The Best I Could Give
Chapter 7
Other than attending the morning meeting the last two days, it was all Ranger saw of Stephanie at Rangeman or if he asked about a search, he received a very curt 'yes' or 'no' with no further explanation. When it was time to quit for the day, the baby was gathered up and she was out of Rangeman. In between those times, she visited the baby's mother and his men were cooing over the baby boy while he sulked in his office or thought about it if he had a client meeting. The most he saw of her was his nightly visit watching Stephanie and Austyn sleep.
He walked into Tank's office on the third day of the 'Stephanie impasse' finding his friend peeking into a basket.
"What are you doing?"
"Ssshhhh! Austyn is sleeping."
"Why is he in here?" Ranger whispered.
"My office is quiet."
"So is mine," Ranger picked up the basket in his arms and gently carried it out of the office never waking the baby. The next in command followed with a baby monitor placing on his desk.
"That's so Stephanie can hear him when he wakes up." Tank was chuckling to himself. He guessed the sloth woke up.
Hearing Austyn on the baby monitor, Stephanie headed to Tank's office but as she got near Ranger's door, the baby's whimper was clear. She looked in seeing Ranger had him on his lap. He was trying to figure out what to do. "Don't cry, OK?"
"Did you wake up?" Stephanie picked him up from Ranger and rubbed his reddish hair. She felt his pink cheek and stopped. Her blue eyes widened with concern.
"Babe, what's wrong?"
"He feels warm."
Ranger went running out of his office, "Bobby!" "Bobby!"
The company medic came dashing out of the control room followed by just about every other man. "What's wrong?"
"Stephanie says the baby is warm."
Bobby ran past him into Ranger's office.
"Bobby, Austyn is warm. I don't know what to do?" Stephanie cried attempting to control her panic.
"Let's go down to three," Bobby told her not sure what to do for a baby. He stitched up men.
Stephanie, Ranger, Bobby, Tank, and Lester jammed on the elevator.
Finally, his Babe was in his arms. She was worried about Austyn but she didn't pull away.
Her hand was shaking making it difficult to dial Mary Lou.
"Hello," her best friend answered.
"Mare, Austyn has a fever. I don't know what to do?" She was crying more into her cell phone.
"Steph, you're doing so well with Austyn. Where are you?"
"At Rangeman. Bobby is checking him."
"OK," Mary Lou said. "Take a deep breath. Austyn is a very healthy baby. It's probably one or two minor things."
"OK," Stephanie gulped for air.
"Do you have those baby drops with you?"
"In the diaper bag."
Lester sprinted out of Bobby's crowded sick room to five.
"After Bobby takes his temperature."
He showed Stephanie the digital thermometer which read '101.1' administered from his ear.
"101.1," she relayed over the phone as Lester returned with the blue diaper bag and she put her cell phone on speaker.
"Austyn is about the age when he might start teething. Run a finger over his gums for any bumps, especially on the bottom front since those are the first teeth o come in. Do his gums seem red?"
Bobby did as Mary Lou instructed. "I feel bumps." Stephanie ran a manicured nail over the pink gums where he indicated.
"OK, so we know why he has a fever. Some babies like mine will have them when they begin teething. Steph, has Austyn been drooling?"
"I little when he's had his pacifier.
"Bobby, check his ears for any fluid. Because a baby's ear canal is so small, it can build up."
He removed his otoscope from a drawer viewing both ears. "One is a little inflamed and some fluid, Mary Lou."
"OK, he's probably developing an ear infection. Steph, do you know if Austyn is allergic to anything?" Mary Lou, the experienced mother, continued asking questions.
"Carol, Krystal's case worker gave me a copy of his medical records and an insurance card," she replied rustling in the diaper bag handing
the medic the folded papers.
Scanning over them, there was nothing noted from his previous visits.
"No, Mary Lou."
"He's probably going to need an antibiotic, Bobby. Do you have any liquid amoxicillin? That's what my boy's pediatrician prescribed."
"No, we're ex-Army men so we do pills, but I can get it."
