Baby in the Bough: A Matter of Bears
Jul. 20th, 2008 09:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dr_temperance“Dr. Brennan? Dr. Brennan, I’m back.”
Brennan looks up from attempting to feed her charge (the baby seems more interested in trying to grab and pry her fingers off the bottle than in eating, but according to her calculations it’s time for him to be getting hungry again). One of the Jeffersonian’s interns (Brennan is pretty sure his name is Jason) is standing in the doorway of her office, loaded down with bags from Babies-R-Us.
Babies require a great deal of gear. Brennan had sent Jason off with a credit card and a list fully three pages long. She’s rather impressed that he’s managed to complete the errand in such a timely manner.
“Thank you, Jason,” she replies, sitting back and leaving off trying to get the baby to take the bottle for the moment (especially since he is now arching his back and head against the back of his infant seat, trying to see the source of the new voice). “You can set the bags over on the sofa.”
Jason does as she asks, and (for no logical reason that Brennan can see, since she had given him the list and therefore knows approximately what he has purchased) begins to give her a summary of what he bought. He seems quite enthusiastic about the process in point of fact.
Either Jason is ridiculously eager to please a superior or his metaphorical biological clock is ticking.
“I found everything you asked for, Dr. Brennan. Diapers, wipes, some extra bottles, formula, burp cloths, some blankets. A baby monitor with extra batteries. Some of these plastic rings—my sister’s baby loves these things.” Jason holds up a colorful, interlocking toy. “And clothes in the sizes you specified.” He pulls out a stack of clothes in yellows, beiges, and tans. “I did an undergraduate study in cultural anthropology on gender stereotyping from infancy onward in Western society and the movement among a minority of parents to choose gender neutral clothing and toys for their children. So, I found these and thought they’d be appropriate.”
He unfolds a few of the items. Which are indeed very gender neutral.
And liberally decorated with teddy bears.
Brennan feels herself blanch slightly.
This may very well be her first ‘fucking Milliways’ moment. If Brennan were aware that such a tradition existed.
The intern’s wide smile falters. “Dr. Brennan? If….if you don’t like these, I’m sure the store would be willing to exchange--”
“No,” Brennan replies hastily. “No, they’re fine.” Jason doesn’t look quite convinced, and Brennan sighs inwardly, trying to think of what Angela or Booth would say to reassure him of the validity of his choices. “I appreciate the amount of thought you put into picking them. Thank you.”
The intern goes on his way, happy with the praise. Brennan shakes her head and picks a sleeper from the pile (yellow with a bear on the chest and bear-paw patterned feet).
“Just so you know,” Brennan says to the baby as she unsnaps his old sleeper, “teddy bears are a very popular motif and toy for young children. But should you ever find yourself in a pocket universe outside of this dimension, they should not be trusted. I know this from experience.”
The baby laughs and kicks his legs.
“You laugh, but I’m quite serious. If you ever meet an animate, talking teddy bear, do not let it hug you. Run away from it.”
Which, Brennan reflects, is probably good advice whether Milliways is involved or not.
Brennan looks up from attempting to feed her charge (the baby seems more interested in trying to grab and pry her fingers off the bottle than in eating, but according to her calculations it’s time for him to be getting hungry again). One of the Jeffersonian’s interns (Brennan is pretty sure his name is Jason) is standing in the doorway of her office, loaded down with bags from Babies-R-Us.
Babies require a great deal of gear. Brennan had sent Jason off with a credit card and a list fully three pages long. She’s rather impressed that he’s managed to complete the errand in such a timely manner.
“Thank you, Jason,” she replies, sitting back and leaving off trying to get the baby to take the bottle for the moment (especially since he is now arching his back and head against the back of his infant seat, trying to see the source of the new voice). “You can set the bags over on the sofa.”
Jason does as she asks, and (for no logical reason that Brennan can see, since she had given him the list and therefore knows approximately what he has purchased) begins to give her a summary of what he bought. He seems quite enthusiastic about the process in point of fact.
Either Jason is ridiculously eager to please a superior or his metaphorical biological clock is ticking.
“I found everything you asked for, Dr. Brennan. Diapers, wipes, some extra bottles, formula, burp cloths, some blankets. A baby monitor with extra batteries. Some of these plastic rings—my sister’s baby loves these things.” Jason holds up a colorful, interlocking toy. “And clothes in the sizes you specified.” He pulls out a stack of clothes in yellows, beiges, and tans. “I did an undergraduate study in cultural anthropology on gender stereotyping from infancy onward in Western society and the movement among a minority of parents to choose gender neutral clothing and toys for their children. So, I found these and thought they’d be appropriate.”
He unfolds a few of the items. Which are indeed very gender neutral.
And liberally decorated with teddy bears.
Brennan feels herself blanch slightly.
This may very well be her first ‘fucking Milliways’ moment. If Brennan were aware that such a tradition existed.
The intern’s wide smile falters. “Dr. Brennan? If….if you don’t like these, I’m sure the store would be willing to exchange--”
“No,” Brennan replies hastily. “No, they’re fine.” Jason doesn’t look quite convinced, and Brennan sighs inwardly, trying to think of what Angela or Booth would say to reassure him of the validity of his choices. “I appreciate the amount of thought you put into picking them. Thank you.”
The intern goes on his way, happy with the praise. Brennan shakes her head and picks a sleeper from the pile (yellow with a bear on the chest and bear-paw patterned feet).
“Just so you know,” Brennan says to the baby as she unsnaps his old sleeper, “teddy bears are a very popular motif and toy for young children. But should you ever find yourself in a pocket universe outside of this dimension, they should not be trusted. I know this from experience.”
The baby laughs and kicks his legs.
“You laugh, but I’m quite serious. If you ever meet an animate, talking teddy bear, do not let it hug you. Run away from it.”
Which, Brennan reflects, is probably good advice whether Milliways is involved or not.
