Incubator 212

by Nicole Little

Unable to wipe away the sweat or tears, hampered by restraints, the woman suppressed the urge to push, instead taking quick breaths.

 “It’s time,” the doctor snapped.

White coats hovered in her limited field of vision.

She felt the tug, the vibration, as her belly was opened up; heard the cry of the baby as it was removed efficiently from her gaping womb.

“Good job 212. A healthy boy!”

She choked back a futile scream.

“Clean the mess,” he ordered the nurse. “And for Christ’s sake, don’t forget to zip her back up again. Can’t have another one bleeding out.”

Nicole Little

Nicole Little lives in Newfoundland, Canada. Her short stories have appeared in seventeen anthologies. Her first novella, The Lotus Fountain: A Slipstreamers Adventure launched November 2020. In her spare time, Nicole has either a pen in her hand or her nose in a book. She is married with two daughters.