A Walk Into the Unknown: A Diaper Dimension Story (Chapter 25 - Complete)

[kerry]

I'm quite confused about the start of this chapter. At the end of the previous one, Patrick had settled down after unloading at a group session. It seems to me, unless I am totally missing something—always a possibility—that the second scene here should have been first?

[LostBBoyBear]

2 hours ago, kerry said:

I'm quite confused about the start of this chapter. At the end of the previous one, Patrick had settled down after unloading at a group session. It seems to me, unless I am totally missing something—always a possibility—that the second scene here should have been first?

If you are referring to the scene after the break (where he talks to Cara while coloring), it is a flashback. Let me know if not. You never know, I could have missed something myself...

[Guilend]

I thought it was really good. You conveyed his emotions and everyone's emotions, feelings and reactions very well and naturally, like it was realistic. 

The flashback did confuse me for a few minutes, but I figured it out.

[LostBBoyBear]

6 hours ago, Guilend said:

I thought it was really good. You conveyed his emotions and everyone's emotions, feelings and reactions very well and naturally, like it was realistic. 

The flashback did confuse me for a few minutes, but I figured it out.

I've done this transition before and no one seemed to be confused, but I guess that's how it goes. Maybe my stories have been sending out some passive regression waves to everyone, so just to be sure, I added two new sentences which should help. 

[CDfm]

Fantastic chapter.  Things seem to be looking up for Patrick again.  I was glad to see that his friends didn’t holed a grudge against him.  I was also glad to see Lloyd come back and see him.  I think Lloyd would be a caretaker for him.  I still firmly believe that Samantha and Lloyd would be the best fit for him.  Just need to convince them of that. 

[Eagle0769]

This story has me so interested I can't wait for the next one.

Is Addy an Amazon it said she was a Big? Is she one of the caregivers

that Patrick has to choose from to be HIS caregiver?

I'm sure it is the pills he is taking that made him have an accident.

Diaper dimension stories all have these little programs that make little's

do what the Amazons want to be little babies. Is this that type of

story. Does he have a choice?

Diapers are in his future for sure now.

Great writing great dimension story. 🙂

[Guilend]

1 minute ago, Eagle0769 said:

This story has me so interested I can't wait for the next one.

Is Addy an Amazon it said she was a Big? Is she one of the caregivers

that Patrick has to choose from to be HIS caregiver?

I'm sure it is the pills he is taking that made him have an accident.

Diapers are in his future for sure now.

Great writing great dimension story. 🙂

Yes, in this universe Amazon's are known more as Bigs. While they're still called Amazon's, I think they prefer Big instead. Addy is just a Nurse caretaker role and as far as I can she's not on the list he can chose from. Probably because she kind of lives there and it would be difficult to be Patrick's and Cara's nurse and their caregiver, especially once the next group of Littles come in.

[Eagle0769]

12 minutes ago, Guilend said:

Yes, in this universe Amazon's are known more as Bigs. While they're still called Amazon's, I think they prefer Big instead. Addy is just a Nurse caretaker role and as far as I can she's not on the list he can chose from. Probably because she kind of lives there and it would be difficult to be Patrick's and Cara's nurse and their caregiver, especially once the next group of Little's come in.

Does he have a choice if he wants to be a baby little?

Who is Bruce again?

[LostBBoyBear]

2 hours ago, Eagle0769 said:

Does he have a choice if he wants to be a baby little?

Who is Bruce again?

Hey there. To answer one of your previous questions, in this universe, Bigs are also known as Amazons. It was actually what they were originally called, but a lot of the more current stories have been using the term 'Bigs' to describe the taller of the species. I have a story coming up that will explain why, but also, if you were curious, I often lace greek terminology or their language into my stories because Amazons come from a greek myth. 

Anyway, to clarify, the Littles here have a choice in a sense that they can always say no to their caretakers, which in turn will affect their level of regression. For example, if Redge hadn't been thrown out, Patrick may have been heavily regressed. Also, think of the differences between Matilda and Eddy, with the former being far less regressed. As she said earlier, it's more about what's going on in your head rather than what you're wearing that determines your regression.

Bruce is the physical therapist for Psyche at this location. 

[Eagle0769]

2 hours ago, LostBBoyBear said:

Hey there. To answer one of your previous questions, in this universe, Bigs are also known as Amazons. It was actually what they were originally called, but a lot of the more current stories have been using the term 'Bigs' to describe the taller of the species. I have a story coming up that will explain why, but also, if you were curious, I often lace greek terminology or their language into my stories because Amazons come from a greek myth. 

Anyway, to clarify, the Littles here have a choice in a sense that they can always say no to their caretakers, which in turn will affect their level of regression. For example, if Redge hadn't been thrown out, Patrick may have been heavily regressed. Also, think of the differences between Matilda and Eddy, with the former being far less regressed. As she said earlier, it's more about what's going on in your head rather than what you're wearing that determines your regression.

Bruce is the physical therapist for Psyche at this location. 

Thank for answering my questions. If Ridge was thown out why is he back? I can tell he is a mean Daddy. 

Why isn't Addy a choice for Patrick's to be his caregiver. 

[LostBBoyBear]

25 minutes ago, Eagle0769 said:

Thank for answering my questions. If Ridge was thown out why is he back? I can tell he is a mean Daddy. 

Why isn't Addy a choice for Patrick's to be his caregiver. 

Redge is absolutely not back at Psyche. Think of him a knife and that he left a lingering wound on many he touched, and then now, the authorities can't find said knife. If he ever comes back, you'll know it.

Addy could potentially be his caretaker, but in this universe, Littles are viewed in several ways. They can be viewed as children, property, defective, or several other titles that I won't completely list out here. As such, in theory at least, Addy is Patrick's nurse, so it would be a conflict of interest. Often times, doctors are held back from treating their own family, and the same would apply here. If Addy is to remain his nurse, in order to comply with Psche and just gernal medical regulations in general, she couldn't adopt him. In essence, she would need to give up her career to become his caretaker. And while you keep that in mind, think about this as well... despite the insinuation that the five years after all this may not be adhered to much by the end by most in these types of programs, there is a possibility that Patrick would leave to go back home after that time. So, Addy would definitely have to ask herself if a loss of her career would be worth it for the potential of having a Little only for the next five years. There are ways to keep him longer, but those would either usually be unethical or downright illegal. I know some may want her to be his caretaker, but it's just some food for thought here as the story goes forward. 

[LostBBoyBear]

So, I almost debated on if I should have just waited until I could post this chapter on Friday (being Friday the 13th and all), but this story still has a bit to go and I'm slightly debating on writing a short story or not for Halloween. I was originally going to write one about magic and other fantasy things like that, but this story is taking longer than I thought when I first started it, and by the time that story would be finished, it would almost be Thanksgiving at best, which kind of defeats the Halloween theme and all. I'm still debating if I should write the other short story, but I still have some time to think about it. Let me know if you would like to see a one-off outbreak type of short story.

Moving on, this chapter now marks the end of Part III. Again, there's a toal of six, so congrats to everyone on making it halfway through. Additionally, feel free to ask any questions on here about the story. I know that sometimes with these long stories, little bits can be forgotten about after having read the first chapter a few weeks ago now. I don't like harping on ideas in my story, so I would rather answer a bunch of questions when I can, rather than for any of you to be confused about something. 

Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys this next chapter and final section of Part III!

Chapter 13: An End and a Beginning 

One surprisingly crisp afternoon, the entire group of Littles found themselves outside and enjoying the traditional end of term party and anticipated choosing ceremony. It wasn’t anything fancy as far as most galas were concerned, but it didn’t matter to any of the partygoers. It was a time to celebrate milestones and prepare for the next phases of each of the Little’s journeys. For those Littles like Matilda or Eddy, whom Patrick had only grown closer to, it was also a time to say goodbye, at least for now, to the friends they had made here.

“Please don’t cry, Eddy,” Patrick tried to console the tearful Little in front of him.

“Buh… you’re leavin’. I don’ wan’ you to go!” The Little clung on the ground to Patrick’s leg.

It was a pitiful sight, but Patrick only rubbed his back and did everything he could to hold back a smile as he actually felt at least part of Eddy hugging his leg. “It will be okay, Eddy. You’re going to see your new caretaker soon. Isn’t that exciting?”

