Plan B(aby)

3.

BRIELLA CARTER

"Can Marlon stay with us for a while? When I rushed out last night, Marlon called me to tell me he popped his achilles — which required immediate surgery — and now needs supervision. I forgives he could just crash with us." I say to Nik, sitting in my brothers living room. 

It was about 9 pm when I got the call. The doctor had called me, saying my brother would need help and since I was his emergency contact... I was the help. 

I rushed over to the hospital, leaving Sebastian with Nikolas. By the time I get there, Marlon already had a bright yellow cast from his foot practically to his knee. He was standing with the assistance of crutches and a slight smile on his face. 

Marlon claimed he was alright — even though your achilles getting even slightly torn feels worst than childbirth, and he had it ninety five percent popped — and didn't need any supervision, he proved himself incorrect the moment we entered his apartment. He tried to grab something out of the fridge and fell. 

Idiot. 

I ended up staying the night instead of going back home. I had left a change of clothes for both Sebastian and I, just in case we ever crashed here after a long day with Marlon. After helping my brother to his room, we both got some sleep.

Now, I was sitting on Marlon's couch while he was laid across his bed. I'm pretty sure he was still sleep.  He hadn't called out to me or even went to the bathroom if he was awake. 

"Yeah, of course, we have a really slight — okay, maybe not slight, big — problem." Nikolas says. He was a guy who you could lived by the 'hakuna matata' motto. So, when you hear that tone in his voice, your blood instantly runs cold. 

"Nikolas. What did you do?" I sit on the couch, braving myself. 

"That's the thing, I have no idea what I did. Can you hear that?" He asks me. I shake my head although he can't see me. All I hear is him speaking into his phone. 

"Hear what?" I question.

"Wait a second," he mutters and I hear him shuffling around, maybe running up the stairs?

I hear a vaguely loud noise, which immediately seized as Nikolas swings a door open so hard that it hits the wall and I hear it. 

The noise begins again and Nikolas speaks. "Now do you hear it?" his tone is sarcastic. I roll my eyes.

"You scared him!" I say, listening to Sebastian scream in the background. 

"No, you should have heard him earlier. He's been crying all day. No reason, at all." Nikolas says and I imagine him running a hand through his hair, stressed.

"It's only nine in the morning." I say. He couldn't have been crying that long. Nik was probably being dramatic. 

"He's been at this since six. Woke me out of my slumber. He was standing in his crib. Bash threw everything out of it." He says, whispering in a hushed tone. The baby is still crying in the background. Hollering, even. 

"Maybe it's the storm?" I suggest. My heart aches as I listen to him scream. His throat will be raw by the time he's done. 

"The storm started at eight. Maybe a quarter after." Nik says before whispering something to Sebastian. His cries only get louder. "Mommy is on the phone! Yay!" Nik says, enthusiasm lacing his voice. Sebastian's cries even louder than I've ever heard him before. 

I'm already gathering my stuff, looking for the car keys. 

"Did you feed him?" I question, peeking into Marlon's bedroom. He was still asleep and I was not carrying his big ass to the car. I'd just have to come back to get him. 

"Yes. He went to sleep and woke right back up and started screaming. When will you be back?" He says, a strain in his voice as Sebastian's cries get quieter and quieter to the point where they are inaudible. 

"It's like a hour drive but I'm leaving right now." I say, slipping back into my slides. I'll have to text Marlon and let him know that I'll be back for him later. 

"Okay. What should I do until then?" Nikolas asks, sucking something. 

"Give him his toys? I'm not sure. Are you sure you didn't do anything to him?" 

"Yes. I was sleep. What could I have done in my sleep?" 

"Maybe he's scared of the dark?" I suggest, deciding to take the steps inside of the elevator. Usually it was out of service and I was not taking the chance for it to break down while I was in it. 

"I don't know but I gave him his toys and he threw them but f**k does he have good aim and a heavy hand. Nearly took my eye out with Benjamin... he's a teddy bear." Nikolas says, now shaking something. 

"Okay well don't provoke him and I'll be there before you know it. Hopefully traffic isn't too bad." I mumble the last part to myself more than I say it to him. Nevertheless, he still responds. 

"It's New York. When isn't traffic bad?" 

• • •

As soon as I enter the house, Sebastian's cries fill my ears. From how loud he is, I can tell he's no longer upstairs but most likely in the dining room or in the kitchen. "Your son is sitting on the floor!" Nik calls from the kitchen. I jog into the kitchen, seeing Sebastian sitting with his head back, screaming with wild hair. 

