United States

IN LOCO PARENTIS After Spats reentered the courtroom, Ian slowly counted to thirty before opening the door to the hallway. As he had expected, Judge Reynolds and the District Attorney were having a quiet conversation, with their prospects for reelection, he thought, the most likely topic under consideration. “Is the circus in town,” Ian asked once they were back inside the judge's chambers. “It could be worse … a couple of beat reporters for the local dailies, and one TV crew.” The Judge had taken advantage of the break to dash off to the men's room, which gave him a chance to size up the press contingent waiting outside the courtroom. “Emmett Bailey of WPPP News is once more on the prowl.” “That guy,” Ian groaned. “He was at the house last night, reporting live. Doesn't he ever sleep?” “No rest for the wicked,” the DA snorted. Bailey was as pushy as he was ambitious, and he wasn't above sensationalizing a story. “Anyway, is Spats on board?” “He is,” Ian confirmed. “If it's possible, I'd like to avoid the press. The best way to tamp down on this story is to protect the girls' anonymity. Since there are eleven girls back at the house who haven't been charged with anything, the media can't broadcast everybody's name without inviting a lawsuit for defamation. So, is there a back way out of here? A loading dock would be good.” “What do you have in mind?” Reynolds, like all of his colleagues, had used a trap door more than once to escape the press. “I'll ask Chief Mischof if he can scrounge up a bus from the Athletic Department. We get the girls on board, and we make a run for it.” “Let's get it done. My clerk has a phone Walt can use to make the call. Once we're set, Gareth will swallow his pride and introduce the diaper punishment. You get Bjornsen publicly to agree to it, I enter it in my order, and we all live to fight another day.” . . . . “Well, let's get you into one of these new diapers that Sarah bought yesterday, and see if they're as good as the salesperson says they are. You know the drill.” Vickie got to her feet, closed Rita's office door to give them privacy, and then began to strip. She didn't stop until she was down to her bra. Rita unlocked her diaper cover, and eased both the cover and vinyl pants down to her ankles. Vickie gingerly kicked them off before Rita inspected the thick, hospital diaper. “Dry,” she announced. “I'll set it aside for tonight's festivities.” Rita shifted around to examine Vickie's backside, and yelped in surprise. “My God, Vic! Never mind the diaper rash … you're bright red! What did Sarah do to you?” “She used one of her new toys on me … the paddle with the holes in it that she bought at Fantasy Island. It was the most painful spanking I've ever had, Rita, and believe me, I've had plenty of spankings!” “Oh, I believe you. I just don't know what to do about it.” “Nothing.” “What? Nothing?” Rita couldn't believe what she was hearing. “Rita, I … I enjoyed it. I was so close to coming … just a few more strokes, but she stopped right when I was on the edge. I begged her to finish me off, but she refused … locked me up in the same damned diaper. Only I liked that, too. Pissing and shitting myself … having Mommy coo over me like a baby while she cleaned me up … I was in Heaven. And then again this morning ...” Rita shook her head in despair. It was obvious that Vickie craved attention, and had discovered that being naughty would get her plenty of it. But if Sarah was a sadist only now coming out of the closet, this could get out of hand very quickly. Not waiting for the command, Vickie dropped to the floor, and spread her legs. “Rita, I'm so horny that I could scream. Please,” she whispered, “help me! Fingers … tongue … a cucumber … anything will do. Please!” “You want me ...” Wide-eyed, stunned, for the second time in as many minutes Rita couldn't believe what she was hearing. “Vic, no! Not at the office; hell, not even at home!” “My wand ...” “No!! Absolutely not!! Vic, are you crazy? Do you want to get us both fired?” Rita got down on the floor, and ordered Vickie to raise her hips so that the new diaper could be slid into place. Working hastily to put the nightmare behind her, Rita doused her diaper area with powder and worked it into her skin. As soon as she was finished, she pinned the diaper in place, then fetched Vickie's baby pants and cover. It was only when the lock clicked home that she could lean back, take a deep breath, and try to make sense of what had just happened. “All right,” she said in a tone