Short Story about Abortion: It's Just a "Fetus"?

They had given her the shot hours before and finally the contractions were getting stronger. Her breath was shallow as she gulped to catch her breath. Gulping more from fear than pain, she rang anxiously for the nurse. Mandy lay on the bed, wondering what would happen next.

No one had told her this part about having sex - that sex meant babies and babies could mean an abortion. No one had told her that she would be laying there all alone, wondering if God was going to send her to hell for this.

She pushed furiously at the stupid button again and still no one came. What is wrong with these stupid nurses her mind screamed. Why are they taking so long??

Finally, in what seemed like hours, Nurse Willow pushed her way into the room. "What's wrong?" the nurse said in precise, clipped tones. "What do you need now?" she asked in a cold tone. Mandy could not stand the nurse and tried her hardest to keep her composure.

"I feel like I have to push," Mandy pleaded to the nurse, "Please tell me what to do". Mandy's 15 year old face looked imploringly at the nurse. Mandy's mom had left hours earlier and now she was left alone to this witch of a nurse. In fact, there was only one other person in the room and that patient was already complaining that Mandy was making too much noise.

The nurse lifted up the sheet and peered down, rough fingers examining, prodding, pushing. Mandy winced as the contractions got stronger.

The nurse announced that the baby was coming and instructed Mandy to push harder. Mandy was terrified and could only do as she said, hoping that the nurse knew what she was doing.

Almost like a whisper a big cramp came and Mandy felt the baby come out. She couldn't help but look, even though she knew the baby was dead. Pure instinct took over and Mandy peered at the perfect 26 week baby gripped in the nurses hands. Not a word was spoken. Mandy started crying and the nurse looked at her like she wanted to slap Mandy in the face. Confused, frightened and abandoned, Mandy lay sobbing on the sheets as the nurse placed the baby in a plastic dish. She didn't even look at Mandy, just picked up her parcel and whisked it out of the room.

Mandy lay on the bed devastated. "Oh my God, what have I done," her head screamed, "How could I do this?". Her mind was whirling and she started screaming at the top of her lungs. Nurse Willow came rushing back in and gave her a shot before adding, "You wanted this abortion. Now it's done. The baby is gone so stop your stupid crying. It's just a fetus!". Those were the last words Mandy heard before she passed out from the morphine.

Down the hall, the nurse gently lifted the baby out of the plastic dish and put her on a table. Her little mouth pursed together as she struggled to breath.

Catching her breath, the baby started to cry. Weakly at first, then stronger as the minutes ticked by.

Nurse Willow smiled down at the little baby with a mothers loving glow. She fussed over the baby, adjusting her blanket and gently rubbing her pink and white feet. "Don't cry," she cooed, "Your new Mommy's here with you sweetheart".

Mandy lay down the hallway blissfully unaware, dreaming about the death of her first daughter.

@Copyright Dorsi Diaz 2011

NOTE: The inspiration for this story was based on my experience of having an abortion at the age of 15. It was a late term abortion and I often fantasized that my first baby had been born alive and was perhaps living somewhere. I struggled with guilt for many years and wish I had never done that. Having an abortion can bring a lifetime of pain. And the part about the mean nurse, that was true. That sticks in my mind till this day.

(Dorsi Diaz, the author, is a freelance writer, photographer and artist. This story is fictional and was based on some of Dorsi's true life experiences. Names and circumstances have been changed to protect the innocent and any resemblance to real life is purely coincidental.)