FingerToes

This chapter may seem a little slow but in necessary for the next chapter. I plan on getting a couple of more chapters out. Then I am going to have to take a pause for Christmas holidays and focus on my family. Enjoy and feel free to comment. Chapter 18 - Manic Monday Avery had spent the entire weekend pondering the programming changes Christy had been working on the previous week. She was supposed to have completed the programming Friday and sent it to R&D by now. The urgency of the project being pressed by the CEO had caused Christy and the R&D team to work day and night on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Avery couldn't help but feel a mixture of admiration and frustration - admiration for Christy's dedication but frustration at her lack of progress. He was impatient and wanted to know the progress. He nervously clutched the warm mug of coffee in his hands, its heat doing little to soothe the anxiety that grew within him. His gaze alternated between the calculator and the data Christy had sent him the day before. With each number he plugged into the calculator, his fear grew that all was not as it seemed. He had been pouring over the data for what felt like hours, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t seem to make sense of the results from R&D. The actual values were just not matching up with the calculated values from Christy's program - what could he be missing? After hours of hard work, the program finally seemed to be coming together. Avery emailed Christy with a few changes that he thought would improve the calculations. But was he right? Had they chosen the correct person for this job? Bryan and Christy had put a lot of trust in him, and he hoped that he could deliver on their expectations. Avery bit his lip as he waited for her reply; was his intuition about her correct? There was no answer from Christy. Just an ominous silence that bode ill for Avery. Avery was feeling the weight of the looming deadline for R&D, and his anxiety had been growing. He tried to distract himself with video games and fantasy books, but nothing could put him at ease. Even though he kept his phone close, there was no news from Christy or from R&D. Despite every effort he made, Avery couldn't shake the unease that lingered inside him. Avery felt his palms sweat as he stared at his phone, desperate to call Christy and see how she was doing with her programming. He forced himself not to pick up the receiver and instead began pacing around his apartment like a caged animal, jumping at every little noise and furiously scrubbing the furniture in order to distract himself from the overpowering urge to make the call. Eventually, he had no choice but to double up on his anxiety meds to get him through. At the same time, though, he couldn't deny the excitement he felt when thinking of what it might be like to go out on a real date with Christy. Although Avery had been out in social situations before, he had never actually been on an official date, and that thought made him think twice about calling her up and asking her out. The only positive thing about this weekend was being out of diapers and pull-ups. His regular underwear felt so thin after growing used to the disposable padding he had spent the last week in. He much preferred this feeling over the diapers. As the weekend drew to a close and the next week began, he was filled with so much anxiety and hoped this whole ordeal would be over. Monday morning, Avery thought to himself as he heard the alarm going off. He groaned and reached for the iPhone on his nightstand, finding it unsympathetically set at 6:30. Avery hadn't slept much all weekend, at least nothing restful. A quick glance out his window revealed that the sun was just beginning to rise. Feeling worn out, he pulled on the same clothes he wore daily: a diaper, the simple thick white disposable beneath a pair of loose-fitting khakis to help hide it. But this became his routine nonetheless. He still remembered his promise to himself that if he made it through this week, he would go back to wearing pull-ups like he had done most of his life when he was out in public. His work shirt had a stain down the back that he hoped no one would see, but he used the iron anyway, as it was too late to do anything about it. The clock said 7:00 am, so he grabbed his backpack, wallet, corporate iPhone, and keys and headed out the door. As he walked, there was a tiny hint of warmth in the air; otherwise, it was cool enough that he thought about taking an extra layer of clothes with him but decided against it. He was going to enjoy the cooler air for a change. As he walked briskly to the bus stop, his hair was messy as usual. At the bus stop, he pulled the back of his shirt down again to cover the secret inch of diaper sticking out beyond the waistband of his pants. The bus ride had been uneventful, and he was starting to feel a bit more relaxed. The sun was shining, birds were chirping, and people were walking around getting ready for the day ahead of them. Avery couldn't help but feel hopeful about the future as he walked towards work. While walking past the park that Avery remembered diving in to avoid looking like he had wet his pants, Avery felt a vibration and heard the quiet ding of his iPhone. He looked down and saw he had an email from Christy already this morning. Avery read the email from Christy with a mixture of relief and disappointment. He was glad to hear that R&D was finally running their experiments, but he was also disappointed that he wouldn't get to see her. With a sigh, he tucked his phone away and continued walking towards the office building. When he reached his office building, he walked up the stairs to his floor. His colleagues gave him small nods in recognition as they passed him, but none of them said anything or engaged in conversations with him. This didn't really bother Avery; he preferred it that way most days anyway. He arrived at his cubicle and settled into his chair- checking again for any emails from Christy or R&D before finally deciding to get his morning coffee. Darlene saw Avery walking in and couldn't help but feel relieved that the weekend was over. They had worked hard to get his hypnosis adjusted correctly, and she hoped he would be able to absorb it properly. She wasn't sure how the hypnosis actually worked, but she trusted her sister. As Avery strolled past her office, Darlene averted her gaze and pretended to be engrossed in the emails on her computer for the morning. She couldn't help but contemplate whether he would seek out a conversation with her as he did last Thursday. But before she could finish pondering, Avery entered the room and spoke without a preamble. "I am actually glad that the weekend is done," he said as he strutted towards the Keurig. "All I did this weekend was jumble my brain with video games and fantasy literature." Darlene spun around in disbelief; ordinarily, he seemed so self-conscious around her, but his behavior was different this time. He confidently walked up to her office with an ill-ironed shirt and disheveled hair, which hadn't seen a comb in days, and started talking. Getting him to exchange regular pleasantries had been hard, but now he was starting conversations. "My weekend wasn't much better than yours," she replied, feeling remarkably more assured about the situation. "I goofed off at home since none of my sisters were free." "I was expecting a revelation from my project by now," Avery said with an exasperated brow. "But all I received was the “we are working on it” e-mail. I guess the proverb 'No news is good news' fits here?" Darlene gave him a compassionate nod and uttered, "It can be difficult to wait for an answer when you need it." Avery nodded in agreement before he snatched the bottle of 'MMK' creamer and poured some into his cup—his go-to creamer to add extra zest, not knowing what he was really drinking. He then slotted a K-cup into the Keurig machine and brewed his coffee again. "Christy won't be present today," he sighed as he plunged his spoon into his cup. "Which means no lunch for me." He shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant but failing miserably as Darlene identified the twinge of melancholy in his voice. "Eh, it's nothing out of the ordinary for me," he continued merrily, putting on a bright face for her benefit. Darlene beamed at Avery and offered, “Why don’t I buy lunch, and we can talk about work or whatever you like?” Her suggestion was met with a pause; she worried she had gone too far. Too much too quick, she thought to herself. Avery hesitated for a moment, then smiled in response. “That would be great!” he replied. Darlene was taken back by surprise. "Wow the hypnosis really seems to be working" she thought to herself. "Well, I will stop by your cubicle around 11 am to take you to lunch." Avery smiled as he left, sipping his coffee. He walked a few feet out of her office. He once again began to pull down his shirt ensuring he didn't flash the out edges of his diaper to anyone. As he sat down at his cubicle, he realized he had finally begun to feel better again, the exhaustion and stress of the weekend gradually fading away. Since Christy and the R&D team were validating the program calculations to real-world results, Avery decided to work on the next part of the program. The calculations of the thickness of the cell walls with the influence of internal and external pressures. He had the basic idea down but hadn't fully thought this problem out yet. So he decided to do some more research and log on to the internet to look for publications in his area of interest. Avery's eyes had been glued to the screen for hours, but he wasn't seeing the words. He was exhausted. Darlene put a hand on his shoulder to snap him out of it. "Avery, it's lunchtime. Are you ready to go?" He jerked away from her touch as if he'd been shocked. He stood and brushed off his pants, trying not to let her see how much of an idiot he felt like. "You're right," he said slowly, clearing his throat as if that would make the words come easier. "Yes, let's go." Darlene giggled when she saw his face flush with shame and tried not to laugh in his face. It was nice to see him looking so ordinary and comfortable for once around her. "I thought about going to a nice bistro restaurant a few miles from here. Again Avery blushed a little as he felt small and said. "Is it expensive because I was thinking of something like Subway. I don't have a lot of spare cash". "Oh, I didn't want you to pay. This is my treat. Come on, silly, let's go have lunch," Darlene said with a reassuring smile. Avery blushed a little as he heard Darlene's kind offer. He felt embarrassed for thinking that she would expect him to pay back the favor when it was her own choice to treat him. Avery got up and walked out with her. Darlene paid attention to see if he would pull the back of his shirt down when they walked like he would whenever he walked somewhere, but he didn't. This was another sign that he was much more comfortable around Darlene. "Good Job, Larisa," she thought as they walked to the elevator to the second floor, which had direct access to the parking garage to get to Darlene's SUV. They drove through town and reached a small outdoor cafe overlooking a lake with an amazing view beyond it. They found a table near the edge of the deck, and Avery sat facing out towards the lake, taking in all its beauty. Avery looked so content. "Avery, would you like to see the menu, or would you like me to order you something that I know is good." Avery felt small with her offering to order him food, but he also didn't know what was good here. "I will let you order, but no onions or any green or red peppers. I hate those things." Darlene giggled. "No onions? Everything is made with onions. But don't worry, I got you covered." Darlene smiled as she went up to the bar and ordered them both some lunch, picking out what she thought they might both enjoy. She quickly returned with their food; two plates of pasta, with chicken parmesan for both of them, along with two glasses of lemon ice water. "Don't worry, no onions." She smiled as she slid his plate over towards him. Avery felt more relaxed than he had all weekend as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Just listening to the birds and watching the waves of the lake ripple was relaxing. As they started eating, Darlene asked Avery about his workday so far; how had things been going on his new project? Avery looked surprised at first that she was asking him about work, but then started talking freely - almost like a pressure release valve - telling her all about his research into cell wall thickness calculations and how difficult it had been determining correct values given all the variables involved in each individual case. He went on to describe how fun it had been playing around with different mathematical solutions and trying different formulas until he eventually found one that worked correctly. Darlene smiled. This was the first time he actually talked to her directly about his job so much. She really couldn't believe how well the hypnosis had worked. "This is really good!" he exclaimed between mouthfuls of pasta as some of it dribbled on his shirt. Darlene giggled at him as she pointed to her shirt, trying to tell him he had something on him. "What?" he asked as she pointed again. He didn't seem to understand as he kept looking at her shirt. Was there something wrong with it? "You have a little bit of parmesan chicken on you. Are you saving it for later?" Darlene laughed a little as Avery blushed and quickly tried to get it off, only to smudge it a little. Darlene thought to herself that the poor boy was clueless. But Darlene continued to listen intently as Avery spoke passionately about his work, adding her own input here and there while eating her meal until, eventually, their conversation ran its course, and there were no more questions left for either of them to answer. As they finished their meal, they were contented in silence, watching the lake for a while. Finally, he let out a long, deep breath before saying: "Thanks for listening, Darlene...it's been really hard these past couple of weeks." He tried not to show any sign of emotion but his eyes were glassy with unshed tears that were threatening to fall out anytime soon as he bit his lip. Darlene gave him an understanding smile before placing her hand on top of his, giving it a comforting squeeze as she said reassuringly: "It's okay, Avery. I can imagine it has been hard." Now was the time to test the waters, Darlene thought. "Don't worry, I promise I'm not going to judge you." There was silence as Avery looked past Darlene towards the lake with ducks slowly swimming. It was as if the lake and the ducks were putting him in a trance again as he found the words to say it. "You know, don't you?" Darlene was impressed with Avery’s courage. She never thought he would confront the elephant in the room like that. She tried to think of the most appropriate response, but she wasn't sure if he was referring to the incident with John and him peeing on the floor or if he was talking about him wearing diapers to work. Maybe it was both. She paused as she tried to think about how to answer this delicate question. Finally, she said softly: "Yes, I know. It's okay; no one else knows in my department, and there is nothing wrong with you. I'm here for you if you want to talk more about it, and I'm not going to judge you." Avery's eyes shimmered as a couple of tears slid down his face whilst Darlene spoke, her words like daggers that cut through the air. "I know about the problems you have with John back at work and that you accidently had a humiliating accident in front of him and his coworkers." Darlene paused deliberately before continuing, her tone growing softer. "I also know that you wear diapers at work. I have seen them when you bend over to get the creamer." Avery felt his cheeks flush bright red as the truth was revealed, his heart pounding desperately in his chest. "I am such a loser." Avery looked at the ground and covered his face with his hands. "No, no, you're not." Darlene quickly said as she tried to reassure Avery. Avery continued to look down. Darlene decided to take a little more direct approach. "Avery, look at me now." Tears slid down Avery's face as he looked up at her. Darlene saw a scared little boy, not a grown man, in front of her. She couldn't help but wonder where and how he got like this. "Avery Sage, so what if you wear diapers? Do you not understand how smart you are? You are hopefully solving a problem no one in your department has been able to solve in over a year, and you have done it in less than two weeks. Why can't you see that for what it is? You have talent and value." Darlene said sternly, looking into Avery's eyes. "I don't care that you wear diapers. You are so much more than that. Fuck those who think differently." Darlene was shocked at herself and took on this role as a therapist. Maybe part of her sister is in her. But regardless, she got her answer. He wasn't wearing diapers for the fun of it. Avery's voice cracked. "I am sorry for crying in front of you. I... I... I really just started to wear the diapers since the incident with John. I have never had that bad of an accident before. I normally just wear pull-ups out in public, not that it is any better..." Darlene grabbed Avery's hand again as he started to look back down at the chair. "Avery, look at me again. I don't care if they are pull-ups or diapers. I admire you!" Avery tried to smile, but it felt good that someone knew this now. They sat in silence for a while after that. "We can stay longer if you like, or we can leave. I am ok with either. I don't want to rush this." Darlene tried her best to look patient even though she knew she had meetings. She was debating if she needed to cancel one or two of them. Avery looked at her gratefully, his eyes still glassy with tears. He slowly nodded his head. "We can go. I will be ok." Avery said before taking a deep breath and standing up from the table. With a small smile on his face, he said: "Thank you, Darlene." "You're welcome, Avery." Darlene smiled. She had to hold back the urge to ruffle his messy hair for some reason. They got up and left the restaurant to head back to work. That night when Darlene got home from work, she logged on to her work computer and said that the website that Avery accessed on company property was not sexual or pornographic. It was for medical purposes. The website will continue to be blocked on the company’s servers, computers, tablets, and phones. In her report, she wrote that this did not need to be forwarded to HR for any sort of records. She digitally signed her name and closed out the case.

Pierry Loust: Maybeyour right, maybe your wrong. Keep reading to find out.

Chapter 17 - Completed and Ready The next morning, Darlene arrived before Avery, wearing a light green blouse, black pants, and black-heeled shoes with her hair up in a bun. She grabbed her coffee and began to go over yesterday's IT reports. Combing through them and looking for things that should be brought to her attention. She then got out her planner and began planning her day, making any adjustments to meeting times changes and deciding what she wanted to accomplish. Darlene was very methodical about this process every morning. As she finished, she started to type a memo to her employees about an IT policy change she would like to implement soon. While typing, she looked up and saw through her office window that Avery had arrived, set his stuff down, picked up his Lego coffee cup, and walked into Darlene's office. Avery said before Darlene could speak, "Good Morning, Ms. Malatetsa." Darlene was taken aback. This was the first time he had ever started a conversation. Darlene paused as she was typing to her department. She turned to face Avery as he was getting a K-cup from the cabinets. She watched as he placed the coffee cup on the small refrigerator, leaned down, and exposed his diaper for a second as he grabbed a small bottle of milk. "MGM." Avery idly read as he opened the top, poured a little in, closed it back up, and placed it back into the fridge. He seemed less stiff around here right now. When he turned around to take his coffee cup and K-cup to the Keurig, Darlene turned away quickly to pretend to type. She didn't want him to be ashamed about accidentally revealing his diaper again. Darlene pretended to finish her email and then turned to face Avery. "Well, good morning to you also," she said as she gave him a pleasant smile. What happened next was very unexpected when Avery returned a warm smile. "I won't be long. Just getting my morning coffee." Avery said with a confidence he had rarely shown before. Darlene thought to herself. "Should I push it and engage in conversation or just call this a win?" "I have to know," Darlene finally said, "What kind of coffee did you pick out?" "I got one of your Green Mountain dark roast cups. I have been enjoying those the best. Especially in the morning," Avery replied as he looked at the Keurig to see if the cup of coffee was done. Again, Darlene was shocked. It wasn't just an answer but an answer with reasoning. He would never have done that before. "I tend to like the hazelnut roasted coffee in the mornings unless it is cold outside, and then, for some reason, I like the dark roasted coffee." She smiled as she picked up her own coffee and took a sip of the warmth. "I never had the hazelnut. I will have to try that sometime," as Avery took his coffee that had just finished, blew on it, and took a sip. He started to walk out. "Ms. Malatetsa, can I get Christy a cup of coffee when she shows up to work on the program with me? I will pay you." Darlene was pleased that he even had the nerve to ask this, and there was the occasional eye contact before he would look away. "Avery, you don't need to pay me, and yes, please help yourself in getting a coffee for Christy. I don't mind since she is up here working with us. I mean… with you, sorry for the slip-on that." Darlene quickly reminded herself that Avery doesn't work for her, as she corrected herself. Avery gave her a warm smile as he left. "Thank you." It almost sounded like he was excited to get something for Christy. Darlene chuckled at this little boy's excitement over something so simple. She stroked her hair. I wonder what Christy knows and how that poor man is falling for her. No one would be that excited to get someone coffee. Avery tugged on the back of his shirt as he walked out, letting Darlene know he was still conscious about his diaper possibly peeking out, but maybe he wasn't concerned in her office, and when he walked out, he may feel more self-aware of it being exposed. Darlene told herself she was reading too much into it, but the conversation was a definite real improvement. Darlene turned around and started back on her department email. If one day had this kind of effect, what would Avery be like by Monday? It wasn't long before Christy showed up at Avery's desk. He smiled and stood up to greet her. "Hey, before we get started, would you like me to get you a cup of coffee?" Christy was taken aback by this behavior. He seemed chipper, and his eyes almost looked puppy dog-like... She had a hard time not laughing at him. She didn't want to hurt his feelings. "Uh, ok. I would love a cup of coffee; that is so sweet of you." Christy wanted to smack herself for the last part by saying it was sweet of you. Stop talking to him like he was a kid, and she had to tell herself he was only four years younger than her. Avery quickly walked away, tugging again at the back of his shirt. Christy watched, thinking to herself, "he just needs to wear a size larger shirt and tuck it in, and he wouldn't look so silly walking around everywhere pulling on the back of his shirt." She giggled to herself. She wonders if he even knew he was doing it now that he has been doing it for almost a week. She thought about telling him but then didn't want to embarrass him. He seemed so fragile, and he was doing so well this week away from John and his team. Christy sat down and started to boot up her computer and take out her notes. She had the awful thought that Avery may be taking a liking to her. He obviously hasn't had many girlfriends, if any, and she hasn't been interested in a relationship with him or anyone else since she got out of a relationship just a few months ago. The last thing she needed was someone asking her on a date. She pushed that thought down, telling herself that she was being paranoid. besides, the way he was acting was silly and cute, and she couldn't help but giggle and smile at that. When Avery stepped back into Darlene's office, he had a bright smile. He didn't talk to Darlene because Darlene had her headset on and was talking in between conversations on the headset. Avery pointed at the spare coffee up as if to say. "Can I borrow this for Christy?" He said quietly. Darlene smiled back and hit the mute on her headset. "Yes, Avery, you can have that. Did you ask what she wanted?" Avery blushed as he realized he had no idea what Christy wanted. Avery almost dashed out of Darlene's office, which made Darlene giggle inside. She had just unmuted her headset when she heard Avery yell out. "Christy! What kind of coffee would you like? And what type of cream?" Darlene almost blushed for Christy as he was shouting like a child. Darlene muted her headset quickly as she knew the people on the phone could hear that. "Just go back and talk to her. You can't yell at her across the office," Darlene said in an authoritative tone. Avery blushed as he realized he had done something that wasn't appropriate. "I… I… I’m sorry." He looked back at Darlene. "I am sorry. I'm so sorry," as he saw Darlene wave him away from the office like a little child. Avery didn't care as he tugged the back of his shirt and started to walk quickly, he suddenly remembered the diaper he was wearing, and it was possibly crinkling loudly. He forced himself to slow his walk back to Christy. His yelling across the office caught several employees' attention as they watched him go from a quick walk to a slow walk. Christy wanted to hide under the laptop when Avery screamed out at her. She, too, was blushing for different reasons. He came up to his desk where she was sitting. "I am sorry. I didn't mean to yell that out. I don't know why I did…" "It is ok. But what kind of coffee does Darlene have." Christy asked. "Ah.. ah." Avery closed his eyes, trying to remember. "Dark roast, hazelnut, a morning brew, espresso roast, blended, original roasted, and decaf," he paused, “And she had regular creamer, hazelnut creamer, mocha creamer, and French vanilla creamer." Christy was taken aback by how fast he went through all this. She paused for a second and thought and then decided. I will take the morning brew with French vanilla creamer... not too much, please." "Great, let me get it for you. I will be right back." Avery turned around and walked back to Darlene's office, trying not to run back to the office. Darlene was still on the office phone when she nodded, acknowledging his presence. Avery did quick work and grabbed a morning brew K-cup and one small cup of French vanilla creamer. He opened the Keurig and noticed the K-cup that he had used was still in there as he pulled it out and threw it away. He put the new K-cup in the Keurig, closed it, placed the coffee cup underneath, and pressed start. He watched Darlene talking on the phone with such a commanding voice to whomever she was talking to. He could tell she would be a hard person to say "no" to. The coffee finally finished as Avery grabbed the hot coffee and slowly walked back to his desk, making sure not to spill any. He carefully placed the coffee down by her and handed her the French vanilla creamer. "I thought you might want to pour what you wanted." He smiled and sat down, feeling the diaper underneath him as he sat and feeling self-conscious about it. He reminded himself. If he makes it next week without having any major accidents, he will go back to pull-ups and feel much better. Christy wondered what got into Avery. He was being so unusually chipper. He usually would want to get straight to work, but today, he seemed like he wanted something else. She found his behavior cute but unsettling. She didn't want to lead him on accidentally. This could be Avery’s awkward way of flirting, and she didn’t want him to get the wrong idea. "OK, shall we get started? I have integrated most of your calculations." Christy paused as she pointed to the screen. “I made sure all the old code was out and then recompiled it with some simple formulas to make sure I didn't miss anything. It ran perfectly." Christy paused as she took a sip of her coffee. Avery was leaning over to look at her laptop screen. He could smell Christy's perfume or body lotion. She smelled rather nice, which made Avery a little nervous because he tried to remember if he had put underarm deodorant on or not. He couldn't remember. He was absent-minded, and it wasn't the first time he would have forgotten to do this. He wanted to smell his armpits so badly but refrained from doing it and instead enjoyed Christy's scent. "Then I started to add back all your calculations with the additional logic you gave me back yesterday. It was taken away because I found some programming logic problems but fixed them. It now compiles and runs without error." "Wow, that is awesome." Avery looked excited. "So can we give it some data to see what the final calculations are and if it is the same values I would get?" "Yes, I think so. If you can create a table with the input in a CSV format like this," Christy opened up an example file. Avery was excited to see his calculations and her programming would yield the same results. Avery started working on initial conditions to give the program something from the real world. He then did his calculations. After about two hours of sitting side by side with Christy, Avery downloaded his CSV file and handed it to Christy on a thumb drive. "Here, I think this should work." Christy took the thumb drive. "Great, I will load it up after lunch." She turned to face him. "Guess what I brought us for lunch?" She said as Avery smiled. "You don't need to bring me lunch every day." Christy looked back at Avery with a stern look. "Did you bring you lunch?" Avery was silent. "That’s what I thought, and we are not going to solve these world problems on an empty stomach every day." Christy leaned down to grab her insulated lunch bag. She took out two cloth napkins that looked well used and folded one out in front of everyone and one out in front of her. "Today's lunch surprise is... Toasted Ham and Cheese with a side of pickles if you want. And a mixed fruit cup." She places each item on Avery's napkin. Avery noticed that his sandwich was cut in half while Christy's was not. He had to admit, though, it was nice to have lunch and lunch with someone he was comfortable with. He knew he wasn't comfortable with many people. As they ate lunch, Christi started to chat about the program before suddenly ceasing. "You know, we really don't banter beyond work. Why not let me know what you enjoy doing outside of cracking complex math queries that no one else seems to solve?" she asked hesitantly. Avery almost coughed hard on his last mouthful of ham and cheese sandwich as Christy observed, feeling like she had stepped out of line. "There must be something! Do you like cooking meals? Exercising? Movie nights?" She said cheerfully. Avery stared at Christi's inquisitive face and paused for a moment. Her brown eyes sparkled with curiosity. Slightly ashamed, he stared at his food and took another bite from his ham and cheese sandwich. "Well...I really don't do much other than work and school." Avery mumbled slowly. "There must be something!" She said cheerfully. Avery silently swallowed the last piece of cheese before replying to her: "Walking? I used to love walking in the park when I was younger; I could take hours meandering through the paths around the river, examining bees hovering above blossom clusters or watching squirrels busily rustling for their winter stock of acorns in the oak trees." Avery thought for a second. "I do like movies, but I wait for them to come out on Netflix or HBO Max or something like that. Sometimes, I buy the digital copy if I can't find it anywhere." That was at least something for Christy, so we decided to go further into the conversation. "I like movies as well. What kind of movies do you like? I like mystery, suspense, comedy, and action movies. To be honest, I like going to the movie theater. I love the big screen and surround sound. It is so much better than what I can get at home." Avery ate the last mouthful of his sandwich and took a sip of his soda to wash it down. "Well, I like fantasy, sci-fi, animation, and action movies," he said. Avery did not mention that he also liked children's movies because they were fun to watch. "Well, it seems we have action movies in common, at least." He seemed eager about this because he blurted out, "We should go see an action movie together." Christy nearly choked on her water when she heard that. She had not expected him to be so forward and suggest something that sounded a lot like a date. His voice was high-pitched again as if he was excited about being able to spend more time with her. It made her feel touched and guilty for a moment because she wanted to be with him, too, but she quickly recovered. She stalled by saying, "Well, maybe if we can find the right movie and some friends to come along. Movies are always fun in a group." She hoped that the answer was neutral enough so he would not get upset or offended. Christy steered the conversation back to their work as best she could, considering how awkward it felt now. Avery seemed eager to talk about going to an action movie, but eventually, he got back on track. They discussed the technical aspects of programming and making sure that cancer cells were thicker than normal cells. Once they had finished discussing their progress, Christy took a deep breath and told him she would work on the rest so they could submit it in time for their deadline. She thanked him for his help while making sure to give him credit for his ideas in case anyone else wanted to use them in future projects. Avery smiled warmly at her, grateful for her hard work and understanding. Still, he couldn't help but feel disappointed that she hadn't taken his suggestion of seeing an action movie together. He thanked her again before getting up from his chair and giving her one last nod before heading out of the room. Christy closed her laptop and put it in her work bag. "Well, with these changes, we should be able to fully execute the program now and test it out at the lab. I will talk with Bryan about the next steps. I am sure he is eager to move onto the next phase." Christy paused. "I know I don’t speak for Bryan, but we couldn't have resolved these issues without you. You should feel proud about that", feeling slightly regretful for not taking him up on his invitation. She had enjoyed their conversations and was grateful for his help on the project, but she couldn't help but feel like something was missing.

