diaper dimension Done Adulting, Vol. 2 (Final chapter posted 12/21/20)

[Alex Bridges]

Chapter 37

 

“Hi,” Becky said as she stood at the desk in emergency. “My humanologist told us to come here. My little boy is having some severe abdominal pain. Dr. Bowers said he’d call ahead for us.”

“Yes,” the receptionist said as she glanced at her computer. “In fact, they can take you right now. If she wants to take him right over there, they’ll call her in a minute if you can fill this out.” She handed Becky a clipboard and pointed Amanda to a row of chairs. 

“Thank you,” Becky said. The two of them walked to the row of chairs, passing through the waiting area and glad they didn’t have to wait, though it occurred to Becky not having to wait meant Dr. Bowers must have thought it could be a genuine emergency. A human hospital was not nearly no crowded as one for bigs, but no one likes a wait.

“Webb,” a nurse called before Amanda could sit down with Jamie.

“I’ll be right in,” Becky assured both Amanda and Jamie. The nurse waited with a kind smile as Amanda carried Jamie in cradled in her arms.

“Hi,” the woman said, “what are we seeing this little fella for?”

“Abdominal pain,” Amanda explained.

“Oooh, well, that’s no good. Is he verbal?”

“Yes,” Jamie said for himself.

“He’s unregressed,” Amanda added.

“Completely?”

“Completely,” Amanda responded, thinking to herself you wouldn’t know it when he’s sick.

“I’m going to take some vitals and start an IV. Can you lay him down here?” Amanda placed Jamie in a bassinet. “Can you undress him for me?” Amanda unzipped his sleeper and removed Jamie’s diaper cover. The nurse placed a pulse oximeter on Jamie’s finger and ran a thermometer across his forehead.

“I thought those didn’t get used on littles,” Jamie tried to say with a laugh.

“Only in here, to be quicker,” the nurse told him. “They’ll use a regular one in your room. Don’t worry.”

“I’ll try not to,” he responded sarcastically, knowing most bigs never pick up on littles’ sarcasm.

“I’m going to put an IV in. Do you know what that is?”

“Yes.”

“He’s afraid of needles,” Amanda interjected. “Gimme your hand, Baby Bear.” Jamie closed his eyes tight and tried to hold still Amanda took Jamie’s hand, prepared for him to crush her fingers. The nurse prepared the IV and Jamie’s other hand.

“You’re going to taste something metallic. That’s normal ... Quick pinch ... There. That wasn’t so bad.”

Amanda kissed away the tears on Jamie’s cheeks, prying his fingers loose.

“Hey,” Becky said when she came in. “How’s my brave boy?”

Jamie’s “Okay, Mommy,” was an arrow to her heart. Amanda stepped aside to let her sit down next to him.

“Last thing I need to do is take some blood,” the nurse said.

Jamie whimpered. “It’s okay, baby,” Becky cooed. “Look at me. It’s gonna be okay. You’re being very brave.”

The nurse looked hurt to be doing this to him. All regressed littles cried at needles, more or less, but something about this unregressed little’s tears struck her harder. “Make a fist for me, Jamie,” she said. She put a tourniquet on his arm and started palpating for a vein. It was easier to find one on Jamie, with his lower body fat than most littles.

Please get it in one try, Becky pleaded silently as she took Jamie’s hand this time. 

“Can you hold his arm for me,” the nurse asked Amanda as Jamie trembled. She rubbed an alcohol wipe across the vein she was aiming for. “Another quick pinch.”

Jamie gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, pushing the tears out and holding his breath.

Please get it in one try, Amanda silently pleaded. The nurse missed the vein but didn’t retract the needle. As she redirected it, Jamie’s fortitude gave out.

“Uhuh uhuh uhuh, waah.” Jamie got teary more often than one would expect of an unregressed little, but he rarely broke down and cried. 

The nurse found the vein and pushed the vial into place, twisting it as it filled. “You go right ahead and cry,” the nurse said. She took out the vial and put in another one. When it was full, she removed it and the needle, putting a bandaid over the spot.

“All done. You did very well. You can’t have this now, but maybe your mommy will hold onto it for later,” the nurse said as she handed Becky a sucker. “I’ll go see if they’re ready for you.” She stepped through a backdoor.

Jamie had stoped crying. “Will it hurt you if I pick you up, Baby Bear,” Becky asked.

“I think so,” he said regretfully. He wanted to be held. The nurse returned with an orderly.

“This is James,” she introduced the orderly. “He has the same name as you. Isn’t that neat? He’s going to take you to a room.”

