Devi

The Labor Room was in a state of restless silence. Heavy, grey clouds were gathering outside and a cool breeze was blowing, promising relief from the sweltering October heat. Yet, the interns and residents on duty were on edge. When things got this quiet, it was always either followed or preceded a storm - and no storm had struck yet.

At around 3 am, the Registrar, Priyanka, roused herself from her nap on the table and started her round. There were only 3 patients currently in labor, all in the latent phase – meaning that it would be quite a while before they actually delivered. Having taken care of their paperwork and blood-work, both interns on duty were enjoying a rare few hours of sleep during their 12 hour night shift. Luck had run out for one of them though.