Chapter 13. The Eruption (I)

"To tell the truth, it's a story I've always been used to hearing from others. I've never had the chance to tell it to another person. But I soon realized it's better that you hear it from me than from someone else. We said that friends tell each other things, didn't we?" Loy asked Lin with a smile. She nodded her head affirmatively. He took a long breath.

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Kali held her newborn son in her arms as he screamed his heart out. She and Aber, her husband, looked at him with wide smiles.

"We've been waiting for you for so long... All the people in our town are already talking about you. They haven't stopped asking your father about you. Did you know? He's quite famous in town. And now, so are you. Our first son. Our eldest. How would we name you?" Kali said as she looked at Aber.

"You haven't settled on a name yet?" asked the hospital nurse with delight.

"Not yet..." Kali answered shamefully, "I don't know... I've thought about it a lot but I haven't decided yet..." she shared in frustrated. "What now? Finally heading home?" she asked exhausted.

"If it's your preference, you can rejuvenate yourself at home for a few days. However you choose, he will be released only in a week or so." answered the nurse.

"A week? Why so long?" Kali asked surprised.

"You didn't tell her?" he asked Aber.

"I haven't had time yet," Aber responded, "did you really think she would have a moment to listen in all the pain she was going through?" He chuckled out loud. "Or did you really think I would remember all of what you said?" he thought to himself.

"Because of the eruption." explained the hospital nurse.

"The eruption?" Kali asked in confusion.

"When we are born, we are not connected yet to our Energia. After about a week, there is a small exit of Energia from the body and then our Energia flows freely for the rest of our lives, until death." stated the nurse. "This process is called "Eruption". "Usually, the eruption is very small and hardly noticed. This is why the hospital has a room equipped with advanced devices designed to detect when the eruption occurs. As in any other hospital, the process is monitored in the dedicated Energia room and if the baby does not experience an "Eruption", it means that the baby has a certain barrier, whether it is a problem of weak Energia or other reasons that prevent the eruption. We analyze it and treat it accordingly. I can't verify this information myself, but I've heard in the past that certain diseases or developmental gaps were also linked to the "Eruption". So, with time it became one of the necessary processes to monitor before the release of a newborn from the hospital." The nurse concluded.

"I could have said it better." said Aber.

"So, what now?" Kali asked, "What are we supposed to do?".

"You don't have to do anything. We'll move him to the eruption room to stay with the other newborns. The Energia detection machine is an expensive one, so we have a dedicated room full of newborns. The device monitors and verifies the status of all of them, each when their time comes. Once the machine detects that his eruption has occurred, he will be released home immediately.".

"Magnificent!" Kali smiled as she hugged her baby little body one last time before he was carried into the eruption room.

Soon, he was placed in a small bed in the cramped room.

"How many babies do you think there are in here?" Kali asked as she walked in.

"Wow…" said Aber amazed looking at the packed room and the electronic devices hanging from its ceiling. "I don't know... 50? Too much for our little house that's for sure." he replied.

"Close. 41." revealed the nurse. "This is your baby, bed 21. Do you have already a name for him?" he asked.

Kali didn't pay attention to his question as she was mesmerized by her son looks. " He's so beautiful..." she said aloud. His thin black hair adorned his head. A round, soft face with big eyes.

"Just like a doll. When we walked in here, I wasn't sure if it was a baby or a toy." Aber joked around.

"A toy?" Kali thought to herself. "Toy. Toy... what about... Loy?" she asked.

"Loy?" Aber asked skeptically, "I've never heard that name before." He replied undecided. "So what? It just makes it more special. I love that name. Loy." Kali smiled as she caressed his face.

"Loy..." Aber repeated aloud as he tried to find the correct pronounce for the name. "I don't know why... but... I kind of like it...!" he exclaimed surprised.

The hospital nurse raised his eyebrows awkwardly, "The names people come up with for their children this day..." he thought as he facepalmed.

"Just a few more days Loy. Just a few more days and you'll be home for the first time. Okay? Be patient, like we've been waiting for you all these years." Kali talked to him softly.

Aber bent down to him. "Look at those arms! You're a quite the man Loy! Even more than your father!" he shouted aloud with a big smile. "Everyone is waiting to see you. We've been waiting for you. We've been waiting for you so long…" he whispered softly, Kali looked at him with tears in her eyes, leaning on him as tears of joy went down her eyes. Aber hugged her closely.

"Just a few more days." he smiled as he looked at him.