“Thanks,” Jamie said weakly. Becky and Amanda echoed his gratitude, and the orderly wheeled Jamie out in the bassinet. They went down the corridor, passing doors through which faint cries came, but it was quiet in the hall, just the sounds of their footfalls on the tile. In the room, the orderly assured them another nurse would be in shortly and took a blanket from a cabinet, giving it to Becky, who laid it over Jamie Bear.

They didn’t wait long for a nurse, who went straight to the bassinet after sanitizing her hands. “Hi, Jamie. I’m Brenna. I’m going to be your nurse on this floor. How are you feeling?” She made eye contact with Becky and Amanda.

Jamie appreciated that she was addressing him and not Becky or Amanda. “My belly hurts, a lot.”

“Can I feel?” Jamie nodded, and she lowered the blanket to just below his stomach. She prodded him just below his navel, provoking a grunt from Jamie. She prodded a little more firmly, and he grunted more loudly.

“I’m sorry, Jamie. I know that hurts.” She pulled the blanket back up. “I’m going to go get the doctor, and she’ll look you over.” She turned to Becky, who looked outwardly calm, and Amanda, who like she was trying to look calm. “If he needs changed, please leave his diaper on the counter. We’re going to want to weigh it to see what he’s putting out.”

“What do you think it could be,” Amanda asked.

“I’ll let the doctor say,” the nurse replied. “But I’m not worried,” she added. “It won’t be long.”

Becky approached the bassinet and put her hand under the blanket. She decided to change Jamie. Amanda pulled a chair close to the head of the bassinet and sat down, running a hand through Jamie’s hair.

“Can we get you anything,” Amanda asked while Becky changed him.

“No.”

“Sweet boy.” Becky put the used diaper on the counter and pulled up the other chair. The nurse came back in.

“The doctor is right behind me. She wants to get you started on some antibiotics and and something to help that pain.” She hooked an IV bag to the line in Jamie’s arm and hung it on a pole, then injected first the antibiotics and then the pain meds into the port.

“Mmmm,” Jamie groaned.

“Feeling that already?”

“Yeah. Thank you.” The doctor came in.

“Hello, I’m Dr. Jenner.” She shook hands with Amanda, who was closest to the door, and then Becky.

“I’m Becky,” she introduced herself, “and this is Jamie and Jamie’s sister and guardian, Amanda.”

“What’s going on here,” the doctor asked as she looked down at Jamie and pulled the blanket down. As gently as she could, she felt Jamie’s belly.

“He woke up sluggish and was running a low fever that got higher,” Becky answered. “He had diarrhea, and I called the doctor when he said his stomach really hurt.”

“Can he talk,” the doctor asked.

“Yes,” Amanda replied, “he’s not regressed at all.”

“That rules out him eating anything from under the sink,” the doctor said. “Where does it hurt, Jamie?”

“Low and just a little on the right.”

“Here?”

“Lower ... there!”

“Okay. Sorry that hurt. Your white blood cell count is high, which means you probably have an infection. I want to use an ultrasound machine to see inside your tummy.” The nurse stepped through the door that led to the central nursing area and was back in a moment with the machine. 

“This is gonna be a little cold,” the doctor said as she squeezed a clear jelly onto Jamie’s belly. She put the ultrasound probe on his belly and pressed in as lightly as she could as she watched the screen. Jamie gritted his teeth while Amanda held his hand and Becky tried to make out what was on the screen.

“See this,” the doctor said to Becky. “That’s his appendix. It’s infected.” She took the probe away and gently wiped off Jamie’s belly.

“What’s an appendix?”

“Something humans have. It’s not important.”

“What does it do?”

“Nothing. It’s a vestigial organ, like their tailbone from when they had tails.” Neither Becky nor Amanda knew humans had tails. Did they dock them at birth?

“So what do you do about that?”

“It has to come out.”

“Oh my,” Becky said. “There’s no way around that?”

“If the appendix gets too inflamed, it will burst and spread bacteria all over his abdomen, and then he’ll be much, much sicker. It’s best to just take it out. It’s a very routine surgery. Even human doctors can do it safely.”

“What happens now?”

“Well, if he were a big he’d need to wait for a few hours for an operating theatre to open up, but since he’s a little we should be able to take him straight to surgery.” Jamie had noticed how fast everything seemed to move. He realized the place was small and not very crowded, which made sense since there were a lot fewer littles than bigs.

“Right now,” Amanda asked.

“Yes, and the surgeon will decide, but he’ll probably need to stay at least overnight.”