"Good. He'll need to take that about 10 days. Bobby, you can figure out the dosage based upon his weight and how long. Steph, give Austyn the baby drops as noted on the bottle. That should bring his fever down pretty quick. If it spikes, you may want to wipe him off with a cool cloth. Do you want me to come over? He may have a fever for a few days, but give him the drops according to the bottle and once the medicine gets in his system, it will fight the infection. I can give you the name of my pediatric clinic."
Ranger spoke up for the first time, "We better have it on hand, Mary Lou. Baby stuff is all new to the lot of us. Thank you for your help."
"He'll probably sleep a lot, Steph. Just make sure he drinks liquids. He may not want his formula, but you can give him small amounts of water in a dropper or a bottle. Check his diapers to make sure they're wet, Austyn needs to stay hydrated because of the fever. He may have some messy diapers because of the medicine, but that's expected. Keep giving him water at least."
"I got it, Mary Lou. I was stopping for more formula and diapers on my way home."
"If you want me to come over to your apartment I will, Steph, and stay for awhile. The first time a baby is sick can be scary for a parent. You're taking excellent care of him."
"Stephanie and Austyn will be here, Mary Lou," Ranger informed her ignoring the death glare Stephanie was giving him. "Give me the name of the pediatrician. Bobby will be here at Rangeman if Stephanie needs him and thank you for your baby help."
"Anytime, Ranger. I know you and your men will be there. Steph, call me if you need anything. The clinic has someone on call after hours."
"Thanks, Mare,' she said hanging up her cell phone. Stephanie turned around facing Ranger with Austyn in her arms. She was angry, but the picture in front of him was so natural. "Ranger, why are you doing this? Austyn and I will be going home!"
He looked at Stephanie, there were emotions running across his usually blank face. The medical room had emptied out with only the core team still remaining. "We were coming together as a couple before I had to go to Miami."
She wasn't sure how to respond because it was an almost declaration of an almost relationship.
"You didn't ask for my help!"
Stephanie huffed at him, "You don't do babies! You told me so!"
"I talk out my ass! I don't know anything really about babies. I know the process to make them and I know they cry. They are smelly at times. It goes in one end and comes out in a diaper. And Tank says I'm slow on the uptake like a sloth."
Stephanie could only stare. What did a sloth have to do with a baby? "Do you know a sloth only comes down out of the trees once a week to go to the bathroom and buries it? Angie did a report on them."
"Smart Ass!"
"See! I've told you so many times you're full of shit!" Tank announced proudly going out of the sick room with Bobby and Lester. He laughed at the evil eyes his friend shot him.
"You're jealous of Austyn?"
Ranger shook his confused head. "I don't think so. It really bothers me you didn't ask me to help you if you needed it. Babe, you've always come to me."
Stephanie stood there watching Ranger. She knew his was sincere because he was actually shuffling his feet waiting for a response from her. She wasn't actually sure what to say again.
"Stay up on 7 with me. Bobby will be only a couple of floors down if Austyn's fever spikes or he seems sicker. If we need to, we'll get him to the ER," Ranger pleaded and threw in that special word. Softly saying, "Please."
Stephanie always melted when Ranger said that one word and this time was no exception. He was a macho Cuban man who has moments of sticking his foot in his mouth, and Stephanie realized the sudden, unaware presence of Austyn in her care had to rattle the unflappable man. She knew it did her, but the routine she developed with the baby had become a comfortable one.
"He needs diapers and formula for my apartment. I was stopping at the supermarket on my way home," she said kissing a sleeping and cooler Austyn on her shoulder. "All the things Mary Lou lent me are at my apartment. His bath tub is there and extra clothes. I just have a few things in there," pointing to the diaper bag, "for him."
"Let him sleep. I can send someone to your apartment for whatever you need. Ella can pick up more if there is not enough here or we'll go out after he wakes up to get his things. Take him up to 7, you and he can rest up there until he wakes up. I'll bring his basket up for you."