I love Clifford the big red dog

I still play and buy legos. I even have some legos kits displayed in my office at work. Granted they tend to be the more expensive ones. I buy a kit and slowly put them together at work. I also have a bucket legos I still play with. I have a family with a 12 and 15 years legos is one way to be a kid out in the open.

I know a lot of you don't like Darlene right now that is understandable. You will find out more later but she is a control freak and hates not being in control of situations and does irrational things when she isn't. This is her character flaw for good or bad. Enjoy the next chapter! Chapter 16 - Hypnosis is a woman's best friend As she held the USB stick her sister had given her, Darlene hurried home, eager to begin her plan. She hoped she could still get a head start before the weekend. In the background, her sister Laurisa could be heard cautioning her to take it slow and give him time to process it all. Darlene couldn't help but feel annoyed and rolled her eyes, questioning the difference between starting tonight or tomorrow. She believed an extra day would only be beneficial. She was very eager to get started and to see the results. Besides, in Darlene's mind, she needed Avery to leave his work iPhone near his dresser. This was crucial as she intended to record Avery's sleeping patterns for the hypnosis program to work effectively. Even though she had no control over the situation and the odds were stacked against her, Darlene remained determined to try the program and find out if it would positively affect Avery's attitude towards her and open up to her. Darlene reminded herself that once she had installed the program, she could only check if it had executed the hypnosis based on Avery's sleeping patterns. This would indicate if he had his corporate iPhone nearby while sleeping and provide some hope for determining if it was functioning correctly. Upon arriving home, Darlene immediately removed her high heels and left her bags in the entryway. She then hurried upstairs to her master bedroom, unbuttoning her blouse and revealing her lacy white maternity bra. Once in her bedroom, she picked out a comfortable light blue silk nightwear set consisting of a V-neck tank top and matching shorts, accentuating her curves. Darlene quickly pulled on the nighttime set, carefully leaving her maternity bra on to avoid any potential leaking. She then hurried down to her home office, the fabric of her lingerie caressing her curves. She always felt so luxurious, smooth, and relaxed on her skin. Being out of her office clothes for the night felt so much better. Darlene made her way back to the entryway. She retrieved her laptop from her work bag and headed towards her home office. The office was a spacious and well-lit room with large windows that allowed plenty of natural light to filter in. The far wall was lined with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, which separated her personal belongings from her work items. A sturdy, solid oak desk with a matching file cabinet occupied one corner of the room. At the same time, a laser printer/scanner sat just beneath it. On top of the desk was a docking station for her laptop, which was connected to two large 25-inch computer screens. Darlene approached her desk with a sense of anticipation, eager to settle into the luxurious embrace of her Italian leather desk chair. As she sank into the seat, a wave of comfort washed over her, prompting a contented sigh to escape her lips. With practiced ease, she activated the docking station, watching with satisfaction as her laptop came to life with a gentle hum and a series of blinking lights. The familiar sound of the device booting up filled the room's silence. As she waited, she looked over to her left side, where there was a picture of her sisters and herself, shoulder to shoulder, perched on the stone wall outside the Gershwin Theatre in New York City. They wore sunglasses and tourist hats and leaned toward one another. Their smiles were bright white against their tanned faces. The Gershwin Theatre was an enormous building, all steel and shrouded glass. Back home, she and her sisters had watched Wicked religiously every year in December, and they finally got the chance to watch it on Broadway. Every time she saw this picture, it would make her smile and remind her how lucky she had such a great bond with her sisters. They weren’t just siblings but also best friends and confidantes. Following the start-up of her computer, Darlene efficiently logged into her company's network and proceeded to establish a highly secure VPN before initiating the installation process for the application. First, Darlene had to locate Avery's corporate phone. She quickly scrolled through the list of IP addresses, her heart racing with anticipation as she hoped to locate Avery's device. Miracle of all miracles, it was there, online and fully charged. She hesitated for a moment, feeling a sense of guilt that what she was about to do would be illegal if discovered. Making a silent prayer, she took a deep breath and, with absolute precision, entered the IP address into her laptop, granting herself remote access. She looked over her shoulders almost expecting someone to be watching, her paranoia was unfounded, of course. Without further delay, Darlene began the process of installing the hypnosis app onto Avery's corporate device without him knowing it. She knew that ethically what she was doing was wrong but she was convinced that this would be better in the long run for all involved. Every second seemed to last an eternity as Darlene nervously watched a progress bar slowly inch closer to completion on her screen. When the installation was finally complete, Darlene let out a sigh of relief. She confirmed the set of the hypnosis app had been successful - now all that remained was to configure it to launch between 12 am and 4 am and program it to collect Avery's breathing patterns while he slept. When his breathing would match that of a REM sleep pattern, it would begin the hypnosis. She smiled triumphantly - her plan had reached its first milestone. It was now up to Lady Luck if his corporate phone would be sitting by his bed tonight. As Darlene switched off the light and prepared to leave her home office, a sense of contentment washed over her. However, she still had one more task to complete before calling it a night. It was crucial for her to relieve the pressure in her full mammary glands and ensure that the hard-earned milk she had been pumping for over six months did not go to waste due to a lack of regular pumping. This was a constant source of worry for Darlene, as she was committed to donating her milk and wanted to ensure that it remained of the highest quality. She returned to the entryway where she left her oversized satchel from work, which contained the breast pump, before heading into the kitchen. Once in the kitchen, she removed a lunch bag with ice packs containing four milk bottles labeled MSM- D 06/04. She vacuum-sealed each bottle and placed them in the freezer to distribute later in the week. She opened a cupboard, grabbed a couple of empty bottles, and headed to the sofa. She then clicked on the TV to catch a glimpse of an episode of Game of Thrones, her eyes twinkling with anticipation. She was now in the 6th episode of the first season and was very much hooked on the show. She remembered what happened in the 5th episode. One of the most gruesome parts Darlene remembered was when Gregor beheaded his own horse and then attacked Ser Loras. Luckily, Sandor Clegane stepped in to defend Loras and stop his brother from killing him. Darlene shivered at the thought of that part as she sat on her sofa with the breast pumps to her side. She leaned back and pressed play on the remote. As the Game of Thrones started with the theme song and intro, Darlene began to discard her silky blue tank top and undoing the tight clasp of her maternity bra, two plump full breasts were revealed, begging to be set free from their restrictive confinement. Darlene gasped in relief. "ah, that feels better." Her nipples were puckered and sensitive, seeming to swell even further with each tantalizing caress. Her full breasts were firm yet invitingly soft to the touch. Since she started this, her nipples and breasts were extra sensitive to the touch. It was a pleasant but odd sensation for her to experience alone. She leaned over to remove her breast pump from her overstuffed satchel and plugged it into the wall by the sofa she was sitting on. Then she grabbed two bottles she had placed on the coffee table; Darlene reverently cradled them against her ample and inviting breast as she relaxed on the couch. She grabbed two suction cups and attached the bottles to each one. She slowly pressed the suction cups to her breast, covering her swollen nipples. Darlene reached over and turned on the pump, which released a gentle hum as it worked its magic and began to ease her discomfort. With each pass of the device, more of that warm breast milk flowed from her body into a container attached to the suction cup on each breast. Darlene leaned back into the sofa as the pump did its work. She tried to ease into the television's soft glow, which enveloped her in its warmth, but her mind wandered tonight. Tonight, she knew the bottles of breast milk collected from her breast would not be delivered to their intended recipients due to her night out with her sisters and alcohol consumption. She was careful about these things and limited them because the stakes for her were so high: If she didn't keep up with her deliveries, the mothers and infants that relied on her might go hungry, and then her breast milk would dry up. She told herself she was doing this for mothers who could not produce milk for one reason or another. This gave her a strange sense of purpose and reasoning for what happened to her and her child. Still, Darlene didn't know how long she would continue to pump milk for the Mother's Special Milk organization. Laurisa says she is still doing this to latch on for a reason: her baby died during birth, and she is trying to make something good out of something terrible and avoid the pain. The suggestion being that this whole thing was a form of denial. Darlene understood her sister’s point but disagreed. The loss was still very fresh but she resented her act of charity being seen as having hidden reasons. Watching TV didn't help to get her mind off her failed delivery tonight. She still remembered going to the hospital excited to have a baby girl. She was excited because she had spent the last two months preparing for arrival, decorating the room, and picking out the perfect baby furniture. Soft tears rolled down her face. She was in labor for a long time before something terribly went wrong. Tonight, she thought about what it would be like to have cradled her little baby girl while she breastfed her. It was supposed to be a time of bonding. She was robbed of this as she wiped the tears from her face and felt the breast pump suction pull on her nipple and take the milk from her. Her breast felt relieved from the pressure of the built-up milk. The physical relief did little for her emotional anguish though. It felt hollow. There should be a hungry mouth attached to her nipple, not a cold machine. Finally finished, she turned the pump off, got up, dumped the two milk bottles down the drain, cleaned out her breast pump, and put it on the kitchen counter to dry and be used tomorrow morning before transporting it back to work. Darlene never finished the sixth episode of Game of Thrones and only remembered a little this time as her mind was elsewhere. She told herself she must start over this weekend and catch up. As Darlene went to bed. She wondered if Avery was asleep and if there might be some results tomorrow, even though her sister told her not to test it until Monday. Darlene could hear Laurisa's lecture if she knew her thoughts. --------------------------------------------------- It was 9 pm and dark outside; Avery was playing on his PlayStation in just his light red boxers and no shirt on. He made it past a couple more levels but was now getting frustrated playing Sack-Boy. Avery wanted to complete this one level but kept dying over and over. Finally, after several more tries, he gave up for the night; he put the controller down. He had taken his nightly medication a couple of hours ago. Tired, Avery yawned as he grabbed both his personal and corporate iPhones. He then headed for bed and set the alarm for 6 a.m. on one phone and 6:15 a.m. on the other phone, clueless that anything had changed on his corporate phone. Both iPhones were sitting on wireless charges on his nightstand next to him. Just as he finished brushing his teeth, his sleeping medication kicked in, and he felt his eyes heavy. He looked at the stack of diapers on his dresser, which reminded him of his failure to control himself. He really needs to find a place for them, somewhere out of sight and out of mind. In fact, Avery thought he should try going back to pull-ups since John hasn't been around and he hasn't had any significant accidents. He decided to give it another week of wearing the diapers even though they made him feel infantile, and then he would step back into the pull-ups. He made a giant yawn and stretched as he slid himself into his covers only in his boxer briefs. The soft sheets pressed against his skin. He felt the cool air on his bare chest as he pulled the covers back. The air conditioner vent blew slightly on the back of his neck, giving him a slight chill. He leaned over, grabbed his large red stuffed dog, hugged it tightly, and passed out quickly, falling asleep on his side facing the nightstand.

I hope you enjoy the next chapter. There will be some new characters introduced. I won't use them alot but they are part of the bigger picture in the whole story. Chapter 15 - Sisterly Bond The next day went smoothly. Bryan arrived early to ensure that Avery was taken care of before the day got started. As expected, Avery was already progressing well and thankful for Christy's support. Bryan stayed by Avery's desk, learning more about the calculations. Shortly after Bryan, Christy appeared with a bag of sandwiches for lunch and a few drinks. Knowing that Avery was not eating much, she had made an extra-large sandwich for him, leaving him no choice but to accept it. Bryan and Christy worked with Avery most of the morning, and he seemed in good spirits. The day seemed to be going without a hitch—until Darlene arrived and Bryan noticed the change in Avery's demeanor. Avery immediately gave her the cold shoulder, and despite Darlene's attempts to engage him in conversation, he was uncharacteristically distant. Bryan made a mental note to talk to her about this later to see if anything happened with him. It was nearing the end of the day, and Avery had yet to share a single word with Darlene. As they all began to leave the office, Avery made his way out without a goodbye or so much as a nod of acknowledgment in Darlene's direction. Darlene checked the clock and sighed when she saw it was nearing six in the evening. Wednesday evenings were a sacred tradition for her, Larisa, and Ashley - they would meet at the Aegean Palette for dinner and drinks. She quickly typed out a message to them apologizing for her tardiness before hurrying on her way. When Darlene finally arrived at the restaurant, it looked like someone had carefully hidden it in its secluded location. The narrow lane where the Aegean Palette was tucked away behind was lined with tall evergreen trees, shielding it from any passersby who may have been searching for it. Darlene inhaled deeply and stretched her fingers, preparing to enter the restaurant. She released the day's worries as she stepped inside, ready to savor the evening as she usually did. She walked into the familiar restaurant. It looked like it was lifted from the Greek countryside and placed down next to the river. Receding ceilings, brick walls, and geranium pots placed here and there keep the outside world at bay. As she entered, waiting to be escorted to her seat, her nose immediately gathered the familiar scents of garlic and olive blended together with the aromas of a freshly baked bulgur dish. She loved the smell of the place. Between the atmosphere and smell, she immediately felt the day lift and could relax and forget about the day. “Hi there, Ms. Matatesa; your lovely sisters are waiting in their back corner. Your usual spot is ready with wine. May I escort you there?” Dimitris, the waiter, smiled at Darlene. Dimitris was tall and gangly but with a warm personality that emanated from his twinkling eyes and infectious smile. Dimitris' hair was a dark mix of chocolate brown and black with some gray, wavy, and well-groomed. A few tufts stuck up in different places; it looked as if he had run his hands through it several times during the day to fix it--or maybe even during the night when he couldn't sleep. His eyes were sultry smoky gray with streaks of blue peeking. They look like they could tell stories if you asked them the right questions. A black waistcoat sat on his shoulders loosely, and his crisp white shirt showed off his strong chest muscles. “Dimitris, I tell you every time. You don’t have to call me that. You know my first name.” Darlene jabbed his shoulder as he escorted her to her table. Dimitris leaned in and quietly said. “Darlene, you know I am not allowed to use personal names here. Just as I have to escort you every time you’re here, it is all about the atmosphere the boss wants to create. Even if you and your sisters are the most routine.. and my favorite customers!” Dimitris jabbed back at Darleen. Darleen lightly laughed. Dimitris' personality helped make the place what it was for her and her sisters. As Dimitris escorted Darlene through the restaurants, she passed table after table covered in white linen cloths so clean they seemed to shine in the glow of the hanging lamps. Each table was preset with two wine glasses and a small bowl of olives or other snacks on it. Soft strings played in the background; every once in a while, the low sound of someone else's laughter would reach her. The feeling was intoxicating; it filled your whole body, telling her this was the place to relax for good conversation. As she approached, she saw the two familiar smiles and could hear her two sisters already giggling in conversation with a wine glass in each hand. “She’s here!” They both said in unison. Dimitris pulled the chair out unfolded a napkin and fluffed and placed it on her lap. Darlene never could get used to someone doing that, but it was required here. He then helped her scoot the chair up. “I will come back in a few minutes to see if I can get you lovely girls started with an appetizer.” To her left was her older sister, Larisa Matatesa, a clinical psychologist. She carried in her features the classic signs of time and stress that come with years of working in a small clinic devoted to treating recovering addicts, alcoholics, and criminal rehabilitation. Her long dark brown hair was pulled tight into a neat ponytail, the ends brushing against her back. She had chosen to wear fashionable denim jeans that hugged her curves, paired with a soft pale pink blouse that she had buttoned up to the top. The sleeves had been neatly rolled up and secured with thin metal clips, revealing her delicate wrists as she held a glass of red wine. To her right sat her younger sister. Ashley Matatesa, was an alluring sight. She always had to be the center of attention to attract her clients since she worked as an escort. Her cascading flame-red hair tumbled down to her shoulders. The front of her hair was pulled back with braids, helping to expose those intense blue eyes. She wore a form-fitting light blue lace dress that hugged her full figure, emphasizing her voluptuous curves and ample bosom. The intricate lace detailing cascaded along her neckline, highlighting the deep cleavage as it dipped low. Her every move was accompanied by a subtle sway of the fabric, drawing attention to her womanly assets. Ashley sat slightly away from the table with her legs crossed, and her feet were a pair of strappy stiletto sandals that added an extra inch or two to her height, making her almost six feet if she were to stand. When Darlene had first heard her sister was an escort, she had been mortified but after speaking to Ashley and taking some time, she had learned to accept it. Ashley seemed very good at her job and had never had a bad experience so far, but Ashley’s “big sister” instincts made her naturally protective of her pretty younger sibling. “So I was just telling Ashley here about the new case I got from the country court that they want me to help with," Laurisa said as she sipped her wine. "I can't wait to hear!" Darlene chimed in as she took the first sip of her red wine. "But first, what is this wine you ordered? It has great aroma and taste." Ashley smiled with a grin. "I had it with one of my clients a couple of nights ago. I loved it so I took a picture of the bottle. It is Echion Cabernet Sauvignon Stag's Leap. I’m glad you love it also." Ashley then swirled her red wine around her glass and leaned into the table. “So, tell me about the employee and that adult site!” Ashley stopped Larisa from talking about her new assignment and piqued her interest in Darlene's story without giving all the details out. “You got a pervert in your company again? Does he or she need a psychologist to help?” Larisa smiled, always looking to drum up business even though she was full of clientele. “No. I don’t think he is a pervert, but something is definitely wrong with the young man, so yes, he probably does need a psychologist.” She took a deep breath to let out some frustration. “He’s really frustrating me with his constant attitude of ignoring me and pushing me off," Darlene mentioned as she shook her head, grabbed the glass of wine, and took a heavy sip. "Ah, I needed that." Ashley jokingly said, “But what I want to know is if he wears cute little diapers?” Ashley nudged Darlene in the arm. Darlene gave her a sharp look... “Shh. not so loud.” This piqued Larisa's intrigue. “Come on, Darlene, it's not like we've heard a good wild story from your work in ages. All we ever hear about is the cyber-attacks you've foiled, the divorces and marriages, the kids...” “Yes, you know I get all kinds of out-there requests at my job. Like today - someone wanted me to dress them up like a sexy lady and stay like that while I teased and taunted him.” Ashley said as she flicked her hair to the side with a smirk Laurisa paused for a moment. “Oh yeah? You have no idea what mine was like!” "It was wild, alright. Don't worry, I'll tell you eventually. But first, let Darlene spill hers..." Ashley interjected quickly. Right then, Dimitris approached. "Would you fine ladies like to place an order for an appetizer?" “I believe a Greek Meze Platter should do us well. What do you say, girls?” Ashley cooed as her bare leg brushed against Dimitris’ trousers. Laurisa and Ashley exchanged affirmative looks, “A Greek Meze it is!” Dimitris smiled endearingly into Ashley’s eyes. He had grown accustomed to her flirtatious games long ago. “Do you ever tire of this?” Darlene deadpanned at her sister. “Of course not, darling, but let’s get back on the subject at hand, shall we? This young man…what was it he did?” Laurisa attempted to bring the conversation back on track. “Hold up - we need a name first! What is he called?” Ashley grinned mischievously from over the top of her glass of wine and looked directly at Darlene. "Why do I have to give you a name? Both of you never give names because of your work," Darlene said defensively. "Exactly, I can’t because I will lose my license, and it is illegal. Well, Ashley can’t because she is on the gray line of what is legal.” Laurisa smirked. "But you have neither excuse." Ashley's words cut through Darlene like a knife, stirring up feelings she had tried to bury deep within herself. She knew her stories were boring and uneventful, but they were all she had left in this life. She lifted her glass of wine to her lips, taking a long sip to calm the rising anger within her. "I'll give you a name," she said through gritted teeth, "but don't expect anything exciting." As she spoke, Darlene couldn't help but think about Ashley's own life - so full of adventure and excitement. It was no wonder she found Darlene's tales dull by comparison. But at least Darlene didn't have to live with the constant fear and danger that Ashley seemed to thrive on. She took another sip of wine before continuing. "His name is Avery," she said finally, "and he has dark hair and blue eyes. Is that descriptive enough for you?" "For Laurisa's sake, let's start at the beginning. I got a call on Thursday last week to bring someone into my office. He would be working in my department because he supposedly got into it with John, the Senior engineer at work, who is well-known for his work and temper. He supposedly gave Avery, the new team member, such a hard time that he literally peed in his pants and on the floor in front of all his team members.” Darlene said. She felt in a rush to get all the details out before the waiter came back. “Oh, wow...so he's in your department now?” Ashley asked. "Yeah. He has some strange behaviors—acts like a scared child but apparently very intelligent. The only person who can seem to talk to him is this young engineer I recently learned about and was introduced to: Christy." Darlene said, “She's made it a habit to come over every morning, and she's not alone. Bryan, Julian, and more show up, and then he completely clams up. I can barely get him to answer me. It was almost like I had to teach him basic manners or something. Do you know what really gets my goat about Avery, though? He won't get rid of his blasted used K-cups! Can you believe that? Everyone else has the decency to throw them away - but no, not Avery.” Laurisa and Ashley smirked, trying not to laugh at that. “And that's how oblivious he is. He can’t even figure out the difference between creamer and breast milk!” Darlene finished. Laurisa choked on her wine as she exclaimed, "He WHAT?" while Ashley almost fell out of her chair with laughter. "Finally, something kinky from you! I think I like this Avery guy. Is he going to be your next gigolo? Or maybe you'll even take it a step further and breastfeed him?" Ashley teased. Darlene blushed. .”Shut it. He doesn’t even know he is drinking breast milk. I asked him why he doesn’t use some of the big-name brand creamers. He said something about all the sugar in them. Can you believe it? Then he had the nerve to ask me if this was really fresh milk that I got. Like, as if I'm going around milking cows every week! I told him yes—I couldn't bring myself to tell him otherwise.” Darlene was blushing a little. Ashley laughed more. “Yeah, he is getting as local as it can get. Fresh from the source.” As Ashley and Laurisa erupted into fits of laughter, Dimitris made his entrance with a tray full of Meze Platter. With an amused glint in his eye, he declared, "Looks like you ladies are having fun tonight!" Just as Darlene was about to answer diplomatically, Ashley chirped out proudly, "We were just talking about the beauty of boobs and breast milk." She then proceeded to lean over enticingly so that Dimitris got a generous view of her cleavage. "So what do you think," she teased, "Do men like breast milk?" Dimitris kept his cool and replied in a deep baritone voice, "Well, it’s natural, isn't it? But I think what you ladies need right now is another bottle of wine." Dimitris walked off, rolling his eyes at the ladies. As Ashley dried her tears of mirth, she questioned Darlene further. "So, is your coworker wearing diapers to work?" Laurisa stayed quiet and let Ashley take the lead as she listened intently with her psychologist hat on. "I wasn't sure until Monday morning before lunch. I saw him leaning over, looking for coffee, and noticed the plastic back of his diaper poking out of his trousers. So yes, he appears to be wearing diapers while working." Darlene said. If it had been affecting his work, it might be a case for human resources, but since no one was complaining, she hadn’t told anyone else. Darlene took a swig of her wine, and Dimitris returned with three new glasses and a bottle. He poured a small sample into Laurisa's glass, and she twirled it around, sniffed what little remained in the cup, and did a taste test. "It is perfect," she said, offering a smile to Dimitris. "Glad it meets your satisfaction," Dimitris replied. "Now, what can I get each of you for dinner?" he asked, eager to move away from the table before Ashley asked him any further questions regarding breast milk or something worse. Each of the ladies made their orders as Dimitris took down the order left. "So what are you going to do about it?" Laurisa asked after ordering her food. "I don't know yet. I have till the end of next week. I can either report him to HR, and they can write him up a warning or worse. Or I can do an internal report and classify this as a medical issue, of course, but out of precaution, I will block the website. The problem is he won't talk openly about anything with me let alone this. So I don't know how to report it." Darlene said. Darlene's voice dropped in volume, and her face contorted with deep concentration as she looked at Laurisa. "So, what do you think? Is there something medically wrong with this person?" "It's possible," Laurisa replied cautiously, "it could be physical or psychological, or both." "That's nice," Ashley snickered sarcastically, "but what I really need to know is, does this person get off on wearing diapers or just think they are a baby?" "What?!" Laurisa yelped incredulously. "There's such a thing?" "Yeah," Ashley snickered again, rolling her eyes in disbelief. "I always try to keep up with different sexual fetishes and behaviors my clients might have. But personally, I've never worked with anyone into that. I’m surprised you haven’t had anyone like that in your office, Laurisa. You DO give off big “Mommy” vibes! “Shush, you!” Laurisa retorted back as Ashley broke into fresh laughter. Darlene had to admit Ashley was pretty funny. What she said had a degree of truth to it as well. Laurisa did certainly have a bit of a domineering air to her. It was probably just the stature that she got naturally from her job, but Darlene could imagine her sister being a dominant partner for somebody. "Well, if you need me to, I guess I can look into it from a medical and psychological perspective," Laurisa sighed wearily. Laurisa drawled sarcastically as she leaned back in her chair. "But tell me more about this - if it isn't medically necessary." "Not much else to say," Ashley sighed again. "Some people like to act as though they are two years old or younger - dabbling in diapers and other items associated with babies and toddlers… Why do you want to take him on as your baby?" Ashley's laughter cut into the air like a blunted dagger, and Laurisa snapped back almost immediately. "Ashley! That was incredibly insensitive!" Laurisa cut in. The mood had almost immediately shifted. Ashley felt her face burn with shame as she realized what she'd said and quickly backpedaled. "I'm so sorry, Darlene. I didn't mean to bring up old wounds like that. I was only joking." Her eyes were wide with sincerity as she looked pleadingly at her friend. "It's alright," Darlene sighed heavily. "I know I need to move on from this, but it's hard." The room fell silent for a moment until Darlene finally spoke again. "So how do I force him to talk to me? People are already gossiping about the way he completely ignores my coworkers and me. I can't let it go on." "What have you tried so far?" Laurisa asked. "Not much besides small talk and inviting him to lunch every day - though when I pass by his desk, all he gives me is an emotionless 'ok'." With a huff, she crossed her arms stubbornly over her chest. Ashley raised an eyebrow. "And why not just borrow one of my riding crops or flogger and whip him into submission until he starts singing like a canary?!” The two stared at her before bursting into laughter. “Of course, I'm only joking! You guys are way too serious about this, and I hate serious talk. This is supposed to be a fun night!" "I have a strange idea, Darlene. We have a program at work that is able to identify the REM phase of an individual by analyzing their respiration rates from their cellular device. Once identified, we are then able to activate low-volume background music and enter into a hypnotic state. The keyword I use during sessions helps alleviate anxiety and encourages comfort in sharing vulnerable information. We could apply this application to your case," Laurisa suggested. "Will he be aware of the installation? It does not sound very… lawful." Darlene asked, worried about the implications. "The answer is no - he will not be cognizant of its presence. Secondly, it may be technically illegal as you do not possess any official documentation regarding his psychological treatment. However, it might prove useful in order for him to express himself with someone while you further evaluate why he visited the website." Laurisa said, “Of course, if any of this gets found out, I never knew anything about it. I could lose my license if someone heard me suggest such a thing!” Laurisa and Ashley watched as Darlene contemplated her decision as she took small sips of wine and trailed her fingertips along the glass's edge. "Let's say I decide to undertake this path. Could I install the app on his work phone without raising suspicion? Also, how long until it takes effect?" “Laurisa, I never thought I'd see the day when you would turn to the dark side!” Ashley joked. “No, I don’t want him to fall into a darker place. But if he opened up to someone and explained his situation better, it might help Darlene understand why he resorted to going on that website. She can then make an informed decision about how best to proceed.” Laurisa reasoned. As Ashley and Laurasia observed, Darlene seemed to be deep in thought. She took a few sips of wine, running her finger down the side of the glass with an absent gaze. "Let's say I do this. I can get the program installed on his work phone without him knowing. I have access to all his settings, so I could set it up to trigger automatically at night. What I need to know is how soon it will take effect?" Ashley was beyond shocked that Darlene was considering something like this, but before she could respond, Laurasia answered confidently. "Just a few days. If you can get it installed tonight, then I could go home and customize the hypnosis within the hour. However, I would wait until after the weekend and let the program run its course." As the conversation shifted back to Ashley’s client from earlier that day, Darlene's confusion took a more amused turn as she asked, “So what was it like when you were all up in his head? Degrading and feminizing him on their request for some sexy time? I mean, did it feel kinda naughty?” Ashley rolled her eyes before responding. “Like stealing candy from a baby! Yes, it was an unorthodox request—but no one was being harmed. This is an adult situation, and I practiced my professional ethics by making sure this consensual moment was safe and enjoyable.” Laurisa eagerly added her two cents. “Let’s face it: people have always been into kinky stuff since the dawn of mankind! All we can do now is learn how to engage in these activities safely—and with open communication between all parties involved. That's why I believe Ashley acted ethically by assisting her client without fear of judgment or stigma." Darlene nodded thoughtfully as she considered this information, then smirked before continuing. “Well, if it is consensual, then I suppose there isn't any harm done…I just have a hard time believing someone would actually enjoy something like that…but hey, they do say pleasure comes in many forms!” Grunting in agreement, Ashley wrapped up the discussion by saying she takes pride in being able to provide clients with experiences they won't ever forget — safety first! Laurisa then proceeded to tell Darlene about her current case, an individual who had struggled with drug addiction and anger issues for many years. Darlene was captivated by the gravity of the situation. She began questioning Laurisa about what she could do in order to help him get better since his condition was so severe. Laurisa explained that while there were conventional treatments available, like therapy and medication, she had also found hypnotherapy to be extremely beneficial in this particular case due to its ability to help an individual gain insight into their own thoughts and feelings. Darlene, intrigued by the idea of hypnosis, decided to ask Laurisa for more information. After finishing their dinner and thanking Dimitris for taking their plates away, Darlene finished off her last glass of wine before turning back to Laurisa. “So…I have heard a lot about hypnosis tonight, and I think I would like to go forward with the app you mentioned earlier. Is your offer still up for me to be able to get the customized hypnosis app tonight?” Laurisa nodded in response and smiled warmly at her friend. “Yes! Absolutely! It won’t take long, either, if you don’t mind me using my laptop here. We can discuss and customize the personal hypnosis within the hour before we leave.” Darlene was delighted with this prospect and eagerly agreed. She leaned back in her chair, listening intently as Laurisa explained what would happen during her personalized session, from relaxing music that would set the tone for deep relaxation to a guided meditation with visuals that she could move through at her own pace–all tailored specifically for Darlene’s unique needs. As Laurisa got deeper into her explanation, Darlene asked if there were any side effects or risks associated with hypnosis. “No need to worry!” Laurisa interjected reassuringly with a wave of her hand and a slight giggle. “Hypnosis is generally very safe when conducted correctly and by a certified professional such as myself." With that answered, Darlene felt fully prepared and ready for the customized session of hypnotic relaxation therapy she would be installing on Avery's cellphone. For the remainder of the evening, Laurisa used her laptop to begin the customization, asking Darlene a few questions about Avery.

