SECRET WEAPON

by Peg Ray

Inspired by Carole W’s artwork titled Nursery Duty ~ Mary’s Vacation.

Whenever Mary had to deal with a fussy, sick child and there was nothing she or Father could do to calm the little one, she would always resort to asking Vincent for a hand. Something about that special young man could comfort even the most miserable baby or toddler. He’d had a way with children since his own childhood, and he was always willing to lend his expertise when asked. She’d often wondered about his ability in this area but never asked him his secret. She assumed it had something to do with his empathic gift.

One of the little ones had come to the tunnels in much the same fashion as Vincent himself. She had been found tossed in a garbage can that Laura was going through looking for useful clothing. Laura had immediately taken the girl to Father who carefully examined her and found that she was malnourished and dehydrated. The baby was estimated to be around one month old at the time. The community had banded together around her to see that she would be given a chance at a meaningful life where she would be loved and nurtured.

Vincent felt a special affinity for this abandoned babe. He made a point to spend a little time with her in the nursery as his schedule allowed. She would always grab a fistful of his hair which he had to carefully extricate from her grasp when it was time for him to leave her. He had a soft spot in his heart for all the children Below, but this child had etched herself into his soul.

The whole community had a hand in giving her a name, and they held a special naming ceremony for her a month after she was brought Below. They decided to name her Carol since she had been found right before Christmas. She was a beautiful child with light blond hair, blue eyes, and a pretty, pouty mouth. She was prone to getting respiratory infections on a routine basis. Father surmised that this was due in part to her rough start in life. She had spent much of her first year in the nursery chamber designated for the sick to prevent the spread of contagious conditions.

This time she had bronchitis with head congestion that prevented her from sleeping when lying in her bed. The continuous coughing was racking her small body and making her dismal. When she was miserable, the adult charged with her care was also miserable from their failure to comfort her. Father put her on antibiotics for the infection and aspirin to reduce the fever, but the coughing persisted. Every adult who had tried to console the child through this latest bout of illness had failed to make any headway in providing her with relief. It was Vincent’s turn to try.

The nursery sick room chamber had an electrical outlet and a hotplate that was used for boiling water to produce a vapor treatment. Kipper had just arrived from Mr. Wong’s with a sachet of herbs to add to the water. Vincent entered the chamber missing his usual upper layers, wearing a single long-sleeved shirt because that chamber was kept very warm for the sick and he didn’t want to be uncomfortable in the excessive heat. He also didn’t want to sweat and undo the benefits of the bath he had taken earlier in preparation for his evening.

He unbuttoned several buttons and rolled up his sleeves to just below his elbow before taking little Carol from Mary’s arms. He whispered the child’s name softly as she whimpered in her discomfort.

“How is she doing, Mary?” He started a slow walk around the small chamber to keep the baby in motion.

“Her temperature is down, but she still coughs whenever we try to put her to bed. Holding her upright seems to be the only way she can rest.” She put her hand on the child’s forehead one last time to confirm the fever status. “I’ve put the herbs in the water that should be boiling soon. Hopefully, that will help break up the congestion. Thank you for your help, Vincent.”

“We’ll be just fine, won’t we, Carol?” His voice was a gentle, deep whisper.

Carol settled against his shoulder with a snivel as she breathed through her mouth and grabbed a fistful of his hair and his shirt. He continued to pace slowly around the chamber as Mary left. When the water started to boil, he positioned them both where the steam was filling the area so the maximum benefits could be absorbed. The baby closed her eyes and only moaned occasionally as he swayed slowly in one position, holding her securely against his shoulder. The pungent vapor enfolded them in a mist.

When the pot boiled dry, he turned off the burner and resumed a slow, steady pace around the room. Carol stayed awake and periodically lifted her head to stare into his eyes. His empathic sense could feel the trust the child had in his care, and it touched his heart deeply. At times like this he wondered how it would feel to have a child that belonged only to Catherine and him. He considered these types of dreams to be dangerous, but in this setting, it seemed as if it might someday be possible.

The medicinal herbs had done their job and both Carol and Vincent were affected with runny noses. He used the provided handkerchiefs to tend to those minor inconveniences. At last her head congestion seemed to be dissipating, allowing her to breathe freely for the first time since she had become ill. Now there was only the chest infection to resolve.

The toddler was showing no signs of sleepiness and was getting restless. She patted his chest with her left hand and looked into his eyes. He knew she was asking him to deploy what he liked to think of as his secret weapon. No one except Devin and Father ever knew of this particular peculiarity he possessed. He had been conditioned to suppress it at the age of four as one more of his differences that set him apart from the normal children in the tunnels. He only resumed the use of this gift as an adult as a last resort when tasked with dealing with fussy babies and toddlers. He felt free to do so because they were so young they couldn’t reveal his secret. The result was so comforting that it often put both the child and him asleep if he wasn’t careful.

He settled himself in the nursery chair and cuddled little Carol close to his shoulder. He tensed his diaphragm and pulsed air over his vocal cords resulting in a soft rumble as he slowly breathed in and out. Devin had called it a purr, but Vincent preferred to think of it as just a self-soothing behavior that had also a gentling effect on the babes as they felt the vibration in his chest.

Within a few minutes she was relaxed and flexing her fingers as she fisted her hand in his hair. Although she had to be exhausted, she was fighting against sleep. At least the coughing had stopped. He knew as soon as she fully relaxed, she would drift off into a deep slumber. Her exhaustion would keep her dozing as long as he stayed still in the chair.