Matilda pried Eddy off Patrick’s leg and helped him up. After wiping a tear away, Eddy nodded slowly. “Yeah… buh’ I don’ wanna leave you. You’re my fwiend…”

Feeling a little jealous of the attention, Matilda piped up as well. “We’re all friends, Eddy. Right, Patrick?” she asked, a desperation to be right palpable in her voice.

Patrick didn’t know much about where Matilda had come from, but from what Eddy had haphazardly implied one day, finding a group of people to call friends was a big deal to her. So, despite the unknowns of the future, Patrick knew he needed to give all of them some glimmer of happiness for their future together. “Oh, absolutely. You two have given me hope in this program and I don’t want to lose you all in my life. Besides, we can just look each other up afterward, right? That’s allowed… isn’t it?” he asked with some uncertainty.

Addy just happened to be walking by and checking in on all the Littles and spoke up. “Yes, Patrick. In fact, we actually encourage you all to maintain your connections with each other after all this. Could make for some cute and fun playdates with you all!”

“Addy…” Patrick groaned, obviously feeling embarrassed over her insinuations. She was a wonderful nurse, but Patrick couldn’t help but feel there were times where she wished that she could adopt him. He would have brought it out in the open, but he was too scared of being wrong or for her to freak out and take him away right then. Redge’s time in his life may have been brief, but he was still bearing some of the emotional scars from that horrible day. So, for the time being, he would just groan or slightly complain if she ever implied that he would be like Matilda, or worse, Eddy, when he left here two months from now. With any luck, it might just be enough to dissuade her from doing anything rash, or at worst, prevent her from regressing him fully if she did something they both might regret later.

Acknowledging their desire to be left alone now, Addy then just simply waved and left the trio.

Once out of earshot, Matilda turned back to her friends. “I’ll make sure Dr. Halgen and my caretaker know that we want to talk after tonight. I don’t think anyone would object to something like that,” Matilda said. “For all we know, they might even push us to do something like that.”

“Yeah… I think you’re right. So, yeah… we should be good.” Patrick then turned directly to Eddy. “See? All is going to be okay. Just take some breaths and before you know it, you’ll have a caretaker all to yourself and friends you can still see after all of it.”

Eddy grinned widely and the trio kept talking for most of the night. Patrick could have opted to hang out with his friends from his group, but he doubted that he would get to see Matilda or Eddy until he had left Psyche as well. His friends in group were wonderful, but he knew that he would be seeing plenty of them for the foreseeable future.

Before each Little could be presented and announce who they would select as their caretaker during the official ceremony later, the Littles were to be shuffled off to ensure they were well-fed, had clean diapers, and generally weren’t dirty. Due to the precarious and often temporary nature of these protocols, the less regressed Littles went first, so Matilda was called off to be checked on her own.

Alone, and after a little casual conversation, Eddy suddenly became more serious, as opposed to his more traditional goofy nature, and then turned to Patrick. “Patty? I jus’ wan’ to say dat you were really awesome to me.”

Patrick smiled and even blushed a bit. “Well, I appreciate that a lot, Eddy. You were one of the good ones around here too.”

Eddy remained serious. “No… I’m bein’ sewious… a wot of other Littles haven’ tweated me the best. When I goh’ here, I was awl awone… Matty was gweat, buh’ she… she had other tings to wowwy about… but you… you were diffwent.” It was now Eddy’s turn to blush. “So, tanks…”

Patrick smiled and patted his friend on the shoulder. “It was the least I could do, buddy. You helped me a lot in all this. Made me see it as less of a hardship and more of a… vacation of sorts.” Patrick couldn’t help but see his friend’s still serious face. “I mean… you are happy, right?”

Eddy surprisingly took a second to think about his answer. Unlike most days, in this moment at least, Patrick swore that he could see a glimmer of who Eddy might have been before all this. “I… I am happy, buh’ dere will always be a part of me dat wishes I was who I was befo’ all dis.”

The answer unsuspectingly slammed into Patrick with its full weight right into his chest. “Oh? I never thought I would hear those words from you… you always just seemed so… happy.”

Eddy sighed and briefly tugged at his romper’s right sleeve. “Don’ get me wong… I love my life. I jus’ wish dat some stuff woul’ be diffwent. Wike my talkin’. I miss the ol’ way, buh’ I mos’ of the times, I jus’ have ta accept it. People go cwazy for a lot less awound here you know…”

“I guess.” Eddy’s words of doubt, however fleeting or accepted they now were with the Little, still rattled about in Patrick’s head. “Do you have any regrets?”

Eddy pondered and even traced his lips with his thumb for a moment. If Patrick hadn’t known any better, Eddy almost seemed as if he had a strong desire to suck on it. Finally, though, he spoke. “I…”

“Eddy! We’re ready for you now!” one of the nurses called out from the top of the back deck nearby.

Eddy shook his head and seemed to almost move on as if they had just been talking about the latest cartoon show they had watched the other. Much to Patrick’s surprise, he actually found himself enjoying it a bit. “Oh! Dat’s me,” Eddy beamed. “I guess we can always talk later, wight?”

“I guess… but you should go… looks like you could really use a change,” Patrick said, now pointing to Eddy’s clearly bulging diaper underneath his playfully adorned onesie. Since his arrival here and especially after wearing one himself, he had gotten more used to the idea of them, but he still couldn’t understand why some of these Littles almost seemed to not care when, where, or even if they were changed or not.

“Oh… wight! One diapy change comin’ up!” Eddy then toddled off but briefly turned back toward Patrick and gave him a cute and tiny wave. “See you later, wheely man.” Patrick waved back at his friend and Eddy soon disappeared from view.

Mulling over his spiced apple cider, Patrick wandered around the backyard in his wheelchair and admired the lantern lights overhead and the persistent smell of grilled meats and vegetables. According to Dr. Halgen, winter ceremonies were held indoors, but they would try to stay outside as long as they could to enjoy the beauty of the surrounding areas. He had wondered if their ceremony in two months would be held outside as well, but it was still a way off. For now, though, looking around at the distant mountains and tiny town at the bottom of the hill, Patrick couldn’t help but agree with the notion of holding the ceremony out here, no matter how cold it would be.

“Hey there, stranger,” Cara said wheeling over to where Patrick was standing. She still used her wheelchair lately to prevent her from collapsing over long distances or times, but she had recently begun to walk around the house, much to the delight of all, even now including Patrick.

“Hey, Cara,” Patrick replied. “Enjoying the party?”

Cara finished a sip of her own drink. “Eh. I’ve been to better, but still… feels kind of weird, huh? Them leaving and all. I mean, tomorrow, we’ll be the second group… part of the more progressed Littles. So strange to think about when we first came here and saw all of them…”

“I guess…” Patrick took another swig of his drink. “On one hand, it doesn’t feel like it’s been a month, but on the other… just look at everyone.” The pair of Littles then scanned the crowd and saw the rest of their friends and group. “A month ago, and barely anyone was standing, and Quentin looked like he was going to keel over at any minute. Look at him now…”

Cara did and saw him dancing with one of the Littles from the next more progressed group that was about to start their third month here. Her hair was grouped into a pair of pigtails on the sides of her head and her flowy pink dress did little to cover up the fact she was thickly diapered, something that Quentin didn’t seem to be aware of or at least mind. “At least he’s happy,” she mused. “Remember when we first met him? I swear that man didn’t say anything that he couldn’t cite directly from a textbook or a lecture.”

Patrick chuckled. “Yeah. So glad he’s changed since then.” He then paused and stared once more back at Quentin and the other Little. “Makes you think though… She could be us in a month. I mean… I’m wearing diapers and it’s only been a month. What will someone like me be after two or even three months in a place like this?” Patrick then shuddered. “Makes my stomach turn just thinking about it.”

“I suppose…” Cara said somberly. “I try not to think about it too much, but maybe we just need to go along with whatever happens. Standing or curative measures for all of us seem well worth the little sacrifices… don’t you think?”

Patrick hesitated to answer but as he saw the happiness on all the other Little’s faces, regardless of what they were wearing or even acting like, he only nodded. “I guess we came here to grow and heal. Maybe some of this could just be considered a different form of therapy.” A nearby Little squatted briefly but then just went back to eating their hot dog. “A little weird though…”

“Therapy… yeah, I guess. Maybe it will be the next new fad in L.A.?” Cara sarcastically joked as she smiled and watched the same scene unfold with the pants pooping Little as Patrick had.