“It’s okay, baby,” Becky assured her. “It’s just one night, and we can stay here with him, right?”

“Of course. I’ll go call the OR.” The doctor departed while the nurse put Jamie’s diaper on a scale and entered the number into her tablet.

“Everything will be alright,” Jamie told Amanda. “A lot of humans have this procedure.”

“I know it’ll be alright, Jamie Bear. I just didn’t want them to rush in case you were faking. You’re not, are you?” Jamie smiled.

“No. But like I’d tell you anyway.”

Becky took out her phone and dialed Lauren. “Hi, Laurie. Sorry we had to cancel ... We’re at the littles’ hospital ... No, no. Nothing very serious, but Jamie does need to have a minor procedure ... They need to remove something called an ‘appendix.’ ... It’s something humans have; not important, the doctor says ... We’re gonna be here overnight. Do you think you could stop by the house and pick up his teddy bear and let Kazoo out? ... I’ll call the neighbor about feeding him and putting him in ... No rush. Just for when he wakes up ... A change of clothes for me and Manda would be great ... Thank you. Text me if you need anything or when you get here ... Bye.”

“I don’t need my bear,” Jamie said.

“Yes you do,” Becky said. “Of course you do.” Of course her Baby Bear needed his teddy bear. She tucked his blanket around him and sat down beside him, but she didn’t get to sit long.

A different orderly appeared, and he wheeled Jamie upstairs with Becky and Amanda at his side. He took them to a new room, where a new nurse appeared with new questions about his allergies and how he slept and his medical history.

“Has he ever had an allergic reaction to anesthesia before?”

“I don’t think so. Jamie?”

“No.”

“Is he on any medications?”

“No,” Becky answered.

“Has he had anything to eat or drink today?”

“Just a little water and some breastmilk.”

“How much milk?”

“A bottle,” Amanda said. “About five hours ago.”

“Okay,” the nurse said. “I’ll let the anesthetist know that. The surgeon will be in in a couple minutes.”

“What do you wanna do when we get home tomorrow, Jamie Bear,” Amanda asked.

“Rest, I guess.”

“Rest? That’s no fun. I was thinking we’d invite Amy over to play football, and it can be you and me versus her and Ella. And then maybe we can go out to lunch and then go for a swim. Sound fun?”

“I don’t think so.”

“You never wanna do anything I wanna do,” she said softly, “but if it’s so important to you, we can just rest at home. I do need you to help me pack boxes though. And can you lift a mattress?”

“Manda, you’re being silly.”

“Someone has to be, faker.”

“Hello,” said another doctor as he came in, followed by another. He tapped his tablet a few times. “Can you tell me his name?”

“Jamie Webb,” Becky replied.

“Perfect, and what are we going to be doing?”

“You don’t know,” Amanda said.

“Just making sure we’re on the same page,” he gently replied.

“Removing his appendix,” Becky answered.

“We’ve got the same thing here,” the doctor replied. “I’m Dr. Stevens, and this is Dr. Troy, who’ll be Jamie’s anesthetist. Does anyone have any questions?”

“Can you tell me what you’re going to do,” Jamie asked.

Dr. Troy answered, “I’m going to give you something right now to make you very relaxed, and then when we get to the operating room, I’ll give you something to make you sleep, and when you wake up, you’ll feel much better.”

“And while you’re asleep, I’m going to make a few very small holes in your tummy and take out the thing that’s hurting you using a very tiny pair of scissors I can see on a TV. It only takes a few minutes. You’ll wake up next to your mommy,” the surgeon added. While he was talking, the anesthetist injected the sedative into Jamie’s IV port. “Any questions from the two of you,” he asked Becky and Amanda.

“If he”s faking it, you’ll tell us, right,” Amanda asked with a wink.

“Oh, I’ll come right out,” he assured her.

“Any risk of complications,” Becky asked.

“Just the usual ones for minor surgery. We’ll be in and out very fast, and he’ll be able to go home tomorrow.” Becky nodded.

“If everyone is ready...” the anesthetist prompted them.

Becky leaned over the bassinet and gave Jamie a long kiss. “I’ll be there when you wake up. Don’t be scared, okay?”

“You don’t be scared either,” Jamie managed to say groggily.

“Have a nice nap, Jamie Bear,” Amanda said with a kiss of her own. “I’ll see you in just a little bit.”

“See you, Manda.”

The surgeon held the door, and the anesthetist rolled the bassinet away. Becky and Amanda waved, and Jamie waved back. Watching Jamie laying in that bassinet, looking so small and helpless, Becky and Amanda both felt a swell of motherly emotion, intense love mixed with pity and fear. Becky swallowed it down and picked up the diaper bag and her purse, knowing someone would be along in a moment to take them to a waiting area or recovery room.