of voice that brooked no opposition. “First things first. Go to your locker, get your Wand, and bring it to me. If you have any other toys that you're using to masturbate on company time, bring those as well. The fun and games are over, Vic, maybe over for good.” “But ...” “No buts, and no whining! If you need to do a regression to get past all the crap that your parents dumped on you, fine. I'm good with Sarah being your Mommy, and I'm even good with being your Auntie. I'll change your shitty diapers, and I won't complain about it. I'll do my best to get Sarah to tone it down. And all I ask in return is that you store up all this sexual energy for the only person in this universe who's worthy of you, and that's Ian. Sarah and I can parent you, but we can't love you the way he does. Do you understand?” “Yes, Aunt Rita, I understand.” “Then get dressed, and go collect your things.” Now that the crisis was past, Rita could afford to be gentle. “Then we need to start earning our paychecks!” “There's one more thing.” Vickie had stopped in the doorway. Rita looked at her expectantly. “We got a call late last night from one of the sorority houses. I don't know the details, but Ian was there, and he had another episode. Priscilla … the policewoman assigned to him was still on duty and dealt with it, but he never made it home.” Rita slapped her desktop, which told Vickie that she had come to a decision. “I'll tell Manny to expedite the 'diaper your favorite nurse' auction. When all three of us can trigger the Princess Poopy Pants persona, I want him back in the ward. We are going to hit him from all sides, trigger an episode in a controlled environment, and see it through to the end … a breakthrough. We are not, repeat not, taking a ticking time bomb into our new household!!” . . . . When they reentered the courtroom, Ian walked straight to the railing that separated him from Walt Mischof. It took only a few seconds for Ian to make his request, and for the Chief to confirm that he could have a bus ready and waiting in less than half an hour. While he was speaking on the phone, Ian rejoined Bernice and Priscilla, who were still hard at work trying to keep the girls calm. It was a daunting task. “May I have everyone's attention,” Ian asked in a calm, confident and reassuring voice. “Tippi, when we resume the Judge is going to ask the District Attorney to continue, which is when your proposed diaper punishment will be brought up. Then Judge Reynolds will once again ask whether you are speaking for the whole group. Say 'yes', then agree to being diapered for the duration of your probation, and we are out of here. We'll go out the back way to avoid the press, and Chief Mischof is arranging for a bus to pick us all up.” “You're coming with us?” Janis couldn't understand why the Professor was going to so much trouble to help them, but she was grateful nonetheless. “Yes. The rest of us will gather our wits in the hospital cafeteria while you track down whoever is in charge of the candy stripers. Then we'll dot the proverbial I and cross the proverbial T, get you home in time for lunch, and me off to my next class.” “And the gangster?” “All taken care of, Janis. Don't bother looking over your shoulder because he won't be there.” “But how?” “Oh,” Ian smiled wistfully, “I made him an offer that he can't refuse!” . . . . “Okay,” Ian said when they got off the bus, “I'll take the lead since I actually know how to find the cafeteria in this maze. Priscilla, why don't you bring up the rear to make sure we don't lose any stragglers. Bernice, you should go with Janis, and help her sell our story to the relevant party.” “How's your diaper holding up,” Priscilla whispered in return. “I've only got one spare in your bag, and we're running on empty at your office. We need to reload.” Ian winced. In all the excitement, he had lost track, which was an invitation to disaster. Leaky diapers … blowouts … both meant public embarrassment. His vinyl pants and canvas cover could only take so much abuse before they would give up the fight. “Sounds like we should pay Rita a visit. She's got diapers coming out of her ears, and now's as good a time as any for you to make her acquaintance. Once Bernice gets back and we have the girls settled, we'll sneak off.” A party of forty young women trooping through the hospital hallways was, Ian suspected, quite a sight, but the cafeteria was the only place he could think of to park them. And people were stopping and staring. For their part, the girls all wondered