| General Fiction posted May 31, 2024 |
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A Psychiatric Emergency
Changeling
by Terry Reilly
The Fairies and the Baby Contest Winner
It had been a long and arduous labour.
Elvira feared for the health of her first born. She had heard a cry, like the mewling of a cat, before she lost consciousness, so she knew the child was alive. But...
Her immediate surroundings took shape as she opened her eyes and her brain started to fill in the missing gaps. Imperfectly. There was a surreal quality to what she saw, sensed, felt.
The creature holding the child - a human child - looked sombre.
"Elvira. Your daughter is abnormal. I'm so sorry. The fairies took the fruit of your loins and replaced it
with a chimera. A hybrid. A changeling."
Through distorting eyes the new mother saw a green goblin holding a baby with a human body and the head of a cat. She wanted to reach out to her baby, but recoiled. She felt sick, repulsed.
"Why? How could this happen? And who are you? Where is Dr. Fleming?"
She felt the emotion surging within. A whirlpool. A volcanic eruption.
She threw herself forward on the bed, shrieking, grabbing for the child.
"I want my baby back. I'll kill this impostor. I'll kill the fairies. I'll kill you all"
Elvira was out of control, raging, raving, sweating, heaving, thrashing around in desperation.
The fairies on either side now had hold of her arms, gently but firmly restraining her, trying to ease her back flat on the bed. She spat and bit and cursed, tears coursing down her pale cheeks.
"Draw up some i/v diazepam and i/m chlorpromazine" said Dr. Fleming. "Rapid sedation required.
Post-partum psychosis is one of the saddest things. And this is bad. Look after the healthy baby and I'll 'phone round to try and a find a Psychiatric Mother and Baby Unit within a fifty mile radius."
It had been a long and arduous labour.
Elvira feared for the health of her first born. She had heard a cry, like the mewling of a cat, before she lost consciousness, so she knew the child was alive. But...
Her immediate surroundings took shape as she opened her eyes and her brain started to fill in the missing gaps. Imperfectly. There was a surreal quality to what she saw, sensed, felt.
The creature holding the child - a human child - looked sombre.
"Elvira. Your daughter is abnormal. I'm so sorry. The fairies took the fruit of your loins and replaced it
with a chimera. A hybrid. A changeling."
Through distorting eyes the new mother saw a green goblin holding a baby with a human body and the head of a cat. She wanted to reach out to her baby, but recoiled. She felt sick, repulsed.
"Why? How could this happen? And who are you? Where is Dr. Fleming?"
She felt the emotion surging within. A whirlpool. A volcanic eruption.
She threw herself forward on the bed, shrieking, grabbing for the child.
"I want my baby back. I'll kill this impostor. I'll kill the fairies. I'll kill you all"
Elvira was out of control, raging, raving, sweating, heaving, thrashing around in desperation.
The fairies on either side now had hold of her arms, gently but firmly restraining her, trying to ease her back flat on the bed. She spat and bit and cursed, tears coursing down her pale cheeks.
"Draw up some i/v diazepam and i/m chlorpromazine" said Dr. Fleming. "Rapid sedation required.
Post-partum psychosis is one of the saddest things. And this is bad. Look after the healthy baby and I'll 'phone round to try and a find a Psychiatric Mother and Baby Unit within a fifty mile radius."
Elvira feared for the health of her first born. She had heard a cry, like the mewling of a cat, before she lost consciousness, so she knew the child was alive. But...
Her immediate surroundings took shape as she opened her eyes and her brain started to fill in the missing gaps. Imperfectly. There was a surreal quality to what she saw, sensed, felt.
The creature holding the child - a human child - looked sombre.
"Elvira. Your daughter is abnormal. I'm so sorry. The fairies took the fruit of your loins and replaced it
with a chimera. A hybrid. A changeling."
Through distorting eyes the new mother saw a green goblin holding a baby with a human body and the head of a cat. She wanted to reach out to her baby, but recoiled. She felt sick, repulsed.
"Why? How could this happen? And who are you? Where is Dr. Fleming?"
She felt the emotion surging within. A whirlpool. A volcanic eruption.
She threw herself forward on the bed, shrieking, grabbing for the child.
"I want my baby back. I'll kill this impostor. I'll kill the fairies. I'll kill you all"
Elvira was out of control, raging, raving, sweating, heaving, thrashing around in desperation.
The fairies on either side now had hold of her arms, gently but firmly restraining her, trying to ease her back flat on the bed. She spat and bit and cursed, tears coursing down her pale cheeks.
"Draw up some i/v diazepam and i/m chlorpromazine" said Dr. Fleming. "Rapid sedation required.
Post-partum psychosis is one of the saddest things. And this is bad. Look after the healthy baby and I'll 'phone round to try and a find a Psychiatric Mother and Baby Unit within a fifty mile radius."
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Writing Prompt Write a flash fiction story called "The Fairies and the Baby". The story should be no longer than 300 words. The story can be for adults or children. The fairies can be of any tradition from Victorian flower fairies to Shakespearean fairies to trooping fairies and beyond. Have fun! |
The Fairies and the Baby Contest Winner |
One of the most gut-wrenching scenarios obstetricians and psychiatrists encounter. With appropriate care and treatment the prognosis, fortunately, is usually good. Psychiatric Mother and Baby Units are a scarce resource. Finding an available bed within reasonable distance is problematic. Yet so important. Mother and baby must be kept together and sympathetically encouraged to bond, yet accessibility to close friends and family is paramount. I will vote for any prospective Government which promises to address this lack of resource.
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