Patrick nodded and smiled back at her joke. “Very true. Knew a few people who would probably would have leapt at this chance. Especially when the portals first opened. A different time…”

“Yeah… swear that’s why half of us are even here in the first place.” Cara then lowered her voice. “Some damn holdovers with pollution or lack of maintenance or improvements to something.” She then paused and seemed hesitant, but just took a breath and continued. “You really think your accident would have happened if their technology had been on that road in the first place?”

Patrick had often thought about it. That stretch of road of his accident was costly to upgrade or repair even when not dealing with new portal technology, so it was one of the few roadways without warning lights, focused and more intense streetlights that didn’t give off light pollution, or even a slicker and more resistant road. It was all in the past now, but Patrick always came back to the same question; ‘what if?’

The two continued their conversation for a little while longer until Dr. Halgen shockingly called Cara over to speak with her. Before Patrick could join her though for some morale support at least, Matilda popped back and inadvertently stopped him. “Hey there! Miss me?” A strong smell of baby powder immediately washed over Patrick.

Patrick let Cara go and refocused on his other friend in front of him now before waving his hand in front of his face. “Whew. Got all fresh I take it?” Patrick asked as nonchalantly as he could while also trying not to cough everywhere from the almost wafting cloud of powder that had arrived with Matilda. Diaper usage was just the norm around here and his developed rapport with Matilda and Eddy had swiftly broken down his embarrassment over talking about them so openly.

“Oh yeah. Nothing too bad before, but I’m all clean and ready to go now!” Matilda exclaimed, her flowery dress swaying around as she moved to the soft and distant music being played for the party. “You know… I’ve been meaning to tell you something…”

“Oh?” Patrick asked, leaning in a bit. “Is it a surprise?”

Matilda stopped twirling about for a moment and suddenly looked serious. “This is actually important, Patrick.”

“Oh… one of those talks,” Patrick said glumly upon the realization of what direction this conversation was actually going to take.

Matilda nodded. “I want you to enjoy yourself with these Bigs while I’m gone. I know it’s hard to sometimes and you’ve had some absolutely rotten luck, but there are some good ones here. If you want to survive or even be happy here… find them.”

Patrick looked around and saw many intimidating Bigs who had also been invited to the party. None within his view even seemed remotely approachable. “Any suggestions?”

Matilda saw what Patrick was seeing as well and shrugged. “Well maybe not around us immediately, but there’s always Dr. Halgen.” Parick’s eyebrows raised in disbelief over his friend’s suggestion. “Yeah, yeah, I know. A bit of a stern taskmaster perhaps, but she’s loyal to us in a way I didn’t think possible when I first came here and encountered a Big. Stay on her good side and she’ll bring an army behind her if she needs to in order to bail you out of something.”

“Maybe…” Patrick mused, now actually thinking hard back onto some of the recent events he had been witness to with her. “Now that I think about it, I’ve been seeing that more lately. Particularly after… Redge.” Patrick still shuddered a bit at the name. “I thought she was going to blow a gasket and then strangle him herself when she confronted him the day after Addy told her about him.”

“Yeah… she gets like that when someone as evil as he was pops up around here. I actually heard a rumor that she once kidnapped an abusive Big that had threatened one of her Littles and regressed him in the basement… or at least that’s the rumor. All I know is that the authorities officially called it an ‘emotional breakdown’ and all, truth or otherwise.

“Geez.” Patrick looked over at Dr. Halgen slowly sipping her drink and talking to Bruce now, Cara now having scampered off to the safety of their friend group. “Maybe Bruce as well, but that’s still only two.”

Matilda nodded. “Yeah. Definitely, Bruce, but… if you’re willing, Samantha and Lloyd also seem like good people. You can trust them.”

Patrick scratched his head and debated about his two new potential caretakers. “Eh. I’m not sure, but wait, how would you know about them? I thought you were with Emily?”

“Well…” Matilda shifted about uncomfortably, “Samantha used to be one of my caretakers… well, at least one of the candidates.”

Patrick nearly choked on his drink. After a moment, he managed to catch his breath. “She… you…? What happened?”

“Nothing really… we just didn’t click in the way I wanted a caretaker to click with me.” She took a sip of her own drink and then continued. “Samantha, and even Lloyd, when he came over to her house at the end, were great caretakers, but they weren’t what I needed. Almost too loving for me. I’m not the ‘hugging it out all the time’ type of girl, you know?” Patrick nodded. “Yeah, well Emily gets that. I mean honestly, we’re almost more of friends than true caretaker and Little, but we both like the arrangement. She gets to indulge in her ‘mommy side’ or whatever without all the extra bits, and I got this program and someone, a cop even, to protect me. Gotta find what suits you best, right?”

Patrick nodded but mostly just blinked at what she had just told him. After a minute, Patrick spoke back up. “So, Lloyd visited her at her house…?”

Matilda sighed with a great deal of annoyance. “That’s what you got from all that?” She groaned but after throwing her hands up into the air, still gave in. “Yes, everyone knows they’ve got a thing for each other. Been going on for years. As usual, they seem to be the only ones who still don’t know. Typical...”

The gears in Patrick’s head started clicking together at the notion of those two together. He had only seen them once in the same room together, but there had been… something there. Seeing Matilda’s annoyance over the subject though, Patrick decided to just move on rather than ask the million or so other questions that he had about them. “So, anyone else?”

Matilda looked hesitant for a moment. “I’m not sure if I should say this… but,” she sighed, “there’s always… Addy.”

Patrick smacked himself on his head. “Oh, geez. Of course, Addy! How could I have forgotten about Addy?” Patrick still saw Matilda’s contorted face at the sound of her name. “Wait… is there something more I don’t know about her? I’ve been suspecting something with her, but… why all the hesitation? Wait… is she poisoning me or something to reel me in as her Little?”

“Uh, no… well, I don’t think so, but… damn it… I really shouldn’t tell you this…” she then took a breath. “Addy has a thing for you as well… like she wants to be a caretaker to you…”

“Oh…” Having considered her a candidate at one point, despite not even being sure if that was possible, hearing it out loud need seemed… odd. For whatever reason, and he wasn’t sure why, Addy didn’t seem like a caretaker to him, or at least not in the same way as Lloyd and Samantha had. “Should I do something? Is that against the rules or… should I just wait this out?”

Matilda shook her hand at the notion. “No, no. Not against the rules at all. Just… be careful of what you say to her. She’s no threat, but she’s also your nurse here. Use her to help you through things, but unless you’re serious about considering her as your caretaker, be careful how much you tell her or rely on her emotionally speaking. She’ll be in your corner no matter what, but the rest… it could just get sticky. In fact, if you did go through with it… she could lose her job. And she’s one of the good ones, so, don’t take the leap unless you are absolutely sure.”

Patrick nodded but still saw a grave look on Matilda’s face even after all that she had just told him. “Is there something else? You look like you just found out that D.C. was bombed or something like that from back home.”

Matilda’s eyes bugged out. “Oh, no, no. Just…” she sighed. “Emily… my caretaker… being one of the local police and all... Well, she was talking about a few things, and I overheard, though I’m pretty sure I wasn’t supposed to when I was over at her house the other day.”

Patrick quickly panicked. “What did you hear? Was it something about me?”

“Well… one of the reasons I told you to get some Bigs in your corner before… it was to help you, but she said that Redge fled the country and they’re not sure where he is anymore.”

Patrick could feel a lump form in the back of his throat and his immediately began spinning. “Redge… well, what should I do? Do others know about it? Am I in danger? Are we all in danger? Should I ask for protection or…?”

Matilda quickly reached out and gripped Patrick’s shoulder to steady him with this sudden burst of unwelcome news. “Woah, buddy. Take a sec and breathe.” Patrick did so and some color quickly returned to his face. “Like that, yes. Now, I know a bunch of others are aware of the situation around here.” She quickly scanned the crowd around them. “Definitely the nurses and the rest of the staff, so you’re covered there. Tell the others if you want, but I just wanted you to be informed before I leave here. I know I don’t have to tell you this, but that man is dangerous. Very dangerous for us Littles.”

