Bad News for New Father

A man is waiting nervously for news of his new-born baby when a nurse walks in. ‘It’s bad news,’ she says. ‘Your baby is badly deformed.’ Naturally the man tells himself that he will love the baby whatever it looks like. The midwife then leads the man out to the incubators. Passing a baby that is no more than a head, the midwife says ‘Brace yourself, dear – your baby is a lot worse than this.’ Finally they arrive at the incubator and the father stares open-mouthed at his child. For there, sitting on the blanket, is a pair of eyeballs blinking away. ‘I’m sorry,’ offers the midwife. The man, holding back tears, says, ‘It’s my baby and I’ll look after it the best I can.’ He gives the little eyes a tender wave. ‘I wouldn’t bother doing that,’ says the midwife. ‘It’s blind.’