“You wanna get something to eat real quick,” Becky asked Amanda. “Baby?”

Amanda responded by choking on a sob, then letting it go, overwhelmed by tears as she put her arms around her mom. Becky dropped her things and put her arms around her daughter.

“Shhh, everything will be alright. Don’t be scared.”

“What if he’s not okay?”

“He’ll be fine. You heard everything the doctors said.”

“But they don’t even know what the thing they’re gonna take out does.”

“It’ll be okay. I promise.”

“He’s so tiny.”

“I know,” Becky said, her own tears falling silently. She didn’t want Amanda to see them, so she wiped them away. “Everything will be okay. You did such a good job today. We’ll see him real, real soon.”

[YourFNF]

Yeash....

Yeah surgery is never fun to deal with...

Thankfully it's just an appendectomy...

[zatchie]

Poor Jamie! I hope he's okay. I honestly feel worse for Amanda and Becky though. Can't wait to read the post-surgery scene(s).

[messyman]

1 hour ago, Alex Bridges said:

“What’s an appendix?”

“Something humans have. It’s not important.”

 

?

[Guilend]

Poor Jamie. I figured that's what the problem was. 

 

[zatchie]

Also, I wonder if Manda's MS thesis will be on human-tail docking ?

[SGTbaby]

Poor Jamie but glad it is something “minor” not that surgery isn’t risky but glad the doctors knew what to do. I look forward to the next chapter!!

[the diaper mike]

 Poor baby bear Awesome chapter continue please

[Sarah Penguin]

Hope they'll be okies.  Hope amanda and becky don't pick up a zombie superflu from the hospital staff and jamee has to find a way to cure his mindless brain-eating zombie-big friends on da halloween! No wait that would be awesome, carry on

[littleTomás]

I love how in a dimension with advanced medicine where they repaired 3 ulcers in Jamie's stomach as well as preforming cartilage reconstruction on his joints, Amanda and Becky are worried about a routine operation because they don't know what an appendix is. However, there's no doubt that Amanda and Becky deeply care about Jamie.

[messyman]

52 minutes ago, littleTomás said:

 Amanda and Becky are worried about a routine operation because they don't know what an appendix is. However, there's no doubt that Amanda and Becky deeply care about Jamie.

Bigs really must be more evolved or have a drastically different evolutionary path. 

[Alex Bridges]

1 hour ago, littleTomás said:

I love how in a dimension with advanced medicine where they repaired 3 ulcers in Jamie's stomach as well as preforming cartilage reconstruction on his joints, Amanda and Becky are worried about a routine operation because they don't know what an appendix is. However, there's no doubt that Amanda and Becky deeply care about Jamie.

When your baby has surgery, it doesn’t matter what it is. Watching them be wheeled away on a gurney is traumatic.

[Sarah Penguin]

Hmm maybe the shots hurt more here is because the people giving them have giant bodies and thus giant muscles compared to people on earth??? More bruising or something?

[Alex Bridges]

1 hour ago, Sarah Penguin said:

Hmm maybe the shots hurt more here is because the people giving them have giant bodies and thus giant muscles compared to people on earth??? More bruising or something?

I think becoming a little just turned Jamie into a crybaby, though I’m sure he’d side with you.

[Alex Bridges]

Chapter 38

 

Consciousness returned first, a soft awareness of being awake. Jamie liked this feeling, this being awake while his body was still asleep. It was warm and restful. He didn’t want to open his eyes, and when he tried anyway, he couldn’t.

He didn’t hear any voices, but he thought there were people nearby. He felt it was time to get up, to let them know he was awake. He tried to move but couldn’t, tried to talk and couldn’t. Control of his body slowly returned, first with a slight turn of the head.

“He’s waking up,” someone said.

“Hey there, Jamie. You waking up, buddy?”

Sensation returned. Jamie was being held by someone. His eyelids still didn’t want to rise, and he had to will them to open, slowly and with effort. He saw a shirt.

“Hello in there,” the person wearing the shirt sang to him. He looked upward, and he saw Amanda, his person. “Hey, Jamie.” She smiled at him. He was too tired to smile back, and he let his head fall back into the crook of her arm. He was swaddled in a blanket and couldn’t move anything else.

Becky turned her chair inward so she was closer to him. “Sleepy bear,” she cooed. “I’ll go get a nurse.”