Patrick unconsciously rubbed his butt from where he had been spanked. “Yeah… I know…”

“No… not everything about him, so just be extra careful. He still has a lot of resources, and he doesn’t like to be told ‘no.’ It’s gotten him into trouble before.” Matilda sighed. “One of the reasons that Dr. Halgen expanded her search criteria is because she realized she missed a few bits on his background check.” She then looked away for a moment to compose herself. “There was a Little… she told him no when they were in a mixed high school together and he offered to take care of her after graduation.” Matilda then had to breathe for a moment and for a second, the words refused to escape her lips. “The…they found her three days later… completely regressed. Couldn’t say her ABC’s even, let alone… well, what had happened to her. Everyone suspected Redge, but… you know, money and power…” Her voice then trialed off and she even looked over to the crowd of Bigs where she had comfortingly spotted Emily.

Patrick was near speechless and couldn’t believe that a man like that had even gotten near to this place. A fear gripped his insides and twisted a knot that couldn’t easily be undone. “Thank you for telling me… I have no idea what I’m going to do, but… I’m glad you told me.”

Matilda smiled sympathetically at her friend and wished she could do more for him. “Just be careful. I won’t be here, but feel free to just call me if you ever need help, or even if you just want to talk. Emily can do a lot around here, and I even used to be a…”

“Bigs! Littles! The ceremony is about to start!” Dr. Halgen then announced on the main porch, now outfitted to look like a stage in front of the back lawn where the party had been taking place.

“Oh, shoot. That’s me. I gotta go, but just remember what I said, and you’ll be fine!” Matilda then shockingly leaned in quickly and gave him a peck on the cheek before scampering off to get in line with the other Littles officially choosing their caretakers tonight.  

Patrick touched the spot where she had kissed him and felt a tiny warmth grow in his heart. It wasn’t enough to overwhelm the knot of fear that persisted, but it was enough to give him a tiny respite and moment of happiness. For that at least, he was glad.

Not long after, Patrick gathered with his group and eyed the main stage. “Good evening, everyone! It’s my pleasure tonight to introduce you to our next group of fully healed Littles. We here at Psyche are dedicated to the progress and healing of all, but as I’m sure you all know, this comes at a price. This is price comes into play tonight, but don’t think of it as a shackle of imprisonment as some may view our society. Think of this price instead as a ticket to your new lives!” The crowd that had gathered around the stage then applauded.

Patrick quickly spotted several Bigs looking eagerly at the Littles lined up behind Dr. Halgen, amongst them were both Emily and Bradly. There were other viewers as well, but curiously, Patrick also noticed that several of their group’s nurses weren’t amongst them. It seemed odd that they would miss this ceremony, but he could only shrug his shoulders and turn his attention back to the main stage.

Soon, four of the other Littles went and each proudly had announced their caretaker, eliciting a round of applause and a tender moment between the Little and their chosen Big. Some of the Bigs that Patrick had seen previously quickly excused themselves and some had even run off crying, obviously over having not been chosen by their desired Little. For a moment, Patrick almost felt bad for them after hearing what they had to go through to get here in the first place, but finally, it was time for Eddy and Matilda to go.

Eddy was first and stepped up to the stage, now dressed cutely in a pair of pants with suspenders that wrapped up around his white button shirt and tiny striped bowtie. Patrick briefly wondered if this was how Eddy had dressed, sans the obvious snaps in the pants and diaper bulge, before all this. Despite being friends, he had almost never discussed his past.

“And here we have Eddy!” Dr. Halgen announced, as the crowd lightly clapped as they did for all new introductions to the next Little in line. “And Eddy… who are you choosing tonight?”

Without hesitation, Eddy leaned into the offered microphone still in Dr. Halgen’s hands and proudly announced, “I choose Bwadly!”

The entire audience cooed over his speech impediment, as if it was a token of accomplishment, and then furiously clapped. The man that Patrick had often seen with Eddy then ran through the crowd and grabbed Eddy up from the stage. The two hugged in each other’s arms for a good while and then disappeared back into the crowd to watch the rest of the ceremony, now together. Seeing them like this, Patrick seriously doubted that Bradly and Eddy would part after five years. ‘Would Matilda be the same? Or their group? Or even himself?’

“Next up,” Dr. Halgen continued, breaking Patrick’s thoughts of the future, “we have Matilda!” Matilda then walked forward and her newly curled hair and dress seemed to delicately move in the oncoming fall breeze of the night. “So, Matida… who are you choosing tonight?”

Matilda then proudly beamed and pointed into the audience before her. “I choose Emily!” A tall woman then dashed through everyone before her and met Matilda on the stage with the widest smile Patrick had ever seen before. True to form, instead of the usual cradle or hug that Patrick had become accustomed to seeing with the other Littles, the two then danced it out on stage for about a minute. The whole scene only ended when Dr. Halgen stepped back up and Matilda hugged Emily’s leg.

“Yes, yes… very, uh… interesting…” Dr. Halgen commented as the two then happily exited the stage together. “Yes, well… that concludes the selections tonight. For those of you still here that weren’t selected, I am deeply sorry, but to you and to those watching from around the country or even the world, we remind you that you still are or may even be approved soon to become a caretaker. Tomorrow, we’ll be bringing in a new batch of Littles, and let me tell you, many of them are just absolutely adorable! For now, though, I want to thank everyone and the staff for making this night a reality! It means a great deal to all of us here at Psyche New Beginnings! Happy choosing day everybody!”

The remaining crowd then broke into a thunderous applause. Patrick, however, barely registered what was happening. It had been that way now for about a minute since Dr. Halgen had first announced that this ceremony was being broadcast elsewhere. In sheer terror, his head darted about and quickly saw the cameras perched high above everyone, including the Bigs. From where he was at, he knew that the cameras had a perfect view of him to be broadcast all over the world. Barely registering it, a small spur of pee escaped into his slowly dampening diaper, a fact that Patrick had scarcely noticed throughout the night.

Without another moment’s hesitation once he broke from his terrified stupor, he then quickly darted behind a clump of bushes to hide from their watchful movements, the red blinking lights indicating that they were still broadcasting whatever they captured to any discerning viewer. Moments later, Dr. Halgen walked by. “Dr. Halgen! Dr. Halgen! I need to see you!”

Dr. Halgen stopped in her tracks and saw the hiding Little. “Oh? Patrick, what are you doing behind these bushes? Are you playing a game with your friends?” she cooed. Dr. Halgen smiled sweetly, but then got a better view of him as she came closer and saw his frightened expression. “Oh, Patrick, are you okay? Are you hurt? Did someone hurt you?” Her voice quickly became angrier as she scanned the audience for the perpetrator who harmed one of her Littles.

“I… no, but the cameras!” Patrick exclaimed, pointing to the blinking devices just beyond and above where he was hiding.

Dr. Halgen immediately looked relieved and smiled as one would do to a child with an overactive imagination. “Oh, Patrick. You silly boy. Those can’t hurt you. We just want to show the world what we’re doing here.”

Patrick quickly remembered back to what Matilda had told him about Redge’s disappearance. “Aren’t you worried about streaming to the whole world? Isn’t that a security risk? You know… with him?”

Dr. Halgen crouched down to his level and patted him on the shoulder. “Nonsense, Patrick. I think you worry too much about things. You’re still thinking like your world.” She pointed back at one of the nearest cameras. “Here, our firewall security is easily ten times what yours is back on earth by at least a factor of 10. Plus, even if… that man ever was to come trapsing back to this area, he would have to dodge the police and our security. He won’t get within ten feet of you. I personally will promise you that, okay?”

Patrick’s mind still raced and wanted to point out all the flaws in her logic. “But…”

She patted his shoulder again. “Relax… just relax and enjoy yourself tonight. Besides, I think I see your friends calling you over,” she said pointing to a waving Ian nearby. “Go on.” Dr. Halgen then stood back up and gave him a pat on the back and quickly sent him over to his friends.

Ever vigilant though and knowing that Dr. Halgen wouldn’t listen to him any further for tonight at least, Patrick made sure that his back was at least turned to where the cameras were pointing so that his face couldn’t be seen. With a sigh, he knew that Dr. Halgen was many things, but he also couldn’t help but feel that she was being very naïve about all this. ‘Oh, the arrogance of being a Big here…’ Knowing his luck, Redge could have been out there right now and looking in on all this and just scheming away... for him. For now, all he could do was wait.

*              *              *

Far away and beyond many mountains, rivers, trees, and several winding backroads, two Bigs watched eagerly in their hideout as the party unfolded. “That’s him… I know it.”