I loved everyone's thoughts about Avery and Darlene interactions how Avery could perceive it. Like in real life we always don't perceive things the same with the same interactions with people. Please continue to enjoy the next installment. Chapter 14 - Frustration Builds The following day, Christy returned just after Avery had gotten his coffee from Darlene's office. She was busy typing on her computer at her desk and barely glanced up as he shuffled past. Avery knew he should engage in some kind of conversation to appease her, but he couldn't think of anything appropriate to say. She didn't even look up from her computer screen as he took a sip of his coffee and left the K-Cup in the Keurig. Avery was relieved to make it outside without too much fuss, but as he stepped out the door, he heard Darlene's strong voice behind him. "Avery, don't forget to take the empty K-Cup out and put it in the trash," she said sternly. "I told you before, you can't just leave it there. It's not considerate to the other people who use this office." Avery stopped in his tracks and turned around to face her. She was still typing, but now her eyes were pointed directly at him. He could tell she was trying to contain her frustration. "Yes, Ms. Matatesa, sorry," he said quietly. Then he turned around and opened the Keurig, removed the used K-cup, tossed it in the trash can, and quickly exited her office without looking back. He was embarrassed and felt a little guilty for not following the directions, but it wasn't like he was trying to be disrespectful. He had just forgotten at that moment. Still, he made a mental note to be more mindful of the K-cups. Avery walked slowly back to his desk with the cup of coffee, dreading what Christy might do if she found out about his diapers. He prayed Christy hadn't gone snooping in his backpack and stumbled across the extra diaper he had so carefully hidden away. His heart raced as he tried not to make any noise from the crinkling sound of his diaper underneath his pants. Christy already knew about the accident from the previous week and the pull-ups from his backpack. Even though she said it was okay, He could only imagine that it would be far more embarrassing if she figured out how he was now using diapers instead at his age and how infantile it made him feel thinking about this. He slowly sat on his chair, barely able to breathe as the humiliation weighed down on him. Christy seemed oblivious to Avery's trepidation; she immediately launched into her ideas about how she could update the program, completely oblivious to Avery's apprehension. "I spent all day yesterday looking over the code," Christy said confidently. "I'm certain I can extract the existing code and replace it with the new calculations you described so we can test it out." Avery was impressed by her enthusiasm and eagerness to learn as he listened carefully to her detailed explanation of her approach. Yesterday, Avery was teaching Christy, and today, the roles seem reversed. He asked pointed questions to clear up any confusion, and gradually, he was able to relax as the tension dissipated. He felt more comfortable in her presence and was able actually to enjoy the conversation as he did yesterday. After a good hour or so of discussion, they had worked out a plan of action for how Christy could implement the new algorithm into the software. "Thanks for your hard work," Avery said, feeling proud and still happy to have someone not demeaning him. "Let's check back in on Monday after you have some time to work on it over the weekend. I need to finish up how to resolve the quadratic equations so that we only get one answer." Christy nodded with a smile before turning back to her computer screen with renewed energy and focus. "Sounds great," she said before making notes on her computer - this time with purpose instead of confusion. Darlene's jaw tightened as Avery and Christy chatted away. She huffed and rolled her eyes - what a contrast! As for herself, she barely got a hello from Avery, but with Christy, it was like they had known each other forever. Darlene couldn't help but think sarcastically to herself: 'Oh, now I see how it is.' The ease of their conversation lit a fire of jealousy inside her. She didn't know why she was envious. She assumed it was because she had a close, respectable relationship with all her employees. She tried to remind herself that Avery wasn't her employee. She was just housing the young man. Christy asked cheerily, "Would it be fine if I stayed and ate lunch here at the desk with you?" Avery hesitated. He really needed the bathroom, but he didn't want to hurt Christy's feelings, so he tried to keep his discomfort from showing. Avery nodded slowly. "Sure," he said. Christy smiled and opened her lunchbox. "Here," she said, offering half of her peanut butter sandwich and cutting an apple in half to share with him. She spread out a napkin on the desk for them. "How's that?" Avery was a little embarrassed that Christy assumed he didn't bring lunch as he felt like a little kid being given his lunch because his mommy didn't pack him lunch. "Perfect, Thanks." He gave a half-ass smile. Darlene stepped into the lunchroom and was taken aback when she saw Christy and Avery in a deep discussion, sharing lunch. "How is it going?" she asked, somewhat hesitantly. Christy beamed up at her. "We’re trying to get Avery's calculations working so we can test them out," she said proudly, “I think we’re making really good progress.” Avery stayed silent, only offering a half-nod that seemed to Darlene more like aversion than agreement. She tried to act interested in their work, but as much as she probed and asked questions, Avery would not answer. Christy did her best to fill the awkward silence and offer her the respect that she wanted from Avery. Avery felt a burning surge in his bladder as he finished his lunch, dread sinking in the pit of his belly as Christy looked his way. He felt an uncomfortable, wet heat prickle his skin as he struggled to keep a panicked plea from escaping his lips. The need for the bathroom had steadily grown, but now it had seemingly jumped up to the point that Avery was struggling to keep his bladder sphincter clenched. He saw Christy looking at him oddly; it must’ve been very clear something was wrong. “I… I need to be alone now.” Avery stuttered. He was aware of how rude he was being, but Avery needed Christy to leave before he rushed off to the bathroom like a toddler. “Is everything OK?” Christy asked with a frown. She wasn’t going anywhere. “Uh-huh,” Avery grunted. It felt like there were red alarms blaring in his head. He needed to get to the little boy's room right away, “I’ll see you tomorrow.” “Alright…” Christy replied as she picked up her laptop. Avery felt bad. Christy was being so nice to him and helping him with his work, and he was being so rude. Maybe one day he could explain what was going on to her, but right now, he needed her to go away before he embarrassed himself. Christy didn’t understand the urgency as she felt like he was pushing her away. But she didn’t want to ruin the working relationship, so she agreed as she packed up her notes and computer and headed back to her desk a couple of levels below. Avery watched her go with his feet tapping the floor nervously. As soon as Christy was out of sight, he hurriedly grabbed his backpack and stormed out; he felt a warm rush of urine escape into the diaper as the warm liquid drenched around his sensitive skin. That was OK; a small dribble was nothing as long as he made it to the toilet, which was mostly dry. His steps quickened as the crinkles of the diaper made their presence known, and his body ached with desperation. He knew the few people in the office might hear his disposable underwear as he hurried by, but it was truly an emergency. He quickly made his way to the bathroom, praying for an empty stall waiting for him. When he arrived, Avery's heart sank as all the stalls were taken. Tears welled in his eyes as his bladder grew increasingly uncomfortable, threatening any moment to burst open like a dam. In a desperate attempt to seek solace, he stepped outside of the bathroom and waited on the edge of despair. He felt like a child doing the potty dance as he waited for someone to vacate the bathroom. Suddenly, someone opened one of the doors, providing Avery with a glimmer of hope. Without hesitation, he rushed forward, nearly pushing the startled person aside and barreling towards the open stall. The man yelled out. "What the hell! Are you that desperate?" Avery entered the stall, almost slamming the door and locking it. He quickly pushed down his diaper to his knees. The tapes stretched but held firm. He sat down on the seat for half a second before letting loose a long, hard stream of pee into the toilet in relief. All the while, he was mindful of what his neighbor might be thinking about why he'd chosen this stall over the other urinals. He heard the guy he had pushed mutter something under his breath as he left the room but was too relieved at making it to care. After he finished peeing, he sat down on the toilet and waited for everyone to leave the bathroom so he could change his diaper without anyone noticing or hearing. As soon as the room was empty, he quickly took off the wet diaper, pulled a clean diaper from his backpack, and placed it on the seat beside him. He grabbed handfuls of wet paper towels from the dispenser and wiped himself down when he leaned over. In this position, he quickly changed himself into a dry diaper, pulling the plastic-lined material between his legs and up over his bottom. Feeling secure again, he stood up and pulled his pants back up. He listened carefully and heard no one else around. Holding his backpack closed with one hand, he rushed to the trash can by the sink and disposed of the dirty diaper. Avery returned to his desk and continued to look for how to resolve the equation. He quickly got to work on resolving the cubic equation, which was difficult. He had to get this resolved to move to the next step in his calculations. Avery was very frustrated, but he didn't give up. He kept working on the problem, and eventually, he came up with a new method for solving cubic equations. This method was similar to Cardano's method. Avery realized his modified Cardano's mathematical method is a bit complicated, but it's not too difficult to understand. His basic idea was to transform the cubic equation into a quadratic equation and then solve the quadratic equation using the quadratic formula. As Avery realized this, he started to solve the formula, thinking how to do this non-graphically so it could be programmed into a computer. He made progress and nearly had it when Darlene came back after lunch and a meeting. She thought she would give the conversation a try as she stopped by his desk. "Are you making any good progress on your problem?" she asked him as all she got was silence. "Ah, not really," he responded quietly without looking up. "Well, if you would like to talk about it, I'm here," she responded. "I am good," Avery replied.. Frustrated, Darleen stormed back into her office and yanked open the Keurig. Another K-Cup! Again! How many times did she have to remind Avery not to use it without asking? She tossed the coffee into the trash can and slammed the lid shut, refusing even to consider bothering Avery for the day. Avery finished up his work and was ready to go home. He was feeling content with the progress he had made and was looking forward to playing a bit of PlayStation before going to bed. Avery packed up his things and headed out of the office. Avery paused in the hallway to take one last glance at Darleen's office. He saw her hunched over her desk, scribbling notes and scowling as she read through a stack of papers. He couldn't help but feel a bit of admiration for her drive and determination - even if it was intimidating.

Here is the next chapter. If there is ever something you don't understand let me know. I am not always sharing all the information because I want some of it to come out later in other chapters. But as always, I love reading the comments and hearing the feedback. Chapter 13 - Coffee Time Christy and Avery sat for almost two hours together, going over Avery's calculations that he had written down on the sheet of paper in front of them. Christy could follow most of it, but Avery’s math and science skills were far superior to hers. She was okay with this because she was one of the programmers of this project. Programming was her special ability. Although some of the equations went beyond her abilities, she still found them fascinating, as they seemed to come so naturally to Avery. His intelligence and proficiency in mathematics and science were awe-inspiring. At times, they would exchange glances as they discussed the equations and sequence of events necessary to progress the project. Christy found herself marveling at his mathematical acuity and at his interest in their shared project. Though the equations intimidated her, she reveled in the supportive environment that Avery had created. He gently explained each equation to her, always careful to ensure that she understood each step and never talking down to her like some of her other team members. It seemed like he would make a great teacher. Avery led Christy through each step of the calculations, but there was still one issue left unresolved – how to determine which of the two answers for two of the equations was correct. Avery had examined the equations multiple times and had determined that they were quadratic in nature, meaning that there could be more than one answer. Avery sighed as he looked at Christy, shaking his head. “We need to figure out which answer is right, but I have no idea how.” Christy furrowed her brow in thought and then said, “There must be a way. Maybe we can try testing different values until we find a consistent result? We could use the same equation with different inputs each time and see if it produces a consistent answer or not.” Avery nodded slowly as he considered her suggestion before smiling. “I have thought of that. But a program isn't going to be able to tell which is the right answer without some boundaries or guidance. I just need to play around with this for a while to figure out the best way to do this." By the end of the session, Christy was confident that Avery was on the right path and understood the basics of equations and their implications. Christy looked at the time on her watch. “I have no idea how to solve something like that, but I am sure you can figure it out.” Avery smiled at Christy. She was the first person to really sit down and take the time to listen to him, and that made him proud of what he was doing. He felt hope that he might still be respected. Christy stood up. “I need to get going. I have a meeting in a few minutes and need to prepare for it.” Avery stood up, trying not to let his face show his embarrassment as he remembered what he was wearing. He could feel the diaper crinkling and rubbing against his butt through his shirt, and he tried not to let Christy hear it. He tugged at the back of his shirt, hoping she wouldn't notice. Christy noticed something was wrong as Avery's facial expression changed, but she didn't say anything. She smiled at him and said, "I'm sure you'll figure out a way to solve this problem." She patted him on the shoulder, trying to make him feel better the same way one would do to a child if they scraped their knees. “I will come by and see you tomorrow if you’re up for it, okay? Maybe we can even have lunch together and talk about this more. What time should I come by?” Avery nodded, still a little embarrassed and also taken by the kind gesture of her hand on his shoulders. If she knew, she didn’t act like she cared. “I would like that. In the morning again.” Avery sat back down, feeling relieved that Christy didn't seem to know what was going on. He knew that if he wanted to pursue her in any meaningful way, then he would have to tell her about his medical condition eventually. For now, though, all he wanted to do was focus on getting these calculations correct so that their project could move forward. Avery tried to focus on the calculations. He couldn't help but feel conflicted about what just happened with him and Christy. On one hand, she had been so kind to him - which made no sense as it seemed too much for her to do out of obligation or pity. Yet, on the other hand, it felt like she actually cared for him in some way, making it impossible for Avery to accept that someone could really like him. He wanted to believe her kindness was genuine, but he simply couldn't bring himself to trust it. Still, he savored the moment they spent together these last two hours. Avery realized something as he started to look back over his calculations. He had gone almost the entire morning without coffee. He had his special Lego coffee cup back, so what better time to put it to work. Avery got up and made his way slowly over to the lunch room to try to avoid everyone. When he got there, he noticed there was no community coffee pot but did notice four Keurig coffee makers lined up. “That will work, but where are the K-cups?” Avery thought to himself. He looked around to make sure no one was nearby. He then opened the top counters to see if there were any, but there were none. He then bent down as he forgot for the first time that his diaper could be exposed and looked down at the bottom cabinets. There were cups, straws, and plastic silverware, but no K-cups. Darlene stepped around the corner and saw him bent over; she was just about to ask what he was looking for when she noticed his diaper. This confirmed part of the mystery that the diapers were for him but not why he wore them. She coughed and spoke up, "What are you looking for?" Avery snapped up like a frightened rabbit and pulled his shirt down, desperately hoping that she hadn't seen him as his face went bright red. "Ah, nothing," he stammered as he backed away with his coffee cup in hand. Darlene was frustrated at his evasive attitude. "Oh, come on, I'm not an idiot!" she said sharply. But Avery kept walking without even acknowledging her presence. "Stop! Stop this right now," Darlene barked in a voice so authoritative that it almost echoed through the entire office. Avery froze in place, and a small stream of urine trickled from between his legs and into his diaper. He slowly turned around and locked eyes with Darlene, who demanded once more, "Now tell me what you're looking for." His voice quavered as he replied, "I... I just wanted some coffee. I am sorry." His gaze remained fixed on the ground as he awaited her response. "Well then," Darlene said softly yet firmly. "Was that so bad?" “We are a little different here than the other departments. I put some money in a company debit card for each of my employees every month to buy K-cups or whatever they desire to drink instead of one coffee pot. I find that people’s tastes vary too much, and life is too short to argue over how everyone likes their coffee.” Darlene paused as she noticed he looked like a defeated little kid who wanted to get out of the lunch room as fast as possible. “Unfortunately, I can't give you a debit card without your direct supervision, but I can provide you with some of my K-cups,” Darlene said with her half-hearted smile slowly fading. “That's alright…I'll just get my own K-cups tomorrow,” Avery muttered as he started to turn away. “Stop," she commanded harshly. "Turn back around and face me." Again, Darlene was treating him like a wayward child, and it infuriated her that he had this aura of self-pity around him. Avery slowly rotated his body towards her, not daring to meet her gaze. “Look, when someone is trying to be kind enough to offer you something, you don't shoot them down. You say thank you. Thank you, Ms. Malatetsa.” Avery felt his heart racing as he was chastised by Ms. Malatetsa. He was sure everyone in the office was watching and judging, but he couldn't look up at her. His diaper felt warm and wet around his crotch, and he wished he could melt into the ground and disappear. He felt like a child caught by their mother with their hand in the cookie jar. "Is that so hard?" She said as she gestured for him to follow her into her office. "Come on now, let's get you some K-cups. You don't need to buy your own". Avery reluctantly followed her, feeling every eye turn towards him with judgmental disdain. Once inside the room, Darlene walked him over to a cabinet stocked with boxes of K-cups in an array of flavors from light to dark roast. Avery looked up in awe at the shelves of sugar packets and countless options of coffee. It seemed like too much for him to take in. She continued speaking, "Down there is my small office refrigerator filled with creamers: hazelnut, caramel, french vanilla. What do you say?". Avery finally looked up at her nervously and stammered out a quiet thank you before averting his gaze again. Darlene laughed softly and said, "You are very welcome. I'm sorry if I scared you back there, but you're free to come and use my K-cups whenever you need them; I'd be insulted if you went out and bought your own while you are here." Her eyes twinkled with amusement as she finished talking, trying to put him at ease. “Now, I have to go out for a business lunch today, so help yourself.” She smiled as she walked past him and out of the office. He glanced back, but she had already gone. Avery heaved a sigh of relief—she did scare him, after all. He investigated the cabinet until he settled on a medium roast K-cup. Going to the fridge, he scanned his surroundings for other people before bending over and checking out the available creams. All of them were flavored; he didn't care for sweetened coffee creamers or sugar but wanted some cream or milk. To his surprise, there were small bottles with MM's Milk printed on them and a date. Must be local milk, he thought to himself. Taking one out, he opened the top and poured in a bit of it into his cup. After putting it back and shutting the refrigerator door, Avery noticed that she had her own Keurig. Since she was nowhere to be found, he brewed his coffee there instead. The aroma wafting from the cup was comforting as he took a sip; it was sweeter than expected due to just using milk, but still good nonetheless. Avery walked to his desk with his cup of coffee in one hand and shuffled around the papers on top until he found a pen. He was about to start working when he felt the squish of his diaper between his legs remind him about what had happened earlier. His face flushed as he remembered how embarrassed he had been, and even more so now that he knew Darlene possibly had noticed too. He sighed; the day had gone from good to bad in just minutes. Avery looked down and felt the soaked diaper through his pants and groaned. He desperately wanted to change out of it, but he had only brought one spare diaper with him. Plus, he wasn't sure how to get out of the bathroom without being noticed. Feeling trapped, Avery had no choice but to wait until the place was empty during lunchtime. But time seemed to drag on endlessly as he tried to concentrate on reviewing his calculations, and he could still feel the wetness against his skin. Finally, Avery thought that most people were out for lunch or eating, giving him a slight glimmer of hope. He stood up, grabbed his lunch sack in an attempt to hide his diaper, and started walking down the rows of desks toward the restroom hallway located at the back of the room. Just as he reached it, however, Avery saw someone coming out of the ladies' room and heading straight for him. He did his best to avoid eye contact while secretly praying that she hadn't noticed the bulge from his diaper hidden beneath his lunch sack. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Avery made it into the men's restroom and let out a sigh of relief. When Avery entered the restroom, he was grateful that it was empty. He desperately wanted to change his diaper and prayed no one would come in while he did. His diaper wasn't super wet, so he could have gotten away with a pull-up, but the familiar softness of a disposable provided him comfort at this moment, knowing there was more room if something really bad happened like last time. Once in the stall, Avery triple-checked to make sure the stall door was locked. He lowered the toilet seat. He undid the four tapes to his diaper and quickly got out of it, feeling relieved when it didn’t leak before he had a chance to take it off. As he was about to place the used diaper into a small trash can, someone barged in, and Avery panicked. He quickly sat down on the toilet seat, pretending nothing was going on and he was just doing his business. He waited in silence with his pants down but sat in a wet diaper inside the stall. Looking up again, making sure it was locked, and it was. Once they left, Avery made a mental note not to throw his dirty diaper in the small trash can where people could easily find it. If word got out that there were used diapers in the trash, and he was the only new addition to the floor, it wouldn’t take long for people to put everything together. To avoid any further controversy in the office, he had to get rid of it somewhere else where nobody would notice. He stood up and set the diaper down on the toilet lid. He then sat down on the diaper, wrapped the diaper around his waist, and fastened it securely with two tapes on either side before swiftly making his way to a larger trash can. Against Avery’s better wishes, he decided to put the used diaper in his lunch sack till he could find a place to throw it away. He would shove the diaper in his drawer back at his office if he didn’t pass by anything on the way. Now, all that was left to do was return to his desk without anyone noticing anything suspicious about himself or his behavior until lunchtime ended. With that in mind, Avery slowly opened the door and returned to his desk without making any contact with anyone else in the office. He silently sat down and picked up where he had left off on his calculations before having been interrupted earlier. Before long, lunchtime was over, and everyone returned to their respective cubicles. Darlene came back from lunch in a good mood, talking to people as she passed by their cubicles. She stopped by Avery's cubicle. "Did you enjoy the coffee?" Avery was so deep in his equations that he jumped at the sound of her voice, bringing back memories of what had occurred before lunch. He quickly stammered out a response, "Yes, it was good. Th-thank you." Darlene pushed further, challenging him with her words. "What is the proper way to say thank you?" Avery gritted his teeth in frustration before spitting out, "Thanks, Ms. Malatetsa." Avery wondered if Darlene went out of her way to make everyone feel small or if that was reserved for him. Satisfied, Darlene smiled knowingly. "Keep practicing - it gets easier. Would you like a refill on your coffee?" "No, thank you, Ms. Malatetsa," he replied firmly. Despite knowing he was lying, she said nothing; instead, she used this moment to remind herself why she demanded respect from everyone in her office. Respect worked both ways for her, and it showed because they would come to her with both their work problems and personal struggles - respecting them back was nothing less than the least she could do. Darlene was aware that Avery didn't report to her directly, but it still irked her that someone in such close proximity wasn't treating her with respect or being open and honest. If he hadn't been so distant, perhaps none of this would have mattered to her. "Look, I have the feeling you're going to be here for a long time. Why don't we go out to lunch and find out a little bit about each other so you aren't so tense around me all the time?" Maybe the last part was a little much to say, but it was true. He was like a stiff brick around her. "No, thanks. I don't really eat lunch, and if I do, I eat alone." Avery said, looking at the computer screen and ignoring her. She parted her lips and was about to say something vaguely hostile when a voice spoke up inside of her head. It sounded remarkably similar to a voice that used to tell her not to bite her nails in public or pick her nose or stare at the crack of a boy's ass while he bent over looking for his wallet on the bus or his diaper as she did by accident earlier. She didn't say the words on her lips; she was a leader and needed to keep her cool. "Well, the offer stands if you ever change your mind, and you don’t need to purchase yourself K-cups. I will be upset and insulted," she said. Her voice was calm and sweet but also firm as she walked off. At least this will make him have to come into her office at least once a day. Maybe he'll grab a cup in the morning in front of me every day, so he has to acknowledge me at least and have small talk. Darlene strode into her office, determined to get her afternoon coffee. She grabbed a K-cup to put it in the machine but noticed there was already a used one in there. "He couldn't even throw it away," She let out a frustrated sigh. As she tossed away the contaminated pod, Darlene began to brew a fresh cup of coffee and sat down at her desk. Her gaze shifted to Avery through the window as he busied himself with paperwork and studies. Despite taking him in when no one else wanted to, he still seemed distant and ungrateful. Swirling her mug around, Darlene pondered what made him so special - or why he had such disdain for her. With frustration, she set aside her thoughts and returned to work, reminding herself dinner was tonight with her sisters.

