This Is The Story- Part 2

Part 1

Once the nurses left the room and were waiting for the doctors to come in, Nathan told me what happened.

It was February 13, 2012. The weather was cold, rainy, and snowy. We have two dogs who stay outside during the day, but if the weather is bad we allow them to stay inside. Nathan was so sweet to think of me that morning before he left for work and put up a baby gate to keep the dogs out of our bedroom. He knows I hate when they get on my bed.

That afternoon Nathan picked Camden up from daycare and came home. When they got home he was playing with the baby in the recliner and Camden, doing what 4 month olds do, spit up on his shirt. Nathan hates spit up. I think its the smell. He got up with the baby and went to our bedroom to change his shirt. Being the awesome dad that he is, he was talking to the baby on their way to the room. He forgot that the baby gate was there. And down they went.

Nathan did what he could to hold the baby up but as physics would have it, when a six foot, 180 lb. man hits a baby gate at his knees and one hand is tied up holding an infant, its hard to maintain any control. Nathan and the baby crashed to the floor. Camden hit his right side on the hard wood floor. Nathan busted up his knee.

Jesus was there though. If Nathan had not been holding Camden like he was and talking to him as they walked, Camden's head would not have been in his hand. But is was. Only rib damage. Nothing in his brain was touched.

Lucky? Not a chance.

Blessed? All day long.

Nathan said that as he brought Camden up, he could feel ribs popping in his little body. Thats when he panicked. People fall and drop babies all the time. Accidents happen. But the rib popping- thats scary.

And unusual apparently.

Neither of us were aware of the oddity of this injury. While we were in the waiting room I got a text from my brother who used to work at LeBonheur. He told me not to be shocked if we had to talk to a social worker. Protocol.

Protocol. I have come to hate that word.

About 30 minutes went by and we were greeted by a doctor. He came in all stern, shook our hands, and then began the words that would change our lives.

"This type of accident is very rare. Yes, people fall with their babies all the time but babies don't break ribs. Their bones are very soft so for them to have broken bones, we have to look into foul play. Abuse, if you will. I am not saying that that is what happened, but because of the rarity of this injury we would like to admit you tonight and have to speak to a social worker in the morning."

His words ended as fast as they began and he left. When your child has broken ribs, any kind of "official and legal" speech is all slurred together. Yea, I heard that we would have to talk to a social worker -my brother warned me of that. But the rest, well would would tackle that the next day.

The next day-

February 14. Valentine's Day. The day of love.

I like to call this day Hell.

At least in room 1022 thats what it felt like.

To be continued.