
“You are very wrong, Edward,” said Doctor Sell. “Plutomiocious is a disease of the nervous system. It can affect any part of the body. The reason it is so contagious is that it mostly affects the respiratory or breathing system. When this said person sneezes, uses a Kleenex or such and another person touches it in any way, or maybe even said person breathes on another person, that other person has it. It is as contagious as the common cold.”
“Doctor Sell, just what does this disease do to the nervous system?’
“Do you want a plain or scientific explanation?” asked the doctor.
“Plain.”
“Well, wherever the disease strikes, it paralyzes that part of the body.”
“I am a little confused at how he got this disease. He might have gotten it from any nurse or anybody coming to the hospital,” said Edward.
“Impossible,” said Doctor Grant.
“That idea is simply impossible!”
Doctor Sell suggested, “I have a theory. You and your wife or anyone of you may have had this disease as one of your recessive genes.” At this point, he produced a chart that had many circles and dots. “1 have made a detailed study of your child’s genes. This is his geneological chart. The dots are all white except the red. That is his the plutomiocious gene on his 11th chromosome. It was either yours or hers as a recessive gene In your boys body, it was a dominant gene.”
“I don’t really understand,” said Edward, “but it will do. I want to go and see my wife now. Bye, Dr. Sell and Dr. Grant. I’m sorry about the way I acted. I was in a rush to find out what happened. Thanks a lot.”
Edwards boots hit the hall floor as hard as his mind was hitting his heart.
Should he tell Gina the whole truth, part of it, or all lies? Someway she will find the truth, and when she did, she would be hurt, bad. “Gina, I found out where our son is. Gina, are you Gina! Gina! Where are you?” yelled Edward.
Edward’ ran to the nurse’s desk and asked, “Where is she?”
“Who?”
“My wife, Gina Jackson,” answered Edward.
“Oh, isn’t she in her room?”
“No.”
“Jane, get Elaine. We have a missing patient,” said the nurse sternly to another nurse. Next, she lifted the phone. “Dr. Grant, please. We have a missing patient.”
After the commands were ordered, all the halls and stairs were being searched when a door in between them opened.
“I found her. She’s all right. She was in the ladies room,” said a nurse.
“I’m sorry, nurse. I was just concerned about my wife.” Walking away, Edward added, ,“I need to go on a trip or cruise or something. I’m too keyed up. I need unsprung. Man! Do 1 need unsprung!”
“Hi, dear. I was a little worried about you. I have a surprise for you,” said Edward cheerfully.
“What?’
“It’s about our baby boy.”
“It’s a boy! Just what I wanted, a baby boy,” said Gina frantically, “How come I can’t see my boy? I mean our baby boy?’ asked Gina.
Edward explained, “Just relax in your bed, and I will tell you how and the why of your question.”
“Okay, I’ll listen,” said Gina
“Our son has a very contagious disease. He is in isolation. If you or anybody comes in contact with him without special gowns and gloves, that person gets it,” explained Edward.
“But how….why? asked Gina mysteriously.
“It’s too complicated for you. Just stay away from him or else you get it. We still might have a healthy son yet,” said Edward with a hopeful expression.
“I will, darling. I will,” cried Gina in a sob.
“Everything is going to turn out fine…really dear,” said Edward sympathetically.
All of a sudden a scream escaped from Gina’s mouth. “Lies! Lies! Everything you say are lies. God so help me, I’ll get my baby and run away from this damn hospital!”
“Gina, Gina, don’t yell. Calm down, please. Calm down,” said Edward clearly.
“How can you be calm when our baby is dying alone in a plain room because of some weird disease. I want my baby back disease or no disease!” screamed Gina.
Edward pressed a button, and a nurse appeared in the room. “Nurse, Gina is a little upset. Could you pleased quiet her? I just told her some bad news,” said Edward bluntly -
“I have to check on it first. One moment please,” said the nurse. After checking, she gave her a mild sedative to Gina, and Edward left the hospital for some sleep.
Gina woke up with the sun in her eyes, but she was as cross as a wounded animal. As the nurse attempted to apply some medication, Gina jumped out of her bed and ran around her room. Next thing the nurse could hear was a scream from Gina as she ran down the ward hall
As Gina ran down the hail, she noticed the army of white-clothed privates and suited generals charging at her from all sides armed with stethoscopes and needles. At the nearest stairs she could find, she attempted to fly down the stairs. Half way down, her wings fell.  She fell on the last flight of stairs. Gina was red in the face with blood oozing out of her forehead.
Minutes later, Doctors Grant, Sell and Black were attending to Gina’s major concussion in the operating room. Edward was both worried and confused about what happened as he watched the team help his wife.
“Sir,” said a very nice looking nurse.
“Yes,” answered Edward.
“If I were you, I would go home and rest. I’ve heard about your wife. Medical Center is doing its best to help her and her baby. You don’t need to spend the night here. Everything is going to be fine,” advised the nurse.
