Baby Book - Kanga
Nyota wanted to go for a walk. She was tired of being cooped up in their quarters. It had been two weeks since her son's birth and she was feeling so much better, almost free of the discomfort of healing tissues, but full of nervous energy. She needed to go for a walk. But there was the question of that baby sleeping in the cradle. She couldn't just leave him there alone. And Spock was on the bridge, and would be for another two hours. But she wanted to go walking now.
She went to the dresser and started looking through drawers. In the fourth drawer she found what she was looking for. She drew out the brightly colored length of cloth, a gift from her Baba when she had left Africa for StarFleet Academy. Something to remember home by, he had said. It was just what she needed. She spread it out on the bed. Then she lifted her son up and laid him on the cloth, folding the sides up around him. She lifted him, one arm supporting him, and wrapped the cloth over her shoulder, around her back, under the other arm, twisting the ends together and tucking them in securely. The baby nestled up against her, his face next to her heart, sighed a bit and settled back into sleep. Smiling broadly, she exited to the corridor.
She prowled the ship's corridors, visiting places she hadn't been for several weeks. Everywhere she went, people came running to peek inside the folds of cloth at her sleeping son. Eventually she arrived at Sick Bay. Maybe she would just go in and sit down and visit with Len for a bit. She had been on her feet quite a while now. Walking through the door, she was instantly surrounded. She spent longer in sick bay than anticipated, showing off her son. But she did get to sit and rest while he was passed from hand to hand, everyone wanting a chance to cuddle the baby.
She got a glance at the chronometer on the wall and had an idea. Retrieving her baby and carefully stowing him back inside the sling she had improvised, she left sick bay, entered the turbolift at the end of the corridor and tapped the control that would bring her to the bridge. Spock's shift would be over in a few minutes. She grinned happily.
When the turbolift doors opened on the bridge, all eyes turned in her direction. There was an instantaneous surge towards her. Over and around the heads of her friends, she caught Spock's eyes. I'll get there in a minute. She made a slow circuit of the bridge, letting everyone say hello to the sleeping baby. She finally made it to the Science Station, stopping in front of her baby's father, face shining, happy to be back on the bridge where she belonged.
Spock's eyebrow was raised quizzically. "What is that cloth that you have wound about you?"
"It's a kanga my Baba gave me. And it makes a perfect baby sling. He's been sleeping so peacefully and I had a nice walk."
Spock was looking at the way she had the cloth wrapped around her. He gently pulled aside the cloth and looked at the sleeping face of his son. Then he looked back at Nyota, question on his face. May I? Laughing, she carefully undid the twists securing the cloth and transferred the baby to his arms, throwing the cloth about him and re-securing it. He straightened up, tested the cloth to be sure it was not going to come apart, cushioning his son with one hand under the small body. The corners of his mouth quirked upwards. This was extremely acceptable.
