Scott Carpenter Tracy was…perfect.
Four pounds five ounces of sheer perfection.
Lucy, at only 27 weeks gone, began to go into preterm labour. Bed rest had been prescribed at first, then when that wasn't enough she'd been rushed to hospital and given steroids and Nifedipine to slow her contractions.
The combination helped for several days until Scott finally decided enough was enough and he wanted out.
Now.
For Jeff, training for his next NASA trip – this time 'only' a local one to the moon – and scheduled to miss the birth had Scott decided to stay to term, it was a mixed blessing – while he was the horrified first-time father panicked at their baby being born at only 35 weeks, he was relieved to be there for the first three weeks of Scott's life.
That first time Jeff and Lucy were able to hold him was…perfect. His eyes held Lucy's, and even though they knew he was too young to be able to focus it made both their hearts soar.
For all of thirty seconds until he let forth a wail that was piercing. Wide-eyed, Jeff sprung from the chair to grab the nurse only for her to come bustling into the room as if she'd known.
'Well then, Master Tracy. That's a fine set of lungs you have on you so I don't think we have much to worry about in that department. Mrs Tracy, why don't you try to feed Scott? He's crying for it.'
Jeff offered to grab coffee but Lucy asked him to stay. He needed to be comfortable with Scott feeding, and he was in turn relieved that Lucy was happy for him to be there. It took some practice, with a lot of help from the nurse, but eventually he latched on and fed, eyes still locked to Lucy's.
They kept both mother and child in for a couple of days to ensure that Scott's lungs were indeed working and that he was feeding well, and giving Lucy a couple of days to recover her strength.
The next three weeks passed in a blur of activity – and a steep learning curb for the new parents. But Scott proved to be a good baby. He was a stickler for routine, if Lucy was even only a couple of minutes late then Scott would let her know in no uncertain terms. He slept well but lightly, waking at the slightest sound and while he didn't sleep through the night Scott also didn't wake them up when he was awake. Lucy squarely blamed Jeff for that trait – Jeff himself could get by with very little sleep on occasion.
By the time Jeff was due back at NASA for his planned six-month stint on the moon Scott had both parents well trained.
Those six months Lucy had on her own with Scott cemented her decision. But she kept that to herself. She knew that, now she had a child – and especially since that child was a boy – her handlers, who had not contacted her since the Matryoshka dolls, would be in touch imminently and probably before Jeff returned, so every day that went by without contact made her just that little bit more nervous.
But they never made contact.
Jeff came back from the moon and there was still no contact.
Every milestone of Scott's was celebrated and recorded and still no contact.
They celebrated Scott's first birthday and nothing.
Lucy began to get more paranoid, even asking NASA if she could delay her return to the office and work from home which they were happy to grant. She barely left the house.
She taught Scott to speak.
'Скажи мама! Скажи папа!'
He was a bright child and picked up Russian as fast as he picked up English, and his favourite song was one from a Russian cartoon that Lucy often used to sing him to sleep with:
Спят усталые игрушки, книжки спят
Одеяла и подушки ждут ребят
Даже сказка спать ложится
Чтобы ночью нам присниться
Ты ей пожелай: "Баю-бай!"
Some evenings Jeff joined in, and Lucy was ever so grateful that all astronauts learnt Russian as standard. It meant she never had to explain why Scott was learning both languages.
The week that Scott turned 18 months she found out she was pregnant again. This time she told Jeff immediately and the man was positively glowing! He told everyone, probably would have announced it to the whole world if he could. This time Lucy enjoyed Jeff's happiness.
This time Jeff's next mission would occur during her pregnancy and – if this baby carried to term, he would be back in time.
The day he left for NASA she got another message. On their doorstep was a small teddy bear. Unfortunately, Scott got to it before she did, and with wide eyes he held out the brown bear. It was sitting down and had a chamomile flower embroidered over its heart, but in thin red stitching that flower had been crossed through.
It was all Lucy could do to not snatch the bear off her son, but he was already holding it closely, already enamoured of it and was oblivious to his mother's upset.
That morning she went out an bought him a blue and red airplane to try and tempt him to release the bear. Lucy couldn't get the bear away from him, though, until he fell asleep. She stealthily swapped the bear for the plane as slowly as she could, praying that she didn't wake him. She didn't, and as he cuddled into the plane she took a knife to the bear.
There was nothing in the bear.
And that worried Lucy even more.
That night they moved to Kansas to stay with Grant and Ruth until Jeff came home.
1:
'Скажи мама! Скажи папа!'
Say Ma-ma! Say Pa-pa!'
2: Traditional Russian song:
Спят усталые игрушки, книжки спят
Одеяла и подушки ждут ребят
Даже сказка спать ложится
Чтобы ночью нам присниться
Ты ей пожелай: "Баю-бай!"
Tired toys sleep, books sleep
Blankets and pillows are waiting for the children
Even a fairy tale goes to bed
So that we can dream at night
You wish her: "Bay-bye!"