how many of the people they were passing had put two and two together, and realized that they were now face to face with the infamous diaper thieves who had been plastered all over the late night news only twelve hours earlier. Happily, at mid morning the cafeteria had few patrons, so Ian had no trouble commandeering two of the long trestle tables that dominated the room. While the girls sorted themselves out, Ian took Priscilla to the side. “Got any money on you?” “Some. Why?” “They had a bad night and a not so good morning. The least we can do is buy them all something to drink to soften the blow.” “Meaning?” “They don't know it yet, but they're going to be wearing the same hospital diaper that I'm sporting. That's part of the deal I made with Spats-- he gets to grow his inventory, and the girls will be paying for it.” “But they won't be able to hide what they're wearing ...” “No, they won't. The seniors are looking at six months or so, but there are first and second year students in this bunch who have two and a half to three and a half years of humiliation ahead of them.” “With no time off during the summer. Ian, what about their parents? The only way to make sure that they remain diapered is to use the same locking cover that you have on. Would you trust a parent with the keys?” “No. Bernice will change them morning and night, so she will need to have keys. We'll know in a few minutes whether it's feasible for them to be changed here during their shifts, but I can't figure out how to change them on campus. It's a big school, and they're attending classes all over the place. So, we're talking a lot of diaper pails; where do we put them? Who would be willing to change them, and can we trust that person with the keys? On paper it all looks pretty cut and dried, but this is real life, and in real life it's a safe bet that all of these girls will also be looking for a way to cheat. We have to nip that in the bud.” “This is what happens when you don't pay attention,” Priscilla laughed sympathetically. “Meaning?” “The DA and the Judge ran for the hills, Ian, leaving you hung out to dry.” Priscilla was rummaging around in her bag, searching for her wallet. “Twenty-eight dollars,” she announced. “And I've got seventeen.” It didn't take Ian long to paw through his wallet. “While you were daydreaming,” Priscilla continued, “the Judge issued a decree making you personally responsible for cleaning up this mess. An officer of the court will be dropping in on you next week, with the official paperwork. Congratulations! You now have forty one surrogate daughters!” “Huh? Wait a second. Won't they have probation officers?” “They will,” Priscilla agreed. “And guess who's responsible for making sure that each and every one of them keeps their appointments!” “But ...” “Ian? What are you doing here?” Startled, Ian spun around, his stance shifting to attack mode. Then, making a conscious effort to relax, he stood fully upright. “Becky! Hi! And Reiko. Wow … it's good to see you both! But I'm surprised; isn't this your shift?” “It is. Mornings are set aside for groups. Vickie takes the alcoholics, Candy gets the abused women, and Reiko and I split the hopelessly neurotic. We rack up a lot of overtime at Chuck E. Cheese.” Becky and Reiko were both looking at Priscilla. “Sorry,” Ian said; “I just got sucker punched, so I'm a little out of it. Pris, say hi to Becky and Reiko, who work upstairs in the psych ward. Vickie is mentoring them both.” “Priscilla Canon, campus police department.” Priscilla held out her hand, and the three women briefly shook. “Technically, I'm Ian's bodyguard, keeping those pesky corporate headhunters at bay, but it feels more like I'm his nursemaid.” “Changing his diapers, are you?" Becky and Reiko exchanged knowing grins. “Routinely,” Priscilla grinned in return. “And it's a fun job. Ian knows a really colorful cast of characters, and slowly but surely, I'm making their acquaintance.” “And these are the diaper thieves.” Becky gestured at the girls. “What, if you capture them, you get to keep them?” “He's stuck with them!” Priscilla was laughing so hard she could barely get the words out. “The court … the judge has charged Ian to supervise them throughout their probation. Right now, we're trying to figure out how to see to their diapers.” “Diapers? These girls?” Reiko was aghast. “All forty one of them … 24/7 until they graduate! They wanted diapers; well, now they've got them! And they're going to use them!” “What brings you down here?” Ian was desperate