She nodded and Ranger leaned in to kiss her.
"Isn't pushing a baby in a grocery cart a little low the Macho scale?" Stephanie inquired before his lips touched hers.
"No,' he said having a change of heart, "I think blue and black are quite fashionable this year. And to prove it, if Austyn is well enough, I'll treat at Pino's."
She looked into his brown eyes crinkled at the corners, "Do sloths eat pizza?"
XXXXXXXXXX
True to his word, Ranger walked into Pino's with Stephanie carrying the baby in his carrier. Bobby gave her a bottle of amoxicillin and Austyn had his first small dose. The fever drops worked and he felt normal. He didn't drink much of his formula at once, but did drink a little water for Ranger when he sat with him in his lap in his apartment after Stephanie showed him with a bottle. She was changing into jeans and a T-shirt left on 7 before they went out. Being cautious, she had him wrapped in a light blanket so he wasn't chilled by the air conditioning.
The eyes were on them she knew when they sat at their normal table in the back. Mr. Pino tickled Austyn's chubby cheek and Stephanie conveyed a friend of hers was very sick and she was babying sitting while she recuperated. He told her he hoped the mother would feel better soon and took their pizza order not thinking anything was out of the ordinary. Ranger didn't say a thing when the sad look crossed her beautiful face mentioning Krystal because her cell phone was ringing.
"Hello," she said knowing it was her mother.
"Stephanie, this is your mother. I got telephone calls that you and Ranger are at Pino's with a baby!"
"Well, Mom, I guess I have to tell you. Ranger and I had a secret love child that I've kept hidden in the closet so no one found out!"
Ranger was chuckling at the comment.
Ellen snapped, "That's down right silly! A closet is not the place for a baby. I'm your mother and I would have known if you were pregnant. You didn't get fat!"
"Well, Mom, we know I couldn't take care of a baby. There must be people impersonating Ranger and I who have a baby."
"That must be it!"
Stephanie heard her father in the background, "Ask her if it's a boy."
She glanced over at the baby sucking on a pacifier, "Tell Daddy, I bet they definitely had a boy."
She heard him say "Lucky people."
"Stephanie, are you coming to dinner on Thursday. I'm having ham."
'I'll let you know, Mom. Maybe, I let the baby out of the closet and bring him with me."
"All right, Stephanie, but a closet is not a place for a baby. I'll set an extra place for the baby."
"Bye, Mom."
Stephanie was shaking her head and Ranger saw a little doubt coming out.
He brought her hand to his lips, "Babe, I know why Krystal chose you. You give your everything in your kindness and I agree with her choice. She chose for her son the best foster mother she could give."
Ranger as he promised pushed the grocery cart with Austyn watching him from his carrier while Stephanie picked up additional formula and diapers. Ellen Plum called again saying the imposters were spotted at the supermarket and maybe Ranger should have them apprehended. Stephanie told her mother she would relay that to him.
They made a stop at her apartment for extra clothes, baby tub, extra small blanket, circus activity mat, and the onesies Austyn slept in at night. Ranger thought they looked strange. Once he was bathed, and had his medicine, Stephanie and Ranger took turns checking on him as he slept before they went to sleep if he was feverish. He was little before his bath, but was cool after his fever drops. He carried the ottoman in from the living room so Stephanie could put the 'Moses' basket she had on it and Austyn was beside her. Ranger was the one who retrieved the bottle of formula from the refrigerator when the baby woke up during the night and Stephanie changed him. Both felt him and he felt normal to them. Before, he and his Babe went back to bed; they laid on the bed watching the baby boy sleep.
"Thank you," Stephanie told Ranger.
'For what, Babe?"
"Knowing I needed you. I think I would have been too afraid to be alone tonight if Austyn's fever went up."
"I wouldn't have let you be alone. You're amazing, Babe, and I'll always be there. Let's get some sleep,"
Even after Stephanie drifted off, Ranger was curled around her listening to her breathing and Austyn's. He realized it might be like this for a very long time and it was a good feeling for him.