“What? That speck? Please, your eyes are just getting tired.” The woman then stood up. “Besides, I doubt Halgen would be foolhardy enough to let him within a state of any broadcasting camera.”

He squinted his eyes and tried to make out the figure more clearly. “You overestimate their diligence with these things. They’re flawed in a way… caring so much about their Littles. Almost makes them… human.” The man shuddered at the notion of his species acting like one so weak. Humans were good for being brainless babies and not much else. One just had to see their society when the portals first opened to know that.

“I suppose,” the woman mused. “Now, come on. We have a big day tomorrow. It won’t just walk out on its own two legs you know. Not yet at least…”

He held up one finger and tried to zoom further in one the figure seated in the wheelchair with their back turned toward the camera. “Just one minute. I need to see him. I’m so close.”

“Reginald Burton,” the woman commanded. “You come to bed this instant. You want to be a Daddy? Then start acting like one and get to bed on time.”

Redge sighed. “Yes dear…” He then closed his laptop and followed her into their bedroom. Despite her changing into her sleek pajamas in front of him, Redge couldn’t help but focus on and think of Patrick and how he would soon be all his. “Soon, my Little. Soon…”

[dirtydingus84]

As for your note at the top if this was a horror story Friday the 13th in October with chapter 13 would have been epic! 

[LostBBoyBear]

13 minutes ago, dirtydingus84 said:

As for your note at the top if this was a horror story Friday the 13th in October with chapter 13 would have been epic! 

Oh don't I know it... I was originally going to work on another story that would have been very horror-centric, but this story just spoke a lot more to me at this point. Maybe next year...

[CDfm]

That was an ominous ending to this chapter. I really think that Patrick will be safe from Redge as long as he is in the facility.  He has the wristband to call help should Redge or any other threat appear.  I have little doubt Patrick will be very quick to use it to if needed. I liked the little talk Matilda had with him. Patrick now knows that having Abby as a caretaker is a good possibility if he wants it.  He also knows that Lloyd and Samantha are a thing and he could have both as caretakers. Both options I believe would be good for him. 
I really enjoyed this chapter and am looking forward to the next. 

[Guilend]

Yeah, having Patrick running around in view of the cameras wasn't a good idea. Yes he'd have to get past security and police, but she's not thinking about the fact that the only way he could've escaped arrest for this long is because of his money and influence. He's had to have a few officers in his pocket and probably wouldn't take much to pay off a few security officers either. So he could be in and out with Patrick probably within 15 minutes, especially if he uses the cameras as a way to see what's happening in real time.

 

I could totally see the doctor kidnapping and regressing an abusive Big. I wonder if it was permanent or if they was able to undo any of it lol. 

I'm not sure if having Addy as his caretaker will be good for Addy. Especially if she might lose her job over it. While I think she'd be great at it, I just don't know if it's a good move on a logical standpoint. But what do I know? I'd just be a Big looking for that strict Big to put me in my place even if it can potentially be dangerous for me lol. So I'm one to talk about doing things that's logical lol.

[Eagle0769]

The beginning of this chapter was great

the end made my stomach twitch in pain likes Patrick does.

Love this story can't wait for the next one. 🙂

[LostBBoyBear]

Happy Friday the 13th everyone! 

First of all, I just want to give a big shout out to all of you for liking and commenting on my stories. I don't do this for the likes or anything like that, but winning a few of the past days and even being on the leaderboard is something that I don't take lightly or for granted. It means a lot to me, but it also helps me know what stories you all like best. I have so many that I can write, so when a story like this or a few of my other ones get more attention, I tend to focus on those more at least for now.

As such, I've decided to just focus on this story and not write an ABDL infection story to commemorate Halloween. I still have the idea, but I'll save that story for later. For anyone interested, it was a slight play on 'The Last of Us' game and TV show. Both are great and when I figured out a way to do it and incorporate all the elements, I couldnt help but write it all down. Maybe I'll post it next year...

Regardless, as I said, I will now be focusing on this story more, and I have even added at least two more chapters to this story. I may add more if I feel the story could be fleshed out more, but I will just let you know when we are coming to the end. 

For now at least, this is the first chapter of the next part of this story. I was going to do something more horror-themed to mark the day, but I realized that it ultimately make sense, so I hope everyone enjoys what I chose to write instead!

Part IV: Distractions

Chapter 14: What Now?

“Son? Son? Can you hear me? Patrick?” a strange voice called out to him from the darkness.

Patrick’s head felt that it had been slammed with a steel caisson and his lower half seemed as if it was encased on concrete. He slowly opened his eyes up but then immediately held up a hand to shield them from the blinding light of the room and from the penlight coming from who he could only assume was a doctor and who was now waving it in front of his eyes. “Yeah, but… ugh, wha… what happened?” he asked hoarsely.

The doctor, now a little clearer to see, sighed. “What do you remember?”

Patrick’s brain felt like a mix of soggy cereal trying to will itself back into existence. “Ummm… I… I mean we… my mom and I were in a car coming back… from… uh, she was picking me up…”

“That’s right… go on,” the doctor gently coaxed, now setting his penlight back into his whitecoat’s pocket.

“Well… it was raining and then…” Patrick gasped. “The accident, I…” Patrick tried to get up, but only felt an immediate pain from his waist up. Oddly, everything below just felt as if it was stuck. ‘In fact… wait!’ Patrick’s eyes bugged out in fear. “Why can’t I feel my legs?” he asked in a sudden state of panic.

The doctor then rested his hand on his arm as some measure of comfort. “Patrick… yes, you were in an accident, but I’m afraid that it was quite severe. You’re lucky to be alive, but your spine…” He then trailed off.

Patrick didn’t have the patience to worry about the doctor’s feelings and roughly shook his still attached hand that he had originally offered in comfort. “Tell me! I want… need to know.”

The doctor sighed deeply. “Patrick, I’m afraid you fractured your spine. We can talk more about specifics later, but know that for right now at least, you are paralyzed from the waist down.”

It was a smack right in his face and Patrick’s greatest fear had just been confirmed. He held onto each word, but then realized something the doctor had just said. “Wait… right now? As in… uh, doc, am I going to get better?” Patrick asked with a renewed sense of hope.

The doctor rubbed his temple and wavered his hand in the air. “Yes, in a way? Maybe…” The doctor didn’t seem like he wanted or even could give a straight answer. “Well, the truth is that my colleagues and all have been debating this but given what happened with your…” he then shook his head, “uh, anyway… you would be a good candidate according to our research. We’re willing to try some things if you are.”

Patrick weighed his options, but quickly realized that he really didn’t have any. It seemed like it was the choice between a hard life confined to a wheelchair for its duration, or the possibility of him walking again, no matter how experimental. If that meant he would walk out with a tail, then so be it. “Definitely. Do what you can. Please. I can take a few risks if that’s what’s needed.”

The doctor nodded and began to walk toward the door and then then looked back. “You get some rest now. We’ll be watching if you need anything,” the doctor said, pointing to a camera above him.

Patrick saw the blinking red light. “Uh, we?”

“Yes… medical personnel here and anyone else involved with the hospital. All strictly confidential within that circle I assure you,” he tried to console. “You just never know… others could find your case particularly useful in the future. We can give you a form to sign and all…” the doctor then smiled and lowered his voice a little. “Would even help with your bills and all…”

“Uh, yeah…” Patrick agreed hesitantly, “sure thing…” He didn’t need the money, but he still wanted to use some caution with what he had.

“Perfect. Just get some rest and know that you’re in good hands now and in the future.” The doctor then turned to leave.

Patrick smiled back to the doctor, but as he exited, Patrick realized one more thing. “Wait!”

The doctor stopped and turned back around. “Yes? Is there something else I can help you with?”

Patrick absentmindedly fiddled with his hospital ID bracelet. “Yeah… uh, before… you kind of trailed off… uh, where’s my mom? Is she in the ICU or something? I know she was bad off, but I kind of passed out before I saw anything else.”

The doctor’s face dropped, and he sighed. “Yes… uh, well…” He then took a breath. “I’ll just say it now…” he muttered under his breath. “Patrick… your mom, despite our best efforts, passed away. She’s dead. I’m so sorry.”

