Disclaimer: I don't own HIMYM and never will nor will I make profit from this fic.
This was a hard chapter for me to write but it finally came out like I wanted it to. I'm really picky about how I write. But I'm really enjoying the good reviews and it's a big motivator so thank you to everyone who takes the time to write something. By now some of you may have guessed where this story is going so let's see how it plays out.
Chapter 3: Barney and the baby
Robin finished her interview and waited just long enough for the camera crew to give her the signal that they were no longer recording before heaving a huge sigh of relief. Her face actually hurt from having to smile for so long.
The taping had been extensive. They had interviews with the mission group, locals working at the church/orphanage, and she'd even convinced some kids who spoke small bits of English to talk to her. Well, maybe talk was not the right word as the kids mostly knew the names of candy the mission group gave them after their shots.
Non-the-less it looked cute when she asked them what their favorite flavor was for the camera.
Robin looked around trying to catch a glimpse of her husband. He had been strangely absent her whole interview. Usually he would have bothered her at least once to say he was bored or try to get her to do something ridiculous on camera.
He wasn't in eye-sight so it looked like she'd have to hunt him down.
As she walked, Robin surveyed the area. While recording she had been so concentrated on getting a good story she really hadn't taken the whole scene of the place in.
Children were lined up outside of tents waiting to be hustled like an assembly line down rows of tents. The first tent was taking temperatures, listening to heart beats, and other check-up kind of procedures. After tent one the kids would be passed to other tents down the line that offered treatments they needed such as glasses fittings, bandages, pills, or shots. The tent with shots was the rowdiest as no child liked having a needle shoved in their arm.
When finished with their examinations the children were released with handfuls of treats and allowed to play. It seemed like a piece of candy was well worth the discomfort of a doctor visit to these kids.
Robin saw the clothes they wore were clearly hand-me-downs; most of the kids were too big or too small for their outfits. Some children weren't wearing shoes and she wondered if it was because they didn't want to wear them like most kids or if they just didn't have any.
With still no sign of Barney, Robin decided to look inside the church.
The church was not very large. The first floor of the church was typical with rows of benches and a long aisle that led to an altar. The windows did not have glass and the inside of the church was pretty bare. There were candles at the entrance and on the altar which had a simple white cloth laid over it for decoration. Rooms upstairs were used for classrooms a few days a week when local teachers volunteered to teach the older children.
The basement had rooms that had been converted into bedrooms. One room held cribs for newborns and toddlers. Another was for the women that looked over the children during the night. The rest of the rooms had rows of beds for older children. The rooms were separated by girls and boys; however, they were not decorated in any distinguishing ways so they pretty much looked the same.
Today the youngest children were kept inside to be treated. Toddlers and newborns did not take well to getting shots so they were separated from the older children to keep from frightening them. Mission group members administered the shots while volunteers tried to distract the babies during or comfort them afterwards.
This is where Robin found Barney.
Barney sat on a bench with a squirming baby as a mission group member prepared a shot. The baby was young, maybe a year or less old. Considering the baby was dressed in a pink Robin assumed it was a girl. The baby had a full head of dark wavy hair and large brown eyes that stayed locked on Barney no matter where he moved.
Robin watched as Barney spoke quietly to the baby while the doctor took one of her arms to disinfect for the shot. When the baby grabbed his tie and tugged it out of place Robin held her breath expecting Barney to freak out; instead he smiled. Barney covered her hand that held his tie with his and tickled her nose with the tip making her giggle.
Unnoticed the doctor quickly stuck the needle into the babies arm. She didn't cry; she simply kept her eyes focused on Barney as he smiled down at her.
Robin tried to go unnoticed as she watched them together but a woman who worked at the orphanage approached her.
"He is your husband right?" the woman asked her.
Robin nodded not taking her eyes off Barney as he moved to an empty chair with the baby and began to speak softly to her.
"Eliana cried with others but once she was in his arms she only smiled. Your husband must be very good with children."
Robin didn't answer and it didn't seem to the bother the woman. They both watched Barney as he played with baby Eliana.
How was Barney such a natural with a baby?
Robin was still awkward with Lily and Ted's kids. She was constantly afraid she was doing something wrong or at any minute they would start to cry.
She considered herself a baby disaster zone while Barney…
Barney seemed like he was meant to be a father.