Edward answered, “I think I will, Miss…”
“Sologontin.”  She pointed to her name on an ID badge.
“I think I will, Miss. Sologontin. Thanks for the advice: Good day,” said Edward.
“Good day, Edward.”  He rested and came back to the hospital.
“Gina how are you? You had a bad fall,” said Edward.
Gina answered, “I don’t know. The last thing I remember is running down some stairs with nurses chasing me with needles. Ouch!” exclaimed Gina as she touched her bandage. “How badly did I bump my head, Edward?’
“Very bad. Very bad. Doctor Grant was going to release you until this happened. You might stay another two weeks,” explained Edward.
“Oh no,” said Gina sadly. “Just think of the cost of everything now I mean for me and our baby.”
Edward replied, “That means l have to work over time. We can’t afford it, now but we’ll work it out. I better leave now.”
After resting quietly for an hour, Gina woke up when she found herself repeating, “I want my baby back.”
“Oh, I must have been dreaming that I had my baby in my arms,” said Gina, pretending to hold a baby. “When it was taken from me and …Hi, Doctor Grant! I was just talking to myself.”
“How do you feel?” asked Dr. Grant.
“I can’t tell that much. My forehead feels like my heart jumped in my brain. I feel a ‘thump, thump, thump,” answered Gina.
“Why did you run from your room?’
“I needed room service,” laughed Gina.
Then the doctor looked sternly at Gina and said quietly, “Tell me the truth, the whole truth.”
“I want my baby!” yelled Gina loudly. “I want my baby.”
Late that night Gina went toward the restroom making the nurse at the desk think she was going there. Her fake worked. Right before she got there, Gina turned down the hall leading toward her baby.
Some doctors were coming. She had to hide, but where? Just in time she turned in a closet. Slowly but surely she went to her future. Dressed as a nurse, Gina felt it would be easier to see him.
“ISOLATION WARD—AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY” read the sign as Gina opened the door.
“Halt,” bolted a hard deep voice, “Halt!”
“Yes, sir,” and she did.
“Can’t you read?” asked the man.
“Yes,” answered Gina.
“Then why are you walking in that ward without a robe and gloves on? Are you authorized to go in there?” asked the brassy voice.
“I don’t know. I guess I just forgot, sir, “said Gina quickly after thinking of it.
“Nurse Adams,” said the doctor “Who is it you are to attend?”
“The unidentified baby boy, sir.”
“You are not to attend him. That’s an order,” yelled the doctor. Looking at the nurse at the ward’s desk, he gruffed, “Don’t let her inside,” pointing at the door. By then, Gina was well inside the ward running toward her son.
In panic mixed with hope, Gina pushed the door open. The door did have a small lock on it. In minutes Gina was hugging and kissing her baby.
“I’ll come back to get you out of here, son. I promise,” said Gina hurriedly.
With less panic, she rushed out of his room and put on a robe and gloves. She walked out of the ward as casually as she could attempting not to be noticed. Just as a group of her pursuers entered, Gina saw a cart by the wall.
Now was her chance to escape. Gina strolled out of the ward with the cart. Quicker than she came, Gina was soon in her room.
“There she is!” yelled someone in a small group.
“Get back, everyone, get back. Stay out of this room!” yelled Dr. Grant trying to control the ever increasing crowd.
As soon as the door was shut tightly, the doctor looked at Gina ferociously.
“What did you do that for?’ asked the doctor attempting to be calm.
“What. . . did I do that was so bad?’ wondered Gina.
The doctor explained, “Your child has a very contagious disease that can slowly but surely paralyze a person fatally. It’s a miracle how your baby lived so long. But you …. will die in a week or so. Also, others might die, too…”
“Why?’
“When you walked through the halls, you spread enough germs to contaminate this hospital. At 3:05 officially, the hospital is quarantined. Did your husband tell you about this?” asked Dr. Grant nervously.
“Yes, but..”
“But what?’ wondered the doctor.
“I didn’t think things would turn out like this. I only wanted to see my baby. That I did. You think I really thought my baby was a …bomb? No!” yelled Gina in a rage. Then she burst out crying, creating a puddle on the floor. Then she added to her sobbing, “My baby was a bomb!” over and over again.
As the doctor promised, she became totally paralyzed in a week, in a week’s time, it spread to other hospitals and related businesses. Within a six-week period, the city of Los Angeles had an epidemic of that fatal disease. If a visitor was immune to it, they would die of seeing funerals and people lying dead in the street.
The once busy city of Los Angeles was transformed into a small populated, death ridden, exiled city hit by something worse than the atomic bomb or, the plague. In a year all the populous of the city had died, all it’s millions. The whole city was ordered destroyed by the President of the United States.  And it was.

Photos by Mike Hall converted into brushed paintings are in the ArtBrushed Photo Gallery. Download art for free.