Patrick had heard those similar words before when his dad died a few years ago. They had seemed hollow then and even more so now. His one anchor… his helper… his friend… his mom… was now dead. He was all alone and the whole world just seemed to swallow him into one bite with a few short words. ‘I did it… this was me… I’m responsible for killing my mom…’

The doctor walked over to his now mute patient just sitting on the bed and not moving beyond the few tears that now trickled down his cheeks. “Patrick, are you okay?”

*              *              *

“Patrick, are you okay?” Cara asked her friend, slightly shaking his arm to get him out of the stupor he had been in for the past ten minutes at least.

“Wha…” He then saw all his group looking at him with concern. “Oh… sorry. Yeah, just thinking back to some stuff...” He then faked a yawn. “Oh man,” he sleepily said, lying to the group, “long day and all. I think I’m going to turn in for the night.”

The group looked at him skeptically, but all just wished him a good night’s sleep and that they would see him in the morning. Patrick said his goodbyes as well and wheeled back over to the main house, a chill floating through the air and piercing his clothing at every seam and opening. After the warning about Redge and the cameras that had likely broadcasted his image to the world though, he barely felt.

The temperature had been dropping along with a few of the nearby colorful leaves and most of the guests had now left, and Patrick couldn’t help but feel the overwhelming sensation of a sliver of fear that had now entered his mind. Redge was still out there. Still probably wanting him… still just as dangerous, if not more now.

Still though, Patrick didn’t want to dwell on it too much or else he knew that he would never get to sleep tonight. Whatever was to come, Patrick knew full-well that he at least needed a full night’s sleep.

After a few moments and elevator ride up to the top floor, which Patrick found odd that they wouldn’t now switch to the second floor, being the second group now and all, he exited and rode down the hallway to his room. After turning the last corner though, he saw Addy casually walking his way. “Oh, there you are. I was actually just going to get you for bed tonight.”

Patrick thought her statement was a bit odd and almost juvenile… almost as if he now had a set bedtime. “Uh… well, here I am. Shall we?”

“Yep! Now, let’s get you into your room and all settled for the night.” Patrick nodded and just allowed Addy to push him the rest of the way toward his room. A quick swipe of his wristband later, and the door opened… all routine by now. What greeted him though, was unexpected.

Inside and posted on his wall, were still his Pink Floyd poster and his poster from home depicting one of Monet’s sunsets, which always made him smile, but other things had shifted for sure from what he could see from the doorway. Entering in a little more, while pictures of family still adorned his dresser, the dresser itself had now been moved in between the two windows of room. Where it had once been on the left wall since he had come here, was now a full-length changing table.

At first, Patrick thought he was just imagining things, but as Addy slowly wheeled him inside the rest of the way, its form was unmistakable. As he viewed it from the front, the changing supplies stocked below clenched the idea of what it was, and Patrick’s head began to spin at all the possible implications.

Hoping to regain a sense of balance, he quickly looked away from it but was only greeted by his bed. While it looked very much the same as well, he plainly saw the rails which were now attached to either side of the frame and extended down from the head of the bed to about midway near to where his waist would be. Additionally, his bedspread had also changed and the comforter, once a dark blue with a few small lighter blue lines, was now completely the same dark blue but was now instead laced with comical versions of stars and moons, similar to one of the waterproof covers he now had for his wheelchair.

Patrick wheeled over to his bed and touched the newly added sheets. They were soft, but… so juvenile. He quickly spun around to face Addy. “Addy… what the hell? What have you done to my room?”

“I improved it,” she said simply with a smile on her face as if she had done nothing even remotely wrong.

“Improved it? You call this an improvement?” Patrick started to yell while shaking the firm railings of his bed. “This is… I just don’t even know where to begin…” he said dejectedly. “I mean… what about that?”

Addy looked over to where Patrick was now gesturing with his hand. “Oh? You mean the changing table? What about it?”

“Addy! Damn it!” he shouted in frustration. “Don’t act like all this isn’t a big deal. This is all… what the hell? I thought we were friends!”

Addy looked a little hurt by his words, but she just took a breath and walked a little closer to her now distressed charge. “Patrick, honey… you may be a Little and I’m a Big, but we’ve both been alive for a few years now, despite however this society views your maturity level beyond this facility. You haven’t had anyone messing with your head, I promise you… so I’m just going to speak as plainly as I can.”

“I wish you would,” Patrick said matter-of-factly.

Addy sighed, slightly hoping that they could have avoided this rough patch. She knew if she handled this situation well though, it could save them a lot of work, frustration, and heartache in the future. “Yes… well, from how you’re acting now, I think you can understand why I didn’t talk to you about this more until now, but we’re officially in the second month and second phase here. That means certain things are going to start happening a little quicker… for everyone. Not just you.”

Patrick glanced over to the most blatant piece of new furniture in his room, a testament to the sheer accuracy of her previous statement. “Like… a changing table?

“For some of you, yes.” Addy grimaced over the work she had put in herself reassembling the thing from her hidden compartment in the room and dreaded the other items that were still to come being stored in there. “I know these things are difficult to accept, but if you really take a second to think about them, they are necessary.”

Patrick blinked in horror at the words coming out of Addy’s mouth. They had fixed their issues from the whole Redge situation… ‘But now this?’ He felt a sting of betrayal. “Necessary? For my humiliation? For my emasculation? For the loss of my adulthood? For my…?”

“Patrick!” Patrick froze at Addy’s sudden outburst, obviously used to her usual calm demeanor, but there was something else unsettling about her face though. She seemed frustrated but slightly embarrassed as well. “Look, I can at least sympathize with the fact that all this seems like a step down… a humiliation that we Bigs do to get some perverse and derived pleasure from it all, but at least for me, I don’t.” She then took a heavy breath and let it out. “I want you to be happy and healthy, but you need to take a hard look at yourself and be realistic for just one second. The last thing I want to do is to hurt you, but at the same time…” she sighed deeply. “You need your diapers, honey. I know you can still use the pot… toilet for number two, but that might not last for all we know. Regardless though, you seem to have no control over going pee-pee anymore. It’s not your fault, but I bet if I checked you right now, I’d find you’d be completely soaked.”

The words percolated in Patrick’s mind, and with some trepidation, he squirmed slightly, and from the limited feeling he was getting back around his pelvis, he could feel a slight squish about his diaper.

“That’s what I thought,” Addy said, noticing his movements and his subsequent horror-stricken expression afterward. “I know all this is really hard to accept, but you need help with changing those diapers at this point. For now, I will be the person changing most of your diapers here, so for me, the table will help with that. So, please, for me.”

Patrick’s lower lip had begun to tremble heavily after he realized how soaked his diaper had become. He didn’t want her to be right about something like this, but he knew deep down that there was truth in her words. He had occasionally felt his diaper grow warmer tonight and knew he was going to be wet, but certainly not at the level that his previous squirming had just revealed to him. Further, knowing this place, he wasn’t going to get any better, so as Matilda’s words rang in his head, he just needed to accept this as part of his life now. Still though, there was another piece of added furniture in his room that still raised an eyebrow or two of his or any sane and mature adult. “Maybe… but what about the rails?”

Addy looked back over to the white carbon fiber and mesh pieces now sticking up from either side of his bed. “Yes… well, you are getting sensations back in your legs. Call it involuntary spasms or something more tangible on the road to recovery but…” She then pulled out a device from her pocket and hit a few buttons on the touchscreen. “You should see this.” Addy then handed the device to Patrick.

Patrick stared at the screen before him in disbelief. While it was at double speed, he could still see his constant tossing and turning in the middle of the night. Normally, he would have just remained mostly fixed on his back with the occasional shift of his upper body, while his nearly useless legs had acted as an effective anchor. Now, it seemed his usual upper sporadic movements were now practically catapulted by his legs when they now twitched throughout the night. ‘No wonder I’ve been waking up slightly sore in the mornings lately.’

After a moment of him watching, Addy took the device back. “You see, we have a camera to ensure your safety at night and it’s rigged to alert us when you engage in various activities or are in any type of perceived danger. For example,” she then pointed to the current shot of Patrick’s body inches away from the edge from the device in her hands, “when you nearly fell off the bed in the middle of the night yesterday.”

Patrick saw the evidence and saw how close he had been to falling off and then looked back to the new addition to his bed. “So… the rail…”

Addy nodded her head. “Is exactly what it seems… a safety feature and nothing more. Not for the sake of humiliation. Just something for your protection. It’s that simple.”

