Batman

Bet you're wondering what this book has to do with Batman.

Well stick around for a minute.

Allow me regale you with a tale from our NICU days and soon it will all make sense.
********
J and I developed a routine during the girls' hospital stay.
I spent most of the day by their beds and
J made sure the electricity stayed on.

After work, we made a joint visit to tuck the girls in for the night.

Because we were bound by the staff's shift change schedule, we often didn't make it into the bay (area where the babies were) until 10pm.

Then, we spent time with each girl... talking, stroking, singing and reading to her.
A story book staple was Richard Scarry's Best Storybook Ever.

On this particular night, the girls were 6 or 7 days old.
Em was having a bad jaundice day and got to stay under the bili light during our visit.
So, J sat by her bed reading and I held Roo by her bed.

Wait.
******
Before I continue this story, you need some background information about the NICU.

It was housed on the top floor of a high rise hospital building. Nothing above the roof but air. And the floor plan is ver' important to this tale, as well.

Imagine a long rectangle.

Never mind.

It looked like this.
The girls had separate beds in the bottom right corner of box 1.


******

So, J sat by Em's bed reading from the Best Storybook Ever.
I was tucked into a corner by Roo's bed as I held her on my chest.


Something from the corner of my vision caught my attention.

I looked up and saw a strange object.

Flying.

Down the long hallway of the NICU.

Past the nurses station.

Straight towards me.

And my babies.

And I completely lost the ability to form sentences.
All I could do was say J's name. Over and over in a panicked stage whisper.

He rushed over, thinking that Roo was in crisis.

Then, he followed the direction of my wild gaze.

And saw this.

Flying directly at us.

I pulled Roo into my chest and curled myself over her.

J leaped in front of Em's crib and brandished the only weapon he had.

The Best Storybook Ever.


He slammed the bat away from our babies.
Followed it as it spun and flew back towards the other babies in bay 2.
J swung again, connected, and sent the beast to his maker.

Then, he walked back to me and the girls.

Calmly took some hand sanitizer. Put it on a paper towel.

And wiped off the book.

********
And that is why all of our nurses called him Batman.


Our hero. For real.