Sam paced the floor, walking from the kitchen to the living room, and back
again. Lorelei's tiny head rested on her shoulder, and her arms ached from
the constant bouncing and swaying. But nothing would soothe the screaming
child. Loud wails ripped through the house, making Sam wince. Tears of
pure frustration burned her eyes.
She wasn't cut out for this. Obviously, she should never be held responsible for the care and well being of another human being and the maternity gene had skipped her all together.
Lorelei cried out again, and something in Sam's gut told her they weren't cries of hunger or because her diaper was wet. Or that she was tired. They were cries of discomfort. But what to do? What the hell could she do?
"Shhhhh," she whispered against Lorelei's warm skin, her downy hair brushing Sam's lips. "Oh, Lorelei... I wish I knew what to do."
Sam stopped short half way to the kitchen. She didn't know, but she knew someone who would.
She dressed Lorelei in the pink bunny bunting Janet had given her and tucked the baby into her car seat. Lorelei continued to cry, but Sam hoped the relief would come soon. She covered the seat with a warm polar fleece blanket and headed out into the cold.
Ten minutes later she was on his doorstep, the crying baby nestled in her arms. It was late, nearly 2200 hours, and his house was in almost complete darkness. But she saw a blue flicker of light from his television and hoped that meant he was awake. Balancing Lorelei with one arm, she knocked on the door.
No sound came from inside, and she saw no movement. Lorelei's cries were just long strains of quivering pleas that ripped at Sam's heart. She swallowed against the tears. Why was she crying?
Sam closed her eyes and pressed her cheek against the soft fleece of the baby's blanket. Big, fat tears squeezed free and rolled down her cheeks. She was crying because she felt useless and stupid and ...
The door opened. "Carter?"
Sam opened her eyes, hoping she didn't look as pitiful as she felt. "I don't know what to do..."
Then he reached for her, his arm coming around her shoulders to draw her into the house. His other hand touched Lorelei's blanket just as she cried out again. Jack led her into the house and down the steps to the living room. He must have been asleep on the couch.
"How long has she been crying?"
"Over an hour. Sir, I don't know what's wrong. I fed her. I changed her. I rocked her..."
"When did she eat?"
"About an hour and a half ago."
"Did she burp?"
"Yes!" she nearly shouted in frustration.
"Okay, okay... Let me see."
Sam hated the sense of relief that swept over her when he took Lorelei from her arms. She wiped viciously at her cheeks and crossed her arms over her body, watching him as he sat down on the couch and peeled away the warm layers of material. He shifted to lie her down on the cushion beside him, and Sam watched in wonder as his experience showed through. He lifted the tiny little sweatshirt she wore, exposing the one-piece underwear beneath, and laid his large hand across her tummy. Long, strong fingers spanned Lorelei's entire body.
Then he stood, bent over so his hand was still on her, motioning for Sam to come to him. She did, and tried to hide her reaction when his hand curled around her wrist.
"Sit down with her. I'll be right back."
Sam nodded, sinking down onto the cushion warmed by his body. She leaned over Lorelei, stroking her hair and wishing to God she knew what to do. Weren't women supposed to instinctively know all this stuff? Was she some kind of female reject? She could fix a tri-phase Naquida generator in less than ten minutes with a single screwdriver and a paperclip, but she couldn't soothe a newborn baby.
Jack returned, folding a fluffy towel as he came down the steps.
"Pick her up."
Sam followed his instructions, and he laid the towel on the couch. It touched her leg and she was surprised to feel the heat radiating from it.
"Lay her down on her stomach on the towel."
Again, Sam did exactly what she was told. The crying didn't stop, didn't even slow down.
"Okay. I'll be right back."
Sam's head snapped up. Jack sat on the coffee table beside the couch, so close his knee bumped hers.
"Where are you going?"
"Don't worry. I'll be right back." He reached out and took her face in his hands so their eyes locked. The warm of his skin was immediately soothing. "She'll be fine. I won't be gone twenty minutes."
