Leah knows that Mrs. Montague will be back soon to give her some lunch and that her tummy is still aching. But she's so tired...
After her eyelids keep drifting shut, Leah gives up on the idea of actually doing anything. She sets down the sippy cup, sticks her thumb in her mouth, and curls up on the floor. Despite her best attempts, she only manages to doze off and on, and as such, is partly asleep when Mrs. Montague returns.
"Oh, poor sleepy girl," Mrs. Montague says. She picks Leah up, cradling her like the baby she appears to be, and removes Leah's thumb from her mouth, replacing it with the rubber nipple of a baby bottle. Not fully awake, Leah instinctively guzzles down whatever is in it.
When she finishes the bottle, Leah squirms uncomfortably. Her tummy hurts again. Mrs. Montague places Leah over her shoulder and gently pats her back until Leah lets out multiple burps.
As if triggered by the burping, Leah lets out noise from her other end, farting as she has another bout of diarrhea.
"Poor thing!" Mrs. Montague says. Exhausted and her belly full, Leah drifts off to sleep again as she's carried to the changing table.
Leah wakes up in a playpen in the living room. In another dirty diaper. As she gets to her feet, she feels herself bend into an instinctive squat. She groans loudly, attracting the attention of a young girl playing nearby.
"Mom! Hailey is awake! And she's pooping again!" the girl shouts. Mrs. Montague comes into the living room, looking concerned.
"This is her fourth messy diaper change of the day, and we just had lunch." Mrs. Montague pats Leah's head. Leah feels glad Mrs. Montague is so casual about Leah pooping. It makes her feel less awkward as she fills her diaper with more liquid and mush. "She's definitely sick or ate something that is still bothering her."
"What are you gonna do?" the girl asks.
"Your big brother is going to watch you kids while I take her on a quick errand," Mrs. Montague answers. Leah straightens with a sigh of relief, her bowels emptied yet again. She holds up her arms so Mrs. Montague can easily pick her up. "I'm going to take Hailey to..."