tc.thebearandthedragon-第80部分

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nurse。　You　could　see　it　in　her　eyes。　It　shocked　her　at　a　very　fundamental　level　that　anyone　could　defy　her　state…issued　authority　so　blatantly。　She　tried　to　back　away；　but　his　grip　was　too　strong；　and　for　the　first　time　she　saw　that　his　eyes　were　no　longer　a　display　of　fear。　Now　they　showed　pure　killing　rage；　because　for　Yang　human　instincts　had　cast　aside　all　the　societal　conditioning　he'd　absorbed　in　his　thirty…six　years。　His　wife　and　child　were　in　danger；　and　for　them；　right　here　and　right　now；　he'd　face　a　fire…breathing　dragon　barehanded　and　be　damned　to　the　consequences！　The　nurse　took　the　easy　way　out　and　pointed　to　the　left。　Yang　headed　that　way；　Yu　and　the　other　two　clergy　with　him；　and　the　CNN　crew　trailing。　The　nurse　felt　her　neck　and　coughed　to　get　her　breath　back；　still　too　surprised　to　be　fearful；　trying　to　understand　how　and　why　her　orders　had　been　disregarded。
　Yang　Lien…Hua　was　in　Labor　Room　#3。　The　walls　were　of　yellow　glazed　brick；　the　floor　tile　of　some　color　that　had　been　overe　by　years　of　use；　and　was　now　a　brown…gray。
　
　For　〃Lotus　Flower；〃　it　had　been　a　nightmare　without　end。　Alone；　all　alone　in　this　institution　of　life　and　death；　she'd　felt　the　contractions　strengthen　and　merge　into　one　continuous　strain　of　her　abdominal　muscles；　forcing　her　unborn　child　down　the　birth　canal；　toward　a　world　that　didn't　want　it。　She'd　seen　that　in　the　nurses'　faces；　the　sorrow　and　resignation；　what　they　must　have　seen　and　felt　elsewhere　in　the　hospital　when　death　came　to　take　a　patient。　They'd　all　learned　to　accept　it　as　inevitable；　and　they　tried　to　step　away　from　it；　because　what　had　to　be　done　was　so　contrary　to　all　human　instincts　that　the　only　way　they　could　be　there　and　see　it　happen　was　to…to　be　somewhere　else。　Even　that　didn't　work；　and　though　they　scarcely　admitted　it　even　to　one　another；　they'd　go　home　from　work　and　lie　in　their　beds　and　weep　bitterly　at　what　they　as　women　had　to　do　to　newborns。　Some　would　cradle　the　dead　children　who　never　were；　who　never　got　to　take　that　first　life…affirming　breath；　trying　to　show　womanly　gentleness　to　someone　who　would　never　know　about　it；　except　perhaps　the　spirits　of　the　murdered　babies　who　might　have　lingered　close　by。　Others　went　the　other　way；　tossing　them　into　bins　like　the　trash　the　state　said　they　were。　But　even　they　never　joked　about　it…in　fact；　never　talked　about　it；　except　perhaps　to　note　it　had　been　done；　or；　maybe；　〃There's　a　woman　in　Number　Four　who　needs　the　shot。〃
　Lien…Hua　felt　the　sensations；　but　worse；　knew　the　thoughts；　and　her　mind　cried　out　to　God　for　mercy。　Was　it　so　wrong　to　be　a　mother；　even　if　she　attended　a　Christian　church？　Was　it　so　wrong　to　have　a　second　child　to　replace　the　first　that　Fate　had　ripped　from　her　arms？　Why　did　the　State　deny　to　her　the　blessing　of　motherhood？　Was　there　no　way　out？　She　hadn't　killed　the　first　child；　as　many　Chinese　families　did。　She　hadn't　murdered　her　little　Large　Dragon；　with　his　sparkling　black　eyes　and　ical　laugh　and　grasping　little　hands。　Some　other　force　had　taken　that　away　from　her；　and　she　wanted；　she　needed　another。　Just　one　other。　She　wasn't　being　greedy。　She　didn't　want　to　raise　two　more　children。　Only　one。　Only　one　to　suckle　at　her　breasts　and　smile　at　her　in　the　mornings。　She　needed　that。　She　worked　hard　for　the　State；　asked　little　in　return；　but　she　did　ask　for　this！　It　was　her　right　as　a　human　being；　wasn't　it？