to change the subject. “Coffee break,” Reiko shrugged. “It's an excuse to get out of the ward for a few minutes.” “Got any spare change?” “You need money?” “I thought I'd buy the girls something to drink. They've had a rough morning ...” “Spoken like a true parent, although forty one daughters is a ...” Priscilla's eyes widened in shock, and involuntarily, she clamped a hand over her mouth. The enormity of her mistake … “Oh, God! Ian, I'm sorry! I didn't mean … I was just teasing … please … I'm sorry!” “Pris, it's okay.” Ian wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her close, her head resting upon his shoulder. He forgot about Becky and Reiko, forgot about the girls, forgot about the handful of visitors, nurses and doctors scattered around the cafeteria. His one thought was for her. Becky and Reiko were openly staring, trying to digest what they were witnessing. It was as obvious to them as to everyone else who happened to be watching that Ian and Priscilla were very much in love. “It's getting easier, Pris; really. Knowing that it's all out in the open now … that I don't have to pretend anymore.” He tenderly kissed the top of her head, enjoying the smell of her shampoo, enjoying the simple pleasure of holding her in his arms. “I love you,” he whispered in her ear. “I love you ...” . . . . “This stinks to high heaven,” Herb Canon complained. “Honestly, Julia, why didn't you say something?” “Walt's your friend; why didn't YOU say something?” The Canons were in the parking ramp adjacent to the courthouse. The trunk lid of their car was up. The trunk was bulging with the two bags of diapers that Chief Mischof had ferried from the sorority house to the ramp, but they had never gotten any closer to the courthouse, and the rules of evidence be damned. The Canons ignored the bag of clean diapers-- and they were keeping their distance from the dirty ones. “I don't remember Priscilla's diapers ever smelling this bad. Do you?” “Well, in fairness to Ian, they have been lying around for the last couple of weeks. But stop complaining. You can walk to work from here, and I'll drive out to Lullaby and deliver them in person. After all, I did promise Pris that I would retrieve Ian's little toy … and no, I won't pass out before I get there. I'll keep the window rolled down.” “It's your funeral,” Herb shrugged. “But here's something else to think about while you're rambling down the highway: who's going to change Grady's diapers and give him his bottles while Pris is at Quantico?” “Ouch! Herb, that is downright nasty!” “Come on, Julia, out with it! Has she asked you to do the honors in her absence?” “Not yet,” Julia conceded. “But any day now? Is that what I'm hearing you not saying?” Julia slammed the trunk lid shut as her temper flared. “Damn it, Herb, we have got to come to terms with this. Priscilla is old enough to make her own choices; she's fallen in love with a battle scarred vet, and she has chosen to commit to this relationship. If you can look past the diapers ...” “And the trauma,” Herb interrupted. He suspected that Ian was a loose cannon, and he did not want his daughter to be around when he blew up. “For which he is being treated by a network of professionals who are giving him a strong support structure. And in so many ways they make the perfect couple ...” “Couple? Get real, Julia! Our daughter is joining a menagerie that sounds like it's going to be one step shy of a hippie commune! Will our grandchildren, if we have them, nurse on four different sets of boobs? Will they grow up thinking they have four mommies? Julia, this in insane!” “It's life, Herb, and often life doesn't make any sense. The only issue here is Priscilla's happiness, and right now she's happier than I've ever seen her in her whole life. Our job is to support her, and to make Ian feel welcome. We are going to do that.” “So, if she asks … are you telling me that you would agree to change his diapers?” “I would agree to talk with him about it. But seriously, Herb, what on earth makes you think that he would want me to be his nursemaid? You're getting all riled up about something that has about the same odds as a snowball in Hell!” . . . . “I'm good with this,” Ian said as he peeked over Priscilla's shoulder, his eyes jumping from one face to another as he systematically worked his way from the top of one table to the bottom of the next. It was slowly beginning to dawn on him that the two of them had taken center stage in a vast theater that offered no other entertainment. “Being a