//------------------------------//
// Angelo 
// Story: Mission: Astro 
// by Robert Emerald Fountain 
//------------------------------//

Two days into their mapping of Earth, Flurry Heart and her friends went to visit Marie and Andrew so they could see how much longer Marie had. Upon arriving at the door, they saw that Marie was waiting for Andrew to lead her out to the car. They hoped that the trip wouldn't be too treacherous since a thunderstorm had just started.

“Are you due today?”, asked Sandbar.

“We don’t know, but it’s better to be early.”, said Andrew. 

“Would you mind watching Lizzie while we are at the hospital?”, asked Marie.

Flurry said yes and they moved to let Marie and Andrew go outside. Suddenly, a lightning bolt struck the transformer on a nearby electrical pole, causing a blackout in the entire neighborhood. The loud boom from the thunder startled Lizzie and she screamed at the top of her lungs, but Ocellus quickly ran over and helped her calm down. Andrew continued helping Marie get in the car, but then a worrisome report came up on the radio. A traffic accident had blocked the route that led to the hospital.

“Well that’s just great. We can’t get to the hospital. Is there any way you can help us?”, Andrew asked nervously.

“We sure can. Come with us.”, said Flurry.

Yona and Sandbar volunteered to watch Lizzie while Andrew started the car and followed the rest of the crew to their ship at the edge of Splatsville. Once they were on board the Alicorn, Marie sat down in a wheelchair and Andrew followed Smolder and Gallus to the medical wing. 

In the medical area, Smolder powered up an ultrasound machine while Gallus helped Marie lie down on the gurney. Then Smolder moved the wand over Marie’s stomach so they could check on their son’s status. The scan revealed a complication. Smolder became concerned and called to Silverstream over headset.

“Silverstream, this is Smolder. I need you to join Gallus and I in the medical wing. Andrew and Marie’s son has a possible complication. The umbilical cord is around his neck and could strangle him.”, she said.

“Copy that, Smolder. I’m on my way.”, Silverstream replied.

Marie became worried in a split-second.

“Please don’t let our son die. Lizzie is so excited about becoming a big sister.”, said Andrew as his heart began racing.

“We will do everything in our power to make sure your son arrives safely.”, said Gallus gently.

As Silverstream ran into the room, Gallus placed a fetal heart monitor over Marie’s stomach to check the baby’s heartbeat and he suddenly became frantic when he saw the results.

“MEDICAL ALERT! We need to do surgery, NOW!”, he shrieked.

“WHAT?”, asked Marie.

“Your son’s heart rate has spiked. Now his health is in danger. If we don't act fast, you will lose him.”, said Smolder.

“Why did you say you need to do surgery?”, asked Andrew.

“If a baby’s health is in danger, it necessitates an emergency cesarean-section for delivery. This means a normal delivery is out of the question. You must wait outside until we are finished.”, said Silverstream as she helped Marie into a medical gown and put a hairnet on her head.

“Good luck dear.”, said Andrew.

Marie gave Andrew a kiss before Gallus wheeled her into the operating room, then Ocellus led him to a waiting room.

Once Marie was on the bed, Smolder dropped a curtain to hide what she and her comrades were doing. Flurry came down as well to keep an eye on Marie’s vital signs. Moments later, Smolder spoke to Marie.

“Alright Marie, we're numbing your lower region so you shouldn't feel anything.”, she explained.

Marie nodded in acceptance as she started breathing heavily. Just then, the monitors for her son’s vital signs flashed up an alert that oxygen was dropping. 

“Marie, we don’t have time to let the anesthesia do its job. We need to start NOW!”, cried Silverstream.

Marie began to sweat in nervousness when Silverstream said this. She had just been told that she would feel the pain from the instruments. Smolder bravely picked up a special scalpel that used a laser instead of a blade. The laser would cauterize the incision as it was made, in order to limit bleeding. As the laser began cutting through Marie’s skin, she began screaming in pain. After the first incision was made, Smolder held it open with retractors and started a second cut to open the uterus. At this point, Marie screamed even louder until her eyes became glazed over and she went silent. When Flurry looked at Marie’s vitals, she was startled.

“SMOLDER, HOLD UP! MARIE HAS PASSED OUT!”, she screamed.

“INTUBATE, NOW!”, Smolder yelled back.

Flurry nodded and quickly slid an air tube down Marie’s throat. After hooking the tube to a breathing apparatus and confirming Marie was stable, Flurry gave Smolder an all-clear to continue the surgery. Smolder nodded back and opened up the uterus. Once she had slit the amniotic sac, she extracted the little baby. Once Silverstream had gotten the umbilical cord off of the baby’s neck, she clamped and cut it. Seconds later, as Smolder was suturing the incisions shut, Marie’s new son let out his first cry. It was so loud that Gallus stumbled backwards and knocked several medicine vials to the floor, breaking them and spilling their contents. Marie was even startled awake to the point that Flurry was able to take her off of the breathing apparatus.

“Marie’s awake again and breathing on her own.”, said Flurry.

Half an hour later, when Marie was bandaged and taken into recovery, Flurry came to see Andrew after she had diapered the little baby.

“Your son is healthy.”, she told him with a smile.

“Wonderful.”, said Andrew.

Flurry led Andrew to the recovery room where Marie was and then she left so they could have some time alone. When Andrew saw his newborn son, he melted into joy. His son had green tentacles just like Marie’s and blue eyes just like his. Marie had already shed tears of joy and she still had streaks under her eyes.

“He’s just like me.”, Andrew whispered as his son fell asleep in Marie’s arms.

“I’m naming him Angelo.”, said Marie through her tears.

A few days later, Marie was completely healed from her surgery and ready to go home. This was due to the fact that Smolder had administered a special serum formulated to heal wounds and surgical sites at lightning speed with little to no flaws. After Flurry and her crew followed Andrew home, they went inside first to tell Lizzie that her brother had been born.

“May I see him?”, asked Lizzie in excitement.

Smolder motioned Andrew and Marie to come in and then she picked Lizzie up. When Lizzie and Angelo saw each other for the first time, their mouths dropped open for a moment and then they joined hands and hugged each other tightly. After making sure they were all ready, Flurry gathered her friends and they continued with their mission. Once they had mapped out the rest of the Earth, they returned to space to continue on their mission.