Desideratum - Stranger Things

Prologue

"She's not breathing!" The doctor shouted.

"What do you mean she's not breathing?" The woman whirled to the doctor. "Fix it!"

"Ma'am, please calm down," a nurse ordered.

"Calm down?" The woman glared at the nurse. "I'm being paid for this!"

The doctors and nurses all scrambled around the room, doing their hardest to help restore breathing. The only thing the woman could focus on was the fact that there wasn't a cry. She needed a cry. Any type of sound and she would be settled. She would be good.

A loud cry erupted in the room as the doctors all let out a breath, one of them letting a nurse take her away.

"It's a girl," the doctor smiled at the woman. "Congratulations."

"Thank you, and now I'm one million richer," she grinned, head falling back as she relaxed.

After a few minutes, a nurse took the couple in the waiting room to the nursery, where they smiled at the baby in the crib behind the glass.

"There was a complication with the birth," the nurse began, the couple turning to her with deep glares.

"What do you mean?" The man asked.

"The umbilical cord was wrapped around her throat, we don't know how long," the nurse began to explain. "The doctors were able to get her to breathe but we don't know what type of problems could surface because of the umbilical cord."

"I'm sure she'll be fine," the woman waved it off, looking at her husband. "We should find her."

"Of course," he nodded. "Where would the mother be?"

"I'll take you to her room," the nurse nodded and began to lead the couple to the room.

As soon as they entered the room, the man broke out into a big smile. "Thank you so much!" He chuckled, walking over and shaking the woman's hand despite how sweaty it was.

"You're welcome," she smiled, blinking the exhaustion away.

"Now, as promised," the man smiled and pulled a pen and checkbook out of his coat pocket. He scribbled the information down and tore the check out of his book, turning to the woman. "Use it wisely."

"Thank you, and I wish you and your family good luck," the woman grinned, looking at his wife who carried a baby in her arms.

"Here she is," a nurse announced as she carted the new baby into the room, a smile on her face.

"Why don't you meet your new sister?" The woman walked over and let her son stare at his sister.

She had soft blonde hair and her skin was red, but it was hardly noticeable beneath the pink swaddle the nurses had put her in. The baby let out a tiny sound and opened her eyes to reveal something shocking both parents.

"H-her eyes," the father mumbled. "What's wrong with her eyes?"

"What did you do?" The woman turned to the surrogate mother with a glare.

"I did nothing, she has your DNA," the mother shook her head.

"The condition is not uncommon," the nurse assured the new parents. "I'll get the doctor so he can explain."

The parents watched the nurse leave and looked back at their daughter. Who blinked in confusion. She wasn't sure why everyone was yelling but it had made her slightly fussy, as she began to whimper and move around in the crib.

The other blonde baby just stared at the newborn with an excited expression, eyes wide and mouth open as he looked at her.

"What seems to be the problem?" A doctor walked with a smile.