When I die and when I'm gone

"When I die and when I'm gone, there will be one child born to carry on". Well, statistically the population is growing so maybe "1.01 children will be born".

Anyway, lest the last entry leave you with the impression that the hospital is a dreary place let me tell you about the elevator babies. We're on a floor that handles oncology, hematology and cardiac care, so adults of all ages are here, some looking ill, some looking refreshed (the refreshed ones must be the new inductees). But on the floors below are where the babies arrive.

On our first visit here I had an elevator ride in which we stopped on a lower floor and a nurse pulled a basinet onto the elevator. In the center of the little white mattress was a tiny little lump of rolled blanket with a baby's stocking covered head sticking out of one end. Next to the baby was a small pile of papers, the top sheet an official looking piece of paper with little baby footprints on it - kind of like a convict's booking sheet ;) I asked the nurse when the baby was born and she said nonchalantly "just now". Well, I've never heard that before - happy birthday - you're 5 minutes old!

Now I notice that there are in inordinate number of pregnant women entering the building each day. Yesterday a woman who was petit everywhere except around her distended midsection stepped out of a limo and stretched her back - thrusting out her abdomen. As I walked in the entrance I passed a couple security folks (a man and a woman) who were smiling and joking - obviously amused by the ability of this woman's small body to stretch to such unusual proportions.

Now I see the babies every couple of days. They are infrequent enough elevator travelers that it is a surprise to see one rolled in. I don't have to ask about their age anymore since they all carry their little baby rap sheets onboard - obviously new arrivals. On the elevator where so many people ignore one another and adopt blank stares, no one looks away from the new arrivals and everyone smiles.