　But　now　she　knew　only　despair。　She　tried　to　reverse　the　contractions；　to　stop　the　delivery　from　happening；　but　she　might　as　well　have　tried　to　stop　the　tide　with　a　shovel。　Her　little　one　was　ing　out。　She　could　feel　it。　She　could　see　the　knowledge　of　it　in　the　face　of　the　delivery　nurse。　She　checked　her　watch　and　leaned　out　of　the　room；　waving　her　arm　just　as　Lien…Hua　fought　the　urge　to　push　and　plete　the　process；　and　so　offer　up　her　child　to　Death。　She　fought；　controlled　her　breathing；　struggled　with　her　muscles；　panted　instead　of　breathing　deeply；　fought　and　fought　and　fought；　but　it　was　all　for　nothing。　She　knew　that　now。　Her　husband　was　nowhere　near　to　protect　her。　He'd　been　man　enough　to　put　her　here；　but　not　enough　to　protect　her　and　his　own　child　from　what　was　happening　now。　With　despair　came　relaxation。　It　was　time。　She　recognized　the　feeling　from　before。　She　could　not　fight　anymore。　It　was　time　to　surrender。
　The　doctor　saw　the　nurse　wave。　This　one　was　a　man。　It　was　easier　on　the　men；　and　so　they　gave　most　of　the　〃shots〃　in　this　hospital。　He　took　the　50…cc　syringe　from　stores　and　then　went　to　the　medication　closet；　unlocking　it　and　withdrawing　the　big　bottle　of　formaldehyde。　He　filled　the　syringe；　not　bothering　to　tap　out　the　bubbles；　because　the　purpose　of　this　injection　was　to　kill；　and　any　special　care　was　superfluous。　He　walked　down　the　corridor　toward　Labor　#3。　He'd　been　on　duty　for　nine　hours　that　day。　He'd　performed　a　difficult　and　successful　Caesarian　section　a　few　hours　before；　and　now　he'd　end　his　working　day　with　this。　He　didn't　like　it。　He　did　it　because　it　was　his　job；　part　of　the　State's　policy。　The　foolish　woman；　having　a　baby　without　permission。　It　really　was　her　fault；　wasn't　it？　She　knew　what　the　rules　were。　Everyone　did。　It　was　impossible　not　to　know。　But　she'd　broken　the　rules。　And　she　wouldn't　be　punished　for　it。　Not　really　her。　She　wouldn't　go　to　prison　or　lose　her　job　or　suffer　a　monetary　fine。　She'd　just　get　to　go　home　with　her　uterus　the　way　it　had　been　nine　months　before…　empty。　She'd　be　a　little　older；　and　a　little　wiser；　and　know　that　if　this　happened　again；　it　was　a　lot　better　to　have　the　abortion　done　in　the　second　or　third　month；　before　you　got　too　attached　to　the　damned　thing。　Damned　sure　it　was　a　lot　more　fortable　than　going　through　a　whole　labor　for　nothing。　That　was　sad；　but　there　was　much　sadness　in　life；　and　for　this　part　of　it　they'd　all　volunteered。　The　doctor　had　chosen　to　bee　a　doctor；　and　the　woman　in　#3　had　chosen　to　bee　pregnant。
　He　came　into　#3；　wearing　his　mask；　because　he　didn't　want　to　'give　the　woman　any　infection。　That　was　why　he　used　a　clean　syringe；　in　case　he　should　slip　and　stick　her　by　mistake。
　So。
　He　sat　on　the　usual　stool　that　obstetricians　used　both　for　delivering　babies　and　for　aborting　the　late…term　ones。　The　procedure　they　used　in　America　was　a　little　more　pleasant。　Just　poke　into　the　baby's　skull；　suck　the　brains　out；　crush　the　skull　and　deliver　the　package　with　a　lot　less　trouble　than　a　full…term　fetus；　and　a　lot　easier　on　the　woman。　He　wondered　what　the　story　was　on　this　one；　but　there　was　no　sense　in　knowing；　was　there？　No　sense　knowing　that　which　you　can't　change。
　So。
　He　looked。　She　was　fully　dilated　and　effaced；　and；　yes；　there　was　the　head。　Hairy　little　thing。　Better　give　her　another　minute　or　two；　so　that　after　he　did　his　duty　she　could　expel　the　fetus　in　one　push　and　be　done　with　it。　Then　she　could　go　off　and　cry　for　a　while　and　start　getting　over　it。　He　was　concentrating　a　little　too　much　to　note　the　motion　in　the　corridor　outside　the　labor　room。
