Dr JJ Smart frowned. She stared at her. She'd always wanted a child and she couldn't conceive through the natural way despite being found okay alongside her husband.
This is an alternative and it costs a fortune. Then she regrets it? What happened to her? Did her husband find out it's a different sperm that she used?
"Why Mrs Lara?" JJ Smart asked.
"I can't take care of the baby if it's born. I'm bankrupt and jobless. I have bills piled up for me and how can I think of having a baby now? This is the wrong time to embark on this insemination…" Lara explained, amidst a shaking voice.
"And you think you'll go jobless for the next nine months? Besides, isn't your husband in support of this?" JJ Smart asked,confused at how she was sobbing.
"We're divorced. I'm single again" Lara responded. Mike is completely out of the whole story now. This is wholly her responsibility.
"Oh I'm sorry Lara. I didn't know that. But don't worry, you'll be fine and you're going to be a great mother. I'm happy to inform you that the insemination was successful. Congratulations" JJ Smart chimed.
Lara raised herself to sit upright and rather than being sad, she was smiling. Her tears were coming but they weren't those of sadness, she was happy.
"You mean, I'm pregnant?" She asked, swallowing hard and subconsciously placing her hands on her flat belly. She's really pregnant, having a baby growing in her belly?
"Yes, there's a little life growing in there. I'm happy for you Lara. Congratulations once again" JJ Smart hugged her.
At this time, Lara has forgotten about her fears. She didn't remember what she said a while ago. The joy of being pregnant, the joy of becoming a mother in a few months time, what can compare to those feelings now?
As Lara left the hospital, she made a new resolution right there and then, that she would strive to keep her head above water for her unborn baby's sake.
She would rise from nothing to have what it takes to give her life a new start. It's not about her alone, it's about the little life growing in her belly.
She got home, got all of her things together. Bring out her old drawings and place them in front of her. She knows she can do better than the drawings before her.
If she doesn't get a job, she would make a few drawings, take them to companies, present a draft to them and then see if they would be interested. She can do better, of course she can.
She could sell those drawings and make a living. Save something for her baby and find her life again. While Lara was happy and feeling excited, something else was taking place in the hospital.
The head of the medical team was standing before Curtis Rodney. Dr JJ Smart was there alongside her medical assistant. The puzzle has been sorted and the missing sperm vial can be traced.
"...I'm sorry, it was my fault. I labelled the samples interchanging them confusingly. The sperm vial inseminated on a patient is yours and the one the patient wants is still laying in the bank.
This isn't Dr JJ's fault. If anyone is going to be punished, I should be the one sir. I'm sorry for the inconveniences I might have caused you, Dr JJ and others" Jim Lake apologised.
Dr JJ Smart was speechless.
It didn't occur to her to think within that line that there might be error in sample labelling. Oh gosh, such a mistake that appears so insignificant has caused them all sleepless nights and might cause her to lose her practicing license.
A little mistake, a casual mishandling, an insignificant error,all these go a long way to create bigger problems and challenges that might take a lifetime to correct.
"Are you telling me now that my sperm has been inseminated to one of our clients?" Curtis Rodney demanded in a cold but domineering tone.
Knowing that it wasn't stolen was a relief on its own. They'll only need to keep searching based on the information they have gathered so far.
"I'm afraid, yes sir," the head of the medical team answered. It's only left for JJ Smart to go check her records on the patients she inseminated these past few weeks and know who has it.
How he wished, the insemination should end up unsuccessful. There are few cases of such. He hopes that Curtis Rodney's sperm dies off in whose body it was inseminated.
That would be better for them all. For him, JJ Smart and the entire medical staff. The stress of this past week was second to none.
"I want to know the identity of the woman who has my sperm before the end of the day and that doesn't minimize the penalty for being careless for both of you," Curtis Rodney ordered, referring to Dr JJ and Jim Lake.
They all filled out before Curtis Rodney and he smashed his fist against the desk. "Hell shit" he thundered. What sort of nonsense is this?
Is this how they handle other patients' samples? Is this how they incubate future chaos and pain in other people's lives? What if it was not him, what if it was someone else?
No matter what, JJ Smart and her assistant will face the penalty for being careless. This singular mistake was capable of making the hospital get sued.
Now, who the hell will this innocent woman who got inseminated with his sperm do, if she realises it. What if she's married and her husband decides to sue the hospital?
He hates being the hottest topic on all social media. It has happened once and he doesn't want it to happen again. His hospital is one of the best hospitals in Michigan. How can such a mistake be made?
"This is not bad news after all, boss Curtis. If they can trace the identity of the woman, then we'll have to invite such a woman back to the hospital" Lazarus suggested.
"What if she's married and her husband wouldn't accept any form of unprofessional apology?" Curtis demanded and Lazarus couldn't reply to him for a while.
"In that case, we'll mark the couple and ensure we do something when the child is born," Lazarus suggested. In that case, they'll contend for the baby and compensate the couple for whatever damages it has caused.
Or they whisked the baby away and gave some reasons why the little fella couldn't survive. Whatever way, Curtis Rodney either has his way now, or later.
But he wished that the insemination would not be unsuccessful. That way, things would return to how it ought to be.
Few minutes later, JJ Smart returned to the CEO's office, her eyes reddened and the head of the medical team along with her.
"I've traced the patient that was inseminated with the wrong sperm…" JJ informed.