The Sound of Silence, A Resident Evil Fanfiction

Raising Cristi

Leon was not accustomed to having long hours to sleep. Nor was he even aware that he had Cristi asleep with him the entire night.

At first, the agent panicked. He yelped as he searched about the bed frantically, "Cristi?! Cristiana?!" He moved his pillow, catching sight of her headful of dark hair, and sighed in relief. He had forgotten to put her in her cot last night when he went to bed early. 

A bit negligent on his part; he was thankful he didn't crush her last night...but how was he not able to? Maybe he was just so attentive, let alone aware, of where she was...maybe having her sleep in the cot was a little more work compared to letting her nestle to his chest. But at the same token, she'd be safer in a bedside cot.

Breakfast...maybe his over-thinking mind could do with breakfast...

Eggs and toast sounded delicious...

"When do babies begin eating solid food?" he wondered and checked his phone. He typed his question into the search engine, and his answers revealed that babies at around 3 months of age could start eating soft foods, then at 6 months could begin eating small portions of solid food. Breastmilk or formula was definitely a necessity, as their stomachs would not be able to handle whole fat milk until a little after a year.

Speaking of, his pectorals felt uncomfortably hard...

He picked up Cristi, but paused as he smelled a strange...rather foul smell. Oh...so she was dirty...

He gently set her down and took care of her diaper, learning awkwardly which side of the diaper belonged where, and how to fasten it comfortably around her tiny belly. He hummed, then grabbed a swab and cleaned around where her umbilical cord had been snipped. He had read that it was important to keep this area of her belly clean and free of infections, especially since it would fall off on its own accord over time. 

Now then...breakfast.

Cristi sucked on air, whimpering pitifully. Leon sighed, peering down at his little girl. Well...she did have to eat more often than he did...he held her to his chest, letting her latch on. However, when she began to suck, she pulled back sharply as milk sprayed over her face. He yelped.

"Sorry baby! You okay?" he asked as he tried to clean her up. It must have been a let down, as she latched back on and sucked her due breakfast. He sighed in relief; well, thank goodness she didn't choke! He went to work making himself breakfast, granted it became very apparent that he was not used to handling things with one occupied arm. He didn't complain, handling it as best as he could, and sat down to enjoy his food.

His phone rang just as he was about to finish up. He peered at it, then answered, "Hunnigan? Good morning to you too."

"Morning, Leon," Hunnigan responded on the other end. She asked, "How are you and the baby?"

"We're doing okay, for the most part," Leon answered. He yawned and asked, "What's the matter? Does the President need me for anything?"

"On the contrary," Hunnigan answered him, "Wanted to call and make sure you both were okay. That, and I just found some classes for new mothers and fathers in your area. It would be good for you to brush up on things, Leon."

The agent frowned. He replied, "I appreciate the gesture, Hunnigan, but...are the news media still sharing about a pregnant man from the hospital? If I go to a class while that's still hot, that'd bring unwanted attention to Cristiana and myself. I can't have that kind of exposure to her this early. Plus I still don't want Chris to find out."

Hunnigan made a slight grimace at that. She asked him, "Leon, are you sure about that?"

"If word got out of a pregnant man who gave birth to a baby going to Parenting Classes, who knows what the social media could spread, and worse, get Child Protective Services involved believing that it's all a big scam and take her away from me without getting the facts straight," Leon reminded her. "It's much too early, Hunnigan. Maybe within a week or two, perhaps but..."