Chapter 12: Elise

Sunday, July 24th. 2050

For two days Elise sits and rests in the private med bay. Little one either cuddled by her side, or placed in the bassinet Dr Lewis had strangely managed to find from somewhere. Currently holding and gently rocking the baby as she feeds her from a bottle she coos and smiles.

"You need a better name than little one. At least while you're with me." She thinks for a moment, no name she can come up with seems to fit. "I really can't keep calling you little one." She sighs. "I wonder where your family was from? Shall we ask the doc huh?" The baby girl lets out a gurgling burp as she feeds, her big eyes staring languidly up at Elise.

Elise laughs, her eyes sparkling as she strokes the baby's head. "I love you Little one. You may not be mine by birth, but oh I do so love you!" Removing the bottle when she notices the baby's eyes drooping, she places a soft kiss to her forehead before placing her over her shoulder for burping.

Dr Lewis walks in, his face glum, shoulders drooping with the weight of his sorrow. His demeanour suddenly brightens at the sight of them together. "Ah child, you do my heart good." He says as he walks to the bed. "How're you doing?" He asks? "Any more flashbacks?" He reaches out and strokes the soft downy hair on the baby's head and chuckles as she lets out a most unladylike burp.

Elise shakes her head. "No." She says mournfully. "I haven't remembered anything else, and what I do remember is more like a snapshot rather than a memory." Placing the baby in the dip her crossed legs have made, smiling distractedly down at the baby she asks. "Hey Doc, where's her family from? Did the tests you did show that?"

"Hmmm, I'm sure there'll be some indication there. Let me check." Walking towards the terminal he looks back towards Elise. "So, why the curiosity?" He asks as he punches something in.

She shrugs. "I can't think of a name for her. So I thought, maybe calling her little one in her native language would work." Still stroking the baby's head, she smiles at Dr Lewis. "I can't keep calling her Little one until we find her family." Her face drops, the thought of having to let her go tearing at her heart.

Seeing her pain, Dr Lewis shuts down the terminal and walks over to her, enveloping her in a gentle bear hug. "There now. Once everything's calmed down I'm sure whatever family she has left will let you visit her."

She looks up at the Doctor, tears in her eyes. "It almost feels like she's mine now doc." her lower lip trembles. "She's all I've got." She whispers. Wrapping her arms around Dr Lewis she continues to cry, her voice muffled against his shoulder. "I don't want to give her up. I will, but oh god. I really don't want to."

He hugged her while she cried, offering silent reassurance. Her tears finally subside and as she releases the doctor from her tight gripped hug, she wipes her eyes and smiles tremulously, glancing down at the still sleeping baby on her lap. Dr Lewis clears his throat, surreptitiously wiping a tear from his cheek. "She's Swedish." He says. "Little one in Swedish is Lilla Du." He smiles down at them both. "I took the liberty of looking up the translation while I was on the terminal."

"Lilla." She whispers. "It's perfect."