Helping Aurora

17

"How's she doing?" Olivia asks quietly as she slips back into bed, the medicine and bottle of water she'd disappeared momentarily to grab in her hands. It was a little past two in the morning, and both she Scarlett had yet to go to bed.

All had been fine after waking Aurora from her nap. She'd still been a little feverish, but she'd eaten dinner with no complaints before bathing with her mama and nursing down to sleep. That had changed just over two hours ago. Just as Scarlett had gotten into bed and Olivia finished locking up for the night, a loud cry had come from the nursery.

Thinking it was just the little one waking for another feed, Scarlett had gone in to sooth her only to return ten minutes later with a fever ridden Aurora laid in her arms. She'd thrown up from both ends and her fever had risen to 102.1.

She was both restless and tearful, and the only think that was seemingly soothing her was nursing from her mothers breast, and that's where she'd been for a little over an hour now.

Scarlett looks up briefly with a tired smile, "The same. I don't think we're going to get much sleep tonight." She states regretfully as she brings her attention back to Aurora. The little one was curled up on her lap, her bare chest pressed against Scarlett's stomach due to the woman's lack of shirt.

She was suckling softly, more or less using the woman as a pacifier but Scarlett didn't have the heart to make her unlatch.

Her tiny hands had taken their place at the swell of the breast that wasn't being nursed from, fingers effectively twiddling with her nipple. It was both harmless and innocent, so Scarlett leaves her be.

"Poor baby," Olivia murmurs, reaching over to gently brush away the sweaty strands of hair from the little ones forehead. Aurora whines pitifully at the action, and Olivia murmurs a quiet apology as she pulls her hand away. "I've got the medicine." She brings her attention to her wife who was once again looking down at their little one, the pad of her thumb trailing gently gently her moving bottom lip.

"We'll give it to her once she's sleeping," Scarlett responds, "I don't want to make her even more upset."

Although Olivia knew that may not be the best course of action due to Aurora's rising fever, she finds herself nodding her head. The little one appears to be close to sleep now, so she knew she wouldn't have to wait too long to get some medicine into her system.

Momentarily setting both the medicine and water onto the night stand, she settles herself against the headboard of their bed and lets out a quiet sigh. She knew she should probably attempt to head to bed due to the fact she had work in just a few short hours, but she couldn't find it in her to leave her wife to deal with their sick little one on her own.

Despite that, she finds her eyes drooping closed anyway, and when Scarlett looks up just ten minutes later, she finds that her wife was dead to the world, head resting against the headboard with her mouth wide open. Despite her exhaustion, she couldn't help but laugh quietly to herself as she attempts to coax Olivia properly into bed. Thankfully, despite being seemingly out for the count, her wife seems to get the message and all but drops her head onto the pillow with a quiet grunt.

Scarlett rolls her eyes as she pulls the blankets up to cover her properly before bringing her attention back to their sick little one.

"Your mommy's silly." She murmurs, leaning down to press a kiss to Aurora's warm forehead. The baby's eyes flicker open at the gentle ministration, her suckles growing in pressure as she stares sleepily up at her mama.

"It's okay baby. You can go to sleep. Mama will be here when you wake up." She soothes, using the tip of her finger to gently stroke up and down the bridge of the little ones nose.