"Shh...Shh...hold on Finn." Lilly gently rocked her son as she fumbled with her blouse. "I know you're hungry, just give me a minute."

Finn's crying had pulled Lilly from her sleep and had escalated her still pounding headache.

"Okay, okay, here you go," she mumbled as Finn greedily latched onto her breast. "I know you're hungry," she repeated as she scooted up in bed, rested her aching head against the headboard, and closed her eyes.

The drapes at the window were billowing in the warm breeze and the sun's rays streamed into the room making it feel overly warm. Lilly ran a shaky hand through her sweat soaked curls and sighed miserably, so much for feeling fine.

Her headache was steadily growing and she was dizzy and bordering on nauseous. "Damn it," she mumbled when she placed the back of hand on her forehead. The heat under her touch, coupled with aching limbs confirmed her suspicions of a growing fever. Her sleep had been very restless, macabre dreams of dead babies had assailed her and now she knew why.

"It's okay, sweetheart," she soothed and repositioned Finn when he squirmed in her arms. "Mami's got you." Carefully cradling her son in position she inched slowly toward the bedside cabinet and, with one hand, poured herself a glass of water.

"I think mami's sick, Finny," she admitted softly after draining the glass. "Actually, I know mami's sick," she amended when the room looped around her, "and I don't think papi is not going to be very pleased. We won't be going home today poppet, I am sure of that," she added and rested her head back again.

Lilly continued to nurse her son, feeling wiped out and increasingly unwell. She so wanted to go home but knew that the fever and general feeling of illness pointed to the fact that she had an infection somewhere and when Finn's sucking petered out, she gently hoisted him onto her shoulder and made her way to the window.

The fresh breeze felt wonderful against her hot skin and she rested her forehead on the cool glass as she patted her son's back to encourage him to burp. She watched as Ben loaded their possessions on to the cart and was of two minds whether to tell him she felt ill or not. She could wait until they were home so they could deal with things without worrying her mother but, when she started to shiver, she knew she should seek out medical help sooner rather than later.

She gently lowered Finn, face down across her lap and opened the window wider.

"B-ben," she called after clearing her throat.

"Hey Lilliput!" Her husband glanced up, grinned and waved.

"Can you come here, my love," she sighed as she rubbed Finn's back.

"What's up?"

She watched as Ben wiped his hands on his pants after handing a crate to Niall.

"I'm not feeling very well," she admitted, giving him a wan smile before resting her forehead against the glass again.

"I'm on my way."

She sighed as Ben exchanged a worried glance with Niall before jogging into the house and then felt tears of disappointment spring into her eyes.

She so wanted to go home.

Xxx

"102.8," Ben placed the thermometer back on the cabinet and smiled sadly at his wife. "Oh, Lils," he placed his hand on her forehead. "I think you've got an infection somewhere," he sighed.

"I know," Lilly echoed the sigh and sank into her pillows again.

Ben sat back, took Lilly's hand in his and studied his wife. She looked completely drained, her eyes were black and sunken, her face flushed and her breathing was almost as rapid as the pulse under his fingers.

"How long have you been feeling like this?" He asked as he then checked the lymph nodes in her neck.

"I felt a little off this morning but thought I was just tired as Finn didn't let me sleep much last night," Lilly sighed again. "But I've had a headache most of the day and the fever hit out of nowhere when I woke up from my nap. I have felt progressively sicker since and am dizzy and nauseous, "she admitted sadly, placing her Platon hat on to impart as much information as she could.

Ben carefully unbuttoned her blouse completely and started to examine her breasts. "Does this hurt?" He watched her face for reaction.

"They're just sore," Lilly shrugged.

"Well, they're not hot or lumpy and there's no discharge so that's normal. Do you have a sore throat?"

Lilly shook her head.

"Cough?"

Lilly shook her head again. "I just feel ill," she shrugged again. "I'm worried."

Ben placed the bell of his stethoscope on her chest. "Lungs sound clear," he smiled and then hung it back round his neck again. "How's your discharge," he asked and helped Lilly to lie flat.

"The same, I think," Lilly closed her eyes as Ben then pulled her skirt down slightly.

"Sorry, Lils, my hands are cold," he apologised as he checked her pad. "I think I've found the problem." It was his turn to sigh as he then placed his hands on her abdomen and pressed down slightly.

"That's painful," Lilly admitted, biting her bottom lip.

"I know, I'm sorry."

Ben stood and covered Lilly with a quilt as she began to shiver again. "Looks like a uterine infection, my love," he informed her as he perched on the side of the bed and carded his fingers through her curls.