I have another installment. I hope everyone enjoys it. I had hoped to be putting out about 3 chapters a week but I haven't. I apologize for that. I haven't felt the most motivated lately since I have left home for work. It feels lonely. I thought it would give me more time. Hopefully, I'll find a way around this. Chapter 12 - Settling Back In Bryan arrived back at his floor, the third level, and rushed to his office to grab the notes Avery had been pouring over all weekend. He made his way over to Christy's desk with a heavy heart. "Christy?" Bryan said hesitantly. Christy spun around and smiled. "Hey Bryan, what do you need?" "Well, Avery is back in the building, but I'd like it if you kept quiet about it for now. He's on the fifth floor working in IT." Bryan kept his voice low and looked over his shoulders to make sure there were no eavesdroppers. Christy gasped. "I can't believe he would come back after everything that happened. I thought we were done with him!" She couldn't help but feel a pang of joy at the news as well. "Will he finish up what he proposed before?" "Yes, he will," Bryan replied, pausing to collect his thoughts. "Since you are so familiar with the program architecture, I figured you could lend a hand integrating his calculations and assist in setting up tests of the program against real data. But first, I have another favor to ask of you." Christy looked up from her desk chair expectantly. "Sure thing, what is it?" "I would like you to go fetch Avery's things and take them up to him. With the incident that happened last week, I don't want him to feel any more embarrassed than he has to." Bryan watched Christy closely for a response. Christy forced a smile. "No problem, Bryan," she muttered as she got up from her desk and walked towards Avery's old one. “It’ll be nice to see him again.” "Thanks so much," Bryan said gratefully. "Of course," Christy replied with an edge of bitterness in her voice. Christy made her way to Avery's desk and found his backpack. She unplugged his Laptop. As she opened Avery's backpack and started to pack the laptop, she noticed something. There were two pull-ups. She looked around to ensure no one was looking before she pulled one out. The pull-ups were white, with a blue line going down the middle of each side of the pull-up. They were soft and thick. She had to admit to being surprised. She hadn’t expected this at all, but it did make the accident the previous week make a little more sense. She couldn’t help feeling sympathy for her co-worker. They were clearly made for discretion with thin and soft layers that would hide easily under pants. Despite that, they were still thick enough that there was no mistaking them for a more traditional form of underwear. They had a lot of padding to absorb accidents —they seemed so innocent that they belonged more in a nursery than in this office. She wondered. "Has he been wearing protection all this time? Does he have bladder control issues?" Christy put the pull-ups back into the backpack along with his other items. She grabbed his coffee mug that he would drink out of, along with a few other things she thought he might need. As Christy grabbed hold of Avery's backpack, the sound of John's enraged voice filled Bryan's office. "I can't believe you would bring that jerk here! That guy has no business messing with my project, and I will not allow it! As I have already said, the calculations are fine--it's the programming that needs work!" "John, you don't make the decisions around here. If I say Avery is allowed to go over your calculations, then that's how it's going to be. You'll just have to accept it," Bryan declared, his voice rising louder and more stern than usual. John responded with equal fury as he attempted to match Bryan in volume. John slammed his fist against the side of Bryan's office door, a loud bang echoing throughout the room. "This project wouldn't have existed if it weren't for me! I'm the one who figured it out when no one else could. I'm the one who got us this far. I won't stand by and let some child who can't control their bladder show me up - you've tried to fire me before, and every time, it fails because this company knows how indispensable I am! You know for sure that this project failed because you allowed some immature kid to meddle with something that was perfectly functional." Bryan jumped from his chair, bellowing back at John. "You do not tell me what to do! I am your boss, regardless. I make the decisions around here. If you took the time to pay attention to his work rather than ignoring it, you might learn something - even if it isn't perfect, there's something in there we can use to increase our calculations' efficiency. It's up to you if you want to be part of this or not - I don't care either way!" Byran jabbed his finger towards the door, not even having to speak as John knew he was being dismissed. Christy watched from afar as John spun around with a fiery rage in his eyes. “You fucking morons!” he bellowed, stalking out of Byran's office. Christy stayed rooted to her spot, paralyzed by the sheer vitriol that radiated from John’s glare. He knew she had been the one to betray him, showing Byran the calculations Avery had been working on. It was written all over her face - the unmistakable betrayal of a traitor. She felt the man’s obvious anger cowing her a little, and she had to look away. She had known John wouldn’t like being undermined, but she hadn’t expected quite as much fury. Fortunately, John stalked away rather than confront her. He may have been able to get out of being fired a few times, but there were limits to what management could excuse him for. Christy walked towards Bryan's office, her steps slow and soft. "You ok? John sure seems pissed." Bryan glanced up, his eyes afire with frustration. "Yeah, he is, and I don't know how to live with him or without him. I get paid to handle his crap." Christy could tell that he was under pressure, and she admired him for what he had to put up with. Christy smiled gently as she said, "I know and am glad that I stayed here. I wouldn't have made it this long if it wasn't for you." His face softened in response to her appreciation, and he replied, "Well, at least there's one sane person around here." "I'm going to take Avery's stuff up to him now—it's the fifth floor, right?" Christy asked. "Yeah, that's right. Thanks for doing this," Bryan said gratefully. "No problem," Christy laughed lightly as she left, "Wish me luck!" She walked slowly, her fists clenched tightly with each step until she nearly collided with Zak and Ethan. Their eyes bore through her like an iron rod as they spat out the word 'Narc.' She felt her jaw clench, and her lips harden in fury, but she kept marching forward, suppressing the urge to turn around and face them. But their harsh words kept coming, almost as if they were daring her to do something--' Is Avery your pissy britches boyfriend?' Her blood boiled, and rage rushed over her body until it was almost palpable in the air, yet still, she contained herself, taking Bryan's advice that there is a time and place for confrontation. Now is not the time. Christy was glad when the elevator door opened. She got in, and the doors closed. She leaned back in the elevator glad to be out of their way for a while. She jokingly thought to herself. Maybe I could get a desk on the 5th floor too. As the elevator opened on the 5th floor, Christy stepped out. There were a lot of rows of desks. She never knew the IT department was so big; she never really had a reason to come up to this floor after all. She stopped by the first desk. “Excuse me, do you know where Avery Sage is?” A slightly overweight woman who was about Christy’s age looked up. “Who? I don’t know who you are talking about.” the woman replied. “Ok, then, do you know where Darlene Malatesta’s office is?” Christy asked back. “Of course I do.” the woman stood up. “Just head down this about three rows down on the desk and make a left. That will lead you to her office. If her door is closed, it means she doesn’t want to be disturbed, so only knock if it’s important.” “Thank you, and I will make sure not to disturb her if the door is closed.” Christy gave a nod as she followed the woman's directions. She turned left after going past the first three rows of desks. As she walked down towards the end of the aisle, she could see an open office door. A little further away than Darlene’s door, Christy saw him. Avery was sitting at his desk, and he looked distracted as he tapped away at his phone screen. Christy was nervous about seeing Avery. She didn’t know what his response to her showing up would be like. She felt he was finally starting to talk to her before the incident, and she hadn’t heard from him since. Avery didn’t notice Christy walking up to him until he heard a familiar voice. “Hey, Avery, I’ve got your stuff here. I thought you would like them. I even got your Lego coffee cup.” Avery looked up. There wasn’t a smile; she could tell he was nervous and wasn’t sure if he wanted to be there. Avery just nodded. He wanted Christy just to drop the items off and leave. He felt so awkward sitting on the chair in a diaper. Christy placed his coffee cup down on the table and handed him the bag. She then saw the lunch sack. “You brought your lunch today?” She asked. She was shocked because it seemed like Avery never ate when at work. “I guess you can say that…” Avery said softly. Christy was curious about what he brought. “What goodies are in there?” She reached over to grab the lunch sack, but Avery quickly grabbed it away from her hands. “Nothing special,” he snapped back at her. Christy was taken aback by Avery's behavior. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you.” She took a deep breath and continued. “I put your computer, notes, notebook, and iPhone in your bag.” Christy looked at him as he seemed nervous, and his leg was bouncing up and down uncontrollably. “Well, I guess I'll go now. If you need anything, just look me up.” Christy was about to leave when she realized that there was more to this than she had expected. She felt unwanted, but could she really blame him for what happened? After all, it must have been so embarrassing for him. She steeled her resolve, and she grabbed a chair from an empty desk and wheeled it over to the desk where Avery was seated. “Avery, Bryan, and I were really impressed with your calculations." She said. "I was wondering if you could walk me through them so I can better understand them. Bryan also wants me to help you integrate your calculations into the program once they are ready.” Avery knew Christy wasn't going to leave until he agreed, so he slowly stood up and pulled his shirt down nervously as if trying to hide something. Christy noticed this gesture but didn't say anything. Suddenly, Avery paused, realizing that Christy must have seen the pull-ups in his backpack. Tears started welling up in his eyes as he became overwhelmed with embarrassment. Christy immediately caught on to what was going through Avery’s mind. She grabbed his hand with a gentle touch and looked him in the eye. “Avery, it’s ok. I saw what was in the backpack, and I don’t care. You’re smart and brave to be back here - I just want to help.” Avery felt a wave of emotion crash over him as he felt how tenderly Christy was holding his hand. It had been years since someone touched him this way. He wanted to hold onto her forever, but he withdrew his hand reluctantly, wiping away his tears with the back of his sleeve. He sat back down at the table, fumbling for words. He hesitantly met her gaze. She was beautiful and kind - so unlike the people downstairs that Avery usually encountered. He swallowed hard before speaking in a strained voice, “Thank you… I’m not good with people.” There was an awkward silence between them before Avery finally went back to his notes. Christy smiled warmly and tenderly as Avery got himself together again. “Ok, shall we get started I want to learn what you know.” Avery, eyes still watery, replied, “Sure, let's do it.” Avery pulled out the first sheet. “I started to realize the problem was in how a normal cell and a cancerous cell were being calculated differently. See here is how a normal cell is calculated in the program here and…” Darlene watched from her office as Avery and Christy talked; she couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of frustration. On one hand, she was glad to see that he had found someone trustworthy enough to confide in, but it made her question why he wouldn't even talk to her. She tried to push those thoughts aside, reminding herself that he wasn’t her employee and she shouldn’t be so concerned about what was going on between them. Yet, no matter how hard she tried, the nagging feeling stayed with her as she got up to close her door and log into a meeting.

Chapter 11 - First Day Back Avery awoke Monday feeling a deep sense of dread. He rolled over in his bed and hit the snooze button. Sunday, he set the alarm thirty minutes earlier than usual to get a diaper on. He didn’t want to do this, but he felt he had no other choice. The previous Saturday, when the box of diapers arrived, it came in a large brown cardboard box that did not indicate where it came from. Avery opened the box just to make sure it was what he ordered. The diapers were wrapped in a clear plastic seal when he pulled them out. He didn’t open the plastic seal because he felt defeated for even buying them. Instead, he hid them in his closet all weekend. He still felt a deep shame that it had come to this, and he could barely bring himself to look at them. Avery couldn’t ignore the diapers forever, though. He would need to put it on before work no matter how much he wanted to avoid it. No amount of procrastinating could delay the inevitable. He could only imagine how it would feel and look to wear one. How could he hide them from his co-workers? The alarm rang again as he hid under the covers, and the sunlight was just starting to slide through the bedroom window. Avery rolled out of bed in just his gray boxers. He stretched and decided to get coffee before attempting to put the diaper on—just another excuse to delay the inevitable. After his coffee brewed and he downed some Cheerios, he decided he could delay no longer if he didn’t want to miss the bus. He took a knife and slowly cut open the package. He was shocked. There was a slight smell of a delicate balance of soft powdery notes, florals, and subtle sparkling fresh green and citrus top notes. It was a familiar smell, but he wasn’t sure what it was. He pulled two diapers out. One to wear and one to put in his backpack. As he touched it, he could feel the plastic backing. It wasn’t as soft as the adult pull-ups he used. These were supposed to be the thinnest diapers he could get with medium absorbency from the website with a low so-called “crinkle factor.” He still can’t believe he knows about this now. The diaper in his hands still felt thick to him. He couldn’t imagine how thick the large absorbency and nighttime diapers would be. A shiver went down his spine, thinking of having to wear one of those at work. He opened the diaper up. It was huge. At least in his opinion. This was a medium-sized diaper, and he thought it must be too big for him. Avery twisted and moved the diaper around to see how much noise it might make. Sure enough, there was a noticeable crinkle sound to it. Hopefully, with his pants on, that would dampen the crinkle noise sufficiently that it couldn’t be heard. “Ok, do I put this on lying down on the bed, standing up, or sitting on the toilet?” Avery muttered to himself. He thought lying down would be the easiest, but that wouldn’t give him any practice changing his diaper while at work. If he had to do this, he would have to change in the stall. So Avery decided to try doing this on the toilet, sitting down as if he was in a bathroom stall at work. Avery walked into his bathroom. Since he lived alone, the toilet seat was always up, so he put the toilet seat down, folded the large diaper full out, and placed the diaper on the toilet seat. With a sigh, Avery dropped and kicked his boxers off towards the laundry basket and tried to center himself over the diaper while sitting. He then grabbed the back end on one side and pulled it up while also grabbing the front end of the same side with his other hand and bringing them tightly together. He then began to remove the two tapes on one side and tape the sides together. Avery repeated this with the other side. The diaper was fastened. The first thing Avery noticed was how much thicker this diaper was between his legs than a pull-up. When he stood up to look in the mirror, he was shocked at how much higher the front was. He turned around, and the back was much higher up than a pull-up. A pull-up was as high as his boxers for the most part. The diaper went as high as his lower back. “Oh shit, how am I going to hide this. Will people be able to see it through my shirt?” he asked himself as he quickly went to the dresser drawer and picked out a pair of tan khaki work pants. He slipped them on over the diaper. The pants were much tighter and wouldn’t require a belt at all with this diaper. He looked again in the mirror. The diaper was poking out in the front a little, but in the back, it was poking out a good bit. He walked around with each step he could feel the thickness of the diaper between his crotch. It felt so weird. The thickness forced his legs further apart like it was a small pillow. Avery did not like the feeling at all. For a few minutes, he stood there looking at himself in the mirror, wondering if he should risk the adult pull-up. Finally, he convinced himself this was still better than wetting his pants at work. He grabbed a maroon golf shirt and slipped it on. He turned around. Standing straight, he could see the diaper with his shirt untucked. Tucking his shirt in, he felt like you could see the outlines of the back of his diaper. Avery decided it was better to leave the shirt untucked. Avery then bent over. Slight bends seemed to keep the diaper hidden, but he could tell it was a close thing. A full bend down and touching his shoes exposed the back of the diaper. He made a mental note that he couldn’t bend down while standing to pick things up if he dropped something. He would have to get down on his knees and pick it up. Avery then walked around his apartment. He could barely hear the diaper crinkles between his legs as he walked. If he was intentionally listening, he could hear it. Avery prayed that no one would listen to him that close and he could get away with this. Finally, he convinced himself that he was ready to return to work with a diaper on for the first time. He grabbed his morning pills, which included his valium, and swallowed them down with his now-cold coffee. As he was about ready to leave, he grabbed his spare diaper and went to put it in his backpack as he froze. “Shit, I left my backpack at work when I ran out there. I left everything there.” All he had was his work iPhone with him. What could he do? He couldn’t just carry a diaper under his arms. He thought quickly and decided that maybe he could hide it in a lunch sack. He would figure out how to transfer it to his backpack later. He grabbed his lunch sack, which he never used, and stuffed the diaper in there. It was a tight fit. It took up all the space as he had to fold the already folder diaper over another time and squish the sides in to get in the lunch sack. With that, Avery headed out the door with the lunch sack, well aware he was wearing a diaper, and walked to the bus stop. His heart was racing as part of him wanted to run back into the apartment and say forget it. “But then what would I do? I have faced the world and learned to make a living. I want to make it on my own. I have to deal with this regardless of where I work until I get it under control.” When Avery got to the bus stop. All the bench space was taken, and several people were standing around. Avery normally would try to stand close to the bus stop to get in and get a good seat if he could. Today, he stood back. He felt exposed even though he knew no one could see his diaper or hear it with all the busy traffic noise. Time went slowly; what felt like thirty minutes was only five minutes when the bus arrived. As he waited for the bus, he kept fidgeting with the back of his shirt and pulling it down, afraid something would show. Getting on the bus, he saw all the seats were taken. Luckily, there was one seat right by the front of the bus which wasn’t fully taken. “Do you mind if I sit here?” He asked an older man with a briefcase on the empty seat. He looked up at him and just nodded and, grabbed his briefcase, and put it on his lap. Avery took the seat. He wasn’t sure if he was just not talkative or if the man was upset; he asked to sit there. Either way, it was probably good that they didn’t talk. When Avery sat down, he left some space so his legs and hip wouldn’t touch the man. He was afraid that he might feel the padding of the diaper. Everything he was doing was all about avoiding contact and being found out now. Again, the ride seemed to take longer than it actually did. The bus finally arrived at his stop. He now had half a mile to walk to the office building. As he walked by the park where he jumped in the fountain, his memories started coming back about how he ran away. He even walked by the alley where he had hid and cried. He didn’t really believe in one particular religion, but he was sending prayers silently that he would make it through the day. He finally got to the building and walked through the large automatic sliding doors as he entered. Julian and Bryan were already standing there by the entrance desk. Julian gave him a warm smile. Bryan wasn’t so coy about his arrival. “Hey, Avery, we are glad you came back,” He pretty much shouted across the complex. Avery took a deep breath and approached. Julian put his hand out to shake Julian's hand. Julian has a quieter demure about him. “Thanks for giving DNA Pharmacia another chance. We will do everything possible to make your return comfortable and enjoyable.” Avery returned the gesture by shaking Julian's hand. “Thank you, and I am sorry.” Avery swallowed and looked around nervously. Had they all heard about his embarrassing episode? Were they all looking at him knowingly? Julian stepped quickly in with soft and quiet, “Don’t be sorry. You did nothing wrong. It was all John’s fault. No one is going to look down at you.” Avery could tell from Julian’s eyes he meant it. It was Bryan's turn to step and handshake his hand. “Well, I am damn impressed with your work. You're one brilliant...” There was a pause as Bryan almost called him a kid but stopped himself. “Young man. I can’t see what you do next. Shall we take you to Darlene’s floor?” Bryan started to walk off by leading Avery past the security point and onto the elevators. Julian followed. Only the three of them were on the elevator, and Avery was glad for that. He was looking forward and afraid to look at both of them as he wondered if they could tell if he was wearing a diaper or could even hear it. Each step, with the thickness of the diaper, was a reminder of what he was wearing. He could see in the reflection of the elevator door both Julian and Bryan's faces. Bryan kept the conversation going. “I am glad you brought up the fact that there were two different methods being used to solve for the stability of the cell wall thickness between the normal cell and the cancer cell. It has been 9 months at least since we have been working on the problem. I was looking over your calculations more this weekend. I really think you are on the right track. I will get you any support you need.” Bryan said with a big smile. As Bryan was talking, Avery noticed they were going past the floor where his old desk was. “Don’t we need to stop and get my stuff?” Avery asked as they passed the third floor. “No, we don’t. I will grab your stuff or have someone bring it up to you if you don’t mind.” Julian said. “No, I don’t, and thanks,” Avery smiled. That was one less stress to deal with. Just then, the doors opened to the fifth floor. “Welcome to IT!” Bryan said as if it was a good thing. Avery wasn’t so sure yet. Avery followed Julian through a few rows of cubicles. They showed him two empty desks. One was his, and the other was for a visitor as it was labeled such. His desk had his name placed on the desk “Avery Sage.” He wondered why he had a nameplate with his name on this desk. Julian stepped in. “This is something that Darlene does for all her employees. She believes everyone needs to have a name on their desk or their office.”. Julian said. He pointed just past the visitor's desk to Darlene's office. Her nameplate was on the outside of the wall of her office. The nameplate read - “Darlene Matatesa - IT & Cyber Security Director,” Just as Julian pointed out at Darlene's office. The office door opened, and Darlene walked out. Avery was immediately caught off guard. When he heard that the head of IT was a woman, he was rather embarrassed to admit he expected a small, nerdy woman. What he saw couldn’t have been further from that. Her stride was powerful, and it felt like every small movement she made was with purpose. Her hips swayed with each step, and in her hands, she carried a folder in her hands. She was intimidating but undeniably beautiful. Avery found himself hoping he wouldn’t end up on her bad side. “Hi, you must be Avery.” Darlene walked over and put her hand out for him to shake. “I know you are not one of my employees, but I want you to know you are welcome here. I run a tight ship in which Julian can testify. Still, I also take an interest in my employees both professionally and personally.” She paused as Avery shook her hand. Avery noticed she had a strong grip on a woman but very soft hands. The grip was firm like a man's but as soft as a woman's hands often are. “Thank you” He smiled back but only gazed at her for a second. “Well, this is your desk. I took the opportunity to have it set up ready for you. I got you two monitors with a docking station for your laptop. Your phone has already been programmed with your old office number.” She pointed to her desk. “Also, the desk on this level is both a sitting desk and a standing desk”. She leaned over a little to touch the switch that was on the inside of the desk as it started to lift up, and then she toggled it the other way. “Why don’t my employees get this?” Bryan asked. He looked hurt that he wasn’t given the best in things. Julian gave Bryan a stare that said now is not the time to discuss this. Bryan then dropped it. “I also got you all the basic office supplies.” Darlene opened the desk drawers. “And that fancy engineering paper you engineers like.” “You're spoiling Avery,” Bryan said, looking at Darlene. “He is going to want to work for you, not me.” He laughed a little with a slightly sarcastic tone. “Oh, I see you brought your lunch. Here,, let me take it and show you the lunchroom.” Darlene leaned over to take the lunch sack, and to her surprise, Avery quickly stepped back and put his lunch sack behind his back. “No, that is ok. I want to keep it. I eat at my desk so no one can steal my lunch..” Avery's heart was beating fast for fear of being found out. “Ok..Ok.. not a problem. Sorry, I thought you would want to eat lunch with the rest of us. That isn’t a problem. You can eat at the desk as long as you make sure to clean up and no crumbs left behind.” Darlene didn’t know what the deal was, but something was up with him and that lunch sack. She actually had a strict rule about not eating at the desk, but she didn’t want to address this in front of Julian or Bryan. She knew there was some sensitivity with Avery, and he had to be nervous about coming back with his accident. Darelen also suspected that Avery didn’t know if she knew about the accident in the meeting room. She didn’t want to put him on the defensive yet. “Ok with that. I will be going back to my office, and please, if you need anything, talk to me. Ok? I am not all that bad once you get to know me. “ She giggled as she nodded her head to Julian and Bryan. Avery then proceeded to sit down at his new desk. The chair was more comfortable and nicer than the one he had from his previous office. As Avery sat down, he could feel the diaper crinkle below his butt and feel the thickness between the seat and the diaper. Hoping no one heard the diaper, he thought to himself, “Maybe this won’t be so bad. No one knows about the incident, and hopefully, they hadn’t heard about me in one way or another.” “Julian, do you mind if Christy brings up his laptop and personal items?” Bryan asked. Julian looked at Avery quietly and asked, “Avery, do you mind? If you do, I don’t mind getting your stuff for you.” “No, I don’t mind,” Avery responded, but in all reality, he did mind. He didn’t want to see Christy, but he didn’t want to seem rude about it, as if he didn’t like Christy. Christy didn’t do anything wrong, and she was the only one who didn’t laugh at him in the meeting room. “Good, then I will leave you be, but please call me if you need anything.” Julian starts to walk off. “Same here,, Avery. I will go and talk to Christy.” Bryan smiled as he walked off with Julian, leaving Avery alone. Avery sat alone at his desk. There was nothing to do since he didn’t have his notes, computer, or his backpack. Hoping no one knew about the diaper that he sat in. So he sat there and took his phone out and, surfed the internet, and caught up on the Reddit forums he follows.

