P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The College of Physicians and Surgeons forbids intimate relations with one's patients at the cost of a loss of the licence to practice medicine. I was a junior intern working in the Emergency department of the Vancouver General Hospital that night in a monthly rotation. Things there had settled down by 1 am. when a cabdriver suddenly broke into the room in an apparent panic.
“I have a woman having a baby in my cab.”
“Well, take her to Obstetrics, not here,” said the nurse.
“She's having it in my cab.
“Let's go look”, I said
He and I ran down the hall and out to the cab which was still running with the rear door open. I looked in and there she was, in the dark, half sitting and half lying on the back seat, panting frantically, wet and sticky from the waist down, a nighty with one slipper on, looking fearful.
__I said to her,”I'm going to feel where the baby is.” and crawled into the cab beside her.
I yelled at the cab driver, “Go to Obstetrics.”
The Obstetrical building was across the quadrangle from the Emergency.
As I felt the oncoming head under the nighty it was beginning to crown and she had stopped panting.
“Pant”, I said, “Pant and don't push; don't push, just open your mouth wide and pant.”
“Go to Obstetrics,” I said as the cab driver still looked at us.
“Where?”
“That building in front of you with the light that says Obstetrics. Just go straight across.”
“Where do I park?”
“Don't park. Head for the door.”
He started with a lurch and I looked up, my hand still under the nighty, I saw two small children, about two and three, standing on the seat beside their mother, wide eyed and silent, watching me. Then the head started to descend.
“Pant, stop pushing, pant.”
He stopped at the door and thank goodness, Emergency had called ahead and three people and the gurney were at the door.
“Keep panting” I said as she slid off the back seat.
“You can let go now.” said the Resident in Obstetrics,” We usually use gloves.”
“Resident prick,” I thought, “Any occasion useful to teach.”
As she lay on the gurney I said to her, “Don't worry about your kids. She put both arms around my neck gave me a big wet kiss and then disappeared into the hall and up the elevator. We had never talked.
The cab driver said to me, “What about my fare?”
“What about it? Don't you know how important you were? That seems good enough. You can't keep the children.”
I guess I was feeling a bit euphoric about the turn of events and besides, I was not afraid of the College of Physicians and Surgeons after all. I had found a new definition of intimacy.
“I have a woman having a baby in my cab.”
“Well, take her to Obstetrics, not here,” said the nurse.
“She's having it in my cab.
“Let's go look”, I said
He and I ran down the hall and out to the cab which was still running with the rear door open. I looked in and there she was, in the dark, half sitting and half lying on the back seat, panting frantically, wet and sticky from the waist down, a nighty with one slipper on, looking fearful.
__I said to her,”I'm going to feel where the baby is.” and crawled into the cab beside her.
I yelled at the cab driver, “Go to Obstetrics.”
The Obstetrical building was across the quadrangle from the Emergency.
As I felt the oncoming head under the nighty it was beginning to crown and she had stopped panting.
“Pant”, I said, “Pant and don't push; don't push, just open your mouth wide and pant.”
“Go to Obstetrics,” I said as the cab driver still looked at us.
“Where?”
“That building in front of you with the light that says Obstetrics. Just go straight across.”
“Where do I park?”
“Don't park. Head for the door.”
He started with a lurch and I looked up, my hand still under the nighty, I saw two small children, about two and three, standing on the seat beside their mother, wide eyed and silent, watching me. Then the head started to descend.
“Pant, stop pushing, pant.”
He stopped at the door and thank goodness, Emergency had called ahead and three people and the gurney were at the door.
“Keep panting” I said as she slid off the back seat.
“You can let go now.” said the Resident in Obstetrics,” We usually use gloves.”
“Resident prick,” I thought, “Any occasion useful to teach.”
As she lay on the gurney I said to her, “Don't worry about your kids. She put both arms around my neck gave me a big wet kiss and then disappeared into the hall and up the elevator. We had never talked.
The cab driver said to me, “What about my fare?”
“What about it? Don't you know how important you were? That seems good enough. You can't keep the children.”
I guess I was feeling a bit euphoric about the turn of events and besides, I was not afraid of the College of Physicians and Surgeons after all. I had found a new definition of intimacy.
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