"We call it 'bed fever' here," Lilly smiled sadly. "I'm so sorry."

"Why are you sorry?"

"Because you wanted to go home," Lilly closed her eyes again and was helpless to prevent a tear from escaping.

"Oh, Lilly, it's okay. These things happen. You just have to concentrate on getting well again my love," he soothed.

"I j-just w-want t-to g-go h-home," Lilly hiccupped as more tears fell. She felt awful and when Finn's growing cries of protest started again the noise sent daggers of pain through her head. She curled into a ball and pulled her covers over her head.

"I c-can't d-deal w-with h-him n-now," she sobbed softly.

Ben crossed and picked up his son. "When is he due to feed?" He asked as he rocked him.

"Not for hours," Lilly's covers muffled her reply.

"Okay, I'm going to take him down to your mother, she can see to him and then I'm going to come back and get some antibiotics into you," he crossed and rubbed Lilly's covered back. "I won't be long, Lils."

"K-kay," Lilly mumbled as she started to shiver again. She hated that fact that she just couldn't cope with her own son at the moment.

Motherhood wasn't supposed to be like this and she was so scared...

Xxx

"Can you look after Finn for a little while?" Ben walked into the lounge where Hanah and Sergi sat reading.

"Of course," Hanah smiled, stood and reached for her grandson. "What time are you leaving?" She asked as she rocked the still crying boy.

Ben scrubbed a hand through his hair. "I'm not sure we'll be going anywhere for a while," he admitted with a heavy sigh.

"Oh?" Sergi looked up from his book.

"Lilly's not feeling well," Ben smiled sadly. "I think she's got an infection," he scrubbed at his hair again.

"Is she going to be all right?" Hanah sprang to her feet. "You do have some earth drugs to stop the infection, don't you?" She asked urgently. "I mean, you do know how to treat her, don't you?" She gently rocked Finn when he began to wriggle in her arms.

"She's going to be just fine," Ben reassured her. "I'm just going to get some medication into her and persuade her to rest but I think we'll put off going home for a few days, if that's okay with you?"

"Of course it is." Hanah sighed with relief and lowered herself into her chair, gently cradling her grandson. "Can we do anything to help?"

"Just look after Finn for me while I sort Lilly out."

"No problem. Just concentrate on our daughter."

Ben smiled sadly and then went in search of his med bag, feeling so devastated for his sick wife. He knew how much she wanted to go home and start the next phase of their lives.

Xxx

"Ben?" Lilly curled round the pain in her abdomen as she struggled upright. Finn's crying had woken her, as it had done several times through the night. She rolled her head to one side and watched Ben pace with their screaming son.

"Does he need feeding again?" She ran a shaky hand through her hair and rubbed her temples.

"I'm sorry love," Ben smiled sadly as he rocked Finn.

"Not your fault," Lilly sighed as she undid her nightgown.

Ben sat at her side, plucked a pillow from the floor, rested Finn on it and helped him latch onto his mother's breast. He was feeding every two hours and Lilly was exhausted.

Lilly continued to rub her temples as Finn began to feed and Ben placed his hand on her forehead.

"Oh, Lils, you're still so hot," he sighed and reached for some Tylenol. "I think you're due some of these," he smiled as he helped Lilly take a sip of water to wash the medication down. "How's the pain?" He asked when he then noticed Lilly rub her stomach.

"Well, I've been through childbirth this pain is nothing," she tried to make light of the burning abdominal pain but failed miserably when she grimaced instead of smiling.

Ben leaned back and repositioned the pillow so Finn lay half on his lap and pulled her in for a one armed hug.

"This sucks, hey?" He sighed.

"No fun," Lilly agreed, turning slightly so she could rest her head on his shoulder. "I feel horrible," she added tiredly.

"I bet," Ben kissed the top of her head gently. "I'm so sorry, Lilly. I wish there was a quick way I could make this all better my love."

"I know, me too," Lilly mumbled and closed her eyes. Her head hurt so much.

"It's okay to go back to sleep, Lils," Ben kissed the top of her head. "I'll see to Finn when he's finished."

"'Kay."

Lilly was aware of Ben softly soothing their son as he began to wriggle. He was trying to latch on to her breast again after losing contact for a few seconds and when she felt the now familiar feeling of her son suckling once more, she allowed herself to give in to her exhaustion and illness, knowing that Ben had everything in hand.

Xxx

"Morning."

Sergi looked up from his breakfast and smiled sadly at his dishevelled son in law as he stumbled into the kitchen with his sleeping son slung over his shoulder. "Bad night?"

