A/N:This is the first story in a series of four, which I think I'll find pretty exciting to write about. I hope you'll find it as interesting to read! Thanks as usual to jtbwriter, Harry2, Bishop T and Kyryn, and especially to PDXWiz, who came up with the idea that covers the first three of the four tales in this line. Enjoy, all!
§ § § -- August 6, 2004
"Miss Leslie? Dr. Corbett's ready for you and the triplets," said the receptionist with a smile that seemed sympathetic. She knew as well as Christian and Leslie did why they were here. It wasn't just a well-baby checkup: the triplets were two months old now, and they were due for their first immunizations. Leslie thought it appropriate that, though this Friday morning had dawned clear and sunny, it had clouded up on their way to the hospital, and now it was plainly threatening to rain.
"Come on, my Rose, you know this is necessary," Christian said with a sympathetic smile of his own, getting to his feet and picking up two of the infant carriers. "No parent in his or her right mind would want a child coming down with a disease that can be easily prevented, and I know you're no different."
"I'm not," Leslie said, lifting the carrier containing Susanna, "but I wish there were a nicer way of administering the immunizations than sticking needles in these poor babies' behinds. I wish they'd hurry up and develop that atomizer thing that Dr. McCoy used to use in Star Trek. If they could invent cell phones that look like communicators, surely they could invent that—something a lot more useful to humankind, if you ask me."
Christian laughed. "Believe me, my Rose, I agree fully with you on that one. But since they haven't, we may as well get this over with. The babies will be cranky and unhappy for a while, but soon they'll be back to their usual happy selves."
Leslie simply sighed and followed him and the receptionist back to an exam room. In a few minutes Dr. Corbett joined them, smiling brightly in greeting. "Well, so today's the big bad day, huh?" she said.
"I think Leslie will be affected more than the triplets will," Christian remarked with a chuckle. "I tried to tell her on our way here that they've already had one shot, which was given while she was still unconscious after she'd given birth, but she brushed me off."
"I didn't have to see them being stuck," Leslie protested. "This is different."
"I see," said Dr. Corbett. "Listen, Leslie, the best thing you can do for the triplets is to stay calm. I haven't yet seen a baby who didn't cry after getting shots, but you and Christian can do a lot to keep them from getting hysterical if you can control your nervousness and be there to help soothe them after it's done. And we're using a vaccine called Pediarix that combines three of the essential immunizations into one shot, so that we'll need to give only three shots per baby today instead of five." She smiled at the look Christian and Leslie traded. "They've been fed, right?"
"Just like you said," Leslie told her, "we tried to time their last feeding so it'd end not too long before we were due up here. They're all set there."
"Good. That'll help minimize their discomfort, and it'll also help if one of you holds each triplet while they're getting immunized. It's really not as bad as you think it is, Leslie. Babies don't feel more pain than adults do—they just vocalize it more."
Christian laughed at that, and even Leslie giggled. "Okay, okay," she said, raising both hands. "I give up. Let's get this over with."
"Who's in the best mood?" Christian asked with a grin, surveying the triplets.
"My question is, who cries the least?" Dr. Corbett asked, chuckling. "My philosophy with multiples has always been, get the easygoing ones done first, so that we're not spending time trying to calm down the irritable ones while the rest are waiting in line."
Christian nodded. "That makes sense," he said. "Well, I think in that case we can start with Susanna. We've noticed that she rarely fusses, even when she's really hungry."
"Good, then she'll be first," Dr. Corbett said, and Leslie set the baby carrier on the floor, lifting Susanna out of it. The baby blinked up at her as she cradled her, and Leslie smiled, hoping Susanna wouldn't pick up on her lingering trepidation. A couple of days after Christian had met Jan-Martin Asplundh, Susanna had finally produced her first smile. Now Leslie grinned at her daughter, and sure enough, Susanna smiled widely at her. Dr. Corbett caught it and grinned too. "Hey, how about that!"
"They all smile now," said Christian, who had been watching Leslie.
"Wonderful," said Dr. Corbett. "If you'll hand her to me, Leslie, I'll give her a quick once-over and make sure she's in good shape for getting vaccinated. Has either of you noticed anything different about her or the other two?"
Christian and Leslie watched the doctor check over each triplet, answering the usual questions; Leslie watched closely throughout, while Christian read over the information statement he and Leslie had been given when they arrived, which explained the vaccines in more detail. Dr. Corbett talked to Susanna as well, and beamed every time Susanna smiled at her, eventually making the baby chortle aloud and causing Leslie to sit up straight. Christian's head came up sharply from what he was reading. "Did she laugh?" he exclaimed.
"Yes, she did!" Leslie said delightedly, reaching over and squeezing his hand.
Christian gave her and Dr. Corbett a rueful smile. "She won't be laughing for long, I'm afraid," he said half-jokingly, and they both grinned, Leslie with a sudden return of nerves. "Oh, come on, my Rose, she'll be fine—all three of them will."
"I know, but it doesn't make it easy," Leslie said, sighing.