"Hey baby. What's wrong?" I say, crouching to pick him up. He doesn't even put his hands up to be held, so I don't attempt to pick him up. I turn around, grabbing his pacifier off his high chair before offering it to him. He doesn't want it.

"Your ass looks huge in those pants." Nikolas says, a undertone to his voice that I couldn't quite detect. 

"Nikolas." I warn as I bend back down to pick up Sebastian. Standing, I turn around to see Nikolas with wide eyes, a peach in his hand.

Sebastian cries in my arms while Nikolas begins to blink rapidly.

"Where did you get those pants? Have you always had those?" He questions, licking his peach.

"I got them last week when I went to Forever 21." I mumble

"Forever 21 is doing you so dirty right now in my mind." He teases, tossing his peach into the air and catching it.

Now was not that time, Nik. 

"Nikolas. Can you help me?" I plead, gesturing to the baby that was crying out of control. 

"I can help you with whatever you want, sexy mama." He teases, biting his peach before rummaging through the fridge. While Sebastian cries in my arms, I bounce him and watch while Nik puts a bottle into the bottle warmer. 

I offer Sebastian his pacifier again and he rejects it. 

"What's his problem? Sebastian, talk to me!" Nik pleads, pulling on Sebastian's sock. It comes off his foot, only making Sebastian kick his foot and throw his head back. 

"Put it back on him and leave it on! You see he's in a bad mood." I scold, putting the sock back into his foot before patting it. I reach for the baby thermometer. I do it across his forehead and behind his ear.   

"Maybe he should go to one of those baby spas and get a massage. Works every time. Melody went a couple months ago and loved it." Nik shrugs, grabbing the bottle at the sound of a timer before offering it to Sebastian. He sings a small song about how the bottle is ready. 

Sebastian doesn't even blink at it. 

He turns his head towards the living room — opposite from Nikolas, practically screaming in my ear. 

"Give him to me." He says, reaching for Seb. Sebastian basically melts in his arms, attempting to get to the ground. Nik puts him on the floor and places the bottle next to him. 

Again, Sebastian kicks his feet. I fear he will throw himself back, so I scoop him up and walk into the living room.

"Sebastian, what's wrong?" I coo to the crying baby with his head on my shoulder. I was looking out the window, the dark sky staring back at me. It was only four in the afternoon and it was already dark from this storm. 

Actually, there hadn't been light at all today. 

He was relentless. Sebastian has been crying all day to the point where he would cry himself to sleep, wake up, and start all over again. I gave him a bottle, his favorite pacifier, his favorite teddy bear, let him watch his favorite show. 

Nothing was working. 

Maybe it was the storm. He'd never been particularly fond of thunder but this started before the storm. 

"You want a cookie?" Nik offers and Sebastian just continues to cry. 

"That always works." Nik says, even more confused than I am. 

"Maybe we should call Ava? He loves her." I suggest, shrugging while I rocked Sebastian. 

"Maybe he's tired of formula and wants go back to the real deal." Nik says, joking. 

Not now, Nik. Not now.

"Call your sister." I snap, putting Sebastian down onto the ground. He just kicked his legs on the ground, a loud wail leaving his lips. My heart clenches at the sound, making me feel useless.

"Mommy doesn't know what to do." I mumble to myself.

Sebastian has never been like this. Even as a newborn, he wasn't one to cry. Only if he needed a new diaper, was hungry, or attention. Currently, he had a fresh diaper, he ate a hour ago and was just offered a bottle, and he was being offered all of our attention. This was a different type of cry. 

"We checked his temperature, it's fine. Everything looks fine, temp is low. He's just crying like literally from the moment he woke up to now. He cried himself in and out of consciousness and you know he rarely ever cries." Nik says into his phone, walking into the kitchen. I watch the TV, trying to find another show to put on for Sebastian. 

We had PAW Patrol recorded. He loves that show. I click it and immediately Chase and Ryder are in front of us. Sebastians breath hitches as he sees the show, only for him to wail louder.

I've been duped.

"You want a bath and for me to wash your hair? You love taking a bath. Cmon." I say, talking to myself more than anything. I'm praying that this works because if not I have no idea what else to try. Maybe a car ride? 

Sebastian lifts his arms for me to grab him while Nik comes back into the living room. 

"Ava said since he keeps crying himself to sleep, he's probably tired. If it's not that, maybe he has a slight food allergy and his mouth feels weird. I think he's teething. Give him some Benadryl." He says softly. 

"Do we have baby Benadryl? I don't want to overdose him." I say, adjusting Sebastian on my hip. One of his small hands go to my neck, pulling him closer to me. 

