Snowflake, My Pretty Little Snowflake.

Conundrum

Patience continued to stare down at the small body in the crib, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Nurse, you are meant to be looking after baby, not standing there idle". Nurse Collin's sharp voice brought Patience to her senses. She hadn't heard the elderly nurse enter the room, so lost in her thoughts had she been. "Here are baby's charts. Now get on with your work please". Nurse Collin's tone was acid.

"Yes, m'am" Patience replied taking the charts from the older nurse's hand.

"See that you do" Nurse Collins sniffed in disapproval and flounced out of the room. Shaking, Patience looked down at the file in her hand and read.

Patient Name: Niall Malik-Payne
Biological Birth Date: 9:13:93

It couldn't be a mistake. It had to be him. It was him!Her mind whirled. What should she do? The sound of whimpering broke into her frenzied thoughts and she immediately put down the chart and hurried to the crib. Lowering the sides, Patience started to sooth the ill boy as she checked his condition. First things first, she told herself. However he'd ended up in this community and whatever needed to be done to get him out, he was one very sick young lad and needed to be helped recover.

Patience deftly washed Niall's hot little body, his normally pale skin covered in the horrible rash. She carefully fastened a clean diaper on him then gently covered his otherwise naked body with a soft blanket before smoothing his hair of his forehead. He whimpered fretfully, his legs and arms moving like the small baby he was supposed to actually be. Patience instinctively felt the need to sooth him so slowly slid her hands under his small frame, mindful of the tubes still attached to his body, and cradled him in her arms. He felt so light. She knew he was nicknamed the pint sized pop star because of his diminutive size but somehow he appeared even smaller, more fragile. She swayed her body from side to side, watching his face and breathing out a sigh of relief when she saw he had relaxed into a natural sleep. Moving cautiously, Patience placed him back in the crib, and smiled as he curled up under his blanket. She stood there for a few more minutes then, sighing, started doing the necessary 'Ob's', making the relevant notes on his charts.

It seemed that she had only been with Niall a few minutes but hours had passed and her shift was ending, and now Patience was handing over Niall's care to another nurse, one who looked as elderly and as sharp as Nurse Collins. Patience lingered in the room, reluctant to go, as she watched the replacement nurse bustle about the crib, checking tubes and monitors. Niall began to whimper, sounding distressed so Patience started forward towards him, stopping when she saw the other nurse scoop him up gently and rock him, singing a soft lullaby to comfort the fretful boy. Relieved that the other nurse seemed kind, Patience murmured a goodbye and hurried out. She had a lot of thinking to do.

The following morning, just as Patience was finishing changing Niall's diaper , the door of the room opened and the Malik-Payne men came into the room. She gave them a tight smile as she fastened the velcro tabs . She could feel her anger at the two men bubbling up inside her but forced it down. Now was not the time to lose control. She had to be careful, make plans. She couldn't afford to blow it now.

"Baby is a tiny bit better today" she forced herself to say pleasantly.

"That's a relief" Zayn's tone was heartfelt "I just have been so worried. Neither of us slept last night". Patience looked up at him then. His hair was messy and his eyes had dark shadows under them. She transferred her gaze to Liam who looked even worse. He'd probably understand even more than Zayn, just what could still go wrong, despite Niall's small improvement. Even through her anger with the two men, she had to admit that they obviously loved Niall. It was a twisted love, but it was still love. She stood back from the crib, allowing the two men to move next to the small lad. Liam was gently running a finger over Niall's pale cheek, slow tears trickling down his cheeks.