Chapter 4-Doctor, Doctor

Hogan learns another possible reason for Tiger's behavior. Mentions of mental health problems.

The next thing on the docket was the checkup by Dr. LaSalle. They went to the infirmary, where Sergeant Wilson let them "borrow" an exam room. He apologized for not having a baby scale, but the doctor told the combat medic he had an idea. Dr. LaSalle suggested Hogan get on the scale with the baby, made a note of the weight, then had him stand on the scale alone, subtracting the two numbers.

He also decided to examine Tiger while they were there. There were no stirrups on the table, so Dr. LaSalle had to improvise by having Sergeant Wilson and Hogan hold her legs. Before that, Hogan called over Dubois and handed him the baby.

"Would you be a good uncle and babysit your nephew while I help the good doctor?" the Colonel asked the Frenchman before sending them to the waiting area. Hogan then told Dubois that he would be called when they needed him.

Dr. LaSalle noted that there was no sign of infection and that everything was healing correctly. He told the couple to keep their hands to themselves for the four weeks so she could continue to improve.

"I mean, it, Hogan. Behave yourself," Dr. LaSalle warned him. The Colonel's intensely passionate relationship with Tiger was no secret in the Underground, and little Robbie was the result.

Then the doctor decided to examine Robbie. After Hogan asked Dubois to hand the baby over and sent him back to the barracks, Dr. LaSalle got the checkup underway. He also checked the baby's eyes, ears, nose, throat, heart, lungs, and reflexes, but the difference was that Dr. LaSalle had a little more information on the infant, such as Robbie's date of birth (June 7) and his weight and length at birth. The French doctor told them that their son was growing at a reasonable rate, and seemed to be very healthy.

"How much are you feeding him?" Dr. LaSalle asked the parents as he handed him back to Tiger.

"About two ounces every three hours. Why, should we feed him more?" Hogan asked while Tiger bounced their son on her arm.

"In a couple of weeks, increase it to four ounces. You will also be able to give him his first real bath soon, his umbilical stump should be falling off in the next day or so," he informed the parents.

Oh boy, another adventure in parenthood, Hogan thought. They both exchanged frightened looks at the idea of bathing such a young baby.

"Don't worry. Just be sure to hold the baby's head up, only put a few inches of water in the sink, make sure the water is warm but not hot, and have another person standing by if you think you need to. You'll be fine," Dr. LaSalle gave them both reassuring pats on the back. He then asked if they had any questions.

The parents looked at each other, then Hogan decided he needed to talk to the doctor and remembered that he left Robbie's bottle in the barracks.

"I need to talk to about something. Why don't you go back to the barracks and feed the baby, I'll be there in a bit," Hogan told his fiancée before kissing her. The two men waited until she was out of earshot before Hogan started asking Dr. LaSalle questions.

"Is Tiger really okay? She's a bit secretive, still. I'm worried and so are our friends," Hogan explained quietly as he slid his hands into his back pockets.

Dr. LaSalle sighed. "I believe she's suffering from something called postnatal depression. It's not uncommon in mothers of newborns. They may feel guilt and anxiety, and have trouble bonding with the baby, which, in turn, makes them feel like bad mothers," he explained.

Hogan was beginning to get worried. Deciding that he had to know more to help her, he asked: "What were her symptoms?"

"She told me she was feeling anxious, and her moods were up and down. She couldn't eat and had trouble sleeping even though she felt tired, and she was worried that she would never feel close to the baby," Dr. LaSalle explained with a bit of sadness in his voice.

This was alarming to Hogan. He had heard whispers of women having the blues for a time after giving birth, but he'd never seen for himself . But then again, he thought, it might just seem like a problem because someone close to me is dealing with it.

"Have you done anything to help her?" He would have been outraged if the woman he loved was suffering, her doctor knew, but still did nothing.

"It isn't as if Dubois and I haven't tried. There's only so much you can do unless someone wants help. As the saying goes, 'You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink,'" Dr. LaSalle calmly explained.

Hogan nodded. He knew he shouldn't come down too hard on them. He knew how stubborn she could be. They wanted to and tried to help, but as bullheaded as she was, Tiger wouldn't accept it.

"What can I do to help her?" Hogan asked next.

"Let her know you're there to help. Remind her that she's not alone, that she has friends and loved ones to lean on. You and your men can help her, and so can Dubois, and so can I," Dr. LaSalle advised him.

"Thank you very much, Doctor. I'll be sure to do that," Hogan told the doctor and shook his hand. With that, he headed to the barracks, knowing that he was going to have a couple of discussions regarding this alarming discovery.