Chapter 2 Breaking the News
Disclaimer: This is getting old. They aren't mine.
1Nambu watched as the team disembarked from the Phoenix and nearly laughed aloud at the sight of Ken holding the little girl awkwardly in his arm as she fussed and looking as if he'd rather be anywhere else at the moment. The other three males weren't being quite so kind, audibly snickering and drawing death glares from their commander. The group waited while Jun assisted the medical team in getting the scientist off the ship and quickly briefed them on what she'd done before they set off to sickbay. As soon as she joined them Ken gave her a pleading look and held the child out to her. Jun gave him an amused smile but took pity on him, taking the cranky little girl from his arms and settling her on her hip.
As they made their way up to Nambu's office Jinpei couldn't resist teasing his sister, "Hey Oneechan, looks like you gotta practice your mommy skills. Think you can handle it?"
Jun just looked down at him and smiled calmly, "You were my guinea pig, brat. Diapering and all. Shall I get out the pictures?"
"Oneechan!"This brought a chuckle from his teammates and a helmet rub from Jun as she readjusted the little girl on her hip.
Nambu just shook his head and led the team to the ready room, "That's enough. Wait here for me while I go check in on the patient. I'll have something sent up for you to eat and we'll debrief as soon as I know what's going on with the Li Hakase. Try to get some rest while I"m gone."
A sudden wail from the little girl had Jinpei reflexively clapping his hands to the sides of his helmet and grimacing, "Not with that racket we can't! Oneechan, what's wrong with her now?" The others winced at the addition of his complaining to the little girl's crying and Joe began cursing in Sicilian under his breath, ignoring the glare Ken sent his way.
Jun sighed and bounced the child for several minutes in an attempt to calm her. When the attempt failed she turned to Joe, since he was closest to her, and requested, "Hold her for a minute, please? I need to get out of these wings. It might help calm her down"
Joe tried to back away, hands in front of him like a shield and shaking his head, but Jun merely thrust the surprised toddler into his arms and stepped back. By the time man and child got over their mutual shock, she had switched to her civilian uniform and taken the girl back before she could let loose another howl. Four more flashes of light drew a quiet whimper out of her but any further fuss was mercifully cut off by a knock at the door.
Ryu answered the door, revealing three members of the kitchen staff with the requested food for the team, a small bag of baby supplies...and much to everyone's relief, a bottle of milk for the little girl. This was rapidly relayed to Jun, who stuck it in the girl's mouth, cutting off the forming wail. The child began drinking eagerly and was soon content to sit on Jun's lap with her snack...much to the relief of the men present.
After the staff left, Ryu began the familiar ritual of handing out the food to the others, his own plate predictably twice as full as anyone else's. He handed them out as usual, then paused in the process of digging into his own to take Jun's back from her. Glancing up at the raised eyebrows he was getting from the other boys, he shrugged calmly and cut the food into manageable pieces before handing it back to her. His only comment was the common sense observation, "Well, it's not like she can cut it one handed you know." That said, he resumed the plunge into his own dinner.
Jun smiled at him, "Thanks Ryu."
He gave her a grin in return as one hand scratched the back of his head, "No problem Jun. I remember what a pain it was when Senny was little. Although he'd try to steal it from you too."
Joe smirked, "Sounds like someone else I know."
"Shut up and eat your dinner or I will." A chuckle was heard in the room as the team worked their way through the meal with their usual good natured arguing and joking while they waited for news from the medical wing.
Later, food gone, trays stacked by the door, the team members stretched out in an attempt to rest while they waited for Nambu to return. Jinpei and Ryu occupied one couch, leaning against each other, their snores creating a discordant harmony. Joe had kicked back in a chair, and was currently half asleep, though one eye was still partly opened and trained on the child in Jun's lap as if she might suddenly pounce on him if he took his eyes off her completely. Ken leaned against the arm of the sofa, head resting in his hand and the heels of Jun's shoes nudging his leg as she shifted. She'd stretched out over most of the couch's length, back propped against the opposite arm of the couch and the little girl curled up on her lap, bottle still clenched in her hands. It was a peaceful scene, the kind that one hates to disturb. Unfortunately, by the very nature of the room's occupants, Nambu's entrance into the room did just that, three pairs of eyes immediately opening and training on him as he came in, the other two only seconds slower to follow. He motioned for them all to stay as they were as he crossed over and settled into the remaining chair in the room. Facing Joe, the two couches on either side, he studied the tired faces in front of him as he prepared to give them the news.
Once the teens had shifted themselves into a semblance of alertness, and Jun turned to face him, child still asleep on her lap, Nambu set the folder he held down on the side table and folded his hands. "Alright team, we have the news from Medical. Li Hakase will recover well, but it will take some time. She will be in the hospital for at least two weeks. In the meantime, there are some adjustments to be made." He nodded to the girl in Jun's lap, "The baby's name is Chihiro, she's fourteen months old. Her father was a pilot for the ISO, he was killed in action a few months ago. Her paternal grandparents live in Tokyo, but because of the project that Li Hakase was working on, she and the baby will be remaining in ISO custody for the time being."
Ken inclined his head in acknowledgment of the information then asked, "Who will be looking after her then Hakase?" Seeing the slight smirk that crossed Nambu's face he suddenly had the feeling he was going to regret asking that question.
"Because of a lack of personnel with the security clearance necessary for this job, the KNT has been tasked to care for the girl until Li Hakase is out of the hospital." He fought back a grin at he shocked looks he was receiving from his team. This could prove to be amusing. The expected outbursts soon followed.
"Nani? Hakase!"
"Kuso! What the hell?"
"Hakaseyougottabekiddingnoway!"
"Hakase!"
"Guys, hush, you're gonna wake her up!"
"The decision is final." This silenced the teens and he continued quickly, not knowing how long the shock would keep them quiet. "There is no one else available who is capable of caring for such a young child at this time who has the proper clearance. You are the only option."
Ken glanced at the rest of his team before asking, "Hakase, what about the mecha?"
"Red Impulse and his squad are searching for it now. They will report in when they find something." Nambu picked up the folder he had earlier set down and handed it to Ken, "You will need this Ken. It is Chihiro's medical and personal history. You should read it over as soon as possible, the information may be useful." Ken glanced from the folder to him, then nodded vaguely. Seeing that the implication hadn't quite registered with the team's commander, Nambu continued, "I'll have the things you'll need for the next few days brought out to the airfield tomorrow morning."
That comment and the resulting quiet snicker from the teammate next to him finally caused the implication to register in Ken's mind. He eyed his superior with an expression of stunned disbelief, and a hint of panic, "Hakase, please tell me you're kidding. I don't know anything about babies!"
Nambu allowed himself to smirk a little as he replied, "I am quite serious Ken. You are the one with the most space available in your civilian home, and your schedule is more adaptable than Jun's to the needs of a baby. Mark and Kekei have already been alerted that they will be flying your mail routes until further notice. The rest of the team shall help you as necessary but you are to be, shall we say, Chihiro's primary care giver for the time being."
Ken's groan of resignation was lost in the howls of laughter that came from his teammates, which were soon joined by the cries of a rudely awoken, and now very cranky toddler. Nambu's smirk grew as he remembered some of the hell the kids had put him through when they were younger. Revenge was sweet. He chuckled mentally to himself as he watched Jun attempt to calm the howling little girl, and when that failed, hand her to Ken with a look that clearly said, 'your turn.' The next two weeks would be interesting indeed.
