Balancing the Books

by Blue Gal

Meg lay on the operating table in the quasi-stupor that comes from being numb from the armpits down. As an accountant with the Social Security Administration, she knew more than her obstetrician thought she did: that on average, he lost money with every baby he delivered. Yes, she'd see him for a couple of post-partum visits, but unless she had a third (and of course her tubes were being done right after the delivery), there was not much more serious cash he could get out of her insurance company once the baby was out. She couldn't feel the C-section incision or too much of the extraction, but she heard the fanfare of men's shouts when her daughter's body emerged. The celebrations and congratulations Oh she's beautiful! All right! Woot! came not just from her husband but also from Doctor Verigan, who didn't cry like Jeff did, naturally, but his eyes twinkled. Only then did she think, Ah, they're a growth industry, babies.

6S

Blue Gal writes for lots of blogs, most notably Blue Gal, The Aristocrats, and Crooks and Liars. Her own blog Blue Gal is a winner of both the 2006 Weblog Award for her audience size category, as well as the Postie Award given by Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. She has been blogging and community-building with small bloggers since Election Day, 2004. Her three wonderful children often feed themselves and know to look for her in the computer room.