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Aug. 21st, 2006 11:52 pm"Shufti, are you sure you don't want me to look after him overnight? I'm sure we'll be just fine."
Guppy watches the young mum carefully with a great deal of concern. She shakes her head, coughing a little as she lays Jack down in his bed. The baby sucks his thumb as he sleeps peacefully.
"It's okay." she says, a little hoarsely. "You've had him all evening. Thank you, it's been a help."
"But you don't look much rested." Guppy says gently, trying to get eye contact. "And I don't like the sound of that cough either. You're exhausted Shufti, and the more tired you get, the more worried you're going to be about settling Jack down quicker. You're a good mum, but you don't have to do this on your own."
He makes no move towards her, knowing that she is uncomfortable enough with having anyone in the room. That is until the tremor ripples once again through the building. His instinct is immediately to duck under a table. Hers, in an instant, is to cover the baby with her own body.
As Jack reawakens and begins to scream, she breaks down in sobs. Guppy comes out from under the table and goes to her side.
"Just pick him up for a minute." he says gently, soothingly. She does so, holding Jack close and shushing him as best she can, choking back her own exhausted sobs. When the baby's crying has calmed down to just a tired whine, Guppy nods to her.
"Now put him down. Trust me, you can both get through this. But now that he's no longer scared he needs to start learning to sleep on his own."
"But he's crying."
"He's not in danger." Guppy says gently but firmly, watching as she puts the baby down on the bed. "He's crying because he's tired, and he will go to sleep. He might cry for twenty minutes, maybe forty, but he will go on his own."
Fifteen minutes later, both Jack and Shufti are fast asleep. Guppy leaves quietly, closing the door carefully behind him.
Guppy watches the young mum carefully with a great deal of concern. She shakes her head, coughing a little as she lays Jack down in his bed. The baby sucks his thumb as he sleeps peacefully.
"It's okay." she says, a little hoarsely. "You've had him all evening. Thank you, it's been a help."
"But you don't look much rested." Guppy says gently, trying to get eye contact. "And I don't like the sound of that cough either. You're exhausted Shufti, and the more tired you get, the more worried you're going to be about settling Jack down quicker. You're a good mum, but you don't have to do this on your own."
He makes no move towards her, knowing that she is uncomfortable enough with having anyone in the room. That is until the tremor ripples once again through the building. His instinct is immediately to duck under a table. Hers, in an instant, is to cover the baby with her own body.
As Jack reawakens and begins to scream, she breaks down in sobs. Guppy comes out from under the table and goes to her side.
"Just pick him up for a minute." he says gently, soothingly. She does so, holding Jack close and shushing him as best she can, choking back her own exhausted sobs. When the baby's crying has calmed down to just a tired whine, Guppy nods to her.
"Now put him down. Trust me, you can both get through this. But now that he's no longer scared he needs to start learning to sleep on his own."
"But he's crying."
"He's not in danger." Guppy says gently but firmly, watching as she puts the baby down on the bed. "He's crying because he's tired, and he will go to sleep. He might cry for twenty minutes, maybe forty, but he will go on his own."
Fifteen minutes later, both Jack and Shufti are fast asleep. Guppy leaves quietly, closing the door carefully behind him.