His thumb stroked her cheek, and she realized with embarrassment that she was still crying. She nodded within his hold. Then he stood, and she felt immediately bereft at the loss of his touch. She circled her hand over Lorelei's back, hoping it might in some way help.
It was going to be a long twenty minutes...
She wasn't cut out for this. Obviously, she should never be held responsible for the care and well being of another human being and the maternity gene had skipped her all together.
Lorelei cried out again, and something in Sam's gut told her they weren't cries of hunger or because her diaper was wet. Or that she was tired. They were cries of discomfort. But what to do? What the hell could she do?
"Shhhhh," she whispered against Lorelei's warm skin, her downy hair brushing Sam's lips. "Oh, Lorelei... I wish I knew what to do."
Sam stopped short half way to the kitchen. She didn't know, but she knew someone who would.
She dressed Lorelei in the pink bunny bunting Janet had given her and tucked the baby into her car seat. Lorelei continued to cry, but Sam hoped the relief would come soon. She covered the seat with a warm polar fleece blanket and headed out into the cold.
Ten minutes later she was on his doorstep, the crying baby nestled in her arms. It was late, nearly 2200 hours, and his house was in almost complete darkness. But she saw a blue flicker of light from his television and hoped that meant he was awake. Balancing Lorelei with one arm, she knocked on the door.
No sound came from inside, and she saw no movement. Lorelei's cries were just long strains of quivering pleas that ripped at Sam's heart. She swallowed against the tears. Why was she crying?
Sam closed her eyes and pressed her cheek against the soft fleece of the baby's blanket. Big, fat tears squeezed free and rolled down her cheeks. She was crying because she felt useless and stupid and ...
The door opened. "Carter?"
Sam opened her eyes, hoping she didn't look as pitiful as she felt. "I don't know what to do..."
Then he reached for her, his arm coming around her shoulders to draw her into the house. His other hand touched Lorelei's blanket just as she cried out again. Jack led her into the house and down the steps to the living room. He must have been asleep on the couch.
"How long has she been crying?"
"Over an hour. Sir, I don't know what's wrong. I fed her. I changed her. I rocked her..."
"When did she eat?"
"About an hour and a half ago."
"Did she burp?"
"Yes!" she nearly shouted in frustration.
"Okay, okay... Let me see."
Sam hated the sense of relief that swept over her when he took Lorelei from her arms. She wiped viciously at her cheeks and crossed her arms over her body, watching him as he sat down on the couch and peeled away the warm layers of material. He shifted to lie her down on the cushion beside him, and Sam watched in wonder as his experience showed through. He lifted the tiny little sweatshirt she wore, exposing the one-piece underwear beneath, and laid his large hand across her tummy. Long, strong fingers spanned Lorelei's entire body.
Then he stood, bent over so his hand was still on her, motioning for Sam to come to him. She did, and tried to hide her reaction when his hand curled around her wrist.
"Sit down with her. I'll be right back."
Sam nodded, sinking down onto the cushion warmed by his body. She leaned over Lorelei, stroking her hair and wishing to God she knew what to do. Weren't women supposed to instinctively know all this stuff? Was she some kind of female reject? She could fix a tri-phase Naquida generator in less than ten minutes with a single screwdriver and a paperclip, but she couldn't soothe a newborn baby.
Jack returned, folding a fluffy towel as he came down the steps.
"Pick her up."
Sam followed his instructions, and he laid the towel on the couch. It touched her leg and she was surprised to feel the heat radiating from it.
"Lay her down on her stomach on the towel."
Again, Sam did exactly what she was told. The crying didn't stop, didn't even slow down.
"Okay. I'll be right back."
Sam's head snapped up. Jack sat on the coffee table beside the couch, so close his knee bumped hers.
"Where are you going?"
"Don't worry. I'll be right back." He reached out and took her face in his hands so their eyes locked. The warm of his skin was immediately soothing. "She'll be fine. I won't be gone twenty minutes."
His thumb stroked her cheek, and she realized with embarrassment that she was still crying. She nodded within his hold. Then he stood, and she felt immediately bereft at the loss of his touch. She circled her hand over Lorelei's back, hoping it might in some way help.
It was going to be a long twenty minutes...