Have you ever had a plot bunny meet another plotbunny and they reproduce? When a challenge for using the word "Twist" was posted on another list I had one idea, then another, and another...

The result is a series of vignettes with a common thread. That of a song that has a presence in Ben's life. I think many of us have such a song in our lives.

This is my first attempt at dramatic writing. No shaggy dogs or punchlines. Feedback is welcome, so here goes:

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Category: Drama, WAM Challenge-Twist

Ratings/warnings: PG.

Pairings: none

Spoilers: none

Disclaimers: The Due South Characters Belong to Alliance.

Archive: Please archive.

Song in the Key of Life, part 1: Ben's Lullaby

by Marian

The wind outside the isolated cabin was howling but it's fury could not match the howls of the infant inside the cabin.

"Ben, sweetheart, please stop crying." pleaded a tearful Caroline for what seemed like the millionth time.

She cradled her son to her breast hoping he might nurse but he would have none of it. She checked his diaper for the fifth time that hour.

It was still dry. She checked his forehead, again, and yet again but there was no fever. Murmuring to her son, Caroline was desperate to find out what was causing her child to cry unabated for the last 12 hours. She tried to lay him down as she had 3 times before when he appeared to tire from his efforts. But every time he left her arms Ben would contort his face into a mask of purple-red rage and wail even louder.

"Oh God what do I do?" Caroline was terrified her son was going through terrible pain and even had panicked thoughts of him dying. She did not dare leave him in this state. She went to the short-wave radio set near the window.

"Does anyone read me? I need a doctor. Please, please help me."

The radio remained as silent as it had for the last 8 hours.

The last contact she had was with her neighbor Mary Tigliak. This neighbor was no closer than 50 miles away. The contact consisted of sentences broken by interference from the oncoming storm. Caroline could not believe what Mary said was true. Ben had been crying for 4 hours at the time and Mary had said that all kids go through a time when they just cry for no apparent reason. She advised Caroline to put the baby to bed and let him cry it out. Caroline just knew she could do something to ease her baby's distress. A good mother could do this.

What did Mary know anyway? Just because she had five kids of her own....

Now, 8 hours later she still could not believe that Ben was crying for no reason. Frustrated tears streaming down her cheeks Caroline sobbed:

"Dammit, what do I do? What kind of mother am I? I can't make my baby better. Dammit, dammit, dammit Bob where are you when I need you.. Ben SHUT UP!"

Horrified that she just shouted at her son and that she had thoughts of just putting him down and running away had Caroline questioning, not only her fitness as a mother but her very sanity.

" Sweetheart, mommy's going to put you down now." Caroline knew that would make Ben cry more pitiably but she was afraid in her present frame of mind she might hurt her babe. Ben's wails continued and Caroline sat in a chair across the room and covered her ears. "Oh god, oh god, oh god " Caroline felt as if she had betrayed her son. How cold he trust her, depend on her, if she abandoned him like this.

Caroline then tried the transistor radio in hopes of raising any station out there just so she would not feel so alone. Sometimes they could get a music station out of Anchorage or Vancouver due to it's powerful transmitter. Perhaps they could get a local station. Frantically twisting the dial Caroline found no station could break through the storms interference. Knees buckling Caroline slipped to the floor.

"If I could just close my eyes for 5 minutes I can calm down enough to solve this problem" the distraught mother thought, closing her eyes as the sounds of radio static, crying babies, winds and her own sobs faded away.

Well, shake it up baby now

Twist and shout

Come on, come on, come on come on baby now

Come on and work it on out

Well work it on out, honey

You know you look so good

You know you got me going now

Just like I knew you would

Caroline awoke with a start. What time was it? She realized that something was not right. The silence from the crib had her vaulting to her feet in terror.

"BEN, are you all right?" she cried as she reached her son. Aghast, Caroline could not believe what she saw.

Ben was waving his arms and legs and grinning a toothless grin. He then proceeded to blow bubbles from the drool that had accumulated in his mouth. He then looked at his mother as if to say "What's wrong?"

Caroline picked up her son and clutched him, weeping again with tears of joy.

Well, shake it up baby now

Twist and shout

Come on, come on, come on come on baby now

Come on and work it on out

You know you twist little girl

You know you twist so fine

Come on and twist a little closer now

And let me know that you're mine, woooo

She then noticed a familiar odor and took her son to the table to change his diaper. Reaching over she turned off the radio. Ben immediately set up a ruckus. Turning the radio back on she saw Ben start to happily flail his arms and legs again.

Ah, ah, ah, ah

Yeah, shake it up baby now

Twist and shout

Come on, come on, come on come on baby now

Come on and work it on out

You know you twist little girl

You know you twist so fine

Come on and twist a little closer now

And let me know that you're mine

Well shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it baby now

Well shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it baby now

Well shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it baby now

Ah, ah, ah, ah

"That was the Isley Brothers new hit "twist and shout" And now a word from our sponsor...."

Ben, not hearing the song, started to fuss again. Caroline turned off the portable radio. Not remembering all the words , she tried to sing the song anyway improvising some words as she went

Yeah , shake it up baby now

Twist and shout

Come on , come on , come on come on baby now

Come on and work it all out

You know you twist little Ben

You know you twist so fine

Let me hold you a little closer now

And let me know that you're mine

Ben did not seem to mind the minor changes. Carrying him with her as she went to the short wave, she called Mary.

"Mary, Do you read me, this is Caroline?"

"Caroline glad to hear from you. How is Ben."

"He cried for 12 hours and only stopped when the radio played some new song called "Twist and Shout"

Mary laughed " Gee with each of mine it was different. Sam had to hear

'Mary had a little lamb. Jack calmed down with drumming and chanting.

Sue had to hear Elvis. You get the idea."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Hey how was I supposed to know what Ben's lullaby would be. You had to go through this trial by fire on your own."

" I am going to kill Bob for making me go through this alone."

"Nah just make damn sure he comes home with a portable record player that can run off of batteries and a copy of that record. I've got to sign off now. Talk to you later."

"Bye Mary."

"Hmmm" Caroline mused "Ben's lullaby is "Twist and Shout". This should irritate Bob no end as his favorite music is folk. I think I'll make him buy three copies." Caroline then noticed her son rooting around her chest. She sat down and hummed Ben's new lullaby as he nursed.