Nothing.
I checked her other arm and got the same result. There was no way I’d remove her clothing and search the rest of her body, so we’d have to name the baby ourselves.
“Theo! This nappy—I want to swap jobsright now!”
I laid the woman’s arm gently on her lap. “Your daughter’s wreaking havoc,” I said with a smile, “but you can rest easy now. We’ll take care of her.”
When I straightened and turned from the van, Sadie was on her knees in the grass, hovering over the baby. Strands of hair had broken free of her ponytail, and she was muttering curses under her breath. I paused and watched her for a minute. She was so far out of her comfort zone, but it wouldn’t stop her from trying, especially when someone needed her, and that someone happened to be small and defenceless.
“What do you need?” I called out.
“A change of clothes for the baby and a hazmat suit for me. It’severywhere—and I wish I were exaggerating.”
“I could probably help with the first one,” I said. “Hang in there. I’ll be over in a minute.”
I leaned inside the van’s sliding door. The car seat was right at eye level, the stains and smell almost as bad as the stench coming from the dead in the front. We couldn’t put her back in that. She’d have to sit with Sadie.
Holding my breath, I climbed through to the next row, rummaging through belongings that had scattered on impact. Garbage bags and plastic tubs. Clothes still on their hangers. Every spare space had been filled, like they were running toward something, just like the rest of us.
I dug around and found a pink suitcase covered in cartoon characters. A rush of energy moved through me, but instead of searching it here, I tossed it out onto the grass.
After some more digging, my fingers snagged the strap of a baby carrier, the kind Mia used to cart Ruby around in years ago.
Sadie could keep her strapped to her chest while I drove, maybe tuck the seatbelt underneath and keep them both contained. I threw it outside next to the suitcase and kept searching.
A full box of nappies and a couple of tins of toddler formula—one half empty, one full—joined the other discoveries.
“Are there any bottles in the nappy bag?” I called over my shoulder. If not, I had a feeling I’d find them in here somewhere.
“Bottles? Oh, formilk?”
I gripped the back of the seat and waited, hunched over in the cramped space.
A minute later, Sadie had an answer. “Yep. I found two. No formula, though. Maybe one of them was breastfeeding?”
We were on a roll. “Don’t worry, I’ve got that part covered.”
“Wait—there are two jars of mushed food, too.”
More good news. I’d found enough to keep her clean and comfortable. She’d grow out of her clothes and eat through thefood in no time, but we could go on scavenging missions once we’d settled at Dad’s.
I backed out of the van and stepped down onto the grass, more optimistic than I’d been in a while.
I took the suitcase over to Sadie and knelt beside her, flipping the lid. She’d cleaned the baby with wipes and wrapped her in a fresh nappy, leaving the soiled clothing in a pile, a safe distance away. The chill in the air pushed me to hurry.
“Good job.” I looked the little girl over as she lay on the changing mat. “Seriously.”
The baby gazed up at me and mademmmandaaahsounds that had Sadie smiling.
She tugged on the fastenings on each side of the nappy. “I think I've got it tight enough, but not too tight. She was so red it looked painful,” she said. “There was a tub of cream in the bag. It said it was for nappy rash, so I put some on her.”
It suddenly occurred to Sadie that her hands needed washing. She crinkled her nose and held them away from her body, looking around for a solution.
“I’ve got everything you need,” I said. “Give me a minute, and I’ll get it set up.”
I arranged a wash station on the lowered tailgate of the Ranger. While Sadie scrubbed her nails and lathered up like a surgeon, I dressed the baby in the warmest clothes I could find—a pink onesie with bunnies on it, a white jacket with a hood we could pull up if we had to spend more time outside.
I lifted her from the mat and rose, holding her against me. With her eyes locked on me, she patted my chest hesitantly, like she was testing me. Warmth spread through me from the point of contact, and I took in her sweet face. We’d never know how much she’d seen during or after the crash, but there were no obvious signs of distress, and I told myself she was young enough to forget.
