Zoom立ち会い｜Zoom Witness｜2020/11/09

夜中に妻が陣痛が激しくなって、病院に行った。この病院ではコロナの影響で立会いも面会もできない。タクシーで送っていってあとは看護婦さんに任せるしかない。ただ病室とzoomでつなげることができるのだが、これがまた辛い。妻の痛み苦しむ姿を見てもどうすることもできず、ただ見守るだけだ。言葉をかける方がいいのかどうかも躊躇してしまう。何もできないとしてもそばにいることができればと思うのだが、画面越しだ。同じ場で同じ時間を共有しているのとは大違い。ただ画面を見ている自分の姿も嫌になる。早く元の状態に戻ることを祈るばかりだ。（絵と文：サカキテツ朗）

In the middle of the night, my wife was in severe labor and we went to the hospital. Due to the influence of Corona, this hospital cannot be witnessed or visited. I had no choice but to send her by taxi and leave her to the nurse. I could  just connect to the hospital room with zoom, but this was also painful. I could not do anything when I see my wife suffering from pain, I just watched over her. I also hesitated whether it is better to say a word. Even if I could not do anything, I wished I could be by her side, but it was over the screen. It was very different from sharing the same time in the same place. However, I didn't like the way I watched at the screen. I just pray that it will return to its original state soon. -Text and illustration by Ted Sakaki