Prologue Summary

The novel opens in a hospital in Detroit, Michigan, where Mary Millman is delivering a baby. Mary is acting as the surrogate mother for Dr. Victor Frank and his wife Dr. Marsha Frank, who are both present. The Franks are the biological parents of the baby, and Dr. Frank is a fertility specialist who has personally performed the in vitro fertilization and implantation.

Mary seems surprised by how painful the experience is. Marsha is a reassuring and experienced mother. Victor is exceptionally nervous and intrusive. The delivering doctor recalls how Victor made numerous exceptional demands during prenatal care, including the unnecessary application of the antibiotic cephaloclor for a specific three-week period during the pregnancy.

The baby is delivered, and Victor is greatly relieved to see that it appears to be normal and healthy. The baby does not cry, but instead manages to grab...