The Tragic Life

Chapter 21

WARNING: CHAPTERS 32 - 36 OF THIS BOOK CAN ONLY BE READ ON INKITT! LINK IN MY BIO ♥️
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I watch Abbey strip Emily down like it's some kind of slow motion movie— the others in the room seeming to fade away into the distance when I take in my baby's red-raw skin. It looks so sore that it's probably going to blister, and the way her nails are scratching at it is bound to do some serious damage.

"What did she eat?" I say, finally able to work my legs.

Abbey picks up Emily's wriggling body to pass her over to me. "I don't know. I didn't see her eat anything. Do you have any infant antihistamines?"

I sit down to lay her across my lap to check for any swellings in her mouth. I use my finger to gently pull at her lips. "Yes, it's in the bathroom cabinet. Does anyone know if she ate anything? Please!"

Jamie comes to kneel beside me. "It's only what she ate earlier. You wrote it down, remember?"

Two quarters of a tuna sandwich, half a bag of potato puffs, and some sliced apple with a homemade yogurt dip. "It's got to be the dairy."

There's a sudden overwhelming smell coming from Emily as her face scrunches up into a tight ball. I lift her up to see she's messed herself and it's gone all the way up her back.

Oh, sweet Jesus.

"I got the antihistamine," says Yasmin as she rushes back into the room, frowning when she gets a whiff of the air.

I rip open the box to measure out the liquid, praying Emily takes it. And, by some miracle, she slurps all the way to the last drop as if she's thirsty for it.

"That's it, sweetheart," I whisper, trying to stop my hands from shaking when she falls back into my chest on a loud cry.

Abbey points to the spot where Emily is currently scratching. "There's raised bumps like hives. It's definitely an allergic reaction. Arabella got this as a baby whenever she consumed anything with dairy in it. Let's go get her cleaned up. Do you have any oats? We can put them in the bath water to soothe her itching."

"Ar-are you sure?" I reply, rubbing at my face when I notice that the bumps are showing across her chest too.

Abbey nods her head. "We see this a lot at the practice. Does your doctor's surgery have an emergency line?"

Abbey is a triage nurse that resides at the paediatrics centre across town. It comforts me to know she's not panicking, and I feel so lucky to have her here to calm me down.

"Yeah, there's usually a few doctors on call at the weekend," I reply, showing Abbey where I keep the oats before making our way up to the bathroom.

She starts by running the bath water. "It looks like she's calming down a bit."

"I hope so," I whisper, cleaning Emily up so she can go straight into the water.

Her smile is kind. "Those cries are turning to little whimpers. That's always a good sign."

Emily rests against my chest with her foot pressing into the material of my jeans when I attempt to tie the messy nappy into a plastic bag. "Can I rub it for her? She's really scrubbing her foot on my trousers."

Abbey pours the oats into the water. "I wouldn't, just because it can cause more irritation. Let me try a cool cloth first."

I get a handful of muslin cloths to give over to her. She soaks them in cold water then squeezes out the excess water with one hard ring. "I did this the other night for her eczema. It seems to be the only thing that helps aside from the emollients."