No Darlene is not a big, jus normal sized human being that is about 6ft tall.

There is a new character introduced at the end of the chapter. You may not fully understand how or why she knows what she know but it will be apparent in other chapters. Enjoy! I am not settled in and ready to write more often. Chapter 10 - Home Sweet Home Darlene was glad it was Friday and she was finally home. As soon as Darlene walked through the door, she could feel the tension in her shoulders and her neck still from the weeklong stress. The week had taken its toll, and she was glad to be able to sit down and think about other things for a few days. They had three attempted hackers trying to gain control of the network to try to steal all their information. Each one was thwarted by her and her team with no damage to the company or loss of intellectual assets. Her home was her place to escape and rejuvenate. She took pride in her house and how everything was decorated; it reflected her. Even though she loved it, returning to an empty house didn’t always help. She knew just how to shake the feeling off of being alone along with the stress and recharge her batteries. It was called an excellent long exercise session, which always seemed to help. She put her purse and car keys down on the entryway table, along with her sunglasses. She made her way upstairs into the master bedroom, which was spacious and stylishly designed, with a king-sized bed, a comfortable sitting area, and plenty of closet space. The color scheme was soothing and calming, with shades of blue and green that create a serene atmosphere perfect for relaxing in bed or reading a book after a long day. What really set this master bedroom apart was the thoughtful touches that made it clear this space was designed with her need to escape from corporate life. There was a built-in charging station for her phone and a built-in sound system, as well as a small reading nook looking out over the forest. Darlene began to throw her work clothes off and on the king-sized bed. She searched through her dresser drawer for her workout clothes and put on a pair of navy leggings and a matching sports bra that supported her large breasts nicely. She then moved into the master bathroom, which was equally impressive, with a large, luxurious bathtub and a large separate waterfall-type shower. The two sinks and vanity were spacious and well-lit, with plenty of storage for all her beauty products to be neatly organized. The tiles on the floor and walls were sleek and modern stone look, providing a clean and sophisticated look. Between the master bedroom and bathroom, it was a perfect reflection of her – elegant, practical, and designed for both comfort and functionality. It's a space where she could recharge and refresh. She stood in front of the mirror in the master bathroom, where she removed the bun in her hair. She shook her hair out, combed it, and tied it back in a ponytail. Finally, she was ready to go work out. Darlene made her way past three bedrooms, one of which was closed, and then downstairs to her custom-made homework outroom. Darlene had spent a lot of money on her home workout room, one of her pride and joys of the house. The workroom downstairs was flooded with natural light, which poured in through the floor-to-ceiling windows that lined one wall looking out at her property backed up to a forest. The flooring was made from a soft and durable material that provided excellent traction and cushioning during workouts. There were multiple pieces of state-of-the-art equipment, including a high-end treadmill, rowing machine, and weightlifting station. Each piece of equipment was carefully selected for its performance capabilities and aesthetically pleasing design. The gym also included a variety of smaller workout accessories, such as yoga mats, resistance bands, and foam rollers. In one corner of the room, there was a large screen that could be used for streaming workout classes or playing music videos to keep you motivated during your workout. The walls were adorned with inspiring quotes and artwork, adding a personal touch to the space. The room was also outfitted with a high-quality sound system and wall-mounted TV, allowing you to blast your favorite tunes while you sweat it out or play a workout video. Overall, the home workout gym was the perfect space for a fitness enthusiast who wants to stay in shape without leaving the comfort of their own home. Darlene turned on her TV and selected one of her many premade workout sessions that would last for 90 minutes or more. She started her routine with some cardio on the treadmill. She felt the familiar rush of endorphins flooding her system within a few minutes of the workout. The music from the workout session blaring from her sound system drowned out the outside world's noise, and she could focus solely on her movements. She loved working out. This always made her feel better. She ran for 25 minutes on the treadmill, then did some jumping jacks and burpees. After that, she did some cardio strength training exercises with weights. She did squats, lunges, and bicep curls. She also did some push-ups and sit-ups. She could feel her muscles stretching and contracting and the sweat dripping down her forehead. With each passing moment, she felt the weight of the day lifting off her shoulders. The stress and anxiety that had been plaguing her all week slowly dissipated until she was left feeling renewed and invigorated. Finally, she finished up with some stretching by doing some yoga. She stretched her arms, legs, and back. Before heading back upstairs, Darlene stopped by the kitchen, took a homemade freezer meal out, and placed it in the oven. She opened a fresh bottle of Merlot red wine and poured her wine into your nice wine glasses. Feeling refreshed, she went back up to the master bedroom with a glass of red wine. She took a long shower, enjoying the fragrance of her bath soap and shampoo, which was infused with Ylang-ylang, a floral, tropical scent to promote relaxation and reduce stress. After drying off, Darlene grabbed a fresh bra and panties along with fresh pjs made of light pink cotton sateen, a soft and breathable fabric that was perfect for hot summer nights. The top was a button-up shirt with a Peter Pan collar and long sleeves. The bottom was a pair of loose-fitting shorts with a drawstring waist. The set was trimmed with pink lace, which added a touch of elegance. The soft fabric felt good against her skin, and the loose fit allowed her to move freely. She tied the drawstring on the pants and buttons up the top, then went to the mirror to check herself out. She smiled at her reflection. She looked and felt great. She grabbed her red wine and took a sip. “Time to relax for the rest of the evening,” she told herself as she exited the master bedroom. She passed the closed door once again, which was the nursery that she had never been able to get rid of. She set a hard date in about two weeks; Goodwill was going to come by and pick all the stuff up. Every time she passed, she felt a sense of sadness and lost hope. She was supposed to have a 9-month-old baby in the crib by now, but her body did not do well in the delivery process. She lost her child. The delivery was so bad that she would never be able to get pregnant again. Darlene shook the memory off as she sipped her wine and walked downstairs. The house was lonely. It was her dream house she built two years ago with something more in mind, but tonight she was going to enjoy the time alone and start watching Game of Thrones, which everyone talked about, and her sisters said she must get into. The kitchen was the least used place, with the exception of the empty dining room and spare bedrooms. She went over to the oven and pulled out her meal. Chicken cordon bleu for the evening, served with fresh green beans and a side of sweet potatoes. It smelled good. Since she lived alone, once a month, she would spend a day or two preparing nice healthy meals for her and freeze them to be eaten during the next month. The living room of the house was where she spent most of her evenings before heading to bed. A spacious area with a high ceiling and large windows that let in the natural light, the room was decorated with a modern and chic flair. The furniture was sleek and comfortable, with a plush sofa, a love seat, and a couple of accent chairs arranged in a semi-circle around a huge coffee table. Despite all the furniture, there was still empty space to fill. The centerpiece of the room was a massive flat-screen TV mounted on the wall. The woman had spared no expense in acquiring the latest technology so that she could enjoy her favorite shows and movies in stunning clarity. The sound system was equally impressive, with speakers tucked discreetly into the corners of the room, ensuring that she got a cinema-like experience whenever she watched something. The color palette of the room was a mix of neutrals and bold colors, with a deep purple rug covering the hardwood floor. The walls were painted in a pale gray that contrasted well with the dark wooden shelves lining one of the walls. The shelves displayed her collection of books, decorative vases, and other trinkets that she had picked up during her travels. As the sun began to set, Darlene settled into her cozy living room, ready to indulge in her guilty pleasure - watching the first episode of Game of Thrones. She had been meaning to start the series for months, and finally, she had the perfect evening and weekend to do so. As she dug into her dinner, she eagerly pressed play on her remote control, excited to immerse herself in the world of Westeros. As the opening credits began to roll, she couldn't help but marvel at the stunning visuals and haunting music. From the first scene, she found herself immediately drawn to the characters and their stories. As she watched, she savored the flavors of her dinner and sipped her wine, enjoying the perfect combination of comfort food and indulgent entertainment. She laughed at the witty banter between Tyrion Lannister and Jon Snow and gasped in shock as the plot twists and turns unfolded before her. As the episode drew to a close, she was engrossed in the world of Game of Thrones, and she felt a sense of satisfaction and anticipation. She knew she had found a new favorite show that would keep her entertained for many evenings to come. She started the second episode, and she wasn’t 30 minutes into the second episode when she got a text. It was a text sent by her automated IT alert system. “Yellow alert, adult website access on company property, log number 347820.” She hadn’t seen one of these in a while. Darlene paused the movie. She walked into an over sized home office, sat at her desk, and loaded up her computer. Darlene then went into her custom-made IT security management software to look for the log number. Once she found it, she clicked it. User ID AV672XX access website www.mamabs.com. Site content label “Adult Content.” Security System “OK”. Darlene never heard of this website. But that wasn’t unusual when she got these kinds of alerts. The User ID was Avery Sage. “Oh shit, this is the one that Julian wants her to take in and house in her department.” She said to herself. “It looks like it won’t be that long till he gets let go for looking at porn on the company computers.” Darlene had never heard of that site, and in the past, everything she got on one of these alerts was always porn, so was her assumption here. She was shocked when she clicked on the site and realized it was a shopping site. The first thing she saw were adult diapers. But these were not regular adult diapers. There were all sorts of designs that were for babies and toddlers. She suddenly remembers Avery's accident early this week. She was confused. Did this young man have a medical problem? If he did, why this site? With a “yellow” alert. Darlene had two weeks to report it. Typically, she just reported it the next day, but this wasn’t a porn site. This wasn’t a typical adult site. She could see that he had clicked on several pages as he looked over diapers, baby supplies, baby clothes, and actual medical supplies. If anyone knew what this site might be about, it would be her sister, Ashley Matatesa. “ Darlene texted Ashley on her personal iPhone. Ashley, what is this site? Is it sexual? I figured you would know based on your knowledge of this kind of stuff. I need help because someone accessed this website on a work computer.” Darlene then proceeded to put a block on the website. Even if it was innocent, it was unnecessary to access this site on company-issued hardware. Afterward, Darlene returned to watching the second episode of Games of Thrones. It was almost 10 p.m. as she was on the third episode. She got a text back from her sister “Sorry I took so long to respond. I was busy. So, someone accessed this from work? To your answers, yes, this could be sexual, but not always. There is a group of people who identify themselves as Adult Babies and Diaper Lovers. Sometimes, it is very sexual and can be incorporated into BDSM or just Domination play. I have never had a client ask for this, but I have heard of it. I also hear some just like to regress and don’t find it sexual at all. Then the site also has a lot of medical equipment, so could the employee be buying medical equipment?” Darlene thought about it. “I saw that he purchased a case of medium size adult all-white disposable diapers, so I guess that could go either way.” It was only a minute later that she got another text back for Ashely. “I can research it for you more later. I am sorry I couldn’t be of more help.” “No, you don’t have to research it. I can do it if needed. I blocked the site so no one can access it on work computers or phones. Maybe we can talk about it at our Wednesday girls' evening get-together. ;)” “Sounds good.” Darlene returned to the Game of Thrones and had a second glass of red wine before calling it a night.

Sorry every one it has taken me so long. Here is the next two chapters. These two chapters you may find slow but it is necessary. I will get the next one out very shortly. Chapter 8 - Elder Wisdom Avery screamed out into the darkness, “Mommy, Daddy, No, No!” as he quickly sat up in the darkness of his closet. His heart was racing against his chest. He felt hot and sweaty. Tears ran down his face, and he couldn’t stop crying as he hugged his stuffed red dog, Clifford. Avery wasn’t sure where he was for a few minutes as he was disoriented and confused. As Avery stared into the closet's darkness in a panicked state for a while, he slowly came back to reality, realizing it was just a really vivid dream. He hadn’t had this dream for a few years. He couldn’t recall the last time his dream was this explicit. He never knew if his dream was real, a figment of his imagination, or somewhere between. The foster agency never fully came clean about what happened to his parents when they passed away. He often wondered if this was a repressed memory deep in his mind. Whatever the case, it always seemed to pop up when he was at his most stressed. It took him several minutes just to start pulling himself together. He finally started to calm down and took a few deep breaths. He reached for the doorknob of the closet and then realized the comforter was soaking wet, and the bottom of the mat was also wet. That was when he realized the crotch of his boxers and the bottom of his t-shirt were soaked. This meant only one thing. He wet himself while he was asleep. He couldn’t believe it. He hadn’t wet the bed since he was 7 or 8. He put his head in his hands. As if embarrassing himself the previous day hadn’t been bad enough, now he was wetting himself in his sleep. “Maybe I am just a useless baby…” Avery muttered to himself, echoing some of the shouts he had heard whilst making his way home the previous day. The sun was bright in his bedroom when he opened his closet door. He had been asleep for over 18 hours. He couldn’t believe how long he had been asleep. He must have been very emotionally exhausted from yesterday. Now that there was light in the closet, he could see the full extent of how badly he had wet the comforter and red and blue mat. Since the mat was waterproof by design, some of his urine had run off onto the carpet. He didn’t want to deal with this problem because he was still feeling the lingering effects of his dream like he just lost someone and the sadness that came with it. Regardless, he had to clean up his mess before it started to smell worse. He wiped the tears from his eyes, stepped out of his boxers, and tossed them on the comforter. Afterward, he quickly rinsed off in the shower before getting a new pair of boxes. He stepped into a fresh pair of gray gym shorts with a small black strip down the sides and a black PS4 T-shirt with four main buttons across his chest. Under the kitchen sink, he found one of his white garbage bags. He took the garbage back and stuffed the soaked comforter and boxes in the bag. He loosely tied the bag up and set it by his door to prevent any odors from getting around in the apartment. Then he took care of wiping down the mat with a Clorox wipe. All the while, he kept thinking about the dream as the feelings still wouldn’t leave him as he whipped and dried the mat the best he could with the paper towels. He pulled the mattress out of the closet. The pee had soaked up under the mat on the carpet. He used one of his bath towels to help soak up all the pee on the floor. He didn’t have a carpet cleaner and wasn’t sure what to do, so he mixed some dish soap and water. Grabbed two more bath towels. He then got down on all fours and tried to scrub the carpet as best he could with the soap. He wasn’t sure if he got it all out. Even so, he dried the carpet the best he could with the towel. He opened the blinds so more light could get into the closet, hoping that would help dry the carpet better. Avery’s work iPhone rang. He looked down. It was Bryan again. “Not now. I can’t deal with him,” he said as he decided to ignore it and let it go to voicemail again. He took the three dirty towels to the front door and put them in a trash bag with his other wet items. Avery went into his pantry in the kitchen, where he kept his laundry detergent and quarters for the public washer and dryer the apartment complex provides. He hoped no one would be in the laundromat on a Friday at lunchtime as he headed out with the items in hand, including the sizable bulky trash bag with his soaked comforter and boxers. Avery’s heart still felt heavy and sad, not from the accident but from the dream. It always made him wish he knew his parents and had better memories of what they looked like and sounded like. He continued to walk by the other apartments toward the laundry mat. His mind wondered what his parents would think of him if they were looking at him from above. Would they be proud of him for graduating high school early and getting his Bachelor of Science at age 19? Would they be mad at him for how badly he screwed his opportunity up yesterday and peed in front of all those people? How they made fun of him even as he continued to pee and make a puddle on the floor. Who would ever want a son like that? Maybe it was better they hadn’t lived to see how much he messed everything up. Soft, slow tears slid down Avery’s face as he walked into the laundromat carrying the trash bag over his shoulders. The laundry mat was a dingy room with a concrete floor. The walls were painted a sickly green as it hasn’t been updated in a long time, and the air was thick with the smell of detergent and sweat. The light came through the windows, along with a few fluorescent lights that buzzed overhead. There were a dozen or so washing machines and dryers lined up against the walls. Some of them were already in use, and the noise was deafening. The dryers rumbled and shook, and the washing machines churned and sloshed. Despite the noise and the smell, the laundromat was usually a place where people came to socialize. People of all ages and backgrounds would come here to do their laundry, especially on the weekends, and they would often strike up conversations while they waited for their clothes to wash and dry. There were benches, chairs, tables for sitting, and tables for folding clothes. Being that it was a Friday before lunch, Avery was lucky for now. There was no one at the laundromat. The few laundry machines going must have their items dropped off and started so the owners could take care of other things. Avery chose the washing machine closest to the door and quickly tore the trash bag. It smelled like urine. He tossed in the comforter, boxers, towels, and laundry detergent as quickly as possible. He set the washing machine on very hot and as long of a cycle as he could. He shoved the quarters in. As Avery did this, someone walked in. He quickly tossed the trash bag into the trash in the laundry room. “Geeze, it smells rancid in here, don’t you think?” An older woman carrying a laundry basket with her said to him. “Yes, it does. I am not sure why. They need to clean this place more often.” He said, trying to pretend he didn’t know what or where the odor came from. “Have a good day.” He nodded and smiled at the older woman. Before she could respond, he was out the door. He set the alarm for 1 hour and 30 minutes to remind him to return and put the items in the Dryer. As Avery walked back to his apartment, he realized for the first time that he was hungry and realized he hadn’t had anything since breakfast yesterday. No wonder his stomach was rumbling and mad with him. When Avery got back to the apartment, he went straight for the pantry. There wasn’t much there. He needed to get more food, but the last thing he wanted to do was go back out in public today. He was done with people. He found a couple of packets of instant oatmeal. That should settle his stomach for a while. He tried playing some video games on his PS4 as he continued ignoring Byran's calls. It wasn’t long after that the alarm went off to check on the laundry. When he returned to the laundromat, there were more people, and the old lady was still there. Except she was sitting close to his washer. The washing machine had not finished yet and was on a spin. He was going to have to wait. Avery didn’t want to sit, so he paced back and forth in front of the old lady. “You look like a lost cat, pacing like that. Are you ok?” the old lady spoke softly without looking at him. Avery looked over at the old lady as she was sewing a quilt while waiting on her laundry. “I am fine,” Avery said. “That means you are not fine. I may be old, but I can still read people.” At that moment, his phone rang, and Avery pulled it out. It was Byran again. Avery let out a big huff. “Stop calling me,” He said. He didn’t notice he said it out loud and ignored the phone call. “Well, whatever it is, that phone call seems to have something to do with it.” the old lady didn’t even look up as she was sewing, “You know, I am almost 80 years old. Life has never been easy for me. I have messed up more times than I can count my fingers and multiply it by two or more times.” She pauses. Avery didn't say anything but stood still. She assumed he was listening. "Life is like sewing a quilt," the old woman said. "You start with a blank piece of fabric, and you add pieces of fabric to it. Each piece of fabric represents a different experience in your life. Some pieces are happy, some are sad, some are exciting, and some are boring. But all of them are important." "As you sew the pieces together, you create a pattern. The pattern is your life story. It's unique to you." The old woman smiled. "Sometimes," she said, "the pattern is easy to see. Other times, it's hard to see. But it's always there." Avery finally spoke to the old woman who seemed lost in her sewing. "So, what happens when I mess up big time on the quilt? Throw it away seems to be the answer," he asked. The older woman laughed. "Everyone makes mistakes," she said. "That's part of life. But don't worry. You can always rip out the mistake and start over. Or, you can leave the mistake in like I do. It might make your quilt even more beautiful ." At that point, the washing machine with Avery’s clothes made a sound indicating it was done. Avery was silent again as he moved his clothes from the washing machine to the dryer. When Avery turned around to leave, the old woman looked up for a second. "Life is a journey," she said. "It's full of ups and downs but also full of beauty. What you do next could determine what the next pattern of your quilt might look like.” “Early on in my life, when I made mistakes in life. I would push people away because I was angry and scared. That is how I lost my husband.” She looked down at her quilt. “But, I carried on and learned from those mistakes.” “I will keep that in mind.” Avery didn’t know what else to say to end the conversation as he left to head back to the apartment. As he returned to the apartment, “Damn, that woman got into my head. “ he paused and looked up at the sky. He realized he would have to answer the call sooner or later. Plus, he needed to get his stuff back. Chapter 9 -Difficult Decisions For the next two hours, Avery poured his attention into playing Sackboy on his PS4. afterward, he went to go pick up his laundry out of the dryer from the laundromat. The old woman was gone when he came back. A part of him wanted her to be there, and the other part was glad she wasn’t. When Avery got back home, He placed the bedspread on the bed where it belonged, folded the rest of the laundry, and put it up. Avery returned to his game and grabbed a drink and snack as it loaded. He kept his attention away from yesterday's event by playing several levels on Sackboy. He finally came upon a hard level, where he made his way through the tunnels, avoiding the creatures and the traps. He eventually made it to the end of the level, where he faced off against a giant rat. As he fought the rat with all his character’s strength and his skills on the controller, his iPhone rang again on the coffee table; it was Bryan. Avery paused his game before beating the boss. He leaned over and rubbed both of his hands on his face, covering his eyes as he took a deep breath before answering the phone. “Hello?” “Ah, finally got a hold of you. I was worried you weren’t going to pick up.” Bryan sounded relieved to Avery. He wondered if Bryan was going to tell him he was fired. “I am sorry, I have been busy,” Avery lied. It was a weak lie, and he knew he didn’t sound convincing at all. Based on the silence at the other end of the phone, Bryan didn't believe him. “So, I wanted to call and personally apologize for how John, Zak, and Ethan behaved yesterday. That was completely inappropriate.” Bryan eventually said. “I don’t really want to talk about it. I just want to get my things and figure things out from there. Is there a way you can have my stuff for me down on the first floor by security so I don’t have to come up there? I don’t really want to see anyone.” Avery replied miserably. “Why? Are you quitting? If you are, I would like to try to change your mind.” Bryan’s voice didn’t seem surprised; he sounded earnest. There was a long pause as Avery wasn’t sure what to say. He was sure they would let him go. Maybe they wouldn’t call it a firing but no longer need him or something like that. “Um, what do you mean?” Bryan suddenly realized that Avery thought he was calling to let him go. He didn’t want to embarrass him more, so he ignored his revelations. “We, being myself, Julian, and on behalf of DNA Pharmacia, would love for you to continue to work for us. Christy brought to my attention the work you have been doing these last two weeks. I looked over it all day and last night. I think you have a very valid point that there is a fundamental flaw in the calculations and not the programming. I would like you to continue to research and develop the calculations so we can modify the code and try it out in the program. Even if you are wrong, I am sure there is something to learn from your analysis that we can use to improve the calculations in the worst case and still look for the hidden program error.” Avery couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Bryan was not just asking him to come back out of sympathy for him but because of what he tried to explain to John and the team. There was a pause. “Does the cat have your tongue, Avery?” Bryan finally broke the silence. “Ah, sorry. I appreciate the acknowledgment. But I don’t think John wants me on his team anymore.” Avery's voice sounded nervous and a little scared. “Ah, John… I am not going to beat around the bush. What John did was wrong in so many ways. We are addressing this the best we can. John does not have a choice of who he chooses to be on his team for this project anymore. In the future, I will always supervise any direct contact you have with him. You are not to be alone with him. I will make a promise that John will not be confrontational or derogatory around you again with my presence.” Avery listened. “But his office is close to my office. What about when you go for a meeting? You can’t be there all the time.” He felt like he was sounding pathetic. Like he couldn’t defend himself at all and needed a bigger, stronger person to look after him. “Your office will now be located on floor 5 in the IT department. He will not be allowed to go to that level of the building.” Bryan said firmly, “The only time you will come down to our level is when I am present, and you will be with me. Christi and I really respect you and all the hard work you put into this. What do you say? Give us another chance?” Again, there was a pause. Did Christy really respect him? How? He peed on the floor. Maybe if he could prove that his calculations could actually fix the program, John and the rest of his team would see what he could offer to the team. That is all that he really wanted, in the end, a chance to prove he was right and for others to see his worth. “Yes, I will come back.” Avery’s voice sounded hesitant. “Great, see you on Monday. Enjoy the weekend. Do something fun so you come to work refreshed. I will meet you down at the lobby at 8 a.m. to take you up to the IT department, and you can meet Darlene, the IT Director. She’ll get you set up at your new desk.” “Got it, 8 am. Thanks. See you then, and you have a good weekend, too,” Avery hung up. What did he do? Why did he agree to go back? He will be the laughingstock of the place. What if he has a repeat incident? He will still have to work with John, even under supervision, which will still be stressful. His pull-ups were not absorbent enough to hold an accident like he had. What was he going to do if he had another? He kept turning this over and over in his head again as he played Sackboy on his PS4 for another hour to try to get his fears to go away. Finally, he stopped. He had to admit that he knew what the answer to his problems was… He just desperately wanted to avoid it. “I am going to need something thicker and more absorbent. “ He thought to himself as he grabbed his iPhone and began to research “adult diapers.” He rolled his eyes at himself. Just typing in the search engine was difficult for him, and he had a feeling of being beaten. He came across a local website that says they do discreet deliveries in 1 hour or the next day locally. The website was called MamaB’s AB and Medical Supplies. He liked that they delivered discreetly, and they looked to be the only ones that were local. Amazon would have to be his next best guess to search if this didn’t work out. Avery clicked on the website. He was taken back a little bit. There were definitely adult diapers. Pictures of all types of diapers. He also saw links to clothes, furniture sections, accessories, supplies, and toys sections. There was also a link to “How to select the right diapers or protective wear for you.” It was all a bit overwhelming and a lot more full-on that he had expected. He’d had no idea there could be so many different options. When Avery clicked on the link to the diapers, he had the option to select Disposable or Cloth. Avery clicked on the disposable diapers. There were solid white disposable diapers of all sizes and thicknesses—some with and without wetness indicators. What really caught his eye was all the adult diapers that looked more like babies or toddlers. Some were pink, blue, and green. Most were white with all kinds of different patterns. Some had ABC building blocks, Some had mermaids, and some had puppies and other types of items. There were over 8 pages of diapers to search through. What had he stumbled on? He was overwhelmed as he looked at them. He thought there might be a few selections of adult diapers, but nothing like this. But at the same time, there was also the typical stuff you would expect. From mobility aids like walkers, wheelchairs, and crutches to orthopedic supports and compression stockings, the store had it all. As he clicked through it, the site was meticulously organized with products like blood pressure monitors, diabetic supplies, respiratory aids, and medical beds. It was almost like the site had two sections: the typical medical supply and the non-typical medical supply, as he called it in his head. He then, just out of curiosity, clicked through accessories and saw adult baby bottles, adult sippy cups, changing mats, and other items. He did the same with clothes where they had a little boy and girl clothes. Dresses for girls and patterns that were very childish. He also saw PJs, shorttails, and even pants and shirts that were clearly meant for children and yet were sized to fit adults.. He then clicked on AB furniture, though he had no idea what AB stood for. He saw cribs, playpens, changing tables, high chairs, and rocking horses and other items. He was stunned, but then he remembered reading about how some babies born didn’t have developed brains and were basically babies their entire lives. He reasoned with himself this is what the site was catering to. Still, it was a little strange to see it all right in front of him. Finally, Avery got serious and decided to go back to the diapers. There was a link. “How to buy the right diaper”. He couldn’t believe it, but he was going to click on it. The site read, “Things to consider when buying diapers. Waistband height, Leakguard height, Tape Type, Number of Tapes, Absorbency Requirement, Cloth or Plastic Preference, Waist Measurement, Crinkle Factor, and Cuteness Factor. Avery was overwhelmed; there was so much choice that he felt like his head was spinning. He wasn’t sure what half the options meant, and he realized this whole process would require more research than he imagined. He realized what he wanted in the end was something that had four tapes and medium absorbency, as he had learned there were four types of absorbency. Low, medium, heavy, and overnight. He wanted something with a low crinkle factor (he couldn’t understand why anyone would WANT more crinkles…) but was not able to get to the lowest number. He ended up going with something called a crinkle factor of 4 out of 10. That was the lowest he could find in the medium absorbency without going to cloth diapers. Cloth diapers would be way too thick to hide at work. He found a standard white diaper that he thought he could go with and ordered two packets to start with. Each packet of diapers contained 12 diapers. As he placed the order, he felt a sense of defeat and humiliation even though no one would know. Avery decided he didn’t need these diapers till Monday. So he did the next day delivery instead of a one-hour delivery. Having finally clicked to confirm the payment, Avery sat back and felt very strange. His wetting problem had been around on and off for a long time, but he had never resorted to full diapers; he’d always told himself he would never go that far. It hardly felt real that he had really made the order, even as “Order Confirmed!” appeared on the screen. He got up and took his night meds and a valium to help him sleep better. He thought to himself, “I will end this day playing Sackboy and at least enjoy myself and not think about the diapers anymore.” As he grabbed the controller and started the game back up again, he tried to rid his mind of his new purchase. He hadn’t had a day of playing video games since he started this job. He was going to do this tonight and the rest of the weekend to keep his mind off what was to come on Monday.