　
　Yang　pushed　the　door　open　himself。　And　there　it　all　was；　I　for　all　of　them　to　see。　Lien…Hua　was　on　the　delivery　table。　Quon　had　never　seen　one　of　them　before；　and　the　way　it　held　a　woman's　legs　up　and　apart；　it　looked　for　all　the　world　like　a　device　to　make　women　easier　to　rape。　His　wife's　head　was　back　and　down；　not　up　and　looking　to　see　her　child　born；　and　then　he　saw　why。
　There　was　the。。；　doctor；　was　he？　And　in　his　hand　a　large　needle　full　of…
　…they　were　in　time！　Yang　Quon　pushed　the　doctor　aside；　off　his　stool。　He　darted　right　to　his　wife's　face。
　〃I　am　here！　Reverend　Yu　came　with　me；　Lien。〃　It　was　like　a　light　ing　on　in　a　darkened　room。
　〃Quon！〃　Lien…Hua　cried　out；　feeling　her　need　to　push；　and　finally　wanting　to。
　But　then　things　became　more　plicated　still。　The　hospital　had　its　own　security　personnel；　but　on　being　alerted　by　the　clerk　in　the　main　lobby；　one　of　them　called　for　the　police；　who；　unlike　the　hospital's　own　personnel；　were　armed。　Two　of　them　appeared　in　the　corridor；　surprised　first　of　all　to　see　foreigners　with　TV　equipment　right　there　in　front　of　them。　Ignoring　them；　they　pushed　into　the　delivery　room　to　find　a　pregnant　woman　about　to　deliver；　a　doctor　on　the　floor；　and　four　men；　two　of　them　foreigners　as　well！
　〃What　goes　on　here！〃　the　senior　one　bellowed；　since　intimidation　was　a　major　tool　for　controlling　people　in　the　PRC。
　〃These　people　are　interfering　with　my　duties！〃　the　doctor　answered；　with　a　shout　of　his　own。　If　he　didn't　act　fast；　the　damned　baby　would　be　born　and　breathe；　and　then　he　couldn't。。。
　〃What？〃　the　cop　demanded　of　him。
　〃This　woman　has　an　unauthorized　pregnancy；　and　it　is　my　duty　to　terminate　the　fetus　now。　These　people　are　in　my　way。　Please　remove　them　from　the　room。〃
　That　was　enough　for　the　cops。　They　turned　to　the　obviously　unauthorized　visitors。　〃You　will　leave　now！〃　the　senior　one　ordered；　while　the　junior　one　kept　his　hand　on　his　service　pistol。
　〃No！〃　was　the　immediate　reply；　both　from　Yang　Quon　andYu　FaAn。
　〃The　doctor　has　given　his　order；　you　must　leave；〃　the　cop　insisted。　He　was　unaccustomed　to　having　ordinary　people　resist　his　orders。　〃You　will　go　now！〃
　The　doctor　figured　this　was　the　cue　for　him　to　plete　his　distasteful　duty；　so　that　he　could　go　home　for　the　day。　He　set　the　stool　back　up　and　slid　it　to　where　he　needed　to　be。
　〃You　will　not　do　this！〃　This　time　it　was　Yu；　speaking　with　all　the　moral　authority　his　education　and　status　could　provide。
　〃Will　you　get　him　out　of　here？〃　the　doctor　growled　at　the　cops；　as　he　slid　the　stool　back　in　place。
　Quon　was　ill…positioned　to　do　anything；　standing　as　he　was　by　his　wife's　head。　To　his　horror；　he　saw　the　doctor　lift　the　syringe　and　adjust　his　glasses。　Just　then　his　wife；　who　might　as　well　have　been　in　another　city　for　the　past　two　minutes；　took　a　deep　breath　and　pushed。
　〃Ah；〃　the　doctor　said。　The　fetus　was　fully　crowned　now；　and　all　he　had　to　do　was…　Reverend　Yu　had　seen　as　much　evil　in　his　life　as　most　clergymen；　and　they　see　as　much　as　any　seasoned　police　officer；　but　to　see　a　human　baby　murdered　before　his　eyes　was　just　too　much。　He　roughly　shoved　the　junior　of　the　two　policemen　aside　and　struck　the　doctor's　head　from　behind；　flinging　him　to　the　right　and　jumping　on　top　of　him。
　〃Getting　this？〃　Barry　Wise　asked　in　t