Patrick held his head low. Again, he knew that Addy was right. He had just assumed that the five years of sleeping on his back would have accounted for something, be he guessed that the over two decades of being a restless sleeper before his accident was a much stronger and buried impulse. Now that his legs seemed to be miraculously moving, albeit on their own, those old ways seemed to be resurfacing once more. Now, the last thing he wanted to do was fall out of bed and hurt himself further. “I don’t like it,” he said in resignation, “but I guess I don’t have much of a choice…”

Addy smiled and rubbed the right of his drooped shoulders. “You always have a choice, sweetie. In this case though, your options are just more limited, but I do hope that you choose the options that help you more.” She paused and looked at both the changing table and the railings and sheets on the bed. “So, what will it be?”

Patrick gritted his teeth, but after careful consideration of everything she had told him and then he had seen on the hidden camera, he reluctantly said, “Yeah.” He groaned. “Just go about what you need to… I know I need help, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it…”

Addy nodded her head and started preparing Patrick to go to sleep.

Moments later, a stack of changing supplies had been upended onto the padded surface and a pair of fuzzy pajamas lay near to them, all adorned in a light blue with cartoonish bunnies in various states of eating, running, and playing. Patrick rolled his eyes when he saw them, even more when he saw the snaps running up the legs, but he only just sat back in his wheelchair and let everything play out in front of him. Audibly protesting at this point likely would have been a waste of time, and by now, he just wanted to go to sleep and bring about an end to this once so promising and happy day. ‘First Redge… now, changing tables, snaps on my pajamas, and rails on my bed…’

Addy saw his resigned demeanor and sighed internally. She hated being the perceived ‘bad guy’ in all this, but she knew full-well that she was a necessary evil in all this at least. Patrick was gaining strength, and now he even had a bit of movement in his legs every night. Plus, his mood had improved, and he had been almost weaned off his drugs entirely, but she knew that like with all other Littles who had come and gone from this facility, steps taken, like the ones tonight, were only the beginning.

“Alright, sweetie. Let’s get that diaper changed of yours.” Patrick nodded and Addy went about her usual routine and hoisted Patrick up onto the changing table.

Patrick felt a haunting sensation that reminded him of when Redge had changed him into a diaper at the fair. Addy was far gentler and accommodating in her movements, but the moment that had been festering in the back of his mind since that day was now upon him. Today was the day that a changing table would now be viewed as a necessity in his life, rather than just as a punishment doled out by a sadist. It was a quick wounding slash to his soul, but Patrick just laid still as Addy stripped him of his clothing and proceeded to change his diaper.

Not long after, Addy led his naked and now at least partially cleaned form into the bathroom. She laid him down on the bathing seat and turned on the water. Thanks to the Bigs advanced technology, it only took five seconds for the water temperature to heat to its desired temperature. Satisfied for the moment, Addy stood back up. “Now, I’ll let you soak for a moment, and then I’ll be back in to get you nice and squeaky clean, okay?”

Patrick just nodded in acceptance of his fate as she left to tidy up his room and make the final preparations for that night. In truth, he loved having a bath, but for tonight, it only cemented the reality that things were changing from when he had arrived only a month ago. Tomorrow was to be the start of the second month and therefore second phase. If tonight was any indication, tough times lay ahead.

*              *              *

Group therapy had continued into the first week of the second month as it had done since their second day here, but now, things felt very different. Quentin, the last holdout of the group to not be wearing some sort of padding, had an accident while horsing around with Ian the other day. While he may have initially been demoted to training pants, being the second month and all and much to his annoyance, he was quickly sent down to pull-ups instead.

On other fronts, Patrick and Darren were no longer the ones who had been diapered. Terra, and just today, Ian, had been as well. The later of the two was still fuming over their addition to his life, amongst other things as well…

“This is just crap!” Ian shouted after Dr. Halgen noted that naptime may be coming to their daily routines soon.

“Ian!” Dr. Halgen scolded. “We do not use that language in group, or for that matter, anywhere while you are on these grounds or in this program. Do you understand?”

Ian nodded his head in acceptance but still crossed his arms in frustration and defiance. “Fine… but come on. We’re all wearing padding now of some kind and I bet my lunch for tomorrow that at least three of us are wet. That’s not normal.”

“Ian,” Dr. Halgen said in a calm tone, “normal is all purely relative, especially for a group of Littles in this world. Sometimes, there are things that are just necessary, and we have to accept them, whether we actually want to or not.”

Ian scoffed. “I get that, doc, but it’s not their necessity that I find troubling.”

Dr. Halgen shifted in her seat. “Oh?”

“No. It’s the fact that we’re all wearing them now and within the past two weeks. Are you drugging us? Subtle hypnosis in the TV?” he accused. The TV blared from the other room and Ian immediately covered his eyes and ears as best he could in fear that something more was afoot in this place.

“Ian… come one. Remember what we’ve talked about with your conspiracy theories,” Dr. Halgen tried to console. “I think this is just one of those times where…”

“But I agree as well,” Cara piped up. “Are you really telling us to believe in coincidence with all this? The night of the party… something changed for all of us…” The group nodded in agreement. “You’re pushing these things onto us when we haven’t even asked for it.”

“Yeah. It feels like some long-term trick,” Quentin added. “I wanna look at my contract again! You definitely slipped something in there to allow for all this. You said we would only do what we wanted. Diapers are one hundred percent not on my ‘wants’ list.”

Dr. Halgen sighed. “I see. And is that how all of you feel?”

The group mostly nodded their heads, but Patrick just shrugged his shoulders lightly. He didn’t want to be noticed, but he also wasn’t completely sure what he believed anymore. His thick diapers rustled subtly under his pants and his clothing no longer seemed fully adult in a lot of ways, but he couldn’t help but think that all this just felt like a product of their environment.

He had read an article, despite its more ‘conspiracy-theory’ sort of nature, that had noted the possible presence of something in the atmosphere that would affect Little’s brains. It may have been initially released by the Bigs decades ago when they were crueler and more exacting in their treatment of Littles, but it was there now, whether they wanted to keep it out there or not. Plus, the clothing was locally sourced, and this being Libertalia, clothing in their size tended to be juvenile, like shirt he was now wearing that boasted one of the quotes from one of the cartoon shows that Eddy used to watch here. He didn’t dare tell Ian or the group about what he was feeling, but Psyche sabotaging them felt like a step too far to truly believe.

“I see,” Dr. Halgen finally said after a moment of seeing almost everyone’s agreement that something was amiss. She had noticed Patrick only shrug his shoulders, but she didn’t want to ostracize the one Little that seemed to actually be leaning in, or at least giving in, to everything they were offering here. With any luck, if she didn’t push, he could have an influence on others. Project Nurture had noted as much a few years ago, and she didn’t see any harm in allowing some of that study to play out here as well. “Well, would anyone like to express their feelings more?” Ian’s hand quickly shot up. “Yes… Ian,” she said with some reluctance.

“I think you all suckered a bunch of vulnerable people into coming here and gave us an opportunity that we couldn’t pass up,” he spat. “Seeing all those regressed Littles the other night, made me realize that you just want little baby slaves for your screwed up world!”

The group blinked in shock for a moment. Ian’s words may have been true for all they knew, but it was clear that none of them wanted to go that far out on the ledge with their accusations, especially in front of Dr. Halgen, who only looked back at Ian and took a few notes. “Hmmm… that’s a very… unique theory, Ian. Perhaps we need to discuss this further… alone.”

The rest of the group grumbled or murmured nervously, and many checked the nearby clock to see the time. It just so happened that their usual hour of group discussion was about to end today. Seeing the chatter amongst most of the Littles in front of her, Dr. Halgen nodded her head. “Yes… I think that would be wise for group to end today. Give Ian and I a little time to chat a bit first. I can talk to the rest of you after one on one… I’ll get one of the nurses to collect you when it’s your time.”

Patrick swore he could see a glint of malice in her eyes, and he even peed himself a tiny bit when her stare was directed back toward him; however, once she began to talk, he heard no anger or sinister overtones in her voice. “Patrick, dear. Isn’t time though, for your physical therapy with Bruce anyways? That’s far more important than a little chat with me.”