Yes I will get an update out tonight. I have been busy moving my patents into assistant living this weekend. Plus I am getting ready to travel from texas to Belgium for work for six weeks this weekend. I will be alone while there so I hope to turn over some more chapters this weekend. Thanks for the encouragement. I am so glad you are getting into this. This motivates me more than anything.

Maybe what I could do is have the radio make an announce and make so Avery didn't understand what the radio was saying since he is just a baby. I appreciate the feedback.

I was trying to describe a hurricane. It was hard to do this from Avery's point of view. I might revisit this chapter to see what could be done to imply that with out giving it away.

Warning, before reading this. Grab a pacifier and your favorite stuffed animal to hold tightly as you read this. Chapter 7 - The Nightmare Avery's eyes slowly opened as he was suddenly woken up. He was greeted by the familiar sight of his mother's gentle countenance. Despite the slight signs of fatigue that marred her appearance, with her tousled brown locks and a natural lack of makeup, she tried to exude an air of ease and comfort in her casual yellow t-shirt and yoga pants. Avery couldn't help but feel a sense of comfort wash over him as he gazed into her calm and reassuring eyes, a silent acknowledgment of the unspoken bond between a mother and her child. As he looked up and cooed to her, his hands stretched out to be picked up; something didn’t seem right. She appeared in a hurry, and he didn’t understand why. His mom quickly checked his diaper underneath the blue clues onesie he was wearing, “Avery is dry. I don’t need to change him before we go,” she shouted down the hall. “Good, let's go. We don’t have much time to waste,” Avery’s Dad shouted back. She leaned over the crib to pick Avery up as he held onto his red stuffed dog, and she grabbed a diaper bag. He felt a little uneasy. It didn't feel like morning. Usually, at this time of night, Avery was ready to snuggle up in his cozy crib with his stuffed animals and drift off to a deep sleep till morning. But tonight, his parents were taking him on a ride, and he didn’t know why. They seem rushed and concerned for reasons unknown to him. Avery sucked on his pacifier repeatedly because he was nervous as he was carried downstairs on his mom's hip. Avery saw Dad pulling suitcases and exiting into the garage. “I will be right there. I need to stop by the kitchen.” Avery’s mom shouted. When she got down the stairs, she turned directly into the kitchen. She placed the diaper bag on the counter and went to the fridge. “We are going on an adventure,” she said in a cute voice to Avery. She pulled out two ice packs and stuffed them in one of the large pockets of the diaper bag, which was insulated and waterproof. She then placed three baby bottles full of milk in there. All while holding Avery on her hip, she searched the refrigerator for the last items she might need. She grabbed several containers of homemade baby food and put them with the bottles full of milk. “We just need some spoons,” She talked to Avery as she opened the silverware drawer and grabbed three small baby-sized light blue spoons. Holding on to Avery and the diaper beg, she exited the kitchen and headed towards the garage. When they entered the garage, his dad shoved the suitcases into the back of the SUV. Mom quickly put Avery into his car seat and buckled him tightly in. Avery started to cry through his pacifier. Something didn’t feel right to him. “It is ok. Mommy is here. We are just going on a road trip.” As Avery’s Mom and Dad got into the front seat, they opened the garage door. The SUV was put in reverse and began to back out. It was dark outside, and the rain was pouring down really hard on their SUV as it exited the garage. Avery could hear thunder and lightning flashing all around the vehicle. It was terrifying for him, so he started to cry as the pacifier fell out of his mouth and onto the floorboard of the SUV. Avery didn’t like the lightning because it made such a loud noise, and it was really bright just before the loud boom. He tried to hide his face in his blanket. His mom tucked him into the car seat, Mommy and Daddy were talking and debating together heatedly. He couldn’t understand what was being said. After several minutes passed by, Mommy turned on the radio and tried some fun music to play. Daddy and Mommy tried to sing along together, making him feel safe. They drove past lots of cars and even saw a few trucks. Sometimes they honked their horns, which was really loud! Avery looked out the window and saw all the trees bending in the wind and watching the raindrops race down the window. Scared, he put his thumb in his mouth and closed his eyes to pretend he wasn’t there. Suddenly, his parents stopped singing. The rain was now louder, and he could barely hear his parents talking. He looked out the window again and saw that the sky was really dark, and there were several flashes of lightning. He was so scared as he held his thumb in his mouth, hugging his stuffed red dog tightly, but he knew his parents would keep him safe. Suddenly, there was a loud crash of thunder, and the car shook. Avery jumped and squirmed, trying to get out of my car seat as he cried in fear. His thumb was no longer enough to comfort him. Avery heard his dad say. “That was a close one.” Mom looked back at him and tried to smile even though she looked scared. "Don't worry," Mom said. "That was just thunder." She then began to unbuckle herself and crawl back into the middle seat to be with her son and try to soothe him. She placed a hand on his head and tried petting him. She so badly wanted to pull Avery out of the car seat and hold him, but she didn’t dare as she tried her best to calm him. But then, the rain started to come down even harder, and the wind started to blow really strong. Avery couldn’t see out the window at all. The car began to shake more, and driving was getting more challenging, if not impossible. "We're going to have to pull over," his Dad finally said in defeat. Suddenly, there was a loud noise and a jolt, and the car lurched to the side. There was a sickening crunching noise, and Avery’s parents started shouting and yelling at each other. Avery was so scared now he couldn't even cry. He was just frozen. Avery's Mom was not strapped in as she flew all over the car like a rag doll, hitting the roof as the car rolled off the street.. After what seemed like an eternity, the car came to a stop. His mom was lying over his car seat. Her head through the back passenger window. Her face was full of blood along her neck. She wasn’t moving, and his mom's eyes were closed. He didn't understand what was happening, but he knew something was wrong. He screamed. “MOMMY” over and over, loudly trying to reach for her, but she was just too far away. Rain was coming into the car, and lightning and thunder were hitting hard. Avery was getting soaking wet. Where was his dad? Why didn’t he come and help? He was so scared, cold, and wet as the rain kept coming. He just wanted to wake Mom up. Everything would be okay if she would just wake up. “MOMMY!” Avery continued to scream and reach out for her. She never woke up. Avery spent the next few hours crying and shivering in the rain until red and blue lights surrounded the sky. He heard people yelling things. Some opened the side of the door to another side of the car seat where his mom was hanging out the window. “Oh shit, there is a baby in there,” someone screamed. “He is alive.” She crawled in, unbuckled Avery, and pulled his soaking body out. She held the baby close to her as she slid out of the car seat. When she got out of the car, Avery looked over to the side and saw a large tree branch punctured through the front glass. and his father was impaled by the branch and not responding. “Daddy,” Avery kicked wildly, trying to pull free from the female officer. The officer tried to hold Avery between her breasts so his face couldn’t take in all the crash site. “Get the kid to an ambulance.” She ran with the kid close to her as the rain continued. The ambulance had just arrived as the back doors opened. The officer stepped into the ambulance with the paramedics. “Are there any other survivors?” The officer looked down at the baby. “No..” Avery was crying hard and scared. Kicking and Screaming to try to get away. “Mommy… Daddy,” his hands were out, wanting to return to the car where his parents were.

My goal in writing this story is to write it like you would pick up a novel in a bookstore. Character development and plot development is very important to me so please continue to enjoy this slow burn of a story. I really appreciate the encouragement and comments from those who have given it to me! Avery now has to make his way home. Chapter 6 - Walk of Shame Avery could not get out of DNA Pharmica fast enough. He did not stop and look to see who noticed that his crotch was soaking wet in the tan dockers, along with the wetness that ran down the front of the left side of his leg. He could feel other people’s eyes looking at him. "Why the fuck did I let this happen in front of everyone. I am a fucking loser." He shouted at himself internally. He felt like he had blown it. It was a chance to really show off what he could do, and instead, he had wet his pants like a toddler. Avery was filled with so many emotions he couldn't sort them all at once. Why did John have to be such an ass? Mayle John was right. He is just a dumb ass. Why did he have to lose control like some dumb little kid? He is an adult." Tears continued to roll down his face as he walked briskly through the front entryway, quickly badged out, and passed the automated front doors. When Avery stepped outside, he felt so small as the sidewalk was full of people walking in both directions. It didn't help that it was approximately eleven a.m. and lunchtime for most people, with his pants soaking wet and his pull-up thoroughly soaked past its usefulness. He felt the whole world looking at him. Things couldn't be worse. He almost bumped into a woman as he turned left. The woman paused, and a look of disgust went across her face. “Ew, gross," she thundered as she backed away and pointed at him. It was loud enough to cause others to pause and look at him. He heard people shouting and exclaiming; he heard some laughing and wolf-whistling. He kept his head down, but he couldn’t block out the comments: “He wet himself!”, “Get a picture!”, “Hey, buddy! The kindergarten is back that way!” Avery quickly dashed around the woman heading for the bus stop almost a mile away. Avery made it down a few blocks, passing everyone. He could tell and feel several people watching him and occasionally catching comments about him. Panic and embarrassment took over as he saw an alleyway up ahead and ducked inside, hoping to escape the crowd. The alleyway was dark and narrow, and the only light came from the open doors of the businesses on either side. He ducked into the next alleyway between business buildings. He ran quickly to the back of the alley and hid between two large green metal dumpsters. Avery closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. He could hear the noise of the city all around him, but it seemed muffled and distant. He was safe here, hidden from the world. At least till someone discovered him. He felt his full pull-up and wet pant leg. He didn’t know what he could do from this point. He was in the middle of the city in obviously wet clothes and no spares. It was a nightmare. Avery sat down on the ground with his knees curled up to his face and arms wrapped around his legs and cried with his back against one of the dumpsters. He sat there while the busy sidewalkers paced him by. The world had no idea he existed. Avery cursed his own existence. Things were not supposed to be like this. He was supposed to prove he was worthy and valuable to the company. But no, he had to piss his chance away, literally. As he cried on the cold, hard concrete, he slammed his fist on the concert floor, constantly cursing himself. Finally, after about an hour, he calmed himself down and leaned back against the wall, feeling his full pull-up was no longer warm but cold. He closed his eyes and let the darkness wash over him. He felt the tension in his body start to melt away, and he took another deep breath. At the very least, he should’ve brought a spare pull-up. He opened his eyes and looked around. The alleyway was still dark and narrow, but it didn't seem so scary anymore. He could see the sunlight streaming in through the open doors of the businesses. He knew that he couldn't stay in the alleyway forever, but for now, it was a safe place to hide. He could take a break from the world.. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He would have to find a way to get on the bus and go home. He looked up between the two buildings to the partly cloudy sky. He thought this wouldn't be so bad if he got soaked head to toe in the water. At that moment, he realized he was just a few blocks from the downtown city park. It had a large fountain. Whatever he did, the one thing he didn't want to smell like pee when he got on the bus. His full pull-up was not doing him any good now and only made him feel worse. He needed to get it off before he got to the park. It had been an hour or so since he sat between the two dumpsters, and no one had come by. “Maybe I can get his thing off me quickly before anyone walks by and sees me.” Avery stood up and poked his head out between the two dumpsters. There were still a lot of people walking down the busy sidewalk, but no one even noticed him looking, and no one was coming down that alley. Avery quickly stepped back to the safety of being between the two dumpsters. He took a deep breath and dropped his pants, revealing the bulging wet pull-up. He tore quickly at one side to get it loose and quickly tore at the other side as he was exposed for a brief seconds before he tossed the pull-up over into one of the dumpsters and quickly bent over to pull his pants back on. After another deep breath, he decided to get back on the sidewalk, walking briskly towards the park. Just a block before the park, the pedestrian crosswalk traffic light was red. He stood there with a few other people, trying to focus only on looking forward to the green light to cross. Before the light changed, he heard a little girl say, “Mommy, did that boy pee in his pants?” as the little girl looked back at him. The mother turns her head and looks at him. Avery felt so small with the mother of the little girl. She pulled her daughter closer. “Not everyone can be a big girl like you, Lisa.” The little girl couldn’t help but look back at him as Avery tried to ignore her and keep his composure. “You mean he needs to be in diapers.” Just then, the light turned green, and that was all that Avery needed as he rudely pushed his way past the other people waiting to cross and took off running for the park. Avery arrived on the outskirts of the business park. This was the first time he really ever paid much attention to it as he scoped it out. What he saw as the downtown park was a tranquil oasis amidst the hustle and bustle of the busy city. The lush green lawns and well-manicured flower beds offered a serene respite from the concrete jungle of the metropolis. In the center of the park stood a large custom-made fountain with a towering spray of water that glistened in the sunshine. From the looks of it, people and children from all walks of life gather here to toss coins into the fountain, making a wish or a prayer for good fortune. The sound of the splashing water would normally create a calming ambiance for him, besides all the bushes surrounding the outer walkway to the fountain. Benches and tables surrounded the fountain. To Avery’s dismay, there were people having picnics on the benches, and it looked like a couple of older people were playing a game of chess near the fountain. Why did there have to be so many people around this fountain? Avery ducked behind some bushes to survey what to do and to hide his wet pants. He took out his iPhone as he realized. “Shit, I forgot my backpack and computer. This is my work iPhone, not my personal iPhone.” If anyone went to look in his backpack, they would find a couple of pull-ups. Avery shook his head, upset with himself. There was no way he was going to go back to the office now. He may never return to the office where he was sure the gossip was spreading like wildfire. He will have to find another time to gather his things. Right now, he just wanted to get home. Then he saw an opening. He could make a run for the fountain. He could jump on the ledge, pretend to be balancing, and accidentally fall into the fountain. Yes, everyone would be looking at him and maybe laughing, but they would be laughing because he was being stupid and playing around, not because he peed in his pants. He was pretty sure he wouldn’t be the first person to fall into the fountain. He didn’t exactly like being the center of attention like that, but it was better than anything else he could come up with Avery laid his work iPhone down under a bush where he would pick it up on the way out. He then walked briskly over to the fountain. He hopped up on it with the wet side of his pants facing the fountain. He pretended to balance himself. Then, he saw an older man walking up toward the fountain. This was perfect. He could pretend to be caught off guard, bump into him, and fall in. The old man went just behind Avery as he went to toss a coin into the well. Avery pretended to back up and bumped into the older man's arm. “Oh, I am ve-... Argh!” Avery said as he pretended to apologize as he fell into the fountain. The fountain water was freezing as he got up, soaking from head to toe. “Oh, I am sorry. I am so sorry,” the old man said. Avery stood up. “It is ok; it was my fault. I didn’t see you. Don’t worry about it.” Avery was cold from the water, but at least no one could tell he peed his pants anymore, or could they smell it if they lingered too long next to him? He quickly exited the fountain as the older man kept apologizing. Only if he knew the relief Avery felt right now as he briskly walked away. “It is really ok,” Avery shouted back as he leaned down to the bush to pick up his iPhone and then began walking casually towards the busy sidewalk again. As he tried to walk to the bus stop, everyone stared at him; Avery smiled. “ I accidentally got pushed into the fountain.” Even though he was a little chilly, the rest of the walk was so much better as he approached the bus stop. He wasn’t dripping wet anymore, but his clothes were still soaked. Avery felt a sense of relief that he no longer felt like he was peeing in his pants. When people looked at him, he just said. “I was playing around on the fountain and accidentally fell in,” laughing at himself when he said this. He almost felt giddy for coming up with this idea. It took about thirty minutes for the bus to come. When the bus arrived, Avery tried to get on. The bus driver looked right at him. “If you ride the bus, you can’t sit down on one of the chairs. You are going to have to stand holding on to one of the rails.” Avery looked up a female bus driver. She looked like someone you wouldn’t want to cross. “Yes, ma’am. I won’t sit down.” He hated the way she said this so loud and was drawing attention to himself when he stepped on the bus. “Hold there by the front,” She shouted at him. “Kids these days,” the bus driver mumbled to herself as she closed the door, and Avery stepped in and took hold of one of the bars above his head. The ride on the bus was pretty uneventful. The front seat where he was holding the bar remained empty because no one wanted to sit by him when he was so wet. He really didn’t care and thought that was for the better. Finally, his stop arrived. When he exited, he walked briskly on his way home. His triumph was short-lived because as soon as he exited he walked to his apartment complex. He realized once again what happened and how he made a fool of himself. In addition to that, he left his backpack and his personal iPhone back at the office. There is no way he wanted to go back. As Avery was rushing back to his apartment, he was looking at the floor and not paying attention to where he was going. He accidentally bumped into a man in his thirties who was well-built. “You are wet. What the hell do you think you were doing?” He felt the guy push both of his hands hard on his chest as he stumbled backward, hitting the back of an iron fence.. “OW’ Avery cried. “Better watch where you were going next time, loser,” the guy gave him a mean look as he went on walking. “Fuck you!” Avery yelled back as the built man turned back, and Avery got up to take off running. “That is what I thought, loser, you didn’t have the balls to be a man,” He yelled. Avery ran the rest of the way home and went to his apartment door. He quickly opened it and slammed the door hard closed. He was sure his neighbors could hear he didn’t care. It was only 2 pm. He didn’t care much about anyone right now. The first thing Avery did was go to the kitchen and grab himself some orange juice and vodka. He didn’t normally drink in the afternoon; if he did, it was only a small glass a night. But today, he filled it up with vodka almost halfway and the rest with orange juice. “I just want to fucking forget this day,” he cried out loud to himself. He then grabbed his drink and went into the bathroom, stripped off his wet clothes, and threw them on the bathroom floor. He turned on the shower and stepped inside after the water warmed up. There, he just stood with his head against the wall of the shower as the water ran down his head and back. He broke down and cried like he hadn’t in a long time. He stayed in the shower too long. When he got out of the shower, his toes and fingers were wrinkly like an old lady's fingers. The bathroom was just a large fog, and the mirror was completely fogged over. After fully drying himself, he got out of the bathroom and opened his drawer, grabbed hunter-green boxer briefs, and slid them on. He felt emotionally and physically exhausted. Avery went over to his bed, pulled off the bedspread, and laid it down on the floor. He grabbed a pillow from his bed and his stuffed big red dog, Clifford, and placed them both on the bedspread on the floor. He looked at his iPhone on the dresser. Noticed a missed call from Bryan but decided to ignore it and power off the iPhone. He didn’t want to talk to him or anyone. He opened his walk-in closet, where he had a red and blue large mat against the wall. He laid down, pulled his bedspread in, and grabbed his pillow, and Clifford placed them down. He basically made himself a small bed in a closet. “I am giving up on this day… Maybe the whole week,” he told himself as he looked at the clock. It was only 3 p.m., and the sun was shining outside through his closed blinds. He went back to the bathroom and grabbed one valium, one sleeping pill, and his Zoloft. He is taking his meds early, which was fine; he had no problem with an early night after all the excitement of the day. He then went back to the closet and got down on his knees to make the bed as best as he could in the closet. Once the bedspread, the pillow, and Clifford were all in the right spot. He closed the closet door with him inside and laid down, grabbing Clifford and hugging it tightly as he wrapped himself in the bedspread. For some reason, the closet always made him feel safe and secure. Growing up with foster parents, he slept many a night in the closet when he was in trouble or he felt bad or down. As he lay down and his head hit the pillow, he then began to cry. He cried for a good 30 minutes before he passed out in complete darkness.

