Left holding the baby...

Posted on Sat Jul 13th, 2019 @ 2:06pm by Lieutenant Commander Carolyn Corrigan MD

1,894 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 98 - A Raid on Peace
Location: Sickbay, Paediatric Unit
Timeline: MD04, 1030 hours

"... extending the search but at this point, it is looking unlikely," Nurse Ashley sighed as she finished delivering her report, an update on the condition of Baby Hope. A perk of her more senior position within the nursing hierarchy had allowed her to shuffle around her duties so she could help oversee the infants care. And while Hope was doing well, the search for her wider family was not so rewarding.

Cradling the infant in her arms, Doctor Corrigan stood by the viewport, sighing as she stared down at the baby. Just seconds ago her big blue eyes had been staring back at her, now they were closed as she slept. Even so, tiny fingers were still wrapped around her index finger, the grip surprisingly strong.

"We keep looking until we've exhausted all avenues, follow the protocols to the letter," she said quietly. "When we are sure there is no family, we can start looking at the other options."

"Of course," Ashley nodded as she saw someone approaching the room. "Freya Ross is here. Call if you need me."

Freya walked into the room, her eyes immediately falling on the tiny bundle sleeping in Carolyn's arms. Her motherly instincts hit an all new high as she looked up at Carolyn and offered an amazed gaze. "She's so small and she's beautiful." Her voice was barely a whisper, not wanting to wake the little miracle. "Any luck locating any family?"

"Not yet. We have procedures to follow, but we'd have expected something to come up by now," Carolyn told her. "And don't worry, you don't need to be quiet. When she sleeps she sleeps. And she doesn't seem to like it when it is too quiet."

She gestured to a chair beside the crib, "if you want to steal a hug before she remembers it is almost feeding time, take a seat. I may need your help to get my hand back though."

Freya nodded and enthusiastically took a seat. Truth be known she couldn't wait to hold the baby.

"Ready?" Carolyn asked, waiting until Freya was seated and ready before moving over and lowering Hope into the other woman's arms.

Freya gently took the sleeping bundle from Carolyn. She couldn't believe how such a beautiful baby could be an orphan, she gently helped Carolyn to slide her finger free before quickly replacing it with her own. "Can I help with her feed when she wakes up?"

"I don't see why not," Carolyn grinned. "Comfortable enough, not hurting you at all?"

"Never!" She grinned. "Does she have a name yet?"

"Her name is Hope," she said, "at least until family can have a proper name. I just thought it seemed appropriate and I couldn't really put off giving her a name much longer."

"It's perfect" Freya gently stroked the tiny fingers gripping her own finger. "It's the name I'd have given her as she is a symbol of hope. Amidst all that death she survived and if that isn't hope I don't know what is!"

Carolyn smiled sadly, "if only her mother, or her father, had survived too. She's too perfect to be staying here but right now we don't have much choice."

"If you knew how much I'd love to take this baby home and keep her...." She sighed. "I've no doubt if I asked Kaden long and hard enough he'd say yes but I'm afraid it'd scare him off wanting one of our own!"

"I think you'd have competition from half of the nurses in here," Carolyn warned her with a grin. "All the pink in here, appeared almost overnight."

"Doesn't she bring out your maternal side?" Freya grinned as she looked at Carolyn. "Don't you want to take her home?"

"Definitely not," Carolyn said firmly, even though it was a lie. "Even if she is just adorable... Besides, I practically live in here so it wouldn't work."

"If you say so!" Freya smiled as her tiny bundle suddenly started to wriggle. Moments later she was looking into two very tiny beautiful eyes, which didn't seem to know what to make of her from the way Hope was looking at her. Moments later the tiny bundle was crying at the top of her lungs.

Within seconds one of the nurses hurried in, handing Carolyn a bottle before disappearing. "As you can see, they wait on her hand and foot," the doctor commented, "you'll need this if you would like your eardrums to survive the next sixty seconds."

Freya smiled as Carolyn passed her a bottle. "I guess this is where I get practice of feeding a baby!" She grinned playfully as she offered Hope the bottle.

Carolyn leaned against the wall, watching. "You're a natural. And you are her new best friend," she assured Freya, noticing how Hope twisted a little towards the sound of her voice. "And as a bonus, you'll have a better idea of what she is thinking or feeling better than most of us."

"Indeed" Freya nodded as she let her mental shields down just a little. "She's...hungry, tired, a little confused by the world around her and that's just at a guess!" She grinned. "I daren't let myself get too deeply involved, at this age emotions are a confusing jumble and it would be very easy to create a bond that should only be shared with Hope's true family or new mother, when we find one."

