Hard News (Rune 3)

"Then why would she need medicine?"

Rune said, "She's a baby. I thought you always gave medicine to babies."

"Not if she's not sick."

Rune gazed out over the river. "Oh, Sam, it was fun playing with her and reading to her but this--this is, like, really, really serious."

"They're very resilient."

"Oh, God. What if she falls?" she asked, panicked.

Healy sighed. "Pick her up. Comfort her. Dust her off."

"I'm not ready for this, Sam. I can't be a mother. I'm trying to do my story. I'm ... Oh, God, does she wear diapers?"

"Ask her."

"I can't ask her. I'd be embarrassed."

"She's what? About three? She's probably toilet-trained. If not, you should start pretty soon."

"Me? No way. Forget about it."

"Rune, kids are wonderful. When you and Adam and I go out we have a great time."

"But he's your son. That's different. I don't want one of my own. I'm too young to be a mother. My life is over with already."

"It's only temporary, isn't it?"

"That's the part I'm not too sure about." Rune looked toward Courtney's room. Her voice was panicky when she said, "You think she drinks too much juice?"

"Rune."

"She drinks a lot of juice."

"You should worry a lot less."

"Sam, I can't have a kid with me when I interview people. What am I--?"

"I'm going to give you the name of the day-care center Cheryl and I used to take Adam to. It's a good place. And some of the women there work nights as baby-sitters."

"Yeah?"

"Look at the bright side: You didn't have to go through labor."

Rune sat close to him and laid her head on his chest. "Why do I get myself into things like this?"

"She's a sweet little girl."

Rune put her arms around him. "They're all sweet when they're asleep. The thing is they wake up after a while."

He began rubbing her shoulders.

"That's nice."

"Yeah," he said, "it is."

He rubbed for five minutes, his strong fingers working down her spine. She moaned. Then he untucked her T-shirt and began working his way up, under the cloth.