This chapter is all about introducing a new major character in this story, enjoy. Chapter 5 - A Favor Turned In Julian walked up to Darlene's office door, which was closed. He knocked on it. "Yes?" He could hear Darlene's voice. "It's Julian. Can we talk?" "Yes, sure, we can talk. Just give me a second to get decent," Darlene said as Julian could hear her putting something away. "You can come in, Julian." Julian entered, saw a drawer closing, and Darlene buttoned the top of her blouse. "Could you do me a favor and put those two bottles of milk up for me?" Julian reached over and grabbed the two small bottles of milk and put them in the small office refrigerator that she had in one corner of her office by one of the office windows where the blinds were currently down. Darlene was a 34-year-old businesswoman, the IT director for DNA Pharmacia. She was young for her position. Darlene was about 6’2” tall for a woman and weighed about 140 lbs. She was the tallest of her two sisters by six inches. Her hair was pulled back in a neat bun, and she was wearing minimal makeup. Her nails were clean and trimmed. Today, she wore a tank business suit, a light gray sleeveless jacket, and a pantsuit made from a wrinkle-resistant fabric. The jacket was single-breasted, custom-made for her large breasts with a fitted silhouette. The pants were a light gray pencil-leg. Underneath the jacket, she wore a pale pink blouse typically made of silk with a button-down front and collar with long sleeves and buttoned cuffs. She had a long neckline and wore a pearl necklace that added a touch of elegance to her outfit. She also wore small diamond earrings that didn’t distract from her face's soft, smooth skin. "Well, Julian. I haven't heard from you for a while, so I know you're not here to ask me out for drinks. Did one of my employees do something stupid? Just tell me, and you know I will address it immediately. I don't like my employees to give my department anything but a stellar reputation." Darlene gave Julian that curious but serious look as she sat looking at him across her desk. "May I sit?" Julian asked as he gestured to the chair opposite her. “Oh boy, this must be something big.” Darlene sighed as Julian approached the desk, “Go ahead, sit down. What’s been going on?” Julian sat down. "I can assure you I do not have any issues with any of your employees. I haven't heard anything negative, just good things from the other departments about you and your team." "Oh good, so you’re here to offer me a raise?" She smirked, knowing that this wasn't the case. "No, I wish. DNA Pharmacia recently hired a new intern. A rather talented one that is younger than a normal hire for an intern." Julian paused as he thought about how to approach this, “A real go-getter who seems keen on making his mark. I won’t lie. We see serious potential for him in the future.” "So you want me to take on this employee in my department? Assign a mentor and train this individual. You know I don't like dealing with interns. I have resisted this in the past and will continue to do so. My department demands highly skilled and experienced people to keep this company safe from all the cyber threats out there." Darlene gave Julian a hard stare as he could see the empathic "no" about to come from her mouth. "Wait, let me talk before you say "no." It isn't what you think?" Julian quickly cut Darlene off. "I don't like where you are going with this, but I will hear you out. It’s the least I can do before saying no.” Darlene chuckled at her own humor. She picked a pen up and opened her notebook, waiting to write down notes from their conversation. Darlene always took notes of every conversation. They were there for her reference when she wanted to highlight points in a conversation or rebuttals, which would most likely be the case at the end of this conversation. "Let's put a name on this intern. His name is Avery. He has only been here for two weeks. He is a quiet individual for the most part, from what I gather from Bryan. But we had an incident with Avery this morning." Julian said. "Wait, Bryan, isn't he the Project Director for the Chemical DNA Sequencing Department? Now, I am baffled about what this Intern has to do with me. He would have no idea what to do in my department. I am sure he is an engineer or some science-y thing like that. I can bet my paycheck that he doesn’t have much experience in an IT department. Especially one like this that is so sensitive to cyber security with the constant threats it undergoes daily.” Darlene quickly injected. “Darlene, you promised you would listen, so please let me finish before you make any judgment calls.” Julian showed a little frustration. Darlene was known to draw conclusions too quickly sometimes. She was doing this right now. Julian could tell that Darlene didn’t like being called out. Julian paused till Darlene finished writing her notes down. “The rest of what I am about to tell you is strictly confidential. This information does not go past these walls.” He paused again. “OK, it will stay here. You have my word. Have you ever known me to break it?” Darlene replied sincerely. “No, I haven’t.” Julian took a deep breath, “Bryan has a Sr Technical Manager under him named John. He has quite the ego in the department. He always seems to verbally attack anyone that questions his intelligence. Bryan and I have dealt with him for years. We have tried to get him dismissed from this company many times with the CEO. However, the CEO refuses because John holds so many patents that are of prime importance to the company’s growth and future profit. Before you say anything, yes, DNA Pharmacia owns all the patents. However, the CEO sees him as critical to bringing this new custom-made DNA cancer drug to reality. I will quote our CEO. “He is the most valuable asset we have right now. He is worth more than gold, more than platinum. He is the most valuable rare earth mineral. No matter how hard the mineral is to work with it. Because it is the only mineral that makes this project a reality, end of conversation” So you see, I can not get rid of this person, and he is the biggest pain in my ass!” Darlene sees the emotion and frustration on Julian’s face. “This now brings me to Avery. Avery has managed to piss John off. Avery did nothing wrong except call John out on technical calculations. Avery did this today in John’s monthly project meeting update. During this meeting, Avery was given time to speak. When he was up at the white board being challenged. Avery got overwhelmed with John and his comrade's attacks on him, so to speak, and…” Julian hesitated. He had reported many things to HR in his career, but nothing quite like this. This was very much a one-off incident, and he wasn’t entirely sure about the best way to bring it up. In the end, he decided being bluntly honest and getting it out there was probably for the best. “Avery pissed in his pants quite literally, and it wasn’t just a little it was a lot. To make things worse. His coworkers made fun of the guy.” Darlene continued to listen to Julian and took a few more notes. She looks up to Julian. She lifted her hands up near her breast and turned her hand upwards as if saying so, what does this have to do with me? She didn’t want to interrupt Julian again. “Avery may have unknowingly outwitted John. According to Bryan and one of his younger engineers, Avery may have found a technical mathematical error in John’s fundamental calculation in less than two weeks where John and his team have been working on the problem for, I guess, about nine months.” “This gets to my request. I want you to house Avery. Just house him. He won’t be one of your direct reports. Avery may have unknowingly become as valuable as John to this company if he did solve what John and the team can’t. We need Avery to continue his work and development stress-free from ridicule. I chose you because I know you’re one person in this company who runs a department demanding respect and kindness. It is your department. I couldn’t think of a better place for him to feel safe. I will take this to the CEO if I have to, but I don’t want to.” Julian paused. He sat back, ready for her to counter this. Darlene sat there finishing up her notes. When she finished her notes, she calmly laid her pen down and looked Julian right in the eye with a dead stare. “Where is this Intern right now?” “Well, that is another problem that Bryan is working on. We don’t know exactly. He left the building in tears. We can only expect he went home. Before you ask, no, we don’t know if he will come back. But that is Bryan's job.” Julian looked back at Darlene as if they were both having a staring contest. He was trying to strike a tricky balance between a serious discussion and almost begging for Avery to be moved. He could already see that if Avery was left around everyone else, this one incident could be the start of a major problem. In Julia’s opinion, Avery was very much worth the hassle. “First, I don’t like ultimatums, so don’t do that to me again. Second, I have a spare cubical two desks away from my office. I can house him there. From here, I can see his desk at all times. My only responsibility to this intern is to make sure John doesn’t come by and talk to him. I am not going to babysit this intern. Besides, I don’t know shit about DNA stuff. I just know IT.” Darlene said sternly. “Understood, Bryan and I will have an internal restraining order on John. He can only be in his presence with Bryan or myself. No one else.” Darlene took a deep breath. “Well, you have done me a few favors in the past in getting the right personnel in my department. I know many think my team is overpaid compared to the industry, so I guess this is payment back.” Julian got up. “You can call it that. I will bring him up here Monday morning. I am going to let the poor guy take Friday off on us. It is the least I can do for him. Wish us luck in getting him to come back.” With that, Julian walked out the door. Darlene just shook her head and thought to herself. I hate corporate politics. Why do companies hold onto people who violate the company's own HR policies? No one can be that important. As she sat back in her chair, she thought about what Julian had just told him. Did a new employee really wet their pants in front of everyone? And that same employee was apparently some genius. It sounded to her like he belonged in a nursery rather than a serious office building. She had to admit she was curious, though. If he was worth the trouble, he must really be someone special.

I can't agree more. John is a fictional character but loosely based on a character at my work. That employee had so many warnings, degrading women and yelling at people. HR wanted to fire him, and so did I. The CEO refused. At our company, you can't fire anyone without CEO approval. The person was finally exposed and fired after we had enough proof of money laundering and sex trafficking. I lost much respect in this regard for the company. I was and still am in upper management, so I got a preview of the horrible politics at play.

Avery gets to present his work and hopefully impress everyone, especially Christy, after her words of encouragement. Chapter 4 - The Presentation Avery arrived at the office early, nervous and exhausted but determined. It was 8:00 a.m., but he had been there since 7:00 a.m. He wanted to make a good impression on his first day. Setting up his computer and backpack, Avery began the workday with a sense of contentment in the office's morning calmness that made him contemplate if working alone wouldn't be best for him. He went to grab another cup of coffee as his eyes felt heavy, but since no one was around, he had to make the coffee for the first time. He wasn’t sure how many scoops to put in the machine. He guessed three scoops looked about right for the size of the coffee pot. While the coffee brewed. He went to the bathroom. He had been going to the bathroom much more frequently due to all the coffee and water he was drinking. He decided to do the same thing as before and set the alarm for him to use the restroom every hour, just in case. He just had to hope no one noticed his odd behavior. The project meeting was scheduled for 10 a.m. Avery had two hours remaining to finish preparing his notes, which he printed out in a Word document to distribute among his project teammates. Next, John marched into the room with an air of arrogance, striding confidently past Avery without so much a glance. His voice bellowed in rage through his phone as he shouted fervently about some work-related crisis. Avery could feel the fury and intensity radiating off of John in waves, leaving him feeling insignificant and small. Christy then emerged wearing a light pink blouse and a matching skirt that fell to her knees, accentuating her small frame. Her eyes were gentle and warm, her lips curved in a comforting smile, and she gracefully approached his desk. Christy leaned over on his desk. “I'm so excited to see the outcome. I have faith in you; I know you will do brilliantly.” She smiled at him compassionately, offering him some comfort and support. “I was up late last night putting in some work. I think I made some real progress. Can’t wait to show everyone,” Avery said with a wide grin. Christy leaned over his desk to take a look at the document he was working on. She got a little too close for comfort, and Avery began to squirm slightly. “Wow, you managed to knock out all of this in one night? That's really impressive!” Avery could smell the perfume from Christy as she continued to lean over the desk. The scent of Christy's perfume was a refreshing mixture of the lily of the valley, the sweetness of freesia, and the warm, earthy notes of jasmine. It was an exquisite blend. “I was just going to present the problem with the calculations, but I sort of got on a roll and fixed the calculations and solved the formulas, which I hope we can plug into the program.” His voice choked a little as he could smell her perfume. She smelled as beautiful as she looked. Avery observed Christy examine the list of equations he had presented her. She stared at it for a moment, and Avery felt almost like a student eagerly awaiting their professor's assessment. Christy blinked twice, which told Avery she was having trouble comprehending everything that quickly, not because she wasn't smart enough but rather because it was too early in the morning. “Well, I am sure John will appreciate it a but he will ask you a few questions so he can sound smart.” She chuckled as she stood back up and walked to her desk As Avery watched her leave, he couldn't help but be captivated by Christy's scent. It was almost too much for him to handle, making it hard for him to concentrate on his paper. Still, he managed to finish it just before 10 a.m. He quickly printed out copies and distributed them to those in attendance. Just as he settled back into his seat, his alarm went off again—a reminder to use the restroom. He swallowed down another Valium and chugged the last of his third cup of coffee before standing up to present his paper with shaky hands. He got up and grabbed his folder with his notes and the documents he had printed out. He was walking by the conference room. John and everyone were already there. He was going to put his papers down on the table and then go to the bathroom real quick. But as he turned around to leave, John stopped him. “Where are you going, Avery? Are we starting without you? My philosophy on meetings is that they start on time—and if you're not early, you're late." John punctuated each word with conviction as he leaned back in his chair. Avery really had to pee but sat down at the end on the tables for fear of being laughed at again or upsetting John. Feeling anxious about needing the bathroom only seemed to amplify the pressure in his bladder; his foot rapidly tapped the floor nervously. The meeting began as a storm of tension and urgency. John hastily summarized the current progress issues in play and emphasized the critical importance of this project for the company. He slammed his fist down on the table to bring attention to the slide show that illuminated behind him: “Team, it is the first week of June - and time is running out!” A bug in the software has been identified that causes the calculations to either error or go into an infinite loop. He ordered Zak Carter and Ethan Astrum to rapidly discover the chemical makeup needed based on blood type, DNA, cancer type, and its stage of progression. Zak and Ethan have been working with John for many years, since before they both reached middle age. They both deeply understood the project and respected John, and he favored them in return. Their hair is starting to grey, and they have a confident air about them, knowing they have John's backing. Avery nervously eyed the agenda as John continued with a detailed explanation of future schedule and budget expectations. Relieved he was next in line to present his findings, Avery momentarily forgot about needing to excuse himself for the restroom until John spoke about the programming issue. Proudly remembering how he had uncovered the program problem, Avery felt empowered to speak up confidently – it wasn’t actually in programming code but rather within their strategy for calculation. “We have six million dollars at our disposal,” bellowed John - money allocated for salaries, third-party experts, analytical work, technical software, and hardware needed - sufficient funds if applied correctly - yet insufficient time to make it all happen. John's voice was like thunder, reverberating off the walls as he spoke. “The pilot plant will launch in mid-next year, and we have to make this work if we want to create drugs for human trials. We are talking about a massive study that involves 200,000 participants worldwide. This is a lot of custom drugs and lives on the line; the pressure is immense!” John pointed at each member of the team one by one. “We only have 6 million dollars to work with, and $1.3 Million has already been allocated for personnel for the whole year. If someone decides to leave, everything changes.” He eyed Christy intensely, her skin crawling with fear as his gaze lingered on her. Avery felt bad for Christy. He wasn't sure why John eyed her, but Avery's heart sank as he watched helplessly, wishing desperately that he could do something to shield Christy from John's intimidating words. John continued to outline the details of their budget as Avery paid little attention and worked his notes over in his head again. Johns's voice was deep and direct as he spoke. “Another $565,000 for the third part consultation was spent to date.“ John continued, “So, does anyone else know of any more consultations we may need?” “Analytical to date has been $1,500 million. I know we need more support, at least through the summer. Does anyone have a feel for what that number is?” There was silence as John moved on. “We have spent 240,000 and 270,000 on software and hardware, respectively.” “Now that we are done with the review. The first up to discuss their progress is Avery.” “Avery, would you like to tell us what you have found or progressed on?” Avery took a deep breath and stood up. He walked over to the whiteboard and grabbed a blue dry eraser. Every eye in the room was drilling into his skull as he slowly stepped towards it, clutching onto the blue dry eraser like a lifeline. Even with the Valium, his heart was racing. Avery started to speak “'there are two types of stable equilibria in a two-dimensional space: knot and focus.” Before he could continue, Zak quickly spoke up. “What does this have to do with solving the program problems?” John shifted in his chair as he made a tentative gesture with his hand towards the table, “We can....take a look at this...it could be interesting.” Avery couldn’t quite tell if John was mocking him or not, and his heart skipped a beat in worry. He tried to stay composed as he drew in a deep breath and felt Christy's reassuring gaze upon him, urging him to maintain his composure and remain steadfast. “What I'm trying to say here is that when I examined the program calculations, I noticed both methods were being used – for normal cells, the knot method was utilized while for cancerous cells the focused method was employed. However, when the program attempted to analyze the two results and identify the differences between them, it crashes or goes into a never-ending loop depending on its starting point.” Avery heard Zak murmur something under his breath to Ethane, which sounded suspiciously sarcastic. “He actually thinks he knows more than Ethane and me after we've been working on this for two whole years.” Ethane fired back. “Yeah, he doesn’t know what he's talking about…” Christy seethed with anger at their insolence. It seemed that she had heard similar words early on in her career. “Enough! Just listen to him for once. He put some effort into this.” John shot both Ethane and Zak a threatening look of warning. “Ok, let's review the difference between the two methods for stable equilibrium. A knot is an equilibrium point where the eigenvalues of the Jacobian matrix have no imaginary part. This means that the system will always return to the equilibrium point after a small disturbance. A focus is an equilibrium point where the eigenvalues of the Jacobian matrix have an imaginary part. This means that the system will move away from the equilibrium point in a spiral motion.” Avery explained tensely. Avery busily scribbled notes and diagrams onto the board, trying his best to illustrate his lesson. “No way, he's not teaching us anything new! Keep going if you think this is going somewhere though...” Zak said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. Avery felt like he was about to burst from anxiety and fear; his bladder felt tight and uncomfortable, and a subtle trickle of urine trickled down his inner thigh before he could stop it. Struggling to contain himself, he turned away from Zak, Ethane, and Christy, facing the board instead as he continued to draw. “There are also three types of unstable equilibria in a two-dimensional space: knot, focus, and saddle, which is valid in the case of a cancerous cell since it is always changing. A knot is an equilibrium point where the eigenvalues of the Jacobian matrix have a positive real part. This means that the system will move away from the equilibrium point in a linear motion. A focus is an equilibrium point where the eigenvalues of the Jacobian matrix have a negative real part and a nonzero imaginary part. This means that the system will move away from the equilibrium point in a spiral motion. A saddle is an equilibrium point where the eigenvalues of the Jacobian matrix have different real parts. This means that the system will move away from the equilibrium point in two different directions.” “From this, you can select two methods to come to a solution the results will diverge and be different. You must choose either the focus method or saddle method for calculating the cancer cell and the noncancer cell to ensure that the difference between the calculations doesn’t occur.” Christy was quite impressed with his calculations and logic. “So why don’t we select the focus method because we used it once for the cancerous cell?” “Actually, Christy. That is the method I would recommend for the same reason. There is less program editing, and the cancerous cell is already harder to program.” Avery turned to smile at Christy. “Christy, don’t say anything till Avery is done before we make any judgment calls,” John lashed out to Christy. Avery could hear snickering as he tried hard to hold his bladder and closed his eyes once again. John, Ethan, and Zak were all talking, but he couldn’t hear what they were saying. Avery noticed John did not lash out at those two. Avery needed to get through this as quickly as possible. He felt another few drops of moisture drip out of him. He wondered if that was from the first leakage or if it was happening again. He tried to tense up again to hold on. He just needed a few more minutes… “Now, let's talk about the setup of the initial equation. The initial equation looks at the wall strength of the cell and the internal pressure created in the cell due to density as a function of the pressure and temperature in the cell. However, it does not consider the external pressure exerted on the cell by the fluid surrounding it.” Avery was starting to fidget back and forth like a little kid who needed to go to the bathroom as he held his bladder. “I should have never had all that coffee,” he told himself before continuing. “This means that the initial equation is only a simplified system model. To get a more accurate model, we need to take into account the external pressure. We can do this by adding a term to the equation that represents the external pressure.” Avery stood back from the board and looked at all his formulas, and then began to finish it up. “Once we add this term to the equation, we can then use the methods that I have described to analyze the stability of the equilibria. This will allow us to determine whether the cell is stable or unstable under different conditions.” He turned around, confident he proved himself right, but the faces on all three except Christy didn’t look too impressed. He hadn’t exactly expected rapturous applause, but he didn’t think he’d get completely stonewalled. A simple pat on the back would’ve done. Johns's voice was cold and serious as he spoke. “Ok, Avery, do you really think that this is all correct, and after only two weeks, you were able to come up with all this?” John looks offended; someone would have the nerve to tell him how to do these calculations. “Second, even if this is right, you must’ve had help. Which department did you get help from?” “I... I didn’t.” Avery got cut off by Zak when he stood up quickly. “You think this is going to work? It's just a load of crap math!” Zak jumped up, rage radiating from him. “Ethan and I have worked for years as and so much harder than you on this project!” He shoved Avery out of the way and proceeded to wipe the board clear, snarling in contempt. “Don’t! It is right!” Avery started to tear up, and not realizing he let go of his bladder as pee quickly filled up his pull-up and started to leak out and down his legs, as a wet stop showed up on his crotch and left leg. Avery froze in place as he felt the pull-up fail. The padding swelled up, and the warm urine spilled over the sides. Unlike the warmth of his disposable underwear, the liquid on his legs rapidly cooled as the pee ran down his legs. He gasped and wondered if there was any way to keep this quiet. When he looked down and saw the wet streaks on his pants, he knew it was impossible. Ethan's eyes widened with disbelief as he spotted Avery, and he yelled out in shock. “What the hell!? Is he PEEING?!” John staggered back a few steps, mouth agape, and exclaimed incredulously. “I think Pissy Britches is so mad we don't like his fake solution that he's actually -" Zak reacted quickly, spinning around to face the specter before him, his voice quivering as he blurted out in disgust. “Gross! He's peeing on the floor!" With fear racing through his veins, Zak quickly retreated away from this disgraceful sight. Avery felt mortified as he couldn’t move. He wanted to run away, curl up, and die, or at least to evaporate and become invisible. With a quick scan around the room, he realized that Christy was nowhere in sight. Had she seen his embarrassing accident? He prayed she had already left the room, and he simply hadn’t noticed, but he know she ran from watching the disgusting scene. The excruciating taunts seemed to stretch on for an eternity, though in reality it was only mere moments. Avery felt his body tense up as he tried his best to suppress the raging torrent of tears that threatened to break through. The door suddenly flung open again, and Christy reappeared with Bryan in tow. He strode into the room, scanning each person with a menacing stare. Christy stood meekly in the corner, too embarrassed to make eye contact with Avery. Her cheeks were stained with tears at the sight of Avery's torment. “What the hell, John? You should know better than this! All of you get out of here! This is disgusting and shameful behavior for all of you!” Bryan roared at John, Zak, & Ethan as he saw what had taken place. Zak defensively grabbed his belongings to leave. “It wasn't us who pissed in our pants and on the floor and made a mess everywhere.” Bryan snapped back in outrage. “Don't even start with me, Zak. Now get out!” Ethan followed with John, folding his laptop down and then leaving also. There was still some laughter as they left. Bryan looks John sternly in the face. “You are supposed to set the example and not be part of the problem.” John said nothing as he walked past Byran, looking really unphased by the comment. As he passed Christy, who was still behind Byran. He gave her a dark glare as he knew she went and got Byran. As they left, Bryan went over to Avery and put a caring hand on his shoulder. “I will take care of John and the team later, but we need to get you cleaned up first.I know it is embarrassing, but we can’t have you standing here like this. Can you at least go into my office and hide out there while we figure something out for you, OK?” Avery couldn't bring himself to look up, feeling both Bryans and Christy's stares. "Christy, you can go now. I'm grateful for your quick thinking. I will make sure there is no retaliation against you.” Bryan said. Avery watched Christy leave the room. He wondered what she was thinking. Any respect or friendliness she had for him must’ve evaporated as Avery stood in his puddle. "I am going to go get the janitor for the floor, but please go into my office. Don't worry about sitting on the chair," Byran said as he was so infuriated with John, Zak, and Ethan. There was no need for this. They are professionals. When Byran left, Avery took a deep breath and exited the conference room. Instead of going to Byran's office, he ran to the elevator, which had just opened, and someone walked out, leaving the elevator empty. Avery was done. He made a fool of himself. He was going to go straight home. He wasn’t sure if he would ever be able to come back. After Byran got the janitor, he returned to his office to talk to Avery. When he entered, he wasn't there. Bryan sighed. "Poor kid." Bryan sat down in his chair and dialed a phone call. The phone picked up. "Hello, Byran. What is going on with you today?" Julian, the HR director, responded quickly to the phone call because the person calling him would show up on his office phone. "Not good news. It is John's behavior again. This time he really screwed up." Byran paused, and Julian could hear the sigh. "Let me just be blunt, he made our new Intern, Avery, piss in his pants, and I am not talking about a dribble but a full blow pissed in his pants all the way down to the floor, and then he and two of his engineers laughed and made fun of him." "That guy is a pain in our ass," Julian replied. "Let me come up there, and we can talk in your office. Luckily, I don't have any other meetings for the remainder of the day". "Sounds good. I will see you in a few," Byran hung up. This wasn't John's first run-in with making employees uncomfortable or threatening them. Unfortunately for Bryan, the company's CEO favored John because of all the patents he had created for the company. He leaned back in his chair and looked up, thinking how to best handle this. Avery is definitely upset and mortified. Would he even want to come back? Are there any legal ramifications Avery could take against the company? Just as he was thinking this. There was a knock on Bryan's office door. "Come in." "Excuse me, Mr. Wells." Christy walked in carrying several papers. "I think you need to look at these. I don't think John even gave Avery a chance". Christy handed the documents over to Bryan, placing them on his desk and listening to Christy talk while he reviewed them. Christy felt safe talking to Bryan because she, too, had several run-ins with John at work, where Bryan was able to take care of her. "I know you are aware of the long-standing problem of the program not converging and crashing all the time on the calculation for the drug formula. John has always insisted that the problem is in the program, not the calculations. I think he may be seriously wrong." Christy then pointed to the second page of all the hand calculations Avery was doing. "See here. We tried to use two different convergence formulas between the cancerous and normal cells. Each method has a fundamentally different starting point, which results which makes them incompatible with each other. Avery was trying to explain this." She paused to allow Bryan to take it in. He flipped back and forth between several papers. After a couple of minutes studying the calculations, as Christy stood there silently, letting him digest it all in, Byran's face turned red to looked upset. "How did we miss this for almost nine months?" He looked at Christy as if he wanted her to answer him. "I.. I.. don't know, Sir." Christy felt terrible not having a better answer. "I was never allowed to work on that part of the project. John's overly protective of this project. He makes it well known we are not allowed to work outside our bounds. In fact, I had heard John make comments to Avery about not focusing on the calculations." "I am sorry, Christy. I am not mad at you. I am just frustrated that we have wasted a lot of time looking for a problem in the wrong spot.” John sighed and shook his head. He had always tried to foster a spirit of teamwork, but clearly, it wasn’t working. Just then, there was another knock on Bryan's door. Julian walked through. "Hey Julian, one second," Bryan said. "I appreciate you bringing this to my attention. I will look through the papers more later. I promise there will be no repercussions for bringing this to me or letting me know what happened in the meeting quickly." Christy nodded. "Thank you, Sir." She turned around to leave the office. "Oh, one more quick thing, Sir. Look over the second page on external pressure. That is something I am not sure would or would not apply. Avery never got to explain this." She then walked out as Julian gave her an inquisitive look. "I can’t help but ask, since I heard Avery's name in your conversation with Christy, what was that all about?" Julian walked over and pulled up a chair on the opposite side of Bryan. Bryan sighed again as he looked at Julian. They had been working for this company for over fifteen years and had known each other for some time. "You know how we have been writing this program to calculate a custom-made drug for specific cancers and how we have struggled to get it to coverage on some of the most theoretical calculations." Bryan paused to let Julian catch up since the project's technical details weren't common knowledge for him. "John may have been severely wrong in his approach." Julian leaned back in the office chair. "So let me see if I can sum this up. John's own arrogance and lack of compromise have prevented his team from finding a solution to this problem, which billions of dollars are dependent on for the company to build this pilot plant. Which he is putting this project at risk. Then an intern arrives and finds a potential solution in less than two weeks." "Yep, that sums the first part up well." Bryan looks through the papers still. "We need to do a much deeper dive into Avery's calculations to really vet them, but it looks promising." "So where is Avery, this brilliant young man, then?" Julian asked as he expected to find Avery in his office. "I checked his badge just before Christy came in, and he has checked out of the building. I can only assume he went home." Bryan looked up at Julian. Julian gave a little chuckle. "So the rest of this story is that we have a brilliant young man who left the office building. Who now holds the calculations and understanding of our fundamental problem. If I were that young man, I would not come back because I have been humiliated to death having urinated in front of his team members, and then I am sure others saw him on his way out. Which could lead to some possible legal problems if he doesn't return. Wow, what a H.R. nightmare." Byran looked at Julian. Nothing could elevate Julian's blood pressure. No matter how bad things or crazy things got, he was always calm and humorous. "The problem is we both know we can't get rid of John no matter how badly we want to. Regardless of what H.R. rules he broke, our CEO will not allow us to terminate John. I can hear him just yelling at us and saying, 'Just deal with it!'" Julian then spoke with confidence. "Your job is to get Avery back and ensure he is ok." "I will pull in a favor with Darlene and ask her to house Avery and allow him to continue with the project under your direct supervision." He paused for a second and then continued with his thoughts. "We will still write John up yet again, but this time impose a restraining order within our company that he can not be alone with Avery without one of us present at all times." "But, do you think that will stop John from harassing him? He won't listen to the so-to-speak restraining order." Bryan looked unsold on Julian's idea. "I agree he might stay away a week or two, and then he will ignore that restraining order. But that is why I am putting him with Darelene's department. I have never met a manager who takes more interest in her employees and becomes very protective of them. Her personality might put John in his place the first time she meets him and crosses her line of authority." Julian looked at Bryan with a sense of confidence that Bryan knew he knew something about this woman. He had only met her when the CEO would call for a leadership meeting. "Well, I guess we both have work to do." Julian got up and smiled as he walked out of the office. "Let us salvage this. I will go talk to Darlene."

