Susan Pfeffer - Shade of the Moon

“Can’t you see it?” Jon asked.

“I’m nervous, all right?” Sarah said. “Okay. Let’s do this. Put the sign on the door and start knocking.”

They walked to the front of the house—a mansion, really. Lisa had told them they had six domestics but only the guard and the wet nurse should be there. The rest would be in White Birch until the morning.

Jon attached the sign to the front door. “Ring the bell?” he asked.

Sarah nodded. “Three times,” she said. “Then start knocking and shouting.”

Jon pressed hard against the doorbell. He could hear it ringing in the house but no other sounds. He began to pound on the door. “Medical emergency!” he yelled. “Open the door!”

The guard opened the door. He had his gun already pulled out and pointed it at Jon’s head. “Who the hell are you?” he growled. “And what the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“We’re here to see Charles Stockton,” Sarah said.

The guard stared at her and pulled the safety.

“If you kill us, you’re signing your own death warrant,” Sarah said. “Now either get Charles Stockton here now or be prepared to die.”

A man and a woman came to the top of the stairs. “What’s going on here?” the man asked.

“Mr. Stockton?” Sarah asked.

“You want me to kill them?” the guard asked.

“Mr. Stockton, your baby is highly contagious,” Sarah said. “You have to listen to me. Your life, all your lives are in danger.”

“My baby?” Mrs. Stockton said. “What about my baby?”

“Mrs. Stockton, I’m very sorry,” Sarah said. “Shortly after the baby was born, its mother died. We performed an autopsy, and the blood workup came in tonight. The grub died of osteomyelitis. If she had it, the baby has it. It’s invariably fatal.”

“Are you saying our baby is going to die?” Mrs. Stockton cried.

“I’m saying you’re all going to die,” Sarah said. “Unless we get the baby out of here and you clean every single thing in this house. We’ll take the baby back to the hospital and isolate her until she dies. Tell your guard to put his gun down, and let this grub go upstairs. He’ll take the baby and all her things. It’s the only chance you have, Mr. Stockton.”

“Let him go,” Mr. Stockton said to the guard.

Jon began walking upstairs.

“You’re taking my baby?” Mrs. Stockton said. “Charles, tell them they can’t.”

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Stockton,” Sarah said. “We have no choice. The incubation period is a week to ten days. If you keep the baby a moment longer, not only are you at risk, but everyone else you have contact with. The house is quarantined. You can let your domestics in to do the cleaning, but none of you can leave until someone from the hospital authorizes it.”

“You can’t do this to us,” Mr. Stockton shouted. “My father’s on the town board.”

“Do you want to die?” Sarah asked. “Do you want your wife to die? If you see your father before you’ve completely disinfected your home and yourselves, you risk killing everyone you see, including your father and the entire damn town board. The baby’s going to be dead by tomorrow night anyway. Is it worth the risk?”

“We’ve had the baby for over a week now,” Mrs. Stockton said. Jon could see the tears flowing from her eyes. For the briefest moment he felt sorry for her. “Wouldn’t we have seen something?”

“There’s a two-week period between infection and symptoms,” Sarah said. “Arthur, what are you waiting for?”

“Sorry, ma’am,” Jon said. “Excuse me, please. Can you tell me where the nursery is?”

Mrs. Stockton pointed to a door. “Charles, what are we going to do?”

“Demand our money back for starters,” Mr. Stockton said. “Take the baby. Wake up the wet nurse and tell her to start cleaning the house. I knew this grubber baby was a bad idea. Maybe next time you’ll listen to me.”

“It was the only way.” His wife sobbed. “I wanted a baby so much.”

Jon told himself not to feel sorry for her. He walked into the nursery and saw a baby sleeping in her crib. The wet nurse was standing next to her.

“Who are you?” she asked. “What are you doing here?”

“Stay where you are,” Jon said. “The hospital sent me to take the baby.”

“Is she sick?” the wet nurse asked.

Jon nodded. He longed to look at Liana, to see what she looked like, but there wasn’t time. Instead he opened the chest of drawers and threw things into the suitcase. “Diapers,” he said.

“In here,” the wet nurse answered, pulling them out and handing them to Jon.

Jon pulled out a laundry bag from the suitcase. “Put the dirty diapers in here,” he said. “All of them.” He knew from traveling half the country with Gabe how important diapers could be.

The wet nurse emptied a hamper into the laundry bag.

Jon threw all the rest of the baby clothes into the suitcase then handed it to the wet nurse. “Take these downstairs,” he said. “I’ll take the baby. It’s dangerous for you to be holding her.”

“I’ve been holding her for a week now,” the wet nurse said.

“Well, you won’t be anymore,” Jon said. “Now move it!”

Mr. and Mrs. Stockton stared at them as they walked down the stairs. Mrs. Stockton was crying uncontrollably, but her husband was doing nothing to comfort her.

“Give me the baby,” Sarah said. “You carry the bags.” She stared directly at the guard. “What are you waiting for?” she asked. “Open the door.”

“Do it,” Mr. Stockton said. “Get that damn grub baby out of here.”

The guard let them out. Sarah and Jon walked briskly to the car. Alex stood by the door, waiting for them.

Sarah handed him the baby. “Give her to Miranda,” she whispered. “We have to get out of here fast.”

Alex held his daughter for the briefest of moments before handing her to Miranda. He hopped into the car. “Let’s go,” he said, and began driving away.

Sarah and Jon pulled off their surgical gear. “He’ll call his father first,” Sarah said. “But even if his father calls the hospital, they won’t know what to tell him. They’ll say to wait to talk to someone in charge in the morning. I think we have two or three hours.”

“Left turn here?” Alex asked.

“Yeah,” Sarah said. “Then another left and drive straight to the town gate. Do you have the travel pass?”

“Right here,” Alex said.

“Alex, she’s so beautiful,” Miranda said. “Look, she’s awake. Do you think she knows who we are?”

“She knows,” Alex said. “She knows we love her and she’s safe.”

“This should do,” Alex said a couple of hours later. He pulled the car over to the side of a country road.

“Should we be stopping so soon?” Miranda asked. The baby was sleeping contentedly in her arms.

“This’ll only take a minute,” Alex said. “See that brook? We’ll use the water to baptize the baby.”

“They baptized her in the hospital,” Jon said.

“That’s what they said,” Alex replied. “They also said the baby was deformed and dead. I’m not taking any chances. Come on everyone. Let’s do this.”

“Gabe’s still sleeping,” Sarah said. “I’ll stay in the car with him.”

“Gabe will be fine,” Miranda said. “Sarah, you have to join us. You’re Liana’s godmother.”

“Oh no, I can’t be,” Sarah said. “I’m Jewish. I can’t be your baby’s godmother.”