Long description for Bernadette and Duginski's illustrated story

Panel one: The scene is a bedroom in Sacramento, December 1989. Paul’s wife, Bernadette, reaches over to wake him, saying, “Honey, wake up! I think this is it!” All of the scenes until the final one are in black and white to accentuate the oppressiveness of the tule fog and the darkness of the night.

Panel two: Paul sits on the edge of the bed, calling their doctor’s service. The voice on the other end of the line says, “You’d better bring her to the hospital…” Bernadette, sitting on the other side of the bed, is experiencing labor pains, and says, “Ooh!”

Panel three: Backing out in Paul’s 1987 Ford Mustang GT, the headlights struggle to pierce the fog. Paul says, “This fog is thick. I could hardly see if the garage door closed.” Bernadette responds, “Just hurry… ooh!”

Panel four: Bzzz! Paul is rolling down the Mustang’s driver’s side window. “Don’t roll down the window! It’s freezing!” says Bernadette. Paul says, “I can’t see beyond the end of the hood. I have to listen — it’s the only way I know if anything is coming.”

Panel five: On northbound Interstate 80: Paul says, “I think this is our offramp coming up… I can’t read the sign.” Bernadette says, “Ungh!”

Panel six: On surface streets: “I think this is where we turn… I’m not sure,” says Paul. Bernadette just says, “Whewww, hurry!”

Panel seven: The lights above the suburban hospital parking lot came into view through the thick fog: “This is a cul-de-sac!” says Paul. “I can see the hospital lights, but I can’t get to them.” Bernadette says, “Oh my God, hurry!”

Panel eight: “Oh, my God, #*!#%!” says Bernadette from the rider’s side of the Mustang, whose headlights barely penetrate the thick tule fog. Paul says, “We need to turn back! This is like a #*!*#% maze!”

Panel nine: After frantically backtracking, we finally escaped the labyrinth of streets near American River Hospital… The car is viewed from above in three smaller panels, as they try to find their way out of the maze. From the rider’s side, Bernadette says, “Oooh! Whew!” Paul asks, “Are you doin’ OK, honey? She responds with “Groan!”

Panel 10: The couple finally is shown walking toward a brightly lit ER entrance. Paul says, “It’s gonna be OK — we’re here… Look, they’ve got a wheelchair ready for you…”

Panel 11: In the next few hours, my wife, Bernadette gave birth