surrogate parent, I mean. Do any of the sororities have dads?” “No … don't think it's ever been done before.” Priscilla leaned back to study him, and saw it instantly. It was in his eyes as he looked out at the girls, the sense of family, and she imagined that years earlier, a much younger man had looked upon those he led into battle with the same sense of affection. She knew all too well how much the death of Willie Ross had wounded him. And then his brothers-in-law. There must have been others. “This is a tad awkward,” she whispered, thinking of Vickie. “Have faith,” he whispered in return before kissing her lightly on the cheek. “Any idea how much soft drinks for forty three is going to cost me?'” Ian decided to address the question to Reiko. Reiko frowned as she quickly ran the numbers through her head. “Twenty five should cover it.” “What's going on, Ian?” Becky made no attempt to conceal her anger. “Give me a moment, please,” Without waiting for an answer, Ian turned away and walked over to stand at the head of one of the tables. He waited patiently for the girls to give him their attention. “First things, first,” he began. “While I had the run of the judge's chambers, I phoned Janis' mother. In turn, Marilyn is reaching out to all of your parents, to assure them that you are safe. She is also letting them know that each of you is being hit with a twentyfive hundred dollar fine. Be ready for the subject to come up when you get back to the house and call home. As for the other elements of the Decree-- the community service, the diapers, and the probation-- I strongly advise you to be straightforward, and not to attempt to defend the indefensible. Admit that you screwed up, concede that your punishment is warranted, even lenient, and move on.” Leaning on the table, Ian sighed deeply, searching for words. “Before Janis gets here and we get down to brass tacks, please get yourselves something to drink; Officer Canon and I will foot the bill. But first, there is something that I want to ask: does anyone here know what in loco parentis means?” “Sure,” Cindy answered. “Everyone on Fraternity Row knows that our house moms and dads are looking after us the same way our parents do at home.” “Well, as Priscilla … er … Officer Canon ...” “Batgirl,” Kimberly called out. “Is that what you call me,” Priscilla laughed. “From one end of the Row to the other,” Melanie confirmed. “Cool! Wait until you see the Batcycle! It's got all the bells and whistles!” “A Honda CB 750,” Priscilla grinned when Ian gave her one of those looks. “What can I say? The family that rides together stays together. I never miss Sturgis!” “Oh, wow, Sturgis,” Melanie shrieked. “I've got a Suzuki GT 750, but my parents won't let me ride it in the city, and they won't let me get anywhere near Sturgis. They're afraid that I'll join a motorcycle gang or something!” “Get your GPA up,” Ian suggested, “and Priscilla might be persuaded to form a club for all you easy riders.” “Are you offering us a bribe,” Kimberly teased. “More like an incentive. Look, as I was about to say before being sidetracked, Priscilla says the Judge's decree is going to charge me with supervising your probation. So, now you have a surrogate mom in Missus Miller, and in me a surrogate dad. Going forward, if you're having problems with your studies, come see me. If I can't help you personally, I'll reach out to people who can, and that includes arranging tutors. I'll collect performance reports on your community service, and you better believe that your probation officers will examine them closely. As for your diapers, let me remind you that all of you are going to be paying customers of Lullaby Diaper Service, and the bill is going to be around seventy five a month. There's another conversation to plan on having with your parents if you aren't working and don't have savings. Finally, acting in loco parentis and keeping your individual schedules in mind, Bernice and I will figure out a way for each of you to have her diapers changed in a timely manner, and that includes on campus.” “Any questions,” Ian asked as he scanned his audience. As he expected, his comments had taken the air out of the girls. There were long faces everywhere. “In the beginning, this is going to be hard.” Looking up, Ian saw that Bernice and Janis had returned, along with a nurse and a second woman wearing a severe business suit. “Some of the people you count as your friends will abandon you, but on the flip side, once the novelty wears off and your peers stop