"I'll check google. Ava bought over hella baby 'benz' the other day. I'll bring it up."  Nik says, turning to the kitchen. He probably goes to grab his phone before he goes to our linen closet upstairs, where our medicine is stored. 

"Okay. Thanks." I mumble, heading up the stairs with my crying baby. He continues to whimper in my arms while I feel myself beginning to cry. 

I hate to hear him cry. 

So much. 

It makes me feel like I'm doing terrible. Maybe I am doing terrible. Usually he's happy and carefree but recently he's been more whiny and upset. Maybe he is teething again.

I'm trying, I really am. I've made sure Sebastian got his bottle, ate, fresh diaper, no temperature, gave him all his favorites. 

Nothing was good enough to soothe him. 

We enter the bathroom, where he had a miniature bathtub inside the bath, and turn the water on. I sprinkle some lavender epsom salt in, hoping it'll assist in making him sleepy. 

I put Sebastian in his crib, rubbing a teething ring across his gums. He just turns his head, denying the teething ring. Sighing, I bend down and I grab his bath bucket. 

"What did Ava say about the temperature?" I ask as Nikolas enters the nursery. He reaches for the bucket, tucking it under his arm while I reach back for Sebastian. 

"She said that if it's low then he could just be colicky? I don't know how to say the word. It could be numerous of things." 

"Did he get any sleep last night?" I question. Last night, I ended up having to run over to the hospital. My brother broke his foot and decided to call me to help him home and settle in. I ended up crashing over there, leaving Nik with babysitting duty. 

"Well, he didn't cry and I got some sleep so.. yes? Unless he likes sitting in the dark." Nik chuckles to himself before passing me a bottle and a measuring syringe. 

"Baby Benadryl. Match his weight up with the back. I'm going to go pick Marlon up, you good?"

"Yes, I'll be fine. Go ahead and bring back something to eat please."

I give Sebastian the medicine and bring him to the bathroom, where he's still crying. I take his clothes and diaper off, putting the diaper into the trash can and the clothes into the basket. 

He lets out a loud wail as I place him in his tub, giving him all his favorite bath toys. 

"What's this?" I say, reaching for his wrist. A small chain, which I can tell was new, laid on his wrist. When I go to take the chain off, Sebastian just snatched his wrist away. 

I thought I told Nikolas to stop getting Sebastian all this jewelry. 

He'll just continue to bling out my baby. He just loves to spend his money. 

"Can Mommy take it off so I can wash you? You can get it back on right after, promise." I say, crossing my fingers. He goes silent for a second, grabbing the toy crab, Sebastian, from The Little Mermaid. Whenever you wind it up, his claws move him across the water. Sebastian loved this toy. 

He observes it before starting to cry again. 

"Seb," I whine, feeling the back of my eyes burn while I wash his little chubby body. I get the rag between his rolls, cleaning him efficiently. I clean his neck and the rest of his body while he just sits, letting cries out. I begin to washing his hair, adding the shampoo and lathering it in the best I can. Hopefully this calms him since he loved when I did this. 

He calms down some,, letting me rinse his hair with the small pitcher. Now, he was just letting out whimpers. Sebastian moves his hand up, reaching for the pitcher. 

"Let Mommy do it." I whisper, combing his hair through as I work condition in. I rub his scalp again. 

He needs a haircut. We have not cut his hair before because my brother had the same textured hair when he was little, but when it got cut, the texture changed. I wanted to see how long I could go before Sebastian's changed.

Sebastian has officially stopped crying, just moving his hands near mine while I detangle his hair. But, then the doorbell rings. 

And he begins to cry all over again. 

I keep my calm while rinse his hair one last time. 

If it's Marlon and Nikolas, they have a key. If it's not the two and it's important, they'll ring again. 

Sebastian is back to crying, so I grab his hooded robe — which looked like a lion — and wrap it around him. I pull the plug out of his tub and scoop the toys into the toy basket. 

We hurry to his room, just in case the person that was at the door rings again, and I grab his diapers. I lay him down, quickly adjusting his diaper around him. Just as I finish, the door bell rings again. 

Sebastian continues to cry, tugging at the robe. I take it off, hanging it on his door before heading downstairs. 

"Did you forget your key?" I say as I pull the door open. Sebastian screams in my ear, a loud wail making me shut my eyes. 

"Hi." The person says. I open my eyes. 

This definitely was not Nikolas or Marlon.

"I wasn't aware I had one."

Sebastian's cries seize as he looks at the person at the door. "Daddy!" He whimpers, reaching for him.