Some will find this chapter a little much. I apologize, but I think it is still necessary for the next chapter, which I hope you will like. Please keep the comments and feedback coming. Chapter 3 - Preparation Avery arrived home, feeling relieved to be back in his haven. He quickly made his way inside, pulled his clothes off, and quickly tossed his wet pull-up in the trash. He could see that it was very wet. The normally white padding of the pull-up had swollen and yellowed but did its job admirably. Egared to get to work, he took a quick hot shower and then put on fresh boxers and some comfortable clothes. Avery was thankful; he didn’t need pull-ups when he was home alone and glad to be out of them. Avery's stomach grumbled, and he knew that he needed to eat something. He opted for a quick meal of mac and cheese with peas and tuna fish, which was easy to make and perfect for such situations. He didn't want to waste time cooking an elaborate meal, for he had work to do. He wanted to spend every possible moment figuring out solutions to the problems he was working on. As his food cooked in the microwave, Avery set up a small battery-powered camera that his company had given him. He turned it on and mounted it on the kitchen counter directly above the trash can. The company's IT security protocol required employees to record the location of their computers at all times when used outside of the office. These tiny cameras were almost invisible, and no one ever noticed them unless they were specifically searching for them. However, in case of theft, the IT department at DNA Pharmacia took intellectual property protection seriously, and these cameras would prove invaluable in locating stolen electronics. With his camera set up, Avery sat down with his notes and reviewed the code's calculations while enjoying his dinner. He felt content, knowing that he was doing his best to protect his company's intellectual property while also working hard to solve challenging problems. Whoever ran DNA Pharmacia's IT department was very serious about their intellectual property protection. After dinner, Avery made himself a pot of coffee as he was exhausted and tired from staying up so late the last few days. He wanted to prove where the calculations were wrong tomorrow and go over methodically why they were wrong and how to fix it. While eating, he referenced his college math books. This was graduate-level math he was working with luckily for him, he had taken graduate-level math already in his undergraduate studies. “What I want to do is break the problem down the best I can into manageable steps” He thought to himself “What I need to do is to apply the calculations of the external pressure on the membrane cell that was lacking in the calculations.” He wrote down some notes while eating his dinner. His feet were tapping the floor as he clicked his pen on and off and he thought about the problem. He needed to find the pressure distribution in the boundary layer of a fluid flowing past the membrane cell. In his mind, the boundary layer is this thin layer of fluid that adheres to the surface of the membrane cell. The pressure in the boundary layer is affected by the viscosity of the fluid, the velocity of the fluid, and the shape of the membrane cell. He wrote it down on his paper. Pressure is a function of viscosity, velocity, and shape. This wasn’t easy. He understood the concept and the fundamentals of this problem. But solving it mathematically was a whole other problem. Avery rattled his fingers on the table and dropped the pen. The silence was getting to him and making him more anxious. He got up to turn on some music. The radio was set to a pop music station, and whilst he didn’t much care for the music, at least it was some background noise. He sat back down at the table. “Ah, better”. He went through his math books again. Stared at the screen where the calculations were taking place in the program. After about an hour, it occurred to him. He was going to need to try to solve the problem by using the separation of variables and by applying the boundary conditions of the problem at the same time. To do this, he needed to specify the pressure at the edge of the boundary layer and the velocity of the fluid at the surface of the membrane cell. In theory, if it were done correctly, Avery would be able to calculate the pressure distribution in the boundary layer. This information can be used to design and optimize the thickness of the membrane needed for both a normal cell and a cancerous cell. “I got this,” he said out loud as he stood up to go get another cup of coffee. As Avery stood up, he felt a sudden pressure coming from his bladder, and he had to clamp down on his muscles quickly. Despite his quick action, he could still feel a little urine drip into his underwear. Avery nearly knocked over his table as he dashed through to the bathroom. He fumbled with his pants, and for a heart-stopping moment, he didn’t think he was going to make it. Just as the pressure became too much, he was able to lower his pants. As he directed his stream into the bowl, he leaned back and sighed with relief. “That was a close one,” he thought to himself. “I must be really wrapped up in my head to not feel the need to pee.” He grabbed his iPhone and decided to set an alarm every hour to remind him to pee. He didn’t want to break his 6-year record of not wetting himself or in his bed. After grabbing his cup of coffee and sitting back down, he brought some paper out and started to write down the difficult partial differential equations while listening to the music. He told himself. “The problem involved eigenvalues, which are special values that can be used to solve the equation.” Avery had never worked with eigenvalues before, but he was determined to solve the problem. He read up as fast as he could on them in his partial differential equation book; it took him about four hours into the night. It was 11 p.m. with four bathroom breaks and two more cups of coffee; he figured he understood how to work with the eigenvalues. Avery was only able to self-teach himself because math was really his primary language. Growing up without many toys, he would entrain himself to learn math outside of school. In high school, a teacher who had a Doctorate in Math decided to teach higher math than what the school taught him. He absorbed it very quickly. For him, Math was a game or a puzzle, just like his favorite toy, a bucket of legos with no instructions to them. The other issue with the eigenvalues was how to program them correctly, but he would worry about that part later. Avery wrote down the pressure boundary layer equation as a partial differential equation, which describes how the pressure of a fluid changes as it flows past a solid surface, in this case, the cell membrane. The equation is given by: \frac{\partial p}{\partial x} = \frac{\mu}{2} \frac{\partial^2 p}{\partial y^2} where p is the pressure, μ is the viscosity of the fluid, and y is the distance from the solid surface. It was 1 a.m. when he found what he thought was the correct equation. “Now I need to solve this equation,” he thought to himself. “I don’t have much time,” as he looked at the clock and yawned. “I need more coffee,” he told himself as he went on his hourly bathroom break. Avery knew that he could solve the pressure boundary layer equation using a technique called separation of variables. “I need to use separation of variables, which requires me to rewrite the equation in terms of two independent variables, x and y, as a function of pressure.” Avery could write the equation as in a very simple formula “p(x, y) = X(x) Y(y).” Substituting this into the pressure boundary layer equation, Avery got a new drawn-out equation. Avery now needed to find a solution for Y of y. He did this by substituting the solution for X of x into the pressure boundary layer equation. This gave him a new and final equation after taking the derivatives and simplifying the equation, which took about two pages. He looked down at his general solution to the pressure boundary layer equation. “There it is, I got it!” Avery exclaimed as he circled the final answer to the equation. Avery told himself, “This solution can be used to solve a wide variety of environments where a membrane cell could exist. This is incredible. They will be so thankful for this!” It was 4 a.m., and Avery still needed to figure out the values of constants A, B, C, D, and E using the boundary conditions. Once he solved that, he'd be able to calculate pressure anywhere in or outside the membrane cell. Avery was exhausted but proud of his solution. He had applied partial differential equations to a real-world problem and felt sure the team tomorrow would give their approval so they could update their program to find a cure for cancer. Despite his weariness, Avery's mind wouldn't turn off, mulling over everything he had worked on that night. It took him two hours before he awoke to the sound of both his alarm clock and iPhone. All he wanted was another few hours of sleep after all the work he put in the previous evening. After a quick shower to wake himself up, Avery grabbed his pill box and took his morning medication with some water.

For those who have given me feedback Thank You! Anyone is welcome to point out things that seem to be inconsistent as they story gets farther along. I am always open to positive and negative feedback.

Chapter 2 - New Friend Avery collected his McDonald's order when they called out his name and hurriedly left the restaurant. He did not want to linger and bring up old memories. He was trying to push the memories of his past aside and act like it never happened. Once Avery arrived home, he had already finished eating. tonight, Avery's routine was set; as soon as he entered his apartment, he changed out of his pull-up and work clothes into pajamas and hopped in the shower. Afterward, he grabbed a glass to drink and propped up a pillow behind him in his bed to settle down and read through a large notebook filled with research reports. Avery already knew that cancers were caused by errors in cell division. The instability of the cell is caused by changes in DNA, which occur in the DNA genes. So, the drug DNA Pharmacia is trying to produce will try to stabilize the cancer cells so they won’t split by addressing the broken gene. Since everyone’s genes are different, the drug would have to be different for each person. Apart from the minor bugs that Avery was hired to resolve, Avery quickly realized that there were more serious errors in the program. While it attempted to work out the energy level of a stable cell compared to an unstable one, it failed to get further and stopped with an error message. This was not just an issue with coding but a fundamental flaw. It was 1 a.m. by the time he figured out what had happened and knew he should speak to John in the morning. He took his sleeping pills but wanted to be sure not to repeat the same mistake, so he placed his phone on the dresser across from where he slept, making it necessary for him to get up if he wanted to turn it off. Avery groaned as the alarm clock blared, bright light from outside streaming through the blinds as the sun was rising and illuminating the room in a pale yellow. He stumbled out of bed to acknowledge the alarm clock on his iPhone. With a large yawn, Avery pulled off his boxers, then grabbed a fresh pull-up and slid it on. Then he grabbed his tan dockers and red-gold shirt off the floor. He could feel the sleep still tugging at his eyes, and rubbed them with the heels of his hands before attempting to tame his wild hair. In one swift motion, he quickly made a bagel and cream cheese and grabbed his notebook and notes from the nightstand. He stuffed the notebook and notes into his backpack and slung both of his smartphones, identical models except for the black protective case provided by DNA Pharmacia on the company phone and a dark hunter-green case on his personal device. He meandered half a mile to the bus stop, spinning the notes from last night's cram session while he waited. He wished for some coffee; the effects of the sleeping medication seemed to linger, leaving him drowsy. He pondered how long he could keep going on five hours of sleep When the elevator doors opened, Avery walked to the end of the row of cubicles to where his desk was next to the emergency exit. At the desk he placed his notebook and notes on the desk before reaching for the company coffee mug. He had to take a deep breath to steady himself before venturing out of his comfort zone into the community lunchroom. It was then that he remembered he had left his lunch at home. Cursing himself quietly, he knew that the company restaurant downstairs could provide him with delicious free food. But, facing one-on-one conversations wasn't something he was used to, so we would forgo lunch. Even getting coffee felt like a risk. Just then, he noticed the sexy young engineer pouring herself a cup of coffee and realized she'd spotted him, too. With a slight blush, Avery turned away to avoid eye contact. “Ah, you must be the newest recruit!” Christy's smile could light up a room. "I'm Christy." Avery fumbled for the coffee pot, fingers trembling as he filled it. "U-uh, I...I'm Avery," he stammered. "It's lovely to meet you, Avery." She offered her hand in greeting. Finally looking up, Avery was taken aback by Christy's slender, toned physique and athletic legs that strode with grace. Her bright green eyes sparkled with knowledge and curiosity, and her short bobbed hair framed her gentle face perfectly. Avery blushed and took her hand shyly, mumbling his thanks before quickly averting his gaze. From Christy's point of view, his smile was bashful and quiet. She was wearing a blouse and skirt that fitted her figure perfectly and gave off an impeccable vibe. The blouse was made of silky material in a deep emerald green; it went well with her complexion and made her eyes pop. It had a high neckline with a dainty frill outlining her face, drawing attention to her graceful neck. The fabric hugged her curves in all the right places yet still gave her some room to move around without being too tight on her stomach area. The slim sleeves ended with small buttons at the cuff for added sophistication. She tucked it into a sleek, high-waist straight skirt, completing the professional look she was going for. “Uh, if you - uh... need anything? I'm just - uh, a few desks down? Y'know and I can help...umm...maybe show you around?" Christy said. Avery gawped nervously before stammering out a half-hearted “M-maybe.” He fumbled as he scurried off to his desk; social situations weren't his thing, particularly when he found the other person attractive. Christy blinked in surprise at Avery's behavior. Typical engineer, she thought with an amused snigger. “Yup... That explains the stigma, alright.” With a smirk, she turned back to her work. Back at his desk, Avery knew that he had to make tremendous progress in debugging the program if John was even going to give him the time of day. He set out on the mundane task with determination and devoted the entire morning to solving these basic issues, hoping to an audience with John to show him the flaws he discovered last night. Just as lunch came around, John strutted briskly by. “Excuse me, Sir!” Avery said authoritatively, trying to capture his attention. John stopped and directed an intense gaze at him, his piercing eyes glinting beneath his dark navy blue suit tailored to perfection for his broad shoulders and tall stature. The suit jacket had a single button and a notch lapel, paired with a crisp white dress shirt and a coordinating silk tie with a subtle pattern. “Avery, how are you doing with the program?” he asked expectantly. “It...it's coming along; I've found some things that don't crash the user interface and a better way to input data, but....” Avery started before John cut him off curtly. “Good job. I have an important business lunch. I want more details on this in our project meeting." Without offering another chance for Avery to talk, John spun around sharply and marched towards the elevators. "But..." Avery felt powerless as he watched John leave yet again without taking any of his suggestions into consideration. As Christy unpacked her lunch, Avery watched from across the room with a look of disappointment on his face. He rolled his shoulders and started to say something but couldn't find the right words. "He's just like that with everyone," Christy said with a sympathetic shrug. But it was clear that Avery wasn't listening; he was too despondent. Turning back to his computer screen, full of lines of code he'd been working on for hours, it all felt pointless. Why bother putting in so much effort if John was just going to ignore him? Just as Avery was questioning his decision to take the job, he felt a sudden pressure in his bladder. He stood up from his desk and moved as quickly as possible towards the restroom, hoping no one was watching his rushed steps. He always went to a stall when using the bathroom so he wouldn't have to worry about anyone finding out he wore adult pull-ups. As soon as he entered the stall, he fumbled to remove his belt before lowering his pants and the pull-up underneath. His timing couldn't have been better--as soon as he sat down, his bladder released. It had been a few years since Avery had experienced a genuine accident, but there had been plenty of occasions where he had come uncomfortably close. His last accident had been back at college. He had left his last lecture, and instead of going to the bathroom before leaving campus as he normally did, he went straight to the bus to head home. Avery had realized he was in trouble about three stops away from his dorm room. By the time they were one stop away, he was crossing his legs and clamping down hard. He hadn’t come to terms with his bladder weakness at that point and wasn’t wearing any protection. “Are you OK, dear?” An old woman next to Avery had asked. Avery had nodded his head and tried to give her a reassuring smile, but even as he did so, he felt a little urine escape and soak into his underpants. Fortunately, his stop was approaching fast, and he hurried to the doors; every few seconds, he found a little more urine leaking into his pants and knew it had started running down his legs. As soon as the doors opened, he jumped off, and as the bus pulled away, he shuddered as what little control he still had gave way. After a brief moment, he felt the heat from his urine blossom all over the front of his underwear. Almost immediately, the warm liquid started running down his legs. Some of it dripped onto the floor and the rest onto his shoes and socks. After that, Avery had to waddle home awkwardly. Fortunately, it was dark, and there weren’t many people around. He was able to get to his dorm room without too much trouble. It was the next day that he had bought his first packet of protection. Avery was broken out of his reverie when he heard the bathroom door open again. He started thinking less about his past and more about his present. More specifically, he started to think about the department meeting the next day. He remembered what John had said previously, that if he had any suggestions, he should “slip them under the door” of his office. Coming out of the restroom, Avery made sure not to look at Christy, whose beauty intimidated him, and sat down at his desk. He decided to write a letter to John to describe what he was learning in all the research notes and articles and seeing in the code. He was hoping he would listen. Maybe then he would come to talk to him one-on-one. He grabbed a piece of paper and laid it down on his desk. He took his pen and twirled it in his hands while he tried to think how to start this letter… “Dear John, I have conducted an in-depth analysis of the program and notebook pertaining to current theoretical calculations. Based on my review, I have identified two potential issues; the first is the discrepancy between the stable and unstable cells in computational miscalculation, and the second is the lack of consideration for external forces impacting both cells. If it is possible, I would be pleased to discuss more details with you in my office. Sincerely, Avery” Avery folded the paper in half and wrote on top. “Please read.” He walked over to John’s office, which was empty because he was still out for his business lunch. He leaned down and slid the paper under the door. When he did this, he realized his golf shirt had slid up and temporarily exposed the white pull-up he was wearing. He stood up quickly and pushed the back of his shirt down. He was feeling embarrassed and unsure if anyone saw him. He walked back to his desk while never looking up. His anxiety was through the roof. He felt like he was about to have a panic attack. Avery quickly got into his backpack, grabbed one of his Valiums, and swallowed it down with some water. “Come on, don’t freak out. You can do this,” he kept trying to tell himself over and over. Finally, the Valium started working, and he felt a little calmer. He was able to focus back on the program. About two hours went by, and John finally came back to the office. Avery watched the corner of his eye as John bent down and picked up the letter. Avery had been struggling all day to focus on improving the subroutine, even with the help of Valium. He was still having trouble calming down and focusing. He was eagerly waiting for John to come over and discuss his idea and potential solution to the calculations, but to his disappointment, John didn't show up when the clock turned past 5 p.m. It was officially after hours. Avery was determined to talk to John, so he decided to stay late, hoping that John would come and talk to him. He began to get nervous, knowing he had to leave by 6 p.m. or he would miss the last bus to get home. Shortly after 5:30 p.m., John finally came back to the office. Avery watched from the corner of his eye as John bent down, picked up the letter, and walked into his office. A few minutes later, Avery watched as John stepped out of his office with his work bag, locked the office door, and walked towards him to get to the elevator. As he approached, Avery tried to get his attention... “Ah, John, do you have a minute? I would like to talk about my notes. I think it would be of benefit to you and the program.” John looked down at Avery sitting in his office chair. “I don’t really have time. We can discuss this in the project team meeting tomorrow. That is actually the proper forum for you to explain your idea to the team.” John’s voice was very dry and monatomic as if he didn’t really care one way or another if Avery presented his idea. Avery tried to say something, but John was too quick to turn and leave for the elevator as it opened, and he saw someone stepping in. That short talk with John made him pee just a little into the pullup. He was so shocked that he lost control for even a second as he felt the slight warm dampness in his pull-up. It must be from the extra valium. Avery looked defeated. Christy took notice as she was shutting down her computer and grabbed her purse. She walked over to Avery’s desk. “Don’t take that personally. He does that to everyone. I used to think he didn’t like women!'' “He does play favorites, though, and there are two engineers that have been with him for a while. Everyone else sort of takes a back seat.” Christy continued as she leaned in closer to Avery, “Your best chance of getting him to listen is to explain your idea in the meeting, but you will be challenged. He just likes to push people.” Avery sighed. He couldn’t help but feel the dream job may not have been what he thought it was. He had expected his ideas to be listened to and respected, but John seemed to have no interest in them. He looked up at Christy, who was still giving him a sympathetic smile. Avery also felt awkward in a wet pull-up in front of Christy, wondering if she could tell something was a miss. “If John is so bad, how come you still work here?” Avery asked, “I mean, with your skills, you could probably walk into a job anywhere else.” “That’s kind of you to say.” Christy sighed as she seemed to think about Avery’s question, “The truth is… I do actually like it here. Like I said, it takes some time to get used to John, but once you get his respect, you’re all set.” “Getting his respect appears to be easier said than done…” Avery said ruefully, “This job isn’t what I thought it would be. Do you feel like that? Do you ever wonder if this is really the right place to work?” Christy smiled sweetly and replied, "I enjoy the work and the people I work with. Yes, John can be difficult, but I've learned to navigate his style. But you get used to it, and there are some perks to the job, and the company has good benefits and opportunities for growth. Plus, the work we do is important, and I feel like I'm making a difference." Christy thought for another second and then continued. "Aside from John, the people I work with are good, and Byran, our boss, is great. Yes, John can be difficult, but I look at my long-term goals. “ Christy walked with Avery to the elevator. She was going to get off the 2nd floor for the parking garage, and Avery pressed the first floor to get off for the bus stop. As the elevator was going down, Christy spoke up again. “I have been here for two years. When you take a job here, you have a two to three-year commitment on the job you take before you can take another job. I will be honest. In that time, I scoped out the other departments and found some that I think I would enjoy with great people. So, I hope to transfer out soon when the right job opens up. I believe Bryan will give me his support, and my performance reviews with him have been good.” “I guess what I am saying is that this isn’t forever. Hang in here for a couple of years, do well, and you can go to another department. I figure any place you work will have some asshole you have to learn to work with.” Christy looked at Avery. Avery was staring into the distance, thinking about what Christy was saying and wondering if he had the patience to stick it out for years without getting the respect he felt he deserved. Unlike Christy, he didn’t have too many other options. He was new on the scene and didn’t have the CV or connections she did. For him to get another job would be tough. The rest of the ride was quiet, but just as the second floor opened to the parking garage, Christy started to walk out. Avery spoke up. “Wait, I just wanted to say thank you. I really do appreciate it. I don’t mean to come off so unappreciative.” Avery smiled bashfully Christy looked back at him as she exited the elevator. “No problem, any time.” Avery nodded, feeling a little better as the elevator closed.. He knew that he had to prepare for the meeting and come up with a solid argument to convince John to listen to his proposal. With Christy's words in mind, Avery started to imagine how the meeting would go and how he could sway John to his side. He knew it wouldn't be easy, but he was ready for the challenge he was going to go home and prepare. As he exited the elevator, he felt the slight wetness of his pull-up. He cursed himself for losing control again as he walked to the bus stop and stood next to the bench. He had just finished a long day at work and was exhausted. He was also wearing a wet pull-up, and he was starting to feel self-conscious standing around others. He wanted to get home, strip out of this pull-up, and take a shower. A few minutes later, the bus pulled up to the stop. When he got on the bus, he noticed it was quite full. He passed by several people as he made his way towards some empty seats near the back of the bus. Avery took a seat near the back, which was almost empty except for a woman in her 40s with a small dog on a leash. Avery sat down and took a deep breath. He felt the wet pull-up between his legs squelching as he did so. For a horrifying moment, he thought there was a trail of urine running down his leg, but he was mistaken. He hated crowded buses even when he was dry. He felt as if everyone knew he had a wet pull-up on. Avery glanced down at the dog, a small brown and white terrier mix. The dog wagged its tail and licked Avery's hand. He smiled. He had always been fond of dogs, especially small ones. "What's your dog's name?" Avery asked. "Her name is Lucy. Mine is Sarah," Sarah said. "She's a rescue dog. We found her abandoned on the side of the road a few months ago." "She's so cute," Avery said. "She is," Sarah said. "She's a great dog. She's very loving and playful." “I have always wanted a dog but never been allowed one, or any pet for that matter. My apartment forbids any animals. Maybe someday, I will get lucky and find a friendly and loving dog like yours.” Avery sighed a little, thinking about how he asked for one several times growing up. Regardless of which foster family he was with, the answer was always no. Avery continued to pet Lucy. Enjoying the attention the dog was giving him. He started to relax a little bit. Sarah talked for a while about her job, her family, and her hobbies. Avery found out that Sarah was a nurse and that she had two children. She did most of the talking, but he did tell her about his job as a biochemical engineer and just hired into a new job. As they talked, Avery started to feel more comfortable. He realized that Sarah was a nice person, and he was glad that he had started a conversation with her. It was easier for him to talk to someone he didn’t know and felt he wouldn’t meet again. There was no fear about what people would think of him if they never met again. A few minutes later, the bus pulled up to Avery's stop. “This is my stop, and thank you for letting me pet your dog. I enjoyed that.” He smiled at Sarah. As he got off the bus and waved goodbye to Sarah and Lucy, and Sarah waved goodbye back. As he walked home, Avery felt a sense of relief. He had been feeling self-conscious about his wet pull-up, but petting the dog had helped him to relax. He realized that he didn't have to be as worried about his incontinence accident because the pull-up did its job.