"You could say that," Ben yawned as he took a seat the kitchen table.

"How's Lilly?" Hanah reached over and poured him a cup of tea.

"Still not very well," Ben shrugged, "and it didn't help that this young man decided he wanted to feed every two hours," he sighed as he rubbed Finn's back.

Sergi stood and held his hands out. "Come to grandpi," he said and gently lifted Finn off Ben's shoulder. "Let your papi have something to eat in peace," he smiled and cradled the still sleeping child.

"Thanks," Ben smiled back and then rested his head in his hands. "What a nightmare," he groaned.

The early morning feed had seemed to last for hours. Lilly had slept through most of it, her temperature beginning to climb again with the sun. Ben had managed to wake her to take some more medication and she'd immediately curled back onto her side and buried her head under the covers afterwards. He knew that uterine infections were not only painful but made the woman feel very ill and he felt so sorry for her.

"Is there anything we can do?" Sergi rested a comforting hand on his shoulder as he rocked Finn.

Ben straightened, leaned back in his chair and scrubbed a hand through his hair. "You could breast feed Finn for her," he sighed.

"Sorry, that's one thing we can't do, I'm afraid," Sergi chuckled, wandering over to the kitchen window to show his grandson the outside world. "That would be impossible, as much as we'd like to."

"We'll just have to manage then," Ben reached for his tea. "It's time like these that you really appreciate the wonders of women," he admitted as he took a sip.

"It is about time you men realised our worth," Hanah grinned, buttering a roll.

"Well, I totally appreciate all Mandanan women," Ben accepted the roll off his mother in law. "On earth a lot of the babies are bottle fed..."

"Bottle fed?"

"Yeah," Ben bit into his breakfast. "Artificial formulated milk is mass produced to simulate breast milk and mixed in a bottle which is sucked through a teat by the baby. It means that anyone can actually feed the baby. It gives the mother more time to rest and recover from the birth."

"Oh my goodness!" Hanah exclaimed in surprise. "I have never heard of such a thing," she tutted, shaking her head. "Surely that is not as nutritious as a mother's breast milk?"

"It's not far off," Ben nodded as he continued to eat. "Babies seem to thrive just as well on the formula and I suppose the father feels more included as they can take their turn to feed their child. I must admit that I feel helpless to do much to help Lilly at the moment, other than sympathise and help make her as comfortable as possible," he admitted. "What happens on Mandana if the mother is too sick to nurse or worse?" He then asked, pushing his plate away.

Hanah wiped her mouth on a napkin before retching to clear the table. "We have nursing mothers to call on," she informed as she piled the plates together. "Other new mothers will step in and feed a child not their own if necessary, not that it happens often, most births are much easier than Lilly's," she paused and took a deep breath. "Although many, many mothers have been known to fall sick with what we call 'bed fever' after the birth and sadly pass away," she continued. "We just do our best to help their babies but it is not always possible and some babies p-pass as well," she admitted, clearing her throat when her voice wavered as she imparted the information.

"That's awful."

Hanah lifted her pile of plates. "That is why we will be eternally grateful to Earth's wisdom and guidance," she smiled softly. "Without your medication, Lilly would be struggling to survive."

Ben watched his mother in law blink her way her tears at the admission and the reminder of how primitive Mandana was, hit home with force again. The fact that, in the past his wife would have been left to die shocked and upset him so much that he had to look away so Hanah could not see his own tears.

"As it is," Hanah cleared her throat again, obviously realising how upset he was, "your miracle medication will do its work and my daughter will be feeling well soon. Young Finn will have his mother back fit and strong before he knows it and, in time, all this will be a distant memory." She crossed to the sink with the plates. "So, helping her feed her son is the least we can do," she smiled and kissed her grandson's head as she joined her husband at the window.

Ben took a deep breath and managed to pull himself together. "Thank you for your support," he turned and smiled at his in laws.

"Our pleasure," Hanah smiled back. "Now, eat your breakfast, young man," she scolded light heartedly. "And I'll prepare my daughter some oats, she will need to try and eat to keep her strength up."

Xxx

"Are you okay, my love?" Sergi pulled his wife in for one armed hug.

"N-not r-really," Hanah stuttered.

"I know how hard this is for you," he planted a kiss in Hanah's hair, jiggling Finn as he began to squirm. "Benjamin knows what he's doing."

"I know," Hanah blew her nose. "I just wish he'd been here twenty years ago," she sighed sadly.

"I know me too," Sergi agreed. "Me too..."