tormenting you, new friends will take their place. The one constant is that Bernice and I will always have your backs. We won't lose faith in you, and in return we ask only that you not lose faith in yourselves. Now, help yourselves to something to drink.” While Janis scurried off to join her friends in line, Beatrice stepped forward to make the introductions. “Officer Priscilla Canon of our campus police department and Professor Ian Grady,” Bernice nodded, “Marcia Mason, who is the first shift charge nurse in Janis' unit, and Gayle Soderberg, who administers Patient Relations. Her department reviews applicants for the candy striper program, with a view to finding the best fit for their experience and interests.” “I should add,” Bernice went on, “that I have brought them up to speed on what's happening here.” “Any interest,” Ian asked. Gayle nodded in response. “Definitely, but I will tell you straight out that we're looking for candidates able to work three hour shifts between seven in the morning and two in the afternoon … also six to ten at night. High School and College students all want to work between two and six; those slots are filled.” “Any objections to having staff change their diapers?” Marcia's smile was warm and friendly. “It's an unusual request, but everything that Bernice has told us would seem bizarre if many of us had not caught the late night news. Talk about the punishment fitting the crime!” “Glad you're good with it,” Ian grinned. “If it's at all possible, later this afternoon I'd like to get together with whoever does purchasing around here. Lullaby Diaper Service will need diapers, vinyl pants and locking diaper covers for forty one new customers.” “We might have enough to get you started,” Gayle said. “One key for our staff, one for Bernice, and two for you. Will you be changing them personally?” “Uh … no. I don't think my fiancee. Sarah Haikonnen up on the third floor, wants me anywhere around sorority girls in general, and definitely not changing their diapers in particular!” “Perhaps it's for the best.” Gayle and Marcia exchanged sympathetic looks. “We caught the tail end of your address. If these young women need a father figure to serve as a role model, they are fortunate indeed to have someone this caring.” “I just hope I don't go broke in the process,” Ian sheepishly replied, trying to find a way around the awkwardness of the moment. “Reiko says that their drinks will set me back around twenty five dollars.” “Oh, don't worry about it!” Gayle waved him away. “I'll put it on my departmental tab; light refreshment to help the interview process along.” “Thank you,” Ian sighed. “Can you hold the fort for a little while,” Priscilla interrupted. “I need to refill Ian's diaper bag, so we're on our way up to Seven … to talk with Vickie and Rita.” She gave Ian's arm an encouraging squeeze. The gesture's import was lost on none of the five women gathered round, and Bernice could see that one of the nurses standing behind Ian was seething. Long years of defusing angry confrontations had given her a sixth sense when it came to situations spinning out of control. This one was on the edge. “Ian, while we were reluctant to infringe upon your privacy, you should know that Janis and I also told Marcia and Gayle what happened last night.” Bernice's voice became soft and maternal. “Last night at the house … this morning in the courtroom and now here … you have formed a deep, visible attachment to the girls. I don't want anyone to misinterpret what they're seeing, nor to misunderstand all this talk about changing their diapers.” Bernice stared pointedly at Becky, praying that the message had gotten through to her. After they had put him to bed, Suzie had given her a colorful description of Ian's complicated love life, and it was obvious that this nurse was close to one or more of the women involved. She had been triggered by the interplay between the professor and the policewoman. As for the young Asian woman: her expression was stoic, but her body language tense. It was safe to assume that she was also upset by what she was seeing. “Cracks in the wall,” Ian observed with a resigned sigh; “cracks in the wall.” “Which means?” “Bernice, I'm a patient here, up on the seventh floor … the psych ward. In fact, Reiko and Becky are on the team that is treating me.” Belatedly, Ian realized that, when it came to introductions, he had not picked up where Beatrice had left off. “Sorry,” he said. “Bernice Miller, the sorority's house mom, and Reiko … I'm sorry