Patrick doubled back to the clock and saw that it was time for him to go. “Uh, r…right, Dr. Halgen.” He turned to the group. “I guess I’ll see you all later.” He then saw Ian, partially standing defiant in some ways, but also clearly nervous in others. He nodded toward him as a show of support. “Ian…” He shook his gripped fist as another sign of strength and to ‘hang in there,’ but he quickly wheeled himself away afterward, fearing that Dr. Halgen would change her mind and include him as well to have a little chat.

The rest of the group soon followed him out and left Ian all alone with Dr. Halgen. Before Patrick turned another corner and the doors to the room shut, he could just make out the last of what Dr. Halgen was saying to Ian. “Now, Ian. We’ve talked about this before, but I don’t see you improving. Perhaps you need a more… personal session in my office. Please, walk with m…”

The doors then slammed closed, and Patrick tried to block out what could happen next to his friend. Dr. Halgen had revealed herself to be a caring individual for her Littles, but she definitely did not have a tolerance for backtalk, defiance, or foulmouthed language. For the rest of the group, they all tried as desperately as they could to adapt, but Ian… well, Ian was stubborn to a fault when it came to ‘bending the knee.’ Patrick only hoped that he would learn his lesson before something more serious than a ‘talking down’ would occur.

Entering Bruce’s room, he saw that he was now hanging up Halloween decorations. “Isn’t it still a little early for those?” Patrick asked, getting closer to one of the longer wall decorations of a posable skeleton.

Bruce turned around and smiled. “Oh, hey there, Patrick. Must have lost track of the time, but no, not around here anymore. When the portals opened, we had our version of Halloween, but you all… whew. You all just brought that tradition over and… did you know it’s now one of our most popular holidays?”

Patrick touched one of the more knobby-looking pumpkins. “Eh. Can’t say I’m too surprised. You know… you all want to dote on us Littles and giving out candy, and then dressing up… plus the decorations? It’s a Big’s wet dream come true with any nearby Little.”

Bruce smirked. “True, but also, while we’re talking about it, think of a costume you want this year.”

Patrick stopped playing with one of the 2D bats. “Why would I need to…?”

Bruce grinned over Patrick’s face once he realized what he was implying. “Yep. You got it. We dress up around here and make a thing of it. All of us, so be prepared.”

As the two got ready for another session in the machine, Patrick couldn’t help but think back to his own Halloween experiences. It had been one of his favorite holidays with his family, but lately… it just felt like an extra thing to worry about in life. He hadn’t dressed up in years, but now he was here. With a growing pit of dread in his stomach, he knew that he likely wouldn’t be able to escape dressing up in some Big-approved cutesy costume, especially if his current shirt with ‘Way to Go, Explorer!’ written on the front was any indication.

Patrick then only realized that Bruce had placed him into the machine when it began to turn on. He jolted a bit from the surprise, but then eased back into it without any comment. Lately, the machine had been adjusted by Bruce to target more of the areas every few days that needed the most fixing. As a result, each session in the machine had given him a tiny feeling back. Today was no exception.

As soon as the jittering and heated machine stopped, Patrick could immediately focus on what was going on below his waist now. While he had started to accumulate a sensation around his waist, which is why he knew that he now needed to be changed desperately after this, the feeling below that had been hit or miss… until today. “Holy… I can feel something!”

Bruce smiled as he helped Patrick out of the machine and onto a nearby exam table. “Oh? Point to the spot, or even spots. Let’s check it out, shall we?”

Patrick’s finger quickly shot to a dozen or so spots all up and down his legs, but as Bruce began to check each one out individually, part of his elbow briefly brushed against his foot, pressing his shoe up against his toes. “Wait! I feel… yeah! I feel my toes!”

Bruce’s eyes lit up in happiness and without a second’s hesitation, tore off both Patrick’s sock and shoes. With a great deal of care, he then began to tap around Patrick’s feet and found out just where he could feel.

“Oh, yeah. Right there… uh, not there, oh! Right there!” Patrick cried out, a few tears of happiness making their own appearance. He couldn’t believe it. The last time he had felt his toes was the night of his accident when he had first woken up after the crash and was trying to free his leg from the crushed front panel of the car pinning him in place. That had been over five years now. To feel his toes today… Patrick couldn’t even think of the right words to express how he felt.

Bruce continued for a bit but had also noticed Patrick’s tears. He had briefly slowed down in case he was hurting him, but Patrick’s subsequent wide grin quickly reassured him that everything was fine. Then, he had a wicked idea and began to gently touch Patrick’s toes.

“Wha… oh!” Patrick leaned back and even spasmed a bit as Bruce quickly got to work and began to tickle his feet. “Ooh! Oh! Stop! Stop! Please! Oh!” Patrick then began to burst out into laughter.

“Oh? Is someone ticklish? I think someone is, huh?” Bruce cooed at his unsuspecting victim. “Does someone really want me to stop?”

“Yes! Uh, wait!” Patrick’s mind rattled about as he felt nearly all the tickles that Bruce was applying to his foot. It was uncomfortable and his stomach was starting to hurt, but he could feel something. The promise of all this was now paying off in dividends. Despite the changing table, increasingly juvenile clothing, or even the diapers and daily baths he now took, and he couldn’t believe he was feeling this way, he felt that it all might have just been worth it. “No! No! Just a few minutes longer! Don’t stop! Oh!”

Bruce grinned and felt a strong sense of accomplishment over his latest success with Patrick. Soon, he would get him upright, but for today at least, this was just as satisfying. “As you wish…”

Outside, strolling along to come check on her charge after she had settled Cara into the living room to read a book while she waited for Dr. Halgen to call her in, Addy heard what almost amounted to a series of shrieks as if someone was being tortured. On pure instinct she bolted to the physical therapy room and was terrified that Bruce may have just snapped and was currently torturing or abusing Patrick. Upon looking in the room when she got closer however, she could only smile and wait outside.  

From her view of the inside, she could see a positively radiant Bruce tickling Patrick’s feet up on the exam table. Patrick was sprawled out and in tears from the sensations coursing through his foot now. Addy almost couldn’t believe what she was now witnessing, but she knew the healing power of what Psyche had offered. Patrick was just another soul slowly on the road to his recovery.

Feeling satisfied, she decided to continue to wait outside the room and let the two have their fun. After the other night, she still felt the usual guilt that she did with all the Littles and always wanted to tell them about this place’s… secrets, but she remained ever steadfast and loyal to Psyche. Besides, hearing the noises inside and their peculiar similarities to the laughter of a toddler, she couldn’t help but feel that Patrick was right where he truly belonged.

[Pierry Louys]

This chapter is very interesting because we can be so happy for Patrick starting to recover his legs ! But in the same time we can infer that addy and the clinic is doing things to regress their patients so is a suspicious and happy chapter 

[Guilend]

I really like how he's starting to feel again. I really understand Ian, as I'm also a conspiracy theorist and I can see things from his perspective. I hope that whatever happens to him during his "meeting" he's not regressed so much. I understand the doctor trying to keep him quiet, while the others might agree with him, as long as they don't voice their concerns they won't be much a threat. I'd definitely be careful if I was Addy, I'm sure everywhere there's eyes and ears. I'd hate to see what would happen to a staff member if they'd expose their secrets to a "patient". 

 

I'd have a problem being a staff member there. Once I started to feel connected to one of the Littles I'd have a hard time not telling them the truth.

[Eagle0769]

I think Ian is in trouble and he may come out of that one on one meeting with Dr. Halden 

with a red bottom which would be hard to explain to the group. Maybe she will 

use something on him to make him submit and change his ways. Ian is very strong

in asking questions Patrick was like that at first. Being treated like a toddler by Addy

has something to do with how he feels now. 

Wonderful news that Patrick has feelings in his toes. I don't really understand

why the baby treatment is going on if they signed a contract to be asked?

[CDfm]

Loved the chapter.  It warmed my heart to see that Patrick is making such huge improvements.  I can almost hear the laughter as Bruce was ticking him. I know Patrick doesn’t want to become a baby but he is actually showing a great deal of maturity by realizing that the infantile items he is being introduced to again are in fact necessary. I am ready for more. 

[AnActualAirbender]

@LostBBoyBear I’m over here sad that I’m caught up and waiting. Thank you for this, please please please continue! :)

[dirtydingus84]

What's going on with Ian and Helgan Redge as well? Can't wait until Patrick walks again  

[keith60]

I hope there is more