“Hannah.”
“A beautiful name,” the nun said. “She’s had a difficult journey. She has a low-grade fever and you’ll want to get her ears looked at. I think she has an ear infection.” The other woman sighed as she passed over some baby Tylenol. “This is all we have. Money is so limited. There are so many children and so few resources. The doctor cleared her for the trip but that was more so she could come here. She’s due for another dose in an hour.”
Hannah’s eyes had closed. Dakota stared at her, torn between the beauty of her daughter and the fear that she might be sick.
“Is she small for her age?”
“Not compared with some of the other children. I’ve brought a supply of her formula, a few diapers and her clothes.” The nun glanced at her watch. “I’m sorry but I have a flight to catch.”
“Yes, of course,” Dakota said. “Please feel free to go. I’ll get Hannah into a doctor as soon as possible.”
“You have all the numbers for the agency,” Sister Mary told her, handing Finn a small suitcase. “Call anytime, day or night.”
“Thank you.”
Finn stood and shook hands with her. When the nun had left, he turned to Dakota. “Are you okay?”
“No,” she said softly. “Did you hear what she said? Hannah might be sick.” The baby’s eyes were closed. Her breathing was regular, but her skin was so red. It burned Dakota’s fingers when she stroked her cheek. “I need to get her to a doctor.”
“Do you want to do that here or do you want to go home?”
“Let’s get her home.” Dakota checked her watch. She already had an appointment with the pediatrician late that afternoon. Better to take care of things there.
They went back the way they’d come. Fortunately, the shuttle driver had waited for them. It only took Finn a few minutes to check the plane and then get clearance. Less than an hour after they’d landed, they were airborne again.
This time, she sat behind the passenger seat with Hannah strapped into a car seat next to her. Dakota watched her anxiously, counting every breath.
“You doing okay?” Finn asked.
“I’m trying not to freak.”
“She’ll be okay.”
“I hope so.” She kept her gaze on her daughter. “She’s so small.” Too small. “I know she comes from a very poor part of the world, that the orphanage doesn’t have much money or many resources. I knew there could be problems. They warned me about that.”
When she’d first applied, there had been several live interviews where she’d seen videos of the different orphanages the agency worked with. She’d also spoken with other parents. They’d told her about children who were small for their age, but quickly caught up. They’d glossed over any initial difficulties.
Now, as Dakota felt her daughter’s fiery cheek, her own eyes burned.
“I don’t want anything to happen to her.”
“You’re taking her to a doctor. It’s only a few hours.”
She nodded because it was impossible to speak. Her new daughter might be desperately ill, and she didn’t have any way to make her better. Not medicine or even the experience to know how to make a poultice.
“Do you know what a poultice is?” she asked Finn.
“No. Why?”
“I thought it might help.”
“Dakota, you have to relax. Wait until there’s a reason to get upset, okay? You’re going to need your energy to keep up with Hannah once she’s crawling around.”
“I hope you’re right,” she said, her voice oddly thick. It was only then, she realized she was crying.
She dropped her head into her hands and gave in to the tears. A couple of seconds later, Hannah woke up and started crying, too. The baby rubbed at her ears, as if they hurt her.
“It’s okay,” Dakota said quickly. “It’s all right, sweetie. I have some medicine right here.”
She dug out the Tylenol and measured the dose. The plane was amazingly steady, for which she was grateful.
“You’re saving my life,” she told Finn. “I couldn’t have done this on my own. I don’t know how to thank you.”
“Just hang on.”
She nodded, then offered Hannah the baby spoon. The little girl turned her head.
“Come on, sweetie. Take the yummy medicine. It will make you feel better.”
After offering it a couple more times, Dakota lightly touched the girl’s nose, then stroked her cheek. Hannah parted her lips, Dakota slipped the medicine inside, and the girl swallowed.