The sleep seemed to suddenly drain from Jamie, replaced by a tired alertness. “Manda,” he said with a dry mouth. He smacked his lips.

“Yeah, buddy?” He yawned. Amanda loved to watch Jamie yawn, especially when he was this tired. She could feel his arms and legs and toes tense through the swaddling as he stretched his tiny limbs. He didn’t respond, wiggled his hips back and forth, snuggling into the blanket and nestling his head against her chest, seeking the warmth of her body.

“Such a brave boy,” she whispered. “Do you feel better?”

Jamie nodded his head. He remembered, vaguely, waking up in Becky’s arms like this four years ago and the panic that overtook him. He felt none of that now. He felt relief, love, and security because Manda had him, always had him, was always looking out for him.

“Thanks for taking care of me,” he mumbled as Becky returned with a nurse.

“Hi,” the nurse said cheerfully. “How’s he doing?” She sanitized her hands at the door.

“Groggy,” Amanda said as the nurse held out her arms. Amanda gingerly handed him over, and the nurse placed Jamie in the bassinet.

“He’s not regressed, right?”

“Right,” Becky said.

“Jamie,” the nurse said, “How are you feeling?”

“Groggy,” he replied, “and my belly hurts.”

“How bad does it hurt, one being just a little and ten being severe?”

“Four.”

“You’re gonna be a little sore from the incisions and the gas they inflated your abdomen with. That’ll work itself out. Can I look at your tummy?” Jamie nodded, and the nurse unswaddled him. She looked at the incisions, which were covered with glue. “Okay. The doctor will be in when he does his rounds. Do you need anything?”

“Can I have something to drink?”

“Yes. I’ll bring you a cup.” The nurse folded the blanket back over Jamie lightly and left.

Becky approached the bassinet. “Are you warm enough?”

Jamie’s response was to hold his arms up, and Becky lifted him gently to her chest, carefully supporting him so his abdomen was loose. “Your color is so much better.”

“May I go back to sleep,” Jamie asked.

“Yes, baby. Go back to sleep.” She support Jamie’s head against her chest and sang, “Sleep my child and peace attend thee, all through the night ...”

The nurse returned with a cup, and Becky silently took it from her with a thankful nod as she continued to sing Jamie’s lullaby. The nurse left, and Amanda took the cup, retrieved a bottle from the diaper bag, and poured the water in. She handed it to her mom, who teased Jamie’s lips with it. He latched on in his sleep and drank his bottle.

“I should call Stacy and let Ella know,” Manda said. She stepped into the hall as Lauren came around the corner with Danny and Samuel.

“How is he,” Danny asked.

“He’s fine. He’s sleeping,” Amanda answered. “Hi, Sammy.”

“Hi, Manda,” the toddler answered.

“I was about to call Stacy. Thanks for bringing that stuff.”

“We won’t keep you,” Lauren said. “We have to be really quiet when we go in, okay, Sammy?” She held a finger to her lips. Sammy gave an exaggerated, toddler nod.

“Hi,” Becky whispered when the three of them came around the corner. Danny leaned forward and gave his sister a kiss on the cheek.

“How are you,” he asked.

“Almost as tired as he is I think. But everything is just fine. He’s just fine.”

“Scary,” Lauren said.

“Yeah. No such thing as routine surgery when it’s your child or your little,” Becky replied.

“Is he okay,” Sammy asked.

“Yes,” Becky said as she folded back the blanket around Jamie’s face. “See? He’s just sleeping.”

“I can take him for a while,” Danny offered.

“No, that’s okay.” She didn’t want to let him go again.

“We brought his bear,” he said as he held up a bag, “and some clean clothes for all of you.”

“Thanks. He’ll be glad to see it. He said he didn’t need it, but of course he does. He’s just a little boy. Of course he needs his bear,” she baby-talked quietly to her sleeping little.

“He really ought to give it a name,” Lauren said.

“He doesn’t want to. I don’t know why.” Becky sat down in a rocking chair. 

“Have you eaten today,” Lauren asked.

“No, neither of us.” Amanda came back in. “I promised Ella she could come over after we get him home and settled tomorrow,” Amanda reported.

“Was she worried?”

“Not too much. At least she knew what an appendix is. Did you notice when the doctor said humans have tailbones?”

“But no tails,” Danny asked.

“Yeah. Wonder what they do with them.”

“We can ask him when he wakes up,” Lauren said. “Can we go get you some food? Or I can stay here while you guys go.”

“I wanna be here when he wakes up again,” Becky said, “but you should go get something, Manda.”

Amanda wanted to stay, too, but she knew her mom would insist. “What can we bring you?”