again. I don't know either of your last names.” “Doctor Reiko Matsumura, and my colleague and friend, Doctor Rebecca Cameron.” Reiko performed the introductions for both of them. (In reality. Ian was formally introduced to Reiko all the way back in scene 3, but the poor lad was far too drunk at the time to remember much of anything.) “Vickie and Rita are going on the theory that I've constructed a wall inside my head to keep all the guilt that I tapped into last night at bay.” Ian knew that neither Bernice, Gayle or Marcia grasped how bad last night had really gone. “If I do something that my psyche sees as a threat to the wall, it short circuits the process by catapulting me back to my last battlefield. I relive what happened … every second of it … and I collapse, just like I did for real all those years ago.” “So when you told the girls what happened to your family ...” “I thought I was safe because yesterday I told Priscilla everything, including the really bad stuff that only two other people have heard at first hand. And it had no impact on me … maybe because it felt like I was talking about somebody else … talking in the third person.” “'Bad' doesn't begin to describe what happened out there.” Priscilla warned. “I have been pushing Ian to sit down with Sarah, Vickie and Rita; they have to know what's going on … have to know that acting on their feelings for him will have consequences. There's a price to be paid, and I'm going to pay it … but I didn't sleep well last night, not well at all. I do not want him to describe what he learned once he got out of the hospital in any detail. What you heard last night is where I would draw the line.” “You want him to withhold information that might be critical to his treatment,” Becky asked sharply. “I would go there only as a matter of last resort.” Priscilla's tone was equally acerbic. As the first of the girls exited the line, soft drink in hand, Gayle excused herself to begin the interview process. She had brought applications for the candy striper program, and as she handed out forms and pens to each girl in turn, she emphasized that she needed to know their class schedule for the following term. Marcia watched the line slowly advance. She had two children of her own, one a girl in junior high. In a few years, she realized, her daughter might well become a candy striper in her own right, and stand in this very line once or twice a week. There were always a number of high school students in the program. “Professor … no … Ian … who's taking the lead on your therapy?” “Vickie.” “And the two of you are madly in love.” Marcia shot a sideways glance at Priscilla, wondering if Vic knew that she had been cast overboard. “Vickie and I will work it out,” Priscilla smiled. She knew exactly what Marcia was thinking. The line continued slowly to advance, and Becky and Reiko continued to hover in the background. Nodding her head, Marcia came to a decision. Someone had to go first. “Ian, Gayle and I … we both have children … daughters. The vast majority of the people in our age group working in this hospital have families. I'm not going to pretend that I understand your suffering because it's on a scale that I can't imagine, and frankly don't want to imagine. But I know two things, the first being that you are trapped inside every parent's deepest, darkest nightmare. And the second is that Becky is right; if you want to reclaim your life, you cannot pick and choose the information that you share with your therapist. If you insist on shielding her, then Vickie needs to step aside so that someone can take her place-- someone who can handle the worst that you can throw at them.” “It's not that easy,” Ian grudgingly admitted. “Why?” “I have trust issues.” “And cracks in the wall.” Ian looked at her blankly. He didn't see the connection. “You can't make good what you've lost by adopting every young woman in need of help who enters your life. You'll drown if you try … more and more seizures. If you truly want to help others, you must first help yourself, and that means baring your soul to your therapist. Guilt attaches itself to the ugliest of all our memories.” Wendy Stafford, Priscilla thought. How many more Wendy Staffords are waiting out there? Her eyes swept over the line, and settled on Janis Marsden. The answer was staring her in the face. “Wait … what,” Becky squeaked. She looked at Reiko, thinking that she must have misunderstood what Marcia was saying, but she saw the same look of incomprehension on her friend's face that