Dr. Corbett chuckled. "Three little pinpricks and it'll all be over," she said, talking to Susanna as much as to Leslie. "Seems to me you're less nervous, Christian, so why don't you hold Susanna. She'll sense Leslie's worry."
"Well enough," Christian agreed, and gave Leslie the vaccine information sheet while Dr. Corbett settled Susanna into his lap. Christian talked to his daughter in jordiska, getting several little giggles from her. Leslie watched, her composure beginning to slip, no matter how hard she tried to rein in her emotions. She's so happy right now, Leslie thought, knowing she was being silly but unable to stop herself. Wait till she gets those shots…
Christian looked up and saw her chin start to tremble. "Oh, Leslie," he said, smiling. "Come on, stop it now. They're going to be fine. If you bawl at a shot, imagine what will happen when they begin crawling and walking, and start collecting bruises and cuts. And fate save us the day Tobias comes home with a broken arm."
"Don't even mention it, Christian Enstad," Leslie grumbled, but his scoffing tone gave her a chance to get her near-tears back under control. "Please, Dr. Corbett, can we get this over with? The anticipation's driving me insane."
Dr. Corbett laughed. "I've seen mothers in far worse shape than you, believe me," she assured her. "Keep distracting her, Christian. I'll get 'em in there and done before she has enough time to wonder who's pinching her." Leslie's skepticism showed, but Christian just winked at her and went back to amusing Susanna injordiska. Dr. Corbett came in with the first needle, shifted Susanna's diaper and inserted it. Leslie turned away, squeezing her eyes shut; Christian carried on as if nothing was happening. Susanna, though, let out a wail, and Leslie winced and let her head fall forward so that her hair hid her face.
When Dr. Corbett went to prepare the second shot, Christian gently ran his hand over Susanna's back, looking at his wife and shaking his head in amusement. "Leslie Susan Enstad, honestly, I'd swear it was you getting the shots. You're actually worse than Susanna is. Look, she's already calming down." Leslie stared at him, then looked at her daughter, who was still whimpering but settling down, just as Christian had said.
"She's really okay," Leslie said in astonishment.
"Of course she is," Christian said, nodding. "Now, maybe you can stop being such a coward and watch the next one. You'll have no trouble at all by the time Susanna gets the last shot and we're ready to go with the next triplet."
"You're a hopeless optimist," Leslie said, but she grinned anyway. When Dr. Corbett gave Susanna the second injection, she resolutely looked on, alternately watching Susanna's reaction and Christian's constant conversation in his own tongue. Again Susanna cried, perhaps a little more indignant than the first time, but Christian again stroked her back and she began to settle down.
"Sounds to me like you're going to raise the triplets bilingual," Dr. Corbett remarked, preparing the last syringe. Christian looked up and smiled.
"That's the plan," he said. "Actually, I've developed the habit of soothing the babies in my own language. I got my experience from babysitting my nieces and nephews during my teens and into my twenties a bit, and I was always accustomed to using jordiska to calm them down. It seems strange to me to do it in English even now, so I simply went with the same routine I used to use."
"That's a good philosophy—go with what works for you," Dr. Corbett agreed with a nod. "And it can only help the kids to know two languages, too. Whatever you're doing, it's really having a great effect on Susanna there. Okay, shot number three. Last one, kiddo."
Susanna survived the final immunization as easily as the first two, and Christian cuddled her for a minute or two, dropping a few kisses on the top of her head and crooning at her a bit. When she settled down and even yawned, Christian grinned and laid her back in the infant carrier, stroking her cheek with the back of a finger for a moment before lifting Tobias from his carrier. "Okay, young man, let's see how you take getting stuck, hmm?"
Tobias was less amenable than his sister had been, wailing with great indignation after each injection. It took Christian a few minutes to get his son to at least hold the crying down to something that wouldn't burst everyone's eardrums, but he was good-natured throughout, rubbing Tobias' back in circles and talking soothingly to him in jordiska. Leslie bit her lip at the sight of Tobias' tears, but otherwise managed to sit through it without complaint. Almost ten minutes had passed before Tobias settled down; Susanna and Karina were both awake, watching, but it didn't seem to Leslie that either of them associated Tobias' howling with Susanna's earlier crying, and it didn't set them off in their own turns.
Christian finally got Tobias calm enough to put him back in the infant carrier and give him the same reassuring finger stroke on the cheek that he had Susanna; then he turned to Leslie and smiled. "Well, my Rose? I think you should hold Karina for her shots. It's only fair that you do it—you should get used to it anyway."
She looked down at Karina in the infant carrier, then back at Christian, and groaned, "Look at that trusting expression on her face! If I hold her and then she gets all stuck, she'll never want to come near me again!"
Dr. Corbett turned away to hide her grin; Christian rolled his eyes and laughed outright. "Leslie, for fate's sake, you're overreacting so much I'm starting to wonder if it's really you sitting there! Just pick her up, hold her and talk to her, and both of you will be fine!"
