Alexandra couldn't stop the tears spilling onto her cheeks not the scream building in her throat. She began to wail loudly, crying harder than she had in years. The response was immediate. Whoever had come into the room earlier returned.
The person said something, but Alexandra couldn't hear them over her sobs. She felt herself get picked up, then a finger stick down the back of her training pants. The intrusion only served to upset her further. Her cries of anguish somehow became louder as she was carried out of the room and to a changing table.
Alexandra rubbed her eyes, still sobbing, while she was laid down on the changing table. Her training pants were carefully slid off, she was cleaned with a shockingly cold baby wipe, and a fresh pair of training pants were put on. But still, Alexandra continued to cry.
Finally, something was shoved into her mouth. Shocked out of her meltdown by the action, Alexandra instinctively sucked. It was a pacifier! But suckling on the dummy was far more soothing than her thumb had been, so she didn't try to remove it.
"There, that's better," said the person who had changed her. Wiping tears off her cheeks, Alexandra finally looked at the person who had come to her rescue. It was...