was no doubt plastered on her own. “Are you saying that … that … Ian … that you have a daughter?” Silently, Ian pulled out his wallet, and removed the photograph. No longer hidden away, it slid out easily. He handed it to Becky. “My wife's name was Nguyen. When I was in the hospital, someone came to our village and slaughtered everyone except the babies and little children. They were taken, and have never resurfaced. We think that someone was looking for my child … for my daughter, Linh. But they didn't know which child was mine, so they took them all.” “But … but, why? Dear God, why?” “My gift for languages is rare in the extreme. More men have walked on the moon than can do what I do. If Linh has inherited this ability ...” “Someone massacred an entire village to kidnap a child that might grow up with the ability to speak dozens of foreign languages?” Becky was thunderstruck. “Ian, does Vickie know any of this? Vickie? Rita? Sarah?” Reiko got right to the point. “No. No one wants to put another My Lai on the record, and very few people even know that there was a massacre. Reiko, my whole life after Hue is heavily classified; it was only yesterday afternoon that I received clearance to talk about this with anyone. Priscilla knows it all, and when we get upstairs, so will Vickie and Rita. I'll deal with Sarah later.” “But why, Ian? Why, after all these years, are they suddenly allowing you to go public?” ”Reiko, I blindsided the Agency, and now we're scrambling to do damage control. I was supposed to live a quiet life out here, but instead I foolishly agreed to help Phil and Don. It was a spur of the moment decision, and it felt right at the time, but it ended up wrecking my cover, which was never designed to survive even casual scrutiny. A part of me is glad that it worked out this way because lying to the women I love has been tearing me apart. But at the same time, it's putting my daughter in great danger.” “Go on,” Reiko gently encouraged. “For years, we have been looking worldwide, an intense but quiet search. Now that I've surfaced, we are going to recruit people outside the intelligence community to assist, which will make our efforts impossible to hide. If we get too close ...” “They'll kill her.” Priscilla had followed everything Ian had said to its logical conclusion. “We can get coffees up in the ward,” Becky decided. “We'll take you up.” “Marcia and I will help Gayle,” Bernice declared. “And now I'm a bodyguard for real,” Priscilla sighed. “And first things, first: I still have to change Ian's diaper!”

"We'll go see him when we get back home.  He doesn't know about trains yet. Maybe you can teach him when he's old enough"

"Okay, white it is. I think that's a good choice, Kayla" He lifts her legs and powders her, taping her into a big white diaper for bedtime     "Let's get your jammies on, then you can choose a story" He holds up a one piece pink pajama just Kayla's size and he lifts her legs again to put her feet in      "If you're good, I'll let you do the zipper. You really do make a cute baby. Sorry for the circumstances, but I think you can make the best of it. I like being your Daddy. And Julie's happy to have you. You can stay here even when the baby comes. You and the baby can play together. Won't that be fun? What games do you know?"   He says the last part to her with that enthusiasm for a toddler again.   

I really love how you weave this tale! It's very enjoyable to read! Looking forward to more!

Catherine sighed heavily, when she saw how whim and capricious Kayla... "Baby, I don't have much time to try to persuade you. Let's not ruin this beautiful morning for each other. This cereal is perfect for little ones babies like you. Look." Catherine said, putting down the bowl and spoon and showing by Kayla a box of baby's cereal with a smiling baby on it. “I will give you 2 options to choose from. You will calm down now and obediently open your mouth until the bowl is empty and you will receive apricots and chocolate milk, as a reward, or you continue to be naughty and you will receive a good spanking as a reward and I will still feed you breakfast, but you'll have a stinging, sore ass." - Catherine said sternly and took a wooden cutting board and slapped it herself palm several times, showing that she was not joking... “Shall we try again? What is your choice? Open your mouth, baby, while the cereal is still warm...” - Catherine cooed and again fill up baby food with plastic spoon and brings it to Kayla’s lips, waiting for her decision...