“Just a sandwich or something.”

“K. We won’t be long.”

When they got back, Jamie was awake and getting his diaper changed. Lauren and Danny stayed with Sammy out in the hall to give him some privacy. Becky put the diaper on the counter for the nurses to weigh.

“Can I have some pajamas now,” Jamie asked.

“Um,” Becky said, “I don’t think so with that IV in your hand. It would run up your sleeve. Let’s ask the doctor when he comes in. I do have some shorts for you, though.” Becky retrieved his spare shorts from the diaper bag. “Feet up,” she said and threaded them up his legs. Amanda helped him raise his hips so Becky could get them on all the way.

“You can come in,” Amanda called out.

“Hey, look who’s awake,” Lauren said in the same tone of voice she used when getting Sammy out of bed.

“How are you feeling,” Danny asked.

“It’s starting to hurt more, but not as bad before the operation. Thanks for bringing my bear.” He blushed. He was happier to have it than he wanted to let on.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” Sammy said. Jamie had enough practice deciphering toddlers’ accents at daycare that he was able to understand it, though Amanda only got the gist of it.

“Thanks for coming to see me ... Am I allowed to eat,” he asked.

“I ordered you some dinner while you were asleep,” Becky told him. “I can feed you now though. Would you like that?” He nodded. He was shy about little things around Danny.

“We’ll get out of your hair,” Danny said. “You guys must be exhausted.” Amanda helped Jamie sit up, and Danny gave him a hug. “Let’s go do something fun when you’re up to it, okay?”

“Okay.”

Lauren gave him a hug and a kiss. “Be a good boy for the nurses,” she said with a wink.

“I’ll try, Aunt Lauren. Thanks again for coming.” Becky saw them out.

“Oh my god,” Amanda exclaimed. “I totally forgot to call Mel.” She got out her phone. “I did call Ella, though. She’s gonna come see you tomorrow when we get you home. You can call her now if you want.”

Jamie shook his head. “I’m probably gonna be sleepy when I’m done eating. She knows I’m alright, though?”

“Yeah. Mel will come up here if you want.”

“Maybe I can see her tomorrow.” 

“Sure.”

When Jamie was done eating both his dinners and after the doctor came in and assured them everything had gone well and Jamie could go home tomorrow, Amanda pulled Jamie into her lap, where he reclined against her, Amanda arms loosely wrapped around his middle.

“I’m sorry I scared you,” Jamie said to them.

“Don’t be sorry,” Amanda insisted. “These things happen ... What happened to your tail?”

“What?”

“The doctor said humans have tailbones. What happened to your tail?”

“Haha ow ha ow! Don’t make me laugh,” Jamie said as he clenched his abdominal muscles against the pain.

“So humans aren’t born with tails,” Becky asked. She was pretty familiar with that end of Jamie. She’d seen no sign he’d ever had a tail.

“He meant my coccyx. The bone at the end of our spines.”

“Oh!” Amanda said. “We have one of those, too. We just don’t call it that.”

“He only has a tail when he’s wearing his bear sleeper,” Becky joked. “And it’s the cutest tail ever.”

“Even cuter than Kazoo’s,” Jamie asked.

“Much,” Amanda assured him.

There was a lull in the conversation. “I really am sorry.”

“If you don’t stop apologizing,” Amanda said, “I’m gonna make you laugh again.”

A nurse came in, a different one than before. “Did he keep his dinner down okay,” she asked as she rubbed the sanitizing foam into her hands.

“Yes,” Becky said. “He was a hungry little bear.” The nurse smiled.

“It’s almost time for him to go back to sleep.” Jamie didn’t object to that. “Mind if I look him over,” the nurse asked Amanda.

“No,” Jamie answered for himself.

“He’s not regressed,” Becky said, “They should really put that on the chart.” They’d had to tell pretty much everyone.

“I don’t think I’ve ever had an unregressed little before,” the nurse said. The hospital saw independent littles, but there so few. That was its own wing, and it only had two beds. She held out her arms, and Amanda handed him over. The blanket fell away.

“Can I sleep in pajamas,” Jamie asked the nurse.

“No, sorry. They could get in the way of the IV. We’ll wrap you up snug again when we’re done. Snug like a bug.” She laid Jamie in the bassinet and pulled his shorts down.

Amanda said, “Could you slow down please? Maybe ask before you start pulling clothes off?”

“Sorry,” the nurse said. “May I please open your diaper,” she asked, clearly amused at her question. Since when do you ask before changing a little or baby?

