Page 35 of Hearing Little Hadley

“Shhh, it’s okay Hadley. I’m sorry, baby.” Finn soothed as he lowered her into the tepid water.

“I’m cold,” she cried, her teeth rattling as she shivered.

“I know, baby, but you’re burning up. Daddy gave you something to bring it down and Nurse MacIntosh told me to try a bath.”

“The water is cold!”

“I know it feels that way, Peeps. I’m so sorry.”

“I wanna get out,” she begged.

“Hang in there just another minute for me, little one. I promise Daddy will get you warm again.”

Laying her head back on his arm, she sobbed

“Can you tell Daddy what feels bad right now?”

“My t-throat and my h-head.”

“The medicine I put in your bottom will help your head too and how about some warm soup for your throat?” he offered.

She sniffed and nodded.

Finn splashed the water over her a few more times before pulling the plug on the tub. He wrapped her in another fuzzy towel and carried her to the changing table. Shivers still wrackedher body and she didn’t know if she’d ever be warm again. Hadley thought maybe this is what it felt like to live at the North Pole. She decided she never wanted to live there.

Finn dried her skin, put her in a diaper, and zipped her into a long sleeper. Picking her back up, he carried her to his bed, and laid her in the middle.

“No,” she cried when he didn’t climb in with her.

“Shhh, Daddy’s just going to make you some soup. I’m coming right back.”

Hadley tossed the covers off and struggled to climb out of the bed. “Daddy,” she cried.

Finn stopped her movements and lifted her to his chest again. “Okay, okay, you can come with me. Don’t get all worked up. You need to be resting,” he soothed, patting her bottom as he walked into the kitchen.

“Do you want noodles or stars?”

She didn’t want anything but knew he wouldn’t settle for that answer. “Stars.”

Finn shifted her to his hip, opened a can of soup, and dumped it in a microwave safe mug. “If anyone asks, Daddy hasneverfed you soup he nuked in the microwave.”

The joke would have been funny if she hadn’t felt so bad. Finn swayed her as they waited for the microwave to beep.

Once it did, Finn grabbed the plastic mug and held it away from Hadley just in case it sloshed over the side.

“Can you grab a spoon, baby?”

She did as he asked.

Carrying Hadley back into the bedroom, he set the mug on the bedside table, took the spoon, and set in the soup, before helping Hadley get comfortable against the pillows. He touched the back of his hand to her forehead. “I think your fever is starting to break, Peeps.”

She laid limply against the pillows. Spooning up the soup, he blew on it, before offering her a bite.

They sat in silence as Finn slowly and patiently fed her. Every so often he would wipe her mouth and Hadley thought maybe she fell a little more in love with him each time.

About halfway through, she turned her head away. She couldn’t take another bite in her belly.

“You did such a good job, baby. You ate about half,” he praised, setting the cup to the side.

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