“She sounds like half of the staff,” Carolyn commented drily. “You’ll be okay for a few minutes? I won’t go far and don’t forget to take breaks so she doesn’t throw up all over you.”

"Don't worry I've got this!" Freya smiled as she let Hope have a little more before sitting her up to wind her. This wasn't the first baby she'd ever fed before but it was the first with no mother and her maternal instincts were crying out to bond with the tiny infant. "I am sorry Hope, I wish I could be what you need." She let Hope have her bottle back. "I don't think living in a station was what your mother would want for you."

In response, those baby blue eyes just stared up, both hands curled around the bottle as she drank. An absolute picture of contentment. By the time Carolyn returned the bottle was all but finished.

"Still good?" she asked Freya as she entered, a small bundle of PADDs tucked under her arm.

“Better than good!” Freya grinned as she sat Hope up for a final winding as she finished her bottle.

"Perfect. Because nobody really warns you in medical school that about eighty percent of your life becomes paperwork," Carolyn commented, gesturing at the PADDs. "Especially when we hope to get most people home today. Between discharge papers, ward updates, prescription reviews... it piles up pretty fast. I'm trying to keep Hades desk as clear as possible but it isn't going well. I usually end up in here checking on this little one."

“Well you’ve got some extra help now, it seems Hope has taken a liking to me. At least I’m hoping so!” Freya smiled warmly. “To be honest I’d be here every minute of every day if I could but I don’t want to get too attached to her.” She looked at the tiny bundle now resting in her arms.

“Good luck with that,” Carolyn teased.

“I know!!” Freya grinned. “Are you telling me you wouldn’t miss her?”

“I’ll definitely miss having her around. It makes you think... but I have also spent hours and hours debating the choice I made between her and maybe saving her mother... It’s the part of our work I hate, even more than paperwork.”

“Kaden and I have debated and re-debated about having a baby, we’re still debating and that’s what drives me mad!!” She gently stroked tiny Hope’s cheek. “I want a baby Carolyn! I don’t care if I have a child with special needs, I just want to be a mum!!”

The smile Carolyn gave was tinged with sadness as she looked at Hope. Taking a deep breath she pushed her own thoughts aside, “Kaden will come around. I get the idea you can be very persuasive.”

"I don't really need to be!" Freya offered a warmer smile. "Kaden surprised me with the news he wants us to have a baby last night!"

“Congratulations,” Carolyn smiled, “I’m thrilled for you both.”

Freya grinned and looked at Hope. “I still want to take her home! I’d willingly apply right now to foster her but I can’t!!”

"For one thing, you'd need Kaden to be fully on board with that," Carolyn pointed out. "And it is a big jump to go from talking about having a baby to suddenly having a newborn keeping you up all night. If it is something you are thinking of, then speak to him. Then we can go from there."

“No...” Freya shook her head. “I’ll stick to being part of Hope’s helper army here on the station. Nothing more.” Freya gently cradled the newborn as she happily slept. “I’ll be happy with knowing I’m helping her.”

"That you are," Carolyn assured her. "I have some rounds to finish up but I'll come back in a bit. Have fun and make sure you don't do too much. I don't need more patients, got it?"

"Got it!" Freya smiled warmly. "Thank you Carolyn. Oh and does that apply to making love too?"

“I really don’t want to know the details but in general yes,” the doctor warned. “You are still healing.”

"In that case....you're kind of a little late!" She gave Carolyn a guilty look. "We took it extra slow and gentle so as not to do any harm!"

“I’d say in that case you are doing it wrong,” Carolyn teased her, “but in this situation it was probably for the best.”

“Thank you. I’m still sore but I wasn’t going to over do it and put my rehab back.” Freya grinned. “I just hope things will work out for us, Doctor Hades wasn’t sure if I’d even be able to conceive given Kaden’s condition but we’ll try and see what happens!”

"Well you never know unless you try," she said. "We have some specialists on staff if you feel after a few months that you want to sit down with one of them."

Freya nodded. “I’ll bear that in mind, thank you.” She looked down at Hope who seemed to have comfortable cuddled up in the crook of Freya’s arm. “Looks like I’m going to be here for a little while!”

"Stay as long as you like," Carolyn told her as a man appeared in the doorway, clearing his throat to get her attention.

"I'll be right out," she promised before turning back to Freya. "The only people who hold a candle to our CMO for being bossy are the physios. I need to go but just call on the nurses if you need anything at all. And don't let her wrap you around her finger too much, she's not as innocent as she looks."

Freya grinned. "I'll try not to and thanks!"

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