Stunned (OTA, tag friends, and Elizabeth maybe?)

[loves_lasses]

Robert's on a bench in the park. He's holding a newborn infant tightly to his chest, and he looks in shock, deeply so. His eyes wander about, not seeming to really see anything he looks at.

Help?

Comments

[deathtotoasters]

Kyla's on her second run of the day with Ginger and Ripper following beside her on either side. She spotted Robert from across the playground and made her way over only to slow down to a walk when she saw the look on his face. She came to a complete stop when she was just a few feet from him. That was a baby.

"Robert...?"

[loves_lasses]

Robert looked up, tried a smile, but it died before it was fully formed.

"Kyla." He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He closed his mouth again, and his eyes, as if in pain.

[deathtotoasters]

She felt as if she were hit in the stomach when he looked at her like that. Kyla's chest went tight and she suddenly felt the need to fix whatever the problem was even though she didn't know how. Her brow furrowed and her lips formed into a frown as she took half a step forward.

"What's... what's wrong?" She whispered it, almost as if she were afraid anything louder would upset him more.

[loves_lasses]

"She's gone. Ruby's gone. She was asleep in the clinic, resting from the birthing, and then she was just gone. Her name no longer even on the clinic records, as if she'd never been."

[deathtotoasters]

It took her a moment to process what he was saying. Ruby had given birth and then just left? And she left the baby...

Her frown deepened. "God..." She had no idea what to say. Was there anything she could say? "That's... I'm so sorry..."

She hesitated for a second before Kyla took a seat on the bench, though not too close as if it would frighten him or something.

[loves_lasses]

"I was taking her home...but I couldn't face the room without her, just yet."

[deathtotoasters]

Kyla had no idea what to do with a baby, but she wondered if babies, especially ones so young, were supposed to be outside for extended periods of time. Most mothers with newborns stayed as deep in the compound as they could get.

She sat there for a moment not really knowing what to say. Everything sounded dumb in her head. "Maybe you could... stay with someone else or, get another room?" Even as she said it, she realized it wasn't a great suggestion.

[loves_lasses]

"All of the things for Hannah -- all of the things we bought, are in our room." Robert hung his head, defeated.

[deathtotoasters]

Her frown deepened and she felt helpless. Giver her something to shoot at and she could, but Kyla wasn't that good with this sort of stuff.

"We could... go together? Or, I could go get Hannah's stuff and bring it somewhere else?"

[loves_lasses]

Robert looked at her, his eyes more focused and less lost than they had been.

"You are a good friend, Mistress Kyla." His voice was quiet, but deeply moved, almost awed.

[deathtotoasters]

Kyla looked a little surprised at his response. She felt like she was sort of failing so his appreciation seemed out of place.

"I... so are you, Robert." She gave a small smile though it was definitely less than confident. "I... just don't like to see you like this." Kyla looked down at the baby. "I'm sorry."

She knew she had said that once before, but she felt the need to say it again.

[loves_lasses]

"If you'll go with me...I can do it, I think." At least for a little while. Robert began to mentally tally the things he would need to get...he would go to Jos's, they would take him in.

"The store. I need to go to the store and get the powdered food. We didn't buy any of that." Not thinking they'd need it.

[deathtotoasters]

Again she felt out of her element - she had no idea what the powdered food was that he talked about, but she nodded anyways. "Okay... let's go do that, then. One step at a time."

[loves_lasses]

He smiled down at her as he turned toward the store.

"How have you been going, Kyla? I have not seen you since...the unpleasantness, not even to thank you for saving Madame Laura."

[deathtotoasters]

Kyla glanced to the side as they walked briefly at his mention of the Cylons. She didn't regret killing Six and saving Laura, but it reminder her of the look Leoben had gotten when she delivered the news. Still, she didn't want to burden Robert with any of her problems so she sent him a small smile.

"Things are... better." That much was true, at least on the general scale. "Leoben and I are doing good... I'm starting to get the hang of the village, I guess." One could hope.

[loves_lasses]

He sensed the hesitation.

"I hope they keep getting better, Mistress." He took a further few steps, and another thought managed to complete itself.
"Mistress, may I ask, are you of the religion that many in the village are? Are you Christian?"