“Yes,” Jamie rolled his eyes, sensing the condescension. The nurse untaped the diaper.

“Has he gone poopoo since he woke up,” the nurse asked.

“No.”

“He might need a little help going if he doesn’t by about lunchtime tomorrow.” She changed his diaper and checked the drain sewn into Jamie’s belly. Satisfied it didn’t show signs of infection, she crimped the tube, removed the pouch, and went to the bathroom to empty it. 

“We need to take a little blood,” she said.

A lump rose in Jamie’s throat. This was becoming the worst day ever. He turned his head to the side and closed his eyes tight.

 Becky took his hand. “You’re okay, Baby Bear.”

“Please get it in one try,” Amanda asked, “he’s afraid of needles.”

“No little like needles,” the nurse said. “We’re gonna do our very best, are t we?”

“Mommy,” Jamie whined.

“Shhh. Sing with me.” She began to sing Jamie’s lullaby while the nurse drew the blood, and Jamie sang too, his voice faltering when the needle went in, tears running down his cheeks again. It was over before the song was.

“That’s a very pretty song,” the nurse said, “and you sing it very well.” Jamie used to like to sing in his car, and he knew he wasn’t very good at it.

“My brave boy,” Becky said. The nurse pocketed the vials to take to the lab.

She went to the cabinet above the sink and took out a clean blanket and something else. “Can you give me your hands,” she asked.

“Why,” Jamie asked as he held up his right hand.

“We gotta get these mittens on you,” she said as she started to slide a mitten, thick with no thumb, onto his wrist. It strapped on.

Jamie looked from it to the nurse. “No,” he said as he started to unstrap it.

“You gotta leave that on, honey. Can you give me his other arm,” she asked Amanda.

“No,” Amanda replied as the nurse trie to strap the mitten back on.

“Stop,” Becky said as she got her own hands to Jamie’s wrist and gently batted the nurse’s away. She unstrapped the mitten. “What does he need those for?”

“To keep him from scratching his incisions. You know, like the cones they put on dogs.”

“I am not a dog,” Jamie said. 

“He won’t bother his incisions. He’s unregressed.”

“Sorry. Hospital policy.”

“He’s not regressed,” Amanda repeated.

“I don’t want them,” Jamie said.

“It’s okay, baby. You don’t have to.”

“He really does, though,” the nurse said.

“I’m the mom,” Becky declared gently. “If he doesn’t want them, he doesn’t have to wear them.”

The nurse could see this was a fight she wasn’t going to win and graciously, on the outside, acquiesced. “Okay, but they’ll probably put them on him in the nursery.”

“What nursery,” Amanda asked.

“All the littles spend the night in the nursery, where it’s easier for us to keep a close eye on all of them.”

“Mommy, I don’t wanna go to the nursery. I wanna stay with you,” Jamie whined. He was away from home, he was hurt, he was still getting over being afraid, they kept poking him with needles. He wanted his mommy.

“We’re going to stay the night,” Becky told the nurse.”

“That’s fine. You’re welcome to stay in here. He’ll be just down the hall. He can even bring his bear.”

“No,” Amanda said. “He’s sleeping in here, with us. Right, Mom?”

“Of course.”

One of those families, the nurse said to herself. “But the bassinet has no top,” she tried to reason with them. “We prefer to keep them in cribs with tops at night.”

“He’s not going anywhere,” Becky said. Becky has resisted the thought of putting a top on Jamie’s crib when he’d climbed out of it a few times. The mental security of it wasn’t enough to do that against Jamie’s wishes. She wasn’t going to let the hospital do that to him.

“Hospital policy,” the nurse repeated apologetically.

“Tough,” Becky said, picking up her Baby Bear.

“The charge nurse is going to insist.”

“I can call his humanologist, and I know what he’ll say,” Becky replied.

“You’re going to have to, I think,” the nurse said. She didn’t relish the extra work of coming into his room every hour and a half to check on him. It was a lot less convenient, and the other nurses would resent it.

“Have the charge nurse call him,” Amanda suggested. “Dr. Bowers. And if he says he has to sleep in the nursery, we’ll call him ourselves.”

“Okay,” the nurse agreed, wondering why some people were so particular about their littles. She understood people loved them, but she knew, or thought she did, the doctors and nurses knew best. Sure, he was unregressed, but he was still a little. Hospital policy didn’t distinguished between regressed and unregressed littles, just dependent and independent ones. “Can I get him wrapped up,” she asked. Becky nodded, and the nurse swaddled Jamie again. 

“Are you too warm,” Becky asked.

