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A Stay At The Clinic. Chapter 1 ''Why are we coming back here again?', Noel asked his wife as she drove through the security gate. 'This place creeps me out,' Noel added, eyeing with obvious displeasure the big white building coming into view through the trees. 'I still have some business to do here,' Ann replied calmly. 'As for creeping you out, I suggest you become a little more grown up and consider how things really are. This place does an excellent job for a lot of people who need special care." Noel was unrepentant. 'Well, I think it's creepy,' he said, thinking of the strange behaviour of the people he'd seen in the clinic's 'activity area' last time he traipsed along as Ann did her business. 'What do you have to do here anyway?' asked Noel 'Business, Noel,' said Ann. Noel returned to staring out the window. It had been almost six months since Ann had discussed any 'business' with him. He had got over his resentment of that, but he still didn't like the way Ann talked about her work - which they used to discuss together - as something that no longer concerned Noel. Worse, if he pushed the matter, he'd be told that whatever business it was was 'complicated' or would be 'too hard to explain.'. Noel was a former financial analyst, for God's sake. Fair enough, he'd lost some of his higher level functions, if he remembered correctly what the insurance company's shrink had said. At least what she had written, thought Noel. Naturally she didn't speak to him. She spoke to Ann, and emailed her a multi page report which Noel had managed to find on Ann's computer. It wasn't fair, Noel thought. Sitting in what had been their shared home office, and which had subtly over the months become Ann's domain, Noel had been carefully trying to make sense of the report. All he'd read was the last page. Even that had taken ages, because he needed a dictionary now for long words. Even then, some sentences, even ones people say, had become difficult to work out. The dictionary was hard enough to use, too. Anyway, Ann had found Noel in 'her' office and had been very cross. That was the first time she'd hit him. She'd punished him on the spot, bending him over and spanking his backside so hard that he cried for the first time he could remember. For once he'd been thankful for the limited insulation of the pullup he now wore in case of slight small accidents. Even accepting that he needed to wear those had been a struggle, and had turned out to be yet another example of Ann getting her way. There was no doubt about it. She wore the pants. She was the head of the household, and expected Noel to ask her permission for things. She didn't expect or like her authority to be questioned. Obviously that wasn't fair, Noel thought, but he couldn't do anything about it. He'd told the psychologist he saw every month about being spanked, expecting some sympathy. He'd had to work up the courage to say something so bad about Ann as her hitting him, but to his surprise, Jane, the psychologist asked him if he thought he deserved to be spanked for what he'd done. After all, Jane had told him, looking at Ann's computer without asking her was 'very naughty'. But she spanked me Jane!, Noel had responded, quite shocked that Jane was taking Ann's side. Worse, the whole discussion with Jane made Noel angry and anxious, which were exactly the conditions most likely to result in further problems. Sure enough, in spite of his efforts to stay calm, the discussion with Jane brought on the tears which came too readily now, and worse, a wet pullup. Jane had called Ann into their 'one on one' session and Ann had changed Noel's pullup right there, in front of Jane, then being told yet again to try to be a grownup and not to sulk. How could anyone not sulk when they were treated so badly, Noel had thought. He'd learned his lessons slowly. Ann was in charge of their business affairs. There was no question of that. She made the decisions for both of them, then told him what she'd done - if she thought he needed to know. That wasn't really fair either, although Noel knew he had trouble understanding numbers and words when they were all mixed up. Ann would tell him that she didn't have time to explain, or worse, that he 'wouldn't understand' as if adults had some special language only they knew. Noel began to get cross with himself as well. He did his best not to think of Ann and the other people around him as 'adults', but often found himself doing so. He'd tell himself he was an adult too, but it was hard to feel convinced of that wearing a wet pullup. He noticed that Ann had stopped the car in the gravel car park near the imposing front door of the clinic. Now she was turning to speak to him. 'I want you to come inside with me, and be on your best behaviour. OK?' Ann said, reaching out and moving some of Noel's lanky hair out of his eyes. Noel had heard that sort of thing before. 'I'm not grumpy,' he objected crossly. None of this was fair. 'Noel, I know that sulky look. I don't want to see it, OK? Just be good,' Ann said firmly. 'All right,' replied Noel just as firmly, not looking at Ann but staring out of the window. Ann looked steadily at the side of Noel's head for a moment and sighed. Noel shifted in the seat to get more comfortable. 'Do you need your pullup changed?' Ann asked him. 'It's fine,' said Noel. Ann's response was to reach over and squeeze Noel's crotch with one hand. 'For heaven's sake, Noel, you're soaked,' said Ann. 'We've talked about this. Are you going to start being responsible and tell me when you need a change, or do you want me to start checking your diaper every 20 minutes like a two year old's? 'It's not a diaper,' said Noel. 'It's a pullup.' 'Noel, stop it,' Ann told him. 'For your information, it is a diaper. It's just called a pullup. You need to wear diapers, Noel. It's called reality. You wet the bed every night, and now you wet most days as well. Remember what Jane said? She said you'd soon need to change to proper daytime diapers, and I think that time has come. I've already bought a supply of your new daytime diapers, and I've brought a couple today as spares. They'll have a room here we can use. I think this is the perfect time and place to make the change.' Noel began crying. Ann sighed again. 'I'm sorry you're upset, Noel,' she said, 'But we have to accept things as they are and deal with them in the most effective way. Now, I'm going to get you out of the car, and we're going inside. You've met Dr Carla and her nurse, so I expect you to be cooperative.' Ann caught the blank look from Noel. She breathed in. 'I expect you to be a good boy,' said Ann, 'And do what you're told, whether it's me, or one of the staff here telling you. OK?' 'OK,' conceded Noel, and took Ann's hand. 'Good boy,' she said as she closed the door and led Noel to the big entrance. 'And Noel, honey?' Ann said. 'Yes?' replied Noel. 'I want you to know that all I want is what's best for you. Do you understand that?' Ann said. 'Yes,' said Noel, wondering why she said that. He knew she loved him, in spite of his problems. Ann kissed him on the cheek. 'Now be good,' she said, and led him inside. To be continued. '