The downside of the rumble was that it also made him relaxed and very sleepy. He tried to think of things to stay awake. It was Friday afternoon and Catherine would be coming down after work to stay Below for the weekend. They had plans to attend a concert in the park in their special chamber. He touched her gently through the bond and felt her excitement. He assumed it was due to her upcoming visit and the opportunity to spend precious time together without demands from either of their worlds.

He adjusted the child down from his shoulder to rest more comfortably against his chest and she finally slept. The rumble stopped when he fell asleep. The only sounds in the nursery infirmary were the soft breathing of the two and the intermittent tapping on the pipes.

* * *

Catherine arrived at the threshold dressed to the nines for Vincent in a modest calf-length, deep burgundy silk dress, wearing her mother’s Tahitian pearl necklace and earrings. She was surprised he was not there to meet her and carry her overnight bag but surmised that maybe his daytime duties had kept him later than planned. She knew the route to the hub, so decided to make her way to his chamber alone.

She was disheartened to find his chamber empty. She dropped her overnight bag and then set out for Father’s study. He was bent over his desk with an open ledger as he was making notations on the pages. He looked up over the top of his glasses when she called his name.

“I was supposed to meet Vincent for a concert this evening and he’s not in his chamber. Is everything all right?” The concern in her voice was palpable.

The old man removed his glasses and smiled his assurance that everything was good. “My dear, he was roped into nursery duty for a sick child as all attempts by others to calm her had failed. He has a way with the young ones that supersedes the efforts of everyone else. For some reason, the little ones always respond to his care. I’ll send a message to Mary to have him relieved of his charge. In the meantime, why don’t you go meet him in the hospital nursery chamber?”

Catherine had no doubt as to why the children were calmed by him. His innate gentleness was communicated through his soft voice and soothing touches. She didn’t know exactly what she would find when she reached the chamber, but she was unprepared for the glorious sight that greeted her.

She pulled aside the tapestry that covered the entrance and was struck by the beauty of the scene before her. The soft glow of the overhead candles bathed the occupants in a golden hue. Vincent was clothed in less coverage than she had ever witnessed prior. The top six buttons of his muslin shirt were undone, exposing his auburn-colored chest hair almost to his waist. His sleeves were rolled, baring his forearms nearly to the elbows. His hands gently cradled little Carol against his chest with the child’s hand resting on the rose pouch and head resting on his heart. Both of them were fast asleep.

Her heart melted at the sight as a wished-for fantasy took shape in her mind. What if she and Vincent were to have their happy life and produce a child of their own? This very scenario was wonderful proof that he would make an amazing father. She felt the bond as her emotions flooded with peace and love at this sight. How could he be so vulnerable, sexy, and fatherly all at the same time? She was momentarily lost in her dreaming.

He became aware of a soft tickle at his consciousness through the bond as a feeling of warmth gently enveloped and surrounded him. He felt Catherine’s love encircle his heart and slowly draw him toward wakefulness. He opened his eyes and beheld the love of his life looking at him with her love for him reflected in her eyes. He smiled, sighed, and held a finger to his lips to signal quiet.

She nodded and reined her emotions back so as not to make him uncomfortable.

Mary appeared at the chamber entrance and smiled at the scene she was witnessing. She moved over to the chair as Vincent stood and passed the child to her. She whispered her thanks softly to him. “Thank you so much for settling her, Vincent. You are my secret weapon when all other attempts for calming a child fail. I know I can always count on you.”

Vincent nodded with a shy smile and immediately began buttoning his shirt and rolling down his sleeves to restore his modesty. He held in check his amusement at her use of the words secret weapon. When he was buttoned up literally and figuratively, he took Catherine by the hand and led her from the chamber.

His tone was wry and self-deprecating as he apologized. “I’m sorry for being late. I fell asleep in my babysitting duties. Hazard of the job.” His eyes twinkled as he did the head tilt that she adored.

“It was no problem, Vincent. I’ll treasure the scene I witnessed. It let me see another side of you.” She hoped her confession would not cause him embarrassment. She held her breath as he took a long time to respond.

They had reached his chamber and went inside. He stopped for a moment and turned to her. “We all have many responsibilities Below, and babysitting is something everyone is tasked with at one time or another. This was just my turn.” He tried to dismiss her observation and hoped she would forget his state of undress that she had witnessed.

He went to his dresser and withdrew a heavy pullover sweater and a quilted vest. As he put them on, Catherine could feel the emotional distance that was growing between them while he donned what she perceived as his armor. The cloak was his final defense against letting her get too close.

She mentally shook her head as she realized what he was doing. She would give him his space this time. She would also make no promises about the future as she cherished the possibility she had witnessed. After all, they had this weekend to explore the potential of where their relationship was going.

They made their way to the music chamber and heard that the concert had already started. The serene strains of Pachelbel’s Canon in D Major were floating in the air as they settled on the cushions to absorb the peace that being in each other’s company provided.

He put his arm around her, pulled her close to his side, and rested his cheek on top of her head. All was right in his world with her in his embrace.

She relaxed for the first time all week, sighed, and dreamed of their future.

The bond began to shimmer and glow as a separate entity drawing them closer without their conscious awareness. Their future together was inevitable.

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Author’s Note: To see more of Carole W’s artwork, please visit her fan site, Imagine That. The artwork included in this story is from the Vincent … Unbuttoned collection.