Fern hears a gentle woman"s voice saying, "I"m sorry Mr. and Mrs. Price, but the baby will need to stay in the hospital for a couple of days. She was born before the due date. We have to make sure that she can meet some specific criteria. Little Fern needs to be able to maintain stable body temperature. She"ll likely be able to go home on the 10th or 11th."With Fern"s mind already fried from the universal travel, she tries to figure out what her situation is. Her first instinct is to feel around, but her limbs seem to be restricted by a soft fabric. Claustrophobic, she blinks her eyes open and sees that she is in a crib with other babies next to her.
Jarred by the unexpected situation, Fern"s scientific mind whirs with questions and possible explanations.
"Why am I an infant? Did I go back in time? Who is that lady talking? Did the machine work? Did I travel to another universe? How is it different from my universe? Why did I not stay as an adult? Gosh darn it, I wish that I planned for this sort of situation"
Fern"s thoughts get cut off when she hears a tired and somewhat frustrated female voice say, "Alright, thank you for telling us. Are we allowed to hold Fern or talk to her?"
"Yes, it would be great if you could bond with the baby. There is something called Kangaroo Care or Skin to Skin bonding. With this, you move your shirt aside and lay the baby against your skin. Then, you cover the baby with another shirt or blanket. Would you like to try that?"
The tired lady responds, "I would love that."
After a pause, Fern feels the sensation of being lifted into the air. Initially, she feels alarmed because of the high alt.i.tude, but Fern calms down as she lowers onto something soft, silky, and warm.
She attempted mumbles about the feeling only result in her opening and closing her mouth slightly.
A man quietly talks to Fern and says, "Hey baby. I"m your dad." Chuckling he says, "and this is your beautifully exhausted mother."
The chest under Fern rumbles as Camilla groans and says, "Oh shush.
Over the next couple of days, Fern gets to look around and learn about her new world as she fights against her body"s need for constant sleep.
Miles and Camilla refused to leave Fern"s side even when the hospital offered to have volunteers hold her, so Fern got to learn plenty about the couple.
Fern initially thought Miles was a pushover social-b.u.t.terfly. But, this sly cat in the shape of a golden retriever is so good with his words that he convicted a doctor that his wife shouldn"t be discharged until Fern is discharged, so they can leave the hospital at the same time. Matching his personality, he wears a black suit and a scruffy dirty-blonde beard with a curly head of hair.
Unlike Miles, Camilla has many similarities with Fern. She is reserved and only lights up around people that she is familiar with. Even when she is exhausted, Camilla still manages to seem elegant and composed. With her sharp gla.s.ses and brown messy bun, she looks at everything with an inquisitive eye.
Feeling satisfied with her investigation, Fern relaxes and succ.u.mbs to sleep.