“No,” he answered. It was cold in the room. “Thank you,” he said to the nurse. He felt a little sorry for her. She didn’t ask to have an unregressed little in her care, or his protective bigs. 

“I’ll let you guys know what the doctor tells the charge nurse.”

“Thank you,” Becky said. The nurse left.

Amanda scowled when she was gone. “No one is putting my Jamie Bear in a cage or those stupid mittens.”

Becky lifted him from the bassinet and wheeled the IV stand over the rocker. “You’re sleeping right here with your Mommy and big sister.”

[Sarah Penguin]

40 minutes ago, Alex Bridges said:

I think becoming a little just turned Jamie into a crybaby, though I’m sure he’d side with you.

They could measure an adult littles strength using a strain gauge trying to give a shot then an big doing it to get testable data, then if it's significantly larger they could build an  an autoinjector for littles with the little replicated force so there are less screaming deafened nurses/doctors

[Shotgun Diplomat]

I know that this is a little late in the game to ask for anything, but I would love to see Jaime get the hankering to watch a WWII documentary or movie during his recovery from surgery. And to have Becky and Manda suffer the extreme cognitive dissonance from watching Littles have at one another. Or maybe Schindler's list, that would be a good one. 

[Alex Bridges]

45 minutes ago, Shotgun Diplomat said:

I know that this is a little late in the game to ask for anything, but I would love to see Jaime get the hankering to watch a WWII documentary or movie during his recovery from surgery. And to have Becky and Manda suffer the extreme cognitive dissonance from watching Littles have at one another. Or maybe Schindler's list, that would be a good one. 

Ha! I dint think they’d import those, and I know Becky wouldn’t let Jamie watch them. I do think they would reinforce bigs’ belief that littles are better off in their dimension, even though they have war as well.

56 minutes ago, Sarah Penguin said:

They could measure an adult littles strength using a strain gauge trying to give a shot then an big doing it to get testable data, then if it's significantly larger they could build an  an autoinjector for littles with the little replicated force so there are less screaming deafened nurses/doctors

I got a shot today. I didn’t even flinch, but the nurse was so cute I wanted to just to see if she’d hug me or give me candy ??

[Shotgun Diplomat]

8 minutes ago, Alex Bridges said:

Ha! I dint think they’d import those, and I know Becky wouldn’t let Jamie watch them. I do think they would reinforce bigs’ belief that littles are better off in their dimension, even though they have war as well.

Fair, in thinking on it Führer... I mean further, maybe such films would be available to students of Little studies, to show what they (the littles) are capable of. That is why I think Schindlers' list would be so wonderful, it shows the development of true compassion. I realize that it is not going to happen, but it is a fun train of thought. 

[zatchie]

1 hour ago, Shotgun Diplomat said:

Fair, in thinking on it Führer... I mean further, maybe such films would be available to students of Little studies, to show what they (the littles) are capable of. That is why I think Schindlers' list would be so wonderful, it shows the development of true compassion. I realize that it is not going to happen, but it is a fun train of thought. 

yeah! I think a spin-off focusing on an 'academic' view of Littles would be a really interesting short story. I'd be curious to see how Bigs think they understand them.

[littleTomás]

1 hour ago, Alex Bridges said:

I got a shot today. I didn’t even flinch, but the nurse was so cute I wanted to just to see if she’d hug me or give me candy ??

Lol. I donate blood 3 times a year and no fletching there. I guess having a metal needle sucking blood from my arm just doesn’t phase me that much. I just can’t look as they are sticking it in.

[Sarah Penguin]

17 minutes ago, littleTomás said:

Lol. I donate blood 3 times a year and no fletching there. I guess having a metal needle sucking blood from my arm just doesn’t phase me that much. I just can’t look as they are sticking it in.

I have very tiny veins so I can't donate blood and when they insist I give them blood for tests it' always an extended multi-attempt thing sometimes a multiday thing.  Doesn't help I have nightmares before an appointment. or after shots even or when. Stupid phobias.

[SGTbaby]

Way to go Becky! Love when Mama Bear comes out!!

[Alex Bridges]

Going on vacation soon. Might not hear from Jamie et al until I’m back.

[messyman]

On 10/8/2019 at 9:00 PM, Sarah Penguin said:

They could measure an adult littles strength using a strain gauge trying to give a shot then an big doing it to get testable data, then if it's significantly larger they could build an  an autoinjector for littles with the little replicated force so there are less screaming deafened nurses/doctors

A Big starting an IV would on a Little would be a lot like a vet trying to do it on a much smaller animal. Having an independent little nurse would probably be a great thing for the patients.