Brennan’s mysterious detachment kicked in again.  There he was, watching all this going on and his mind was off on another track.  His heart was in his mouth, his pulse setting new records and his stomach turning over, not with revulsion but with sympathy and an ache to take her place and endure the pain himself.

Eventually the procedure was over and the eggs were gathered.  A few hours later a nurse walked unceremoniously up to Brennan, handed him a pot and asked him to provide his sample.  A room had been provided for the purpose which contained two chairs – why he couldn’t imagine – a wash-hand basin, a roller towel and a box-file with a half dozen copies of old soft-porn magazines to aid the process.

Brennan noted that the magazines had been updated since his last visit and proceeded to provide his sample.  It took seconds.  This was a straightforward medical procedure, not a sexual adventure.

He handed back the pot and went to find his wife in the recovery room, high as a kite, drifting in and out of consciousness.  The nurse told Brennan that his sperm count was as expected – not the best news he’d heard – and that they could go.

They spent that night despondent.

Brennan was convinced his sperm count would result in zero fertilisation and that Julie would never forgive him.

Julie was too anxious and too doped up for conversation.

They hardly slept.

At 9.30 the following morning the hospital called and told Brennan that they had three fertilised eggs.

TRIPLETS!!!???!!!

They were elated.  Brennan actually beamed.  Julie was ecstatic.

The following day they returned to the hospital.  They were early and stopped at a pub just around the corner from the John Radcliffe where Julie smoked three cigarettes in succession.  Once the embryos were in she was quitting.  No smoking during pregnancy.  Brennan had insisted and she had agreed, willingly.

The nurse gave them a photograph of the embryos.  Little eggs that had burst their shells and were starting to grow.  Like that scene from the end of one of the Star Trek films when a dead planet suddenly bursts into life.

Brennan was stuck for words.

Julie lay down on the couch again and a nurse used another syringe which looked about a yard long and was called a “rocket” to inject the embryos into the womb.  Then she lay still for an hour before they left.  It was down to nature now.