"First-time mothers," Dr. Corbett said, chuckling. "I've seen it all, Leslie. Karina will be fine, she'll certainly go on trusting you. It's me she's going to hate the sight of. I'm the one sticking her with needles; you're the one comforting her and telling her the big bad doctor doesn't get to touch her anymore…at least not for another month."
Leslie eyed her, then thought back over what she had said, replayed Christian's deft touch with Tobias and Susanna, and finally grinned in embarrassment. "I'm such a dope," she muttered. "Okay, okay. Before I dig myself in any deeper with my carrying on, let's do this and get it over with already." Snickering, Christian lifted Karina out of the infant carrier and handed her over to Leslie. Just as she accepted the baby, Karina smiled in response to Christian's amusement, and Leslie had to grin back at her. "Hi, sweetie, come and sit with Mommy," she said, settling Karina into her lap so that she could look up at Leslie but also see Christian sitting nearby.
Karina didn't even see Dr. Corbett coming with the needle, but she turned to stare at the pediatrician when she moved the baby's diaper, and then began to cry loudly when the needle went in. Leslie winced again, but gamely stuck it out. "Aw, that's only a little pinch, sweetie," she crooned, kissing Karina's head. "You yelled a lot louder when Tobias hit you by accident that time, remember? You're okay, Mommy's got you. Only two to go…that's my baby girl." Karina's crying wound down a little; Dr. Corbett waited till Leslie had engaged her daughter in a brief tickling session before administering the next shot. Again Karina began to cry, and Leslie employed Christian's method of rubbing her back to help calm her down. "Good girl…just one more! This'll keep you from getting all sick, sweetie. That's right…no chicken pox or mumps, and no polio or diphtheria…none of that nasty stuff." Karina stared up at her, looking comically uncertain, with a tear suspended just under one eye. Beside Leslie, Christian chuckled.
"You're doing great," he said encouragingly. "She'll be just fine."
Leslie spared him a quick smile of gratitude, gently brushed away the tear and gave Karina a gentle squeeze. "Okay, here we go, just one more. That's right, there's Daddy right there, watching you. See him smiling at you? Can you smile for Daddy? Oh, good girl! Daddy really likes it when you smile for him!" She heard another chuckle from Christian, and Karina's smile got wider; she kicked her feet, and just at that moment Dr. Corbett came in and gave her the last shot, immediately sending Karina back into tears. "Oooh, poor baby," Leslie crooned, rubbing Karina's back again. "That's the last one…it's all over now." The doctor withdrew and Leslie cuddled Karina close, stroking her back and giving Christian a slightly shaky smile. "I guess I did it."
"You sure did," said Dr. Corbett. "You came through with flying colors."
"Exactly so," Christian agreed warmly. "See, it wasn't so bad. Now they'll be just fine till their next round of shots, and you'll know what to do."
Leslie blew out her breath and grinned again. "I guess the anticipation is always worse than the actual event. I just…well, it's hard for a mother to see her child in pain, and I had to deal with it three times. I wish I could have had more experience with babies, but I just never got the chance really."
"There's nothing wrong with that," Dr. Corbett assured her. "You and Christian are doing very well with these three. They're healthy as heck, gaining weight nicely, and they're lively and animated—incredible achievements for preemies. I think it helped that you were able to keep them in utero longer than most triplets go. They had more time to develop, and they had a better chance of progressing at a rate close to that of a full-term singleton."
The Enstad family headed for home not too long thereafter, with the triplets still a little fussy but not screaming full-on, and Christian and Leslie took the time to play with them a little and talk to them before putting them in to sleep awhile. They were in the midst of lunch when the phone rang, and Leslie got up to get it.
"Hi, Father," she said in surprise. "Something wrong?"
"No, not at all. As a matter of fact, perhaps you and Christian would like to come to the main house early in the morning, and bring the babies," Roarke said. "One of this weekend's guests has a fantasy that will interest Christian in particular, and you might find a few chances to assume your usual role as my assistant while you're with us."
"How involved is he going to be?" Leslie wondered.
Roarke chuckled. "That may well depend on Christian himself. You'll find out more when you come in tomorrow. You can take breaks from caring for the babies, except for feeding them of course, since Mariki and her staff are very eager to babysit. It will also help you to ease back into your job, so that you can assume most of your usual tasks by the time you officially return to work at the end of the month."
"When you put it like that, it's just too tempting to refuse," Leslie said and grinned at his quiet laugh. "Okay, then, we'll see you tomorrow morning. Is nine okay?"
Having made their plans, she hung up and told Christian what was afoot. Christian considered it, looking intrigued. "A fantasy that will interest me? Maybe someone wants to invent and market the next legendary computer game," he kidded.
Leslie laughed and sat down again. "Who knows," she said. "Whatever it is, I hope it's not another trip back to the Viking era. I don't think we need to know what King Ormssvärd died of, or witness the founding of the national capital, or whatever."
Christian chuckled and shrugged. "I already mentioned I'd had enough of the Viking age," he said. "However, that doesn't mean I'm averse to seeing other bits of my country's history. It should be very intriguing to find out just what's awaiting us tomorrow."