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Harper stands over the crib as she watches Onyx sleep. He's been oddly quiet for the last two hours. It's 11 o'clock and he stopped screaming at around nine. He's been dozing off for a few minutes then waking back up to whine. But he hasn't screamed at all. That's suspicious.
Of course, she finds the irony in how she always wants him to stop crying and now that he isn't doing it, it's worrisome for her. But she can't help it. Something isn't right. She feels it.
Harper walks to the baby bin and takes out the thermometer. She uncaps it and places it under his armpit. The cold temperature of the metal tip causes Onyx to start whining. When she doesn't remove it, he starts full out crying. The noise both stresses her out but oddly relieves her.
The number on that digital screen, however, sends her into a panic. Onyx has a fever of 103. Her eyes widen as she looks at it.
"Oh, God."
She starts packing his diaper bag, restocking the diapers and change of clothes. She puts her wallet and charger inside and makes sure that she has his insurance cards and information. Once she has all of that together, she gets Onyx dressed and into his car seat. She puts her own coat and shoes on and leaves her apartment. She doesn't even wait for the elevator but instead jogs down the stairs.
Harper gets Onyx strapped securely into the back seat before pulling out of the parking lot. She gets onto the expressway and doesn't even care about going 10 over the limit. Her hands are gripping the steering wheel as she tries to take deep, calm breaths.
Her eyes well up as her thoughts begin to pile. She should have known that something was wrong. He hasn't been wanting to eat much all day and he's been rather calm. He's been awake and alert and not really crying at all. She should have noticed.
Instead, she used that time to take a proper shower. She shaved her legs after almost a month of not doing so. She even washed her hair. She found it suspicious but she was grateful for the time that she had no matter how random it had been.
Now she feels terrible for enjoying the small space of peace while her son was suffering. Her baby is sick and maybe he's in pain, too.
Can babies get headaches? She wonders to herself. Oh, what if they can? She presses on the gas and exits the expressway. She pulls into the hospital garage and parks before speed walking with Onyx to the emergency room's receptionist's desk.
The nurse greets her as she approaches.
"Hi. What's going on?" She jumps right into it, seeing the terrified panic on Harper's face.
With teary eyes and a nervous tremble, Harper explains as Onyx starts to whine.
"My son hasn't been very active at all today. He woke up normal and I thought maybe he was just being quiet and calm today. He's usually screaming at the top of his lungs by this point in the night but he's not. And that's not normal for him." Her voice cracks as she rambles.
